Kathy Schmitz

HAPPIEST OF DAYS TO YOU IN THIS NEW YEAR!

2012-01-03T09:19:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! We spent our New Year's celebration in sunny California at our niece's wedding. I cried more than once at the reception; so sweet and sentimental. I'm reminded how fast time flies.

I've been cuddled up these past couple of months happily stitching! This is one (out of MANY) new patterns that will be available shortly. It is mostly embroidery with a touch of red wool for the hearts. I hope you like it!

Moda Blog Hop

2011-12-07T18:01:00.000-08:00

The Moda designers were asked to create one block of a community quilt. It was really fun to see the variety of blocks and how nicely they all went together. My block is a house block. I have always had a fondness for houses and homes. Below is the free pattern for my house block; House of Mirrors. There is also a recipe card for those of you that like a classic Southern dish.

I also wanted to add another fun little give away! I rounded up some Christmas greeting cards,

small gift enclosures, a spiral bound graph paper notebook and an original little framed painting of a heart.

THE WINNER IS KAREN! Thank you to everyone that left a comment!

To download the house pattern and recipe card, click HERE.

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!

2011-12-05T09:30:00.001-08:00

I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR! Yes, I know I just "yelled" that, but it's truly my favorite time of year! I invited my nieces over to drink hot chocolate and help me decorate. Olivia and Emily drew this lovely,
cozy Christmas scene on my chalkboard and I wanted to share it with you.

It's also time again for....wait for it.......anticipation building......another Moda blog hop!! YIPPEE!!! I think I love giving things away as much as Moda does! This is a short little blog hop - it starts today and goes through the 9th. Check back here on the 8th for a free pattern, recipe and other treats!
Today, hop on over to Minick and Simpson, Bunny Hill, Me and My Sister, and Deb Strain.
There are LOTS of give aways!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Fall Quilt Market

2011-11-11T11:31:00.001-08:00

Fall brings beautiful oranges and golds falling like snow from the trees in my neighborhood. This is my favorite time to take walks and soak in the last bit of sun and the long shadows.

Fall also brings the Quilt Market! Houston was pleasantly warm and the show was a huge success. This time Bonnie and I had a booth together. The whole booth was filled with projects from our book, French Inspirations for Artful Hands. I think the booth turned out lovely and comfy looking.

We had several people tempted to take a nap on the bed...including me

I'm back home now, unpacked and stitching up some new embroidery patterns. I'll post them as soon as they are ready!

There's no place like.....

LET'S TAKE A CRUISE!

2011-10-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be teaching on a Quilter's Emporium hosted cruise in April! Bonnie (All Through the Night) and I are going to be teaching some wonderful wool hand work classes. The cruise leaves Galveston Texas and stops in Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica! What fun! I need to start my diet NOW! The other teachers on the cruise are Heidi Pridemore, Whimsical Workshop and Keri Schneider.
To see all of the details click HERE!

MODA STATE FAIR BLOG HOP!

2011-10-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Moda has done it again with this fun idea for a blog hop. My project is a hot dish carrier. My good friend Jen had one and I thought it was a great idea so I designed this one for you!

I have used my Towne Square Quilt line of fabric and I think it turned out really cute (if I do say so myself)! I'm happy to give you the directions for this little "hottie". To hear more about it Moda has put together a little YouTube clip.

I'm also VERY excited to tell you that my new book "French Inspirations for Artful Hands" coauthored with my sister, Bonnie Sullivan, is now available! You can find it on my Etsy site. Please take a moment to check it out!

OK, back to the State Fair quiz!

I LOVED going to the fair as a kid. I grew up in Salem, Oregon (the capital) so the state fair was right across town. My favorite food at the fair as a kid was the cotton candy, now I would have to say the elephant ears are my favorite!

Moda questions:

What is my guilty pleasure? Looonnnnngggggg hot showers and eating my Mom's homemade donuts

What's on my bucket list? To see the northern lights

What inspires my work? A blank piece of paper and good music!

What can I fry? Not much. We received a Fry Daddy for a wedding gift and after 1 use we decided that wasn't such a healthy way to eat plus it was a mess. It sure tasted good though!

What movie can I watch again and again? I still love the Wizard of Oz. I remember watching this with my mom and sisters at a friends house because they had a color TV. I had never seen color TV before, back then even the commercials were black & white. When Dorothy dropped into munchkin land and all of that beautiful color slashed across the TV screen, I gasped in delight. I was probably 4 years old, but I still remember it!

Do I sing when no one is listening? Sure! I sing along with music all of the time. I love Bonnie Raitt, Crosby, Stills, Nash, The Decemberists, Beck, Jack Johnson, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennet.....

Who would play me in a Livetime movie? Ha. That's funny. hmmmm Kathy Bates?

What is on my night stand? Lamp, alarm clock (I guess it has an alarm, I only use it for the time), ear plugs (hubby snores), eye mask, and a really great smelling hand lotion.

Tell about my pets - We have 2 cats; Molly and Zippy. Molly is about 13 and very petite. She is a bit stand-offish and has a very loud meow. Zippy is 2 and large. She is a noodle of a cat; you and twist and bend her into any shape and she doesn't seem to mind. She is "special in the cranium department" if you know what I mean.

What shows do I DVR? Survivor, Project Runway, So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol, Mad Men, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Boardwalk Empire and if Sienfeld was still on I would DVR it too.

My life motto? Wag more bark less and It is what it is.

Some things you may not know about me (and really don't need to know) -

1. I CAN NOT remember names and faces; I'm "special in the cranium department" when it comes to that. It seems the harder I try to remember, the faster it flies out the window.

2. Math hurts my head.

3. I can raise one eyebrow.

The drawing is closed. Congratulations to Anne, Kristen, CaraQuilts, HeartsDesire, and Tammy!

Tomorrow hop on over to Liz Scott of Paper Pie to learn all about this great designer!

BLOG HOP!

2011-09-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

This should be a fun blog hop! Hop from one Moda designer to the next and find out something new about each one of us. Plus pick up some free patterns and give-aways along the way!

This event starts with the very sweet Sandy Gervais from Pieces From My Heart on September 6th. Mark it on your calendar and check in with Sandy to see her offerings. From there it's on to

Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill. Follow a new designer every day through October 2nd. Check back here for my turn on October 1st!

September 6th Sandy Gervais of Pieces from My Heart

September 7th Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs

September 8th Barb and Mary from Me and My Sister Designs

September 9th Camille Roskelley of Thimbleblossoms

September 10th Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts

September 11th Basic Grey
September 12th Polly and Laurie from Minick and Simpson

September 13th Sandy Klop from American Jane (Post will be featured on Moda's blog)

September 14th Liesl from Oliver + S

September 15th Joanna from Fig Tree and Co.

September 16th Lynne from Kansas Troubles

September 17th Barb and Alma from Blackbird Designs

September 18th Aneela Hoey from Comfortstitching.com

September 19th Barbara Brackman from Barbara Brackman, of course.

September 20th Bonnie from Cotton Way

September 21st Christina from Cabbages and Roses

September 22nd Deb Strain

September 23rd Jan Patek of Brannock and Patek

September 24th Lauren and Jessi Jung

September 25th Stephanie from Lily Ashbury

September 26th Julie from Cosmo Cricket

September 27th Kate Spain

September 28th Karla, Susan and Lisa from Sweetwater

September 29th Kaari from French General

September 30th Lisa from Primitive Gatherings

and the fun continues into October

October 1st Kathy from Kathy Schmitz Studio

October 2nd Liz from Liz Scott Designs

French Inspirations for Artful Hands

2011-08-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

WE DID IT!!! Bonnie and I finished our book inspired by our trip last fall to France! The title is French Inspirations for Artful Hands. I've heard other people say they have put their "blood sweat and tears" into a project and now I know what they mean. This book not only has all three of those, but it has a huge part of our hearts too. This book has tons of photos, beautiful directions, (with step by step pictures) and projects ranging from quilts to woolen slippers. We wanted every page to be a pretty one - a feast for the eyes. Throughout the book there are photos of places and images that inspired us in designing the projects for this book. We've even included our notes and photos about our favorites, including the great antique shop in Brantôme!

