Jennifer Chiverini's New Book Giveaway - Two Chances to Win

Jennifer Chiaverini's latest book "Sonoma Rose" will be available on February 21st.  I've read most of the books from the Elm Creek Quilts series.  I love the modern day characters in the Elm Creek books but my favorite books from the series have been the historical fictions. I highly recommend her book "The Sugar Camp Quilt." This latest book takes place in the Sonoma Valley during prohibition.  

If you would like a chance to win this book leave a comment on this blog post.  The giveaway will close at 11:00 pm CST on Monday February 20th.  

Want a second chance to win?  Kit Lang, a very talented fiber artist, is also hosting a giveaway for this book on her blog.  Stop by to enter and take some time to look around.  Kit's latest piece "Winter is Coming" is fantastic. Kit is always experimenting with new techniques.  I look forward to seeing what she will create next.

If you are here from Kit's blog, Welcome!

Good luck to you all!

Chris

Update:  The winner is Jules!!! Congratulations and thanks to all who entered.

Taming the Wild Stacks of Magazines

Do you have more magazines than you can manage?  This winter I spent many cold evenings sorting through my old magazines and removing the articles and patterns that inspire me.  

I was able to condense most of my collection down to three small binders.  Each article is in it's own plastic sleeve.  You see the main quilt pattern on one side and then turn the page over to see other color options on the reverse side.

When sorting through the old magazines I set a few criteria:

•  I looked for quilt patterns that interested me regardless of color
• Color combinations that spoke to me regardless of design
•  I saved photos of favorite original quilts 
• Articles about teachers and techniques that inspire me.

I cut my collection down from 2 large shelves to half of a shelf.  I haven't had the heart to cut into my Quilting Arts or the American Quilter magazines yet.

I learned a few interesting things from this exercise:

• The magazines that I saved the most saved pages from were American Patchwork and Quilting and McCall's Quilting.  I saved at least one article from each magazine and sometimes as many as four articles.
• What had been my favorite magazine at one time had the least amount of pages saved from it.  On average I saved one article from every three magazines.
• I was surprised to find that even though my color sense has changed, the same patterns that interested me in 2002 when I was a new quilter still held my interest today.  The only articles that I discarded from that period were ones on techniques I mastered years ago.

I hope to do a similar sort to my traditional fabrics soon.  I have too much and plan to sell some to make room for more hand dyes. 

P.S.  I received an e-mail from Jennifer Chiaverini's publisher last week. She has a new book from the Elm Creek Quilters series coming out on February 21th.  Next week I will be hosting a giveaway for her new book "Sonoma Rose".  Stay tuned for more details!

Chris

Project Quilting Challenge 3 - Tool Time

Are you participating in Project Quilting?  If not, there is still time to join the fun.  Quilts for Challenge number 3 are not due until Sunday February 12th at 12:00 pm CDT.  To participate follow this link for all the information you need to know to get started.  This link will take you to the current challenge post "Tool Time.   Project Quilting is not a judged challenge this year and everyone that enters a quilt has a chance to win a prize.  Dye Candy fabrics is one of the sponsors.

Photos and the text below were copied from Kim's Crafty Apple - Where Creativity Blossoms

The Challenge – Tool Time

1. Tools are your inspiration.....tools used by you or by others, past or present.  Choose at least 4 different tools.
2. Be sure to tell us about the tools you chose and how they inspired your project.
3. Your project must have a name.
4. Please remember that these projects need to be created during the week of the challenge.
5. POST your entries with a description of your creative process, including where you are (ie, I create in Madison, WI) and the size of your project by Sunday, February 12th, 2012, at noon, CDT, to this flickr group – Project QUILTING with KimsCraftyApple:http://www.flickr.com/groups/1401824@N21/ OR email a picture/description of your completed project to {lapaceksorchard at gmail dot com} with PROJECT QUILTING in the subject line.
6. If you wish to receive critiques on your piece – the good and critical – please add your photo’s to this group as well:http://www.flickr.com/groups/1628629@N24/
7. Are you stuck?  Need a little ‘Tim Gunn’ advice during the week?  Or are you just so excited on how things are going along and what to share your WIP?  We have a group for that!http://www.flickr.com/groups/1430386@N24/
8. If this is the first Project Quilting challenge you've participated in, please email Kim at {lapaceksorchard at gmail dot com} with PROJECT QUILTING in the subject line so that Kim can keep you updated on the behind the scenes going-ons.
   If you want your name to be entered into the drawing for the prizes your piece has to follow ALL the rules – including being a FINISHED quilt and completed within the allotted time.

Remember, these challenges are intended to help you “Think Outside the Square”. Be creative. Take a risk. DO SOMETHING NO ONE ELSE WILL THINK OF DOING and of course, HAVE SOME FUN!