What a sweetheart! And she’s wearing her new Sweetheart birthday dress.

I love hearing from readers of my blog with projects they have made with my fabrics or designs.  Its always fun to see the projects!  I just have to show you the adorable dress Jessica made for her equally adorable daughter Raelyn.  In this case, it was a special honor for me, as Jessica made the dress for Raelyn’s birthday dress for her 2nd birthday.

Jessica chose the pink cow print fabric from the Sweetheart Ballerina fabric line that I designed for Quilting Treasures.  Raelyn loves cows and also had a pair of new pink cowgirl boots (aren’t they just too cute!).  Jessica made the dress to match the boots but also made it reversible as well.  She used the green ballerina fabric for the reverse side.

It looks like Raelyn had a wonderful birthday and is a fabulous model as well!  Thanks to Jessica for sharing the pictures.

Have a wonderful day and many more happy birthday’s to Raelyn!

Phyllis

Today’s Creative Home Arts Magazine has 4 sewing and quilt projects by me!

 

Today\'s Creative Home ArtsI just received the latest issue of Today’s Creative Home Arts magazine.  I have 4 designs created with the Sweetheart Ballerina fabrics in this issue.

The sewing and quilt projects are designed for a child’s room with dimensional dragonflies.  The projects include a quilt, window valance, lamp shade and fabric framed bulletin board.Dragonfly Quilt  The Fabric Framed Bulletin Board is on Today’s Creative Home Arts website so that you can follow the easy instructions to create this project. Dragonfly Valance in Today\'s Creative Home ArtsThis magazine is available by subscription only and is not on the newstand.  It was fun to design these projects and I hope some of you enjoy sewing them as well.

Sweetheart Ballerinas again – Article in Designers’ Quarters Magazine

The mail was good today.  I received copies of a magazine – Designers’ Quarters that had a feature article on me and my Sweetheart Ballerina fabric line with Quilting Treasures by Cranston. Sweetheart Ballerinas is my debut fabric line with Quilting Treasures, so I was thrilled with this article.

I will show you two pages pages from the 6 page spread.

“Dance with Flowers” is the name that I gave this quilt. Its a twin bed size quilt and is created with the aqua color range.

Sweetheart Ballerina Quilt

I wanted the quilt to be a unique design, which I designed around the fabrics.  The magazine features the pattern for this quilt.

page-with-fabrics.jpg

This page shows swatches of the fabrics that were used in the quilt. Designers’ Quarters is a fabulous magazine for quilters. It contains 10 quilts with patterns, information about the fabric used including the style numbers, and information about the designer and the inspiration for the fabric design. Its published 4 times a year and is available through independent quilt shops as well as online at their website, www.designersquarters.com

After I received the magazine and was intently reviewing the article, my husband Danny looked at it also.  With the intent of being complimentary, he said that I “looked younger” in the magazine.  Now, as a woman, this is not exactly a compliment. Well, I didn’t let it stop there, but asked him if he meant that I looked older now. He realized his mistake and tried to backpetal.  He did get me to concede that I really am 3 months older than the photos.  Men, go figure!

On the set with Martha Pullen

One of the perks of my career as a professional designer is occasionally being on television.  Last week, I taped two segments sponsored  by the Warm Company (fabulous batting!) on “Martha’s Sewing Room” for PBS.  This show is hosted by Martha Pullen and demonstrates all kinds of sewing techniques – from hand sewing to machine sewing as well as embroidery and incredible hand sewn heirloom items. The show is filmed at the University of Alabama, my alma Martha’s Sewing Room set mater.

I find all the behind-the-scenes interesting and wanted to share it with you.  Some of the photos are dark, but even with the lighting on, its not very bright in the studio.

Maratha Pullen and Phyllis Dobbs on setThat’s me on the right, sitting on the set with Martha, a truly warm and charming lady.

What’s a TV show without bloopers! My blooper happened when I started to sew.  I reached for the pressure foot lever to lower the pressure foot and could not find it.  My hand was groping all around trying to find the lever when I hit the snap-on pressure foot and knocked it off. Of course, it turned out that the pressure foot lever was there all along, it was just higher up on the back.

I used my new fabrics, Sweetheart Ballerinas by Quilting Treasures for the items I created for the show.  Window Curtain Panel made with Sweetheart Ballerinas fabric by Phyllis Dobbs for Quilting TreasuresThis window curtain is quilted (using batting from Warm Company) to hang over the window by the tabs at the top.  Creating a window treatment is an additional way to use your quilting skills and this one is easy.

Outside the set, all the projects for the segments being taped are lined up. Projects lined up for taping on Martha’s Sewing Room for PBSThe 2nd segment that I was on featured a naptime roll-up mat for children to use for their afternoon naps.  It was made with the pink colors of Sweetheart BallerinasI also made the aqua pillowcase.

A huge workroom is needed to coordinate everything for the show. Martha’s Sewing Room For PBS workroomEveryone is working away on their laptops.  Martha’s producer, Charlotte Potter, is in the center. It was a very pleasant and fun day.

I hope you will watch for me on the shows on PBS, in addition to becoming a regular viewer of Martha’s Sewing Room.  One show will be shown after August 2007 and the other one will be shown after Christmas.