The chalkboard doodle is based on a photo we took at the Marqueyssac Gardens, a wonderful boxwood garden. This little carved dove sat perched on top of one of the buildings. She was the inspiration for our doves. Bonnie designed the piecing of the dove and then we each made our own version of her. Bonnie's is a beautiful cream peace dove with embroidered wings and mine is a folksy take on the traditional tomato pin cushion.

We included many of the beautiful papers we found along the way; old handwritten papers,

etchings, & illustrations from antique books. We created some clever little projects for using these images on paper. With these images, and simple directions, you can make one of a kind paper weights, pendants (in the photo of one of the pages above), or a miniature flower press.

Interested?.......To hear more about the book, tune into the American Patchwork & Quilting Radio show hosted by Pat Sloan on Monday the 29th. The show starts at 1pm western time (we're the second guest of the day, I think). We are really excited, and a little nervous, to be guests on her LIVE show.

The book is heading to the printer today! It should be ready to ship mid October.

We would love for your local quilt shop to carry it; feel free to share this blog with them! Retail $28.95

NEW PATTERNS

2011-05-07T17:38:00.001-07:00

Only a few days left before I leave for Salt Lake City and the International Quilt Market! I have four new embroidery patterns to take with me and I had a fun time stitching them. I really hope you like them! Remember, it's never too early to start your next Christmas project.

Cheers,

Kathy

PRIMITIVE QUILTS AND PROJECTS

2011-03-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Kris, Roberta and Dolores! You are the winners of the new Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine. A big thank you to everyone that took the time to leave a message! It was fun reading them.

Sincerely,

Kathy

PRIMITIVE QUILTS & PROJECTS MAGAZINE!

2011-03-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

Coming soon! The very first edition of the fabulous new primitive magazine - Primitive Quilts and Projects! This magazine in full of primitive quilts and tons of beautiful primitive projects! I am honored to be included as one of the designers in their first issue. I made a little quilt with little birdies and nests adorning it.

Here is a sneak peek of my quilt. Ask your local quilt shop if they will be carry Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine or click on the link above to sign up for your own subscription.

Do you want a free copy!?!?! I thought you might!!!! They will be giving me 3 copies to pass along to you good folks! So leave a comment and I'll randomly draw three winners Wednesday at 5pm western time. Please, make sure I have some way of contacting you. I will post the winners Wednesday evening! Good luck!

CHALKBOARD DOODLE DOORS

2011-03-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

My studio is coming along! The other day I decided I needed to use up that left-over chalkboard paint out in the garage. I painted the insets on my closet doors! How fun! Behind the doors is a small walk in closet that is my sewing center.

NEXT CHAPTER JEWELRY

2011-03-19T07:29:00.000-07:00

I spent the day yesterday helping my sister Ann set up her new Etsy site called Next Chapter Jewelry! After teaching 8th graders for 30 years she is on to the next chapter of her life and her other passion of creating beautiful necklaces from vintage jewelry pieces. She likes to travel and shop along the way for antique brooches and pin, earrings and chain and then she brings them back to her little studio and gives them new life. She combines pieces and adds glass beads and Swarovski Crystals from her vast collection to design these one of a kind necklaces. Each one is a little piece of art! There are eleven necklaces in her Etsy shop now and she's adding more as I type!

PATTEN CORRECTION FOR PIN SKEP

2011-03-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for the wonderful response to my new cross-stitch patterns! I'm so happy to be joining the lovely cross-stitch community - these ladies are as wonderful as the quilting ladies! Maybe it's simply creative people in general that have that generous spirit.

I do take pride in putting together my patterns and when I find a mistake it sends my heart to my toes and then back up through my head about 10 times a second. I think this may burn some calories, but I would rather add 10 pounds than make a mistake! If you purchased The Pin Skep pattern pictured below, the pattern template (a circle) does NOT include the seam allowance. You will need to cut the circle a generous 1/4" larger all the way around. We are quickly placing correction stickers in the patterns that I still have in my hands. If you are a shop that has some of these patterns on hand I would be happy to mail you some stickers. Just e-mail me ---- kathy@kathyschmitz.com --- your name and mailing address.

With my sincerest apologies!

Kathy

HINT!

2011-02-24T18:47:00.000-08:00

CYN GUESSED IT! Paper coffee filters! Congratulations Cyn!
OK, here is a peek a at one of my mom's snowflakes! I bet this will give it away!
If you missed the last posting, I'm having a contest so scroll down to check it out.

Good Luck!

HOME FROM NASHVILLE

2011-02-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

The snow is finally here! After teasing us yesterday we woke up to a winter wonderland (a dusting anyway)!

Last weekend I was in Nashville doing the Cross Stitch Market. After a few years of Alma (Blackbird Designs) encouraging me to make some cross stitch patterns, I finally followed through and had a wonderful time. My first attempts with cross stitch weren't too fun, but after I got the hang of it I was addicted. I took six patterns to market and I think it went very well. It is such a fun market, set up in an Embassy Suites. The bedroom is in the back and we turned the front room into a show room of sorts. Shops went from room to room doing their shopping. I shared the room with Bonnie and my Mom came along to help and visit relatives in the area. The day before the show opened we decided we needed some "texture" with branches, so we set off behind the local strip mall to shed some trees of their limbs. Mom had the job of carrying them into the Embassy Suites, she's such a good sport!

I wanted to add snowflakes to my branches so my kind hearted mom cut out about 4 dozen of them for me! They really added that special something to my winter scene.
We had a few hours on the last day before out flight so we headed out to Franklin to explore the local antique shops. We had one suitcase that was a little "light" and we felt compelled to fill it to the maximum 50 pounds.

I've been busy adding the cross stitch patterns to my Etsy site so hope on over and check them out!
I'm giving away 1 of each of the cross stitch patterns to the first person who can guess what my mom made the snowflakes out of! Be specific and think outside of the box!
CYN GUESSED IT! Paper coffee filters! They worked great!

CHALKBOARD DOODLE & WINNERS!

2011-02-13T11:31:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since I've changed my "doodle" so today was the day. I hope you like it! A little touch of spring flowers and sunshine.....ahhhhhh

Thanks to everyone who entered the drawing for the Moda Jelly Roll and the painting! It was so much fun for me I think I need to do this more often.

At five o'clock I entered the number of comments into Random.org and the winner of the watercolor painting is Cecilia and the winner of the Moda Jelly Roll is Laurel! Congratulations and thank you everyone for all of your kind words! I'm glad you like my new digs!
Kathy

WIN! WIN! WIN!

2011-02-10T18:47:00.000-08:00

Moda Jelly Roll Full Circle fabric line available in April - or you can try to win it now!
Hand painted watercolor birdies - want it? you can win it this weekend!

When I moved to Portland 2 years ago, I set up my studio in the basement. We had a spare room upstairs, but we also had a son in college and I wanted him to have a room to come home to. Well....I couldn't take the basement a minute longer and my son said he thought it would be great to have the basement so ... for the past week I made a HUGE move! I'm ABOVE GROUND! I have windows! I couldn't have done it without my good friend (Ms. Muscles) Jen - Thanks Jen!
Now that I am all organized I found a couple of items I would love to share with you. One is a Moda Jelly Roll of my new fabric line Full Circle. This line won't be in stores until April, but it can be yours now! The other item is a watercolor painting I did of a little bird and her nest - spring is right around the corner! It measure about 5" x 7". If you are interested in either of these goodies simply leave the comment "George is the man". I will randomly draw two winners at 5pm on Sunday the 13th. I'm sorry, but I can only mail these within the US. (Sorry Robyn)
My new desk is an old round table I found. I had to cut 9" off of the legs. It has 4 legs instead of a pedestal. There was a small wooden apron around the table so I attached a pleated skirt and a little fringe I had found at an antique store a couple of years ago. I drilled a 2" hole through the table top for all of the cords. The fabulous quilt was a pattern I fell in love with designed by Minnick and Simpson. My mom pieced it for me. My mom also helped me with the table skirt and she made the pillows for my chair. The white cupboard was made by my Grandpa Bert and he used it for his tools. He was an amazing woodworker and a sweet little guy.

I found this chair and a half and it BARELY fit through the door! It was a TIGHT squeeze, but after it made it through the door Jen and I high-fived and I think I let out a loud WHOOPEE!
Zippy has already decided that's her chair. The hooked rug in front of the chair was hooked by the one and only Polly Minnick! The hand mirrors on the wall I have been collecting for a few years. They have been wrapped up and safely stored under my bed waiting for their home here. And last but not least - WINDOWS!!!!

