I'm Back!

Man, has it really been over a month since I posted?  Huh, guess it has.  I am so SORRY I have neglected this blog lately.  But, I have a really good reason!

First of all, for those of you who do not know already, I am pregnant.  Yes, we are really excited.  This is our second.  We have a boy, and are expecting a girl.  They will be 5 years apart.  I am perfectly fine with this.  I am not due until January, so (hopefully) I won't go into labor until after Christmas.

Whew!  Now that that is out of the way! hahaha

I have also been busy coordinating our first ever quilt retreat in conjunction with the Annual Salem Days Quilt Show.  Both took place earlier this month, and both were really fun to be involved with.  Sadly, this will be my last year coordinating the quilt show, as I don't foresee being able to do it with a 7 month old baby next summer.  I took lots of pictures at the retreat, and a few at the quilt show, so watch out for those posts to be up on this page....eventually :-)


Also, in case you haven't been here for a while, or this is your first visit to the blog, please note that there are more pages across the top of the blog.  Be sure to check them all out!  There are new payment options, hours of operation, Christmas pre-booking is going on, and there is a brand, spanking new FAQ page!

If you have downloaded the old order form, please take a moment to grab the new one from the link in the sidebar.  (or you can just go here).

Hopefully I'll have lots of more fun stuff throughout the coming months to post here, so please keep visiting!  Thank you for stopping by.  And remember, if you have any questions, you can always contact me! :-)

Salem Days Retreat: AN UPDATE!!!

Have you met the fabulous ladies from Izzy n Ivy Designs?  They are so much fun, and so fun to be around! Plus, they're all uber-creative and make the cutest things!!  Their newest notion is called Sprinkles, and they are the sweetest little tags to finish off your handmade item.  They are so darling!!

 (photo from Izzy n Ivy Designs)

Well, we are happy to announce that these fabulous ladies have agreed to come to our retreat to do a little Show n Tell.  

And by Show n Tell, I mean a FASHION SHOW!   We can't wait to see all of the cute things they've done, and hear any tips or tricks that they've discovered to help you make their fun creations.

2011 Salem Days Retreat

I am so excited to be able to announce the First (hopefully annual!) Salem Days Quilt Show Kick-Off Day Retreat!!!!

It is going to be so much fun!  I can't wait to be able to spill all of the juicy details!

But, here's a sneak peek of what's in the works:

Awesome trunk shows (we are working on lining up some really GREAT guests to show off their stuff!)

Quick and Easy Make and Takes - Learn some new tips, tricks, and techniques.  Kits will be provided

LUNCH!!!  We have a yummy lunch planned for everyone!

PRIZES!!!!!  We will be holding drawings periodically throughout the day for special prizes.  Plus, everyone gets some sweet swag to take home with them!  You won't be going home empty handed, that's for sure!!

The retreat info is as follows:

Saturday, August 6, 2011
10 AM - 4 PM
Registration is $20, and includes ALL of your kits, handouts, and lunch! (such a good deal!! seriously!!)

Join in the discussion on our Facebook event page (it's a public event, so anyone can join in the fun!!)

Print off your registration form and mail it in (or bring it in in person, if you're in the area).  Don't forget your registration fee though!

This is seriously going to be so much fun, and we are so excited about it!!!  Keep checking in here or on the Facebook event page for updates!  We'll be announcing our awesome guests as soon as we get everything locked in!  It's going to be a blast!!

Revamping

Sorry I've been AWOL for a few months.  Thanks for still checking in to see if I've updated! I really appreciate it.

I am working on revamping some things.  This is taking longer than I anticipated.  But I promise, it will be great when I finally get it all figured out!  :)

Row By Row

 This cute quilt is a shop sample for Gracie Lou's.  Isn't it so cute??

I quilted a medium density meander in So Fine! Snow - colored thread.

Feathers, Leaves, and Flowers

 This pretty quilt is a shop sample for Gracie Lou's.  It took me a whole week to finish it, but I think it turned out great!  I didn't have my Nikon at work with me today, so I took the photos with my point-and-shoot that I keep in my purse.  As a result, you may have to click on the pictures to view a larger version in a new window in order to see some of the detail.  Sorry about that.  I will be taking the Nikon back to the shop tomorrow.

 In the square blocks I quilted flowers, similar to the flowers in the fabric.

 In the smaller rectangles, I added an extra layer of batting for a trapunto-look and quilted feathers.

 In the shorter, skinny rectangles, and larger rectangles, I quilted fern leaves.

 In the long skinny rectangles I quilted feathers.

I did a tiny, tight meander on all of the gray sashing.

For the meander, I used Permacore Mist (a grey colored thread), and for everything else I used So Fine! Thistle (a lavendar/purple color).

It's a New Year!

Welcome to 2011!!

Have you set any crafting/quilting goals for this year?  

Is one of your goals to finish a quilt, whether it's one you recently started, or one that's been sitting in the closet for years?

Let us help you reach that goal!

To schedule a quilting consultation, email Joanna at designsbylaurajo{at}gmail{dot}com