My Whirlygig Pattern is Now on Craftsy

My Whirlygig pattern is now on my Craftsy store. You can download the pattern directly from that site and be ready to sew in minutes! It is also available on my website. Click here for more details about the pattern.

New Patterns!

I have just added 2 new patterns to my website.

Fanciful uses a traditional fan design in a unique setting. I used a Stone Strips package for the fans and a black Stonehenge fabric for the border. Both fabrics are from Northcott. The fans are easy to hand-piece and applique, making this a great project to take with you when travelling.

 

Amish Reflections is quick and easy to make. You just need 8 tone-on tone fabrics plus black for the borders.

 

 

Click here for more information about all my patterns.



New Quilt Pattern #4: Grape and Vine



 

My Grape and Vine pattern has instructions for a table runner, bed runner and wall quilt or table topper. The design can be made using either fusible or hand applique. This is a great take-along project to have when travelling. All 3 items would make great gift ideas. Think Christmas!

 

Click here to go to my website for all the details.

 

Strippy Table Set in the Keepsake Catalogue

Yesterday I received the new Fall catalogue from Keepsake Quilting. It's always inspiring to see all the new and creative designs that are featured there. I am also happy to see my Strippy Table Set pattern for sale in this catalogue. Keepsake is selling a fabric kit to make the table topper and placemats, so it will be a quick and easy project!

Click here to see the complete catalogue. Isn't it strange that the catalogue opens to the page with my pattern on it?

Table Topper

Placemat

More New Patterns!

I have just published 2 new patterns. Both are quick and easy and would be great summer projects if you need quilts for kids in the near future. The patterns will be available on my website soon.

Boys Toys (58" x 58") uses the new Boys at Work fabric collection by Northcott.

Here's a look a couple of the feature fabrics:

"Spring Fling (52" x 52") uses the Bunny Patch flannel fabric collection by Northcott. As you can see, there is both a girl's and boys's version of this fun quilt.

 Here are pictures of a couple of the fabrics I used.

 

This is a border print so the quilt goes together very quickly!

People Watching at Quilt Market

It's always fun to meet up with fellow pattern designers and friends at Quilt Market.

Here is Cheryl Wall from Abbottsford BC with her country style designs. Check out her website here.

Ursula Riegel is from Vancouver Island. Her company is Designs to Share With You. Ursula has a great method of using curved shapes in her designs.

DJ Richards Design company is from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. They have a unique way of using folded triangles in their designs.

Here is Lisa from Woolylady designs. Lisa and her partner Gail, dye all their own wools and create beautiful applique designs.

And here is Eleanor Burns. This year she was dressed as an astronaut to promote her new book about Stars.

Boutique 4 Quilters

Yesterday I visited a shop called Boutique 4 Quilters in Melbourne, Florida. What a great selection of fabric!

It's always exciting to see patterns by my Canadian designer friends hanging in quilt shops in another country. Here are some patterns by Ursula Riegel (Designs to Share with You) from Victoria, BC.

Here is Ti Leaves by Susan Purney Mark and Daphne Greig (Patchwork Studios).

More New Fabric

I have just received the digital images of some great new fabric from Northcott: Jungle Babies - a fun fabric for kids; Rosie Posie - a new floral collection by Ro Gregg; and Montmartre - a delicate floral in blues and golds. I will have 3 new pattern designs finished by the middle of February using these fabrics and will post some pictures as soon as they are ready.

Another New Pattern with "Good Morning Sunshine" Fabrics

Hearts and Stars is the second pattern I will be publishing using the new Good Morning Sunshine fabrics by Mark Lipinski for Northcott. This is an intermediate level quilt. The hearts can be done with hand or machine applique. If you like hand work, the heart blocks make a great take-along project.

You can have a look at all the fabrics from the Good Morning Sunshine collection here.

Watch for more information about this new pattern on my website.

45" x 57"

border="0" /> 30.5" x 30.5"

The Olympics Are Coming!

Canada is proud to host the Winter Olympics this year. And it's not too late to make a cozy sports-related quilt to snuggle under while watching all the Olympic action.

The 3 patterns I designed using the flannel "Winter Sports" fabric by Northcott are still available on my website. You can find them here. You can also have a close-up view of these great fabrics here.

Champion Spirit 45" x 61"

Medal Dreams 43" x 61"

Go For the Gold 45" x 57"

Adventure in Beading

Here is another little quilt from my "African Adventure" series. I printed a photograph on EQ Printables fabric sheets for the centre of the quilt. Then I decided to do some beading in the area around the picture. This was my first attempt at beading - I have no idea if I was doing it the "right" way or not - but I am happy with the result!

Close-up view of the beading

My "African Adventure" pattern is almost ready to be published and will be on my website soon. There are instructions for using an embroidery or photograph in the centre section and 2 different border designs.

