My Alphabet Quilt Blog of the Month

One of my favorite patterns is Amy Bradley's My Alphabet Quilt.

Amy's daughter Ashley Heryer, wrote the story for her daughter, and Amy illustrated it with quilt blocks. I am going to present it as a Blog of the Month like I did with Amy's Happy Halloween pattern. (I started the Blog earlier, but I let if fall off. After receiving several requests, I am reviving it. I am reposting the first two months and for those who have already started, I will be posting the third month shortly.)

It will be an 8 month program. Each month, for seven months I will present 4 blocks and give you hints, techniques, and notions that will help you complete the alphabet blocks and then month 8 will be set aside for borders, quilting, and binding. To get a general idea of how it works, click on the Happy Halloween icon on the sidebar.

Here is a close-up of block B.

I'd love for you to join me!

Happy Stitching,

Lynda

Heartwarming Possibilities

C&T Publishing just released our newest pattern packet--Heartwarming Possibilities! This pattern packet includes 4 quilt projects to celebrate family and friends. The projects, a quilt, two wallhangings, and a tote, combine piecing with easy fusible applique--a Possibilities signature. The row quilt, approx 62 x 75" includes the verse "Friendship is the thread that stitches the world together" on the bottom row.

The Heartwarming Possibilities pattern packet will be available in mid November. Check your local quilt store, or contact C&T Publishing at http://www.ctpub.com/.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to all who made this pattern packet come together!The quilt was designed several years ago and just didn't fit into any of our books. We would bring it out at design meetings and end up tucking it away again and again. We were thrilled when C&T came up with this pattern packet format that fit this quilt to a "T". Thanks to Amy and Lynn and everyone else involved in this project at C&T for believing in us!

Thanks to everyone at Possibilities who worked on these projects--Susie, Lexie, Sharon, Jane, and Ann. (I hope I didn't forget anyone) Thanks to Merrie for the beautiful quilting.

Lynda Milligan and Nancy Smith
Possibilities

My Alphabet Quilt Blog of the Month, Part 2B

I know that I said the machine appliqué lesson was next, but my machine was acting up and I had to have it cleaned and checked--thanks Kurt! So, in the meantime, I've been working on getting more blocks ready. As you can see on Amy's directions that are listed at the bottom of the placement sheets, she starts at Step 5. You have already prepared your appliqué pieces and are ready to fuse them into place.

Amy has done a terrific job giving you the order of placement for the appliqué pieces. However, I found that in some cases it helps to pre-construct some units. Place the pieces on the Appliqué Presser Sheet or the release paper from the fusible web, press in place and they will release when cool. I also have found that I like to mark some of the detail lines before I fuse the pieces together.

So, with that said, here are my hints for the first eight blocks...................

Letter a
I would mark the bow knot and tails; the eyes, nose, mouth; and the circles for the hair fasteners. I pre-constructed the paintbrush, and the collar and bow.

Letter b
I marked the eyes, nose, Band-Aid lines, fingers and bubble circles. I pre-constructed the hat, hat brim, and hair; and the hand, thumb, and bubble blower as one unit. After fusing pieces to the background, finish marking the bubble circles.

Letter c
Mark the eye, mouth, hair bow, and fingers. Pre-construct the camera as one unit.

Letter d
Mark the eyes, nose, and mouth. Pre-construct the headbands, top of hair, and reflector. You can also pre- construct the hair right, hair left, and face.

Letter e
Mark the eyes, nose, and mouth. Pre-construct the outside and inside of both earphones with the earphone wire.

Letter f
Mark the girl's eyes, nose, mouth and hair bows. Also mark the frog's eyes, mouth, and chin. Pre-construct the hair, frog, and frog eyes as a unit.

Letter g
Mark the eyes, nose, and mouth. Pre-construct the goggle lenses, goggles, goggle strap, and buckle as a unit.

Bus front
Mark "abc" on the top of the bus. Construct the top of the bus, the windshield, the mirror supports, and the mirrors as one unit. Construct the bottom of the bus, the bumper, the wheels, the stop sign support, and the Stop sign as a second unit.

