Spring is in Yakima!

When do you know you're in a very cool store???  When a wedding party shows up to have photos taken in front of it!  The bride looked so beautiful!!  So sweet....

This is Garden Girl and my new official favorite place to go in Yakima, Washington!  Really... I'm going to have to stay away from this place!  It has everything I love!! 

The fragrance of fresh hyacinth FILLED the shop, and I had to walk through about 5 times (not kidding!) to make sure I'd seen everything!  I found lots of 1/2 price really great stuff in the vault...yes, a real, old bank vault!  Things from past seasons...SO MUCH FUN!!

UGH!!!  I'm kicking myself!!!  I didn't see that blackboard/slate hanging at the bottom of the picture above.........if I had.... It would be in my hot little hands RIGHT NOW!!!  The "tree" had twig wreaths nestled in it like a big nest, and was filled with the moss eggs.  SO extremely cool!  Look UP!!! If not, you'll miss something GREAT!!

I didn't even ask about the galvanized flower pails above....I was afraid they weren't for sale and didn't want my feelings hurt!  Oh, I wanted them SO!!!!  I can think of a million places to use them!  There weren't just floral or garden-y things here!  I got a beautiful lamp, orange and black striped and polka dotted paper straws (the old fashioned kind),  little pots shaped like ice cream cones that I'm going to plant with wheatgrass... the owner, Lenette Roehl, had succulents in them....imagine each with moss and one blossom/one rose!.....OOOOOoooo.....carnations would look like ice cream!  I saw some jewelry too.  She was preparing an anniversary flower arrangement while we were there... it was moss/roses arranged in a really cool distressed metal french looking crown....with a sparkly bracelet draped across the moss in the center.......can you imagine anyplace that does anything that special????

Did you notice the chandelier?? Teacups and spoons.  Actually.... If I could take the entire shop...EVERYthing....and transport it to my house and the studio....every BIT of it would go perfectly... It would be so nice to be able to go "Bibbity Bobbity Boo!"....and have it work!

I can't wait to go back... Lenette said that soon she'll have baby chicks and ducks in the shop in birdcages!  Can you imagine?????  I've found heaven!

I love the mirror hanging down in the middle of thin air....reflecting blooms.....AAhhhhhh...!

I can't wait to go back. I can imagine the new "A Gardener's Alphabet" hanging in the background...

 Now....recharged... refreshed....back to designing new patterns!

xox Meg

The Photography is DONE!

YAHOO!!!  I'm working on laying up the covers for the new patterns, and when I'm done they'll be ready to go and I can start working on the "NEW" new designs!

A Gardener's Alphabet is above.  Yes, we have the linen that I used... it's on the website... the mid-shade one.  We don't have all of the floss yet for our floss kits tho....some of it is backordered.

The one below is called Crazy Love.....I know....it's almost too late for Valentines Day, but it's a one day project and hearts are good ALL the time as far as I'm concerned!  It also has some new flowers/new stitch for my patterns.... that gives you 3D flower petals on the forget me nots.  FUN!!

Moving past Valentines Day................to Easter!

All My Eggs In One Basket is above..... Here Comes Peter Cottontail Pillowcase is below.

The eggs and ribbon in the basket are glittered up with silver Sparkles floss from Cosmo.  It really does look like old glass glitter!

The pillowcase (I just love this.......there's something about bunnies with coats!) is crayon tinted.  You can launder it in cold water and mild soap.  You actually wouldn't HAVE to tint it, but I think it makes it look a little like an old storybook picture.

The pillow above is called Sweet Violette.  It's on linen and I used cotton lace for edging it.  VERY old fashioned!

This last one is called Hedgerow Wreath.  Some of my favorite flowers!!!  It also has the 3D cast-on stitch flower petals.  They're not as hard as they look and the directions for them are in the pattern.

I'm trying to get these on the website within 2 weeks....work, work, work!!! LOL!!!

It's about 19 degrees out this morning........Happy Spring!  xox Meg

Let's pretend it's Spring!!

The new patterns are almost ready to release!  The photographer will be here Tuesday!  I thought you might want to see some more images from A Gardener's Alphabet. 

