Spring Market 2012, Kansas City

Posted on May 31, 2012 by

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Last week I was singing “I’m goin’ to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come!”  This week I’m wondering how it could have gone by SO FAST!  It was a jumble of book signings, meetings, wandering in and out of booths and talking to people.  I loved the colors, seeing the new fabrics, meeting old friends and making new ones!  Every day I went back to my hotel with a brain that couldn’t settle down and go to sleep!  For now, here’s a few pictures, but in the next few days I’ll be adding some fun inspirations from Market that caught my eye.  I’m so excited for Spring Market to be in Portland next year!

Posted in Spring Market, Travel, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Australian Patchwork & Quilting

Posted on April 26, 2012 by

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Janna Roos from Australian P&Q contacted me a while back and wanted to do an email interview for a book review she was working on. (Darn–wish she had needed to meet in person)!! Anyway, we emailed back and forth a bit, it was fun and I could tell she had a great sense of humor. Well, the “book review” came out this month and has morphed into a full page article! I got my copy of the magazine in the mail today in a plain brown wrapper, my DH was sure wondering what it could be! What a fun surprise! Try reading it in an Australian accent, all the more fun. Australian P&Q is full of great articles and quilt patterns, this one is featuring applique projects. I think I might have to make one or two. You’ll find it at your local quilt shop–or your bookstore.

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Black-Eyed Batik! Featured Quilt of the Week

Posted on April 24, 2012 by

This table runner was inspired by my little quilt group!  We gave each other a challenge to make blocks of bright batiks on a black background.  I loved the effect, and had this project in mind from the beginning.  This runner provided instant gratification because of how quickly it went together, especially since I still haven’t finished thw quilt we were supposed to make!  The quilting it was pure fun, I used a turquiose thread which I knew would be outstanding on the black background.  You might have three stray 12″ blocks waiting for the perfect project, and you could use them here!  If you do please send me a picture so I can post it for everyone to see.  Find the pattern in my book, “Perfect Fit Pieced Borders”!

 

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Featured Quilt of the Week! Sunwashed Summer

Posted on April 17, 2012 by

Sunwashed Summer was a quilt I designed a while back, it is featured in my book “Perfect Fit Pieced Borders”.  My quilting buddy Lynne A. helped by doing a lot of the applique for this piece.  She is always busy with projects of her own, but made time to help me out and she is a real applique expert!  I am grateful for her help!

I was inspired by the lovely colors in a simple bowl of fruit for this project.  The applique is easy and fast and would make a great beginner project.  I imagine it on a patio table set for “Girls Night In” with a fresh garden salad, a loaf of great bread, and a pitcher of raspberry lemon drops!  Want to join me?  Come on over, we’ll sit down and have a good chat!

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Winter Wonderland!–er, Happy Spring!

Posted on March 21, 2012 by


We woke up this morning to snow like I have never seen in Eugene! Four hours later it is continuing to snow. I LOVE IT!! It’s not exactly a blizzard of my youth in Minnesota, but beautiful none the less. The neighborhood kids are out with sleds, schools and businesses are closed. All my morning patients cancelled, so I don’t have to go in to work until 1pm. Maybe that will change too. In the meantine, I am quilting and enjoying the view! I love the drama of this picture, the only color is in the fire hydrant! What do you think of my big birch tree? It’s my favorite, reminds me of home, my sweet Mom, and the lake cabin. Seeing it covered with snow just plain makes me feel good! I think I’ll go have a cup of tea now and stare out the window a bit :).

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The Applique Society Newsletter

Posted on March 16, 2012 by

What fun!  I was featured in The Applique Society Newsletter this month.  It is great newsletter with so much information inside.  Lots of great articles, give-aways, book reviews, shopping, challenges and they even include a couple of patterns each month! 

Click on this link:  www.theappliquesociety.org to read the complete article about Border Techniques where they interviewed Kari Carr and me for our ideas.  I especially talked about how I use pieced borders–my specialty!

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“A New York Minute!” Featured Quilt of the Week!!

Posted on March 4, 2012 by

Quick as a “New York Minute”, this quilt can be finished in time for that last-minute gift.  I’ve made so many of these fun quilts and have begun to think of them as my quilt “missionaries”, sent out all over the country to keep the babies warm!  It’s a perfect size (40″ x 50″) for a crib, or for a small throw/lap quilt.  The secret to finding a good collection of coordinating fabrics is to choose the stripe first.  You’ll find it in my new book Perfect Fit, Pieced Borders.   Look in the gallery for a few more pictures of this quilt in different fabrics.

Try it, betcha can’t make just one!

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The Milky Way, the Big Dipper, and the Little Dipper seem to fill the night sky and light up the castle in a dreamland.  This fun appliqued and pieced project was inspired by my friend Tonye Belinda Phillips, a wonderful applique artist.  Be sure to check out her web site www.tonyebelindaphillips.com and see for yourself why she and her work are so inspiring.  I was also thinking of a trip I had taken with my husband to Crater Lake, Oregon.  We stayed at the historic lodge and were up late into the evening stargazing at a breath-taking sky.  The early morning sunrise over the rim of the crater was equally impressive.  So much to be inspired by, so little time!  Of course this is a pattern from my latest book, “Perfect Fit Pieced Borders”.  It uses some fun embillishments including wool, velvet and organza as well as quilting cotton, and then is finished with a fun quilt design.  Hope you will try a version of your own!

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Posted on February 14, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Featured quilt of the week!

Posted on February 7, 2012 by

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The Drama Club

I am very lucky to have many quilting friends who inspire me!  Judy Dillree is one talented quilter and best of all I get to call her my friend.  She designed this outrageously fun quilt just after my first book (PIECED TO FIT) came out and agreed to let me put it into the second book.  It’s included in Perfect Fit Pieced Borders.  I had such a fun time quilting it and choosing thread colors.  Now I’ve been able to see it done in other color schemes, and different applique techniques, but this one is the masterpiece.  Judy you are a gem in my life, I appreciate the many times you’ve let me quilt your quilts, the time we’ve spent together talking and laughing and quilting.  It is a treasure to have you as a friend for 3+ decades!

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Not ready to give up Christmas yet!

Posted on January 7, 2012 by

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Check out this awesome Christmas quilt!  Makes me wish it were mine, and I have the perfect spot to hang it!  The quilt top was very well made by my friend Pat.  She used a TON of scrappy fabrics which make it so interesting to look at, and the narrow “logs” in the Log Cabin blocks give it a lot of texture.  Then the quilting was added, and you can see how much fun I had doing that!!  The finished piece is just outstanding!  I hope I get to see it again someday, maybe hanging in a quilt show?!  (hint-hint) :)

I was able to work on this quilt in the beginning of December and kick-start that holiday feeling, and I’m enjoying it again now, stretching the holidays out as long as I can!

Posted in Thoughts & Inspirations | 4 Comments