Sketchbook Journal chickadee

Since I'm about to hit the road, I thought I'd upload a chickadee page that was done earlier this year while I was adding them to my quilts.

Checkerboard Stars - center panel almost complete

I certainly didn't think I would get this far today, but when on a roll, it's best to keep going! The rows are ready to be sewn together, and while I'd love to do more tomorrow, it's looking like a day on the road, so I'll probably knit some more on my socks.

Checkerboard Stars progress

The cutting was done this morning, and the star blocks made in the afternoon. Now time to make dinner, and then maybe, just maybe, I'll have time to start putting the blocks together.

Beyond the Secret Garden - door open

Judi S said she wished she could open the door, so here it is. It opens to an imaginary land where fairies and other imaginary creatures live.

Lizzy Backpack

Better late than never! I am just about finished with my Lizzy the Lizard backpack from the class with Michelle Verbeeck at www.joggles.com . All that is left to do is stitch the ends of my strap together, add a few tacking stitches to the strap to keep it from sliding back and forth in the loops and it will be good to go.

Another page from my journal

This is one of the things I like to do while waiting. Sometimes I don't even finish one little box, and sometimes I skip ahead, or go back and fill in some more. It all depends on how much time I think I'll have, and it's fun to go back and flip through the journal later.

Terrific Tote in blue brown fabrics

It didn't take me long to whip up these fabrics using my Terrific Tote pattern! Begun yesterday, and finished today, the photo has been taken, and now it will travel to Gathering Fabric for display. Both sides are the same, and inside, the lining is a coordinating large polka dot and there are two more large pockets to keep things.

Pear quilt, or not?

I'm trying to reorganize my studio, and came across this butterfly that I created in a class with Karen Eckmeier a year or more ago. The class was fun, and I designed my own butterfly using her collage technique. If I do use it, I think it needs a flower or something else in the lower right.

Sketchbook Journal - pear quilt?

Another peek in my sketchbook journal. This is one of the ideas I have for that background hanging on my design wall, and although I like the pear idea (as you could see in the earlier post), and this might go with the batik pear, maybe I want the design to be a bit more realistic, so I'll keep working on more ideas.

Sketchbook Journal

Since so many people are interested in starting or viewing sketchbooks and journals, I thought that while I'm working on other things that are slow going, or that I can't post as yet, you might like to see some of the things in my sketchbook journal once in a while. It is a combination journal, sometimes only written words, sometimes only sketches (some quick and very rough, but enough to remind me of the idea), and sometimes a combination. This sketch was done while waiting for lunch in Allyn, WA in a restaurant, and maybe sometime I'll get around to making a quilt out of it.

On the cutting board

Just a preview of things to come - Susan, at Gathering Fabric asked me to make up some new samples to display in her shop:

The Terrific Tote will be made from these fabrics, but I'm going to make the pockets plain, to showcase the gorgeous large print.

Checkerboard Stars is a new pattern and it is going to be made with these new red, black and cream fabrics (reminds me of high school, as it is hurricane flag colors).

Pear quilt in progress

Here's the watercolor background that I'm starting with, all the pieces are raw edge, fused to muslin. If it looks familiar, I'm still trying to use up the huge bag of blue and green strips that were cut several years ago for my Woodinville Wine Country quilt (and there are still many more).
This pear was cut from fabrics that already had fusible applied to the back, although at this point I'm trying to decide if I will do applique or use paint (I'm really into paint right now, but will see what works best, and maybe it will be a combination).

Another pair of socks finished!

I've been spending way too much time riding in the car lately! On the way to Portland I was able to finish this pair of socks, and since we have been spending an average of 3 hours on the road each week, by next winter I expect to have a whole wardrobe of new wool socks!

Quilt Market was Awesome!

I had so much fun making connections and meeting new people that I can't wait to be able to go to market again! Since it was my first visit, there was so much to see and do, and there were even quilt displays to look at when taking a break from marketing and shopping. Many people get exhausted after a day of sitting in schoolhouse classes or a day at the market, but even though my feet were sore, I was energized! The next time Quilt Market is in Portland, OR I need to have my own booth, so each time I saw a booth that I liked, it was studied for future reference, and many other designers whose booths I admired were helpful with suggestions and insightful information as to what works for them, and many were things that I hadn't thought about.

I must admit I took a camera, and then chose not to use it because I don't want to copy someone else's booth - mine will have to be my design. With this in mind, some of the things that I really took notice of was that the plain booths were not getting as much attention as the fancied up booths - those that had booths that fit what was being sold, had personalized signage, curtains, table cloths, table to write orders with chairs for both the dealer and customer seemed to both look more professional, but also be doing more business. Not only do you need to have a great product, but the customers need to see samples that are presented in a way that draws them in. Another thing I noticed was what was going on in the booths when they weren't busy. Some sat and just looked tired (I do realize that all of them must be busy, but this makes the booth less appealing to passers by), however, others were busy - either working on a project, doing demonstrations, or just re-organizing, and I think it is a better way to go.

After speaking with everyone that I thought fit my plan to connect with distributors and shops that I thought had the potential to carry my pattern line, or work with me as a designer / teacher, I did a little shopping. The first purchase was from Susan Clarke's button shop, were I purchased huge buttons for a new quilt design, then I found some garment patterns (I don't design garments, but do surface design on someone else's pattern, giving them credit for the garment design) at New Leaf Pattern Distributors that I hadn't seen before, and will be fun to make. My last purchase blew my budget, but will help me complete more projects - I'll keep you in suspense until it comes (I need to make space), then I'll post about it.

Flower vest

Thank you Jean and Kathy for your nice comments about my vest! The vest pattern that I used is from Rosemary Eichorn, however the flower design is a one of a kind that I made in about 2 weeks. Shortly after taking the Prismatic Flowers class with Barbara Olson, I was cutting the fabric for Rosemary's pattern as instructed, and decided that I'd like colorful flowers on it. The flowers were quickly sketched on tissue, upside down blind appliqued from the back, and then the excess fabric was cut away. It was one of those what-if types of experiments that turned out well, and the whole vest was complteted in about 2 weeks. The only reason that I know that is because I was teaching some quilt classes at the same time, and the shop saw me showing it to my students while it was in progress, and were amazed how quickly it was finished. I must admit that whenever I'm rolling along in one of these type of projects, I do tend to ignore everything else that I can, because I'm so drawn in by it that I have to see if it is going to work, and how it will turn out.

To market, to market, ...

Later this week, I'm going to quilt market in Portland, Oregon!!! It will be the first ever quilt market that I'll be attending, and I expect there to be lots to see and do. I want to see what the schedule is like, how the vendors set up their booths - basically looking at everything as much as possible, to get an understanding of what it would be like to be a vendor there, as well as connect with distributors and other companies.

If any of you that read my blog will be there, I'd love to meet you in person. I do realize that the building(s) will probably be packed, and therefore hard to recognize anyone, but I'm planning to wear my colorful, one of a kind vest, and that should help. If you see me, please stop me and say hi!

3 ribbons - yeah!!!

It's official - I received 3 ribbons at the Block Party Quilt Guild banquet tonight! First place in Contemporary / Art Solo - Large for my Janet's Influence quilt (this one has been nicknamed the Ugly Duckling by me, because it was top that wasn't working for me that turned into a swan), First place in Contemporary / Art Solo - small for my 12" square Magic quilt, and Third place for Contemporary / Art Solo - small for my 8-1/ 2" x 11" Beyond the Secret Garden.