Happy Dance Quilting blog

A Modern Take on Quilting

2012-01-13T14:43:00.000-05:00

Modern Quilting – of course this is a recent trend! But what is it? Freedom and innovation are key elements of Modern Quilting and therefore a definition is something of a moving target. It might be said the modern quilters like to “think outside the box.” Having said that, modern quilts often share at least some of the following:
Simplicity, yet sophistication of design
Clean lines of squares, rectangles, and half-square triangles
Crisp, clear, bold, bright colors
Gray and whites as neutral colors
Solids combined with a touch of prints
Stylized flowers, paisley, stripes, graphic prints
Use of coordinating fabrics
Improvising with traditional techniques

While modern quilters enjoy simplicity of design, they prize proficiency. Often the simplicity affords both beginners and advanced quilters opportunities to hone quilting techniques and skills. Modern quilters prize high quality.
For more information, please visit The Modern Quilt Guild.

Scribble (shown above) by Timeless Treasures is a new collection of prints with spiral and stylized flowers and butterflies in black, white, charcoal and lime.

Fabrics from Red Rooster's new collection, Paparazzi (right) combine stylized flowers, dots, mosaic tiles and circles with a bold black and deep red, white and trendy gray colorway.

Other fabrics with a modern flair include:
Annabelle
Couleur Vie
Dilly Dally
Floral Oasis
Hip Happy
My Sunshine
Night & Day
Phoebe
Polka Dot Garden
Retro Boho
Spring Fever
Super

Great Yo-Yo Quilts designed by Marcia Layton

2011-10-15T18:11:00.008-04:00

Our quilting friends really enjoy Marcia Layton's clever yo-yo quilts, and her newest quilt is now available! RACCOON RIDGE

Yo-Yos and other trims add dimension to the quilt. Round yo-yos are the log ends on the cabin and grace the corner blocks of the "frame." Heart-shaped yo-yos form the foliage of the trees. The bodies of the animals are also formed by yo-yos.

We used Modascape Log Cabin print for the cabin and border. Modascapes Bricks is excellent for the chimney and foundation.

The quilt block on the door is a great touch.

Lollipop Lane is perfect for the coming season. The gingerbread house has an "icing" roof and the lollipop sticks are made with intertwined rick rack. Love the ribbon candy look of the border.

Other designs include Spooky Hollow, Harvest Road, and Lion's Den.

Lion's Den is an excellent child's gift. It's fun to talk about the animals and make their sounds. The alligator's mouth even opens and closes.

Evie plays Monkey See, Monkey Do!

2011-09-07T16:37:00.004-04:00

Karen's granddaughter Evie is crazy about monkeys. She loves anything with monkeys. For her second birthday last month she had a monkey theme birthday party. Monkey plates, Monkey goodie bags, monkey games, monkey prizes, monkey gifts and even monkey clothes! And a banana cake. In the photo is Evie on her birthday wearing her monkey shirt and sitting in her monkey chair.
So of course I was glad that we have a monkey soft book panel, "Monkey See! Monkey Do!. I made a book for her and I read it to her when we skype. It's so much fun to see her imitate me like a little monkey - monkey see, monkey do. We especially enjoy "pat your head, Make a funny face and sing a song. Evie is growing up so fast! I am thankful that I can spend special moments with her.

LANDSCAPE QUILTING

2011-08-25T21:37:00.003-04:00

It's always great to learn new techniques. Barb Soumar of Flamingo Island Designs will be at Crafty Threads for a Trunk Show on Friday, September 9, 2011 and a Workshop on Saturday, September 10, 2011. Barb has developed creative techniques to give textures, depth and dimension to her original landscape designs. Please view her video and also visit her website. Call our shop, Crafty Threads, for more information about attending the Trunk Show or Workshop. 888-74-QUILT.

RUFFLE FABRIC

2011-08-20T08:43:00.005-04:00

We've discovered Ruffle Fabric and we love it. Please visit Ruffle Fabrics Blog for a variety of projects and tutorials. And Happy Apple Quilts now has Ruffle Fabric available.

2011 NATIONAL SEWING MONTH CONTEST

2011-07-07T15:33:00.002-04:00

This year's theme is "Sew for the Love of It!" Join the fun. You choose the project, whether it’s an article of clothing, a toy, something for your home, an accessory, a quilt, or even an item for your car or boat. Click for entry rules and details and also to see previous years contest entries.

Submissions for the contest will be accepted August 10, 2011 through September 30, 2011. Winners will be notified October 31, 2011 and announced on November 1, 2011.

GOOD LUCK!

Fabrics for $4.99 per yard

2011-06-28T09:47:00.002-04:00

We have so many new fabrics arriving that space is needed in the shop. So, July 2 - July 9 over 175 bolts of fabric will be $4.99 per yard. The sale will be at our shop: Crafty Threads, 12230 Race Track Rd, Tampa, FL and also on the website www.happyapplequilts.com. Please shop early for best selection.

ALL HAPPY APPLE QUILT PATTERNS ARE ON SALE

2011-06-08T10:34:00.012-04:00

TWENTY SIX PATTERNS ON SALE THROUGH JUNE 11, 2011
Easy, quick quilt patterns designed by Karen Grof for Happy Apple Quilts, including wall hangings, bed sizes, table runners, placemats, tree skirts, pillows.

REFLECTIONS: Five sizes, Lap, Twin, Full, Queen and King. Beautiful in Asians and Florals, but also a terrific design to use for a guy quilt. I made one for my son using black bears and a northwoods look.

BEARS IN THE BUNKHOUSE makes a fun play or snuggle quilt.See BUCKAROO BEARS pattern for this bear applique in a different setting and sizes snuggle and twin

SUNFLOWER SKY is a 38" X 38" wall quilt and brings in the sunshine of summer all year long.

42nd Annual NQA Show in Columbus, Ohio

2011-06-03T12:32:00.002-04:00

Happy Apple Quilts will again have a booth at the NQA show. We have so many new items this year: new kits, new t-shirts, and of course LOTS OF NEW FABRIC!
The 42nd Annual Show is June 16-18, 2011 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH. It's a great show with Special Exhibits, 400 Competition Quilts, Classes and Vendors.

Advent Angel

2010-07-20T10:02:00.006-04:00

An angel announced the birth of Christ. This adorable advent angel has a unique way of announcing the coming of Christmas Day. Her skirt cleverly offers 24 pockets to fill with tiny treats or advent scriptures. Enjoy a treat or read a scripture each day of advent (the kids will love it). For day 25, Angel holds a great little bag in her hands. Put in something special for the special day.

I really enjoyed making Advent Angel from a panel of the Choir of Angels collection by Robin Betterley for Wilmington Prints. She is so different from my usual projects! The excellent instructions are printed right on the panel.

Visit us to order yours today. HappyAppleQuilts.com

Garden Patch Cats

2010-07-14T10:31:00.005-04:00

Hey, all you cat and/or veggie lovers out there. We now have all 13 "Garden Patch Cats" patterns on our website. Cats and veggie are good for everyone.

Helene Knott, fiber artist extraordinare, has created the cutest litter of cat characters, each with a veggie name and great recipe included in the pattern.
Easy applique and great instructions make each 18" x 18" quilt block a pleasure to make.
Use them to make individual wall hangings or combine them to make an awesome quilt!

Gourdo Gato shown here was made and quilted by our friend, Lee Franklin. Kits are available for Gourdo Gato.

