Jennifer's Blog

Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Volume 5 Giveaway Winner

I'm pleased to announce the winner of the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 5 Giveaway: Jeanne Gwin!

Jeanne Gwin said on May 03, 2012 at 8:50am

"I would have to make 3 of these quilts just to be happy.  The first would be a memory quilt as a Loyal Daughter to my MoM, sure miss her, and it would be in her favorite colors pink and green with cream, very much like yours.  2nd would be for me in yellow and blue, uhmmm so warm and 3rd would be burgundy, hunter green and cream another one that says uhmmmm so warm.  Thank you Jennifer for the chance to win one of these GR8 magazines."  

Congratulations, Jeanne! Please send me your postal address so Quiltmaker can mail your prize to you.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

“Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Vol 5” Blog Tour

I'm pleased to announce that one of my original quilt block designs, Loyal Daughter, will be included in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 5. This wonderful new collection of block patterns officially goes on sale on May 8, 2012, although you may be lucky enough to spot it on the shelves of your favorite quilt shop or newsstand even earlier.

The Loyal Daughter block is featured in my most recent novel, Sonoma Rose (Dutton, Feb 2012), in which Rosa Diaz Barclay decides to make a special quilt for her steadfast eldest daughter, Marta, to thank her for her loyalty and love in difficult times. I used fabrics from my Red Rooster Fabrics line, "Elm Creek Quilts: The Winding Ways Quilt Collection," for this version of the block.

As much as I like these pretty spring colors, I decided to try a few other fabric options for the Loyal Daughter block just for fun. What could be more appropriate than the vineyard harvest colors of the fabric line inspired by Sonoma Rose, "Elm Creek Quilts: Rosa's Collection"?

The rich, classic hues of my fabric line, "Elm Creek Quilts: Anneke's Collection" makes a much bolder statement:

I think my "Elm Creek Quilts: Circle of Quilters Collection" fabrics lends the Loyal Daughter block an antique, Christmasy look, don't you?

Arranged into a quilt top in straight sets, the block above would look a little something like this:

Here's how the Anneke's Collection version appears when arranged in straight sets with sashing and cornerstones:

The blocks are set on point in this rendition, made from Rosa's Collection:

This version also uses fabrics from Rosa's Collection, with the blocks set on point with sashing and cornerstones:

Here's another rendition of this same quilt using the soft, romantic colors of "Elm Creek Quilts: Caroline's Collection," which was inspired by my novel, The Wedding Quilt:

Wouldn't you like to to try your hand at this fun block and some of the other 99 patterns in this special issue? The creative staff of Quiltmaker have graciously offered to give away a free copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 5 to one lucky person who visits my blog today. All you have to do is comment on this post, describing how you would select colors or fabrics to make a Loyal Daughter quilt that has special meaning to you or to an important person in your life. A winner will be selected at random from those who comment on this post before 11:59 PM Central Time tonight.

Don't forget to follow the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour April 30 to May 4 for inspiration, conversations with some of your favorite quilt designers, and lots of great giveaways. Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 5 will be available in your local quilt shop by May 8th, or you can order it directly from Quiltmaker.

Thanks, and Happy Quilting!

Jennifer

Elm Creek Quilts Supports Small Business Saturday—and You Can Too!

The holidays are swiftly approaching, and many of us are making our lists and checking them twice as we plan to buy gifts for family and friends. As a longtime supporter of independent bookstores and quilt shops, I encourage Elm Creek Readers to support small, locally-owned businesses in their own communities by "shopping small" on Small Business Saturday—November 26, 2011.

Why is it so important to shop small? Well, when you purchase something from a locally-owned shop, your dollars stay within your community. You help pay your neighbors' salaries and contribute to local taxes, an important source of revenue for services that benefit us all. You help preserve the unique character of the small town downtown, and you usually enjoy better customer service along the way!

To encourage you to support independent bookstores and quilt shops on Small Business Saturday, I'm offering my highly coveted, limited edition Elm Creek Quilts pins to you if you purchase my newest novel and/or pattern book as a holiday gift for that special reader or quilter in your life—or for yourself!

Here's how to participate:

1. Purchase THE WEDDING QUILT or TRADITIONS FROM ELM CREEK QUILTS from an independent bookstore or quilt shop on Saturday, November 26, 2011. Don't know of an independent bookstore in your area? You can find stores near you on the IndieBound website. Prefer to shop online? You can do that through the IndieBound website too!