This armoire was a gift from my mother-in-law years ago and now it houses my fabric. Check out all of the quilts on top! Most of them were pieced by my mom, but there are a couple up there that I managed to sew.

THANK YOU! The drawing in now closed.

Kathy

MODA PILLOW TALK!

2011-02-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today! I am excited to share my pillow with you and I am happy to say I'm offering the pattern for free! When Moda Lissa first told me about the pillow talk project, before Quilt Market last Fall, I really liked the idea of creating a project that was inspired by all the things that are special to me. I set out doodling and came up with the spiral idea and went from there. The flower in the center of the pillow is me (not that I think I'm the center of the universe or anything). The first off-shoot from the stem spiral is my family because they are nearest and dearest to my heart. There is a flower for my husband Steve, and one for each of my sons, Cory and Tom. Continuing along the stem spiral in the opposite corner is what my day to day life is all about - CREATING! The little shoots represent ideas and the crazy big bloom is the culmination of those little ideas into an A-HA moment. The next corner symbolizes my challenge to myself to reach out and step out of my comfort zone to experience to things. The last corner flower is really a bud, me at the beginning of my life. The "fingers" that hold that bud represent my mom giving me a great foundation in this life. And finally, throughout the whole thing, are a series of 3 red dots. These are my sisters, Ann and Bonnie, and myself. We are always there for each other!
Now, just in case that's not enough information, Lissa put together a list of questions for us -
What is a little known fact about yourself? I can raise one eyebrow
How do you relax? Listen to music and hand stitch or draw
What do you sleep in? I like to sleep in a stretchy cotton top and flannel bottoms. Probably not Steve's first choice for my sleep attire.
Do you sew in bed? Read? Watch TV? eat? I love to climb into bed with a good book.
How many nights have you or your spouse spent on the couch? Steve spent 1 night on the couch a loooooonnnnnnnggggggg time ago.
Nighttime toddy? No, but I like a glass of red wine with dinner
Early to bed or all-nighter? I'm usually asleep by 11:30, but I was able to stay up till midnight on New Years Eve!
Who would you most like to have a pillow fight with? Besides Steve..... (Steve close your ears) it would have to be with George Clooney

This Girl's Life Pillow Pattern. Enjoy!

Tomorrow hop over to Thimbleblossoms blog to see Camille's darling pillow!

MODA PILLOW TALK BLOG HOP!

2011-02-02T09:04:00.000-08:00

It has begun! The pillow talk is in full "swing" (get it? swing the pillow as in pillow fight. ha) Follow the schedule below for some creative pillows, maybe a give-away or two and a free pattern or two. Plus you can find out all sorts of bedtime confessions from the designers.... I should have posted this yesterday, please forgive me! Check them out for a month of fun!

1-Feb Comfortstitchiing

2-Feb Blackbird Designs

3-Feb Jan Patek Quilts

4-Feb Bunny Hill Blog

5-Feb Cotton Way

6-Feb Fig Tree Quilts

7-Feb Kansas Troubles Quilters

8-Feb Kate Spain Designs

9-Feb Kathy Schmitz Studio

10-Feb Simplify

11-Feb Me And My Sister Designs

12-Feb Minick And Simpson

13-Feb Oliver And S

14-Feb Pieces Of My Heart

15-Feb L & J Blog

16-Feb Sweetwater

17-Feb Barbara Brackman

18-Feb Deb Strain

19-Feb American Jane

A quick glimspe of the sun

2011-01-18T09:51:00.000-08:00

After days of heavy rain, I was so happy to see the sun making an appearance yesterday. I went for a nice long walk through the neighborhood and over to Crystal Springs Garden (sigh). The light was sparkling on the water and the herons and ducks were starved for the attention they usually get in the warmer months. One heron perched about 15 feet from me and I was kicking myself for not bringing my camera along. The mean goose that sometimes frightens me was no where to be found, and the kinder geese kept be company through the park. All in all, it was a great morning. Then it was back to work trying to figure out how to replace the silly handle on the toilet that keeps getting stuck. I know they say the water in the tank is clean, but it still gave me the willies to reach in there.
Today....the rain has returned. I don't mind though. It keeps the NW green and it makes for a great day to build a fire and sit and stitch. I'm working on a snowman embroidery believe it or not!

Something to look forward to - the Moda designers are having a blog hop and sharing pictures and stories (and possibly some patterns) for pillows we each designed. The hop starts on February 1st!

HAPPY NEW YEAR CHALKBOARD DOODLE!

2011-01-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope 2011 brings you and your friends and family a year of joy and adventure!
I don't know what the heck I did, but for some reason all of my text is underscored, sorry about that. At least I just figured out how to take the italic off : ) and now I figured out how to take the bold off.....no luck on the underscore though.

Anyway.......here is a New Year chalkboard doodle for you to enjoy. I also thought I would send along a little New Year gift from me to you - a little snowman quilt label to trace or embroider. I think he would look great on the back of a comfy, warm, flannel quilt hot off the sewing machine. If you would like to download this little guy just click HERE!

ESTY SALE!

2010-12-26T09:50:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! (A wee bit early) I hope you all had a very lovely Christmas with your family and friends. I had a wonderful few days with my family, I ate way too much, I laughed till my cheeks hurt and I counted my blessing every day. I am ever so grateful for my family and friends!

Now that the rush of cooking and wrapping are behind me, I'm looking forward to sitting down with a stitchery project and relaxing a bit. If you are in need of a new hand project to start your New Year, I am offering a sale at my Esty shop from now through the end of January. To take advantage of the sale and receive 25% off EVERYTHING IN THE SHOP you must enter the coupon code HAPPY2011 when you are checking out.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Kathy

PLAY DAY!

2010-12-15T22:44:00.000-08:00

Today was a fun day! My sister Ann is an amazing lady! Besides being a painter extroardinaire, she also loves to make jewelry using beads from her massive stash! My other sister, Bonnie, and I spent the day playing in Ann's beads and boy did we have a great time. Bonnie and I both brought special findings and buttons we've collected over the years and Ann helped us turn them into beautiful necklaces. These are the two that she made for me using buttons and a locket I found at an antique store on the Oregon Coast. Besides all of her beads, her "play" room is filled with eye candy - treasures and memories from my youth and everything else under the sun! I have to stand in the middle of her room and just absorb it all for a few minutes before I can even hold a conversation!
Thanks Ann for the great day!
Kathy

CHALKBOARD DOODLE

2010-11-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!!!!

DOODLES FOR YOU!

2010-11-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

I have a collection of over 100 "doodles" (clip art) that I have just added to my Etsy Shop, it is called Needle & Thread and it is loaded with little drawings of, you guessed it, needles and thread and quilt blocks, sewing bunnies, spools, houses with quilts.......you get the picture. They are fun to add to blogs, newsletters, business cards, bookmarks, return address labels or where ever you need to add a doodle. This is just a small sampling.
Enjoy!
Kathy

2010-11-16T15:51:00.000-08:00

I hope you all enjoyed the little Joy banner! Are you ready for yet another fun project and cookie recipe?

Welcome Everyone to Day 5 of the

Quilt Designer Holiday Blog Hop!

Our fifth Designer is

Renee Plains

www.libertystar.typepad.com

Hometown * Scottsdale, AZ

JOY!

2010-11-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

Holiday Cheer Joy Banner!
Kits are available for this quick little project - no sewing machine required!
Kit - Moda fabric, felted wool, buttons, ribbon, jingle bells, and floss!

I love Christmas! I know my family will be gathered all together and there will be lots of food, laughing and fun. When my boys were young I loved to go all out on the decorations around the house, but now that they are out on their own, my decorating is simplified. As long as there is a fresh Christmas tree with lots of twinkling lights and the stockings are hung by the fire, I'm ready for the holiday to begin. I knit my family's stockings many years ago and although they have held together well, they have been stretched to the maximum through the years. We always take turns pulling one item out of the stocking at a time. I think we started this tradition to make the fun last as long as we could.

In my family, and my husbands family, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals are at the Grandparents house. When I was little that meant we would spend the day at my Grandma Ruby and Grandpa Bert's farm in Aurora Oregon. If we were really lucky it would snow, but in Oregon a white Christmas is a rarity. Grandma had a wood-burning stove in her kitchen, along with an new fangled electric one, and quite a bit of the meal was cooked in that old stove.
Growing up I knew there would always be cookies in Grandma's cookie jar and if I was lucky they would be her Ranger Cookies - my favorite! I hope you like them!Click HERE for a printable version of the recipe.

At some point through the years, the dinner gatherings shifted to my parents house. No wood stove, but the food was just as good. My mom makes THE BEST homemade rolls ever. My nephew once at 13 before his mom caught on and cut him off.
My sons are 21 and 23 years old now. In another few years they will be married with families of their own and the holiday dinners will be held at my house. My wish for my grandkids (only imaginary at this point) is that they have wonderful memories of going to grandma's house for Christmas.

I hope you like this little banner project and I hope it brings you a little Joy this holiday season! Click HERE for the FREE directions. Merry Christmas!
If you would like a kit, please mail a check for $14 (includes shipping / US only please) to -
Kathy Schmitz 3433 SE Henry St. Portland, OR 97202

Cheers!
Kathy

CARRIE'S CHALKBOARD DOODLE

2010-11-11T08:43:00.001-08:00

Here you go Miss Carrie!
In case you were wondering, that is a large cat on the roof. My "little" Zippy isn't so little anymore! I have two HUGE trees in front of my house and they are raining leaves of gold and orange - so pretty!

Check back tomorrow for a free Holiday project!

2010-11-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome Everyone to Day 3 of the

Quilt Designer Holiday Blog Hop!

Our third Designer is

Cheri Saffiote-Payne

www.quiltsbycheri.blogspot.com

Hometown * Poway, CA

Cheri's Fav quotes from

ALBERT EINSTEIN

" Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new"

PS * Don't forget... to print off your complimentary cookie swap recipe!

HOLIDAY BLOG HOP! DAY 2

2010-11-05T11:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome Everyone to Day 2 of the

Quilt Designer Holiday Blog Hop!

How sweet was Brenda's post and project! I can't wait to punch up that little guy! The cookie recipe sounds delicious! How pretty would those cookies be on a tray for the Holidays!?!

Our second Designer is

Debbie Field from

www.granolagirldesigns.blogspot.com

Hometown * Rice Lake, WI

This past year I have had the opportunity to travel out of state, do a few retail shows and meet some amazing gals! Debbie just happens to be one of them! From the moment I met her, I knew she was a super cool gal!

Debbie is a veteran in our industry and has been designing patterns, fabrics and books long before some of us even entered the industry. Over the years, she has designed numerous lines of fabric, as well as some amazing books for Laundauer Corporation. This past month, she and her publisher Kitty were kind enough to give us a tour of the publishing company while down in Des Moines! {Thanks!} It was a neat experience!

Debbie is very inspiring and genuine. She is also a very active person who loves the outdoors and loves to capture the essence of the outdoors in her work! Nature is her palette... She uses it in her artwork, her color scheme and texture. She also loves taking photos of her family, her beautiful grand kids, and of the great outdoors. These photos become not only pictures... but memories captured in time.

Debbie's signature saying:

“Take time for quilting and enjoy the outdoors. Life is full of memories.

Make sure you have a nice place to keep them. Quilt it!”

PS * Don't forget... to print off your complimentary cookie swap recipe!

QUILT MARKET 2010 HOUSTON

2010-11-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

Quilt market was a huge success and lots of fun too! I look forward to seeing my friends and meeting lots of wonderful, creative people from all over the world. It is so exciting to go to Market and be inspired by all of the eye candy there. I thought I would share some pictures from market, I hope you enjoy them!

Laundry Basket Quilts by Edyta Sitar. I think I need to have a cute accent like Edyta!

Kate Spain. It was a pleasure getting to now Kate a bit better. This was her first booth at Market and I thought it was adorable.
Bunny Hill Designs by Anne Sutton. I always love Anne's booth. All I need is a grandbaby so I can design a baby room around this adorable fabric.
Minick & Simpson. My friends Polly Minick and Laurie Simpson are creative sisters. They've added a wonderful yellow to their color pallette. The painting was their idea, but the ever so talented Sara Tuttle Khammash painted it. I think she should make it into posters - I love it!
Me and My Sister Barb and Mary have personalities to match their bright colors! These two sisters are a hoot to visit with at market
What can I say about Blackbird Designs? Alma and Barb took the blue ribbon for their booth AGAIN. I really tried to get a nice shot of their booth, but even blurry it looks good.
This was the first market I was lucky enough to have Sandy Klop, American Jane, as my neighbor. This lady is remarkable. She laughed at my jokes! She's such a sweetie.
Joanna of Figtree Quilts always has a sweet, creamy, soft look to her booth - along with a few cute surprises like these stuffed pigs!
Oliver + S Liesl is an amazing clothing designer. OK - I'm ready for those little grandbabies again!
I love Jan Patek's Girl Gang jacket! One of these markets I'm going to steal it right off her back. My name is on there somewhere - how cool is that?!!
Moda challenged the designers to come up with a pillow that tells a story about their life. We talked about them at a schoolhouse at market. This one is my pillow. It was really interesting learning new things about the other designers. We are going to have a pillow blog hop in January - something fun to look forward to!
This was my booth! The lovely quilt was designed, pieced and quilted by my friend and talented designer Barbara Cherniwchan of Coach House Designs. She was generous enough to let me hang it in my booth. The fabric is my new line Full Circle which will hit stores in April. Even the rick-rack around the blocks is part of the panel!
And of course there is Kansas Troubles. I was hoping Lynne would be allergic to her floral arrangement so that I could move it to my booth - it was beautiful!

Home for the Holidays Blog Hop!

2010-11-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the day! The beginning of a fun and creative Blog Hop organized by Buttermilk Basin.

Today your special treats can be found at With Thy Needle and Thread by Brenda Gervais. Hop on over for a fabulous cookie recipe and an even more fabulous free Holiday Project!

Have fun hopping!

Home for the Holidays! Quilt Designer Blog Hop and & Cookie Swap

2010-10-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for a fun Holiday Blog Hop?! Stacy from Buttermilk Basin had a brilliant idea and the energy and organizational prowess to bring it to life. Starting November 2nd and continuing every Tuesday and Friday through December 10th you are in for a Holiday treat! There are 12 quilt designers participating in this Blog Hop and each one is sharing a special cookie recipe and a very special Holiday Project you will ONLY find on this blog hop! For more details check out the Buttermilk Basin Blog .

The first stop on the hop is with Brenda Gervais on November 2nd!

Nov 2nd * Brenda Gervais from www.withthyneedleandthread.blogspot.com

Nov 5th * Debbie Field from www.granolagirldesigns.blogspot.com

Nov 9th * Jan Patek from www.janpatek.blogspot.com

Nov 12th * Kathy Schmitz from www.kathyschmitzstudio.blogspot.com

Nov 16th * Renee Plains from www.libertystar.typepad.com

Nov 19th * Tracy from www.plumcutedesigns.typepad.com

Nov 22nd * Lisa Bongean from www.lisabongean.wordpress.com

Nov 26th * Lynda Hall from www.primitivepiecesbylynda.blogspot.com

Nov 29th * Cheri Saffiote-Payne from www.quiltsbycheri.blogspot.com

Dec 3rd * Tara Darr from www.sewuniquecreationsblog.com

Dec 7th * Debbie Busby from woodenspooldesigns.blogspot.com

Dec 10th * Stacy West from www.buttermilkbasin.blogspot.com

I hope you join us in spreading some Holiday cheer!

QUILTAID USA

2010-10-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

Quiltaid USA is a charity quilting project which launches November 1st online worldwide. Women from around the world can make a difference simply by participating and doing what they love - quilting!

I am honored to be a part of this fantastic project! There are 12 designers, 6 American and 6 Australian, each designing a block with a theme of Home and Heart. The Australian designers are Helen Stubbings, Lynette Anderson, Sue Daley, Natalie Lymer of Cinderberry Stitches, Bronwyn Hayes of Red Brolly and Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched. The American designers are Anne Sutton of Bunnyhill, Brenda Riddle of Acorn Quilt & Gift Company, Robyn Pandolph, Terri Degenkolb of Whimsicals, Barri-Sue Gaudet of Bareroots and me.

