It's Time!

My bags are all packed and sitting at the front door.  My ride to the airport will be here in about 30 mins - yes, quick post. The quilts are finished, the photographs are done and the last pattern has to be edited. What does this mean?  It's time to head to Houston for International Quilt Market and Festival! I'm heading to Paula's a week early so we can work on kit assembly.  Lots of cutting and folding in my future!

Here are the dates and links to the Quilts Inc website for each of these events:

International Quilt Market

Saturday, November 2 - Monday, November 5

Booth 1802

International Quilt Festival

Wednesday, November 7 - Preview Night

Thursday, November 8- Sunday, November 11 

Booth 1802

When Festival is over, we will be heading to Menasha, Wisconsin for our retreat! We are so excited and we just found out that we had a couple of cancellations, so there are some openings. If you were thinking about it and thought you couldn't get in, don't worry, we have a spot for you!  You can't guarantee much in life anymore, but I am confident in promising that you will have a great time - quilting, old friends, new friends, shopping, eating, and of course laughing. What more could you ask for!! The retreat house is a fantastic location for teaching, plus you will have the opportunity to shop at some of the finest quilt shops around - Primitive Gatherings, JJ Stitches and Country Sampler. We will also be setting up a shop at the retreat house and will have kits available for all of the new quilts that will be featured at Market and Festival. Watch for a future post with photos of our new quilts and re-do's. For details, cost and registration form, go to:

 Olde Green Cupboard Designs

 

Here's the dates again: Tuesday, November 13 - Monday, November 19, 2019

Paula will be teaching 2 quilts that feature her new collection, Baltimore House, from Marcus Fabrics. Kits for each of the quilts include backing and are included in your fee.

We hope you can join us at our retreat or stop by and see us at Market and Festival.  You're going to love all of the new things we have to share.

Until next time, happy quilting,

Mary Ellen

Richmond BOW Video 6

Thank you for your patience as we struggle through the technical issues involved in producing a video! Steven Spielberg we're not! Just when you think you have it right, it goes and does something crazy, like running in slow motion for no apparent reason!! But without further ado, here it is, Video 6! This is the last video for the Richmond BOW program and it focuses on the steps for finishing your quilt top. Here's the link and you know the drill!

BOW Video 6 

We will leave these videos on our website for awhile, so if you haven't had a chance to watch them or started and don't have time to catch up, they will be there for your convenience. If you are just getting started and would like to purchase a pattern, complete kit or starter kit, we still have some available.  Click here to place your order:

         BOW Kits and Patterns

Did you notice the change in the backdrop in the last video? Some segments were filmed in Paula's studio. You got to see a little bit of where the design magic happens.  Maybe someday we'll do videos of each of our sewing rooms. First, we would have to make sure they were clean!!

 

I'm finishing up my 3 weeks of travel with a visit to Louisville, KY. My son-in-law is in Belgium with my husband and two of my brothers-in-law as they tour WWI battlefields where their grandfather fought.  One sister-in-law calls it the "War Tour", but my son-in-law calls it the "Beer, Battlefields and Bikes" tour. Whatever you want to call it, they are having a great time and I'm enjoying my time with Megan and my grandson Adam. Little Man is just adorable and keeps me laughing. He still goes to daycare during the day because I've needed the time to work on a quilt for Fall Market! In addition to my regular suitcase, I hauled a sewing machine and sewing projects with me. Let me just share a couple of pics of this little cutie!

Yes, that is a strainer he is holding! He loves his kitchen utensils, but strainer is his favorite. Great for a quick game of Peek-A-Boo, too

Paula designed a number of quilts using her Baltimore House collection and I'm working my way through them. Baltimore Baskets and Baskets of Stars focused on using all of the fabrics in the collection, but the next two quilts feature 3-4 fabrics each. I brought the Blue and Brown quilt with me and I'm proud to say that the top is done, except for the borders! I'll be home Monday afternoon and should be able to add the borders pretty quickly and then it is off to the quilters! Up next will be the Pink and Green quilt.

