Blue Nickel Studios

admin August 29th, 2010

yes, I signed up for ANOTHER project, but this one isn’t a swap so I won’t be in as much trouble if I don’t get it done on time.  I joined up with this grouping       over with my friends at the Fat Quarterly....You can sign up too for a fun project and “group” across the miles fabric therapy session. 

I don’t have time for this as I am wrapping up my Doll Quilt Swap 9 Project  (TODAY I hope!) and started the Hoop Upswap (but I have til November!) as well as a couple other projects you will be hearing about too…probably fairly soon I think.  I just finished up another LONG run of days in a row at my DayJob, so not much has happened in the studio…..which is why you will have to put up with these leftover pictures from our vacation where Linda did this....and actually none of are the beach….cause I just couldn’t subject our good camera to that environment…so they are mostly of the wildflowers I picked on our walk BEFORE Linda broke her leg…...

 Here is a shot with the wonderful Castle Peeps Bag that I just barely scored at Quilt Market this last spring.  I love this bag and the line….I have just played with it a little, but I am working on a few things where it is popping up more….

And then here are some more shots of the flowers on the front porch.  You can tell it has been a cool summer.  Normally at our friend’s beach house in July these wouldn’t have looked so lush.  I love the cottagey feel of them….

         
So that actually is all the good pics of our Summer vacation…didn’t get any really good ones of the kids..they are such sourpusses when it comes to pictures.  One of these days, I will get some better ones of them and let you see them again. I really do have 3 amazing kids, even though I have very little prood (other than an empty wallet and full calendar, that is)....

Off to the studio….I REALLY have to start cleaning up there before Linda gets back up there when she is out of her cast!!

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admin August 1st, 2010

you know I should have mentioned this a long time ago, but quite awhile back, Konda of MooseQuilts asked for peeps to sign up for her Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt-a-Long, and I made it aboard the Jelly Roll train.  But I was the last block on the journey, and well….all my other projects “helped” me forget about it…..But the last block is showing on Konda’s blog this coming week, because I got it done just in time…  Here are the three versions I did up for the Sampler Group.        

I had so much fun doing these actually, that I came up with 3 different layouts in 3 different color schemes within 2 days, and I have decided that they will be among my first PDF patterns to come up for sale in online shops this fall/winter….all three layouts in one pattern, pretty good deal, yes??

So part of the deal is that there are prizes involved with this Quilt-a-long, and Konda is offering prizes over at her site, and I am offering this prize of a Hello Betty Jelly Roll in the same colors as the middle picture. 

 Just drop a comment here and tell me what your favorite new fabrics or patterns (or whatever quilty thing you love) are this year.  I will do a drawing on the 10th of August from all the comments.

Thanks for stopping by, and don’t forget the Name the Prop Girl Contest here....Contest entries will be closed on the 5th of August Midnight Pacific Time.  Great prizes to be had on that entry as well!!

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admin July 1st, 2010

So I have been doing the Doll Quilt Swap for about 5 rounds now….this could be my last as the rules have strictly said if you are late on this one…You’re out on the next one….

and yes, I think they made that rule because of me…..I don’t think I was on time sending on any of them…I did great quilts, and my swap buddies TOLD me they loved them…but I was a bad swapper in regards to timeliness….I have til the first of September to get this baby done….I think I can do it…

The above picture are some fabric who have come to interview for the position in the quilt….the books are for inspiration….I get inspired by these two books a LOT….

Here is my sketch and some more fabrics….       The butterfly fabric is from Australia….and I do love it…my swap buddy loves purple and autumn and modern quilts….so I think somewhere in this we will find a good one, yes??
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I also just sent out a bunch of these  for the Siggy Swap set up by the fabulous Julie Herman!! 

Here are mine in the process.

Here they are waiting for their white middles….     I had to go specially buy it…I don’t just have plain white hanging around here..

and here with their mid-drifts…  

I did this swap just cause I thought it would be fun to have all these signatures from all these folks across the globe, in really modern fabrics, and just to have a simple quilt that is just for me to throw over when it gets chilly…..kinda like its been here in the NW this summer….seriously….my neighbor has a fire going tonight…on the first of July!!

so that’s it for today….
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then the upcoming news….

I have some quilts coming out in magazines again…about 4 this late summer and fall I think…as they get published I will let you know… I also have some more free patterns to post here, I just have to get my butt in gear and do it..I’ll let you know….

and this fall?? I hope to be getting some patterns available for sale at your local quilt shop or on some online shops….ok, it may be next spring…we’ll just see how that goes, okay?  One day at a time, right??

