Tag Archives: Quilts

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Staying Cool During these Hot, Hot Days!

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The heat is bad enough, but when you add lots of humidity, its time to stay inside and remain cool and refreshed.  This is also the time for iced tea or lemonade, both of which I have been guzzling!  Adding lots of cool fruits and salads completes my daily menu  (plus a little chocolate of course).

What better timing for completing my quilt book. The heat makes it much easier to be focused and content to stay inside, especially since I have been buried working on instructions and graphics. All the quilts are finished and the book is almost finished as well.  It will be out the door in a week.  I will be giving details very soon as well as photos from the photography session in absolutely the most wonderful and charming studio.

cutting quilt border

Stay cool and enjoy some iced tea, ice cream or anything iced!

Phyllis

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New Quilt Book!

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I have been buried under piles of fabrics the past few months!  I have been working on a new quilt book to be published this fall in time for the fall International Quilt Market in Houston.  Stack of fabrics for Quilt bookI’m really excited about this book and just love all the quilts.

I took pictures of the fabrics when I first got them in before I started cutting away.  It was a heavenly delight with all the wonderful array of colors. Fabric pile for quilt book

Fabric stash for quilt bookI can’t say too much about the book now, but I will tell the focus of the book and lots more about it soon.  Like most of my designs, it will have some whimsy. And again, I’m so excited about this book!

Have a day filled with inspiration and creativity!

Phyllis

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Quilting for Charity

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Do you have unwanted fabrics or UFO’s or PIGS?  You can help supply quilts for the opening of the VA Hospital in Las Vegas. They need 300 quilts by the hospital opening. I came across this worthy cause through Barb Johnson, a Facebook friend.

As a special outreach of Quilts 4 Cancer, this group is making quilts for the opening of the new VA hospital. They are all volunteer with no sponsors. They need quilts 50″ x 70″ or larger and are looking for lots of Military and Red, White and Blue but will take ANYTHING in a quilt, top or blocks. They have many volunteers that can sew up your “UFO’s” & “PIGS” as well as use up any unwanted fabrics.

Most of the veterans are men, yet there are some ladies, so they are also looking for quilts for the Lady Veterans.

If anyone wants to donate money (tax deductible), make the checks payable to Q4C and mail to P.O. Box 4702, Pahrump, NV  89041. More information about this event and for mailing supplies can be found on the Quilts 4 Cancer website.

I hope that you are able to help with this worthy cause for our veterans.

Phyllis

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Nurse Central Quilt – Free Quilt pattern by Quilting Treasures

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Loralie Nurse Central quiltDoesn’t this Nurse Central fabric collection designed by Loralie Designs for Quilting Treasures make a gorgeous quilt!  In addition to designing fabrics for Cranston Printworks (with new lines coming out 2011), I also design some quilt patterns for their free project sheets on their websites.  I designed this quilt using this really fun fabric collection and want to share it with you.

This pattern is available for free download from their Quilting Treasures division. The quilt is pieced in a block layout. Check out all the patterns on their website and you will see that there are many wonderful free quilt patterns for you to enjoy sewing.

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More from the International Quilt Market and fabulous quilts

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I was so overwhelmed with all I saw at Quilt Market.  I’m still sifting through all my notes. If you missed my first post about Quilt Market, please check it out for some fabulous quilts and booths.

I loved this booth, Fiber Art Furniture.  It was fun with some pretty whimsy furniture as you can see below. The chairs were especially appropriate as it was Halloween. Check out their website for more fun furniture. I guarantee it will make you smile.

Fiber Arts Furniture ChairFiber Art Furniture Chair

There were several book signings.  My talented friend Pearl Krush of Pearl Louise Designs was signing her book Quilting at the Village published by All American Crafts. Pearl, who designs fabrics and patterns, also has a fabulous Quilt shop, Thimble Cottage Quilt Village in Rapid City, SD. The book also tells a lot about her shop and I can’t wait to visit it some day.

Pearl Krush

I was walking by Amy Butler‘s booth as they announced the best booth awards.  Here is a picture of Amy in her booth just after she won first prize.  I love the greens and turquoises of her booth.

