Dear Little Rembrandt

I mentioned two months ago that our dear little Rembrandt, the kitty who entertained us on Karen's blog Sew Primitive, had found a home. Many of us were concerned about Karen's cats after she passed away and so we were gratified to know that they had been adopted by new families. Well, about two weeks ago I received the sweetest email from Sandi in Atlanta letting me know that Rembrandt now resides with her family! Sandi doesn't have a blog, but she read Karen's blog and she reads mine, and maybe yours! She said she enjoys seeing Rembrandt's picture on the side of my blog and that Rembrandt is being loved by her family in her new surroundings. Rembrandt has always been a little skittery and so Sandi sees her zipping from one hiding place to another as she becomes familiar with the house and the hiding places. She also comes out for food and affection. Good to know! I imagine she is getting to know the children, but Sandi says she hasn't quite warmed up to the dog! Karen's house was very quiet, as you might imagine. Filled with fabric and art supplies, it was Karen's own little den of creativity. I can't believe Karen has been gone almost three months. I miss her every day. I often go back to her blog and read old posts from when she was healthy and productive and funny! How nice to have that available at my finger tips. I am so touched that Sandi would contact me and assure me that Rembrandt is being loved and cared for. That was such a concern of mine. I know Karen would be pleased to know that Rembrandt is in a loving home. And now I have made a new friend online as well! Thank you Sandi! 

Ever the artist, Karen had rooms dedicated to her many endeavors. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Are your quilts labeled?

Labeling quilts is a priority for me. I try to get my quilts labeled right away, but it doesn't always happen. When I was checking quilt backs last week I realized that a few needed to be labeled, so I got busy.

My method is a simple one. I open a Word Document and write in what I want to show on the label. For example:

My Happy Place

Marcie Patch

-Patchalot Patterns-

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Quilted by Marae Harris

80-20 batting

2006

I iron a 8-1/2" x 11" piece of freezer paper to a piece of fabric that is cut just a little smaller. Usually the paper curls a little so I press it under something heavy while it cools. I try to do a few labels at a time on the same page. The fabric side faces down in the paper drawer and rolls up to be printed on. Often the top edge catches when it starts going through the printer and the top of the page gets smudged with ink, so I leave a large margin at the top just in case. This isn't a fool proof method, but it works well enough. The more you do it, the more you know what to expect. 

After your page is printed on the fabric you can peel it off the freezer paper and press it with an iron. The heat seals the ink so it doesn't wash out. Now trim down each label, leaving about an inch around each side of the lettering. Add little borders to make it cute, if you wish. Next I sew it right side down to a piece of light colored fabric on all four sides. Carefully slit open the back and turn it in side out. Pull out the corners, press it and it is ready to stitch on to the back of your quilt. You will thank yourself for doing this in the coming years! 

I also like to give notice as to who designed the quilt. Sometimes it's me, but not always. Also, who quilted it, what batting, etc. Sometimes there is a story behind a quilt that you may add. 

Another thing I have done when I make little gifts for friends is to simply make a bunch of little labels with my name and the year, fold all the raw edges in and tuck it into the binding so you have a little tab label.  

I know people document their quilts in different ways. If we post them on our blog we can do a search with the right key words. Today I was able to find a post by Karen Mowery about a quilt that she made that was recently won at an Ebay auction. My friend Paula the Quilter was the high bidder and when she received the quilt there was no label. Luckily we were able to find Karen's notes about the quilt on her blog! It was a great find because it not only gave the date she made it, but also who quilted it and the fabric line and her inspiration in creating it! Now Paula can make a really interesting label!

 

By the way, a few of you have asked about Karen's cats, especially Rembrandt, and whether they found homes. Yes! I am happy to report that Karen's son Tim found homes for both her cats! 

 

Karen Mowery

My dear friend Karen Mowery passed away on Friday, February 1, 2013, just one year after being diagnosed with cancer. It was a really tough year for her and she was sick for most all of it from the treatments she went through. She went peacefully, and her wonderful son Timmy was with her at the end, as he has been all along. He was her greatest joy and treasure. 

Karen was always reluctant to have her picture taken, so I scanned this from her beautiful book, A Bountiful Life, published by Kansas City Star.

 

My one comfort is that I know she is in another realm where there is no pain and love will surround her, and peace will comfort her.
I know that we have many quilting friends in common and you will feel her loss as well. She was a person of enormous talent and also of great humility. She took joy in her artistic pursuits and had so much left to offer. I am sure that our Heavenly Father has a whole new palette of color to offer her. 

I will miss her every day.

Snowy Stitches

I hope my American readers had a lovely Thanksgiving! The weather is cooling down around the country and snow is once again falling in the northern climes. Quilters are nestled down in fabric and batting stitching up favorite designs. Some quilters, like Lisa Bongean, shown below, have the most adorable snowman quilts, along with other winter confectioneries.

