Second Giveaway of the Year

I was going to title this post, "First Giveaway of the Year," but then I realized that I had a giveaway on Monday, January 3 to promote my new pattern, A Wedding Quilt for Joseph and Annie. Well, no matter, because fate has stepped in to make giveaway #1 a segue to giveaway #2.
The purpose of today's giveaway is to introduce you to a new and wonderful sponsor, Marmalade Fabrics. This terrific online store carries many of the cottons you and I have come to love for contemporary quilting and crafting. Even better though, Tammy at Marmalde Fabrics also stocks some harder to come by, but amazingly beautiful fabrics like these organic cottons form Daisy Janie.
Here's where the segue part comes in. By way of introduction to you all, my lovely readers, Tammy is giving away a fabric/pattern treat. The pattern she's giving away is a copy of A Wedding Quilt for Joseph and Annie and 3 of the Kona cotton colors used in my sample version of the pattern. That's the pattern plus 3/4 yard pieces of Kona cotton in Mango and Coral as well as a 1/2 yard piece in Tomato.

 And many of the other colors seen in the sample (sewing circle link, how about that?) are available at Marmalade Fabrics, including Orange, Ash, and Coal.
As they say in the lottery commercials, you can't win if you don't play, so leave a comment and see if today(or tomorrow) is your lucky day. I'll take comments through Sunday at 8:00pm CST and announce the winner on Monday.
Good luck!

My Sewing Room

With the help of a couple of wonderful readers I have discovered the holy grail. OK, maybe not the holy grail, but definitely what looks to be the Ravelry-like site for sewers I've been harping on about. It's called My Sewing Circle and it's not even a year old, but it seems to have all the features that I think make Ravelry so great. Every user has a "sewing room" where they can organize their projects, tools, fabrics, even keep track of their friends and postings. Also, there's the ability to post patterns, free or otherwise, commercial or indy, and forums to discuss all manner of stitchy things. Like Ravelry and flickr, you can create a profile and link back to a website, blog, or flickr photostream. It's all super easy to use and I think the basis for the kind of sewing-based online community that knitters have over at Ravelry. People, our time may just have come.
I don't want to come across as too bossy and I probably need to control that a bit right now as I'm listening to Alison Weir's novel Innocent Traitor about the mind-bogglingly fast ascent and decline of Lady Jane Grey and could get swept away by all the Queens commanding this and that, but...I really want you all to take a gander at this site, maybe with a sewing friend or two, and consider joining this community.  If you do and you'd like to friend me, I'm stitchindye over there.
In honor of My Sewing Circle, I'm going to post a couple pictures from my real-life sewing room.

I'm working on a new version of my Strips and Bricks baby quilt. Unlike the first one, this one's focus is color. It's still composed of the same number of rectangles, in the same proportions and pieced the same way as the version described in my pattern. I just thought it might be fun to work it up in a completely different palette. I'll post more about my color choices and placement once I have it quilted.

Two Things

Yep. I have two things I want to talk about today and I could work hard to try to connect them and actually it wouldn't be that hard, but I'm just going to lay them both out there.
Thing #1 :
I get the weekly Sew Daily email newsletter from Stitch magazine. I imagine the newsletter will eventually be a daily occurrence, otherwise what's the deal with calling it Sew Daily? Anyway, today they announced that Interweave Press, publisher of Stitch, Quilting Arts, Interweave Knits and Crochet as well as little ole me, is launching the Sew Daily Pattern Store. This store allows you to purchase patterns that have been featured in past issues of Stitch magazine...one at a time. That means you don't necessarily have to buy an entire back issue if you just want one pattern. Also, the patterns are downloadable, so it's instant gratification, baby!
In the interest of full disclosure, I will note that because I've been lucky enough to be published in Stitch several times, my patterns along with a bunch of others are for sale in the pattern store and I do earn a royalty from those patterns. But, you know what, that's not why I'm excited about this. I said this a week or so ago, knitters have had downloadable, instant patterns and a site(Ravelry) to share and compare those patterns for a while. Sewers of the world, it's our turn now! The world of downloadable sewing patterns is beginning to emerge and I think this pattern store is part of that.  I read the other day that C&T publishing is planning to launch a site called Patternspot which they're describing as, "a downloadable pattern marketplace." Now, I think we need a Ravelry-like site to bring all this together. A place for sewers to share their creations, link to their downloadable patterns, and create community.
I feel pretty passionately about this, so I'm jazzed about this new pattern store because it's a step in this direction.

