EXTRAORDINARY BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAYS GALORE!

 

To celebrate the new book, Patchwork Sassaman Style by Jane Sassaman, we have a blog tour for the month of July!

If you’ve never been on a blog tour before, this will be fun and exciting!  Here is the schedule below.  Just start on July 2 at Laura Wasilowski’s Art Fabrik blog.  There you will read about the new book and some insight into Jane and her techniques and then you can comment for a chance to win a copy of her book (US addresses only please!).

Then the next day follow the next blog and comment for another chance to win. Each day will be something new and different. On the way there will be prizes of Jane’s fabrics and patterns, along with more copies of the book, to win…but you won’t know unless you follow the tour!

While you are on these extraordinary quilting sites, take time to look around and see what these artists have to offer and if you like, sign up for their blogs.  This tour should be fun and informative and inspirational to all!  The links are live so you just need to click on them.  Happy Summer!

JULY     name                blog

2   Laura Wasilowski  http://artfabrik.blogspot.com/

3   Jessica Sloan  http://remnantsfiberculture.blogspot.com/

5   Judy Coates Perez  http://judyperez.blogspot.com/

6   Jane Sassaman  http://sassaman.blogspot.com/

7   Linda Teufel  http://dragonthreadsopenbook.blogspot.com/

8   Gloria Hansen  http://www.gloriahansen.com/weblog/

9   Melissa Peda  http://100billionstars.com/blog/

10  Susan B Knapp  http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/

11  Jacquie Gering  http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/

12  Weeks Ringle  http://craftnectar.com/

13  SewCalGal  http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com/

14  Jessica Kovach  http://twinfibers.blogspot.com/

15  Pam Matthews  www.delrayfabrics.com/blog

16  Frieda Anderson  http://friestyle.blogspot.com/

17  Pat Sloan  http://blog.patsloan.com/

18  Jan Krentz  http://www.jankrentz.com/weblog/

19  Anita Grossman Solomon  http://makeitsimpler.blogspot.com/

20  Lyric Kinard  http://lyrickinard.blogspot.com/

21 The Quilt Show  http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/blog.php

22  Jane La Fazio  http://janeville.blogspot.com/

23  Free Spirit  http://www.freespiritfabric.blogspot.com/

24  Nancy Zieman  http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/

National Quilting show 2012

 

It’s June in Columbus, OH and that means quilting season has begun. Yesterday the NQA show opened and I went with a friend. This is the first year that NQA is providing some free lectures and films for all.  We went to this very interesting lecture on the batik process and life in Java by Michael Mrowka from Lunn Studios. Debra Lunn and Michael are in charge of all the beautiful batiks produced for Kaufman fabrics which means approx 600 new batiks a year!

His slides showed the entire process from designing batik patterns on paper to making the copper stamp(called ‘chop’), stamping on the wax, to the dyeing/printing and finishing of the fabric.  It is so elaborate, has many steps and is all done by hand by the local people, OUTSIDE in the sun.  Batik is so effected by weather and we discussed how they cannot work if it rains and during the 2-3 month monsoon season.

It was fascinating to see the artisans working on the ground for hours, in what must be incredible heat and with such precision. It makes you appreciate each yard of batik as a little piece of hand-crafted ‘art’ and I wondered why it didn’t cost more than $13 a yard!

Here are some of the quilts he showed us:

These quilts are made of their striped batiks for Robert Kaufman called Elementals. I love these stripes and was able to find some in the vendor mall and bought every color for some future project.

If you want to see some of the batik process there are photos on the Kaufman site.

WINNING QUILTS BY FRIENDS!

It’s always fun to go to the show and see quilts by friends with ribbons on them! this Japanese wave quilt was made by Teri Henderson Tope, friend and neighbor. Also owner and designer of Material Girl patterns. Teri went to Japan on a “Sister City” visit years before the tsunami but was deeply affected by it and this quilt is a result.

Below is Pat Holly’s creation (apologies for blurriness). It is just spectacular with all the miniature details and the great color combinations!  I’m a big fan and you know, own a small one of her pieces. She is a fellow Bernina Artisan and lives in Michigan. She actually won for two quilts in this show! She recently took a trip to Turkey…wonder what fantastic quilts will come out of that experience!

Below is a quilt by Sharon Vitt. It is large and drew my attention from across the room! I’ve shown you Sharon’s work before but normally it has been silk but I think this one is cottons. Her use of color is what first attracted me to her quilts hanging in our local store, Quilt Trends. I’ve taken a class from her and it was wonderful. This sure was an impressive beauty!