The Ultimate Sewing Place

Yesterday I visited The Ultimate Sewing Place, a huge quilt shop in Titusville, Florida. On the pattern rack I found patterns by my friend and fellow designer, Janet Rice Bredin. Here is her Pansy pattern.

One wall of the shop was devoted to thread.

Fabric was everywhere. As you can see, there is too much fabric for the shelves and the over-flow is on the floor!

And yes, I did manage to find some fabric I just couldn't live without!

Another African Adventure

Here are some pictures of the last design I am going to put in my new "African Adventure" pattern. The picture is removable, so you can change it whenever you like. I have done a series of these "Pop-Out Picture" quilts. You can see more information about them on the "Pop Out Picture Quilts" page on my web site.

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Now you can make just 1 quilt and change the picture when you want a new look!

New Pattern #3: Strippy Table Set

I published 3 new patterns this week and they are now all available on my web site. Click here for more information.

I am having a special sale of these 3 new patterns: Buy 2 of the new patterns and you get the third one for free! After you place your order, just e-mail me and quote this code FPFEB09 to make sure you get your free pattern.

Strippy Table Set (Pattern #230 ) is another Jelly-Roll Friendly pattern. You can also use fat quarters or any of your scraps that can be cut into 2 1/2" strips. The table topper (30" x 30") and placemats (12" x 18") are quick and easy to make and would make great gift items for someone special.

I used Mark Lipinski's Califon fabric by Northcott to make this black and white set.

I used the Bistro fabric line from Moda to make this placemat. There are so many great kitchen prints in the quilt shops now and they are perfect for this table set.

New Pattern #2: Wonky Strips

I published 3 new patterns this week and they are now all available on my web site. Click here for more information.

I am having a special sale of these 3 new patterns: Buy 2 of the new patterns and you get the third one for free! After you place your order, just e-mail me and quote this code FPFEB09 to make sure you get your free pattern.

Wonky Strips (Pattern #229 ) is another Jelly-Roll Friendly pattern. You can also use fat quarters or any of your scraps that can be cut into 2 1/2" strips. This little quilt is quick and easy to make and would make a great gift for a special child if you use a variety of bright fabrics. Instructions for making an 18" pillow are also included in the pattern.

Wonky Strips Quilt 40" x 50" Pattern #229

Wonky Strips Pillow 18" x 18"

More Free Patterns!

Because of the great response I received from my July summertime special, I am continuing it until August 31. For every pattern you order, you will receive one free pattern (my choice). Check out my website to see all the available patterns.

After you have placed an order on the web site, just e-mail me (patterns@ripnet.com) and quote this special new code: SSFP02

Free Patterns

I have just put a "Summertime Special" on my website. You will receive 1 free pattern (my choice) for every pattern that you order from the website from July 10 - July 31, 2008. After you place your order on the website, just e-mail me and quote this code: SSFP01

One More Day Before Quilt Market!

I finally have everything packed for Quilt Market which starts on Wednesday May 14. I just finished this last sample of my new Remembering pattern (#332). The fabric is from the Northcott collection called Seems Like Old Times.

The picture in this sample is removable, so you can have a different photograph whenever you like.

The picture in this sample was printed on EQ Printables fabric.

The pattern gives instructions for using both types of pictures and for making the fabric flower embellishments.

The Great Canadian Shop Hop: Ready to View!

Tricia Sherman's Great Canadian Shop Hop programme that was filmed at the Country Quilter in Richmond, Ontario is now on her website. You can see my demo on Memory Quilts, as well as all the events connected with the Quilt Marathon, held annually at the shop.

Go to Great Canadian Shop Hop. Click on Video Player, then Video Library. Scroll down to Show 7 and hit the Play button.

The filming of the show took many hours and Tricia and her editors have done a wonderful job of showing all the highlights of that day in a few minutes. Congratulations to everyone involved!

The show will also be shown on the QNN network in the very near future.

Here are some pictures of the "Hang Ups" series of patterns that I talked about on the show.

A Photographer’s Dilemma

My photographer, Glyn Davies, had a real challenge this morning. He was photographing my “Portraits in Lace” quilts for the cover of my newest pattern. When we hung the quilts on the wall, there were large shadows behind them because of the wire hangers I used to display them. So Glyn came up with a very high-tech way of photographing them. Using duct tape, a piece of string and a 4-foot length of dowel from Home Depot, we suspended the quilts from some metal poles that were in the studio. My job was to hold the string at just the right angle, so the wire hanger would stay straight.

Glyn is now working his Photoshop magic to remove the background from the photos, and by tomorrow, I will have some wonderful pictures to put on my pattern cover!

And now I have to figure out how to photograph these quilts?

Glyn Davies, quilt photographer extraordinaire!

Notice the high-tech equipment we are using. The string was especially important!

Watch for the finished photo coming soon!