First Saturday at Back Door Quilt Shop in Greenwood, IN

Windham Sampler II

Teri & Linda at Back Door Quilt Shop just south of Indianapolis are using our Windham Sampler II pattern for their First Saturday Sampler program for 2015!  That's just around the corner! 

Isn't it beautiful in Pam Buda's new Prairie Gatherings line with Marcus Brothers.  Just love all those reds!

They are also offering the kits in 1930's reproductions.

The program will begin on February 7 at the shop, but if you live too far away, you can do it by mail.   Contact them quickly by calling 1-317-882-2120 to register & they will ship it right out to you every month.

Have a great New Year, everyone!  Hope it is warmer in your state than it is in Iowa these days!

 

Merry Christmas & Happy 2015

MERRY!!  MERRY!!

 

 

What a wonderful, wonderful day!

 

Blessings to all our

friends & family

 

& all the very best to you in 2015!!

Favorite Little Mason Jar Pincushions!

This is the little wool project that I have been working on the last months . . . it takes me a long time to do handwork!  But I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed these little pincushions; it will be difficult to give them away.  But, 'ya know, a gal can use only so many pincushions!  Right?

I used the patterns from the booklet Rustic Winter by Marilyn Gash of Indygo Junction.  Thank you, Marilyn!

An Awesome Experience! The Winners are . . .

Wow, what a successful blog tour with Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks!  We truly enjoyed all your positive comments & suggestions!

Sharon plans to write the pattern for the tablerunner & perhaps a quilt, too, since the block was so popular.  Many of you commented on the possibilities for the block, such as sashing it or setting it straight opposed to on-point.  So keep checking back to see when it will be available.

We'd also love to see your blocks in a project, so email pictures to us at evonnecook@clotheslinequilts.com.   Here you see a Diamonds Are Forever block by one of our readers Abigail who blogs at abyquilts.wordpress.com.  Thanks so much, Aby; it's beautiful!

We have picked our winners:

Debbie will receive a free magazine from Quiltmaker.  Congratulations, Debbie!

Fat Quarter bundles were won by:  Ellee, Sarah, Deborah DeBerry, & Jodi.  Emails have been sent to you; please return your mailing address to me as soon as possible.  Congratulations!

We appreciate all of your participation!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

Quiltmakers 100 Blocks - Volume 10

Diamonds Are Forever by Sharon Work

Today is our day to shine!  And to show Sharon's new block "Diamonds Are Forever" !!

You'll find Diamonds Are Forever, Block #999 on page 68 in Volume 10 of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks .  Don't wait too long to purchase your copy; they do sell out quickly.

Sharon designed with Jo Morton's Amelia fabrics & the Dovetail Batiks II.  Love that black & coral floral; it really makes a statement.

I think it deserves mention that this is the first attempt by Sharon to design a block for 100 Blocks & her block was chosen.  Very exciting for her & me, too, to have her experience & help with Clothesline Quilts pattern company. I appreciate you, Sharon!

So Sharon went on to develop this block into a tablerunner & you can see it on page 10 of the Volume 10 magazine.  She set 3 blocks on point & added pieced setting triangles.  I really like it because you really can't tell where the blocks stop & start.  I like it when you have to search for the block in a quilt & it really works nicely in this tablerunner.

Then I put the block into EQ & played with it so you can see the difference in the two tablerunners. 

Now what do you think??

Make a comment below & get a chance to win prizes like magazines & fat quarters.  I am having fun putting some fat quarter bundles of Jo Morton's fabrics together & you could win one of those.  So leave your comment before midnight tonight & sign up to follow our blog.  You can also go to the website Clothesline Quilts  & sign up for the newsletter!  We'd love to have you join us!

Are You Lucky??

Maybe you are lucky enough to have your new issue (Volume 10) of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks by now!!  If so, go to page 68, Block #999 by not Susan, but Sharon Work!

We are so excited to see Sharon's first submission, Diamonds Are Forever, in this issue!  And remember this is Volume 10 of the magazine so that adds up to 1,000 total blocks!

This magazine will surely tickle your creative juices & soon you'll be turning blocks into quilts!  We will be blogging again on Friday, the 21st, so stay tuned & join us then for a chance to win some prizes.  We are bundling up some Jo Morton fat quarters for the prize drawings, so come back on Friday for sure!

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour begins Today!

Today is the day that Volume 10 of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks magazine hits your newsstand!  Snatch it up, so you don't miss out on your copy!

There are blocks for everyone - easy blocks, challenging blocks, pieced blocks, appliqué blocks, modern blocks and traditional blocks. Some are curvy and some are angular. There are funky, wild and crazy blocks.  There is something for everyone!  

10 Volumes === 1,000 Blocks Total 

If you are missing any of the volumes, you can go here to complete your set!          

We blog on Friday showing Sharon's new design Diamonds Are Forever!  Join us for giveaways & fun!  Maybe you will win!  Good Luck!

A Special Day at The Quilted Steeple!

From the front of the church

The quilts were all hung with care in preparation for the big day! What a super neat way to view the quilts hung in this old church. 



I am just so impressed with the owners and staff at the Quilted Steeple.

We had such a fun day! 






And just look at Bob - he was so intent on what he was doing in the class!




Nine students enjoyed making the Table Cozee II in the morning.  It makes a super little table cozee (that's what I call it anyway - 19" square finished). 


And this one will make a great cozee for your Christmas décor!

From the back of the church

What a wonderful way to celebrate our veterans! 


The display by the historical society was especially interesting - learning about Kossuth County veterans who served in the Civil War!!

 A super tribute for Veterans Day!

 

  Yes, we had an Iowa Infantry and a Cavalry serving in the Civil War!

                            

Thanks again to the Quilted Steeple for having me teach & present at their Veterans Day celebration!

It was a joy!

Big Day at The Quilted Steeple is Just around the Corner!

Today's a great day since I'm working on teaching materials for an upcoming quilting class! It's much too cold to be outside if you don't have to. . . right??  And to add to my day, hubby just installed a new light right above my cutting area - actually it was just a new bulb - but it made such a difference - I can see again!

We always begin with piles of triangles - small & large!


What do you think I'm making?

Which setting do you prefer?

Yet to add borders, but that will happen at the class next Saturday.  Then we'll learn about mitering the borders & scalloping the outer border.  Come join us at the Quilted Steeple next Saturday morning; then stay for the Civil War program in the afternoon.  Actually anyone can join us for the afternoon program at 2:00; just call 515-570-9625 or email info@quiltedsteeple.

Hope to see you there!

LIFE IS GOOD!

The Quilted Steeple Open House

This is just the neatest new retreat center in northwest Iowa.  The Quilted Steeple is, of course, a church with a parsonage next door to house lots of quilters & scrap bookers coming for days of sewing, quilting, or scrapbooking.  Just look at this beautiful place in the quiet Iowa countryside.  Wish you could go?  Well, you can!

This Saturday, the 27th is their Open House.  You can read all about it on their website.    Hope to see you there!

Lakes Area Quilt Guild, Clear Lake - such a lovely group!

It's been a perfect time to get out & visit some of the guilds, now before winter sets in & makes it difficult to travel.  So here are some pictures of our evening with the quilt guild in Clear Lake, Iowa.

 We always begin the battles presentation with Ft. Sumter & continue through Atlanta, so when it works out, we lay the quilts on a table in that order.

Here you can see parts of all 12 of the battle quilts.  Too bad we can't always use the walls to display, but we make do with what we have.

 Here we are admiring one of the wonderful pictorials on the back of a quilt -

by Windham Fabrics, if my memory serves me correctly. 

And the quilt hanging is the large size Chattanooga in blue & browns.