 

Four patch blocks - I made a lot of these for this quilt

All those great four patch blocks in some big blocks

A couple of weeks ago I shared the picture of the Little Debbie's Fall food, but today I have the real Fall food - Pumpkin Spice bread! Now this is what Fall is all about - anything pumpkin.  I know there are many of you that look forward every year to the arrival of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice latte, but coffee is not my thing.  I need a good carb and Pumpkin Spice bread does it for me! I suggest cream cheese as your topping!

Many of you may have received an email today about our November 2018 retreat at Primitive Gatherings Retreat House in Menasha, WI.  There are only a couple of spaces left and we would love to have you join us - the more the merrier! You can't guarantee much in life anymore, but I am confident in promising that you will have a great time - quilting, old friends, new friends, shopping, eating, and of course laughing. What more could you ask for!! The retreat house is a fantastic location for teaching, plus you will have the opportunity to shop at some of the finest quilt shops around - Primitive Gatherings, JJ Stitches and Country Sampler. For details, cost and registration form, go to:

 Olde Green Cupboard Designs

For all of you in Florence's path, please stay safe! Heed the warnings and follow the evacuation mandates and suggestions. 

Until next time, happy quilting,
Mary Ellen

BOW Video 5

Ok, so it's Thursday and we're just getting around to putting the next video up and sending out a blog, but trust me, we have good excuses!! Labor Day totally threw us off and we thought Wednesday was actually Tuesday, I was traveling home from NY and Paula was in The Woodlands for a lecture and workshop! I have to say, it's been one busy summer, but here you go, Richmond BOW Video 5 is on the website! You know how this works - click on the link that takes you to our Homepage, find the Intro video, find the link that says "Click Here to See More Videos, and find video 5!

BOW Video 5 

We hope you are enjoying our BOW video series and that you are following along with us.  There are still some kits available if you are interested.

BOW Kits and Patterns

Today I have a rather eclectic blog - vacation photos, upcoming quilts, bees, and food. First up, bees. A couple of weeks ago I promised that I would share a picture of the quilt that Paula worked on during our last retreat.  It was a birthday gift for her oldest daughter Alison (who's nickname is Ali B) and I finally have a picture to share! Honey Bee is the second quilt (first one was Abilene Cow) that Paula has done by designer Laura Heine. You can buy complete kits for these collage quilts. I've been looking at the Sea Turtle one myself, but I'm just a little too busy right now. I would really love to make the fox one, but the kits are gone and there's no way I could do this without a kit!!! Beautiful job, Paula!! And to think it was all made and quilted in just 2 days!

Paula and her daughter Alison - Ali B!

 I'll combine vacation and food because we ate one of my favorite foods on our vacation - salt potatoes! These are a Syracuse clambake/summer staple - 4 pounds of small potatoes boiled in 1 pound of salt and eaten with lots of butter! Yes, heart attack on a plate, but OMG they are so good!!! Here's a little history from Wikipedia:

  The Syracuse, New York, area has a long history of salt production. Salt springs located around Onondaga Lake were used to create consumable salt that was distributed throughout the northeast via the Erie Canal. Salinated brine was laid out to dry on large trays. The salt residue was then scraped up, ground, and packaged.
Salt potatoes originated in Syracuse and once comprised the bulk of a salt worker's daily diet. During the 1800s, Irish salt miners would bring a bag of small, unpeeled, substandard potatoes to work each day. Come lunch time, they boiled the potatoes in the "free-flowing" salt brine.
 

I did manage to bring a bag home with me!!!

Our last day of Grandma/Grandpa Camp was a trip to the Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown. In addition to the Living History farm and village, they also have the Empire State Carousel -  a unique, handcrafted merry-go-round based on the history and culture of NY State that was created over 2 decades by over 1000 volunteer carvers, quilters, painters and woodworkers. The girls loved riding on it and I enjoyed the small quilts that were hanging in the building.

I think this was actually rug hooked.

I loved this one - Rip Van Winkle for the Catskills Region quilters

We're making progress on our journey through Paula's Baltimore House fabrics.  Two quilts are done and fabric for the next 3 has been selected. I started working on the Pink/green quilt, but I'm waiting on more light fabric, so I've switched to the next one - Blue/brown. It's going with me to Louisville tomorrow. There's still a Blue/cream one to go too!
.

Pink and green with a touch of red

 

 

 

 

 

Brown and blue

September 12th will be our final video - #6 - and it will be all about finishing your quilt - Piecing the Top, Trimming the Sides and Adding the Border. It's to believe that our BOW is almost over! Hopefully we can actually have everything ready on Wednesday!!

Until next time, happy quilting,
Mary Ellen

 

BOW Video 4

Greetings from upstate New York! Peter and I are in Ballston Lake for our annual Grandma/Grandpa camp with Sydney and Julianne. We'll be here until next Wednesday - their 1st Day of School.  Grandson Adam (and his parents) are on their way here now.  Going to be a great weekend for sure.

First off - it's new video time again! We hope your enjoying our Richmond BOW program and hope that you've been able to sew right along with us. Last week we shared and demoed how to make Block 2 and this week we are moving right along and sharing Block 3.  Here's you link to Video 4. Remember the link takes you our Homepage where you will see our intro video and the words - Click Here to View More Videos. Click there and page down to Video 4.

Richmond BOW Video 4 

It's a total family week, so I have nothing fabric related to share!! I don't even have a machine with me!! So instead, I will share some vacation pictures. Please bear with the proud Grandma pictures! Our adventure this year was sparked by Sydney's request to see Fort Niagara. 4th grade Social Studies is NY State History and last year we had visited Fort Stanwix and Fort Ticonderoga and they talked about Fort Niagara in class, so we tied that in with a visit to Niagara Falls, a ride on Maid of the Mist, and a stop to see family on Lake Ontario.

 

First stop on our road trip is Lock 13 rest area on the NY Thruway. Sydney is the "I" and Julianne is the heart.

Playing in the playground at the rest stop.

American Falls at night.

American Falls, Bridal Veil and Horseshoe Falls

Old Fort Niagara

Julianne and Peter kayaking on Lake Ontario

Sydney and Uncle Steve

That's it for this week! Our next video (video 5) will be available on Sept 5th. 

Until next time, happy quilting,

Mary Ellen

BOW Video 3

Oops, sorry, but I was so involved in making new quilts that I forgot to get a blog post written about the next video.  Richmond Block of the Week Video 3 is on the website. Click on the link and it will take you to the Home Page of our website. You will see the Introductory video and just beneath that it says: "Click Here to See More Videos", click there and you will see all 3 of the videos we've done. If you're just getting started or life interrupts your sewing time, we will leave all of the videos on the website for a while.  Please don't feel rushed to get this done!

BOW Video 3 

We hope you are enjoying our latest Block of the Week and that the videos are helping you with cutting and piecing.  In video 3, we begin piecing with Block 2. I had to laugh when we were filming the segments with me at the sewing machine - I never wear jewelry when I'm sewing and there I am with one of my nicer watches and a ring on each hand!! I hope you noticed how nice my nails look too!!  I did that just for the videos! 

After Paula headed back home, I continued working on two of the new quilts with Baltimore House. I finished Baltimore Baskets, the one with the panel, and here's a photo - pre-quilting. I love this panel and I think you are going to enjoy making this quilt.  So many of us have fantastic custom longarm quilters or are longarmers, so this quilt will give them/you a chance to shine.

Up next was Basket of Stars and I finished that on Wednesday night (probably why I didn't get the blog done!) and it is off to the quilters.  I was amazed at how quickly this went together and even better, how well it went together.  I'm always a little nervous when blocks have a lot of small pieces; I'm so afraid that they are just not going to finish at the right size, but dang, these basket blocks were spot on!!! Hurray for me!! The pictures will show my 4 piles of little pieces that became 4 baskets and then finally the medallion.  Sorry no picture of the whole top - ran out of time!

A quick call to Paula and I had the directions for the next quilt.  We have so many new quilts to make for Market and Festival, that we can't have any down time.  Peter and I leave for NY tomorrow for our annual Grandma/Grandpa Camp with Sydney and Julianne, so I need to get as much done as I can before I leave.  This year Niagara Falls, Old Fort Niagara and maybe the NY State Fair are on the list. The new quilt has 328 flying geese in it, so that's what I started with - 125 done last night!

