Using Bamboo & Cotton Batting

We used bamboo/cotton batting for the table runners and covers in our last quilting book, Tapestry of Texture, and were very pleased with the results. The quilted items are soft, the quilt layers held together with a magical clinginess and it was like stitching through butter to put the machine stitches in place. Bamboo in clothing or yarn or batting is actually rayon. Like cotton, it is a cellulosic fiber. This batt is a 50-50 blend of bamboo and cotton, both renewable resources.

We are carrying a larger batt on our website for you to try. Fairfield makes this batt in a 60" by 60" size, just right for slicing off some placemat samples and then enough left over for a runner or two. Here's an idea -- order one or two batts for your quilting group and offer a "bamboo trial" for your members.

Nature-FilTM Batting -- 60" x 60"

Tapestry of Texture Featured on QPTV

We're on TV -- QPTV! Debbie Welch, guru/owner of Quilting Possibilities in Forked River, NJ featured the Tapestry of Texture trunk show on her TV channel. Debbie is developing a YouTube feed for her shop and does a short video walk through of the samples in OUR NEW BOOK!

YES! I am so excited to see my work displayed in this East Coast shop. Thank you so much, Deb.

Here's the link:
http://quiltingpossibilitiestimes.blogspot.com/2010/09/dragging-myself-into-this-millenium.html

Hmm, I set up a YouTube channel for Graywood but I haven't used it. I really must get the FlipCam out and get going!

Cover Project From Our New Book

The cover table runner is named "Off The Table" because we know that many quilters will use it as a wall quilt. This design uses 16 batik fat quarters and the Rail Fence block.

It is stunning photographed against the dark wood of my grandmother's recently restored dining table. Where will you display your "Off The Table" runner when you've finished this project?

GWB05 -- Tapestry of Texture -- $15.95 Retail

By the way, this runner is 25" wide and 45" long. Sometimes quilters are looking for a wider table runner that is almost a table cover. This design fits that need. Enjoy!

Three Projects From Our New Book

Here are three of the projects from our fifth quilting book, Tapestry of Texture, which is available in quilt stores now and also from our website. I'll write more about the rest of the projects in another blog post.

This first project, the Rail Topper, is one of the easiest designs in the book. We show it as a picnic quilt. You could make it for an umbrella table.  Just add a center hole and slit, like you would for a tree skirt. We call this version "Mango" and love the look of many colors with the main print.

This next project is "Carlie's Runner" and is named for the originator of the block which we used. Carlie Sexton designed the block called Scotch Plaid in the 1930's. This is a narrow runner without a border. The block has more pieces than the rail block above but it is easy to make. It has a wing unit that we make with Thangles and some clever rotary cutting. Notice the mix of fabrics that is possible with this block.

One more project to show you in today's post -- the Cut Glass Dish Runner -- which is made with a collection of cheddar fabrics. This is one of my favorite projects from the book. It will take time to make over 200 half square triangles for this runner but the results are stunning. Look over your fabric collection or head for the nearest quilt shop. You will need 18 different fabrics for the color collection in this design. We added a touch of hand quilting to this project using Valdani hand dyed pearl cotton. So cool.

Tapestry of Texture has three runner and three table cover designs in it. Photographs, diagrams and complete directions guide you through the selection of color, cutting, assembly and quilting.

I'll write more about the rest of the designs in another post. Ask for this book at your local quilt shop. Our trunk showing of all the samples as photographed in the book will be leaving our Studio and on display at Quilting Possibilities in Forked River, New Jersey for the rest of August.

Book Update, Roses at Huron City

Back and forth, back and forth -- that's what has been happening to the proofs for our new book this month. We've been refining color fills and sharpening text. We are SO close to printing that we can smell in the ink! Maybe we'll start shipping by the end of the month.

Meanwhile, I did get to a wonderful US Army Band Concert at Huron City last week. During the setup on the lawn we spied a wonderful line of roses in full bloom along a picket fence in front of the House of Seven Gables. I'm guessing that these plants are the old Seven Sisters rose which is named after the constellation called The Pleides which is seen very clearly on summer nights here in Michigan. You can see the riot of color and the intensity of the bloom in this old fashioned rose from the photos. Makes you think about pink and green quilts, doesn't it?

Stop By the Studio Store. . .

and you will get to see the fabulous samples from our new book. Don't miss seeing our newest designs up close and personal. When the book comes from the printer (probably last week of June or first week of July) the samples will be out of here. We will be sending them on to shops that have ordered the book. First display will be at Quilting Possibilities in Forked River, New Jersey.

Here are a few glimpses of displays in the store this week. Danielle Damen is our shop and photo stylist and she does a crackerjack job of creating displays that rock!

We are in the last weeks of fine tuning the book. Photographs will be dropped into pages this week and the proofreading crew will be busy. The book, "Tapestry of Texture," is a celebration of table runners and table covers with lots of fabric. Stop by and see these gems soon!

Market Prep Day

Good morning, dear readers. It was a long drive (570 miles) from Gaylord, Michigan to Roseville, Minnesota yesterday. I'm finally getting my second cup of coffee and my first awareness of the day.

Ed and I oohed and aahed at the many clumps of lilacs that we saw yesterday. We spotted a clump in the wild about five miles south of the Big Mac Bridge and kept seeing lilacs all the way into Minnesota. Our absolute favorite place for lilacs (besides our yard) is the Royal Botanic Garden in Hamilton, Ontario, pictured here. Yesterday's spots of purple, lavendar and white reminded us of the wonderful Canadian gardens which we visited last May.
Today's work will be fun. I'll be setting up a half booth (six feet by ten feet) with all of the new samples from Tapestry of Texture and some of the samples from our previous books. The half booth format is new to Graywood Designs. Business has been slow and I decided to do a half booth for Spring Market rather than skip the market.

Our photo shoot last Saturday went very well. We used the Graywood Studio Store in Pigeon for background and setting spaces. Photo stylist Danielle Damen raided the antiques collections of her family and provided stunning settings for Tapestry's table runners and table covers. Photographer Steve Jias was sprawled on the grass for garden shots. Steadicam operator and photo guru Will Eichler assured us vertical and horizontals of most shots before a set was broken down and we moved to another spot.

All of this photography and packing and travel has been a backdrop in my life. My dear mother-in-law moved to assisted living on Monday. While Ed and I cared for her transition along with his family, my staff has rallied round the tasks at hand that needed to be done to get Graywood Designs (me) to Market.

So, off to the Convention Center to Booth #3404. Stop by when you are at Market. Thangles has their booth right next to us, too.

If you are a Quilt Shop buyer and have not received our Market email, call Lori at our office -- 888-453-4554 and talk with her about our May Market offers. She can connect you to our email list so you can see Graywood's new products now.

Update on the New Book

It's an exciting week here at Graywood Designs. On Friday we'll be doing the photo shoot for our new book so that means that we are busy quilting and binding this week. I'm putting the last of many quilting lines into the Cut Glass Dish Runner. This 15 inch wide and 45 inch long runner uses 288 Thangles and 18 cheddar fabrics. It's a spectacular quilting project.

We've been practicing circle quilting on our long arm Gammill and will quilt a Jill Harmon pattern into the cover runner which is called Off The Table since we know that quilters will take it "off the table" and make it as a wall quilt.

These two projects are joined by four others:

Rounded Toppers

Carlie's Runner & Carlie's Square

Teatime in Uji Tablecover

The colors are stunning. The designs are fun to piece. Some are challenging; others are easy as can be. The new book comes out in May. Don't miss it!

Our New Book Will Be Published in May

Our next quilting book, Tapestry of Texture, comes out in May right around Spring Quilt Market. It's a busy and confusing time for us right now. We're still sewing samples. . .but we're almost done. I'm doing page makeups. . .and I'm not almost done. The first advertisement has been placed in American Quilt Retailer. Our market booth is planned. Here you can see my cellphone with the cheddar Thangles for one of the projects in the book, Cut Glass Dish Runner. This project uses lots of half square triangles so I would often settle in at the pressing surface with my cellphone and scissors and Thangle away!

 Next there is a shot of the design wall in the Studio Store which is where Danielle sews most of the samples she prepares. On the wall to the right is part of the table cover called "Teatime in Uji." The project on the left is called "Rounded Topper" and you probably won't see this version in the book. We often sew more than one sample and this one is not scheduled to be photographed as of now.

Our book has six projects -- three runners and three tablecovers -- all projects that we know quilters will want to make. Once again, we're using Thangles for half square triangles. Our projects range from easy to challenging. It's a good book and its coming soon!