:: Hopscotch... (& falling down...)

One of the games I loved to play in grade school was hopscotch.

I loved all the parts of it... getting a 'marker' (the item you tossed into a square)... my favorite was a little ball chain with a charm attached (to give it just the right amount of weight so it wouldn't go too far!), collecting colored chalk so that the hopscotch drawing on the sidewalk would look 'pretty'... & even the little rhyme we used to say. (Although for the life of me - I can't remember it now!) We even would play in the garage or on the covered porch when the weather didn't allow us to go out on the driveway or sidewalk.

So when it came to naming one of my quilts that I made featuring my 'Fleurs' fabric collection - I was coming up blank for a name. The design was a classic one & the pattern gave a lot of options & it involved squares & the fun patterns they make... I went to my handy-dandy list of words that I keep... words & names that I like - or that evoke a good memory... & when I came across the word 'hopscotch' I knew that was it!

So I give you my quilt design called 'Hopscotch'. And, to celebrate a fun memory - I have put together some kits for it! The pattern gives you the directions for four options - & we have kits for each of them! They are all so fun to make & use either a Layer Cake or a Charm Pack (& some additional yardage). There are a limited amount of kits - (& they're a part of the 'Grateful' sale too!) - so don't delay!

... Now to the 'falling down part of the title for this post.

I did.

Again.

It was a hard fall... but at least I didn't break my wrist again. I did break a couple of toes (no photos... too ugly) & I did a number on my knees & hands, but I'm so thankful that my wrist was spared! That was my first thought when I righted myself (on a sidewalk... right out front of my local Market) - was to check my left wrist!! (whew!) So, I've been hobbling around for the past few days... keeping my right foot up as much as possible. (... & loving the person who came up with ibuprofen!)

But, here's the weird thing... I fell & broke my wrist on November 12... & I this time I fell on November 12 too! Strange... So, I've decided that from now on - I'm taking Nov. 12 off & staying home & having a 'pajama day'... hoping that it keeps me out of trouble!

Hope you have a great (& safe!) week!

♥ Bren

:: New patterns, new fabric collection, & catch up!

This 'keeping-up' thing is really testing me... & I do believe I'm pretty much failing, but I'm ready to throw in the towel yet on blogging. I know that there are some of you (bless you) who do still read my blog & don't really do Instagram (which is my main form of posting these days) - so I'm going to keep trying to keep things going here.

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

To catch up - my fabric line, Fleurs, is now in shops (or arriving soon for international shops) & I just got back from Fall Quilt Market, where my next fabric collection with Moda - called Guernsey debuted. (I'll share more about Guernsey soon... this one has a fun back story..)  

With a new fabric collection - are new quilts. I had a lot of fun with these. One design which has been in my head for several years - is called Morning Star. I have wanted to do a gingham star design, & when I designed the scrappy version of Morning Star - I realized that I could do my gingham version as well! The best part about this star design is that it is made all from half-square triangle units & triangles (& there are no Y-seams!)

The other design (which has also been playing around in my head for awhile) is called Quilt Baskets. The full size is based on a classic basket block with fun quilt block/emblems in each one. You can pick & choose the blocks you like best & make this quilt unique to you. There's also a mini size that is well... just cute & fun!

Next is Nottingham. Some of you might remember Nottingham from many years back. I had 'retired' it, but kept having requests for it, & since the design is perfect to use with the main floral in my Guernsey collection - it is back - in both a classic black version & a soft version as well. (I just couldn't help myself!) The fun part of this is that Moda chose the soft version to kit & so it will be available (with one of those wonderful Moda kit boxes!) in April. (I will be carrying them in the web shop - so if you would like to pre-order one - send me an email (brendariddledesigns@comcast.net)  & I will get back to you with the details.)

The forth new pattern is called Puddin' Pie. It's just a fun - one block design that has so much flexibility. I can see this in all sorts of color ways & fabric styles & it works wonderfully with all of them. I ended up putting my Puddin' Pie quilt on my tabletop in my booth at Market  & was a bit worried it might get overlook... but I'm happy to say that even down on the table it garnered plenty of attention!

The final quilt I made with my Guernsey collection is my Betsy's Closet - In Stitches. That little girl has continued to be a continuous best seller & so I thought is would be nice to give her little wardrobe a color update. So, using the colors of Guernsey - Betsy's Closet got a little sprucing-up, with a little French & English influence! The fun part about this is that there will be a Cosmo Embroidery Floss Collection that works perfectly with Betsy's Closet - In Stitches! It will contain all twelve colors used & we will be kitting the little quilt as soon as they are available. (Keep checking back!)