Make Life Fun with Bucket Totes!

2010-07-08T16:12:00.014-04:00

Sweetwater has designed a fab, fun tote shaped like a bucket. It is just too cool! And sooooo easy to make. There are even iron-on labels included in the pattern. I used the canvas fabric and coordinates from the Make Life fabric collection by Moda to make a couple of totes. That just sparked my imagination. These totes are great for gifts, teens, toys, decorating, holidays, parties.....

But.... the pattern calls for canvas. I wanted to use some of the new fabrics that we are receiving every week and they aren't canvas. So I just did what we all do; I adapted.

My solution was to fuse Decor Bond onto the back of both the main fabric and the lining fabric and substitute them for the canvas. I chose an awesome print from and got started. I think the results are funtastic! (Thanks to Carol Jones for helping me choose the fabrics.) See other Halloween fabrics

Next, I am going to look for some gold cord for handles and see how some of our great Christmas fabrics work as bucket totes.

People on my Christmas gift list will not be getting the ordinary gift bags this year! (Don't spoil my secret.)

Holiday Apron

2010-07-08T12:08:00.005-04:00

I am so excited about the new collection from Wilmington Prints - Cookie Jar Treats! Remember your childhood tradition of setting out milk and cookies for Santa? This beautifully colorful fabric brings it all back. I especially like the apron and know just what I plan to do with the one that I made. I am going to give it to my good friend who has been bringing Chrismas Cookies to my family for the past 20 years.

I decided to make her apron reversible so I chose an autumn apple print for the other side. I wanted pockets on that side, too.

This is what I did:

1. Cut out the panel according the printed instructions on it.

2. Skip the step of hemming the panel edges, but follow the pockets and ties instructions.

3. Baste the ties onto the apron and pin them flat to the front of the apron.

4. Cut the apple print to a 30" wide strip. Trim the selvage off one edge.

5. Cut a 7" x 30" strip. Fold one long edge under 1/4" to make the bottom hem.
Hem (stitch) the other with a 1.5" top hem to make a "pocket sleeve."

6. With both fabrics right side up, place the pocket sleeve onto the 30" strip, 4" from the bottom (without selvage) edge. Stitch along the bottom of the pocket sleeve.

7. Stitch a verticle seam at the center of the pocket sleeve to divide it into two pockets. Stitch vertical seams 6" from both sides of the center seam to make more pockets. Then baste the side edges together.

8. Lay the 30" strip (pocket sleeve at bottom) right side up on your cutting table.

9. Fold the apron panel at the center, wrong sides together.

10 Place the center fold of the panel along the center of the 30" strip and line up the bottom edges. Open the apron panel and pin together along edges.

11. Leaving a small opening at the bottom, stitch with 1/4" around the apron panel. Clip curves.

12. Turn inside out. Press and top-stitch along the edge.

Adorable Advent Calendar

2010-07-01T17:13:00.017-04:00

I love Christmas and all the decorations of the season. This advent calendar, by LeAnne Anderson of The Whole Country Caboodle, is absolutely adorable. LeAnne's style is a little bit country and a lot cute.

I fell in love with the Nativity scene on the Advent Calendar and just had to make one. It takes one panel and 4 other fabrics from LeAnne's "Let Us Adore Him" collection. The panel includes the nativity scene plus rows of little squares for the calender pockets. One fabric has the cute little characters nicely spaced apart, so you can fussy cut them to make the tiny ornaments. Hang the ornaments on buttons along the side of the quilt as you count the days until Christmas. The instructions are on the bottom of the panel.

I followed the instructions exactly except for hand stitching the ribbon loop to the back of the ornament. Instead, I clipped a tiny hole in the felt about an inch down from the top. I threaded the ribbon through the hole and tied it. Then I positioned the knot in the hole. When I fused the character fabric over the knot it was completely covered and I had a nice smooth loop on my ornament. Wow, these would also make great tree decorations!

Hot Cakes!

2010-06-04T09:49:00.004-04:00

Try this sweet little pattern from Susie C Shore Designs.

I just finished these 2 oven mitts and they really are a "piece of cake" to make. Quick, easy and very functional. Wouldn't these make great hostess gifts, secret pal gifts, bridal shower gifts or party favors!

"Bake" up a dozen and have them handy. And remember to make a few for yourself.

"Hot Cakes" are 10" x 8."

Save Those T-Shirts

2010-05-30T08:07:00.006-04:00

Summer is a great time to collect vacation t-shirts. But what do you do with all those shirts? Make a quilt! Then send me a photo of your special creation. My good friend, Carol, stopped by the store to show off the quilt she made for her husband who is a member of a car club. He had collected lots of car event shirts and she made an awesome quilt. She included embroidery and a great check border.

Carol had taken a t-shirt quilt class with me which included Andrea Funk's awesome book, How to Make a Too Cool T-Shirt Quilt. Andrea's method shows you how to be creative and design your quilt to take advantage of the different sizes and shapes of the t-shirt logos. Carol had mostly white t-shirts so she cleverly arranged them in columns and added "fillers" of small logos and embroidery on teal fabric (hubby's car color). Carol's border treatment is perfect! Thank you, Carol, for sharing your quilt with us.

Fun at Quilt Market

2010-05-28T17:00:00.005-04:00

Karen, Sharen and Barb went to Quilt Market last week in Minneapolis. Our goals were to take classes, grow our quilting and business skills, SHOP and HAVE FUN. We accomplished all of them!

McKenna Ryan's new fabric line is so awesome that we bought it ALL! Watch for it to arrive in August.

McKenna Ryan must love crazy people. She posed with two of them in front of her newest "work in progress." McKenna and Barb show off their bunny ears while Karen opts for Yoda. (Barb started it.)
Oh, did I mention that the new collection is Sand in My Shoes by Hoffman Fabrics?

Mother's Day in Ireland

2010-05-25T08:36:00.005-04:00

The Irish celebrate Mother's Day in March. I just got these great pictures of my daughter, Katie, and her precious little daughter, Evie, taken on Irish Mother's Day. Katie celebrates being a mom everyday!

Little Blessings

2010-04-07T12:53:00.004-04:00

"Dear Karen,
This is a photo of the flannel quilt I made from the pieces you sent to me in January. I had ordered some fabric and you sent the free pieces for a special child's quilt. I hope the quilt turned out as good as you expected. It is precious to hold in my hands and I will be giving it to Tammy at the battered women and children's shelter as soon as we can meet.
Thanks again and God bless each of you. Nora in northeast TX"

You know that we love receiving emails from our quilting friends we've met at shows and through our website. This one is very special and I am sharing it with Nora's permission. Nora is a dear lady who had placed an order from us quite some time ago. When she ordered again, I remembered that she told me she made baby quilts for charity so I sent her some flannel pieces from my stash.

