Splendor QAL: Week #4 – Layout and Finish the Quilt Top

Whoop!  Whoop!  We are almost complete with our Splendor Quilt!  This is the final week of our quilt along and I do hope you all have been enjoying making these fab flower blocks!

This week – Week #4 – is all about laying out all the blocks and pieces and stitchin’ up that quilt top.  Relax and enjoy the process – it’s easy stitchin! 🙂

1. But first, just a reminder that all of your petals (large and small) should be appliqued stitched to their individual background blocks at this point. If you need reference, refer back to Week #2 & Week #3 of our Splendor QuiltAlong posts.

Read Splendor QAL Week #2 – Applique the Small Flower Blocks
Read Splendor QAL Week #3 – Applique the Large Flower Block

Also be sure to remove all of that stabilizer from the backside of your blocks.  I like to score mine with a straight pin and carefully tear away the stabilizer using tweezers if needed in the narrower sections between the petals. 

2. Next, following the Splendor Background Diagram on page 2 of the Splendor pattern, lay out all of your pieces on your design board or floor.  Take special note of which way some of the smaller flower blocks are orientated (look at the large petal on the small flower block – is it pointing  up, down to the right or to the left??  – these differences in orientation  give the circle of small flowers movement and rhythm around the large center flower block.

Once you are satisfied with your layout, stitch the background strips to each background corner block. Refer to the page 2 of the Splendor pattern again.

Next, stitch the single background  strip to its corresponding small flower block.

Not so hard right!?!

3.  And to finish your quilt top, refer to page 5 in the Splendor pattern and begin to stitch blocks together to form a row.  You’ll have a top row, a middle row (which will consist of the larger center flower block we created in Week #3) and a bottom row.

Watch the video below for how easy!!

Once all three rows are stitched together – your Splendor Quilt top is complete!

Great job and bravo! Now you’re ready to machine quilt some awesome designs in all of that negative space in the background or  send the top to your favorite machine quilter to do the same!

I’ll be sending this off to my favorite machine quilter, Teresa of Quilting is my Bliss who also machine quilted the first Splendor quilt! Below  are some up close photos of the fabulous quilting Teresa did on the first Splendor quilt!!  I’ll be sure to post the photos of the second Splendor quilt when she completes it!

This now concludes our Splendor QuiltAlong – send me your pictures so we can see your beautiful quilts!

Thank you so much for following along and for your continued support!  Look for more Colourwerx QuiltAlongs on our Colourwerx Facebook page or on our website under QuiltAlongs!

Until your next colour fix – happy quilting!  Linda & Carl xxoo

Splendor QAL: Week #3 – Appliqué the Large Center Flower Block

Welcome back!  
It’s Week #3 of our Splendor QuiltAlong and it’s time to start to work on that bold, beautiful large center flower block!  And this week can also be a make up week – if you need it – to finish off the (12) small flower blocks from Week #2!    For more on that in case you’re joining us, check out Week#2’s Splendor QuiltAlong Blog Post right here!

I hope you are enjoying this quiltalong as much as I am!  Please don’t forget to post pictures of your projects over on the Facebook Colourwerx QuiltAlong page or send me your pics at colourwerx@yahoo.com!

Also, to view this week’s companion video tutorial , click on the link below!  Be sure to “Like” it and also drop us a comment on YouTube to let us know how we’re doing!!

View Week #3’s Splendor Companion Video Tutorial

On to Week #3 of Splendor —
1.  First arrange those (9) center squares and start to stitch them together to form a 9-patch.  Stitch blocks together to form (3) rows. 

Then stitch the (3) rows together, pinning and matching the seams that butt together.  Refer to Page 1, Step 2 in the Splendor Pattern.

Prepare your Large Flower Petals and the Small Flower Insets Appliqué Shapes–
You’ll be cutting out (1) each of the large flower shapes which also includes the center of the large flower plus (1) each the small flower insets shapes.

