Quilt Fest at Ben Franklin of Oconomowoc 2011

Each year the Quilt Deptartment at Ben Franklin host a fabulous QUILT FEST! The are free demos, viewers choice contest, quilt challenge contest and special sale prices on lots of items.

If you haven't been to BF, you must. It is really a QUILT STORE inside of a store. The fabric selection is excellent!

I will be doing a demo on Saturday, Oct 1st at 10am, showing how to make fun Quilt Labels.

Pick up some tips on creating unique labels, see lots of samples, and of course quilts!

Be sure to check out the Quilt Challenge, I have an entry. The fabrics were certainly challenging, but it turned out to be a really fun project!

Ben Franklin Crafts - 1083 Summit Ave. - Oconomowoc, WI - 262-567-0271

Art and Craft Shows - 2011

Sept 10th & 11th Trimborn Farms Harvest of Art and Crafts
Sat & Sun, 10am - 4pm - located at 8881 W. Grange Ave. Greendale, WI

Sept 17th, HOLY HILL Arts & Craft Fair
Saturday, 10am - 5pm - located at 1525 Carmel Rd, Hubertus, WI

Sept 25th, Cheery Cherry Fall Fair
Sunday, 9am - 4pm - located at Village Park - Appleton Ave. at Garfield Dr., Menomonee Falls, WI

October
Sat Oct 8 9-4 & Sunday, Oct 9th, noon - 4 Book Sale & ART Show
Town Hall Library ~ N76 W31429 Hwy. VV, North Lake, WI

Sat. Oct 15th 8- noon - Brookfield Farmers Market & More
At corner of Calhoun and Gebhardt, in Brookfield, WI

Nov 11th & 12th, Christmas in the Grove
Fri 4pm - 8pm & Sat 10am - 4pm - located at 13855 Watertown Plank Rd, Elm Grove, WI

Nov 13th, Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair
Sunday, 10am - 4pm, located at Brookfield East HS 3305 N. Lilly Rd., Brookfield, WI

Nov 27th, St. Mary Craft Fair
Sunday, 8:30am - 3pm, located at 9520 W. Forest Home Ave., Hales Corners, WI

Dec 17th, Sat. 9am - 2pm Winter TYME
Tyme Out Youth Ministry and Retreat Center
W332 N6786 County Rd. C Nashotah, WI

Square In A Square Table Topper

These table toppers are 27 inches square. The technique that I used is the Square In A Square method. I like this method because the piecing is fast, easy and accurate. Possiblities are endless!

This is a great class, by the end of it, you'll feel comfortable with the SnS ruler and be ready to create other projects. I included a photo of a square in a square 'i spy' type of quilt, I used the same layout, just changed the size of block and size of the quilt. Totally different quilt, but same techniques. That's what classes are for, to teach you something you can use again and again!

Class locations, dates and times are listed in the right column.

Tulip Table Runner

I just designed this tulip table runner for classes at Ben Franklin and Frank's Sewing Center.

Fun to think spring when it's snowing and cold outside! The details for the classes are listed to the right.

Santa Candleholders

I always get to share my quilts and sewing (and of course grandkids) on this blog. But this time I want to share my husbands talents, as a carver. He does wonderful wood carvings! This photo shows the Santa Candleholders that he made as presents this past Christmas.

Bye to 2010, Hello to 2011

It's almost the middle of January, eeks! Welcome to 2011! I have to get better at taking time to update my blog! But first, I have to post some photos of our family time this past Christmas!

We were blessed to have our family all together for a week! Absolutely a wonderful time, so many fun memories, and just hanging out together!

Happy New Year, hope it's a healthy one, full of family and friendship!

Now, onto updating the blog!

Alegra having fun playing with FABRIC!

On our recent trip to Utah, I let Alegra and Cruz play with some quilt fabric leftover from a project. Alegra was really interested in it, good thing because she goes fabric shopping whenever we are visiting. I can't wait till I can teach her all about sewing. Cruz is curious about all my sewing things too. My grandsons Nick, Max and Caden often play in my sewing room. They drive trucks and cars under my tables. We give horses little 'blankets'. They like to play with the scraps too. I was going to make Nick a little reusable sandwich bag before school started this year. When I showed him a pile of fabric that he could choose from, he said, "Oh Grandma, you have too many, I like them all, you choose". So together we decided on some airplane fabric. I like having the boys see what's going on in my sewing room, they are so smart and they notice lots of things. One time I was talking to Max about my sewing machine, and I asked him if they had a sewing machine at his house, and he replied, "No, but we have a washing machine" They say the cutest things!

Holy Hill Show

I did the Holy Hill Art and Craft Show on Sept 18th, 2010. It was my first time there and it was incredible! White tents and people everywhere! It's a great show, truly quality merchandise and vendors, I was happy to be there! The day started rainy, stayed overcast, but people just kept coming all day.

