Apron Pattern Now Available!

Need a cool new apron that is really practical too? Our Retro Clothespin Apron is now a pattern! You can get it here from Quiltwoman.com, or here from my Etsy Shop. (my etsy shop offers free shipping)

It has one large, sturdy pocket the size of the entire apron for holding anything that you might need with household or gardening chores. It only takes three fabrics to make it, and you can get so many different looks. The first picture is made with the Alahumbra II collection from Art Gallery Fabrics, and this one is made from Just Dreamy collection from Riley Blake Designs.

This last picture shows it in Oops-A-Daisy from Blanks Fabrics. Now I think I'll make it in Jo Morton fabrics :)

And an extra little tidbit today ~ Another really neat place to visit on this world wide web is called I Have a Notion. Kelly has a really comprehensive online store (where she has also included my patterns ~ Thanks Kelly!), and a great blog where they are celebrating their one year anniversary by having 30 days of giveaways! They are half way through the 30 days, so hop on over there and check it out!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Any Honey Bee Sightings Yet?

I haven't had any honey bee sightings in my garden yet, so I made this wool felt picture from a pattern that I got at Quilt Market. It's called Faith...Family...Friends by Ewe-nique Creations, and the pattern makes three 8" x 10" framed pictures of different flowers and primitive words stitched on, and each one has a little honey bee (If you like to work with wool I have one pattern left here in my ebay store).

I only made this one, it is "Faith" and the flower is Lavender Larkspur. I love how the flower, leaves and bee are 3 dimensional, you can almost smell the lavender!

I framed it in a black oval frame that has a vintage feel that I found at Joanne's Fabrics. (And for anyone who is not into working with wool, I have the finished product for sale here in my etsy store.)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Another Shameless Plug

I just had to share (and forgive me, if you are one of my Facebook friends you already know this) ~ I'm so happy to find out that my two patterns that are currently being published by Quiltwoman.com have been picked up by Checkers Distributors! Tell your local Quilt shops! ((Please)) The first one is called My Heart's Content. (I know most of you who follow my blog have seen these already ~ sorry, but I'm enough of a newbie at all of this, that it's really exciting to me!).

The next pattern is called Rootin Tootin Cowboy Quilt. This pattern also includes instructions for the coordinating throw pillows, and the side-zippered pj/toy storage duffel seen below.

I know a lot of quilt shop owners like to place most of their orders through distributors like Checkers to simplify their ordering. So...both of my patterns can be found on Checkers by searching by designer (Dawn Stewart), or by vendor (Quiltwoman.com).

Ok, this is the end of my excitedly, shameless plug ~ thanks for indulging me :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

How Time Flies

Wow, I just realized that this Sunday is Palm Sunday. Easter is almost here ~ time is flying again this year (what's up with that?). So anyway, in honor of the Easter season, here are a couple of blocks that I've recently done to get you in the Easter spirit. The first one is part of Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs' "A Tisket A Tasket" block of the month quilt from last year. You'll see these blocks here throughout the year as I didn't finish them last year, so I'm working on them bit by bit. They are still on my design wall.

And this block is part of the "Be Attitudes" quilt by Nancy Halorsen of Art to Heart. This poor bunny looks like how I feel getting ready for the Easter festivities :)

This is what I've been sewing on this week at the shop ~ kind of Springy. With everything that has been keeping me busy lately, I'm a little behind, these are blocks 1 - 7 of the Thimbleberries Club for this year ~ we are doing the "Midnight" colorway. (For those of you who are participating in our club, the Thimbleberries Club fabrics that were backordered finally came in this week and we now have the kits cut for blocks 1 - 4. So Thimbleberries Club will happen for April!)

...And on a side note, I heard one of my favorite songs first thing this morning. I'll be singing it all day long now, but it's making me smile ~ thank you John Lennon.
And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be

I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

There, now it's stuck in your heads too :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Jo Morton Club Starting Up Again

Our Jo Little Women's Club is starting up again with Club 9 (you can still join in with us if you are local, we just handed out the first project pattern ~ the Sisters quilt ~ this week). We had a few show and tell items. The above quilt is Peggy Schaum's Warm Wishes quilt. She is making great progress, and is all ready to start on the border applique. It's looking amazing!