1.  First, gather the pattern page (included in the Splendor pattern) and following the directions on your adhesive fusible web, trace the larger and smaller flower inset shapes plus the center separately and apart from each other on the smooth side of the fusible web. Be sure to transfer all the numbers and markings from the Master Pattern Page.   Use a #2 pencil for tracing.

Rough cut these shapes out at least 1/4″ beyond the drawn line.

Again, I like to use the adhesive fusible web Heat ‘n Bond Lite.

2. Next select your flower fabrics, and fuse the shapes onto the wrong side of each fabric.

Cut the shapes out neatly on the drawn line and be as exact as possible.  Use a sharp pair of scissors for this step.

3. Continue on and cut out all the shapes.

4.  Once you have all (9) large (this includes the center) and (8) small inset shapes fused onto your fabrics and cut out, you are ready to appliqué.

Just a note on the center of the large flower — Sometimes I like to “fussy cut” this center flower shape from a fabric that contains all the colors of my flowers so that it really pulls together the petals of the large center flower.  You could also choose a fabric that resembles the look of a flower center like a dark brown or black fabric that has little dots that might resemble the center of a sunflower.  Just a thought!

Fuse (or Iron) Your Small Flower Petal Insets to Your Larger Flower petals and Stitch —

Whenever I have smaller shapes that are fused onto larger shapes (such as these small inset flowers onto the larger flower petals), I like to set those pieces up first and then appliqué stitch around just the smaller shapes BEFORE fusing that larger piece onto my background fabric.  That way I am only having to deal with the petal shape under my needle and not having to wrestle with the background fabric as well while appliqué stitching.  My appliqué stitching is much neater this way and of course, that makes me much happier!

1.  So to begin – fuse the small flower insets onto their larger petal counterparts.  Be sure to leave the release paper on the wrong side of the larger petals shapes when fusing the small shapes onto them.
2. Next get ready to appliqué stitch around the small flower insets.  Prepare  your machine up for appliqué stitching by changing your presser foot to an open toe foot and choosing some fabulous matching thread.   Set your machine to your desired appliqué stitch.  Again, I usually choose the Zig Zag stitch (#2) and set my Bernina to stitch width 2.5-3.0 and stitch length to just below 1.0 .
   

   
   
   Test, test test!  If needed refer to my previous Wonky Piecing QAL video for the how to’s on appliqué stitching right here at  Wonky Piecing and Easy Appliqué- Week #4 QuiltAlong here.
3.  Appliqué stitch around each small flower inset shapes.   VERY IMPORTANT TIP AGAIN – Be sure to still leave the release paper on the wrong side of the larger petals shapes when you stitch around the small flower insets.  The release paper will act as a stabilizer for your stitching and once you are complete you will just peel it off.
   

   

   

Fuse (or Iron) the Large Flower Petals to the Center Background 9-Patch —
1. Referring to the Quilt Top Diagram on page 5, ‘eyeball’ and place the large petal shapes and the large flower center in place. If needed, I have found that that the petal edges at the top, bottom, right and left are about 5-5-1/2″ in from the outside edge of the background.  Peel off the release paper from the wrong side of each shape and fuse (or iron) the shapes onto the background 9-patch.

2.  Place a piece of stitching stabilizer (like Sulky Totally Stable Iron On Tear Away Stabilizer) on the WRONG side of each of the Larger Flower Petal Shapes or over the entire background block.   The stabilizer will help to “stabilize” your stitching especially if you are using a zigzag, satin stitch or decorative titch around each of your shapes.

Test, test, test before you begin. Once satisfied, applique stitch around each of the larger petals and the center on your large center flower.

Once stitching is complete, be sure to tear away the stabilizer from the backside and lightly press the 9-patch Large Center Flower Block.

That’s it for Week #3!!  Next week, our final week – Week #4: we’ll be stitching all of blocks together to complete our quilt top – woohoo!

Until then, please be sure to email us at colourwerx@yahoo.com if you have any questions.  Or feel free to post questions or progress pictures on our Colourwerx QAL Facebook Group.

