Linking to all the other beautiful quilts on display at Amy's Creative Side.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Fall 2011 Blogger's Quilt Festival
Linking to all the other beautiful quilts on display at Amy's Creative Side.
Monday, October 24, 2011
the big reveal...
It is finally here. I literally grew two human beings in my body in less time than it took this quilt to get from the design stage to publication. So glad to be able to share with you guys at last.
You can head on over to McCall's Quick Quilts to see my helix quilt (renamed "Baby's First Christmas" for this issue. They have done a mock up in traditional boy colors and traditional girl colors as a web bonus...that was really fun to see!
For fun I want to show you guys a couple of photos I took during the process.
Here is my happy pile of American Jane squares and Half Square Triangles.
Here is the fabulous tulip quilting (unfortunately not done by me!)
Subscribers should already have their copy. If you are interested in picking one up, they should definitely be in stores the first of November.
Soooooo...what do you guys think?
You can head on over to McCall's Quick Quilts to see my helix quilt (renamed "Baby's First Christmas" for this issue. They have done a mock up in traditional boy colors and traditional girl colors as a web bonus...that was really fun to see!
For fun I want to show you guys a couple of photos I took during the process.
This is my photo I took before I sent it off.
Subscribers should already have their copy. If you are interested in picking one up, they should definitely be in stores the first of November.
Soooooo...what do you guys think?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The magazine process...getting your quilts published.
So FINALLY I am getting close to having a real magazine with my name and quilt design inside. Woo-hoo. It's been a long road...longer than a pregnancy, I think! I wanted to share some of my insights and experiences. I'm not going to do pictures with this post because frankly, I'm tired!
Every quilting magazine will have submission guidelines within the magazine or on their website. I am going to be honest that I have never read a quilting magazine before (I have had the same book on my nightstand for about 3 years...). I approached McCall's Quick Quilts for the project that got accepted. I sent them completed quilt photos I had printed at my local Walgreens along with the quilt dimensions and a little about the quilt. You don't have to send a whole professional written pattern when you are working with them. I sent how I made it and they did the graphics and changed the way I did some things to fit the space in the magazine. I also noticed whereas I trim up my half square triangles, they did the measurements for non-trimmers. Having all the details written was not as important as the design itself.
My first submission was accepted at the very end of the up-to-90 day waiting period. I want to point out that I have since submitted 2 other projects. One I submitted to another publication and never heard anything. One I submitted to McCall's and I received a "we love this but it doesn't fit our lineup." I knew it was a good design and I held it in my back pocket and I'm happy to say it was accepted into another publication. Rejection doesn't mean your design was terrible...it meant your design didn't fit their upcoming issues...keep trying!! The other design I abandoned because I realized there were other similar designs out there that I just didn't know about at the time. It's hard to be aware of EVERYTHING out there. That's another thing to remember- your design may not be bad, it may just be similar to another design they have seen elsewhere. Great minds think alike and all...
So I received an email asking if I could make the quilt in a baby size and outlining the pay. I accepted the commission. I don't want to talk specifically about the pay for this piece but from what I understand most magazine commissions are $200-$500. Obviously the bigger the piece, the bigger the pay. I was told to make this scrappy and use my stash. I was not able to get one fabric line from a fabric company due to the long lead time on the publication- the fabric would be out of print by the time the piece was published. Many fabric companies will happily supply fabrics for publications (free advertising plus kitting opportunities, I guess) and I did contact one in order to build my "scraps" of the 2 colorsI used. 90+ percent of the prints actually came from my own stash in the end.
I made the quilt and had it professionally quilted for $72. I paid that fee up front and yes, it did eat into my "profits". I did not get a discount from the quilter, unfortunately. I bound the quilt and mailed it in very very early so it did not get any more mystery stains from my 3 curious boys. All costs to ship the quilt were also paid by me.
A magazine can decide at any time they do not want to publish your quilt, even if they have commissioned it. They will give you a "kill fee" which means they will pay you something to cover your expenses and maybe some extra if they decide not to use your quilt. They will also reserve the right not to publish if you send in shoddy work. I cannot tell you how meticulous I was with my piecing knowing that! The quilter told me I did perfect and I was super excited because if she only knew how hard it was for me to be that detail oriented!!!
The magazine will obtain a legal copyright for you and after a set time period you will be the copyright holder to your design. You cannot sell copies of the pattern you have just published until you are the copyright holder once again. Since it is a for-real copyright and not just someone on the internet saying it is copyrighted, you will have your name listed in the library of congress- COOL, huh!
Many months later, I received a paycheck (about 2-3 weeks before the magazine was to hit the shelves) and PDF of what my spread would look like. The quilt's name was changed to "Baby's First Christmas." I had no idea that this was a "Christmas" edition even though I did ask if I should keep a particular holiday or color scheme in mind. The weird thing is that I wanted to do red and lime green but resisted because it seemed "too Christmasy" for a January edition. Guess I should have gone with my gut on that one. Also, as I mentioned before, they constructed the quilt a different way. Long story short, I had an A block and a B block and they combined into one giant block vs 2 blocks that alternate. The end result was the same.
While having a quilt published was something that was exciting and fun, it was also kind of stressful for me (again with the pregnancy analogy...just like having a baby!)- stress of getting it perfect, stress of paying for the quilter up front out of "mom-money", stress of keeping it clean (oy, this was the worst), stress of it possibly getting lost in the mail, and just the waiting that goes on. I am going to also admit that it was shocking to me how hard it was to relinquish creative control. It was very weird for me to see my quilt in a shot that I didn't take or to have it named something other than what I called it. It was hard to trust the quilter, but she did a great job.
I haven't received my quilt back yet, but when I do I will save it for a grandchild I guess. I can't imagine giving it up or selling it. I will give everyone a heads up when the magazine becomes available or the preview in other colors is available online.
Every quilting magazine will have submission guidelines within the magazine or on their website. I am going to be honest that I have never read a quilting magazine before (I have had the same book on my nightstand for about 3 years...). I approached McCall's Quick Quilts for the project that got accepted. I sent them completed quilt photos I had printed at my local Walgreens along with the quilt dimensions and a little about the quilt. You don't have to send a whole professional written pattern when you are working with them. I sent how I made it and they did the graphics and changed the way I did some things to fit the space in the magazine. I also noticed whereas I trim up my half square triangles, they did the measurements for non-trimmers. Having all the details written was not as important as the design itself.
My first submission was accepted at the very end of the up-to-90 day waiting period. I want to point out that I have since submitted 2 other projects. One I submitted to another publication and never heard anything. One I submitted to McCall's and I received a "we love this but it doesn't fit our lineup." I knew it was a good design and I held it in my back pocket and I'm happy to say it was accepted into another publication. Rejection doesn't mean your design was terrible...it meant your design didn't fit their upcoming issues...keep trying!! The other design I abandoned because I realized there were other similar designs out there that I just didn't know about at the time. It's hard to be aware of EVERYTHING out there. That's another thing to remember- your design may not be bad, it may just be similar to another design they have seen elsewhere. Great minds think alike and all...
So I received an email asking if I could make the quilt in a baby size and outlining the pay. I accepted the commission. I don't want to talk specifically about the pay for this piece but from what I understand most magazine commissions are $200-$500. Obviously the bigger the piece, the bigger the pay. I was told to make this scrappy and use my stash. I was not able to get one fabric line from a fabric company due to the long lead time on the publication- the fabric would be out of print by the time the piece was published. Many fabric companies will happily supply fabrics for publications (free advertising plus kitting opportunities, I guess) and I did contact one in order to build my "scraps" of the 2 colorsI used. 90+ percent of the prints actually came from my own stash in the end.
I made the quilt and had it professionally quilted for $72. I paid that fee up front and yes, it did eat into my "profits". I did not get a discount from the quilter, unfortunately. I bound the quilt and mailed it in very very early so it did not get any more mystery stains from my 3 curious boys. All costs to ship the quilt were also paid by me.
A magazine can decide at any time they do not want to publish your quilt, even if they have commissioned it. They will give you a "kill fee" which means they will pay you something to cover your expenses and maybe some extra if they decide not to use your quilt. They will also reserve the right not to publish if you send in shoddy work. I cannot tell you how meticulous I was with my piecing knowing that! The quilter told me I did perfect and I was super excited because if she only knew how hard it was for me to be that detail oriented!!!
The magazine will obtain a legal copyright for you and after a set time period you will be the copyright holder to your design. You cannot sell copies of the pattern you have just published until you are the copyright holder once again. Since it is a for-real copyright and not just someone on the internet saying it is copyrighted, you will have your name listed in the library of congress- COOL, huh!
Many months later, I received a paycheck (about 2-3 weeks before the magazine was to hit the shelves) and PDF of what my spread would look like. The quilt's name was changed to "Baby's First Christmas." I had no idea that this was a "Christmas" edition even though I did ask if I should keep a particular holiday or color scheme in mind. The weird thing is that I wanted to do red and lime green but resisted because it seemed "too Christmasy" for a January edition. Guess I should have gone with my gut on that one. Also, as I mentioned before, they constructed the quilt a different way. Long story short, I had an A block and a B block and they combined into one giant block vs 2 blocks that alternate. The end result was the same.
While having a quilt published was something that was exciting and fun, it was also kind of stressful for me (again with the pregnancy analogy...just like having a baby!)- stress of getting it perfect, stress of paying for the quilter up front out of "mom-money", stress of keeping it clean (oy, this was the worst), stress of it possibly getting lost in the mail, and just the waiting that goes on. I am going to also admit that it was shocking to me how hard it was to relinquish creative control. It was very weird for me to see my quilt in a shot that I didn't take or to have it named something other than what I called it. It was hard to trust the quilter, but she did a great job.
I haven't received my quilt back yet, but when I do I will save it for a grandchild I guess. I can't imagine giving it up or selling it. I will give everyone a heads up when the magazine becomes available or the preview in other colors is available online.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Last Chance Sale!
In 2 weeks I will be removing Helix for sale on PatternSpot for a few months. Why? Well, Helix is all grown up and about to be a magazine published pattern! The magazine version is baby sized only, so this will be your last chance to purchase a lap/twin version for a while. To celebrate, I'm putting this pattern on sale for 25% off. I've also uploaded all of my patterns on PatternSpot if you are interested in another.
I promise to share my experience and maybe demystify the publication process a bit for y'all. I know I had NO clue for the longest time how to get the ball rolling.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Jack's Hills Quilt...
Hey Guys...with all the excitement of the Sandy Klop interview I almost forgot to let you know I have another tutorial up on Moda Bake Shop.
Pop over there and let me know what you think...and be sure to scroll down to the very bottom of the post for what I assure you is THE cutest picture ever posted on the bake shop!
Pop over there and let me know what you think...and be sure to scroll down to the very bottom of the post for what I assure you is THE cutest picture ever posted on the bake shop!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Interview: Sandy Klop of American Jane!
I am SO excited to present you guys with this interview today. Barbara Walters I am not, but I asked some things I was curious about that hopefully you will be curious about too. At the bottom of the post, I've compiled a list of previous interviews for those of you who would like to know even more.
Q. What’s the story behind the name “American Jane”?
A.When I was planing to go to my first quilt market with my first 17 patterns, I was looking for a name but was coming up empty. Every idea I had was already a web site. So when I was teaching a class I told my students my dilemma, and one student said "let me think about this, I used to do some work for the Muppets". This student had come in a wheelchair with an assistant . I was working at the store after the class and a good fifteen minutes later she came back in the store and said" I think I have a name for you, a friend of mine just named her baby girl America Jane." At the time I wasn't even sure what my look was, but I loved Dick and Jane, Mary Janes, plain Jane, G I Jane , and Jane Doe, so why not American Jane. And that called for a flag!
Q. What is your process for creating a new quilt pattern?
A. First of all I have to have the fabric! Then I just start making blocks, and from there it goes to what ifs. I always think I'm going to write directions as I go, but I usually get quite excited and before I know it the quilt is finished!
Q. What is your favorite fabric line or print you’ve designed?
A. I think it has to be the first one Avignon. But I just organized all my fabrics and I love them all!
Q. I’ve noticed some of your lines seem to be inspired by vintage childhood themes whereas some have a French flair. Is this planned or just what you're feeling at the moment?
A. The colors are the same and I have always been more drawn to the color of the fabric than the pattern so I often put a little French flavor into every quilt.
Q. What's your favorite color? Is there a color you just do not like?
A.Red, yellow, orange, blue, and green. You'll notice I did not say purple. I have used purple but not often. (Mary's note: I totally knew she was in the no-purple club with me...)
Q. Can you tell us about your favorite quilt?
A. I have have about 10 favorites so far. I show some of these at the end of my trunk show.Q. Do you have any words of advice for those aspiring to a career in the quilting industry?
A. Dream big! When I started working in a quilt store , as I checked in new fabric , or put bolts away I thought I want my name on the selvage! Now I'm making a Big ball of all the selvage I trim off from my fabrics!
 |
| This quilt and others are available for sale at Sandy Klop's website, www.19quilts.com ! |
Q. If you had to pick any career that didn’t involve quilting & fabric, what would it be?
A. Redoing houses maybe , I love remodeling , remaking as long as I have a big team to do what I say and do it quickly!Below are some links to more fun interviews and articles for those of you who want to learn more about the lady behind some of our favorite fabrics!
American Jane Patterns
Monday, October 10, 2011
Y'all might wanna sit down for this...
I've gotten to do some really exciting things with quilting. Let me say of all the opportunities quilting has afforded me, nothing tops what I am about to share with you.
I was standing in the line at the crosswalk waiting for my son to get out of school so I could walk him home when my little email pinged on my phone. Usually I leave the phone at home, but for some reason, I had carried it along. I checked it and let out an audible GASP right there in front of my mom friends. Sandy Klop sent me a short email thanking me for being a fan of American Jane. I die. This was something so monumentally cool that even my husband "got it." He compared it to his favorite baseball player emailing him. Of course I have to email her back. I really didn't want to be a pest, but you know what...I asked her for an interview to post on my blog and she AGREED! It was really hard to come up with questions besides "Why are you so awesome?", but I pushed through for you guys. Stay tuned tomorrow for my latest Moda Bake Shop tutorial starring American Jane's latest fabric line, Fairy Tale Friends, as well as an interview with Sandy Klop herself!
I was standing in the line at the crosswalk waiting for my son to get out of school so I could walk him home when my little email pinged on my phone. Usually I leave the phone at home, but for some reason, I had carried it along. I checked it and let out an audible GASP right there in front of my mom friends. Sandy Klop sent me a short email thanking me for being a fan of American Jane. I die. This was something so monumentally cool that even my husband "got it." He compared it to his favorite baseball player emailing him. Of course I have to email her back. I really didn't want to be a pest, but you know what...I asked her for an interview to post on my blog and she AGREED! It was really hard to come up with questions besides "Why are you so awesome?", but I pushed through for you guys. Stay tuned tomorrow for my latest Moda Bake Shop tutorial starring American Jane's latest fabric line, Fairy Tale Friends, as well as an interview with Sandy Klop herself!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
under-hyped
This week I'm working on some fabric for a project I will share at some later point, but I am falling more and more in love with these prints and I want to share them with you while they are still readily available. I present....Flora (by Lauren and Jessi Jung for Moda)-
This collection is bright enough to be happy but warm enough not to assault your eyes when they're all heaped together. There are a nice mix of scales...some really large scale, some near solid, some medium, some small. The prints aren't too matchy-matchy, either. This is one of those rare lines where I think everything looks great all jumbled together.
My favorite are the lattice prints...I think they come in coral, turquoise, and green. I wish I had yards and yards of this!
I'm not getting paid to endorse this fabric, by the way. I just think this line deserves some ooh-ing and ahh-ing, too!
I'm not getting paid to endorse this fabric, by the way. I just think this line deserves some ooh-ing and ahh-ing, too!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Fall Blog Hop Kit- Winners..
Alright, before I announce my winners, I'm going to share MY fall memory since I loved reading yours. We grew up in the country and did not have a lot of trick or treaters. My dad really liked to see the kids in their costumes so my mom started giving out canned coca colas and homemade caramel corn to make it worth the drive. The next year, we were completely swarmed and even parents started coming up for some. Success.
Winners, please check your email for something from me...I'll be needing your mailing address.
VickiT said... 114
And why I have no idea but, in checking I was not a follower of Sew Cal Gal but I am now.
October 1, 2011 9:56 AM
Barb said... 68
Oh...I am a loyal follower of Sew cal...and will be a follower of you in just a second.
September 29, 2011 3:21 PM
ktquilts said... 55
I already follow here!!
September 29, 2011 12:55 PM
Robin (RsIslandCrafts) said... 29
I never enjoyed raking leaves but I sure did love jumping in the piles. We've been in Florida for 29 years now so our kids favorite part of Fall is that the intense heat of summer is gone. Now they can go outside and play basketball or ride bikes without worrying about heat exhaustion.
September 29, 2011 9:41 AM
Winners, please check your email for something from me...I'll be needing your mailing address.
VickiT said... 114
And why I have no idea but, in checking I was not a follower of Sew Cal Gal but I am now.
October 1, 2011 9:56 AM
Barb said... 68
Oh...I am a loyal follower of Sew cal...and will be a follower of you in just a second.
September 29, 2011 3:21 PM
ktquilts said... 55
I already follow here!!
September 29, 2011 12:55 PM
Robin (RsIslandCrafts) said... 29
I never enjoyed raking leaves but I sure did love jumping in the piles. We've been in Florida for 29 years now so our kids favorite part of Fall is that the intense heat of summer is gone. Now they can go outside and play basketball or ride bikes without worrying about heat exhaustion.
September 29, 2011 9:41 AM
The ugliest patchwork you've ever seen.
I have a lot of quilts lying about my house or hanging on the walls. I think it's pretty clear that I like the look of patchwork, but this is ridiculous.
Our couch got a fist sized hole so I cut a patch out of a cushion that I made the manufacturer replace...they had sent us a brand new couch with popped seams and homegirl don't play-I demanded a perfect cushion. Yeah, I'm that lady...but I'm nice about it. I had kept the busted cover in case I needed a patch. Call it mother-of-3-boys-intuition.
This is what the hole looked like. Our dog is to blame. The salt in my wound was having to clean up hours later when his body...umm...rejected the leather-ish substance and polyester padding. In case you're concerned, he's still alive. He's 10 years old and has a mystery disease that messes up his liver and makes him pee on the carpet all the time and now he's eating my furniture. Let's not forget his body rejects a lot of substances besides just leather and polyester. That's a lot to deal with, no? He is testing me on Proverbs 12:10
Anybody got any tips on repairing leather (ish substances)???
Anybody got any tips on repairing leather (ish substances)???
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