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Friday, March 27, 2020

Brighten Your Day With Bess' Flower Garden

Nothing is better than getting a package of fabric in the mail, right?  While we're all tucked away safely at home, I thought perhaps you'd like to get a delivery of my new fabric, Bess' Flower Garden.  
I took my favorite prints from Mrs. Miller's Apprentice and recolored them in reds....luscious, beautiful red!  My favorite color!  
I couldn't stop there.....so I went into my fabric archives and chose 8 other prints to recolor in shades of blue....gorgeous blues.  My second favorite color....a close second to red.
No collection is complete without a variety of lights.  I went looking to recolor some favorite prints here, too.  Recognize them from past collections?  

Bess' Flower Garden Fat Quarter bundles are ready to ship today.  So, order a bundle of fabric happiness to be delivered to your doorstep!  

You can order bundles here.

Please know how much I appreciate you, dear reader and friend.  Your emails and comments mean so very much, and your support of my patterns and fabric....my little business, means a whole lot.  It enables me to keep doing what I love doing, and I hope you love it, too.  I'm always grateful for each and every order I receive.  


Confinement is going ok for me...so far.  Illinois has been in lock down since Saturday, so I've been home about a week.  That's not all that unusual for me...how about you?  I think it may become harder as the time goes by....not seeing people and going places.  So, it's important 
that we all keep a cheerful state of mind.

I have been trying to catch up on some work and sort through piles.  Piles seem to take on a life of their own here, which I don't like at all.  I'm an organized person at heart, so piles make me unhappy...yet I'm the one who makes the piles.  (Insert eye rolling emoji here.)

I have been sure to take some time each day for sewing.  That is, after all, our happy place.  I am finishing blocks for a trade I'm in with friends.  Besides shuffling piles around....I'm designing a new fabric collection.  Once that's finished, I'll be writing and sewing my 2021 BOM.  It's all designed and my sample fabric is in the house!  Can't wait to begin working on it and even more excited to show you!!  But, for now, that will have to wait.  

What a blessing our piecing/quilting is for us.  Almost makes me sorry for folks who don't sew.  We know that piecing has brought many, many women through hard, hard times, dreadful wars, heartbreaking loss and untold tragedies.  It's here for us today, getting us through whatever we have to deal with, offering an escape and still....making something beautiful in the end...a quilt.  Or, making a face mask to help in the time of need.  

So...we will stick together....all of us quilters.  Share our piecing experiences and all the beautiful things we make, and we know...this, too, shall pass.  

Above all...Be well.  

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Rachel's Tribute Bundle Winners


Hello, Dear Readers,

I sincerely hope you are well and in good spirits during this crazy time.  As promised, here are the two winners of a Rachel's Tribute Fat Eighth bundle.  Hubby once again randomly chose....

Maureen who wrote...

Thanks for becoming a no virus zone. We need to focus on what we can do, not what we can't. I am choosing one or two things to do each day for someone else. Work on a charity quilt, call a shut-in, send an encouraging email, pray for our country. Let's not "poor me", let's look to help others. 

Linda in PA who wrote...

It was nice that you were able to have a safe mini retreat before the stay home lockdown. My daughter and her family live in Illinois. She is a college professor and has had to restructure her classes to be taught online. I had been staying home long before the virus warnings because I had major surgery in early January. Your Rachel’s Tribute fabric is beautiful. Thanks for the giveaway and for the chance. 

Congratulations, ladies!  I'm delighted to send you the Fat Eighth bundles.  Please email your mailing address to Pam@HeartspunQuilts.com

If you have some time, read the wonderful comments you all left for my last blog post.  Dear readers, you left uplifting, positive comments about your life, quilting, and keeping yourself in  good cheer.  You all ROCK!


I'm still working on a whole lot of new things for the near future.  So many ideas and so little time, right?  But, now I have just a bit more free time.  As quilters, we can always make use of found time!  



I'm still expecting delivery of my new book, Vintage Treasures at the end of the month.  Yahoo!!

It's stuffed with twelve wonderful small/doll quilts for your piecing pleasure.  

Oh, and don't forget....when you order the book from me, you'll receive a free bonus small quilt pattern, making it thirteen patterns in all.  

You can see a photos of all thirteen quilts included in the book here.

My newest collection, called Bess' Flower Garden has arrived and I'm cutting Fat Quarter Bundles.  They should be ready tomorrow. 

I also made two new quilts with Bess which are being photographed today.  Kits will be available for those as well.  

Let's not forget to place orders with our LQS!!  They need us too.  Bess' Flower Garden is being delivered to shops as well, and I'm sure you can have the fabric shipped to your home, or do a curb side pick-up.  After all, nothing cheers us up more than new fabric!

In a time of need, quilters around the world always answer the call.  This time, the call is for making face masks from fabric.  We all have extra fat quarters that we can use...but how do you make one?  

My fellow Marcus Fabrics designer, Nancy Rink, has a knock-out tutorial on Instagram.  She gives all the measurements and video instructions for how to make one.  Honesty, it is much easier than I thought.  And, her version does not require elastic...which is now getting to be as hard to find as TP!  

Click here for a link to Nancy's Instagram page.  Click on the image of her husband, Oliver, wearing the pink and orange mask.  Post the masks you make using  #fabricfacemasks

That's all for now.  Back to work on fun stuff coming soon!  

As always, take good care, happy stitches and most of all....be well.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Happy Quilting Day!!