Next to me are samples of Windham Sampler in brown & blue, Union Sampler in red & black, & you can see a small part of the red & white Hide & Seek Stars!

And last, but not least, I couldn't leave without showing the gals the new Little Dresdens!

 

Many thanks to the Clear Lake Guild for having us &

to Marian Lenz for helping with the display & April Sherwood for sharing her pictures.

My new socks!

My new socks!

I'm so excited about getting back to knitting!  And this is the first pair of socks I have ever knit - aren't they sweet!  My grandmother taught me very young to knit by sitting behind me & holding her hands over the top of mine while I held the knitting needles - it worked!  So I have used that method with my own granddaughters, too.

Knitting socks is a new challenge for me; they are definitely more difficult to knit than a scarf or a dishcloth.  So I am very proud of my first pair - can you tell?? !!  I love the high tops & how they fold & scrunch down.

The yarn is ONline Supersocke 100, color Saturn - cotton, virgin wool, & polyester.  The wool makes them soft & warm, with no itchiness! 

Yarn shop at Erica's, South Bend, IN

Driving on I-90 heading to Pittsburgh market back in May, we found ourselves just north of Erica's  in South Bend, Indiana, so, of course, we had to detour for shopping.  Their yarn department equaled their fabric & wool departments; it was wonderful !

Have a great Monday, Everyone!





September is National Sewing Month!

Hot, humid days moved in when the kids returned to school, so it feels extra good spending these days indoors enjoying some sewing time during National Sewing Month!  Of course, many other responsibilities continue to pull us from our sewing time - but fight it off, be strong!  Enjoy your time at the sewing machine!

Today I am packing the Battle Series quilts & getting ready to head to Clear Lake, Iowa, to present the Civil War talk to the guild there tomorrow.  I am anxious to meet new quilting friends east of us!

"Memories"

I am still amazed how quickly the summer flew by.  The 100th year celebration of our Midway Country Club is all over - done - but we are still basking in the memories of our August gathering.  With over 60 attending, young & old sharing, we all truly enjoyed the evening.  Thank-you's & reminders of times gone by continue to arrive.  Sons, daughters & grand-daughters of past members continue to share their memories of the past with us.  We are thankful to have celebrated with so many & relived the many memories.  I must say that if you have these opportunities to reminisce, please do because you will never regret that you did.  But you may regret it, if you don't.

We read through the minutes from the 100 years & learned that these women organized the club simply to socialize & support one another here in the country.  Through the years they donated many dollars to orphanages & children's homes in Iowa even during the great depression & the world war years.  There was not one word of "poor, pitiful me" even during those years.  They simply gathered for the joy of being together; they played made-up games & contests, such as who could carry a bean on a knife the farthest or who could put the most beans in a cup on top of her head with a spoon!  Yes, they knew how to entertain themselves. 

Quilt given to guest's grandmother in 1935 

It was also fun to learn that in the 1930's members made quilt blocks for the hostess each month.  The block they made for one another was a very simple 9-patch, however they put half square triangles in each corner.  They named it "Lucky 13" because it became 13 patches instead of 9.  Today that same block has many other names.  They embroidered their name in the center of the block.  Two guests shared their mother's or grandmother's quilts with the group at the gathering.

Back to cooking dinner!  Have a great evening!

Post-Market Travel

Hello again!  Yes, I am alive & well.  Seems it takes me longer to regroup after a market now than it ever has in the past.

We had a wonderful trip from Pennsylvania through West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, and back through Indiana & Illinois to Iowa.  The scenery of West Virginia & Virginia is so very lush & green; it just feeds the wandering spirit.

The walking trail at Fredericksburg explains the battle!

