:: Counting My Blessings

Hi Folks...

Just a quick little post about a very special addition to the website...

my Frivols tin is here!

I am honored that Moda's 4th Frivols tin features my just released line 'Windermere'!

I have a limited number & I've added them to the website (. . . & check out the new website design & layout!)

& because the design for this quilt (designed by the magnificent Carrie Nelson!) is a bit larger - we also are offering the tin with the additional background fabric & binding as an option.

(...although I know that some of you are simply collecting all the tins... & that's good too!)

Also, my annual 'Counting My Blessings' sale is back (...after I missed doing it last year due to my broken wrist)! You will find 25% off all patterns & pre-cuts 

(...& yes that includes the Frivols tin!)

I am so thankful for so many things & that includes all of you, & I just want to do this little something to let you know. Your encouragement & enthusiasm means to much to me!

So very thankful!

♥ Bren

:: Windermere is on it's way!

It feels like such a long time ago that I was at Spring Market introducing it...

but my second line with Moda - Windermere - is getting ready to ship!

(the first three photos are of Windermere)

I'm so excited!!!

We will have some special gingham bundles when the yardage arrives... & I will let you know then they are ready.

Until then - I have added some bundles & precuts of Windermere (linens too!) and Ambleside on the website as well as some more kits of Seedlings & a new kit for my Checkers pattern. The kit for the Checkers quilt is based on a vintage quilt & I am completely smitten by it. I made mine (& the kits as well) from a few of the wonderful French General 'solids'... & it is a wonderful year-round quilt.

You can find all the new things on the newly re-designed website (or click here!)

There is also some fun Ambleside 'scrap bags' available - (where all proceeds will go to our Quilted Comfort project!)

I'm keeping very busy these days - working on the new patterns for my next line that will be introduced in December.... (!) More on that soon!

♥ Bren

:: nine months, three weeks, five days... (or so)...

Honestly...

How sad... that I've not done a blog post for that long! 

So how are you?!!! So much has happened, & even though in my mind, I think that I could spread things out over several posts... I know that I've failed on that one before, so I think I'll try & do a 'catch-up' post this time.

So let's see... I know that Bailey caught you up a wee bit about what it was like just before Spring Quilt Market, including introducing my new line for Moda, called Windermere. You can see the upcoming line by clicking 'here'. You can also see all the new patterns that are up on the website...

I guess to pick up right after the happenings of my last post, (& something I didn't write about because at the time, I wasn't sure what the outcome would be... & I'm not a fan of speculation)... about two weeks after I got home from last Fall Quilt Market (around mid-November), I fell & broke my left wrist. (& I'm a lefty!). That put the brakes on a lot that I had planned to do right after Fall Market, like some house projects (painting, room sorting...) At first they thought I either broke two bones, &/or I might have some ligament damage, but thankfully it appears it was just the bigger bone & the break was clean. Unfortunately, I didn't get any physical therapy until the end of March, & so any detailed hand work was out of the question. (I did though, get a lot better at being ambidextrous!) With all that happening, I missed the deadline for my next fabric line to debut at Fall Market, but it has been sent to Moda & will hopefully be not too far behind. I'll let you know when it will be shown to shops (hopefully soon after the new year)... (I promise!)

My second line with Moda, Windermere, did debut at Spring Quilt Market, & I'm excited about it arriving in shops in November. (you can see the entire line by clicking on the 'Windermere' graphic on the sidebar.)  One of the fun things about Market this past Spring is that it was in Minneapolis & my brother, Scott & his family lives there, & he got to stop by the convention center & got a peek at what this is all about. He said he was surprised at how big it was (& this was Spiring Market - which isn't quite as big as Fall Market), & I was just so pleased to have him stop by. (That's Scott & me in my space in Moda's Designer Studio in the photo above.) 

After Spring Market, I was off to Norway! I had been looking forward to this trip ever since Fall Market when two lovely quilt shop owners invited my to come to Norway & do some workshops & trunk-shows. (Hi Åsne & Siw!!!) I had such a wonderful time... & that is something that needs its own post! So I’ll be gathering all my photos & will be back with those soon! (The first of the two photos of Norway in this post was taken at a bit after 10 pm!... gotta love the 'midnight sun'! The second was the lovely view I had of the Oslo Fjord that I had from my kitchen window.)

