Newest Under the Sea-With Me

In the last couple of years a few of you have asked me to make a pattern for a manta ray and I have finally done it.  Maddie, this delightful graceful creature is finally done.  This is the third in a series of ocean wall hangings.  Under the Sea-With Me-Manta Ray can be combined with the other two small Under the Sea quilts, Yellow Tang and Parrotfish for a nice ocean scene.  I will be making a combined quilt and when it is done it will be posted.  Would a pieced background using light blues look good?  The fabrics would have to be very close in value so as not to make the quilt too busy.  It is something I have to think about and any imput from you is always appreciated. 

FabShop Hop

Aloha everyone
It sounds like a nasty, cold winter is covering the mainland USA.  Inside staying warm, why not check out the FabShop Hop?  It is a chance to win some wonderful prizes and see some exciting new web sites. 

Win The Perfect Caddy, 50 yards of fabric from Art Gallery Fabrics, or 50-1 yard cuts of batiks from Hoffman Fabrics!  Plus many more prizes.  FabShop Hop - January 1-31, 2010 http://www.fabshophop.com/hopmain.asp

I have also put Hope Blooms, Sweet Pea and Giraffe Twins on sale for this month.  So it you have been thinking about getting these patterns now is the time to order them.

Stay warm, check out some new web sites and keep on Stitching!!!
Barbara

Happy Holidays from Hawaii

Happy Holidays to everyone. 

I know a lot of you have probably seen this before but thought I would put it out there for those who have not.
*'Twas the night before Christmas,
And the quilts were not made.
The threads were all tangled, the cookies delayed.
The stocking weren't hung, the pantry was bare.
The poor weary Quilter, was tearing her hair.
Stacks of fat quarters, tipped over in streams.
Visions of Log Cabins, had turned into dreams.
When what to her wondering eyes should appear,
But a bus full of quilters with all of their gear.
They went straight to work with just a few mutters,
Sorting and stitching and brandishing cutters.
The patterns emerged from all of the clutter,
Like magic the fabrics arranged in a flutter.
Log Cabins, Lone Stars, Flying Geese and Bear Tracks -
Each quilt was a beauty - even the backs.
Her house how it twinkled, her quilts how they glowed.
The cookies were baking, the stockings were sewed.
Their work was all done, so they folded their frames,
And packed up their needles, without giving their names.
They boarded the bus, and checked the next address.
More quilts to be made, another quilter in distress.
She heard one voice echo, as they drove out of sight,

Happy quilting to all and to all a good night!

*Author Unknown *

Quilt Challenge for ALS

Please join me in donating quilts to Quilter's Dream "Hopes and Dreams".  I have a quilt already in the mail for them. Give the gift of a quilt to warm the life, the heart and the lap of an ALS patient, and help raise awareness and research money for ALS-Lou Gehrig's disease.  They are excepting quilts that are 35" x 44" or larger, lap or bed quilts of all sizes. 

This is the disease that my father passed away from in 1997.  We need more research to help those that live with ALS to have a better quality life because right now there still are no treatments for this disease.  This is the most common neurological disorder we have let us raise the awareness of ALS.
http://quiltersdreambatting.com/

Quilter 's Cookbook

My Great Aunt Rosie's Hot Fudge recipe is the one that I submitted to this cookbook.  Let me tell you it is some awesome stuff.  Hot on ice cream or eat it right out of the refrigerator with a spoon.  Click on the cookbook above to check out this cookbook by quilters with quick and delicious recipes to get you back to your stitching.

December is upon us

Happy December to everyone.  We have snow on the summit of Mauna Kea and the humpback whales are here, so winter has started in Hawaii.  I love to see the spouts from the whales that have come here to frolic for the winter months.  Later today there are forty foot waves forcast for the northern shores of some of the islands, an other show of winter.  We have been greeting returning quilt friends at the quilt store, those that spend a few months here every winter.  It is always so nice to see their faces again and their smiles as they see new merchandise and new quilts.

For those of you who are going to be coming to the Big Island this winter I have a class for Beginning Hawaiian Applique every Tuesday.  Other classes that I will be teaching are:
January 16  Beginning Hand Quilting
January 21 A twisted log cabin using the pattern Rainbow Rosettes by Viv Smith. 
I will post my other classes as they get firmed up.

Happy stitching to all.  Barbara

Ovarian Cancer

November 11th was a beautiful day and a very clear starlit night but it also became a sad day as the world lost a courageous person.  Penny Van Beek who asked me to make a quilt for Minnesota Ovarian Cancer a few years ago has passed away.  The quilt Blooming Hope that is shown in an earlier post is the quilt that we came up with for their raffle.  Recently, as I was working on a new pattern I needed a name for it.  My patchwork quilt Penny Cove was also named after her as a way to send hugs across the ocean.  My cousin Arlette Carlson also was battling this cancer at the same time as Penny and she also lost her life recently.  This cancer is often found too late to treat successful but with research we are slowly making progress.  May we all continue to support research to help in the treatments so that the suffering that goes on with this disease can be lessened.