On Your Mark, Get Set… SEW!!!

Saturday we had a Jelly Roll Race at In Between Stitches! What fun! If you’ve never made one or seen it done check out these links to a Jelly Roll Race and Jelly Roll Race II.

Thirteen ladies (one teen) rev’d their engines and with strips and squares ready, sewed as fast as they could in this Jelly Roll Race II. Leslie Emery, one of the shop owners joked, “Thought the fire alarm was going to go off from the heat generated by the racing machines!” Though I was ready with the fire extinguisher, no sewing machines burst into flames. But it did resemble a racing car pit, whenever a bobbin needed refreshing!!

First Place winner, Jenny, received the winner’s gift bag with a jelly roll and pattern. Second place, hot on her heels was Nancy and third place went to Jenny’s daughter-in-law, Nicole.  Second and third place winners received a jelly-roll friendly pattern. Nicole teased Jenny that she would slow her mother-in-law down by sabotaging her sewing machine. A sly unplugging of her foot pedal or turning the speed dial down on Jenny’s machine didn’t slow Jenny down! We laughed and had a great time. Plus we all were Winners in our completed quilt tops. Check out the photos.

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Absewlutely,

Lisa

August Bite Size class

IMG_0787What a fun day! We had quite a successful day creating our Sunflower blocks! Here is one example. Unfortunately my phone “filled up” and wouldn’t let me take more photos! 🙁 But they all turned out fantastic! Here you see the completed sunflower getting the buttons sewn on before it was quilted.

Ahem… Material Girlfriend Grand Announcement… drum roll please…

Melissa Grech, an owner of In Between Stitches, showed The Material Girlfriends patterns to the Director of Marketing of Marcus Fabrics. Pati is from the New York office but was going around with our regular fabric rep to see the shops and meet the store owners. Pati loved the Material Girlfriends patterns. She asked me if I’d be interested in receiving the new Marcus fabrics 3-4 months ahead of when they are available to the public. If I made my quilts in the new Marcus Fabrics, she’d take the quilts and patterns to Quilt Market (Huston and Chicago) and then I’d get the quilts back after the two shows. I of course said yes, doing my best to remain calm and not hyperventilate. But there’s more. When she got back to NY, she emailed and we talked on the phone regarding which fabric lines could she send me. THEN she tells me she wants to show the patterns to Keepsake Quilting and Hancocks of Paducah. I KNOW!!!  The patterns would have the Marcus fabrics called out on the back as well as be pictured on the front. That’s IF they want the patterns, of course. The two patterns that Pati will be showing them are HiLo and Under the Oaks.

Isn’t that just crazy? I’m still spinning.

I design with a team of fabulous ladies. We’ve called ourselves the Material Girls for over 10 years, which led to the Material Girlfriends pattern line. I’m not the only quilt designer in our group and I think all of our designs are better for the input from each other. The HiLo pattern was designed by Lora Zmak and I designed the Under the Oaks. I’m the “business” part of our team. I’m also a graphic designer so I write and do the graphics for the patterns we come up with.

Last night about 6:30pm, I received the UPS box full of lovely new fabrics. But my husband and I had an appointment from 7-10pm and I couldn’t do more than unpack the box. (Unfair!!) I woke at 4:45 this morning ready to play and I’ve done nothing all morning but arrange, rearrange, stroke and play with the fabrics.

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This new fabric line is from Marcus fabrics called R07 Primo Batiks. You can check out all of the fabrics here in their fabric gallery. It’s like Christmas!!!

Absewlutely beside myself,

Lisa

August Bite Size Block

Aug.DresdenSunflowerWelcome August bright and sunny, like a happy sunflower.

I once planted sunflowers in a row along side my fence. The stalks grew tall and straight and the heads grew fuller and fuller and then they opened their beautiful faces toward the sun. Unfortunately for me the sun shown over my neighbor’s house. My neighbor loved the sunny yellow flowers peaking over the fence at her. I couldn’t get them to turn their heads to shine back at me and my kitchen window! Ha!

This lovely project may turn a head or two. Create this dresden plate block with scrappy yellow fabrics. Place a large center circle and accent with random button. What a lovely bite size block to make for yourself or to give to a friend.

“True friends are
like bright sunflowers
that never fade
away, even over
distance and time.”
~ Marie Williams Johnstone

You can join the class at In Between Stitches in Livermore this Sunday if you’re local. Click here for the class link. Scrappy yellow sunflower kits are available for $12.95. Call to have one reserved or mailed to you at 925-371-7064. Add some miscellaneous dark buttons in the center and whala!, you have your own happy sunflower which will always be happy to face your way instead of peaking over the fence at the neighbor.

Absewlutely,

Lisa