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Archive for the ‘Be Happy!’ Category

Bloghop and Giveaway: Art Quilt Design, From Photo to Threadwork

Tuesday, September 17th, 2013

Great news!   A number of wonderful artists and quilters have kindly agreed to review my new Art Quilt Design, From Photo to Threadwork DVD (or download) in a bloghop and giveaway!  The Quilting and art community has given me so much, that I wanted to do something in return and to celebrate my first DVD (and I’m still agog at how wonderfully well it turned out!).

Now available!!!!

Now available!!!!

Starting on Thursday, September 19th through Saturday, October 5th, you’ll have EIGHT chances to win a free copy of the DVD or a download, thanks to the generosity of Quilting Arts/Interweave!  Then, in November, I’ll be hosting another round, a second bloghop and giveaway!   And, for the final day of each bloghop, there will be additional prizes from Mistyfuse (thank you to Iris K and Mistyfuse!) and Havel’s Scissors (thank you Havel’s!)!  Here is the schedule for the first bloghop:

 

September 19:    Jamie Fingal     Twisted Sister Blog
September 21:    Deborah Boschert    Deborah’s Journal
September 24:    Vicki Welsh  Field Trips in Fiber
September 26:    Leslie Jenison  Leslie’s Blog
September 28:    Terry Grant   And Sew It Goes
October 1:          Gloria Hansen   Gloria’s Blog
October 3:          Diane Perin Hock   Going to Pieces
October 5:          Sarah Ann Smith  Right HERE!
I’ll post a reminder each day there is a blogpost and giveaway.   You get to surf over and visit their blog (and I hope explore their wonderful art and blogging) and, if you want to enter, leave a comment.   Each blogger will pick one person to win the prize, will notify me, and I’ll arrange for you to get a DVD or download.  Let the fun begin!

What a THRILL!

Friday, September 13th, 2013

Lookit what popped up in my inbox this morning:

Today's Quilting Daily was a decidedly pleasant surprise!  My DVD!!!

Today’s Quilting Daily was a decidedly pleasant surprise! My DVD!!! Right Click to view larger

You can pre-order the DVD from me, here, or purchase the download TODAY from Quilting Arts at the Interweave Store here, or pre-order from Interweave also.   If you do the download, spring for the extra $2 and get the High Def version–the photography and clarity is superb!

Thanks to Ann C. and Debby H.  for their early and wonderful praise for my DVD:

  • From Ann on Facebook:

From master quilter Sarah Ann Smith! A must get!

  • From Debby H. on Facebook:

I just downloaded this video and have only watched the introduction and first part on cutting the pieces. IT IS ONE OF THE BEST I’VE EVER SEEN! I know I may be partial since I’m your friend, but it really is very very good. I love the detailed information about the supplies. You tell us specifically what to get and why that name brand. You just have no idea how valuable that information is! That would have been worth the price of the download all by itself! Thanks for putting in the work to produce such a wonderful informational piece. I’ll watch it over and over and have to use it as a reward for getting my other household chores done. Really really good!

And a sneak announcement:   next week we’ll start a bloghop and giveaway!    Details on Tuesday the 17th!

 

OMG–My DVD is OUT! Order now!

Tuesday, September 10th, 2013

Teeheee…can you tell I’m excited?  My Video workshop, Art Quilt Design from Photo to Threadwork (with Fabric Collage and Machine Quilting) is now available as a digital download on the Interweave Store here (both regular AND [!!!!] High def) and available for pre-order here on my website and on the interweave site.  If you pre-order your DVD from me, shipping is free from now through September 24th (and a modest $3 after that).

Now available!!!!

Now available!!!!

I haven’t downloaded the video here at home yet, but I think I am at least as excited about this as about the entire DVD:

The Closing Credits...son Joshua is there, too!  I had so much fun playing his music on my iPhone to get psyched before and celebrate after taping, too!

The Closing Credits…son Joshua is there, too! I had so much fun playing his music on my iPhone to get psyched before and celebrate after taping, too!

Yep, JOSHUA’s MUSIC, written, performed and recorded by my firstborn son, runs during the closing credits!!!!   You can hear the entire song on SoundCloud, here.  (Note:  link coming soon…gotta listen to the video to hear which song they chose but too eager to get this posted to wait for the download to finish–will update on the 11th.)

And as always, THANK YOU to Janome America.  They have sponsored me with a sewing machine through their Artist and Teacher program for a VERY long time, and I am incredibly grateful for their generosity and support.  I’m also thrilled that the dealer in Colorado,  Quilter’s Stash of Windsor, Colorado, was able to arrange for me to sew on an 8900–as I do at home–on the DVD set.  It made taping so much easier to be sewing on a familiar machine!

To celebrate, I will be having a bloghop giveaway in about ten days (September 2013) and another one in November 2013, just in time for the holidays.   Stay tuned for more on the bloghop and giveaways!  Now I’m gonna go float up in the clouds somewhere!

 

A Balinese beauty!

Thursday, July 11th, 2013

You coulda knocked me over with a feather!   I very rarely hear back from students despite my invitation (Plea!) to send pics of projects!  Well Nancy McConnell DID!  THANK YOU, Nancy, and yep, I’m shouting!

Two years ago in March 2011 I had the pleasure of teaching for Cape Cod (Massachusetts)’s Bayberry Quilters, and Nancy was in my Balinese Garden class.  I always encourage students to do their own thing and adapt the pattern at will, and she did, and I’m so glad!   The pattern, here, is for a pillow or tablerunner.  Nancy let hers GROW into this beauty:

I just love the way the flowers dance across the surface!

I just love the way the flowers dance across the surface!

Here’s what Nancy wrote:

Well, more than two years later, I completed the quilt on May 7th.  I had fun making the flowers and got carried away making
so many, but I had to use them, so “Garden Party” is a bit manic, but I am happy with it.  I used lots of rayon thread that I had in my stash
and was pleased with the results.  I will show the quilt in our annual Quilt Show on August 1, 2 and 3rd.  Hope you can attend.  Here’s the link to it:
http://bayberryquiltersofcapecod.com/

Alas, I won’t be able to go down (will be taking son to running camp in Vermont about then), but if you are in the vicinity, do go!

Here’s a detail photo:

Detal of Nancy McConnell's Garden Party Quilt.

Detal of Nancy McConnell’s Garden Party Quilt.

Thank you so much Nancy for being in the class and especially for sharing your quilt with me and letting me share it, in turn, with all of you!

Extreme Shepherding

Friday, June 7th, 2013

Our younger son is a fan of Stumble Upon, which took him to this video, which he shared with the comment:  People with too much time on their hands.   On the other hand, it is FUN (and probably a commercial for Samsung, but who cares because it is wonderful)!  Enjoy!