Ross and Liv are getting dinner and Violette is having belly time......a quick note and a photo.I talked about our PJ sale recently and I finally got the photo from the shop camera......
It was early in the morning but everyone was in good spirits. A fun morning filled with familiar faces and new friends. As I promised here is the flannel quilt and pattern....
Download SoleFlannelPromo-Sophie.pdf
Dinner's here......I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Holiday!
Valori
My husband had an aaahhh moment last night as I was trying to take of photo of Miss Liv in pj's made out of the new Sole Flannel (coming soon to a website near you....) - she would not stop running around and I was saying "Liv, honey, can I please take your picture?" over and over again as my husband laughed......he remembers as a kid doing the same thing to his mother and her saying the same thing....She is SO like her father! Well, needless to say I spent a good 15 minutes trying to out run her and then turn and shot quick....... the results........ 
She thought it was SO funny!! I had to laugh too.......I'm thinking I just have to get her to wear them to bed and take a photo of her sleeping. The pattern for the pj's is from Favorite Things. They have the cutest kid patterns - adults too!
We also made a quilt out of the flannel........ I should have the pattern up in the next couple of days - although the fabric wont be out until December or January......
I have an intern coming to work with me today.......
Have a great day!
Valori
****Just a quick note on the Grocery Tote - ALL SEAM ALLOWANCES ARE 1/2" ********
Have a great day!!!
Valori
Good morning.....I spent last night trying to figure out how to put an icon on my blog......well, I didn't figure it out but this morning I was able to - I think - I am not very educated on blogging and have been going by the seat of my pants. I seem to work a lot better in the morning. Anyway, the icon that I was trying to put up was from Holly Holly wrote an article for McCall's called blogs I love and she included my blog....so sweet! I am getting better about posting...I think that I have finally got a schedule with the girls that I can get more work done. 
As I look at my blog I see that all I have is the text and no icon...back to the drawing board - I will figure it out Holly...... Hope everyone has a great day!
Valori
Don't we all want to be a little more green these days.....I think that grocery bags are one of the easiest ways to be green. But lets at least make them stylish....here is a pattern for a simple grocery tote that you can make out of any home decorator fabric and even traditional cotton quilting fabric. Since the bag is lined it is very sturdy.....I have tested them.
Sole Grocery Tote
Fabric Needed:
Outside of tote: 15" x 54" - 1/2 yard 54" home decorator fabric
Lining and Handles of tote: 23" x 54" - 2/3 yard 54" home decorator fabric
Cutting out of pieces:
Outside:
Cut 2 - 13" x 15" pieces for front and back
Cut 1 - 8" x 13" piece for bottom
Cut 2 - 8" x 15" pieces for sides
Lining:
Cut 2 - 13" x 15" pieces for front and back
Cut 1 - 8" x 13" piece for bottom
Cut 2 - 8" x 15" pieces for sides
Handles:
Cut 2 - 4" x 52" pieces for handles
Assembly:
1. Fold one handle in half lengthwise and press - this will give you a guide line for the rest of the pressing.
Unfold and fold the raw edge (the length of the handle) just to the previous pressed line - press and repeat with the other raw edge. Fold in half again lengthwise and press - the raw edges are now enclosed. Repeat for the other handle. 
2. On the front and back outside pieces - Press 1/2" down from top.
3. Starting at the bottom of the front piece measure in 3" from each side and pin handle stopping at the pressed top edge. - Repeat with the back of the bag.
4. Top stitch the handles down starting at the bottom, stopping just before the folded edge, pivot 90 degrees and top stitch along the top, pivot again 90 degrees and finishing top stitching to the bottom of the handle. To finish top stitching the handle start stitching just past the fold edge of the top of the bag and continue around the handle to the other side of the bag, pivot 90 degrees and stitch along top, pivot 90 degrees and stitch back to the other side, pivoting 90 degrees at top and stitch, pivot 90 degrees again and finish where you started.