After serving as missionaries for 20 years Nora and her husband,Don moved to Sulphur Springs, TX to be near their children.
That's where Nora met Tammy Pearson, founder and president of Women Offering Women Support which is a faith based ministry for single mothers and their children. You can read her testimony at :
http://www.chrysalishousetexas.com/. Nora asked Tammy if she could use some quilts for small children and she said yes, she sure could use them. Although Chrysalis House is not open yet (will get a new roof in July), Tammy gets calls from women asking for a place to stay and needing help because they have escaped in the night from an abusive situation, and usually have nothing but a few clothes for a baby or child. People have given her diapers, baby bottles, baby food, clothes, etc. to give to these women but Tammy has to refer them to another county for a place to stay until she can open the facilities. Different churches have remodeled all of the rooms in one wing of the building.
Nora has been making baby/child quilts for several years for Tammy. People give her fabric pieces, and scraps. Lately, she has also used quilt panels of animals, cars and trucks and scenery. When Nora receives monetary donations, she buys good quality fabrics for the quilts so they will last longer and withstand many washings. She usually makes quilts about 36" x 46" and uses the "birthing method" of finishing because it is faster.

Here are Nora's instructions for the "birthing method" to finish quilt edges.

1. Square up the quilt top.
2. Layer the quilt top and backing fabric on your work surface with right sides facing each other, then lay the batting (or white flannel I use) on top. Pin every few inches around the edge of the quilt.
3. Sew all the way around the quilt with a ½” or ¾” seam allowance, leaving about an eight inch opening on one side, big enough to put your hand inside to turn the “pillowcase” right side out. If your quilt is large, allow a bigger opening of 10”-15” to make it easier to push the bulk of the quilt through.
4. Turn the pillowcase right side out and press.
5. Blind stitch the opening closed by hand.
6. Top stitch around the whole quilt about 1/2 inch from the edge.
7. Secure the quilt layers together: Using large stitches, baste your quilt about every 3 - 4 inches in both directions, smoothing out the fabric so it lays flat.
8. Quilt in the ditch if you have made your quilt with squares or free-motion quilt any way you like to secure the layers together.

Bless you, Nora, and all you wonderful quilters who are so generous with your time and talents.

There's No Place Like Home!

2010-03-30T09:09:00.005-04:00

I'm home! We left on March 9 for Atlanta, Tennessee, Toledo and Cleveland. Sharen, Barb and I had a great time at the quilt shows meeting new quilting friends and quilt professionals. My only regret is that I forgot to take my camera. I wish I had pictures of the awesome quilts on display at the Maryville, TN show. Many were hand quilted with such tiny, even stitches that it was hard to imagine the workmanship unless you could see it for yourself. I hand quilted for many years and never achieved that skill level.
We received lots of new fabric shipments over the last 3 weeks. I can't wait to open the boxes to see what I ordered. I could wrap my own Christmas gifts and still be surprised on Christmas morning. Fabric shipments are the same way. It's just like Christmas morning!

Weather report

2010-03-25T22:28:00.002-04:00

It's snowing in Cleveland!!!!! You know I'm a Florida girl now and I am not accustomed to snow. The weather was quite nice when Sharen and I arrived in Cleveland on Tuesday evening. It was OK when we drove to the Exposition Hall this morning. Imagine my surprise when I left my evening class at 9 pm and walked out into a white world. I haven't driven in snow in years! But I got back to hotel. I think that I drove down the middle of the road at 25 mph because I couldn't see the lines. Now I am enjoying a nice hot cup of tea and just hope that it doesn't snow all night.

Design Fun

2010-02-04T09:46:00.017-05:00

Karen started Happy Apple Quilts because she likes to create quilt designs. She rarely ever follows a quilt pattern preferring to "do her own thing." Happy Apple Quilts began as a pattern company and now has 24 published patterns.
.

Convenience panels are now a great element in quilting. Most fabric companies have beautiful panels as part of their collections. Karen has created several quilt designs that begin with a panel and feature other fabrics from the collection or great blenders from the same company. "Name Above All Names" panel by Blank Quilting has been extremely popular. Karen's wall hanging project is quick and easy. She added a simple border to compliment the beautifully cheerful artistry of Krista Hamrick. Happy Apple Quilts offers kits of the project on our website

Generations

2010-01-31T19:45:00.019-05:00

My busy life was blessed recently by a visit from my daughter, Katie, her husband, Jamie, and our precious granddaughter, Evie. The time spent with with them and my parents reminded me of the special bond between generations of family.
It seems like just yesterday that Mom and I played with baby Katie. Mom shared so much with Katie over the years. They baked pies from the apples and berries they picked together. They enjoyed the garden, flowers, books, ice cream, old movies on TV, hot chocolate on snowy days, long walks on sunny days. Katie has told me that her grandmother is the person she admires most. I was not at all surprised when Katie chose to name her little daughter Evelyn, my mother's name.

I look forward to sharing special times with Evie. I look forward to summer days at our cabin in Tennessee where we can hike and swim and fish and sail. I look forward to Evie teaching me to bake pies. I look forward to reading books together. I look foward to sewing together. I hope she loves fabric and quilting as much as I do!

I think I am just beginning to understand the special relationship of being a grandmother.

Meet Cindy McCoy

2010-01-08T17:38:00.014-05:00

As a self described "geeky designer," Cindy McCoy has found a way to combine her artistic world of quilting with her techie talents.

Cindy began quilting in 1993 and soon became a teacher and designer. She markets her own original applique patterns, MsDesigns on her website CD Designs. When teaching, English Paper Piecing is her favorite class. I am in awe to learn that her first finished English Paper Piecing project was a KING SIZE Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt for her mother. (Have you read the Thanksgiving Day blog about my very fast, very easy queen quilt project called Stashville Stars? Well, I hope to get back to it soon.)

After five years as a traveling teacher, Cindy launched the online quilt school, Quilt Campus, which now features eleven teachers and a wide variety of techniques and projects.

Happy Apple Quilts has joined her latest project, FindAQuiltPattern.com. Thanks, Cindy for this great and growing site. It is wonderful for quilters looking for original designs and for gifted designers who bring such a variety of fresh ideas.

Not Double Trouble - Double Fun

2009-12-19T20:27:00.006-05:00

Have you seen the latest issue of QUILTER'S HOME?

They did a DOUBLE FUN article on Quilting Twins.
Did you know:

Mary Mashuta and Roberta Horton are twins?
Even identical twins can have very different tastes?

A twin can certainly get her sister hooked on quilting?

Karen and Sharen are among the five "sister acts" featured in the article.

What Fabriholic Wouldn't Want to Win This?

2009-12-18T15:15:00.006-05:00

Patrick Lose Studios invites you:

Enter today for your chance to win over 7 yards in this fat quarter bundle:

Dot to Dot Collection for Robert Kaufman Fabrics

That's a total of 29 fat quarters -

one of each color in the collection.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Good Luck from Happy Apple Quilts

What did I expect?

2009-12-10T10:46:00.007-05:00

My three sons decorated the Christmas tree. At least it's right side up this year. They asked me how long I will leave the socks on the tree.

My answer: "I didn't put them there."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
AND GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE!

I hope you have as much fun at your house as we do at ours.
Sharen, Dan, Ethan, Evan and Brian

Evelyn Rose's Baptism

2009-12-04T17:24:00.014-05:00

Our precious granddaughter, Evelyn Rose, was baptized on Tuesday, December 1 in the chapel at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute in Dublin, Ireland. She was presented for baptism by her thankful, proud and very happy parents, Katie and Jamie.

The baptism service was attended by the institute students and members of both Abbey St. Methodist and Clontarf Parish Church of Ireland.

Jamie's parents, Jim and Debbie were also able to attend this special moment in Evie's life.

Two of Katie's co-workers, Jamie's supervising rector, and one of the ministers from the Methodist congregation performed the service together.

HOPES AND DREAMS

2009-12-02T20:55:00.013-05:00

Quilters are the best!

