Day 4 - Deb Strain, Barbara Brackman & Venessa of V& Co.

First and Foremost I want to say what a great time I had meeting everyone and showing the Crossroad Quilts at the Crossroads Quilt Shop in Cameron Saturday morning.  We showed quilts, chatted and ate the cookies Linda and Marie made for us.  They were awesome - both the cookies and Linda and Marie.  The quilts stayed at the shop for awhile so if you didn't get a chance to see them and still want to, you can drop by and say hi to the quilts and to Linda and Marie :)

And for the ladies who wanted to come to Girl Gang Thursday at 6:00, we're looking forward to having you.  If you couldn't remember my email address just email Tori at janpatekquilts@yahoo.com and she'll send you directions.  Anyone who wants to get in on the applique is welcome, just let us know you're coming and what learning level you're at.

The Crossroads pattern I'm featuring today is the Snow Day BOM.  

It's a Snow Day for the schools but parents still need to go to work so the grandkids go to the farm.

I thought it would be a good quilt to follow the tutorial on Circles.  If you didn't catch it on the post Friday you can go back to it or click on the snowman head on the left side of the blog.

Now making the circles for the berry stems and the snowman basket mouth should be a lot easier.  At least I hope so.  The snowman mouth uses 3/4" mailing tabs, by the way.

And here are Brooke, Gabriel and Lilly (3 of Brian's 4 kids).  Brooke is the one in the yellow hat because "lellow" is her favorite color.  She just turned 3.

And the 3 on the toboggan are Cullen, Quinn and Aidan (Max's boys).  The original 3 on a toboggan in Snowbound were Brian, Kelly and Max.

Obviously I make them mine but I do invite you to make the quilt your own by adding or subtracting the number of kids or grandkids.  

You can order the pattern or one of the few kits we have by clicking here.

The quilt kit we have on special today is Sunflower Daze.  We're in the middle of them here in Missouri but Pumpkin Days aren't far off  :)

And That's what happens when you don't read things all the way through.  I got an "error" message when I was posting.  I thought it just hadn't saved the top part so I typed it again, but now I see that it didn't save the bottom of the post either.
What it should have said was...........

"Now let hop on over and see what Deb and Barbara and V&Co. are up to.  Something interesting I'm sure.....and lucrative if you like fabric.:).  Just love the Moda give-aways."
I'll put this at the top of tomorrow post too.  Sorry ladies...... the computer ate my homework.  It took out all my links.  

Size Matters - Day 3 - Sandy Gervais, Pat Sloan and Me!

This time I got an easy one - thanks Lissa.  

We're supposed to talk about why size matters and .....

  the size of your heart always matters.

Nuff said.  :)

These are 6" (finished) hearts and 6" (finished) squares making up a 9-patch heart block.

To download the instructions to make your own block click here and here.

 Heart 9-Patch Pillow

I was torn between making the block into a small wallhanging or a pillow.  Obviously, I chose the pillow.  I love to change the quilts and pillows on my couch.  Hearts don't just need to be around on Valentine's Day - they're important all year.  To download the instructions to make the pillow, click here.   

If you'd like a kit to make the pillow we have a few in the store.  Just click here.

The little quilt on special today is "The Witch is In".  It's getting close to Halloween so it's pretty appropriate but as I've always said, "This isn't a Halloween quilt, it's a statement quilt."  :)

I do occasionally feel (and maybe act) like one - but not very often, I hope.  It's a really good quilt to hang on the door on one of those days.  :)

It's also one of the quilts I used in my new tutorial on how to applique circles, all sizes of circles - big ones like the moon and small ones like her eyes.  If you'd like to learn more about appliqueing circles or just want to watch the tutorial for the heck of it, click here.  If you like the tutorials, please do subscribe.

And speaking of tutorials, we will also have a tutorial Friday - the lucky 13th  - on tips for appliqueing the center block from our Crossroads quilt "Eagles and Roses".  Be sure and come back because we'll also  have an awesome Give-Away that goes with it.

And if you're going to be anywhere close to Cameron tomorrow  (the 7th), I'll be showing all of my Crossroad quilts at Crossroads Quilt Shop in Cameron around 9:30.  Please come, I'd love to meet you.

Ok - now for the important part - giving things away today..

We've got a Layer Cake, Charm Bundle, Mini Charm and Dessert Roll  - Crossroads precuts.
Make a comment, any comment - maybe about things that have to do with the size of someone's heart.
But if you don't have a thought about that, just make a comment.
We'll have a drawing and announce the winner of the precuts on the 16th.

For right now we have to go see what Sandy and Pat are up too.  I can't wait.

Day 2 - Bunny Hill, Basic Grey and Sweetwater

Day 2 of the Moda Size Matters Blog Hop.

And while the size of this little quilt is small (only 28" x 28"), it's a big quilt to me because it's dedicated to my friend Sandy Gervais and her husband Bruce.

From My Heart

Sandy, Deb Strain (another long time wonderful person) and I are Moda's "vintage" designers.

We've shared many a Market together and I cherish their friendship.

Pep and Bruce have carried in many a load, gotten out their tool boxes and repaired booths and even helped Alma and Barb build beds resting on flower pots.

