Carol Doak`s Corner

Remembering Why I Do What I Do

2008-12-01T15:20:00.000-08:00

I recently completed my final trip for the year to the Dallas, Texas area. I visited four guilds in the area, Granbury, Fort Worth, Arlington and Parker County where I presented a lecture and workshop for each. It was a busy week, but a really wonderful week too. It takes some organization to put all the pieces together for four guilds and the unsung heros are the Program Chairs who do a wonderful job of organizing events. Here I am with Heather from the Trinity Valley Guild in Fort Worth just before presenting my lecture. Speaking of lectures, I was so sincerely moved to receive standing ovations after presenting my lectures. Wow, what a great way to end the year!!!
The students in the Perfect Points class had the opportunity to show their finished projects from the class.
Everyone was all smiles!
In Granbury we did the Simply Sensational 9-Patch Stars class. Here one of the Granbury students is tickled pink with her first block.
I also am delighted to receive photos of finished projects from workshops long after the workshop is over. This "Fire and Ice" quilt was made by Dottie Szypulski, who took a workshop in Canton, CT. Dottie put a little twist in the outside corner blocks. I love to see students add their creative ideas.
And sometimes students take off after a class and work on new projects. Barbara McCarty wrote: "I took a workshop from you with Wayside Quilters in Massachusetts a few years ago. I just completed a queen size quilt using Rhonda's block and variations. I love the different patterns that form. I hope you enjoy the quilt pictures!"

Sometimes, I never actually meet the quilters who share their creativity with me. Cheri' Radliff wrote: "I have to tell you, I have held on to the January 2003 edition of The Quilter Magazine since November of 2002 in hopes of building up to your pattern. I began quilting in 2000. After doing 13 quilts I decided it was time to try. I hand quilt all of my quilts so I don't pump them out as fast as others can. Here's a picture of my version of your spinners quilt pattern. I just LOVE patterns that intermingle from square to square so I absolutely enjoyed this pattern. I know it's not perfect since some of my green squres are a little lopsided. Oops! But overall, I am happy with how it turned out.
Thanks for sharing your creativity. I'm now looking for a pattern for my next quilt."

But today, I received an email and it reminded me why I do what I do:
It is being shared with Mary's permission:
Dear Carol,
I simply had to tell you again just how much I enjoyed your class. When you discussed color and showed us how to arrange the samples to decide the best ones for the project, I thought to myself--that was worth the price of the class! Then when you showed us how to line up the sections of the block and random sew to make sure it fit--again I thought, Wow, that was worth the price of the class! Then you showed me--the practicing to be a novice--quilter how to cut properly with mt lefthandedness--one more time, I thought, well, that was worth the price of the class! As the day progressed I would think that phrase over and over. I learned so much from your class and feel SO much better about my quilting efforts, I have promoted myself to novice quilter!!!! Thanks so much for your expertise. I loved your methods (that's plural!) because I learned SO much from you other than paper piecing--but, by golly, I learned that too!
Many thanks,
Mary Wimberly, Trinity Valley Guild Member, Fort Worth

When I read Mary's comments, I smiled with such satisfaction. You see, I really enjoy making quilts and I love to show others methods that will add to their enjoyment of making quilting. It was a wonderful reminder of why I do what I do.
All the best,
Carol

NEW Easy Reversible Vests DVD

2008-11-30T11:38:00.000-08:00

In September, I made a trip out to Vancouver Island, BC to film my new Easy Reversible Vests DVD. It is one thing to read about making these vests, but actually seeing the process evolve from beginning to end is such an easy way to learn and a perfect companion to the book. The outtakes also show some of the really lighter moments we shared during the filming.....trust me, there were many light moments. I am delighted to share just a bit of the new DVD with you.

A Labor of Love

2008-11-14T20:31:00.001-08:00

This past week I had the pleasure of lecturing and teaching at The Gathering in Nashua, NH. It was a pleasure for me to be there to help celebrate their 20th Anniversary. I taught the first year of The Gathering and my how it has grown. Marie Geary and Jeanne Glenfield started this show and ran it for many years. We lost Jeanne last year to cancer but her daughters have taken over the reigns and are doing a super job.......They even managed big smiles at the Opening Night Banquet. The room overflowed with well wishers and Jean's daughters grabbed a small nearby table to eat. Not sure what the "sign" was for, but it was not for our event. We all did have a chuckle about reading it very carefully. Jeanne, I am sure, is looking down from above so proud of her daughters and their labor of love and carrying on a legacy.
There was a special exhibit of Jeanne's quilts. The quilt above is called, My Lancaster Tribute. I enjoyed looking at the wonderful exhibit of all her quilts and reading the descriptions.
This quilt caught my eye! It is called Mini Big Quilt by Caroline Murphy. I even recognized some of the blocks from my books in this quilt. It has 49 mini quilts using 16 2" squares and has over 14,000 pieces.....that is a labor of love.
I live in New Hampshire were we are treated to beautiful fall foliage. This quilt made by Patricia A. Bruno and is called Autumn Birches II. Just stunning and great depth.
I'm not usually a "pink" quilt person, but the award winning quilt was just stunning! I usually take photos of the labels so I can tell later who made it. Oooops. I forgot to get this label.

This red and white award winning quilt is another show stopper. I did get a close-up of the workmanship in this quilt. The quilting was just amazing.
Isn't it funny how a quilter is often asked how long it took to make a quilt? I imagine lots of hours went into the quilting and piecing of this red and white quilt, but I don't imagine the quilter was counting them. She was just enjoying the process.
Life in Holly Ridge made by Nancy Prince was another amazing artistic quilt. Nancy wrote that there were 50,000 yards of thread and 5 million stitches used to create the thread painting design.

I stood there and studied the details in this quilt for quite some time. Her grandchildren are the merchants in the town. I would imagine that anyone who can create that much detail in one quilt considered it a labor of love.

I came home from The Gathering feeling filled up with the priviledge of seeing so many labors of love.
All the best,
Carol

Sharing Houston Fun

2008-11-02T07:47:00.001-08:00

I had every intention of posting to my blog during my week at the Houston Quilt Market and Festival. I did post when I first arrived at market, but boy, the days and nights got so busy, it was just impossible to keep up with it. I did take lots of pictures so now that I am home, I can share some of the fun. Quilt Market is fun with lots to see and do. The above photo was taken in a booth of a "little girl" just enjoying herself to no end.

