Naperville Quilts! 2013 - Quilt show this Friday and Saturday

"Xanadu" Pattern by Blue Underground Studios

Happy Spring!  You should see the sight I woke up to this morning.  I'm staying at my mother's home in Illinois this weekend.  The redbuds, crab apples and rhododendrons are all blooming at the same time.  The scent is glorious!

This is just a quick note to let you know about the "Naperville Quilts! 2013" quilt show in Naperville Illinois this weekend.  Here are the details.

Friday May 10th & Saturday May 11th
Naperville Quilts! 2013 - Be inspired

NIU Campus in Naperville

1120 E. Diehl Rd

Naperville, IL 60563

Friday

2:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Saturday

9:00 am to 5:00 pm

"Gems" Pattern by Blue Underground Studios

Quilt Patterns from Blue Underground Studios

Amy Walsh and Janine Burke of Blue Underground Studios are the Featured Quilters at this show.  I can't wait to see their quilts in person.  I love the patterns they design!!!

Dye Candy fabrics will be one of many fabulous vendors at this show. Enjoy 300 plus quilts, demonstrations and hourly drawings!

We will be giving away a copy of Jennifer Chiaverini's "The Giving Quilt" in our booth.  

Joining me will be Rene Gorbold of Sew N2 Quilting, a talented longarm quilter from Dekalb, IL. 

Rene did the quilting on the "Gems" and "Xanadu" quilts that are on display in our booth this season.  I have been getting so many complements on the quilting.  I asked Rene to do some McTavishing on the Xanadu Quilt. She sent me these fun facts when the quilting was finished:  the Gems quilt used four bobbins compared to the Zanadu using 24 bobbins, the Gems has 73,212 stitches in it while the Zanadu has 451,364 stitches in it.

If you have a chance to attend the show be sure to stop by and say hello!

(Please note the Dye Candy Fabrics ETSY shop is closed until next week when we return from the show.)

Out of Asia Inspiration

The next theme for the Art Quilts Around the World Group is" Out of Asia".  As a child I spent every trip to my grandmother's home marveling over the beautiful artwork she collected from Japan. I especially admired the intricate wood carving of this piece.  I plan to use some aspect of this design in my next quilt.

I wish I could get a clearer photo through the glass.  The detail in the pagoda is phenomenal. For reference the pagoda is about the size of a nickel.

Jennifer Chiaverini Book Giveaway

 

Hi everyone.  I'm just getting settled in after the Mukwonago Quilt show.  It was so much fun to see everyone this last weekend.  As I mentioned in my last post I gave away a copy of "The Giving Quilt" in my booth.  I was surprised to find out how many quilters had either read the book or already owned a copy of the book. One of the ladies at the show even brought me a show and tell block that she had made using the pattern on the cover "The Giving Quilt" book.  How fun is that?

The Giveaway:

This week I am giving away one copy of "The Wedding Quilt" and one copy of "The Giving Quilt".  Both books were released in paperback in late March.  Please leave a comment on this post and let me know which book you would like to win or if you would like both.

Drawing will be Sunday Evening around 7:00 pm CST.

Good Luck!


Update - The drawing is now closed.  Winners are:

Kim Davis - The Giving Quilt
Jennifer Walston - The Wedding Quilt

Congratulations!
Chris

The True Goddess of the Last Minute, Quilt Show and Giveaway

Fabrics for Xanadu Quilt kit

My Goddess of the Last Minute is in full force.  Today I leave for the Crazy Quilters Quilt show in Mukwonago Wisconsin and I still have 6 more items to check off my list.  I've been ironing with my trusty companion Large Marge.  She is a fabric dyers best friend!!!

If you are in the area this is a fantastic show to attend.  The ladies of this guild are so talented.  They usually display 300+ quilts at their shows.  The details are below.  Stop in and say hello!

April 6 & 7
Crazy Quilters 26th Annual Show - "Here's to Hollywood: Movies, Books, Fairy Tales" 

Park View Middle School

930 N Rochester St

Mukwonago, Wisconsin

Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

I will be giving away a paperback copy of Jennifer Chiaverini's "The Giving Quilt" in my booth at this show.  

Can't attend the show?  Don't worry, I will be giving away 2 more books on my blog next week.

Retreat Results

"Gems" Quilt made with Dye Candy Fabrics

I finished my Gems and the Xanadu quilt tops at retreat and sent them off with my friend Renee so she can finish the quilting for me.  I am getting ready to sell kits for these patterns. Both quilts will be featured in my booth at quilt shows this year.  I can't wait to get them back.  The Gems pattern looks so scrumptious in the Earthtone hand dyed fabrics.

"Xanadu" quilt top made with Dye Candy Fabrics

Talk about goddess of the last minute.  I dyed all of the fabrics for the Xanadu quilt the night before I left for the retreat.  Thanks goodness for Large Marge.  She ironed all 28 yards of fabric in about an hour.  I was able to get on the road just after dinner Wednesday night.

Mom and I had a wonderful time surrounded by many good friends. There is nothing more uplifting than a room full of creative women!

I joined Marcia's Making Minutes for Me Group again this winter. See more of the quilts from this group by following this link.

Fun and Funky Fabrics

Making time for sewing has been my winter goal. Here is my current project, a simple pattern made with large scale blocks.  The pattern is Cloud Nine from Villa Rosa designs "RoseCards"  

I used left over fabrics from other projects and some fabrics I picked up at Lou Ann' Quilt Garden and Retreat in Oelwein Iowa.  Some of my favorite quilters are retreating there now.  My heart is with them but I have plans to get away with my mom to the Homestead Cabin Retreat to sew with my mom for 5 days next week. I have lots of machine quilting planned for our getaway. This quilt top and 3 others are waiting for me to complete.  