Quilters care about others.

That's why you'll want to know about

HOPES AND DREAMS QUILT CHALLENGE FOR ALS

Quilt Donation Program & Quilt Contest

started by Kathy Thompson, owner of

Quilters Dream Batting

THE CHALLENGE:
-to raise awareness of ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease.
-to provide quilts, & bring recognition, hope and warmth to the lives of ALS patients.
-to raise funds for research for treatment and a cure.

Donated quilts will be given to an ALS patient or used to raise funds and awareness by being photographed, displayed, auctioned or raffled.

Plus, each quilt entered is eligible to win great prizes
from the growing list of generous sponsors.

Donate quilt(s) by July 31, 2010
click for an entry form and more details.
also read a personal note from Kathy Thompson.

Kathy Thompson's son Josh was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)two years ago at the age of 32. See pictures of Josh and read about the JT Walk for ALS.

Our brother, Kelly, was diagnosed with ALS when he was 34. He passed away at the age of 40.

He was a physical therapist and started the Kelly Carter Scholarship Fund to provide scholarships for students studying in various medical fields.

The quilt to the right was made with t-shirts from the annual Kelly Carter Scholarship Walk/Run which is held each year in Tecumseh, Michigan.

Sonja's Cottage Quilts

2009-11-30T20:23:00.025-05:00

My good friend, Sonja, has Happy Apple quilts in her beautiful Franklin, NC cottage. Check it out - Sunflower Sky and Dutch Blooms.

Thank you, Sonja for sharing these photos. I love seeing our designs displayed. And you can check out Sonja's seasonal rental, Cabe's Cottage at http://www.vrbo.com/.

Stashville Stars - Queen Size

2009-11-30T20:23:00.024-05:00

As I wrote in my previous post, I spent time on Thanksgiving Day working on the quilt for my bed. I'm using Karen's Stashville Stars pattern and beautiful fabrics from Moda's Legacy collection.

I chose this pattern because I like it, of course. I also wanted to see just how fast it really is to make half square triangles with Ta-da Half Square Triangles. I really need fast if I'm ever going to make a queen size quilt. Ta-da is a lightweight fusible interfacing that is preprinted with markings for half square triangles.

I enjoy demonstrating Ta-das at shows. It's even more fun to use them on my own project. And HSTs couldn't be easier.

The markings are printed to fit on fat quarters, but I was using strips so my first step was to cut the Ta-Das into strips.

Then, I put my fabrics strips - one light and one dark - right sides together and pressed the Ta-Da on top of the lighter fabric. Add two or three pins and I'm headed to my sewing machine.

Stitch on all of the dotted lines.

Cut on the solid lines

Press. And - TA-DA! Perfect half square triangles.

By Thurs evening I had 240 half square triangles ready for the next step.

So Friday afternoon I stitched together 120 pairs. Can't wait for another free afternoon to start the next step.

My Quiet, Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T10:19:00.004-05:00

Our extended family Thanksgiving dinner will be on Saturday. So, my husband and 3 sons decided they wanted to spend Thanksgiving deer hunting, watching football and deer hunting some more. I hate to say I didn't miss them, but I did enjoy a whole day in my quilt office/sewing room. A neat, tidy, organized room!! (please realize that Karen and I have done a lot of traveling to shows this fall - I'm finally caught up in the office.)

Add ironing board, table and sewing machine and my office is transformed into SEWING ROOM. Hey, I've stepped up in this world, I used to work in the corner of a storage room. I worked on a queen size quilt for my bed. (more on that soon)

While the rest of the world was focused on football, I enjoyed delightful childhood baseball memories. Detroit Tiger Baseball. Like other programs, radio personality Mitch Albom's show was a "Best Of" replay. To my delight, they chose to re-air an interview Mitch did with Ernie Harwell at a special fund raiser recently. Ernie was the voice of Tiger Baseball for so many years - including my childhood. And hearing that voice again took me back to hot, sticky summer evenings in the old house (with cheering so loud house that a neighbor called to find out the score) and back to rides to the lake in the old Chevy with all 8 of us in the car.

Ernie has been a huge presence in the Detroit area for so many years. This summer he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Very ill, Ernie still delighted the live and radio audience with his down home charm and whit. Ernie brought Thanksgiving home to my heart. Great baseball stories - yes. But he also spoke of the 1961 Billy Graham event when he gave his life to Christ. He quoted Scriptures which mean so much to him. He spoke of his hope of heaven and deep peace even in illness. He spoke on his wife of 68 years. He gave me perspective.

Thank you. Ernie, for reminding me of the day in Sept 1975 in Marquette, MI when Jesus became my personal Savior.

Ernie has given so much over many years. The purpose of the event at which he was speaking was to raise money for a clinic for the underprivileged. Mitch announced that the playroom at the clinic is named: The Ernie Harwell Playroom.

Thank you, Ernie. Happy Thanksgiving. I wish you God's very best.

Meet Kim Kamlet

2009-11-23T10:56:00.026-05:00

Kim Kamlet is a pattern designer that I met at a quilt show in Tampa last February. She lives near Tampa and attended the show. As she visited our booth I immediately noticed the great patchwork backpack that she was wearing. Of course, I asked if she made it hoping that she would be able to tell me the name of the pattern. Even better, she designed the backpack and had printed "My Favorite Backpack" pattern under her company name, Turkey Track Designs!

Kim writes great patterns and I recently made myself a backpack from prequilted fabric. I have also made three "Tee Time Pin Cushions" and "Becky's Needle Case" which has a neat little interior pocket.

Kim visited our booth at the Quiltfest in Jacksonville in September wearing, you guessed it, "My Favorite Backpack."

Home Again

2009-11-21T09:38:00.009-05:00

I am finally back in sunny Florida. After 19 days of traveling it is good to be home. I was just looking through some of the pictures from the trip and thinking about what I enjoyed most. Again, as always, it was the wonderful quilters that we meet at the shows. At the Original Sewing and Quilt Expos I always teach 2 or 3 classes. Most classes are 3 hours long; some classes last 90 minutes. We visit and share while we learn and always the ladies find many things that they have in common. In Minneapolis and Schaumburg I taught the Perfect Flying Geese method. Our project was the Timeless Travel Pillow. Many of the ladies finished the project in the 90 minute class and planned to make more pillows as gifts. And, everyone loves the quick flying geese method!

I have three new classes planned for the Spring Expos in Tampa, Atlanta, and Cleveland. Class description will be posted on the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo website soon. I hope you plan to attend the Expo nearest you. Please stop by our booth so we can meet you!

The Weather Outside is Delightful

2009-11-10T20:06:00.017-05:00

We are in balmy Chicago. All my worry about freezing on this trip was unfounded. Minnesota and Illinois are having unusually warm weather for this time of year. Whenever anyone comments about the nice weather, I tell them that I brought it with me from Florida. Sharen doesn't even need her jacket!

Today we visited three Chicago area quilt shops. (Lots more fun than yesterday's trip to the coin laundry.) We visited Quilter's Destination in Arlington Heights and found lots of great fabrics. I especially liked the selection of Jinny Beyer fabrics from RJR. Quilter's Destination is located at 945 E Rand Rd, Arlington Heights.

