What's in a Name?

We made the decision for the shop to not go to Houston for Quilt Market this year, and I think that was a good one, but now with all the buzz about Market online, I'm feeling a little bummed about not going. Harris Publications (Quilt Magazine) invited me, as a contributing designer, to their 30th Birthday Bash at Market, and I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself about missing out on the fun. So I've been turning my attention to Spring Water Designs business.

First, I finally got my trade name registered! I had registered with my state a long time ago for my sales tax number, but never registered my name. So now after all of my foot dragging, I have the paperwork and I am officially Spring Water Designs :) I even bought my domain name online, so eventually I will get my .com website up and running! ...Then I had these cute little labels made with my wishing well logo.

I'm currently sewing them onto my quilts and inside my Trick or Treat Bucket Totes that have been really popular locally, and are also listed in my Etsy Store.

The labels were made for me by Monkey Graphics by Kerry, another seller on Etsy. She had a really quick turn around and was great to work with ~ I will definitely purchase from her again!

It's amazing how much time these little business details take! Now that I'm all "official", I think I'll use the time that I would have been at Quilt Market later this week to make a couple of designs that I have in the works, a reality. Having an official trade name makes me feel very productive :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Using Up Some Leftovers

I'm using up some leftover scraps from my Trick or Treat Bucket Totes and making cute little Table Runners for gifts and for sale.

They're quick, easy & fun!

Some days that's all that needs to get done :)

You can find the Trick or Treat Totes and the Table Runners here in my Etsy Store.

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Freezer Paper/Copy Paper

I got some questions about my post from yesterday and how to put freezer paper through the printer. Above is a picture of a pack of freezer paper that I have that works in an ink jet printer (don't use it in a laser printer or copy machine that heat sets). This brand is from P3 designs, there is another popular brand from C. Jenkins company, and I'm sure there are other brands I'm not acquainted with. The freezer paper sheets are 8 1/2" x 11" and you use them just like regular paper in your printer, but then you can iron it to your fabric. Works like a charm! Freezer paper in packs like this is definitely more expensive than the Reynolds roll from the grocery store, but along with working in a printer it's also nice when tracing small shapes because you don't have to fight with any roll or creases in the paper.

Also, Nancy signed my block using a Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker 05 Brown. I also use Pigma pens for inking on fabric ~ Sepia is my favorite Pigma color.

And I thought I'd share a little surprise from yesterday. I came home to flowers! Last week I pet sat for my best friend while she was away on a trip. I just went to her house for a couple of minutes each day and fed her bird Huey and cat Ruby. They were no trouble at all, and Huey didn't even squawk at me this time, and for that I got flowers. Thanks Huey and Ruby (they signed the card) ~ Daisies are my favorites!

Now they are on my kitchen table keeping the orchid company, and they are both smiling at me when I walk in the front door :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

A Day with Nancy Odom

Nancy Odom came to our guild and I spent a delightful day yesterday hearing her speak and taking a class with her.

She did a trunk show and told us all about how she got started in the business of pattern design and her journey into designing fabric lines for P&B Textiles.

Beautiful quilts were paraded by, but unfortunately my pictures aren't very good (you can see better pictures of the quilts at Nancy's website. I turned off my flash to try and be considerate, but quality was definitely sacrificed.

This one is called "Wildberry Vines", a four part pattern series.

This is "Stars are Gathering". Originally published in Designer's Quarters magazine in 2005 it was made with Nancy's "Gather Sunshine" fabric collection.

Everyone got up close and personable with Nancy and her quilts. She was very easy to talk to and get to know.