Wishing you creative days!  

Chris

I joined Marcia's Making Minutes for Me Group again this winter. See more of the quilts from this group by following this link.

Re-Retreat

"Gems" quilt pattern by Blue Underground Studios.
Pattern and Kits available in my Dye Candy Shop

Re-Retreat...Is that a word?  I'm about to leave for a 4 day get away with my mom the Homestead Cabin Quilt Retreat.  I can't wait!  This quilt was going to be my project at the retreat but... I was caught up on my chores at home so I decided to head to LouAnn's Quilt Garden and Retreat Center in Iowa last weekend and spend time with some girlfriends.  This was the get away I was planning to miss and I'm so glad I didn't have to!! 

Besides getting this top almost pieced, I finished piecing this quilt.  The pattern is Cloud Nine from Villa Rosa.

I also finished machine quilting this baby quilt.  This quilt was a group project made with Cathy and Anita from the Friendship Quilt Guild.  It will be auctioned off to support our local cancer charity this summer.

Don't you just love this fabric?

Thank you to everyone the participated in my giveaway!  Three winners were chosen this morning.

Each winner will receive a $25.00 gift certificate good towards a purchase from my Dye Candy Shop!

Cindy F - Via the the Newsletter entry
Pam of For Quilts Sake - winner from the blog comments
Moose Carol Quilts - Facebook Entry

Congratulations to you all!

Chris

Dye Candy Fabrics Giveaway and What's New?

On sale this month and through March 15th:  All of the Dye Candy Fabrics hand dyed fat quarter bundles!  Find these fabrics in the mottled solids section of our Dye Candy shop.

New in our shop: Pattern designs from Blue Underground Studios!  I love, love, love these designs!

(All images used with permission of Blue Underground Studios) 

Hi Everyone.  If you are new here, Welcome!  Please take some time to look around.

I am celebrating crossing all sorts of items off my quilting to do list this year.  I have three UFO tops ready to quilt and my entry for the Art Quilts Around the World Self Portrait challenge is complete.  I am counting my blessings.  Thank goodness for cold weather to keep me tethered to my sewing machine.  

As you may know I'm a prize sponsor over at the Project Quilting website. Well, I was thinking it as been a long time since I had a giveaway on my blog so I thought I would share some of my Dye Candy Fabrics with you too!

Dye Candy Fabrics  - Quality Hand Dyed Cotton, Wool, Silk, and Velvets made with Quilters and Fiber Artists in Mind.

The Giveaway: 

I will be giving away one $25.00 gift certificate good towards a purchase at Dye Candy Fabrics for every 100 entries.  

But if we reach 500 entries the amount will increase to one $50.00 gift certificate for every 100 entries.

How to enter:

1. Become a subscriber or follow the Dye Candy blog - find this link towards the top of this blog

2. like Dye Candy Fabrics on Facebook

3. Leave ONE comment on this post.

Bonus Entries:

Would you like extra chances to win?  

I will giving away two additional prizes.  Here's how to enter:

1. Become a subscriber to my monthly newsletter - Find the link in the upper right hand corner of this blog.

2. Share the Dye Candy Fabrics Giveaway with link on the Dye Candy Facebook page.

These winners will be chosen directly from Facebook and the newsletter list. 

No need to leave additional comments on this blog.

 So tell your friends, share on Facebook.  The more, the merrier!

Thanks for playing along! Good Luck!!

Chris

The Giveaway is now closed and the winners have been chosen:

Thank you to everyone that entered this giveaway.  I had so much fun meeting so many new quilters.  

There were 3 winners in this giveaway.  Each winner will receive a $25.00 gift certificate good towards a purchase from my Dye Candy Shop!

Cindy F - Via the the Newsletter entry
Pam of For Quilts Sake - winner from the blog comments
Moose Carol Quilts - Facebook Entry

Congratulations to you all!  

Chris

Crafty Sewing & Quilting: Getting Up Close With My Quilting

I wanted to share this post Marcia wrote about the quilting on my Interlocking Squares quilt.  She often writes posts about her quilting work on her blog under the heading "Getting Up Close".  Stop by to see more of her quilting works.

Crafty Sewing & Quilting: Getting Up Close With My Quilting:   This is what I call two color Swirl Quilting.  I quilted this beautiful quilt for Chris from Dye Candy Fabric .  It was made with he...

Hibernating

I love the winter time.  It is when I get most of my sewing done. I don't always get this chance in the summer.  My day job is in the construction industry. It gets very tiring after along day of living on adrenaline.  It's like working the lunch rush at a restaurant all day long. By the end of the day I am beat. Sewing has always been a way for me to de-stress and use the other side of my brain.

In the winter I have a routine that suits me nicely.  When I get off work at 4:00 pm I take the next hour and a half for my creative time, whether cutting fabric to get ready for the next project, sewing or dyeing fabrics.

 This year I have made a pledge to make a big dent in my fabric stash. I have been using relatively simple quilt designs with a modern appeal. I have two tops ironed and ready to pin baste for machine quilting. I'm just starting to put my third quilt top together. 

This pattern came from the book "Rotary Cutting Revolution" by Anita Grossman Solomon.  The fabrics came from Acorn Quilts in Rockford, IL.  I love this shop. Their motto is "Where Urban Chic Meets Vintage Charm".  This shop has fabrics you don't see everywhere but has a selection to suit every quilters needs.

I hope you are all enjoying a chance to create this weekend.

P.S. Keep an eye open.  I will be hosting a big giveaway later this month.