Final Pictures from Quilt Market

So I've finally found some time to post the last of my pictures from Quilt Market and you will finally see a picture of me. My favorite fabric designer, Amy Butler, asked me...yes little ole me..to take a picture with her because I was wearing one of my favorite new dress patterns from Indygo Junction - Audrey's Dress - in her fabric. I couldn't believe it!! She's like fabric royalty!! I loved it to say the least. I've also posted below my favorite new fabric sample for Fashion Friday!! It's from a newer fabric company called Art Gallery Fabrics. Check them out...they are fab!!! Some of the pictures are of quilts, some are samples I made for the show, some are of Amy Butler's booth at the show, and the rest are things I purchased - mostly for my mom!! Enjoy!!

This is the Art Gallery Fabric sample.





















Hope everyone has loved to see the quilts that are usually only available for store owners eyes. I love the art quilts. I can't believe some of these are actually sewn fabric and not paintings. The photos do NOT do most of these justice - the amount of stitching and work that went into them is amazing! Please post comments. I'll be having a market special giveaway next week. I haven't decided what item to giveaway from Market, but keep you eyes peeled for an announcement coming soon.

Later!! Have a great Memorial Weekend!!

Fashionable Friday

So I'm going to start a new special Friday posting called Fashion Fridays. This post will contain new patterns, fabrics, or trends that I find online - sometimes I will include links to purchase said products (so lots of eBay and Etsy postings) - that I find interesting, beautiful or I just plain like.

I know it's Thursday, but I know I will be super busy tomorrow. I have two dresses and a top to make this weekend for the Quilt Market which I will leave for on Tuesday. I hope to post some exclusive pictures from the show in Pittsburgh - maybe even one with me in it!!! You might see new fabrics and designs that won't be available in stores until the Fall. It's a true sneak peek!!! Lucky you and lucky me. I love seeing all the new fabric lines, quilts and new patterns.

Okay so here's my pick for this Friday!



This fabric is from designer Amy Butler from her Belle line called Gothic Rose in Burgundy. It also comes in a beautiful turquoise. You can find it at lots of stores on eBay and Etsy.com so I didn't post a single link. Click here to view all of her Belle colors and fabrics. She is definitely one of my favorite designers of fabric for purses and clothing. While you're there check out Olive Lacework from her Lotus collection. I'm making Indygo Junctin's new pattern Audrey's Afternoon Dress out of this for the show. I'll definitely post pics of this one. I got the yardage for a steal on eBay.

Keep checking back this weekend for pics of the dresses and top I'm making for the show and next week for your exclusive pics from the International Quilt Market. Post some comments of what you'd like to see: new patterns, new fabrics, quilts, what's your request?

Later,
Cheryl

Cherish those Traditions - And the People Behind Them

So this week the mother of one of my best friends died. She was 83 and he was the youngest of ten children. It really called to mind the importance of family and made me face the fact that we don't get to be with our loved ones forever. Peggy Wheeler was a great woman whom I only had the opportunity to meet a few times. I will always remember she was a great cook. She was a true matriarch of that family. It was so obvious that family meant everything to them - which has made it difficult this week for many people mourning her passing. Peggy reminded me of my grandmother - Maggie. She had that feisty attitude, she was proud and strong. My grandma was like that too. Well, that's how I remember her anyway. She told me on more than one occasion as a child I was "cruisin' for a bruisin'" and she always had things her way. She smoked til the day she died. But she was also sweet, accepting - sometimes too much so, sometimes family members seemed to do no wrong.

Grandma was very loving and she loved animals. Most of all I remember her telling me I was "special things" She told me I was her favorite...now let me assure you (especially those of you in my family) that I think she probably told this to more than one person. Every Christmas she would ask me "What'd I get you?" I knew she gave mom and dad money to buy my present so it really was a valid question - but it's still one of my favorite inside jokes in my family. She told me I had a handsome husband - she'd lean over and whisper in my ear...now your married to that handsome fellow right? She had a hard time remembering things near the end of her life. I didn't get to see her right before she died and I'm kind of glad because I get to remember her from all the other moments and not the sick ones, the Alzheimer's ones. I remember her just as she looks in the picture below.

I wanted to share a picture of grandma - Maggie - which btw is not what I called her - I always called her Grandma Woods (even after she was remarried). It's one of her last and is with a cat she loved that belonged to my aunt Ruth. I love this picture. Grandma - I miss you and I want you to know that I loved you and I will work very hard to make Maggie's Blankets into something you would be proud of.



If you want to learn more about Maggie's Blankets, please email me at cpinkman3@kc.rr.com I'm collecting donations of yarn scraps to create blankets for the needy. I won't be official starting my "campaign" until end of May because I'm so busy at work getting ready for the big International Quilt Market Trade Show in Pittsburgh, PA. Check out my previous posts for more details.

Thanks!

Created Two Wonderful Children's Outfits

So I was wrong about which designer's fabric I was using - although I love Anna Marie Horner also, I was using Tina Givens - click here to visit her website - this link goes directly to the collection I used. As soon as I'm given the okay, I'll post a picture of the cute little outfits I made. These will be shown at either Tina Given's booth at the International Quilt Market in Pittsburgh or at any number of other distributors - maybe Creative Smocking who deals in mostly children's clothing. This is my first attempt at creating children's clothing. I love them!

On a personal weather note, it did snow and ice up on Saturday, but then melted Sunday - it's like 60 here today. I just love it!

Be sure to sign up as a follower if you are a reader. Once we hit twenty official followers, I have lots of prizes to have drawings for including sample fabrics, patterns, scraps bags, etc. You never know what I might have up my sleeve. I just love to give and get. I was thinking maybe a fun purse swap might be in order over the summer.

Keep checking in for more pictures of the new children's clothing soon to come.

Working on the Weekend - Sew, Mama, Sew

So my big plans for making some more purses won't be happening this weekend. Instead I will still be sewing just not for myself. My boss asked me to test some of our newest patterns - some cute children's clothing - so I'll be making those this weekend. I get to use some really great fabrics that won't be out until this summer by Anna Marie Horner - click here to visit her blog. It's fab!! So no pictures of what I'll be working on, but I will post after they debut if I can.

It's supposed to go back to winter this weekend in KC - just after my flowers in the front of my house started to bud. It was 72 on Sunday, tornado watches on Monday, and now it's supposed to snow tomorrow morning - some saying up to 12 inches. Again, I say in Kansas City, if you don't like the weather wait until tomorrow. It's hopefully going to melt fast. It's the perfect day to stay in my fleece jammies and sew my little heart out.

I'll have to take some photos tomorrow of all the new fallen snow. I learned yesterday that my camera actually has a snow setting - huh, what will they think of next. I got this digital camera for my birthday this year from - you guessed it, my mother. It's been so super easy to use and plugs right into the computer. It's a Kodak easy share with a big screen and lots of those mega-pixels.

Anyway, more pictures to come tomorrow if I can find the time to post between the sewing and the snowing!

Getting Ready for some Weekend Sewing

So I want to make a few more purses for possible sale on Etsy. I'm working on a green version of my Serged Satchel purse and another Skull fabric purse. I have another one I'm working on called the Shopper which I've made before. It's a great one to take shopping for groceries because it's huge!! Here's a picture of the one I made that was pictured in the Keepsake Quilting cataglogue. Yes, that's right...my sewing project in an actual magazine, sort of. It was also shown at the United Notions/Moda Fabric booth at the 2008 Fall International Quilt Market in Houston. I want to make more of these. Off to get my taxes done now! See ya' later.