happenings

What do you do when daughter grows too tall for a favorite sundress? You cut up a coordinating fat quarter and add a border to the bottom. We cut the fat quarter into 3 strips, each 6" wide, and then sewed them together. Then we sewed the strip to the existing lining of the dress and voila! we added about 3" to the length of the dress. It only took about half an hour to do. Not bad, huh?

 Hard to believe that daughter is now a Sophomore in high school, which means that for the last couple of months, the brochures and letters from colleges have been just pouring in. This is one day's worth of her mail:

The driver's permit will come this summer. And oldest daughter will be a college senior next year.  Where does time go?

 It is bittersweet, watching them grow. They have turned into beautiful young women, so so quickly. I love watching them spread their wings- it's exciting and thrilling, and scary and sad. I miss the little girls that they were. But it's so exciting to see where life is taking them. I'm so proud of them.
The thing is- they're not mine. They never were. They belong to God and He generously and graciously entrusted them to my care for a while. And I am so grateful.

Easter 2011 Revisited

One of the nice things about Easter coming so late this year is that it was really warm and sunny- the way it should be! Not like all of those freezing, raining, raw March Easters! My mom and dad just moved into a retirement community and we spent the afternoon at their new house.

My sister-in-law, niece, and I modeling our bunny ears.

The Egg Hunt- serious business!

Delicious Desserts (daughter made the chocolate cake- fabulous!)

A walk was definitely in order after all of the wonderful food.

Hope you had a lovely day as well.

In the Studio Today....

Why yes, it is supposed to be 82 degrees today and yes, I am working on Christmas projects! Here is a table runner I made from my upcoming Joy, Love, Peace, Noel fabric collection (in stores in May). A free pattern sheet for this project will be available. (Don't you just love the prairie points on the end??)

I am also working on a quilt pattern which will have some very cute embroidery designs- I am trying really hard to get it done by May, but you know, the embroidery involves a little more time.

I have several more ideas in mind for this Christmas fabric line, now all I need are a few elves to help me get it all done!

I will be speaking and teaching a project at a Mother's Day Tea on Saturday, May 7 at Olde City Quilts in Burlington NJ. It is a beautiful shop with lots of classroom space- if you are interested in coming to the tea, stop by the web site to make a reservation. Our project will be wool flower pins- a perfect Mother's Day gift.

Come Awake!

CHRIST IS RISEN
Matt Maher and Mia Fieldes

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake! come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake! come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Let no one caught in sin
Remain inside the lie of inward shame
But fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to Him who showed great love
And bled for us
Freely You've bled for us
Beneath the weight of all our sin

You bowed to none but heaven's will
No scheme of hell, no scoffer's crown
No burden great can hold You down
In strength You reign
Forever let Your church proclaim

O death, where is your sting
O hell, where is your victory
O church, come stand in the light
The glory of God has defeated the night
Singing- O death, where is your sting

O hell, where is your victory
O church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead
He's alive! He's alive!

:)

Green

green[green] -noun

a color intermediate in the spectrum between yellow and blue, an effect of light with a wavelength between 500 and 570 nm; found in nature as the color of most grasses and leaves while growing, of some fruits while ripening, and of the sea.

Art . a secondary color that has been formed by the mixture of blue and yellow pigments.

All of a sudden, the world seems to be bursting with green- yellow greens, blue greens, chartreuse, emerald, spring green, sap, moss, apple....  Is there anything more lovely??

(One of the above fabric swatches is from my newest fabric line to be introduced at Spring Market in Salt Lake City in May. Do you know which one it is??)

Spring Home Decorating Projects

The kitchen is almost done! We are just waiting for a hutch that we ordered (we got a call 3 weeks ago that it was finished- but when we went to pick it up, they had stained it wrong and put the wrong latches on it, so we are still waiting....) I am waiting for the room to be finished, and then I will show you the "grand unveiling."

Sometimes when you finish a home project, you are just done and want to do nothing else for awhile. In this case, however, re-doing the kitchen has spurred me on to work on some other rooms in the house. A couple of weeks ago, I was at a quilt show and I saw a quilt that I loved- I loved the tiny little diamonds in the stars, and I loved the lively green sashing and border. Then I found out that it was a circa 1890 quilt, which surprised me because of the vibrant colors, and made me want it all the more. It was totally hand pieced and hand quilted and in wonderful condition. I really wanted it, but wondered if the colors would work with our family room furniture. I knew that if I didn't get it, I would go home and spend days, maybe weeks, filled with regret at missing out on it. After a phone consultation with hubby, and daughter nudging me on.... I took the plunge and bought it, figuring that if it didn't work in the family room, I'd find somewhere for it.

Luckily, the colors worked perfectly with the room. So now I can enjoy it without guilt!