Happy National Quilting Day!!!

To all of my quilter friends around the globe, three cheers to us all in celebration of the art we  love!!  Piecing and quilting brings joy, fulfillment and camaraderie which is just cause for a celebration.

How about a giveaway?!!  

Post a comment to my blog letting me know what you're doing to keep your spirits up while we all go through this crazy time.  Keeping a positive attitude, even while dealing with difficulty, is so very important.  (To be fair to everyone, email comments are not allowed. )

I have two Fat Eighth bundles of my new Rachel's Tribute fabric collection to give-away.  I'll choose winners Tuesday morning.
In my last post, I said I was going on a girlfriend sewing trip.  I did go, and while I was away, I received the following comment from Michelle who said....

Sorry but the fact that you are going on a girls trip is really unsettling. Have you not listened to all the warning? I'm currently in lockdown in my home because I am sick...and when I read your post I was actually feeling angry! I got sick from someone I work with. She came to work not feeling well...she laughed when I suggested she go home and get tested...well a week and a half later, I am now under quarantine. You need to take this seriously and give a little thought about your girlfriends health and really...is a retreat really more important than your health?! 

Given the state of the world, I would like to explain myself for one reason.  For all of us not to jump to conclusions over what we may see or hear during this crazy time.

My friends and I seriously contemplated going, making sure we all felt well, and that if anyone had concerns, or wasn't feeling well, they could/should stay home.  Some friends did stay home for a variety of reasons which we all respected.  Four of us went to our retreat, which is a private home, not a public place.  We each had our own bedroom and bath.  We sewed in a wide open area where we spread out at least 12 feet from one another.  We went out for groceries the first day, and never left home again, locking ourselves in from the outside world.  We have great concern and respect for what is happening.  We all returned home healthy, ready to take on whatever comes next, respecting, and supporting those who are already dealing with hardships.   

My friends and I definitely take this pandemic very seriously.  My daughter is a nurse at a local hospital on the med/surg floor where she treats and cares for patients sick with just about everything and anything all year long.  My son works for two municipalities as a firefighter/paramedic.  He is also front line in this viral war, and both still live at home.  If my kids have taught me anything, it is to be very sensible and pragmatic about the precautions to take from all communicable diseases/viruses.....and that we also have to live our lives!  I wish Michelle had not jumped to the conclusion that my friends and I were being careless with our health and the health of others.  We were/are very responsible, and felt that we could and should go on living our lives.  

Today, things are about to change where I live, in Illinois, as the governor has now ordered the entire state to stay home and shelter in place beginning this evening.  Had that been the case a week ago, our trip would have been canceled.   The world we live in is different from town to town, state to state, in an ever-changing fluid situation.  What is appropriate today for folks in NYC is not in Boise, ID.  I firmly believe the best way to get through this is to have compassion and understanding for each other, and to do all we can to make the best of it.

I am very sad to hear that Michelle is on lock-down in her home and not feeling well.   I could not agree more that her co-worker should have stayed home.  I wish you all the best, Michelle, and hope for a speedy recovery.  In the meantime, while you're home, I hope you find things that will make you laugh (Facebook has been hilarious with people making the best of all types of life changes), give you comfort and lift your spirits.  

Thank you for listening to my rambling.  Don't forget to comment about how you're coping with this craziness.   This ends any talk of "the virus" on my blog.  From here on, it will be a place to visit for up-beat and cheerful quilting news.  You no doubt get enough of the other everywhere else.  

As I always say at the end of a blog post.....to my friends around the world....Be well!!  

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Girl Trip!

I'm so, so jazzed!!!  I'm going on a girlfriend retreat starting Monday!!  I haven't been on a retreat in years and I'm SO overdue.  Excited isn't even close to describing how I feel.  

To all of my friends out there....in America and across the globe....take good care of yourselves.  It's a good time to stay with your machine and sew, sew, sew.  

I'll check in when I return home.  Don't worry....I'm taking good care, too!


Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Vintage Treasures Book Countdown!

I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of my brand new book, Vintage Treasures!!!!

This book has been in the works for a year, and I am so, so jazzed to finally have it in my hands.  I can't wait for you to have it, too! 

Martingale featured the book, and all of the quilts inside, on their blog last week.  If you didn't get a chance to see it, you can here.

I'm expecting my shipment of books at the end of this month, or very early in April.  
Little Treasures ~ Bonus Project ~  designed by Pam Buda 
If you haven't ordered your book  yet,  it's certainly not too late!  You will receive a bonus  pattern for the Little Treasures quilt above, from me by ordering on my website.  And....I will autograph your book for you, too!
Scraps from Home ~ Vintage Treasures ~ Photo courtesy of Martingale Publishing 
Colonial Star ~ Vintage Treasures ~ Photo Courtesy of Martingale Publishing
So be the first to have this wonderful book packed with twelve small quilt designs.
Olde Postage ~ Vintage Treasures ~ Photo courtesy of Martingale Publishing 
You can see all of the quilts included in the book on my website here.  

There's a whole lot going on in my studio these days.  I have three fabric lines in different stages of production to work on, and I'll be sending in a fourth later this month.  Needless to say, there's a whole lotta good stuff brewing to keep your needles and machine humming.  I'm also looking for our next Quilt Archaeology project. 

Just in case you were looking for something new to work on. 

Be well....wishing you happy stitches.