Next, we made our way to A Touch of Amish at 130 Applebee St. in Barrington. This wonderful shop is in a very unique building created by moving two old houses together at an angle with a wedge shape addition connecting them. The friendly staff was very helpful and cheerful. We really enjoyed wandering from room to room, each filled with fabric displays. This shop offers lots of Civil War fabrics and flannels, Thimbleberries plus brights and batiks. Many quilt kits are are also available. A small loft upstairs houses fun kids fabric and children's quilt ideas. The basement level is a large, pleasant classroom.

Our last stop of the day was Pieceful Gathering Quilt Shop. Mother/daughter team, Carrie and Katie graciously showed us their shop. They feature reproduction fabrics, Jo Morton, Windham, Marcus, Moda and more. They have an awesome selection of wool and wool applique patterns. I especially enjoyed the flying geese quilts in the classroom. They even offer Free Stitching Times! You can locate Pieceful Gathering Quilt Shop at 106 Northwest Hwy (Rte. 14), Fox River Grove, IL 60021.

Coming and/or Going

2009-10-16T10:19:00.007-04:00

Karen and I have only one more road trip this fall. It's about time I finish blogging about our summer travels. We were at the AQS Show in Knoxville in July. The Cherry Pit's booth was right across from us. What a delight!

The Cherry Pit in Sevierville, TN was the first quilt shop we visited when we were getting ready to launch our business. The owner, Jane Washington, is absolutely wonderful. She enjoys encouraging quilters who are just starting out in business. Jane looked at Karen's first designs and gave us her shop owner perspective and great advice and suggestions.

About a year later Jane invited us to do a trunk show at her shop. We had so much fun - and great sales of our patterns.

Whenever you might be in the Knoxville, TN area, The Cherry Pit is a must see.

Karen took the picture of Sharen and Jane. Then she decided she wanted a picture of all three of us. Too bad her arms aren't longer.

Much Appreciated Comment

2009-10-11T14:57:00.002-04:00

This week I posted instructions for making pillowcases. Thanks to alert reader, Laurie Evans, for pointing out a mistake. (See why I need a proof-reader/pattern tester for all my patterns!) Laurie's comments are below in case you didn't see what she posted.

Laurie Evans said...
Good Morning! Shouldn't #1 say wrong sides together? I make my pillowcases this way, but I add a trim made with a 3" X WOF strip. I also overlock all of my raw seams. It takes a bit more time, but I like to do it so that the seams don't fray when washed.Thanks so much for posting this pattern!

Yes, in the first step you should fold the band with wrong sides together. I will make that correction, now.

I also appreciate Laurie's suggestion to finish seams with an overlock stitch. I usually use French seams for my pillowcases. And do try the trim. Just fold the 3" strip with wrong sides together and put it in between the band and body in step #1.

There is another way to make pillowcases in which you roll the body and trim inside the band before you stitch them together. Has anyone seen that method?

Halloween Pillowcase

2009-10-09T13:09:00.007-04:00

We always enjoy meeting people at the quilt shows.

Last week in Chantilly, I spoke to one customer who bought numerous one yard cuts of Halloween fabric. She always makes Halloween pillowcases for her children and her neices and nephews. What a great idea! They trick or treat with the pillowcases plus have a FUNctional gift from her.

Here is a quick easy way to make pillow cases.

Cut 3/4 yard for body of pillow case. Cut 1/4 yard for band.

Fold the band in half lengthwise with wrong sides together.

Pin the raw edges of the band to top edge of the body, RST. Stitch.

Press the seam toward the body of the pillowcase.

Fold the pillowcase in half, wrong sides together, lining up the selvage edges.

Trim the selvage edges so the they are even.

Stitch along the side and bottom of the pillowcase.

Turn it right side out. Done!

Happy Apple Quilts Halloween Fabric Clearance Sale

Have Happy and Safe Trick or Treats!

Quiltfest in Jacksonville, Florida

2009-09-27T18:36:00.012-04:00

This past weekend we were in Jacksonville at Quiltfest. This was the first time we had a booth at this show and we had so much fun! It is a great quilt show which happens every September thanks to the hard work and dedication to quilting of the Seven Sister Guilds.

We thought you might like to see what we do on set-up day before a show.

We always arrive with the van packed to the roof. First order of business is to unload and cart everything into our booth.

We are grateful that we had the help of our friend, Barb, this show.

It is easiest to work in the booth if we stack all the bins and boxes in the aisle (leaving enough room for other vendors to get by, of course.)

Next we hang up all the models. We learned by experience that it's not a good idea to put tables loaded with merchandise along the walls until after the models are in place.

Then we set up the tables and drape them and put down interlocking floor mats. Almost always the booths just have concrete floors and they are very hard to stand on all day.

Then it's time to set our merchandise on the table and assemble our spinning racks and display racks. We hang our patterns from the spinners.

It usually takes between eight and ten hours to set up our booth. We always say, "We are the first to arrive and the last to leave" on set up day.

Hope to see you at a show soon.

Happy Quilting.

Apple Cake - As Good as Apple Pie

2009-09-17T20:44:00.011-04:00

Have I mentioned yet that one of the best things about traveling to quilt shows is meeting quilters?

A very lovely lady named Anne visited with us at our booth at the AQS Show in Knoxville in July. The next day she brought us a favorite recipe - APPLE CAKE. It turns out that this is the same recipe that Karen used to bake cakes frequently during our high school days! Karen had lost the recipe and is thrilled to have it again.

Thank you, Anne.

I think my sons should have one of these waiting for me when I get back from the shows.

APPLE CAKE

1 c. cooking oil

2 c sugar

3 large eggs

2-1/2 c all purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 t. nutmeg

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. pure vanilla

4 c. apples, peeled, cored and diced. (McIntosh or Granny Smith are best. Apples chilled in the refrigerator work best.)

1 c. chopped walnuts.

Combine oil and sugar. Beat in eggs. Sift dry ingredients together and add slowly. Fold in vanilla, apples and walnuts. Bake in a 13" X 9" greased pan for 55 minutes at 325 degrees.

CREAM CHEESE ICING

1 lb. confectioners sugar (4 c.)

1 stick salted butter at room temperature

1 8oz package cream cheese at room temperature.

2 t. pure vanilla

Beat sugar and cream cheese until soft and smooth. Add vanilla. Beat well. Ice cooled cake in pan. Cut into squares to serve.

More fun in Dublin

2009-09-15T15:29:00.016-04:00

We rode the LUAS (light rail) into Dublin on Monday because Katie and Jamie have a very small car. It's not easy squeezing four adults, one baby and a luxury pram into a Yaris!

I really enjoyed the LUAS and it was so convenient to be able to roll Evie's big pram right into the train.

This is the River Liffey which divides Dublin into north and south.

We walked from the train stop to Trinity College. The bell tower to the right is at Trinity and it tolls at exam times. I imagine it tolls at other times, too.

Oliver St. John Gogarty traditional Irish pub is named after the famous Irish poet, playwright and surgeon. It offers traditional Irish food and drink and traditional Irish music 7 days a week. It is located in the center of Temple Bar, one of the busiest and most popular parts of Dublin, amid narrow cobbled 18th century streets.
Gogarty's also has a budget hostel and apartments.

It is only a short walk to Grafton Street and Trinity College.

Of course, we had to go to Grafton Street again. This man is a street artist who stands statue-still as tourists walk by. Imagine the startled looks when he moves!

While we were watching, a bird flew up and perched on his head. That really made his statue performance realistic.