And a good friend, Beth Schillig won yet another award for Mint Julep. Since she retired a few years ago and threw herself into competition quilting full time, she’s just been racking up the awards!  We tell her we are tired of opening up every magazine and seeing her work in them but we’re just jealous!  She deserves them!  You need to see her free-motion stitching up close to appreciate it. Free-motion that is regular and flowing is something I aspire too!

GIVEAWAYS—I’m having trouble getting in contact with the last two winners. I guess I’ll give them another week and if I don’t hear from them ,then I’ll offer the items in the next blog post.

STAY TUNED FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE PATCHWORK SASSAMAN STYLE BLOG TOUR SOON! Lots of giveaways there!

The Sassaman books have arrived!

 

And here they are! All 4 pallets of them! You may think this is the end of this book publishing journey but it isn’t. Now, comes the important part…selling the books!  Here, we’ll see if all the marketing, freebies to reviewers, blog posts, facebook ads, email newsletters, magazine ads and the like worked!

All you smart people who bought during the pre-sale will be getting your copies first! The envelopes are labeled, autographed bookplates inserted and ready for the book and to be mailed.

This time we produced a silk scarf of one of Jane’s quilts instead of a totebag or something like it and it has sold very well!  I think when you see it, or better yet, FEEL it in person, you are hooked. The silk satin is so sumptuous and the colors are so vibrant that it is hard to resist. We will certainly produce more scarves with authors’ work on them in the future.

BLOG TOUR—Starting July 2, we will be having a blog tour of the new book. Not only will there be reviews by leading people in the quilting industry but you’ll also learn more about Jane from their interview questions. PLUS every tour will have a giveaway of the book and some other prizes too! It lasts for three weeks and we’ll post the schedule soon so be sure to stop back and look for it.  You will see some interesting fiber sites on the tour!

 

GIVEAWAY!

This week we’re giving away a lovely Sassaman purse pattern…comment below…What do you think of blog tours? Ever followed one?

The winner of the last giveaway is Martha!

SPRING QUILT MARKET & Giveaway

Last weekend was Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City, MO where new products are introduced to the store buyers.

Jane and I went to market her new book, Patchwork Sassaman Style and the silk scarf. Above is Jane talking about the book to the buyers at the Checker booth. After, there was a drawing and signing for dozens of free books.

We talked to many shop owners and many old industry friends and the book was very well received.  All seemed to swoon over the luscious silk scarf with the rich colors of Jane’s quilt.

We looked like Sassaman walking billboards in our outfits!

Here’s a photo of us with Lee Nakamoto in the AccuQuilt booth. The next day I wore my shirt like Jane’s that I made and featured in a blog last yr and she wore a plain shirt with the silk scarf!

Here are some quilts we loved in the Modern Quilt Studio booth by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr. Bill is an art professor in Chicago….can’t you tell?

They started a new magazine and I have one for a giveaway below.

We were also crazy for this new fabric line called Kanvas by our friends at Benartex.  It is contemporary and rich and we must get some of this fabric. It is printed with metallic gold and looks very high end. It definately had the most unique look of the quilt fabric lines at Market.

Marla Kalinowski is the brilliant designer behind all of this. She has many years of experience designing fabric lines but came up with this brainchild and started a new division. The photos don’t do justice to the wonderful colors.

The other big news at market is a new magazine that is online but now in print also called Generation Q.  It took me a while to figure out that the ‘Q’ meant quilters and not a demographic! It is its own demographic I guess.

Featured on the cover are the ever fabulous Amy and David Butler. It’s a great article on how they live and work together just an hour down the road from me in Ohio. She is very tall, very beautiful and ever gracious. Go online to subscribe to the magazine.

 

Comment below to win copy of Modern Quilts Illustrated #1 by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr.

Tell me your favorite blogs to follow. We’re starting a blog tour of the new Sassaman book with many giveaways!

Author news!

Koos van den Akker has done it again with another fabulous, arty and wearable dress pattern that would look good on any figure or age. Vogue 1301 is just out and has a sleeve and sleeveless version with a belt that can also be a tie around the neck as shown below. I think I need to make this dress now for Spring!

 

And to go with the new Koos dress is this clever bag. It is a flat round shape that changes when it is filled and thrown over the shoulder! Vogue 1311 is sure to be a best seller. Make one for each season!

Here is the new Jane Sassaman scarf with her Spiderweb Kaleidoscope quilt printed on silk satin!

It is so luscious and large (40” square)and drapes so beautifully! Already on sale on my website and selling fast. Limited quantities were printed so order quickly. There is a special if you buy the scarf and the book together.

