:: A Cover Peek...!!

To say that I'm excited to announce this... would be a huge understatement...!

As soon as I received the 'go-ahead' from Martingale Publishing, I wanted to show you the peek of the cover of my book! ) I've had the cover proof for a few weeks now & it's been sooo hard to not share it!

As you can see, the book has been given the title 'Acorn Cottage' (Quilts with Simple & Sophisticated Style)... which I love. This whole process has been like a dream & I can't wait to share more photos (as soon as I get them!),  & some of the wonderful occurrences (or as some would call them 'God-winks) in the process of the making of this book.

Last week, I sent back the proofs for all the pages, & I couldn't be happier. I am over-the-moon with the photography & the graphics & everything about it. It truly has been the best experience working with the amazing folks at Martingale.

Acorn Cottage is scheduled to be released in January 2020, & so there's a little time for more peeks!

More to come - as soon as I can share!

♥ Bren

Finnegan - lilac & sunny ::

Next for the Finnegan colorways, we have lilac & sunny (yellow). I'm so pleased with both these colorways & they have a special place in my heart. 

Both of these colors (along with a light green) were some of my Mom's favorite colors. When I first started quilting, I wanted to make a quilt for my Mom. When I asked her what colors she liked, she responded, "All of them". But, when I pushed her a little more to narrow it down, she told me that when she was a little girl, she had a quilt on her bed that was light green, yellow, & lilac/lavender and she loved it so much! She then told me that she had never really thought about that - but if she had to choose - she would pick those three. (...& she also told me not to make her choose between the three!)

The lilac colorway is a new colorway for me (but I'm thinking it won't be the last!) and I love how it turned out. (I can almost smell lilacs when I look at it... it's too bad we don't have 'scratch & sniff' blog posts!)

And, I couldn't help but name the yellow colorway sunny. I love how it works with all the other colors... so agreeable... so... sunny!

So, these two colorways add a special touch for me to my Finnegan collection. 

I hope you love them to!

♥♥ xo, Bren

Finnegan - blossom & sprout ::

The next two Finnegan color ways I wanted to give you closer peeks of are 

Blossom (pink) & Sprout (lt. green). Looking at these makes it feel like you've walked into a spring garden!

I love being surrounded by a soft green... this is such a calming color for me... (I think that's why it's pretty much in every collection I design!) For Finnegan - I'm calling the light green colorway 'sprout'. When I was working in the interior design field - I remember learning that green is actually the most predominant color that we are surrounded by. Also, while some people claim they don't care for green & they don't want it (at all) in their interiors... once it was pointed out that then it would mean that there would be no plants or flowers... & in most cases they would need to have block out curtains (trees, grass plants outside!) ... most every one admitted that why yes!... they actually do like green & want it somewhere in their interiors.  It was always fun when those kind of statements were made - & I have to admit that I enjoyed the process of what I would call 'leading them down the green path'.(!)

The blossom colorway  in Finnegan is a little smaller this time as the pink hue is already on most of the floral prints - regardless of the background. This way - the blossom color is scattered all through the collection - with a few blossom coordinates to accent all the pretty flowers & buds.

Tomorrow I will be back with two more Finnegan color ways... 

(& one of them is a new colorway!)

Hope you're enjoying these Finnegan peeks as much as I am!

♥ ♥ xo,  Bren

Finnegan - linen whites ::

I don't know if you are aware... but a soft white - or what I call 'linen white' is a staple of all of my fabric collections.  It's kind-of like a signature color for me.

I love whites. When I taught art & design - I loved the color theory lessons. It was so fun to introduce students to all the elements & nuances of color and it's relationship with light. One of my favorite aspects of color theory is it's relationship to light, & how it changes & affects color. I think that's why I like white so much... In color theory white represents light & is "the presence of all color".  (I'm going to stop myself there - because I could go on for a very long time with all the amazing facets of color theory...)  But - because I love so many colors... when someone asks me what my 'favorite' color is... I like to say "white!"... because white actually includes all the colors. (!)

Also, I love a soft white... (no surprise there, huh?) and so I use it quite a bit. The soft white that is in each of my collections (that I call 'linen white') is actually from Moda's Bella Solids - Off White (9900-200). I use it all the time & I actually have bolts (& bolts) of it in my studio at all times.

So, the first colorway for Finnegan I'm sharing is the 'linen white' color.