My new Carol Doak Easy Reversible Vest DVD arrived in Houston and was shown by Sharon Pederson and Elizabeth Phillips of Nine Patch Media to shop owners and distributors. Sharon and Elizabeth are sporting their new easy reversible vests! The DVD was really well received so you should see it showing up at your local quilt shop soon. I am awaiting my supply and will make it available on my web page just as soon as they arrive.

It was fun to see some old friends and make some new friends. I demonstrated in the Martingale, Checkers and C & T booths.

Most of the major fabric companies are their with their wonderful booths showing off their new fabric lines and samples of projects. Here is Ellen Brown of Timeless Treasures fabrics in her booth.
Wow, once Quilt Festival begins, quilters file in by the hundreds. The booths transform to retail booths with everything quilting including the largest collection of fabrics I think you can find in any one place. Quilters are in their element!
Shoppers are everywhere with bags of all kinds holding their finds. Everyone is smiling and just have a super time!

Upstairs, the rooms are filled with teachers and students learning a wide variety of skills. I taught three classes featuring paper foundation piecing. The classes were great and the students did very well. Here is one happy student with her completed Sunrise Quilt from my Mariner's Compass Stars book.
Once I completed teaching classes, I could head downstairs to shop and look at quilts. It is a daunting task just because the area is so large! The quilts are varied and the skills amazing. The quilt above is called, "Facing North" and was made by Inge Mardal and Steen Hass from Chantilly, France.
The stitching skill on the above quilt, "Twilight", by Rita Steffenson of Urban, Ohio was just mind blowing. It was a top prize winner and it deserved it.
Some quilts just caught your eye. The one above done of Senator Obama was so interesting. How did she do that with fabric?
And there always as to be the one quilt that stands above them all. This one by Sharon Schamber called, "The Spirit of Mother Earth" shows exquisite workmanship and style. Well done Sharon!

I hope you enjoyed my little taste of Houston.

All the best,

Carol

Houston Here I Come!!!

2008-10-24T14:13:00.005-07:00

I left yesterday to travel to Houston to attend the International Quilt Market and then Quilt Festival. It is such fun to meet up with old friends and make new ones. One of the first people I ran into last night was Mimi Dietrich. Mimi and I go waaaaay back and it was fun to catch up with each other last night at dinner. Here is Mimi and Norma smiling and ready to go.

This morning I had the opportunity to sit in on a sales meeting for one of the larger fabric companies. It was really interesting to see the perspective of quilting from their end of the this business. Mark Lapinski, of Quilter's Home Magazine also attended....gosh he is too funny!!!

I then presented a schoolhouse talk to shop owners about my new book, Easy Reversible Vests-Revised Edition. The talk went well but way too short to show them all the vests and possibilities.

The show floor is huge and under construction with everyone getting their booth and supplies all organized. I can hardly wait until tomorrow when the Market will finally open and I can see all the new luscious fabrics and find out what is new and innovative.

I ran into my friend Jan Magee of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. We had the chance to visit over lunch today.

I have my camera at my side and plan to take lots of pictures as I chronicle my trip in the next few blogs.

All the best,

Carol

2008-10-24T14:13:00.003-07:00

2008-10-24T14:13:00.001-07:00

A Quilter Out In the Book World

2008-10-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

This past week I fullfilled a request to come to my local Barnes & Noble book store to sign books. Now typically I am at quilt events where everyone is a quilter so it was a bit interesting talking to lots of people who are not necessarily quilters. There were lots of oohs and ahhs over the quilts and vests and lots of conversation about my quilts and family quilts. There were some quilters who were delighted to see some of the projects from my books and add a book or two to their library. Surprisingly there were lots of gentlemen who stopped by to tell me their wife or mother was a quilter. See, they do notice. One delightful husband called his wife and purchased two books for her and one for himself. I would say he is a keeper!
The Carol Doak Yahoo Group is getting in the swing with our new Scenic Block of the Month. Creativity is alive and well in this group. Joan made this delightful October Block with a wonderful feel of fall and Holloween.
The deadline date for me to select a random winner from all of the 4,000 Member Celebration Blocks that have been uploaded was last week. Carol in New York won 60 Fat Quarters!!! I had the chance to look through all the submitted blocks again and just marvel at how different they all over. Isn't this block above made by Gloria in Moline just gorgeous and so different?
Members have been completing their tops from the past block of the month and showing us their creativity. The quilt settings are quite varied as are the color schemes. This quilt was made by Amy Robertson. If you want to join in the fun, just click on the link above!

Me, I am beginning to pack for my trip to the International Quilt Market and Festival in Houston next week. With talks, demonstrations and classes to teach, I have lots of packing to do!!! The thing I bring the least of is my clothes because my suitcases are filled with quilts but this year I am bringing about 15 Reversible Vests so I am all set. If you will be in Houston, this is my schedule:
Carol's Houston Schedule Appearances

Friday, Oct. 24
10:30 a.m.Schoolhouse Presentation on Easy Reversible Vests

Saturday, Oct. 25
1 to 2 p.m. In the Martingale & Co. booth

4 to 5 p.m. In the C & T Publishers booth

Sunday, Oct. 26
11:30 to 12:50 In the Checkers Distributors booth

2:30 to 3:30 In the Martingale & Co. booth

Teaching Monday, Tues and Wednesday

Thursday, Oct. 30
2:00 p.m. Meet the Teachers Presentation at Festival

I am going to bring my camera and laptop and hope to make posts from Houston to keep you all up to date!
All the best,
Carol

A Fun Time In Klamath Falls, Oregon

2008-10-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

I just returned from Klamath Falls, Oregon where I lectured and taught a couple of classes. What a fun group of quilters I had the pleasure of meeting. Above Georgie Reed of Klamath Falls, is showing off a wonderful group of Mariner's Compass Star blocks she had made using a variety of scrap bright fabrics. Georgie is joined on the floor with a few toads.
Georgie came to both workshops with several friends....including the toads! It was really neat for me to see these blocks done in such a festive way.
After seeing the accompanying toads, I had a feeling they inspired the bright colors!
Students worked on both 4" blocks and miniature blocks. Students are always so surprised when they discover that making minis is really quite easy and lots of fun.
I do try to make the workshops fun....but I don't often see students with scissors through their heads...gotta love the fun quilters in Klamath Falls!
All the best,
Carol

Guess What I did Yesterday?

