Recipe for Fun!

Preheat your sewing machine to straight stitch.

Take a stack of Simple Abundance by Bonnie & Camille from Moda Fabrics…

…Add a Clover yo, yo maker…

…and make some yo yo’s!

Fill a candy jar full of yo yo’s while your working away…

Pour some into a second jar…

and soon you’ll have a collection…

You’ll find the complete recipe coming soon from Bunny Hill, published Fall 2009.

These make the most beautiful snacks! I’m thinking I may need a jar full in my studio. Just in case company stops by, like Kendal, Brigette’s daughter! She loved these “cute little things”!

We may need to have a party and serve some up! I have a feeling Kendal’s mom will be making her some very soon!

Hugs,

Anne

This is my first quilt…

I may have loved pink, but I lived with red. Cottage red and yellow. 

The date was  January, 1997.  It was the year of Debbie Mumm, brick fabric and the color red.   I took my first quilt class from Laura Nownes.   “Quilts, Quilts, Quilts” by Diana McClun & Laura Nownes was the book.  My copy is FILLED with notes.

Notes that allowed me to make this sampler quilt…

I was obsessed with this quilt.  I loved this craft called quilting and I couldn’t get enough. My first theory  in 1997 was if you made the quilt, you HAD to hand quilt it!  A theory that didn’t last very long.

That’s not binding on the quilt.  It’s the backing basted to the front.  Much of the quilt is still basted together. My first quilt remains unfinished, but at least I can say I tried.  Horrible quilting, but I tried!  Even used the wrong batting, but I still tried.  And the appliqué?  Well, if you messed up a point just take a few extra stitches over it.  Oh my! There’s hope for us all!

My second theory in 1997 was houses had to be made out of brick fabric…I would have NEVER considered pink flowers!  I collected all the brick fabric I could find.  Who knew when I’d need another house? Humm… wonder what happened to all that brick fabric? I bet Laura hid it!

Now this may surprise you, but I still live with red and still love it.  Our master bedroom is filled with red.   That’s not pink on the bed, but a red & white toile.  My first quilt sits on a shelf in this room.  Folded neatly, waiting for the “quilter” to re-appear. 

My most recent quilt, that I can show you is “A Vintage Christmas”.  Pink & Red! 

It goes perfectly in my home at Christmas! 

Chelsea loves my last quilt.  She’s a vintage kind of dog and she loves Christmas!  Right Chelsea? (Disappointed in the plastic veggie tray…she wanted silver I’m sure.) Oh, and did I tell you she LIKES my first quilt?  She told me so this morning! Reminds her of the tomatoes on this veggie tray! 

Thanks Camille and Carrie for thinking up this first quilt idea! 

 

Hugs,

Anne

If you love bunnies

It’s bunny week at Bunny Hill!

If you love bunnies this week is for you! You’ll find a bunny or two in each of my posts.  It’s spring and bunnies are everywhere so I can’t help myself!  They fill the catalogs and the stores.  What’s a bunny lover to do?

Saturday a little package arrived that completely overwhelmed me with the thoughtfulness of the gift.  DJ LeVan sent me a little Steiff bunny!  Just look at her!  Isn’t she the sweetest thing ever?  And if you don’t know DJ LeVan, well I don’t either, but she’s a kindred spirit for sure!  I “met” her when she placed and order with Bunny Hill and I helped her with her order.  I’ve collected bunnies for years and this is my first Steiff bunny! Thank you DJ!

Want to make something with bunnies?

If you like the brown Chelsea Manor fabric you’ll love making this little bunny picture.  It’s so easy!  It has the Chelsea Sutton seal of approval.  She’s partial to the brown fabric so she’s very excited. 

I found this little frame at Home Goods.  They have so many to choose from, but I had something in mind when I choose the pink one!  It has a 3” x 3” opening that’s perfect for a the Chelsea Manor bunny! 

Here’s how I made it:

1. From the Chelsea Manor large bunny print, fussy cut the bunny fabric 2” larger than your frame opening. For the 3” x 3” frame, I cut my fabric 5” x 5”.  Center the bunny before you cut, and draw the cutting lines onto the fabric with a pencil.  (Tip: Use the glass from the frame to preview how your picture will look.)
2. Cut a piece of flannel or batting the same size as the fabric. 
3. Lay the fabric, right side up, on top of the flannel/batting.  Center both on top of the frame back, and bring to back as shown in picture below.  Pin to hold in place.
4. Double thread a needle, and stitch from side to side until fabric is secure; stitch from one side to the other, tie off and bring the next two sides to top.  Stitch from side to side again, trimming fabric under corners to reduce thickness.
5. Insert into frame and enjoy!

You’ll want to make one of these bunny pictures to go with the new pattern coming soon from Bunny Hill!  It’s called “Uptown Baby” and it’s the simplest baby quilt ever!  I’ve added a pink flange and a soft pink border to frame the brown bunnies from Chelsea Manor.  You can make this is a weekend!  Picture + quilt = perfect gift!  In pink and brown what uptown baby wouldn’t love this? Have a little boy?  Make it in brown and blue! 

More to come soon.  We’re busy, busy getting ready for market! 

Hugs,

Anne

American Patchwork & Quilting, June 2009!

