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