Beth Ferrier’s Blog

One of my favorite projects from the new book is the Calico Cat. She’s done over in three different fabric styles, from a modern city cat to a homey country cat. This is the mod, groovy kitty.

To keep the kitties company I also designed a Patchwork Pup. As cute as a whisker (sorry, I couldn’t help myself), these two critters would make darling pillow covers as well as charming wall hangings. Using the Wash Away Applique sheets instead of freezer paper let me embellish these sweeties to my heart’s content. (The paper is FINALLY on its way. We will start shipping orders on MONDAY!)

Hop on over to C&T’s blog to see the Patchwork Pup. You’ll find a link for a free pattern to make a pup of your very own.

It’s the day before the day before Quilt Market. Tomorrow is my travel day. Once again I will hand over my quilts and class materials to the baggage crew. It’s my little leap of faith at the beginning of each trip.

My first job will be a Schoolhouse lecture at 4:20 in Room 371 B&C. Schoolhouse is a pretty fun deal, a series of mini lectures, some only fifteen minutes, others a half an hour, presented all day Friday, the day before the show opens.

 Think passing classes in high school, only on speed. And there’s even homework. Once the lectures are done (or the feet give out), attendees head back to their hotel rooms to sort through the tons of paper work they’ve collected. Many use this stuff to map their path through the exhibits.

Before the exhibit floor opens on Saturday, I’ll be teaching a Take & Teach class. I’ve been plugging away at the kits, preparing a lot of the steps so my students can get right to the fun part. With only an hour and a half for class, we won’t have much time to get to details, but we’ll be sure to cover the important parts.

Later Saturday morning, at 11 am I’ll be in EE Schenk’s Booth (1230) to sign books. I’m told we won’t have actual books, but C&T will supply book plates and send the books as soon as they’re in.

On Sunday I’ll be in C&T’s booth (1344) at 11 am and Petersen Arne’s booth (2136)  at 1 PM for more book plate signing.

You know, it’s a good thing I’ve had all this practice signing books. The first time someone asked to sign one of my patterns I was so flummoxed that I spelled my own name wrong. And it was my first name, the one I’ve had my whole life. I left out the “t”. Beh. It’s still hard not to giggle. I mean, come on! This is me, signing books.

For now I need to get back to packing. While I work I’ll be thinking of something pithy to write with my signature. Any ideas?

It’s almost here. After a year of working and waiting and more working and more waiting, the new book is almost here.

Isn’t it beautiful? I think so too!

For those who are new to the  Hand Applique by Machine process we’ve included the basics. But it’s the new stuff, all the possiblities of the technique that I always knew were there, that’s what I’m most excited to share.

How about adding trapunto to our applique? It’s in there. What about decorating our applique with those fancy stitches on our machines that we never use? It’s in there! How about bobbinworking embellishment our designs? It’s in there too!

Even though I was wary in the beginning, I have loved the process of working with a publisher. I’ve gone from being the boss of everything to being part of a great team. The book design is exactly what I’ve always wanted and could never quite achieve on my own. The editors have asked all the right questions, helping me to write the clearest, easiest to follow directions. And the photography is spectacular.

But Wait! There’s More!

We’ve found the most amazing stuff. This paper acts like water soluble freezer paper! It irons on, just like freezer paper, but instead of wrestling it back out of the project this stuff just washes away! I know!

I’ve been asking for this stuff for years. And now it’s here! I’ve been using it in it’s orginial form for a couple of years, and all I can says is, I’ll never use freezer paper again!

We’re set up to take early orders for the book on my website (click here), we’ll add the paper site tonight. We don’t have an exact delivery date just yet, so we’ve set up a system that will take credit card numbers without automatically charging them. (We will add PayPal when we know the books are on the way.) Our best estimate for delivery is by early December. You better bet you’ll hear when the books are on the way!

The brown envelope containing my advance copy of the magazine has been sitting on my desk for a few days. While I knew that the issue would include a project from me, I had no idea the quilt would end up on the cover! It was a fun little quilt to make. The applique was completed on one of my teaching trips earlier this year.

The fabric has great designs for applique. Especially the border print, its large flowers were perfect for the inner stars of the applique flowers. One of the coordinating prints has zippy little starbursts that just begged to be turned into circles. How could I resist?

The issue is on the newsstands now.

In early March I’m teaching at a quilt show put on by Pieces From the Heart Quilt Guild of Morris, IL. These ladies have been working hard to make the show a success. I have to admit, as an avowed quilt show shopper, the vendors list has me looking forward to my free time!

To make it easy for folks to register online they’ve put the classes up on eBay. Of course, the event planners asked my permission before posting the class, and I happily agreed. This is a first for me, and I’m not entirely sure what to make of it. It seems like a terrific way for a guild to be able to handle credit card (or pay pal) payments for classes without having to deal with a merchant account. It also allows for online registration without having to pay for a high end web page.

 What do you think? Would you buy a class on eBay?

And how about that “Miracle on the Hudson”? I just can’t seem to get that crazy water landing out of my mind. I’m not afraid to fly, but flying has become a bit of a test of wills. The vast majority of the time I arrive on time, with all of my luggage. My trip karma is good, all of my travel adventures, so far, have been on the way home. But each I time I leave for a trip there is always that little worry in the back of my mind that I won’t be on time for my lecture, and that there’s really nothing I can do about that.

As I watched the news unfold, seeing the folks plucked off the wings of that floating plane, all I could think about was how they were now all late for whatever they were heading to. (As if surviving a plane crash is nothing more than a hiccup in their travel plans.)

