Great Greenville Arms

When I woke up this snappy autumn morning I was happily reminded that I get to visit the cozy Greenville Arms 1889 Inn for my final workshop of the year. This will be my second stay and I can hardly wait. The Inn is owned and lovingly cared for by Kim and Mark LaPolla. Kim is a quilter and Mark is a Chef de Cuisine and they have combined their talents in this ideal venture.

They cater to an artistic and loyal clientele by hosting painting and fiber workshops all year round, the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops. Most guests are housed and very well fed in the historic inn during the week. The atmosphere is friendly, warm and comfortable and meals are sociable and delicious! Mark is also a Chocolatier, so there are other obvious advantages, too.

But the story just gets better. Here is the studio, behind the house, where all the workshops take place. Everyone has their own table and some elbow room, so the space is just the right size. You get to know your classmates very well by sharing meals, ideas and quilting techniques for 5 days. There are some classes that have a perfect chemistry and my class at the Greenville Arms was one of those!! So you can see why I am so anxious to return.

You can see our mutual affection in this happy picture. So if you have had a busy year, like I have, a pampered visit to the Greenville Arms in early December will have you revived to face the holidays and inspired for a new year of creative quilting. The dates are Dec. 6-12 and I hope to see some of you there!

Season for Reflection

Last week marked the culmination of several important events. The first was The International Quilt Market in Houston, which was early this year and had vendors scrambling to prepare their wares in time, including me! Here is a picture of my booth. I decided to be spare and modern this season, with just a black surround to show off the new fabric and patterns. (More about them next week!)

My sister was kind enough to take time off to help "mind the store". It was a nice opportunity to introduce her to the "wonderful world of quilting". The booth was perfectly positioned on a main isle, so even though I could not wander, I was able to greet all my friends as they happened by. As always, Houston Market was a grand time to reconnect, review and to see some extra ordinary quilts.

Many new projects were being promoted, of course. One of these was a new book by Eleanor Levie called Unforgettable Tote Bags. This is another of her collaborative projects in which she invited several quilters and designers to create or decorate a practical and ecological tote bag. Here is my contribution, a liner for your bike basket-very green-no plastic bags and no gas!

This design was inspired by the new European craze to personalize your bike with paint, flowers and found object collage. We used Prairie Gothic fabrics and plenty of Art Girlz felt beads, of which you can never have too many!

After my return from Market, the MetCap Bank hosted an opulent opening for my show. It was a dark and rainy night in Chicago, but the beautiful Tree Studios and so many old friends made it a night to remember! The work is on display through January 15, so please stop in if you have a chance.

So now I am sighing a breath of relief and trying to regroup for the next season of dreaming, designing and SEWING! I am taking the month of November to work on a new art quilt, which is much overdue and heavenly to be working on as we watch the autumn landscape make dramatic changes everyday!

A New Season of Possibilities

Hello, everyone! The Idea Book is back in gear after a busy summer and bursting with new projects and patterns to share with you. First of all, my new FreeSpirit fabric line will be

introduced at Houston Market this weekend. It is called "Sunshine & Shadow". The title, of course, is also the name of a traditional quilt design, but it also refers to the many moods of our Midwestern garden. You will see some of our favorite plants portrayed for this new season of sewing. For a sneak preview, visit my website.

Next I want to invite you all to visit my show of art quilts in the historic Tree Studios in downtown Chicago. Tree Studios is a lovingly restored building which once housed many famous local artists. This sizable show is a collection of many classic and seminal pieces from my quilting career, including the "Willow" quilt which was named "One of the Best American Quilts of the Century". It has not been shown publicly since the 1996 International Quilt Festival when it was awarded "Master of Contemporary Artistry".

The show will run through January 14 as part of Art Works Chicago: A Progressive Corporate Exhibition of Chicago, a program supported by MetCap Bank to feature exhibitions of work by prominent Chicago-based artists displayed in the workplace setting.

To see the show, please stop by the Metropolitan Capital Bank at Nine East Ontario during business hours or call for an appointment, 312-640-2300. I encourage you to collect a group of friends and make a day of it... great city shopping near by!

