I just finished the pattern and instructions for this free apron pattern available for you to download.  I am showing 2 aprons in different color combinations with different accent embellishments.  Both aprons are accented with large dog block pockets on the top part of the apron.  One apron has an additional small pocket and the other is appliqued with a bird and dog bones. The aprons are easy to make and can be completed in 2-3 hours tops.

The fabrics that the aprons are made with are the Its a Dog’s Life collection that I designed for Quilting Treasures by Cranston Printworks.

I just love aprons and am delighted that they are so popular.  I remember when my grandmother and aunts wore aprons daily and seeing all the aprons now brings back wonderful fond memories.

For products to coordinate with “It’s A Dog’s Life fabrics, please visit my Zazzle store.

I hope you enjoy the patterns and sew away.  I would love to see a picture of your finished apron.

“Bone” appetit!

Phyllis

My life has been going to the dogs recently, but in a good way.  I’ve been sewing and quilting with the whimsical dog fabrics that I designed.  The collection, It’s a Dog’s Life, is available from VIP by Cranston Printworks.  I recently designed and made this quilt, which will be featured on a segment of Martha Pullen’s Sewing Room on PBS.

The pattern is available on Quilting Treasures website for downloading the free pattern in PDF format.

Happy quilting, or woof, woof!

Phyllis

I taped two segments for the Martha Pullen’s Sewing Room yesterday for the Warm Company ( they make the fabulous batting and fusible web that I use in all my quilting and applique projects).  The taping was exciting and Martha is such a warm and nice person.  Well, not just her, everyone who works for her is the same way, so it was a very enjoyable day.  Of course, I carried my camera and took photos during the day.   The project featured on one segment was a quilt, which I made using the fabrics that I designed, “Its a Dog’s Life” for Quilting Treasures on which I demonstrated a stipple quilting technique. Martha’s assistants, who are great at setting up the sets, are arranging the quilt.

For the second segment, I designed this apron shown here with Martha. It also is made with “Its a Dog’s Life” fabrics and features applique. The fuchsia fabric used for the main part of the apron features dog bones, so I appliqued dog bones around the bottom.  Since the block and yellow fabric also feature birds, I appliqued a bird at the top above the pocket. I know I’m short, but standing next to the apron which was raised for viewing by the camera, I look even shorter. 

The segments will be shown this fall and winter (2009-2010), so please watch for it on your local stations.  I am working up instructions for the quilt and apron and will post the free patterns here shortly.

Thanks for visiting!

Phyllis

The International Quilt Market in Pittsburgh this month was wonderful as usual.  Color was everywhere as new fabrics were displayed (including mine – Its a Dog’s Life with Quiting Treasures).  The mood was upbeat throughout the show and buyers were doing just that – buying.  I took loads of pictures of great vendors as well as my friends   But, if you read my last post, you know that my photo files were corrupted on the disk (the file names are all goofy symbols and Windows doesn’t know what file types they are- so if anyone can tell me what happened, I would love to know).

I am really excited about something that I purchased at the show (actually its being purchased through my local dealer).  I bought Bernina’s digitizing software, “DesignerPlus Version 5″ so that I can turn my art images into machine embroidery.

I plan to start with the motifs from my fabric collections. I also want to create designs to put on some of my projects featured in magazines and books.

Call me a nut, but I actually love learning new software, until I get to a frustration point!  The good thing about this software is that my local shop (Robin’s Sewing Shoppe) will give me lessons on using it, in addition to the demo I received at Quilt Market.  So, any frustration points can be resolved locally!

But the next step is that after getting home, I have decided that I want to upgrade my sewing machine.  That actually means starting new since my machine can’t be “upgraded”.  I’ve been visiting the websites of ALL the sewing machine companies to see which one has the features I want. Boy, now that’s frustration!  Some of the websites have much more information than others and its frustrating looking at one that has very little information on the features of their machines.  Then when I find a feature of one machine that I really like, I look back at all the sites again to see which ones have that feature.  And I love features! Unfortunately, the $$’s go up with each feature so I am going to have to tone it down.

So now, I’m off to visit local dealers to make a decision on which machine I want and to see if I can find one in my budget.

Oh well, wish me luck!

