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February 2008 Carol Doak Newsletter
I am sending out my February newsletter a week early because I will be away teaching on February 1 and will not return until mid month so it is now or never.
The Carol Doak Quilting Group
This wonderful group of quilters continues to be active with lots of projects and we are growing by leaps and bounds. Members have just started a Yours Truly Round Robin Challenge. Members have made a center block and each month, I provide a criteria for the next border. Members have posted pictures of their centers in January and in February we will see their first rounds. Tris Thompson made this beautiful Germany Block from the new Mariner's Compass Stars book for her center block. Tris is one of our newbie paper piecers and I look forward to seeing her quilt grow each month.
The Blocks of the month continue to produce blocks that are amazingly varied. January was an explosion of creativity as the design I created had several different opportunities to create different looking blocks. Looking through the photos, I am still amazed at all the different results from the same foundations. Linda E. from Arizona made this beautiful January Block of the Month.We are growing by leaps and bounds, approaching nearly 3000 members. I guess I'd better get busy and start thinking about the new 3000 Member Celebration design I will be uploading soon. If you would like to join in the fun or just come by and see all the creativity, please feel free to join us at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CarolDoakQuiltingGroup/
News From The Web Store
The Diane Phalen Watercolor cards continue to be popular items. I thought I would expand the offering, but adding three new scenes in a Group 2. This group features Spring Garden, Days End and Evening Aglow. They are simply stunning. 
The Beautiful Cherry wood Keepsake boxes are also popular items. With Valentine's Day coming up, they would be a perfect gift with a heart block featured in the opening.The Book of the Month this month is the 300 Paper-Pieced Quilt Blocks and it is on sale this month. Honestly, I love all the books I've written, but this one simply is the largest offering of designs I have ever done in one book and truly has something for every purpose. I turn to it time and again. It comes with the Foundation Factory to print the foundations in any size and should be in every paper piecers library. Take advantage of the savings this month to add it to your library. Because I am making the change early this month, I will leave the January Book of the Month, Simply Sensational 9-Patch Stars, book on sale until I return from my trip, so you actually have the chance to save on both these books for a couple of weeks.
Stop by the Web Store to see what is new http://www.caroldoak.com/store.php
Share A Quilt Picture and Story
I received several pictures and stories this past month and I look forward to sharing them with you in upcoming newsletter. The winner this month (of a free book!!!) comes from Eileen Emberger. Thank you Eileen for sharing your beautiful quilt and story. Eileen writes,
I wanted to share a really beautiful quilt I made from your book Simply 9 Patch Sensational Stars. The quilt I chose you called Stars of Spring. I chose red, white and blue to honor the family that it was made for.
We had a young man in our area killed in Iraq. He was very young and his Dad worked with my daughter. I had read about groups that make quilts for soldiers killed in action. It sometimes takes a couple of years to get this done. I felt that was unacceptable. I did not want to make a huge one as I am not able to quilt something really big.
This quilt now is on display on a wall in his parents living room surrounded by pictures and medals this proud young man received. His Mom told me that it looked as beautiful as the ones made by the Amish in our community.
If I were a quilt designer I would be very proud that one of my beautiful designs adorns the wall in the home of a family that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Matt Wallace found out that freedom is not free.
This has led me down the path of making quilts for Quilts of Valor. I am starting a group here in St. Mary’s County early in 2008. His memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew him and those who did not.
Eileen Emberger
On the Road Again
I spent several weeks in California teaching in January and had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful quilters and even had the chance to visit the famous Hollywood. One of the guild members in the San Fernando Valley, Paul Newman, brought his beautiful 50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Stars quilt to the guild meeting to share. Lovely Paul!!!I leave for Florida soon (this New Englander does know how to plan her trips)!! I'll be in Kansas, Tennessee and Alaska in March. If you ever want to know if I will be in your area, just check out my travel schedule on the web page.
Until next time,
Happy Paper Piecing,
Carol