Spring is Here

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

Lots of exciting things going on in April. Spring is here! Everything is in bloom and we’re surrounded by green in our lovely home that we’ve been in for 20 years now.

Here’s Mark and I out cruising in his 1931 Ford Model A.

I’m planning my mom’s 80th birthday party that will be held in June in Maize, Kansas.

35 years ago this month, my sister Tamara and I had babies within 24 hours of each other and so my son Jarred and niece Jennifer are celebrating their birthdays.

My middle child, Angie and her husband Travis are looking forward to giving birth to their first son in the next 6 weeks. Ava is clearly very excited!

My youngest, Emilee, has graduated from Wichita State and enjoys working in advertising.

The new patterns and fabric that I’m working on for Benartex will be for sale in the fall.

On April 19th, I will be doing a program about fabric design for the Modern Quilt Guild at Material Girls Quilt Shoppe here in Wichita from 10 a.m. to noon.

I’m currently enjoying reading “Moon over Manifest” by Clare Vanderpool and “Heaven is for Real” by Todd Burpo.

Now you know all the new happenings here at Jackie Clark Designs, leave a comment and let me know what sewing projects you’re working on this spring!

Midwest Sewing & Vacuum demonstration

Monday, November 15th, 2010

Saturday, the staff of Midwest Sewing & Vacuum was kind enough to invite me to visit

with their customers and answer questions about fabric and pattern design.

I would like to thank Jean & Judy for their hard work in setting up a

lovely refreshment area with a beautiful linen table cloth, crochet doily and pretty

floral china plates for guests to enjoy!   All very nice and well done!! 

They have so generously placed my display models made from my patterns and books in

Benartex fabrics right in the front window for several weeks now!

My sister, Tamara Gonzales came and took some pictures for me to share with you.

Jeff Gordon was on hand answering all the important, technical questions about the machines! 

I demonstrated on the Bernina machines with the ruffler attachment,  and also the BSR;

 Bernina Stich Regulator (the machine stitches when you move your quilt under the needle!) 

I wish everyone could have it on their machines when quilting.

I also showed decorative stitches & threads that I like to use on pockets and hems.

I want to thank everyone for all their help and kindness, and to the

guests who visited with  me about their sewing hobby.

I hope you had a happy weekend!

Market notes..

Friday, November 12th, 2010

How exciting!  School House is a great opportunity to share with shop owners my new patterns and fabrics.  I have held several over the past few years, but this was an awesome turnout!  I am so honored that these hardworking shop owners found time to listen to some boutique tips I have picked up over the years in this industry.

We had the pleasure of working next to wonderful Benartex Fabrics.  Susan Neill and David Lochner and Susan .

We were so fortunate to get to airline to Market.   A wonderful sister pattern designer, Deborah Johnson, In the Dog House Designs who allowed us some space in her van with her booth this year.  Thank you Deb!

I don’t settle in until the booth is just so.. and every day we work in the booth, we learn something new about what works best, by the time the show is over, we have it “Right ,Right”.

My newest pattern, On the Go Trio was so perfect for market this year.. I was traveling with my staff and we all had our hip purses with the flower pins and the perfect colored scarves.. the three of us were the actual “on the go trio” ! We love this picture of the model.. we all want to be her!

This is the first time that my team and I (R to L: Jackie, Beverly, Stephanie) have all three traveled together to market.  I was so delighted to introduce everyone to our friends at Benartex and have the chance to sit with Susan face to face to look over the new line we are working on.  We squealed, we hoo-rha-ed, we drooled, (but only in the most professional way).

I always make a point to give shopowners a display idea they can recreate in their shop.  This corner “closet” made from a bi-fold hinged shutter, some cable ties and cafe rods to support and act as closet rods is something anyone can do.. and it looks so darn cute full of kids clothes!

My friend and fellow Prairie Quilt Guild member, Lesa joined us and helped in countless ways at our booth.  She and her sister, Lori showed us where to shop, where to eat and all the Houston tips.  Lori drove us to  The Container Store!  Lesa was the cable tie queen.  Thanks for all your help, ladies!

Brave and bold.

Monday, October 11th, 2010

Is there anything more wonderful than soft baby toes?  Everytime I was tempted to update the Britches & Bloomers cover, the JCD girls and I nearly came undone!    How could anything be sweeter than our little hugging barefoot girls? 