Now, of course, we will need new lamps and a new coffee table. Oh, and definitely new curtains. I was hoping to buy some curtains, but it looks like I will have to make them. I have a few fabrics I am considering. I want something kind of modern, but still in keeping with the character of our old house. I am also thinking about slipcovers for the furniture, but have not found anything I like (why are the colors for slipcovers all so boring??)

It seems Spring fills me with energy and creativity and brings out my nesting instinct. I am also working on redecorating a bedroom at our beach house. The credit card is starting to warp! But I am pretty good at decorating on a tight budget, relying mostly on flea market finds and Target, and then choosing a few more expensive pieces just here and there. I am really enjoying my home decorating projects.

So how about you- do you have any Spring projects underway? Do you tend to do more projects in the Spring, or maybe during another time of year?

And the Winners Are......

The winner from the random drawing here on my blog was: Kathy from Troublesome Creek Quilts! Congratulations, Kathy- your prize will be sent out to you shortly.


And the applique project with the most votes at Quilting Gallery was: Jean from Nebraska with her quilt entry, Sunday Drive! Your prize is also on the way, Jean- congratulations! All of the entries were truly wonderful, and to be honest- I didn't vote because I couldn't decide on just one. I tried to- but the pressure just got to me!

Last week, hubby surprised me and "kidnapped" me and took me out for the day. We had a nice lunch, then went to a local museum/garden, and then did a little shopping. It was a very nice day! And so nice to see some Spring color. Hubby got some great shots.

Magnolias blossoming.

Flowering Quince buds- love this, have to get some for my garden.

Inspiration can be found anywhere- maybe someday this ironwork motif will find its way into a fabric pattern.

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

In the Studio Today...

First, thanks to everyone who entered the giveaways here and at Quilting Gallery. The winner of my giveaway will be announced here on Wednesday- so stay tuned!

This week, I am busy going over some edited copy for my book, Fruitful Hands. Things are really moving along! The photography is done and the book is now being edited and laid out.

AND, just this morning I shipped off more artwork to Henry Glass Fabrics. I managed to get it all done just in time- looks like I will be introducing 2 new fabric lines at this spring's Quilt Market in Salt Lake City. They both have lovely little "critters":

All of the windows are open, the birds are chirping, the air is fresh- it is supposed to go up to 80 degrees today.... could Spring really finally be here? Gosh I hope so!

Please Join Me!

Please join me for a fun morning:

The Village Quilter

10 Charles St.

Mount Holly, NJ 08060

Phone (609) 265-0011

Saturday April 8, 9:30 am

We will be chatting about quilt and fabric design, and there will be giveaways and doorprizes. And, be among the first to get a sneak peek at my new book, Fruitful Hands, to be released by Kansas City Books this July.

Also- don't forget to stop by Quilting Gallery and vote on your favorite applique project- the one with the most votes will receive a prize from yours truly. Also, it's not too late to enter the giveaway here on my blog.

Have a wonderful weekend!

I Love Applique Giveaway

Do you love appliqué? Me too! Whether done by hand or machine, I love the added personality and interest that appliqué gives to a sewn project. Being an artist (watercolors, mostly), I always find myself drawing and doodling, and a quilt just doesn’t seem complete to me until it has some flowers or birds or some kind of motif added. I think almost every quilt design I have ever published has featured some sort of appliqué. It just seems to add so much to the “story” of the quilt design.

And appliqué is not just for quilts- try adding an appliqué to a pillow, table cloth, or give new life to an older garment with appliqué. Vintage clothing is so popular right now- if you have a piece of clothing that has a hole or spot on it- cover up the offending blemish with an adorable appliqued flower or bird and voila!: instant clothing makeover.

I like the process of hand appliqué and I love the look of hand appliqué, but truth be told, I am a very impatient person. I have barely sketched out an idea (let alone actually completed it) before my brain is conjuring up the next project (I know you can relate!) So I am really into instant gratification with my projects, which is why I like fusible machine appliqué- it’s quick and easy and lets me get on to my next project fast. Click here for my Free Fusible Machine Applique Tutorial. (My favorite tip: Don't let your machine boss you around! Don't we all feel that way sometimes- that our machine is in charge instead of us!!)

I am sponsoring 2 giveaways this week. One will be at Quilting Gallery- hurry on over and submit a photo of a favorite appliqué project you have done. The winner will receive a bundle of Fat Quarters from my Sewing Room Social Fabric line and a free pattern (retail value $53.00). (And even if you don’t have a project to submit- make sure you stop by and vote for your favorite!)

The second giveaway will be right here on my blog. To enter, go to my website and choose your favorite quilt pattern featuring appliqué, then come back here and comment and tell me what it is. The winner here will receive 3 free patterns and a pile of other goodies (retail value $45.00). Winner will be drawn at random, you must comment by midnight EDT on Sunday April 10.

You may enter both giveaways. Good Luck and Happy Monday!