An Early Christmas Gift

Hey, look what just arrived on my front porch!

My page proofs from my second book with Martingale--

now titled, At Home with Country Quilts.

Guess what I'll be doing over the holidays!

Can't wait!

Blog Hop Giveway Winner

Thanks to all of you who left such kind comments about our blog hop!

I put all your names in a basket...

My daughter selected one lucky name...

And the winner is (drum roll please)...

Congratulations Laurie!

And to all of you, have a wonderful Christmas!!

Canadian Christmas Blog Hop--The End

Well, here it is, the last day of our first Canadian designers' blog hop!  I hope you've enjoyed meeting this amazing group of talented women and making their free patterns and recipes as much as I have.  So today it's my turn and I've designed a quick and easy project to use some of those extra pine needles you have after trimming your tree.  It's a little sachet called "Christmas at the Cabin" and measures 6 1/2" x 6 1/2".

 For my recipe, I had to share these Peanut Butter Balls.  I found the recipe in a newspaper about 35 years ago and have made them pretty much every year since.  A warning--they are highly addictive!

And as a little Christmas gift to you, I'm having a give-away--your choice of up to 2 yards of free fabric (sorry, not wool) from my website, www.countryquilts.ca.  This can be in any combination--2 yards of one fabric, fat quarters of 8 different fabrics, or anything in between, as long as I have the amount in stock.  All you need to do is be a follower of this blog (you can sign up today if you want) and leave a comment about the blog hop before noon Pacific Standard Time on Saturday, December 17th.  The winner will be selected at random and notified Saturday afternoon and I'll post the winner's name on Sunday, December 18th.  Good luck!

Have a wonderful Christmas and don't forget to go to the next page for the free pattern and the recipe!

Canadian Christmas Blog Hop

Hi and welcome back to our blog hop!  This week I'm happy to introduce my friend Sue Jensen of Quilted Escapes.  Sue lives less than an hour away from me.  We met several years ago before her first trip to Market and have done so many times since then.  She's not only a fellow quilt designer but a close friend.  For our blog hop, Sue has designed an adorable snowman candle-mat and is sharing a recipe for snowball cookies.  Click on her link (above) to get to her blog.

Have a great week and we'll see you next Sunday for the last stop on our blog hop!

Canadian Christmas Blog Hop Week 7

Hi and welcome back on this first Sunday of Advent!  Today we're back in beautiful Vancouver Island, British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada, featuring designer Susan Purney Mark.  Susan, together with partner Daphne Greig (who we featured on October 23rd, the second week of our bloghop) make up the Patchworks Studio team. Susan is also an author and teacher and has helped me out at Market many times.  She and Daphne have also hosted several quilting cruises--definitely on my someday bucket list!  She's sharing a fun project with you today on her blog, susanpm.blogspot.com.  If you're looking for something to do with the kids or grandkids over the holidays, make sure to check it out!  Plus, there's a recipe for a yummy Christmas breakfast.

Make sure to come back next week for our second last featured designer!  Can't believe how the time is flying!

Canadian Christmas Blog Hop - Week 6

Hi and welcome to Week 6 of the Canadian Christmas Blog Hop!  This week we're introducing Jean Boyd, another wonderful designer from Ontario.  I've met Jean for dinner a few times after a long day at Quilt Market.  She's an amazing person and supremely knowledgeable about quilting.  She was named "Canadian Teacher of the Year" in 2003 by the Canadian Quilters Association and has won numerous awards for her quilts.  Visit her blog, http://jeanboyduppercanadaquiltworks.blogspot.com/ to download your free pattern for a memory quilt and a delicious recipe for cranberry relish.

Have a great week and check back next Sunday when we feature another Canadian quilt designer!

Canadian Christmas Blog Hop--Week 5

Hi and welcome to Week 5 of our Canadian Christmas Blog Hop!  It's hard to believe we're already half-way through!  Today we introduce Maria Hrabovsky of Maria Michaels Designs.  Maria has designed a quick and easy pattern for Christmas hot pads for you to download and shares a recipe for pumpkin cookies.

I hope you're enjoying meeting these designers from all over Canada!  Come back next week!

Canadian Christmas Blog Hop Day 4

Thanks again for joining us!  I hope you're loving the variety of project styles as much as I am.  Today's featured quilter is Kathy K Wylie, from Ontario.  Kathy is an international award-winning quilter, author, and teacher.  I am in awe of her work. While you're visiting her blog, make sure to check out her Home and Gallery pages to see some jaw-dropping quilts.  The free pattern she's designed is called "Spinning Star", a project that can be created in a variety of ways, including trapunto, appliqued, quilted, and beaded.  Plus, her recipe for tourtiere, a French-Canadian dish, looks scrumptious!  Thanks Kathy for sharing with us!

Canadian Christmas Blog Hop Day 3

Welcome to the third Sunday of the Canadian Christmas Blog Hop!  We've travelled across the country to Nova Scotia on the east coast to bring you today's featured designer, Benita Skinner of Victoriana Quilt Designs.  Click on the link for a free Christmas ornament pattern and a recipe for yummy domino bars.

Have a safe and happy Halloween everyone!