And if you ever want to have me come share my quilts and stories at your local guild, just let me know…I love to talk about this stuff ….just ask my wife and kids!!  I am a pretty cheap deal for the moment….until I hit it big-time...

And yes….. I did just put that last link in there….   I love the 80’s…...you’re welcome….  

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admin June 23rd, 2010

Okay to start with….yes I am very “kinetic”.....that is my PC term for my sporatic flow of information, blather, and prizewinning packs (which is to say they are still waiting by my desk to be mailed  in the mail…)   And no, I haven’t drawn for the Anna Maria packs yet….but probably will later today which mean that post should be following…

But this post does relate to the Delightful Mrs. Horner in some way.  I just wanted to quickly share these blocks that I made for Anna’s Rainbow Around the Block project. (and any of you who keep a blog know that “quickly” share is a joke figure of speech…taking pictures, downloading pictures, readusting and cropping pictures never goes quickly enough, but posts without pix=boring in my book)

 I had a great time playing with fabric on these blocks with absolutely no concern for accuracy or anything….just fun…and going to a great cause too…

I dunno about you, but I just don’t give enough back to the world I think…..

And it is such a beautiful world to not give back too….

Someone had to do it….

maybe you can make some blocks too…  

Just follow the link for more info…

And have a great day playing for a great cause….

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admin June 7th, 2010

Hey you all!  thanks for all the great comments here lately….it is good to know that I am not completely writing to the wind….  I think I actually do have some more Quilt Market posts to do…but I really needed to get things caught up around here….So I posting this post tonight and with it another set of  prizes.  And while I am typing this I am printing out all the comments from the last 3 or so posts that had prized attached and will be announcing them tomorrow or Wednesday in another post.  I don’t really have a lot of time tonite to post either, but I wanted to share with you some more highlights from Market…

First on the list are the Westminter Laminates….these are just incredible.  When I heard about them, I definitely thought of thick bulky oilcloth….These are NOT that material!!  They are very pliable and sewable it seems…       

 And to prove it…Look at this!!  Ruffles! out of Laminate!  Can you believe it?  I couldn’t ..even a rosette.  Everyone MUST try this now!!  Really….

Back over at the Seven Seas booth where all the fine Japanese Imports were….were these cool little kits….aren’t they the yummiest assortment??  

And little wind up felties…too cool! 

And Heather Ross’s newest Line with Kokka….Far Far Away II.... 

But the REAL highlight for me was meeting and chatting numerous times with Anna Maria Horner....  

This lady TOTALLY amazes me.  She designed all these fabric and these projects….and she has 6 KIDS!! From 18 to 1!  AND she is as sweet and genuine and thoughtful as she seems in her blog.   I would have to say that her blog is my very favorite for the way she mixes family and design and pain and laughter.  My heart is often stirred by her musings on parenthood.  It is such a wonderful and difficult and ultimately fulfilling and draining  life work…and Anna Maria captures it all …..surrounding it with beauty as she goes….including her now famous Quilt Market Spring ‘10 shoes!

Here she is smiling on the last day just as much as the first day!!     

Yeah, I really enjoyed meeting her here at Market.  My first quilt for Free Spirit was for her Good Folks line,  and then I did a Flannel Little Folks quilt  last year for Free Spirit too.  I have emailed her on numerous occasions, and generally made a pest of myself…and she was still nice to me here in Minneapolis!!

And then there were her equally charming and beautiful model/assistants…. Allie with her Incredible Red Locks and Charming Smile…

And Alexia with her Stunning Snow White features and Gentle Grace….

One more thing before I go to the prizes for this blog post.  Anna Maria lives in Nashville, and saw many of her neighbors lose much during the flooding they had there this Spring.  So she has this going on to help…I will talk more about it later, as I am psyched to help out on this project.  But I wanted to make sure you knew about it as well if you felt inclined to help with the effort.

And Anna and I put together these little gifties for 3 lucky winners….A free pattern from her newest book Handmade Beginnings and some of her flannels and prints….and two little notebooks…(the third prize gets a little extra flannel)...   

For this project why don’t you tell us all about your first memory of something that someone made for you as a child…not bought in a store, but made by hand or with their hands for you. And when we get somewhere between 30 and 50 entries, I will start drawing names randomly.  

