It’s Round Robin time again for my daughter’s quilting/fiber art group, the Fiber Divas.  Each year they try something new as they each contribute to one another’s work in Round Robin format.

Beth has described the Round Robin project at her Meandering Threads blog.  Each member chooses a shape and theme.  She cuts the shape into six portions, one for each member.  Eventually, when the quilters gets all her pieces back, including the one she’s doing, she puts them together.

On this same post, Beth also shows a picture of an ATC she recently exchanged in an online project.  Are any of you still making ATCs?

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In a previous post, I asked, “Were Any First Ladies Quilters or Needleworkers?”  I haven’t discovered any yet, but I’m still researching.

However, there were some quilting blocks named for a few First Ladies and their official residence.

• White House Rose
• White House Steps
• Dolly Madison’s Star
• Martha Washington’s Wreath
• Mrs. Cleveland’s Choice
• Aunt Martha’s Wild Rose (Would this, by some stretch of the imagination, be named for Martha Washington?
• Ladies’ Delight (I suppose this could be for all the First Ladies.)

There must be more patterns for the White House and the First Ladies.  I’ve only begun my research.

Although I write about quilters and various events they may be involved in, I don’t have personal contact with everyone.   One reader wanted to know if I could tell her if a quilter would be in her shop on specific days when the reader was visiting nearby.  If so, perhaps they could meet.

The best way to find more information about quilters you’re interested in is to visit their web sites and blogs.  If they have a shop or gallery, and you know the name and town, see if you can find that web site.  It often will give you schedules, a phone number and e-mail.

Quilters’ teaching and workshop schedules often are posted on various web sites that list events.

Many quilters and fabric artists have developed their craft into an income producing business.  Or they would like to. 

My guest post at Susan Gunelius’ Women on Business blog gives you 10 Tips On Finding Time for Your Home Business.

Whether you’re balancing a quilting business, writing business, or even a non-quilting business, I hope you find these tips helpful.

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When you start a quilting related business, whether providing services or selling products, you always wonder what to charge.  Should you start out lower than the competition because you aren’t sure if you’re as good as others?  Or should you charge what everyone else is?

If you’ve developed a reputation for yourself already, you definitely can get top dollar when you begin a business.  But what if you’re fairly new and don’t have a household familiar name?

Jean Murray discusses this topic at Home Biz Notes, Should New Home Business Owners Charge Less?  Take a look at Jean’s post and see what ideas you come up with about charging in your own business.

Remember - Don’t downplay your talents and abilities.  Keep in mind what the market will bear in your area.  It will differ in various parts of your country and the world.  Also, figure out your costs/expenses so you don’t lose money.

How have you worked out the “charge factor” in your business?

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We’ve often discussed tea drinking and tea parties here at Quilting and Patchwork.  Often quilters like a cup of tea while working or gathering with others.  Tea and tea parties was popular in my family when we visited one another.  My grandmother, with whom I made my first quilt, always had a cup of tea at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

The word’s out that Obama drinks tea, particularly organic berry tea, rather than coffee.  So, the possibility that tea becomes an even more popular beverage looms before us.  What about tea parties?  More of these, too?
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Happy Valentine’s Day!

 
May this be a special day for you. 

We have been enjoying Valentine’s Day flowers, cards and candy.  This was a fun day at school yesterday with the Valentine parties.  Today the children in our household are enjoying it, too.

Have you been busy making any quilting and patchwork decorations for Valentine’s Day celebrations?

As I was browsing blogs today, I found a unique birches quilt at Crafter by Night and just had to share.  I was particularly struck by the colors…turquoise, tan, brown, beige and white. 

Miriam’s quilt isn’t finished, but she shows us some “in progress” photos.  Perhaps you’ll be inspired as I was when viewing the birches quilt. 

I also subscribe to Miriam’s blog so get to see many of the crafts she does.

Even though the snow is still deep here in New Hampshire, the air is warmer, ice is melting and days are getting longer. Spring is on it’s way so thoughts of gardening become frequent. In fact, you can’t find snow shovels and ice melt in most of the stores. They’re stocking their garden supplies.

Gardening is a stress reliever for many people and quilters are no exception.  Some find this a creative outlet for their energies as well as quilting and fabric art.  I know my daughter does.  Also, gardens often serve as inspiration for quilters and play a role in their designs.  (For instance, think of Grandmother’s Flower Garden, an old-fashioned pattern.)

I grew up on a farm where a large garden was necessary to feed children, hired help and other family members. Throughout the years, Jim and I’ve had gardens in several of the many places where we’ve lived.

I even wrote a gardening column for a magazine for awhile. So…I’ve begun a gardening blog and thought it would be fun to explore this realm of writing once again.

If you’re a gardening fanatic, or simply would like some more information, memories, and fun reading, join me at Gardens Green & Glorious.

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Asian fabrics have a distinctive appeal…colorful with swirling designs, often utilizing native flowers, apple blossoms and Oriental figures.  Kona Bay offers many of these appealing fabrics, as well as other information for quilters.

Also, here in the US, we don’t come across so many magazines that give us first hand information about quilting and fabric art in the Hawaiian Islands and other points of the Far East.  Asian Fabric Magazine offers insight into quilting and quilters of that part of the world.

You also can sign up for the free e-mail Kona Bay Quilters Newsletter, as I’ve done, to keep in touch with Hawaiian and Asian quilting.

Why don’t you share your Asian quilting experiences with us, whether you’ve been to the Far East and experienced quilting and fabric art there or you simply enjoy the designs and fabrics to try at home here?

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