All the patterns are available on the website as paper patterns & PDFs... & the best part is they are also on sale as part of my 'Gratitude' sale!

I'm so thankful for you... & want you to know that when I count my blessings... I count you!

♥ Bren

:: Bella & Gingham Love...

This is just a little post - just to let you know (if you don’t know already) that I’ve added some sweet little bundles to the website. One of these bundles is a selection of some of the sweet little ginghams that are from my Moda fabric collections. (By-the-way the ginghams are printed on the diagonal - so they are also great for binding!) There are currently twelve colors in the bundles &  are available in fat-quarter & half-yard bundles. I’ve received a couple of requests for a one-yard bundle, so if that’s more of what you would like - just email me & we will be happy to put that together for you.

The other bundles are bundles of twelve Bella Solids that work wonderfully with all of my Moda collections. I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this - but I have chosen & specified the colors for my fabric collections using colors already in Bella Solids. So, I’ve chose the twelve that I’ve used the most (& that I love!!) & we’ve got them available for you to enjoy as well! They can be used to extend any of my fabric collections as well as looking really pretty all on their own. They are also available on the website in fat-quarter & half-yard bundles... & just like with the gingham - if you might be interested in a one-yard bundle of the Bella Solids... email me.

Now I’m off to the studio...

Hope you have a wonderful day!

♥ Bren

:: More patterns... & oh!... those Scrap-bags!

Lookie!... I'm back... & not after a months absence! 

(I'm trying!... I'm really trying hard!)

So... on with the new pattern introductions...

The next recently released pattern is actually a favorite design from my book ‘Comfort & Joy’ with some updates & a much requested mini version. (Which is a true miniature - the full size scaled down to a baby quilt or smaller wall quilt size.) It’s called ‘Coventry’ & it’s a wonderfully classic star block in a quilt always lends an aire of both comfort & sophistication at the same time. Here the Ohio Star blocks are placed with setting squares - giving the quilt an airy-ness & then bordered withfun ‘dotted” borders. This quilt could be made an any colorway & look wonderful!

The final recently released pattern is called ‘Hopscotch’  - a classic quilt design brought to you with two setting options - straight set - or on point... and two sizes for each - so that you have four options to make the size for any occasion! I had so much fun with this design - as it can be made with either your stash of fabrics - or simplified even more with using a Layer Cake™ (for the larger sizes) - or a charm pack (for the smaller sizes) & some background & border fabrics. In fact - I will be kitting this pattern in a couple of the options & there will be a pre-order opportunity coming up in the next month... so if that sounds good to you - keep checking back! (If you are signed up for the e-newsletter - you will get the first opportunity to sign up! - You can sign up for the e-newsletter either through the link at the top of the page (if you are looking at this page on a computer or on the web version) - or to make things easier - by clicking here!

The bundles & scrap bags I mentioned in the last post have been flying out the door (thank you!) & some are already sold out. So, if you’re thinking about getting some... don’t delay. It’s been fun with the scrap bags - squishing them down to get as many into a box (or a smaller box) for reduced shipping costs (that we refund back to you!).... We’ve been kept very busy!

Hope you’re having a good summer. I’m keeping busy with getting new designs started for the next fabric line, as well as looking at what’s in store for next year (already!)... & trying to avoid the summer heat. We had a really nice lingering spring this year - & usually we ease into summer temperatures - but not this year. We went from days into the 70’s - 80’s straight to the 110’s. Ouch. Thankfully, our monsoon season has started & we’re getting some rainy days that help cool things off a little. But the silver lining is that it makes for perfect times to stay indoors (where there’s air conditioning!) & get stitchery & designing & pattern writing done.

Here’s to keeping cool! (or warm for you in the southern hemisphere!)

♥ Bren

:: Already?... it’s mid-July already?... Oh my!

I have to admit... the summer & events are distracting me something fierce! I was going to introduce each of the new patterns last month.... & so much more. (sigh) I will also admit that because of the ease of Instagram, I had thought a lot about whether to end blogging or not... but then Instagram changed from a chronilogical order of posts to one that is pretty random. (I hear it’s the same as Facebook’s algorithm - which makes no sense to me & is a big reason I really don’t ‘do’ Facebook.) So... I’m going to really try to be better about posting here on the blog. (... & I know you’ve probaby heard that before from me... so I appreciate you humoring me here & for your patience!)