Until your next colour fix and next week’s QAL post ~  happy and bright quilting always!    L&C xxoo

Splendor QAL: Week #2 – Appliqué the Small Flower Blocks

Welcome back!   It’s Week #2 of our Splendor QuiltAlong and it’s time to start appliquéing our small flower petal blocks!

But first — If you’re just joining us this week, be sure to review Week #1’s Blog Post to find out how to purchase the pattern and what fabrics and materials you’ll need to gather –

READ THE SPLENDOR QAL WEEK #1 POST BY CLICKING HERE

Also, just a friendly reminder!   If you want to join with other quilty friends and aren’t yet a member of our Facebook group, I invite you to join our free QAL Facebook group where you can ask questions, share your progress and of course, post pictures of your finished projects so everyone can share in the fun!  Also feel free to share this invite and any other QAL news with quilty buddies and invite them to join along in the fun!

You can also subscribe to our Colourwerx You Tube channel right here!

JOIN THE COLOURWERX QAL FACEBOOK GROUP HERE

SUBSCRIBE TO THE COLOURWERX YOU TUBE CHANNEL RIGHT HERE

On to Week #2 of Splendor!
I do love to do fusible machine appliqué – it is so fast and fun and you can use a variety of stitches like the zigzag, buttonhole (or also known as the blanket) or decorative stitches to embellish and texturize your shapes.  Remember there are no quilt police lurking so experiment and have fun!

Also, if you’d like a video – you can view Week #2’s companion video tutorial right here!

View Week #2’s Splendor Companion Video Tutorial

But first things first….
Arrange Your Background Blocks for Value and Pattern Placement —
1. You should have precut your background fabrics in Week #1 – if not, please find the cutting directions in page 1 of the Splendor pattern and do so before proceeding.

2. Assuming you are using (12) 1/3 yard cuts or a variety of scraps for your background, refer to Page 2  in the pattern for the diagram, and arrange the background units on your design board or floor making sure you have evenly balanced the value and pattern placement (if there are patterns in the fabrics) across the quilt top.  Do not stitch the units together yet.

Once satisfied, be sure to snap a photo of your arrangement for future use and then remove from your design board or floor the (12)  background blocks that will have the small flowers on them.  Here’s my background units arranged on my design board.

Prepare your Small Flower Petal Shapes —
You’ll be cutting out (12) sets of the small flower shapes.  (If you are following along and making the Mini Splendor pattern with us, you’ll make (6) sets of small flower shapes).

1.  First, gather the pattern page (included in the Splendor pattern) and following the directions on your adhesive fusible web, trace (12) complete sets of the small flower petal shapes on the smooth side of the fusible web. Use a #2 pencil for tracing.

Rough cut these shapes out at least 1/4″ beyond the drawn line.

Again, I like to use the adhesive fusible web Heat ‘n Bond Lite.

2. Next select your small flower fabrics for your first block, and fuse the shapes onto the wrong side of those fabrics.

Cut the shapes out neatly on the drawn line and be as exact as possible.  Use a sharp pair of scissors for this step.

3. Continue on and create (12) sets of small flower shapes.  (Again, if you are following along and making the Mini Splendor pattern with us, you’ll make (6) small flowers).

As a sidenote, if you own a desktop cutting machine like a Silhouette Cameo or Cricut, you can scan the applique patterns into your machine.  First back each of your fabric pieces with fusible web and then laser cut the shapes.  This will require extra fabric, a tacky cutting mat for your machine,  alot of patience and some time for experimentation to get your machine to work ‘just right’. 

4.  Once you have all (12) sets of small flower shapes cut out, you are ready to appliqué.

What did Linda do?
I want to share what I did on my Splendor quilt for the small flower blocks – I chose to use the new Tula Pink True Colors 10″ stack.

1. First I decided on (12) different colors for each of the smaller flowers and from there, I chose (3) 10″ squares to be grouped together to make each of the (12) colorways to create the flower petals. Here are the 10″ square fabrics I chose to use for my yellow/orange colored flower:

Now I’ll share my little formula below for which flower shapes I cut from each of the three fabrics to create variety and movement across ta single flower block.  I could have used just one fabric for each small flower block but sometimes that can make a quilt stagnate:  so the my motto is more fabrics = more movement and more texture which =’s  way more interesting quilt!