Actually, my main reason for suggesting another trip to Grafton is the famous Butler's Chocolate Cafe - possibly the best chocolate anywhere.

It was a cool day so we really had to order hot chocolate.

We took our hot chocolates down the street to Bewley's to enjoy scones.

Perfect day in Dublin.

Hello Grandpa

2009-09-14T06:32:00.012-04:00

Sunday was an exciting day for us.

We got up very early to drive to Dublin Airport

to meet Grandpa Jim.

He was on his way from Florida to see his new granddaughter for the very first time.

There's the door where we would see him come through from immigration.

Notice the sign. Almost all signs in Dublin are in English and Gaelic. A "car park" is what we call a parking lot.

See how excited Evie is to finally see Grandpa Jim!!!!!

We are all very happy that he is finally here. Even Jamie is grinning from ear to ear as he takes this picture.

Sunday was very special for another reason as well.

Jamie will be the Youth and Lay Pastoral Assistant for The Church of Ireland,

Church of St. John the Baptist in Clontarf. Sunday was his commissioning service.

We enjoyed a beautiful worship time and were warmly welcomed by the congregation.

The Rector of the Parish is

The Reverend Derek Sargent.

Autumn, Apples and Recent Trip to the Orchard

2009-09-12T19:49:00.015-04:00

In July, the day after the AQS Show in Knoxville, Karen drove back to Michigan with me. We enjoyed a day visiting our parents and met our youngest sister for lunch.
We decided to update the pictures on our website and newsletter, as well as put a new picture on our new blog. My son Brian, camera in hand, followed Mom and Crazy Aunt Karen around the orchard on our photo shoot.

Debbie Mumm has designed "Apple Harvest" for South Sea Imports. Of course we love anything with apples. The Apple Harvest Panel has six different "blocks," and there are fifteen 7" X 6-3/4" blocks per panel. They are great for a wall hanging, table runner or placemats. It's so easy to make a matching apron with the Apple Harvest Apron Panel

Marlay Park

2009-09-07T12:01:00.018-04:00

On Saturday Katie, Jamie, Evie and I went to nearby Marlay Park. There are beautiful parks throughout Dublin and it seems common that they are the grounds of historic buildings, castles or estates.

This 18th century house was built in 1794 and its courtyard and former stables are well known for the craft courtyard and farmer's market. Katie and Jamie like to buy produce here.

The 214 acre park has many areas for sports and even a golf course. In the summer there are concerts and picnics. Behind Katie and Jamie is a great view of Wicklow Mountains. A trail begins at Marlay Park that is popular for backpacking and hiking to the mountains.

Off to the side of the house is a wonderful walled gardens. Katie and Jamie had not found it on previous trips to the park and it was a great discovery on this trip that we really enjoyed.

We think this is an English style landscape.

Another part if the garden is separated by a wall that has little cottages built right into the wall. There are fruit trees and vegetable plots, all very neat and orderly.

Apple trees and pear trees were tied to the wall and trained to grow where they were tied. These are apple trees. There is also a small orchard of fruit trees.

Katie and I are standing under a large trellis covered with pear trees. It is amazing the way the trees grow on the trellis.

I hope we have an opportunity to go back to Marlay Park again before I go home. There is also a great little cottage house at the walled garden where we can have tea and scones and ice cream! Plus, little Evie slept the whole time so I am sure she wants to visit Marlay Park with Grandma again.

On the Road Again

2009-09-06T14:58:00.007-04:00

Karen is in Ireland for a couple more weeks, so I'm writing in the van as my husband Dan and I are traveling down I-75 in Northern Florida. (Dan's driving.) I'll be at Karen's house "holding down the fort" while Grandpa Jim joins Karen in Ireland. As soon as Karen returns, the two of us hit the road again.

Our last trip was the AQS Show in Knoxville in July. While in Knoxville, Karen received this e-mail from her friend Jeannie. "Dear Karen and Sharen, I am praying angels will surround you as you travel. . ."
That same day a very sweet lady named Carol came to our booth. We had a nice chat with her and she gave each of us an angel she had made. We wore them on our vendor badges for the rest of the show. Karen replied to Jeannie, "We were safe as we traveled to the Convention Center, and have our angels, too!"

Quilts are great, but quilting friends are better yet.

Thank you, Carol (pictured with Karen) And keep praying Jeannie. We have four shows this fall: Jacksonville, Fl; Chantilly, VA; Minneapolis, MN; Chicago, IL.

Autumn and Apples - Great Memories

2009-09-04T15:52:00.019-04:00

One of my favorite autumn memories was 1993 when my three year old twins and I (Sharen) spent nearly every day helping my dad in the orchard.

I bought them bright red jackets so I could see them anywhere. Their work was to run all over the orchard and get very tired by nap time.

Dad loved giving his grandkids rides on his tractor.

And, of course the kids love it!

We're celebrating autumn with apple specials!

Save 20% on Cider Mill Road Collection

by Nancy Halvorsen

for Benartex

Save 50% on An Apple A Day

wall hanging pattern designed by Karen

Grandma's Little Helper

2009-09-03T17:42:00.004-04:00

Only one week old and Evie is already interested in quilting! Here we are looking on line at great new fabric from Wilmington. It turns out that Evie has a wonderful talent for choosing fabric and her favorite color is pink. Evie really likes the Poetic Blossoms that just arrived at Happy Apple Quilts.

Tomorrow we will look through some of our favorite quilting magazines together. (After naptime.)

Time for Quilting!

2009-09-02T10:33:00.007-04:00

We have been very busy here in Evie World. She is wonderful and a very good baby. She does have an occasional long nap - during the day, of course.

That does give me a little free time and just guess what I am doing. Quilting - by hand!

Jamie brought out a quilt that his grandmother started years ago. It is a hand pieced Bow Tie Quilt. The blocks were given to Katie to finish. She put it together in a straight setting, added a border and started hand quilting it. Katie enjoys hand quilting but had very limited time to devote to it while finishing her graduate studies.

I had forgotten just how much I like to hand quilt. When I started 30 years ago, it was uncommon to machine quilt. So I began with hand quilting and always had my quilting frame in the family room with a quilt on it. I quilted by hand almost everyday for more than 20 years. Once we started Happy Apple Quilts I needed to finish my quilts faster so I machine quilt exclusively now. What a treat to slow down and enjoy hand quilting again. I hope I can finish it for Jamie before I return to Florida.

Congratulations, Patricia

2009-08-28T09:46:00.018-04:00

Most participants of our Evie Contest thought she might be a little late, but Evie couldn't wait to see Grandma.

Patricia Treib is the winner of the contest. She guessed that Evie would arrive Sept 2 at 2:06 AM.

Evie's birthday was so busy that she was all tired out. She slept most of today. Maybe she was really just resting up because she found out she comes home tomorrow. She's very excited!

Katie and Jamie, Karen and Jim, and Sharen want to thank everyone for all the emails, well wishes, prayers and congratulation messages. We have enjoyed sharing this special time with you. Praise God that our little Evie is here and healthy.

Introducing Evelyn Rose

2009-08-27T18:17:00.012-04:00

She's here!!! Evie arrived at 1 pm on Thursday, August 27 at National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, Ireland. She weighs 6 pounds, 6 ounces and she is absolutely beautiful. We are amazed at how long her little toes are. She has reddish brown hair, but not much of it.

