Sweet Quilting Retreat

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Last weekend at Picket Fence’s annual quilt retreat, I met wonderful, talented women.  This is Terri and her sister Marsha who was visiting from Missouri.  They both made Junk Bags, but with a crazy quilter spin to the pattern using wonderful, interesting embellishments.  I love seeing how they used their imaginations – crazy quilters find the most ingenious ways to use so many different elements in their quilts and projects.

Donna, Lisa’s daughter, who is in the education field, worked on finishing up the Mother’s Love quilt with the ruched borders.  Donna is also a knitter and crocheter and does wonderful work. 

Barbara, who I didn’t get a photo of, was working on two Cute as a Button Baby Jackets for gifts.   Baby girl  Lilly, has  a  L on the  pocket.  She fussy-cut the letter from my Sweetest Gifts fabric.  Both jackets are lined in cotton flannel.

Three glorious days in the quiet country sewing with friends and getting projects finished, what a wonderful treat!  Thank you Lisa for putting together a lovely experience!

PS: I promise I didn’t pay these gals to work on my patterns at this retreat, but what a wonderful  thing to get to see!  I learn so much watching others create and it helps me as a designer to see what the patterns and fabrics can become!

Christmas open house!

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

My dear friend, Lisa had a Christmas Open House at her quilt shop, Picket Fence on Saturday and  invited me to do a short presentation on making gifts and wrapping gifts and to introduce my Junk Bag pattern.

Click on the image to download a .pdf of this handout, also listed in Helpful Hints.

Steph and Bev joined me to help with handouts and door prizes.

I also got to see projects that friends are working on and projects they have finished.

How much fun are Wanda and Sandi having?  I love it!  Sandi brought her bag she made to show me.  She crocheted this lace.  I love this idea, very clever Sandi!  The crochet lace is Tamara’s pattern from the bed-skirt in one of my project books, A Mother’s Love.

Gifts that keep on giving..

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

For my birthday a few months ago, Bev. bought me the new Rachel Ashwell, Shabby Chic Interiors.  It is a beautiful book, inspirational rooms!  All of us at JCD are crazy about our books and magazines, Fortunately, while we have similar tastes and hobbies, we have different criteria for purchasing books and magazines.. so, we often will beg, borrow, share materials so that none of us ends up broke!  Not to mention that I have joined a book club (which I love) that can put a little ding in the cash flow.  I am calling it my continuing education – books are required.

Speaking of reading materials.. Steph’s birthday is this month, so Bev. and I  surprised her last week with lunch, brownies and gifts.  We usually pool our efforts and funds for gift giving.. Bev. made the beautiful “friendship” gift tag and I picked out these fabulous magazines and wrapped them with with some fabric I knew Steph would love, pinned the edges and topped it off with a fabric corsage pin (gifts within gifts!).

I bought Journaling, Where Women Create, Artful Blogging, and Stitch (open with awesome tank top), and had my hands full with at least another 5 or 6 that I had to walk away from!  I think she liked the gifts, we all had a hard time finishing our work and often had to flip through pages during “down” time.