back to archive
May 2010 Carol Doak Newsletter
The quilt at the left was made by Susan in the Yours Truly Round Robin currently ongoing at the Carol Doak Yahoo Group. There is just one more round to complete on the quilts. They are turning out to be so wonderful and varied, even though all the quilt makers used the same set of criteria that I provided.
Looking at all the quilts progress, I think it is fun to see how each maker interprets the next round. Some are definitely thinking outside their box and learning along the way from their own quilts and others.
We will conclude this next month. Who knows what fun will begin when this challenge concludes.
Strolling Down the Paper Piecing Path with Carol Doak
I just recently had the pleasure of guest blogging for the Subversive Stitchers: Women Armed with Needles A writer's look at the quilting and quilt art community and anything else fabric.
Click on the link above to visit a neat blog and read my guest blog.
The Web Store
More Paper-Pieced Border Patterns Available
Everyone seemed to love the first set of paper-pieced border design patterns that I uploaded so I began working on a second set, More Paper-Pieced Borders.
I have now uploaded this new set of four brand new designs in the web store. This second set, like the first set, is available as patterns in the 2", 3", 4" and 5" wide borders. Each set also includes a cutting list for all four borders in that width. You have the ability to mix and match the border segments and the corner segments as well as the border segments in each width.
I have already seen some projects made using these new borders...what fun to see that develop. Click on "patterns" in the web store to see them.
New CD To Print the Paper-Pieced Border Patterns Available
Almost as soon as I created Set One of the paper-pieced borders, I was receiving requests to have these on a CD so they could be printed from the computer. I thought that was a good idea so I began working on it.
I have created two CDs.
Set One contains the border designs for the first group of paper-pieced borders in all four widths, 2", 3", 4" and 5". The foundations and the cuting lists are all included in pdf file format so they can easily be printed from your computer on Carol Doak Foundation Paper.
Set Two contains the border designs for the second group of paper-pieced borders in all four widths, 2", 3", 4" and 5". The foundations and the cuting lists are all included in pdf file format so they can easily be printed from your computer on Carol Doak Foundation Paper.
You are receiving 16 sets on each CD for $25 so these are not only easy, they are a great value. Click on "CDs" in the web store to se them.
Fabric
I have begun to run out of some of the Royal Windsor fabrics. There are some great values there at $4 and $6 a yard!
Book of the Month
.jpg)
I just returned from a teaching trip to the Mississippi Valley Quilter's Guild in Iowa/Illinois. It was a return trip for me so it was fun to visit with some old friends and make some new ones. While there, I taught three workshops and one of the workshops I taught was a star block from the 50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Stars book. I do believe this book is destined to become a classic. There is one 8-Pointed star design for each state. It also comes with a media cd in the back of the book that shows a 30 minute movie of how to paper piece the star blocks. So if you are a "show me" kind of person, this CD will get you started for sure.
Now if you want to make it really easy, you will purchase the bundle of the book and the Foundation Factory Companion CD to print the foundations in any size you like on Carol Doak Foundation Paper.
I am putting both just the book and the bundle on sale this month so take advantage of the on sale price to add the book and/or the cd to your library.
The Carol Doak Yahoo Group
Besides working on their Yours Truly Round Robins, members have been making Flowers and Hearts Blocks for the newest challenge to end on May 15. They are posting pictures of their blocks and projects featuring this fun and free block design in the Free Patterns Section of my web page.
And several members are sending their blocks to me and I am going to pull one random winner to win all the blocks. Right now there are 50 blocks so some lucky person is going to have a spectacular quilt.
If you want to join in the fun, just click on the link above to join the group.
On the Road Again...
This month I also visited the Strong House Inn in Vermont for the absolutely best-ever retreat. I had such a wonderful time, I couldn't help myself and agreed to come back again for four days in June 2011. The details are on the web page under my Teaching Schedule.
I am staying close to home this month teaching for a few guilds in Massachusetts. Hope to see some of you along the way.
All the best,
Carol