I have to admit... I've sort of fallen in love with this quilt and I've chosen my very favorite blocks....P (poppies), Q (queen ann's lace), M (morning glory - heavenly blues of course!), G (grapes), and K (kohlrabi....YES KOHLRABI!)

Oh yeah....and R (wild roses), and S (Spring & Summer...with appleblossoms and apples)

I'm kind of fond of the berries too.....B

The only problem is.... this pattern was just too big!  (not the quilt.... the actual pattern!)

So I decided to split it up...two blocks to a pattern... and present it as a block of the month!

This way, there'll be big, color pictures of the blocks on the pattern covers and that will help everybody with their color tinting!

There will also be two Easter patterns... a pillowcase called "Here Comes Peter Cottontail", and one called "All My Eggs In One Basket".  Also there will be "Hedgerow Wreath"... a flower wreath that you can put a monogram in the center of.... "Sweet Violette", a pillow with a bouquet of violets on the front....and a little Valentine (yes, I know it's a little late!LOL!!!) Called "Crazy Love".

There'll be many more new designs coming out in May at International Quilt Market in Kansas City too!........along with my new fabric line from Lecien.......nope, no hints or sneak peeks!

I should let you know too, that the October and June 2013 retreats are full.  There are a few places left in the December retreat and several in the March one.  BOY they filled up quickly!!!!  I can't wait to meet everybody that signed up!!

Well....suppose I'd better get back to writing patterns!

Thanks for a great 2011!

xox  Meg

Happy New Year!!

Wishing For Snow!

It's COLD and very, very foggy today!  Don't the snowmen on the studio

porch look comfy in the chilly weather?

I made these many years ago for a store window display.....now I'm thinking of maybe making a pattern for them!  I'd kind of forgotten about them... now I've sort of fallen in love with them again!

I'll never forget the day I drove with them from my house to the shop.  I'd strapped them into seatbelts so they wouldn't tip over......You'll never believe some of the looks we got at stop signs!!!

Hoar frost on the crabapples of the little tree at the front of the studio.  Isn't nature amazing??

Have a frosty weekend!!

The Winter Retreat Has Come...and Gone!

We were so happy to see everybody arrive on Friday... and so sad to see them all leave on Sunday!  We had such a good visit, so much laughter, and so much FUN!!  I hope you enjoy the slideshow!

Customize your own free photo slideshow We did something new this time... AN APRON CONTEST!!  We sent the aprons out at the end of October to everybody and asked them to embellish them for the retreat.  Not everybody brought one....PARTY POOPERS!!!.... it was a good thing though... we already had too many great aprons to choose from when it came time to vote for our favorites!  The 3rd prize winner was Kim's candy cane apron.... 2nd prize went to Debbie's snow chef apron (it was complete with a matching tea towel and wine!).... 1st prize was won by Lynn and her Oh so cute gingerbread house Joy apron with the stuffed gingerbread man.  They were all so cute!!!!! It was just darling with them hanging up all around the studio! We were lucky enough to have several ladies who'd been at previous retreats, so there were many familiar faces!  Traveling the farthest this time were Linda and Christine from McKinney, Texas.  Every one of them was fun, funny, and so nice to have here!  Thank you all for visiting us!!  I'm already looking forward to our next winter retreat and have IDEAS!!!! for activities and projects! HO HO HO!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, the turkey is in the oven (the house smells GREAT!), everything else is either done, or ready to finish, and we're in that lovely time of the afternoon ................between bastings... and our guests and family arriving.  Kind of a calm time before the final preparations and company...

Phil and I have come out to the studio to put some finishing touches on the studio's Christmas tree (I couldn't reach the top of the tree to hang the tinsel!) and to give HB a few cuddles and maybe a special Thanksgiving tummy rub!  I think I may have enough time to finish up putting the tags on the last of the Calendula Patterdrip's Cottage kits (the last of the fabric we were waiting for arrived on Tuesday!!!!  I guess I have to take back all those nasty names I was muttering under my breath about Moda and their backorders!LOL!!)  They'll be ready to send on Monday to everyone on the waiting list.  Once I know how many we have left over I'll put them up on the website.

Well... guess I'd better get to cuddling (HB's standing in front of the computer screen... a subtle hint??) I hope everybody is having a nice Thanksgiving!!

xo Meg

HO-HUM!!!

We're getting so tired of waiting for the backordered fabric we need to complete our Calendula Patterdrip's Cottage kits.............it's all we can do to keep our eyes open!!!  Some of us are having a little harder time than others!
Moda claims that the fabric should be here in another couple weeks......I'm so sorry for the Loooooooong delay.......but, at least we won't have to compromise about the prints we used!?
When it DOES arrive, where will Honeybunny a comfy place to take a nap?

Jingle Bells

Jingle Bells...Jingle Bells...Jingle all the waaaayyyy....................
It's still snowing and the ground is WHITE!!!!!

AND!!!  We have the winners for the Quiltmaker's 100 Quilt Blocks Blog Tour!!

The magazines were won by Jackie, Julie, Staci, and Jofrid..... congrats!
The fabric and pattern prizes were won by Linda and Ruth Ann.........YAY!!!
And the word puzzle contest was won by Lisa Marie whose email is windstream.net.  PLEASE EMAIL us!!!!! info@crabapplehillstudio.com
We're having trouble with your email and it keeps bouncing back with an error!

We've notified everybody, but we need you to email your addresses ASAP so we can send your prizes!!  YAHOO!!!!  I feel like SANTA!.......Mrs. Santa???  It's SNOWING!!!!!

SNOW DAY!!!!!

You have to stand outside....perfectly still......for a few minutes!!!!  But there IS snow falling!!!!! 
Does that mean we can have a snow day and all go home???
I wonder if you can make a snow angel in just frosty grass with six snowflakes stuck to it??
xoxoxoxoxoxox YAY!!!!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town....a little bit early?

Yesterday was icing day!... Janice and I spent the afternoon in the house adding mica "ice" to gingerbread cookies that I'd made to put on the Christmas tree.  We dipped and painted on Mod Podge glue....edges and tips.... and then dipped them in mica glitter (NOT EDIBLE!!!!)  They look like they've been caught in a snow storm!  I can't wait until the tree goes up so we can see what they look like once they're hung on it!!!

The problem is...........we got a little bit carried away..(an easy thing to do once you start adding glitter to things!)  We started looking around for other things to "ice"!  We decided to do pine cones for sure....and maybe acorns.......maybe some greenery?  But FOR SURE we had to "ice" some branches!!  Do you know how much you pay for fake, flocked (iced) branches??  Ours are practically free!  Here's how we did it.....

1.  First, you need Mod Podge glue.  I prefer it because it's not super thin, so it won't just drip off the branches, and not too thick so you can brush it on without it being gloppy.

2.  You'll need a brush to apply the glue.  I like to use those cheap sponge brushes so I can just throw them away if they're too icky once I'm done.

3.  Something to protect your work surface.  We used large sheets of parchment paper.........I covered the countertop with one layer....then added a big sheet on top when we glued so it could catch the drips.......then removed it and added a clean one to catch the glitter (so we could re-use it).  Yes, you go through quite a bit of parchment paper, but it makes the job so much easier!  Stuff also won't stick to parchment paper...I paint and glue on it all them time because of that.  It's MUCH cheaper to buy parchment paper in big sheets rather than those little rolls you get at the grocery store.  I get a box of it at a restaurant supply store in town every year or two.  It lasts for a LONG time even though I use it for everything from lining baking pans... craft projects...wrapping food... to using on the countertop to gather up peelings etc....  It's great stuff!

4.  A bowl or pie pan lined with foil to put the glue in.... this is just easier and less messy than dipping in the jar of glue.

5.  MICA!!!!  Sometimes it's called  Vintage Snow Glitter.  It's a natural substance and has an extremely sparkly, icy, old fashioned look.

6.  Something to "ice"!  We did branches.

First, you'll dab the Mod Podge on to the top surfaces of all the branches and twigs.  You may have to do a section at a time so the glue stays wet so the mica will stick to it......  Remove the paper under the area you glued (with the drips on it) and put a clean piece of parchment paper underneath.

Now sprinkle (dump) mica over the glued areas.

You'll want to carefully remove the paper with the left-over mica on it, and dump the mica back into the jar/box so you can re-use it.

Now all you have to do is let them dry.  The glue will dry clear and the branches will just look ICY!!!

How cool is THAT???  And how easy!