5. With right sides together stitch one end of the bottom piece to one end of a side piece - starting 1/2" from the top and ending 1/2" from the bottom. Repeat with the other side of the bottom and the other side piece - you will have one long piece - it will be refered to as A.
6. With right sides together pin the front of the bag to the side of piece A, stitch from the top ending 1/2" from the bottom. Fold A so that the bottom piece lines up with the bottom of the bag pin - start stitching 1/2" in from the top and to 1/2' from the bottom. Fold A so that the side piece lines up with the other side of the front , pin and stitch starting 1/2" from the bottom to the top. Repeat with the back.
7. To make the lining repeat steps 5 and 6.
8. Press 1/2" down around the top edge of bag. Repeat with lining.
9. Turn outside of bag right side out and put the wrong side of the lining to the wrong side of the bag.
10. Pin edges of bag, top stitch around top edge securing the lining to the outside.
11. Press and go shopping…….
Enjoy!
Valori
Oh My Gosh it is already November......somehow my time has just lapsed - it is true that as you get older time goes faster. Olivia is potty training and Violette has discovered her hands........too cute!
Market came and went....I wasn't able to go - just too much going on here but I had a good showing of my new home decorator collection and flannel collection. 
I got pretty excited and made a bag..... 
And a table cloth, and grocery totes and a throw and pillows...... Too much fun! I have the grocery tote to put on with instructions....tomorrow - I hope!
We have our annual PJ sale tomorrow at the shop.......we all come to the shop in our PJ's early in the morning......the doors open at 6:30 a.m. and if you are in your PJ's you get 35% off as the day progresses the discount gets smaller....it is a frenzy. Very good for a cold November morning.
Have a great day....
Valori
Last Thursday mom, Violette and I headed down south to Livermore, Ca for the Alden Lane Quilt Show - Quilting in the Garden. I had the honor of being the featured artist. Very cool! Violette was such a great traveler...she would sleep for three hours then we would stop and eat, then she would sleep again. No fuss..... On Friday I taught a class based on my Bloom quilt. Friday night I gave a lecture on seeing and inspiration. I show lots of photos and quilts and talk about where my inspiration comes from and what you can gain from seeing the world around you. Sometimes we tend to just pass things by as we go through our busy lives.
Anyway, Saturday and Sunday were the quilt show - 45 of my quilts and 15 of mom's were to be hung in 300 year old oak trees that were nestled in a beautiful nursery. Unfortunately Saturday it rained - odd for this time of year in that area - but the show went on. As it should...they were very inventive in finding spaces to put the quilts - they took the room that I taught in and used metal garden structures with bamboo to hang the quilts.
It was still a great day......
Sunday was dry and overcast! Perfect day for photos and we arrived at the nursery the quilts were being hung outside - Yeah! I took so many photos.....what an amazing setting.....I had to really pick and choose what to post! But here you go......the 2007 Quilting in the Garden Quilt Show........and some pretty photos that I couldn't help taking in the nursery.....
This is Cyndee - the organizer of the show - she is awesome!!!!
Here are some of mom's quilts......
I met some great people at the show and some new friends - HI Kim! - what a great time we had.........
Have a great day!!!
Valori
There is an annual event in Oregon that we love - Cycle Oregon....it is a week long bike ride that travels around different parts of the state each year. My husband and I did it about 3 years ago - before babies! This year it started and ended here in Sisters. Very Cool!! A good friend of ours suggested that we do an avenue of quilts as the cyclist come into the finish line. The finish line was in the parking lot of our Athletic Club and new Lodge (which is VERY cool!) On Saturday morning we set up quilt frames......
and quilts.....
I think one of the greatest parts of putting together this little display was that all of the quilts were from our employees! They are such a talented group of gals!!!
The cyclist started arriving - we had to come cheer on our friends riding in....
We heard from cyclist that it was the best finish of the 20 years! Part of what makes Sisters such a great place is our community....the High School Jazz Band also came out and played for the bikers as they rode in....Liv loves to dance to their music.
It was fun to be a part of the event...maybe we will get to ride the week again sometime......dreams!