Thing #2 :
This is perhaps loosely linked to thing #1 because it is sewn and it is a unique design and I may write up the pattern and offer it for sale over the intewebs, but it's also a totally separate thing so I'm giving it its own heading. That's a lot of build-up for this:

I altered the standard way I make my Patches Camera Straps based on a customer's requests and I think her suggestions are brilliant. She wanted a strap that could be worn across the hips as well as around the neck. That was simple enough to accommodate, but it was her other specifications that I've fallen in love with.

  She also wanted a pocket in the strap to hold the lens cap. Wow, so simple, yet really handy. If I'm shooting pictures and wearing something without pockets, I honestly don't know what to do with my lens cap.

 And she asked for a couple of pockets on the strap to hold extra memory cards. I love these additions.
To accommodate the lens cap I did make the strap 1/2" wider and had to redesign the end pieces that connect to the adjustable straps. I also lengthened the adjustable part of the strap to 18" so she can wear the camera as she chooses. All in all, I think these are terrific modifications and I can't wait to make one for myself...strictly for testing purposes of course.

Not Quite Done

...with reflecting on 2010.
But, before I go back, I've got to go forward and announce the winners of the giveaway:
 
DianeY said...
Really nice-love the colors you used!

and

bekki said...I love your work, your quilts look soo simpel but very beautiful

If you two will please email me at malka@stitchindye.com I'll get your PDFs over to you faster than Al Gore can re-invent the internet.

Now back to the past. It dawned on me the other day that if I had to pick one motif or shape that defined 2010 for me it would be the hexagon. My passion for this six-sided cutie probably started back in 2009 when I started re-purposing blocks from an old Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt into pillow tops. Then I discovered Y piecing and the world of machine sewing hexagons opened up for me. My new book includes two hexagon based quilts and a pillow sham that features a hexagon flower in the center. Add to that the supersized hexagon quilt I designed for Quilt Scene magazine and you've got a lot of hexagon action in my life.
To quote my mother, " The more things change, the more they stay the same," (I know she's not the first to say that, but let's credit that quote to her anyway) it looks like I'm not done with hexagons in 2011.

Looks like my first FO of 2011 includes hexagons.

 The center block is actually something I created for my Open Studios event at Quilt Festival. It sat around for a couple months before I decided that I didn't just want to admire at the bottom of a stack, but that I wanted to make something with it.

So, I bordered it with a solid in cotton in a pale gray, quilted it in concentric circles from the center out and backed it with this super graphic print I bought at festival.

 I think my favorite thing about this particular hexagon interpretation is the complexity that all the different prints give the block. I don't think such a variety of prints would work though if the palette wasn't limited to basically two colors, orange and gray.
The block itself is the same block I designed for the Modern Baby Quilt in my book with a bit of a twist in that I divided the center hexagon into six equal triangles and string pieced them.
I can definitely see a quilt top made this way. Who knows? Maybe 2011 will be as six-sided as 2010 was.

A Wedding Quilt for Joseph and Annie

Despite the fact that it's 9:30 in the morning here in CST, my new pattern is ready for prime time. I posted a few teasers about it back in November, but today I'm ready to release the pattern as well as post additional pictures.
First, some information about the quilt and pattern. I'm calling this A Wedding Quilt for Joseph and Annie partly because the design was inspired by an amazing creative couple, Joseph and Annie Albers, pioneers in post World War II design and painting and partly because at 69" x 69", it's a perfect size to cuddle under. Though I've read a lot about Joseph and Annie Albers, I can't attest to how much cuddling they did, but I'm all for encouraging that.  

The pattern is fully illustrated and includes something that may be unique to quilt patterns. I actually thought of it because I'm a knitter. It struck me that all knitting patterns include information about the yarn used in the sample. This is included despite the fact that gauge is listed as well. I think the assumption is, and it's often correct, that a lot of knitters might want to use that exact yarn, maybe even in the same color, so they'd like to know what to buy. Listing exactly what fabrics were used in a given quilt might not always be practical, especially with a quilt that has lots of different fabrics or focuses on scraps, but in this design, where the sample was made entirely out of Kona cottons, listing the specific colors based on the Kona color card seemed like a handy addition.

 Obviously, you can use these colors or not. That's still up to you, but I thought you might want the information and it was simple enough to include, so there you have it.

I'll probably work up a second sample in a totally different color palette because this simple design really lends itself to playing with color.

