Introducing ‘Roly Poly’ – a 2½″ Strips Quilt

Here is our way to use your 2½″ strips – Scrappy, Jelly Roll or Bali Pops! I designed this years ago and then tossed the drawings aside. Sarah took them, make the quilt and I just fell in love with it! It’s just gorgeous!

Our friend Laura McDonnel asked me one day if we had ever thought about doing a design with 2½″ strips and she was happy to hear that Sarah had already made one because she wanted the pattern immediately The problem was, we never really wrote it down.

So, enter two of my pals from the Stashbusters group on Yahoo, who I begged for help (many thanks to Trudy and Michele!). They made up some strip sets for me and Laura grabbed her pre-cut rolls and we started cutting and quilting.

This is a very quick to make top, but if you use all your decorative stitches, like Sarah did on hers, that takes a bit of time. I am sure she quilted a few squares a day (there are sixteen squares in her quilt) and was done in no time, with absolutely elegant results.












I am still working through mine and Laura is almost finished with hers, but here’s a tiny preview from me:

I am also learning how to make my photos look better, and how to write better downloadable patterns. I would LOVE to hear your comments and suggestions and most of all, I wish you fun and happiness in your quilting!

You can download The Roly Poly Quilt Pattern here.

This is just fascinating

Is it spring yet?

This is the second halibut boat I’ve seen leaving the bay today. It’s warm (for Seward) 37 degrees or so.

The snow is melting and the bunnies are usually waiting for me on the doorstep when I get home from work.

I am working on moving things around (spring fever?) and cleaning and sorting stuff.

Your Way

I just watched a video of a quilter who insisted a quilting technique is bad and wrong and doesn’t make any sense.

BLEH. This “video quilt show wanna-be” has been quilting for just a couple of years, at best. I’ve been machine quilting, teaching, professionally quilting and been published for fifteen years – and I teach the technique that she disparages.

I sure wish the world were less filled with people who insist that their way is the only way and that everyone else is wrong.

I hope that you do things YOUR way and I know that I will be happy as I continue to do things MY way.

Oklahoma and Arizona quilters, some questions for you :)

Hi Quilters, I have been on a whirlwind trip for the past 3 weeks and I am looking for some help! First, I have a quilter who wants to take a Crazy Shortcut Quilts Class in northwest Oklahoma. I am looking for shops info, classes, teachers, anyone with info that I can share with this quilter to help her out – -can you help? Do you know anyone in that area who has made a Crazy Shortcut Quilt or who is teaching the class nearby?

Second, after 31 years of living in Alaska, I am ready to throw in the (frozen) towel. Traveling to Arizona and then coming back to the beginning of winter in Alaska was my tipping point. I am ready for change. I would LOVE to hear from quilters in the northwest of Arizona or southeast Nevada area. This would be a major life change for me and I’d love to chat with anyone else who has made that transition!

Teach Crazy Shortcut Quilt Classes in Your Town!

I really want to share our success with you, Crazy Shortcut quilters who enjoy making these quilts, and who would enjoy teaching this method in classes at your local quilt shops, community schools, sewing centers, guilds or privately.

I invite you to teach Crazy Shortcut Quilting! I’ve spent a major portion of the spring and summer taping video and writing a 45 page eBook about everything Sarah and I do when we are teaching and I’ve put it all together on one DVD and YOU are the first to have a chance to buy it, start teaching it in your town and make a little extra fabric money along the way

I want YOU to enjoy the same success that Sarah and I have enjoyed, and the thrill of teaching and helping others learn to quilt.

I am going about this in my own way too. This is not a professional “studio” taping – it’s done in my quilting studio and I am the writer, video camera operator, editor and packager and for that reason I can keep the price very reasonable – which is a major goal of mine. You can recoup the cost of the Teaching Kit and STILL make money in your very first class and every class thereafter is all YOUR money! There are no monthly membership fees, no licensing fees and no secret handshake.

There is, however, exclusive membership in my Teacher’s Group for each person who buys a Kit. This group is only for Crazy Shortcut Quilting Teachers and in it I will do every single thing I can to help you enjoy teaching success. You will have first access to all new designs, patterns and private videos showing how we make the patterns up and teach the process. If you have ever thought about teaching quilting, join me and I’ll hold your hand and help you all the way.

If you are already a quilting teacher and would like to add a super popular quilt class to your repertoire – buy the kit now and get it on your calendar asap!

If you are a quilt shop owner, you are going to love this Teaching Kit! Give it to your staff and let them take turns teaching it!

Outside work & inside retreat

This weekend finds us outside finishing some work on the house before it gets too cold. Thankfully it’s gorgeous and warm and we hope to get a lot done

My friend Susan Round is having a quilting retreat on her blog this weekend. Stop on by and check out her group and their works and join in if you have time to quilt this weekend. Whatever you are doing this weekend I hope that you enjoy it to the fullest!

Exercise?

Are you a member of a weight loss or fitness group? I have been watching my pal Laura and her progress on Spark People and I just joined today. I am almost obese according to their numbers but what’s worse than that is that I look and feel like blended Jell-O in stretched skin.

I’ve been sitting for too long (a couple of years) with almost no exercise and it shows.

So, I am starting the quest for better health and I wonder what my other pals are doing or using?

I am setting a low goal of going for a walk every day and no more whining about the weather unless it’s raining on ice, in which case I fall a lot, and that’s where I’ll be drawing the line.

Help me out and tell me what you do, what are your goals and what helps you stay on track, okay?

Robbed by Skype

Stolen: half a month’s bandwidth at $65/month!!

Sarah, Audrey and I keep trying to find easier ways to stay in touch. We bought webcams and have tried Yahoo!, Google Talk and then Skype. Then Tom got the monthly cable bill and we were charged for a humungous amount of usage. We went looking and found that the day I downloaded Skype, our bandwidth was maxed out. Not by the download or usage, but because they routed their traffic through our router & computers!!

Theft is what I call it, plain and simple and stupid me for letting it happen. I knew Skype’s reputation (bad) but had been reading about all those free calls (free because Tom is paying for our bandwidth – which they steal and give away!)

I had no idea that their business operation was funded on stolen bandwidth! The jerks! I don’t support P2P, pirating music, copyright theft and now I don’t support bandwidth theft either.
Link to research #1 Link to article #2 Link to article #3

Comet Lulin

Have you heard about this comet? It’s supposed to be visible to both hemispheres, visible to the naked eye, and fascinating to watch!

From this page: “Feb. 24th: Closest approach! On this special morning, Lulin will lie just a few degrees from Saturn in the constellation Leo. Saturn is obvious to the unaided eye, and Lulin could be as well. If this doesn’t draw you out of bed, nothing will. [sky map]“

I don’t know the declination, but my guess is that it is lower than the mountains surrounding Seward to the southwest. I’ll try to see it anyway

Next Page »