Katie is exhausted but doing well, otherwise. Jamie and I were able to visit both of them from about 3 pm until end of visiting hours at 8:30 pm. Evie stays in a little crib right next to Katie's bed. At least, she stays there now that Jamie and I have come home. While we were there we never put her down.

I did pretty well finding my way to the hospital. Some very nice people on the bus told me when I got to the right bus stop and gave me directions from there. I followed the directions carefully for about 3 blocks and then decided to create a shortcut. That was great until I realized I was lost. I just started asking people were the hospital was. It is truly amazing how many people in Dublin have never heard of the maternity hospital! The one lady who knew, said I should take a taxi because it was a long way from there.

Finally, I saw a group of young people with a map. They were on a scavenger hunt and kindly allowed me to study the map. Turns out I was pretty close and got to the hospital in great time of only two hours! Go me.

Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes.

The Evie Report

2009-08-27T06:55:00.003-04:00

Evie isn't here yet, but hopefully will be today! Katie has been at the hospital since around midnight Tuesday. It's now about noon on Thursday here in Ireland. I plan to take the bus into Dublin soon and will walk to the hospital from a stop near Trinity College. I don't really know my way around Dublin yet so this will be interesting. I'm sure someone will be helpful with directions. I may leave a bread crumb trail just so I can at least find my way back to the bus stop. On second thought, I can't find any bread around here. Maybe Jamie ate it all. He seems to eat lots when he's nervous. Yesterday we spent much of the afternoon in the hospital coffee shop with Katie playing cards and eating. Visiting hours are very limited at the hospital and I can't be in delivery which is the only reason (other than the wait of epic proportions) that I am not at the hospital. Everyone has been very friendly there but I decided last night that I needed to return to the apartment and get some beauty sleep. I don't want to scare little Evie went we finally meet!

Rainy Day in Ireland

2009-08-24T15:17:00.008-04:00

It rains in Ireland!!!! We had a great day in the rain. We drove to the Wicklow Mountains, 10 miles south of Dublin. We enjoyed a scenic and rainy drive through the mountains. There we visited Glendalough, a valley renowned for its Early Medieval monastic settlement. The settlement was established by St. Kevin in the 6th century.

Glendalough actually means "the valley of the two lakes."

The monastery was important and pilgrimages continued even after its destruction by the English in 1398. The remaining buildings of the monastery probably date from between the 10th and 12th century. We saw the cathedral, the round tower and St. Kevins church. In earlier days there were also workshops, rooms for copying manuscripts, guest houses, farm building and dwelling for the monks and others.

This is the cathedral. It was not built all at one time. I think the place where I am standing dates from the late 12th and early 13th century. It is the largest building.

The round tower is about 30 meters high and the entrance is about 3.5 meters from the base. Round towers were built as bell-towers and served as landmarks for approaching visitors. They could also be a place of refuge in times of attack.

St. Kevin's Church is a stone building. Its steep roof is covered with overlapping stones as well.

You can see the round tower behind it.

We later drove to the upper lake for a picnic. Again, it was raining but we had our picnic anyway!

Sunday in Ohio with Karen Montgomery

2009-08-23T17:41:00.009-04:00

While Karen toured Dublin after church, Sharen spent an hour of her Sunday afternoon at a school house for shop owners. We are always learning in order to serve you better.

Karen Montgomery has owned The Quilt Company in Allison Park, PA for fifteen years. She also designs The Quilt Company patterns and fabrics for Timeless Treasures. She shared a wealth of information with the shop owners who attended the school house. I just hope I can remember everything I learned. I did take notes and my sister Karen will receive a very long e-mail.

The Easy Striped Table Runner kits and the Three Pocket Tote kits we have featured lately are patterns which Karen Montgomery designed.

We have four different kits for each of these projects. The table runner and tote patterns can also be purchased separately.

Sunday in Dublin

2009-08-23T15:02:00.018-04:00

Today we attended church at Abbey Street Methodist which is the downtown Dublin church that Katie and Jamie have been attending here. It has a very diverse congregation of immigrants to Ireland from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and America. I really enjoyed the service and the sermon on worry (What, me worry?).

After services we visited Trinity College established in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I to be the Protestant University. It's considered Ireland's most prestigious university.

This building was previously the Parliment Building during British rule.

We walked Grafton St (a pedestrian mall with street musicians, shops and flower vendors). . .

. . . and through St. Stephen's Green which is a park.

Outside the park local artists display their artwork along the fence.

We saw some "Vikings" ready for a growling good time. The viking bus tour of Dublin emphasizes the Viking history of the city.

They encourage their participants to growl as they pass tourists on the sidewalk.

Lunch was at Bewley's Cafe, the first coffee shop in Dublin, where I had traditional tea and scones.

Nearby Dublin Castle was our last stop of the day. We walked through the courtyard but didn't get to tour the castle because it is closed on Sunday.

Cliffs, Coast and a Castle

2009-08-22T15:40:00.018-04:00

Howth is a coastal town 8 miles north of Dublin located on a penninsula by the Irish Sea.

We drove up there today to enjoy a very breezy walk along the cliffs. It was so windy that I had a difficult time holding the camera steady.

The cliffs were covered with yellow and purple wildflowers.

We saw lots of sailboats and fishing boats.

At one beach there were dozens and dozens of windsurfers.

We also went to a harbor town called Malahide. It was a beautiful sunny day and lots of people were out on the water in their boats.

We walked through the narrow streets.

Many buildings had flowers cascading down the fronts. At one intersection, the buildings faced each corner at an angle which made it look like the streets were at an angle. too, but they weren't.

Malahide Castle was at the other end of the town. It seemed like quite a long walk. We didn't go on the guided castle tour for several reasons, such as Katie's aversion to narrow, winding steps and we were all extremely hungry. So I really don't know any thing about the castle except it's in Malahide.

Ireland!

2009-08-21T15:14:00.010-04:00

I am finally here!

I arrived at 8:45 am to see Katie and Jamie waiting for me just outside of customs.

We were so glad to see each other.

We made a quick stop at the apartment and then decided to see a few local sites.

We went to nearby Rathfarnham Castle which may have been built as early as 1583 by Adam Loftus who became Archbishop of Dublin, Lord Chancellor of Ireland. The castle was originally heavily fortified to protect Loftus, an Englishman, from the local citizens.

One room was called the Queen's Bedroom. The queen was never there but it was customary for the gentry to have a room ready for the the king and queen in case they visited. The ceiling was elaborate and was decorated with gilded leaves.

The tour guide explained many features of the Greek inspired architecture. Balance, symmetry and impressions of grandeur were very important.

I wish I could remember more from the guided tour. I was so tired from the long overnight flight that even though the history about the castle and architecture was fascinating, I can't remember the details.

The castle is being restored to its 18 century condition.
(By the way, it's really 10:14 pm Ireland time.)

EVIE CONTEST

2009-08-20T09:07:00.008-04:00

Win this P&B Textiles fat quarter bundle. It is 10 fat quarters with bears and baskets. Cute bears and baskets in blue, green and yellow colorways with rosy red posies.

Karen's first grandchild will be born in Ireland. Due date is Sept. 4th.

Simply guess the date and Ireland time of Evie's arrival.

E-mail your entry to info@happyapplequilts.com Be sure to include your name and e-mail address with your guess.

Just Can't Get Enough Fabric!

