They call this a quilt?

It’s a little embarrassing to show you my scribbles (don’t know what else to call them). Promise you won’t laugh! I wanted to show you how an applique quilt is designed. I’m finishing up quilts for Spring Market and I came across the original graph paper with my Rabbits Prefer Chocolate design. I smiled as I looked at it, because the original scribble (very child-like don’t you think?) is not as the quilt ended up.

If the truth be told, not a single applique quilt that I have designed has ever ended up as it started. As I work along, the quilts take on a life of their own. Sometimes I get stuck and sometimes they just falls into place. I never know what to expect.

To design applique you must have patience, patience, patience. I am put to the test many times over and often think I will not be able to finish! You have to be willing to redraw, move blocks around and then redraw the designs again. I work on a design over a relatively short period of time and I live almost every minute with it. When something isn’t working it’s my husband who makes me quit and take a break. He tells me to stop, get some rest and start again in the morning. I hate it when he’s right, but every designer needs someone to tell them when to STOP! It’s key to success.

I start with an idea, a basic layout, some drawings and a fabric line I’ve selected that I think will work with my design. For example, I needed a lot of browns for the bunnies and I choose the Wuthering Heights line because of the many assorted browns. Then I pull in fabrics from other lines, because it adds contrast and that “spark” that is critical to a quilt. I also makes it much more fun for me!

My original graph paper layouts always look like children’s drawings. I quickly sketch in the drawing that I think will work and then I move onto the next part of the quilt. If you look at the drawing on the left side of the photo you can see that I originally started with tulips and flowers all over…well off they came as I went along. As Martha would say, “it a good thing” (: More bunnies were added and Rabbits Prefer Chocolate was born! You promised you wouldn’t laugh!

Sewing boxes for Alyssa and Michaela

I know that life will return to normal sometime soon in the future and I’m taking advantage of it now with these 2 little red boxes. I am having so much fun! I’m filling them with all the little sewing treats I can find. Each one will have it’s own special charm packs, big girl scissors, pin cushions, thread, a pull out tape measure, ruler, needle threader and yes a real needles.

Alyssa and Michaela are my grand-daughters, ages 5 and 6. I’ve promised sewing lessons to each and when I saw these little boxes I knew they would be perfect. I’ll find the perfect spot in my studio and let them keep their goodies there. Then under careful supervision, a new generation of quilters might begin!

This is the younger generation we should be focusing on in order to keep quilting alive! I wonder if “Quilter’s Home” magazine has thought of that? (:

And, if you want to know where I got these little boxes, http://www.landofnod.com! Thanks for reminding me Gloria!

My “market brain” is in full force and getting worse by the day! My friend Anne Bryson came over yesterday to help me with my quilt I’m calling “All Things Christmas”. Anne’s helped me from the very start of Bunny Hill. The stories she could tell! She calls me Oprah and I call her Gail…that’s how our relationship works. It’s really hysterical to watch. When she arrived I had the table all set for her! If truth be known, she’s really the boss.

Lunch is served

I’m working with a combination of fabrics for this quilt. When I opened the Roman Holiday package this piece of fabric jumped out at me. Let’s see if you can figure out how I’ve used it. If you were making a Christmas quilt what would you use this for? Come on, use your imagination! It’s a major part of an applique block.

At the same time I’m working on patterns, I’m thinking about the booth for Spring Market. It’s a huge undertaking and many designers go “all out”. The drapes have to be made, then fireproofed with this horrid spray. Decorations, floor coverings, quilt layouts and a theme are just a few of the considerations. Everyone tells us not to worry about our booths, that the customers are coming to see the quilts. When you walk into market and see the booths going up you know that can’t be true! It’s always amazing!

I was going through my photos from last year and I thought you might enjoy seeing a bit of the process of setting up. We arrive at market as early as we can, dressed in work clothes and comfortable shoes. Then we get busy to turn the steel poles into a booth.

We grab a rented ladder, put the tallest person on it and try to figure out what we’re doing. I stand in the background, take photos and give directions (just kidding!)

If you get there early enough you can usually grab a few tables to lay things out on. They don’t provide “work” tables so you use what you can find. Water bottles are critical at this point because you start to get really tired and dehydrated.

And finally after 2 days of work it’s all ready to go!

Six weeks and counting before things have to be shipped to International Quilt Market. Everyone in the quilt industry is busy, busy, busy and has what I call “Market Brain”. It’s a weird thing that happens to all of us going to market. We loose control over our lives, become obsessed with getting just one more pattern completed, work like there is no tomorrow and drive everyone around us crazy. Be glad you don’t live with a designer. It’s impossible and we drag our family and friends right along with us to the funny farm.

I’m working as fast as I can to “prep” all the blocks for another applique quilt and today I can see an end to this design. It’s taken lots of cookies and popcorn to get me through, but maybe today, or at least by tomorrow I can send the blocks to my friends to be stitched in place. Another Bunny Hill Block of the Month will be on it’s way.

To add a little more chaos to my life we are moving in the middle of all this. I really think I must be nuts. Or, maybe it’s the opposite and I’m a genius! I’ve somehow managed to sew away while everything in my life is being put into boxes and moved. Without our little get away home in Oregon I could not have pulled this off! We have 3 weeks in-between houses and at least we have a place to stay.

So for me it’s hurry up and for my husband it’s please slow down! Before we leave our cottage house I have to share some photos of the beautiful roses growing all around that little house. Don’t worry, I’m bringing lots of roses that I have growing in pots to my new house. My very favorite is called the Audrey Hepburn rose. I couldn’t leave Audrey behind.

The new people moving into our cottage are the perfect people! They will treasure it and take care of the roses. I have no doubt about that! So let’s not forget to enjoy the roses while we can. They are ready to boom and show off to a new family!