Butch by David King for Bigfork Bay Cotton Co.

Shelly, my daughter, and I finished two Butch quilts for Trunk Shows for Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/. Butch is designed by the Artist David King and is the companion of Sundance which I finished earlier. Shelly drew the pieces to the Wonder Under Fusible Web, cut them out, and fused the pieces into a quilt top. All I had to do was quilt the top, bind and put on a hanging sleeve. Shelly has been such a great help to me.

This quilt is so adorable! My son Randy has a black lab named Buck who looks so much like Butch. As soon as Randy saw Butch he asked me if I would make him one. How can I resist?

The fabrics used in the kits, which can be ordered directly from Bigfork Bay Cotton Co., are all by Batik Textiles. They are by far my favorite Batik company and anyone who knows me and how much I LOVE my batiks knows that is a big deal. Batik Textiles keep coming out with more wonderful colors and designs all the time.

Plumeria and Hibiscus Quilt Patterns

These are the new Plumeria and Hibiscus Quilt Patterns by Brenda Yirsa for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company. I absolutely LOVE all three of her new designs so much. They look like they are so hard but seriously they are not! These quilts, like the Bird of Paradise below, are quilted by Carol Rockwell. I saw no reason to photograph the three I just finished for trunk shows when Carol did such a great job of taking the pictures to send so that I could see how she quilted them. I was so impressed with her quilting that it is how I chose to quilt the trunk shows I have done.

Be sure to see these and other new designs at http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ You can order the kits or patterns by calling Toll Free 1-866·245·5718. Don't forget that they also have the thread kits available for each design as well!

Bigfork Bay Cotton Co Bird of Paradise

This is the new Bird of Paradise pattern, designed by Brenda Yirsa. This particular quilt was photographed and quilted by Carol Rockwell. She was gracious enough to send me photographs so that I could quilt my trunk shows as closely as possible to hers. I love her quilting style so much. Usually when you see a pattern by Bigfork Bay Cotton Company it is her quilting on the cover!

Kits and patterns are available as always at http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ or you can order by calling Toll Free 1-866·245·5718.

Thanksgiving

This morning I woke up early to start preparations for our family dinner later on today. I try to be grateful every day for the many blessings in my life but this day always makes me look at the big picture.
Today I am grateful that when I woke up there were no bombs going off in the distance. I didn't have to wonder if I was safe. I just assume that I am. My biggest fear outside my home has never been of war but only of the weather. I have a huge fear of a tornado. I'm sure it's the after effects of watching The Wizard of OZ my entire childhood.
I am grateful that my children have never had sickness or injury. I don't mean the flu or skinned knees. We have never dealt with something as horrible as cancer or automobile accidents that were serious.
I am grateful for my children. They have grown up into loving, caring, intelligent, productive adults and I am proud they are mine.
I am grateful for my grandchildren. My daughters have given me two of the most amazing gifts I could have ever wanted. Jenny even died and was brought back to life trying to have another one. I thank God she won that battle. Now, even though she can never have another child, she and Mike are fostering children. That is a blessing for so many too.
I am grateful that when I woke up it was in a house that I love. I am not homeless and I have never been homeless. My heart goes out to those that are. I can't even begin to image how that must feel.
I am grateful not only for my children and grandchildren, but for my husband, who even though he drives me nuts sometimes, okay, a lot, I love him and I thank God for his love and companionship, and support.
I am grateful for my dogs. They bark and drive everyone who walks in the door crazy but when I am alone I know they will bark and protect me from harm. Any time I turn my head I can always find one dog beside me. Nikki is 14 years old now and she has been a great companion and bird dog. They just make me happy.
I am grateful for my job. I work with the most amazing people. They are not only talented beyond belief, but they are all caring and giving.
I am grateful for my friends. I am finally at a point in my life where I am surrounded by genuine, loving, caring people.
I am grateful that I wake up in the mornings to my family, in my house, and email my friends, with my dogs by my side, and I know that in my own little world all is good. There is tragedy in other parts of the world, and there might be some pain in mine, but I thank God for all He has given me.

