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Greetings!,
Greetings!
I don't know where it went, but the month of November flew by. Before I knew it, I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner and making lists for holiday baking and gifts. Despite the hectic pace of this time of year, I hope each of you finds a few quiet moments to sit back and enjoy this pastime we all love. Looking ahead to the New Year, we have some exciting new projects to inspire you and keep you busy for the year to come. For now, may this holiday season be a peaceful and joyful one for you.
Thank you Questers!
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Two Questers wearing t-shirts they designed specifically for the event.
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November was especially busy here in the Studio because each year during this month we take part in the 10-day Quilters' Quest, our annual shop hop. We welcomed 1000 quilters to the Studio from 26 states and 3 foreign countries. I was able to greet almost all of the Studio's visitors from my post by the door, seeing old friends and making new ones. Why don't you think about joining us next year? The dates are November 7th - 16th. You can leave the driving to us by hopping on one of our two buses. As last year, I designed a fabric for the Quest featuring Maryland and Virginia state birds and butterflies along with our cherished cherry blossoms and dogwoods. For those of you who couldn't join us, we have a limited amount of the Quilters' Quest fabric remaining.
I also designed a special quilt featuring these fabrics. We now have kits available for " Star Tripping" in two colorways, the first in the original Quest colors and the second in red and white.
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Join Me On The Road  I'm looking forward to sharing my love of quilting with many of you. I will be traveling to India twice (once with India Quilting and Textile Tours and once with Sew Many Places), south to warm and sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida to teach two classes with all proceeds going to Libby Lehman's medical fund, speaking at AQS Quilt Week in Phoenix, and just announced, an African Safari. It includes a hot air balloon ride! Oh, my!
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Skyscape
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These days I can't seem to get enough of diamonds. I love designing quilts with them because they open up so many design possibilities. In my new quilt, Skyscape, I have used the greens, blues and purples from my Corsica Collection which remind me of the tranquil colors of twilight. By fragmenting 60 degree diamonds and playing with value placement, I was able to create an exciting three-dimensional effect. Kits are available and this quilt can be strip-pieced or pieced by hand.
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New Product
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While teaching my Diamonds Galore class in Sweden a few months ago, we were using my diamond ruler when one of my students pointed out that, in addition to the ruler, she would love something smaller for trimming her cut diamonds. Inspired by her suggestion, I have created 2 sizes of diamond templates which make cutting, trimming and marking seam intersections a snap. They are available separately, as a set of 2 or in combination with my Perfect Cut 60 Degree Ruler. 
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Hexagons are big!
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 Quilters are rediscovering the interesting effects that can be achieved by "fussy cutting" hexagons so that a motif from the fabric is centered in each piece. This is definitely not a new concept. An antique quilt in my collection from the early 1800's has fussy cut hexagons used throughout. Border prints with all their mirror image motifs can offer some stunning effects as can be seen in the image below which uses only three fabrics.
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Hexagons created using the Ashford collection.
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Last Minute Gift Ideas
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Whether it is for your best quilting friend, your significant other, or a gift you have been hinting to receive, my staff and I have some suggestions for gift ideas. For your quilting buddies:  Vinyl Project Tote - featuring the Studio logo, these bags are perfect for holding projects or sewing essentials. Whether on their own or filled with fat quarters or notions, any quilter would appreciate these.
For the men in your life:
The Lighted Pin Picker Upper - well, we say they are for the men in our lives but we tend to borrow them way too much. It is by far the most popular item purchased by quilting husbands wandering through the shop while their wives choose fabric. Pair it with the Flat & Stubby Screwdrivers for getting into tight places. For anyone on your list:  Crazy socks - keep toes toasty warm and add a little panache to the style of those you love. Finished by hand and purposely mismatched, they are available in adult, child and infant sizes. To add to your Christmas list:Studio Gift Certificates - redeemable in the shop or online; these truly are the perfect gift.  Check out all the gift ideas we've come up with from autographed and personalized books, our wooden cutting boards (great for even the non-quilter), and even fabric bundles. (Note: if ordering fabric bundles as a gift, please put "gift" under "Special Instructions" and we'll make it pretty with a ribbon. You can also request that we remove the receipt if the package is being shipped directly to the recipient.) |
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Solstice Compass Block 13
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 You've just about made it. Here is block number 13, the very last block for our 2013 block of the month, a sparkling 32-pointer! Finish this block, and you will be ready for the finishing instructions in January.
If you missed last month's information, don't worry! The download page includes all the materials released so far. [Download link available in subscriber email only] And don't miss all the helpful sewing videos and reference information in the Solstice Classroom.
More info on Solstice Kits.
We've also created beautiful fat quarter bundles of the fabrics used in the two remaining Solstice colorways. If you love the colors in the quilt and would like to use them in a different project, this is the choice for you.
Solstice Inspiration Bundles
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