WILDFLOWER WOODS FABRIC COLLECTION

GOOD MORNING

NEW FABRIC COLLECTION  - ARRIVING SOON !!

This new collection is inspired by the works of Gene Stratton Porter, an environmentalist, naturalist, nature lover & photographer from the 1800's who was indeed ahead of her time.  Gene early recognized the importance of the preservation of the wild lands & beautiful wildlife of our country.

In this grouping you see light, wispy wildflowers waving in the wind, subtle greens, earthy browns, blacks & intricately detailed twirling vines, all reminiscent of the beautiful wildlife she so valiantly fought to conserve.  Added are shades of pinks & neutrals to enhance our quilt projects.

This collection is delivering to shops in the US soon!

Blacks

Browns

                          

Neutrals

Wonderful borders

And here is the  new Block of the Month quilt, written in nine sections & ready to begin BOTM projects after the first of the year! 

Shops can still order fabric from P & B
and patterns from me at 712-362-3022

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving at your house!

Temperance Blues with Cheddar!

Greetings from (dare I say) sunny Iowa!  Sunny for now anyway!  I hope this finds you preparing for a wonderful Easter holiday with your friends & family!

Little Sunburst Quilt

While Sue was sewing the LeMoyne Stars last month with the French Paisley Collection, I was still playing with the Temperance Blues & added a dark cheddar to the fabric mix.  Using a set of Cindy Blackberg's stamps for the sunburst templates, it really went fast . . . another small quilt!  I'm planning to do a little hand quilting on this one; always nice to have a quilting project in a hoop!


I love it!  Hope you do, too!  


Last month I offered a fat-eighth bundle of the French Paisley grouping to a follower who made a comment and that bundle will go to Comment #3 from Regina.  If you would email your mailing address to me at ecook@yourstarnet.net, I will get your bundle into the mail as soon as possible.  Congratulations, Regina!

Today let's have lots more follower comments about my little sunburst quilt and I will pick a number & send a fat-eighth bundle of the Blue Temperance grouping to them.  Sorry, no international winners because of postage, but I still love to read your thoughts & comments.  Let's have more comments this month and I'll pick 2 winners!

Have a wonderful Easter and don't forget to leave a comment, if you are a follower within the US!

French Paisley Collection

Hello from snowy, windy Iowa!  Another blizzard on its way for the weekend!  Yippee, skippee!!  However, it does give us lots of wonderful quilting & sewing time!

Just thought I'd show you some beautiful daffodils that must be blooming somewhere! ☺


I want to quickly share my latest fabric collection, French Paisley, with you.  The main paisley piece is available in brown/blue/tan, Prussian blue/red/tan, and brown/red/blue.  You can see all of the collection right now on the opening page of my website!😊

French Paisley brown/blue/tan

French Paisley blue/red/tan

French Paisley brown, red, blue

Lots of pairings can be made with the paisleys in this grouping with many backgrounds, medium florals, & stripes to mingle with them. 

My dear quilting friend Sue Bish (wanting to get her hands on some of these) quickly offered to hand piece some little 4" LeMoyne Stars & sent them to me - 12 within the week (actually there were 13 - and she had to battle the wind & snow to get them to the post office)!  She did a spectacular job fussy cutting the fabrics in unique ways adding so much creativity to the stars!  


Such a help that was!  Aren't they sweet!  Forever in your debt, Sue!

Using the brown/red/blue large paisley for alternate blocks, I had quick fun putting together this sweet little quilt.  Doesn't it look like a little quilt right out of the 1800's!

I have some fat eighths of this wonderful collection & would love to send one to a lucky quilter who has been following me!  Please make a comment here & sign up to follow me -- I may draw your name!  Be sure to follow me so I can let you know when you win the bundle!  God bless --

WASHINGTON STREET STUDIO Booth #1752

Don't miss the Temperance Blues Collection at the Washington Street Studio Booth #1752!  

And right there on the table, see the quilt of T-blocks!  T is for Temperance!











Also, see the NEW Vintage French Paisley Collection!  Circa 1850      

Also another quilt there on the table for your viewing!  Love it & want you to see it!



