Category Archives: Design Projects

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Free pattern for a tote bag made with whimsy dog fabrics

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I have created a free pattern for you to make this tote bag.  I designed it with my fabric collection “It’s a Dog’s Life” for Quilting Treasures by Cranston Printworks.  As you can see, the fabric collection features very whimsical dogs and will generate plenty of smiles.  The tote is easy to make and can be finished in a couple of hours. The tote has large pockets on each side made with different dog blocks. The bag is lightly quilted with stipple quilting.

Enjoy! And I would love to see a photo of any totes that you make with this pattern.

Phyllis


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Daisy Pocket Quilt in Quilter’s World Magazine

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I just received the August issue of Quilter’s World magazine and am excited to share it with you.  I designed one of the quilts in this issue – Daisy Pocket Quilt. Its an easy-to-make quilt that would be perfect for kids and teens because it has pockets to hold their “stuff”.  I designed it in the bright colors of “Kids Go Green” fabrics from Quilting Treasures to add a dramatic accent for a wall.

I stipple quilted this quilt in an all-over pattern, a technique that I love, but outline or echo quilting would also work well with this quilt. It would also be a great project for a new sewer or quilter in your family.

Thanks for stopping by and and stay tuned – I have lots more to show you!

Have a great day

Phyllis


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Atlanta and the Atlanta Gift Market

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I have been trying to catch up all week from a whirlwind trip to Atlanta for the Gift Market.  I always return home tired but inspired – tired from the constant walking because the market is so huge and inspired from meetings, visiting with friends and the excitement that just comes from market.

It was encouraging to see that the buyers there were buying, although more cautiously. A lot of the showrooms were really busy, especially for gifts over home decor items.  Also, lower price items were selling better than the really high price items.

I had some great meetings with discussions on new products using my art to debut at the January show.  Meanwhile I was thrilled to see some of my new products that I have been working on the past few months.   Most of the products were still in sample form, but here is one, a “Chick Power” garden flag for Evergreen that is available in 2 sizes.

I can’t wait to show you my other products but will have to wait until they are completely finished and in catalogs.

Is always fun to catch up with friends, plus make some new ones.  I had a fun evening with a dinner with several friends at Azio’s (one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta). From left to right – yours truly – me, Joyce Shelton, Barbara Barnett, Brenda Pinnick, BJ Lantz, and Carol Eldridge.  I guess you can figure out what happens when 6 women get together – lot of talk and more talk, and most important – lots of laughing.

I wish you each a fabulous weekend.

Phyllis


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Do you ever loose an entire day?

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Frequently, I am so focused on what I’m doing, I loose track of time – you know, a few hours.  But this week, I lost an entire day.  I have really been focusing on creating new art and designs.  I did not pay attention to the calendar on my computer or any of the other ways I keep track of time such as mentally noting each day.

Yesterday, as I was working, I wondered if it was Tuesday or Wednesday, hoping for Tuesday, but really knowing it was Wednesday.  So this morning when I woke up, I asked my husband if it was Thursday.  To my surprise, he told me it is Friday.  Gee, now I’ve got to go double time as I’m behind where I had planned to be at this point.  My husband insists that I was present and accounted for each day, no alien abduction.

So, back to the “drawing board”.

I wish each of you a great and safe 4th of July!  I do know that its tomorrow, since its on Saturday and today is Friday!

Phyllis


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Free quilt pattern for “It’s A Dog’s Life” quilt.

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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

 

 

 

 

 


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Behind the Scenes – Martha Pullen’s Sewing Room for PBS

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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

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At work in my Studio

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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!

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It’s A Dog’s Life – new fabrics debuting at Quilt Market

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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).

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“Quilt-opoly” and embroidered quilt blocks

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Quiltopoly Board Game

Quiltopoly Board Game

If you are a quilter or sewer, you will love the new “Quilt-opoly” board game from The DMC Corporation that debuted at International Quilt Market.  Its like Monopoly, (which by the way,  I’ve always loved to play) but features quilts and quilting.  The properties are all quilt blocks with escalating degrees of complexity.

Quilt-opoly board game for quilt lovers

Quilt-opoly board game for quilt lovers

I have a special love for “Quilt-opoly” – I designed the graphics for it, including the quilt block properties, the the actual quilt stitching properties shown in the center of each row, as well as some of the sayings on the cards.  It was a fun project to work on and I just love the way it turned out. And I can’t wait to play!

In addition to “Quilt-opoly”, I designed and created the quilt blocks in DMC’s booth featuring their fibers and threads for quilting.  I really loved working with the various textures represented in the various fibers of their product line.

Log Cabin Quilt Block

Log Cabin Quilt Block

Sunflower Quilt Block

Sunflower Quilt Block

Diamond In Block

Diamond In Block

Butterfly Block designed by Phyllis Dobbs for The DMC Corp.

Butterfly Quilt Block

As a special note, I want to say that The DMC Corporation is not going bankrupt or out of business.  Since I have worked with DMC a lot over the past several years, I occasionally get asked this question.  DMC-US is a separate entity and is doing just fine.  They have sold their other divisions and are concentrating on the fibers only and are doing extremely well, I’m happy to say!

Tomorrow, I will write about another “celebrity” that I met at Quilt Market as well as show come of the many gorgeous quilts that I saw there.  So, please check back!

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Terrorific Tuesday – Halloween craft projects

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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.