Here's what's new on the website!...

Ambleside - fat eighth & fat quarter bundles

Windermere - fat eighth & fat quarter bundles

 

Bespoke Blooms - fat eighth & fat quarter bundles

Fleurs - fat eighth & fat quarter bundles

Before I get to the pattern intoductons - I wanted to give you the heads-up that I have been in the studio for the past few weeks & have been bundling & packing scrap-bags & have a bunch of new bundles available on the website! For most of the bundles - many are the last of the fabrics I have available so when they’re gone - I won’t be able to offer them again. Also, there are three types of scrap-bags & for a limed time they are priced at only $5!

So, on to the new designs...

Here’s the first of the new patterns featuring the fabrics from my upcoming fabric collection for Moda - called ‘Fleurs’. The first pattern is called ‘Snowflake Fleurs’... a vintage design inspired by one of the beautiful quilts from the ‘Infinite Variety - Red and White Quilts’ exhibition. While the original quilt was white appliqué on a red background, this version playes with a scrappier variety of fabrics & a little version as well! I had so much fun making this quilt - that I also made a smaller version using the reds & greens from ‘Fleurs’ that I can use for a Christmas table topper or sweet little wall quilt.

The next quilt is called ‘Little Stitches’. I just love stitchery, & I know this love of stitchery is shared by many quilters. These quilts celebrate those stitches with wonderfully simple blocks in settings to echo a couple of my favorite stitches. I hope you enjoy the cross between quilting & stitching as much as I do! ... & you’ll notice there’s two versions of this design (one of them being red & green version again... Which hopefully shows how wonderfully flexible the ‘Fleurs’ line is!).

I’ll be back with some more designs & goodies!

(Thanks again for your putting up with my sporadic posting...!)

(p.s. You can find all of the items on this post in the 'New Items' section on the website.)

♥ Bren

Before I post the new patterns - I wanted to show you my favorite booth at Spring Market.

This is the beautiful new fabric collection called 'Welcome Home' by Jennifer Bosworth. 

Isn't it beautiful?!!!

I wish I had a photo of the entire booth - but it was all so special, I took photos from left-to-right. Jennifer designed her booth, featuring the amazing projects using her 'Welcome Home' collection, so that it represented all the areas of a home...

... the dining room

... a desk & craft area

... beadroom (the quilt on the wall is her new block-of-the-month!)

... & closet (on the right - little girl clothes & doll clothes to match!)

It was the prettiest booth I have seen!! I am so happy for Jennifer... it couldn't have happened to a sweeter person!

You may better recognize Jennifer Bosworth from her wonderful online shop Shabby Fabrics... 

& guess what?  The 'Welcome Home' collection is already available at Shabby Fabrics! You can also sign up for the beautiful Welcome Home BOM she has designed as well as see all the other wonderful projects for this beautiful line! I hope you'll join me in congratulating Jennifer on a beautiful fabric collection!

♥ Bren

:: Spring 2016 International Quilt Market

Quilt Market... there’s so much preparation (weeks & weeks . . . & weeks!) & then the actual weekend seems to just fly by! (& then sometimes it feels like it takes at least a week to recover... but maybe that’s just me!) 

(Warning... this post is bit wordy!)

Spring Quilt Market was held in Salt Lake City a few weekends ago, & SLC certainly kept us on our toes! The whole area around SLC is beautiful & the Wasach Mountains greet you whether you arrive by air or land... & they are a stunning backdrop for a great city. The one thing I’ve learned is that you never know what to expect for weather when Spring Market is in SLC. THe last time I was here for Market - it snowed! (Well, flurries... but when that happens in May... I declare it to be full blown snow!) This time, it was the wind & thunder/lightning storms that made themselves known.  The wind was predominant (I never knew it could be so windy in SLC!) & pretty much re-styled your hair every time you went outside. The lightning & thunder did their part on the first night of Market by taking out one of the areas main electrical power stations & all of downtown SLC & beyond (they reported over 83,000 customers) were thown into a complete blackout.

Salt Lake City - (actually you're looking at several big tall buildings!)