And then I thought about my quilts. My favorite quilts, would be under water, in the belly of the plane, for how long? How long would I have to wait to get them back? And what kind of shape would they be in after being wet for so long. (The good news, the Hudson is salt water at that point and salt helps to prevent colors from running.)

If nothing else, this amazing event has reinforced my habit of asking for exit row seating. Prized for the extra leg room, it comes with the bonus of being the first out. Works for me.

Yes, I’m still here, not blogging but feeling very guilty about not blogging. Does that count? There always seems to be something else to do, something more immediate, more pressing, more interesting.

I’ve heard from the publishers and they liked the proposal. I got the “yippie call” about a week ago. I’m still smiling about that. And sobered by an October deadline for the first draft. I’m so glad I kept working on the book all summer!

I don’t know how much I’ll be able to say or show about the book. Since I’m used to being my own boss (and at times a pretty hard to work for boss, very demanding!) it will be interesting to see how this new relationship blossoms.

I’m doing a lot of local (meaning within driving distance) teaching in the next week. One of the projects I’ve been working on but not allowed to show has been an exclusive pattern for The Quilted Cottage here in Saginaw, for their Moda University club. I used Moda’s new fabric line called Cotton Blossoms.

The shop sold out of their kits in an afternoon, but the pattern, called Cottage Blossoms, is still available. You can order it from them or through my website if you like. It finishes about 50 inches square, perfect for cuddling on the couch on these cool fall days.

On Monday, Sept 22 I’ll be at The Quilter’s Garden in Fenton, MI. The Sneaky Piecing Tricks class is already full, but the trunk show at 6:30 is still has room.

The Sew What Quilt Gathering is next Saturday and Sunday (September 27 & 28)  in Wyandotte, MI. I have no idea if the classes still have openings, but I’ll bet the lecture is still available.

As for today, I’m supposed to be writing an article for my column in American Quilt Retailer, and I’ve got nothing! I keep throwing words at the page hoping something will stick. It’s so bad that doing laundry seemed like more fun. I need five hundred words before I leave for Fenton in the morning. Actually, I need five hundred words strung together in a meaningful fashion. That’s the rub. But for now, the laundry needs to be rotated.

When I first started publishing patterns, all those years ago, I really didn’t expect to be successful. (Okay, I’ll admit it, I still don’t!) I was so sure that my patterns would never sell that I bought my first thousand pattern bags without vent holes (which helps them lie flat) so that I could use the other 999 for sandwiches.

While I was truly grateful to the local shops that purchased the patterns I really thought they were mercy buys just to get me out of the store. The first time I saw my patterns displayed at a shop that didn’t know me personally I actually sat down and cried. (Now I know how Sally Field felt at the oscars when she said, “you like me, you really, really like me”.)

It was just like that when I was at The Quilted Cottage, our terrific local quilt shop. They bought the whole collection of Audrey’s Garden! While I was there on open sewing day a customer bought some of two of the fabrics just because she liked them!

And then Karen, my best bud, told me that she saw my fabric in the latest McCall’s Quilting magazine. I can tell you that we have a project using the fabric scheduled for an issue on the newsstands at the beginning of next year, but I was surprised to hear that it might appear sooner.

Here’s what my eagle eyed buddy saw:

Right there on page sixty-two, under the ruler! Sure the blurb is about the Creative Grids square it up and fussy-cut rulers. I love that they chose a bit of Audrey’s Garden to show off the ruler. Doesn’t it look lovely?

So, dear readers, I’m asking for Audrey’s Garden sightings. It should be arriving in your local quilt shops this month. I would love to hear about where you find it and how you use it.

Once again we have been completely overwhelmed by orders! The response to the episode of The Quilt Show that aired a couple of weeks ago has been over the top!

 We’ve had to reorder supplies, twice! This stack went to the post office on Monday and Tuesday. We have another, just as big to go out tomorrow.

I am honored and humbled by the reaction to the show. Please be patient with us while we work to fill the orders. We are trying our best to keep up! Thank you so much! 

One of the nice things about applique is that while my hands are busy trimming, gluing and docking I can catch up with my favorite podcasts. Hands down my favorite is Annie Smith’s Quiling Stash. She’s so real, so down to earth. She’s one of us! Her voice is so rich and calm, I can feel the stresses of the day slip away as I fall under her spell.

 One of the surprise treats of the Bernina Teacher’s Retreat last year was meeting Annie in person. I was delighted to find that she’s a gentle, thoughtful and kind person. Now when I hear her laughter over the computer speakers I will remember how her eyes crinkle when she smiles.

Imagine my surprise when I clicked on the newest podcast. I’m in it! I must be big time now, if Annie mentioned my blog! Click HERE to listen. And when you’ve got lots of hand work to do, check out the podcast archives.

The new year often leads us to reevaluate our lives. The cold weather here in Saginaw is perfect for cozy contemplation, curled up before a fire with a cup of coffee and a sketchbook. This year I found myself wondering about my quilting career. What next? Where do I want to put my energies in the coming weeks and months?

The truth is, I love to teach. I do believe that it was what I was put on earth to do. Why else would God have given me five sisters and four sons to practice on?

A lovely email arrived in my inbox a couple of days ago. Every time I think of it a slow smile steals across my face, a giggle rises in my heart.

I’ve been nominated by The Professional Quilter magazine for Teacher of the Year! I am humbled and honored! Thanks to all who took the time to submit my name for consideration.