My Formula  — Notice on the master pattern page that each of the petals on the small flower are numbered #1-#8 plus the center so that really makes (9) pieces for each small flower block.  So again since I am using (3) fabrics for each small flower block, I’ll cut three petals from each fabric BUT I want to make sure that the fabrics are alternating from petal to petal so here is my formula – feel free to copy this if you’d like  🙂

Fabric #1 – Cut Small Flower Shapes #1, #4, #7
Fabric #2 – Cut Small Flower Shapes #2, #5, #8
Fabric #3 – Cut Small Flower Shapes #3, #6 & Center

You can really see the texture, value and movement you get across the quilt top by simply combining a few fabrics of the same colorway for each smaller flower block.

Fuse (or Iron) Your Small Flower Petals to Your Background Squares —
1. Before fusing your small flower petals to the background squares, create an overlay sheet to assist you in placing each of the (8) petals plus the center in exactly the right place before finally ironing them to the background block. Trace the small flower exactly as it appears on your pattern page including the numbers.

Although this is an easy pattern shape, without the overlay you might place the petal shapes slightly askew which will throw off the look of this little fab flower!   This can be simply a piece of tracing paper or a nonfusible dressmaking interfacing like Pattern-Ease.

2. Taking your first background block and first set of small flower shapes, peel the release paper off the backside of each shape and iron the shapes into place using your overlay sheet to assist you in the exact placement.

3.  Also place a piece of stitching stabilizer (like Sulky Totally Stable Iron On Tear Away Stabilizer) on the WRONG side of the Small Flower Petal Block.   The stabilizer will help to “stabilize” your stitching especially if you are using a zigzag, satin stitch or decorative titch around each of your shapes.

Any digitized embroidery machine stabilizer will work for this purpose, but my favorite is the Sulky Totally Stable Iron On Tear Away Stabilizer pictured below.

Let the block cool after ironing and then get ready for some fun machine appliqué.

Machine Appliqué Around the Petal Shapes —
1. Set your machine up for appliqué stitching by changing your presser foot to an open toe foot and choosing some fabulous matching thread for your first flower fabrics.

2. Set your machine to your desired appliqué stitch.  I usually like to choose the Zig Zag and set my Bernina to stitch width 2.5-3.0 and stitch length to just below 1.0 .

Test, test, test before you begin.  Once satisfied, applique stitch around each of the petals and the center on your first small flower block. If you need additional reference for setting your machine up for appliqué and appliqué, please view my video from our Wonky Piecing and Easy Appliqué- Week #4 QuiltAlong here.

3. Repeat these steps above until you have created and appliquéd the (12) small flower blocks (you can also save some of these for Week #3  if you run out of time this week).   Once stitching is complete, be sure to tear away the stabilizer from the backside and lightly press each block.

That’s it for Week #2!!  Next week – Week #3: we’ll be appliquéing the Large Flower Shapes onto the Center background blocks – woohoo!

Until then, please be sure to email us at colourwerx@yahoo.com if you have any questions.  Or feel free to post questions or progress pictures on our Colourwerx QAL Facebook Group.

Until your next colour fix and next week’s QAL post ~  happy and bright quilting always!    L&C xxoo

New QuiltAlong Coming – Splendor! – Starting July 1st!

Are you ready for another quiltalong? Announcing the Splendor QuiltAlong!

By popular demand, I’ll be kicking off our newest quiltalong and I am so excited! Starting July 1st!

Join me in stitchin’ up this fresh and modern Splendor quilt!   Easy to applique mod flowers set in a fresh modern setting!  Also a great scrap buster project! The schedule is a 4-week QuiltAlong – You can follow along week to week or just take it at your own pace!

Make the whole quilt or just a few blocks here and there! Regardless – it’s sure to be super fun and filled with lots of tips and tricks!