Phyllis

My bags are packed, my Quilt Market projects are finished, my Schoolhouse talk is ready and my boarding passes are printed.  Flying is my period of rest, thinking and reading as things are always so hectic getting ready to leave.  I picked a James Patterson book to read in my flying and airport time.  And I’m looking forward to meeting up with friends who are also going to Market – dinners, lunches and just walking the show together.

I will return energized, inspired and ready to hop back to work on new designs and art.  I will post Quilt Market happenings and celebrity sightings when I return as well as the projects and patterns that I created for market.

If you are attending Quilt Market, I want to invite you to attend my Schoolhouse session “Using Trends to Boost Sales”, Thursday 3:35 in room 325.  And of course, I would love for you to visit the Quilting Treasures booth to see my new fabric “Its a Dog’s Life”.

Until I return,

Phyllis

I have been busy preparing for International Quilt Market next week.  The Spring Quilt Market is open to the trade only and is being held in Pittsburgh – a city I love to visit.  And, my new fabric collection  is debuting there.  After designing fabrics for kitties and cats, I had to show the love that I feel for dogs as well and designed Its a Dog’s Life for Quilting Treasures.  My cutting table is piled with the fabrics for the projects that I’m sewing for Quilt Market.

I will have a free pattern or two to post after Quilt Market.  I’m sewing an apron and a quilted tote bag as well as a badge holder.

If you are attending Quilt Market, I want to invite you to attend my Schoolhouse session, “Using Trends to Boost your Sales”. on Thursday, May 14 at 3:35 pm.  I would love to meet you.

OK, back to sewing – I have to get these finished!

I’m excited that my next fabric collection, It’s a Dog’s Life for Quilting Treasures is debuting at Spring Quilt Market in Pittsburgh starting May 14.  A quilt that I designed with these fabrics will be in the Quilting Treasures booth and the pattern will be posted to their website for downloading after Market.

It’s A Dog’s Life features dog bone, dog lingo, paw prints, and activity dogs fabrics.  Also, as friends of the dogs,  two bird fabrics are featured.  The blocks feature 10 dogs in various activities – cooking, exercising, shopping, gardening, and many more.

The collection can be viewed on Quilting Treasures website or on my website.

Woof, woof! (And if you are attending Quilt Market, I invite you to attend my Schoolhouse session “Using Trends to Boost Your Sales” on Thursday, May 14, the day before the show opens – I would love to meet you).

I can’t believe that May is just about here.  I’ve had my design hat on the past several months and I think being totally focused on work makes time fly by even faster.  I’ve read that when you are in your “right brain” mode, you are unaware of practical things like time.

I just received a copy ot the May/June issue of Today’s Creataive Home Arts magazine which contained some of the fruits of my labor.  A collection of kitchen sewing and quilting items are featured in the magazine using the Meow Meow cat fabrics that I designed for Quilting Treasures.

The projects are an apron, quilted potholder, quilted placemat, quilted chairback and cafe curtains with full instructions for each. Also, a cat carrier is featured as a bonus design that can be downloaded from the Home Arts website – kitty not included.  Ok, I know I have focused on this fabric lately, but I’m going to the dogs shortly with my newest fabric collection. 

Sandy Laipply, the editor of the Paper Crafts Site of the online magazine Bellaonline used Meow Meow cat fabrics from Quilting Treasures to make 2 adorable greeting cards.  The photo is the inside one of the cards – a birthday card..  Sandy furnishes instructions for making both cards on the website so be sure to check it out.

Bellaonline is an online magazine for women and covers a huge variety of topics.

Some additional information about Sandy – her son, Judson Laipply, is the YouTube mega, mega hit, Evolution of Dance and Evolution of Dance 2.

Thanks a bunch, Sandy, for making such cute cards using Meow Meow!

I always love it when someone tells me about sewing and quilting projects they have made using fabrics that I designed.  That is the ulimate compliment!

Apryl is not just new to quilting, but new to sewing as well.  She had finished her first quilt when she saw the Meow Meow cat fabrics that I designed for Quilting Treasures.  She not only made her 2nd quilt ever using these fabrics, she sewed this adorable apron as well. I think Apryl is off to a good start with a wonderful hobby and know that she will enjoy many hours ahead sewing and quilting.

Thanks Apryl for sharing photo’s of your accomplishments!