Good news, bad news.

I have good news and I have bad news.

I will give you the bad news first.

In May, I was walking on the 16th Street Mall in Denver when suddenly…

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I tripped on a tiny pothole and broke my leg.  Ta-da!  I have canceled classes until I am back on BOTH feet.

The good news is I have come up with a great idea (Actually, my mentor, Morna McEver Golletz  suggested it! She is awesome.).  Every Wednesday, starting June 15, 2016, at 6pm MST I will be live on Facebook. Aaaaa!IMG_20160611_094942

The first topic will be “To Pre-wash or Not Pre-wash, That is the Question!”  People have lots of feelings about this issue and I am going to take the bull by the horns.

Add to your calendars, tell your quilting friends and join me, LIVE.

See you there,

Jenny

P.S. What are quilting questions on your mind?  Help me plan future topics and leave your questions in the comment section below. 🙂

P.P.S  I almost forgot!  When you sign up for my newsletter, I will send you my pattern “How Many Circles?” free!  Getting my newsletter it a great way to stay up to date on patterns, my teaching schedule and other fancy stuff.

And So It Begins, From Virtual to Video

Last week, I wrote about how a quilt makes it into a magazine.  This week, I start a different project but the fabric in the mail is part of the process.  SO EXCITING!

Fabric Delivery

This fabric collection called Ruby’s Treasures is from Paintbrush Studio for Fons and Porter, and while I can’t show you the whole quilt, I can tell you this Block of the Month is  going to be so sweet.  There will be yo-yos, applique and even 3-D flowers! Gasp!  I confess it will be hard to ship it away…

Let me back up and tell you how projects like this happen. I will use Fernwood BOM as an example.

I got an email from Fons and Porter asking if I would be interested in making a quilt for an upcoming BOM and host videos for each of the months.

“Sure. What is your timeframe?  Send me the pattern.” (Like I’m gonna say No!)  Then I get a virtual of the quilt.

I must confess I felt a bit overwhelmed! “You want it WHEN?”Fernwood

Then I got the fabric, always an exciting day!  Each fabric has a number code.  I sort all fabric by this code and make a key.  Whenever I have to communicate about a particular fabric, I use the number so there is no confusion.  You can’t say “I need more of the blue one.” and expect to get the right blue one.

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Next is step-outs.  Step-outs are those partial blocks I use when I am filming.  “Now, here you can see the geese joined together.”.  Sometimes, I have to make several parts for each step.

Geese

Next, there is the Hero block.  It is the finished and as-perfect-as-possible block.

Dutchman's Puzzle

Lastly, I have to make the complete quilt. In reality, I make the quilt 1.75 times!  For this I had tons of help.  No quilter is an island!   My friend, Stefani, helped me with the step-outs, heros and piecing the quilt.  She is awesome. 🙂

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Here is the center on my design wall.  After the quilt top is finished, it is off to the quilter. In this case, Karen Miemi did an excellent job!  She also added a hanging sleeve.

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I added a label and headed to the studio, at 7am, in the morning…

Lable    1454550658949Crazy, right?

You might assume that professionals like me have it all together and finished, organized and ready to go.  But you would be wrong.  I will tell you a secret.  The binding was NOT done.  This king-size quilt hung on the wall for the entire two days of filming, unfinished!  The crew taped the binding to the back with gaffer tape.  After the shoot, I took it home, bound it and sent it to it’s new home with Fons and Porter.

 

And it is just lovely, isn’t it?

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You can see me in action here.  Not too shabby for 7am…in the morning…

Preview

A few months later, I opened a magazine and there it is.  Still can’t believe that quilt was made with my sewing machine!

Magazine

Thanks for joining me.  I hope you enjoyed your peek behind the camera.

See you soon,

Jenny Kae

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Window View, A Peek Behind the Scenes

This month, my quilt, “Window View” is in the May 2016 issue of American Quilters Society!

Window ViewCover

Some have asked me about the whole process.  How do I get a quilt in a magazine?  It goes like this.

