March 6, 2011
FOODIE WEEK: gourmet recipes and patterns
Its a foodie kind of week.
California Strawberries are in and local ones are only months away.
Seed catalogs are arriving
and home canned fruit is a summer dream.
This Thursday March 10, participate in Victoria’s Premier Food Tasting Experience.
Culinaire will present the wonderful world of fine cuisine,
and provide scholarship awards for students enrolled in the Camosun College Culinary Arts Program.
It inspired me to treat you to tastings and recipes, such as these
Veganized Pinwheels
and free patterns for quilts like
Springtime Mosaic Pinwheel Quilt Block
and food useful patterns , like this cute basket for your pinwheel cookies.
Start with a Chef hat of course .
Add a cute apron to buy , or make ( we have LOTS of patterns.)
Don’t forget safety with hot holders,
and free patterns for oven mitts ( we have the Insulite and Insul-Brite.)
Grab an Energy Bar, and start cooking !
We’ll begin with Gordon’s favourite : fruit crisp,
kept nice and warm in Chili Pepper’s elegant casserole cover,
and free carrier pattern.
Drop by Thursday for a taste of Gordon’s home made island berry delight,
and a cup of coffee.
Baked Potato soup , regular or vegan,
will be the taste treat on Friday.
We have potato baking bag kits , potato fabric,
and both designer and free lunch bags pattern.
Saturday drop by to try Matcha Tea mini cupcakes ,
indulge in a low fat free quilt pattern,
Find many more Satin Moon favourite recipes on Our Shop page.
For a spectacular end to the week, join us and the Victoria Grandmothers for Africa
this Saturday at the Gala Dinner & Textile Art Auction.
See the quilts this week at the Martin Batchelor Gallery
or in the show catalog available at Satin Moon .
December 5, 2010
TREASURE TROVE CRAFT BAZAAR 2010
The treasure chest is ready!
Christmas creations from Satin Moon, Tivoli Designs, Patchworks Studio and Designs to Share with You
Sue Howard
and a host of other designers have filled the studio
with quilts large
medium
and small,
along with clothing,
and of course aprons.
Baskets of kitchen accessories ,
pot holders
place mats and runners
tea cozies
in every
colour and style
as well as elegant
and amusing coasters
and wine bottles are ready for you.
There is a bounty of bags from
Lois Toutant
Laine Canivet
Lisa Girard
wool mitten bags
and change purses by Sue Howard.
Silk scarves
felt scarves
silken knitted scarves
and hand woven scarves are ready to adorn.
Travel pillows
and pillow cases are ready to delight.
Custom book marks by Anne Redding
calendars and photo albums
and journals are waiting to record personal memories .
Quilted baby jackets
baby booties
with matching quilts ,
baby bibs,
snuggy baby
sweaters ,
and the cutest
handknit hats,
and aprons are perfect for special little people.
So much delight awaits you on this table,
pincushions by Bent Pin Designs
and Ursula Riegel
ornaments too.
Lovingly assembled beginners quilting kits created by Sue .
Bonnie’s charming fairies for a lucky few.
It is not too late for a custom cross
stitched heirloom stockings to be completed
by next week with your selected name .
Handmade cards by a many of our artists will compliment one of a kind gifts.
The treasure are disappearing quickly, and will leave on Dec12th!
We also have supplies and suggestions
for making your own last minute gifts – all Christmas : fabric, kits, books and patterns are on sale .
Wish lists
gift suggestions
and gift certificates are ready too !
Let these talented ladies start teaching you in 2011,
February 26, 2010
A Lesson from the Diva
September 11, 2010 I’ll be part of the Patchwork studio cruise to Alaska
I am so excited to teach about the art and symbolism of our area, in our area.
For years it was a unit in my Arizona art classes .
Totem Talk and Play will be my first offering
The mystery of totem poles will be revealed through fun discovery and play with felt.
I will continue that theme with using David Moore Totem Batiks when I teach
Floating Diamonds
Like the flash of orcas in the ocean, this easy floating diamond technique will delight and
amaze you.
But FIRST I need help from my DIVA
Ursula is getting me started on the Dancing Orca sample.
She selects the main colour from the collection I have brought with me.
We discuss the logistics of a cruise class and refine the pattern to use 2 instead of 4 fabrics.
I LOVE collaboration with creative women.
The trimmings are immediately sorted into STRIPPING stations!
Then the basic 3 units are sewn together.
Followed by careful pressing .
I’ll need to tell my students to bring their mini irons .
