Maria Peagler, whose book on Color Mastery is designed to help you get over your fear of playing with color, has just published this video on her blog and facebook pages.  If you’d like to vote for your favorite and win a free (my book, her book, Inklingo or fabric), take a look at the video, the surf over to Maria’s place and vote (more on that below).  Here’s the video:

Maria profiles four must-haves for quilters, starting with my book, ThreadWork  Unraveled.  Most of you who visit here have heard plenty about the book, but just in case, there is more info here plus lots of very kind reviews of the book on Amazon (and if you’d like to add your own review, please do!). Maria’s Facebook fan page is http://www.facebook.com/colormaster .  You can visit the page even if you’re not a member on Facebook.

Maria also shares Linda Franz’s Inklingo, a system for  precise piecing using any size scrap.  Linda is the author of the FANTABULOUS Quilted Diamonds, which is a diamond-variation on the theme of the Jane Stickle (Dear Jane) quilt, liberally salted with Jane Austen quotes, and which has some of the BEST hand piecing and hand applique directions you’ll find.  I treasure this book–clear, precise directions, stupendous photos…a keeper! Linda’s website is here, and more about InkLingo is here.

Third on Maria’s list is a Clothworks kit with the fabulous Laurel Burch fabrics.  As many of you know, the talented artist died not too long ago, but she spent a lot of her last years making art which her children could then turn into prints and designs for the many facets of Laurel’s work which include not just fabric, but mugs, earrings, totes, socks…..lots of fun things! You can find the kit here.

Finally, there is Maria’s own award-winning book, Color Mastery.  To learn more about her book, check it out on Maria’s website, here (scroll down to the bottom for the link to purchase Maria’s book).

To vote and have a chance to win your favorite, click here.  First it appears you need to “like” the post.  Then click on the photo of each of the items;  you can leave a comment to enter to win.  It appears, however, that you may need to be a Facebook member to actually vote.  Give it a try and see if you can vote! Update:  Linda Franz posted really good, thorough instructions on how to vote here.   Thanks Linda!

And if you’re not the lucky winner but just HAVE to have one of these items they are (what a surprise…not!) available from the maker!  I hope  YOU win!

Oh what fun!  I just love it when someone takes one of my classes or reads my book or an article, makes something, then shares it with me!  In this case, Janet from my Janome yahoo group shared with me a fantastic variation on the needlekeeper pattern in ThreadWork Unraveled.  In the pattern in the book, I use a couple pieces of fabric (flannel in one instance) and maybe some batting to make a “needle keeper”–one of those things to help you keep track of what needles have been used but not used up, and what needle is IN the machine:

My version of the needlekeeper, with sections labelled by type of needle

Well, Janet’s fantabuloso twist is to use her practice free-motion quilting samples to make a lovely roll-up needle-keeper! Janet cut her sample into suitable sizes, zigzagged the outside edge, then added muslin and batting to the center for the storage part of the needlekeeper.  This is the business side of Janet’s version:

Janet's needlekeeper using her practice Free-Motion-Quilting bits for the outside

And the lovely quilting on the back:

The back side showing the lovely quilting and how Janet attached a ribbon

And how it looks rolled up (perfect for travel!)–this would be a great variation to use for handwork needles, especially if you work in different parts of the house or on the road:

Janet's needlekeeper rolled up with a red ribbon (sewn to outside)

What a great gift!  Janet even typed up information for the recipient:

Information for the recipient

Now…do I have time to MAKE any before Christmas…what a great gift idea!  Thanks so much Janet for sharing with me and, in turn, letting me share with those of you who read my blog!  OK…everyone to their sewing machines!

My quilt, Mt. Fuji Seasons or Mountain Seasons, was included in my book, ThreadWork Unraveled, at the last minute.  I realized there wasn’t a pattern included, and there wasn’t enough page space to include a pattern/drawing of the postcard in the book.  Erg.  So….. I was *supposed* to upload a downloadable PDF for those who prefer not to draw their own pattern a while back and I am, ahem….behind again!  I also discovered that as long as this little quilt has been around, I’ve never blogged about it (!!!) or shared it on my website (!!!!).  EEEK!  So belatedly:

Please click on Mountain Seasons pdf to — you guessed it — download a PDF of the outlines.  Depending on your software and printer, the images should print out at approximately 4×6 inches, the size of a typical postcard.  If the size is off by just a little bit, you can simply cut off or extend the edges to fill a 4×6 inch space.  If the size is off by quite a bit, you can use a photocopier to enlarge or reduce to size. This is what the PDF should look like:

Sorry it has taken me this long, but now it is here for all eternity or until the internet (I hope not!)  implodes or is followed by something else even more amazing and wonderful than cyberspace as we know it today!

