Beth Ferrier’s Blog

We repainted the kitchen way back at the beginning of summer. It was the first room to be redecorated when we moved in almost fifteen years ago. The room was so hideous that we started on it the afternoon we signed the papers. It was orange and black. No kidding. Orange and black, with a weird wallpaper border of European style children carrying swords, and burnt orange indoor-outdoor carpet.

Back then we painted the walls and woodwork several shades of white, and decorated with blue stenciling just under the crown molding. The curtains were made from the Smithsonian reproduction fabrics from the Civil War era, perfect for this 1860 house.

 The new wall color is a cheerful blue, almost periwinkle, pulled from my beloved Blue Willow dishes. The blue of the old curtains clashed with the new wall color and had to go. I found just the right fabrics several months ago. They’ve been stacked up next to my cutting table, just waiting their turn. 

 With the Christmas hub bub done it was finally time to get those curtains made. I’ve had the pattern forever, the copyright is 1992. I’ve used it again and again.

I like the new color. Blue always looks so clean and fresh, especially in light reflected by snow. I think I’m entering my blue phase. For years my favorite colors have been red and green. My dresser drawers are full of red clothes. My stash is dominated by red and green fabrics, even though they are usually the first pulled and used. (Clearly they are also the first purchased.)

But now that my hair is turning gray I find that red no longer suits me. I really like what pale aqua does for my skin tone. The cool tones of blue, turquoise and mint green are replacing fire engine red in my closet. I wonder how long it will be before it is also replaced in my quilts! I’ve noticed in classes that students often work with the same colors that they wear. What do you think? Do your closet and stash match?

Houston is alive with Quilters. For ten days the streets sparkle with quilters of all ages and sizes, laughing and gabbing. We’re a walking quilt show.

 Quilt Market is the twice yearly opportunity for quilt shop owners to find the latest and greatest new fabrics, patterns and notions. They have a chance to chat with the actual designers of the products, meet the authors of the books and rub elbows with our quilting celebrities.

Today is the last day. I’ve been busy searching for nifty new stuff that will make our quilting lives easier. I’ve been talking with manufacturers about developing the things I want but can’t find. And, oh, the fabric!

We’re about to run out the door for one more day of adventure in Quiltmarketland. I’ve been a good blogger and have been taking lots of pictures.  Wait ’till you see the faces I’ve captured!

But for now, it’s off to shop. It’s a good day.

Yes, I am thinking about the new block of the month. Yes, I have even begun work on the design. And even better, I already have the fabric for it.

Isn’t this an amazing stack of fabric? The design is barely started but my theme for this year is “cheerful”. These basics from P&B and Blank Textiles fit the bill perfectly. I’m thinking that we all could use a little whimsy in our lives.

I have other, more pressing projects that demand my immediate attention. The fabric line is coming along wonderfully (more on that soon), the applique book is moving forward (available in May) and my teaching schedule is pretty hectic until mid-March.

The goal is to get the new project posted on the website by mid-February. So far the plan is to make a smaller quilt this year, wall or lap size, not the ginormous quilts that we’ve done the last few years, but don’t hold me to that!

And we’re hoping to offer fabric kits again this year. Doesn’t that sound like fun?

It’s the most beautiful fabric you’ve ever seen. It’s bold, bright, amazing in every way. As you slip the bolt from the shelf you marvel at the color, the whimsy and charm of the design. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before and certainly nothing you’ve ever purchased before and yet you’ve just got to have it. The bolt slips under your arm and you head for the cutting table.

And then the doubt begins. Whatever will I do with this? For all its beauty, the design is outside that well established comfort zone. Should I, or shouldn’t I, and how much to buy? But you know if you don’t buy it you’ll be haunted by it forever and you’ll find the perfect project for it right after the last yard is sold.

 Never fear, my most brilliant friend, Joan Hawley of Lazy Girl Designs has come to our rescue. Hop over to her fantastic blog to see what she and a handful of her closest girlfriends have done with LakeHouse Fabric’s Day Z Deux fabric collection. They are right in the middle of a dozen dayz of delightful doings with this delectible fabric. Check it out to see all the terrific things they are doing with a really dynamic line of fabric.

Every year twelve well-respected national teachers are invited to take part in a quilt challenge. Each quilter is sent a bundle of fabric to be used to create a wall-hanging-sized quilt that will be auctioned off to benefit the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society in Paducah, KY. These twelve quilts will be part of a traveling exhibit for a year, after which they will return to the museum to be auctioned off during the annual AQS show. If your guild is planning a quilt show you may want to inquire about booking this really cool exhibit.

I first took part in the challenge a couple of years back. It was both exciting and terrifying! My quilt would be hanging along side quilts by some of the most famous quilters in the world! I was horrified at the thought that no one would bid on it. (If only jumping to conclusions was aerobic.) I was greatly relieved to hear that not only did “Hawaiian Punch” sell to a really nice woman from Oregon, it also, according to another teacher who was at the auction, went for a respectible price.

Imagine my delight when I was invited to take part again! Now getting a “squishy” in the mail is cool any day. But getting an envelope full of fabric to make one of these challenge quilts has been one of the highlights of my career. While it’s not necessary to use all of the fabrics sent, no other fabrics may be added into the project. The fabric can’t be altered, either, as in bleaching or dying, and we can’t show the other side of the fabric. (I think calling it the “wrong” side is too judgmental!)

Here’s the stack of fabric. I’ll be working on the quilt for the next couple of weeks. Of course, I’m thinking applique. But I’m also thinking that I’ll have some fun with thread work too. What do you think? Does this pile of fabric excite or frighten you?

The block of the month project for this year is finally begun! After considering several different color schemes (and talking myself out of actually sewing more than one!), I finally settled on a plan.

But, of course, the plan involved a trip to the local quilt shop. How can it be that I have dozens of yards of fabric (that’s my story and I’m sticking with it), but not the right fabric for this quilt?

It would have to be because I’m a big fan of fat quarters. The problem with buying yardage is figuring how to use it. I mean, say I buy two yards of a terrific print. Some where along the way I decide that I need to whack a quarter yard off of that for an accent in a quilt. Or, more likely, the fabric turns out to have the perfect motif for the center of a flower and I make swiss cheese out of a third of a yard of it. That’s all well and good until I discover the most perfect project for those two yards. In other words, yardage is a burden.

If I only buy a fat quarter I can’t get too emotionally involved. A fat quarter is not enough fabric to build an entire quilt around. It’s entirely likely that I will use it up before the project is completed. So, I’ll use another fat quarter of a fabric that’s sort of like the one I used up, but not exactly like it. And that’s what makes for a very exciting quilt.

But then again, when it’s time for yardage then I’m stuck with a trip to the local quilt shop. Oh, the sacrifices we make for our quilts! I bought the yardage that I need for the new quilt, and enough extra so that when I’m done I’ll have another fat quarter for my collection.