Fresh, clear, clean... There's just something about linen whites!

♥ xo, Bren

Introducing... Finnegan! ::

I had a very big (& heavy!) box arrive at my house a few weeks ago… and once again, Moda made it feel like Christmas morning at my house.

Finnegan arrived!

Finnegan is the name for my latest collection for Moda Fabrics, and I have admit, I am a bit smitten with it! There are a couple of prints in this collection that have jumped up high on my all time favorites list.(!) The colors for Finnegan are my classic softer palette - with names like sky, sprout, sunny, lilac, blossom pink, pebble, and of course my classic linen-white. All hues that embrace & celebrate the freshness of spring! What’s been fun for me is how well they work set with not only the linen-white, but I’ve been setting them with the pebble colorway as well & I’m loving how they sparkle on both!

Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing some of the new designs & some of the new patterns that are in the works! If there is something that catches your eye… be sure to let your local quilt shop know, as the Moda Reps (yay for the Moda Reps!) are going around to the quilt shops taking orders for what is known as the March collections… (also known as Pre-Spring Market Collections).

Being part of the Pre-Market collections group is allowing me a little extra time to make all the samples for my new quilt patterns… & for that I am so very thankful! I will have five new quilt designs for you… & I’m having so much fun making them!

So please check in again to see more of Finnegan… & the new patterns!

Thanks so much for checking in with my blog… there are some changes coming (big ones)… & so I sincerely appreciate your visiting (& not giving up on me ever blogging again!)

 ♥ xo, Bren

:: fall market & the new designs… (finally!)

Oh my... Where do I begin?!!! The past several weeks are quite a blur... filled with lots of

deadlines, travel, getting to see friends I haven't seen for what seems like ages, Quilt Market, meeting many new wonderful folks, more travel, & finally home. Sweet home.

Okay... so... Quilt Market... I have been doing quilt market for the past 10 years (taking a break for the last two years), & I can say without a doubt, this was the most fun I've ever had at Market. This was my first Market with designing a fabric line with Moda, & wow!... what a wonderful, magical, heartwarming experience it was. Instead of doing a separate booth, I did a space on one of their two Designer Studio rows. My Moda 'neighbors' were Alma Allen (Blackbird Designs) & Deb Strain, & to put it in a nutshell, it was absolutely amazing. The Moda team is incredible & made me, one of the newbie designers, feel so welcome & taken care of. One of the other new designers to Moda was Jen Kingwell, & for how badly I failed at getting photos of folks, I did get one taken with Jen. (Please excuse my puffy eyes! ...not a lot of sleep happened at Market!)

I did get a few photos of my space, featuring my new fabric line with Moda, Ambleside. The fabrics are scheduled to ship in March 2015, & if you want to see Ambleside at your local quilt shop, be sure to let your local quilt shop wonder know! We will be offering kits for a couple of the quilts, & pre-orders for these kits will be happening soon! I'm so excited about this line & the whole experience of working with Moda/United Notions as a designer. I honestly can't say enough good things about them.

The last five photos are do the new patterns that are (finally) available. I've posted them to the website, & they are available as printed patterns & also PDF versions. (See previous post about the new way we are 'delivering' the PDF patterns.) I'm also adding something new to the new pattern release, & that is for a limited time, we will package the new patterns together & if you get the new patterns as a package, you will get them at a discount! For this new set of patterns that will basically equal getting one of the new patterns free! (... & yes there is also discounted new pattern package available for PDFs!)

I will be featuring each of the new designs on the next few posts... I had such fun making them all! And, keep checking back (& on Instagram too!), as I will be posting about the kits we will be making for the new designs... soon!

I hope you have a sweet start to the beginning of this new year. I sure did, as we welcomed the new year with a blanket of snow! We usually get a dusting of snow each year, but this was a wonderful surprise! It was gone by the end of the day, but we sure enjoyed it while it lasted.

♥ Bren

:: doing a little happy dance here. . .!

Yep. . . it's true. (!!!!)

… but feel free to pinch me, 'cause there are times I can hardly believe it.

I am so happy to announce that my next fabric line will be making it's appearance at Fall Market with Moda.

(… insert girl doing happy dance for the umpteenth time…)

It's called Ambleside.

…& I couldn't be more pleased.

(… & it's been so very hard to keep it secret until now! Whew.)

Here's a little peek of one of the colorways. ♥♥♥♥

:-)  ! ! ! 

