October 2, 2011
FAT QUARTER FALL FUN
We love them,
they are the quilter’s obsession : the FAT QUARTER.
They are portable , consistent , and infinitely COLLECTABLE, and sew able.
WHAT CAN YOU GET OUT OF A FAT QUARTER?
99 - 2” SQUARES
50 - 2 1/2” SQUARES
42 – 3” SQUARES
30 - 3 1/2” SQUARES
20 - 4” SQUARES
21 - 4 1/2” SQUARES
22 - 5” SQUARES
23 - 5 1/2” SQUARES
24 - 6” SQUARES
6 - 6 1/2” SQUARES
MANY free fat quarter patterns are available,
including this cute wool tree skirt from Better Homes and Gardens -
great for Daisy Chain and Wooly Lady fine felts .
Of course our local designers like Ursula Riegel
have many great FQ patterns , such as the new Balancing Act,
and entire FQ specific books are available by Patchworks Studio.
My NEWEST favourite fat quarter book is by prolific author Jeanne Stauffer.
I particularly like her rendition of Snowball in Plaids p166,
which has me LOOKING FOR IDEAS for great men’s quilts ,
which helped me stumble upon a great site referencing MEN QUILTERS,
many of who love and use fat quarters,
which inspired our
5th Anniversary in this location SALE
October 1-8.
All pre-cut, single fat quarters are buy 5 GET 5 FREE.
All Fat Quarter books and
and patterns
are an added 5% off ( that’s 25 % for preferred customers )
In addition all wide quilt backings
and wide home dec fabrics and vinyls
and all in-stock batting ( roll and package, )
are an extra 5 % off ( 25% for preferred customers .)
Then you may also select any one regular priced item,
including continuous meterage,
for 5o% off !
Our thank you f
or your friendship and support. You certainly sweeten our lives.
Come in and let us sweeten yours
December 12, 2010
My favourite Quilt Books for Christmas Giving and Reading
Gadget Girl Book : Mini Square in a Square Book and ruler
Get a little taste with this video
There is also a bonus novel Leaving Riverton by Jodi with quilt pattern included !
I am SO anxious for mine to arrive from Texas!
Grab your scraps and
join me Wednesday January 26, 10:30am – 11:30am when I start up our free
Block of the Month for the IMPATIENT AND IMPERFECT QUILTER .
FREE BONUS included !
Free monthly scrap bag for previous month’s completed quilt top ( table topper size or larger !)
Handwork book : Patchwork for Beginners by Sue Pritchard. It is beautifully British.
For personal tutoring sign up for Ursula Riegel’s classes this spring :
Inner Quest, and
Memories
Beginners Book , my very favourite , very visual book is spiral bound for easy referencing .
To learn the easy shortcuts and techniques , take Daphne Greig’s wonderful beginner classes .
Patchwork Princess Kaffe ‘s newest and my FAVOURITE Simple Shapes .
Do come in to marvel at Wenche Hemple”s show of her Kaffe Fassett quilts in February!
Applique Affectionado: Michelle Hill’s William Morris in Applique
I will be bringing in
her new book and fabulous patterns in January.
Art Quilter: Color Works by Deb Menz is my textile colour bible for Colour Boot Camp.
Gen X , Sarah, LOVES mostly solids City Quilts .
So do I .
Traveling Quilters : When I go to Colorado for Christmas , will be reading this marvelous book .
I loved her Persian Pickle club
The perfect Stocking stuffer and guest amuser
a colouring book, by a local Victoria author!
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,
November 8, 2010
Schoolhouse Rockstars- a little overview
is the brainchild of hostess and quilt champion Karey Bresenhan
Houston November 2010 was my 5th mind boggling experience.
The first day begins with Schoolhouse , where you have the opportunity
to attend 15 designer presentations from approximately 300 choices over 7 1/2 hours.
The Australian Designers were particularly spectacular .
My first encounter was
Busyfingers Designs by Sue Daley .
I was totally taken with Pies and Tarts , a hand pieced , scrap lovers dream-
now available at Satin Moon.
Each quilt was more extraordinaire than the last
but my very favourite was Antique Sampler-
another pattern I have brought back to Satin Moon .
along with several others like It Takes Two
and gorgeous smaller projects-
some of which I will hand out at the West Shore Quilters Guild meeting
later this month.
Designer of Laundry Basket
was so exuberant
she jumped on the tables
to extol her new book
and scrap piecing technique.
She made us laugh
ohhh
and
ahhhh
especially over her newest raw edge applique
has embraced Solids
my long time idol and teacher
Introduced her newest fabric
Garden Divas
and her newest Butterfly Silhouette patterns.
Her examples included pillowcases with a modern edge ,
dramatic cushions
I especially loved
her tea cozy
and of course her bags.
Lonni Rossi (see a video of an actual School house presentation )
Little Lonni’s made into small projects
and fabulous
quilts
sophisticated
and just plain charming wall hangings .
She also introduced a fantastic
new metallic line
that we can expect at Satin Moon
in the spring .
by newest diva darling Anna Marie Horner
was joyously
presented
in multiple
exciting fabrics including plush velveteen
and silky voile
textures
with saturated , retro colour
and
3 D charm,
so many ideas !
Newest authors Alison Newman and Kaitlin Witte
bubbled over with weekend projects
for the new quilter
from their newest book,
a great gift for the young mum.
Victoria was represented by our own run away success , Ursula Riegel
and her new Press and Stitch, Easy Elegance .
To get a little taste of Market
come see Ursula’s trunk show in person, this Tuesday Nov 9
at the Victoria Quilters Guild !
NEXT MONDAY
I’ll share some of my Market finds!
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.