Until then, the new patterns are up on the website, both printed & PDF versions, & coming soon - some Ambleside (just in case you missed some) & Windermere pre-cuts. I just finished putting the finishing touches on my line for next Spring Market, & now that it’s sent in, I'm hoping to do some updating to the website... with some new items & a new look! I hope you check back to see!

Before I sign off, I want to thank everyone for all you enthusiasm about Ambleside. I have had so much fun seeing all the beautiful things you are making on Instagram  (including all the cute YouTube tutorials that Jennifer at Shabby Fabrics did using Ambleside!). It has touched my heart, & I thank you so much. Also, if you are following this blog, I want to thank you for hanging in there & waiting patiently for me to get my 'ducks-in-a-row' & start blogging again. It is one of my big goals to get much better at it! 

I will be back with a few more special things from this past Spring Market... & Norway!!!

❤️ Bren

:: "I'm taking over!… (somebody's gotta do it!)

Hi folks! It's me, Bailey... otherwise know as 'fluffybump'... (How embarrassing... but fitting I'm afraid. I am fluffy, & a cuddly kind of boy... so I just make the most of it! (I'm cool that way…)

Anyway, I'm taking over my Mom's blog today, as she is up to her ears in getting ready for what she calls "Quilt Market". Also, I thought it was about time that she post something on her blog! She keeps talking to me (& herself too folks...) about how no one probably even looks at the blog anymore because it's been so long since she posted anything... (So, just so you know, she is at least thinking of you!...) She also tells me that she sometimes wishes she could clone herself so that she could get twice as much done... Now, I don't have any clue what any of that means, so I just tilt my head to one side while she tells me all the stuff she needs to do, & she thinks I'm really cute when I do that & so I get to make her smile (I'm cool like that...) & then I get lots of 'rubs 'n loves' & snuggles. (I'm good like that.)

So as a see it, Mom's getting a two-fer! I do the blog post for the Moda blog takeover… & she can stay in the studio & keep making those pretty quilts we all like so much! ... & yep, I love quilts too! I even have a couple of my own, & I'm known as the official quilt tester around here! (I'm really good at it too!)

Actually, I've been getting ready to do some writing for some time now... I think Mom has known about it too. Even when I was a pup, I would try and "help" Mom with some of the writing she needed to do. I think I had it all figured out, & then she went & got a new laptop several years ago, & it just got all kinds of confusing, so mostly I just snuggle next to her when she works on the computer... (Or if she's been too busy for too long, I pretend to ignore her... But really I know what's going on at all times!) 

So... here’s my take on this whole ‘Market’ thing... I know that when the man in the brown truck (that I like to bark at.... a lot...) brings big boxes like these, Mom gets all happy...! The first time, I thought it must be filled with treats (you know - like bones, & biscuits...) but no... it was filled with fabrics! Really Mom?

Then I know that I’d best get used to the fact that she will be sitting at her cutting table & sewing machine (even into the nighttime!) & computer a lot & I just get used to hanging around - getting snuggles when I can. 

I check in on her on a regular basis (I’m loyal like that...), & I even bring her my rope or fox just in case she needs a break & needs to play (I’m thoughtful like that…)

The best part?... Even though she’s really busy for weeks on end... & she talks to herself more than usual... wondering why everything seems to take so much longer than she thought... All of this crazy stuff makes her really happy. Crazy.

But she’s my Mom... & I’m her little fluffybump, & I’m the best at the unconditional love stuff... So, I just let her do her thing... & I’m always on the ready for when she needs a snuggle. (I’m sensitive like that...)

Oh!... & because I’m also a great little reporter, I snagged some peeks for you!  (I'm sneaky like that…)

  

Oh… & being the stealthy reported that I am… I thought I'd also let you know that Mom keeps talking about how excited she is about some of her prints on something called "linen"… (I have no idea what that means, but it obviously makes her ridiculously happy…)

So here’s to a great Market... & if you know a someone getting ready for Market - just give them a nod & a snuggle & let them know that everything will be all right... (but whatever you do - don’t remind them that they will be doing this again in 6 months!)

