A Basket of Marigold's Quilt Finish

 I've finished making my

A Basket of Marigold's

50" X 50"

quilt.

This really was a fun (and easy!) one to work on.

Pattern by Jodi Nelson

of 

Pleasant Home

 I will be teaching this as a class at

3 Dudes Quilt Shop

on Saturday June 28th 

9:30-3:30

The new class schedule is just getting ready to

be posted, so there is still  plenty

of room for sign ups :)

If you would like to make this quilt

in the very exact same fabrics

3 Dudes is putting them into kits.

This quilt just says Spring!

If you would like to see

Basket of Marigolds 

up close

I will be delivering it

to 3 Dudes next week 

to be hung in their store as a 

class sample.

Those Mesa Ladies/February

Yesterday was my favorite day of the month.

A day spent quilting with 

Those Mesa Ladies

Peg brought her

St. Patrick's Day quilt

Peg designed this one herself.

Several ladies in the group work each month 

putting blocks together from

Lori Holt's book Quilty Fun

Peg has a good start on her rows.

Such a beautifully designed book.

Vicki was working on the Flying Geese

and

Chubby Chevrons

from Lori's book.

Jamie was assembling a snowball quilt.

Pattern: Spice Cake by Mary's Cottage Quilts

And the ladies, once again,

outdid themselves by

treating us to a delicious lunch.

We meet each month at our church

and they always are so good about bringing in decorations

and wonderful food

in celebration of the upcoming holidays.

Inter-pre-nating Quilts

 The other day I was sitting around a table

with a group of friends

and one of them said, describing another

"She is really good at Interprenating quilts"

My friend laughed at her own faux pas

stating "I don't think that is a real word."

but we all knew immediately what she meant.

Do you?

 The reason she might have wondered if 

Interprenating 

is a real word 

comes from our experience of constantly learning new

Quilt Lingo

Sometimes it can make your head spin.

I can remember the setting and where I was 

when I first learned the meaning of the words

Stipple

Wonkey

and

Fussy Cut

In Linguistics, new words are regularly being formed 

all the time, and as quilters

we like keep up with current trends.

A Portmanteau word or Blend Word

is formed by merging the sounds and meanings

of two or more words.

Think:

Sharknado (Shark +Tornado)

Infomercial (Information + Commercial)

Brangelina (Brad Pitt + Angelina Jolie)
So if you are good at
Interpreting quilts and Communicating pattern design
you just might be an
Interprenator!

So, I ask you, is Inter-pre-nating a real word?

If used often enough, it can become one!
(Although I might have to run this idea past our daughter Elizabeth
who has a degree in Linguistics)
But for now,

I think I need to get busy and start

interprenating a few more quilts.

Tone It Down Quilts

Have you read about 

all of the wonderful quilts being made

as part of 

Lissa Alexander's (modalissa blogspot)

Tone It Down

Quilt Along ?

Lissa gathered 9 top Designers

each with the challenge

to make her version of 

Burgoyne Surround

using their own fabric variations.

I fell in love with Lissa's quilt

using Scrappy *Low Volume fabrics

for the background.

*small to medium light toned background prints

 I rarely buy quilt magazines anymore

but this one came home immediately.

American Patchwork and Quilting

Feb 2014 issue

contains all of the instructions for making

Tone It Down

and how to join the Quilt Along

Two of my fellow Bees Knees ladies

were part of the Designer line up.

My friend Sherri McConnell (A Quilting Life)

also made a fabulous Scrappy Low Volume version.

These colors make me want to run right out 

and buy more low volume backgrounds

to add to my stash.

And fellow Bees Knees member

Carrie Nelson (Miss Rosie's Quilt Company)

made hers out of a more traditional

red and scrappy creams.

A completely different look.

But, one that really made me realize how

individual a quilt can be

simply through fabric selection 

was made by

Jane Davidson (Quilt Jane)

By placing contrasting fabrics in different positions

she created an entirely new look.

Wow!

There are good reasons these ladies are top designers!

I am seeing entire 

Pinterest Boards 

and a flickr Group

being devoted to 

Tone It Down

versions

as this quilt gains in popularity.

My only hard choice is which type should I make?

Science Fair Quilt

 Jeff Carr

of 

3 Dudes Quilt Shop

has made a quilt that 

my eye was really drawn to.

Floating hexagons

in the most wonderful fabrics.

 Science Fair

by Jaybird Quilts

 Fabric line

Soho by Quilting Treasures

 Fabric and pattern available at

3 Dudes Quilt Shop

Science Fair uses the

Hex N More Ruler

by Julie Herman

also available at 3 Dudes

St. Patrick's Day at 3 Dudes

There is a common Irish saying:

"If you are lucky enough to be Irish,

then you're lucky enough."

I'm sure the 3 Dudes would agree.

 Being Irish, both Ray and Jeff 

love St. Patrick's Day

and have been busy decorating their store.

 Fabrics covered in 

Shamrocks

and 

Kiss Me I'm Irish

are available for purchase.

You will find 3 Irish Dudes to welcome you 

at the front door.

 And 3 more Irish Dudes 

to greet you 

right as you enter the store.

A true Irish Welcome

Another Irish saying:

"A good laugh and a

long sleep are the two best cures."

Motivation to make more quilts :)

3 Dudes Quilt Shop 

is located at

5053 E. Elliot Rd

Phoenix, Arizona

The Sewing Machine Song

Betty Hutton 1947 

from the movie The Perils of Pauline

The Sewing Machine Song

Too funny!

It certainly made me wonder

how many lives would

"come to a no good end"

if it wasn't for our sewing machines.

I can only speak personally,

but I am well aware

my machine has provided years of 

calming therapy :)

*Wouldn't this song be fun to sing at Quilt Retreats?

Ohhh the sewing machine, the sewing machine
A girl's best friend
If I didn't have my sewing machine
I'd a come to no good end
But a bobbin a bobbin and peddle a peddle
And wheel the wheel by day
So by night I feel so weary that I never get out to play

Ohhh the sewing machine, the sewing machine
A friend in need
If I didn't having my sewing machine
A wicked life I'd lead
But a bobbin a bobbin and peddle a peddle
And dream about romance
So by night I feel so weary that I never get out to dance

Ohhh the sewing machine, the sewing machine
Me pride and joy
If I didn't having me sewing machine
I'd a married James McCoy
But a bobbin a bobbin and peddle a peddle
And that's the end of Jim
'Cause by night I get so weary I don't even look good to him

Wagons West Designs

The other day while I was sewing at 3 Dudes

Martha Walker of

Wagons West Designs

walked in 

to display a few of her new quilts.

She was kind enough to let me take pictures

to share with you.

Martha is known for her

Elegant Vintage Style

in quilts, wool applique and fabric design.

Breakfast Tea

39 1/2" X 48 1/4"

Made from Martha's latest fabric design

Elementary

with Studio e

 Martha recently had a booth at 

AQS/Phoenix 

and her husband dressed up as 

Sherlock Holmes to help promote

her latest fabric line Elementary

Wish I had taken a picture because he

looked great

complete with cape and

Deerstalker Hat

 The back is made from

a one piece wholecloth

 Bats In The Barn

16" X 20"

 Basket Quartet

68" X 68"

 Free PDF pattern can be downloaded

from Studio e

HERE

 It was really nice to meet Martha and to get to know

her a little better.

Martha lives here in the Phoenix Metro.

Patterns are available for purchase

at 3 Dudes Quilt Shop