Amy Butler's booth

The Leilani Arts‘ booth was a visual treat with a beautiful display of all the silk yarns spilling from baskets. They were so lucious!

Baskets of silk yarn And here are more fabulous quilts from the exhibits.  I wish I could have seen all of the quilts exhibited there but there were just so many and I ran out of time.  The quilts looked like art and they were – quilted art.

Facade by Melissa Sobotka of Richardson, TX

Facade Quilt

Lunacy of a Starry Night by Annette Hendricks of Grayslake, IL

Lunacy on a Starry Night Quilt

Lava by Lta Ziv of  Pardes Hana, Israel

Lava Quilt

Tidepool Treasure by Betsy Abbott of Andover, MA

Tidepool Treasure Quilt

Forest Walk by Pat Durbin of Eureka, CA

Forest Walk Quilt

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of Quilt Market. I’m already looking forward to Spring Market.

Phyllis

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Quilt Market – full of spectacular colors, quilts and more

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I just returned from the International Quilt Market in Houston and am so excited about all I saw. There was so much to see and I want to share some of my favorite things as well as some of the fabulous quilts on display.

Friday night before Market began, I went to the Fabric 2.0 Meet and Great event, which was packed with people networking and just plain ol’ having a great time.  To my surprise, my name was called for the first door prize (so I now I have to stop saying I never win anything)!

Door prize - ribbons from JCaroline CreativeI won a half gallon jar of beautiful woven ribbons from JCaroline Creative and a book from Stash Books.  I am thrilled with my prize and can’t wait to use the ribbons. Thanks Caroline!!

The next morning I took a fun class on surface design using Amazing Angelina, paint sticks and foils from Embellishment Village. I made this leaf design using the Amazing Angelina and a rubber stamp. I look forward to using all of these techniques from class for new projects.

Design made with Amazing Angeling fibers.

One of the booths that captivated me was Woolylady. I have always loved hooking rugs and love the designs and wool that was in their booth as well as their colors.

Woolylady booth at the International Quilt Market

Another booth that I just adored was Handbehg Felts with so many wonderful felted items.  The colors made the booth pop and I loved the decorated dress form centerpiece made with packaging.  The skirt was made with bags of felt balls and the tubes from paper towels.  My picture doesn’t do it justice.

Handbehg felts

Handbehg Felt booth

There were several book signings with so many new books out.  I was delighted to see Kathy Davis who was signing her book Scatterjoy in the Free Spirit Fabric booth. Her new fabric line is behind us and is really gorgeous.

Kathy Davis booksigning

And here are some of the fabulous quilts from the quilt exhibits – all works of art.

Caddy and Cakes Quilt by Janet Fogg of Lake Oswego, OR.

Caddy and Cakes quilt

Circle of Life: Hibiscus Christmas by Heidi Lund of Bremerton, WA

Circle of Life: Hibiscus Christmas

Crocus by Maggie Weiss of Evanston, IL

Crocus Quilt

I love this one because I have a black cat – Look Out for Scout by Penny Sander of Arlington, MA

Black Cat Quilt

Spring is Just Around the Corner by Saradean Hallman of West Columbia, SC.

Spring is Just Around the Corner Quilt

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my pictures.  I will post more tomorrow for Part 2 with more booths and quilts. So please check back!

Phyllis

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Quilting for the dogs (and more)!

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Don’t you love surprises!  Receiving a new book is always wonderful but this one has 3 quilt projects of mine in it.  5-10-15 + Fat Quarters, published by House of White Birches is a beautiful book filled with projects that you can complete with pre-cut fabric bundles.

Now, wouldn’t you just love to make this dog coat for your dog?  It’s made with “It’s A Dog’s Life” fabrics I designed for VIP by Cranston Printworks. (Just a note to tell you that some fabrics of this collection are in some Walmart stores as precuts). The pattern is easy to make so you can have the best dressed dog in the neighborhood.