♥  Bailey

… & if you'd like to check in & see who else has taken over… Be sure to visit  the blogs of some of the other Moda designers!

April 27th –

Amy Ellis – Amy’s Creative Side

Anne Sutton – Bunny Hill

Pat Sloan – Pat Sloan

Joanna Figueroa – Fig Tree Quilts

Lisa Bongean – Primitive Gatherings

April 28th –

Kathy Schmitz – Kathy Schmitz Studios

Brgitte Heitland – Zen Chic

Vanessa Christenson – V & Co.

The Cutting Table – Lissa Alexander… uh oh…

Edyta Sitar – Laundry Basket Quilts

Rachel Brenchley – Basic Grey

April 29th –

April Rosenthal – April Rosenthal

Alma Allen – Blackbird Designs

Barbara Groves – Me & My Sister

Brenda Riddle & me - Bailey! – Brenda Riddle Designs

Kate Spain – Kate Spain

April 30th –

Deb Strain – Deb Strain

Jen Kingwell – Jen Kingwell Designs

Lynne Hagmeier – Kansas Troubles

Vanessa Goertzen – Lella Boutique

Karla Eisenach – Sweetwater

Janet Clare – Janet Clare Designs

May 1st –

Jan Patek – Jan Patek

Sherri McConnell – Sherri & Chelsi A Quilting Life

Betsy Chutchian – Betsy Chutchian

Laurie Simpson – Minick & Simpson

Sandy Gervais – Pieces From My Heart

Corey Yoder – Little Miss Shabby

:: fall market & the new designs… (finally!)

Oh my... Where do I begin?!!! The past several weeks are quite a blur... filled with lots of

deadlines, travel, getting to see friends I haven't seen for what seems like ages, Quilt Market, meeting many new wonderful folks, more travel, & finally home. Sweet home.

Okay... so... Quilt Market... I have been doing quilt market for the past 10 years (taking a break for the last two years), & I can say without a doubt, this was the most fun I've ever had at Market. This was my first Market with designing a fabric line with Moda, & wow!... what a wonderful, magical, heartwarming experience it was. Instead of doing a separate booth, I did a space on one of their two Designer Studio rows. My Moda 'neighbors' were Alma Allen (Blackbird Designs) & Deb Strain, & to put it in a nutshell, it was absolutely amazing. The Moda team is incredible & made me, one of the newbie designers, feel so welcome & taken care of. One of the other new designers to Moda was Jen Kingwell, & for how badly I failed at getting photos of folks, I did get one taken with Jen. (Please excuse my puffy eyes! ...not a lot of sleep happened at Market!)

I did get a few photos of my space, featuring my new fabric line with Moda, Ambleside. The fabrics are scheduled to ship in March 2015, & if you want to see Ambleside at your local quilt shop, be sure to let your local quilt shop wonder know! We will be offering kits for a couple of the quilts, & pre-orders for these kits will be happening soon! I'm so excited about this line & the whole experience of working with Moda/United Notions as a designer. I honestly can't say enough good things about them.

The last five photos are do the new patterns that are (finally) available. I've posted them to the website, & they are available as printed patterns & also PDF versions. (See previous post about the new way we are 'delivering' the PDF patterns.) I'm also adding something new to the new pattern release, & that is for a limited time, we will package the new patterns together & if you get the new patterns as a package, you will get them at a discount! For this new set of patterns that will basically equal getting one of the new patterns free! (... & yes there is also discounted new pattern package available for PDFs!)

I will be featuring each of the new designs on the next few posts... I had such fun making them all! And, keep checking back (& on Instagram too!), as I will be posting about the kits we will be making for the new designs... soon!

I hope you have a sweet start to the beginning of this new year. I sure did, as we welcomed the new year with a blanket of snow! We usually get a dusting of snow each year, but this was a wonderful surprise! It was gone by the end of the day, but we sure enjoyed it while it lasted.

♥ Bren