Have you seen the June issue?  The June issue of American Patchwork and Quilting?  If you subscribe to this magazine it should be arriving in your mail box any day.  If you don’t subscribe (and you should), you can find it in the stores April 6th.  I’m excited to announce that I’m the featured designer in this issue!  Yep, me!  Moi! Mich! わたしを!  Me, Me, Me in French, German and Japanese! 

If you asked what magazine I would most want to be featured in, I would say without hesitation, American Patchwork and Quilting.  It’s a professional, wonderful, quilting magazine and it’s such an honor to be included in this issue! 

 

It was last August when American Patchwork came to my home and studio.   Can you imagine how you’d feel if you knew they were coming?  I started cleaning in July!  They spent a little over a day, shooting more than 200 photos, with cats and dogs watching, to bring you this article. 

It’s amazing to watch them work.  They have but one goal;  to bring you, their readers, things you will enjoy reading.  The staff of this magazine is simply the best! 

Jennifer, thank you for asking me, and Elizabeth, Nancy and Michael, thank you for coming and making it so much fun.  I had the best time ever!

Julia in Germany, I’ll send you a magazine as soon as I find one!  I promise! 

Hugs everyone!  Be sure and look for this issue! 

Anne

Quilting the Bunnies

Oh those bunnies, those redwork bunnies.  How on earth do you quilt a redwork quilt?  Would have been so much easier to have a little framed picture or a pillow, but an actual quilt?  Takes a brave soul, and calls for a bit of daring.  After all didn’t we just spend hours doing that embroidery?  Oh my!

The answer for me was cross hatching.   I love the simplicity of cross hatching and while researching what had been done before, I realized I had a vintage redwork quilt right here at Bunny Hill!  Sure enough, it was cross-hatched (by hand) right through the embroidery. 

 

 

The Japanese cross-hatch many of their embroidered quilts.  Just look at the one in the photo below!  Isn’t it beautiful?

So, I decided to have the bunnies cross hatched.   The perfect solution would be to hand quilt, but of course time doesn’t allow that.   So I had Kristine quilt right through the bunnies.  Most of the stitches disappear into the embroidery.

It’s a personal choice this thing we call quilting.  If it’s not for a judged show then don’t worry, and quilt as you like.  Remember, if you decide to quilt around the little embroideries and not inside, they will poof up. 

Do some research yourself.  You may find some quilting you just love!  These bunnies were made for love.  They’ll be happy with whatever you decide! 

Hugs,

Anne

This is going to be fun!

This block of the month is going to be so much fun! I can't believe how many of you already have blocks finished! I've started a flickr group so you can post your versions of the blocks as we go along. Just click on the picture of block one on my side bar and you'll be there!

Look at some of the pictures coming in already! I love how creative you all are! It's so much fun to see every one's version.

From Denise in Canada...

I love her background fabric, and that basket is just so cute!

From Darlene over at Quilting Daze ...

A bias check basket and the cutest snowman fabric ever!

And from my talented Bunny Hill helper and good friend Anne, a wool version!

She's great with wool applique' and she's getting so many questions on how to applique' with wool, she's promised to post some tips and "how to's" on her blog Cottons 'n Wool. She used a flannel background and isn't it darling?

If you want to sign up for my newsletter and can't find the link, just go to http://www.bunnyhilldesigns.com/, click on the home page and you'll find the link right below the slide show.

Be sure and print out the General Instructions. You'll find them right above the free pattern link on my web site. You'll find LOTS of information that will help.

If you're lookin for the same Lakehouse background fabric I'm using, you can find it here at Fat Quarter Shop. Kimberly says she has it on order and it should arrive anyday.

Hugs,

It's All About Pink

I adore pink! I would write in pink if I thought you could read it. I'd buy rose colored glasses and view the world in pink. Almost everything goes with pink and here at Bunny Hill it's considered a neutral.

Seems a few of you out there know that little secret of mine. Look at what arrived in the mail yesterday! A bag of pink things from Jodi at http://simplythisthatandtheother.blogspot.com! I met her through this wonderful world of blogging and she's become one of those blogging friends I always look forward to hearing from.

Isn't that pink "A" just the best? No one has ever given me a pink "A" before!

When I opened the box I was greeted by shades of pink tissue! Pink tissue makes a brown box look so inviting!

And when I saw this book you know I was in heaven! It's just delightful and there's that touch of pink on gray (or grey if you prefer this spelling).

And hidden behind all those wonderful pink goodies was this...

A box of PINK malted milk balls!

Thanks Jodi!

To show you this next wonderful pink you have to be sitting down. Oh that's right you probably are if you're reading this! Well hold on to your seat when you click on this next link, and read the rest of my post first because you'll want to spend some time on this blog. I got an email from Rhonda Beyer who invited me to see her version of my Market Morning quilt in PINK and brown. I was excited and couldn't wait to click on the link. When I did I swear I gasped and you will too. The quilting is like something I've never seen. It is beyond beautiful. Be sure and scroll all the way down on her blog so you can see the process she went through to quilt Market Morning. It's amazing. My friend Anne tells me she has won many awards for her quilting. I can see why. Are you ready?

http://rondabeyer.wordpress.com

I couldn't end this post without a tribute to pink. So what did I do? I put on rose colored glasses and looked at Mooch!

Have a great day everyone and THINK PINK!

Hugs,

Anne