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| Volume 2 Number 7 |
July, 2002 |
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Summer is definitely here! I am successfully settled into my new home in Bloomington, Illinois and it has been hot (mid-90's). I have been busy working and not had time to do any of my "leisurely" stuff, like anything quilt-related, including this eNewsletter, so my apologies for it being late! I am excited about this month. I have unpacked and set up my sewing room and am ready to go! Unfortunately, the threadholder broke off of my Janome and I've had to order a new one, so as soon as it comes in, I'll be back in the saddle again. I can hardly wait. Do you ever get a burning desire in the pit of your stomach that just screams that it needs to be quilting? I'm there! My time has been so scarce for the past month as I've been working 70+ hours a week. That should slow down in the next week or so and I have HUGE plans for my Web site that I've been thinking about for several months. I think you will be very pleased with the new look and additions I make in the near future.
 by Terry First, the shopping cart on my Web site has been rebuilt and is humming right along! I believe it is easier to use and navigate and I hope to add several more items within the next couple of months. Debuting in April was the first issue of the Quilting Passion Newsletter, snail mail edition and the response has been fantastic. I am already preparing for the release of the next issue, which goes out on August 17th. The issues are more than I expected them to be; I'm including much more than I had planned because I simply cannot find a stopping place! Subscriptions are $9.95 a year, and international pricing is available. For more information on subscribing, refer to the eMarket. Need a new wallpaper for your desktop? Try the new July wallpaper located on the Web! Done in red, white, and blue, this wallpaper is sure to make you whistle something patriotic! The Quilting Passion eMarket opened on the first of March and already has six items. I hope to be adding more items within the next two months, including the pattern from the Mystery Quilt 8, which is currently in progress, but only available on the Web through August. June was a busy month for me. I found, and added, 125+ patterns to the Web! Click here to begin the exciting journey of pattern surfing!
My pick for pattern/project of the month is one that looks fantastic! The sample on the Web is made from my favorite colors and it looks sharp. "Starfire" is a pattern by Marcus Brothers Textiles and is definitely worth a peek! Be sure to check it out! Did you like the "hearts" block featured in my desktop wallpaper for July? If so, you can find this simple paper-pieced block on the Quilting Passion Web site. It's called "I Love The Grand Old Flag". This pattern may print best with a "landscape" setting. This is also the last BOM I'll be doing. It was a year's project and this month made a year. I still find it hard to believe that it's been a year since I began this! Instead of doing a BOM each month, I have other plans in the works that I think will benefit you even more... meaning, a new plan that should yield you more than one free block a month. :) I can hardly wait to get the new plans completely done and implement them!
A new mystery is in the works, called Stargazing. It should finish at the end of August. The theme is "stars" and I think you'll really like this quilt. So, either start sorting your fabrics into two piles (darks and lights) or be thinking about a dark fabric selection for the background (either black or navy or something celestial?). Also, plan on golds or whites or lights for the foregrounds. Check for updates either on the Quilting Passion Forum or via the MQ mailing list. There have already been three installments for this MQ and I plan on releasing another installment this weekend. This pattern is only going to be available on the Web for the duration of the Mystery Quilt and is going to be sold as a separate pattern after that, so be sure to grab the files while you can, or if you prefer to purchase the pattern, you can do that when it becomes available (August). The Gallery has had several new additions, so when you get a chance, take a look at all of the fabulous quilts made from our readers over the past few weeks. A special thanks to those who share their finished projects with me!
Any new ideas roaming around in your head that you'd like to share with me?
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The forum is still growing! Thanks to you! The June Quilter of the Month was Lexy, from Virginia. The criteria for selection is hard to explain because it varies so much, but it can be based on the level of participation, logging in, and just plain randomness. Or a combination of all these things! Lexy can expect to receive her $10 gift certificate soon, to be spent at Fare Tahiti Fabrics online. Congratulations! Perhaps YOU will be chosen in July! Feelin' lucky? Well, one of the many activities going on at the forum is something called a Block Party. Each month, a new pattern is chosen, along with a theme and colors. Anyone wanting to participate can send blocks (can make as many or as few as you want!) to GR8DAME (Myra) and then, around the 16th, a drawing is held and the blocks are given to the lucky winner(s)! This activity has proved to be exciting and very rewarding for some. The June Block Party, which featured a kitty cat block pattern, was a hit! There were three winners, (Virginia from California, Patti from California, and Patty from Louisiana) with a grand total of 84 blocks given away! July's block is a very simple and easy-to-piece pinwheel block. Will July prove to be your lucky month to win? The drawing is coming up on the 16th! The Fat Quarter Drawing, hosted by Peggy is moving ahead. The "Symphony in Blue" drawing was on June 16th, in which Linda (Indiana) won 8 FQs and Ginny (MA) won 5. The new drawing will be held on July 16th and the theme is "Anything Goes", so if you would like to become eligible to win, simply submit your "blue" FQs to Peggy. A total of 16 FQs have been donated, so the "take" should be huge on this one! The "Round Robin Charity Drive", or RRCD is absolutely amazing. I have already received 22 finished quilts, and given 20 of them away. And there are more on the way and more still making the rounds! The last 12 quilts that were sent out went in lots of three to:
The needs are great and the quilts we ship are very much appreciated. All of you that participate in this make this possible. YOU are making a difference in the lives of children that need comfort. I am tracking all of this information on our Web site, so it is easy for you to keep up with what's happening with this tremendous and oh-so-valuable project. We have 54 quilts to our credit at this moment. Isn't this fantastic? For more information, refer to the Forum Project Linus Web page describing the project. Another activity that began is that of Volunteer of the Month. All participants in the RRCD Project Linus project are eligible to win. So far, there have been four winners:
Congratulations to each of these wonderful ladies for their win and a huge thank you to each for their contribution to the project. Perhaps YOU can win in the future! Our Secret Sibling Patchwork Pal project ended on June 30th, but it is being reorganized for the remainder of the year for that wish to continue. If you would like to join in on the fun, be sure to check out the news on the forum. Genny is going to be hosting this project. There are numerous block and fabric swaps going on, so if you're in the mood to sew, feel free to jump right in! There are also many in the works, so stay tuned for new information. For those of you that are members of this very special forum (which is my home on the Internet!), thank you. For those of you that haven't visited yet, please do so by clicking here. Remember, basic membership is still free!
There is currently only one class open for enrollment:
These classes are 100% free; no tuition! Click here for more information on them, and continue reading to hear a few words from one of the teachers! I'm teaching the 12-Month Sampler, and although we're about to begin our fourth block, it's still not too late to join! Catching up should take hardly any time at all! For those of you enrolled in the 12-Month Sampler, the seventh block should become available by the 20th of July. I'm also considering teaching a beginning class using EQ5 once it comes out. If there is enough interest, that is. Please let me know if you'd like to participate in this?
More free patterns, of course, to be added to the site, plus I'm working on two patterns that will sell in the eMarket sometime in August/September. I'm also going to be overhauling the Web site soon in an effort to make it even better!
This month has already proved to be extremely busy, but things are settling down once again and I'm looking forward to the rest of the summer. Hope you are, too. Have a wonderful month and I hope to talk to you soon! Happy
quilting, |
