My Current Obsession

Recovery from my polka dot problem was slow, and now I've developed another problem.  Text fabrics.  I can spot a bolt of fabric with words on it through the store window from the parking lot.  Not kidding.  Just a few more pieces, and I'll be ready to make a really fun quilt. 

Picked up these (and a few more) pieces of Benartex WordPlay from an Etsy seller, carmenjass. 

And more Benartex WordPlay from Quilter's Compass.  (Great sale, too.)   

Noteworthy and Lucy's Crab Shack from my stash.

More Sweetwater goodness.

 

Echo Park and Architextures

 

 

New favorites -- Lori Holt's Polka Dot Stitches and Timeless Treasures Wine Lover Words.  This group from fabric.comhttps://www.fabric.com/. 

 

 

 

And a few that I picked up from my lunch hour hide-out.

 

Hope you'll stop by Tuesday -- I have a fun surprise for you.

 

Have a great week!

 

 

Evening Star Quilt Guild

Last weekend, I had the privilege of teaching two workshops for the Evening Star Quilt Guild, the same guild that hosted the Quilt Symposium of Alabama in 2012.  (You can read about that here.)  What a fantastic group of people!  I was missing all of them about ten minutes after I left.  I tried to snap pictures of everyone's projects, but it looks like I missed quite a few.

Everybody's busy working here.  Well, hello there, Sandra!
 

Terry was looking especially cute with her matching quilt project, flip flops, and two-color pedicure.  I'm sure she wanted to kick me when I took this picture under her table.  :-)



  
  

I really love it when people change up things and head off in a totally different direction.  Judy used part of her units to make the blocks in the top picture below, then used the sashing strips for a border.  Mancy arranged her Irene's Vexation blocks on point.  And Kathi worked on Peaks and Valleys in a really scrappy arrangement using fabric she cut from men's shirts.   (By the way, the three of you created a monster with that whole men's shirt thing.)

 

  

 

Ginny (left) attended my Flowers for Nana Girl class at Quilt Symposium of Alabama, and she brought along her finished quilt to share.  Isn't it beautiful?  And Ella (right) was sewing Sanctuary blocks so fast my head was spinning.

 

 

These are quilts from Scrap-Basket Beauties thrown over chairs at the workshops.  I decided not to leave them in the car overnight, and I wondered what the desk clerk thought when he saw me dragging quilts into the hotel.  Should have told him I get really cold at night. 

Susan used Legos to make a baby Bernina for my big Bernina.  Cute, huh?

 

 

She also made this invitation to the guild's retreat.  The quilt is a little over an inch and a half, and the clothespins are an inch long.  I can't imagine the patience it took to make this sweet card.  (The glue is actually invisible, but for some reason it wants to be noticed in this photo.)

Thank you all so much for a super weekend.  It was really great to see all of you again.  Hugs!

Just Piddling

That's what I say when I'm busy, but not accomplishing anything that really needs to be done.  I'm not sure if piddling is a verb, but that's what my grandmother used to say, and I can't think of a better way to describe my weekend.  Except for too short.  A little of the time spent piddling was on these blocks.  They're made using the Cross My Heart pattern in my new book.  Instead of using a single background fabric, I used lots of little scraps to make light and dark blocks.  And instead of an on-point setting, I'll be using a straight setting for these.      

 

 

Don't forgot to listen in at 4:00 p.m. Eastern today for the live broadcast where I'll be chatting  with Pat Sloan on  American Patchwork & Quilting Radio. 

 

Just click HERE to get there.  If you can't listen today, you can always listen later

on your computer, by subscribing to iTunes (search American

Patchwork & Quilting), or by downloading to a player.

 

Hope you have a great week! 

Who, Me?

That's what I said when Pat Sloan invited me to be a

guest on American Patchwork & Quilting Radio. 

 

I hope you'll join us on May 20 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern for the live broadcast.

Just click HERE to get there.  If you miss the broadcast, you can listen later

on your computer, by subscribing to iTunes (search American

Patchwork & Quilting), or by downloading to a player. 

 

 

I met Pat last year in Birmingham where we taught classes at the Quilt Symposium

of Alabama.  She's every bit as cute and energetic as I thought she would be.

Before I left for Birmingham, my husband asked if I would be the only

teacher there.  I told him there were lots of others, and started running down

the list.  When I got to Pat's name, he interrupted me to ask, "THE Pat Sloan?"

 He doesn't know a lot about quilting, but he knows that Pat rocks!

Hope you'll join us while I chat with THE Pat Sloan on May 20!  

 

 

Cutting Party

My rotary cutter needs a break.  So do I. 

I've been cutting scraps for a new project using leftover jelly rolls, charm squares, and other bits of this and that.  To make sure there's enough contrast, I like to "audition" the fabrics by placing them side by side.

Sometimes it's helpful to see the fabrics without color, so I converted the photo to black and white. 

This helps identify any problems before it's necessary to un-sew! 

 

Time to wake up my machine and get these pieces put together.  Hope you have a great week. 

 

Kim

Book Signing at A&E

Last weekend, A&E Fabric, Variety & Craft Store helped me celebrate the release of my new book by hosting a book signing and trunk show.  I wish all of you could have been there becaue we had so much fun.  Since you couldn't make it, I'm sharing lots of pictures. 

 

I had a lot of help with the quilts in Scrap-Basket Beauties.  My friend Karen pieced and quilted two quilts for the book, and my friend Nancy quilted ten of the quilts that I pieced.  As if all they did wasn't enough, I also forced asked them to sign books, too.  Apparently, they couldn't find anything better to do on a Saturday morning, so they agreed.  Here we are with Rhonda, pretending to be hard at work. 

 

 

A&E is closer to where I work than to where I live, so I like to shop and hang out there during my lunch hour.  If you go there around noon, you'll likely see me walking around mesmerized and running over people with my shopping cart.  These are the people who cut my fabric, help me choose borders, know exactly where to find everything, and make me laugh.  Tovah, Martha, Ollie, and Veronica.   

 

 

And here's Liz (pink blouse) sitting with Nancy, Karen, and me.  Liz makes the others behave (or tries her best) and orders everything for the fabric department. 

 

 

Here's my friend Karen (a/k/a Nana Girl).  

 

 

I can't remember if I've ever told you how I know Karen.  (If I have, feel free to skip past this part!)  Karen and I worked at the same law firm for 12 years.  Most days, instead of going out for lunch, we would work on quilts together.  After four years or so, our firm moved to a different building.  There was an empty office, so we filled it with quilting tools, sewing machines, a design wall, an iron, an ironing board, and even a small stash of fabric.  We had so much fun together working on projects, cutting, pressing, and sewing.  Our firm's telephone directory listed a telephone extension for the "Sewing Room."  We accomplished a lot, an hour at a time.  We no longer work at the same firm, but she's only a couple of blocks away. 

 

And here's Nancy. 

 

 

I met Nancy when she set up her longarm business at A&E.  She has a machine at work and a machine at home.  I think she has separation anxiety when she leaves one behind.  Nancy saved my life.  Maybe literally.  I was extremely behind in finishing the sample quilts for the book.  Nancy agreed to quilt "a few" of the sample quilts, and ended up quilting ten!  I would pick up one quilt and deliver another quilt top to her every few days.  I still can't believe she didn't run like the wind when she saw me coming.  I'm so glad she didn't, because she did a fabulous job on my quilts.  If you're anywhere near Pensacola and need a quilter, please let me know and I'll be happy to give you her contact information.  She's really good at choosing quilting designs that enhance the design of the quilt.  Like this one.

 

  

This is the back of Perpetual Motion.  I'm crazy about this free-hand modified Baptist Fan design.  Just too cool. 

 

A sweet lady named Wanda had made a few quilts from my first two books, and she brought them to hang in the store.  You'll see them mixed in with some of the sample quilts in these pictures. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so very much, Rhonda, Liz, Tovah, Martha, Ollie, Veronica, Wanda, Karen, and Nancy.  And thank you to all of you who sacrificed your Saturday to come by and visit.  It means so much to me.  Hope to run into you at A&E soon.  But hopefully not with my shopping cart. 

 

Kim

Happy National Quilting Day!

How are you celebrating?

 

Me?  More of the same.  Working on another Courthouse Steps quilt.

I think this is my favorite block ever. 

 And growing my stash a little. 

 

I have a serious dot problem.

 

I'm also gathering up quilts for a book signing/trunk show/play day at A & E Fabric, Variety & Craft Store in Pensacola next Saturday.  I'll be there from 10:00 to 1:00, or until they kick me out.  Don't laugh -- it's happened before.  I blogged about this magical place a long time ago here.  If you're within driving distance (or maybe have your own helicopter), I'd love for you to drop by and hang out with us.  The quilts from my new book will be on display, and I could use a little help deciding which fabrics to use for my next project.  Hope to see you there!

 

Kim

Crush

I have a giant one on my UPS dude, and this bundle of happiness he left at my door. 

I'm digging the camera prints.  How fun!

 

 

 

2WENTY-THR3E, by Eric and Julie Comstock (a/k/a Cosmo Cricket) for Moda. 

 

Have a great week!

Scrap-Basket Beauties

I'm thrilled to tell you that it's available today!  Like right now!  If you visit Martingale's blog today, you could win your very own copy.  While you're there, you can see a special slide show of all the quilts in the book, and maybe pick up a few tips for cutting 2 1/2" strips to make your own Scrap-Basket Beauties.  And if you don't have copies of my first two books, you can pick them up at 40% off until March 11.  Isn't Martingale the best?

 

You're still here?  You should be HERE instead.

 

Have a super week!

 

Kim