Project Linus is a non-profit organization that provides children living in shelters, hospitals, cancer treatment facilities, etc, with homemade blankets and afgans, made 100% from volunteers.   Their national headquarters are located in Bloomington, IL and is headed up with President Carol Babbitt and Vice-President Mary Balagna.  Their main purpose is to provide children with some sort of comfort through some of the hardest times in their young lives. 

QuiltersWarehouse is a huge supporter of Project Linus.  They make their patterns available for sale with 100% of the proceeds going straight back to Project Linus.  It would be wonderful for anyone to help out with this very worthy cause. 

In addition to purchasing Project Linus patterns from QuiltersWarehouse, here is another way that is going to be available to everyone.  This email came in to us from Judy Howard from Heavenly Patchwork.

I’ve designated  March 29  as Charity Quilt Day in which all Amazon sales of my 3 books and DVDs go to Project Linus & other non-profit charity quilt groups. (You may tell all your customers and contacts to designate Project Linus or your favorite local or national non-profit as the beneficiary).  We’re offering bonus gifts of needlework & quilt patterns, quilting
tips and excerpts from books by celebrity quilters to those purchasing books. You may include all your advertising on bonus gifts. Please respond immediately by sending patterns or tips in PDF form if you’d like to benefit from the advertising.Attached is the letter about the free advertising opportunity for you through the bonus gifts.  Attached also is the Charity Quilt Day Info to post on your website, yahoo groups, blogs, chatrooms, etc.

 Vicki and Pat, the Girls with Sew Many Visions, are about to publish their second book, Log Cabin Hope Chest, which will contain detailed instructions for the creation of 5 beautiful projects centered around the log cabin block.  Patterns included are for a bed quilt, a dresser scarf, placemats, table runners, and a lovely wall-hanging that can also be used as a dress-up for your fireplace hearth.

Our newest ideas are that we are focusing on patterns using reproduction era fabrics, and our patterns which will be out this spring that include one for a bed quilt, a wall-hanging, placemats, and valance.

Vicki has said her inspiration comes from things around her.  She recently saw a friend’s stuffed pheasant and just had to come home and try it in fabric.  That pattern will be out this Fall.  Nature is a tremendous force in her work.  But foremost is of course, the FABRIC.  When she looks at fabrics and experiments with color combinations, designs just leap into her head. 

Their next show is The Tyler Quilt Show, March 30 and 31, and our local Shop Hop on April 13-15.

Since Vicki is moving to Ruidoso, New Mexico in May, they are expanding in that direction.  There they visited two lovely shops in Las Cruces, both of which are most welcome in the area, and with which they are looking forward to doing trunk shows, programs, and classes.

Newest information from Debbie Fields at Granola Girl.

If you have been wondering where I have been, I would have to say moving for the past 2 years in 2 different locations since my Green Bay address.  I am now settled in and will be at the Rice Lake, Wisconsin address for the duration of my career and retirement.  We here at Granola Girl Designs have been working hard on desiging a whole new line of patterns and books along with up coming fabric collections.

Browse through our Natures Gallery of easy traditional patchwork and quick fusible machine applique, wall hangings, quilts, and home decor.  We have a wide variety of outdoor scenery and wildlife projects that will bring the Spirit of the Northwood’s into your home.

Our new “Wilderness Series” is a series of 8 books and fabric collections.

The 1st in series, “Pheasant Ridge”, is filled with fall colors of Bittersweet leaves, pumpkins, and pheasants in flight.  Projects of table runners, place mats, wall hangings, and more.

The 2nd in series is “Bear Country”, a summer lodge look, plenty of bear, log lodges, canoes, pine, moose, fishing, animal tracks, and pieced bear paw blocks.  Large wall size quilts and tree skirts, Christmas stockings, table runners, and more.

The 3rd in series is “The Boundary Waters”, a summer canoe trip, portage from one lake to another while seeing eagles, loons, moose, geese, fish, and float planes.  Sew this scenic view in a 44″ x 52″ wall hanging or construct into individual size projects.  There are other projects in this book including several queen size quilts.

Check out our children’s Northwood lines, Camp Kids and Hiking the Forest.  Both fabric collections are related to a scavenger hunt that will take any age child on a hunt searching for 40 favorite Northwoods finds.  Look for us at your local Quilt Shop or call (309) 944-8306 to answer any questions.

My patterns and books have been a part of the crat and quilting industry for the past 18 years, along with 10 years as a textile design artist.  You may have seen Granola Girls designs in a variety of major catalogs and publishing companies, such as Keepsake Quilting, Connecting Threads, McCall’s Quick Quilts, McCall’s Quilting, Fabric Trends, The Quilter, and many more.

Watch for my latest fabric designs this Spring titled Deer Camp.

And remember, take time for quilting and enjoy the outdoors.

Ursula Riegel sent this little tid bit of information to us.

I am teaching at our local quilt store Satin Moon Quilt Shop in Victoria, BC, Canada.  You can check out their website at satin-moon.com.  In doing this teaching I have realized that hundreds of beginning quilters have passed through my hands as I have started my 11th year of beginner classes at the end of January.

My love for teaching beginners is also relfected in my patterns as many of them are “Especially designed with the Beginner in Mind”.  (This by the way will also be the title of a Schoolhouse session at the upcoming Spring Market in Salt Lake City.)  My goal is that my patterns teach techniques in manageable projects.  They are suitable for classes, but also detailed enough for a beginner to follow at home.

Here is a list of patterns that are “Especially designed with the Beginner in Mind”:
 #144 – Sew Fast, Sew Easy
 #121 – Scrapbag Quillow
 #146 – Basketweave
 #125 – Quilted Kitchen Helpers
 #140 – A Handful of Cushion Covers
 #108 – Home is Where the Heart Is
 #132 – A Handful of Runners
 #148 – Victorian Stars

I have seen all of these designs and any would be a wonderful addition to any home decor.  Below are a few images of the patterns listed above.

Until next time, Happy Quilting

Kari

Well, I’m back from my vacation and it was so beautiful there that I wanna go back.  Actually, I got back right before the wonderful snow/blizzard hit Illinois.  How lucky am I.  Here are a couple pictures of the beautiful beaches and water from the Rivera Maya, Mexico.  Hope you enjoy them.

I came back to alot of new information that I can’t wait to share with you, so please bear with me as I get them posted for you.

Glad to be back.

Kari

Hello-

Well, is it cold enough for everyone yet?  I know that I have been dreading getting up every morning.  It just seems so cold and not worth it to even get out of bed!  Somebody please tell me when this cold weather will end and the warm up will begin?  I guess for me, it will be next week.  That’s right, I’m going on vacation this next week to sunny warm Mexico.  A friend of mine has decided that is going to be the destination for her wedding, and being the maid of honor and all, I kinda have to go.  It is such a hard job to be me sometimes!!

Some other news…Big Happy Birthday Wishes go out to Velma at QuiltersWarehouse.  If you happen to be calling in and ordering, be sure to wish her a happy birthday.

Have you seen some of the new patterns that are being introduced at QuiltersWarehouse.com.  I just took a look and it seems to me that the designers are trying to bring on Spring just as much as the next person.  I really like all of the ne patterns, but I especially like the Happy Thoughts pattern from Seams N Dreams.

I really do love the flowers….they remind me of my favorites Gerbera Dasies.  All the happy colors and beautiful design make this the perfect quilt for any room of your house.

Well, that’s it for me today.  Hope you have time to stop by and see the new patterns available from all of these talented designers.  Talk to you when I get back from Mexico!

Happy Quilting

Kari