But, it did get sweeter.  I am so excited to have wonderful fabrics to sew the models for the new cover.  This photo has been in my mind for several years.. waiting for the right circumstances to remake the delightful pattern cover of  Britches & Bloomers. 

 The Little Flower Pocket Top looks so good with the Britches, and I couldn’t resist showing more fabrics using the owl pattern.. Sew many choices!  I am sew excited to be using my Baby Business and In the Nest fabrics by Benartex, and my little granddaughter, Ava and her cousin, Lyrik for this brave step. 

I can’t wait to show the new cover all finished!

Fabric arrives!

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

It’s here!  I am sew excited to have my hands on these fabrics.  Tons of ideas for projects to sew on my new machine!  It’s so nice to see it on a bolt after working with strike-offs, you just can’t wait to see what it’s going to look like and feel like at the final stages!

Look at all the pretty colors!  They are delicious!

We love these beautiful fabrics!  Thank you so much Benartex!

BERNINA JOY!

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

There are all kinds of joy in life, joy of motherhood, joy of first love, joy of friendship.  But there is another joy, Bernina Joy.

The wonderful delight of working on a machine that sews effortlessly!  I have been getting to know my new machine and have been testing it quite thoroughly.  I can’t say enough how much I love my new Aurora 440!

Cover Girl, FabShop News!

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Sweet Ava and the Little Flower Pocket Top on FabShop cover.  Pretty sure it doesn’t get much better than this!  I am delighted with it!  Many thanks to all who have helped with this pattern, and this line of fabric.  Your support means more than I can say!

Fons&Porter’s Baby Quilts

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

Fun News:

Fons&Porter’s “baby Quilts”, which is due to hit newsstands July 27th features a beautiful ad (starring my precious granddaughter, Ava) for my new lines of fabric: Baby Business & In the Nest, Benartex Fabrics.    The magazine is full of great projects for those new arrivals and special toddlers. 

·         On Sale : July 27th – October 4th

·         Cover Price: $6.99

In this ad, Benartex offers a free quilt featuring In the Nest fabrics called ”Pocket Full of Posies”, by Janet Page Kessler.  This quilt was displayed at Spring Quilt Market, and is beautiful. 

To receive your free pattern, send 44¢ SASE to:

Many thanks to Benartex for this wonderful ad and pattern.

Little Flower Pocket Top

Monday, April 12th, 2010

I am anxious for 2010 Spring Market, just around the corner.  This darling top with fun flower pocket is so quick and easy – it’s my newest pattern, sewn up in my newest line of fabrics from Benartex.  I can’t wait to show you more!

Fabric Swatches!

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

My fabric swatches came!  We have been working with Benartex Fabrics to design this wonderful line and up ’til now, it’s been on paper.  This week, the girls and I got to see the prints on fabric for the first time!

We squealed, we oohed and we ahhed.  There were fabrics everywhere!  It just looks so beautiful!  It has been such a pleasure working with Benartex on this project!  I just  could not be any happier with the colors, the detail and how quickly this has all happened.               

We each have our favorites already!  Look at all the choices!  This purple and green argyle fabric is darling.  I can’t wait to get yardage of thes fabrics and start sewing models for Spring Quilt Market!

I am working on a free downloadble quilt pattern to use with the new line.  Seeing the fabrics all together like this makes the combination of colors/prints  for the design easier.  This alphabet fabric comes in two color ways, one more suited for boys, the other for girls.  It also has numbers and punctuation symbols!  I can’t wait to personalize a quilt with a name.

I had the opportunity last weekend to join my friend, Lisa of Picket Fence Quilts (here in Wichita) at her annual quilt retreat.  I got the fabric swatch samples earlier in the week, so I took them with me and had a chance to make a couple of small projects.

The pattern I used was Little Scraps from This & That.  It was agonizing trying to sort through my odd shapped swatches and then CHOSE the combination to use.  I wanted to use them all!  The project was fun and I added some lavender inside to make the notebook holder freshen my purse.  I made one for Steph and Bev.

Faux Crochet Granny Square fabric!  I have displayed this baby afghan Tamara Gonzales, my sister made and carried it to market after market – finally it made it’s way into my fabric line.  Tamara really did a wonderful job on the stitches and her work really looks lovely in cotton cloth.  Check out Tamara’s blog with Leisure Arts, Tamara’s Take  for all kinds of crochet ideas.

All I can say is that I am so excited, so grateful, so pleased!