Have a great day!
Valori
Wow it is amazing to me that Violette is already 1 month - August has just slipped by..... Why is it when you want time to freeze so that you can enjoy it does it seems to go too fast. Well, I had to include a new photo of Violette.
I thought that I would be able to work in my studio - painting and sewing - enjoying time off but I haven't been able to get in there much! I do get to hang out with my girl - she has already put on 2 lbs and 2inches....
Thanks to all of you that responded to the new book.....it is doing really well at the shop.
I did get a little knitting fix today - we got a huge shipment of Rowan yarn and I helped the girls do a new display......It makes me want to knit, knit, knit......where is all the time? I figured if I could just nurse and knit I would be set - especially how much the little one nurses. A new project :).....
Have a great day!
Valori
As I am enjoying my time with Violette I received news that my new book was coming out.... Very exciting! It is so awesome to see all your hard work come together and look good. I would love to give some away....the first 5 e-mails I get from this webblog I will send an copy of the new book! (don't forget to give me your address and name)
Have a great day!!!
Saturday July 21, 2007 at 6:19 p.m. Violette Grace was born......she was 6 lb. 1 oz and 18 1/2" long. 
What a blessing..... a beautiful, healthy baby! I couldn't ask for anything more in my life.....
We came home as a family on Monday. Olivia is a great big sister - she loves to kiss baby V. I am taking a bit of time off and enjoying being a mom - although my desire to create is in full force. I am excited to have some time to paint and quilt - at my leisure rather than on a deadline. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!!
Valori
Well, we made it through the 32nd annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show it was beautiful and I didn't have the baby! I am days away from having the baby so I thought it would be good to put some photos of the Stitchin' Post, the sorting of quilts and Quilt Show itself. I didn't get to see the whole show, what I did see was great! Mom and I always go out early in the morning for the best light and the least crowds......
Here are some images of the shop.....the girls worked so hard putting it all together and making it perfect. 
At the beginning of the week the quilts start arriving and mom and her crew put them in order. Mom looks at every quilt and plans on how they flow through town. IT is amazing.....Liv and I stopped by one day to take some photos of the girls hard at work......
And now for the images of the show........the first thing in the morning our wonderful local fire department come and hang quilts on the outside of our building.....it is always so cool!!!
Hope you enjoyed seeing a bit of the show......
Have a great day!
Valori
We are gearing up for Quilt Show in a couple of weeks at the Stitchin' Post and everything is a buzz. This morning we hung some of our quilts outside the front of the shop for a new photo. It was a perfect morning - slightly overcast - for photographing. It was good to get out of the house I have been glued to my drawing table painting all week. Coming up for air to eat and play with the girl for a few hours. Anyway...the shop is looking great......this is a new tent made out of my fabric that is at the front of the shop - TOO CUTE! 
I miss getting to be as involved with the shop the past month but I can't do everything (at least that is what mom keeps telling me)..... besides I have to take it easy with this baby - it has been a hard pregnancy..... Well, back to work! Enjoy your weekend!!!!
Valori
June 21st what a great day.....the longest day of the year and the beginning of summer. It was also my husband and I's first date.... 
I thought that I would share my beautiful daughter on this beautiful day..... Enjoy your family!!!
Valori
Good morning....I am always amazed at how quickly time flies. It seems like we just went to market and now it is almost summer.....June has gone by in a blink! We are gearing up for Quilt Show and Quilter's Affairat the shop......it is amazing all that we have to do to get ready. We have a fabulous staff and it is nice that every year we get more and more organized.
I am working on a new fabric collection and trying to get the babies room all done. My nesting instincts have gone into overdrive.....I am probably driving my husband crazy but I just need it to be clean and all ready for the arrival of the new girl. With our fingers crossed we will make it through Quilt Show without a birth...then she can come anytime after that!
Mom got her New York quilt done.....beautiful.......
I just love the abstract quality that she created and the color palette that she used. It is always inspiring to watch a quilt grow.
I will leave you with a photo of my first bouquet of flowers from Olivia.
We spent the weekend out at our family cabin on the Metolious River, all of the wild flowers are in bloom. While I was napping, Liv, Mimi and Papa (Mom and John) went out for a walk and picked some flowers for me. It was so sweet.....Liv was so proud of herself....Have a great day!!!
Valori
Well, the painting for the next collection of fabric has begun......I am trying to get it all painted and off to Free Spirit before the baby comes. This collection will be for Spring of '08 - it is amazing how far ahead you have to work sometimes. 
It is so much fun for me...I love painting, figuring out the colors and imagining how it will look on fabric. I couldn't ask for a better job! Hope you have a great day....I'm off to paint.......
Valori
Every time I have a new collection or supplemental line of fabric out I will create a free quilt pattern. I thought you might like to have the one for Sole'. My most recent collection. I first created this design for my girlfriends new baby, Cyd Plum. I used muted solids and appliqued on the center and her name. 
The design came to me after I talked to Jen and she told me what the babies name was.....it is funny how inspiration hits. It also reminds me of something Jen would put in her nursery. The simplicity of the design was perfect for my style of fabric so I created the Sole' pattern. 
I wasn't too sure if it worked with the fabrics but they grew on me.....I left them on the design wall for a week before getting them sewn up. It just goes to show you that a simple design like this can look great in prints or solids. Here is the pattern for you to create your own......
Have a great day!
Valori
During our trip to New York mom and I did a lot of shopping. We are good shoppers.....always on the look out for unique products and inspiration for ourselves and the shop. Our shop doesn't just carry fabric, we also have yarn and we have a gift shop, Twigs, so we are always looking for displays and ideas. Well, while in the big city we visited this amazing shop, Takashimaya, it is a Japanese department store.....we noticed the amazing floral arrangements on each floor and came to find out the on the 6th floor they had fresh flowers and gardening products. The flowers were AMAZING! I couldn't stop thinking about them so we went back the next day and I bought some poppies, peonies and water lilies......that afternoon, while mom was working on her quilt I photographed the flowers in our hotel window. I have not developed the black and white images yet but I have a couple from the digital that I thought I would share......... 
Have a great day.......
Valori
We are home from the big city of New York. It was a great trip, full of inspiration, friends, work and shopping. Couldn't ask for more. The Surtex show was good, mom and I had fun running the booth together, we saw AnnaMaria there - she had a great booth. Very fun!
Mom and I had a great time shopping and creating......she started a new quilt while we were there. 
It is all pieced by hand. We used the wall in our hotel room as a design wall. The table was full of pieces of fabric and we wondered what the cleaning crew must think of us - yarn and fabric everywhere. I designed a little knitted bag with bobbles that I lined with some fabric that I bought from Purl Patchwork. I also got some great yarn from Purl Soho that I want to make into these bags. Once it is done I will put a photo of it on and the instructions. Very fun and quick. I just need to make another one to prefect the pattern. (always a good to check your patterns before you give them out). I have more to tell you about our week long trip to NY but it will have to wait until tomorrow.....I have work to get done today.....have a great day!
Valori
Happy Mother's Day to all you lovely mom's and mom's to be. I really feel that being a mom and a wife is the best gift I could ever want. I love watching my daughter grow and learn, exploring the world around her. This is my family - all 3 and 1/2 of us.......
We had a nice mellow day....playing in the sunshine and running in the grass.
What a beautiful day......I hope all of you mom's out there enjoyed your day.
I got the image of my booth at market downloaded.....it was a good booth. At next spring market we are going to do a double booth. It should be fun to have that much space to work in. Mom and I are heading off to New York for the Surtex show on Friday. I am excited to go to New York - it is always fun to travel with mom. We always come up with so many ideas.....we will also celebrate her birthday while we are there. We are going to do dinner with all of our friends that used to work with Free Spirit - they are still in New York and have moved onto other fabric companies but we have developed such a great relationship over the past 7 years. Well I have lots to get together for the show......