Photochrome Petals has Arrived!! Giveaway!!

UPDATE:  Congratulations to "Lorraine", she's the big winner!  Thanks to ALL OF YOU who entered!  I so enjoyed reading all of your lovely comments!! :)
-Julie

Wow.  I can't believe Photochrome Petals, my very first fabric line, is finally hitting the stores!!
Have you seen at at your local quilt shop yet?  If not, be sure to ask for it!!

Let's celebrate and have a quilt kit giveaway!  This is the I Heart Lava Lamps quilt- kit includes ALL the fabric you need for this queen sized quilt top!

See end of post on how to enter :)

Above is the free pattern promo pattern I designed for Photochrome Petals called "Butterfly Collector!"  Click here to hop over to the Clothworks site to get this pattern for free!.

Why the name Photochrome Petals?  Well, I was inspired by flower spots.  (Shocker!)  Like the kind you'd find on Foxgloves or Asian Lily petals.  I created the designs in Adobe Illustrator in greyscale, then recolored them.  Kind of like a certain photography process way back when.  And voila- Photochrome Petals!

I happened to be a helplessly giddy ombre fan.  Like, since forever!  So there was no question that my fantasy fabric would have ombre color gradations.  Or two in the case of Photochrome Petals!

There's a linear ombre design in 6 color ways:

 

 


And a radial ombre design in 6 colorways.

 

 

 

The linear ombres are perfect for creating optical illusions. Can you image the 'card trick' quilt blocks made in ombre stripes?  Or how about creating shadow effects on leaves and things:

The radial designs are for circle lovers!  Check out the moon on this mini-quilt by Cecilia Koppmann:

Sew them up into cones, and they'll be perfectly shaded:

Cut both of the designs up for applique for added dimension.  Or simply disregard the shading and cut out lacy patterns like this butterfly-  the result is undulating color!  Swoon!

Use big swaths of Photochrome Petals, or just bits to accents your flower brooches:

The possibilities are endless- I'd love to hear how you'd use the shading of Photochrome Petals!

Want some of your own to play with?  Clothworks is sponsoring a slam bang giveaway of a

Queen Sized quilt kit for the La Todera  "I Heart Lava Lamps" quilt!

The winner will receive the pattern, plus all the fabric you'll need to make the quilt below!!

Simply leave a comment here, and we'll use our random number generator to pick a winner! (please include your email in the comment section)  We'll be picking a winner on Friday!  Good luck to all!

Gramado Brazil Quilt Festival

Gettin' off the crazy train!  At least long enough to spill about what I've been up to the past few months...  Been to Brazil to teach and exhibit at a quilt Festival, to Argentina to teach classes, and to the Houston Quilt Market to promote my patterns.  Whew!

So I'll start with Brazil....

Back at the end of September, I was invited to be a guest speaker, teacher, and exhibitor at the 15th Quilt Festival of Gramado, Brazil.





The festival itself was gorgeous- so many accomplished quilters in Brazil!

 I stayed with my BFF Cecilia Koppmann, the uber creative and accomplished quilt artist and teacher from Buenos Aires.

 We met there and had a wonderful time.  The other instructors there were soooooo welcoming and warm.  I feel like I made many lifelong friends there in such a short time!! Mwah!! Mwah!! to all of you!!  I cried my eyes out when it was time to leave!!

Here is Doris Teixeira, giving Cecilia and I a 'trunk show' in her room.  A true artist!!

Even the sidewalks were patchwork-y!

 There was even a lovely parade in downtown Gramado!

I was surprised the the marching band in the parade.  They were great- the Brazilians got rhythm!

Here is beautiful Cecilia wearing her quilt. (I love this picture of her!) She made it to mark the days of her radiation treatment for (breast) cancer.  See the story here.   Even if you don't speak Spanish, it's something to see.  (BTW, she's doing great!)

The Argentine brigade...

Patchwork fashion!

Check out this proud guy carrying his wife's quilt...

The parade ended up in the festival building with a patchwork covered Volkswagon Bug!!

Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible!

Next up- classes in Argentina...

A block for a friend

Had to make a heart block, any heart block, for a group quilt.  A friend suggested this tutorial, and this is the block I made.

Whenever I make anything for a specific person, I dedicate the time I use to make the gift to think about the recipient.  In this case, I hope this small gift brings her a little bit of comfort...

Sock Monkey Baby Sling

Do you like to make sock monkeys?  I do!  I never get tire of making them.  There are lots of tutorials on the web like this one, if you'd like to make your own.


I love to give them as baby gifts and embroider the name of the recipient on the hiney.  Today I made one for a friend's new granddaughter.  She has a big brother, 4 yrs old, who has his own monkey.  


So for a little bonus for big brother, I made him a baby monkey (from baby socks) and a little baby sling.


Want to make your own baby doll sling?  It's cinchy.  Just use a piece of t-shirt fabric!


First measure from the shoulder of the bigger doll to the hip, around the back, and back up to the shoulder (like in the photo.)   Add about 2 inches for tying.  That's the length of your sling.
Now measure the width of the baby doll.  Double that measurement.


Cut yourself a rectangle using the measurements you took. Make the long edge of the rectangle go against the grain of the fabric so it's stretchy. Taper the short ends of the rectangle into points.  Stretch your fabric till the edges curl under. (No sewing! Yay!) Now tie the points together.


That's it!  Put the sling on the mommy (or daddy, or big brother or sister) doll, resting the knot on one of her shoulders.  Now put the baby in there! 


That should make the baby doll very happy and secure! Don't be surprised if the baby doll goes right to sleep! ;)

Hi everyone!


Back from Spring Market, and (almost) fully recovered!  This market was especially fabulous- was situated right across from my new pals at Clothworks.  Did a lecture (Schoolhouse)  about 3-D sewing.  That was fun- glad we did it! 

I was working' most of the time and went by myself- my excuse for not taking more pics... But here are some highlights-

Moi and Mary Fons of 'Quilty'.  You may not be able to tell from the photo how bad I was geeing out to meet Mary.  She is so talented, hilarious, and best of all, a homie from Chicago!

With Luana Rubens of eQuilter.  What an accomplished business woman, mom, and she has the best hair evah!!  And, check out her awesome leopard glasses!

With Jane from Petersen-Arne.  She graciously wore my flowers all market long!

Carolyn from Checker Distributors.  Check out her cool blouse- lots of fabric manipulation going on there.  I wanted to steal it!

Lila Tueller (right) with pal.  Talent, beauty, and grace wrapped up into one!

Customer Pat English of Quilters Alley and her Dinner Plate Dahlia sample. She and her granddaughter were literally walking ads for my flower patterns! Thanks Pat!

Awww!  This is Pat Roberts from Heartfelt Quilting and Sewing shop here in Florida.  She brought her Berry Bunch Brooch all the way to Market!!  Thanks Pat!!