Well there is LOTS of news–with the best saved for last (yes, I’m evil…<GRIN>):

• I’ve been to Arizona to teach, blogging to come
• the family joined me and we visited Flagstaff (which is an awesome and friendly town!) and various points including Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, the Wupatki ruins and Sunset Crater…and oh yeah, Sedona…more on that later, too
• the laptop DIED—deceased, defunct, digitally toes-up—36 hours BEFORE I was supposed to give my slide lecture to the Arizona Quilt Guild.  We went to plan B, it worked, and everyone was gracious and understanding.  That morning I ordered the new laptop
• I visited my beloved sister in law in LA for the first time in 27+ years, we went to the Getty and had a grand time, blogging on that to come too
• I was home 3 days then went to Hingham, Mass., to teach at the Herring Run Guild, yes..blogging to come…and 90 minutes after I left for there my new laptop FINALLY arrived two weeks after I ordered it

and at long last….DRUM ROLL and unabashedly SNOOPY DANCING with wild ABANDON:

• ThreadWork Unraveled has–in a mere six months–gone into a SECOND PRINTING!   I just can’t believe it… most books go into print once, are sold, and that’s it.  Thanks to phenomenal word of mouth starting with so many of you dear readers out there in cyberspace and good reviews hither and yon, the book has already gone into re-print!

So I invite you to join me in silly dancing, chocolate, a nice chilled glass of white zinfandel or your favorite sip-able (sp?), and CELEBRATE!

I’ll be back once I catch up on 2 1/2 weeks of work, student inquiries, teaching applications, quilt show applications, assorted mountains of paperwork etc. with lots of blogposts with lots of photos!

Cheers, Sarah the Elated (and really happy to be sleeping in my own bed with family close by!)

WOWIE ZOWIE!  See these?

Those are probably my two favorite magazines in quilting, ever:  Quilter’s Newsletter and Quilting Arts. And they BOTH gave my book great reviews!

When I first found quilting in 1988, I found Quilters Newsletter Magazine shortly thereafter.  I promptly subscribed, and ordered every back issue I could get, and have read ever issue since cover to cover.  That is 1984 to 2010 and still going.

Back in 2001, I went into the grocery store in Friday Harbor (San Juan Island, Wash., where I used to live) and discovered the second issue of Quilting Arts magazine.  I went home, called the phone number, ended up speaking with the editor Pokey Bolton (and discovered we both went to San Domenico School, albeit about 14 years apart, when we were kids) and subscribed.  I have read every issue of that one cover to cover.

Whooda thunk it…. BOTH my favorite magazines have not only reviewed my book, ThreadWork Unraveled, but given it GREAT reviews.  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

In Quilters’ Newsletter (April 2010 issue), there is a four-page article on Staff Picks…and guess what number ONE is?  MY BOOK!

Here’s a closer picture:

To say that I am dancing a major Snoopy Dance understates things in such a major way!

And here’s p. 82, the Book Review section in Quilting Arts magazine, April/May 2010 issue:

And again, a closer view:

It is so wonderful when you worked hard to do your best, and then have others think you’ve done well.  Thanks so much… and Pippa, the managing editor of Quilting Arts, said the nicest thing… that I am at my best when encouraging others:  “the book’s most inspirational sections encourage quilters to use a needle and thread as they would a paintbrush and paint, creating fine nuances of shading and detail that can’t be captured solely with cloth.  Her advice ranges from the technical to the theoretical as she guides the reader through design considerations such as light source and coloring.  Five stitching projects are included, but Smith encourages quilters to experiment,”  Wearing my teacher hat, it doesn’t get much better than that!
WOOOOHOOOOOO….that shaking in the upper Northeast is not an earthquake, that’s me Snoopy Dancing and being happy all over again!