Have a great market, everyone!  And safe travels home!

Time for a Little History Lesson!

Temperance Collection

My Temperance Blues Collection,

named for the Temperance Movement in U.S. history, was a social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages.  It began as early as the American Revolution in Connecticut, Virginia and New York.  People preached - and pledged - abstinence of alcohol throughout Europe and America for many reasons.

 History shows that by the early 1800's, the average American over 15 years of age drank nearly seven gallons of alcohol a year (three times as much as we drink today)!

Alcohol abuse, primarily by men, wreaked daily havoc in families as women, with few legal rights, and many children to raise, were totally dependent on their husbands for support.

With the formation of the American Temperance Society early in 1830, the movement grew quickly throughout the states.  Maine, which was the first state to adopt actual temperance laws and guidelines, served as a model for other states.

Lightest sku's of the Collection

Medium Blues of the Collection

Temperance fountains were built in public places to provide safe drinking water in hopes of keeping people out of the saloons and away from consuming alcohol.  Concerns over alcohol consumption also gave way to other important social issues such as slavery, ill treatment of marginalized people, and in much later years, women's rights.

Darkest Blues of the Collection

Now, aren't you happy to have that little history lesson!  This collection was inspired by a little T-quilt from the mid-1800's which I so thoroughly have enjoyed owning.  

The blues are represented from the light hues all the way to the very dark, rich indigo.  T is for Temperance Quilt has been designed for this collection.  Notice the upside-down T's on two corners of the quilt!

This line is currently being sold by P & B Textiles/Washington Street Studio and distributors.

T is for Temperance

Kits for Christmas Baskets are Ready at Calico Annie's

Time for a new Christmas quilt at your shop/house!

Yes, there is still time to have a new Christmas Baskets quilt sewed and ready for the holidays this year!  

Call Calico Annie's Quilt Shop in Fullerton, Nebraska, 

for a kit and sit down to enjoy some wonderful 

stress-free sewing.   These fabrics are from the Christmas Remembered Collection!

What a great gift to yourself this holiday!

Phone number is 308-536-2925

Call today!

Christmas Baskets is Ready!

Ready to get a head start on your holiday sewing?  The Christmas Baskets  pattern is ready!

Featuring the Christmas Remembered  fabric collection, this pattern brings a beautiful Christmas quilt to your home that can become a family treasure for some lucky person this holiday.  

Perhaps your shop can hold a class before Christmas!  

Give me a call at 712-362-3022 for patterns.  And I'll get them out to you as soon as possible! 

 Although we are having a few rainy days this week in Iowa, I hope you are enjoying these beautiful fall days!

Awesome Tree Skirt with Christmas Remembered Collection

Twilight Tree Skirt by Holly Hansen

What a great surprise!

Thanks so much to Holly for making her Twilight Tree Skirt from my 

Christmas Remembered Collection !  

It is simply gorgeous!  

She found the pattern in the book "Mariner's Compass Quilts" by Judy Mathieson!

The pattern in the book is 20" in diameter but by enlarging it 118% as the pattern directs, she was able to sew a 30" diameter tree skirt!  The collection's stripe makes a perfect bias binding for the Mariner's Compass circled by flying geese!  It is just awesome!

Thanks again, Holly, for sharing it with us at Thursday Girls last week!  And for finding such a great use for my newest collection!  Time to get on those holiday projects, girls!

Almost Amish Baskets

Almost Amish Baskets

One of my new designs !  

With the Christmas Remembered Collection, together with the reds & greens, there is a lovely coloration of blacks, creams & tans!  

I wanted to do a small quilt using the cream/tan toile as background, so here is my 

Almost Amish Baskets little quilt.  

The pattern is written in two sizes - 

22" square & 30" square.  

Patterns are ready now.  It will be on the website soon or call me at 

712-362-3022 for patterns!

My Mariner's Compass is Growing!

 I have always believed I would sew a Mariner's Compass quilt someday - another on my bucket list of quilts to make!  I'm sure none of you have a list like that!!

