Pre-Market Busy-ness

It's always a little crazy right before Spring or Fall Market and this year is no exception. With two weddings to plan for this Spring, we decided that there would be no way we would be able to attend Spring Market and share new quilts. Wedding quilts, yes, new quilts, probably not. The weddings were our priority!! But as luck would have it, Paula did design 1 new line of fabric and she was asked to design a "fat-quarter friendly" quilt featuring a previous collection.

Timing is very important in fabric design. Once Paula designs and decides on the final fabrics for a collection, it has to go into production and that takes place overseas. Then we began the waiting game.  Paula has designed the quilt, but we are waiting for the fabric to arrive so I can start piecing. Luckily Marcus Fabrics was able to send us some yardage of Paula's new collection, Red Rose and Vine (yummy blacks and reds), so that became my focus for our mini-retreat.  And luckily Paula was there as I pieced the blocks.  Designing a quilt without the actual fabric can be a bit of a challenge and in this case Paula decided the design needed to be tweaked. I was able to piece all of the blocks at the retreat and actually pieced the majority of the top when I was back home and that's when we went back into a holding pattern. The large floral print wasn't quite ready, so it couldn't be shipped. The fabric arrived last Monday, the borders were added last Tuesday, it was on the longarm machine by Thursday afternoon and off to be bound by Friday evening.  It will be in Salt Lake City on Wednesday morning and hanging in the Marcus Fabrics booth by Wednesday afternoon.  Whew!! Old City Gates was truly an all-village effort!!!  Special thanks to Lynn Graham and Cathy Peters of Palm Tree Longarm Quilting and Linda Bowman for binding.

Now let me share a picture of this gorgeous collection, and part of the finished quilt top (remember, it is not quilted).  I haven't even seen it quilted yet! Red Rose and Vine will be debuting at Spring Market and should be in your local quilt stores in July.

Red Rose and Vine - reds, blacks, lights, stripes and large floral print - what's not to love!

Corner of Old City Gates - can't wait to see it quilted!

I also finished our "fat-quarter friendly" Heritage Stars that features Paula's Heritage Red collection.  Our dear friend and fellow retreater, Pat Meeks, graciously took it home with her for some tight stipple quilting.  I honestly don't know what we would do without these wonderful people!! 

Heritage Stars

Old City Gates and Heritage Stars patterns will be added to our website after Market.  We will also have kits for Heritage Stars in the Heritage Reds fabrics and in fabrics from Paula's Peppery collection.  That's next up on the piecing list!  

It should be a busy summer - Paula's brain seems to be in overdrive.  I talked with her today and she's designing and planning new collections and quilts for Fall Market and new quilts for our second book!  Yup, we're doing another one!!  I've already finished one quilt and another one just needs a border.  Paula is working on two new quilts and there are all sorts of designs floating around for more!

If you are attending Spring Market in Salt Lake City, be sure to visit the Marcus Fabrics booth, #2231.  Old City Gates and Heritage Stars will be displayed there.

Until next time, happy quilting,
Mary Ellen and Paula