Quilt Aid Project (259)

Sew some of you are wondering now, which Block of the Months am I going to pick!! Well, like I say to all who’ve asked, the one(s) that are most Popular of course:) While I’m still debating those, and the new ideas I’m receiving from you all the time…I’ve committed to this fun project about giving back by making a quilt – a snowball effect per se.

Helen from Pattern Press (the wonderful designer of such patterns as Life is Beautiful) has contacted me about joing this exclusive club called Quilt Aid USA and being one of the 18 shoppes from around the world in this years project called Wonder and Whimsy using a Moda line of fabrics called Ruby – totally adorable.

Sew I’m one of the 6 shoppes in my region (USA), there’s shoppes also located in Europe, Australia and USA – isn’t this interesting. It’s a global effort from all of these shoppes along with Moda USA to GIVE BACK! Each meter of fabric sold – there’s a donation made, each pattern sold for each block there’s a donation made, each finishing kit sold there’s a donation made…sound like something you’d like to be part of, me too? Last year they raised approx $20,000 dollars for a hospital in Australia – isn’t that amazing!  This project has been going on since 2006 and getting better and better each year. Does it matter where the money goes or just that it goes to people in NEED, right?

So it will be a 12 block project, 6 stores (in each region) will each be selling 2 blocks.

My blocks will be from Lynette Anderson – her and I are like BFFs when it comes to block of the months clubs through Pastimes Online so what a perfect fit for me. This charming block consisting of Toad Stools, her signature bird with heart an Elfs as well as a quilt hanging on the line…oh sew Lynette!

My next block will be from a new designer (to me) Natalie Bird I just love her style already…who wouldn’t want to create this adorable block with an elephant and mice – history tells us they should be BFF’s just because of their sheer size difference LOL – and the perfect English Paper Piecing hexies around the border, the 3 blind mice and a flower offering just puts the icing on the cake for this block wouldn’t you say? 

I’ll be doing step by step video podcasts of the blocks as I construct my top and have this be visible for the entire world to see not just the participants involved. I’ll also (with help from my team here) be putting together an amazing finishing kit for all 12 blocks and whatever I feel the extras need to be to make this quilt top SHiNE!!

Sew, would this be something you’d be interested in participating in with me and a whole group of quilters and shoppes from ALL over the world? Who would want to miss this? This project will commence in November and run until the kits are sold-out and the finishing kits are all gone too…you can purchase all your blocks at the same time, so no waiting month to month – how does that sound, pretty good I think:)

Here’s some information from the 2010 Patchwork Party / Quilt Aid project that’ll give you some good details about what this is all about as well as this excellent video.

 

Sew, for those of you who are interested, please send me an email letting me know you’d like to be notified when these blocks are ready to purchase and to join this amazing Global Quilt Project and I’ll add you to the growing list of participants!  Until next time, keep the block of the month ideas coming, the comments coming and send me pictures of your projects for our Show off your Stuff blogs, I love seeing these pics.  

Stay happy and creative, 

Pastimes Online Presents…(258)

our newest and youngest employee…London Jean born August 28. Shes ready to take orders and cut kits and star in the next educational video…when she wakes up from her nap!

 

So since this new little beauty has come into the Moss house I now can make things for her as well as everyone else and it’s been so fun…

First I did these name plates:

start with a canvas board that you can buy at Michaels,

pick your shapes, square, round, rectangle and then pick your size…I varied the sizes

Next: pick your font I chose something uplifting and fun. You want one letter per 8.5 x 11″ sheet of paper. Change your print settings to print outline instead of solid – just to save ink:)

Next: pick your fabrics. I wanted her name to coordinate with A Kitens Tale bom which will be hanging in her room soon…so that’s the fabrics I chose to work with. If I didn’t have a big enough piece in the colours I wanted I just pieced it… 

Now play with placement of the letters on your boards, floss in different colours and have fun!

then just staple it to your borads, nice and tight making sure you have the letter in the front straight..enjoy!

I love to personalize things for people, so I bought this kit (shhhhh don’t tell anyone) and modified (of course) it with her name…

 

So until next time, thanks for visiting, asking me where I’ve been and how I’ve been doing…

remember to stay happy and creative everyday!

Valerie

 

Around the Net: Stitched the Film (257)

I’ve had this sitting in my email to blog about for a while but just haven’t had a chance to get to it:

Stitched is a fun-filled documentary following three quilters racing to complete their entries for the International Quilt Festival, the largest quilt show in the nation. The Houston show draws more than 50,000 quilters including three artists who created some controversy with their work. Quilting legend Caryl Bryer Fallert was the first to win a major prize for her quilt made with a sewing machine. She mentored Hollis Chatelain who caused a stir when she won an award for a painted quilt. And Hollis mentored Randall Cook who sparked controversy with his quilt of a male nude. In this 72-minute documentary, these quilters create their pieces to compete in the 2010 quilt show.

Sew grab a cup of Quilters Tea and sit back and enjoy the show: