posted August 20, 2024 6:00 PM by Lorna Shapiro
A warm hello to all of you as the end of summer approaches and we switch modes into the coming fall season. It always seems that summer flies by and I'm somewhat saddened to see the end of those warm, sunny days. At the same time, fall always brings with it a renewed sense of enthusiasm for my indoor pursuits and excitement about the new quilts that will emerge in the coming months.
One favourite quilt of mine for which there was a lot of enthusiasm at my Quilt Canada booth was One House, Two House, pictured here.
I had a request to assemble a set of mostly textured fabrics to make a 2024 version of that quilt. The fabrics are shown below. If you'd like to order this custom version of the kit, you can do so here:
Some new fabrics have found their way into my studio of late and I'm starting to make plans to use some of them in a new quilt. They are a collection of Zen Chic and some Marcia Derse prints. Here's a photo of what's arrived:
Some inspiration from my wonderful customers:
As is often the case, I've had a number of creative customers drop by or send me photos of projects they've recently completed. Since I get so much enjoyment out of seeing each of these projects brought to completion, I thought I'd like to share some of them with you, along with some lessons learned that the creators shared with me.
First off is a set of simple log cabin blocks Marie-France made from fabrics that she created herself with natural dyes and a variety of fabric printing techniques. I found her folk-art fabric creations quite delightful and thought that her choice of a simple log cabin block provided a perfect setting for these whimsical fabrics.
Here's another photo of a quilt Sue T. recently finished. She made it using a pattern of mine called Flowers and Showers. I thought what she had to say about quilting it was a good lesson for all of us. She said:
"I put off quilting it for 2 years, I was afraid of all that negative space. But then I decided it would look so much nicer on my bed than hanging in the closet!"
Cynthia just completed a queen size version of my custom Pathways kit, available on the website. It looks beautiful and she was pleased to have a quilt that was good for her nephew
.
Krystyna was over with a quilt top she had finished using a wide variety of Asian print fabrics that she had collected. My eye was drawn to an area of interest where, it turns out, she had needed to improvise because she didn't have a piece of fabric big enough for the spot she was filling. Instead of panicking or rushing out to find more, she simply pieced together bits of fabric until she had the size she needed. The result is more interesting to my eye than a predictably pieced block. Have a look.
Some inspiration from the CQA show in June:
I took very few photos, just of quilts that particularly inspired me in terms of design ideas. Here they are all together, a gallery for you to browse:
This was the best T-shirt I saw at the show:
My granddaughter finally finished the quilt top!
Many of you have shopped in the studio over the past year as my granddaughter's quilt was v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y coming into existence. I'm SO pleased to say that she finished the top and it is now ready for her to start quilting. Here's the finished top -
As you can see, she is very pleased with herself! The design was hers with the exception of the fox, which was a paper-pieced pattern from Etsy.
Freedom 75 Announcement!
I've finally concluded, with some help from my husband, to set my upcoming 75th birthday as the time for closing down the in-person part of my business. As you know, I've been slowly dropping aspects of the business over the past few years - shows, in-person speaking engagements, workshop teaching have all been phased out. With some encouragement from Vic, I'm setting my upcoming birthday, February 3, 2025, as the date for closing down all in-person shopping. I do this with mixed emotions. You know how much I've appreciated the sense of community and the learning opportunities your visits have provided. But I'm also now ready for more freedom to just be spontaneous in our activities.
So, I'll be reducing my inventory somewhat over the coming months. The studio sale dates I've set are these:
September 14 & 28
October 5 & 26
November 2 & 23
December 14
January 11 & 25th.
The sale days will be open for drop-in between 10:00 & 4:00. I'll announce in the week before, what will be on sale... so just watch these posts.
I will also be doing some online sales, one a month, on the first Saturday of September, October, November, December and January.
If you'd like to come by and shop in person before then, don't hesitate to book your visit. You can do so here:
Sending you all my best wishes for an easy transition into the fall season. Thanks for being part of my quilting community...
Lorna
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