2008-10-06T09:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a sewing day for me!!! I love to spend time in my sewing room, working with fabric and getting lost in the creative process. Northcott Fabrics recently sent me some fabrics from their new Oriental Odyssey collection in two different colorways. Since the focus fabric had the look of a vertical and horizontal patchwork detail, it was perfect for whipping up some new vests. When I started the above vest, I have to admit this was not my favorite colorway, but the finished vest ended up being my favorite!!!
I am definitely more of a teal type of person, so this colorway was perfect for me. I loved the accent colors of the navy and rust.
So, I was on a roll.....I got out the unfinished pieces that I used for the step-by-steps when we shot the DVD and decided to complete the vest. The above vest features a delicate batik on one side and a collection of squares and diagonal strips on the other side. The radiating paper-pieced block offers just a bit of detail.
I loved this focus fabric!!!!! I purchased it while I was away teaching on the New England cruise this summer and I mighty happy I did. Love, love this one and look forward to wearing it on my next trip.

So, have you made your Easy Reversible Vest yet?
All the best,
Carol

Taking On The Elephant, One Bite At A Time

2008-10-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the reason that Block of the Month projects are so popular with quilters is because they are taking on that elephant one bite at a time. For the past 12 months, I offered a block of the month for the members of the Carol Doak Quilting Group and it was very successful with lots of participation. It was time for me to put on my thinking cap and come up with a new Block of the Month. Several members have requested scenic style blocks, so this new BOM should be a hit with our members. I know it was a hit with Mona from San Diego, because after uploading the first pattern to the group late last night, I woke up to Mona's wonderful October block. Mona wrote of her block "I just posted a photo of my little tree. Mine became a fall colors tree instead of an apple tree. I bought this great fossil fern fabric ages ago, and have been waiting for something that needed those colors. I only wish trees around here would turn orange. They don't,they turn brown, and then the leaves fall off. But I've been to New
England in October, so I know what I'm missing!" Mona in San Diego
I do live in New England and am anxiously awaiting all the fall color to decorate our world. My block is very different from Mona's and I look forward to seeing all the member's blocks and seeing how their world's are colored. There will be a new scenic block each month for the next 11 months. If you want to join in the fun, please do by clicking on the link above to join our group.
Speaking of fun, a couple of years ago, I taught on a cruise where I had the pleasure of meeting Barbara Wendell. Since then, Barbara has joined me on several other cruises. The picture above was taken on this cruise showing some of the blocks made by the students. But on this cruise, I taught a workshop based upon my book, Simply Sensational 9-Patch Stars. The focus of the workshop was to share all the creative opportunities the foundations in this book offer.
Barbara made the decision then to make lots more blocks after the workshop to create a 9-Patch Star quilt. Well, taking on the one-bite-at-time challenge, Barbara finished her quilt and just sent me a photo of this stunning quilt. Wow, I was impressed!
This close-up shows the exquisite quilting of Barbara's quilt.
So perhaps, this one-bite-at-a-time might just have a stunning reward for you when you are finished.
Until next time...

Lights, Cameras and Action!

2008-09-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

Boy, the last few weeks have been a real whirlwind of travel. First, I traveled to the wonderful conference in Stanley, Idaho to teach for the Sawtooth Mountain Mamas. I returned home and two days later, flew to the west coast to film my new companion DVD for my newest book, Easy Reversible Vests-Revised Edition. This book is currently available in my web store. I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to produce a product that lets me personally take you step-by-step through the process of making vests that are so easy to make and fun to wear. Of course, I am a quilter and totally out of my comfort zone when it comes to lights, cameras and action. Thankfully, I had the staff of Nine Patch Media to take charge of all those elements. Here Chris Manuel, the Technical Director, is preparing one of the cameras.
Sharon Pederson, is not only a good friend, but as the Producer, she kept things on track and beautifully organized. As you can see from this "Clap board", we are about to take "take 2". I guarantee, the bloopers are a hoot!
Steve Walton was such a pleasure to work with during the filming. As the videographer and editor, he has promised to make me look 10 lbs. lighter in the finished product. You just have to love a guy who can do that.
Liz Phillips was there to make sure all the parts came together just as they should. Liz is not only accomplished in all those computer skills, she is also a quilter!
I was reunited with all my vests that I had sent to the publisher during the production of the book, so it was fun to showcase them throughout the video. Being able to actually show you and talk about each of the steps seemed such a natural way to teach. It felt as if I was teaching a one-on-one workshop.
This DVD was such a pleasure to do and lots of laughs along the way with Sharon, Chris, Liz and Steve. It is expected to be released soon. I will keep you all posted when it is. I think it will be the perfect companion to my new book!

PS...notice I am wearing the vest I described in one of my previous blogs?

They Are On Their Way!!!!

2008-09-14T08:45:00.001-07:00

One of the advantages of reading a blog is to learn about the latest information. I just heard on Friday that my new book has arrived and my books have been shipped to me. Yippee!!! Writing a book and the editing process is about a 2-year investment so learning that delivery is about to occur is great news! Another thing I did on Friday was to take my advance copy of my book to an office supply store and have it spiral bound. I do this often to my books. This is a relatively inexpensive item and really adds to my enjoyment when using my books.
Since this new book comes with a pull-out pattern sheet of the two vest patterns, I had them include in the back of the book one of those plastic pocket folders. This way my pattern sheet is securely tucked in place and protected. I love doing this to my books, because it offers me the opportunity to easily include items with my books.
The spiral binding permits the book to lay flat when I am following instructions. Speaking of instructions, the step-by-steps for the vests in this book are sooooo easy. This page shows the instructions for making the cover vest and two other color interpretations.
This page shows another one page instruction for another approach to making Easy Reversible Vests.
Since I know the books will arrive next week, I have gone ahead and added my new book to my web store.

Once you all start making vests using the easy techniques in this book, I think it would be fun to have an online fashion show here. So, please do send me your pictures (qcarol@comcast.net) and I will collect them until I have enough for the fashion show.
Until next time,

Workshops Are Fun!

2008-09-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a road trip to a delightful quilt shop, The Cotton Cupboard, in Bangor, Maine where I taught a 2-day Fire & Ice Workshop from my Mariner's Compass Stars book. It occurred to me when I downloaded some of the photos I took during the workshop, that some quilters might be interested to know what it is like to take a workshop. I travel almost 40 weeks a year to teach, so teaching workshops is something that I do often. Although I teach the same classes, each class for me is different simply because the students are different in each class. One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job, is the opportunity to meet so many delightful quilters from all the world.
They come for different reasons. Some come to learn a technique, some come to perfect the technique, some come so they will enjoy the technique, some come just to make the project and some come to just have fun.
Typically the students come from the surrounding area when a workshop is local and bring their own sewing machines. When the workshop is at a national event, they can come from all over and many times the sewing machines are supplied by one or more sewing machine companies. The plus to having your own sewing machine is that you are familiar with it and therefore in a comfort zone. When sitting at a strange machine, it can sometimes be unsettling at first, but often times, it is a great way to explore other machines and what they have to offer.
Students tend to become a group throughout the day and enjoy each other's company. There is often lots of sharing and support. Quilting, after all, is a hobby and is supposed to be fun. If I can teach students techniques that will add to their enjoyment of their quilting, then I feel it has been a good day. We tend to have lots of laughs in my workshop and that often leads to students relaxing, learning and enjoying!
And at the end of the day, some students will have completed the entire project and others will have completed parts of the project. The goal is not to work as fast as you can, but to work at your own comfortable pace. That is different for each student and a student who works more slowly has not learned less or is less accomplished. They simply worked at their own pace. A student who works quickly is not an "over achiever", they are simply working at their comfortable pace.
If you leave the workshop feeling as if you enjoyed the day, enjoyed learning worthwhile techniques and laughed a bit along the day....then it was a good day.