The quilt along is free to join and weekly blog posts and companion videos will be delivered to you in the newsletter and also readily available here on the Colourwerx Blog, on our Colourwerx website and Colourwerx Facebook pages.

All you need to do to join the quiltalong is to purchase the Splendor pattern and gather your materials! In fact this is what Week #1 (starting on July 1st) is all about!

And great news! The Splendor Pattern (paper or PDF version) is now 20% off in the Colourwerx Shop!  I’ve also discounted the Mini Splendor pattern at 20% off in case you’d like to work on a smaller project with me during the quiltalong!

You can also join the Colourwerx QuiltAlong Facebook Group where you can post your progress photos and ask questions!

So join me July 1st as we kick off another fun Colourwerx QuiltAlong….

Click the links below to find out more information and to purchase your Splendor pattern! Come join us for some #colouricious fun!

Purchase the Splendor Paper Pattern here!
Purchase the Mini Splendor Paper Pattern here!

Purchase the Splendor PDF pattern here!
Purchase the Mini Splendor PDF Pattern here!

To find out more information about the quiltalong
– jump over to our Colourwerx QuiltAlong Page!

Join the Colourwerx QuiltAlong Facebook Group here for more information!

Subscribe to our Colourwerx You Tube channel! 

LongArm Quilting Workbook by Teresa Silva

Welcome to the second to last stop on the LongArm Quilting Workbook blog hop!

It’s no big secret that Carl and I are huge fans of Teresa Silva (aka Quilting is my Bliss) and her gorgeous custom machine quilting.  In the 2 short years we’ve had the pleasure of working with Teresa, she has long arm quilted over two dozen quilts for us and all have been perfection!  Imho – Teresa is simply one of ‘the best’ custom quilters ever!…..Her intuitive nature consistently shines through on every project – picking just the right pattern to compliment the quilt mixed with  gorgeous threads and then topped off with that exquisite workmanship – all together creating stunning results every time without ever overpowering the overall quilt or fabrics.  And would you believe in all this time and through all those quilts – she, Carl and I have never met face to face (gasp!)…but all that will change soon when we meet up this month at the Houston Quilt Market – she’ll be there to promote her newest creation – the just published and fantastic read – “Longarm Quilting Workbook” from F&W Media – now available on her website or at Amazon.com.

First off – I love the fact that the book is spiral bound so you can easily lay it flat near your work surface or your sewing machine.

Secondly – it’s chocked full of detailed instruction with lots and lots of diagrams and pictures – there are over 20 plus quilting exercises explaining  in detail how to do all those super cool designs we all know and love –  like curly circles, pebbles, ribbon candy and feathers –  (gah! -Teresa’s feathers are to die for (see our Dazzle Dragonfly quilt pictured below and you’ll see what I mean).

Exercises are fine but how about applying these to a block or a whole quilt,  you say?  Well – yes she thought of that too – I really appreciated Chapter 3 – Doodling and Drawing – this chapter explains in detail  how to diagram, map out on paper and then translate to your machine a combination of quilting designs together on a whole cloth (which could be easily adapted to your own quilt or a singular centered block in your quilt).  Let’s take a peek…

And if that wasn’t enough, the Gallery of Quilts is stunning eye candy!  Page after page of beautiful quilts with close ups of her free motion quilting! This is Julie Herman’s Jaybird Designs quilt “Sweet Tooth”. Check out all of that gorgeous quilting!

Image Courtesy of F&W Media

And don’t let that title fool you – the information and exercises in the book are completely applicable to domestic machines as well.  I am admittedly the ‘world’s worst free motion machine quilter’ (that’s why I send everything to Teresa!) so anytime I find a new gadget, book or notion to help I am all in – I found her exercises well written and super easy to follow. Now I just need to find the time to practice!

Next let’s show off some of Teresa’s custom free motion quilting on our Colourwerx quilts – prepare yourself for gorgeousness!  First off , this recently completed version of ModTV (CW-110) using Alison Glass’ Chroma…..