Cut the fabric for the backgrounds.
From your background fabric, cut seven strips 11 1/2". Cut each of these strips into four blocks 9 1/2" x 11 1/2". I like to treat my backgrounds with a couple layers of Spray Starch to make them extra crisp so that they naturally act like they have been stabilized.

Follow step 8 of Amy's directions. Read the instructions directly below the block placement sheet for any instructions specific for Step 8. On a light table, put a 9 1/2 x 11 1/2" fabric block background right side up over a block placement sheet. There should be approximately 1/2" of extra fabric around the block. Place appliqué pieces and/or pre-constructed units in place on fabric background aligning with placement sheet. Fuse into place.

Lots of preparation for the applique to go smoothly, but well worth the effort. I will give you the order in which I will applique the pieces next.

We were able to put together a button kit for the eyes. The kit contains 50 small black buttons and one larger black button for the eye under the magnifying glass. It is $8.99 and is in limited supply. Click here for more information.

I'll be back soon,
Lynda

Baby Boy Blue in a Box and My First Favorite Notion

I'm going to share with you two of my favorite things--my favorite baby and my favorite notion. Here is my favorite baby! His grandma, Nancy, popped him in this cardboard box lined with a quilt that matched his outfit! He was very content (as long as grandma kept moving) while grandma carried him through the store to say a big hello to everyone. Kian is Nancy's youngest daughter, Laura's newest boy. He has two big brothers who absolutely adore him. It's a treat for us all when Laura stops in to visit or to work. Thanks, Kian, for letting me get a quick photo!

Now, on to my favorite notions. One of my very favorite's (could not live without) is an Applique Pressing Sheet. This double-sided sheet is made from an ultra high temperature fabric that is coated with non-stick Polylon. We carry it in two sizes--13 x 17" and 18 x 20". The sheet has many uses. It can be used as a craft and painting surface. Paint and glue peel off easily when dry. It can also be used in the oven to bake shrink-art, clay, and salt dough projects. MY FAVORITE USE, though, is for fusing applique pieces together. The transparent construction allows me to see my pattern through the sheet to use as a placement guide while I fuse overlapping pieces together into one unit. Fused fabrics peel right off the sheet. I also use it to protect my ironing board cover when I am fusing fabric. I have both sizes and I've also cut a second large one into two smaller pieces.

Call the store, or check our website for pricing and availability. If we don't have them in stock, leave a request because we order both sizes often.

If there is a notion you would like to recommend or to learn about, please leave me a comment. All of the notions that I will be showing you will be great to have if you join me for the Alphabet Quilt Blog of the Month.

Happy Stitching,

Lynda

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour

Tomorrow starts the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour Sneak Peek. Every day through Nov. 12th, you can check in with approximately a dozen designers to hear their thoughts about the design process and/or to get a free pattern that uses their original block. AND lots of prizes will be given away by the folks at Quiltmaker as well as by the block designers.

Our blog day is Thursday the 11th and ... did I mention that lots of prizes will be given away? I am designing a tablerunner pattern that you can download for free that uses our Spring Flowers applique block.

These magazines are truly Collector's Editions and feature today's top designers as well as up and coming newbies. Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks will be on the newstand November 16th, but until then enjoy the sneak peeks.

Back to designing,

Lynda

My Alphabet Quilt Blog of the Month

We returned from International Quilt Market on Sunday. We had a wonderful time, but I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to attend, because I had re-injured my left foot and knew that I absolutely couldn't walk the entire market. Then I checked in to renting an electric scooter and found out that I could take it back to my room and virtually anywhere downtown that I would want to go. Hooray!!!!! I would have been so disappointed since I have attended every Quilt Market except for 1981 when my daughter was born. The scooter was wonderful and I only came close to demolishing one jewelry booth--no empathy shown by that woman at all. : (

One product that we got really excited about is Amy Bradley's My Alphabet Quilt pattern and book.

Amy's daughter Ashley Heryer, wrote the story for her daughter, and Amy illustrated it with quilt blocks. I am going to present it as a Blog of the Month like I did with Amy's Happy Halloween pattern. It will be an 8 month program. Each month, for seven months I will present 4 blocks and give you hints, techniques, and notions that will help you complete the alphabet blocks and then month 8 will be set aside for borders, quilting, and binding. To get a general idea of how it works, click on the Happy Halloween icon on the sidebar. Below is a close-up of block B.

I'm still working out the details but will let you know ASAP! I'd love for you to join me!

Happy Stitching,

Lynda

Halloween and Home For the Harvest

One of my favorite books that we have published is Home For the Harvest! It is filled with wonderful Autumn and Halloween projects. This is one of my favorites with Dracula, a blue-faced Witch, Frankenstein, and a Princess. We show this in the book as a long, narrow wallhanging and also as separate placemats. What fun!

I sent my son an advertisement for an iPhone app from Pottery Barn Kids. You take a photo of your child (in his case, 5 year old twins) and then try on different Halloween costumes and send them out for friends and relatives to see. Hello Patrick and Lori--we are waiting for the pics!

The weather is absolutely gorgeous here. If you have been reading our blog for awhile, you might remember my post of I Love Orange. We have a bush in our backyard that starts out kind of red in the Spring and then turns to green for the Summer and then totally shines in orange for Fall. I am going to try to take pics of it everyday for the next couple of weeks to show you just how beautiful it becomes.

Today has been my day at the computer. I started out with my Quilt University homework for EQ6, worked on my EQ7 Bee homework, did a little blog hopping, tweeted a bit, and am now blogging. Be sure to check out our website for a Halloween Scavenger Hunt--some really great prizes will be awarded.

Busy, busy weekend, but I hope to actually sew some tomorrow. Until next time,
Happy stitching!

Lynda

Patchwork Lottery

Here at the store we do a Patchwork Lottery every month. We post a pattern on our website (or you can pick up a free pattern in the store). Anyone who wants to participate makes at least one block and returns it to us. For each block you make you get an entry to win all of the blocks. On the last day of the month a winner is chosen.

Bess Lantz from Beatrice, NB won 29 blocks in the May Patchwork Lottery. She made one extra block and set the quilt together with yellow sashing and a dark blue border. The block is named Prairie Queen. We think the quilt is lovely and we thank her for sharing the picture with us. And, by the way, if you do make a quilt and send us the picture you get your choice of an autographed Possibilities book--nice prize!


If you are interested in participating in our Patchwork Lottery click here to go to the link on our homepage. September's block is a pretty red apple with blue sashing and we have already received several blocks.

Thank you Bess for sharing your quilt!
Happy stitching,
Lynda and Nancym

It's finally here, Rocky Mountain Shop Hop 2010!!!!!!!!!!

We have 7 shops in our Rocky Mountain Quilt Fever Shop Hop. The Hop lasts for 3 days-- Friday, August 6th through Sunday, August 8th, 2010.

This year each shop chose a patchwork block and made two of them. We also chose two reproduction fabrics in the same colorway--one medium and one dark. In our case we colored our block in two different ways. One of our blocks is in the upper right hand corner. See if you can find it's match. We were then free to design an exclusive setting for our quilt. As you can see from the picture, we have more than 14 blocks. We chose one of the blocks and made 3 more for the setting blocks in the corners. All of the light fabric in the blocks and border of our quilt is the light combination of the exclusive toile fabric. It made for a very nice background for the patchwork as well as the applique.


Hoppers go to each store, buy a kit to make two blocks (or get the pattern for free) and choose their favorite quilt setting. I've seen most of the settings and they are all unique, but guess which one I feel is the prettiest?

We will have some great demos going on and lots of new product. Nancy is especially excited about a new ruler called Leaves Galore. She has put together a wonderful storyboard showing some of the great things this ruler can do. Several of us want the set of 3, but we will wait until Shop Hop is over to see if there are any left.

We hope to see many of you during the next few days and if you can't come, check back here and we will let you know how it turned out.

Happy Hopping,

Lynda

P.S. Check the blog below for close-up pictures of the exclusive Toile fabric from RJR and our website for close-ups of the blocks. http://www.greatamericanquilt.com/

Christmas in July

Merry Christmas everyone! Christmas in July at Great American Quilt Factory, starts this Sunday, July 18th and goes through Saturday, July 24th. Customers in the store and online will enjoy 20% savings off of anything Christmas. What a great time to start your Christmas sewing.

Just in time for Christmas in July is our newest pattern No Peeking. This delightful wallhanging/banner is approx. 14 x 40".

No Peeking's bright colors and simple patchwork and applique make this a perfect gift.

We have a ton of Christmas fabric and Nancy and the design team have stitched up lots and lots of stitching friendly panel quilts. See some of them on the website http://www.greatamericanquilt.com/.

Also on display in the store are several of the models from our newest C&T book Christmas with Possibilities.
Christmas with Possibilities is truly a lovely book filled with 16 holiday projects--some old fav's from out of print books and some wonderful new projects! If you can make it into the store, I'm sure you will enjoy seeing the actual quilts and projects.

Last, but not least, become a fan of Great American Quilt Factory on Facebook for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate. We have already given away 2 and are giving away at least one more when we reach our 1000th fan. Go to Great American Quilt Factory and click on "Like" at the top of the page next to our name. Good Luck!

Happy stitching,

Lynda

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July friends,

It is a beauty of a holiday weekend here in Denver--a little barbequing, a little partying, and lots of friends. The quilt above is 1776 from our Seasonal Delights book. I thought it was very appropiate for this weekend.

We have a very special tradition in our neighborhood. For a reasonable price a couple of boy scouts put up a large flag on everyone's lawn for all patriotic days. The street looks lovely with all the flags flying. They put them up at dawn and take them down just before dusk. I can't wait to see them tomorrow.

Have a wonderful weekend and maybe get in a little stitching.

Lynda

Great American Quilt Factory a McCall's Hometown Favorite

We are so honored to be one of McCall's Hometown Favorites featured quilt shops! We love working with the great women at McCall's Quilting and Quick Quilts and in fact we write a column each month for these magazines.

This new magazine features 16 quilt shops around the country and each shop has designed a quilt and kitted it. This special magazine America Quilts Hometown Favorites will be on the newsstand on May 18th. Starting Monday, May 10th, 3-4 shops will be featured each day in an online Shop Hop. Register to win the featured quilt kit from each shop and other prizes, including a delicious Moda fat quarter tower. Don't forget to enter each day. Just go to the Great American Quilt Factory website for the Online Shop Hop link.

Here is a picture of our quilt, Into the Woods. I must say that it is absolutely gorgeous and would be beautiful on a wall in my family room. Hmmmm--there is the finished sample. : )

Enjoy reading about the featured shops and deciding which is your favorite quilt. Register at the 3-4 featured shops each day and remember that if you don't win a kit there will be kits available for purchase.

Good luck and happy shopping,

Lynda

Christmas with Possibilities Surprise

Nancy and I got a package in the mail today and a special delivery for each of us at the store!

Here is what was in the package--our newest book Christmas with Possibilities published by C&T. It is truly a lovely book filled with 16 holiday projects--some old fav's from out of print books and some new wonderful projects! I'm ready to jump right in since it is May and we are already receiving Christmas 2010 fabrics.

A little bit later, we each got one of these...................

.................a beautiful basket filled with flowers!

Thank you to all at C&T who helped bring this book to print. We always enjoy working with all of you and you truly bring out topnotch products!

Thank you for a wonderful surprise!

Lynda and Nancy

Hometown Favorites Online Shop Hop with prizes

McCall's Quilting Magazine is introducing a very special, newsstand only issue titled America Quilts, Hometown Favorites available on newstands, May 18. There will be 16 featured shops that have each designed an exclusive quilt and we were lucky enough to be one of them. Our quilt is absolutely stunning--the only thing I can tell you is that we've named it Into the Woods, it's made in creams, rusty reds, browns, and blacks, and it's a variation of one of our favorite traditional patterns.

McCalls will also be hosting an online shop hop, May 10-14, where you will be able to read interviews with the selected shop owners and purchase a kit for their quilt. And...........prizes--each shop will be giving away a kit for their quilt and Moda will be giving away a tower of 40 fat quarters (and we all need more fat quarters)!!!!

Visit McCall's Quilting to get the full list of shops along with contest details. Bookmark this site and don't forget to check in on May 10th to start the hop. We're excited!

