... windmills quilt

I thought I'd show you the quilt that I made 

for my niece, Nicole, & her groom. Eric.

It's the medium size of my 'windmills' quilt (from the 'farmhouse collection').

I had such fun making this quilt. 

I've included photos of the different 'windmill' blocks (that are coordinated),

& then also a photo of the center block - that I call 

the 'Amish block' - or the humility block,

where each of the 'blades' of the windmill are from each of the other blocks.

. . . Just to remind the young couple that even though things may not always

be perfect. . . they are still a part of the whole & have their own beauty.

It also is a reminder that no one is perfect - except God.

The pastor that oversaw at their wedding ceremony, 

gave a wonderful talk about this,

& so it had great meaning to them when I explained it to them.

(. . . I just love it when that happens!. . . Thanks God!)

The quilt is what I call 'snuggle size' 

- perfect to snuggle under for a nap -

 or to snuggle together to watch a movie on a snowy day 

(Like what they have been having!)

The last photo is of my block one for the 'Beyond the Cherry Trees' quilt.

The blocks were offered as a free download each month a couple of years ago,

& I was good about downloading them. . .

. . . just never good about starting them.

I'm thankful for that now - as I've been seeing some of the finished versions,

& I've fallen in love with one that uses mostly French General fabrics.

So, it inspired me, & that's what I'm doing (heaven know I have enough of them!).

I'll post them as I get them done. . . (this one is going to take awhile though - as there are 25 blocks & appliqué borders as well!

But I've been loving getting to sit & work on something that is wonderfully vintage 

& it's the perfect mix of being 'Baltimore-y' & 'primitive-y' at the same time.

I hope you are enjoying these wonderful days. . . between Christmas & New Year,

they feel wonderfully quiet & the perfect time to reflect & plan,

& to simply enjoy the days. I know I am!

♥ Bren

(p.s. I'm working really hard at getting the PDF patterns ready & uploaded

to the website. . . it will be soon!!!)

… 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

… stitching windmills

First, I just want to thank all of you who left comments & sent tweets & emails about 'Hill Farm'.

You are all so dear to share your enthusiasm & support!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Here on the home front, I've been making myself very busy (happily so!) in the studio.

I've been sewing blocks, quilting little quilts, & binding & binding quilts

. . . lots of quilts!

Some of them you will see soon. . . & some of them will have to be saved for the end of summer - when we will be starting a fun new club! (info soon. . . I promise!)

I know that for some. . . binding is a chore. . . 

. . . but I love it.

For the last week, I've been slowly working my way around this quilt. . .

It's called 'windmills'. . . & it will be the second quilt design

in the 'farmhouse collection' pattern series. 

(. . . have I mentioned how much I'm loving these quilts?!!)

I fell in love with several of the fabrics in the Cabbages & Roses fabric line, 'Athill Range' that they did with Moda.

(*edited to add - the backing fabric is from an older Moda Home fabric line, called 'Fresh Breeze'. . . one of my all time favorite fabrics. . . !)

The fabrics in 'Athill Range' were just perfect (. . . & I have to admit that I loved the little cream print & the red so much. . . that I ordered a bolt of each!)

(. . . & Cabbages & Roses next line with Moda, 'Padstow Range' is equally as wonderful & will be coming in September. . .(!))

Although initially the plan was to go. . . with no sample fabrics available yet for my new line 'Hill Farm', & so then no sample quilts made with them, I decided to not go to Quilt Market this weekend. I've been keeping myself very busy in the studio. . . but not for the Market crush that usually happens the week before. . .

(. . . maybe that's why I've been enjoying my binding time!)

Actually, I've also been loving my binding,  & quilting, & stitching time - as it has been quality thinking time. . .

. . . & in the midst of life & all it's twists & turns (. . . those kinds of turns that you can't see around & you have proceed with a lot of trust. . .), I've been thinking & focusing a lot on all the blessings I have in my life. 

I am reminded of how blessed I am.

. . . & I am so thankful.

Tomorrow morning will be a photo shoot morning.

'windmills' & the one of the quilts from the 3rd 'farmhouse collection' quilts will be having their photos taken. I'm making sure they get a good nights sleep tonight & they are spread out on the guest bed so that they can be 'wrinkle free' in the morning.

So. . . more peeks (& new designs) to come!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

♥ Bren

… introducing Hill Farm

My I introduce my next fabric line. . . Hill Farm!