Don't You Just Love A Show And Tell!

2008-09-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

First, I want to share information about an exhibit of 26 of my quilts that will be on display at the upcoming quilt show presented by the Keepsake Quilters in Iowa. I've never done this before....sending off so many of my quilts to be on display in one location. As I gathered the quilts, I felt as if I was gathering my children and thinking back to the joy of making each quilt. Quilts really are the fabrics of our lives. The quilt on the left is a quilt I made for myself using some of the block designs from the 50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Stars book. Here are the details of the show. If you stop by, say "hi" to my quilts for me.
Dates: Sept. 19, 20th 2008
Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM both the 19th and 20th
Place: Waterloo Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial St., Waterloo, IA 50701
Admission: $5.00 No strollers.
Show will feature 200 quilts made by the members of Keepsake Quilters and the beautiful trunk show featuring 26 quilts from Carol Doak.
Vendors at the show will be selling beautiful fabrics, patterns, tools and more.

If people have questions about the quilt show they can contact:
Cheryl (quilt show chair) clpeck@cfu.net
Leann (quilt registration chair) labraham@cfu.net

Don't you just love the show and tell portion of a quilt guild meeting when you get to ooh and ahh over the quilts being shown by the members. Sometimes, you are impressed by the first steps into quilting by a brand new quilter, sometimes you are inspired by the creativity of a quilt setting, sometimes you are inspired by the workmanship in the quilt, sometimes a quilt is not your style at all, but you still enjoy seeing it and sometimes you are just plain speechless. I thought I would share some pictures of quilts that I have received recently and have our own little "Show and Tell".
This quilt is called "Ava's Quilt" and was sent to me by her proud Grandmother, Debby, who made it just for her. It is heart-filled basket blocks and the block design is the Sherry block from my book 40 Bright & Bold Paper-Pieced Blocks. I know that Ava appreciates all the love being sent her way through this lovely quilt.
This quilt is a little miniature quilt (12") that I designed for the Yahoo group. It was made by Carole Doyle who put her happy fabric stamp on the design. Carole has participated in most of the challenges and events that we have in the group and her quilts are always a pleasure to see.
This stunning little beauty shows off the Block of the Month designs that I uploaded for our Yahoo group this past year. Sandy in Henderson made this little beauty. Although the blocks were presented in a 12" format, Sandy wanted to do them in miniature. The center block -- the 4000 member block -- is 6", and the BOM blocks are all 3". The top itself measures 16" square. Just stunning!
Speaking of stunning, Gayle from Eureka, Montana sent this lovely picture of your Country Baskets miniature quilt that was awarded a blue ribbon at the Lincoln County Fair. Gayle wrote that making this quilt was a pure joy. I had the pleasure of having Gayle in a workshop when I was teaching in Montana recently.
In my last blog, I shared a graphic of the new 4000 Member Celebration Block that I recently uploaded for the group members. The above block was made by Kesley Jones of Iowa. Kelsey is not only good, she is quick as she won a prize for being the first member to upload a picture of the completed block.

If you have made a project from one of my books or patterns and would like to be included in a future Show and Tell, just send me a jpeg image to qcarol@comcast.net

Now that September is here, it is time to get out some fabric and start thinking about some new fall colored quilts.
Until next time, may all your points be perfect.

Celebrating 4000 Members!!!

2008-08-25T20:44:00.001-07:00

The Carol Doak Yahoo Group just hit another milestone with our 4000th member. It still amazes me that our group, only a bit more than two years old, has so many members from all over the world. It has been my custom in the past to create a new block design for the group in celebration of milestone memberships. The design above is our 4000 Member Celebration Block. Members will download the pattern for this block and create their own version. Then members upload photos of their blocks and the eye candy begins. It is so inspiring and exciting to see the same design worked in hundreds of different ways. And, as with past custom, I will also select a random winner to win a prize from all the pictures posted. If you want to join in the fun, just click on the link above.

In a past blog, I requested pictures of projects you have made from the designs in my books. The pictue of the "Turtle" quilt above was sent to me by Mary. Mary used a block design (block 297) from 300 Paper-Pieced Quilt Blocks to make this darling quilt. The little turtles marching throughout the quilt are just precious. Thanks Mary for sharing your quilt pictures.

If you have a picture you would like to share, just send me a jpg at qcarol@comast.net.
I just returned from a teaching trip to a lovely quilt shop in Clarion, PA called Sew Elegant. The lecture and workshops were lots of fun and while I was there I stocked up on some fabric for a new project I am working on. Can't tell you much yet, but standby...news will be shared soon.
All the best,
Carol

Smooth Sailing Challenge

2008-08-19T17:21:00.001-07:00

Just before I left for my quilting cruise, I uploaded a simple boat design for the nearly 4000 members of the Carol Doak Yahoo Group. I challenged the members of the group to make a block or project using this boat. Wow, was I impressed with all the creativity the members displayed. When I returned, there were so many wonderful pictures uploaded by the group members. The boat above was made by Ruth who added a couple of masts and used realistic type fabrics for the water and sky . I was impressed with Ruth's skill for cutting the directional fabric perfectly.The Christine made the above quilt featuring both large and small boats. She added letters in the white border to add a happy message to go with her boats.

This darling little rag quilt was made by Terry. Now what little guy wouldn't love cuddling up with that cheerful little quilt?

Irene added a patriotic twist to her block shown above with the red and white stars and stripes fabric. She named it Smooth Sailing in America.
Phyl added quite a bit of detail to her 3 masted schooner.
The Love Boat above was made by Mary D. using a patchwork print fabric for the boat portion.
Oh What A Night! is the name of the block that Julie M. made above. Just darling and complete with fireworks.
One of the things that I love most about this wonderful group is their creativity and sharing. They embrace the designs that I provide and make them their own. When members look at all the possibilities, it really does bring home that patchwork is a creative art and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
If you would like to join in the fun, please do by clicking the link above to join our little group.
All the best,
Carol

Oh What A Cruise!!!!