Happy Birthday to us and a blog contest for you!

It's April and Great American Quilt Factory's 29th birthday, which means that we are going into our 30th year in business.! Hip, Hip, Hooray! I can still vividly remember sitting on the cement floor in a brand new vacant space, drinking a glass of wine and wondering how we were ever going to make it to the end of our first 5 year lease and here we are, many leases later.

Now the store is in it's 30th year which means I have been quilting for over 40 (I started at a very, very young age). Recently I have been researching different hand and machine applique techniques. I do quite a bit of machine applique but haven't done applique by hand for many, many years--my how it has changed! My method back then was to baste all the seam allowances under, baste the pieces into position, and then applique. Several years ago I tried a little bit of needle-turn and decided it wasn't my cup of tea. Just recently I took a class on the freezer paper method by Pearl Pereira-P3 Designs. I really enjoyed it, especially because after the applique was glued into place, it was totally portable. Next I'll be checking out the back-basting technique for hand applique and revisiting Beth Ferrier's machine technique.

Now, I'm asking for your advice. Please leave a comment telling me what your favorite method of applique is and why and/or your favorite applique tool. You will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of 3 autographed copies of our out-of-print book, Joy to the World--a collector's item and very difficult to find in perfect condition. You will have until Sunday, April 18th to comment and the 3 winners will be chosen at random on the 19th. Please make sure that you leave an e-mail so that you can be contacted.

For a quiltylicious way to celebrate your birthday or special occasion, this little quilt from the pattern Ode to a Cupcake, might be the perfect choice. In fact, I might use this pattern to experiment with my applique techniques making an applique sampler.

Quilting has changed so much in the last 40 years and I am so glad that it is still my passion! Next I'll be checking out hand piecing techniques and perhaps we'll hold another contest.

Best of luck to each of you and happy stitching,
Lynda

California here we come!

Yea! Yea! Yea! California here we come!

Nancy and I are headed to one of our favorite places for a busman's holiday. We love to go to the Empty Spools Seminars at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, CA. We are taking an Independent Study class from our friend and fellow author/teacher, Becky Goldsmith.

That means we can do anything we want--although that is what we always try to do--5 days of sewing without too many expectations. Sewing, walking the beach, sewing, great dinners in Pacific Grove, sewing!!!! If you have not heard of Empty Spools, check it out or call/e-mail us for more information. It is supposed to be rainy and cool which is a change up from snow, snow, and more snow.

We will also make at least one trip to Back Porch Fabrics. BPF always has something new and fun--Gail always seems to have fabric that we don't carry and has a great gallery exhibit. Be sure to stop in if you are ever in Pacific Grove.

Happy stitching,

Lynda

Pat Sloan's radio interview

Hip Hip Horray!

Today we made history! We were Pat Sloan's first guests on her new radio show!! Pat asked questions and made comments and we talked, talked, talked--of course Pat makes it soooo easy. To hear the interview, click on this link Pat Sloan's Radio Show . After you listen to the interview, check back here, leave a comment by Friday the 22nd and be entered to win this wonderful gift basket filled with lots of 'possibilities'.

Enjoy,

Lynda and Nancy

Lynda & Nancy's interview by Pat Sloan

Our friend and fellow teacher/blogger, Pat Sloan, is starting a one hour Internet Radio Show on Monday, January 18th and......drum roll please.......Nancy and I are her first guests! Pat's word of the year is Possibility, which led her to think of us.

Pat will be talking about creativity, motivation, inspiration, trends, techniques, GIVEAWAYS and much, much more. You will be able to listen to it live or download it to listen later. If you follow Pat at all, you will probably agree that she is the original Energizer Bunny. Her brain and body must not sleep. We are so honored to be her first guest and hope you will be listening in.

Speaking of GIVEAWAYS, leave a comment on our blog (by Friday the 22nd) about the interview and be entered for a chance to win this gift basket valued at more than $50.00. It's filled with lots of Possibilities.

To read more about Pat and her new show click here.

Remember, Monday the 18th at 4:00 PM EST and be sure to leave a comment on our blog for your chance to win the basket of goodies.

Congrats on your new venture, Pat!

Lynda