Irish Chain Quilts

Hi there today is my day to be part of Happy Quilting's blog hop on her Irish Chain Quilts blog hop. :) I'm super excited as I kind of have a love affair with Irish Chains! 

The block I was in charge of was the itty bits Irish chain.
It was easy and fun to construct and I got to use my Simply Colorful Orange for the block. :)

This book is awesome and I can't wait to try my hand at a few other ones and soon. 

 Like this String of Pearl one. This one I just absolutely love!

Another one I love is Unraveled. I want to make a baby version of this one for sure!!
But the one I think I'll try first so I can use my Simply colorful I, and II collection...

Will have to be this End of the Rainbow! 

Please go and check out Melissa's blog for the Grand Prize GIVEAWAY!!! 

The first winner will receive an Entire Bitty Bits Quilt Kit, comprised of 14 Kona Cotton Charm Packs, a Vanessa Goertzen Gooseberry Charm Pack, 2 Irish Green Fat Quarters from Denyse Schmidt's Moderns Solids collection, an Angela Walters Drawn Fat Quarter, a Bitty Bits Mini made by me, and of course, a signed copy of Irish Chain Quilts!!!  

The second winner will receive a Lizzy House Butterflies Fat Quarter Bundle, and American Jane Lorraine Layer Cake, 2 Irish Green Fat Quarters from Denyse Schmidt's Moderns Solids collection, an Angela Walters Drawn Fat Quarter, a Bitty Bits Mini made by me, and of course, a signed copy of Irish Chain Quilts!!!  

June 8th -   Happy Quilting - Blog Hop Intro

June 9th -   Moda Lissa - Lissa Alexander

                  Fat Quarter Shop - Jocelyn Ueng

June 10th -  Piece N Quilt - Natalia Bonner

                  In Color Order - Jeni Baker

June 11th -  Amy's Creative Side - Amy Ellis

                  Sew Kind of Wonderful - Jenny Pedigo

June 12th -  Quilt Story - Megan Jimenez

                  Diary of a Quilter - Amy Smart

June 15th -  Freshly Pieced - Lee Heinrich

                  Christa Quilts - Christa Watson

June 16th -  Moda Cutting Table - Carrie Nelson

                  Little Miss Shabby - Corey Yoder

June 17th -  Fresh Lemons - Faith Jones

                  V and Co.  - Vanessa Christenson

June 18th -  A Quilting Life - Sherri McConnell

                  Stitch This! - Jenny Wilding Cardon

June 19th -  Happy Quilting

Thank you so much for stopping by and good luck!!!!

V and Co.: Quilt Spring Market

 So I'm finally getting around to showing off some pictures of Spring Quilt Market.

 I was showing off the second half of my Simply Colorful line. (green, blue, purple)

 and I was also showing off my new Aurifil Thread collection to go with the books and the fabric.

And of course the books!

Me right after my school house feeling very relieved. AmyLouWho made my skirt AGAIN! LOVE YA AMY!

 I did a schoolhouse on how to market your Simply Color Books in your store. (thank you Amy for my skirt!!) They are a wonderful key of information on how to use the color wheel and how to empower your customer in learning how to pick fabric on their own. I'll be doing a whole blog post on this here, the store owners were very excited to hear how this book not only has 6-7 projects in each book, but it also has beautiful photography, AND it's a great teaching tool for the customers needing a little help in understanding why certain colors go better together than others. 

But not everything is work and work and work at market.

Basic Grey, Lella boutique, and Little Miss Shabby

 Moda had a photo booth with props set up. And clearly I heard "make your best Valley Girl impression." and no one else did. I hung out with these three ladies the whole time. We were booth partners on the same wall. And this is hilarious...someone had a sick sense of humor and put Vanessa G and Vanessa C right next to each other. Every time someone would say "Vanessa…" both of us would look up like simultaneously. People were having a very fun time with it. And then by like the second day V squared got all:

Every time someone would mess with us...

and the horns came out. Kidding Vanessa and I had a lovely time being next to each other talking about how we were the only Vanessa's we knew growing up, and how our mom's came up with our names and such…by day 3 we actually got used to hearing our name and not both thinking it was us they were talking to. Not really we were not used to it but it was fun. :) I wouldn't mind being next to her again. 

 I always love being around Jen Kingwell. She's amazing and funny and nice and well amazing. I mentioned that right?

 This quilt is on my to do list. it's cray-cray and I love it!!!!

 This time around I roomed with Anna of Noodlehead. (this is her beautiful booth) she was debuting her book and her new fabric collection with Cloud 9 fabrics.
I also got to room with Amy of Diary of a Quilter, and Amanda of Crazy Mom Quilts.

 We had quite the adventurous time…on saturday morning the whole hotel was evacuated and the firemen showed up. This is our "it wasn't me" picture, because we swear it wasn't us that set off the alarm. Apparently the sprinklers went off in a room…that's all I know. Though now that I think back on it Amy did leave before the firemen showed up…sooo yeah and she is kind of shifty that one...So yeah. May have to look more into that. Anyways, It was eventful and fun in and out of the convention center. :)

Butterfly kisses coming soon to the shop.

I have 4 new patterns releasing in the next couple of weeks.
I can't wait to show you. :)

Simply Color Purple Book in process and final stages...

But for now I am busy finishing up a few things here and there and finishing up the patterns…so back to that I go! 

Ombre fabric in quilts and projects workshop in Boston

from right clockwise Bloom Quilt, Secret Garden (in the Simply Color Books, green), I heart You Quilt, and Textured Pillows. 

 I'll be in the Boston area in the next couple of weeks! I'll be teaching a workshop on Saturday June13th.

Ombre Lone Star

Come join me and Erin of Daley by the Yard  for a Saturday day workshop…learning how to make that gradient ombre fabric work in your quilts and learn some fun techniques while we're at it!

FadeAway baby quilt

FadeAway throw size Quilt

To the Point quilt and Texture pillow

Will I see you there? :) 

Simply Colorful II

Oh yes there's a part Duex on this whole Simply Colorful fabric line and here it is: Simply Colorful II GREEN, BLUE, PURPLE 

I don't want to say this but this is my most favorite part of the rainbow. Yes, it's true it has my two most favorite colors of green and blue, and I might add that I've warmed up to eggplant in the past (so much that I love it now!), but this time to give us some diversity we added berry to the mix and well oh my gosh where have you been all my life is all I have to say. 

These three colors go with my simply color books

Here's a sneak peek of one of the projects in the Green book (coming to stores in July)

Sneak Peek of a Blue project 

Simply Colorful II is debuting here in Minneapolis at Spring Market, and will ship to stores in September.

The Simply Colorful I and Simply Colorful II will also have an Aurifil thread to go with the books and the fabrics. We're very excited to also show you our new patterns to go with the new fabric line! 

I promise to show off the new patterns next week and I will also post some pictures of market. :) Talk to you soon! 

Yes I'm the Cat she calls Judge-Y

Welcome, welcome, please sit for a bit…go on, go on…OKAY SIT DOWN ALREADY. Thank you…First off I'd like to introduce myself: 

I'm what the human that owns this blog likes to calls the Judge-y Cat. I live with the humans in this house of mine here in good 'ol Iowa. I think she calls me Judge-Y because I give "her" looks all day long on her shenanigans. She's kind of nuts so of course I'm going to give her looks. psh.

So the other night I  overheard the woman speak to the human man the smaller ones call "Dad" that MODA wanted to do an "In Real Life", of the Designers, and if he would be willing to do a little nice blurb on how she manages working from home, being a mother of 4 and well, just being able to handle it all…he would take pictures and then write all these nice things about her and her work ethics.
And well, it was lovely, the pictures were nice, but I deleted it all, and have decided to finally speak out.

Me taking abuse from the smaller versions of the large humans

This woman V? She's certifiably insane.
 Seriously, this woman is insane most of the year, I KNOW, because I spend the most time alone with this woman during the time that the smaller versions of the two large humans are gone, and the man one is gone the most at some thing called a "Job". But the woman one? She calls being holed up in the basement with the sewing machine, and making huge (GINORMOUS!) messes, staring countless of hours at the computer, and talking to herself (though I answer her at times hence probably another reason she gave me the Judge-y Cat nick name) her "Job".


Oh I know what you are saying right now "But Judge-y Cat, she shows us such nice pretty pictures of her sewing space, and finished products like this one."

oops I don't think I was supposed to show you this one just yet, but if you are wondering yes, that's the first and second Simply Colorful Fabric Lines and the GREEN, BLUE, PURPLE, will be available from the MODA Reps at this so called "Spring Market" the woman keeps freaking out over at the moment.

"And Judge-y Cat she shows us quilt and bag patterns all done up nicely like these."

Endless Summer

Sewing Weekend Essentials bag debuting at spring market

 ALL A LIE! A ROUSE IF YOU WILL!!!
This is our living environment at the moment:

Just a small corner in the nightmare we all call "home" right now. See that bunny? Yeah, I think that's a secret message to all of us living with "her" that she's about to snap and will snap limbs if need be.

The floor looks just as bad

In my happy safe place away from scary Market Time V

Allow me to explain. Every six months around this time she calls "Market Time" she gets all kind of special blend of crazy.

 I've decided to finally come out and tell you of the REAL, the BAD, and the UGLY of this so called "Market Time V".

She walks around all in rapid speeds around the house, on the phone, on the computer, sometimes in near tears saying over and over "When is the fabric going to get here??? WHEN? I only have XX amount of time left before it has to be all done!"

Then the day comes and I get woken up with a door bell ringing from the UPS guy who knows the woman and says "Looks like you got your fabric!"
She squeals with delight and looks genuinely happy for a split second and then starts moving boxes, opening boxes, taking out and cutting fabric, THEN PUSHES ME ASIDE FROM THE DAUGHTER'S BED!
Then she says: "Nothing personal Cat, I just need the bed as my set up spot while I take pictures. Aren't they pretty??"  
I reply with "Don't care, you took my spot." and that's when I give her my nastiest stare, and start PLANNING MY REVENGE MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!  Ahem. sorry.

Okay So I sit and stew…and get super angry because for the next few weeks that sewing machine is going like 24/7, the small humans are UNRULY! There's no sense of control AT ALL!

Getting ready to put a world of hurt on that woman for letting this happen 

Do I LOOK happy? Imbeciles.

This is the kind of crap I have to deal with EVERY 6 MONTHS when the woman is too wrapped up in her "Market Time" state of mind. 

I don't get fed... I hear that the small human's and the man human they call "Dad" don't see very consistent meals either during this time either. You would think that she would care more because she's starving herself…but no the woman can live off of sparkling water and any kind of chocolate she can remember where she hid a stash. FOR WEEKS! Absurd!!! 

SO I SIT AND THINK HOW CAN I GET BACK AT HER. 

And then it happens…

Bright light bulb

I know how to get back at her. 

I'll sabotage her work and make it horrible for her:

"Oh I'm sorry, were you working? Don't mind if I do lay on this."

I'll take her spot any time she stands up:

"What? Just keeping it warm for you my dear…but if you try to move me I'll bite you."

Any time she sits to bind?:

"Hey look guys I have a human growing out my butt! HAHAHA!" 

I'll get on her newly finished quilts:

"Just making sure it doesn't get up and move is all."

and EVERY TIME SHE WANTS TO TAKE A PICTURE????:

Me ruining her picture of "Bloom" 

 I'll be there!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

me messing with her cover of Hopscotch

"Oh I'm sorry…DID I MESS UP YOUR COVER??" 

MUAHAHAHAHA!!!

Totally surprising her and messing with her back cover picture of Endless Summer

"BAHAHAHA!!! Didn't see me hiding behind the quilt? Oh LOOK OOOPS!" 

Maniacal laugh!!!

I 

GOT 

YOU

SO

GOOD

Wait…

American Quilt Retailer LOVED the photo bomb I did of your Endless Summer quilt so much they asked if they could use it for THEIR COVER? 

*SwearWord*

Well that didn't work out like I'd had hoped. 

eh. okay. I'm tired. I hope to make it through this Market Time fiasco yet again. Wish me and the rest of the humans in this house luck. We're going to need it.

go check out who takes over these blogs today as well maybe it's another disgruntled cat like myself:

Kathy Schmitz

Brigitte Heitland and Zen Chic
Vanessa Christenson and V & Co
Moda Fabrics and Lissa Alexander
Edtya Sitar and Laundry basket Quilts
Rachel Brenchley and Basic Grey