Anyway, when I learned of a new tool for this block, I went to work on it again quite a while ago.  With the Robin Ruth ruler & method for a strip pieced compass, I was able to make a pretty good first block from some of my Flying Geese collection.

So that is as far as I got that day & I have been looking at it on the wall ever since.  Then I received some of the vintage fabrics from the Star of Bethlehem (1860 - 1880) & Rising Sun Medallion (1840 - 1860) collections by Washington Street Studio/P & B & my interest piqued again.  Thus - the borders appeared.

Recently, I added the pyramids & so far I'm really liking the vintage medallion look.  Although it is remaining a work-in-progress at this time, I'm having lots of fun with it!

These star blocks may find a home on this quilt eventually - who knows!  For now I'm just happy to enjoy it on the design wall again!

Hope you are all having a divine week!!

NEW - St. Louis Collection

Going to St. Louis market?  

Be sure to go to the P & B Booth #420 

to see this newest 

Washington Street Studio Collection - 

The St. Louis Collection!

This grouping features this beautiful floral in these three colorways!  Aren't they simply gorgeous and, of course, there are more than 20 coordinates and backgrounds available with them.

               

 

I have not seen this collection on P & B's site yet, but I'm sure they will be there soon with market just around the corner.  The fabric cards have been printed; Come to think of it, I have seen them in an email. . . maybe I can get them up here on the blog for you to get a sneak peek.  Let's see how that works!??

Nope, it bombed!  So, please stop by Booth 420 in St. Louis & take a look!

Below is the quilt pattern, The Secret Garden, designed to include all of the sku's of the collection. Patterns will be available from Clothesline Quilts as soon as the fabric is available this fall.

The Secret Garden

Christmas Remembered Collection is Selling Well!

With spring just now showing her lovely face in Iowa, I'm really not quite ready to think about Christmas again! But the Christmas Remembered collection is selling well & I have to remind you of it, especially if you will be heading to quilt market next week.

You can see the collection at the P & B/Washington Street Studio booth #420. And if you are not attending market go to the P & B website & view it there!  Or see it now on the opening page of my Clothesline Quilts site.

Do you love toile as much as I do!  I use them in the quilts & then again for the backing & pillow cases, dust ruffles & pillows.  Do a whole room with them for such a beautiful traditional vintage look in your home!

The prints are mostly available in green, black, creams & tans, in addition to red, of course!

Clothesline Quilts patterns will be finalized as soon as the fabric arrives; I want to actually sew the quilts with these fabrics before they are published.  The Christmas Baskets quilt is 70" x 87" with 9" blocks. And the Almost Amish Baskets quilt is smaller and features two sizes -19" square with 6" blocks and 27" square with 9" blocks.  Both sizes are in one pattern.

Shops & customers are welcome to keep in touch with me at 712-362-3022 about availability of patterns.  Or get on my list and I will automatically send them to you as soon as they are printed.

Christmas Baskets

Almost Amish Baskets

Vintage Solids by Washington Street Studio

Encampment

Sara Morgan's Vintage Solids are luscious & any time I want the look of a solid, but not totally solid, I look to the vintage solids.  They have what I call a mottled or blotchy look; looking like they've been tea dyed like we did so many years ago.

So, of course, I had to sew something with the black vintage, to show it off!  Love the black with yellow!

Here's a closeup of the Washington Street Studio fabrics. 

Merry Christmas!

Sending all family, friends & customers a Merry Christmas wish; also wishing you all a very Happy & Prosperous 2017! 

 It sure does not seem possible that we are sending these wishes once again.  As we have always been told - the days of our lives move faster & faster every year!  So we must enjoy them more & more!

Added excitement today is my new collection with Washington Street Studio - Christmas Remembered !  Fabric reps are showing it now for spring delivery.

Reds

Featuring reds, greens, blacks & tans it lends itself to wonderful Christmas projects but all of the fabrics work across the board.  The patterns, stripes & florals will work non-Christmas, too, on the shelf with a multitude of other projects & home decor.

