Pre Market Frenzy

NEW KT Quilt Dots

I'm so excited to announce that we're partnering with Zappy Dots and their very cool quilt magnets that may be used to embellish jewelry. Tiny reproductions of KT quilts make for adorable accessories for your studio and wardrobe. Check them out at  Kansas Troubles Quilt Dots.
 

KT Winner

Congratulations to Rose Bullen - you're the winner of last week's KT giveaway - a Heart of the Home Booklet. Please send your mailing address to Jamie at lynne@ktquilts.com. I hope we help you get a head start on your Christmas quilting this year :).

Off to Market

International Quilt Market for Spring 2015 is this weekend in Minneapolis, MN. Today is dedicated to last minute details like
                 *clean clothes/underwear/comfy shoes
                 *something to wear to Moda's Prairie Prom party
                     (there should be some great pictures of that Saturday!)
                 * print motel reservation and find a motel along the way
                 * help Robert match up shirts to sport jackets (really, again?)
                 * quilt blocks for Schoolhouse
                 * props with sunflower theme for booth
                 * iPad to take lots of pictures (Robert's job)
                 * DON'T FORGET THE QUILTS!

One of the fun new projects we have for market introduction is our Crazy for Pillows booklet. I love the pillow sleeves we've been making to coordinate with several of our latest quilts. We've had requests for a book just about pillows, so here we go!

Crazy for Pillows

Six unique pillow sleeves inspired by some of our favorite projects to coordinate with your quilts for a warm, cozy feeling in your home. Crazy for Pillows will be available in June, but comment here to win an advance copy!  I'll try to post some pictures on my FB page while we're gone. See you next week. Wish me luck!

Heartfelt Christmas in Spring!

KT Winner

 Congratulations to

Mom C     April 21, 2015 at 10:46 PM

I like looking at quilting and sewing sites but I don't have a favorite. Thanks.

You're the winner of our new Heartfelt charm pattern, From the Heart, and our KT Melon Template. Thanks to everyone for commenting and continuing to visit my blog. 

Moda Blog Hop

Watch every day this week for Moda's Designer Blog Hop featuring Blog Takeovers. All of us are so crazy busy in the weeks leading up to market that we're having our significant others (or pets) write our blog posts for us. It's designers in real life (#designersirl), nothing held back. KT's day is May 1st when Robert will show you his view of the madness. 

Heartfelt Christmas

Some people complain when Christmas decorations make their way into department stores before Halloween. As quilters, we're waiting anxiously for Christmas fabric to arrive in quilt shops in May and June! After all, we need alot of time to check them all out, select a pattern and make those special projects for Christmas gifts. We don't see Christmas in the Spring as a weird thing at all. And so it is that I have new projects to share for the holidays.

Heart of the Home is the booklet we put together featuring a star (who doesn't love stars for the holidays??)  surrounded by flying geese units that are made using our layered patchwork technique. Simply lay a tan triangle on a red, green or black background rectangle, stitch on top and sew the rectangles together to create the star and geese. It makes a difficult looking block a breeze to piece for any size project. Joy quilted feathered wreaths in the tan spaces for an especially festive look.

 A table runner in reds/tan works well for Christmas - or anytime of year.

 I love using leftover parts to make a pillow topper to coordinate with my quilts. This topper in all greens took about 1 1/2 hours to piece & quilt, then a couple episodes of The Big Bang Theory to bind. (Do you measure binding in hours of TV watched? For example, a queen quilt is about 2 movies on a Sunday afternoon.)

 

 

Our giveaway this week is the Heart of the Home booklet. Winner to be selected randomly by midnight Monday, May 4th.  New post Tuesday May 5th. Comment here about your Christmas quilting operating procedure. Are you an early starter? Wait until Thanksgiving to begin? Or somewhere in between?

Moda Designers in Real Life #designersirl

I'm married to my favorite quilter.  After 20 years of quilt market mania, you'd think I'd be prepared for the craziness of the next few weeks.