First, I am contacted by the fabric company I am currently working with.  In this case, P&B Textiles.  “Hey, we have a new collection coming out called Love In Bloom.  Would you be interested in designing a quilt using these fabrics?”

If I have space in my calendar and can work in their time frame, I say, “Yes, send me the scans and I will see what I can do.”

They send me high-resolution jpegs.  At this point, if I don’t like the fabric, if it doesn’t make gasp, if I don’t have an attraction to the fabric, I say, “No, this is not for me.” The fabric companies want the best representation possible.  If the fabric doesn’t make my heart sing, it is not fair to them.  Wait till I find a better match.  Then I fall in fabric-love and I get busy in EQ7, my quilt design software.

Sometimes, the perfect design seems to fall in my lap.  Other times, it is all uphill, both ways, in the snow!  This one just fell into place.  I still love looking at it.

Window View

Then begins emails back and forth, talking about edits and final approval.  Then they want the yardage and directions, picky, picky, picky.  Sometimes, they want me to make the quilt!  Yoo Hoo!

The delivery of the fabric can be pretty crazy and take a long time.  You have to consider the time for manufacturing and shipping.  I just never know when it will arrive.   When a box like this shows up, I do a happy dance and then double check I was sent the correct fabric, just in case.

Special Delivery

Ready to Go

Good to go! Let the construction begin.

 

Chain piece

 

 

 

 

 

Pieces

After this one was about half way done, I had to send it away, due to my hospital visit!  Tracy Kreiling took over, finished piecing, quilting and binding.  Yay, Tracy!

Quilting

After it is quilted, I sew on a label with all the stats.

Label

Then it is shipped to the magazine, photographed and then sent back to me.

And it is a happy day when I open the magazine and see my own creation! Tada!

Whole Quilt

After an agreed period of time, the rights for the quilt design and pattern revert back to me.  I then make a few changes and can sell it myself.

Thanks for joining me on this little tour.

See you next time,

Jenny Kae

P.S.  What are other questions you might have?  I would love to hear them.

 

 

My Philosophy of the Seam Ripper.

This is me, ripping out stitches, making good use of my stitch redeemer.

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This is my philosophy regarding ripping stitches.
1. Rip-worthy mistakes happen to everyone.
2. Ripping is not a punishment, it is a chance to make a fresh start. It is an expression of hope for a better outcome.
3. Only rip when there is no other way OR the mistake will drive you crazy.
4. It is ok to have a little crazy.
5. If you have a huge amount to rip, put in a nice movie and work the muscle of persistance. The road to failure is the path of least persistance.

Wishing you hopeful ripping. 🙂
#jennykaequilts #seamripper #rippingstitches

Classes – Basics and Bindings and Colors, Oh My!

What?  August already? I had a summer here a minute ago…

Well, it is time to get myself back to school.  I wanted to share my teaching schedule for August and September.  I have some standard classes and some new classes.  I don’t want you to miss out on the ones you are interested in.

All my classes are at Rocky Mountain Sewing and Vacuum at  8601 W Cross Dr Unit P1 – Littleton, CO 80123. 303-979-2334

I have one class in August, the Absolute Beginner Quilting Basics Series – Class 1

Saturday, August 1st or Wednesday, August 5th from 10:30 to 4:30 for $35.

Absolute Beginner project
Absolute Beginner project

I have three exciting classes in September.  First is the Machine Binding Workshop on Wednesday, September 2nd from 10:30 to 2:00 for $20.  MANY of you have asked for this class.  We will focus only on binding and you will leave class with samples to take home to help you make it again.

Machine Binding Workshop
Machine Binding Workshop

Want to learn to quilt? Take the Quilting Basics Series with Class 2 – Strips and Triangles.  (And I have a NEW way to make easy triangles! Yay!)  The class is on Saturday, September 5th or Wednesday, September 9th from 10:30 to 4:30 for $35.

