Color Changes Everything

I am sure that we have shown you this quilt before, but have you ever seen the second color way? Isn't it pretty (if i do say so myself) We made the green and black one first. I had so much fun making this quilt it was just too tempting to make another one! This quilt serves to teach a few lessons.

How the green and black colorway got started was with the large Amy Butler print. We deliberately used that large print in a large plain block. We did not want this quilt to be made from a particular fabric collection but rather a mix and match approach (like we did in the "old" days, before collections were the rage) We choose a basic black handspray, a small green & black print, the white and black paisley which is our medium scale print, as well as a tone on tone green print for subtle texture. Print size is very important when you want to create symmetry and interest. The simple block is just repeated, tossed and turned and separated with white sashing.

In the second colorway,again we started with the large Amy Butler print in shades of brown, green and pink. Again keeping with our original philosophy of mix and matching collections, we began picking fabrics from our stash. A brown tone on tone, deep pink and brown medium print, small brown and green fabric, and again green tone on tone print (from our bohemian rhapsody collection). I did make one sample block first with the ivory sashing, we decided it was to stark. We picked a pink tonal print (from our cape cod collection) instead. We purposely chose different shades of pink. Why? Because it proves another point, as long as they all blend they do not need to match exactly!

We have often wanted to make our quilts in two different color options. It is really hard to just pick one for the pattern cover. This was a great lesson in picking fabrics and how color changes everything.

The Manhattan pattern is available in our Etsy shop as well as it will be available in our new shop (coming VERY soon.) So be sure to check http://www.bluemeadowdesigns.com/ so you don't miss the launch!

Which one do you like best? If you have a teenager, this is the quilt pattern for you. Modern and simplistic, it's all in the Fabric chooses.

~c

p.s if you want to see these quilts in real life...we will be at the Morden Barnswallow Quilt show. Friday from 10-8:00, Saturday 10 - 5:00 and Sunday 12-5:00. We will have many quilts in the show as well as a booth. Come by.

Just a little tease...

The sewing machines have been humming around here for the past few months. I wish I could show you all of the projects, but unfortunately, you will have to wait until fall, when we will be in just about every quilt magazine on the shelves!

My house has been a busy place again, with boxes coming and going. I just sent off a queen size quilt, to American Patchwork & Quilting. Those of you who were at our local sewing day, you will remember the project. I can tell you, now that Jacquie has quilted it - it is STUNNING.

Cori was also working on another project on our sewing day, which will be featured in McCalls Quick Quilts. I can't show you the front of it, but here is a small glimpse of the back. Our friend Karen quilted this one for us, and it is perfect!

Both of these quilts were made using Heather Bailey's fabric collections, but they both have a very different styling from each other.

Since I can't show the quilts that we did send away, I can show you one that is staying right here. I have always wanted to do our Lemon Slice quilt, in prints, and two weeks ago, I had a chance to dig through our scrap basket, and made one. I love it. The picture truly doesn't do it justice, but hopefully I will have it quilted by fall, and then I will have something for 'show & tell' at our quilting retreat.

See you soon.

myra

Updates!

I have had some inquiries about the retreat, here's the specifics.

7th annual bmd Retreat
October 16th - 18th 2009

Friday 7pm start
Saturday 8 am - whenever you go to bed!
Sunday 8 am - 3 pm

Accomodations
Heartland Inn, Winkler MB

Retreat Package
$350.00 cnd - per person
Rates are based on two-person occupancy
Two night stay and 5 meals and snacks.

Registration
$200.00 deposit at time of registration
$150.00 final payment due August 31 2009

check, Master card & Visa accepted
(**no cancellations accepted)

email Cori to register.

We will have 15 patterns and kits to choose from, as well as fabric for purchase. Goodies and door prizes!

coming soon...

Our new website will be up and running this week, stay tuned.

Etsy

Here is the direct link to our shop on Etsy.

~cori

What's new?

Things are just a buzzing around here. Quilts and fabrics have been flooding in around for the past couple of weeks. Very exciting stuff! We are also working on a few on-line options. You will notice that our website is down for a short while, due to a NEW site coming VERY SOON and very exciting. A new and very much improved shop will make shopping easier, new products, new patterns, new fabrics, what's better than that? We also have en Etsy shop were our patterns and such are also available. (as well as a few finished quilts too!).

We are also getting ready to attend the Barnswallow Quilt show in Morden MB, May 1-3 '09. Be sure to come and check out all the new stuff there.

Every year for the past 7 years we have held our "Hometown Retreat" in Winkler. We have so many regulars that we have not really been advertising it. This year we are happy to say that we have opened up 4 more spots due to the fact that we have more space available to us. Think quick because these spots won't be there for long. If you are interested you can email Me to register. The package includes 2 night stay at the Heartland Inn, your meals and snacks, a great place to sew, be inspired and make new friends!

~cori

Right back at ya!

Do you EQ? We do. Just about everyday! If you are unsure what I am taking about, it is our EQ quilting program. I have been using the EQ (Electric Quilt) program since version 4, way back in the 90's. It literally transformed the way that Cori and I designed quilts. Now we can very quickly change the size of blocks, re-arrange color placement, or draw our own unique quilts, in a matter of minutes.

Well, just a short time ago, EQ mentioned our Plan B contest on their blog...and so we are returning the favor. If you want to see some amazing things that quilters are creating on their computers, check out their site.

EQ has a lot of really great products, and we were fortunate to design a program for them a few years ago. I mistakenly keep calling it the 'Down in the Valley' CD, which is a huge error, because that was the name of the book! Our EQ CD, which features many similar houses, is actually called "Town & Country". So, please forgive me for continually mis-quoting the name. And thanks Sarah, for pointing that out to me.

There is much more to share, so I will see you soon!
myra

Playing with fabric


I must admit, playing around with fabric, and folding them into neet little piles is one of my secret joys. This past week I have been busy folding bundles, kits, and fat quarters, and tying all of them up with a bow.

For those of you who live close to us, you can stop in at Annie's Sewing Center (204-331-1344) here in Winkler, to see all of the great new fabrics that we have been working with. And for those of you who are a little further away, you will have to have just a bit more patience. We are hard at work creating some new and exciting shopping options for you. And we will let you know all about them as soon as we can.

See you soon.
myra

A very RARE sight!

This picture was taken of us by Shelia at our sewing day that was held in March. We had a nice group of ladies from Steinbach area, Portage La Prairie, Gladstone and Winkler. We had a lovely room at our local Library with lots of natural light. Everyone worked on their own projects and Myra and I even got a chance to finish up 2 quilts that will be published in McCall's and American Patchwork & Quilting this fall! I don't recall the last time Myra and I sewed together.

We will more than likely be holding another sewing day in the fall and we will be sure to let you know.

Another thing I would like to let you know is we have made news on the EQ blog! They are all a buzz about our Plan B contest. If you haven't checked out the plan b blog, check it out.

The other exciting news is we are re-building our website. One of the major re-build components is the new shop. It has a great layout, more pictures, descriptions and easier to get around in. So looking forward to sharing the great reveal with you soon.

~c

what we inspire...

These 2 pictures were sent to me from Susan in Indiana. She shared these 2 baby quilts with us -we inspired her!! I could see it right away... an asymmetrical layout of the baseball quilt. In the Winnie the Pooh quilt, each of the pictures are appliques. She used coloring pages of the character she wanted and traced it on to a fusible web. Susan then used a satin stitch around each piece. Great work Susan and congratulations on becoming a grandma!!

If we have inspired you in some way or another, send your pictures to me or myra. We would love to see your designs.

~c