A big thank you to Rose Kelly for suggesting this link. She says, it is a great site for quilting info, teaching techniques and chatting online.

[tags]quilting communities, newsletter, forum, Konstantin, chat, info, techniques[/tags]

Blossom:  Lila, what brought you to quilting?

Lila:  I have always been involved with sewing…clothing, home decor, accessories, etc. But I first became interested in quilting as a way to come up with baby shower gifts. Almost all of the quilts I made back then were baby quilts, and also served as
a way to utilize my large collection of fabric scraps from other projects. But when I got involved with fabric design, that’s when I became more interested in it. Naturally when you are designing fabric for the quilting industry, you find yourself sort of thrown into the whole quilting world by default. Now I am designing quilts to use my fabric in, and it’s really fun!  I am, however, a little non-traditional about it, because I have always just done it “my way”.

Blossom:  So, it’s almost as if you came to quilting by accident!  We know what you mean by using up those scraps!  Your fabrics have such a fresh look about them–what inspires you?

Lila:  I am inspired by just about everything! It seems that almost everywhere I go I see things that get me excited about designing.  Whether it’s the flowers growing in a park, or the wallpaper in a hotel, or the dress someone is wearing. It’s hard to say what it is, because there is so much art and beauty everywhere, and so much culture and style in the world to be inspired by! I almost always have my camera with me, and I just stop and take pictures of everything that I see that I love. When I feel like I can’t think of anything new, I just look at those, and I get a flood of ideas!

Blossom:  With all the inspiration around you, do you ever find it difficult to hone in on one specific idea?  Please tell us how the Santorini line came about! 

Lila:  Actually, I was on a little hiatus to get some inspiration, and came across a bookstore that had a beautiful pictorial book of Greece . As I was looking through the photographs, I came across some gorgeous photos of Santorini Island . It was breathtaking…and I became obsessed with the olive groves and the gardens and the landscape of the island. That was the inspiration I needed! I wish I could say that I took a trip to Santorini, and sat out on the beach or my hotel terrace with an easel and palette, but I didn’t! I just looked at pictures.

Blossom:  And it’s wonderful–LOVE the olives!  So what’s next for you?

Lila:  The next collection coming out in the Spring is called ” Eden “. It is a pastel-ish mix of pinks, lavenders, greens and yellows, which is a bit softer than my other collections have been. It was inspired by my two little finches that have become quite dear to me. There are some birds scattered here and there in the fabric designs, too. Here is a sneak peek of that collection for you to see in advance!  I will be debuting this line in my booth at quilt market this October.

Blossom:  Yummy!!!!  But girl, when do you sleep?  We’d love to hear about your family life and how you manage to squeeze in time to do all of this!

Lila:  Funny you should ask…I don’t sleep much. I do most of my work late at night. But with seven children, (only 5 at home right now), there is never a good time to really focus. Hence, the late nights.  But once in a while when I’m in a real crunch my husband will let me go stay at a hotel somewhere and just work for a solid couple of days.  It’s pretty crazy.

Blossom:  7 kids!  We’d need a hotel room, too!!  Sounds like you have a wonderful and understanding husband!  Thank you so much for your time and energy on this–we know you’re very busy! 

Lila:  THANK YOU! It was a pleasure!

[tags]interview, Lila Tueller, Santorini, fabric, designer, collections, Moda, Blossom Quiltworks[/tags]

Jenny Doh of Crescendo blog explains Art Quilting Studio’s latest challenge, saying this time it will be art quilts inspired by the wisdom from a few lines of Johnny Cash’s Walk the Line song.

“I keep a close watch on this heart of mine. I keep my eyes wide open all the time. I keep the ends out for the tie that binds. Because you’re mine, I walk the line.”

Amazing soulful lyrics. Submissions must be received by October 15, 2009. Go here for challenge details. Jenny even gives you her email address if you have questions.

[tags]Art Quilt Walking, Johnny Cash, Walk the Line, art quilts, challenge, Jenny Doh, Art Quilting Studio, winter 2009[/tags]

Product description: Art Quilting Studio provides a playful and informative forum where quilt enthusiasts from all walks of life can cross-pollinate to share techniques, ideas and inspiration. Join us on this journey where everyone is invited to share in the joy of quilting.

Sounds fun and informative. If you have a copy of this magazine (Summer 2009), be sure and leave a comment and let us know what you thought about it.

Go here to see what’s inside this issue. 

[tags]Art Quilting Studio, magazine, premiere issue, Denyse Schmidt, Summer 2009, imagination, inspiration[/tags]

Via Caledonia Quilter

[tags]magazine, Quilter’s Connection, Canadian[/tags]

Via Library Gal Quilts

 [tags]video, sewing machine, song, fun, humor[/tags]

[tags]quilting, quilt history, black history, Bible Quilt, Pictorial Quilt, Harriet Powers, Kyra Hicks, literate[/tags]

Image from jj gallery

Textile artist John Jones created a virtual art gallery to showcase his stitched patchwork art panels. Go here to view it.

[tags]textiles, 3D animation, John Jones, quilts, patchwork[/tags]

Via Quilting Arts TV

Traditional photo quilts have never appealed to me but this photo transformed into mini quilt does. Julie Fei-Fan Balzer guest of Pokey Bolton Quilting Arts TV demonstrates her easy technique for creating this artful look.  Go here to view video. 

[tags]quilting, journaling, canvas, mini quilts, photo quilts, mixed media, Pokey Bolton, Quilting Arts TV, oil pastel resist, spray ink[/tags]

Images via Two Sisters at Squirrel Hollow

This book from Two Sisters at Squirrel Hollow is making me crave sweets. Can you blame me with a project list with titles like Angel Food Cake, Lemonade Layer Cake, and Tweet d Pie?

One of the projects: Tweet d Pie

Go here to see all the projects in the book.

[tags]quilting, patterns, books, recipes, Tweet d Pie, sweets, cake[/tags]

Images from Sewn

Image from Amazon

While I was admiring Malka Dubrawsky’s Inside Out quilt at her a stitch in dye Etsy shop, I visited her hand dyed fabric section. I especially like Bricks and Orange Diamond Dots, shown here.  

Image from a stitch in dye

For adventurous quilters and crafters, you can learn to hand dye fabric her way in her new book Color Your Cloth: A Quilter’s Guide to Dyeing and Patterning Fabric coming out in November 2009, available for pre-order here at Amazon. 

[tags]quilting, fabric, dyed, handmade, dyeing, patterning[/tags]

Image from Amazon

I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of Ellen Highsmith Silver’s book Floorquilts!. She shares her unique method of transforming fabric scraps into beautiful durable floor coverings. I can appreciate her motivation for coming up with this idea.

About the Author:

She invented Floorquilts to reconcile her love of beautiful floor coverings with a household that includes two rug-chewing dogs.

I can relate since I share a home with two cats, both with intact claws.  

Go here for a full description of the book.

[tags]quilting, floors, floorquilts, decoupage, floorcloth[/tags]

Image from DreamWeaver's Quilts

Inchie Quilts by Nadine Ruggles is now available! 

Book Description:

Join the latest trend in quilting and make the tiniest quilts yet—only 1″ x 1″ square! Learn how to make these exquisite little gems from a master.Go here to order.

Nadine of DreamWeaver’s Quilt blog had this to say about the book,

The team at American Quilter’s Society did such a fabulous job turning my techniques and patterns into something cohesive, accessible and readable, and I’m just so pleased.

Go here to read more of Nadine’s blog about her new book.

 [tags]quilting, inchie, AQS, art, book[/tags]