The Big Day

Cornell University in Ithaca, New York has a very well-known and well-respected Ornithology Lab. Almost exactly one year ago, during spring migration season, Team Sapsucker, a team of six birdwatchers hit the trails, paths, highways, and byways in Texas to have a "Big Day!" A Big Day in birdwatching terms is when you try to see as many different species of birds in a 24-hour period. Perhaps you've seen the movie The Big Year?--Same idea with a longer time frame.

To raise funds for the Ornithology Lab, the team saw a total of 264 bird species in one 24-hour period. Pretty amazing by any birders' standards.

Thought you might enjoy this video that captures the essence of the Big Day, 2102. A similar 2013 event is in progress for this migration season.

Busy Weekend!

This past weekend, I headed out to a quilt show and a quilt shop and a baby shower. What do those three things have in common? Quilts, of course!

Locally, on Friday at the Towpath Quilt Show, I was a guest at the Calico Gals booth to sign books. Here's Janet Lutz, Calico Gals owner, and me taking a quick photo op.

And then on Saturday, I was off to Naples, NY where I participated in a shop hop at Carriage House Quilts. We talked about all kinds of quilty things, including the new pattern, Chopped, and some demos.

As you may already know, my niece in Chicago is expecting her first child next month. Simultaneously, my husband's cousin here in New York is expecting a baby girl in early June. So on Sunday, I went to a baby shower.

When I received the invitation, I knew just what to do. . .

A Bring-a-Book baby shower meant only one thing to this quilter. A book panel--typically used to make a soft-cover book--turned into a quilt. A few years ago, I created this pattern to be included in a book to make fast quilts for kids from Landauer. The book used panels and fabric coordinates from a line illustrated by my friend Janet Wecker-Frisch, who keeps a wonderful blog, you should check it out. I no longer have the quilt created for that book, but recently found a book panel from Quilting Treasures featuring the Beatrix Potter Tale of Jemima Puddleduck, and went from there.

Trimmed the panel, added pieced sashing and cornerstones, furled the four-patch seams so all the seams fall together beautifully. And quilted it.

Ta-Done! And that's how quilters do books!

It needs a label. Just because I was in the mood to fuss, I found this embroidery pattern at Urban Threads (don't go there if you don't have some time to kill--I got lost in this site--there is so much really fun stuff to see--and buy!). I added some applique to the label. . .

. . . And one of those Magic Blocks I've become addicted to . . . and some fluffy ribbon, and it's wrapped, ready for giving.

Off to the shower. Jill now seems to be fully stocked up with diapers, onesies, bedding, and you name it. All she needs is a baby. . .

 . . . and that will come soon enough!


Happy Stitching! . . .

Joan



UPDATE. Quilty Hugs to Newtown. The quilts given to Newtown have been reaching their new homes. Volunteers in the Newtown area and employees at The Taunton Press are delivering the quilts collected in January personally to family members and first responders.

Quilts recipients also include children at the school who still struggle to process the events of that December day. One family, whose son is a first grader, lost everything in a recent house fire. They received five of the quilts. My editor at Taunton tells me that "people are very thankful for the kind thoughts, prayers, and quilts." And she asked me to pass this message along to those who sent their quilty hugs to Newtown: Thank you.

I am a Material Girl!

A quilty thing happened on the way to Washington, DC. Last weekend, I attended the Creative Arts Business Summit . . . and on the way, I made a side trip to the Material Girls Quilt Boutique in La Plata, Maryland!

In Maryland, I pulled into the gas station to fill up after the long drive from Syracuse, NY to La Plata. Once I filled up, a little lighted sign showed up on the gas pump screen . . .  Would you like a car wash today?

Oh my goodness YES! My car was covered with road salt from the Syracuse winter. Once the car was blue again (as opposed to salt-coated), I pulled in front of the shopping strip where Material Girls Quilt Boutique lives. My GPS and the sign told me I had arrived at my destination!

And so did the sign on the door. . .

A step inside the door, and I have arrived! The shop is bright and sunny, filled with a luscious fabric selection.

 . . . I want some of that. . .and that. . .and that!

The high ceilings throughout the store give it a really up-to-date look. Your next Bernina sewing machine is waiting for you right here in this room!

And I could lose hours and hours sewing and sewing in the stitch lounge. It's quiet now, but imagine all the creative juices flowing when this room is a-hoppin'!

Every corner of the store offers a fresh perspective and lots of fun products to sooth your creative itch.

Care to share a bench? This line of fabric reminds me that the Atlantic Ocean is just around the next corner or two. Maryland crab cakes, anyone?

Hey, where did all these happy quilters come from? Some 50+ sewists came to see the trunk show. Wowee!

And the show-and-tell. Sheila made her scrappy quilt and put some team spirit on the back!

And of course, time to sign books and have a chat.

Now, you didn't think I'd go away empty-handed did you? What's in the pink bag? Well, you'll just have to wait to see!

The pink bags are helping the 'Girls' celebrate their 10th Anniversary. I can't wait to see what the next 10 years will bring, don't you agree?

Happy stitching!
Joan

Chop-Chop!

It's a new month, so I'm pleased to announce the newest Snap Sack kit. The featured pattern for April is Kite Tales. 

Kits include the pattern and all the fabric needed to make the little wall-hanging quilt. A new pattern each month. The kites are so perfect for Spring, don't you think?! Ask for your very own Snap Sack kit at your favorite LQS.

And speaking of new stuff, a new pattern is here!

A few weeks ago, I revealed this sneaky-peek photograph in my online newsletter, 'Good Migrations,' and introduced it with the words, "Coming soon!"

'Soon' has arrived! A brand new pattern from Hummingbird Highway is here. . . Chopped.

 

This pattern has tons of options. Here's another color way and another block arrangement.

The pattern starts with eight fat quarters plus some background yardage.

Make a simple block, then chop it up. Use all the parts (and I mean all!) in a lap-sized quilt and a matching table runner.

As a double bonus, the pattern includes tips so you can use cut-up scraps from your ScrapTherapy bins!

Fast, fun, easy. A great combination, in my mind!

Happy stitching!
Joan

Winter's Last Stand

After a bit of wintery weather this week here in central New York, and with a few inches of snow on the ground, several of the neighborhood kids must have decided that there was just enough snow to make a snow man. . . or two. Will these 'guys' be the last for the 2012/2013 winter season? Only time will tell.

The "Classic"

The "Weight Watcher" (Love the 'doo!)

 

The "Tilt"

 

The "Dragon"--this one has been slayed

Next! . . .Spring!

joan

Welcome Spring!

The ground may be covered with white snow outside my window, but I don't care. The calendar says it's spring, and I'm gonna roll with it!

All the signs are here. The days are definitely getting longer. Huge flocks of red-wing blackbirds now congregate daily outside my window at the bird feeders. And my favorite nesting cams are starting to deliver news of first sightings of migrant birds and eggs in raptor nests. I LOVE this time of year!
 
Just in time for Spring, I have a new pattern out with Cut Loose Press. It's called, Up One Side Table Runner.

 

WARNING: A shameless plug follows. . . *grin!*
Triangles playfully fly up one side and down the other on this fun-to-make table runner.

All those triangles. . . looks intimidating. Not to worry!

Cut strips. Easy, right?


Use a specialty ruler to cut triangles from the strips. I recommend the Creative Grids Multi-Size 4590 ruler, for example.

Trim the triangle points with Marti Michell's Corner Trimmer Template. I suppose you can skip this step, but man-o-man does it ever make the piecing easier, so why would you skip it?!

And sew.

Need a shower gift? How about those graduations coming up? Summer pick-a-nic season will be here before you know it. . . .

Ask for and buy the pattern, Up One Side Table Runner, at your favorite independent quilt shop. Or pick it up here.

In the meantime, enjoy the first full week of spring!

joan

Back from the Races!

It feels a little like race day around here. Or maybe end-of-the-race day.

I have been working on and talking about the newest ScrapTherapy book forever, or so it seems! And just yesterday, the first copy of the book, ScrapTherapy, Scraps Plus One! arrived at my studio from the publisher!

 Yippee!

That means that the new book will start showing up in your favorite places to shop for books very, very soon! Ask for it at your favorite shop, order it here, or you can even download an eBook directly from the Taunton Store.

Yippee! Skippee!


Speaking of Races . . .
Last week, I mentioned that I was headed to Oh Susannah's Upstairs Inn in Watkins Glen, NY for a long weekend - three and one-half days of nearly non-stop sewing. This week, I'm here to tell you I survived the weekend with my quilty girlfriends, and I even got a few things done.

I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

First we had to pack. It can get pretty tricky when six women have to load up sewing machines, projects, food (we didn't want to starve), and clothing for a long weekend. But we did it. My CRV is loaded and ready to roll. By the way, this was just enogh space for two of us. Beth and myself. (Good grief!)

Oh, Susannah's and the Upstairs Inn was our destination. Our cozy accommodations are just one flight of stairs above the shop.

Tempting daily visits with Sue Knapp our 'landlady' for the weekend, kept our fabric and supplies from getting too thin *a-hem!*

Once we were settled in, it didn't take long for projects to emerge. Color. Variety. Fun!

Beth brought this doll, a gift to a refugee family from Somalia. But the doll needed some new outfits - like this coat made from a little girl's coat at the second hand store. This little doll is stylin'!

These blocks represent two different projects, one more contemporary, one more traditional.

Color, one row at a time. . .

More color. . . threads and fabric squares waiting their turn

I pulled out some fabric leftovers and made a few quilts for the local hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Ooops! A decision point: Change the thread. Don't change the thread. Go shopping and decide later. . . .

With all the sewing going on, a quilter is bound to get hungry. Fortunately we left some space in the car to bring some snacks.

 . . . and breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Inn has a small kitchen, complete with all the necessities to eat-in.

And the town! Watkins Glen is a charming community, the inn is steps away from the village located at the very southern tip of Seneca Lake, one of New York's Finger Lakes. Nearby wineries offer some fabulous selections.

Right around the corner, you can find some really yummy yarns. (Yup, I got some!)

A few steps further, and Seneca Lake greets you.

These boats won't be in dry-dock much longer. With the sky so blue, sailing weather is on the way.

I like this one! Do you suppose they know any quilters?

I think this seagull was hoping for a snack. This is a male seagull (identified with 50% accuracy *wink!*)

Watkins Glen's claim to fame is Formula One racing. The Watkins Glen Grand Prix. Reminders of the racing spirit are evident at every step - literally!
Painted race cars on the sidewalks. . .

. . . Winners' names embedded in the concrete . . .

. . . and murals on the buildings.

Any quilt get-away isn't complete without the fellowship of good friends, shared recipes and sewing tips, and lots and lots of laughs.

Wenda

Marcia

Beth and Melonie

Janine

Smurfette. . . Huh? Looks like we had an extra guest. At least she's learning to sew!

Our goals were ambitious for the weekend. I think we each brought more projects than we had time to complete. But that doesn't matter. Reaching the checkered flag wasn't a goal for each and every project stuffed into our vehicles.

The real trophy is in the memories.

Happy stitching. . .and racing!
joan