Featured Quilter at Ben Franklin Crafts of Oconomowoc

This photo shows some of the quilts that I took out to Ben Franklin Crafts of Oconomowoc, to be part of the Quilt Fest display. We went out to see them the other nite and it was neat to see 23 of my personal quilts hanging in a store for everyone to enjoy. They don't allow photos, so I hope you get a chance to check it out. The quilts are on display threw Sunday, Oct. 3rd. The actual Quilt Fest is the weekend of Oct 2 & 3rd.

Ben Franklin is at 1083 Summit Ave., Oconomowoc, WI
Store Hours are: Monday - Friday 9-9 ~ Saturday 9-6 ~ Sunday 10-5
Check out their class schedule, I am teaching some classes there too!

Woodland Made Designs - my etsy store!

I have been busy working on my etsy store, thanks to a push from my daughter, it's open! Please check it out!

WoodlandMadeDesigns.etsy.com

For those of you not familiar with 'etsy' it is an online source for 'handmade items', you can literally find it all there. Each artist has their own 'store', making all the items and posting them online for everyone to see. It is absolutely amazing!

Right now I have a sample of my work posted, and I will be adding to it daily, so please visit it often. Very exciting, sharing the items I create with such a huge dedicated audience!

Designing is sew much fun!

I truly love designing and making projects! I can't believe how lucky and blessed I am, that I get to make such fun stuff! A big factor behind all the things that I make is my very supportive husband. He is my rock and so much more, thanks Rick! While I was playing with (ok, sewing) the Yellow Submarine project, he was powerwashing the driveway. Is that called balance? It works, and I'm grateful.

Quilting, all parts of making a quilt is my thing. But since I've been doing Art & Craft Shows, I've added lots of other items to fill in my booth. I've enjoyed the process, figuring out how to make things on my own, designing things other than quilts.

Again, it goes back to designing, give me a challenge or idea, and I love it! It may take me awhile to mull it over, but I've found that the pondering makes it better. Here are a couple of recent designs..........

Before my granddaughter Alegra was born, Kelly asked me to make a 'tree' wallhanging for her nursery. The design process was going round and round in my mind, emails, phone calls, sketches, and the day before she was born, it just came together in my head. I had the quilt done the next day, the day Alegra was born! Each leaf has a word, things that I wished for sweet Alegra, love, happiness, joy, faith, etc........ Now ideas are swirling about sewing darling clothes for this little sweetheart, she is almost 9 months old!

Pillows! My sister commissioned me to make several throw pillows to go with her new drapes. She wanted a plain pillow with piping. Too boring for me. Instead, I created fun boutique designer pillows, her favorite was this leaf applique. After making her three cool pillows, I sewed the plain one too, thanks L for your support!

This blog is a new type of designing for me, (I'm slowly learning it) thanks to Kelly for getting me going on it! And now Leigh is helping me with an etsy site, what would I do without these wonderful girls!!!

Yellow Submarine

Nick, Max and Caden showing off their new art for their bathroom!
My quilt guild had a challenge called 'name that quilt', it had to be a quilt with the design of a 'song'. I choose "Yellow Submarine", because the boys sing that song. I also choose it because I knew how to incorporate the theme and make it personal for my grandsons, giving it a purpose. My quilt wasn't the viewers choice winner, but I won the best prize,

Nick, Max and Caden love it!!!

Quilt Expo, Madison WI

I entered a quilt into Quilt Expo in Madison, WI. This is a juried and judged show, and I got the news this week that my quilt was accepted into the show! This is a great show, so it's pretty exciting to be part of it! Quilters from accross the country enter this show, and the talent is unbelievable.
Quilt Expo is September 9-11, 2010 at the Alliant Energy Center, Madison

Exciting News!

I'm going to be the featured Quilter at the Quilt Fest at Ben Franklin in Oconomowoc! The Quilt Fest is October 2 & 3, 2010. My quilts (approx 25!)will actually be hanging in the store starting the middle of September, through Oct 3rd. As part of Quilt Fest, there are free demonstrations and specials in the store. I will also be doing a demo, on Saturday, Oct 2nd - 1:15 - 2pm, showing the Square in a Square piecing method. I feel so grateful for these wonderful opportunities! The timing is also perfect, as I will be teaching at BF starting this fall.

Secret Pocket Pillow

Nick with his "Secret Pocket Pillow"


Our 5 year old grandson, Nick had a loose tooth. I wanted to make him a tooth fairy pillow, but he didn't want to fairy pillow..........so I designed a 'secret pocket' pillow. It turned out pretty neat, the pocket has a zipper, and it's hidden - a secret! The day after I finished the pillow, Nick lost his first tooth. He lost another tooth the next day too! Whew, got the project finished just in time! His little brother Max liked the pillow too, so I made him a secret pocket pillow as well.

Max gets a "Secret Pocket Pillow" too!

Fireman Cruz with his new quilt

I got to make my grandson Cruz a new quilt for his big boy bed. It matches his wall hanging that I made when he was born. Since they live in the mountains and see lots of animals, I thought this would be fun.

Alegra loves her Tag Blankie

We just had a wonderful visit with our family in Utah. It was so fun to see our sweet granddaughter Alegra playing with her Tag Blankie that I made her.