(a trillion times squared)

… um… If you need me… I'll be in the studio.

♥ Bren

:: officially summer

A month. . . really? 

It's been that long since I posted here on the blog?

Oh my. 

Sorry blog. . . I didn't mean to neglect you. . . & I'm so sorry to my sweet blog visitors. 

I really didn't mean for so much time to pass between postings. Honest.

Life has (obviously) been keeping me hopping, & although I have gotten much better about setting more of a schedule for myself (one of the downsides to working completely from home) - there have been quite a few days this past month that have complete taken me to places that were not on my 'to-do' list! But that's okay. . . it's called 'life'.

I have been quite busy finishing up several quilts (two of which sold for 'Quilted Comfort' - thank you!), some miniature sized just-for-fun blocks, & finishing several patterns. I'm holding onto some of the patterns because they are either in need of being quilted &/or I know that quilt shops are a bit inundated with 'new' patterns - so soon after Spring Market - so my plan is to release the patterns around mid to late July.

(… & for all of you who sent me emails letting me know you wanted to be a part of 'Quilted Comfort', I thank you sooo much, & didn't forget about you! I sent the letter I will send to you to the organization we will be working through - as I wanted their 'OK" & I got approval & some additional good news(!). So, I will get the update made to the letter & send it out this week.) If you aren't aware of what 'Quilted Comfort' is all about, you can click on the 'Quilted Comfort Project' page link at the top of the page.

We've (w/Bailey assisting) also been spending some fun time outside. We now having to time it as to when we go outside to work in the yard - as the temps are hitting 100° (F) or close to it on a regular basis now. Even though today is the first day of summer - it always feels like summer arrives here several weeks before the official start. . . & we feel like, 'yah - been there - done that' way before the calendar start for summer.

For Father's Day - I wanted to do something special for Dad. . . but he wasn't a big help whenever I would ask him what he wanted to do. . . (stinker!) - so I made him his favorite cookies - molasses cookies, & I made him one of his favorite things (& they are few in number). . . Hot Dogs (we're so fancy!). I got some really good all beef, bun length franks & then all the fixens he likes. I also went to our favorite cafe - where they make their own potato chips & got some 'to-go' & we had those as well. (He must have liked that because two days later - he came home from the cafe with another 'to-go' order of them!

While having some fun in the studio, I was making some assembly samples for a club that I've been teaching locally. . . (called 'little acorns club'), & after the class - I came home & finished making the little star blocks (they are addicting to make!!)  & thought how fun it would be to kit the little quilt - called 'little shining stars'. So. . . I did! I only have a limited number of kits (I'm actually on my second batch of kits already) - & they are already on the website. . . (here!)  I love the golden-y colorway & how it can work year-round. . . for summer (like sunflowers(!), & it would be great with a blue table-runner underneath for a July 4th table setting), autumn, winter holidays, & spring too!

Speaking of kits. . . I did make up another batch of Betsy's Closet - In Stitches kits - using the last Durham Anew Collection fabrics I designed. These too are limited as I'm getting to the end of my fabrics. You can find them (here).

I've got some other news that I'll do my best to post this week... (including one piece of news that I'm practically bursting to tell you. . . but that I must get permission to do so (!!!)).

Until then, I wish for you a wonderful start to your summer days (or winter for my southern hemisphere  friends!) & hope that you get time to create & stitch!

♥ Bren

… a little business news... a little inspiration . . .

First. . . just a little announcement that the 'Spring Sale' on the website - will be ending tomorrow. I decided to keep it going until just after the 15th. So, for those who haven't already. . .  be sure to check it out! (25% & more off patterns & books!)

How fun it was to hear from so many of you that have had (or still have)
a little Kenmore too! I've got to say, that mine really 'stepped up to the plate' (baseball term) for me! I've fallen a little in love with it again.
It's gotten a good overall 'oil-ing' & I do believe it gave a little sigh of relief when I finished putting oil in the about 20 places that the manual showed(!)

The good news is - is that the Bernina is also now happy & healthy. Although it was pretty scary, it was only that there was a lot of lint & 'fluff' that clogged up the 'drive shaft' (?) underneath the motor (where you can't get to), & the motor just decided "no more' until it got a thorough & proper cleaning. I'm really good about cleaning & blowing out (with canned air) the lint  that I can see after every bobbin change, & putting the little dots of oil on the bobbin case, but as I was talking about what had happened with the Bernina folks - I realized that this past year, I did some sewing with flannels as well & they can really add to the 'lint factor'. I loved using them & want to again - it's just a good lesson to factor that into my cleaning schedule.