2. Send me a copy of your dated receipt as proof of purchase. If you shop online, simply forward your email receipt to me at web@elmcreek.net. If you shop at a bricks-and-mortar store, you can scan in and email your receipt, or you can send it (or a photocopy) to me at Elm Creek Quilts, P. O. Box 620824, Middleton, WI 53562. The receipt must include the date of purchase.

3. You will receive a Wedding Quilt pin for each copy of THE WEDDING QUILT and one Elm Creek Quilts pin for each copy of TRADITIONS FROM ELM CREEK QUILTS, as well as one autographed bookplate per book. Please remember to include your postal address when you submit your receipt so I know where to send your pins and bookplates.

4. Offer is good only for books purchased on Small Business Saturday (November 26, 2011) from an independent bookstore or quilt shop. Not sure whether your favorite store qualifies as an independent? If it's a member of IndieBound, it does. If you're still not sure, write to me first and check! (Please provide the full name of the store and its address.)

5. Offer is good only while supplies last. These are limited edition pins, so please don't wait until the last minute to submit your proof of purchase. I would hate for you to be disappointed.

6. Purchases must be made on Saturday, November 26, 2011 and all receipts must be submitted by December 20, 2011 to qualify. I'll send out the pins and bookplates as soon as I receive your proof of purchase. Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery, longer if you live outside the USA.

7. Offer is void where prohibited. (I don't know where or why this offer might be prohibited, but that sounds important so I thought I should include it.)

8. You don't have to live near that independent bookstore or quilt shop for it to count. You don't even have to live in the US! I'm happy to send pins and bookplates overseas to Elm Creek Readers who are willing to support small businesses in the US. As long as the United States Postal Service can deliver packages to your country, you can join in the fun!

Thanks for thinking of small businesses and their employees this holiday season, and thanks for being an Elm Creek Reader!

Jennifer

Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Volume 4 Giveaway Winner

“Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Vol 4” Blog Tour

UPDATE: The deadline for entering the Quiltmaker giveaway has passed and the winner will be announced soon. Thanks to all who participated!

I'm pleased to announce that one of my original quilt block designs, Gettysburg, will be included in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 4, which will be available November 15.

The Gettysburg block is featured in the Loyal Union Sampler, a quilt that plays a significant role in my novel, The Union Quilters (Dutton, Feb 2011). I used fabrics from my Red Rooster Fabrics line, "Elm Creek Quilts: Anneke's Collection," for this version of my block.

Just for fun, I experimented with some different fabric possibilities for Gettysburg. The autumnal hues of my fabric line, "Elm Creek Quilts: The Cross-Country Quilters Collection" suits the season well.

This soft, romantic version uses my newest fabric line, "Elm Creek Quilts: Caroline's Collection," which is inspired by a lovely bride in my most recent novel, The Wedding Quilt (Dutton, November 2011).

A block using my "Elm Creek Quilts: The Christmas Quilt Collection" fabric line would deck the halls beautifully!

Appealing secondary patterns appear when you arrange the blocks into a quilt top. These Gettysburg blocks are arranged in straight sets with sashing and cornerstones:

The patriotic colors of this version suit the quilt block's name well:

The blocks are set on point in this rendition:

I think this version, with the blocks set on point with sashing, is my favorite:

Wouldn't you like to to try your hand at this fun block, and the 99 other patterns in this special issue? The creative folks at Quiltmaker have graciously offered to give away a free copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 4 to one lucky person who visits my blog today. All you have to do is comment on this post, describing how you would select colors or fabrics to make a Gettysburg block that has special meaning to you or to an important person in your life. A winner will be selected at random from those who comment on this post before 11:59 PM Central Time tonight. The deadline for entries has passed. Thanks to all who participated!

Don't forget to follow the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour November 7-11 for inspiration, conversations with some of your favorite quilt designers, and lots of great giveaways. Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 4 will be available in your local quilt shop by November 15th, or you can order it directly from Quiltmaker.

Thanks, and Happy Quilting!

Jennifer

PS: In addition to this virtual blog tour, I'm also traveling on a "real life" book tour to promote my new novel, The Wedding Quilt. Please see the "Events" link above to see where I'll be. If I'm coming to a town near you, I hope you'll come see me!