Hi everyone,

remember me? Ha ha!

Yeah, for how many times now, life just sweeps me away from this blogging fun… It doesn’t help that I contribute to few blogs, (this one, my own and one for WNY MQG) so this little time needs to be divided even more. But hey, it just asks for better organization, right? Yeah – sounding like a broken record here, but hey – I am not giving up!! 🙂

So what we didn’t think will ever happen – did – SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!! 🙂

First roses are opening up in  my garden and peonies are almost done. This Japanese iris finally bloomed after about three years of waiting – but it was worth the wait. This deep, deep color in the first morning light makes me smile every morning…

I really love this color!! Yet – I don’t really use it as much in my quilts!! YET…. But all these photos I have mist be some inspiration and quilt in the making?

Speaking of colors – one that is now so, so much more in my focus – PINK!! Another one that I did’n use much before, but now – with that little girly-girl in our lives, it is EVERYWHERE!! Our first granddaughter, Juliana Marie, is now a month old already!! Can you believe it??? I almost can’t and I still wake up every morning smiling and thinking how amazing is that we have this little, precious girl in our family now…. My heart is completely and utterly taken my friends. If I am not with her, I constantly dream what can I make for her…

Yes, little dresses, car-seat covers, stuffed animals… 

This little dress was just such a joy to make! You can read more about it on my blog, HERE.  I used cotton VOILE for the first time. Did you ever try it? It is kinda a new rage now, specially among younger women who also like to make some clothes. It is really a dream to work with and to wear…. Some even make quilts with it – they must be so very soft! Maybe I will try that… Did you try it so far? If yes, what do you think?

There is just so many new fabrics coming out these days – it is almost… NOT FAIR?? Ha, ha, I know I sound silly, or spoiled, but really – who can keep up?? And I WANT TO!! I guess I will just have to make more and MORE… Speaking of new fabric – I was so lucky to be able to play with some really, REALLY new ones – so new, they are not even in quilt shops!

But there is even better story behind that one: many of you are also on Facebook and likely aware what a resource, inspiration and virtual meeting place it can be for us quilters. It is truly amazing! Through Facebook, I connected with wonderful young woman, artist, from my motherland, Serbia – Katarina Roccella is very talented artist and now – get this – one of the newest fabric designers for Art Galley Fabric!! I am so proud of her!! We became Facebook friends before all this happened and of course she had to keep it a secret for a while, so I was so surprised and delighted when she announced it. Her first collection, named INDELIBLE (AGF link above) is really modern and yet with some elements of nostalgia (doilies, old clocks) and some of my favorite things – like birch trees…. 

Oh and yes, these photos are actually MINE…yes, I got some of these beauties ahead of time… You see, I also learned a bit of “behind the scenes” of fabric designing, collection debuts and Quilt Market now: apparently it is almost a rule that when you have a new collection to debut at next Quilt Market, you don’t get the fabric from the manufacturer until the very last moment – literally a week or two before the Quilt Market! And then you (the designer) have to sew like a mad person to make as many items as possible from you new lovely fabric!! Quilts, pillows, runners, dresses, toys…whatever you can dream of, BUT in this short time!! Crazy, right?

So knowing this, I offered Katarina to help her – specially since she was all the way in Belgrade, Serbia and with only the beginning quilter experience. It was so much fun working with these lovelies and deepening my friendship with Katarina. Yes – she made it to her first Quilt Market (her first trip to USA too!) and it was a great success!! You can read more about all that at her blog (link above) too. (I would have been there too but it was happening right around the time our granddaughter was due, so no travels for me! 🙂  )

Here is the quilt I made and of course, more about that HERE too. And oh yes – I am still playing with these fabrics…so stay tuned!! 🙂

OK, so I think I got caught up with all the happenings around here… How about you? What are you all up to? More gardening and less sewing now? Or opposite – more sewing in AC while muggy weather is outside? 

Here are few other fun things I found to share with you:

– apparently, Mr. Quilt&Fun, Mark Lipinski is up to something new!! SLOW STITCHING MOVEMENT!! OK… now what on Earth is that? 

Well I don’t quite know, but I sure did sign up for his live webinar to see!! He has a new blog for it too – so go check it out HERE (a very nice read, if you ask me!). We shall see….

– Lori Kennedy has yet another free-motion quilting tutorial that I really, really love! If you look at this one, it looks so complicated, but broken down in steps and with little bit of marking – it can be done!! I am trying this one and will report back! If you do – please share also!!

– This tutorial for a mug rug (but really can be a quilt block) also left me with wanting to do it – how about you? Of course if I would make multiple blocks, it would be strip-pieced, mixed-up and then sewn together… 

Well, that is all from me! Now sadly – I might not be able to come to the meeting tomorrow (but really not sad – I might be baby-sitting!), but I will definitely, definitely be there in July!! ‘Till then, we will talk here! 

Stay cool and quilt on,

Marija