2008-08-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a wonderful cruise called, "Quilt Camp At Sea - 2008 Cruise for a Cure", where we boarded our ship in Boston and visited Portland, Maine; St. John, New Brunswick, Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia; and Bar Harbor, Maine ports. Quilters from all over the world gathered for fun, good food, sightseeing, classes and lectures. This was also a fund raiser for Breast Cancer, where quilts raised thousands of dollars for this worthy cause. The seas were calm but I couldn't resist having my own little Titanic moment at the bow of the ship.

Our first port was Portland, Maine where we invaded a local quilt shop to stock up on fabric......like most of us don't have any! Nautical prints were in high demand and it was fun seeing what everyone was purchasing for their stash.
We also enjoyed strolling the streets of Portland and seeing the items in the local shops. Several cruisers took sight seeing trips to see what is special and unique in the Portland, Maine area.

Our next stop was Saint John, New Brunswick where we spent the morning in search of the sights and fabric! As a quilter, it always amazes me how you can find inspiration everywhere for our passion.

In Halifax, we were greeted at the port by two young gentlemen dressed in traditional militia garb. They definitely were a tall drink of water and didn't mind posing for pictures with hundreds of quilters. I think several quilters were eyeing their lovely plaid kilts!

With a couple of ports behind us and lots of fabrics added to our stashes, it was time to begin classes and lectures. I taught a quilt that I designed specifically for this cruise called Bright Sails. I used a block from my book, 40 Bright & Bold Paper-Pieced Blocks, as the inspiration for this little wall quilt. The students used sewing machines supplied by Janome and got to work making their quilts. Lots of happy students got their quilts underway.

When we reached Sydney, the quilters there went all out to make us feel welcome. A local fabric store, Fabricville, organized a group of local quilters to act as hostesses providing a wonderful display of their quilts, refreshments and just good old fashion friendship when we arrived at the store to shop. Here I am helping one of our cruisers with her fabrics. I was really so impressed with the kindnesses of the local quilters and how open and sharing they were. We visited several shops and artist type galleries in Sydney. One local quilter, Anne Irons, displayed her Cape Breton Heritage quilt and explained the meaning of the the blocks in her lovely quilt.
As one who travels quite a bit, the locations may be different, but it is the people that you meet along the way that make a place special. The Cape Breton quilters certainly made our stop in Sydney very special indeed.

Having a couple of hundred quilters land in Sydney is news and we made the newspaper!!! This photo was snapped by a local reporter of several cruisers comparing purchases as we were leaving the store. Here I am lusting after one of the purchased fabrics. This clipping was sent to me by one of the Sydney quilters.

Back on ship, there were more classes and lectures and lots and lots of great food and good times. The trip was great fun and lots of lasting friendships were made. But mostly, it was just plain fun with lots of laughs!
All the best,
Carol

Stunning Brazilian Sampler

2008-08-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

I simply love to receive "Show and Tell" from people who have made projects using the designs in my books. This photo came all the way from Brazil and was made by Jane Bertolaccini. It is a great use of the varied blocks available in 300 Paper-Pieced Quilt Blocks and the setting is simply stunning.
Jane's wrote: I would like to share with you the attached photograph of a lap quilt I have just finished. Last Christmas I got "300 Paper-Pieced Quilt Blocks" as a gift, and so far - due to lack of time - I had only made a pillow. Now I feel like I have done the book justice! The quilt measures 64" X 64" and is formed by 32 log cabin blocks and 30 foundation blocks from Carol's book (plus an appliquéd squirrel and a Dresden Plate, which I have included at my daughter's request!).

There are no quilters in my city besides me... but I have been teaching some women and now that they have seen my quilt they are all dying to order their own copies of the book!

Regards,

Jane Bertolaccini

Thanks so much for sharing your quilt Jane and for sharing the fun of paper piecing in Brazil!

If you have made a project from one of my books that you would like to share, please email me your jpg image to qcarol@comcast.net

May all your points be perfect!

Eureka Outdoor Quilt Show Trip

2008-08-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

First, let me explain why you have not seen any posts from me lately. I was caught up in the mass declaration of many blogs being labeled as a "spam" blog and my blog was locked so I could not post anything. It was just finally was unlocked and I am relieved. I am learning all the time...

Now, on to the fun of sharing my latest trip. I just returned from Eureka, Montana where I had the pleasure of teaching several workshops prior to their charming outdoor quilt show. This upper northwest part of Montana is absolutely beautiful and I enjoyed snapping pictures from the moment I arrived.

Quilters arrived from nearby and many from neighboring states came to enjoy the few days of classes and then enjoy the show on Saturday. I taught a Fire and Ice workshop from the Mariner`s Compass Stars book, on the

first day. The students enjoyed making their Iceland blocks and some students worked so quickly they almost had their tops completed by the end of the class. It was fun to see how different the blocks looked using the varied fabric combinations.

I taught at the local school so the classroom was spacious and the lighting was wonderful. We did do quite a bit of laughing and just enjoying the day.

I stayed in a charming log cabin very close to the US and Canadian border. During a ride one day, I was able to snap a photo of the "cut line" denoting the border between the US and Canada. I never knew that they did that to show the border line and I thought it was really interesting to actually see the border.

On the second day, I taught the Perfect Points class. This is a class that is designed to take the student through the entire paper piecing process from choosing fabric to putting on the border. I do believe that everyone in the class completed their project. Many gathered around a table to admire their perfect points and the varied color combinations.

This show is always held the first Saturday in August. I highly recommend it!

I am relieved that I am up and blogging again. Perhaps, one of the things I learned waiting for my blog to be "unlocked" is patience.

Until next time, may all your points be perfect.

Carol

A Family Affair

2008-07-29T09:44:00.001-07:00

I recently put out a request for people to send in pictures of quilts that they have made from my patterns. Kelsey sent in some pictures of a quilt she made for her son's, Jason's wedding. The quilt was the result of a recent challenge on the Carol Doak Yahoo Group.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CarolDoakQuiltingGroup/

The challenge was called the "Your's Truly Round Robin". I provided a criteria for each round in the quilt and each participant made their own quilt fitting the criteria. The results were spectacular and Kelsey's quilt was no exception. In the photo above, Kelsey's mom,

Carole, is on her right and her daugther, Cheryl, is on her left. Both Carole and Cheryl helped Kelsey finish the quilt.