We visited 4 different battlefields, which was my major reason for the traveling after market in Pittsburgh.  I enjoy a special bond with these places now since doing the Civil War Battle Series, and actually have some quilts named for them.  We walked the battlefields of the Wilderness, Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania, & Fredericksburg.  I could not begin to show you all the pictures, but I included a few.  It is all hallowed ground & mind-blowing to stand in some of the places where so many, many gave their lives for this country.  We were on the site of the Spotsylvania battlefield exactly 150

This monument depicts a soldier giving water to a
dying soldier of the opposition.

years after the battle - amazing!  And it got me right in the pit of my stomach.

Spotsylvania & Fredericksburg
The parks are amazing with history!

General Jackson was wounded at Chancellorsville &
is highly immortalized on this battlefield.

We walked the area of the Bloody Angle

We visited the Shirley Plantation, home of General Lee's mother in Virginia.  It is such a beautiful & distinguished home right on the James River where the cool breezes flow throughout the house.  It takes you back into the time of masters & slaves on the plantations.  See the huge Willow Oak tree that is over 350 years old.



           

Three stories high - 11 generations have lived there.
Family still lives in the upper two floors.

The 350-year old willow oak tree on the James River





We traveled on through Richmond, where I wish we had more time to enjoy, on to Williamsburg to see one of the very first settlements in America.  The visitor's center in Williamsburg is a learning center in itself.  The little town has been revived to put you into the colonial mode building-by-building so you can get a real feel for what the town was like in the early 1700's.  And with your pass you can go inside the buildings & relive their way-of-life.



A street in Williamsburg, VA

The Capitol at Williamsburg

Oh, in the excitement of Civil War history, I almost forgot to tell you that Pittsburgh market was awesome; great to reconnect with friends in the quilting world.  Opportunities always abound at market & this spring was no exception.  Two of my quilts will be featured in Quiltmania - one this fall & another next spring.  Look for them in Quiltmania - such a beautifully printed magazine!  Actually each issue is more like a book than a magazine.  The design & printing of the quilts is beautiful.  If you have not seen an issue of Quiltmania, you really should find one to enjoy soon!

Have a fabulous weekend in July!!

First Day Down !

First day is always "pick up brochure" day, it seems. Some are ready to order on the first day, but many want to ponder their buying decisions.  Then they come back to buy sometime before market's end.   That way we get to see them at least twice!

Here's our view just across the aisle  - pretty awesome!  Buttermilk Basin!  A beautiful booth!  And look at that red aisle carpet - that should keep all those little feet running & lively!


And look who came to visit - my dear friend Pam Buda from Heartspun Quilts .  I have to get over & see her booth & her new Marcus line!

Got to get going!  Another busy day ahead!

The Booth is Ready!

All ready for the opening day tomorrow! Looking forward to a great first day of market in Pittsburgh!

Coloring bag samples for sale - both child's size & large size - so come early for the best selection.

Booth # 1746!

Mt. Patchwork' s booth is next to us & looking good!  Come see us both soon.

The Market Booth is Shaping Up

This is how it looks when we start; 10' x 15' with a cement floor & that's it!  But slowly the booth is changed.  Here we have already unloaded the van & stacked all the stuff.  I can't tell you how many times we move that stuff around before it reaches it's final place.

Then we put down the floor; our legs really appreciate that cushy floor after a long day.

It's 2' squares that fit together like a puzzle - easy!

Then Sharon's hanging up the curtains;  they really warm up the look of the whole booth!

It's getting better & better!

We're sharing 3 booths with Kathleen of Mt. Patchwork this market, so she & Sharon are putting up a center short wall.  Think it'll look great!

Keep up the good work, gals.  Carrie's helping, too!  I'm busy taking pictures.  Ha, ha

We hung a few quilts before deciding there is another day for setup before the show begins.  So off we went to find the hotel - that was a big job in downtown Pittsburgh at rush hour even with the gps.

After a great dinner at the hotel followed by dessert - flourless chocolate lava cake with raspberry fruit & ice cream -  we shared!  Now we are sacked out; resting up for another busy day.   Have a great evening . . .