2009-08-19T16:43:00.014-04:00

Still shopping. I had lots of fun looking at fabric on Tuesday. Some days you just want to buy it all. I did place an large order for delivery in the next two to three weeks.

By this point I have seen so many fabrics, my head is spinning.

I plan to have new fabrics on the shelves by Sept. 8 when the store's open house begins.
Be sure to come by Sue's Bay Area Sewing Sept. 8 - 12. You can sign up for a great variety of classes and there will be special discounts, too.

I will still be in Ireland during the Open House so I will miss seeing you but Sharen will be at the store. She is driving down from Michigan during Labor Day Weekend.

Please tell her that I say nice things about her all the time!

Quilting friend, Linda, came by the store Tuesday to show the quilt she made with Cat Party fabric.

Linda describes herself as a beginner quilter. I think she did a great job with this sweet quilt.

The main part of the quilt is the great wide stripe fabric from the collection. Linda chose the matching linear stripe to add the outside borders. Repeating a fabric or color is always an excellent design element.

Great job, Linda!

Fabric Shopping

2009-08-14T22:42:00.006-04:00

Fabric shopping is one of my favorite responsibilites. I've met with 2 fabric reps in 2 days and have another appointment next week. I always appreciate help and advice from Carol, Kathy and Sara Beth as we spread out samples and image the possiblities.

As you may know, the fabric companies introduce new lines several times a year. International Quilt Market will be held in Houston in October and there are always lots of new fabrics. I have been fortunate to see some of the new lines already and I can tell you they are great. I've placed several orders for deliveries in December, January, February and March. And some are arriving as soon as September!

GOBBLE! GOBBLE!

2009-08-14T10:20:00.008-04:00

JUST ARRIVED THIS WEEK

I agree with the turkey - I'll gladly eat more pie,
especially pumpkin.

GOBBLE! GOBBLE! by Sandy Gervais for Moda.
Wonderful panel. Great coordinates.

Large square measures approximately 20" X 20"
and the nine small squares are 6"

SHOW AND TELL

2009-08-14T01:33:00.009-04:00

JoAnn Ruby made these delightful gifts for her grandchildren, Oliver and Zoe. The center top block has the child's name. Joann used the Glorious Grandchild panels from Block Party Studios which she had purchased from Happy Apple Quilts.

We love it when our quilting friends share their projects with us. And we'd love to hear from you. Send your project as a jpeg and tell us a little bit about it
karen@happyapplequilts.com

The Great Escape (Almost)

2009-08-12T14:10:00.007-04:00

Sharen joined Dan, Brian and the Boy Scout troop at summer camp. This was a first for me, even after many years of having a home full of Boy Scouts. I had a great time and can't tell you how impressed I am with the Boy Scouts of America. I watched dedicated camp staff and troop leaders and volunteers model and instill values like patriotism, respect, team work, and responsibility. And have tons of fun while doing it. (Those people are crazy!) I made my daily trek to the Wi-Fi tent with my laptop and got plenty of quilt work done while scouts did their scout stuff. Including afternoon naps for leaders

And I managed to embarrass my son on several occasions. He was very willing to tote my duffel bag to the car to send me back home to my office after three days.

A Different Kind of Mountaintop.

2009-08-12T13:53:00.008-04:00

While Ethan and Evan were climbing mountains, others in the family stayed at lower altitudes. Dan and Brian, Sharen's husband and their third son, joined a group of more than a dozen teens from church for three days of Project Aid. The teens and several adults volunteered to do home repair projects for single moms and elderly or disabled members of our community. It was a great experience. Brian's response: "We should have done this for a whole week instead of just three days." Maybe next summer, Brian.

On the Mountaintop

2009-08-10T19:50:00.006-04:00

Meet Sharen's twin sons, Ethan and Evan. They have spent the summer working at Philmont Scout Ranch near Cimmaron, NM. They have been hiking almost every weekend all summer. These pictures are from the "Black Death" challenge. They hiked 30 miles and climbed 4 peaks in one day, including Black Mountain. It took them 11-1/2 hours.

Ah, that Rocky feeling.

Ethan and Evan have really been in their element this summer. Total outdoorsmen. They are coming back to Michigan on Friday (Their mom will probably embarrass them at the airport.)

Where's my emails?

2009-08-07T13:21:00.006-04:00

As you may already know, Sharen and I live in different states. That offers a few little challenges in the day-to-day operations of Happy Apple Quilts. We burn up the phone lines most days but email is our real connection. Until yesterday.

It turns out that Sharen has sent me lots of emails that aren't coming to my inbox! She has re-sent them. Still no emails. I am lost without them. Sharen is the real brains of the outfit and I depend on her to keep me on track. So now I must take my computer apart and look for those emails. (Just kidding.) I will send an email to my computer guy. Hope I get his response!

We have a winner!

2009-08-06T20:02:00.011-04:00

Congratulations to Dale Burnette who won first place for Mixed Pieced and Applique at the Kaleidoscope of Quilts Show in Sylvannia, OH in July. We are proud of you, Dale. Sharen met Dale at the quilt show and took this photo.

Dale's quilt is made with our Buckaroo Bears pattern which she bought at Sonflower Quilts in Sylvannia. Sonflower Quilts hosted one of our trunk shows and Dale chose several of our patterns there.

It is so much fun to see quilts made from our patterns at the shows!

Have Fun with Chalk Cloth

2009-08-05T19:26:00.010-04:00

Looking for a great versatile fabric for fun projects?

Try Chalk Cloth. It's lightweight, erasable and easy to sew.

Make placemats for the kids. Just cut a rectangle of chalk cloth and stitch bias binding around the edges (you can buy bias binding at fabric or craft stores).

Cure your chalk cloth before using it. Just lay a piece of chalk on its side and rub it over the surface of the chalk cloth, side to side and top to bottom. Repeat.

Your chalk cloth is now ready to use.

Karen made "Fun to Go" tote bags with chalk cloth on one side and pockets on the other side. Fill the pockets with chalk and crayons, tuck a coloring book in the tote and your little one is ready to go. Great to take along on car trips, to doctor appointments, restaurants or anywhere!

Click the title of this post for a link to the tote bag kit on our website.

Perfect Flying Geese

2009-08-03T19:21:00.011-04:00

One of the best things about being a vendor at a quilt show is meeting others who share our love of all things quilting. Even better is when you've met us at a previous show and you come by to see us again - with show and tell! Ellen Comfort and Brenda Mayfield had met us in Nashville last year and watched our demo on making Perfect Flying Geese. This year they reintroduced themselves and surprised us by bringing along a sample of their handiwork. Those are perfect flying geese star blocks with fussy cut centers. Thanks, Ellen and Brenda!

Day after AQS Show Knoxville

2009-07-26T15:40:00.005-04:00

We had a great time in Knoxville, TN at the AQS quilt show and now we are driving through Ohio on our way to Sharen's house in Michigan. Our van is packed to the roof and we have our personal belongings tucked around us and between the seats. We had lots of merchandise shipped directly to us in Knoxville so we are returning home with a full load even though we also sold lots.

Last evening was not our usual after-show experience.

It took us less than 3 hours to tear down and pack the

entire booth which took a day and a half to set up. We were thrilled to find out that a group of volunteers was there to help! A very nice young man named Mike cheerfully loaded a flatbed handtruck full and delivered our goods to the van in only two trips! Thank you, Mike, and thank you Knoxville for your hospitality.

We already look forward to next year's show!