Vince's 2nd Birthday

Vince turns 2 years old on the 20th but Shelly and Pony had his party today. There were 18 people who attended, including his great grandparents on Pony's side. I love the fact that our families can join together as one. He is very lucky to be loved by so many.

The theme of the party was Cars the movie. Vince LOVES the movie and I made him a Cars quilt for his Cars bed with Cars sheets and the works. He does like other things too but Lightening McQueen is at the top of the list. Mater is my favorite.. the tow truck Tow Mater. He just cracks me up!

It seems like yesterday that I watched Vince come into this World. At times it's hard to believe it's been two years and yet at other times it seems like it was so long ago. I feel so blessed that I have a job which allows me to work at home so that I can spend two days a week with Vince. They are very special days for me. I know how quickly they will go and if I blink I will be sitting at his graduation. It is nice to slow down as we age in order to appreciate the little things more. I am very grateful for this day and I am blessed to have the opportunity to spend it with such a wonderful family. Thank You God.

Rock Star, Free Pattern by Bigfork Bay Cotton Co.

We ALL love free patterns and this is a great design called Rock Star by Lynn Stalowy, owner of Bigfork Bay Cotton Company. You can download the directions right off the website at http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ The quilt uses fabulous batiks by Batik Textiles.

You can order the kits for this quilt right off the website, it's on page 10, or you can call Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. 866·245·5718 and talk with one of the ladies. You can't believe how reasonable the price of the kit is! I'm getting one for me!

Be sure you look at all the great kits available while you are there. They have other designs besides their own but I know when you see the fabulous patterns by the various artists who design for Bigfork Bay you will be amazed!

Don't forget the Aurifil Thread and the giant size pressing sheet by Bear Threads Designs while you are there!

A King and His Guards by Ty Livingston

I haven't taken a picture of A King and His Guards yet so this is one of Carol Rockwell's. This is a new pattern designed by Ty Livingston for Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ It is lighter in real life and just beautiful..

My daughter Shelly made the two tops for me and I quilted them. She has been helping me out and doing an amazing job, as usual. I can't wait to get more of the new designs to make the trunk shows. Be sure to see the newest creations on the Bigfork Bay Cotton Company website!

Bear, Raccoon, VW by Ty Liningston

Look what I got!!!! I won this fantastic painting by Ty Liningston on eBay. http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/tysoriginals I am so happy. I had emailed Ty to tell him how much I enjoyed his work since I do the trunk shows for his pattern designs by Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ and in my email I told him how disappointed I was that I didn't win a different painting with the VW, Bear, and Raccoon. Next thing I knew this painting was on the eBay store. You can't imagine how excited I was!!!

Photography does not do his paintings justice. This really is truly wonderful. My husband was very impressed.

Thank you Ty for allowing me to see this adorable painting every single day.

Butch and Sundance for Bigfork Bay

I have been so busy finishing up quilts lately! Last week I mailed off 12 finished trunk show quilts, two of which were the new designs and I forgot to get pictures! Sundance is the retriever by David King for Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. Carol Rockwell does the original quilts for the covers and fortunately she took a photo so I am using her photograph of her quilt. He is just fabulous! The other dog coming out this time is a black lab named Butch. Sundance and Butch are two I will definitely have in my personal collection. I haven't done Butch yet but I can't wait! The one here is another one done by Carol Rockwell

The other quilt I didn't get a picture of is a new one of Ty Livingston's called Peek-A-Boo! It is an adorable raccoon peeking out of a pumpkin.

I am very excited about all the new designs coming out so you will have to check back for your sneak peeks. Hopefully I will get better organized and remember to get pictures!

Tasia's Quilt

When I asked Cassondra, our Daughter, what colors Tasia, our Granddaughter, liked so that I could make her graduation quilt she told me that Tasia liked all colors. Not much help but Tasia really does like all colors. So being the good mother, Cassondra found out Tasia wanted a quilt that was black and white with just a touch of red. I assumed a modern design which was right. On a quilting road trip with Kathi and Jeanie, I walked into Washoe Quilt Shoppe in Washoe Montana and all the fabrics were lined up right in front of me! All I had to do was pick out the pattern. This was so much easier than I ever dreamed it would be.

