When walking International Quilt market, there is so much eye candy to grab my attention.  This dress in the booth of Coats and Clark really jumped out at me just from the sheer beauty.  (My picture doesn’t do it justice). This dress is befitting the dreams of a fairy princess!

The dress was an award winner in the Bernina Fashion show last year.  The fabric was all sheer and machine emellished with Coats Dual Duty XP threads which you can see in the detail closeup.

In addition, crystals were added in the back.  The construction of the skirt was really unique with  streamers of fabric sewed at the waist, with the edges slightly overlapping and sewn around the bodice in several layers.

Below are more wonderful quilts from the quilt exhibits.  (If you missed my earlier post with some quilts, check back a couple of posts to view them.)

Cynthia St. Charles from Montana designed this quilt of a Village.  I love the colors!

Another fabulous quilt with wonderful colors, this one was designed by Carol Taylor of NY.

Pat Watson of Victoria, BC Canada designed this quilt.

This quilt by Katie Williams of Colorado was an award winner.

All of the quilts above have such wonderful colors.  These were just a sampling of the quilts exhibited at International Quilt Market and they all were wonderful.

I  have one more article I want to post from Quilt Market - but its something fun, unique and whimsical that I saw outside the market in the park

The quilt designs are copyrighted by the quilt designers.  The photo’s are copyrighted and cannot be used without the permission of Phyllis Dobbs.

I have some special treats from International Quilt Market.  Although it was close to Halloween, these treats are not the “trick or treat” kind.  They are simply treats to enjoy! 

I visited with my friend, Anna Marie Horner, who designs fabrics for Free Spirit.  Anna had some exciting news.  She is expecting a new little one.  And while she was at Quilt Market, she received more exciting news.  Her booth won “best booth” for the 2nd time in a row. Gee, Anna, you are really a superwoman!

Gina Halladay is the owner of Threaded Pear, a pattern company and is in her beautiful booth.  In addition, she is the author of the fabulous blog, Quilter’s Buzz.  Gina also had some good news.  She has purchased a quilt shop, so in addition to her blog, a machine quilting dealership and pattern company, she will have a retail shop. I think Gina qualifies as another superwoman.

And in addition to old friends, I met up with a new friend who I met through Twitter.  Lani Padilla owns thequiltshope.net, an online quilt shop.  Its fun to meet a Twitter friend in person! (along with her hubby, Sam!)

While walking the show, I saw the most beautiful flowers - the large fabric flowers that were across the top front of the booth of Daisy & Dell. The flowers were a really  neat display.  Daisy & Dell is a pattern company from Cypress, TX owed by Pat Bruce.  I love flowers and the fact that these were fabric instead of real, means that they live forever.

Although I don’t have pictures, it was fabulous to spend time with my wonderful friends, Brenda Pinnick and Vicky Schreiner.  Spending time with friends makes the shows even more special.

I still have more to show from Quilt Market - check backfor more gorgeous exhibit quilts.

Jay McCarroll, the winner of the first season of Project Runway was at Quilt Market with two new collections of fabrics with Free Spirit.  And I had the delight of meeting Jay as well as have my picture taken with him.

I read more on the internet about Jay.  As a winner of Project Runway, he was awarded $100,000 but turned it down.  At the time, their contract said that they would own a percentage of all his professional ventures in perpetuality.  Wow, what a clause! It had to have taken a lot of courage to turn down the money and I admire him for it. (Project Runway no longer has this clause, thank goodness.)

Please check back as I have much more to show from Quilt Market as well as information on my newest fabric collection - coming soon - Its a Dog’s Life!

This month has flown by as fast as a witch on her broom! Can you believe that Halloween is almost here?? Well, unfortunately this is the last Terrorific Tuesday of the year, so whip out that glue gun and scissors and get to work on one of these great ideas that will be sure to delight ghosts and goblins of all ages!

Spooky Jewels Katie Hacker strings this red and black set using a Fresh resin pendant, polka dots, and metal skulls.

Fangtastic figurines Retta a.k.a. Attercat breaks out the polymer clay and whips up some glow-in-the-dark figurines.

Cool canister Serena the Crafty Mom revamps a bargain bin canister into an awesome Halloween decoration!

Gothic Pink Melissa J. Lee explores the spooky side of one of her favorite pastel colors.

“Eye”gor pin cushion Kiki of Kiki’s Craft World knits up this eye-catching pin cushion bracelet.

Stamped paper coffin Kate Pullen, the Rubber Stamping Guide at about.com folds and stamps up this little coffin box that Dracula would envy!

Fun party food ideas Amy at Living Locurto threw a Halloween party and came up with tons of great ideas for the food table including this adorable witch cake!