OK, now that your dog is dressed, you can move onto making a cozy quilted pillow for a favorite child or each of your favorite children, since I’m sure you have more than one. This “chick pillow” is made with a full size pillow so it will fit nicely on a bed. Three pockets to hold little treasures are appliqued with a chick on each pocket. Can’t you just imagine the surprises that can be tucked away in these pockets for safekeeping until the next morning! (no snakes or snails I hope!)

Now its time to move onto some serious quilting and make a table runner for yourself or as a gift. A “Warm Breeze” tablerunner is made with Jim Shore’s Angel Among Us fabrics by Quilting Treasures. I had the good luck to meet Jim Shore a couple of months ago (see my prior post).

Since you have now had a few days of sewing and quilting, take a break, eat some ice cream!

I hope you enjoyed looking at these quilt pictures and I would love to see any that you make with these patterns.  Check out the book and you will be delighted as I was with all the fun projects made with precut 5″ charms, 10″ squares and fat quarters.

Happy sewing!

Phyllis

 

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Quilt like the Gypsy Wind!

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The colors of the fabrics used in this quilt – turquoise, lime green and purple – are my favorite colors. So I was “in heaven” while designing and sewing “Gypsy Wind” for the book “Patchwork Comforters, Throws and Quilts” published by House of White Birches.  The fabrics are Marie Osmond’s “Gypsy Breeze” collection by Quilting Treasures.  

41 colorful and exciting quilts are shown in this book along with patterns and instructions.  It is a book quilt lovers will cherish.

And if you love these fabrics as much as I do, please check out my earlier post where I met Marie Osmond at the International Quilt Market with another quilt I designed using these fabrics for Quilting Treasures’ booth.

I wish you a day filled with your favorite colors.

Phyllis

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Houston International Quilt Market

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I just attended another spectacular International Quilt Market in Houston and wanted to share some of it with you.  Quilt Market is a trade show filled with fabulous quilts, fabrics, fibers and all sorts of quilting supplies and embellishments as well as being a fusion of colors.  Here is a bird’s eye view of a small part of the show floor.

There are always some great quilt challenges and exhibits at Market and here are some that were spectacular. I just loved this quilt made by Maureen O’Doogan from Tallahassee FL.  Its fun and whimsical and great colors!

There was an exhibit of  kaleidoscope quilts by Paula Nadelstern.   They were simply amazing. Here are a few of them along with a close up.

Another huge and fascinating exhibit was the Fabric Forrest, a German exhibit to represent the Black Forrest. The quilts were tall and slim and were hung to represent trees.  One of the amazing aspects of these quilts was that they were double sided with both the fronts and backs equally as beautiful. My photo’s didn’t do them justice with the colors because of the space and lighting.

Now for a brief pause before I continue.  Not everything about Quilt Market is about Quilts.  I just have to show you the gorgeous red shoes my friend Jill (with Quilting Treasures) was wearing.  Aren’t they awesome! Some serious Shoe Envy here!

Games are really hot right now, especially board games.  I think I could change my middle name to “opoly” because of all the work I’ve done with “opoly’s”.  I designed and made this Monopoly quilt for Quilting Treasures booth.  They debuted the Monopoly fabric line at Market.

The DMC Corporation showcased their Quiltopoly and Stitchopoly games in their booth.  I designed the components of the Quiltopoly board and game last year.  Cilene (with DMC and a friend for many years) and I are posing in front of the game display.

In addition to all the beautiful quilts and colors of Quilt Market, Its always fun to catch up with friends including Brenda Pinnick and Debra Quartermain, and many others.  I’m already looking forward to the Spring Quilt Market!


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Celebration Quilt

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Aren’t the colors in this quilt fun and make you want to celebrate! And this quilt also helps to celebrate a worthy cause.  I wanted to show you the celebration quilt that I designed in for the recently published quilt book “Think Pink” published by House of White Birches.  Celebrate Each Step is 44″ x 52″ and is made with fabrics from Quilting Treasures.

This book is filled with projects to give comfort to women as they battle breast cancer, plus a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each book goes to breast cancer research.  I hope you make this quilt and help a worthy cause at the same time.

Happy Quilting!

Phyllis