HI Everyone!
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving,  Today is the day I make a turkey (we were at a friends home yesterday) so I will be dining again. Well, I will try to be more reasonable in my eating today! Probably taking the dog for a walk later to burn off a few calories...

Thanks for your kinds word on my block from the 100 Blocks magazine. I am thankful for my quilting friends, even if I haven't met you face to face!

Karrie S. is the winner for the copy of the magazine, I'm not sure how soon it gets mailed but I'm sure we'll see wonderful projects from her once it's in her hands. heheh, no pressure!

May all of your points be pointy!
Sandi

Hello Quilters!

Thanks for stopping by and thank you for your support!

Well, I'm up to two blogs this year, not quite a record, but an improvement.

I had planned on this block going into the next issue of  the 100 Blocks magazine. At the Spring Quilt Market, which was here in Minneapolis, one of the editors asked if I had put in a block in this issue. I had told her that I thought the deadline had passed but she said that if I got one in the following week it might make the cut. Well, I grabbed a FQ bundle from Studio E fabrics on my way home that evening and made my block and returned it the next morning.
I would venture to guess, this has been their quickest turn around on getting a magazine project finished. OK, so it's a small project.....

A thought came to me after I'd dropped off the block. I think those corner triangles could be a bit bigger. If you add the background rectangle to the paper pieced square first you could add any size  square to the corner using the sew and flip method. I think I may make a quilt using the same bright colors, a black background and assorted black and white prints for the center and corners of each block.

I think this would make a fabulous block for a Christmas quilt in reds and greens. Just three blocks would make a nice table runner. Red, white, blue and a bit of yellow/gold? I'd love to see samples of YOUR ideas! You can email me at irishchain@comcast.net (I don't trust my web email address, it's gotten weird). If I can share them on FB, please let me know. My FB page is The Irish Chain.

I'm still working on building a new web site. I'm waiting on a new web site company that is working through a new way to build web sites. It eventually will give me better ability to change what is there on my own. Since I last blogged, several new patterns have been put up on my current web site, check them out at www.irishchain.com 

For the time being, new patterns and magazine articles will be introduced on my FB page.

May you points ALWAYS be pointy!
Sandi
P.S. Happy Thanksgiving!

 Hello Blog Tour Attendees!

First, I'd like to say thank you. I know that all of us designers are so grateful for your support.

As you can see, I haven't written a blog in a couple of years. I guess life gets in the way and priorities change. Want to see pictures of my adorable grand children?
I tend toward instant gratification, like the FB page, you can look for The Irish Chain there.

Later this summer, I'll be rebuilding my web site, finally! I have several new patterns designs to add and there will be a contest or two. And, just maybe, I'll start blogging on a regular basis.

Right now, I am getting ready for Quilt Market, as are many of the other designers. One of the fun things that Quiltmaker does is that they give us a LARGE button just like the picture above to wear at market. It's fun to meet the other designers while walking the floor of the convention center. For those not familiar with what the Quilt Market is, it is a buyer's convention for the industry. Quilt shop owners go to see new fabrics, notions,machines and all of those wonderful things that we quilter need (or not!) and want.  I usually post a few pictures from market on my FB page.
Getting ready for market is usually a very busy time for me. I am blessed to be able to work for a couple of fabric companies, Blank Quilting Fabrics and Timeless Treasures among them. It is crunch time with several projects to complete in a very short time. If quilting burned more calories, I'd be a size 2!

Enjoy the tour and have a blessed day!
Sandi

Short Market report

Hello everyone.  I hope you all get a chance to relax a bit this long weekend, and get in a bit of quilting!

I'm posting a few pictures of quilts from quilt market which was in Kansas City, MO this time. These are quilts I did for Timeless Treasures. First is the Paris quilt. I will be writing a pattern for this next week and as far as I know the fabric will be available soon, too. It's probably not in stores quite yet.

This quilt is from a book and I apologize for not having the name handy. I didn't design it or even pick the colors. I am pleased with how it turned out and the quilting shows up well. The star sections are paper pieced and if you are interested in the book, please comment below and I'll get you the name. I'll post it next week, I want to give the author proper credit. It's a neat book

Quilting close up.

This fabric group is called Ruby. The pattern is written and at the Timeless office for corrections. It will be on their website soon and would also be available, most likely with kits, from quilt shops that bought this particular line of fabric.

Quilt market is a busy, fun and tiring experience. Lots of work before hand making quilts (I did 18 all told), hectic 1-1/2 days of set up and 3 days of selling, shopping and just over dosing on beautiful quilts. I went a little crazy buying thread but I use it all! I stopped at 5 shops on the way to Kansas City and back and I supported the economy a bit in each....


I have several more pictures but I'll save them for future posts. Gives me something to say!

Have a safe, relaxing and delightful Memorial weekend. Remember those who served.
Sandi

Thanks!

Thank you everyone for taking time to check out my blog. I truly appreciate all of your kind comments! Along with my block, I do have a small quilt shown in the magazine that uses 4 'Luck of the Irish' blocks. Quilt Maker chose the block name. Works for me!

As you can see, I'm not a big blogger but I'm trying to be better about posting regularly. I post infrequent enough that they changed the posting format between my posts, ugh. I'm sure you have all experienced the why-can't-they-leave-well-enough-alone? type of thing with on-line sites. The most popular social media site comes to mind......Anyway, I hope I've figured this out. Yesterday I could not, for the life of me, get a handle on putting spaces between what should have been paragraphs, I think I've got it now.

The Little Pine Pin quilt shown is a new pattern coming out soon. If you've checked out my web site, you may have seen the Quilted Jewels Series of patterns, this will be part of the series but it has it's own template, the 1/4 Carat. The template will come with this pattern and more patterns, sold separately, will follow as I get them done. I'm planning 2 more for June release; a table runner and a baby doll quilt. I think a little tote bag/purse pattern (in dupioni silk!) would be fun as well. I'm open to ideas!



Happy Quilting!
Sandi

100 Blocks!

HI Everyone! Sorry, I'm a little late this morning for the blog tour. I've been sewing like crazy getting ready for quilt market!

When I did my block I sent 2 in, the one you see in the magazine and the one here. (Sorry for the fuzzy picture!). Both turned out nice but I think the cream background one that they chose was a bit better. It was fun designing a small quilt to go with the block as well. I've always wanted to do a shamrock block and with a last name like mine, well, this was a great time to do it! I'm going to make a bed size quilt when time allows! I've enjoyed seeing all the blocks since the first magazine came out and what an honor to be in it again! Good luck to all that enter!

http://www.quiltmaker.com/blogs/quiltypleasures/