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!

PRIMITIVE EXPLORATIONS

Does this look familiar? Well if you visit Karen at Sew Primitive, you will recognise it from her blog banner. Imagine my delight when it was the first thing I saw when I entered her home as well! If you read my previous post you know that Karen and I had the opportunity to spend time together while I was in Atlanta. We had such fun! Plus, I had the added pleasure seeing Karen's persona displayed in all the delightful accoutrements that make up her home.

The artist must have her studio, and Karen has created quite the artist's habitat in her home. Every where you go you see evidence of her unlimited skills. Sometimes it is represented in the form of workspace and materials.

And sometimes in whimsical displays. I just love this doll!

Cats rule at Karen's house, and lord it over you from high above her neatly arranged stash. Rembrandt went into hiding when I showed up, but sweet old Ginger was not intimidated.

Can you even imagine visiting someone who allows you to investigate their closets? Well, I guess if my closets were this clean and organized I wouldn't mind. Hopefully I will become inspired!

And the design wall! I have seen little previews of these things on Karen's blog, but I so enjoyed seeing the real thing! Hmmm--what is she up to now?

Karen comes across as a rather private person on her blog. She is non-assuming and modest in her self appraisal. That is where I come in. She needs to be exposed for what she really is! She is absolutely amazing!

This little creation of hers is one example of her skill as a designer. I love this! The pattern is available on her website www.folkartchildren.com along with several others that you will love!

Wasn't that fun?!

THIS SISTER'S CHOICE!

This post is totally promotional! But don't let that stop you from reading on...

This darling little quilt with the bird in the center is what Lea, my Japanese blogger buddy, created using my Medallion Doll Quilt pattern! She is so talented! I know lots of you have discovered her blog and her charming personality, but if you haven't been there, please go visit! You will be happy that you did! So many cute things to see!




Are any of you into needle-punch? Karen, from Sew Primitive, has created the cutest little needle-punch patterns! The girl never sleeps! She has them displayed on her new website Folk Art Children. Even if you don't do needle-punch, you should visit her website to see her other patterns and her wonderful Folk Art Children Portraits! Then check back often because she creates like a mad woman! She just can't help herself!

I have been watching for this Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine to come out and I finally got it last night at the quilt shop. I do buy this magazine often, and I love it, and this issue has Tazzie's Sister's Choice quilt in it! (Click that link to see her quilt) Yea TAZZIE! I love Tazzie's designs because she uses lots of scraps in very creative ways. If you read her blog you already know that. OK , here is the thing that drives me nuts about that magazine: It doesn't give us a date or year on the cover, or inside. It says Volume 16 Number 7. There are usually a few different issues in stock and I never can tell which is most current. I never know if I missed an issue. It's just a minor little irk. I think it is a great magazine, and I LOVE knowing that cute little Aussie designer they have!

These links are some of this Sister's Choice!

TOWANDA!

By an overwhelming number of comments on my squirrel adventures, it would seem more of you are interested in that than quilts. Well, too bad, cause this blog is mostly about quilts. Ha! However, it is gratifying to know that someone out there is reading my blog. I plagiarized a quote from Fried Green Tomatoes and was assaulted with cries of Towanda! Of course that was the image I was trying to portray, but I didn't realize it had become a war cry of the abused! How perfect! I haven't seen the movie in a long time and didn't remember that Towanda was the name of Kathy Bates' character. She is great! Now I want to watch that movie again.


Pam from My Creative Mind offered a suggestion of using ammonia in a spray bottle to spray around the deck where the squirrel was likely to go. I took her advice and was spraying along the edge of the deck where I saw chew marks in the wood. The deck is not free standing, but rather it sits on top of the roof of a lower floor. All of a sudden the squirrel shoots out from that area and flies into the trees! I didn't even know he was in there. I guess he didn't like the smell! Hooray!!! I don't know if he has been around since, but I continue to spray out there each day to discourage him. Nice call Pam! I tried to link to you but couldn't find your site. But thanks so much for the great advice!


I have actually been sewing over the past week, between chasing the relentless rodent. I drew up a design on EQ6 and went to work with some beautiful fabrics from the Jamestown fabric line, by Jo Morton. I found I needed to add some lighter colored fabrics to create the look I wanted, so you will recognize some of the fabric from places other than Jamestown. The 9-patch blocks are primarily from scraps. The rows are not all sewn together yet, but at least I am finally to that step. Then I get to play with a border idea. It is always a challenge to come up with a border design that contributes to the overall design in a compatible way.


My e-mail is through Google (g-mail). I really do like their whole e-mail design. Well, Karen from Sew Primitive and I have been chatting via e-mail. We were discussing toile fabric, and somehow Google picks up on bits of conversation and provides links to places that might be of interest. So this link shows up for toile fabric: http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/catalog_items.aspx?TypID=98&Viewby=Types&Page=1&gclid=CLGUp5nU75ECFR0yFQodNW-vwg Here is a great variety of toile! I am sure it is designer weight fabric, but still, they would work for focus areas of a quilt, such as my Williamsburg Medallion, or even the Kaffe Fassett Hat Boxes quilt. Take a look at the yellow and red one with the hen and chicks. I love it! Maybe I should make another medallion quilt. I will probably not get my other quilt back from the shop until they are good and sick of it. I am really tempted.
By the way, take a look at the additional site that Karen has set up to display her new patterns. She is designing some really cute things under the name Folk Art Children! If you like the new Wizard of Oz fabric, you will love what she is doing with it!