July Status Update

Well, Summer is almost over, and it's time to do a quick check-in on the goals that I set for the year....

1. Finish a new pattern every month for QQ. That's 12 new patterns released in 2013. I am a little behind here.....6 are finished-finished, and ready for publication, and #7 is stuck in design. I know exactly what setting I want for it, but I can't figure out how to do it without tricky borders, so I may have to put this one away for a while and come back to it when I am nice and fresh. Funny how taking a break from something often brings back the creative juices. 

2. Finish a new Judy quilt every quarter. That is 4 quilts this year. Specifically, I will be working on Coxscomb, Farmer's Star, Feathered Star and Celtic Wave. And the Glacier Star -- because I need to get that one done for teaching purposes......I've cut out all of these, but only worked on the Feathered Star so far......I got a little distracted with other projects. I finished Glacier Star and Mariner's Compass.

3. Attend 2 Judy events -- Asilomar in March, and Montana in August....moved August to September due to a scheduling issue, but I am still going!!!

4. Teach 2 Judy classes or retreats each month. - on track for this one.  

5. Finish up a bunch of Judy quilts that just need final touches -- quilting, binding, borders - Touch of Spring (quilting, complete), Cappuccino Party for 4 (quilting, complete), MiniStars (quilting, complete), Summer Solstice (Borders, back from the quilter, just needs binding added), Amazon Star (borders), Pepperdish (applique), 3 Ducks in a Row (borders).

6. Blog more regularly -- I finally figured out the scheduling feature, so that should help!! My goal is three times a week. Getting there on this one. I have some new fun things planned for the fall, including some linky parties and some giveaways!!!!

7. Learn how to use instagram. Done.

8. Learn how to code in XML for the website. Done. Just did a ton of updates on the website, including a new feature for a monthly newsletter.

9. Sew every day -- even of it is only for 10 minutes, or one section of binding! I really should do some binding prep work to have some projects ready to go for this!!!!.....Getting better on this one, I've prepped a bunch of bindings and mini-projects to work on these.

Hawaiian Star/Prairie Star

Have you ever done this pattern??? It's original colorway is named Hawaiian Star, and had green, orange and turquoise with a light blue background,  but when those fabrics were no longer available, Judy designed a new colorway for it, called Prairie Star....I can't decide which one I like best!!!

The bright Hawaiian version is more my quilting style, but the Prairie Star is much more in line with me house.....decisions, decisions, decisions. I think I have decided that this is going to be my project for my retreat with Judy in September. I'm just taking one project, so that I will stay the course, and get something finished. I am hoping to have it all cut out and prepped before I depart, but that is a pretty tall order at this point, so we will see how it goes......


I leave you with a student's version -- in Violet and Green. Special Thanks to Patty Benner Young for sharing her quilt with us at Cotton and Chocolate a few weeks. She was lucky enough to take the class from Judy at Asilomar in April!!!!

Still packing for the Long Beach Show -- countdown is 2 days!!!


Happy Quilting!
Cat

Glacier Star Weekend at Memory Lane

I spent the weekend down south in San Diego teaching Glacier Star.....I forgot my camera, so no pics from class....but here's what I managed to get done Saturday during my off time....

All of the units for Compass Rose are prepped and ready to go! 

Glacier Star Part 2 -- Cotton and Chocolate

This past Saturday I got to return to Cotton and Chocolate in Thousand Oaks to do Technique #2 of teh Glacier Star -- we worked on the geese near the center of the quilt, affectionately called the drunken geese for their erratic flight pattern....Almost everyone got all of the units done, and I am super excited to see how these are turning out, since the color combos are so unlike mine....

an almost solids version, in purples and turquoises....

Patty's "Glacier Themed" Glacier Star -- her colors are all blues and greens.

Wendy's stained glass version.

Monique isn't a fan of batiks, so she chose a solid and some juvenile prints, and chose to not match her sets, so the colors will swirl around the quilt...super excited to see how this one will turn out.....

A detailed shot of Monique's. I am loving the polka dots (nothing new there)....

Pam's Parakeet version

Linda's all laid out.....at this point, this one looks most similar to my sample, but by next month it will be totally different, since her border is a complete departure from mine...

A closeup shot of Linda's individual geese, I love the textures in these.....

Judy had to leave early, but not before she got 1 of her geese made in her sunrise/sunset version. Super controlled color pallete. 

And this beauty belongs to Ilsa, and these are the darkest fabrics in her edition, so excited to see how the value changes work in the this one, since she completely switched them....

That's it for a sneak peak at what we did. Come back to see what else we were up to Saturday and get a look at Patty's amazing Prairie Star!!!

Happy Quilting

Catherine

Celebration Tree Skirt

The Celebration Tree Skirt is one of those patterns that I could do over and over again and never get bored.....Traditional, contemporary, kitchy, kid friendly, the pattern really has no limits, it has the perfect balance of precise paper piecing and large pieces to highlight novelty prints or fancy quilting...The best part, though, is the easy of construction, it's a smaller commitment from a time perspective, yet has most of the Judy techniques I love....the feathered star, the geese, and gentle curved piecing, making it easy and fast. I put mine together at a weekend retreat, including picking fabrics, so I would guestimate there is 20 or so hours of sewing in it.....My only issue with the pattern was the very end.....you are supposed to cut a hole in it to put it under the tree, but I couldn't do it, I just couldn't. I wanted to, I even siked myself up for it, but in the end I couldn't do it, so my friend Shawn York (of the Rusty Crow) quilted a beautiful poinsettia in the center. Beautiful!!!

