Cherry House Quilts

Have you seen this & this???

Okay, I just have to say how exciting it was to go with Ashlee to Barnes & Noble the other day, to find this issue of Fons & Porter Easy Quilts on the shelf, open it up, and find my Jukebox Quilt Pattern inside...it's just a little bit unreal!  Awesome, exciting, a dream come true, but a little unreal nevertheless. 

Another little dream come true is Lizzy's etsy shop...have you guys seen it?  I wanted to buy everything!  Do I buy the Cathedral book in yellow leather?  Or the home print with the beautiful bird, and paper clip?  Something about birds who collect things will forever remind me of The Secret of NIMH.  And let me tell you about a show stopper...the Illuminate print...this was my Mother's day present from Lizzy, and I kid you not, it brought me to tears, it is so beautiful!  What she was able to achieve on this print seemed unreal to me.  I just kept looking at her, and looking at the print, and in some kind of dumbfounded stupor, I kept asking "how did you do this, how was this possible?"  It really is that amazing, and that they are only $30.00 is too good to be true.  This isn't something that is available in stores yet, but just a heads up to everyone.  Lizzy showed me the final images of Lizzy Dish (her first fabric line), and it is incredible!  You guys are going to flip, and then flip again, and then maybe one more time for good measure!!!  When I saw all of the color ways, and all of the different images, my mind started spinning with everything that I want to create.  It's going to be great, and everyone is going to love it.  Think old school Betty Crocker, throw in something amazing from  Anthropologie, with a dash of creative genius and you can get a vision of what Lizzy Dish is going to be!  It will be released this fall; and that is just around the corner.  Well, this is probably enough gushing from my about my super talented girl.  All three girls are home this week in what has to be a gift from Heaven.  Take care everybody!

Where to find Cosmo Cricket Fabrics

Update 8/27/08

• I've found lots of Halfway Cafe Fabric here at this online store.
• look eQuilter is carrying Halfway Cafe also...bonus, it's on sale!  They are also carrying Jitterbug.

8/10/08 UPDATE...It's A Stitch Quilt Shop in Humble, Texas (my LQS) is now carrying Jitterbug; I believe they have the entire line

Lots of folks have been asking about where to find Cosmo Cricket Fabrics, so I thought I'd provide some links...

Halfway Cafe Fabric can be found here, here, and here.  Since it has just been released, it is starting to crop (little joke for the paper folks) up at quilt shops everywhere!  Be sure and check Andover's site for the free quilt pattern to Galveston Island...it should be available soon, soon, soon.

Jitterbug Fabric is available at this site, as well here. What do you think of our Jukebox Quilt?  This pattern will be available in the Fall 2008 Fons and Porter Easy Quilts magazine, on newsstands August 1st.  This is such a fun quilt, and super quick to make.  Fons and Porter is selling this as a kit in their store.  Don't forget the Soda Shop quilt pattern available as a free download from Andover.

Well, I hope this helps everyone who is hunting down these fun, fabulous fabrics!

Cherri

400 Quilts!

As I posted earlier, this past Saturday was the 8th Annual Interfaith Quilting Bee. What an amazing day! The spirit of love and concern for those in our community who are suffering was overwhelming. There were 240 quilters on hand, and by the end of the day, about 400 quilts had been completed. The way the program works is that on the day of the Bee the block & pattern for the next year is presented. Each group works on their blocks and quilts throughout the year. The block for 2009 is a crazy 9 patch. Also on the day of the bee, about 20 tops are tied, or quilted by the participating groups. Sewing machines are set up to do the bindings. We work till noon, then attend a presentation of the quilts to the charities.  One group, Family Time is a crisis shelter for abused woman & children. Many times these families must leave their homes with no belongings. After the families are processed, and given an orientation, each family member is invited to select a quilt of their own. Sometimes this is their only possession. 

    All in all, it was a wonderful day, and truly what quilting is about to me.  It's about giving to those in need, it's about giving comfort & warmth, it's about coming together as a community of woman.  I love quilts, I love what they impart, they are so much more than the fabric that they are made of; they are love.

Tybee Island...and my first magazine!!!

    This is so exciting!!!  Another dream checked off of my list of goals...a quilt in a magazine!  This is Tybee Island; in the current, and sadly last issue of Designer Quilts magazine.  I spoke to the folks at Andover Fabrics, and they have said that the Halfway Cafe Fabric line is now available in stores.  Do you guys know Tybee Island?  When I saw this fabric, that was immediately what I thought of.  Several years ago the girls and I went on vacation to Savannah, Georgia (we love Savannah, and we would all move there tomorrow).  One of our day trips was to Tybee Island, to play in the ocean, enjoy the beauty of the beach, and check out their awesome light house.  For dinner we went to The Crab Shack...oh my gosh, it was the best food!  This place is the real deal...faded, not fancy, but so, so good.  I dedicate this quilt to Tybee Island, and my girls.  Pick up the Summer 2008 issue for the pattern to Tybee Island.

Here's the cover of the issue.  There are some great quilts, and articles, but more importantly an educating issue in regards to Multiple Sclerosis.

Introducing Foreign Currency

Double click for a full view  

Foreign Currency Quilt Pattern

Quilt Size 63 x 68

$9.00 

i do Redo

  How wonderful is this quilt?  I got a call from the great folks at Cherrywood Fabrics, telling me they had created I Do! in their fabulous hand dyed fabrics!  I was so excited, and couldn't wait to see how it turned out...I think it is beautiful!  Seeing their booth at Quilt Festival in Houston is always a highlight for me, the colors they achieve, with the various gradations are so rich, and vibrant.  If anyone is attending the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, Cherrywood Fabrics will be on hand, selling the kits, and the pattern. 