And how about this stunning pebbling and clamshell work on our Cosmos quilt (CW101) –  this was the first quilt she custom quilted for us and is still one of my favorites!

And another fave – “Harlequin” – a commissioned piece using Kaffe Fassett’s Artisan collection for Free Spirit Fabrics that we designed and made,  and Teresa custom quilted. One picture was simply not enough – click on any pictures to enlarge and see her quilting up close!

And her work on our Splendor quilt (CW-108) was fabulous…. (quilting in and around applique I think is the hardest for most custom quilters but Teresa has it down to perfection…   🙂 )

And lastly – our Dazzle dragonfly (CW-102) oh my! –  and that gorgeous,  enormous feather – ooo and ahhhh indeed!

Teresa also has fun giveaways planned for you, but you have to go visit her blog at quiltingismybliss.com tomorrow, October 17th through October 20th and leave a comment to enter the giveaway!   Here are the prizes – yippee!

The Grand Prize from the blog hop will be:
Free Spirit Fabric – Tula Pink Spirit Animal Fat Quarter Bundle
Quilter’s Dream 80/20 Queen Size Batting
Superior Threads – So Fine 50 – 2 Cones of Thread
20 x 20 Wholecloth Quilt – Made by Teresa Silva
Longarm Quilting Workbook – Autographed

Second Prize from the blog hop will be:
United Notions/Moda Fabrics – Fig Tree solid Fat Quarter Bundle
Quilter’s Dream Pink Twin Size Batting
Superior Threads – So Fine 50 – 1 Cone of Thread
Longarm Quilting Workbook – Autographed

Carl and I are thrilled for her and wish Teresa the best of all successes with her wonderful “Longarm Quilting Workbook” – now go forth, buy her book, leave a comment on her blog to enter the giveaway,  practice your free motion and have fun!

Until your next colour fix~Linda & Carl

Welcome 2017!

2016 was indeed ‘a year of real change’…and in so many ways, right?   Presidential elections, celebrities found and lost, international intrigue and domestic scandals, and personally for us – a colourful and most welcome change of pace: a new business, new projects started, older ones completed, lots and lots of UFO’s still languishing from previous years, all the while creating a new bucket list of new projects that will take me some 3000 years to complete (but hey-who’s counting right?) and many, many more ideas and projects  percolating and in the works….

As hard as it was, the end of 2016 was time for Carl and I to say goodbye to our beloved quilt shop Linderella’s Quilt Works located in Southern Pines, NC.   Although we were sad to give up the daily routine of running the shop and familiar interactions with customers and long time friends (check out the montage photo to the right – you might see someone you know 🙂 ), it was definitely and personally time for a change up…..  Eight plus years and then some, is a long time in one job but it was time for us to reboot our creative juices and return to our first passion of designing quilt patterns and making colourful quilts….

However looking back on 2016, we are mighty proud of what we accomplished, keeping two full time business running at full speed and with no employees I might add.  We designed two new patterns now available for purchase : “Mod Dog” & “Splendor”…

In addition to that, we designed a few dozen or so new patterns for some pretty well known fabric companies, such as Free Spirit Fabrics – one of which is now available in kit form at Hancock’s at Paducah entitled, “Flower Show”….

Completed over two dozen or so various quilts or samples for Colourwerx and/or Linderella’s, including our popular “Rainbow Row” for the Row by Row Experience (pictured below on the right); and in addition, taught a full roster of classes  using many of our new designs as well as other projects at the shop or at other quilt shops in the area, in addition to prepping and hosting over a dozen demos and/or events throughout the year.

Needless to say, we are super excited to see what 2017 brings and look forward to once again, just as we did in 2008 with Linderella’s , fostering our new business from the ground up.  We have so many fun colourful, things planned for you this year:  new patterns, new products and kits, free tutorials, giveaways and of course, a few surprises. 