Thankfully it didn’t happen until later in the evening (about 10:45 pm) & most everone was already at least in their hotel rooms (or slept right though it!) I must say it was really interesting to see the whole city dark...! By morning... thankfully everything was back to normal. (On a funny note... one of my thoughts - as I was drifting off to sleep was ‘Oh!... I hope I’ll be able use my blowdryer in the morning...!... & then it really didn’t matter with all the wind!) :-)

Market was wonderful - although I didn’t get to walk around all that much. What I did see was - as always - so inspiring & encouraging to see this industry continue to grow & draw folks in. My little spot for Spring Market was in the Moda Designer ‘neighborhood’ (my favorite place to be!!) I was showing my next collection, called ‘Fleurs’. Fleurs is filled with softness & lots & lots of flowers! (...of course!) The colorways for Fleurs are very similar to those from my Ambleside line (with the addition of a little bit more reds & I also added a sweeet lavender to the mix) so, if you want to add some to your Ambleside stash - Fleurs is perfect! (Although - actually it will work well with any of my lines as well!)

 By the way - the yardage of Fleurs will be shipping in October 2016 - bit if you just can’t wait - keep checking back to the website as we will have a very limited amount of precuts & some fun scrapbags of all my lines - including ‘Fleurs’ available soon!

I will post about the new patterns in the next week - but her you see peeks of the new designs - Snowflake Fleurs (center - on wall), Little Stitches (front left on quilt rack), Hopscotch (mini & large on wall right side), & hanging on one of the Moda pillars - Coventry. (All of the patterns are up on the website in paper & PDF format - click here to see all the new items.)

What was so great about the new set-up was that we were able to visit with each other so much more easily... it really was a little neighborhood of Moda designers! Here are some of the sweet designers (when I remembered to bring my phone & that I could catch in their booths!)

Kathy Schmitz - Kathy Schmitz Designs

Janet Clare

Alma Allen - Blackbird Designs

Betsy Chutchian

The final memory I have of Spring Market was that on the final night - we were evacuated from our hotel rooms at 3:00 in the morning! I learned all too well what going down 12 fights of hard concrete stairs will do to your calves in about 48 hours... (ouch!). Thankfully it wasn’t anything threatening (a hot water pipe had burst & the steam set off the fire alarm for the 12 - 15th floors... (& I was on the 12th floor... of course.) What I learned is that the LOUD alarm that sounds & the voice that sternly states, “Hotel emergency. Leave NOW!” makes you not want to question anything... but when it doesn’t repeat... call down to the front desk... just to be sure. (It’s better than going down 12+ flights of stairs - ending up outside on the sidewalk with a bunch of strangers - having to walk arund the corner to the hotel entrance - only to find there was really no need to evacuate (... go ahead... get a good mental picture of this... it’s good for a giggle!). (sigh...) At least we could all take the elevator back up to our floors! 

So there’s the highlights of my Spring 2016 International Quilt Market! If you stopped my little spot in the Moda neighborhood - thank you! The people... that’s the best part of Quilt Market!

I'll bee back soon with the close ups of the new designs.

♥ Bren

:: winner(s)!!!

Wow... 

First, I want to thank all of you who left comments. What a joy to read them all! 

I really wish I had a Frivols tin for each of you!

I did though, decide that I would draw not one, but two winners. So...

Congratulations to Chris & also to Mary on Lake Pulaski!

I've emailed both of you sweet ladies & can't wait to hear from you so that I can send you your Frivols Tin.

Thanks again for all the fun comments & I hope each of you continue to look for the sweet little frivolous things that make each day special!

♥ Bren 

:: those wonderful little Frivols...

Today were celebrating!

. . . Celebrating all the fun little frivolous things that are a part of our lives.

Have you ever thought about the small things that you like to do or surround yourself with ... just because they make you happy?

The wonderful, creative folks at Moda did that for all of us this past year with those sweet Frivols kits in those adorable Frivols tins! I was honored that my Windermere line was featured in the #4 'Frivols

 tin... with a wonderful quilt designed by Moda's own Carrie Nelson called 'Lakeland'.

So, as the year of Frivols is quickly coming to an end... we are wondering... what are the fun little frivolous things that we do... ??? For me it's this...

Every two weeks or so, I find myself drawn to a local flower stand & can't help but bring home a bunch of pretty flowers. They just make me smile every time I walk by them. They are the little frivolous thing I've been doing... just because!

So... is there something that you have found that you are doing that is a little frivolous?

Share it in the comments below & you will be entered to win my Frivols tin!

Hope you have a wonderfully frivolous day!

♥ Bren