Chuckle for today - I live in Florida and it's going to be hot until November and we will probably get Fall weather in January (leaves actually fall off our trees then), but I saw this is Publix yesterday.  At least Little Debbie's thinks it's time for Fall in Florida! 

Personally, I'll know it's Fall when I see the candy corn out in the stores and then I will have to practice restraint because I will want to buy it all!!

Just a reminder that Richmond BOW complete kits, Starter kits, patterns and backing are available on our website.  This link will take you directly to the BOW page with all of the items.

  BOW Kits and Patterns  

Video 4 will be available on August 29th - Piecing Block 3.  I'll try to be better about getting the blog written on time.  I should even have some vacation pictures to share!!

Until next time, happy quilting!

Mary Ellen

Richmond BOW - Video 2

Good morning!!!  It's video time again. If you've just joined us, then let me catch you up. We've just launched our 2nd Block of the Week program.  This year we are doing our pattern Richmond. We began last week with our Introduction video and this week we are featuring video 2. In video 2, we are getting started with the actual quilt and are starting off by cutting all of the fabric for the quilt. Click the link below to view this week's video.

Richmond BOW 2 video

The Block of the Week program runs through September 19th.  Each week we will share a new video on our website. The videos will feature cutting and piecing techniques, quilt top assembly and finally finishing. We chose Richmond as the pattern because of the uniqueness of the pattern and the template it features.  All of the blocks are triangles; either large triangles or triangle blocks made up of smaller triangles. All of the triangles, large and small, are cut using the template that is included in the pattern.

We hope you will join us on this new adventure. We have complete kits, starter kits and patterns available for purchasing.  Complete kits and Starter kits have limited quantities, so don't delay on ordering.  We had a limited number of quilt backings, but have sold out of the brown. Click on the link below to go to our website to purchase your kit, pattern or backing.

BOW Kits and Pattern 

Here's a closer look of what is included in each of the two kits:

Richmond Kit - includes 18 fat quarters for the pieced blocks, background fabric for the alternate block, border fabric and the pattern and template. Fabric featured is from Paula's Bristle Creek Farmhouse collection and is exactly what we used in our quilt.

Richmond Starter Kit - includes background fabric for the alternate blocks and the pattern and template.  You choose your own fat quarters for the pieced blocks. Time to use up some of those fabrics in your stash.

Paula finished up her family vacation and came to my house so we could work on the videos and do some sewing. After working on a couple of the videos, I now know not to consider a career change.  There's no hope of me becoming the star of stage and screen. This is definitely outside my comfort zone!! If nothing else, we've had some great laughs. A blooper video was considered, but we've moved on past that!

Now on the sewing side, we've gotten a lot accomplished. Last week I shared a picture of Paula's new collection, Baltimore House, and on Sunday we cut into it and have made all of the star blocks we need for Baltimore Baskets. This is the quilt that will feature the panel of "appliqued" baskets.  If you love applique, but really don't want to actually do the applique, then this quilt will be perfect for you. Up next is the borders and then it is off to the quilter for her magic touch!

We also took a nice break from all this "work" and headed to the beach yesterday morning.  Fortunately, the red tide that has ravaged some of the beaches on Florida's west coast has not reached my favorite beach - Pass-A-Grille Beach in St. Pete Beach.  It was a little cloudy, but that helped keep the temperature down.  We were enjoying ourselves so much, we even took a "selfie".  Trust me, this is a first!!

Video 3 - Piecing Block 2 will be available on August 22nd.

Until then, happy quilting,
Mary Ellen 

Baltimore House Is Here!

A big box arrived the other day from Paula and I've been dying to get my hands on it and get it open.  I was pretty sure it was her new collection that had arrived at her house from the mill.  She was headed out on a family vacation, so she immediately forwarded the box to me.  She'll be here on Saturday for some "business" work - videoing and sewing - so it needed to be here! Here's the box: 44 lbs of yumminess!