We also have a full roster of new classes and lectures available to local quilt shops, guilds and national shows – you can check it all out here.  If you think your local shop or guild might be interested in hosting us, we’d appreciate your referrals…

So here’s to 2017!!  We hope you’ll continue to follow us on all your favorite social media sites and tell your friends to do the same….and just in case you didn’t know where to find us, here are some links:
“Got Colour” Newsletter
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest

And refer your friends to follow along on this blog as well….

We are so grateful for all of your support this last year and thank you so much for allowing us to share our colourful, quilty journey with you!  We hope to see you all very soon!

Until your next colour fix~
Linda & Carl

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Recap of Houston Quilt Market – It’s About Time

I’m just getting back to blogging and writing a quick recap of our splendid time at the October Houston Quilt Market.   Truth be told – we’ve been just a tad busy around here lately….having spent the last month closing down our brick and mortar store, Linderella’s Quilt Works, and wrapping up a few odd ends here and there,  Colourwerx blogging had to take a back seat to everything else  (and yes, – I realize I am a year between blog posts, but hey-who’s counting, right?)

Anyway, back to Houston….We had a single booth space just a few spots away from one of our favorite fabric companies, Free Spirit Fabrics.  It was a great spot and so much fun to be just “down the block” from some of our favorite people like Kaffe Fassett, Tula Pink and Heather Bailey.

As usual, Carl did a great job designing the booth.  Like our previous booth at Houston (which I blogged about in “Colourwerx & Quilt Market”), Carl redesigned the 3-tiered truss system from a lightweight, metal EMT (electrical) conduit piping so that we could hang our quilts on drapery rings staggered apart for optimum viewing.  The big advantage we had this year was driving to Houston, which meant we could take the entirety of the booth – piping, rugs, decor, displays and tables all in the car and all ready for set up in a day without having to leave the convention center.  It was great! and a big relief to know that we had everything we needed packed and ready to go when we got there.  The car was a bit cramped though and due to the 10 foot pipe extending from the front window shield to the back, I was resigned to the back seat for the ride-check out the photo to the right for my view for 16 hours there and back again!  It was spacious but still in the back.

Carl also designed this nifty display table which was the talk of market…the table was a glass topped-metal bookcase purchased from Ikea -he added a cheap  metal curtain rod with metal tie backs (bought at Walmart) and created a hanging rod on the front,  perfect for displaying a quilt – what a genius!. Then our friend Nancy at Shutterbug Graphix installed the Colourwerx vinyl letters on the glass top which Carl highlighted with a row of bright LED lights…it was all very theatrical looking and splendid. 

We debuted two new designs – “Mod Dog” and “Splendor” – both patterns are now available for purchase at your local quilt shops or on our website.  “Mod Dog” was a huge success and was clearly the favorite of of all of our designs by the shop owners.   We’ll also be blogging about these new designs and others soon – so stay tuned!

An additional thrill was to have one have one of our commissioned designs featured in the Free Spirit Fabrics Quilt Gallery.  This was such an honor as this was a special exhibit set up by Free Spirit Fabrics to showcase new fabric collections with accompanying quilts (which will be offered as free patterns when the fabric collection is released.)
We were asked to design and make a quilt for Nel Whatmore’s new collection “Rosealea.  “Rosealea” is a beautiful fabric collection chocked full of vintage cottage roses reminiscent of English countrysides. To the left is our design titled “Roundabout”.   Carl designed this in the software program called, Electric Quilt 7 – I paper pieced it and Teresa from Quilting is my Bliss, did a magnificent job free motion machine quilting it!  If you’d like a copy of the pattern you can download it for free on the Coats Crafts website.

There were a dozen or so other quilts featured in the Free Spirit Gallery too – some of our other favorite designs  were Laura Heine’s The Dress, Tula Pink’s Designer Essential Solid,  Kaffe Fassett’s Artisan and Anna Marie Horner’s Loominous.

 

 

 

 

 

And of course while we were away our trusty office manager kept a keen eye on all the activities at home.   All in all, quilt market is always so much fun and we are now looking ahead to Spring Market in St. Louie!

Until your next colour fix~
Linda & Carl

 

 

 

 

 

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