Here's our I Do!  We used lots of Kaffe Fassett fabrics in ours, as well the always amazing Kona Cotton Solids.  This pattern is available for purchase here.

Interfaith Humanitarian Quilting Bee

The 8th Annual Interfaith Quilting Bee is being held on Saturday, July 19th in Kingwood, Texas.  This Quilting Bee provides a unique way for individuals and congregations to support local charitable organizations.  We make & tie quilts, and sew on the bindings.  The finished quilts will given to HAAM (Humble Area Assistance Ministries), Family Time (rape/abuse center), Birthright, Family to Family Mentoring Program, and other local charities.  This will be the 8th year that I have participated, and every year I come away so amazed by the work of so many generous women.  One year, an elderly lady made 159 quilts!  At the end of the bee, there is a brief presentation by the organizations that will receive the quilts.  They tell of the families and children whose lives are changed by these beautiful gifts.

As the individual quilts are finished, they are draped across the backs of the pews.  As the morning begins there are one or two, the next time you look up, you may see a dozen scattered throughout the chapel, by the time we break for lunch, the chapel is filled with literally 100's of quilts.  Without fail, every time I see those quilts that fill an entire room my eyes fill with tears.  It is an explosion of color, and a visual proof that we can all work together for the common goal of making the world a better place.  Here are some pictures of the 2007 Quilting Bee.  If any of you lovely folks are in the Houston/Kingwood area you are more than welcome to join us!     

More Girl Power!

Sweet Nicolette from Devliegendekoe (the flying cow) created her version of our Girl Power quilt using fabric by Heather Ross...how cute is this? 

 

I really love the back, what a great way to create something unique, plus using extra blocks is always a bonus.  Here's a look at our original Girl Power Quilt, click here for the FREE PATTERN.  If you've created a Girl Power Quilt we would love to see your photos! 

Strengths & Weaknesses

Thank you all of my kind friends for your sweet encouragement...sometimes we just need a good cry.

On to the new quilt...the fabric is amazing!  It is from Robert Kaufman's Imperial Fusion.  I must admit that I was a little intimated by this fabric initially, it is so rich in color and texture.  Once again there were so many decisions that had to be made before I took a single cut into that glorious fabric.  Have you ever thought something to death?  Trying to make something so much more complicated than it has to be?  That's what I was doing with this fabric...trying too hard.  Sometimes I have to have a little meeting with myself (I invite the cats, but they generally don't care what I have to say, as long as there is fabric for them to lay on).  So back to the meeting, I kept trying to turn this fabric into something fancy & grand; but take a look at the fabric, how much fancier, and grand could it be?  Gilding the lily comes to mind.  When I'm stuck in any aspect of my life, when confusion reigns supreme, there is a sure solution that ALWAYS works, going back to the basics and the fundamentals.  Why was I trying to turn this fabric into something that I'm not?  I'm not a fancy quilter...I can make meticulous fussy little blocks, but that is not who I am, and that is not what I do well.  What I do well is make bold statements with geometric shapes.  That is my strength, that is what I know how to do, day in, and day out.  It's what I love, and what I'm comfortable with, so why was I trying to do something different?  Silly Cherri.  Once I accepted my strengths and weaknesses, I was able to move forward.  I was able to stop trying to be something I'm not, and consequently something my quilting won't be either.  Hallelujah, what a relief (big sigh!)  Well the fabric is all cut, strips are being sewn, blocks are made, and I am in quilting heaven.  

Here's a clue of what's to come...  

Just 5 more minutes

How's this for an itinerary?

• Germany
• Houston
• SLC
• Rexburg
• Houston
• Sweden
• SLC
• Rexburg
• Panama
• Costa Rica
• Houston

This has been Ashlee's schedule for the last month.  She has been on tour, promoting her CD, and home for a day to two between all of the other locations.  Friday she had a concert in Rexburg, and was able to see Lizzy for a few hours, then flew to Houston, en route to Panama.  I met her at the airport to collect her guitar, and laptop, and I was able to see her for 5 minutes before she got on another plane.  How my heart broke to let her go, it was so sad, and hurty.  Letting children go has to be one of the most painful aspects of parenting. 

When I was pregnant with my first baby Luke, at the tender age of 21, I made a decision that I have never regretted.  I decided one day that I would never wish away time - I wouldn't wish away a minute of pregnancy, I wouldn't wish away years of nursing, or changing diapers, I wouldn't waste one second of my time with my children, because I knew one day they would be gone.  Where does a 21 year old get that kind of wisdom?  I don't know, but I'm grateful now for the decision I made then.  That decision was sometimes put to the test...8 weeks of chicken pox, etc...but no regrets.  My only sadness is that the time went so fast, and now they are gone.  I just want them to all be home, laying around on our red couches, covered in quilts, watching Lizzy play a video game, listening to Ashlee and Melissa talk in silly voices.  I want Luke to be home, and not away in the Army.  I would just give all that I have for 5 more minutes with all of them. 

Alright, I've had my cry, and my little pity party for one.  Time to start a new quilt...the keeper of my sanity.  Thank you for letting me share my woes...it's time to go back to work.