It is New Quilt season.....

It's Spring

most of you think

flowers

furniture on the deck and bbq

but quilters?  they think

new quilt season!!!!

because I have been more absent than not

here at the blog

I thot I would let you in on where it is

that I have been

TikiTemple

I am lucky enough to live in Southern California

home of

Robert Kaufman Fabrics

Alexander Henry Fabrics

Anthology Fabrics

to name a few

and

Hoffman California Fabrics

I started thinking about this quilt design when I saw these Hoffman California Fabrics

but I wanted to test my idea

before cutting in to that great Liquorice Bali Pop

I grabbed a bundle of Marcia Derse that we have in the shop site

and started working on the pattern

this was just one layout

but a layout I decided to use to make this over sized runner

I didn't like it

until I quilted it

and added the black binding

and decided I could work with it

it was time to try the tone on tone batiks

you saw this one in bits and pieces on facebook

I added the red

I took away the red

arranged the blocks in the second alternate layout

finally, I selected some bright

Robert Kaufman Kona Cottons

and sent them to a friend with some hand written pattern instructions

she got back to me with news that one piece was off by 1/2 inch

YIKES

bless her, she finished the quilt

and sent it to

Angela Walters

for quilting

while I worked on the pattern illustrations and instructions

and waited for the quilt to arrive

so it could be photographed and the pattern sent to print

so next time you think spring

think new quilt season

and forgive us all for being just a little bit

absent

while we try to meet our Spring Quilt Market deadlines

be.do.create

natalie.

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

www.facebook.com/beyondthereefpatterns

please visit again in the next few days for more info on new patterns

and an upcoming giveaway!

A name and....

you are a great group of supporters

I LOVE all of your ideas

BIG

was a big suggestion

Hawaiian

words were also a common suggestion

(I didn't know you liked my Hawaiian titles!!)

KAHUNA

was a name thrown out

in the 1959 GIDGET movie

Cliff Robertson was the leader of a group of surfers

The Big Kahuna

the best surfer on the beach

waikiki kahuna nui big beach sandy satchel

is what I would love to call it

but alas, it would be too hard to ask for

at your local quilt shop

or online

so.

...the name is....

b i g   w a i k i k i   b a g

"BWB"

n u i   w a i k i k i

n u i   w a i k i k i   n a t s a c k

oh heck.

I LOVE all of your ideas

I love them all so much that I just can't pick just one

here's the good news....you will ALL get a free pattern

please email me your snail mail addy

and expect your pattern

some time the first week in June

(and yes, you're gonna have to wait until then

to see what the name really is!!)

THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU

natalie.

beyondthereef

be.do.create

What's in a NAME??? contest!

we're having a contest

everyone knows I love bags

all types, all textures, all shapes

of bags

cmmon, you know I am not alone here, with this one

you all like bags

it's a nesting thing, I am sure of it

I have designed big beach bag

(hey, that sounds pretty good....beyondthereef big. beach. bag.)

and a beach blanket, or if you will, a picnic blanket

that fits in the bag, of course!!

but I need a name for the project

so I thot I would hold a contest here and on facebook

(yes, we have a facebook beyond the reef "likes" page)

submit your suggested big beach bag name in the comments

for our consideration

and if your name is chosen

you will receive a free copy of the pattern!

(designer reserves the right not to use any of the names, 

and if a name is selected, the chosen namer relinquishes to beyond the reef all rights to name)

there.

the small print.

help!!

natalie.

be.do.create

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

ps - how many of you remember the honolulu bag?  or the hanalei market tote?

Savour the moment!

we should take our time more often than not

enjoy

savour

breathe in/breathe out

Quilt in a Day Irish Chain

(linen and westminster fibers bundle available on the beyond the reef shop site)

someone asked me the other day, 

"do you have the time to do this?!??"

and I thought to myself, 

"if I don't have time for my own life....well...."

I'm not suggesting we shirk our responsibilities

but.

while making a new quilt for a new pattern, (not the one shown above)

I realized 

it is so much nicer to sit peacefully and sew little pieces together

than to "fast quick easy strip piece cut apart and all the rest"

those little pieces

(there's a time and a place for that, too, don't get me wrong, now)

just for today, just now, just this one moment

sit with your fabrics

choose each color carefully

enjoy the true genius of your sewing machine's capabilities

we are all running through our daily lives

let's at least savour the moments that we have while we are quilting

cmmon....

when was the last time you hand quilted anything?!?

you know, 'rocked the needle'???

set aside just one project....just one....for some hand quilting

so I made a decision

this new pattern is not going to have fast pieced quick strips slam it together

instructions

my apologies in advance

let's just hope you like it, regardless

HappiestDays.

natalie.

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

ps - I will give you a sneak peek at the projects before they "go to market"

"Back in the day....."

this is a completely random post

(forgive me, have I shown these to you before?)

I had the great privilege of seeing a lovely collection

of clothing

a friend's mother

was a collector of fine fashion

the details

the fabrics

the lines of the designs

the little things, like the Chanel chain

(how many of you know that story?)

maybe it is just my background in architectural and interior design

the sculptural lines

but I love them all

not for the name dropping appeal

altho there certainly is that

but for the

commitment to excellence

not just in the designs of the garments

but for her mother

who held these standards

in her everyday life

when I am designing quilts, this all reminds me

to take time with the details

and to work with great lines

to have contrast and comparison in fabrics

and to strive for a commitment to excellence

just seeing this collection has made a difference in my work

there is a part two to this post

want to hear about the best lesson, yet?

we'll finish our story on Mother's Day

natalie.

be.do.create

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

d u c k !!!!!

today, I saved the lives of two ducks

(not exactly a binding tutorial post)

(not actual ducks involved in incident)

I was chatting with Rose Hughes

on the phone

and happened to see two ducks in the center of

Pacific.Coast.Highway

yes, that is six lanes across, two more turn lanes

(grab tissue here)

I noticed the girl duck was hit, and the boy duck

was valiantly trying to pick her up

or get her to get up

but he absolutely would not leave her there

so being the good animal lover I am

I hung up on Rose

I pulled an illegal U Turn in the middle of the 

highway across two sets of double double yellow lines

and close to the intersection

I pulled in to the veterinary office 

across the street from the incident

and

TOLD

them

(bless their hearts)

they had to help me at least get the ducks

off 

PCH

even if they wouldn't treat the injured duck

and in walked a woman, shaken, saying,

"it's me, I did it.  I hit the ducks...."

so she and her friend

and the vet tech

and natalie

proceeded to walk out towards the ducks

well, I told them to circle them 

while I stopped traffic

yep.

six lanes, busses, trucks, and cars

s t o p p e d

the tech scooped up the injured girl duck

but the boy duck would have no part of being rescued

he could walk, and fly, and started circling around us

as we were carrying his partner

to the vet's office

the vet said they didn't treat birds or wildlife

but I knew

Long Beach Animal Hospital

DID

treat wildlife

so the girls took the duck

(in a box)

with her little head 

poking out of the towel and the box

her soft brown eyes looking at each of us

with thanks

and I called the Animal Hospital

(Buddy's vet)

to let them know that the girl duck should be returned

to her pond on pch

so that her loving boy duck partner

would find her

once again

true story.

natalie.

be.do.create.

"Whatever you can do or dream you can do,

begin it

Boldness has genius power and magic in it."

goethe

Inspiration is everywhere!

take a day off

recharge your battery

forget the spring cleaning

 because it is still snowing somewhere

call it a change of scenery

call it a day with friends

call it life.

natalie.

be.do.create

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com