Canadian Christmas Blog Hop - Day 2

Welcome to the Canadian Christmas Blog Hop!  Our second featured designer is Daphne Greig from Patchworks Studio.  Daphne lives on beautiful Vancouver Island and has written several books on stained glass quilting and give-and-take applique.  Together with Susan Purney Mark, she has been designing since 1996.  For our blog hop, Daphne has created an elegant table runner pattern and has shared her recipe for a yummy Christmas breakfast.  You can see more of her work on her website, patchworkstudio.com.

Martingale Photo Shoot

My second book with Martingale is due out next June!

A few weeks ago, I received a letter from them saying they'd like to start photographing the quilts in their offices in Bothell, WA, (about 2 hours south of where I live), and they wondered whether I'd be interested in having some of my primitives used as props in the photos.  Well, yeah!

So I sent them photos of some of the stuff around my house, like this:

They emailed me back with their choices.
I  loaded them into my car, drove down this week, and brought them into the studio.

Lights,

camera,

action!

My quilts were waiting in line...

for Brent, the photographer, (aka "the quilt whisperer") to work his magic.

Sometimes other equipment was used to give the desired effect.

A tripod was used to adjust a quilt, just so.

And sometimes a quilt needed a quick pressing.

After seeing all the work involved in getting the photos just right, I'll never look at pictures in quilt magazines and books the same way again!

(No wonder my recipes never look like the photographs!)

So when my book comes out next summer, check out the props, as well as the quilts!

The quilts were photographed in a day (which I'm told is pretty fast)

and the next morning Regina (the production manager) and Brent worked on some cover shots.

In between, I had time to wander the offices.
Even the lunch room has quilt designs on the floor!

Halloween pumpkins were parked in the aisles.

Who wouldn't love an office with beautiful quilts around every corner?

Look at the machine quilting on this one!

It was so much fun to visit there again!
Thanks, Martingale, for being such a wonderful company to work with.

The Canadian Christmas Blog Hop has begun!

Oh, I'm so excited!  My friend Dougal Walker of The Freckles Collection has posted a wonderful little ornament pattern and CUTE Christmas cookies on her blog.  You have to check it out!
Dougal is my mentor and friend.  Ten years ago, when I was first thinking of publishing my patterns, a quilt shop owner suggested I contact Dougal since she'd been designing patterns for awhile and knew a lot about it.  So I did contact her and we arranged to meet for coffee.  She's been such an incredible source of information for me over the years.  We've also become good friends and we still meet to share our stories.  Dougal's expertise is in stitchery and you can find lots more of her patterns at www.frecklescollection.com.
Next Sunday will feature another Canadian designer so please check back!

Canadian Christmas Blog Hop!

I know, it seems MUCH too early to be thinking about Christmas, but we do things early in Canada.  We're celebrating Thanksgiving here this weekend and I'm so thankful for my family and friends and for quilting, which has brought the best people into my life.

So, a few of us Canadians thought it would be fun to do a blog hop and introduce you to some Canadian quilters!

Starting next Sunday, and then every following Sunday until December 11, a different designer will be posting a free pattern on her website as well as the recipe for a favourite holiday treat. 

Sounds like fun, right?

We all have very different styles so there should be something for everyone.

So here's the schedule!

If you click on it, it should be easier to see.

We'll be posting the links every Sunday on our blogs so please join us!

Another Great Sale

The Fieldstone Vintage Market took place in my home town of Abbotsford, BC, last Saturday.

I've been waiting for something like this to happen close to home for SUCH a long time!

And after a week of rain, could the day have been any more perfect?

Over 50 vendors of wonderful vintage items and handmades
were selling their wares.

The Market was produced in conjunction with
Bakerview Eco Dairy.
A barbeque was set up behind the barn.

Along with wonderful vintage items.

Lots of white eye candy.

My friend Kimberly of My Brown Bag Studio
and her daughter Julianna,
in their wonderful booth.

More oldies and goodies.

Even some Parisian-style macaroons!

Hopefully next year, I'll have a tent there too!

Of course, because it's a farm, there were animals to visit.

I couldn't figure out what this thing was.
My husband says it's a recently-shorn llama.

I think it had a face only its mother could love!

Brag Friday

I love it when quilters send me photos of something they've made using one of my designs!

It's fascinating to see how by choosing other fabrics, a quilt can look so different.

This photo of the "Garden at the Cabin" pattern in my Country Comforts book was sent to me by Joan Tufts of Nova Scotia, Canada.

Didn't she do a beautiful job?

And here's the original quilt, for comparison.

Thanks Joan, for sharing!

I've posted your version in the Photo Album section of

my website.

I hope more of you will send me your photos to brag about!

A Great Sale

Thanks to everyone who came to our sale and helped my sister and I to downsize!

For a few hours, my garage was transformed into a country store.

Today I'm so stiff and sore from moving all those boxes,
I'm hobbling around like an old woman.
(Who am I kidding--I AM an old woman.)

Even my MUCH younger sister, Col, was a bit tired by the end of it all.

Lots of our treasures have now made their way into new homes to be enjoyed by our friends.

Thank you everyone!