I can't wait to get my hands on these!. . . (from the bottom of my heart!) I have so many ideas & so many things I want to make these fabrics into. . .! But. . . that is still yet to come. It's looking like I won't be getting my sample fabrics until later this month, or the beginning of June. 

So, even though the fabrics will be a little late in arriving. . . Nireko (who I refer to as our Lecien 'angel'!) & I wanted to be sure you got a peek of them. So I took the little bits of strike offs (. . . & some were really little bits!)  that I had on hand & set up a little photo shoot - so that I could share some of the 'Hill Farm' love with you!

Hill Farm was borne out of my love for the fabrics that I remember from the vintage quilts in the linen closet that my Mom had received from my Grandmas. . . so it is a mix of florals, & feedsack, & vintage wallpaper type prints.

The colors (& the name) were inspired by my love of Beatrix Potter & the lovely color palette she would use in her illustrations. If you've visited my blog for any length of time, you've, no doubt, 'heard' me mention that one of my favorite movies is 'Miss Potter', & that I watch it. . . um. . . a lot. (Put it this way. . . I just re-ordered a second 'Miss Potter' dvd. . . as I'm wearing out my current dvd!) So, when it came to the colors - I drew colors from her wonderful watercolor illustrations. The name 'Hill Farm' is in homage to her farm, 'Hill Top' in the Lake District of England.

Here's my little peek for you. . .!

. . . the whites (with a touch of red). . .

. . . the pebble - stones . . .

. . . the pinks & reds . . .

. . . the yellows & greens . . .

. . . the blues . . .

. . . & just for fun. . . the gingham dots all together 

('cause I love 'em so!) . . .

. . . so there you go!

If you are going to International Quilt Market. . . Lecien probably won't have the fabric samples there yet. . . (as I still have to receive a couple of strike offs to give approval for. . .), but. . . you can still ask about them. . . (you never know!). Also, the fabrics are due to arrive late this summer/early autumn - so the Lecien reps will have the fabric samples as soon as they are available. (As well as Checker Distributors & E.E. Schenck. . . so be sure to ask them!). I will certainly let you know as soon as my sample yardage arrives!

Also, . . . look for some of my upcoming 'farmhouse collection' designs to be using 'Hill Farm'. . . (a match made in heaven!) These fabrics are perfect for creating a classic farmhouse style quilt. . .!

Thanks for hanging around for my introduction to 'Hill Farm'.

I hope you will love it as much as I do!

♥ Bren

… farmhouse collection

I have to admit. . .

 . . . I'm pretty excited about this. 

For about a year now,  I've been planning & working on this new collection.

Actually, the beginnings of it have been in my heart. . .

 ever since I began quilting. . .

. . . as these quilts. . . farmhouse style quilts

. . . are at the center of my love for quilts.

Farmhouse quilts are what I first knew of quilts.

They are the type of quilts that were on the upper shelves in the linen closet. . .

. . . the quilts that my Grandmas made. . . & that my Mom was trying to use carefully & lovingly.

So, I'm having the most fun, investigating, sketching, & designing quilts that are, to me, representative of those special quilts . . . 

. . . & I'm putting them into a special collection of designs,

. . . the 'farmhouse collection'.

'square dance' is the first of the 'farmhouse collection' patterns.

I made all three quilts. . . & never tired of making the design (!) It's one of those patterns that has what I like to call 'puzzle blocks'. So that when you make the blocks (this design has 4 or 5 different blocks). . . you can't really tell what the pattern will be until you start putting the blocks together . . . 

& then the final design 'appears'. 

(I love it when that happens!)

For 'square dance', I made three different sizes/options (. . .something that is a goal for all of the 'farmhouse collection' patterns), with the smallest version having the addition of some appliqué. . .

(I used fusible web for the appliqué. . . & it went faster than I even thought it would!)

Also. . .

. . . because it was so much fun the first time. . .

there is now a embroidery (stitchery) version of 'By My Hand'

I made it using one color of floss (a medium linen color). . . & I wanted to also make it using different colors of floss (like the sampler quilt). . . but I made myself stop & move onto other new designs!

. . . Oh. . . & there are also a limited amount of kits available for the pillow version.

(. . . you can find them here!)

One one more thing!. . . .

The annual 'Spring Cleaning' sale is on at the website - where all patterns & books are 25 - 75% off! (. . . & for some of the patterns. . . we are getting very close to running out & then they will be 'retired'.)

Oh. . . & just one more thing. . . .!

. . . just kidding.

That's it for today.

But. . . keep checking back. . . more to come!

Hope you have a wonderful week!

♥ Bren