Veteran's Day ~ Quilt of Valor

A few days ago, Maureen E., of Portland, OR, emailed me a little story and this photo I thought I'd share with you.

It seems that Maureen saw my Plantation Stars pattern and thought it would look great in red, white and blue.

She bought the pattern so her Northwest Quilters Quilts of Valor volunteer group could make it.  

Actually, 91 year old Joy Nichols pieced the quilt, and Jane Ratcliff longarm quilted the quilt.

I adore their red, white and blue version and I am so, so honored they chose my Plantation Stars pattern to give to a veteran!!!   Thank you, QOV volunteers, for your hours of work making quilts to comfort our veterans!  

Today is Veterans Day

Let's honor all of our veterans, for their service and sacrifice to our country, and keep them in our hearts all the year though.

 

Mrs. Miller on the Plantation

With the arrival of my new Mrs. Miller's Apprentice fabrics, I pulled together a new mix of blues to make kits for my
Plantation Stars pattern!

Gosh, I love this quilt!

There's a very pretty range of prints.....

And a gorgeous range of shades for all those stars to sparkle!  (The lighting makes them look much lighter than they really are.) 

I chose this floral for the border as it has all different shades of blues and ties the quilt together so well!  

Click here to read more details about the Plantation Stars quilt kit.  

Tomorrow, I'm heading for a much warmer climate!  At home today in Chicago, it's -12 temperature, so the 80's in Florida sound wonderful!  I'll be there giving a lecture and a bunch of workshops in the Tampa area for the East Pasco Quilters this Friday and Saturday.  So, come on and join the fun!!  

I'm also working toward the deadline later this month to submit the manuscript for book #2 for my next book with Martingale, and then there's the tax returns (groan) that are due.  

I'm also working on piecing the blocks together for a new, very different, large quilt called Stars Over Union Hill that is very scrappy and has some wool applique!  Ohhhh...fun stuff!

 And, at the same time, working on a new Tokens of the Past pattern, called Gathering in Blue, with three quilts made from a 10 inch precut of Mrs. Miller's Apprentice and border yardage.  Loving those 3 little cuties!  And...if time allows, maybe one or two more quilts before market in May.  

So...I'd better get packing.  The signs of spring are here somewhere.  The clocks change this weekend, and it's the beginning of Lent and Punchkie time (I know I didn't spell that correctly, but you know what I mean!)  Now, if Mother Nature could see to warmer weather....

Be Well and Stitch Happy!!  

Plantation Stars!!!

It seems like it took forever, but finally.....I'm so happy to announce that Plantation Stars is ready to ship.   And...it was SO worth the wait!! 

Plantation Stars was quilted by the fabulous Val Krueger!!  I could not be happier with all the designs she chose for this quilt.

These photos were taken just before I left for Quilt Market, and it was a very rainy day.  I didn't add any light or flash so the quilting would really show, and it does, but it makes the blues look very dark. 

i just love how the little stars create a circle around the large stars.  And...the open space was crying out for Val to work her magic!!

Plantation Stars patterns are ready to ship.  Click here to order the pattern.

I also have a limited number of kits, with all the same fabrics I used in my quilt.  The kit includes the pattern and all fabrics needed to make the quilt top.

Click here to order the Plantation Stars quilt kit.  

I'll post some pictures of Quilt Market in my next post.  In the meantime, enjoy your day, and make it all the more enjoyable by finding just a little time to sew.  

Be well....

Plantation Stars ~ Off To Be Quilted

Plantation Stars Quilt by Pam Buda 

I'm so, so jazzed that my Plantation Stars quilt top is complete and is ready to be shipped off the my quilter.  Yay!  Love, love, love how it turned out!  I hope you like it, too.

I adore secondary designs in a quilt, and I am so happy that two simple blocks can work together to make such a spectacular design.  Don't you love the circle of small stars surrounding the large ones?

All of our quilts begin here....choosing just the right fabrics.  (This photo shows the true color of the fabrics.)

And, as we piece the quilt, at each stage, it's so exciting to see it come together.  My friend and co-worker, Deb, pieced Plantation Stars for me and did a fantastic job, as I knew she would.  
Now, it's off to the quilter for the next phase.  I can hardly wait to see it completed!

I hope the Plantation Stars pattern will be available in October.  And, yes!  There will be a limited number of kits, too.

Also in full production is a new Tokens of the Past pattern called Two Color Classics.  Hint, hint as to what the three quilts will look like! 

With the help my dear friend, Karen S., I took my first leap into hand quilting over the weekend.  So far, as you would expect, I'm not that good at it, (no reflection on Karen's tutorial!!) but I'm loving it nonetheless.  There will never be a substitution for hand quilting, in my humble opinion, and while I won't be hand quilting a large quilt like Plantation Stars, some small quilts just need those hand quilted stitches.  I always try to learn a new quilting skill each year.  Last year was hand piecing (totally smitten) and this year, it's hand quilting.  

Be well....and keep your needles busy!

Plantation Stars Update

While I am working away on my secret project, my dear friend and co-worker, Deb, has been merrily working at piecing the blocks for my new design, Plantation Stars.  Here's a little sneak peek at the blocks.  

These are the fabrics I chose for the quilt.  A limited number of kits will be available and the pattern will be ready in October.  I hope to have a bunch of new quilt patterns for fall market....but....we'll see!  

Don't we all have a grand To-Do list?!  

  

Thought I'd remind you of my upcoming Civil War Quilting Cruise hosted by Deb Luttrell and Stitchin' Heaven quilt shop.  Designer friends Carol Hopkins of Carol Hopkins Designs and Julie Hendricksen of JJ Stitches Quilt Shop are joining me on our cruising adventure!  Two awesome CW ladies to be sure....not to mention great teachers.

Click here to see a short video about the cruise.

Click here for cruise details.

Hope you're finding time to sew everyday.  I've actually been a very active piecer, both during the day and in the evening lately.  

Needle in hand means happy me!