We had so much fun with this project!!!!  I hope you'll try it!  Imagine some icy branches in a big pitcher...hung with a few glass icicles...or ornaments...or Christmas cards.....or cookies..........OR ANYTHING!  How about sticking some branches in the tree here and there and decorating the tree with little "iced" nests and puffed up little birds?  OOOOOOoooooo!!!! How about a branch in a pail with just one "iced" nest and a little bird????  How sweet would that be for a vignette that would last all winter long????  I'm going to do that!  I'm going to put it in my foyer in front of my "Snow Days" quilt!!  Oh.........I have to find a nest and a bird!!!!!  Time to go to the craft store!

Oh, I almost forgot!  Thanks to everybody that took the blog tour and entered my contest!  We'll have the winners chosen first thing Monday morning and we'll get in touch with everybody... then we'll let you know who won!

I think I may have a bird and little twig nest in with my spring deco stuff....I have to go find it!  Talk to you later!

xo Meg

Welcome Blog Tourers!

Is "tourer" a real word??  Well... it is NOW! 

We're going to print out our comments for November 7th and put them in a "hat"!  The first and second names pulled will be the winners of a free copy of  Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Collector's Edition volume 4.  YAY!!   The third and fourth names pulled will receive a selection of fabrics perfect for embroidery or pieced backgrounds and a pattern. 

THEN !!!!!!!  We also have this little word puzzle above.... we're going to put all of the people who respond with the correct answer in a "hat", and the winner will receive a kit (fabric, tea towels, floss & pattern) for a brand new pattern called Peppermint Stick Tea Towels.  It's SO NEW.... it won't be released until next spring!  ........... all you have to do is take the letters given and find 9 (nine) words that have to do with stitchery and quilting!  You should use all the letters....but no more than the ones given.  I'll give you some really great hints to get you started.......... I have a fabric line called??? WHITEWASH, with LECIEN fabrics, and I stitch only with COSMO embroidery floss.... is that subtle enough???? LOL!  That should get you off to a good start...........

We'll post the winners next week, so check back to see if you need to email with your address info so we can send your prize to you!

Here's another little sneak peek at a couple of the new "A Gardener's Alphabet" blocks.  These are the last two!!!  YAHOO!!!!  Now all I have to do it trim them...sew them together.....figure out borders......write the pattern......photograph the quilt.......hmmmmmm....... there's a LOT of work yet to be done!  But the stitching is completed at least!  So it's time to celebrate!  This pattern should be out in January if all goes as planned!  I'll show you some of the other blocks as soon as we get them back from Lecien (they had them in their booth at International Quilt Market). 

OH!!!  The very first stitchery shown is a project for our Winter Stitching Sojourn Retreat that will be the first weekend in December.  I'll show you the whole thing once the retreat is over... I've already spoiled the surprise!  I can't keep a secret to save my life!!

Speaking of the winter retreat!... I spent the day shopping for Christmas stuff!!  I found WAY too much great stuff I couldn't live without at Beaverbark (my favorite store in the world!)  Got there just in time to pick stuff up out of boxes before it even made it to the displays!  Talk about 7th heaven!!  I also got a new Christmas tree for the studio to replace the one that was abducted and held for ransom a couple months ago........hopefully THIS tree will be the "stay at home" kind, and it won't wander off! LOL!!!! 

Well, good luck on the drawings and the puzzle.......... it was nice of you to stop by and visit Crabapple Hill Studio if it's your first time here!.......... and have a nice time on the "tour"!!

xo Meg 

Good News!

Last night I pulled my last block of  "A Gardener's Alphabet" out of my project bag only to find that it was damp and stained!  I don't know what was spilled in it.....nobody fessed up!....
ANYway.... I tried rinsing the stains out and it didn't come out.  So... I thought "Oh well... I'll probably have to re-do the whole thing anyway!" and I used Shout stain remover on it... AND the little scrubber attachment.......99% of the stain came out and NONE of the crayon tinting was removed!!!! YAY!!!!  Talk about trial by fire!  So... I'm not going to re-do the block.  I'm going to leave the little stain that's left as proof that the crayon tinting isn't as delicate as some people think.......it's in there to STAY!   I SOOOOoooooooo didn't want to redo that block!  It's almost completely done and has alot of stitching in the zinnia petals.  What a relief!!!  Panic averted........I can breathe again.