 I had the pleasure of meeting up with Lisa at Quilt Market recently. Her booth, Primitive Gatherings, is always a hot spot at market. Does this not look like a winter wonderland? Follow the link to Lisa's shop and find all kinds of wonderful treasures and kits that you can order on line. I was excited to find my own newest patterns (page 8 and 9) on her link to NEW items. Yes, Lisa buys from me on the condition that I quit stalking her. It's not easy, but I try.

You may know Pat Wys from her darling Silver Thimble Quilt Co. Her designs are cheerful and colorful, often with lots of applique. Pat is lots of fun and shows everyone a good time! Visit her blog at Silver Thimble Talk.

Since we began with snowmen, this is such a darling snowman quilt designed by Pat! It's called Snowbound, and gives you a taste of what Pat does. I love it!

 Paula Barnes and Mary Ellen Robinson, co-owners of Red Crinoline Quilts (formerly Bonnie Blue Quilts) had a booth right close to mine. Paula's designs are fabulous! And Mary Ellen stitches them to perfection. What a team! I loved visiting with them and their booth was beautiful!

This is a pretty little corner of my booth where I framed one of Karen Mowery's Primitive Children. Doesn't it look sweet? You can see a better picture of it on her website Primitive Children. Karen is a dear friend of mine and her talent is amazing! You probably know Karen from her blog, Sew Primitive. And of course she is the now famous author of A Bountiful Life!
Hey, it has five stars at Amazon!!! But ask for it at your LQS first. We like to support shops!

A Bountiful Life and more...

 I didn't go to market this time and I sure wish I had been there! Look at this beautiful display of quilts in the Kansas City Star booth. They publish quilt books, as you probably know. Front and center in this display is my good friend Karen Mowery's quilt, A Bountiful Life. This quilt is a replica of the famous Bird of Paradise quilt that is at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City. It is an awesome quilt and Karen's book is awesome as well. Request it at your LQS or order it online. You won't be disappointed! See what Karen has to say about all this excitement at her blog, Sew Primitive.

And 

Other books on display from Kansas City Star, Including Simply Charming by the darling Tara Lynn Darr. I love this book! Confederates in the Cornfield by Edie Mcginnis has the most amazing cherry quilt in it.

Edie's new book, A Bag of Scraps, is wonderful for those of us who live and breath scrap quilts. Plus, Edie always adds interesting facts and stories. Edie is an editor at Kansas City Stars, so she knows a little bit about writing books! Also, I stole these photos from her on Facebook!

 

 Above, a few more wonderful quilts from the Kansas City Star booth.

Even tho I didn't get to market this spring, I have been excited to see the photos and hear about the enthusiasm of those that were there. You can see more market photos at the links below:

 Fat Quarter Shop,  their Jolly Jabber blog

Country Quilts-Cheryl Wall

Fat Quarters Quilt Shop (Vista, CA) their Facebook page

There are probably more, but I don't have time to look right now as I have been on this blooming computer all day!

Enjoy!

Mid-Atlantic Quilt Fest

Yesterday was one of those days we quilters wait all year for:  Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival! It is held in Hampton, VA at the Convention Center. I drove up there with my friends Joan and Sue, as usual. We start out together and get separated very quickly as we each see things that interest one of us more than another. So many different things for so many different quilters. Look what I spotted right off the bat--our friend Karen's book, A Bountiful Life! She would have been delighted with the setting as it was nestled in with nice rolls of wool and other cozy things.

 Minutes later I ran into Mrs. Goodneedle! We hugged and visited for a few minutes then met later to visit some more. Love that lady! One of the benefits of blogging is making some wonderful friends, such as Karen and Debbie.

 

 Notice the booth we are in, Attic Heirlooms, and the neat stuff they have. The quilt in the background is awesome. Check out their website. Lots  of wool and primitive, etc.

I ran into another friend, Janna-the president of Bloc-Loc. I met Janna and her husband Paul in Houston at Quilt Market a couple years ago. Their booth was right by mine. They totally sold me on their product and now I can't function without their amazing rulers. Their rulers each have a groove in them that gets placed on the seam line of a half-square triangle so you can trim it accurately. The groove locks in on the seam for greater accuracy. These are perfect for a scrapper like me because I am always trimming down triangles and flying geese. Yes, they have one for flying geese and they keep coming out with new ones. Be sure and check their schedule because they go to shows all over America and if you are a block trimmer you must have these rulers. They are only distributed through Bloc-Loc! I had to get a new 1-1/2" HST size because I left mine in Arizona.

Other purchases? Well, I made out OK. I bought titanium coated sewing machine needles at the Superior Threads booth. I had to get these after watching the very interesting and informative videos on their website. When you have some time you really should watch THESE. At least the ones that look interesting to you.

I also found fabric. Can you believe it? Honestly, I tried to resist, but there were a few that I had to have. Barbara Brackman's Battle Hymn  fabric is wonderful! From Moda Fabric.

One booth that I am always happy to shop is called Traditions of the White Swan. I always come away happy from that booth! They are from Hagerstown, Maryland and have lots of kits on line. Last year I bought the whole collection of fat quarters of Little Pink Stars, and designed a baby quilt that will be in McCall's Quilting magazine--June issue, so keep an eye out! This year I found this darling collection of grey and blue Buggy Barn prints from Henry Glass. I wonder what these will become?