Quilting Basics Series - Class 2 - Strips and Triangles
Quilting Basics Series – Class 2 – Strips and Triangles

The third class is VERY exciting!  For some, picking the colors for a quilt can be very challenging!  For others, it is one of their favorite parts.  It is back to school for both of you. The Flowers In The Window Workshop uses my pattern, which is available on my website, and takes you step-by-step thru my color process, layout and piecing. (And, fair waring, there will be homework!)  If you struggle with fabrics or love to use color in your quilts, this three-part class is not to be missed!

The first session is on Thursday, September 10th from 10:30 to 2:30. Session 2 is on Thursday, October 8th from 10:30 to 2:30 and the Session 3 is on Thursday, November 12, from 10:30 to 2:30.  The cost for all three class is $75.  Fall in love with color and make your own work of art.

Flowers In The Window Workshop
Flowers In The Window Workshop

I have more classes in October and November, including applique, paper-piecing, 1600’s quilt race and working with Minky.  If you want to know more about any of my classes, patterns, demos and webinars, go to my website.

Hope to see you in class soon!

Jenny

P.S. Believe it or not, now is when I start to plan for next year’s classes.  What do you want to learn?  Put your comments in the section below.

The Webinar, The Winners and The New Pattern

Hi everyone!

First, I wanted to let everyone know about my webinar, “Quilting with Triangles” is THIS Tuesday, May 19th at 11am MST.  Even if you cannot attend the live event, you can still register here and receive access to the webinar later.

Promo IconIn the webinar, I will try to answer the the frustrating issues we all encounter when piecing triangles.

Single Shot
Half Square Triangles and Flying Geese

The winners in the Quilter’s Newsletter Best Kids Quilts 2015 giveaway are Sharon and Cecilia!  Congratulations!  You items will be shipped to you from Quilter’s Newsletter.  Many thanks to everyone who posted.  Your comments are so encouraging.

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For those of you who are uncertain about quilting with minky, I have some blogs dealing with minky and sharing my best tips for “Making Minky Easy”.

How to Stuff An Owl, My Best Tips for Working With Minky and My Best Binding Method.

If you have any minky questions, I encourage you to check them out.

And speaking of minky, I have a new pattern!  It is called Wonkey Donkey.  It is available from my website, Jenny Kae Quilts – Patterns.  It is also a great pattern for novelty prints that you want to showcase.

Wonkey Donkey

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great weekend and I hope to see you soon,

Jenny

The Tour Continues!

There are still a few days left on the Quilter’s Newsletter Best Kids Quilts 2015 blog tour.

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Just in case you missed any stops, here they are.

Did you get to visit Joanne Hillestad?  She has two quilts in the magazine, page 32 and 62!

Or how about Karen Gibbs?  Her Dinosaur Footprints quilt in batiks on page 46 is really nice.

Then there is Susan Emory and her quilt on the cover and page 12.

Next up is Jen Daly, who also has two projects, a quilt on page 49 and travel checkers on page 76.

And also on Thursday is Barb Cherniwchan and her video game themed quilt on page 73.

You can finish out the week strong with a visit to my friend, Kate Colleran.  Take a look at her quilt on page 8.

Last stop on the tour is Kim Hanson and her cute bed hanger on page 19.

There is still time to visit everyone and many still have giveaways you can enter.  My contest is open until Monday, May 11th at 6:am.MST 2015.  See my blog to enter. 

Thanks for popping in again and have a great day!

Thanks,
Jenny

Best Kids Quilts 2015 Blog Tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the Quilter’s Newsletter Best Kids Quilts 2015 Blog Tour.  Thanks for checking me out!

CuddlyKid-Fuchsia-Styled_800
Cuddle Kid

Take a close look at my quilt “Cuddle Kid”. Notice something about my quilt that is different from some of the other quilts in this issue?  My quilt is made with Cuddle  Pre-cuts from Shannon Fabrics, also called minky, that super-soft fabric you can’t help but touch when you walk by.

But, do you just walk by and not take any home?  Do you have questions about how to sew with minky? Then keep reading.  I made this quilt with you in mind.  First, I used Shannon Fabric Cuddle Pre-cuts!  (Pre-cut minky, that’s awesome!)

