SusanMayer

I asked Susan how the STTP series started. She stated it was “quite by accident.”  Susan was teaching classes in which she used a lot of other designer’s patterns.  She thought to herself “I can do this” and proceeded to pull out the graph paper to design her own quilt.  Her intent was to create an “amazing sampler quilt”.  But when it was finished it was, to use Susan’s words, “ugly.”  She didn’t want to redo or redraw it, so she got out scissors and tape, cut the design on the graph paper apart, taped it back together, tried a few other cuts and realized the result was “on point”.  Susan then executed the design in fabric, and it worked there also!  Thus the Straight-to-the-Point concept was born.  You can read an explanation of the technique here.

But how did Susan end up publishing her patterns?  She was teaching a mystery class based on this new quilting concept.  Her students were working along and hadn’t quite noticed that what they assumed to be the finished project was an odd size.  One of the speedier students announced “I’m finished”.  But she had a puzzled look on her face, having realized her quilt was an odd size.  The student asked Susan for help with the borders.  Susan played along and “admitted” that the quilt didn’t turn out the way she thought it would.  Susan told her, “Tell you what, let’s go to the big cutting table and see what we can do.”  The student about died…“Are you going to cut my quilt?”  Susan assured her she could fix it.  The student was skeptical and reluctant until Susan offered to pay for her fabric if she ruined it.  So out they went to the cutting table and Susan made one cut.  Susan mused “Hmm, that didn’t get us anywhere.”  She made another cut, flipped the pieces around, and Viola!  A quilt on point!  At that point (pun intended), all the students got excited at seeing the end result.  Cut away, students!

After that successful class, Susan was invited by a large guild to do a trunk show and teach her new method.  A shop owner who was present stated “That should be a pattern.”  Susan had no clue how to get started publishing a pattern.  The shop owner said she would call a publisher (she knew Ann Anderson, the founder of QuiltWoman.com).  As a result, Susan talked to Ann, e-mailed her what she had, and the next day had a contract in hand!  “It was incredible the way it happened.”

Since that fortuitous meeting, Susan has published 21 STTP patterns and 13 traditional ones.  And to think this all started not that long ago in 2006.  That first quilt was Do-Si-Do.

Do-Si-Do - A Straight to the Point Quilt

After that, Susan collaborated with Ann to come up with Contra Dance and Dance Partners.  Below is Contra Dance.  This sample was created with the “You Go Girl” fabric line by Northcott Fabrics.

Contra Dance

And this is Dance Partners.  This sample was made with the “Town & Country Flannels” fabric line by Northcott Fabrics.

Dance Partners

I remarked to Susan that some of her newer samples are full of bright colors. She calls them clear colors.  Those are not to be confused with dusty colors.  Ok Susan, spill…what are you talking about?

A clear color is one where your eye doesn’t have to pick through the contrast and values to see the design.  The design just shows up!  Pair it with a black and white fabric and the colors pop.  If you are working with dusty colors, your eye had a hard time distinguishing between the pieces.  A quilt made with dusty colors can blend too much.  Kaffe Fassett’s fabric works the best.

Still confused?  Susan distilled it down to this.  A dusty color is a muted color; it has a little bit of brown or gray value to it.  Look at white versus a cream.  The white is clear, the cream is dusty.

One of her newest patterns is Floral Path.  Susan described it as a simple quilt, one that will give the quilter a “feeling of instant gratification” because it will go together so quickly.  That is something that works for Susan.  She has found that when she is working on a quilt, designing it, picking the fabric and piecing, about halfway through and her mind is already on the next design!

Floral Path

A couple of Susan’s other new patterns are Side Stepping and Fire and Ice.  She thinks they will appeal to quilters because of this same concept of instant gratification.

Side Stepping

Fire and Ice

I always have to ask a designer how he or she generates their designs.  Knowing that Susan started this journey with a design on graph paper, I asked if she still designs that way.  “I do a combination, some graph paper and some on Electric Quilt 6 (EQ6).  If it is a totally original design or concept, she will start on graph paper.  If the design is based on a traditional block that can be found in EQ6, she will use that.

I inquired if Susan has any formal training in the arts or a similar field.  She has none whatsoever!  (There is hope for those of us who also don’t!)  She used to work with an interior designer doing store displays, so she was used to putting colors and different patterns together.  She also did custom floral designs; again she is experienced using colors.

We posted some pictures of Susan’s Quilt Room a few weeks back (see them here), and some people wanted to see what her sewing room looked like.  Well, here it is.

Very glad that Susan couldn’t see the state of my own sewing room, I asked “Is your sewing room always that clean?”  “Yes, my Studio is occasionally messy, but I do try to clean it in between projects.”  I’m envious, not only is it a studio and not a sewing room, but it’s clean.  Susan remarked that she is lucky to have the two rooms (her Quilt Room and her Studio).  The quilt room originally “was just a room.”  Susan decided she needed to have the quilts out so she and others can enjoy them.  Most of them fit into the room.

I was curious as to what sewing machine Susan uses.  It is a Bernina aurora 430.  She bought it because of the BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator).

Bernina aurora 430

Susan did admit she doesn’t do any machine quilting but does her own piecing.  She just doesn’t enjoy the machine quilting (she is mortal after all!)  Susan found a quilter who does beautiful custom work, she just hands the quilt top over and doesn’t even have to tell her machine quilter what she wants.  Having seen Susan’s quilts in person, I can attest to that.

What’s ahead for Susan?  If you look in Fabric Trends Magazine on page 11, the Do-Si-Do pattern is featured for Northcott Fabrics.  She has a free pattern available from Clothworks for their Midwinter’s Garden Black and White line.

Midwinter Garden

In addition, Susan is hoping to be at the Spring 2010 International Quilt Market in Minneapolis.

Susan does teach, present trunk shows and guild presentations. She is more than willing to travel!  You can get more information about where she’ll be and when at on her website.  Susan is located in Washington State, having relocated within the past few years from San Jose, California to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren.

• The show was very positive – everyone was busy.  Recession?  What recession?
• Rick-rack was popular, embellishing everything!  “Everything old is new again?”

• There were still lots of brights and dots.
• We did see some new colors emerging – purple – like eggplant, towards the reddish, in all shades.
• How about zippers with bling!  Just imagine.
• There were tons of new patterns, including ours!
• Fabrics are more and more contemporary.  We didn’t see a lot of retro.
• Machine embroidery in quilts was popular (Check out our line of 4-in-1 quilts that feature spaces for embroidery.)

• Paint sticks and Stenciling – lots of it!

• The AccuQuilt GO! was once again popular.  They introduced another new set of dies.  They include baby-themes, funky flowers, and a holiday medley.

• Kid’s clothing patterns were everywhere!
• Contemporary square in a square quilts seems to be in every publication you picked up.  Most were done up in batiks.
• A popular color was a particular shade of green, like this.  It was visible in fabric, in people’s clothing, on tote bags…it was all over!

• We also saw gray…lots and lots of gray.
• There was not much paper piecing around.  Has its popularity waned?
• Finally, there was no word on what Mark Lipinski’s next venture will be, although a lot of us were speculating.  Mark was at Market and had a new fabric line with Northcott at this show.  He will also have fabric at the Spring 2010 Quilt Market.  We’ll have just have to wait and see what transpires.

And this concludes our Fall 2009 International Quilt Market reporting.  QuiltWoman.com will, of course, have a booth at the Spring 2010 Quilt Market in Minneapolis,  May 21 – 23.  Our staff is already making plans to make our booth a real must-see.  If you are a store owner, make plans to join us!

It has been almost a week since we returned from Quilt Market.  It has taken us that long to get our various affairs back in order.  The orders we took at Market are now processed (Thank you wonderful customers!), the dirty laundry has been washed, the pictures pulled off the camera, etc.  It’s time to share some of the sights of Quilt Market.

Quilt Market had 20 aisle of exhibitors.  Yes, TWENTY!!!  It takes a major effort to see everything.

The fabric companies all have huge booths that span aisles.  They easily took up most of the real estate.

I spotted this quilt in the Northcott booth.  It’s our Stoneworks pattern by Ann Anderson using Northcott’s Stonehenge fabric line!  It was like finding a friend unexpectedly in a crowd.

But Market is not all large booths.  The QuiltWoman.com booth took up 3 spaces.  We had so many new quilt patterns, we opted to display posters of the patterns and had the quilts themselves piled on the chairs.  We refrained from crawling under a table with a quilt to take a nap…although we were sorely tempted.

At the south end of the convention center is the quilt exhibit.  This is just one small (very small) corner of it.

And at the north end is the food court.

This is the MASSIVE baked potato I had for lunch one day. It was VERY filling!  They also had massive taco salads and wonderful BBQ.

There are book signings and give-a-ways galore!

And let’s not forget the quilting celebrity sightings.  Here’s Amy Butler (in the long pink and white coat) in her booth.

And here’s Alex Anderson (on the far left) giving an interview.

And what’s this?  Why it’s our own Nancy Dill (far right), owner of QuiltWoman.com, hop-nobbing with Ricky Tims, Alex Anderson and the AccuQuilt GO! team.

We are currently tabulating the trends we saw at Quilt Market.  Those will be in our next posting.

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Time to head for the show floor…yet another day in Houston!

Sample Spree is an opportunity for all to buy products below wholesale prices.  It’s a way for manufacturers and publishers to get their goods into the hands of the store owners at a very reasonable price.  Of course, the hope is by putting their products into your hands, you will buy more.

A Sample Spree veteran knows that getting there early is key.  It’s held in a big ball room at the George R. Brown Convention Center.  We arrived an hour early and there is where our position in line was.

In line 1 hour early

This is how long the line was behind us before the doors open.

Latecomers

There actually are 2 lines, both meandering down the convention center hallway in both directions.

The other half of the line

It’s a festive atmosphere.  You immediately bond with your fellow Sample Spree attendees.  You admire each others totes, and projects get pulled to show your new BFFs what you have made.

Bags

No wonder Carole and Barb look so happy!

Carole & Barb

Then suddenly, the noise level rises and the doors open!!!  Inside the vendors are just as excited.  Their flashes are popping as they take pictures of the excited shoppers.

The doors open

We are getting closer.  it only takes a couple of minutes to get in…but that Moda table is calling us.

Getting closer

And chaos ensues.  I was so busy scoping out the deals, this is the only picture I got once inside the room.  I have no clue whose table it was; I just know there was an excited crowd around it.

Shopping Chaos!

When I was done with my shopping, I found this scene outside the ballroom.  There is a smattering of people waiting to get in.  These are the poor individuals that neglected to purchase a Sample Spree ticket early on.  They are on “stand-by”.  But the majority of the individuals are the patient spouses guarding their loved ones treasures while they shop some more.

Are they done yet???

Here’s a sample of what treasures I got! Some great fat quarter bundles from Warm Fabrics, full 1 year lengths from Art Gallery Fabrics (our own Jen Eskridge is helping them produce their patterns), and finally some Snap Sack Kits…each bag contains a full kit…fabric and pattern.

My haul was small compared to some shopper’s…..very small.

Sample Spree is an experience one is not likely to forget.  It’s fun, a chance to commune with your fellow quilting enthusiasts, and a great chance to replenish your stash.  If you ever come to Quilt Market, it’s a MUST DO!

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We left Western New York yesterday evening and had an uneventful trip to Cleveland, Ohio. Today has proven to be anything but uneventful. We have discovered that after many, many hours on the road, you see some amazing things and somethings you just want to shake your head at.

Going over the Ohio River in Cincinnati was nice.

This building in Kentucky caught our attention. We had found an 80’s rock station by this time. Perfect for traveling!

Then we spotted this barn! Very cool and appropriate. What block is that???

We all got a chuckle out of this “mobile home.”

It was now lunch time. We have had enough of Mickey D’s already, so we decided on a Cracker Barrel. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to one. We almost didn’t get beyond the gift shop! And of course, we had to try out the rocking chairs on the front porch.

At the point we started to get punchy and couldn’t remember what day it was. Seriously!!! So we grabbed a post-it note and stuck it on the dash. Problem solved.

Then it was time for another bio-break. We pulled into a rest area and one of us really had to use the facilities. Unfortunately, six buses of Seniors pulled in and unloaded just before our arrival. No way were we even getting near a rest room. We were laughing so hard, we forgot to take a picture.

But we were closing in on Nashville. We were just making the turn to head West towards Memphis when we came upon this group of bikers. They had 2 police cars leading them, a tour bus behind them, and about 20 bikes inbetween. One of the bikes had the license plate “GUVNOR” Govenor??? Of Tennessee? No way. I need to Google that one.  (Sorry about the buggy windshield!)

Then we started to forget what state we were in. Seriously. This was our third state of the day. And between trying to remember where we were, and where we were going and where we might stay, the mind was reeling. Our solution? Pull out the post it notes again.

But we do appreiate the speed limits outside of New York State

It was time for another potty stop in Bucksnort, TN.

When we pulled into the gas station, this building worried us for a minute. We did find a flush toilet inside the gas station. Phew.

We decided to skip the pinball museum.

As I write this, we are cruising into Memphis where we will spend the night. The sun is setting and so far it’s been a 13 hour day for us.

But the light is at the end of the tunnel. We’ll be in Houston tomorrow night. So while our families are enjoying the cold damps days in the Northeast, we are breaking out the shorts! You will know us by our pasty white legs.

I want to be her granddaughter!  I have a feeling I’d become the black sheep of the family really quick after I “accidentally” packed one of her quilts in my suitcase.  But being ostracized would be so worth it.

I can pick out some of the quilts that were the cover models for her QuiltWoman.com patterns.  I wonder if any of her about-to-be-published patterns are represented in the room.  I’m going to have to study these images more closely.  I see a couple of quilts I don’t recognize!

Barb wearing the Quiilter's Tool Belt

QuiltWoman.com is very proud to announce the publication of two new books, both by Barb Sackel.  They are Cascade of Quilts and Cascade of Quilting Essentials.

The inspiration for both of these books is the fabric line Shade Cascade by Karen Combs for Blank Quilting.  This fabric gradates from light to dark across the bolt, with each stripe being 11″ wide. It is useful in piecing as well as appliqué. It gives a realistic look to appliqué patterns and is great for creating illusions when piecing quilts.  It also solves the problem of “finding” a light, medium and dark fabric within a color family. It’s all there within one fabric!

Shade Cascades designed by Karen Combs in Teal

Cascade of Quilts

Cascade Chain

Barb has built upon Karen’s fabric line, with a selection of quilts that build upon these varying values.  My absolute favorite is Cascade Chain, shown on the cover of the quilt.  If you think it’s gorgeous in print, you should see it in person.  My high school daughter has already declared that is the quilt she wants me to make for her when she goes off to college!

Through The Looking Glass

Also in the book are wall art quilts that really make use of the varying shades.  To do this book justice, you really need to see all the quilts featured in the book on the Casade of Quilts product page at QuiltWoman.com.

Cascade of Quilting Essentials

Barb has also designed patterns for you to create quilting accessories.  In Cascade of Quilting Essentials, you will find a multitude of projects to make any quilter happy.  It includes a Quilter’s Tool Belt (some of us will be wearing ours at Quilt Market in October), storage bags for your rulers and cutting mat, a fabric bag (to haul your stash), and a Go Green Carry All Bag.

Projects in Cascade of Quilting Essentials

Just imagine what you can create for youself, picking the color pallet of your choosing.

All in all, Barb has done a great job of putting together a number of fantastic projects for a fantastic fabric line.  Both books can be purchased at QuiltWoman.com.

Toby Lischko

I had the pleasure of talking to one of our designers, Toby Lischko, a couple of weeks ago.  I first met Toby at the International Quilt Market in the fall of 2008. She was kind enough to help us out in the QuiltWoman.com booth for a few days (for that, my aching feet and I will forever be grateful), so I knew Toby was a wonderful person who designs beautiful quilt patterns for us.  It was time to talk to her as a designer.

We started talking about how she joined the QuiltWoman.com team. Back in 2002, QuiltWoman.com was looking for new designers. Toby responded by showing us a few of her designs and she has been with us ever since. In fact, back in 2007, Toby’s pattern, Mosaic Magic was the featured quilt on the cover of a QuiltWoman.com publication.

Mosaic Magic

It has been Toby’s best selling pattern ever since, along with Royal Gems.

Royal Gems

It’s always interesting to get into the head of a designer and see what inspires them; what sparks an idea that turns into a quilt design. Toby told me, “The fabric talks to me.” I was polite enough to not ask what the fabric says. But seriously, Toby explained further that the fabric leads her to consider what kind of design would further enhance the fabric’s theme or design. For example, she just worked with some Americana fabric for RJR. This fabric “told her” it required traditional blocks and it went from there.

Her favorite activity in the quilt design/sewing process is creating the actual design. She likes to use Electric Quilt 6 and is often designing before she goes to bed. It seems her brain never turns off. She’ll go to sleep thinking about a design and in the morning the final version of it is fairly clear. She’ll get up with the finished design in her head and then work on it until she is happy with the results. Sometimes she has to drag herself away from the computer to finally sew the quilt!

Discussion of Toby’s favorite activity in the sewing process led me to ask about her least favorite (and we all have one). For her, it’s the actual quilting process. She often has to rack her brain to figure out what design to quilt on the project. Now doesn’t that make the rest of us mere quilting mortals feel better?

I just had to ask Toby about her Zen Garden pattern.  I can honestly say that, in recent memory, it is the largest quilt QuiltWoman.com has ever had to photograph. This king size beauty took up most of the wall in our photography studio. Toby related how she loves Asian fabrics and this quilt is no exception. It is a large quilt and would take some time to make, but it definitely would be worth it!

Zen Garden

Toby has done some designing of miniature quilts (that’s another word for “instant gratification” in my vernacular). I asked if there was anything different in that design process. Toby said, “It has to be in scale. You need to be able to look at a picture of a miniature quilt and have no idea whether the quilt is big or small.” She has designed miniature quilts that are traditionally pieced, paper-pieced, and strip pieced.

Toby admitted to not particularly liking to do appliqué quilts. However, she knows that there are other quilters out there scared to death of appliqué so she teaches a beginning machine appliqué class called “Fast Easy Appliqué circles (or what she likes to refer to it as Appliqué for Dummies”). She also teaches beginners and advanced quilters. The beginners are her favorites; she likes to teach them how to quilt correctly before they acquire bad habits.  She has taught children; having taught How To Make Shorts a long time ago, but now her favorite children to teach are her grandchildren. Both (a boy and girl) have sewn their own first quilts. She had them first design the quilts on graph paper. They got to sew them on her sewing machine, and then she let them “doodle” on them with her long arm.

Toby is certainly staying busy. She continues to design patterns, both for QuiltWoman.com and for various fabric companies. Her patterns can be found in most of the major quilt magazines and as free web patterns on many of the fabric company websites. She wrote her first book St. Louis Stars, published by Kansas City Star Quilts.

St. Louis STARS by Toby Lischko

She also loves to travel and is available for workshops and lectures.  She has taught at the Houston Quilt Festival and will be teaching at Machine Quilter’s Expo in April 2010. Her QuiltWoman.com patterns can be found here.  Her class list and more information can be found on her website at www.gatewayquiltsnstuff.com.  Plus Toby has a Facebook Fan Page.  Check it out!