Finally, I broke down and purchased this beautiful basket. I have been looking at these for years each time I go to Quilt-Fest. They are made in Africa and come in all shapes and sizes. The beautiful bag is a gift from my friend Sue Cruthers who made it for my i-pad! Isn't it the cutest thing?! I LOVE it!

All in all, it was a great day! I will post another day with a few quilt photos. There were some awesome quilts this year!

 

 

A Bountiful Life

Just in case you are unaware, let me tell you that Karen Mowery's book, A Bountiful Life, is arriving in quilt shops and bookstores right about now! Karen is a very dear friend of mine and I have been following her closely over the past year or so as she has secretly been preparing this book for publication, and making the quilt as well. I am so in awe of her and her talent! 

 The book is published by Kansas City Star. It is a collection of patterns from the famous Bird of Paradise quilt that is in the American Folk Art Museum. Karen has painstakingly drawn out the pattern for each block and for the extensive applique contained on the borders as well. Karen's adaptation of this quilt closely resembles the original, the exception being that Karen created the block for the missing man. The original artist drew up the block, but then decided to leave that block out for reasons we may never know. But it is truly adorable!

 Several of Karen's friends came to her rescue in appliqueing a block for her. In fact, I appliqued that beautiful bird block in the lower right corner, but sadly, it was rejected! Yes! Can you believe it? Talk about a tough taskmaster! I have never been known for my applique skills, and even tho I thought I did a pretty good job, Karen said my vines were too fat. And I don't want to hear any fat jokes! Anyway, I now have a lovely block to make into a wall hanging or pillow. 

Ask for this book at your LQS. It is also available on line at PickleDish Store and other places. 

Plus, Karen got a glowing review from Jo Morton!

 “In the ongoing effort to preserve our ties to the past, Karen’s book, A Bountiful Life, recreates this fabulous piece of American Folk Art. Like the antique quilt top, it is not quilted but is backed, tied and used as a summer spread or wall hanging. I’m so pleased that the designs are full-size and ready to use; no trips to the copy center to enlarge them. Get ready to begin stitching!” — Jo Morton

I am very excited about this book. It is a masterpiece that I want in my library just for the pictures! And because it is written by my good friend and yours, Karen Mowery!

 

And Another Thing...

Please allow me to share with you the adorable little quilt that Karen Mowery, Sew Primitive, made for me! I can't tell you how much this woman's talent continues to amaze me! I about fainted dead away when I saw the darling sketch she created for the center of this quilt. She drew it on antique muslin, so it is spotty looking in places and looks so old.

I hung this little treasure in my bedroom right below my sampler, so they can look old together. I am going to name the quilt "Mary" after my granddaughter who, at three years old was a flower girl in her aunt's wedding.  When she told people the story of her aunt's wedding she always told them that she was the "flower peddler". I love that!

Karen has a line of delightfully unique patterns. She sent me her two newest. Check out her blog and find the link for her website and I am sure you will find better pictures than these! Plus, you have to see her sketch of her family: Her son the Marine, Karen, and two felines. Darn cute!

I Come in Pieces

Have you ever written on your blog with the thought that you are sending a message into outer space with the hope of finding similar lifeforms that will respond back with a friendly message? "Hello, I come in peace"! Or maybe in the case of quilters we should say "pieces". I come in pieces? Well, you get it. Right? When you post on a blog you never know where it goes, or who reads it, or who will respond. Maybe that is the fun of it. But we all enjoy when someone responds and comes in peace or in pieces!

I always figured that preparing to go to the International Quilt Market and having a booth would be an enormous deal. It kind of is. I am really grateful that Joan and I went to spring market in Minneapolis this year. It gave me an idea what to expect. I never figured I would have a booth at the Houston market this year. But it is happening, and we are Booth # 2358! If you are going to market, please come and see me! My friend Joan is going with me, thank heavens, and also Holly, Sue and Sandra from What's Your Stitch N Stuff, here in Virginia Beach. They are all more business savvy than I am, and I am so glad to have their help! Friday Joan and I put together little shop kits of nine of my patterns, hoping that shops will buy one to take home and play with. Honestly, it is the great unknown to me. How many patterns to take, etc. Come and see  me! Tell your friends! Remember me in your prayers! Send good vibes!

I have to tell you that I have a really wonderful flyer and new business cards, both designed by Folk Artist, Karen Mowery. You probably visit Karen's blog and know of her great talent. She is such a good friend! She will show the flyer on her blog at some point. so keep watching. Meanwhile, I have appliqued a beautiful block for a quilt that she is designing. I wish I could show it to you, but it is her quilt to share and it may be a while before she is ready to do that. 

So much writing without a photo! What is wrong with me? Well let me share some darling engagement photos that were taken  by Chea Lamb Photography in Arizona, of my nephew and his fiance.

Honestly, their photographer took a ton of great photos! But of course I am focusing on the ones with quilts in them. Just thought I would share this cute idea! 

Onto the rest of this beautiful Sunday! Hope you have a lovely day as well!