I'm also offering two different purchase options. You can go to my Etsy store and purchase it there or click on this cute little button in the right-hand sidebar and that will take you directly to Paypal.
Also, because I'm super excited about this pattern, I'm giving away two copies of the pattern to a couple of lovely readers. So, if you'd like to roll the dice on that and see if you're one of the lucky winners, leave a comment and I'll select a pair of winners. I'll take comments through Tuesday at 8:00pm CST and announce the winner on Wednesday.

See you then!

Back and Forth at the Same Time: New Year's Eve Edition

I  couldn't possibly say goodbye to 2010 without looking back at the quilts I've made over the past year. Sometimes I wonder what it is about quilts that attracts me to them. I certainly enjoy designing and making other things, but oftentimes those ideas are spurred by a need or an assignment rather than just inspiration. It seems like whenever I think about patterning, I do so in terms of quilt design rather than a garment or home dec item. The idea may evolve into something other than a quilt, but it probably started out with a quilt in mind.
Anyway, I'll probably have to go into analysis to figure that one out, so if someone wants to recommend a therapist, I'm all ears. :) Until I get that sorted out, here's my mosaic of 2010 quilts.

I probably could have included a few more as I often make repeats of designs as custom orders, but I think this mosaic gives a good overview.
Also, since these posts have been about the future as much as the past, I'm announcing that I'll be releasing a new quilt pattern on Monday, January 3, 2011.

I first showed sneak peaks of this quilt in mid-November when I requested that a few helpful folks review the pattern. I've since done a wee bit of editing and I'm ready for it to go live this Monday. Check back here then as I'll have more pictures and information and will be giving away 2 copies of the pattern to celebrate its launch.
Until then...have a fabulous New Year and, for those who live close by, I hope to see you at the book signing this Sunday at 5:00pm at Stitch Lab (1000 S. First St.)

Back and Forth at the Same Time #2

I was planning to look back on the quilts I've made in the 2010 and chat about some quilting plans for the new year, but I was struck by a discussion thread over at Sew, Mama, Sew.  So(or should I say sew :)) I'll save that for tomorrow's post. Instead, I'll play along with their prompts and would love to hear your thoughts about what sewing in 2010 meant to you and what you think the future holds.

Looking back on the sewing scene of 2010, what trends stand out in your mind?
This might seem a wee bit self-serving, but I genuinely believe that the biggest trend on the sewing horizon these days is the making of contemporary quilts that are both beautiful and functional. I think there's a slew of young and young at heart sewers who want to make quilts, just not exactly the way grandma did.
What were some of your favorite things? (Trends, fabric collections, patterns, blogs? Whatever you really loved.)
My favorite thing is the mini explosion I see of downloadable patterns. Knitters have been doing this kind of thing for a few years and those of us who sew are just starting to get in on it. Now what we need is a Ravelry-like site for sewers where independent designers and crafty folks can have an online community to swap ideas, sell patterns, and generally display their talents. BTW- I love Burdastyle, but that doesn't fit this bill in my opinion.  
What was your very favorite fabric collection or print? (If not listed above.)
I may be biased, but I was pretty partial to my friend Kathy York's collection for Clothworks.
What was the best thing you made in 2010? (Be sure to share a photo!)

I do a lot of sewing, so it's hard to pick one item, but I feel like the Hexagon String Baby Quilt that I designed for Quilt Scene Magazine was definitely one of my favorites.

 What is one of the best things you saw that was made by someone else?
This might be a weaselly way to answer this question, but oh well.... I have seen so many beautiful creations over the past year that I can't, no matter what, name just one. I do have a bunch of beautiful crafty images faved over at flickr and I'd invite others to be as inspired by them as I've been. 
What do you think 2011 has in store? (Again, trends, fabric, patterns, etc.)
I think the past few years have seen a growing fascination with all crafts and designs Japanese. While I've really enjoyed this, I think this year's trends may be a bit bolder and more color-based than what you tend to see in the Japanese aesthetic. I think there's a real interest in simple, strong designs that focus on color. 
Anything you’re ready for the sewing world to get over?
Not really. I think we're a pretty decent bunch and if something isn't your cup of tea, just don't make it or buy it.
What’s on your sewing agenda for 2011? What are you excited about? What would you like to learn more about?
I've got lots more quilts and quilt patterns planned for 2011 and more personal clothes sewing with knits. I've been a bit wary about working with knits in the past but I'm ready to get over that.