Here are Jason and his new bride, Nicole showing off their new quilt! Kelsey wrote that she received invitations to 6 weddings in the space of an hour! She thinks they wanted a quilt too!

Thanks for sharing your beautiful quilt Kelsey.

All the best,

Carol

Debbie from Israel Won!!!!

2008-07-28T19:59:00.001-07:00

Here is the winning image. Each of the clues brought you one step closer to this image. It is a picture that I took from my hotel when I was teaching in Ketchikan, Alaska. It was located in my April Newsletter on my web page.

Congratulations to Debbie from Israel who was the first to send me the correct answer and she will soon be the proud owner of 60 Fat Quarters of fabrics. Several people answered correctly after I received Debbie's email. Thanks everyone for playing. Now I need to come up with a different game...I'll put my thinking cap on.

All the best,

Carol

YIKES! WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

2008-07-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know we have a winner in the collect clues contest.

I will announce more shortly.

All the best,

Carol

Fun, Fun, Fun in Hershey, PA

2008-07-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

I just returned from Hershey, PA after teaching 6 workshops filled with fun and fabulous students at the Quilt Odyssey 2008. I travel with lots of stuff, so when I arrive I am always happy to receive a helping hand getting my quilts and supplies to my classroom. The staff at Hershey was wonderful and this delightful young man, who is heading off to Dartmouth in the fall, was ever so helpful. I taught six different classes and enjoyed chocolate all weekend long. What could be better? Some of the students were returning students from previous years and many others were brand new this year and lots had never paper-pieced before.

One of the trends that I really appreciated seeing was the number of young students. Brittany Austin, age 15, took two of the workshops and did beautifully in both of them. In this picture, Britanny is laying out the units she made for her first block in the Bright Stars Workshop from the Simply Sensational 9-Patch Stars book. I have a feeling we have a budding quilter here who is destined to create some wonderful projects.

Toni Vardeman also took this class too and was really pleased with her first block. Toni was all smiles when she showed her block and the fabric that inspired the hot colors that she used.

A quilt weekend is a great way to get away and just have fun with family and friends. I had lots of sisters, moms and daughters and good friends attending the classes together.

Nicole Choiniere-Kroeker from Michigan and her friend, Susanne Engbers from Virginia were just tickled pink with their first Spinners blocks. Very different colors, but the same happy smiles are displayed.

And here we have one happy camper after completing her first Mariner's Compass Star.

I taught this class twice so there were twice as many happy students. For many, this was their first paper-pieced project. Way to go, ya'all.

Now, it is time for me to give the fifth and final clue in the "Collect the Clues Game". Remember, you are looking for one image. If you followed the previous four clues correctly, this final clue should be a slam dunk. The first person who emails me at qcarol@comcast.net with the answers to the following two questions will win 60 Fat Quarters. What is the image and where did you find it?

The final clue is: The harbor and snow-capped mountains in Ketchikan are a beautiful site from my hotel window.

Good luck everyone!

Until next time, may all your points be perfect.

Carol

A Sneak Peak and Clue #4

2008-07-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

One thing you all will learn is that I have a really difficult time keeping things under wraps. So, I woke up this morning and thought I would share a little sneak peak at one of the new vests being featured in my new book, Easy Reversible Vests -Revised Edition, coming out in September. This vest features a wonderful array of darling little plaid and stripe fabrics. A small patchwork garden sprouts around the vest. It reverses to a gorgeous batik combination on the other side. I am really looking forward to wearing this vest this fall.

Yesterday, a friend sent me a link to add a visitors map to this blog. It never ceases to amaze me how worldwide quilting has become. Each time someone visits, a little red element shows up on the map. I am looking forward to turning the world totally red with visitors. I've received orders on my website from all over the world and in some of the most unlikely places. The internet truly is amazing, virtually connecting people that share the same passion.

On another topic, I would love to share images of quilts that you have made from my patterns. Quilters do love "Show and Tell" (and so do I!). So, if you would like to share, please send me a jpeg image to qcarol@comcast.net and tell me a little about your quilt, your inspiration or whatever else you would like to share.

Time for Clue #4

Clue #4 - April showers may bring May flowers, but this past April, it also brought you closer to the winning image. The next clue will be the last clue and then you can send me an email with your answer to what you believe the winning image is and you may just be the winner of 60 Fat Quarters.

May all your points be perfect,

Carol

The Real World...

2008-07-20T16:16:00.001-07:00

When I was working on my new vest, I wrote that I don't always put the fabric away, but just push it aside for now. My justification for this practice is that I might need a piece of that fabric and I don't want to stop the creative process by organizing my fabric neatly on the shelves.

Well, that was a couple of weeks ago and the fabrics are still all nestled together on the floor of my sewing room. I'm going to go fold and put them all away just as soon as I finish writing this post.

But just in case you think my sewing area is always as neat as it was portrayed in my DVD, I thought I would show you my real world!

I'll begin packing tomorrow for a trip to Hershey, PA this week to teach several days of classes at the Quilt Odyssey. This is a return trip for me so I know what to expect....Chocolate and lots of it!

It is also time to share with you the third clue in the "Collect the Clue" game. Just in case you are wondering, there will be a total of five clues. So, only two more clues to go before someone is going to win 60 Fat Quarters!!! Once I announce the fifth and final clue, just email me and let me know what the image is and you may be the winner.

Clue # 3- The monthly news is no longer just black and white, but filled with lots of color and inspiring quilts.

May all your points be perfect,

Carol

Removing Carol Doak Foundation Paper

2008-07-20T06:06:00.000-07:00

Fire and Ice Workshop Brings the Fire Department

2008-07-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

Today I went off to teach a workshop from my Mariner`s Compass Stars book, called Fire and Ice. I had just gone through the introductory information about the class and the fire alarms began ringing with directions to exit the building. So, we all did as told and went to the area outside the lobby of the hotel. The sirens could be heard and the big red fire engines appeared. With short order, it was determined that it was a false alarm, but as we gathered outside, we had our picture taken with one of the fireman on his truck. He was interested in our "Fire and Ice" quilting class and I do believe he was having fun.

I've taught this class many times but it never brought the Fire Department. Once settled down, we got back to the business of the class. The students did very well with several finishing their center block. All and all it was a good day to stay inside and enjoy the air conditioning.

Now on to the Collect the Clues game I wrote about yesterday. The idea is that I will provide a clue with each post. Each successive clue should suggest narrow the location on the internet and eventually bring you to an image I will describe last. In other words the clues will narrow down where you will eventually find the image you are looking for. Don't email me your idea of what the image might be until I announce that the last clue has been provided.