The blocks are designed using a combination of piecing, applique and stitchery all using Howard Marcus's Collection for a Cause fabric called "Hope" from Moda. They are FANTASTIC! Each one is a little story block filled with love. Check them out here.

There are 6 shops participating in this global cause for charity - The Fat Quarter Shop, Shabby Fabrics, Quilting by the Sea, The Material Girls, Homestead Hearth and Cabbage Rose Quilting. Each of these stores have designed their own quilt to set the blocks into.

Most important of all - the charity. This project will help raise funds for The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia. This hospital is dedicated to the treatment and care of women who suffer horrendous childbirth injuries, known as obstetric fistula. The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital relies entirely on donations from overseas to fund it's vital work of improving maternal health, reducing infant mortality and empowering women.

Please take a moment and consider participating in this noble cause.

NEW MODA FABRIC

2010-10-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

I LOVE the day the UPS truck delivers my new fabric!!!! It's so exciting to open the box and see the paintings and drawings I've sent off return to me on beautiful cloth. This line was inspired by my love for embroidery, monograms and life's blessings. I've been busy designing and sewing project after project getting ready for Quilt Market later this month. All of the projects are small and fairly easy. There is a table runner, several pot holders, a monogram banner, pillow, door knob caddy, and more! I know I should know when the fabric will be in stores.....I'll let you know when I find out. The line is called Full Circle. My reasoning behind the name was this -
when I design a line for Moda, I will start with a line drawing which I send to them for approval. One day, while looking through all of the line drawings I had accumulated, I decided to trace the image onto a piece of Crackle fabric and hand embroider it. That was in 2007, the first year I started my embroidery pattern business. When we came up with the idea of designing fabric that looked like hand embroidery, I liked the idea that the whole thing had come Full Circle.

The images on the patterns are actually from the fabric line's panels, but they look like little stitches! Not enough time to do hand embroidery? That's OK, it's already done for you. But if you do like to spend the evening with a needle in your hand, I have also included embroidery directions in these patterns. The patterns will be ready sometime in Nov/Dec. I hope you like them!

HOME SWEET HOME

2010-10-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

Paris flea market

Christel and Raymond

I'm home! I had the best trip of my life! There's nothing like hopping in a car and driving wherever your heart desires around France for a month. I never thought I would have that opportunity. I am a very lucky girl. It was an amazing experience - flea market treasures, great food, architectural eye candy, Belgian Chocolate (yes, that deserves to be capitalized) and scenery that took my breath away. Trying to post from my ipad proved a bit challenging. My intentions had been to post daily......well that didn't happen. I did bring a sketch book though and that was a happy ritual in the afternoons. The journal cover will be one of the patterns in the book Bonnie and I are publishing, inspired by this trip! Looking back, one of my favorite days was spent in Bruge, Belgium where Bonnie and I met up with our friend Christel, owner of 't Dreefhuys Quilt Shop, and her father Raymond. Raymond acted as our tour guide and was cute to boot!
I have just a few last pictures I really want to share with you and then it's back to designing while my French inspirations are still fresh in my mind!
Kathy

Dordonge

2010-09-13T23:48:00.000-07:00

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We spent several days in the Dordogne region, south of Paris. I would visit here agin in a heartbeat. The castles have been amazing. It seems like there is a castle around every bend in the road. We took a tour boat down the Dordonge River - beautiful! The weather has been perfect and the clouds are even pretty here!

FRANCE

2010-09-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

It only took 10 days, but I have finally figured out how to post photos using my IPad! This little angle was onw of MANY around Brugge. After leaving Brugge we took the train to Lille for two days of Flea Market fun. Then it was on to Dinan with a stop first at Mont St Michel. We seem to be able to find either a street market or antique store everyday. Oh the treasures I am bringing home! I hope you enjoy the pictues!

I'll post more pictures soon!

2010-09-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

I am in Brugge! It has been a very long day, and I'll bleary eyed from lack of sleep, but the images in Brugge are just too beautiful! I don't want to close my eyes. I have some amazing pictures and as soon as I figure out how to paste them onto my IPad i'll post them! Tomorrow we are off to Lille France!

ZIPPY

2010-08-12T11:04:00.001-07:00

What can I say....she's so cute and she's even cuter when she sleeps. I love it when cats cover their faces with their paws. I think this was her way of saying "enough" with the photos. She's cute, but did I mention she's not the sharpest tool in the shed...

WORDLE

2010-08-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

My niece told me about this fun website - Wordle.net Be careful if you go there, you might waste an hour or two before you know it! You can type in any number of words and hit GO. The website scrambles them up and displays them as a kind of word art. I made a quilt theme arrangement -

CHALKBOARD DOODLE

2010-08-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

FINISHED EMBROIDERY PROJECTS

2010-07-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Who Loves a Garden
Pattern: Spring Home Pillow
Pattern: A Bird's Life
Here are a few more finished projects Robyn submitted!
All of these patterns, and more, are available at Colonial Crafts

CONTEST WINNER

2010-07-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everybody who sent photos of their finished embroidery projects! I really enjoyed getting those e-mails! The bottom photo was sent by Monica and the finished piece she is holding is Ring in the New. The top photo is a project made by Robyn using the monogram surrounds from the M is for Monogram booklet. Robyn tilted the contest a bit her way with a whopping 18 entries!!!! Robyn won the painting of Santa and his little snowman friends.
Thank you again! I hope you enjoy the painting Robyn!

CROSS STITCH

2010-07-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are interested - there are sooooo many different x-stitch programs out there! I tried a few of the free downloads available and settled on CROSS STITCH PRO. The software was easy to download and seems pretty easy to navigate. If you are interested, you can download a limited free trial. Here is a pin cushion I just finished. bzzzzz

ZAZZLE

2010-07-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of Zazzle.com? It is such a fun place. I've been adding some of my images to some of their products - keds, mugs, mouse pads. It's so much fun! I can't wait to design more shoes!

CHALKBOARD DOODLE

2010-07-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile I get the itch to try something new. Last year I made a trip to our local, FABULOUS, cross stitch store, Acorns and Threads, and picked up some gorgeous flosses and linens. My sister, Bonnie, and I had signed up to do our first Cross Stitch Market in Nashville and I thought I could just sit down and create a few cross stitch pieces. ha. After a few attempts I was so frustrated I put everything in my "cross stitch" drawer and closed it for almost a year. I have found if I get frustrated with something it's best to set it aside and come back to it with a fresh look.
I still attended the Cross Stitch Market (TNNA) last February with Bonnie and had a great time. The folks in this market are as creative and friendly as the quilting folks. Bonnie brought several new Cross Stitch patterns she had created and they were very well received. Check them out and you'll see why - they are so beautiful!
A couple weeks ago I was determined to try cross stitch again. I decided part of my problem was the linen I was using. Although it was beautiful, I had trouble with the uneven threads. I returned to Acorns and Threads and picked up some evenweave. The next issue was designing the pattern. Bonnie can take a piece of graph paper and create something beautiful. I just couldn't visualize the finished piece this way. After checking out several cross stitch software programs I found one that was fairly easy to understand. Now I was on a roll!!!!! I have to admit, I haven't made dinner in a week. I'm having too much fun designing and stitching! Of course I still love embroidery, but it's fun having another type of hand project to work on too.
I'll post pictures as soon as I'm finished!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!

2010-07-04T10:29:00.001-07:00

My sweet nieces popped by for a quick visit before the neighborhood 4th of July parade. They brought these lovely cupcakes and I talked them into drawing my 4th of July chalkboard design!
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!

ORIGINAL PAINTING GIVE AWAY CONTINUED

2010-06-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

I've been asked if it was OK to enter multiple times with different finished embroidery projects - YES! Enter as many times as you have pieces! Please e-mail the photos (small low resolution if possible) to kschmitz785@comcast.net (cut and paste this address)
GOOD LUCK!

I FEEL LIKE GIVING SOMETHING AWAY!

