I Moved!

Looking for a new post? I moved my blog address.
Visit me at http://www.patifried.com/blog.
I can also be found through my website http://www.patifried.com
Or make your life simple and click on the I MOVED caption to go directly there!www.patifried.com

Quilts for the Mt. Ayr Aquatic Center

The only thing better than a quilt for a fundraiser is .... 2 Quilts! Here is a sneak peak at the two community quilts I am working on for the Mt. Ayr Aquatic Center in my home town, Mt. Ayr, Iowa.

Swimming in a Pool of Blue

Quilters will have a choice to do the Variable Star or Nine Patch in their favorite combination of scappy blues - the more blues the better! A little consistency will come with using all the same background, a nice crisp muslin will bring it all together.















And for the second quilt....

Summertime Snackbar

A second quilt we will be working on will be for the students to create.We should have lots of fun fusing and embellishing 4 different blocks to remind us of those lazy summer days at the pool!
Ice cream cones, popsicles, ice cream sundaes and a milkshake or two! Mmmmmmm!

Stay tuned for more details!

Orange is the new pink...

So, it's the end of October. The farmers market is bursting with colorful autumn harvest. Indian Summer is kind enough to share her beautiful sunsets at the end of the day, and everywhere I look - I see the color orange. I love this time of year. It totally make me happy.

"Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow."
-Wassily Kandinsky

If it isn't enough to enjoy the simple jollies of a pumpkin, or the happiness of a sunflower, you don't need to look hard to find a 5 year old that just couldn't wait any longer to don his Halloween costume a few days early! Spiders, goblins and candy corns are everywhere.

"Orange is the happiest color."
-Frank Sinatra

Here's a few orange tidbits for you:
The message you send by driving an orange vehicle - Fun-loving, talkative, fickle, trendy. Orange is a power color. It is also one of the healing colors. Orange is said to increase the craving for food. It also stimulates enthusiasm and creativity. People who like orange are usually thoughtful and sincere. Orange is mentally stimulating as well as sociable. Use it to get to be more imaginative.

Orange is the warmth of the sun. It offers a more thoughtful control than my personal favorite, the ever-explosive red. Also, curiosity is a driving characteristic of orange - with that comes exploration.

Put some orange in your life when you want

to spice things up

to get a little attention
to increase creativity

"There is no blue without yellow and without orange." -- Vincent Van Gogh

And if you want to get noticed without screaming,
consider the color orange- it demands attention.

Then go carve a pumpkin.

Oh yes, and one less thought:
Orange you glad you read about Orange?

I always have good intentions. I promised to bring you weekly posts to inspire you. How long ago was that? maybe a month... Anyhoo... here is a little something to shoot some sparks your way!
Boom Boom Fireworks was created from a block exchange with my quilt group. Very scrappy stars mixed with Kaffe's beautiful red woven fabric and Ecology cloth muslin. I think this is going to go in the "favorite" pile in my house!

BTW, this will be my first official quilt pattern - coming soon!

Jessica Smith - Creative Inspiration

Jessica Smith of The Quilt & Needle

Three years ago at Houston Quilt Market, I met Jessica Smith, owner of The Quilt and Needle, a friendly online quilting pub. Yes, that’s right, a quilting pub. Jess’s vision for Q&N was to create a virtual neighborhood gathering hole where friendships and camaraderie could be built around all that love quilting. Q&N is a place where quilters from around the world can visit anytime of day or night to enjoy the company of kindred spirits. The Quilt & Needle is filled with blogging, forums, chat rooms, and a an online quilt shop that is followed by quilters all over the world.

When I met Jess, her spunky personality and self confidence was infectious. We became instant friends. Jess is a business owner, mom, quilt teacher and undeniably talented pattern designer. She seems to be busy 24-7. Jess finds inspiration everywhere (yet another thing we have in common!) from her adorable children, to gardening or just observing design in everyday life.

Anything could spark the next idea.

In fact, Phire's Radiance, (below) was designed while bouncing her colicky new baby on her knee!

Discovering Mystery Quilts!

Jess's first experience with a mystery pattern was simple and ho-hum, but she was intrigued by the mystery process, so she began designing mystery patterns herself for Q&N members. Her goal was to create patterns that the quilters would actually cherish when finished. As you can see from the photos, she has certainly accomplished her goal! The results are fabulous! At this point, she has a strong following of Q&N Mystery Quilt fans.

Thoughts Mystery Patterns:

"Mystery patterns do more than surprise quilters. Mystery patterns actually help quilters stretch their personal boundaries. In the process of creating a mystery quilt unit by unit, the quilter will often attempt things they did not think they were capable of doing and would not have attempted otherwise. I believe that, even more importantly, quilters often discover their own inner designer diva in the process.” - Jess

Bella Cosa
Jess's latest Mystery Quilt Weekend was based on a pattern she designed using my new fabric line, Capri! The quilt is called, Bella Cosa, which roughly translates to "A Good Thing". Perhaps I am a little biased, but I think it is a Very Good Thing! The Mystery Weekend took place a few weeks ago and was, as always, a big success. The Bella Cosa pattern can be ordered through The Quilt & Needle website, along with the fabrics. Keep your eyes open for more fun with Mystery Quilt Patterns from Jess.


My suggestion? Sign up to be a "pub" member of Q&N, make some new friends from around the world, and be a part of her next Mystery Quilt Weekend. You won't regret it!

Thanks Jess! You are an inspiration for all of us!