Friday, June 29, 2012

Blog Tour



Are you ready?   I am co-hosting my first every blog tour!   And there is a giveaway at every single stop along the way.  How fun is that.  We are showing off the book Amanda put together filled with 9 projects that each of the design team members made.   It is a totally fun and inspiring palette of patterns.  A simple must have!


Here is how it works.   Listed are the team's blogs, go to their blogs on the date given and enter your name to win something groovy.   A book for sure, and maybe something else too!

Sunday, July 1st: The Quilted Fish 
 & Jana's Blog (pillow tutorial)

Monday, July 2ndJulie's Blog 

Tuesday, July 3rdSally's Blog (snack mat tutorial)

Wednesday, July 4thCandice's Blog

Thursday, July 5thStephanie's Blog (binding tutorial)

Friday, July 6thJohanna's Blog

Saturday, July 7th: Jackie's Blog  (that's me=)

Sunday, July 8thBrooke's Blog (centerpiece tutorial)

If you don't win, and I really really hope you do, you can buy the book here.




Thursday, June 28, 2012

Followers and Leaves

I am going to talk about a very private and personal topic that no one really talks about.  Have I got you reading really carefully now?   It is about you and others like you out there.   Followers, the ones that hit the 'follow' button on blogs.


Join this site

Ok, I am pulling your leg when I say it is private and super personal... but come on, if you have a blog, don't tell me you don't check out how many followers you have?  Like daily, or even hourly?   And are you totally elated when you get another one, and then crushed when one 'unfollows' you.  K, if this is none of you, then I just sound crazy, so please stop reading... but don't 'unfollow' me=)

Us bloggers are a funny group.   When we only have 100 followers we dream of 200, then we have a couple hundred and look at the blogs that have thousands and think, 'Oh, if I could just have 1,000, I would be so happy.'   Come on... you know you do it=)

Then we all offer these giveaways that we hope will bring in 100, instead it got us four, and in the meantime, 2 others dropped our blog like a hot potato.   I did a guest blog with an awesome friend of mine, I won't say her name so I totally don't embarrass her, (mostly so you don't go and follow her blog and unfollow mine). Anyway, we both were guests on each others blogs, I think she got  all of you to follow her and I believe I got 1, and I am pretty sure she made her mother sign up to mine).   I think there should be a 27 page form that has to be filled out before someone can unfollow a blog.  Hoping that will discourage them from bothering to dismiss our blog.   Or at the very least, tell us why you are unfollowing.   Are we not funny anymore?  Do we not produce enough?   Pictures no good?   Give us something to work on... please!

Ok, all in all, I am just having fun with you... and yes I do dream about having 1,000 followers.  In the meantime am honestly super happy that I have you guys!   I do think you are awesome!

And for that, tomorrow I will be announcing a blog tour our super creative design team has dreamt up.  Of course we will all have giveaways!   

Now, onto my quilt topic.   Leaves.   I have decided to add leaves to my circle/ric rac quilt.  It didn't have enough embellishments yet. LOL!   Now if you know me at all, my method of applique is by fusing.   But this time, I didn't want to fuse and have raw edges or satin stitched edges.


Don't laugh, but I actually had to go to the internet and google different ways of hand applique.    I was considering calling a few ladies from my guild, but was so dang embarrassed to say that I had no idea what to do, that I refrained.  

Hold onto your socks, because I even tried a few to see what worked and what wouldn't send me off to the loony farm.   So I ruled out the freezer paper method and the needle turn thing.  And got rid of that reverse applique method.   So here is what I am doing... and I know, it probably isn't even a real applique method.

I am putting fabric right sides together, tracing a leaf shape, sewing on the line, making a slit in the back, turning it, and going to hand tack that down to the quilt.   Can we just pretend it is hand applique?  And that I am really growing as a quilter?



What do you think?   Fake applique?   


Sunday, June 24, 2012

Why Quilt?

I recently read an article that some marketing company had put together and one of the comments made was that if you want people to read your blog and continue to follow along, you have to let them know what makes you tick.   I am pretty sure they worded it much more eloquent than I just did, but you get what I mean.  

Of course after reading this, I immediately thought I didn't want to lose any of you.   Whether you know it or not, when you comment, I do recognize your names and love hearing from you.  I also do try and send a reply back, I admit, sometimes it is a quick one, but I hope you understand as I am sure your life is busy too=)

I guess I should answer why do I quilt?  I wish I could put it down in a simple sentence, but truth be told, I don't know.   I can't not go into my studio every day, even if it is too just look at the mess.   I can tell you when any juried show in North America opens and closes and when entry deadlines are.   And I enter many of them and love doing so.   I belong to a guild of lovely ladies, and even if none of them do what I do, they still appreciate my quilts, and I love them for that.   I belong to our national quilt association, going so far as to now take a role on the Board, and am enjoying the ride thus far.   I write tutorials for Riley Blake fabrics and Pellon and love doing it and working for them.  