2010-06-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

I am VERY honored to have been the guest blogger on The FatQuarter Shop's The Jolly Jabber blog yesterday! To celebrate I'm going to give away the original Watercolor painting I made for the Christmas Magic fabric line with Moda. This Santa has taken a break to build these little snowmen. The painting measure approx. 23" x 18" and is unframed. I'll ship it to you in a tube within the U.S. If you want to participate and you live elsewhere, and you don't mind paying for shipping, I would be happy to have you "play" too.
If you would like this little bit holiday cheer, I will randomly pick a name from anyone who sends me a photo of you with a finished embroidery project using one of my embroidery patterns! I would like to try to add some of these photos to my blog, if you do not want me to use your photo or name, please let me know. So, send a photo (small resolution please) anytime between now and July 20th. I'll pick a name July 20th at 5:00pm. Please send the photo to kschmitz785@comcast.net
THANKS FOR PLAYING!

CALIFORNIA SPEED TRIP

2010-06-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

Steve (my hubby) loves to take jaunts here and there. He can pack more into a 24 hour block of time than anyone I know! We just returned to today from a fun trip.

Steve's Itinerary -
DEPART PORTLAND AIRPORT 4:15PM TUESDAY
Land in Fresno / pick up rental car and drive 2 1/2 hours to Monterey / spend the night.
WEDNESDAY - Swing through Monterey and check out the FANTASTIC aquarium (check out the quilt that was on display)

we had lunch at Pebble Beach
And dinner at the Hog's Breath (Clint Eastwood's restaurant) in Carmel
Then we drove back (2 1/2 hours) to Fresno and spent the night there.
THURSDAY we drove to King's Canyon and the Sequoia National Park (2 + hours).
We are with General Sherman (the tree has a name) in this photo (2,200 years old). We also hiked down to Crystal Caves and took that tour. The hike out was equivalent to climbing 30 flights of stairs in 20 minutes (you would think I would be skinny).

The views in the Park were stunning........
We spent that night back in Fresno then flew home Friday morning. 585 miles of driving in 54 hours. And lots and lots of great memories!

DROOL TIME

2010-06-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but when I see "ANTIQUES" painted on the side of a building my heart skips. Who knows what lost treasures abound inside. I am fortunate enough to live within walking distance of a row of antique stores, florist shops and home decor shops. This area of Portland is called West Moreland and Sellwood and if you are EVER in Portland it's worth the trip! I hope you like the photos!

ETSY

2010-06-15T11:53:00.001-07:00

I have FINALLY updated my website with my new patterns and I have FINALLY added them to my Etsy shop! I thought it would be fun to add some one-of-a-kind, hand painted pendants to my Etsy shop as well. The samples above are a few of the ones that are available. They are tiny, just 1" x 1 1/2". I've always love anything small - the smaller the better. So when I found these great silver frames I knew I had to get out my smallest paint brush and get busy. The reverse side of each of these pendants has a quote or a poem. The painting is protected by glass.
Even though it's June, Oregon has been quite rainy and gray. It's perfect weather to stay inside and paint!

MINNEAPOLIS QUILT MARKET

2010-05-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

Quilt Market was a huge success! So inspirational! I'm usually drawn to the traditional quilts on display, but this time, the art quilts really called to me. I hope you enjoy the photos of the quilts. For anyone who is interested, I took pictures of my booth before, during and after set-up. My booth was pretty minimal compared to some. Some booths had beds, cribs, trees...the whole nine yards (ha ha).

FUN NEW STUFF!

2010-05-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

This little booklet has 10 monogram surrounds and 1 alphabet. These surrounds can be embroidered on tea towels, pillowcases or anywhere you need to add a little something.
I have a hard time remembering birthdays and I really needed a little book where I could keep track of all of these special dates. This book, Special Days, has a watercolor picture and a quilt block for each month and plenty of room to write names and dates so you'll never forget a birthday or anniversary again! Click on the pictures to enlarge them.
The Winsome Wreaths embroidery quilt pattern was so much fun to make, I wanted to continue with the fun! Above is an example for the month of February. Each pattern has a 4" x 6" watercolor print on the back side, ready to frame. And once you have the Winsome Wreath embroidery pattern, I thought it would be a great idea to give you a fun companion project to use it on also. For February, the project is to use the February embroidery pattern and make it into a hanging fabric "envelope" to fill with love notes for your sweetheart! Each month has a different project - March is a pincushion, May is a nosegay, July is a hanging banner and so on.
The Winsome Wreaths Companion Projects will only be available as a project of the month from shops that carry the Winsome Wreaths pattern. I'm heading to Quilt Market on the 20th of the month. If your local shop is going to Quilt Market, ask them to stop by my booth to see everything that's new!

Boy howdy have I been busy! I've been having so much fun making LOTS of new patterns! Yesterday my Mom came to my house and we worked like crazy making the quilt (above) Sweet Home Road. I designed the pattern for my new flannel line with Moda that will be coming out this fall. Since I don't have the actual flannel fabric yet, I made it out of lots of Crackle and other fabrics similar in design and color to the flannels. Hope you like it! The pattern will be ready with the flannel this fall. Mom and I made this quilt in 1, very long, day! (Those are my sweet Mom's fingers holding up the quilt)

WINSOME WREATHS

2010-04-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

My new pattern is finished!!!! Partly finished anyway! I have the quilt finished and the patterns finished, now I just need to get them printed. They should be ready sometime in late April.
I finally decided on a name for the pattern - Winsome Wreaths! Thanks so much for your help with the name Darlis! I don't have your e-mail address so I can't contact you directly, but if you see this please send me an e-mail with your mailing address and when I get his pattern printed, I'll send you a copy with my compliments! Thank you EVERYONE for all your great name ideas!

SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COAST

2010-03-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

I took a day last week to explore a bit of the Oregon/Washington coastline. I wish you could feel what it's like there just by looking at the pictures, but there is something about the wind hitting you, the sound of the waves and seagulls and the fresh, fresh air that can't be captured in a photograph. This is the North Head light house at Cape Disappointment in southern Washington.

YUMMY FLANNELS!

2010-03-22T11:08:00.001-07:00

I am so excited about creating flannels for Moda! And I am just as excited about the quilt I've designed for them! There are so many talented quilt designers out there and they come up with absolutely gorgeous pieced blocks. Their use of color and composition makes the "same old" quilt block look brand spankin' new and delicious. Try as I might, whenever I tried my hand at designing a pieced quilt, my blocks looked the same as the "same old" ones (to me anyway). BUT when I started designing THIS one I came at it from a completely different direction. I just started doodling and adding and doodling without worrying about the end product. I had FUN! Adding the fabric was like adding the paint in a watercolor. Now comes the hard part....waiting for the flannel fabric! I have all of the freezer paper pieces cut out and ready so I'm going to "test" the pattern using the Moda Crackles. Once I have it finished I'll post a picture. The flannels will be out in August - just in time to make a nice cozy quilt for those crisp fall eves.

CHALKBOARD DOODLE

2010-02-26T09:30:00.001-08:00

WHAT FUN!

2010-02-24T16:15:00.000-08:00

It was great meeting so many new people at the TNNA show in Nashville. I also found some beautiful cross-stitch and jewelry that I just couldn't leave there! I found two lovely necklaces created by Mo Jewelry and The Goode Huswife. The pictures are of some of their wonderful jewelry creations. They both also create beautiful cross-stitch designs.

I also had the pleasure of meeting a very talented woman, Gigi Ries (pictured above). The beautiful piece she is standing in front of is one of hers. It is done on a big piece of linen from graziano 40 count. The designs on it came from several different designers. It's quite impressive to see it in person! I neglected to ask her how many hours this piece took.

After attempting cross-stitch before this show and becoming completely frustrated, I'm determined to try it again. This time I'm going to use an 18 count so my poor eyes can see what I'm doing. I remember when I was young watching my mom struggle to thread a needle and I just couldn't imagine what it was like not to see that huge needle eye, but now I am in the same boat!

GREAT SHOW!

2010-02-20T18:49:00.000-08:00

Antique Sampler

Today was a really good day at the TNNA show! It was busy and I met many new shop owners. There are also some great displays here. One of the vendors had a room FULL of antique samplers. Bonnie and I tried not to drool on them. The owners were really great people who have traveled all over the world collecting these wonderful works of art. The shop is called The Needle's Work Antiques. The last picture is a peek inside of our neighbors room, Blackbird Designs. Alma and Barb have been very sweet introducing us to people in this industry.