And I promise I will get winners of all the previous prizes announced tomorrow evening my time (Pacific) so if you are on the East coast it may be later for you….

Are you still enjoying these market Photos??  I still have an SD card full of Floral pictures from around the Blue Nickel Studios here to share that I took before Market…so eventually you will get to see them too…

Thanks for dropping by the Blue Nickel…..see you soon!

Scott

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admin June 2nd, 2010

Yes, here are more Quilt Market moments via Blue Nickel….Here am I with Amy and David Butler….I barely met David, as I heard he was mountain biking the whole time and only came to take down the booth….yes, Amy is still smiling on Sunday at the end of this very busy 4 day event.  For new and upcoming peeps like me, its fun…for Amy, I am sure it is very hard (but fun) work…  

More Amy Butler beauty…..the pillows are a new pattern coming out…the walls and the paper flowers are her new line Soul Blossoms coming out later this summer…..I think August is when it will be available…  

and Amy’s cool shoes….yeah, I know  I’m a guy and as a rule we don’t care too much about fashion, and I must admit I don’t know much about fashion per se….but these were pretty cool shoes…even though I got them in transit….  

Most everyone has posted about the New Rowan Yarns coming out in ”Amy” colors.   I must also admit I  don’t now much about fashion….but I do know that my daughter squealed when she saw these legwarmers…call it the 80’s in me, but I thought they looked pretty cool too….

 Amy, deep in thought, probably about how long will it take to get all this stuff packed up…...    

My favorite picture I think ….I know I am going to love this line…..  

Here is Amy’s marvelous team  Mallory and Diane…...Diane pretty much runs the place so Amy can be…. well…Amy….(I can’t wait til I have someone take care of everything for me….and I don’t mean at the Nursing Home, okay??)   .......And Mallory, who was pretty quiet, is the new kid on the block I think….and as sweet as can be….

Since Soul Blossoms isn’t on fabric yet…they were showing it in paper on these great giganto flowers…....

I must say talking with Amy off and on during the  Market was just so wonderful…Truly she is remarkably unassuming and very “real”....  I could have been talking with her in the grocery store over the apple table in the vegetable department…not a discouraging thing about her….She was even giving me advice on some of the things I am striving to do…Not like a  Know-it-all, but like a sister sharing with her brother…..I feel like I could have gone to high school with her, and even though I really barely know her, Amy made me feel like an old friend.

And here is just another wonderful designer who just lives one state away down in Oregon….Valori Wells.   Valori has been designing for some time now, and was RAISED in the quilting business, so I love talking to her as she really KNOWS this world inside and out.

I just love the quilt behind her and these bags….      

Here is her new line Nest ….....    

And here is her gift to one of you!!   3 patterns and some Nest fabric…possibly before you and even get it locally….but I just read some of it is shipping out now….

So to win this Valori Wells prize pack….why don’t you tell me something you like about birds or a story or a poem or something else….and then when I get to 25 comments….I will start looking and reading and (here’s the tough part)....pick my favorite bird “moment”....so make me laugh or make me cry….the one that resonates with me most will win…..

Don’t forget that there are prizes to be won still on my last 3 blog posts as well…..and I haven’t drawn on them all yet….one might be over the 25 comments already, but you can still throw your name in the hat.  I don’t have the time to choose them all tonight or tomorrow….so I will see what the status is on Friday evening and see what needs to be drawn and who will win what….AND…don’t forget the next few posts will ALSO have prizes…so if you don’t want to miss them you can sign up  on the left under “Subscribe” and you can get email announcements when I post….I don’ t send out junk mail, and it isn’t linked to anyone else sending spam….so you only get stuff when I post…

I am really looking forward to hearing your bird stories….(oh, and did you notice, Amy had birds up in her booth as well)...so this was a good theme for the post, I think….

Cheers,

Scott

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admin May 31st, 2010

First I want to start out this post by announcing the winner of my first round of prizes from this post  AND THE WINNER IS …..

eileensideways who said….

one of the quilt patterns above look like mail slots and the border surrounding looks like ribbon weaving in and out. such talent, such creativity.   

Susan (eileensideways) already sent me her mailing address cause I let her know via Twitter that she won.   I have another prize to give away on that post but it needs to get up to 50 comments,  so if you already commented send someone else, or if you haven’t please do and you can win the second of these two prize packs:      

Susan will have coming her way next week, and I would love to send another one away.  And don’t forget there is still a different prize to give away at THIS post....LOTS of giveaways here peeps…share the news cause sometimes, there will be a certain number of comments required to give any of it away! 

Now on to more quilt market photos….again no particular order on these, and if you are really bored with these, you can scroll down to the end where the prize for this post is waiting.

Patricia Bravo at Art Gallery Fabrics....wonderful stuff!  With yummy new things coming up!

       
A cool runner I saw done up in Moda Odyssea ....wonderful…

Here is Bonnie and Camille’s newest stuff….love the red and aqua combo’s!!

and from Riley Blake Designs:

And then something completely different—— Terrie Mangat and her booth…just love the riot of color here!!  super nice lady! I missed the class she had been teaching that I had hoped to get in on, and she gave me the pattern and some hints and a few supplies..I will show you when I make it…it is somewhat of a soft sculpture project….She has another colorful line coming out this fall with Bees!!  I love me some bees…especially non-stinging fabricy type bees!

A nice little origami type shirt display of some new Japanese fabrics distributed by Clothworks...

Of course I was delighted to see my quilt so prominently displayed at the Robert Kaufman booth…and I HAD to take a picture, didn’t I?

Okay now for today’s prizes…..yes, I said prizes….I have multiple….

One of these:      with surprises inside….

A set of these:   

And for you vintage lovers a set of these gems:      

So you know the drill by now…comment here on THIS post about whatever you like best on this post….and when I get to 25 comments I will start drawing. for the above prizes…..I have a goal here people…and it really isn’t too big of one I don’t think….cause I just love giving stuff away…and these were all given to me to do just that so they are here for the taking…I mean I could keep them I suppose, but I want to share …..

Don’t forget to keep checking the past couple posts too and the next ones coming up…I have a great little package that Valori Wells gave me, and some Anna Maria gift packs, some other doodads,  and even a book giveaway coming up as well…so stay tuned…okay??  And if I am really boring you already PLEASE tell me….I will move on with things here….

I really had a great time at Quilt Market, can you tell….tomorrow I have to go back to the Day Job….sigh…don’t think it will be nearly as thrilling for me…just more of the same…but don’t get me wrong.  I am very happy to have a Day Job that can help pay for things for now…these quilting career goals of mine don’t just happen overnight. They take time….thanks for hanging out with me, while things unfold. I really appreciate your visits…..

Much quilting/fabricy love to you,

Scott

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admin May 30th, 2010

I decided to paint the bench that I refurbished….uh 2 years ago….and well do a little quilt market prep at the same time.

hmm…blue spray paint…..a bunch of nickels…..what can be done about that??

Dots!!

And a bunch of Blue Nickels to giveaway (and switch out in the concession stands at Market! if you happened to get one of these at Quilt Market from the concession stand contact me at bluenickel5 (at) earthlink (dot) net…and I will tell you how you can win a fabric-y prize! )

And now onto the show:

We’ll start with these Moda Ringleaders!  I saw this red tutu from miles away, and I had to grab a photo for my daughter who is into the gothic lolita look…  I did not catch these lovely ladies’ names in person, and I had the “cheap” camera with me, so I can only tell by closing in that on the right in all black we have the Lovely Erin, and on the left in the red tutu we have the Lovely Someone ending in “y”    Corrections are gladly welcome at anytime!  This booth was all the Moda finished goods and as always they had great stuff! 

  I met the lovely Kathie Alyce who has a new book out with AQS….neat stuff…I have more pictures of Kathie’s work….next post okay?  Kathie used to work for the post office, she told me.  She also told me that they told her she smiled too much….uh..yeah, I can see that good thing she got outa there!

Here is my friend Patty Young in her booth….she won a second place prize for it…I really don’t pay that much attention to that, but I was happy for her and her husband Jon, they build this booth together….I think she is talking to another famous designer, but I am not sure. Didn’t meet her…..Patty’s new line includes a bunch of knits…knits don’t do much for me personally, but apparently they are really good quality knits from everything that I was hearing there.

And then here are some more random shots in no particular order….but all drew my attention multiple times over….but notes taken?  uh…well no, not really….so I leave  others  to tell you all the detail stuff …..  

AND here is the first prize pack for the quilt market giveaways that I scored for you…BUT I still don’t have enough comments on the previous post giveawayto give that prize pack away….and I have more to give away in the next couple posts….so come on, my blogosphere buddies!!..help get out the word on these prizes.  This prize includes what you see here, plus a surprise fabric pack that has yet to be made up.  To win this prize identify as many of the designers represented here in this picture.  The more you identify, the higher your chance of winning.  I will do this drawing next weekend (June 5th or so) or when I get 25 comments whichever comes first.  And don’t forget, if you commented on the last post, you can’t win one prize until I get 25 comments or the second chance prize until I get 50 comments….so to help yourself win, you have to give others the same chance.       

  Here is another picture of this prize in a less glorious setting with the fabric bundle going with it: 

   and yes, I am giving away Scissor fabric…that is big for me, I love that print, and it is not easy for me to share, but I will      ...so I hope you enjoy…

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admin May 26th, 2010

I cannot believe it has been 25 days since I posted….I think that is a crime in Blogland, isn’t it? At the very least a misdemeanor. I am freshly back from Quilt Market, and had a marvelous time meeting some people for the first time and some all over again, and some of the people I met for the first time I had know for years here in the blogosphere…

For an excuse, I offer the following pictures of what I was working on for Quilt Market…3 quilts …didn’t I say I wouldn’t do that many at once LAST Market?  Yet I succumbed…  one I didn’t have to deal with the quilting or the binding, and so I did that one on top of the two I committed to earlier in the season..yet, they still came to be done all at the 11th hour…I think it was that real life thing cutting into my time, and oh yeah, a slight bit of procrastination on my part?

Here are the quilts and their pix in no particular order:

the line Free to Grow by Nancy Mims for Robert Kaufman fabrics…..

And The line Brady Bunch by Michael Miller Fabrics:

And then the Boys Will Be Boys quilt by David Walker for Free Spirit Fabrics...(that direct link may not yet work as I don’t think it will be available for a few weeks still?)

and yes, in this last picture, that is a skeleton peeking in on the left….my doll-maker wife  needs things like that for proper proportions you know. 

The patterns for these quilts should be available online for FREE eventually. I will post links here when they are, and I would love it if when you do one of my quilt designs, if you join the Blue Nickel Studios group page on Flickr and post a picture of your creation there.

And now that I have got you caught up on what was happening around here before Quilt Market ..... tomorrow I will post about my time at Quilt Market, who I met, some actual pictures at Market, some upcoming news (although pretty much everyone has posted about it by now!) and you’ll like this part…some giveaways…quite a few actually…

And so let’s start things off right for the end of May here at the Blue Nickel….with Giveaway #1…..when I get up to 25 comments here on THIS post (that’s 25 comments for 25 days), I will give away a scrappy package with a little bit of all the fabrics in these quilts….okay you twisted my arm, when I get up to fifty comments I will giveaway two scrap packs!! 

Come back tomorrow for some more of my ramblings, pix, and giveaways too, okay??  see ya then!!

Scott

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admin April 17th, 2010

Okay so the Easter decorations are still out, and there are apple blossoms on the trees up front, but I am working on this:

Okay so does anyone else find this selvedge snippet funny??  I think I must frame this somewhere it makes me laugh so much….but that is  probably only funny to textile geeks like me (and you if you think its funny too, I don’t require that you do, just so you know)        (oh, and the Robot Cake sketch…that’s for a certain fabric/quilt designer)  subtle, huh?  This said designer also blogged about the video that has totally captivated me all week….will take a lot to top this...

  This Christmas quilt is going to be for a magazine this fall, so I can’t show much more than this on it, but I am thoroughly enjoying these Michael Miller Christmas prints…while I was in the studio today, I thought about this postcard I have from way back in college in the early 80’s….       

 Its sentiment and statement still crack me up and resonate deep inside my spirit….  

And truth be told, I am not just working on the above Christmas quilt, but I also working on this pink/grey/yellow number for Robert Kaufman Fabrics for Quilt Market coming up….you can see bits of it here mixed with the Christmas strips….

and waiting in the wings is this project for Free Spirit…..

okay, so today I am just so swamped I can’t think straight….and yeah, I didn’t throw the links in for the fabric companies…you’re smart, you can go Bing it or Google it or something like that…

I am still getting over the fact that the postcard mentioned above is almost 30 years old….but I am sure in that cases, that I couldn’t have been older than 3 when I picked it up in college…....  sigh 

Gotta get back to the studio…I am think Deck the Halls music will be in order tonite….

maybe next post, I will get the Easter pictures posted that are sitting on my desktop….maybe…

Keep Happy Peeps, Keep Sewing!!

Scott (that’s me!)

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