Making 3D quilts is the most fun I can have in my studio.  Designing a quilt and then trying to make it, altering a zillion times along the way, modifying, adding, quilting and finally finishing it, is greatly satisfying.   But I am never completely happy with any quilt I finish... because every one I thought I could have done a little differently when I am finished.   Except for one.    And I think that one was because it literally had my heart in it.   Do you have to put a huge piece of yourself into every quilt?    Can you make quilts just for fun and still have them be beautiful and respected?   Hmmm...  so why do you quilt?





Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Circles Art Quilt


I do sometimes wonder why I have this fetish for circles?  I just bought a pile of fabric at sample spree and half of it had circles or dots in it.   I have been working on my latest art quilt.  I was designing something completely different on my sketch pad last weekend, and suddenly this just popped into my head.   It was only to be a 12"x12" sample, but already I have started much much bigger than that.   This photo shows the background that I created.

The next step is to add some ric rac and ribbon.  How you ask?  Well, in a very creative and free spirited manner.



What do you think?   



Saturday, June 16, 2012

Give Away Winner and Fun Stuff

The winner for the thread catcher pattern was:


Blogger Jo said...
I don't think you've flipped your lid with the buttons or jewelry, I'd wear them! I love the photo with the bags... beautiful! I'm in love with all the bright colors I think


Check out my fun tutorial I did for Pellon!  They asked me to do something with sew in interfacing... except I didn't 'sew it in'...   I made the most adorable flowers for a headband and flower girl bouquet.   The best thing about this stuff  is it doesn't fray, is light and airy and super easy to work with.

I put  my funky fabric covered buttons in the centre of all the flowers... I love them.  You are definitely going to see these in an art quilt... although they may be dyed a different colour, will have to do some experimenting=)

Here is a picture of a little creative fun.  I have made a bunch of 'button jewellry', including rings, earrings and bracelets.   I am going to try and sell it in my little town.   Wish me luck!


And you are not going to believe my next two art quilts I have designed, one is using plastic toys and maps, and the other is using copious amounts of ric rac=)   I will post pics once I make some progress off of the paper!


Thursday, June 7, 2012

New Stuff and a Giveaway

Whew, I am just getting back into the swing of things!   After travelling for the month of May, I seem to be spending most of my time looking at all my new fabrics I purchased at Quilt Market.

It feels like I got a bit from every designer there!   Just kidding=)

I bought a bunch of basics to make fabric covered buttons and then started making jewelery out of them.  I figure if I can't wear a quilt, I can at least wear the fabric.
These are rings, hair clip and a bracelet.  I have also made some earrings but don't have pics of those up yet.   
What do you think?  Be honest... have I gone over the edge, or starting a new trend?

Lastly is another wonderful 3D art quilt I just finished up.   


What do you think?   I have used 4 different techniques in this one.   

And for the giveaway, it is an awesome Thread Catcher pattern from my BFF Candice of Made With Love.  Candice is one of those quilters that is a perfectionist when she quilts.   Every seam matches up perfectly every time.  (Frankly I don't know how we stay friends, every seam of mine rarely matches up every time=) And to boot, she is a sweetie!
Go and check out her Etsy store, she has some terrific patterns and kits.

Thread Catcher - (For those who Sew, Scrapbook, Knit, Crochet, and/or Make Jewelry) - Pink Dazzled with Turquoise Ric Rac
Photo courtesy of SquirmyWormStudio

How to Win?   Leave a comment and tell me you follow.   I may just throw in some of my new fabric too=)
Giveaway closes on June 15th, 2012.  Good Luck!



Monday, June 4, 2012

Meet a New Director

Did you notice I was MIA last week?   I had just got home from Quilt Market and 6 days later was getting on another airplane to fly off to the east coast of the country for another week.   I arrived in Halifax and spent a crazy busy week learning the ropes.   As of July 1st, I will be joining the Board of Directors for Canada's National Quilting Association!  Once inducted into this position on the Board, you are presented with a 'chatelaine'.  I have attached a picture below of me with my brand new chatelaine!

I am super excited and even more so now that I have met the group of ladies I will be working with.  They are dedicated, fun loving, enjoy laughing, and most importantly, totally believe in working hard, playing hard and doing it as a team!  I am so excited to begin my journey with them.



During the week I was there, it was our national quilting conference as well.   The Canadian Quilting Association has a national juried show (in which 2 of my pieces were in=), offers a slew of workshops and dinners and evening entertainment each night.   Teachers for the workshops included the infamous Barbara Olson, Karen Menzies, Joyce O'Connell, Hilary Rice, and the list goes on.   There is also a terrrific vendors market set up for the week too.
Below are some pictures of the lecture Barbara Olson did.   Simply astounding quilts!



Next time I post, it will be a giveaway=)