The class I took was a very enjoyable hand blanket stitch class done on rough edge fused applique. I was thrilled to learn Nancy's tip of copying the pattern template pieces onto freezer paper through an ink jet printer, and ironing them on to the top of the fabric (that has fusible on the back), then cutting out on the lines. Thus tracing patterns, and reversing the patterns for fusible applique is eliminated! I love taking classes, because I always walk away with some tip of how a technique can be done differently. As a bonus I got Nancy to sign my little block to ensure that I will go ahead and finish it :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Some Autumn Show & Tell

Yesterday was our Sloanies Club and we are working on Pat Sloan's Harvest Moon. The pattern for this quilt can be found in the book Folksy Favorites. I have my top almost finished, just need to blanket stitch the letters and star, and do some embellishing.

I added wool for the pumpkin, basket and black cat. I find I like to do that especially on Autumn quilts.

We always have some show and tell at our club meetings and Ruth Green brought in some projects that she's been working on. This little Autumn panel was a fabric line designed by Jackie Paton for Red Rooster Fabrics. I love the way Ruth quilted it with a big spider web design.

This neat block is from a class that Ruth took. The way it is set a little off kilter makes it so interesting!

It makes for a really neat little quilt with a twist on the New York Beauty block.

And finally these cute little guys were made from the Whimsyland book by Lizzie B. Designs. Ruth liked the pin cushion so much that she adapted it to a tote bag. Again I love the use of wool here on the light blue denim fabric.

Enjoy the Day!
~ Dawn

The Orchid Blooms!

I'm working on some finishes, so I hope to have some quilty stuff to show soon. But in the mean time I thought I'd document that the Orchid is blooming! It was actually given to Heather as a gift a while back, but she has left it in the kitchen so I think I've inherited it. I used to be really into raising African Violets, and had a bunch of them but after some time I let that go, so I've enjoyed having the Orchid around lately. So far the cat has not gnawed on the leaves at all, so that's a good sign.

It may not ever bloom again for me, so this could be quite an event! I'm actually taking more delight in this than I thought I would, so maybe that means I need to get a couple of African Violets again :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

National Day of the Book

Saturday was the National Book Festival on the Mall in Washington DC. Heather and I found it kind of by accident three years ago, and now it's a little tradition of ours. Started by Laura Bush and the Library of Congress in 2001, it is now a yearly event ~ and I think more popular than ever as the crowd seemed bigger to me even in spite of the threat of rain.

The day was overcast this year, but we were still anxious to get up and go early. Each one of those tents has an author speaking, book sales, or sponsors like PBS or the Library of Congress doing activities and give aways.

The clouds over the Monument and the spitting of rain didn't dampen anyone's spirits. The crowd at this festival is so friendly. Standing in line waiting for something, you just strike up conversations with people from all over, of all ages who are just there because they love to read.

There are celebrities around every corner, along with some very famous authors.
And of course, book signings!

Heather and I got our books signed by Sue Monk Kidd. Heather took Secret Life of Bees (which we delighted Sue with her British version of the book which we somehow acquired ~ probably from our favorite used book store), and I took Mermaid Chair. Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor were very gracious. Later in the day we also got to listen to them talk and read from their newest book written together called Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story.
George Pelecanos writes crime novels set in the Washington DC area. He as spoken at Heather's writer's group before, so we had to stop by his table.

Mary Brigid Barrett (author of many children's books) and Steven Kellogg (illustrator/author of almost 90 children's books) were signing at the same table. Heather has an author book (a blank book where she is collecting author signatures) that she got both of them to sign.

Steven Kellog did a little illustration with each signature ~ a different illustration with each one! We also got signatures from Katherine Neville (author of The Eight, and others) and Liz Kessler (fantasy writer of middle school level books, her latest is Philippa Fisher and the Dreammaker's Daughter).

While we were standing in someone else's line, we found ourselves right next to Nicholas Sparks (author of The Notebook, and others). There were many other big names there like John Grisham, David Baldacci, Ken Burns, Jodi Picoult, Judy Blume, Lois Lowry, Paula Deen, and James Patterson.
We had lunch here under the trees and the real rain held off until afternoon when we had to leave anyway (I had to work the shop that evening). So it was a great day hanging out together and celebrating books. It doesn't get much better than that :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn