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Change is in the Air!


Hey Ya'll -  So glad be back!  Summer is coming to an end (cue the uncontrollable sobbing) - the days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler and Pumpkin Spice is everywhere.  The summer has gone by too fast, but it was chocked full of so many things.  I attended two sewing retreats, traveled to  Lancaster, PA. with Stitichin Heaven to teach a quilt class , taught classes here in the area,  played golf, visited family and Jim had his second knee replacement.  I hope your summer was lots of fun, too, but alas, it is about over with the kids going back to school and fall just around the corner.  So, let's answer the age old question " what did you do on your summer vacation?"
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Hello Everyone! I hope you had a great week and looking forward to a wonderful weekend. The last two weeks have been busy for me, non-sewing busy. There has been a trip to Roundtop, TX and Austin TX, both with family and friends. The small town of Roundtop has a large antique show twice a year. Last year it was called off but was large than ever this year. I alway enjoy attending, but never pick up too many things. This year I found and purchased the Appliqué Pineapple Quilt, above. It is in good condition and dates from the mid 1800s.

I usually get bright, busy scrappy quilts, but this quilt called to me. I was intrigued by the pattern and the muted solid colors. The dealer said that the fabrics were hand dyed and probably the colors that had faded due to the non-stability of the dyes. The red fabric was probably brighter. It is hand quilted and the binding has been reapplied by machine. Maybe I will use this quilt to write a pattern in the future!

Be sure and pick up a copy of the June issue of American Patchwork and Quilting. My featured quilt is Basket Toss, above, which was inspired by an antique quilt. It is made with red reproduction fabrics and light shirtings. The quilt is smaller in size, a lap or large wall quilt.

American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine a wonderful publication that still features traditional quilts. It is always such an honor to have a quilt featured in APQ. Along with my quilt, check out Stars and Strips Forever by Lisa Bongean for Primitive Gatherings and don’t for get to read the article featuring Susan Ache- I want her studio!

Before driving down to Roundtop, I picked up a couple of quilts from machine quilter Sheri Mecom of Leave It To Me Quilting. These two quilts are very different- one old and modern and one new and traditional. Both turned out very nice!

Red Pineapple Quilt, above, was finally finished last year and quilted this year. The finished 12″ blocks were pieced using Pineapple Foundation papers by Little Foot Co. I would make a block as a teaching sample each time I taught the Pineapple class. After making more than half the blocks, I decided to finish the top. A border was added, quilting completed, binding sewn on and now it is done! It is so striking with the pineapple geometric design.

The other quilt is called Nest, above, pattern and fabric by Tula Pink. This top was made as a shop sample to sell the Nest fabric line, one of the first lines of Tula Pink fabric. This quilt is bright and fun and maybe my granddaughter will want this quilt.

If you preordered Time Honored Traditions from my Etsy shop, your book has been mailed and hopefully been received. I have heard from some of you and the reviews have been wonderful! When writing the book, I wanted to describe reproduction fabrics, show you samples of the colors and show you how to use it in a quilt. From your wonderful comments, I think the book was successful – thanks! If you have not received your book, please let me know through the Etsy shop- USPS shipping is slow and if you are overseas, it can take up to a month. If you have not ordered the book, check out my shop, Petite Quilts, and get one for yourself. They are now in stock and shipping. Again, thanks for your orders and kind words!

Now that I am back in front of the sewing machine, I have made more little Birds in the Air blocks using my new fabrics, Petite Perennials from Windham Fabrics. This pattern, called Circles, was reproduced in brown, red and indigo with brown being the document fabric. I hope to offer Fat Quarter Bundles in my Etsy shop very soon!

I have a basket full of the 3″ finished blocks and just two more fabric patterns to use in the blocks. Soon the Fly Away Home quilt top will be put together. If you have my new book and want to sew along, find the directions for Fly Away Home and have fun sewing up your scraps!

Fun was had by all at the Roundtop Antique Show. My daughter and granddaughter came along with me and it was so much fun to travel with family again! We had fantastic weather, ordered special by the Chamber of Commerce. We visited two venues, The Big Red Barn and Marburger Farms, although there are so many more places to stop and shop in the very small town. Above is a picture on my granddaughter Lucy and me-can you tell purple is her favorite color?

Here are the things we picked up at the Fair. I got the Appliqué Pineapple quilt and another big letter “A” for my collection. We also got three sets of old salt and pepper shakers for my daughter-in-law. She accidentally fell into some old family sets so now we pick up more sets when we find them. But, don’t tell her, they are a surprise!

Last week my husband and I went to Austin to visit long time friends and ate our way across the city! One evening we went to one of Austin’s parks along Lake Travis to see the largest planting of bluebonnets I have ever seen. It was breathtaking. Bluebonnets are the Texas state flower and are planted everywhere in the state- in parks, along the highways and in urban landscapes.

The sunset was a beautiful ending to a great day. Thanks to Mike and Melanie for showing us a fantastic time- they never disappoint!

Along with bluebonnets blooming, the Irises in my yard are currently showing off their colors. Above is a lavender Bearded Iris.

Another color in my garden is Peach. These flowers always remind me of my grandmother. She had so many colors blooming in her yard in the spring.

White Irises are also making a beautiful show this year. My neighbor gave me two bucketful of iris rhizomes this year so I hope I will have many more blooms next year.

Ihope you are enjoying Spring where you are. The weather here in North Texas is wonderful. Except for the pollen, I can’t complain. I hope you all have a fun weekend, we will be attending a Little League baseball game and getting lots of weeds pulled. Maybe I will get some sewing done, but unless it rains, I will probably be outside!

Later, Annette


Summer Happenings and Projects
I attended two local retreats- one at Red Boot Retreat Center in Hillsboro, TX and the other at Circles Retreat at Lake Whitney, TX .  Both retreats were lots of fun and I worked on several projects including Boardwalk , a pattern by Treehouse Textiles.  Later, I will show you the progress on this project.



Lancaster Sewcation
In July, I flew to Lancaster, PA for a week to teach for Stitchin Heaven.  It was so much fun.  We made a Scrappy Anvil Quilt, from kits cut at the shop.  Above is Debbie's quilt top, completed and ready to be quilted.  This quilt pattern can be purchased at my Etsy shop, Petite Quilts, as a download.  One day during the week  we all took a bus trip to the Amish country.  The whole area was beautiful.  If you ever have a chance to go on a Stitchin Heaven trip, don't forget the Sewcations- they are so much fun!

Martha
Martha, a BOM project from Treehouse Textiles, is finished!  This project was so much fun to make and the quilt turned out to be a beauty.  The colors, fabrics chosen by Treehouse, are so soft and vintage- this quilt is one of my current favorites!




Diva Orphans

I also finished Diva Orphans Quilt.  This quilt was made with orphan blocks left over from previous projects.  The fabrics are all reproductions and I surprised myself with how great this turned out to be.  Give it a try with your left over blocks - you might surprise yourself how great it turns out.




House Quilt
These house blocks were gathered through a block exchange and they look wonderful pieced together side by side.  This top is out be quilted and I can't wait to see how it looks completed.


Homespun Cabins
Just because you have a house exchange doesn't mean you can't do another one!  These cabins were made using a template set from Marti Mitchell while the previous house blocks were made using foundation papers.  Because I didn't have as many cabins as houses, I decided to sash this one and add a larger border.  The colors are so nice and most of the cabins are made using homespuns.  So nice!



Ongoing Projects
I am in the middle of teaching Pick A Petal  at Must Love Fabric once month on  Sundays at Must Love Fabric in Colleyville, TX and everyone had a great time.  This Block of the Month was designed by Jen Kingwell  and uses her newest fabric line featuring lots of her Lollies and a line of light fabrics called Bonbons (featured above). The students are doing a great job with the the center medallion, the Y seams, curved piecing and set in fans. This month will tackle hand appliqué along with seeing all the progress they have made on the project.


Boardwalk
The blocks for Boardwalk are almost completed- I need to make three more, then I can piece the top together.  This is another great pattern from Treehouse Textiles.  The blocks are fun to put together, but choosing the fabrics are the hardest part of the construction - maybe I am thinking too much!


New to the Shop
I have added a few new quilts to the shop, Petite Quilts, along with the books and patterns offered.



Summer Four Square Petite Quilt is the newest little quilt in the shop.  I am offering free shipping on the quilts, big and small, shipping in the USA, with a discounted fixed fee for those going overseas.  Now is the time to grab one (or more) of these cuties- there is only one of each, so get it now!


Golf
I have played so much golf this summer!  I am still ( and will always be) learning skills to make me a better player.  I need to give myself some grace and just enjoy the time playing with friends and relatives, laugh off the bad shots and accept praise for the good shots.  This is very humbling sport!


Things to Come
Please join me for a Trunk Show at Quilt Among Friends in Arlington, TX on Saturday, September 27th.  I will be speaking on the Care and Feeding of a Fabric Stash, showing all the quilts from my book, Time Honored Traditions, and showing examples of different fabrics to add to your collection from the inventory at the shop.  Somehow the shop got a hold of copies of this book to sell.  I will be signing books and answering any question you all might have.  Contact the shop for all the details and I hope to see you all there.


I took the summer off from blogging - the first time in many years- and I have decided to make this blog post my last one.  I have enjoyed writing about my quilting journey and hopefully I have inspired you in some creative way.  It seems that all my favorite blogs are now only available through paid subscriptions.  This is not something I am willing to do.  I never wrote this blog to make money and I won't be starting now.   This was not an easy decision make, I will miss the updates on projects, I think it has kept me encouraged and helped me finish projects in a timely manner.   I will still be posting on Instagram and Facebook about teaching, traveling and sewing and my Etsy shop will stay open.  Please keep up with me on the social media sites and leave your comments- I love reading them. 

So, as always, have a wonderful fall, keep busy, stay safe and healthy and keep on creating!

Later,  Annette

Hello Everyone! I hope you had a great week and looking forward to a wonderful weekend. The last two weeks have been busy for me, non-sewing busy. There has been a trip to Roundtop, TX and Austin TX, both with family and friends. The small town of Roundtop has a large antique show twice a year. Last year it was called off but was large than ever this year. I alway enjoy attending, but never pick up too many things. This year I found and purchased the Appliqué Pineapple Quilt, above. It is in good condition and dates from the mid 1800s.

I usually get bright, busy scrappy quilts, but this quilt called to me. I was intrigued by the pattern and the muted solid colors. The dealer said that the fabrics were hand dyed and probably the colors that had faded due to the non-stability of the dyes. The red fabric was probably brighter. It is hand quilted and the binding has been reapplied by machine. Maybe I will use this quilt to write a pattern in the future!

Be sure and pick up a copy of the June issue of American Patchwork and Quilting. My featured quilt is Basket Toss, above, which was inspired by an antique quilt. It is made with red reproduction fabrics and light shirtings. The quilt is smaller in size, a lap or large wall quilt.

American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine a wonderful publication that still features traditional quilts. It is always such an honor to have a quilt featured in APQ. Along with my quilt, check out Stars and Strips Forever by Lisa Bongean for Primitive Gatherings and don’t for get to read the article featuring Susan Ache- I want her studio!

Before driving down to Roundtop, I picked up a couple of quilts from machine quilter Sheri Mecom of Leave It To Me Quilting. These two quilts are very different- one old and modern and one new and traditional. Both turned out very nice!

Red Pineapple Quilt, above, was finally finished last year and quilted this year. The finished 12″ blocks were pieced using Pineapple Foundation papers by Little Foot Co. I would make a block as a teaching sample each time I taught the Pineapple class. After making more than half the blocks, I decided to finish the top. A border was added, quilting completed, binding sewn on and now it is done! It is so striking with the pineapple geometric design.

The other quilt is called Nest, above, pattern and fabric by Tula Pink. This top was made as a shop sample to sell the Nest fabric line, one of the first lines of Tula Pink fabric. This quilt is bright and fun and maybe my granddaughter will want this quilt.

If you preordered Time Honored Traditions from my Etsy shop, your book has been mailed and hopefully been received. I have heard from some of you and the reviews have been wonderful! When writing the book, I wanted to describe reproduction fabrics, show you samples of the colors and show you how to use it in a quilt. From your wonderful comments, I think the book was successful – thanks! If you have not received your book, please let me know through the Etsy shop- USPS shipping is slow and if you are overseas, it can take up to a month. If you have not ordered the book, check out my shop, Petite Quilts, and get one for yourself. They are now in stock and shipping. Again, thanks for your orders and kind words!

Now that I am back in front of the sewing machine, I have made more little Birds in the Air blocks using my new fabrics, Petite Perennials from Windham Fabrics. This pattern, called Circles, was reproduced in brown, red and indigo with brown being the document fabric. I hope to offer Fat Quarter Bundles in my Etsy shop very soon!

I have a basket full of the 3″ finished blocks and just two more fabric patterns to use in the blocks. Soon the Fly Away Home quilt top will be put together. If you have my new book and want to sew along, find the directions for Fly Away Home and have fun sewing up your scraps!

Fun was had by all at the Roundtop Antique Show. My daughter and granddaughter came along with me and it was so much fun to travel with family again! We had fantastic weather, ordered special by the Chamber of Commerce. We visited two venues, The Big Red Barn and Marburger Farms, although there are so many more places to stop and shop in the very small town. Above is a picture on my granddaughter Lucy and me-can you tell purple is her favorite color?

Here are the things we picked up at the Fair. I got the Appliqué Pineapple quilt and another big letter “A” for my collection. We also got three sets of old salt and pepper shakers for my daughter-in-law. She accidentally fell into some old family sets so now we pick up more sets when we find them. But, don’t tell her, they are a surprise!

Last week my husband and I went to Austin to visit long time friends and ate our way across the city! One evening we went to one of Austin’s parks along Lake Travis to see the largest planting of bluebonnets I have ever seen. It was breathtaking. Bluebonnets are the Texas state flower and are planted everywhere in the state- in parks, along the highways and in urban landscapes.

The sunset was a beautiful ending to a great day. Thanks to Mike and Melanie for showing us a fantastic time- they never disappoint!

Along with bluebonnets blooming, the Irises in my yard are currently showing off their colors. Above is a lavender Bearded Iris.

Another color in my garden is Peach. These flowers always remind me of my grandmother. She had so many colors blooming in her yard in the spring.

White Irises are also making a beautiful show this year. My neighbor gave me two bucketful of iris rhizomes this year so I hope I will have many more blooms next year.

Ihope you are enjoying Spring where you are. The weather here in North Texas is wonderful. Except for the pollen, I can’t complain. I hope you all have a fun weekend, we will be attending a Little League baseball game and getting lots of weeds pulled. Maybe I will get some sewing done, but unless it rains, I will probably be outside!

Later, Annette

Hello Everyone! I hope you had a great week and looking forward to a wonderful weekend. The last two weeks have been busy for me, non-sewing busy. There has been a trip to Roundtop, TX and Austin TX, both with family and friends. The small town of Roundtop has a large antique show twice a year. Last year it was called off but was large than ever this year. I alway enjoy attending, but never pick up too many things. This year I found and purchased the Appliqué Pineapple Quilt, above. It is in good condition and dates from the mid 1800s.

I usually get bright, busy scrappy quilts, but this quilt called to me. I was intrigued by the pattern and the muted solid colors. The dealer said that the fabrics were hand dyed and probably the colors that had faded due to the non-stability of the dyes. The red fabric was probably brighter. It is hand quilted and the binding has been reapplied by machine. Maybe I will use this quilt to write a pattern in the future!

Be sure and pick up a copy of the June issue of American Patchwork and Quilting. My featured quilt is Basket Toss, above, which was inspired by an antique quilt. It is made with red reproduction fabrics and light shirtings. The quilt is smaller in size, a lap or large wall quilt.

American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine a wonderful publication that still features traditional quilts. It is always such an honor to have a quilt featured in APQ. Along with my quilt, check out Stars and Strips Forever by Lisa Bongean for Primitive Gatherings and don’t for get to read the article featuring Susan Ache- I want her studio!

Before driving down to Roundtop, I picked up a couple of quilts from machine quilter Sheri Mecom of Leave It To Me Quilting. These two quilts are very different- one old and modern and one new and traditional. Both turned out very nice!

Red Pineapple Quilt, above, was finally finished last year and quilted this year. The finished 12″ blocks were pieced using Pineapple Foundation papers by Little Foot Co. I would make a block as a teaching sample each time I taught the Pineapple class. After making more than half the blocks, I decided to finish the top. A border was added, quilting completed, binding sewn on and now it is done! It is so striking with the pineapple geometric design.

The other quilt is called Nest, above, pattern and fabric by Tula Pink. This top was made as a shop sample to sell the Nest fabric line, one of the first lines of Tula Pink fabric. This quilt is bright and fun and maybe my granddaughter will want this quilt.

If you preordered Time Honored Traditions from my Etsy shop, your book has been mailed and hopefully been received. I have heard from some of you and the reviews have been wonderful! When writing the book, I wanted to describe reproduction fabrics, show you samples of the colors and show you how to use it in a quilt. From your wonderful comments, I think the book was successful – thanks! If you have not received your book, please let me know through the Etsy shop- USPS shipping is slow and if you are overseas, it can take up to a month. If you have not ordered the book, check out my shop, Petite Quilts, and get one for yourself. They are now in stock and shipping. Again, thanks for your orders and kind words!

Now that I am back in front of the sewing machine, I have made more little Birds in the Air blocks using my new fabrics, Petite Perennials from Windham Fabrics. This pattern, called Circles, was reproduced in brown, red and indigo with brown being the document fabric. I hope to offer Fat Quarter Bundles in my Etsy shop very soon!

I have a basket full of the 3″ finished blocks and just two more fabric patterns to use in the blocks. Soon the Fly Away Home quilt top will be put together. If you have my new book and want to sew along, find the directions for Fly Away Home and have fun sewing up your scraps!

Fun was had by all at the Roundtop Antique Show. My daughter and granddaughter came along with me and it was so much fun to travel with family again! We had fantastic weather, ordered special by the Chamber of Commerce. We visited two venues, The Big Red Barn and Marburger Farms, although there are so many more places to stop and shop in the very small town. Above is a picture on my granddaughter Lucy and me-can you tell purple is her favorite color?

Here are the things we picked up at the Fair. I got the Appliqué Pineapple quilt and another big letter “A” for my collection. We also got three sets of old salt and pepper shakers for my daughter-in-law. She accidentally fell into some old family sets so now we pick up more sets when we find them. But, don’t tell her, they are a surprise!

Last week my husband and I went to Austin to visit long time friends and ate our way across the city! One evening we went to one of Austin’s parks along Lake Travis to see the largest planting of bluebonnets I have ever seen. It was breathtaking. Bluebonnets are the Texas state flower and are planted everywhere in the state- in parks, along the highways and in urban landscapes.

The sunset was a beautiful ending to a great day. Thanks to Mike and Melanie for showing us a fantastic time- they never disappoint!

Along with bluebonnets blooming, the Irises in my yard are currently showing off their colors. Above is a lavender Bearded Iris.

Another color in my garden is Peach. These flowers always remind me of my grandmother. She had so many colors blooming in her yard in the spring.

White Irises are also making a beautiful show this year. My neighbor gave me two bucketful of iris rhizomes this year so I hope I will have many more blooms next year.

Ihope you are enjoying Spring where you are. The weather here in North Texas is wonderful. Except for the pollen, I can’t complain. I hope you all have a fun weekend, we will be attending a Little League baseball game and getting lots of weeds pulled. Maybe I will get some sewing done, but unless it rains, I will probably be outside!

Later, Annette