I finally got around to opening it up because until today there was no room to put the fabric! I've been knee deep in BOW kits and shipping, a new Lydia re-do and a new Windmills re-do. So without further ado may I present Paula's newest collection with Marcus Fabrics:  Baltimore House! I love the panel and the border stripe is fabulous.  I can't even decide which fabric is my favorite, but I'm currently leaning towards 3 - the beautiful print on the bottom right (2 color ways - both wonderful) and the pink print and pink/green print in the bottom row.

To see close-up pictures of the fabrics, click on this link; it will take you to the Marcus Fabrics website:

  Marcus Fabrics - Baltimore House by Paula Barnes

It is so yummy and I can't wait until we can start cutting and sewing.  Paula has planned 1 new quilt featuring the panel and a similar design with pieced baskets.  Both quilts will use that gorgeous new border stripe.  I know there are more in the works, but you'll have to wait and see (me too)! Fabrics will be in quilt stores around Sept 1st and we will have kits and patterns available for the quilts that we make with it.

After watching our BOW Introduction video - which is really weird - we realized that the quilt was looking very dark, so we decided to take some close-up pictures of the blocks so you could see the fabrics and the actual colors. The quilt features Paula's Bristle Creek Farmhouse fabrics.

If you haven't had a chance to watch our video, click here and you will be taken directly to our website Home Page:

BOW Introduction Video

Kits are going quickly, so if you are interested click on this link to take you to a special BOW page that features all of the items we currently have for sale.  We have complete kits featuring the fabric we used and a pattern and template, Starter Kits that have pattern, template and the background fabric and just the pattern and template. Backing fabric is also available, but we are currently sold out of the brown fabric.

BOW Kits and Pattern 

Remember, our next video, explaining how to cut your fabric, will be on our website on August 15th. 

Until then, happy quilting,

Mary Ellen

BOW and Retreat Fun

It's time! It's time! Yes, it's time to share the details on our 2nd Block of the Week!! And to make it even more exciting, we did our very first video! Talk about being a little stressful! I wasn't so sure about doing this, but Paula talked me through it and with the helper of our dear friend Jackie, we have the Introduction video for the Block of the Week on our website. Now, remember, this is our first ever video, so be gentle with your critiques! We probably should have done a blooper video!

Our new Block of the Week will feature our pattern Richmond. For all of the details, click here:

       BOW Introduction video

In the video we share information about purchasing a kit or the pattern.  You can find that information on the Home Page also, but here's a link that will take you directly to the page with all of the items that can be purchased: Richmond kit, Starter kit, Pattern only and Backing fabrics. If you are ordering, please give us a couple of days for shipping.  We're waiting on the backing fabric to arrive and patterns have to be shipped from Texas to Florida. Thanks!

BOW Kits and Pattern 

We are so excited to be offering this BOW. The Richmond quilt features a template and the remaining videos will explain the cutting, piecing and assembly of the blocks and quilt top. The Richmond kit contains all of the fabrics we used in our quilt (Paula's Bristle Creek Farmhouse collection) and the pattern and template. If you want to use your own fabrics, than maybe the Starter kit (background fabric and pattern) or just the pattern would work for you. I think this pattern would be beautiful in batiks or brights and I can't wait to see the pictures of the quilts you create.

When I last blogged, I was waiting for Paula and Jackie to arrive so we could go to our Camp Blanding retreat.  We hit the road on Wednesday morning and stopped for a little retail therapy at the Tampa Premium Outlets. Stops at Michael Kors, Vera Bradley and Bass earned us each some new shoes and purses and then it was on to the retreat. Thursday was cutting day and we're were able to get our projects ready for sewing.  Paula worked on a secret personal project that I will be able to share pictures of later; I sewed (and almost finished) a new version of Windmills in pinks, browns and shirtings and Jackie whipped out at least 2 of the Scrap Crazy 8 Quilts. 

I thought you might enjoy some of our pictures!

Packed to the brim!!

Jackie's seat.  This was after we did a little food shopping, so there are a few extra things in her space!

The RCQ "booth" at the retreat. The center quilt is our new Mini Lincoln's Watch - patterns and kits available soon! That's our friend Pat Meeks, hard at work on one of her projects.