Next a bit of origami folding
and careful pinning.
to tuck the diamond out of the way
before sewing .
Here we go!
Ta dah!
Another good press,
and unit one is complete.
Here is ONE way to arrange the units.
Then the final diamond. I think I’ve got it!
Now I just need to complete the runner AND make Ancient Cedar and Northern Sunset
colour ways.
February 23, 2010
Ursula’s morning sewing room
Its hard to leave the afternoon sun and beautiful quilts
of Ursula’s kitchen,
truly
But more beckons .
In the dining room Ursula’s exquisitely hand pieced and hand quilted
graces her table.
Down the hall another gallery of trees leads to the
morning sun sewing room.
We are greeted by tools and
treasures of her craft , past and present .
Classic older quilts grace the guest bed.
These hand crafted beauties were the beginning of Ursula’s quilting journey.
They surround and inspire her newest directions in machine techniques ,
that fit into the lives of busy , modern women.
Ursula’s latest play has been with bias strips ( remember her strips?) .
This has inspired and been inspired by a new collection of patterns
like Easy Curves Easy Diamonds Easy Calm Shell and Easy Apple Core .
Back to the design studio I get to gather NEW inspiration for you at Satin moon,
hot off the press the highly versatile quick and easy Two at a Time.
Join our Super Sewing Week extravaganza of sales and activities
MARCH 6 -14
for Ursula’ s hands on demo at the store.
But right now ,on to my lesson.
I’ll be teaching Ursula’s floating diamonds technique from
Four By Four on the Patchwork Studios Alaska Cruise September 11!
Hmmm, what a good use or Aeroplan miles.
But first I need to learn all the tips from the Diva!
February 16, 2010
Designs to Share with You – Ursula Riegel
Join me on a visit to the studio of friend and
Victoria design diva Ursula Riegel.
This is the womb of “Designs to Share With You”
Here is Ursula ‘s “office” space.
with a lesson and design exercise ready to share with me later in the afternoon.
But first a tour of her quilting life and treasures!
Her newest machine is a Janome , mainly used for its Satin Stitch .
It is surrounded by Ursula’s fabric memories,
like her prototype Santa ,
available in her Christmas pattern series,
a quiet rhythm of colour and texture
and treasures from Germany .
To the left , a peaceful mountain view rests beyond Ursula’s main work station
and her most versatile and most loved Pfaff machine.
I could not resist this example
of her signature jewel tones.
across the room, ideas and mementos
and carefully organized supplies
are framed by her miniatures collection.
These exquisite miniatures, Ursula explained ,
were a way to satisfy the desire of trying all the techniques
she just could not possibly fit, full size,
into her life time.
Finally I turn to admire a charming collection of dolls, lovingly created by Ursula,
gracing an antique hutch
that Ursula painted in traditional folk style.
Inside…
a magical doll house with tiny dolls, rugs, furnishings and quilts handcrafted by Ursula.
The kitchen scene prompted Ursula
to fete me with a scrumptious apple cake, made from the apple trees in her yard,
Another work of art.
Join me back here Thursday to see Ursula’s fabric collection , art tree collection and second studio.
January 20, 2010
Gordon the Quilter
Only 6 years ago Gord’s idea of a guy having a good time looked like this
but now he has discovered the true joy of quilting !
With the patience of his first quilt teacher Ursula Riegel
Gord created his first table runner, with a pocket knife instead of a seam ripper, much to Ursula’s horror
He dabbled with a triple rail from the left overs of our daughters’
Place mats seemed like a reasonable project.
So in a rare class by Laura McDonald creator of Chili Pepper designs
Gordon crafted a wonderful set of Dove Tail placemats
Daphne Greig , was the next brave teacher
who guided Gordon through the creation of a beautiful Give and Take
His original design was made for our son in Arizona.
I’ll try and add a photo of it this week when we are in Tucson.
Next Daphne guided Gord in the creation of a quilt for nephew Josh’s wedding gift-
the red and gold quilt taking shape on the design board
Next came the joy of small stuff….
Gord did some mass production of pillow cases for family and staff ,
for every season.
Remember to see him in action at his Hot Dog Pillow Case Party Class
His first real challenge of a quilt was this batik beauty
which is Chico’s favourite
The ultimate challenge so far has been for Denise ,
Under whose unfailing good humor and superb teaching
Gordon created a stunning Stack and Wack for our guest room.
He has just finished a wonderful quilt for my Dad’s 80th birthday…its in the mail and will be unveiled February 6
in Calgary