Cuddle Pre-cuts!
Cuddle Pre-cuts!

I kept the size small so you can try on a smaller project first. And I left the design very simple so you can focus on working with the new fabric.

Another color way
Zoologie Midnight from Shannon Fabrics

I started just where you are, wanting to sew with minky but unsure how. If you want to learn more, I have three blog posts where I share all the info and tricks that worked for me.

Start with “Making Minky Easy – My Best Tips for Working With Minky“.

Minky Yardage
Cuddle fabric

If you want to make a cute stuffed critter, read “Making Minky Easy – How to Stuff an Owl“. The owl pattern, “Happy Scrappy Whoo” is available from Macay Manor Muesers.

2 Owls
“Happy Scrappy Whoo”

And, if you are thirsty for more, read “Making Minky Easy – My Best Binding Method“.  Finished Binding

The pattern for this quilt, “Tiger Eye” is available from my website, Jenny Kae Quilts.

Tiger Eye Flat

And now for some free stuff!  We have two different prizes. You have one week to enter!

For your chance to win, post a comment below between Monday, May 4th at 6:00am MST will Monday, May 11th. and two people will be randomly selected.

Cuddle Pre-cuts!
First Prize  Zoologie 10″ and 5″ preucts
5" Cuddle Charms in Zoologie Fuchsia and Girly Girl
Second Prize 5″ Cuddle Charms in Zoologie Fuchsia and Girly Girl

Good luck, thanks for coming to my blog and have fun on your tour!

Jenny Kae

#jennykaequilts #cuddlefabric #shannotfabrics #quiltersnewsletter #bestkidsquilts

Quilting With Triangles Webinar

I want to tell you about my webinars or web seminars.  For those of you new to web seminars, it is a class you take via your computer.  I create a series of pictures and slides and provide a lecture to follow along with the images. If you attend the live webinar, you can submit your questions and I will answer it during the webinar or in a private follow-up letter. But after you download the class onto your computer, you have it as a reference forever.  In case you ever forgot something you heard in a class, not that I EVER have, you can go back and watch it again.

So last year, I hosted a webinar on curved piecing.  It was attended by about 150 people. Nice.

Promo Icon  You can watch the webinar on-demand here Making Curved Piecing Easy.

In February, I hosted a webinar on my binding technique.  It was attended by about 500 people. Very nice.

Promo Icon You can watch this webinar on-demand here Machine Quilt Binding.

In March, I hosted a free webinar on beginning quilting.  It was attended by over 1000 people.  Very, must-be-doing-something-right nice!

Beginner Webinar  Um, sorry, you can’t watch this because I don’t have a current link for this webinar.

In May, on Tuesday the 19th at 11:00 MST, I am hosting my next webinar, Quilting with Triangles.  11 people have already signed up today! I have no idea how many will attend this webinar but I can’t wait to find out.

Promo Icon You can register for this webinar Quilting with Triangles.

If you have attended one of my webinars, consider posting a review.  People use the advice of others to help them decide if something is worth doing.  Your input would be much appreciated!

If you haven’t attended one of my webinars, jump right in!  I would love to “see” you there.

Have a subject you want to see a webinar on?  Post your suggestions and ideas in the comment section.

That is all for now.  Thanks for reading this blog.

Hope to see you soon,

Jenny

#jennykaequilts #quiltingwithtrinagles #quiltingwebinars

Kate Colleran and Her New Book – Smash Your Precut Stash

I’ve got precuts!  Yes, I do!  I’ve got precuts!  How about you?

If you are a quilter, I am sure you have somewhere a stack of precuts you just love but are not sure how to use.  Have no fear!  My friend, Kate Colleran and a new book – Smash Your Precut Stash can help you out.

Kate Colleran Book

I recently had the chance to enjoy lunch with Kate and she is wonderful.  Funny, creative, smart and her book is no different.  Hustle over to her blog are a chance to win her book. Kate Colleran’s Blog

Thanks,

Jenny

#jennykaequilts #katecolleran #smashyourprecutstash.