And the toiles that I so love for quilting, especially quilt backs are included in this grouping in red on cream, black on cream, & tan on cream!  Toiles can add so much to a room's decor; I especially love them in bedrooms & dining rooms.  Cut them up into a quilt, put them on the quilt back, and add them as the dust ruffle; their uses are endless for the entire room's look!

  

And don't you love the stripes for bias bindings, inner borders, outer borders, applique. . . I love a snappy stripe to play around with!

Greens

Then in each colorway there is a sweet little check on the bias . . . again for cutting up, borders & bias bindings!

And let's not forget the backgrounds & the red, green, & black prints for piecing the blocks!  

Blacks & Taupes/Beiges 

I am picturing a black, taupe, beige & cream quilt . . . 

Christmas Baskets

Don't miss the quilt pattern on the back of the color cards.  The pattern is Christmas Baskets & will be available on my website www.clotheslinequilts.com as soon as the fabric is available.

  

Or call me at 712-362-3022

Or email me at evonnecook@clotheslinequilts.com

In the meantime

take some time off to enjoy the holidays just as much as you possibly can.   Thank you so much for your business this year!

Bubble Gum Quilt by The Woolen Needle

I have had so much fun making this quilt by The Woolen Needle gals from Williamsburg, Iowa!  These gals designed this quilt for my fabric line Flying Geese by Washington Street Studio !  I visited their booth at the Des Moines AQS Show a couple weeks ago & thoroughly enjoyed renewing our friendship.

Simply love this pattern & just had to make it!  You know how it goes sometimes you see a quilt & you just have to drop everything & do it.  That is how I felt about this quilt & it was quick & easy.  

Candy at Homespun Quilt Shop has fabric paks available right now!  The Woolen Needle gals' applique is all done with wools, but mine is cotton flannels; Candy's kits are also done with the flannels exactly like this quilt.  So get them now while selection is good!  Call her at 712-362-5100.

A Sweet Little Quilt in the Quilts & More Magazine

Jody Sanders, editor of Quilts and More, surprised me with a copy of her Winter, 2015 magazine showing how the Flying Geese fabric collection was used in this sweet little quilt.  

Again, I am most surprised by the way different people design with each fabric & the way each one puts fabrics together. Every one of us works with a different eye for the fabrics!  I am always amazed by the discoveries that come from our market days together - shop owners, publishers, pattern designers, fabric designers, notions designers, & for sure, old friends in the industry.

This quilt was designed & sewed by Jan Ragaller, a dear friend from my quilt shop owner days.  I won't say how long ago that has been!  

But it was very endearing to see what her eye had imagined for my fabrics.  Thanks so much, Jan!

Must-Have Reproductions!

 Fat quarter bundles of the Washington Street Studio  collections, Friendship Ring & Flying Geese, were featured in the 
Fresh Picks section of McCall's Quilting!  

A nice surprise!

Did you see them?

Another Lovely Surprise from a Friend!

Bernie Gee surprised me with a lovely little quilt that uses the Friendship Ring fabrics & the templates!  Isn't it sweet! 

She enlarged the size of the templates one at a time on her printer & then hand pieced them together, so the quilt measures 23" square instead of the normal size of the template block which is 12"!  

How ingenious of you, Bernie!   One extra-large block makes a super wall hanging size block!

Thanks so much, Bernie!  I appreciate you & your friendship!  This is the gal who began our Thursday Girls quilting group!  Again, how ingenious!  We all look forward to Thursdays now because of you, Bernie!

A Lovely Gift from a friend!

Send a friend some of your fabrics & what comes back to you . . . a gift, of course!  And the best kind of a gift . . . a quilt!

Using the Flying Geese fabrics, Kathleen from Mountain Patchwork used her Double Stitch magic with her Nana's Flower Patch pattern to create this little beauty.   

Thanks so much, Kathleen!  I love it!  

And be sure to go to her site & order her new book! Excitement is seeing your friend signing her new book at market!

Kathleen Brown of Mountain Patchwork

Kathleen's new book all about
Sewing on the Go with her Double Stitch!

Stitching on the Double is

another example of what I call

"Pieceful Quilting"