TNNA

2010-02-19T15:45:00.001-08:00

Well, Bonnie and I are in Nashville, Franklin actually, getting ready for the TNNA show (National NeedleArts Association). The picture is of Bonnie's side of the room, which at the moment looks much better than mine! This used to be a traditional x-stitch market, but it has expanded to include some knitting, needlepoint and hopefully embroidery since that's all I brought. Bon and I bought about 8 dozen bakery cookies to bribe people into our room. This bright idea might backfire if we end up eating all of them ourselves.....ohhhhh my insatiable sweet tooth....
I'll take more pictures tomorrow when the show is open.

BOM NAME

2010-01-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

Oh I'm so happy some of want to help me ideas for names for this new BOM! Each month's design is within a wreath. The wreaths are all different - ribbons, flowers, ruffles - and the center of each wreath is something to do with that month. July is the Liberty Bell, March is a shamrock, etc. The brown floss and the wreaths are the only tie between all of them. Oh goodie! I love help with names! Tell you what...if I use a pattern name you come up with, I'll give you the pattern when it's complete.

2010 BOM

2010-01-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

I've been working on my Block-of-the-Month for 2010 and so far I'm really pleased with it. I'm using Weeks Dye Works floss in a yummy, slightly variegated brown. This picture is of the stitchery for the month of May - a May basket. I'm still trying to figure out a name for the BOM.....ideas?

Thank you ever so much for all your kind words, thoughts and prayers for my family.
Sincerely,
Kathy

2010-01-23T11:24:00.000-08:00

My Dad passed away Thursday evening. He was surrounded by family the last few days and he was at peace. He was a World War II vet and very proud of his service and his Country. He always wore his WWII hat and it pleased him to no end when complete strangers would thank him for his service. He was also proud of his family and it was a blessing we could be there for him when it was his time to go.

Rest in peace Dad.

FABULOUS ARTISTS AND DEAR FRIEND

2010-01-19T18:54:00.000-08:00

One of my dearest friends is also an amazing artist. Her work is beautiful and she just opened a shop on Etsy where you can see prints of her work. The painting above really spoke to me when I saw it at her gallery opening a couple months ago. Her name is Liz Ashley and her work speaks for itself.

"WORK DAY 3"

2010-01-16T10:30:00.001-08:00

Boy howdy I got a lot of stitching done! With no distractions from everyday life - laundry, cooking, cleaning the litter box - it's amazing what can be accomplished. We also did a bit of shopping at one of our favorite antique malls on the coast. I found a few treasures sure to inspire future projects.

All good things must come to an end though and it's time to leave my fantasy land and return to real life. Fortunately my real life is quite nice thank you very much!

"WORK" DAY 2

2010-01-15T08:31:00.001-08:00

I have a hard time sticking to one project at a time! Two of these are coming along nicely, but the other one is causing me a little grief and I'm going to start it over again. I am excited though about the new pattern for these. It's something I've never made before. Any idea what the finished product will be? I have a little somethin'-somethin' for the first person who can guess!

Tomorrow is day three. The final day to work at the beach, then it's off to home sweet home to finish up.

"WORK" RETREAT

2010-01-14T10:20:00.001-08:00

It really is "work" for me when I sit and stitch or paint, but mostly it's pure enjoyment. To make this time even more enjoyable, my sister and I decided we should go to the Oregon Coast to "work" for a few days. Grand idea! With a stormy winter outside, complete with crashing waves, and a cozy fire burning inside, we started our "work". Life is rough. This picture is of the three projects I brought to work on. I'll update my progress tomorrow. If I'm held accountable I really must put down that cup of cocoa and "work"!

CHALKBOARD DOODLE

2010-01-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

IT'S THE BIG ONE, BABY!

2010-01-07T17:34:00.001-08:00

Well, it finally happened! I turned 50 on January 5th. So far so good! I know life isn't about "getting" things, but I have to say, I was treated to some wonderful and thoughtful gifts. My oldest son, Cory, gave me my first graphic novel. I've always poo-pooed them, but I highly recommend this one. The illustrations are so beautiful and the story is very touching. It's called The Arrival by Shaun Tan (top photos above). My other son, Tom, gave me a heartfelt little silver charm with "Mom" on it. I received my first pair of Uggs and now I know why everyone loves them - oh so comfy! My friend surprised me with a gorgeous floral arrangement and my sister-in-law, Patti, blew my socks off. She is a talented photographer here in Portland, and she snapped a photo of my boys giving their old mom a kiss. She had it blown up and stretched on canvas! Yes, I cried, but they were tears of joy.

OH BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!

2009-12-10T12:37:00.000-08:00

PAPER SNOWFLAKE

2009-12-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

Click on the images to enlarge

How cool is this? I saw these at an antique store and I had to make some for myself!

EMBROIDERY KIT ON ETSY!

2009-12-05T16:22:00.000-08:00

I've heard some of you say you would like to forgo tracing my embroidery patterns onto the fabric, so in a very limited quantity, I'm getting them traced for you! They are traced on Moda Crackle Fabric using a Sewline technical pencil. So far I have only one on my Etsy Shop, but more will be added soon! Look under "Kits".

HOLIDAY SHOWS

2009-11-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year! Little holiday craft shows pop up around the city. It's always nice to buy a handmade item for a gift (or for me). I also like meeting the crafts people who make them. Last Friday I went to an annual show in Sellwood and I found this wonderful little scarf. The color is yummy, the yarn feels yummy and the woman who made it is very talented. Besides knitting, she also makes wonderful one of a kind bags. Her name is Linda Gaudin - check out her Etsy shop!

CHALKBORAD DOODLE

2009-11-20T08:22:00.000-08:00

CONTEST TIME!

2009-11-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

If you are in need of a little art with heart (ha ha) here it its! This is a little painting I did a few years ago of a polka-dot heart and key. It's even framed! So here is the contest...... I recently helped my sister Bonnie start a blog. She was having trouble with her laptop and couldn't access any of her pictures, so being the ever so helpful sister that I am (ha ha) I added one of my own pictures. This was November the 14th. Bonnie is home now with access to a plethora of beautiful quilts, penny rugs, stitcheries, etc any of which would be a huge improvement over the photo I put on her blog. If you are the first person to guess what exact date Bonnie FINALLY changes her blog picture to anything other than my Hitchcock picture, you will win the little heart painting above!
Good luck! Check Bonnie's blog so you can see what I'm rambling about.

SHE FINALLY DID IT! (sort of)

2009-11-14T09:40:00.000-08:00

I've been after my sister Bonnie to start a blog and this weekend was the perfect time. My hubby is away on Dad's Weekend at OSU so she came up for a visit and a creative get together. She's having a little trouble with her lap top so the only picture to add to her blog was one of mine : ) She'll have to work on it when she gets home. Congrats Bon! Welcome to the blog age.

GARDEN FLIGHT BLOCK FOR QUILTMAKER

2009-11-12T17:37:00.000-08:00

This is my block featured in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks! I wanted to include embroidery, no surprise, but I also wanted to challenge myself with some piecing. My sewing skills aren't up to par with many of you out there and sitting at a sewing machine isn't a relaxing treat for me, but I keep plugging away and it is getting easier. I think part of my problem is I don't have a type A personality (close is good enough when it comes to corners matching up right?) I'm more like a P or T, and that's just fine with me. I love, love, love playing around with designs and blocks on my computer, but figuring out how to actually make it all go together just makes my head hurt! If someone tells me about a nifty new product to make piecing easier I'm all for it! The nifty tool I used on this block was a special ruler for making Flying Geese and it really was fantastic! It is called "Fit to be Geese" and it's made by Open Gate. Monique Dillard, the Open Gate designer, also has a block in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks. She's a sweetie!

I was asked if my mom was a quilter. Yes, she is an accomplished quilter. We grew up surrounded by quilts going back several generations. I always had a great appreciation for them and I also appreciated how much time and talent went into each one. We grew up sewing our own clothes too and I DID NOT have a great appreciation for that! The thought of sewing in a sleeve still makes me break out in a cold sweat.

QUILTMAKER'S 100 BLOCK WINNER!

2009-11-12T17:33:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone that left a comment! The winner of the free publication is SewLindAnn! If you would kindly e-mail your mailing address to me at kschmitz785@comcast.net I'll make sure it gets to you.

QUILTMAKER 100 BLOCKS!

2009-11-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited about being one of the 100 designers asked to design a special block for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks publication! This is a fantastic magazine loaded with creative blocks from 100 designers including my sister Bonnie Sullivan of All Through The Night . Follow the 100 Blocks Blog Tour daily Nov. 9-13 at quiltmaker.com/quiltypleasures for inspiration, ideas and giveaways galore! Look for 100 Blocks from Today’s Top Designers in your local quilt shop, or purchase it at quiltmaker.com/100blocks.”

If you would like to win a free copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks issue, just leave a comment with your name and mailing address, I'll randomly pick a winner Thursday the 12th at 12pm pacific. Check back on Friday to see my block and the inspiration behind it!

CHALKBOARD DOODLE

2009-11-05T10:48:00.001-08:00

CHALKBOARD DOODLE

2009-10-30T08:50:00.001-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

AND THE WINNER IS....

2009-10-18T15:51:00.001-07:00

www.Random.org picked the winner and it is the 21st person who left a comment! Congratulations Leisa T. Wiggley! Here is a painting to add to your crow collection. I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you everyone who left such kind words! Oh my goodness, reading these sure made my weekend! I'm digging around in my studio looking for other things to pass along!

(Leisa, please send your mailing address to me at kschmitz785@comcast.net so I can contact you. Thanks!)

WIN A PAINTING!

2009-10-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

During the Houston Market I ran a promotion giving away three of my original watercolor paintings. It was a great success and I happily gave two of the paintings to a couple of wonderful ladies. The third little painting, however, did not find a home so........I want to give it to someone now! It measures 7" x 10" and is not framed. Starting today and ending Monday the 19th, at 5:00pm, anyone who leaves a comment, with your full name, on this post will be entered to win. A random drawing will determine the new home for the blackbirds. Hope you like it!
Kathy

Tippi

2009-10-14T17:52:00.000-07:00

Now THIS is a Barbie! I've never seen a Tippi Hedron Barbie before! Thank you for sharing her Colleen! (I need your e-mail so I can thank you properly)

Heading Home from Houston

2009-10-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

Another Quilt Market has come and gone! I so enjoy seeing friends and visiting. My booth was between the very talented ladies of Blackbird Designs and Pieces from my Heart. It's tough to compete with their booths, they both have won awards for their displays. The theme for my booth this year was birds and I may have gone a little overboard, someone made a comment about Tippi Hedren. When I get home and unpacked, I'll add some other pictures I took at market, but for now here are a couple of shots of my tribute to Hitchcock.

2009-10-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

This is my FAVORITE way to trace an embroidery pattern onto cloth. It works slick as a whistle! (CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

ART & SOUL

2009-10-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

I discovered Art & Soul last night. I don't know why I didn't know about this earlier! This one was in Portland and the vendor's show was last night. There were finished pieces and artwork and every kind of ephemera you could ever need or want. Next year I'll be better prepared and I'll sign up for some of the classes. Just to make you drool a little I took a few pictures. I also made some great purchases, all without any buyer's remorse. My FAVORITE purchase is THE necklace. Yes, it requires a capital THE in front of it. I adore it.

BOSTON AND BAR HARBOR

2009-09-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

Somewhere in Maine on our way back to Boston

Steve and I at Acadia National Park

The fountain in the center of town in Bar Harbor Maine

Steve and I had a fun trip back east to look at the fall leaves and just do a little exploring. We were a little early for the full colorful display of leaves, but it was still beautiful. We drove from Boston up to Bar Harbor and got in after dark. It was a sweet little, quiet town, with a lovely little park in the center. When I decided to check out the town in day light the next morning I was greeted with 4,000 tourists from the 2 cruise ships I didn't see in the dark of the bay the night before. So we decided to take that opportunity to skip town and head up to Acadia National Park - lovely, lovely, lovely! The people in Boston and Maine were wonderful and the LOBSTER was great!
I hope you don't mind me sharing a few vacation photos. I'm having fun with them in Photoshop if you can't tell!

CHALKBOARD DOODLE

2009-09-22T17:15:00.001-07:00

TO MARKET TO MARKET...

2009-09-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

I'm putting together sample packs of my new embroidery patterns (see below) for the International Quilt Market (October in Houston) and I thought I would take a little idea from Minick and Simpson and add an incentive for shop owners to buy the sample packs so......each pack has a number between 1-100. EACH morning of the show I'll draw a number and give away one of the original watercolor paintings above. Are you going to Market? Sample Spree? Come by and pick up a sample pack of the new patterns and a chance to win a painting. small print - need not be present at time of drawing to win, just stop by the booth with the winning number anytime during the show!

YIPPEE SKIPPY!!!!

2009-09-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

I've been stitching like crazy and I have 8 new patterns ready to go! I've just added them to my Etsy Shop and my website kathyschmitz.com so check them out. I've also added pictures here to wet your whistle! Hope you like them!

TIME FLIES!

2009-09-04T11:16:00.001-07:00

Holy Moly time does fly!!! I have been super busy getting patterns ready for the upcoming Quilt Market in Houston. I'll finish one and I know I should stop, but then I have an idea for another pattern and I think, "well...just one more". However, as much as I love to do the embroidery, I sometimes forget how long it takes to actually write up the directions and get everything print ready. I'm really excited to be using some wonderful floss by Weeks Dye Works. Yummy colors! I'm expanding my horizons and using some color in a couple of patterns. I'm hoping to have all the new patterns up on my website by the end of the month - I'm crossing my fingers!

I love getting photos from people who have stitched up one of my patterns. I met Kathleen at a class and she was kind enough to share some of her finished pieces and I wanted to share one with you. Thanks Kathleen!
On another note.....
I have a question I want to throw out there -
My sister, Bonnie, and I are tinkering around with the idea of putting on a retreat. If you don't know, my sister Bonnie is Bonnie Sullivan of All Through the Night. Yes, very talented. We've actually been talking about it for a couple of years, but we are at a point now where we are looking at our calendars and locations to make this happen. I would love to hear feedback on what you like, didn't like, wish for, etc from any retreats you have been on. Do you like the room and board to be included or would you rather pick your own place to stay and just pay for the classes alone. Do you like the Oregon Coast, Sellwood antique district in Portland....any ideas?
Thank you for letting me pick your brains!
Ta,
Kathy

SUNRIVER

2009-08-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

It's time for the Schmitz family reunion! We do this every year and every year it's a whole lot of fun. Throughout the years (Steve and I have been married almost 25 years) I've heard all the stories about him and his siblings growing up. We decided to make a board game for his siblings and parents to play this year. After we collected all the little jokes and stories, my most talented Brother-in-Law Tal, developed them into humurous little rhymes. I made up playing cards with the rhymes and the markers are made using their faces. The handsome young man at the finish line is a college picture of Steve. Here are a few of the rhyms -

Thunder while camping,
can give kids a fright,
so who packed them up,
and drove off in the night?
ANSWER: Steve's brother Bob. I remember that camping trip and the storm was a duzy!

Who had the gear,
around the head,
which made a nice smile,
when going to bed?
ANSWER: Steve's sister Patti

Which of the kids,
do you suppose,
got a big raisin
stuck up a nose?
ANSWER: Patti....

An army man went,
a place most would fear,
who stuck him in
whose delicate ear?
ANSWER: Steve stuck it in Bob's ear

So that gives you a little flavor of the game. I think it will be fun for them all to remember this Schmitz family lore!

COOOOOOOL CHALKBOARD DOODLE

2009-07-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

9:00am and it's almost 90. Yesterday was 106 and today will be hotter. My sweet little brick house is now a brick oven and I could become a pizza chef. The quaint old boiler that keeps it toasty in the winter means there is no duct work. Not duct work.....no AC. I'm not a happy camper and Zippy the cat isn't so zippy these days. I decided I needed to draw something COLD today. It actually made me feel a little better with each snowflake added. Hope you like it!

CHALKBOARD DOODLE

2009-07-27T10:19:00.001-07:00

It is hot. It is really hot. Tomorrow it will be even hotter. Did I mention it is hot? Oregon shouldn't get this hot. It's really hot.

CHALKBOARD DOODLE

2009-07-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

NEW PROJECTS!

2009-07-07T23:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek at a couple of new embroidery projects I'm working on. Hope you like them! I waited until July to post my new Christmas fabric with Moda - Holly Jolly Snowmen. Look for it in stores now along with a great pattern for the panel designed by my friend Barbara Cherniwchan - Coach House Designs . No time like the present to put on some Christmas tunes and start sewing!