 As soon as the UPS truck drops off boxes of the new precuts and fabric, the clock is ticking down to market. It seems along with all the new fabric comes more ideas than she can make into quilts in just a few weeks. My Sweetheart is in "Market Mode".

She gets a little wrapped up in her Layered Patchwork.

Inspiration comes 24/7. I even find her napping on her fabric bundles.

 

So, I'm the guy that tries to help in any way I can. "Dear, can you find a ________ for the booth?
(fill in the blank with any vintage display item she may think goes with her fabric theme). Or, "Robert, do you have time to build a table, repair a quilt rack, paint a glider to match my quilt, etc ...?" I promised Lynne years ago when she started Kansas Troubles, if she designed fabric and quilts, I'd do Everything Else. Wouldn't you think I'd be ready for the chaotic road to market?

For more Designers in Real Life, go to:

• Deb Strain – Deb Strain
• Jen Kingwell – Jen Kingwell Designs
• Vanessa Goertzen – Lella Boutique
• Karla Eisenach – Sweetwater
• Janet Clare – Janet Clare Designs

Heartfelt - A Christmas Collection

KT Winner

Congratulations to Elizabeth , who commented, " I am a collector of your fabric and this looks like a fun pattern. I take classes to be inspired." You're the winner of this week's KT giveaway. Please send your mailing address to lynne@ktquilts.com to claim your Clara's Garden pattern & KT Wedge Template. Thanks to everyone who commented about taking quilting classes. Of all the various and interesting reasons, hanging out with other quilters tops the list. It's my favorite reason to teach, too!

From the Heart

From the Heart is KT's charm pattern for the Heartfelt fabric collection - my version of Christmas 2015. It features one charm pack, three fabrics and our new KT Melon Template. Half square triangles are pieced, then layered with the melons and little squares are added onto the corners for each block. The blocks are then just sewn together in rows. I can't wait to whip it up in other colorways, too - red/tan/blue, pumpkin/tan/brown, etc... What alternate colors would you choose?

Heartfelt charm pattern, From the Heart. Available in May.

 

Heartfelt fabric collection by KTQ. Arriving in May 2015.

I'm already collecting ideas for Christmas on Pinterest. So fun!

Simple ideas for fast & easy decorating. My kind of holiday!

 Comment here on your favorite Pinterest site - or ebay, etc - and you could win the new From the Heart charm pattern and KT Melon Template.

Still Playing...

Our week continued with a stop in Golden, IL with Hancock County Quilters

Two small quilt guilds threw a party and I was lucky enough to be their guest! Their one day event was hosted in the quaint little community of Golden, IL where they're famous for their working windmill from 1872. Robert and I both enjoyed the tour and history lesson of the windmill from our guide, Dave. After a morning workshop of Aleece's Charming Stars, we were treated to a delightful lunch of chicken salad, fresh fruit and of course, dessert, then continued with an afternoon trunk show.

Explaining the KT Layered Patchwork technique.

Several helpful quilters holding KT charm quilts.

The Hancock County Quilters

Their President, Sharon Anderson. Thanks for a great day playing with quilters!

Comment to win the Clara's Garden pattern & KT Wedge Template from Monday's post and we'll see you next week to introduce the new Heartfelt collection.

Playing with Quilters

Appleseed Quilters in Fort Wayne, IN

Robert and I hit the road right after the Easter Bunny stopped in for a week-long journey through Indiana and Illinois. Our first stop - Appleseed Quilt Guild. The ladies in a Monday evening workshop did a wonderful job whipping up their Seedlings runners made from just one charm pack. We added a few tans for fun to make melons with our KT Melon template. Piece the squares, add borders, sandwich, and layer the melons to stitch & quilt as you go. In just 3 hours, our industrious quilters were stitching melons! Don't you just love the brights, cheerful spring colors in this Seedlings runner?