Domestic Goddesses & Fair Weather Fashions

This has been an unusual spring in the Midwest. There has been cool weather and lots of rain. Most gardens are a month behind and many of the vegetables (and their tenders) are depressed from the lack of sunshine. It was pouring rain on the Fourth of July, only to clear up in time for the fireworks. But we have managed to take some pictures to share with you between cloud bursts.

First Willow and Claire model two aprons based on classic vintage patterns. We have combined several lines of Sassaman fabric to create a comforting old-fashioned style. Both designs are very practical with their roomy pockets and ties at the waist make for an easy fit.

The bias edges and the checkered lining in the pockets really add up to a delightful garment!

You may have some of this fabric in your stash... it is from my first FreeSpirit collection, Jane's

Exotic Garden. It is very satisfying to to see all the collections playing so nicely together.

This apron makes me think of the "ideal" housewives of the 1950's and black and white movies like Mildred Pierce and The Egg and I! I can just see Claudette Colbert and Joan Crawford reaching to tie the strings in the back. The gingham check is from the current Prairie Gothic line and the floral print is from last seasons, Hothouse Garden.

But, of course, it is the rick rack that really adds the vintage kitchen flavor. So even if you spend more time quilting than cooking and cleaning, this apron will make you look like a domestic goddess!

Next we have several summery blouses to show-off. The pink button-up is a ready made garment which we jazzed up with a simple ruffle of pink Queen Anne's Lace. All the other peasant style shirts are made from Simplicity 2706 and an ancient pattern, McCall's 5116, from high school days. This black blouse is one of my favorites because it has a retro look, too. The black gingham mixes nicely with the floral yoke and ruffled cap sleeves. 

I dug through my stash to find quaint fabrics to mix with my prints for this project... fabrics that reminded me of childhood like dotted Swiss and seersucker. Claire and Willie look cool and comfortable in these pastel frock tops. Again, the rick rack trim on the neckline and sunflower pocket add to the mood of innocence.

I chose both patterns as a way to feature a large print without overwhelming the entire garment or the person wearing it. These two feminine blouses illustrate the idea nicely. 

Finally the sun peeks between the clouds and the girls take advantage of the welcoming warmth, just what these blouses are designed for... airy, cotton comfy, and colorful on a hot summer day. I quite like the refreshing fabric combinations here. Both tops show off fabrics from the Hothouse collection.

Focusing in on the details, the cap sleeves are like little umbrellas to protect those white shoulders from the sun rays. The ruffles add a girlish tickle in the front shirt, while the square yoke and sleeve, in back, have a crisper, more contemporary look.

Finally, Claire wears a quiet and comfortable variation which uses a creamy soft waffle knit bodice with the subtle dusky Teasel and Lace print from the Prairie Gothic collection. I love the

architectural sleeve. Below, see the lovely detail on the back.

I hope these photos inspire you to do some mixing and matching in your summer sewing! And I hope I can figure out why this text is suddenly underlined!!!!

Project Potpourri

There has been lots of activity here that has not been reflected on the blog lately. Sorry about that! Confidentially, I have been scheming on a new book and much energy has been devoted to that purpose. I have also reviewed and approved the strike-offs for the next fabric line which is called Sunshine and Shadow, so my mind is racing with possibilities for using the new designs and colors.

In the mean time, Prairie Gothic continues to inspire us to create more fun projects. One of my favorites has been these delightful tea cozies. Everyone who sees them in the studio immediately puts them on their head, myself included. So perhaps we will have to make some smaller versions for human ornamentation. The cozies are made of four panels with a finishing band at the bottom. But best of all is the fancy topper made with a yo-yo and two ArtGirlz felt beads.

This vintage Sassaman fabric works wonderfully with a hydrangea featured in each panel. The purple band at the bottom grounds the design and adds a little extra weight to keep out the cold air. The topper is especially fun in these lively colors! Thanks to Super Susan, my assistant for perfecting this delightful pattern!

I have also done some teaching this summer.  At the Genesee Valley Quilt Show in Rochester, New York, I was lucky to reconnect with one of my former students, Martha Lorshbaugh. She got extra points in class for wearing a skirt made from this seasons Sunflower fabric!!!!!! 