It's SO cold here today... it was 27 degrees last night... so November's started with a BANG!! 
This morning I chose the days for the 2013 retreats.  I'll be posting them on the website the morning of January 1st (no... not at midnight!) , and we'll take emails and phone messages in the order they were received by the time posted on each.  We'll start phoning and emailing everyone as soon as we're back in the office after the holiday.

I've just finished drawing a pattern (Valentine!) for the class I'm teaching at Village Quiltworks in Richland on February 11th.  And... as I find myself alone in the studio today.....I'm going to scan it in to the computer, and then take the rest of the day off.  I'm thinking there may need to be some shopping that REALLY needs to be done! LOL!!!

Have some fun today!  xo Meg

Happy Halloween!!!!

Happy Halloween from Meg and "the Gang" !

Show & Tell

Hi!  Time for show & tell!!  The first two "Calendula Patterdrip's Cottage" photos are a quilt made by Carolyn Strain from San Diego, CA.  She writes that it's her all-time favorite (I have to admit...it's mine too...of course, I'm kind of a Halloween nut!)  and it was quilted by Kerri Youngdale.  It's beautiful Carolyn.  I wish we could see more detail!!!!! 

The next few pix are from Melinda Maw.  She wrote that last year sent in pix of Hocuspocusville... "How I spent my summer vacation 2010".  This year is "How I spent my summer vacation 2011" Calendula!  She personalized some of the bottles/books/etc.... and did such a GREAT JOB!!!  I hope you can see the detail on her "Dragon Scale Elixir" bottle...it even has a dragon foot for a base!... and her pincushion has become a voodoo doll complete with PINS!!!.....Geez....really wish I'd thought of that one!!!

We had so much fun hunting down all the little changes Melinda made...this is SO COOL!!!!!  I can't wait to see what other people do with it too!!!!!

This is Sharon Larson and her Knotty Stitchers Club that is held at Quilter's Junction in Centralia, WA.  They all made "Arlyn's Embroidery Envelope".  Isn't it fun how just the color choices make the project look SO different from one another???

It looks like they have alot of fun at their gatherings...and all of your work looks GREAT!

Thank you to everybody who sent in images to share....but now I'm going to scold everybody, sorry!

When you share photos we really want to SEE the detail on your projects!!!  I get so disappointed sometimes, because I can usually see the detail in the email, but when the photos are saved as pictures they're so small they look blurry once they're posted.  Sometimes your email will make image files smaller so that it can send them quickly...sometimes your photo program will allow you to make them smaller for the same reason.  We really need them to be no less than 400dpi for them to show up well once they're posted.  If you can only attach one image to your email at a time that's FINE with me!!!  I'd much rather have you send 6 emails, each with a clear, large image....than one email with 6 little ones that will be blurry.  Really!  It won't bother me at all to open them all up!!  We all want to see your beautiful workmanship!!.................... there....lecture over!  LOL!!!

Well...everybody is heading for Houston and International Quilt Market.  We're staying warm, snug, and comfy at home to watch the leaves turn and pile up under the trees....HEAVEN!!  I hope everybody has a good time!  I didn't release any new patterns for market but we're working on a few that I'm hoping will be ready the first part of January.  One of them is "A Gardener's Alphabet" ....I've shown you a few blocks already.  Sheila and I are working on the last two blocks.  All the rest of them have been sent to our friend Nireko....they'll be in the Lecien booth at market..........so we're SORT of there, right??

We've been getting ready for our winter Stitching Sojourn Retreat...It's going to be SO MUCH FUN!!!  There are just SO MANY things to do with a winter/Christmas theme!!  We've had too many ideas and have to pare them down somewhat....after all, we'll only have three days to squeeze everything into!  On my list of things to do this weekend.......buy Christmas trees!  Wow! Early, huh???  We have to be ready before the retreat.........looks like we're going to have a VERY Christmassy Thanksgiving this year!!!

Tomorrow night our son Jon and his girlfriend Laura are coming out to carve pumpkins.  I think we'll have a fire in the firepit and roast hot dogs....sounds like fun!...........OOOooh.......we need marshmallows huh???

Happy Halloween everybody!
xo Meg