Rosemary Swartwood of the day group showed us an example of how she framed one of her little Jo minis from a past club (I believe this was from JLW Club 6). She has a grouping of three of these little guys that will hang in a bathroom at her house. She framed these herself by stitching these onto foamcore board and putting them in shadowboxes that she got at Michaels (at a great buy 1 get 1 free price). Turned out great, and the price was right!

Since we always like to share other things we are working on too, Sandy Lynch shared her little lighthouses that she has been working on. They are just adorable!

...and her backing fabric was so cute I had to snap a picture of it :)

And here's a little sneak peek of my JLW Club project for next month ~ this is the center block, hopefully it's a little further along by then!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Happy National Quilting Day!

Quilt Lover

Have a wonderful National Quilting Day ~ Do something Quilty and fun!
If you can't get to a quilt show or shop today, enjoy these beauties from my fellow Quiltsy Team members on Etsy.
Click on the links to visit their shops and enjoy some more fiber art!

Dragonfly Stitches

Mini Made

Quilting Corner

Seren Stitches

Spring Water Designs ~ me :)

Don't forget, Free Shipping on any quilt in my shop through Sunday, March 21st :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

National Quilting Day Eye Candy

Suzy Q Quilts

Here is a little more National Quilting Day love. Enjoy! And like yesterday, just click on the link to go to that seller's shop and take in even more artful warmth :)

Kims Crafty Apple

With Hugs n Stitches

Quilt Sew Pieceful

Warm n Fuzzies

Cottontail Quilts

And in honor of National Quilting Day on Saturday, I am offering free shipping on any quilt in my etsy shop through Sunday! Check that out here.

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Virtual Quilt Show

Pamela Quilts

Leading into National Quilting Day ~ Saturday, March 20th, I thought I'd showcase some beautiful Springy quilts from members of my Quiltsy Team on Etsy. Enjoy...

Quilting Frenzy

Kimbuktu

Bonbons and More

Club Aloha

Moran Art and Quilts

Click on the links below the pictures to access that seller's shop, it's like attending a quilt show :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

National Quilting Day Challenge

In honor of National Quilting Day, the Quiltsy Team on Etsy issued it's members a challenge to make a donation quilt with the theme, The Nature of Quilting. For my little interpretation, I decided to do an applique (my favorite), of my wishing well here on Spring Water Path.

I think it's kind of fitting for St. Patrick's Day too! You can find my donation piece here in the Quiltsy Team Store along with some other wonderful little quilts. The proceeds from the sale of these quilts will go to the team to promote quilting. You can read more about the challenge on the Quiltsy Team Blog, and even vote for your favorite challenge quilt.

In honor of National Quilting Day this Saturday, March 20th, quilt up something that makes you smile :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Surveying the Damage

This is what our poor old fence and trees look like after being piled with five feet of heavy snow all last month.

The weekend of rain that we just had, and the warmer weather that we're experiencing now has melted all of the snow and exposed what I see will be a pretty work intensive time in the garden this coming Spring.

We will be replacing some of our trees and shrubs that split or broke off.

Some of them we have had in our yard for a long time.

But while going around on my little walk-about to survey the damage, I discovered several treasures that the melting snow exposed.

All are signs of promise...

...and the reason that I venture out into the Spring garden each year :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

A Great View

Looking for a quick little project that you can make with a charm pack or scraps?

I made this one using fabric from Stone Cottage from Andover Fabrics. A quick pieced background with some easy applique in the center. I did mine quickly with the fusible applique method.
The pattern is called Great View by Pieces From My Heart and you can get it here if you need it :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Mountain Baby Blanket Love

Two more donation quilts came in to me that will be passed on to the Christian Appalachian Project's Mountain Baby Blanket initiative. These were made and donated by my friend Sheri Thompson.

I love this Noah's ark panel! Sheri has a long arm machine and does some beautiful quilting. I know she keeps busy with donation quilts, customer quilts, and I've seen some of her beautiful quilts that she has made for herself too!

As soon as my granddaughter saw this one while Heather and I were photographing it, she yelled out "Sheeep".

She was so delighted with it, we let her test drive this one while she was staying at my house this weekend.

It'll get a good washing before it's send off to the Appalachian Mountains, but in the meantime, this weekend Elsie infused it with love. Thanks Sheri, your quilt donation is already bringing happiness to others!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn