Hi, my name is Peg Spradlin.  I’m a home sewer for Quiltmaker and Quilters Newsletter magazines and have been for the past 20 years.  They’re great magazines and I’ve enjoyed every project sent my way—big or small, challenging or easy.

I’m a great believer in learning from other quilters and have sharpened my quilting skills by taking classes from some of the best in the industry—Hari Walner, Diane Gaudynski, and Sue Nickels to name a few.  I also teach classes nationally on all aspects of quilting, including machine quilting, foundation piecing and applique.  A complete list of my classes is available on my website at handicraftsbypeg.com.

Also available, for a limited time on my website, are decorative hooks made from

fine flatware that may be purchased and used to display the miniature crazy quilt

Christmas stocking ornaments (a design of mine) that are patterned in the Nov/Dec ’09 issue of Quiltmaker.

I’ve also designed a quilt block, Spring Blossom, which is being included in the

new Quiltmaker publication “100 Blocks from Today’s Top Designers”  (on sale 11/17).

Look for my shadow applique calendar holder which will be featured in the Jan/

Feb 2010 issue of Quiltmaker.

We decided to use some of this year’s beautiful holiday fabrics to make aprons and we’d make Christmas cookies in our picture. Of course, we decided this the day before photography. We looked through the holiday fabric we had in our studio–and found enough current fabric to make the aprons . . . well, Diane and I found enough to make aprons as long as we stayed behind the counter.

We bought disposable hostess aprons to use as our guide–several of us discovered those aprons could not be ironed.

We used the following fabrics:

• Winter Friendships from Marcus Fabrics
• Have a Sheri Berry Holiday from Northcott
• Bejeweled from P&B Textiles
• Forever Christmas from Red Rooster Fabrics
• Holiday Fourish 2 and Summer from Robert Kaufman

If you’d like to make full-size aprons (instead of our fat quarter bibs) here are some guidelines and a picture of Carolyn in her complete apron.

Materials:

• 1 panel at 33.5″ wide x 32″ tall
• 1 strip of contrasting fabric at 2.5″ x 152″ long (can be pieced together from 4 strips at 2.5″ x 40″)

Trim the top corners off the panel as shown below:

Sew a 1/2″ hem on the top, sides and bottom, leaving the angled portions unhemmed

Press the strip in half lengthwise, and then press 1/4″ seam allowances along both sides. Fold both ends inside and sew to finish the ends.

Fold the strip in half lengthwise and mark the middle. To form the neck loop, measure 12″ from the middle on both sides; match these points of the strip to the top corners and pin. Continue pinning the strip along the angled edges, enclosing the angled edges with the strip.

Starting at a bottom end, sew the entire strip together, 1/8″ from the edge, and continuing through all layers when you reach the angled edges.

And then enjoy all that holiday baking!

These beauties are made by Paul Boyum way up in Battle Lake, Minnesota through his business paulsmetalpetals.com. They’re meant to hold cones of thread and they have an additional spindle for storage of extra bobbins. They’re so pretty, they’d add a nice decorative touch to your sewing space. I have two Coneflowers to give away. One is shown above, it’s the Sara, double (meaning there are two flowers). The other is the Laura, single.

To enter, leave a comment telling us about your favorite thread: what it is and why you like it. We’ll randomly select a winner on Friday, Oct. 16 around noon Mountain time. Good luck!

“Hi! I’m Sue Marsh of Whistlepig Creek Productions. Fall is my favorite season. I love the colors of the leaves changing and the intense blue of the sky. The weather is perfect here in Colorado. Not that I get to enjoy it, as Fall is also my busiest time of year. Vacations are over, kids are back in school and quilters are gearing up for Christmas. There is nothing more perfect or welcome than a handmade gift. They are among my favorite things. Quilts given to my nieces and nephews at birth are now in tatters and still being carried around.
 
