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October 1, 2011
 Greetings!  
 

Ukraine 2011 CollageI'm just back from a busy month teaching in two very different places:  Ukraine and Chautauqua, New York.  Although the scenery might be different, the quilters are much the same:  eager to learn, and with many of the same tools (including rotary cutters and mats, and special rulers) at hand!    


The pictures at the right were taken in one of my classes in Kiev and on the grounds of the Kiev Monastery of the Caves. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Caves was founded in 1015!

In this month's newsletter, I've got a fresh Ask Jinny tip for you, information on new features on the website, the latest Jinny's Journey block, plus news on how you can help us celebrate our 11th anniversary with us! (Hint: it involves fabric and saving money!)

 Enjoy!
What's New on jinnybeyer.com
New Block Patterns
There are now 192 free block patterns on the Quilter's Design Board and I add a new one twice a month. Here are four of the most recent.

New QDB Blocks

Large Fabric Image
A ruler and fabric details now appear when you click on fabric images to magnify them.

Fabric Rulers & Details

Ever wonder how big that flower is on a fabric?  Or how many stripes are in a border print? Now you don't need to guess!

We've added a ruler to the large fabric image for our most recent collections. And we can now add brief descriptions to those images, too. Just click on the fabric you like and a larger image like the one on the right will appear.

Our "website elves" are currently working on adding information to all the border print fabrics. They're starting with the most recent ones and will work their way to the earlier fabrics.


11th Anniversary Sale
Party HatsThis month marks our 11th year at our Great Falls, Virginia shop. (And we've been on the web since 1997!)

We'll be celebrating in the shop from October 3 - October 8 with savings on fabric and selected jewelry and gift items.

For our faraway customers (and that's most of our newsletter subscribers!), we'll have a special one-day, website-only sale on Wednesday, October 12.  Subscribers to our Weekly Web Special email will get all the details a day earlier. (If you don't get our weekly sale emails and you'd like to, click on the blue Update Profile/Email Address link at the very bottom of the email!)

Thank you for all your support over the years. My staff and I look forward to being a part of your quilting life for many more!

   


Ask Jinny:  Can You Help Me Understand Value?
Understanding color value and what is light, medium and dark is something I'm having a bit of a problem with. Can this be learned or is that eye for color a "God-given gift"?

Linda Williams
South Florida

Great question, Linda!  And it's one that I often hear when I lecture on color.
Determining the value of a fabric - where it falls on a light-dark scale - is very important in quiltmaking. But it's not always easy to determine whether a fabric is light, medium or dark.  What do those terms really mean?  Let's look at an example:
Value Color Unsorted
Can you put these fabrics in order from light to dark?

The lightest one is easy (#3) and either #7 or #8 is the darkest.  But what about all the others?

One helpful trick is to look at your fabrics in black and white. Take a picture, scan the fabrics, or copy them using a photocopier.

For my complete response to Linda's question -- and to see if you guessed the order correctly! -- visit my website and read the full tip at the link below.
Ask Jinny - Determining Value

Hope this helps, Linda!

 

Do you have a design, color or quilting question for Jinny?  Send an email to [email protected]. Although she can't respond personally to your messages, she will select questions with broad appeal to be addressed in this newsletter and on the website. 


Jinny's Journey Block of the Month  - Flying Geese Border
JJ-FG BorderIf you've been keeping up, you've made all the blocks for the center of the quilt.  This month, it's time to make the units for the flying geese border -- but don't try to zip ahead and put those sections together.  There will be important information on fitting the borders next month!

 Jinny's Journey quilt image 

Remember, the free patterns are only available via the link below so if you don't download the pattern right away, be sure to save this email.

 

[Link Available Only to Subscribers]   

 

We have complete kits and patterns ready to ship.  The kit is available with three different border color options!

See them all here.   

 

 
Happy quilting!

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