Peeps help me design
Yesterday my husband bought me my favorite Easter treat! PEEPS! Two packages of yellow chicks. I consumed one box right away, I just couldn’t help myself. I’m trying to have control with the other package, make myself eat only one at a time, ok two at a time, but at least sit down at my desk and eat them slowly. It’s really tough! I love these little things, and I only get them once a year! The thing no one knows is that Peeps actually help me design! They’re my comfort candy. And I’ve been doing a LOT of designing. It’s a good thing the stores are filled with Peeps!
You haven’t heard from me in a while, and it’s because just when I was going to tell you how I stay organized, Moda called and moved my deadlines up by several months. What’s a girl to do? You jump in with both feet and let everything go that you can. My husband cooks dinners, feeds our pets, grocery shops, and runs errands when my life gets like this. He wonders if he’ll ever see me emerging from what he calls my “bat cave” (yes he thinks he’s funny).
When I started designing fabric, it changed the way I create a quilt. Now instead of working with a bundle of fabric, Moda emails me high-resolution swatches of each print in my line. I place the digital swatches into a full-size drawing of my quilt, working in layers so I can change and move fabrics around. It’s a bit like working on a giant jigsaw puzzle!
All of my design images for my next fabric line, along with yardage information are due to Moda by early March. They have a catalog to create! So instead of working with the actual fabrics, I’m calculating yardage digitally. I’ve learned a process that works well for my applique quilts. Here’s an example of how Cottontail Cottage looked on my monitor as I was finishing up the digital quilt. You can see all the fabric swatches I’m working with on the right-hand side of the monitor. When I select one swatch, I tell my software to pick ALL the similar swatches in the quilt. Then I lay them out on a separate artboard and start to calculate yardage.
I’m still waiting on sample fabrics to arrive from Moda so we can actually make the quilts. We’ll move fast once the new fabric is here! The applique templates are cut and ready to go. We’ll cut fabrics, prep the applique and make the samples. I have some wonderful ladies to help me, and they are very used to working like crazy. The fun will be in seeing it all come together!
And FYI we’ve started a sale of the week over the next month. Every Sunday we’ll add a new item at 25% off that week. Our first item on sale is our Hip & Hop mini quilt kit!
I’ve still had a few glitches with my new blog design. I’d like to know if you’ve even missed the “link” section I normally have at the top of my blog? And one of my favorite blog followers (Deanna this is you) gets an error code every time she tries to post a comment. If anyone else is getting this can you email me through this blog and let me know? We’ve been working on it but so far can’t figure it out. I have some giveaways coming up so I want to make sure everyone can comment.
Tell me what you’ve been doing since my last post. Has everyone been working on new projects? Any applique? Embroidery? I’d love for you to share. Now that I’m almost done with my Moda deadlines, I should be able to get back to some regular blog posting! I still plan on doing several posts about how I organize my quilting life. I think some of my tips will help you organize your own projects, so I’ll come back to them. I’ve missed you!
Hugs,
Anne
34 Comments
Jeanne
Thank you for all the sweet designs you continue to design. I love the small Christmas quilt and have a few mini charms I can use.
Teresa C
Love the new look. And always loves giveaway! I’ll let you know if I encounter any glitches
Cheryl
Love the brown and pinks together in your new line. Can’t wait for spring. Right now I’m working on many unfinished kits I have stacked up in my sewing room. It’s a good feeling to know I’m making headway. Nothing is quilted but at least I’m getting them pieced. Only 20 days until spring!
Marian Simons
I love Peeps too, and although I am now a diabetic (T2) and on Metformin, I can still have a few treats!! :D
Anita
Wow sounds like such a busy hectic life! So glad you do what you do!
Margaret Mead
I took advantage of your sale to buy two kits at the top of my wish list, Sugar Plum Stocking Treats and Sugar Stars. I was so excited to receive them and love how beautifully they are packaged and labeled. Now I just need to find the time to work on them. Love your designs!
Ann P
I’m working on a wool applique project. Very relaxing.
Susan
I’ve been working on the villages quilt along that is all over the internet. Fun! I love hearing about your comfort food that helps you design! My comfort candy is peppermint nougats that are sold at Christmas.
Maria Elena Blecha
What have I been doing??? Well I have been going through all my sewing, quilting, embroidering Magazines!!!!!! Over 20 years worth !! I am happy to report that as I go through them I pull out what I really think I will be doing, and organizing them all in folders. made folders for sewing, quilting, painting, embroidering, household, dolls, etc and I am filing them that way. Next I hope to start on fabrics!!! Oh so overwhelming!
Kathleen Conner
HI Anne! I am still sashing Spooky Halloween and sewing the blocks for your Christmas Stocking quilt. I went a little crazy with my Block of the Months sign ups, so I am finishing a few and starting a few and making a mess of the dining room table. So disappointed that I still have a 40 hour a week “real” job.Btw, when you send out your newletters, are we supposed to see the whole thing on the email. I never can, even when pressing the {…} at the end of the paragraph I can see. I have to go online to read the full post.
Tamara Gassen
Glad to read your blog love. I have been finishing up bom quilts from last year. Can’t wait to start some new projects. Can’t wait for spring with all the cheery colors.