When I thought of this little quilt, it could have no other name than "From My Heart".  I'd post it on Sandy's day, Friday but it's my day to post too.  I'm posting a tutorial on circles that day and there aren't any circles in the quilt. 

Anyway, Sandy and Bruce, thanks for all of the good times and I look forward to many more.

Our Quilt Kit Special today is "Jack at the Gate".  Pumpkins are starting to show up everywhere.  I just love pumpkins.

Now to get a visiting.  We need to hop on over and see 

what Anne has been doing at Bunny Hill, then on to catch up with Rachel and Shara of Basic Grey and last but certainly not least, lets check in on Karlas, Lisa and Susan of Sweetwater.

Have a great day hopping and see you back here tomorrow.  

Day #1 - Moda "Size Matters" Blog Hop

It's Day One of the Moda "Size Matters" Blog Hop - a great way to see what a lot of talented people in the quilt world have been up to.

Each day I'll try to hop with you and while you're here showcase some of the things I've been playing with out of my Crossroads line.

  

 This is Pumpkin Days, a wallhanging (48" x 48") or lap quilt using the new Crossroads fabric line, a little Audra's Iris Garden and some of my favorite homespuns. I just love that Harvest Stripe print as a border and didn't have a chance to use it before.  Pumpkin Days will be sold as a pattern later but is available as a kit right now.  Can you tell I'm ready for autumn?

And I'll have a kit or pattern on special each day - for that day only.

  

This is Garden Kisses and Hugs.  There are still a few hardy vegetables and flowers growing in the garden - a few that have survived the Missouri summer.

Today we'll hop on over and visit  one of my favorite people Edytka of Laundry Basket Quilts.  Her post is full of awesome fabrics and quilts.  I always stand in awe of the energy and talent she has.

We also need to go see what French General and Zen Chic have been up to.  Brigette of Zen Chic is a county girl too and she certainly puts a different spin on it.  Such talented people.

Then come back tomorrow and we'll go see Bunny Hill, Basic Grey and Sweetwater.

Have fun hopping.

And to keep up with what everyone is saying every day, you can click on the Size Matters button on the right.

LABOR DAY SALE & MODA BLOG HOP

It's Labor Day already - where is the year going - and going quickly.  Fall is just around the corner and we're getting ready for it by having a sale on all of our Autumn kits and patterns.  Be sure to visit the store and stock up.

Pumpkin Man

And then starting Wednesday Sept. 4th it's the Moda Blog Hop.  My day to officially post is Sept. 6th but I try to hop with everyone else.

To learn all about it you can click here.  Or click on the button to the right.

And then on the morning of September 7th (which just happens to be my birthday and my birthday sister Cherie Ralston's special day too), I'll be giving a trunk show of my Crossroad fabric line quilts at Crossroads Quilt Shop in Cameron, owned by my friends Linda and Marie.  It's an awesome shop.  

So if you're in the area, come on by.  I'd love to meet you and show you my quilts.  I'm not overly fond of "speaking" but I can always talk about my quilts.

And while we're having a sale of our fall kits, it's still summer in Missouri - - - HOT!

So after a brisk walk and quick outdoor chores, we're staying inside - 

I'm sewing and getting ready for the Blog Hop and Market and the dogs have decided to take it easy for a change.

It's almost the end of August already!

I mean school has started and everything!.  And I haven't blogged since the beginning of the month.  Wow!  - Have I been busy!

What have I been doing that's kept me away from the computer???

Well, there's always the chickens to take care of.......

And the birds and deer to feed........

And the garden has been going bonkers............

Tomatoes have needed canning (the ones that didn't make it into Pep's BLT's and summer pizzas)......

And, of course, the dogs have needed watching.  

Poor Spike is trying to stay out of trouble, just snoozing away, taking a little nap.  

Hunny and Stumpy were up to their usual mischief, rolling around and making noise while Mom & Dad were trying to talk and listen to the music.

Then they rolled into him.  Oh well, if you can't beat them, join them.  You ought to see the 3 way tug of wars over a sock.  Spike gets the knot in the middle and Stumpy and Hunny each get an end.  And little Stumpy can hold his own!

Somewhere in here, I've found time to make a trip to Dallas AND

to make "Pumpkins Days" - a Wallhanging Club offering.  If you belong to the club you should be getting yours soon.  If not, you can click on the name to go to the store to get yours.  

It has been a really nice summer this year in Missouri but I am ever so ready for Fall, as usual.

A very good week

To begin with - this week they're shipping the yardage of my new line - Crossroads - to the fabric shops.  This is a picture of the precuts that have already shipped.

And this is Cityscape, one of the quilts I made out of the line.  

Cityscape is about living in the city for a change.  My son Max and grandsons Quinn and Cullen live in  Westport, midtown Kansas City, Mo.   The streets in the shops and restaurant section have trees along the sidewalks.  They have mulch and round black metal grids with trees in the center.  Stars were easier than trees :).  Anyway, there will be a tutorial on the quilt a little later.

Right now we have a new tutorial using "Spring Has Sprung" to teach "Outside Points".  You can watch the tutorial by clicking here.

Hope you enjoy it.