Today's clue is: While you are resting, you will have lots to do, some things to buy and lots to see and you will always know where I am if you click on the teal button in the upper right hand corner.

May all your points be perfect,

Carol

Let the Fun Begin-Collect the Clues and Win 60 Fat Quarters!!!

2008-07-17T05:25:00.000-07:00

As the members of my Yahoo Group know, I do love surprises and giving away prizes. I decided it should be no different here so I will begin a new game called "Collect the Clues" with this blog. It will be a sort of scavenger hunt in search of an image. In each blog, I will give you a clue to the image and at a set future date, the first person who emails me the answer to what the image is and where it was specifically found will win 60 Fat Quarters of fabric from one of my previous fabric collections!!!!

Clue #1 - Come on in and sit awhile and rest from your trip on the internet superhighway at my new home.

The bird photo above is a picture of the three little baby birds that have been resting at the top of my front porch. I've had a bird's eye view (sorry, couldn't resist it) of their birth and development. I have really been fascinated watching the mother bird return to feed them and keep them in line. And she does keep them in line! They have grown amazingly fast and in recent days I've watched them hang on to the edge of the nest and try their wings. I expect they will be leaving in a few days. I will be sad to see them leave. I've kind of taken them under my wing, but I know the UPS man will be thrilled. You see, the Mama and Daddy bird have been standing watch over the nest sitting on the house gutter. If anyone tries to come to our front porch, they dive bomb them and flutter their wings in an effort to shoo them away. So why am I sharing these photos with you? It is just a reminder to notice the wonderful world around us.

Until next time, may all your points be perfect

Carol

Smaller Really is Easier

2008-07-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I drove to Pennsylvania to present a lecture and workshops. I typically fly to places to teach, so this 7 1/2-hour drive gave me plenty of time to reflect and enjoy the ride. I began to think about one of the biggest misconceptions quilters have about paper piecing....that bigger is easier. In life, bigger usually is easier...we grew up with "big blocks" and "large print" in kindergarten. In traditional quilting, larger blocks typically are fewer pieces and are easier. With paper piecing, it is just the opposite...smaller really is easier. I was introduced to this notion by one of my students who took a small graphic I provided in a handout and went home to make the block. She sent me a picture and shared her excitement. It is not more difficult to sew a short line or a line that is closer together and with paper piecing, that produces a small piece. The Nosegay quilt at the left was my first miniature paper-pieced quilt and I was hooked!

After making this first quilt, I set out to design lots more miniature quilts. I could take advantage of incorporating paper-pieced borders because they would fit on a piece of paper. I could pre-cut all my fabric pieces and eliminate cutting lots of different sizes. With the Nosegay quilt, the background pieces used in the top of the block were cut the same size because they just needed to be larger than the area they need to fill. Creating a cutting list for paper piecing was actually born out of designing miniature quilts. Because the pieces don't need to be the exact size, just bigger than the area they need to fill, the fabric pieces are huge in relationship to the patch they are covering. When I am paper piecing miniatures, it almost feels like a carefree version of paper piecing because I don't need to be nearly as careful.

What quilter doesn't have a bunch of scraps hanging around that are too small to create patchwork quilts? They are perfect for scrap miniature quilts! You can stack the scraps and cut a uniform size and use them in minis. That is what I did to make the scrap stars quilt on the left. I used warm colored scraps for one end of the block and cool colored scraps for the other end. When they met, they produced both warm and cool colored scrap stars. These quilts and 13 others were featured in my book, Easy Paper-Pieced Miniatures that I wrote in the early 1990's. Unfortunately that book is out of print, so I have begun publishing the individual patterns and making them available in the store on my web page. Just try one mini, I guarantee you will be hooked too. When I teach introductory paper piecing classes, the students do agree that smaller really is easier!

May all your points be perfect,

Carol

Liberty and Just Stars for All

2008-07-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

Show and Tell is such a big part of quilting. It is a way to not only share our love of quilting, but it expands our creative horizons. I just love receiving pictures of projects that people have made using my designs. This quilt, Liberty and Just Stars for All, was made by an internet group for the Salvation Army in Madison, Wisconsin. American Family Insurance was so impressed with this quilt, they made a donation in exchange for the quilt. It is now hanging in the rotunda of their corporate headquarters. The quilt features all 50 stars from my book, 50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Stars.

To read more about this book in my web store, click here

http://www.caroldoak.com/store.php

I love the name of this quilt and it is so appropriate given the fact that all 50 stars representing the 50 states are included in this quilt. Congratulations to this group for making such a spectacular quilt for a good cause and thank you for allowing me to share the photo here.

May all your points be perfect,

Carol

On the Radio..

2008-07-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by Rosie Gonzales, on the Quilting with Rosie Radio Show. Since this was done over the phone, I don't have a photo of this interview, but I thought I did have a photo of the last time I was interviewed on the for a radio show. It was several years ago when I traveled to England and attended Quilts UK. I don't remember what put the events in motion, but I ended up at the BBC radio station being interviewed by a jolly English radio host. I was wearing one of my vests, and he just kept saying, "lovely waistcoat". When I took the vest off to show him that it was reversible, he got really excited and put out a plea to his listeners to make him a reversible vest. It was lots of fun as you can see from the photo. I'm not sure if one of the lovely English quilters obliged by making him a reversible vest.

But, let me back to the interview with Rosie. The questions begin me explaining paper piecing and the advantages. We then get into how I design the blocks and inspirations for designs. Some of the particulars about paper piecing techniques are covered too. The interview with Rosie runs about 20 minutes and is available online for the next month. You can find it at www.wsradio.com/internet-talk-radio.cfm/shows/Quilting-with-Rosie-Radio.html

May all your points be perfect,

Carol

Vest Side Two and the Grande Finale

2008-07-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

First, I want to thank everyone who sent me such nice encouraging notes re starting my blog. I so appreciate the time you took to write and all your kinds words. Now, on to the second vest side....

With one vest side completed, I was anxious to get the other side completed so I could finish the vest and choose the buttons. You see, I always wait until the vests are done to go into my button box and choose the buttons. While I was in Colorado, there was also a wonderful button vendor and I stocked up on some awesome buttons that I couldn't wait to use. Sometimes it is the little things, literally, that get us motivated.