So for now all the sewing machines are 'happy campers'. . . including this 'sewing machine'!. . . or should I say 'stitching machine'!?! I've been (happily) stitching away at some new projects. . . 
here's a couple of little peeks. . .

(do they look familiar?)

I'll be honest. . . it's been hard for me to put them down! I've had so much fun!

But. . . there are a couple of quilt patterns that are waiting to be completed & so I'm putting myself on a 'stitching' schedule'. Otherwise, I would spend the whole days doing nothing else!

Now, to hopefully start you week off with a smile (& a little sigh). . . I wanted to share this with you. 

I get emails from a video site that has inspirational videos & they are so nice to watch from time to time in the midst of the things that normally make the 'news'.  This video is from an Australian version of 'The Voice' (we have an American version here as well). The premise of the show is that there are four 'coaches' (who are in the music industry & often celebrities) who's goal it is to create a 'team' of singers - that will go on to compete. (I'm not good at watching these shows - I get to nervous & the 'competition' part of it isn't my favorite.) But, for this show - the singers 'audition' without the coaches knowing anything about them - or even seeing them - (their chairs are turned around so they cant see the stage). This way, the  singer's 'Voice' is what the 'coaches' base their decision as to whether they want to have the singer on their 'team'. The fun part is that if more than one of the coaches choose a singer - that singer gets to pick who's team they want to be on. . . the tables are turned & the coaches do their best to get the singer to pick them(!)

Anyway. . . the young man in this video is incredible. . . & I admit that I have watched it over & over. . . it's that good. I keep finding little details that make it more & more wonderful. . . (watch the 'coaches' faces when they first hear him!)

 I hope it adds a little inspiration to start off your week! (& I dare you not to smile!)

A MIRACLE Happens When This Teen Bullied for His Stutter Sings from theremix on GodTube.

(I can't wait until he releases a cd!. . .)

 ♥ Bren

… a final one. . .

I've had these photos ready for several days. . .

. . . but after the Friday's news, 

it just didn't fell right to post about new fabrics.

There were other things (way more important things)

that took over my head & my heart.

My prayers are with the families of Sandy Hook.

It feels as though words fail, but I know that there is great power in prayer,

. . . & so I will continue to lift them up in prayer

for the promised "peace that passes understanding".

It is also a reminder to shower those around us with love,

& to celebrate the blessings that we often overlook day-by-day.

I am striving to look around me & to see & celebrate the

blessings that have been laid before me.

One of those blessings, in the past few years

has been to have the opportunity to design fabrics.

It was a dream - when I first started designing quilts,

& it felt like a dream when I saw my first line come to fruition.

The photos above are of my upcoming line,

Durham Collection Anew (2102).

It should be in shops around February/March.

(also, just so you know, the colors in thee photos are more true to the actual colors 

than the scanned promotional images that I've seen on the internet. . . 

just in case it matters to you.)

I've been enjoying folding & refolding my pieces, 

& I've placed my order for bolts of some of my favorites.

(I wanted a bolt of each one - but I've no room!)

For this Durham Collection Anew, I've added a warm vintage tan colorway,

. . . & I'm thinking that I will be making a quilt entirely from this colorway.

I just love it.

I'm thinking of making quilts for my 'farmhouse collection'  series

from this line that would be the kind of quilts that

would be at home on any porch swing.

This line will also be my last fabric line for awhile.

I've decided to not continue in designing fabrics for a bit,

so that I can focus more on creating designs for quilts & needlework, 

as well as some other things that are currently on the back burner.

Lecien is doing some re-organizing & although I have talked with 

a couple of other fabric manufactures, I just feel it's time to take a break.

(I definitely will though - continue to work on new designs for my portfolio. . .

. . . designs that can be used for fabrics & other things.)

I've really enjoyed having the opportunity to design & work with fabrics that 

are a part of who I am. . .

I hope that you have enjoyed it as well.

I have a very limited amount of sample fabrics,

 & I've taken part of them & made a very limited number of bundles.

There are a couple of fat-quarter bundles, & also some fat-eighth bundles 

if you would like a little head start on a project using these fabrics.

