Tulip Time,Doodles,Thimbles,Quilted Cars,Girl Scout Quilt BadgeYour color fix and Zoie

I'm leaving for the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Worchester, MA and have all my kits done and just about everything packed to go. Here is the 3rd class I'll be teaching called "Tulip Time". I love this class. It is always a "cheer-me-up" type of class after a long cold winter!

My mom likes to make some of my designs in a different color and since she loves pink, what better than a pot of pink tulips! I'm a little behind in my doodles for my word doodle group over at Jaye's blog, but none the less, here is my doodle for the word "SPRING". I didn't have anything in mind, just pulled out my sharpie black marker and colored pencils and my mind led my hand to draw vines, leaves and happy flowers....oh and that silly little Spring bird! Please come join us over at Jaye's and doodle away with us, just click on Clara the Cow icon to the right of the pages!!!

Close-up

I loved putting the little happy faces on these flowers....it makes me giggle. I just may make a happy little spring quilt from this.

And this is how the doodle began...by me just writing "Spring" a few times till the drawing came out from my head and through my fingers.

I hope you look at this little graphic! The colors in itself inspire me and the simplicity makes me happy.I truly do hope that something little you may see today or tomorrow will inspire you to make something....anything....everyday!

I am still on my quest to find different, funny, bizarre, comical, 3-D thimbles from you. Do you have any? Do you know someone that collects thimbles? I need your pics!!!! I am working on an articles about the different thimbles out there and I know that there just has to be some very exotic, not so norm thimbles out there. Oh...and if you have the largest thimble collection out there...let me know that too. Email me linda@lindampoole.com

Ask your neighbors, your aunts, uncles, relatives, guild members...anyone!!! I can only do this with your help. More info on the previous post.

I am fascinated in just about everything. I especially love when people and groups do that one thing that is "over the top"....and my hat's off to these amazing, adventurous people who made these quilted car coverings!!!! I wish I could only see them in person.

So....if it's three layers and quilted....can you enter these in a quilt show???

And I guess if your stranded and it gets cold...you can just peel this off and snuggle under it??

This must be one "quilty" event in this town...you can even see the quilts hanging from balconies!

Did you know that the Girl Scouts even have a "Quilt" badge? They have a project called "Quilt-It"...click here to check it out.I was a girl scout and I remember how hard I worked for my badges and how exciting it was to receive them.

I just had to share this with you. I think these little felt acorns are adorable. I especially liked that the felted part was put into real acorn caps! Oh...and a little weird "Linda" trivia.....I can take an acorn cap, press it to my lips and whistle through my fingers with it. Can you?

How many of you have ever painted quilt designs on a chair? Send me a pic and I'll post it when I get a few!

YOUR COLOR FIX FOR TODAY

NINE PATCHES...that's what I see on this sidewalk...how about you?

Zoie's quest to find a "Big Girl" food and water bowl

Disclaimer: Zoie's mom takes no responsibility for the opinions of this little big, long puppy corgi. All remarks are solely Zoies. Linda knows you may own some of these doggie bowls...but again...these are the thoughts, opinions and remarks of Ms. Zoie.

Hi there everyone. Mom and I have been discussing my bowls. On the 17th, I am officially 7 months old and I think it's time I get "new" dog bowls. I am still eating out of my puppy bowls and I make a mess. I need bigger bowls, but mom says I need special ones, pretty ones and she hasn't been doing a thing about getting any. Maybe you all could give her a push to get her tush out there and buy me some??? You can see by my picture that I am growing, not taller but longer....and I am "ready" for some new doggie bowls. Here are some that mom is looking at. I'll let you know what I think of them.

Now would you eat with a big painted picture of a human in your dish?
OK....it's a cute bowl, but every time I get to the bottom of my food, I may frighten myself with looking at another dog. Just put a mirror in the bottom of my bowl and it would be the same as this one.

Mom likes this one. Again, would you eat with a big human hand print in your soup bowl?? I know I'm a pup already, I don't have to be reminded.

I already told Mom "NO" to this one....it looks to much like my stuffed animal and I would get in trouble if I started to play with it.

I'm in trouble enough these days!

I think this would be more appropriate for mom when she is serving Margarita's to her friends. Mom squealed when she saw this one, and then reminded herself that I would gnaw on the lime. Funny how silly things amuse you humans!

Again.....scary. I would finish up my food and then I get to see another dog with a bone. Not gonna happen. I am the "ONLY" dog who gets bones in this house!

I already know the difference between "water" and my "food".

It's a no brainer to us dogs!

Mom LOVES these bowls and I do too. Her only problem is picking a color. I say she goes for the orangey one since it's her favorite color and the light brownish one for my water.....what do you think???? Now all she has to do is go out there and get them....sigh....maybe if I keep making a big mess with my food, she'll get the hint that I'm ready for a big dog doggie bowl!!! ~Zoie

Thanks everyone for stopping by my blog. I really love finding some of the unusual things out there and bringing them into your world. If you like my blog, tell your friends to stop by. You can always sign up to receive my blog in your email or be a follower....it's all on the right side of this page and please leave a comment if you like! Be good, have fun and go create something!!! ~Linda

Puppy quilt assistants,I need your thimble photos,Your Color Fix,Finishing the Kits,Quilt Cars,

When I find something good, I like to share it. I love this post....enjoy!

Zoie takes her quilt assistant job very seriously. Her main job is to "just be." Ya know...to be good, to be-have, to...just be. It's the best job a puppy quilt assistant could ever have. But lately, she thinks she should be a little more involved when I take pics of the quilts or quilt tops......somehow she thinks she should help model them......sigh.

What I did for the past few days.....cutting, cutting, packing, winding thread, winding bias tape,copies and more to make the fully loaded kits of "Floral Delights" for the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Worchester, MA next week.
I love picking the fabrics (I always pick a few choices of fabrics for the kits so that you have a choice of what color vase, flowers and leaves you would like to use.) It was a fun kit to put together.

And look....you can see the violets in full bloom too!

ANd here is what the finished kit looks like! I always make a few extra kits for just in case. If I have any left over after next week and you would like to be on a waiting list for one, email me: Linda@lindampoole.com
And thanks to those that purchased the extra Dolphin Kits!!
This is a great class to teach for quilt guilds. I usually don't make the loaded kits and it's great fun to see all the different variations the members come up with.


I NEED YOUR THIMBLE PHOTOS AND STORIES
I am on a quest to find the most funkiest, weirdest, strangest,tallest, tiniest, beautiful and out of the norm thimbles you may have. I am gathering info for an article and presentation. So if you or your friends have a thimble story and own some of the bizarre thimbles out there....email me and send me a pic.

Do you only collect a certain theme? Have you visited somewhere and purchased or were gifted something "different? Did you inherit or find a thimble with a story behind it? I'm just looking for anything thimble related that would make great info. Ask your quilt guild,sewing,crafty friends out there for me.

Do you think you own the largest thimble collection ever or display your thimbles a little differently? I need your photo!! So, go tell your friends and family that I am looking for their thimbles. Help me out !!! I'm looking for nostalgic, beautiful, funny, political, 3 dimensional....well you get the picture! Oh....and if you've made a quilt with a thimble in it....let me know!!!
May I be so bold to ask that if you have a blog, would you plead on my behalf, okay...you don't have to plead, you can send them to my blog to read the details. Now wouldn't it be fun to see for yourself the thimbles I gather to show???

What Zoie does when I quilt,work, blog, cook.....
You've all met Zoie by now. She's full of energy and growing fast. She is the most loving little pup I could ever have. She listens for the most part, but sometimes.....

Mom's blogging again...ho hum....boring. Since I'm 7 months old now and growing, I need my sleep....on the pillow of course. I'm really not allowed here, but I can hoist myself up when nobody sees me.

I think I just got snagged by mom. Maybe she'll let me stay?

Ok,Ok Mom....I'll get down...but don't you have to go back to your blog??? Do I get a treat if I get down? No? hehe...I'll be back on my nice comfy pillow when she leaves.

YOUR COLOR FIX FOR TODAY

YAY for the Quilt Float!!!
We have quilt shows and airing of the quilts, so why don't we have "Quilt Parades?" I think it would be a fantastic idea for Nat'l Quilting Day. What a beautiful, colorful and fun parade it would be!

A solution on what to do with all that stuff you don't know what to do with!

Do you have a bazillion gloves that you don't know what to do with??

CAR DESIGNED IN GLASS MOSAIC TILE QUILT DESIGN

Ron Dolce is an Oakland, CA artist who spent 18 years adhering mosaic glass tiles to this 1969 VW Beetle. It all began by him covering over a dent. All I can say is that I would love to see him make a real live quilt after looking what he can do with design and color in tiles....oh....and this man can surely embellish too. I love the license plate.

NAIL POLISH QUILT DESIGNED CAR

Jill Bell from Urbana, MD is a quilter.....a die hard quilter indeed. When she saw a dent in her Saturn she painted a band-aid over it.After the winter passed and the painted band-aid survived, she thought she would like to repaint her entire car in "nail polish". YIKES!!!So for the next 13 months she gathered nail polish from anyone that would donate it to her. (Now that's a lot of nail polish girls!), She decided to paint her car in a patchwork theme. My hat goes off to Jill....that is one serious quilt loving gal.

Happy Spring,A Tutorial on Making a Quilt Class Kit and Color Fix

HAPPY SPRING!!!

I think it's here....oh please let it be here!!!

Enjoy the pic I took last year of these gorgeous tulips and the quote I added to it

I'm taking a little break from making Quilt Class Kits for the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Worcester, MA on April 16,17 and 18th 2009.

Click here, scroll down a wee bit till you see my name, and then you can see the classes I am teaching there:

Tulip Time, Floral Delight and Dolphin Dance

As quilters, we sign up for a class we can't wait to take. I know that when I take a class and pay for my kit, I sure do hope it has everything I hoped for.....from soup to nuts and some. I would like to share the "birthing" of how I make my fully loaded class kits and perhaps it will give you an insight on just what is done to prepare for a class from a Quilt Instructors perspective.
One of the classes I will be teaching is "The Dolphin Dance" one of my favorite classes. Who doesn't love Dolphins?

Everything begins with the selection of fabrics. Yes, I hem and haw over what I think will be a good choice and just as you sometimes can't decide, I can't either because of all the wonderful choices of fabrics out there. Once I choose, the cutting begins after measuring what sizes will be needed for every single piece in the kit. So I cut, and cut and cut some more until every single fabric is done.

I like to label my fabrics. If I am standing in front of the class talking about the under belly of the dolphin fabric, I want you to find it "fast". I print out on my computer all the labels for your fabrics in the kit and pin them on. (Tape just doesn't cut it)

I begin with the biggest piece, fold it neatly and pin a label in place.

I go to the next fabric, fold it, pin the label and start layering the fabrics on top of one another.

This is what all the the cut fabrics look like...layered,labeled and ready for you to use.

I like to use large bags so that the project can be put inside neatly for you to go home with. I label every bag with "you" in mind. What things do you need to know on that label? My name would be a good start! hehe. My email is on there in case you need or want to email me with a question or just to chit chat or tell me you liked the class. My website is on there and I now have started to put my blog address on it too....what better way to keep up with what's going on with your instructor!!!. The labels are printed, cut out by scissors or paper cutter and then they are all taped on.

All my instructions are photographic tutorials. I designed my patterns to be very visual, because that is the way I would like to get a pattern. They are either printed off from my printer or I usually have volume printed at my printer, collated of course.

Each set must be checked and stapled.

I always include the master pattern inside in case you want to make more than just one, so just like above, they are all stapled together.

I am pretty sure that everyone knows how to trace, so I have the project already printed on the freezer paper just waiting for you to get your hot little paper scissors out to start cutting. I cut the bottom corner off so that you won't get confused between freezer paper and master pattern.

In a class where "Everything" is included, the thread must be provided. I carefully shop and pick the perfect colors to coordinate with the chosen fabrics.

I included paperclips, I wouldn't want your dolphin to be without a fin or underbelly, so the plastic coated paperclips hold them together for when your ready to sew. Why the plastic coated ones? Because they tend to not get snagged or rip the freezer paper.

Inside your kit you get a glue stick cause that's the method I teach and the "special little toothpicks too.

If the class is hand applique, you'll need an applique needle. I buy those felt pieces in the craft section of the store, cut them into little squares and weave your needle into it. The felt also helps you not lose your needle!

And from the printer, I pick up your full size pattern.

The "Dolphin Dance has some stars in the sky. The strands are separated, measured to the size you'll need (I always measure more than needed in case you want a very starry sky). Each strand it rolled into a little circle so that it doesn't tangle.

Of course you'll need a color picture with your project

That brownish paper you see isn't dirty or burnt. If I am lucky, my mom's friend gives me the wax coated board that separates the truffles she sells. Yep...truffles!!! Hmmm...I never get the truffles, just the wax board. The board is a great surface for you to glue on. It wipes clean and can be reused. I wipe each one clean before I cut each one in half and put it into your kit. Again, they go in your kit if the "Truffle Lady" had a good truffle selling week! Otherwise, I insert a piece of cardboard into your kit.

Presentation is EVERYTHING. I put my kits together just the way I would like to receive one. I like to see what my fabrics are first, so they are in the front of everything along with the colored picture. There is a method to all of this. In class, I go through everything inside your kit before we begin. (Ya never know if I was packing up a kit close to midnight. Just in case, and it rare, if you are missing anything, I travel with spares of everything)

So, this kit should be perfect for you to take on your travels too. It has everything you will need. I hope you enjoyed the "birth" of a class quilt kit!

Every quilt instructors kit will be different. We all have our way of doing things and put a little piece of ourselves into the kit. If you can' take a class from me, "The Dolphin Dance" is also a pattern that can be purchased at my website...(fabric not included).

And....I just couldn't leave you here without .....

YOUR COLOR FIX FOR TODAY

I need to get doodling again in hopes I can put a doodle up on my next blog entry.....I would love to hear from all of you...