Laurie Zook (on the left) and her finished Pinwheel Quilt from our last exchange. It is so beautiful and now I can't wait to piece mine!

This is Barbara Kirkland's Glory Bound hanging in her living room. I loved watching her meticulously piecing this. I wish you could see her piecing - perfect and precise! Great job, Barbara!

We had a great time at the retreat, but it's always good to get back home. A trip to the beach was high on our list. Jackie had a chance to put her toes in the east side of the Gulf of Mexico! 

 

Jackie got her toes in the water!

Jackie and I.

 We hope you will join us on our 2nd Block of the Week adventure.  Order your kit or pattern and be ready for our next video - August 15!

Until next time, happy quilting,

Mary Ellen

 

 

Big News!

Wow, another blog post, what's happening?? Actually all sorts of things are happening and have happened, so it's time to get you caught up on the fun.

Paula and I had a great time at the retreat last week. We sewed, we made a bowl out of clothesline, we ate some fabulous meals, we enjoyed happy hour with a great group of ladies and we relaxed.  Paula is off on another retreat this week - yup, 2 in a row.  She's with Deb Luttrell and some friends that cruise with Stitchin' Heaven and they are at Mary's Cimarron Ranch retreat in Marble Falls. Beautiful house and History Quilts, a quilt store chock full of 1880's reproduction fabric.  I can't wait to see what "surprises" Paula is bringing me back from there. Now I mentioned making a bowl out of clothesline at the last retreat and if you follow Stitchin' Heaven on Facebook, Deb did a Facebook Live this afternoon with Paula demo-ing one of the clothesline bowls.  This is Paula's new fun craft and the bowls are fabulous.  The FB Live shows some of the bowls she's already made and one in progress.

This is clothesline she is using.  

It is only available at Walmart (it's a Walmart product) and you want the Hyper Tough - it makes the bowls/baskets stiffer so they will stand up.  Regular clothesline is too soft. It's absolutely impossible to find this in the store, but if you go online and order it you can do a store pickup (apparently they know right where to go). In the FB Live, you will see some bowls with color, she's dyed these using Rit dye in a bucket. Follow Paula's demo and you shouldn't have a problem making one or more of these. Trust me, they are addicting.

Big news - Book #2 will arrive in Spring 2019!! Step Back in Time will feature new large and smaller projects in reproduction fabrics. Martingale just sent us the book cover and we can share it with you. We just worked on editing, so we got to see what the book will actually look like and again the wonderful people at Martingale have done a fabulous job.  We're so excited. 

More news - Last time I mentioned that we were going to do another Block of the Week this year and it is time to share some of the details. We will begin in mid-August and it will run for 10 weeks. The quilt showcases Paula's Bristle Creek Farmhouse fabric collection and will use one of our patterns. We will have a limited number of kits available. Paula is coming here next week for another retreat, yes another retreat, and our plan is to do some video recordings for the program and we will share a picture of the quilt and the details for ordering kits.

Last, but not least, our very own retreat:

Red Crinoline Quilts and Olde Green Cupboard Designs

November 13-19, 2018

Primitive Gatherings Retreat House

Menasha, WI

visits to: Primitive Gatherings Christmas Open House

JJ Stitches Quilt Shop

 Country Sampler Quilt Shop

2 new Paula Barnes quilt designs

day of demos

Olde Green Cupboard Designs.com - registration form and info

Limited spaces still available.  We would love to spend some time with you. Personally, I'll be looking forward to some cooler weather!

The list of new quilts and re-do's is growing, so I should have plenty to work on at the retreat. I always plan to just work, work, work, put time with friends leads to laughing, joking and relaxing, so I never achieve quite as much as I hoped!

Until next time, happy quilting,

Mary Ellen

What's Happening at RCQ

Yes indeed it's time for another Red Crinoline Quilts blog post and yes I know it's been months since the last one, but trust me we've both been busy - traveling, teaching, designing, sewing, planning and relaxing. We've done a lot of planning lately and it involves new quilts, new fabrics, new programs, new events; so now it's time to share some of the stuff we've been planning.

Head's Up, a new Block of the Week!  Everyone enjoyed our last BOW and requested we do another one, so we are. We will be sharing more info at the end of this week, so watch for our next blog post. We may even include a picture!