I also want to thank so many of you, who have been so supportive of my

fabric designing. To know that some of you have actually 'collected' them is

beyond my comprehension, & it has given me such joy.

Thank you.

So, as I enter this week, I do so with a humble heart,

& one that will continue to look for the blessings that

I have been given.

Please know, that you are one of them.

♥ Bren

… the work I love

I must admit. . . that I really do love what I get to do.

This photo is from the beginning of the week. . . when I had cut out a quilt top from my upcoming line of fabric (Durham Anew),

. . . but I had wanted to proof a pattern just one more time (a deadline thing. . .) 

This pattern had already the 'living-daylights' proofed out of it. . . but I always have that last minute 'just one more time' feeling, so I filled up my coffee mug & went over it 'one more time'.

So, the fabrics were pushed aside (but not too far aside!), 

& the pattern (the next 'farmhouse collection' quilt) got it's final proofing.

(I do have to admit - that proofing is not my favorite part of what I do, probably because I feel such angst when doing it. . . so afraid that something might slip by! But it doesn't diminish loving what I get to do!)

Today, I'm finishing quilting the quilt from the pieces above, 

but before I show it to you, 

I thought you might like to see this. . .

. . . this is the photo I snapped of my main studio table about a month ago when I received the final strike offs for this Durham Anew fabric line.

(. . . kinda embarrassed, as I just found it on my camera. . . it's been that kind of month!)

When these (strike offs) arrive, everything else get's put on the back burner - as the mill is waiting for the word that all (colors, prints) are okay, so that they can begin printing the sample yardage.

So, I stopped everything else I was working on. . .

 looked (& drooled a little) over them, 

& thankfully everything was great!

. . . so today, I get to play with my sample fabrics, & promise peeks soon.

I'm also working on getting lots of goodies uploaded to the website. . . 

. . . keep checking back!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

♥ Bren

… a wonderful. . . exhausting week.

Whew!. . . what a week.

As many of you might know, I used to teach (high school art) at a local private school, & last year I went back & started substitute teaching. I have loved it. Loved getting to be with the kids again, & I even gotten to be back in my old classroom a couple of times.

This past week I've been subbing the sixth grade core classes.

. . . nuff said.

I had a wonderful time. . . but,

I.  am.  exhausted.

It's that good kind of tired, but I must admit that surely enjoyed sleeping in an extra hour - until 6:30 this morning!

The sixth grade is the youngest class at the school, as it is a middle school - high school. Mostly I have subbed at the high school grades, but I must admit that what I did l love the most, was that on Friday, my last day subbing the 6th graders, I got hugs, & some of the kids came back into the classroom after school, when I was straightening-up the room, to say thank you. Honestly. . . how could you not love that!

I had to laugh at myself though, because every night this past week, I have been in bed about 8 - 8:30 & lights out no later than 9:00 pm. I was that tired! (lol!)

What I missed the most about this last week, was getting to work on some new projects, as much as I wanted to. . . but after getting home, filling orders (no complaints there!), & trying to keep up with emails, I was pretty much spent.

This is the little bit of stitching that I did get to do. I can't wait to show you the finished projects. . . (the other one is wool on flannel!)

Soon though. . . I will try my hardest to make it as soon as possible. 

Promise.

I do want to thank you for the response to my fabric line 'Hill Farm'. I was made aware that Jenny at her Sew Fabulous Quilt Shop Blog did a post asking folks to vote for their favorite lines from 12 lines that she was considering for her quilt shop. I'm so pleased to find out that Hill Farm was one of the top lines chosen! What a treat!

Lecien will be taking orders for Hill Farm - only through the end of September (just a week away!) - so if you are a shop owner, & are considering it. . . don't wait! (Checker & E.E. Schenck are also taking orders for Hill Farm as well.)

The fabrics are due out in November. . . & I'm going to be spending some time between now & then making some new projects with it. . . so be sure to come back & see, okay?

Until then . . . I'm going to be going to bed earlier. . . (I've actually liked getting to bed earlier. . !)  & getting up earlier. It's a nice way to welcome in autumn, as the days get shorter, & the evenings come so much more quickly. I like the getting up before the sun rises, & get to witness the pink sunrises that come with cooler weather.

(. . . plus, it's very handy, just in case I get an early morning call to sub for the day!)

Hope you have a wonderful start to (what I must admit is my favorite season) autumn!

♥ Bren