I made my original (seen below in pics), and have sense received multiple requests from my family to make ones for them......One in a blue series to honor her husband's Jewish roots, and another with a great kids print in the big triangles. I have friends and customers who have made this quilt in multiple varieties, black/white/red, just like the pattern, one in a woodland print series, and one in red/white/blue that looks more like Fourth of July than Christmas, but was the perfect showcase piece for her military christmas (whe has 2 daughters in the army, 2 sons in the Marines, and 1 son in the Coast Guard). 

So, here's some pics to enjoy of my super traditional Celebration Tree Skirt..... 

 Center Details

Geese Details

side details, can you see that the red "backgrounds" are actually 4 different reds all pieced together???

And the full view....

Leave me a comment and let me know if you would like to see more pattern features in future segments....

Happy Quilting

Cat

Teaching Gigs

Just a quick update on some upcoming teaching gigs....

Saturday, July 6, August 10, September 7, October 5, and November 2 -- Glacier Star in Thousand Oaks, CA at Cotton and Chocolate. I get to spend the day with some lovely ladies working on the Glacier Star Technique of the Month. We've had our first class, and had a great time, this week it is time to work on the geese......

For those of you that know me well, these are not exactly my "usual" colors.....but I must admit that I really like this one. 

I am also going teach it at Memory Lane Quilt Shop in El Cajon, CA. For those that know me well, this shop was one of my first ever quilt classes. They have since moved to a bigger shop in El Cajon (almost 2 years ago in fact), and added a long arm business. They doubled their square footage and doubled their classroom!!! Super excited to head back and teach for the weekend next weekend, July 13th and 14th.  We will meet again in August -- on the 17th and 18th. September's class is on the 21st, and then a month long break to finish all of your units before we meet up again on October 19th for a final assembly class. I am super excited to try this format, especially since I had some other instructors have great success with it over the past few weeks. 

I've also booked a few shows -- including Long Beach on August 2-4. Can't believe it is just a month away!!!! I'm really sad that this will be the last time that it will be held in SoCal, but also super excited to be vending and meeting tons of new people. It should be a great adventure, and I am thrilled to be included in a great group of vendors.

Well, that's it for upcoming gigs in the next 30 days, stay tuned for some pattern closeups heading your way over the next few weeks.....

Happy Quilting!!!

Cat

Ten Things This Summer

So, I've never done a linky party before....I have always wanted to, but I never really had the pre-requisites, or the time, but this one looks really fun! It is being hosted by Sherri at A Quilting Life. Since I have never done this before, I get to test my linky skills, and tell you about the projects I want to complete this summer....it's hard to imagine that there are so many, but there are.....

1. Meandering Star - I've gotten started, I have made all of the units and I really just need a few hours to sew all of the units together into quilty goodness.

2. Bind this quilt. It's a big adventure. It's a gorgeous quilt, and has been back from the quilter since last fall. I've taught it at guilds, I've had it in the booth, I have even had it on the end of the bed for a few days, but all of these have occurred without the binding applied. It NEEDS it's binding to finish it off....wish me luck.

3/4. Make these two quilt by Camille Roskelley (I heart her, seriously, she is AWESOME!, not that I know her personally). I love her designs made up of simple components that are some much greater than the sum of their parts. Swoon and Round & Round.

                                              

5. Finish this guy....AMAZON STAR. It's Huge. All of the pieces are finished, all of the major components assembled, just the 8 "Y" seams to tackle. MUST GET IT DONE. It's been calling me for months.....

6. Prep for my trip to Montana in September.....I am spending a week with Judy in mid-September, and I really don't know what to work on.....I was considering taking a bunch of small projects and just doing one a day.....and then a revert and think I should take #5 above, or maybe one of the other half done ones...seriously, I have a bunch of half done ones that have been screaming at me (seriously, they are starting to get biligerent at this point, they have been set aside for SO long).....

7. Reorganize my sewing space -- I haven't really ever completely moved into my sewing room this time. I think it is because I knew that this is a temporary place not really a landing spot, so I've just gotten out things I am actively working on, and left the others in boxes. But by end of summer the new place will be settled, and it will be time to properly move everything in and set up the permanent tables, instead of sewing on the SewEzi. 

8. Document all of my WIPs. I have a list of all of my completed quilts, and who they went to and what they looked like, etc, but I need to expand that to include all of my WIPs, and then prioritize them....and then get them finished. Right now, I know I have the following in process, piecing wise.....

Pepperdish

Forever Yours

Amazon Star (see #5 above)

Winter Wonderland

Witches Brew

Tumbleweeds

Split Log Cabin

Crackers 

Feathered Star Queen

Confetti

Cabin Fever

Bali Fever

Coxscomb

Three Ducks (just needs borders added)

Meandering Stars (see #1 above)

9. Finish Three Ducks in a Row.....it just needs the borders finished and then added....

10. Finish Forever Yours.....just needs the curved piecing completed.....Seriously, this one needs a meer 30 curved seams and it will be complete....maybe I should have listed it first....

So, those are the summer goals...do you think they are too ambitious?>?>

Happy Quilting!!!

Cat

P.S. check in and see if I managed to do the linky think right.....and maybe we can do more of these, or even host one??? Scary, right???

Happy Fourth!!!

Hoping today find you and yours safe, and happy for the celebration of our Independence Day......