Harriett Cheek
I finished my Christmas stocking quilt and it is st the quilter’s. I’m anxious to get it back.
Sharon
Perhaps I don’t know your website but, when I click on Shop, I get a message that it can’t be reached. I am interested in the above mini quilt but can’t find any information. Help!
Lea Kagel
Hi Anne and the Gang,
So wonderful to get this post as I liked learning a bit about the design process. My New Year’s resolution was to complete every (quilt) project I start-and guess what-I’ve completed three quilts so far! Your beautiful designs inspire me as well as your lovely fabrics. I am going to start the log cabin quilt with your pretty pink and blue fabrics and the nifty new acrylic log cabin tool to get the perfectly squared up blocks! Go Chelsea! That Tiffany diamond collar awaits!
Beth
I received my Cottontail Cottage kit a few weeks ago and can hardly wait to get started! I have a four day retreat next week, so YAY! A beautiful new project to work on! Good luck with your deadlines ☺
Margaret
I really enjoyed learning about your design process, and am looking forward to seeing the 2018 designs! And the new fabric, of course. :)
Catherine
Greetings from Northern Saskatchewan Canada! I liked the old blog. Less jumpy if that makes sense. I love everything bunnyhill. I have been busy working on UFOs this winter!!! It’s a wonderful feeling. I have finished 10 projects and hope to do 10 more before I start something new!!
Sandra Dennison
What lovely fabrics you have created! Thanks for the behind the scenes look at your process!
Sue H
I’ve been EPP lately a design called Mosaics by Irene Blanck. When my hands get too sore to work on that project, I’m back to my knitting! Glad you’re back and it seems my comment is going to post A-OK!
lee
I love the new header and I enjoyed reading about your design process. Love me so peeps too!
Juanita
Hi Anne,Can’t wait to see your new fabric and patterns! I started working on Cottontail Cottage this weekend. Got all the blocks pieced and the applique fused on for block one. I am making bunny/chickie quilts for each of my granddaughters. I have finished Baltimore Bunnies and Rabbits Prefer Chocolate so far. Chicks Jubilee is patiently waiting it’s turn! Merry Merry Snowmen has been in the works for a while. All of the blocks are done except for the embroidery. I have the kit for Sugar Plum Christmas but haven’t started that one yet. I have made many baby quilts with your patterns as well. Can you tell I am a huge fan of your work?
Sunny
Love the peeps! The fabric ones and the sugar ones! I’m working on about 12 different projects, including two very old BOM’s. I won a Bunny Hill pattern at retreat last weekend, so I hope to get started on that in the near future.
Loris
I love Peeps too! They are sure to inspire some fun designs :-)
mimi'sdarlins
Hi Anne, nice to see your post! I love the darling mini quilt, I’m calculating whether I could whip that up in time for Easter. I can picture you designing…it must be such a delight to create patterns with fabrics you designed. To answer your questions, your new blog works fine for me, links etc, email notifications. I recently completed blocks for a UFO, also very quickly made a new quilt top using springy florals from my stash, and am also making large hexie flowers, I need two more to total 42 and will applique those to background squares. Whew! I didn’t realize how much I’m getting done! I also love Peeps :)
Tiffanee Noack
Wowza…what a life of designing you live…so thankful for what you do because you’re fabrics and patterns are YUMMY…being a longarm Quilter I STAY very busy Quilting for others but manage to get my stuff attended to just not as often as I’d like.
A Clark
I’m thrilled to see your process for designing and know how it works when you do not have the fabric yet! I have been finishing up some long overdue quilts–one T-shirt quilt my son begged me to make (I am not a big fan of T-shirt quilts) and a wonderful quilt for a friend..she loves it! Now, I am finishing up a wedding quilt for an April wedding. My list of fun projects is extremely long! :-)
Martina
So lovely to hear from you and learn about your designing process. The ducklings are so sweet and it is wonderful to have a sweet treat to help designing, lol! I am still working slowly on my happy flower quilt block. Then there will be a bloghop beginning of march and at the moment my brain is thinking all about babyquilts as I will be a grandma soon, yay!Have a wonderful week, hugs Martina
Katherine
OH NO!! — getting a “not secure” message when I click on the “SHOP” button – Yikes!
Kim E.
What a treat to get a behind-the-scenes look at your design process! I’m stepping out of my comfort zone, which is your beautiful range of fabrics, and making an “Amish With A Twist” quilt using brighter rainbow batiks. I’ve just started the center section and learning to stretch my sense of color.
Janan Doster
I love the new header on your blog.
Rebecca Stipe
Hi Anne I have been working on Chick Jubilee I’ve had this since 2013 I’m on the last block finally, hope to have it done by Easter. It has been so much fun working on this quilt.
Tammy
Love the fabric. Went to a quilt retreat last week so i was busy trying to get finished all the projects from the one before for show and tell. Also did up a tuffet in a quilt sampler style which I Love!
Karen S
How fascinating to see how you design a quilt! I’m working on a long-overdue flannel quilt for a family member. It’s fall colors, which is a challenge since I’m ready for Spring colors. But hopefully it will go quickly. Looking forward to seeing more of your next line and quilts!
Nanette
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