Friday, March 29, 2013

Freebies for Friday Finds!

Just sharing a couple of nice Freebies I've found for my Friday Finds for you today :)  This adorable Easter Bunny is a free pattern from the people at Therm o Web/Heat n Bond.  Hop on over and get the instructions Here from their blog.

And from the people at McCall's Quilting and McCall's Quick Quilts, you can go Here and download this free e-book of Modern Quilt Patterns!  Happy Friday :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

I Feel So Blessed :)

Well, I didn't win that beautiful raffle quilt last weekend at the Southern Comforter's Quilt Show, but I still feel so blessed because I had a blast hanging out with my friends vending at my very first quilt show all weekend! Along with a few shots I took on my cell phone, my new friend Chris from Undiscovered Treasures, a neighboring booth, took some photos of my first humble little booth set-up for me ~ Thanks Chris!

Bob and I couldn't have done our first set up (...took waaaay longer than I had anticipated) without my good buddy Starlyn, who also labored all day Saturday with me working out all the kinks in our system :)
Starlyn and I arranged and found spots for everything, while Bob (after rolling everything in) set up the HQ machines.  We took the Avante and the Sweet Sixteen Sit Down machine for people to test drive, and that went over really well ~ even in the single space that I had rented. 

Then on Day Two,  I got to hang all day with Heather who came and worked with me ~ which was a treat because with her work schedule I don't get to see much of her lately!  We also got visits from good friends who stopped by to say Hi from the Quarter Bees, Baltimore Modern Guild, BAS, Faithful Circle, our Sit & Stitch Group and friends I know from when I worked at And Sew It Goes Shop...Did I say I'm feeling so blessed!

Now we're gearing up for our next Event coming up on April 5 - 6th at the Carroll Baldwin Memorial Hall in Savage MD where we are hosting Debby Brown to teach some machine quilting classes.  Click Here for more information on the classes and to register.  Then the following weekend, April 11 - 13th we'll be vending again over at the Milltown Quilter's Quilt Show ~ Mark your Calendars ~ more details to follow :) 

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Are you Feeling Lucky?

So Are you feeling lucky?  This amazing beauty is the Raffle Quilt that's up for grabs at the Southern Comforter's Quilt Show this weekend.  It's aptly named "Color Play", and some of my sewing friends worked on making it ~ and I know you want to come out to the quilt show this week and buy some tickets so you have a chance to win it :)

Southern Comforter's Quilt Guild 22nd Annual Quilt Show
Saturday, March 23 , 10-5pm and Sunday, March 24, 2013, 11-4pm
C. Elizabeth Reig School
15542 Peach Walker Drive, Bowie, MD 20720
Free parking, Handicap accessible

Admission: $7.00 (bring a nonperishable food item(s)
to the show to donate to the Bowie Interfaith Food Pantry and receive $1 off your admission price)


Quilt Show Activities:* Quilt appraisals by Phyllis Twigg Hatcher
* Demonstrations
* Children's activities
* Merchant's mall ***(Spring Water Designs is Vending!!!)
* Silent auction
* Out of the Attic
* Many Handcrafted items and a wonderful variety of vendors, come join the fun!!!

Misty Cole is the Featured Quilter ~ Misty has made some amazingly creative quilts that will be on display at the show!

...And did I tell you Spring Water Designs is vending at the show!!!  We'll have two Handi Quilter machines there with special Show Pricing (an Avante with Pro-Stitcher, and the Sweet Sixteen Sit Down machine) for you to test drive, along with exclusive Spring Water Designs Patterns and Quilt Kits.  Plus, lots of fabric cuts, notions,  some bargain books, and quilter's goodies and gifties :)

Come by and stop by my booth and say Hi!  Tell me you read this Blog Post, for at least 15% off your purchase ~ See You There!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

A Little Customer Quilting

I took some time the other day, before I take my machines down to head to upcoming events, to get this little sweetie quilted for a customer.  



Now the rest of the week is devoted to getting ready to vend at my first quilt show!  If you are going to be in the Bowie Maryland area this Saturday or Sunday, stop by the Southern Comforter's Quilt Guild Show and say Hi :) 

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Friday, March 15, 2013

International Quilting Day in Lancaster

I started out this week with a road trip to Lancaster with my quilting buddy Mary, Quilter Extraordinaire!  We had Handi Quilter Pro-Stitcher training to attend on Tuesday, so of course it made sense to trek up on Monday and make the rounds to some area shops.  The first one we hit was Obie's.   I had never been there before, it was definitely a new experience for me... and Wow is all I can say!

Things in Obie's are stacked to the ceiling.  You can find a little bit of everything, including Penny Candy :)

There are ribbons and trims, barrels of buttons, finished quilts, and of course the fabric...

...Boy is there fabric.  It's literally stacked everywhere!  I found some treasures that I'll show you as soon as I cut it up :)

How's this for a cozy upstairs loft?  If you're ever in the area of Goodville, PA, Obie's is most definitely worth a visit ~ finds around every corner and at good prices too!

Then the next day we headed on over to the Lancaster Convention Center to play on the Pro-Stitcher all day :)

Mary and I took turns playing on the Avante's that were set up for us, and learning how easy it is to get the most out of all of the Pro-Stitcher features ~ I love my job :)

And for the cherry on top, we are heading back up tomorrow on another Lancaster adventure with our Bee friends to spend International Quilting Day enjoying the Lancaster AQS Quilt Show together... and to bring a couple of Avante's home with us!  Mary and one other friend pre-bought two of the show demo machines through me ~ Have I told you I love my job?  

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Friday, March 8, 2013

This Ones a Winner ~ And a Blog Winner Too!

I got the nicest email from a friend I hadn't heard from in a long while the other day ~ Don't you love it when that happens!  Phyllis Miller sent me this picture of her adorable quilt she made with my Abby's Owl pattern for her sister's new little grand baby.  I love the colors she used, and the sashing and border fabrics are just perfect! Thanks Phyllis, you made my day :)

This was my original version of Abby's Owl, made with the Summer Song collection from Riley Blake Designs.  I love seeing quilts made up in different colorways!  Playing with colors is my favorite part of quilting.  Now I want to make this quilt again in a bunch of other colors!  If only there were about 37 hours in the day...

On another happy note, the winner of my little Quilts from Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Give Away, chosen with the random number generator is Comment #24 ~ Elizabeth Kellett!

Contact me Elizabeth with your address, and I'll get your magazine out to you!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

I'm Featured...Aaaand on the Cover!

I'm so excited, I have a quilt featured in Quilts from Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Magazine! ...Aaaand, it made it on the front cover!  (The quilt at the top of the three pictured on the cover is my Sicilian Sunrise quilt!) 




Remember when I made my little Sunrise Block, and it was in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Magazine vol. 6?
 
 And then I made it again in another colorway.

Well here it is again, set into my Sicilian Sunrise quilt :)  The fabrics for this one are called Bella designed by Amanda Murphy for Blend Fabrics.

The the nine blocks are set with a pieced sashing to make the ribbon-look that ties all the blocks together.  My good friend Starlyn sacrificed her own sewing projects to help me piece these blocks at a Sew-In one day so I could make my deadlines that month ~ How's that for a good friend!

Quilts from Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks magazine is on sale on the news stands starting Today!  To kick this off, I'm giving away one free copy to a lucky winner :)  Leave a comment on this post, and I'll draw a random name on Friday to win the magazine.  

...Aaaand, hop on over to Quiltmaker's Blog today, to see some sneak peeks, and for another chance to win a free issue there too!  

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn