THESE LITTLE WITCHES WENT TO MARKET

Three little witches spent 14 days in Houston, Texas.  We had a great time, met lots of new quilters and saw a lot of old friends.  Janice and I invited a dear friend, Carol, to come and help.  (We worked her so hard, she may not come back).  

I have been feeling a little grey this year, as you can tell from our walls, our aprons, even our floors.  Here are some of the pictures of our booth.  Hope you enjoy.  

As you can see, right down to the floor, we wanted to make sure you knew who's booth you were in.

I grabbed out my chalk and had some fun drawing on the walls.

Probably the most  exciting new item we have is our new book, SIMPLE CHOICES.  All the quilts in this picture are in the book.  And sooooo much more. 

Janice has better handwriting than I do, so i asked her to write the name of the book across the back wall.  So according to my instructions, she wrote SIMPLE TIMES four times across the wall.  About an hour later, we realized that the book was called SIMPLE CHOICES.  Can we say brain freeze.

We displayed the pillows from our book TOUCH OF WHIMSEY on this cute baker's rack.  They were a hit.

We had this cute little lady displaying some new and old bags.  The red one with the giant numbers is brand new, we call it "The LUCILLE Bag."  Pattern coming soon.

Take a peak at two new quilt patterns, REVOLUTION and HARD DAY'S NIGHT.  Better pics will be posted soon.

Here is the final new quilt, HANKY PANKY with one of our favorite designer fabrics, BASIC GREY.  The fabric will be out next spring.  Can hardly wait.

This was our final new pattern.  An adorable bag called "The MARY JANE Bag".  First time I had done large gromets.  So easy, so fun.

We stayed for festival, the retail side, a five day show, if you have never been there you need to come some time.  We through up one new quilt, a remake from our GOOD DAY SUNSHINE pattern done for Christmas.  Check the website, http://www.abbeylanequilts.com/  to see this pattern and the pillow book. 

So that's a quick tour.  We are busy getting the website loaded with the new book and patterns. 
Have a great week, it is nice to be back, and a special shoutout to our dear friends over at ME AND MY SISTER, this one is for you.

Janice and Marcea

INSPIRATION IS THE STARTING PLACE

First, let's start with a giveaway of one of our books, TOUCH OF WHIMSEY, offered by one of our friends, Kelly Jackson on her blog, I HAVE A NOTION.  She has a great blog full of ideas, and the ideas she had with our pillows were so fun.

We always ask you to send us pictures of your finished projects and we get so excited when you do.  Here are a couple of your finished projects using our patterns.  The best part for us is when you use our pattern as a stepping stone for your own creativity.

Here is the email we received:

Hello!



At the end of the pattern you asked for pictures. Well, attached is a variation of the Clarabella bag for summer. The quilted part of the bag is the dissapearing nine patch. What do you think?

Love your patterns.


Sincerely,
Tracy Standhart
Schoharie, NY

Thanks Tracy, I loved it so much, I asked if she would make me one.  Here is our version.

Next we got this email:

Hi, Ladies!


 We met at International Quilt Festival in Houston. I love your patterns, and attached you will find two pictures of the "Bungalow Bag." I call this one "Lilac Spring."


Anway, the beaded handle was a good color match and I bravely added a zipper. I am tickled pink (or should I say lilac) with the way it turned out !


Thank you for your inspiration!

Anny Heiberg
Galveston, TX

Thanks Anny,  and how great that she named her bag.

Joyce Dove of Granville, Illinois sent us the picture a long time ago.  She said she would be making more Bungalow Bags so hopefully we will get more pictures.

Finally, a lady came up to us at Quilt Market in Salt Lake City to show us her version of the BUNGALOW BAG.  She added gromets and a big flower and used one of my favorite all time fabric collections.  We were so busy I forgot to get her name, but I did get pictures.

This is our version.

Last, and I think my favorite.  We got this picture from QUILT SAMPLER, a shop in Tulsa.

This group of ladies belong to RUBY'S REMNANTS FAMILY GUILD and this is what they did at their retreat.  The hat pattern is in our BLOOMING POSSIBILITIES book.  I just can't stop smiling everytime I see them.

Inspiration is just the starting place.  We hope our patterns give you a little inspiration.  See them all on our website, http://www.abbeylanequilts.com/

More sharing next time.

Janice and Marcea

WINNER, WINNER, WINNER AND A NEW BABY

So much news, so little space.  Let's start with the Winners.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to check out and comment on all the new pillows. 

The pillow with the most votes was RUFFLES AND ROSES.

 












The WINNERS of the TOUCH OF WHIMSEY books are:

(The numbers are from the random number drawer)

#4 - Country Color Creations


#91- Quiltma

#100 - Peaceful Piecer

So, winners, if you will email us your addresses, we will put the books in the mail. info@abbeylanequilts.com 

If you just have to have a book, and didn't win, head over to the website, http://www.abbeylanequilts.com/ and check it out.

The next exciting news, Janice has a new grandbaby.  This is number 4, all boys, poor Janice.
Born to her oldest daughter Carolee, name pending.

And the last big news, my youngest son flew in last night from Florida.  I haven't seen him in over a year.  So fun to have him in the house, and the first thing he is doing, folding Abbey Lane patterns.  It is definitely a family business.

Have a great weekend.  Janice and Marcea

GET A TOUCH OF WHIMSEY

What better way to introduce a new BOOK than with a new GIVEAWAY.  We had a crazy spring, new projects for market, the new book and a huge deadline, and in the middle of it all, I stopped and make a holiday pillow. It was fun and fast and immediately made it's way to my living room couch.  So it hit us, let's do a PILLOW BOOK.  We got our delivery from the printer the day before market.  The book was a big hit. 

A TOUCH OF WHIMSEY has 12 different decorative pillows.  From holidays to decorator, the pillows are quick and easy, and a great way to use up your stash or your favorite new fabrics.  They have fun textures and embillishments too.























We have color pictures of all the pillows throughout the book.  Here are a couple of samples.

 






















These are two of the pillows, all 12 are pictured on our website which brings us to our little contest.

Three winners will each get a copy of the new book, A TOUCH OF WHIMSEY.

THE RULES (if you can call window shopping on the internet a rule)  Get up to five chances to win a book.

1 - Head over to the our website, http://www.abbeylanequilts.com/, go to the shopping page and click on the Touch of Whimsey book.  It will take you to the page with all the pillows.  Pick your favorite and leave us a comment telling us which one by name.

2 - Tell your friends about our little contest on your blog.  We love going to your blogs to find out more about you.

3 - Become a follower of our blog. If you are already a follower, just let us know. 

4 - Add us as a friend on FACEBOOK.  Just look up Abbeylanequilts. 

5 - Tell your friends on facebook about our little contest.

That should do it.  We will pick the winners next week after the holiday.

Here is the back cover with a shot of all the pillows.

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.

Janice and Marcea

AFTER MARKET RESOLUTIONS

So, do you think it is odd to make a new year's resolution in May?  So here's my list.

1 - Post more often.

2 - Share more recipes.

3 - Have more giveaways.

4 - Highlight great tips and gadgets.

That is probably enough.  Let's see how I do.

Now, as you probably already know, Spring Market in Salt Lake City just finished up.  For us, it is like a giant family reunion.  We have made wonderful friends over the past couple of years and it is so fun to catch up.  The good news and the bad news is we were so busy (that's the good news), that we didn't get to see everyone and I didn't get a single picture of anyone (that's the bad news).  I did get a few pictures of our booth so here goes SHOW AND TELL.

The most exciting news first.  We won the booth award for BEST MERCHANDISING.  All those hours painting paid off.  There were so many fabulous booths, we were thrilled and very humbled.

Starting from the top, We found these great letters to hang above our booth.  Wanted to make sure everyone knew where they were.

The awesome painted canvas floor.  It was a big hit.

Couldn't have done it without NELLIE.  This is Janice's daughter and she came to help.  By the way, that is a baby bump, she is due with her first little boy in just 4 weeks.  We were so excited to have her there.

The back wall, and A TOUCH OF WHIMSEY is our newest book.  12 decorative pillows.  We will have it ready to sell next week and yes, we will be having some fun giveaways.

One side of the booth with the FAB FIVE book which made the MODA TOP 25 BOOK LIST.  There is also a sneak peak of a new quilt with Kate Spain's new collection coming soon.

Finally, our other wall with a metal center to hang the patterns and my personal new favorite quilt featuring Basic Grey's new line, Curio.

It's good to be back in the blogging world, and I will be keeping my resolutions.  Next week we will debut the new book.  Unitl then, have a great week.

Janice and Marcea

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE ????

Woke up to this beautiful white site this morning.

5 inches and still falling.

 It's ok, though, because I am getting ready to work on Christmas projects.  Yes, Christmas in March, that way, you will have new projects for Christmas in July.   We have been checking all the new Christmas fabric collections for this year and there are some beautiful choices.

Today is a show and tell post.  We love it when we get pictures of projects you have made from our patterns.  Like a proud momma watching her babies.

THE MAGGIE MAY from Nann Reed

Here's what she had to say, "Here are some photos of Maggie May bags. I like to pander to current fashion while maintaining a whimsical feel, so I combined pink cheetah fabric with bold stripes and polka dots. The grey bag was created from cotton batik fabric and strips cut from items I found in the thrift shop, like neckties and an extremely flamboyant housecoat. Thanks again for the lovely pattern!"

And here are her pictures



Check out the beautiful decorative stitching on the handles



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Next, MATCH BOX from Gerry Gray
 
She sent us these pictures a few months ago, and this is what she said "Finished the binding today. Yeah~ Here are some pictures. Of course my two year old has to be on the quilt. The material is "Adoring". I used a Merry Christmans script as the background fabric, since Adoring is such a subtle Christmas print. Hope you like it.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
And last for tonight, our good friend Lucy Moory sent us this little note.  She was using the FAB FIVE book.  Lucy writes, "had to show you and tell you.... I LOVED how easy your Fab 5 quilt goes together! I'm making more!!!!!


Thanks!

She used her own fabric line, PACIFIC TRADE WINDS, head over to her blog and check it all out, http://www.thedrizzledapple.blogspot.com/.

Here is the FAB FIVE book

This is the pattern we did for Lucy's fabric line.  It is called ROCK AND ROLL.

Thanks again for all the pictures.  Keep sending them.  Check out all the patterns and more on our website, http://www.abbeylanequilts.com/.

Have a great week, Janice and Marcea

ALL DOLLED UP

So is it tooooo late in the year to make a new year's resolution?   I just noticed the date of our last blog.  I resolve to write more often.   In our defense, though, we have a great reason.  We are doing a STASH BOOK, the really cool ones that are published by C&T publishing.  We finished the first draft yesterday.  While that may not sound like a lot, it has 32 projects which we have had to design, sew and write the patterns for.  Then we had to transfer it into a book language format.  The projects all get shipped next week.  It doesn't come out for a while though, so no more information for now.  Just needed a good excuse for not writing.

Now I have a great excuse for WRITING.  We had an email from our friend Amanda Herring, The Quilted Fish last week.  She has put together a fabulous idea for spring market which is in Salt Lake City, Utah.  It is called ALL DOLLED UP IN SALT LAKE CITY, and it involves quilts and prizes and a whole lot of fun.  She invited Utah designers to take a basic paper doll template and using one of four Riley Blake fabric collections, create a 10" x 12" block.  She had such an overwhelming response, that there are enough blocks to make two quilts.  The quilts will hang in the Riley Blake booth.  All the participants will also have their block in their booth, and here where the fun starts, yes, a BOOTH HOP.  Get a stamp from all the participating designers, and you get a chance to win one of the quilts, or numerous other patterns and projects that each designer is donating.  All the details and updates are found on a special blog, www.alldolledupinslc.blogspot.com/.  There is also a list of all the designers with links to their blogs.

So, now more justifying as my son would say.  I got the fabric for the block on Friday, but because of the book, couldn't even start until Saturday.  Amanda needed the block on Monday.  Actually, she remembered that even though we are officially a Florida company, yours truly lives in the Beehive state.  We are so glad she remembered us, even last minute.  Not sure how long everyone else had, but i assure you there are some amazing blocks.  I risked life and limb to get the block to Amanda's Monday.  There was a huge snowstorm and I was stuck on the freeway in a blizzard during rush hour.  It was worth it though, because I got a sneak peak at some of the blocks.

Let me show you a couple of pics of our block.  I used the Love Birds collection.  It has beautiful bright colors.  The doll is tall and skinny so I needed something to feel the space.  Of course, what is more us than flourishes.

 She had to have blonde hair, of course.  Now to the face.  I painted it on, yes that is paint. 

I did try numerous clothing designs, but decided on this cute little dress, great leggings, and a fabulous pair of chunky green sandals.  When it was done, I really liked her.  It felt just like our style.  I can just see myself running around in that little outfit, simple, but flashy.  Now the fun starts.  Checking out all the other designers blocks.  Most of the ones I saw looked just like their maker and they showed off their interests and talents.   It was so  fun to see so much personality and variety in a paper doll.  Just can't wait for the finished quilts.

So here she is all finished, kinda.  I embroidered Abbey Lane Quilts in blue floss after I took the picture.  I'm going to make a Great Big Block for our booth at market, and I think there are going to have to be two

blondes.

I will start posting pics of some of the other dolls.  If you just can't wait, head to the blog and see what your favorite designers have created.

P.S.  Not sure when, I think after market, the patterns to make all the doll blocks will be availabe free on each designers website.