This beautiful renovated dairy farm is the new Madeline Island School of the Arts in Wisconsin. Doesn’t it look inviting? Two of our authors will be teaching in this heavenly location.

Judith Baker Montano will teach Landscape and Seascape Design and Embroidery May 7-12.

Jane Sassaman will teach Abstracting from Nature July 23-27.  The school is offering many other fantastic textile arts teachers so take a look at their website and try to enroll to get your creative juices flowing!

The winner of last week’s giveaway was MWright. Stay tuned for the next giveaway/it’s a great one!

Leave a comment and tell me what you’d like for giveaways!

Marketing Patchwork Sassaman Style & Giveaway

Well the book is at the printer so now the real work starts….the marketing!

There are many steps to it but basically we need to get ready for the introduction of the book at Spring Market in May in Kansas City. So first, I think of the brochure.

It is basically last year’s brochure with the new Patchwork Sassaman Style placed in the first two pages and the other books moving to the back pages.  I also like to refresh the other books with new photos of projects or editing text so it perhaps will catch the eye where it hadn’t before.

I LOVE what the graphic designer did with this cover!  It’s so bold,colorful and graphic that you want to frame it! 

 

On the last page of the brochure we added some new items which will be released in June. The first is the scarf with Jane’s Spiderweb Kaleidoscope reproduced on silk satin. It is so luscious in person and the hand is so smooth and flowing that the photo doesn’t do it justice.

Also big news are the die cuts designed by Noriko Endo for AccuQuilt Go and Go Baby! cutting machines.  These are going to make creating confetti quilts so much faster and easier, especially for people with arthritis in their hands. Just turn the handle and lots of pieces are perfectly cut and tumble onto your table! 

Noriko’s cherry blossom die is the best way to make a breathtaking cherry blossom quilt in her style.  The die consists of full blossoms and some petals to make a realistic scene in no time! They are going to be available from www.AccuQuilt.com at the end of May (with project ideas) but I wanted you to be the first to know. (If you’d like a brochure mailed to you/leave me your address below!)

To support the brochure, we also need to update our website by adding the new book, info about Jane and ordering the book and silk scarf.  Then we can send out an email newsletter letting our devoted followers know what’s new.

At the same time, we need to design and place ads announcing the new book in some of the quilting magazines that we think have the audience that would be interested in new ideas and designs for patchwork.

Book reviewers at the magazines need copies and of course, the buyers need books to display at their market booths and for review to consider whether to include it in their inventory. Buyers around the world are familiar with Jane’s work and have given positive feedback about selling the book.  So since the books take 5 weeks to get here by boat, I need to fly in some cases for early promotion. Jane will be signing one case at the Checker booth at Spring Market so if you are there come early and get in line!

If not, watch for our blog tour this summer with many chances to win a free autographed copy! And this week, Jane has provided her beautiful new Hepburn apron pattern for a giveaway. Comment below (leave your email address in case you win) and a random winner will be chosen April 25. Last week’s winner is Carribean Cutie.

Preview of Patchwork Sassaman Style & Giveaway

 

Let me give you a preview of what Patchwork Sassaman Style is all about and why it will revolutionize how you quilt with Personality Prints (or designer collections).

Jane calls each quilt pattern a recipe because it is a guideline on how to create the quilt but is open for you to add and delete as you like. For example, you can add several different fabrics or additional sashing and borders or appliques to corners, etc.

I’ll use the example of Mirrored Triangles. Would you believe that these 3 are the same recipe? They look so different!

Each of these quilts uses only 3 different fabrics. Jane shows you how to select fabrics and how to cut them to get the desired results. Sewing it is so simple since it is only half-square triangles! That’s why these 20 recipes are for beginners to advanced quilters.

What I like best about Jane’s quilts in this book is that I can hardly see where the seam lines are! It all blends together and looks like a whole cloth quilt sometimes! You get huge graphic impact with minimal fabric as well as minimal simple piecing.  It’ll have you thinking about designing quilts in a brand new way!  The methods are adaptable to many different fabric collections that you probably already have in your stash…beautiful fabrics that you collected but weren’t sure how to cut them. Don’t we all have some of those?

 

This week’s giveaway is a Sassaman mousepad! Comment below by April 17 and we’ll select a winner at random. Jane’s silk scarf is almost ready to put on our websites. The design that you voted as the winner is my favorite so stay tuned to see the winner! Comment and tell us what other products you’d like to see in ‘Sassaman Style’!

Winner of last week’s Purse pattern is Patty Ashworth! Please contact me and let me know your mailing address (linda@dragonthreads.com)