A Kaleidoscope of Socks

Sock knitter Gloria Swartzendruber shares this wonderful photo with the Graywood blog. Here is the kaleidoscope of socks that she has knit in the past year or so. Gloria recently gifted her sisters with pairs of socks and this is the collection that her lucky sibs got to choose from.

Well done, faithful knitter Gloria! We'd all love to have you as OUR sister!

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.

Sheep Show 2010

Here's Ashley Glaza (on the left, with one of her friends) from Bad Axe with her lambs that won the Grand Champion Pen trophy at yesterday's Huron Community Fair. Graywood Designs is the proud sponsor of this trophy which I get to present each year.

Great job, Ashley!

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Click HERE for a blog post from my other blog about the 2008 Sheep Show. this post has some cute photos of kids!

Blooming Nine Patch -- A Winning Quilt!

Here is the Blooming Nine Patch Quilt that I made as a wedding gift for my son and daughter-in-law in 2004. This quilt won the Viewer's Choice award for two days at the Thumb Area Quilt Guild's show in July of 2004.

We are featuring this quilt design next week at our Winning Quilt #2 Event on Wed., July 28 at the Studio Store from 10 am to 4 pm. You will be able to purchase the pattern and the batiks to make this quilt. I have a clever way of putting the quilt together, too, and will discuss that method next Wednesday at the Winning Quilt Event.

My mother-in-law, Pauline Eichler, made the same quilt the following year. Her quilt, Pauline's Bouquet, uses floral prints and it also won an award, Best of Show, for one of the days at the Thumb Area Quilt Guild's Show the following summer.

I know that this design leads to winning quilts! Stop by and find out more about this great quilt.

This design is found in the book, Traditon with a Twist, which you can purchase on our website or at the Studio Store.

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?