Check out this new quilt ezine at http://www.quiltpatternmagazine.com. The premier issue begins in January. You won’t want to miss an issue! When you’ve visited the site come on back and leave a comment about it! You may be a winner. One comment will be chosen from this blog on January 1! Each of the bloggers on the tour offer an opportunity to win a one year subscription to the magazine!! Check out the tour for more chances to win!

Beginning December 3rd and running through December 31st, the quilting blog community will each take a day to host news about The Quilt Pattern Magazine.

Just take a peek at the new fun filled magazine and stop back by to leave a comment. You’ll be in the running with a chance to win a one year subscription.

		You can print and file the portions of the magazine you wish to keep.
		You can easily organize all the articles and patterns in a binder.
		You get more patternsfor your money.
		You will have instant access to the magazine hot off the press. No waiting for the mail to arrive.

In addition to the recipes, submissions included a quilt photo and a story about the quilt. I know you’ll enjoy reading about quilts, not to mention the good food you can create!

Click on the cookbook graphic and you’ll be set to order
and find out more info about the cookbook.

I immediately downloaded the app for my IPhone. If you haven’t seen it yet, here are a couple of screen shots from my phone:

Thanks for your post Lindsay!

I was thrilled she took the time from her busy schedule to review the course and share her insights.

I encourage you to visit her blog and not only read her class critique, but also enjoy the other events posted on her blog.

Below are a couple of excerpts from her post.

“This class was packed full of great insights in each lesson. While this particular class is targeted towards quilters interested in making Portrait Art Quilts, I think this was actually one of the best online classes I’ve seen for photo editing.

Thus, I definitely recommend this particular class for any quilter interested in making beautiful Portrait Art Quilts, but also for those that want to learn more about photo editing tools.”

“My general impression is that Margaret’s classes are insightful and well worth the money and investment of time.

“There is also an optional  57 page document that you can purchase, without taking this class (or get a 50% discount if you buy a copy when you sign up for the class).  This document is very well written, with excellent visuals.  It is an excellent source of  providing tips, instructions and inspiration on using tools to edit digital photographs for use in quilts.  It also went several steps further, in sharing insights on how to turn these beautiful photographs into quilts…award winning quilts!
This document alone is worth more than the fee of this class!”

Thanks SewCalGal!

This is a pic of the website page, “lectures“. When you visit the page, just click on the buttons on the images to watch the movies I’ve made to let you know a little bit about what to expect from the lecture.

Lectures are just the tip of the iceberg, and the true learning comes from the workshops. This pic is from the page “workshops“.

My thoughts from so many years of teaching college students:

Lectures provide teachers an opportunity to share.

Teachers provide students an opportunity to grow.

Students provide teachers an
opportunity to teach.

If you provide the
opportunity,
I’ll share.

I also gave a make over to the portrait website, www.chiseledincloth.com. The make over isn’t complete either; as time permits I’ll get it completed.

These websites keep getting in the way of the fun BOM I’m designing. It is a six month, queen size BOM. I’m writing the instructions and soon it will be off to the testers.

An epiphany happened to me about twenty years ago. There was a void in my life and I didn’t even know it was happening.

I think an inspiration is like a flash of light in your psyche just waiting for action, and I needed one.

On the wall in a fabric store hung a stunning Oregon Trail Jacket. I bought the pattern and soon realized, even though I had no quilting experience, it had to be very similar to making a quilt. There was piecing, thin batting, matching seams and so on. Whatever it was called, I was hooked.

Wearing the jacket was always a fun experience because strangers would stop me and ask about what I was wearing; there were always questions and compliments.

The jacket still looks as good as it did the day I completed it; wish I could say the same for myself.

First, I would only wear it on nice days. Second, I wore it into a shop and the lady was so enthralled with the jacket she couldn’t contain herself. She asked just about every question she could think of; how was it made, how much it cost to make, where I found the pattern and on and on. I finally completed the sale and was about the leave when she said, “Wait, Wait, I want Dorothy to come out and see your jacket, she just loves gaudy things like I do!”

The jacket was just the inspiration I needed to steer me into the quilting realm. I went on to make traditional quilts for each of my children and grandchildren; however, I soon branched out into portrait quilts. I find creating a realistic likeness of a loved one in patterned fabric to be very exciting and rewarding.

I create my own portrait/pictorial quilt patterns and the technique I use to complete the quilt is to simply zig zag the edges of each piece of fabric in a slightly non-traditional appliqué method.

After years of presenting lectures and workshops to guilds and being asked how I make the patterns, I developed an online class to help quilters enjoy the process. It really is quite easy and lots of fun to make patterns from favorite photos. Purchasing an appliqué pattern is nice, but creating your own is awesome! All you need is a computer, software (free software is available) and a photo. My next online class to learn how to make the patterns begins September 5, 2009.

I recently retired from my faculty position as coordinator of the graphic communication program at a college and I’m now spending my retirement enjoying the quilting world more fully. I design pantos and continuous line stitching patterns for blocks, appliqué patterns, kits, teach online classes, and share the “how to” of portrait and pictorial quilting to guilds through lectures and workshops.

My quilts, patterns, presentations, and information about online classes are available at www.chiseledincloth.com

According to Wikipedia, magazines for women began as early as 1827! I had no idea. Sarah Hale, the author of Mary Had a Little Lamb, was the first woman editor of one such magazine from 1837 until 1877. During that time frame the subscribers jumped from 10,000 to over 150,000. The magazine included articles by influential authors such as Edgar Alan Poe, illustrations, patterns, and poetry. They avoided political and controversial topics, but stuck to information to help the average woman. Hmmm…that sounds very much like the new ezine, Ruby.

Ruby, the new magazine for women is beginning July 1, 2009 with one subscriber, heading for 150,000! Karen Gass, editor of Cotton Spice Magazine, is the editor and the brains behind Ruby. Here’s a quote from Karen:

“This magazine will be filled with the things we are really interested in – our home, our friends, our family, hobbies, charity, cooking, music, art, stories, pictures of the important things in our life, and much more.”

“The name – Ruby because ‘…her worth is far above rubies.’ From Proverbs 31:10. While we will have a Christian viewpoint, not everything will be ‘Christian’. If you like interesting, clean things – then you’ll love this! Our lives revolve around our family, the charities we love, our hobbies, our home and this magazine covers all that. No guilt. Frugal, simple ways of doing everything.”

Karen has the foresight to invite a talented group of women to serve as editors in such areas as charities, friends, devotions, home, cooking, music, paper dolls, coloring pages, flat adventures, home schooling, gardening and so much more. Flat Adventures will be my contribution to Ruby. No, it’s not about the earth being flat and early explorers, but it’s …

To keep up with technology and keep costs low, this magazine is offered as an online experience. You may purchase a single copy for $2.75 or a six-issue yearly subscription for $13.75. Ahhh, just sit in front of your computer with a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy each issue.

Not only can you read Ruby, you are encouraged to contribute articles, photos, etc. to Ruby.  Karen has thought of it all!

To find out more about Ruby, visit http://magazineruby.wordpress.com/ and, as the newspaper vendors of old shouted, “Extra, Extra, Read All About It”.