Once the top was finished I had it quilted by Jan Barnett at Quilting by the Creek. She is just amazing and did a perfect job and we all know I am really picky! Her phone # is 307-765-4393 and her email is jeb@tctwest.net. She lives in Greybull Wyoming. I think she needs a blog don't you! Time and time again I am blown away with her quilting. She has won more ribbons than she can even count. I'm giving her all my big quilts from now on!

I hope Tasia likes her quilt. It was for graduation but I didn't get the binding on it until we got back from Alaska. Isn't it funny how a little trip can make so many things revolve around it? At least I'm not giving it to her for Christmas!

Butterfly Kisses by Ty Livingston for Bigfork Bay Cotton Co

Butterfly Kisses is designed by Ty Livingston for Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.con/ Ty Livingston sells his original art on eBay at http://myworld.ebay.com/tysoriginals/ I made three quilts of this design for the Bigfork Bay Cotton Co Trunk Shows. The One Moose Open Sleigh is in an earlier post and I made three of it too. These Trunk Shows are NOW SHOWING at The Copper Thimble in Miles City Montana, Deer Country Quilts in Seeley Lake Montana http://www.deercountryquilts.com/ , or Log Cabin Dry Goods in Spokane Washington http://www.logcabindrygoods.com/ . They are only showing for a limited time so hurry!

These patterns are available at any of the quilt shops above. I use Aurifil thread to quilt them with. Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. carries this thread in packs to match their kits too. If your shop isn't carrying Aurifil thread yet, they can carry it by contacting Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. BBCC are Distributors for Aurifil thread. Aurifil thread is the finest quality thread on the market. One spool of Aurifil goes farther and has less lint than any brand I have ever tried.

I use Wonder Under fusible web by Pellon on all my fusible quilts too, just in case you wondered.

Lazy Daze and Autumn Lullaby by Bigfork Bay Cotton Co

I just finished making three each of these Lazy Daze and Autumn Lullaby quilts by Ty Livingston for the Bigfork Bay Cotton Co http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ trunk shows. Lazy Daze is my favorite from the series. It just has so much meaning for me and I can't wait to make one for myself. They are all the most adorable designs. My Daughter loves Butterfly Kisses, which you will see soon. Everyone seems to have their own favorite! They are so easy to relate to. My husbands favorite is the Autumn Lullaby.

I hired my daughter Shelly to help me with the cutting and ironing down phases of the quilts. She is so good at it and I really appreciate the help. She is the only person I know who is as much of a perfectionist as I am so we make a great team. She made it easy to come home from vacation and not feel too far behind.

The other quilts in this series from Ty are just so adorable. This series is designed for a beginner so the pieces are all just fused on a black background and one border is added. You could easily translate these to fit your own color taste and use your stash since there aren't a lot of colors. The patterns are available at http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ as well as the kits.

I'll be done with the others in the series soon so if you have a favorite shop you would like to see have the trunk show have them contact Traci Suzanne Marvel at traci@bigforkbaycottonco.com. These quilts are just adorable and you really need to see them in real life.

Alaska Quilt Shops

On our fabulous trip to Alaska I was able to stop at two quilt shops. The first one was in Soldotna called Robin Place Fabrics. http://www.robinplacefabrics.com/ As soon as we pulled up I noticed quilts by Judy Niemeyer in the front window. She was teaching there for three days! The shop itself is the home of the original quilts of Letitia Hutchings of Mount Redoubt Designs.http://www.mrdquilt.com/

I was excited to see Bigfork Bay Cotton Co patterns right when I walked in the door! http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ My husband said, "Look honey, your quilts!" The owner asked if I was Toni Whitney. I explained that I made the trunk shows for BBCC and she said that she was so excited when she first saw the moose, Summer Serenity. She said it was so nice that someone finally knew what a moose looked like.

The shop was well worth the stop and I, of course, had to buy a pattern from Mount Redoubt Designs and some fabric. I have most of the patterns from Mount Redoubt but I made sure I didn't buy the Iris so I could get it while I was there. It was very special for me to go to this shop.

The second shop, which is the one in the photo, was just down the road from my brothers house in Kenai called Quilt Kits Alaska. http://www.quiltkitsalaska.com/ This shop is a little out of the way but from the moment we pulled into the yard it was pure pleasure. Imagine a gorgeous lake with the most beautiful mountains in back of it. You are surrounded by lush greenery and trees. To your right is the most adorable log cabin sitting back on a beautiful lawn with a wooden walkway leading to the porch and the friendliest dog you have ever seen coming up to greet you. That is Quilt Kits Alaska. There were a lot of flowers but since I hadn't taken my camera I just took this picture right off of her website.

The inside is just as adorable as the outside. Of course, the first thing I notice is Autumn Eyes from Bigfork Bay on the wall. The owner is as nice as can be and I can honestly say that it is the first time in my life that I was so overwhelmed with wonderful kits and fabric that I didn't know what to buy. Don't worry though, I figured it out. Now I need to order more!

Both these shops were such a pleasure. Be sure to stop by if you get a chance.

Back From Alaska

I don't even know where to begin talking about our trip to Alaska. It was the most amazing trip we have ever taken. My brother Rich picked us up at the airport in Anchorage and took us to a true Alaskan breakfast. The trip from there to his house in Kenai had us in awe the whole way. Once we got to the house it was so great to see my sister in law Sarah and my nephew Colter. I swore if I never did anything the whole time I was in Alaska but visit my family it would have been the best trip but being the perfect host and hostess, Rich and Sarah took us on the tours of our life.

We saw Glaciers, the Fjords, Homer, Seward, Soldotna........We went everywhere! I saw sea life I had never seen before and wildlife I had never seen before and scenery I never knew existed. I took over 300 pictures and they are all just amazing.

Being with my nephew Colter and niece Amanda was a blast but being with Amanda's daughter Jordyn was really special. Reid, Amanda's honey, was working on an off shore rig most of the time so I only got to meet him briefly but I sure did like him.

Sarah and Rich treated us like royalty the whole time we were there. Sarah is an amazing cook so we ate the best meals. She even baked Alan pies and for his birthday dinner he got halibut cooked three different ways and shrimp cooked two different ways. He got blueberry pie too. It was all to die for! The average temperature during the day when we were there was about 55 degrees so baking wasn't an issue like it is now that we are home.

Alan got to go fishing on the Kenai River for Salmon and the Ocean for Halibut with Rich. Fortunately, I didn't have to go! They had a blast. Of course Alan always has fun if he has a fishing pole in his hand but these trips were dreams come true for him.

I could talk about our trip for days....actually, I'll be talking about it for years. I thank God for the opportunity to visit my brother and his family. I just hope I go back soon.

I did get to go to quilt shops of course so I will talk more about THOSE later!

Chickadee Dreams by Bigfork Bay Cotton Co

I finished three of the quilts for the Distributor Modeknappen in Sweden http://www.modeknappen.se/. So far I made them the Winter Wolf, One Moose Open Sleigh, and Dancing Chickens by Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. After I got them in the mail I finished three of the Chickadee Dreams by Ty Livingston for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company's trunk shows.

This little guy is so adorable. The Kits by Bigfork Bay use all Batik Textile Fabrics which I just love. As always, I quilted them with Aurifil thread, the only kind I use, and I use Wonder Under by Pellon for the fusible.

I am trying to get as many trunk show quilts done as possible since Alan and I are leaving for Kenai Alaska in a couple of days. My brother Rich and his family have lived there for 17 years and I have never been up there to visit. It's about time don't you think? We are so excited. I am going to fish for Halibut on the Ocean. It's my first time fishing ever. Alan and my brother Rich have done it many times so I will be in good hands. I plan on hitting some quilt shops with my sister-in-law Sarah. She isn't a quilter but what woman doesn't like to shop. My brother has planned our trip with some wonderful adventures. I can't wait!

One Moose Open Sleigh by Ty Livingston for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company

OK, I know what you are thinking. "Wow, Sylvia finally learned how to take a decent photograph!" As much as I would like to take the credit I have to say that I am just using the photography of the famous John Staloway. He is not only my boss, who I have NEVER met, he is the photographer for all the pictures on the cover of the Bigfork Bay Cotton Co patterns. He's the owner of the company too, along with his wife Lynn, so I'm guessing it's ok for me to use his photo which shows how great the quilt is, instead of my photo's which make it look like the colors don't match.

One Moose Open Sleigh is one of the new designs by Ty Livingston for Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. This one isn't for their trunk show, which I will make three more for. It is for a Distributor in Sweden who has picked up the Bigfork Bay Patterns and the fabric from Batik Textiles. I told my family that I'm International now! She is having me make 4 of the BBCC quilts for shows in Europe. I am very excited. I am making some for a Distributor in Denmark too, I am International you know!!!

Sebastian the Beagle Quilt

I'd like to introduce you to Sebastian. This adorable Beagle is the newest friend of Perrito the Pug. The pattern for this quilt, from Bigfork Bay Cotton Company, http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ is adapted from a painting by David King who is from Halifax, Nova Scotia on Canada's Atlantic coast. His art business is called Pugcasso. http://www.pugcasso.com/ I am a huge fan of his work.

I just finished making three Sebastian quilts for the Bigfork Bay Trunk Shows. He really is even more adorable than in the photo and the fabric really does look like that in Bigfork Bay's kits. The fabric is all from Batik Textiles http://www.batiktextiles.com/ . You can get the Aurifil thread pack as well as the kit from Bigfork Bay. Aurifil thread is the ONLY thread I quilt with. Why, you ask? Well, let me tell you. It is made from long staple Egyptian cotton which gives the thread the strength needed for high-speed quilting. Because of the longer fibers in the Egyptian cotton the thread is tighter and smoother than other brands. This means that if I wind a bobbin with Aurifil thread I actually have more thread on my bobbin than with other brands and so I change bobbins less often. Machine quilting can be hard on a sewing machine and I take exceptionally good care of my machine. Aurifil thread has less lent than other brands which means my machine stays cleaner and runs more efficiently. In the long run I spend less money on thread since Aurifil thread goes farther, I change bobbins less often and I spend less time cleaning my machine, but the biggest and most important reason is that it has a more luxurious finish.

Wild Horse Canyon Re-Do

This is what I am working on today. I will have it ironed down and ready to quilt for tomorrow. If it looks a little familiar you are right. Wild Horse Canyon is a pattern designed by Toni Whitney for Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. that has been changed a little. They changed the colors and they made it easier to make. I LOVE the changes, however I LOVED the first one too.

Although this quilt looks hard I want to assure you that it really isn't. It is time consuming to a point and using a pressing sheet is so important. I use the pressing sheet by Bear Threads that measures 27"x30". With this pressing sheet you can do fusible applique on just about any size quilt. I can use it for ALL the quilts from Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. Even the big American Icon! Using this size pressing sheet has made my life so much easier. You can order one directly from Veronica Cox, the owner at http://www.bearthreaddesigns.com/ if your local quilt shop doesn't have one, or you can ask your local shop to carry it. They won't be sorry. It does come in smaller sizes too. Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. carries them too at http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/.

For those who don't know, I make trunk shows for Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. It's my dream job. There is such a wide variety of patterns and kits available. There are the most amazing wildlife quilts by Toni Whitney, a baby quilt by Katie Bramante, frogs, dancing chickens, and Italian series from Debi Hubbs...the list goes on and on! Wait until I show you the newest artist Ty Livingston. I will be making his quilts next! You can see them right now at http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ too.

I guess I should get to work instead of playing on my blog so you can see all the new quilts too!
Did I mention how much I love my job?

Pink Bootiful

One of my Granddaughter Mackenzie's favorite things are her pink boots. Because of her I decided to make a PINK Bootiful! quilt. The Pattern Design is by OK Carol Rockwell for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company.

Bigfork Bay Cotton Company has their NEW website up and running at www.bigforkbaycottonco.com You can order your kits and patterns directly from the website now. They even have thread packs of Aurifil thread to go with the kits for machine quilting. Check it out. Remember that Bighorn Quilts carries a lot of the patterns too at www.bighornquilts.com

Hubby's New Toy

Alan got a new toy today. He LOVES it! I love it because now maybe he will quit obsessing about having a bike and just go out and ride it. The bike already needs new chrome, new this, new that... It's ok, I can never have enough fabric either. You know, Fathers Day is coming up and now we can actually think of things to get him.

It's a beautiful bike and he really does deserve it.

My Adorable Grandson Vince

I haven't shown Vince off lately so I decided it was time. I babysit him two days a week and it is so much fun to watch him change almost weekly. He has such a great personality. He loves the Wiggles. He dances and sings with them and what I think is so cute is that they crack him up. I love watching him laugh.

Vince has a thing for the phone, just like his Aunt Jenny. All day long he pretends his toys are the phone or he has a real phone up to his ear talking on it. I didn't have a picture of his Aunt Jenny for years that she didn't have a phone up to here ear. Ironically, she does tech support with customers over the phone all day and talks on it when she gets home all night.

Jenny's daughter Kenzie, however, is just like Shelly, Vince's Mom. Let's just say they are just a little controlling! I don't know where they all get their traits either. It wasn't from me....

Gondola, Vino, and Autumn Ride,By Bigfork Bay Cotton Company

I just finished these great new quilts for Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. by Debi Hubbs. They were such delight to make. I just LOVE the little dog in all of them. Something about Debi's designs make me smile. I could look at them all day.

These quilts are so simple to make. Traci and Lynn will be at Market with all the new designs next week. The patterns and kits are, as always, available at Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/. They aren't up on the website so just call and ask for them by name at 866-245-5718 . I'm sure my favorite shops will be carrying them after market, so check them out too. The websites are on my sidebar.

I am so very excited about all the quilts from Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. I thank God every day that I have the opportunity to make trunk shows for such an amazing group of people. Just wait until you see the other new quilts. They have added even more new artists this time!

STAY TUNED......

Winter Wolf Quilt by Bigfork Bay Cotton Co.

This is the newest pattern designed by Toni Whitney for Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. As with all of Toni's designs, the quilt just seemed to come to life when it was finished. It really is easier than it looks to put together. The pattern and kits are available at http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ or you can call 866-245-5718 or 406-837-2399.

I can't tell you how blessed I am to be working for Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. doing their trunk shows and proofing patterns. This is my dream job.

Katie Bramante is the person behind the scenes who writes the patterns for BBCC. She puts her heart and soul into each pattern to make sure the directions are easy to understand and follow. She has her own patterns that represent Montana too. You can see them at, http://www.katiebramante.com/. Katie is also one of the new designers signed by Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. and she will be debuting her newest creation called Heavenly Sheep at Market in May. It is an adorable baby quilt and I can't wait to show it to you all.

Speaking of behind the scenes people, I want to mention David Boggs. He is the nicest man and the most talented Graphic Artist. David works hard to design the great patten covers, does the graphics on the patterns, designs Bigfork Bay's fabulous advertising layouts, you name it, he does it. He is just amazing.

I just have to say that each and every person who works for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company is such an important "cog in the wheel" as my father-in-law would have said. I know I talk about them a lot but I have just never seen a team that works so well together in all my life, and that is a long time. I thank God for them every day. Lynn Stalowy, the owner of Bigfork Bay Cotton Company and her husband John have put this team together and I must commend them on the great job they have done.

Tatanka Buffalo Quilt

Tatanka...and yet another amazing design by Toni Whitney for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company. These quilts just seem to come alive. Everyone who sees this series is just taken back by the beauty of them. Toni's mastery in her art comes through in her quilt patterns. I can't wait to see what comes next.

Patterns are available at Big Horn Quilts http://www.bighornquilts.com/ and patterns and kits are available at Big Fork Bay Cotton Company http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ I highly recommend getting the kits. Their fabrics are picked by the artist herself and it shows. This is another one I absolutely have to have for myself.

If you have a shop and you would like to receive this Trunk Show be sure to call Traci Suzanne Marvel at 1-866-245-5718. You just can't even imagine how stunning these quilts are.

Autumn Eyes Bear Quilt

You can't even imagine how amazing this quilt is in real life! Autumn Eyes is designed by Toni Whitney for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ . I have ordered three of these kits for myself besides the three I am making for Bigfork Bay Cotton Co.'s trunk shows. I LOVE this one. I am making one for myself, one for my son, and one for the people who have taken such good care of my son when he moved to Washington. They love bear and just bought a new house so this will be the perfect gift. I only wish I took better pictures but you will just have to make one of your own so you can see how fabulous it really is.

This one, too, was a huge hit at Bighorn Quilts when I showed it to our monthly group, too. It looks hard because of the detail but the layout sheet and well written directions make it is so easy to put together.

I didn't think anything could surpass Toni Whitney's Spring Storm, the horse, but I should have known that she had more fantastic art in her. I can't thank Bigfork Bay Cotton Company enough for letting me make these amazing trunk shows for them. The entire crew are the most amazing women you can ever meet. Be sure to go to the link on the right for kits and patterns from Bigfork Bay and patterns from Bighorn Quilts.

Caution: This quilt is addictive! Once you make one, everyone you know and are related to will want one! It really is that breathtaking. If ordering a kit, consider ordering several just to save on shipping because you WILL be getting more.

Summer Serenity Moose Quilt

Summer Serenity by Toni Whitney for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/ was such a pleasure to make. I made three of them for their trunk shows. Toni's quilts are so different than the ones we are used to seeing. My son wants one of these for his house in Washington.

When I showed one of the tops at our monthly get together in Greybull, WY, at Big Horn Quilts it was a huge hit. I saw several patterns in the hands of women afterwards who were buying them. The patterns by Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. are very well done. What I really love is the actual size layout sheet. The pattern pieces are reversed for easy transferring to fusible web. Patterns are available at Bigfork Bay Cotton Co or Big Horn Quilts. Click on the links to the right. Kits are available at Bigfork Bay Cotton Co.

Red Leaf Designs Books

My good friend Joyce Bridger Thompson, of Red Leaf Designs, (web link to the right) has written two Quilt and Bible Study books. Both of these books have been accepted into the Library of Congress. I am so proud of her for this accomplishment.

In the Beginning... is a study of Genesis 1-3. By combining her passion for spiritual knowledge and her artistic ability as a quilt designer, Joyce has created a new approach to grow spiritually, with a bonus of having a beautiful quilt as a meaningful reminder of the journey.

Designed as a 3 month group study, Joyce's explicit and inspiring instruction, plus her own insite, makes it easy to do the study individually. With each chapter in the study you can add to your quilt top.

I was extremely honored when Joyce asked me to quilt the tops made for this book by her and her mother. Little did I know at the time that my quilting was to be blown up as the background for the book.

Reflections of... her first of the series, combines a 6 lesson study based on the five character traits, the fruit of the Spirit, with a beautiful Tree of Life Quilt. With each revealing and uplifting lesson you will receive explicit and easy directions for adding to your quilt top. When you finish your quilt and Bible study, you will have not only grown spiritually but you will have a gorgeous visual reminder to be more like Christ.

I have done and taught these amazing studies and I must say that they are inspiring, well written, and enlightening. One of the Reflections quilts from a study, won first place in the Machine Quilted Wall Hanging division at Yellowstone Quilt Fest, in Cody Wyoming, a couple of years ago. It was made by Chris Algarme and quilted by me. Joyce herself bought the Reflections quilt I made. It was such an honor.

Be sure to check out her other unique quilt patterns at http://www.redleafdesigns.com/.

Garden Sunflower and Sunday Stroll

This gorgous quilt is Garden Sunflower by Brenda Yirsa for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company. It is so much prettier than the picture shows. Everyone who has seen it has fallen in love. I took it to our group that meets at Bighorn Quilts in Greybull, Wyoming last Saturday and it was a huge hit!

Sunday Stroll is a new one from Debi Hubbs for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company. This is one of MY favorites. There is something about Debi's quilts that just make me happy while I'm making them. For Patterns and Kits you can call Bigfork Bay at 866-245-5718 or visit your nearest Quilt Shop. If they don't have the patterns they might just get them in for you. I know that there are some of the patterns at http://www.bighornquilts.com/ . These patterns are also available at http://www.fabricdepot.com/