Next: a new event! Red Crinoline Quilts and Olde Green Cupboard Designs are hosting a retreat at Lisa Bongean's Retreat house in Menasha, WI.  Paula will be teaching classes featuring 2 new small quilt designs (kits will be provided at no additional cost) and Mary Ellen will be demo-ing fun tools. In addition, we've planned shopping time at Primitive Gatherings Christmas Open House and a day trip for more retail therapy to Country Sampler Quilt Shop and JJ's Stitches Quilt Shop. Mark your calendars for November 13-19, 2018. We hope you can join us!!!  We promise it will be a lot of fun! For more information, details and the all important registration form, please click on this link:

Red Crinoline Quilts Wisconsin Retreat

Next: we've been working on all sorts of new and re-do quilts.  Watch the website for a mini version of Lincoln's Watch, a new color variation of Lydia and quilts featuring Paula's new collection Baltimore House.

Finally: we're getting in some much needed recharging time, so we're heading out tomorrow for a retreat. This time I traveled to Paula's and we're going to a retreat in TX. The projects have been selected, the snacks have been purchased and the car is packed. 

Until next time, happy quilting,
Mary Ellen

We're Traveling

Did you ever have one of those days when you just didn't feel like doing much of anything? Well, today was that day for me. My house is totally quiet - which is kind of strange because last week we had a houseful! Son, daughters, spouses, grandchildren and dogs - 10 people and 2 dogs - and now they are all gone! That's probably why I'm feeling a little out of sorts, but the mail just came and it has all changed and it's thanks to a box from Country Sampler of Spring Green, WI.  What's in the box you ask?  Why fabric, of course!

Let me take the story back a little bit and also explain the title of today's post - We're Traveling! Paula is teaching at Country Sampler's Grand Olde Flag event in May and I'm going with her!  Teaching assistant, quilt holder, needle threader, you name it, I'm it. There is no way I'm missing out on a trip to Jeanne's place! (Look out UPS - you're going to have some big boxes to ship in May!)

First some details on the event: click on the link and it will take you to the Coming Events section on Country Sampler's website.  Page down until you come to the section on Grand Olde Flag for more info. Call to sign up.  We'd love to have you join us!

  Grand Olde Flag

May 7-11, 2018

Country Sampler, Spring Green, WI

Teachers: Paula Barnes and Carol Hopkins

608 588-2510

The color theme for this year is Indigo and Gray and that's why I'm so excited now.  Paula will be teaching two of her newest designs: Indigo Star and Irish Chain (RCQ Favs #5) and we are redoing them in indigo and gray fabrics that Jeanne has selected and I get to make the new samples!! These are the fabrics that you will receive in your kits, if you sign up.

How about some details on the quilts:
  Indigo Stars is 24"x24" and originally featured fabrics from Paula's Indigo Blue collection.

These are the fabrics that will be used in Indigo Stars for the Grand Olde Flag event

 Irish Chain is 35"x35" and it is one of three patterns on RCQ Favs #5 and it was originally pieced in fabrics from Paula's Bristle Creek Farmhouse collection.

These are the fabrics for the new version of Irish Chain

It's been a busy month or so around here.  In addition to having a houseful of company last week, I just got back from 5 weeks in Australia and New Zealand! Absolutely fabulous trip and I'll probably need to go back some time and visit all the places we didn't get too! I'm looking forward to spending some time with my old friends, my Bernina 440 and my TV (I have a lot of DVR'd shows I need to catch up on)!  These two new quilts fit that bill perfectly and can we say yummy fabrics!!

If you can't come to Wisconsin, but would love to make these quilts, we have kits available in the original fabrics.  Click on these links for patterns and kits for both quilts:

    Indigo Stars 

   

    Irish Chain (RCQ Favs #5)

Hope we get to see some of you in Wisconsin.  If you've never been to Country Sampler, it's time you checked it out.  It's like being in Quilter Paradise! I'm still working my way through the kits I purchased the last time we were there!  Definitely boosted the Wisconsin economy on that trip!

Until next time, happy quilting,

Mary Ellen