I love working with the precut fabrics that are readily available. Charm packs, Jelly Rolls, Twice the Charm and fat quarters are among my favorites. I’ve taken to making smaller projects such as tote bags and table runners. Pre-cut packages are perfect for these. A good chunk of the work has been done for you, the fabrics are cut for you and coordinate perfectly. There is little or no waste and they are very reasonably priced. And… if you don’t happen to get the project done, sewers are very happy to receive the little bundles as gifts!
 
As I mentioned, Fall is my busiest season. I go to two wholesale markets a year, and one of them is this week, Quilt Market in Houston. I have nothing completed, but lots of things almost done. I will be finishing these up right after I get out the hair color and take care of these grays that pop up in profusion as the stress level raises. Chances are real good that I will be sewing buttons on the plane.

You can find some of my designs on the pages of Quiltmaker, North Pole Pals in the Nov/Dec ’09 issue and Grandpa’s Farm in Quiltmaker’s Quilting & Embroidery, Summer ’09. Look for more of my designs in these magazines in 2010.”
 

Joni Pike has a wonderful collection of whimsical quilt patterns that she sells through her company, Sew Special Designs. You can find her adorable Christmas card holder wall quilt, Special Delivery,  in our November/December ’09 issue.

“My name is Joni Pike and I’ve been designing fusible web appliqué quilt patterns since 2001 under my company name Sew Special Designs. I’m an accountant by trade but I love all things related to sewing including fabrics, notions, trims, threads, and buttons. My patterns are great for all skill levels and lots of fun to make! The use of buttons and other embellishments add a touch of whimsy. Each pattern has a button pack made especially for that design. My main goal when designing is to make people smile! Check out my fun patterns at www.sewspecialdesigns.com.

In addition to my pattern business, I’ve authored a book for C&T Publishing. Cute as a Button Quilts is primarily a project book but contains many of the “how-to” techniques for completing the book projects. This makes it perfect for beginners or expert quilters alike.  Vote for your favorite pattern and win a copy of my book plus six of my favorite patterns with buttons packs. Click here and add a comment to be included in the drawing, which will be held on October 5, 2009. 

If you’re a big fan of HGTV’s Simply Quilts, you can see my video of the Catnip quilt. The Catnip show has been very popular! 

Look for new designs in the future and visit my website for pattern updates in the coming months. I’ll also be working on a new project for Fairfield Processing, the company that makes batting, stuffing, and pillow forms you see in your local fabric and craft stores.  And, I may even have another book up my sleeve!

Happy Sewing!”

Happy Holly Days is now available as a kit. You’ll get beautiful Artisan Batiks from Robert Kaufman (plus one print) like we used to make this fun and simple holiday quilt. Kits are available in a 70” x 89” twin or 51” x 51” wall size. A coordinating backing can also be purchased.

A longtime reader favorite, Flock of Dreams, is also available as a kit. We’ve freshened these fuzzy fleece sheep with whimsical fabric from Wilmington Prints. Available in two color choices, purple or blue, this is a 42” x 54” crib size.

We know kits help you make your quilts faster—and we hope you’ll enjoy more time sewing with the fabric selected for you by the QM staff.

You can order kits now at shopquiltmaker.com or by calling 877-269-8024 from Monday–Saturday, 8:30 am to 9:00 pm EST.

Preview the issue on our website now. We still have a little bit of content to add, but most of it is ready now. I’m excited about so many things in this issue–I’ll jsut tell you about a couple projects now.

• Check out our fun Happy Holly Days cover quilt, designed by Associate Editor Diane Harris–and watch for big news about kits coming soon.
• Our mystery quilters will soon be finishing their Christmas Lights quilts, with the final installment of Bonnie Hunter’s design.
• And, check out Toolerrific Tote. Make your own tote bag to fill with your quilting tools OR you can win the one featured in our magazine!
• Snowfriends, delightful hand embroidery from Lynda Howell, will help you fill the cooler evenings this fall.