Welcome to 2012!

Hello, dear friends! Wow, am I looking forward to this new year!

I will be finished with my Digital Design program through The Art Institute of Pittsburgh's online division at the end of January, and I'm ready to begin putting my new-found skills to good use.

One class had us create a photo montage by choosing a character from a list given to us at the beginning of class. Each character came with a small explanation, and then we were to create a character on how we envisioned him or her. I chose "Garden Glitter Grace", and here she is, dancing across a field (quite frankly, it looks like a field that grew down the road from our house this past summer!).

Grace sports a grapes and mushroom cap hat, a radicchio leaf for her bodice, a beet for her belt, a field for her skirt adorned with onions, squash, cabbage, tomatoes, and a small field mouse. Her posture was manipulated using Photoshop, and I was able to change the color of her tights and ballet slippers with a few strokes of a brush.

My current class is called: Portfolio. We're gathering key pieces we created while attending classes to compile into an online portfolio. Grace will be a part of it, and I'm excited to put it all together. I hope to add my work to my website in the coming weeks, too.

I wish for you a full, happy, prosperous new year and look forward to "seeing" more of you through my blog, website, and Facebook in 2012!

Blessings and joy!

AURIfil's Designer of the Month for November: Jacquelynn Steves of The Noble Wife

November's Aurifil Designer of the Month is Jacquelynne Steves.

Learn how Jacquelynne paints and designs and loves great thread. Her project is a piecer's showcase! Read her interview, then download the free project she designed.

Remember: if you make any project from the design team, load a photo to our Aurifil Flickr group. You will then have a chance to win a marvelous Aurifil thread prize! Good luck and happy sewing!

AURIfil's Designer of the Month for September: Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts

Aurifil's Designer of the Month for September is Edyta Sitar! See her darling wall hanging and learn what sparks her creativity. Go to the Aurifil blog and read her interview, then download the free project Edyta designed: http://auribuzz.wordpress.com/category/designers-of-the-month/

Also check out Pat Sloan's interview with Edyta on May 2, 2011 http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/radio/index.html

Remember if you make any project from the design team, load a photo to our Aurifil Flickr group.. you will be in the running to win an Aurifil thread prize, one given away EACH MONTH!

http://www.flickr.com/groups/2011aurifildesignerofthemonth/

A Moving Message

I am incredibly touched by the story of Mattie Stepanek's life. I've never read his books before, and the only reason I am aware of his life is because of Oprah, who has had him on her show.

I just finished watching Oprah interviewing Mattie's mom. Hearing again about his life, the lives he touched, and the moments before his death brought me to tears. I am amazed at how powerful this sweet little boy was.

If you haven't heard his story, read about him on his foundation's website.

Mary Ellen's Scrap Basket: McCall's Quick Quilts Oct/Nov 2011

Image courtesy of McCall's Quick Quilts (click on image for larger, prettier view!)

My mom is the namesake for this quilt. The original quilt I made, after designing this very simple quilt, was made using fabrics by Moda. It was bright and cheerful, and the design reminded me of a basket weave. Besides, my mom loves to garden, and I thought of her clipping roses from her rose bushes and placing them in a basket to take inside and stick in a pretty vase!

The great thing about this quilt design is that no matter what fabrics you use, the design will look different each and every time! In this rendition, I used a lot of visually textured prints to lend a great amount of interest!

Image courtesy of McCall's Quick Quilts

On newsstands now, is the October/November 2011 issue of McCall's Quick Quilts magazine. See my "Mary Ellen's Basket" quilt pattern (called Mary Ellen's Scrap Basket), where I used Tonga batiks from Timeless Treasures.

GIVEAWAY! Plus Meet August AURIfil Designer-of-the-Month: Jinny Beyer

I'm so fortunate to represent AURIfil threads along with such talented ladies! This month's Designer-of-the-Month is Jinny Beyer!

Image courtesy of AURIfil, 2011

Make Jinny's project (or any of the other free projects from this year!) and you could win a GENEROUS gift of AURIfil threads!

By going to the AURIfil blog, you can get to know Jinny on a personal level, plus be able to download the FREE project she has shared, which is the gorgeous placemat pattern you see here, using her signature border prints.

Sneak peek image courtesy of Jinny Beyer, 2011

Click on over to the AURIfil blog and read the interview conducted by Pat Sloan. Then download the free project designed by Jinny, especially for you!

Remember, if you make any project from this year's design team (any project to your liking), load a photo to our Aurifil Flickr group.. that will qualify you to be in the running to win a generous AURIfil threads prize!

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Thoughtful Gift from Amy & Co.

Can't recall if I shared this before, but I had the pleasure of writing, editing, and InDesign layout of Amy Butler's Sunshine Quilt pattern (Amy designed the quilt).

Well, in the pattern, my e-mail address is noted, should anyone making the quilt have any questions. In answering a few questions from fans of Amy's design, I was presented with a lovely gift recently, as a thank-you from Amy Butler Design.

I live with blinders on, and was not aware that Amy had a line of paper products, so I was completely thrilled to receive this generous gift of stationery, a list pad, a journal, a small, purse size photo album, and a carry-all project tote.

Thank you, Amy & Co. for the wonderful surprise! I love to write, and am treasuring my new gifts!