The next day, we played with the projects in Clara's Garden - the lap quilt, Fresh-Picked runner and pillow topper. Here are some of the Appleseed quilter's own versions.

Black with red is classic but fresh.

Love those ocean blues and greens - so serene.

Got scraps? Awesome!

The pillow topper almost completed in just a couple hours.

Scrappy 9-patches and matching melons give the Raised Bed Garden quilt a new twist.

In just 3 hours, a Fresh-Picked runner is going to be finished. Great job!

The Back Door Quilt Shop, Greenwood, IN

Teri and Linda of Back Door Quilt Shop welcomed us to their shop for an evening trunk show and 1/2 day class. Storms were brewing, but that didn't stop the fearless quilters who came to check out all things KTQ that evening. The next day, their great workshop space was filled with eager ladies ready to make our new Clara's Garden Fresh-Picked Runner. Some were red, some purple, some in cool yellows and blues. All were lovely. By the end of the afternoon, I'd won over even the most skeptical in the group to my unique layered patchwork technique.

Red flowers sing for spring!

Is needle-turn applique your thing? Have it your way.

Bright & cheerful for spring.

The quilters at The Back Door Quilt Shop in Greenwood, IN showing off their projects after just 3 hours! You rock!

Since we've been playing with the Clara's Garden pattern and KT Wedge Template this week, we'll give one away! Comment on why you take quilting classes (or not!) for a chance to win. Check out Wednesday's post to see the rest of our week playing with quilters.
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Quilting on the Oregon Trail

KT Winner

Congratulations to Janie! You're the winner of last week's blog giveaway - 3 Mini Table Treats patterns. Enjoy! Now you'll have a few more seasonal quilts for the seasons.

 

 Janie - I hang up different colored quilts to represent the seasons. I also change out runners and wall hangings.

California/Oregon Trail Center, Montpelier, Idaho

I joined my designer buddy, Pam Buda, Heartspun Quilts, in Montpelier, ID for a 3-day quilting event last weekend (hence, no blog post lately). The center sits on the historic site of Clover Creek campgrounds where brave and sturdy souls traditionally camped on the trail for 3 days. After trekking for 1000 miles from Independence, MO, they rested their weary animals before venturing on another 900 miles to Oregon City, OR where they would discover the location of their "free land" - sometimes back down the road to Idaho!

I shared my quilts in a trunk show with most unique backdrop ever - a reproduction 1852 General Store and covered wagon. So cool! The actual dirt from the Oregon Trail was on the stage!

Pam and I each taught 2 days of classes with a group of most hospitable quilters.Incredibly, several of the ladies had just returned from a trip to Missouri Star Quilt Co. and had stopped in Bennington at our shop to visit - too crazy! But not for quilters!

I always like to have some proof that I was working and not sight-seeing the whole time to prove to Robert and Jamie my trips are more than just fun. Here's Debbie who came to class with her Mom and sister and finished her Fresh-Picked Runner from Clara's Garden in blues. Lovely.

Saturday evening, Pam and I headed back Jackson Hole, WY to fly home and get a bite to eat at the Silver Dollar Saloon. I just had to get a picture of this sign. You don't see this in Kansas!

Heartfelt coming soon

When I returned home, a couple of quilting elves (Lois and Joy) had a pile of new Christmas quilts awaiting my arrival. The new Heartfelt collection is due in quilt shops next month so I was busy finishing up the patterns. Here's a sneak peek at Heart of the Home (89"sq. lap quilt). The booklet also includes a queen version, runner and pillow topper. Stay tuned for those and the charm pattern next time.

Off to Indiana

I better finish packing for my trip to Appleseed Quilt Guild in Fort Wayne, IN, Back Door Quilts in Greenwood, IN and Hancock Co. Piecemakers in Golden, IL this week. There's still time to come to the trunk shows and workshops. Hope to see you there!