Bursting!

OMG!
I have a quilt at Quilt Market in Houston!
And it is hanging in the FreeSpirit booth!
As my son said, "I get it mom - this is your Super Bowl"!

A huge thank you to Jennifer Paganelli of Sis Boom for letting me play with her new fabric line - Nostalgia. I loved every second of this quilt! From swatches to design wall to quilting it - just loved it!!
And thank to Jackie for sending me a picture first thing. Totally made my day!

Memories of Nana

And finished!
My new quilt for Jennifer Paganelli of Sis Boom! Presenting her new collection of fabrics, Nostalgia, all tucked into my quilt.  21 new toys to grace my design wall! Coming soon as a kit at Chrisite's Quilting Boutique!
Thank you to Jennifer once again for letting me play with her new fabrics! (available in October)
I think I am in love . . .

Yup still here -

I know, I know I am the worst quilt blogger ever!
I am owning this title!
Yes it has been 6 months since I last typed words here, yes I am still quilting - no I have not tossed in the fabric bolts and called it a day.

So the last six months -

Finished a few quilts, couple of guild monthly blocks, shopped for a lot of fabric, one might call it hoarding if one does not quilt. I simple like to think of it as collecting. Yes I will need more shelves and boxes and maybe a bigger room. Went on an awesome retreat with the Slow Stitching Movement. Best time ever. And I sewed a little bit. Of course a new addiction/obsession came out of it - hexes! (thanks Liza!) Couple trips up and down the eastern seaboard with family - not too many quilty stops along the way. The start of Row by Row or as I think of it a scavenger hunt for shops I did not know existed. But will now Have to stop as I pass through again. Challenges. Think that about wraps it up.

Anyhoo - here is my latest finish!
For the Modern Quilt Guild's Riley Blake challenge. They sent 6 fabrics and of course I added a few. (sanctioned shopping!!!!)
It could be anything and as soon as I saw it I knew it had to be French Roses!! Heather French's pattern was easy to follow and adapt to my own needs - smaller flowers. I used my fish bowl from my Houston quilt as a model for my rose bowl. I was thinking peonies but actually made roses.
Finished!
About to be submitted. Not sure how Modern but I love it and have hung it with pride!

Ok - so it will not be another 6 months - promise!

Full Circle

I have now come full circle! I have gone back to my roots if you will.
While I was away in London, an email popped into my box announcing space still available for a New York Beauties class at Lady Sew and Sew in Henley. As I had just landed and a little bleary eyed I skipped over the email until massive amounts of coffee and naps had occurred. Not my typical class - love the block but curves - I have plenty of my own and have a fear of them in blocks. However, Dawn Cameron-Dick was the teacher. I called, registered for the class and then promptly announced that I had no supplies having just gotten off a plane - come early - so they could fix me up! I did.
So why the interest? Why drop into a class on vacation without supplies? Simple - Dawn. She was my very first quilt teacher all those years ago in Brussels. She taught me to quilt when I really wanted to learn to knit and have been grateful ever since. Her words still swirl in my head as I sew, and as I teach. Totally thankful to be able to tell her in person all that she has meant to me and my craft.
It was a huge surprise for her and such a fun day. Tons of giggles and catching up. The other ladies in the class where very gracious about our catch up too - big thank you to them.
If you are ever in Henley - pop in - Lady Sew and Sew has an amazing collection of fabrics with way cool fabric lines from the Isles and Europe! Plus you never know who is teaching that day!!



Oh yea - and the curve piecing is awesome!! Fun even! Dawn has an amazing method that makes it easy! Bring on more blocks!! Who is with me?!

One year!!

So one year ago I moved from one side of the Atlantic to the other.
Home! After many, many, many years and countries later.

It has had many ups and downs as most have. But let's talk about the ups!

Since hitting the shore line I have been crazy busy with this awesome quilty world!
I have hit Houston, Hershey, New Jersey Quilt Festival, Flights and Fantasies shows! I have hit every shop I could find and was open between McLean and Cambridge. I have attended classes with both Victoria, Lizzie, Kate, Kaffe, Brandon and Liza.

I have worked with the amazing Jennifer Paganelli with her latest and greatest (yes each one is the greatest) fabric lines!

And of course my fantastic local quilt shop - Christie's Quilting Boutique. Where I get to play and share and play some more. (and fold and pet fabrics!)

Not to mention all the new friends along the way - Julie, Terrie, Toni, all the ladies at Southern Connecticut Quilt Guild and of course all my friends from the quilt shop!!
Reconnecting with old quilty friends - Trudi and Susan - nothing better!! I am very blessed!

The journey so far has been non-stop and more than I could have asked for!
So happy to have landed back on these shores - here - right here!!
Game on!!

Been Quilin' . . .

and bout to resurface.
What a ride and a crazy month - promise to catch you up soon!
Best couple of weeks - sharing soon!!

Over the moon!!

OMG!
A very sweet lady traveling from Massachusetts popped into Christie's Quilting Boutique while I was there. She came in to grab a Row by Row pattern and kit.
Jennifer Paganelli happened to visiting as it is "I Love Fabric Day" (and yes this is a national holiday at least in every quilt shop!!) Not only did she purchase the last Miss Connecticut 2014 kits but she asked Jennifer to sign her pattern and then she asked me too!! I was asked for an autograph!!
Sitting her still tickled pink!!

Sunday Funday!

Yesterday was the sew-a-long with Kate Spain feature her new line Solstice for Christmas. Christie hosted the day at her shop.
Kate brought quilts to see and explained her design process. Wow! Very exciting - there just might be another class to come out of that! The Christie let us loose on the fabric strips for our stocking project. A little designing, a little dewing, a little (or a lot) of quilting, cutting and voila! New stockings! We even got personalized/signed goodie bags - bet we can make another one! Best part - finished project!
Such a fun afternoon - cannot wait to play again!

 

It was inevitable that Kate realized we were meant to be BFF's! Thank you for playing along!

Oh my what a week!

So . . . . this has been quite the week!
Starting with playing at Christie's Quilting Boutique last Saturday where both Jennifer Paganelli and Kate Spain were playing too.
Then after many miles and hours in a car I got to see Jinny Beyer at her Quilt Studio! (O.K. she did not see me but if she had we know we would be BFF's!) I chose not to bombard her with praise at that time - she was working, sadly not of the sewing kind.
And then today . . . as I popped in to see Christie - Denyse Schmidt popped in to see her!!
So feeling the celebrity mojo washing over me -
I am off to sew . . . .

Where are my manners . . .

I totally forgot to tell you who I am?
I am mama to 2 boys who have flown the nest - luckily not too far away. I am a pink slipped trailing spouse who has had the pleasure of quilting all the way around the world. Always in search of quilters, fabrics and everything in between.
I learned to quilt in Brussels of all places by the amazing Dawn Cameron Dick. And thus the addiction began. To find local fabrics, local quilt shops and of course quilters! I went through several countries without success. Have no fear though, home leave always supplied trips to the quilt shops up and down the east coast - yielding all kinds of treasures. Needless to say I always hit my weight allowance upon returning home - fabric is heavy!!
And then I hit Malaysia where it just exploded! Fabric and friends! Woo hoo! I joined the MANZA quilt group and never looked back. From there it was on to IWP quilters and then my last stop never quite got around to joining or even starting a group but hey ho - can't always do it all. But of course I still quilted.
And now I am home back in the US of A. It has been a 20+ something ride so far and I am always amazed at how far this quilty world has come - cannot wait to see what is next?! After all, as I learned way back in Brussels - all the world is a quilt block - just a matter of how you look at it. And it always looks better in fabric!