Double the goodness from Margot! The Impatient Crafter™’s final Terrorific Tuesday offering is a two part story of friendship, Goth Style. Here are links to see Morticia Invites Miss Havisham to Tea and The Invitation.

Spiderman pendant (but not the Spiderman you’re thinking) Kim Ripley a.k.a. Stoopidgerl pours up a glittery sweet skull and crossbones resin necklace.

Quick & easy polka dot treat cups Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner shows you how to make quick and easy Halloween treat cups sure to wow your guests!

3 brand new Halloween jewelry projects! Tammy Powley, the Jewelry Guide at About.com does an all-nighter (almost) as she pushes for a few more Halloween jewelry projects, including a super cool sterling silver spider, a glass framed mixed-media Halloween-themed pendant, and to top it off, a silver headless skeleton charm.

Fast & Fun Halloween Boa Sarah E. White, About.com’s Knitting Guide knits up this super cute boa perfect for those chilly fall nights!

Dia De Los Muertos Cigar Box Shrine Kathy Cano-Murillo a.k.a. The Crafty Chica honors the Day of the Dead with this beautiful shrine.

Happy Haunting Greeting Card Phyllis Dobbs treats us once again with this cute Halloween card, perfect for all your favorite goblins!

Gypsy Traditions Lorilyn Hurley of the Dream Life shares a touching story of her family’s love for Halloween & their passion for playing dress up at their annual party!

More spooky pendants Rebecca Hull for HHH Enterprises does it again with these ultra fabulous pendants!

Boo Bucket Michelle McGee crafts up a spooky and scary bucket that will leave goose bumps on all your guests!

Vintage Postcard Banner
Kris Tuey aka: the Collage Contessa has made it official. Now you know exactly what time it is when you walk into her house. It’s HALLOWEEN time! This vintage project using fun Halloween postcards is so simple you can even entice the kids to help as well!

Fall Wall Hanging
Kim of Sew Sugary Sweet stitches this wonderful and whimsical wall hanging for her Fall Swap partner.

Another week has gone in October and you know what that means! It’s Terrorific Tuesday! This week, we are featuring 20! fabulous projects and inspirations! This roundup features jewelry, scrapbooking, party ideas, knitting, sewing projects, mixed media art, photography, and so much more! So sit a spell (or cast one) and enjoy this hearty helping of haunting Halloween projects!

Furry Monster Bucket Kiki of Kiki’s Craft World shows how to make a clever project that you’ll have to keep an eye on!

Hooty the Hoot Owl Retro Jewelry Set Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter tried her patience making a paper crafted jewelry set for this week’s Terrorific Tuesday.

Mini Pumpkin Quilt Phyllis Dobbs shares a spectacularly whimsical quilt!

Sugary Sweet Skull Coasters Stoopidgerl makes some awesome resin coasters packed with candy, rainbows, and skulls!

Halloween Party Pics/Picks Swelldesigner a.k.a. Alexa Westerfield gets nostalgic with cupcake pics inspired by Halloween’s of yesteryear.

Witch?s Hat Pin Tammy Powley of About.com has a super simple witch?s hat pin project for you that is so quick you?ll want to make up lots of these to give to other Halloween witch?s.

Witchy Woman Angela of Angela?s Art Diary gets in the spirit when she puts herself in her own bewitched portrait!

Fairy Witch Frame Lorilyn Hurley of the Dream Life piles on the glitter and vintage charm in this inspired frame.

Spooky and Kooky photos Chris Garris a.k.a. Universal Stopping point puts his photography skills to the test and creates a set of haunting images to get you inspired.

Halloween Charm Bracelet Jean Yates charms us with this gothic and glam skull bracelet.

Easy Dia de Los Muertos Story Box Kathy Cano-Murillo a.k.a. Craft Chica uses toys, a mini box, and lots of glitter to tell a beautiful tale.

Double Skully Bracelet Melissa J. Lee creates this red and black dazzler strung with double the skull goodness!

Bootiful Belt Buckles Rebecca Hull at HHH Enterprises makes an awesome Halloween accessory out of ordinary belt buckles!

Knitted Ghost Sarah E. White whips up this little ghost, perfect for haunting your house!

Spooky Photoshop Tutorial Amy Locurto of Living Locurto shows you how to create your own Photoshop still life to use on a custom invite!

Pumpkin Scrapbook Pages Michelle McGee scraps up some adorable memories of her little pumpkin!

Wicked Witch Brenda Pinnick’s witch is a bit scary, a bit fun andoh so colorful. She is made using heavy weight watercolor paper and acrylic paint. The paper sculpture techniques bring this gal to life!

Rubber Stamp a Luminary Kate Pullen
shows you how to use your rubber stamps to create a paper bag luminary
for Halloween on her About.com Rubber
Stamping Blog.

Fall Owl Pillow Kim of Sew Sugary Sweet gives a hoot with this cute owl pillow perfect for fall!

Silhouetted Paper Lanterns Robin of Urban Debris gets super spooky with vintage paper lantern patterns.

It’s back!!!! It’s the second official post of Terrorific Tuesday! The following very fantastic crafters have brewed up some great projects and want to share them with you. The pics above are in order with the links below, so sit a “spell” and peruse the links or get out your glue gun and scissors and join in on the party!

Amy Locurto paints & constructs a marvelous Minnie Mouse pumpkin that’s simply adorable.

Rebecca Hull at HHH Enterprises crafts up some spooky “Itsy Bitsy Spider” & “Murder at Midnight” Pendants that are absolutely terrorific! Be inspired to make your own pendant using your favorite Halloween image.

Lori-Lyn Hurley of the Dream Life makes a quick and easy craft by turning plain jars into spooky accents!

Tammy Powley, the jewelry guide at about.com, wears these fun spider earrings every year around this time. Seed beads, a few crystals, and craft wire are all you need to make a pair of your own.

Phyllis Dobbs haunts us with an adorable gift bag using Brenda Pinnick’s Sizzix dies.

Kate Pullen, the Rubber Stamping guide at about.com, does a Halloween spin on a fun & classic craft – the paper chain!

Sarah E. White, the knitting guide at about.com, shares with us knitted jack-o-lantern bag that’s a real treat!

Braaaiiinnssss!!!! Kiki of Kiki’s Craft World crafts up a cute brain slug hair accessory!

Marice Rodriguez gets carded with this totally cute Jeepers Creepers card!

Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter™,offers this seasonally appropos and simple to recreate ‘Runs with Scissors’ charm bracelet. For those who know the hazards of crafting far too well and yet continue to play with sharp objects, toxic substances and messy paints and inks, this one’s for you!

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner shows you how to become a living masterpiece. She creates a costume from a artist canvas.

Kris Tuey a.k.a. the Collage Contessa gets her spookiness on with a Skeleton House Frame and oodles of glitter!

Brenda Pinnick’s three happy little ghosts have figured out how to spell “Boo!” . Her Halloween greeting card is made with her own clear stamp set available from Sizzix and her papers, available on QVC.

Melissa J. Lee gets bit by a passion for vampires with this simple fanged Bite Me necklace.

If you’d like to participate next week, please read more about it here. It’s open to all bloggers out there who want to join in!

Halloween Gift Bag or Trick-or-treat Bag

Booooo!   Halloween is rapidly approaching and I am posting a Halloween craft each week as part of Terrorific Tuesday.  This week,  I want to share with you this paper bag that I decorated to use as a Halloween gift bag or a trick-or-treat bag.  In addition, this will make a cute Halloween lunch bag for you or your children.

1. I started with a plain gray gift bag.  The spooky haunted house and the bat are die cuts using Halloween dies by Brenda Pinnick for Sizzix (available currently in craft stores).  Other supplies needed are  - black Sharpie pens(felt tip and thin tip),  glue stick and black, white and yellow cardstock.  Optional - I used crystals heat set with a wand for the cat eyes.
2. Draw ghosts and cut out.   Draw and cut out black top hat and cat from black cardstock and a moon and window light from yellow cardstock.
3. Arrange haunted house, cat, moon, bat, and ghosts and glue.  For the ghosts, glue the bottom point areas so that the tops can stand out from the bag.  Glue the cat except for the tail.
4. Draw the word Boo and small bats.

If you are carrying a bottle of wine to a Halloween party, you can use the same design on a wine bottle bag, just spread the design elements more vertical.

I hope each of you is enjoying a nice fall and your preparations for  Halloween festivities.

(C)Phyllis Dobbs.  This design is for your personal use and enjoyment.  It may not be used for commercial purposes without the written permission of Phyllis Dobbs

Yep, it’s that time. It’s the first official post of Terrorific Tuesday!!! Eleven artists posted projects over the past week on their blogs in celebration of their love for all things Halloween. The pics above are in order with the links below, so check out these spooky and inspiring projects by some of the most inspired crafters on the “web”.

Eye of Newt Necklace Melissa J. Lee treats us to this stunning necklace filled to the brim with lots of texture and gothic appeal!

Halloween Knitting Patterns Sarah E. White whips up some insanely fun knitting patterns on her About.com Knitting Blog. Learn how to knit a ghost, pumpkin hat, Halloween bag and more!

Spooky Googly Eyed Crafts Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner creates 6 projects which includes a frame, pumpkin, and fashion accessories with her crafty stash of googly eyes.

Trick-or-Treat Candy Pot Phyllis Dobbs paints up an adorable pot that will make all the little ghosts and goblins smile.

Owl & Witch Halloween Cards Brenda Pinnick uses her Sizzix dies to craft these totally spooky cards. So swell!

Franky Halloween Card Marice Rodriguez crafts up this adorable glittery and colorful Halloween concoction on her Flickr page.

Resin Halloween Cabochons Tammy Powley’s experiment with resin turns out to be a success! Check out her adorable cabochons and ideas for using them on her About.com Jewelry Making Blog.

Pumpkins & Swirls Halloween Candle Kate Pullen shows you how to make this beautifully-inspired candle using simple rubber stamping techniques on her About.com Rubber Stamping Blog.

Crystal Web Necklace Margot Potter a.k.a. The Impatient Crafter wins the webby award with this dramatic necklace using CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski elements and Beadalon silver plated wire.

Happy Haunting Collage Lorilyn Hurley of the Dream Life creates this collage filled with vintage goodness and an oh-so-risque flying witch!

Halloween Ephemera Collage Christina Tuey a.k.a. the Collage Contessa shares her artful wall hanging filled with all kinds of whimsical Halloween goodness.

If you’d like to participate, please read more about it here. It’s open to all bloggers out there who want to join in! So join back here next Tuesday for another helping of inspired ideas!

 I guess I shouldn’t be sharing this with all of you because I want to win it!  But being the kind-hearted person that I am, I am sharing this opportunity with you.

Brenda Pinnick has a Friday give-away on her blog EACH Friday.  This is her first give-away and is a signed, limited edition giclee print of her latest painting.  I just love it and some very lucky person is going to win it.  The models for the two kitties Brenda’s very own sweeties Luke and Nugget.

If you don’t win today’s give-away, check back each week because she is having a give-away each Friday. 

 Sept. 21^st, 2008, marks the 10^th celebration of National Women’s Friendship Day (NWFD). The celebration day was created in 1999 by the Kappa Delta sorority to remind us to appreciate and celebrate our friendships. NWFD is a great ‘excuse’ to get the girls together and have some fun. While it might be too late to meet-up on the 21^st, you really can celebrate this special occasion every day – so plan some fun events with your girlfriends!

Check out these ideas for great girlfriend get togethers:

• Happy hour, dinner, lunch, brunch or any opportunity to eat, drink and be merry with your very BFFs. Plan a GNO with your favorite gal pals for a little ‘girlfriend therapy!’ Reconnect with your friends and spend an evening laughing away all your concerns.
• Mani, pedi, massage – the works! Grab the girls and head to a local spa or salon for some pampering together. Then ease back into the real world with an after-the-spa dinner together. Consider this: a recent study by Dove indicates that 70% of women feel prettier because of their girlfriends. So get your pretty on by spending time with your BFFs!
• Go old school and pass some notes (real paper) with your girlfriends – take a class together! Learn how to knit, cook, bead or speak French together. Take a scrapbooking class, go to a wine tasting or do yoga together. Spend time and learn together – it’s guaranteed that girlfriends make learning much more fun!
• Road trip! Autumn is a great time to go to an outlet mall or a fall festival. Celebrate Oktoberfest with the girls, there’s bound to be one close by, visit a nearby town for a fun weekend festival.
• For starters…start a book club, a gardening group, a gourmet girlfriends monthly dinner. Plan a way to see each other more often and have fun on a regular basis. And invite some new women to the group – the more the merrier!
• Start shopping! Remember when we got back-to-school clothes? Maybe we should start that tradition over for new fall fashions. Go shopping with your girlfriends. They always give the greatest shopping advice!
• Surprise! It’s a girl’s get-together! At an early celebration of NWFD this week, a group of girlfriends told me that they have a monthly surprise get-together. They take turns planning the super-secret event. An email shares the date, time and meeting location – but no one is told what they are doing. Everyone shows up and just participates in whatever the host planned. Find some spontaneous girlfriends and have fun!
• Beyond the fun, the laughter and the shopping treasures, here’s the real benefit of time spent with your gal pals. It reduces your stress, and positively impacts your health, happiness and longevity. So, make plans to spend time with your girlfriends and tell, or at least show, them how much you appreciate their friendship. Make memories together. Laugh. Cry. Then laugh some more. September 21^st , or any day of the year, life really is better together – with your girlfriends!