I am susceptible to "buttering-up". Thank you, Martha, you made my day!

Another friend, Pam Matthews of Pam Matthews Designs sent me this photo of a fresh new bag idea using the Coneflower fabric on the outside and lined in pink Bird's Eye. The bright lining makes everything easier to find in a deep bag.

Next we have two new quilts which exploit the kaleidoscopic potential of the symmetrical Prairie Gothic fabrics. Melissa Peda calls this piece, Midnight Queen. It is a glowing combination of color and graphics. I like the way the composition radiates from the complex center to a quieter border.

Melissa has also created this refined kaleidoscope wall hanging, below, Dusky Mandala. The Teasel fabric in the center actually seems to blend into the surrounding dots. She has used the sprinkling of white in the two outer borders to great advantage, too. Look closely because she has also appliqued some critters here and there!

Thanks to all my buddies for applying their energy and skill to these Sassaman fabrics. I am a lucky girl to have so many talented friends!!

Graduation Day

I have been on "spring break" for the month of May. In this pleasant recess from travel I have been able to revel in the fresh breezes of a new season which has been prolonged by coolness and rain. The shade plants are having a robust celebration... the iris, hosta, trillium and columbine are proudly presenting themselves. Between rain drops, Greg has finally prepared the vegetable garden and planted the tomatoes, peppers, squash and other delights. Greg's helper, Pumpkin, takes time out to be the Queen of the Green, above.

This Columbine plays host every year and greets all our visitors at the front door. She is especially happy this season. She looks like a marvelous floral chandelier with all those dangling blossoms. And she shows nicely next to the newly painted house.

In the midst of all this merry making, we have a few other things to celebrate, too! We have a niece graduating from high school and a nephew graduating from 8th grade. One of my favorite high school graduation gifts was a set of sheets and towels (of my very own!) to take off to college. It was a symbol of my independence and potential... a "new beginning" present. 

So, I am doing the same for my niece, who is will begin college in Florida this fall. But, of course, this gift has to be personalized and I know Maddie loves the color orange, so ORANGE it is! I started by making her two coordinating pillows, both with a little turquoise for balance.

Then we purchased a set of very orange towels to decorate with appliqued ribbons in one of the same pillow fabrics. I used turquoise top stitching thread on both edges to jazz it up. The fabric is from last season's Hothouse line for FreeSpirit.

Since we know she will be spending lots of time at the beach, poor thing, we threw in a beach towel and I appliqued a butterfly in one corner. Here a froggy friend enjoys a sun bath before it all gets wrapped up in ribbon and tissue. I hope that she enjoys using them as much as I enjoyed making them!

What about the nephew, you ask? He already has an Aunt Jane pillowcase, but I may make him another with an iTunes coupon attached.

My teaching schedule sabbatical ends tomorrow, so today I will absorb as much spring as possible! It looks as if the sun will be shining and the breezes cool. A perfect spring day!

Glorious Green

Our house sits on the top of a knoll and is surrounded by trees. It is like perching in a tree house as I sit at the kitchen table; surrounded on all sides by fresh florescent spring green. This morning the birds are especially vocal and their songs seem to mirror our feelings of overwhelming well being. This has been a perfect week... cool, refreshing and optimistic. We have been able to dwell in a green dream of "all possibilities".

Despite all the sighing and revelry,  a little progress was made, too. Thanks to Greg, I was finally able to get my childhood kitchen chairs recovered. It was a hard decision, but the Sweet Potato Vine upholstery fabric was the finalist, as our decor leans toward primary colors. I also think this design enhances the Scandinavian Modern look, which I love.

Some of my Prairie Gothic scraps inspired me to stitch up a couple new reversible pillows, too. I think they are in keeping with the "green" theme, especially with the happy ball fringe.  

The reverse sides are simply single squares of fabric, but the quilting spices them up nicely. In fact, they look so cool and comfortable in the garden, that now I'm thinking of covering the porch furniture in a similar fashion.

As I have written this entry the green outside seems to have intensified and the sky is darkening! Ah!! A perfect day to be buried among books and fabric... heavenly! And perhaps the ideal evening to watch The Wizard of OZ. "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!"