So, off to choose fabrics for the second vest side. I already decided it was going to be black with lots of vivid colors. Perhaps I was going through color withdrawal after working on the shades of gray vest. I had this awesome large scale floral fabric with a black background so it was simple to choose companion fabrics featured in the focus fabric and a variety of textured blacks. The paper-pieced block was going to be a rectangular flower block from the new book. I positioned the fabrics to see how they looked together. Plenty of colors for my taste and perfect for lots of different blouses. It was now time to cut the strips and make the paper-pieced block.

Once this task was completed, I positioned the block and the strips on the vest front foundation in the way I intended to sew them to play with the possibilities. I wanted more black than floral on the patchwork front so I used thin floral strips and wider black strips.

This vest side worked up quickly and I was pleased with the results. The brighter fabrics were used at the top of the colorful strip and the darker fabrics at the lower portion. The thin vertical floral strips incorporated this fabric in the patchwork side, but ever so slightly. I used a black tone-on-tone stripe for the back of the vest. I like to use stripes for the vest backs...again, it is that optical looking thin thing again.

Now I am heading down the homestretch. All that is left to do is join the two sides, flip, press, insert that cute little back elastic, join the side seams, and finally....yes finally, choose the buttons. I chose these really glitzy square silver buttons for the gray side and fairly simple golden buttons that looked woven for the floral side.

Yes, all is well with the world. Ooooh, I have a trip this week and I can bring my new vest to wear....oh, it would look great with my teal blouse on the floral side or maybe the bright pink or that even the summer green shell....run upstairs and check out the teal blouse, the pink blouse and the green shell and...the gray side would look awesome with a white blouse, light blue blouse or even black. Check out the white and blue blouses. Wow, both sides look great with my black blouse....Yes, that is it, the black blouse! Black is such a great travel color...it doesn't show any spots.

Until next time, may all your points be perfect,

Carol

Carol Doak Teaches You to Paper Piece DVD Intro

2008-07-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

I thought I would see if I could upload a movie so used the introduction to Carol Doak Teaches You to Paper Piece to give this a try.

Enjoy,

Carol

Making The First Vest Side

2008-07-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I worked on my first vest side. I purchased this elegant Japanese silk fabric when I was teaching at Quilt Colorado and couldn't wait to use it as the inspiration for this vest side. It has shades of grey with this wonderful raised white floral element. Working with such a neutral pallet will make this a very versatile vest to bring along on my teaching trips. It will go with anything! The first step, decide how to position the left vest front pattern on the fabric to take advantage of the best elements and direction of the lines in the fabric. I typically like to use vertical or diagonal lines that go from the center of the vest toward the upper portion of the vest to create the most flattering look.

The second step is to gather a group of fabrics I want to use on the other vest front. I work in shades of color ranging slightly in value and texture. This step can make a mess of my work area as I pull fabrics and audition them. I give myself permission to just toss the rejects on the floor. I'll deal with those fabrics later. I can't be creative and neat at the same time. Arranging them in the way I plan to use them in the vest gives me a good perspective of the final product. In this photo, the vest front, the vest back and a group of fabrics are positioned. When I looked at this photo, I couldn't help but think that it looked like a black and white photo, but the little bit of green cutting mat shows that it is not.

Now I am off to decide which paper-pieced block to use. I created several new blocks for the new book so using one of the new blocks was fun. Taking advantage of the perfect points you can achieve with paper piecing was also another consideration when choosing my block design. I chose a block that was simple but had a generic theme that would blend well with my focus fabric. Since the Japanese fabric had white raised elements, I decided on a dark background featuring white fabrics with different textures. I even used the Japanese fabric for the largest ray. The paper-pieced block is positioned on the vest front foundation and pinned in place. I then draw vertical pencil lines down the vest front even with the edges of the block. This is the area where I will place the short strips of fabric. There are two options here about removing the paper. You can carefully remove the paper now, or you can foundation piece around the block and remove the paper in the seam allowances as you piece and slit the back of the foundation to remove the remaining paper. This is a simple block, so I remove the paper now.

With my block complete, I cut the fabric strips for the short segments (here I am looking for a variety of fabrics and textures) and I cut the fabric strips for the long vertical strips used on each side. The vertical strips tend to be a bit more conservative color range, placing the slightly lighter strips toward the front of the vest and the darker strips toward the side of the vest. This gives the illusion that I am thinner than I am...gotta love that! One of the fabrics actually looked almost the same on the front and back, but was slightly lighter on the back. Great opportunity to use both sides of the fabric! Once the strips are cut, I position them on the vest foundation in the order I plan to sew them. The other vest front and the vest back are always in position so I can see how the patchwork side relates to the other vest front.

Once I am happy with the position of my strips, I move the foundation over to the sewing area and begin to foundation piece the strips. The short strips are sewn first and then the vertical strips. When all the strips are sewn to the foundation, I turn it over and trim the strips flush with the foundation. Now I get to stand back and see how the two vest fronts and back look together. I am pleased.......still looks like a black and white photograph.

Now I am off to go pick fabric for the other vest side. Having worked in such a neutral pallet for this side, I think I might just have color overload. I am going to use black on the other vest side, but add lots of color too. That is one of the really neat aspects of these reversible vests. You can use the same neutral color on both vest sides, but have different color schemes. Vest side two coming up!

All the best,

Carol

The Beginning....

2008-07-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog. It has been on my "to do" list to begin a blog, but starting something new is a bit scary and learning the ropes takes time. I've decided to just jump in and begin. One of the advantages of a blog is the ability to share up-to-the-minute information and thoughts.
For instance, I just received the September issue of The Quilter Magazine. A little wall quilt that I made, At the Shore, is featured in this issue. It is a beach scene through a window featuring boats, beach umbrellas and a sun. It has been some time since I made this quilt and submitted it, so seeing it again was like visiting with an old friend. As I look at the quilt again, I recall making it in the dead of a snowy New Hampshire winter. I must have been longing for the warm summer sunshine.

I do travel quite a bit, so being home this weekend is a welcome retreat. I purchased some wonderful Japanese silk fabrics from a vendor while teaching at Quilt Colorado a few weeks ago and I am looking forward to working on a new reversible vest. I do love wearing my vests when I travel to teach because they are light weight to pack (everything is about weight these days!) and they make wardrobe decisions really easy. My next book, Easy Reversible Vests - Revised Edition, is expected to be released in September. I have not yet received back all the new vests that I sent into Martingale to be photographed for the book, so I am whipping up a few new ones. When I wrote the original Easy Reversible Vests almost 15 years ago, I made petite size vests......lol....now my vests are size medium. I must have gotten fluffy over the past 15 years. I look forward to sharing my new vest with you in a future posting.
Until next time, may all your points be perfect,
Carol