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

It's out!

I think the new Quiltmakers 100 Blocks issue is out!!  The link to their website is www.quiltmaker.com/100blocks. (OH!...by the way, I have a block in it!....I think there was a sneak peek of it in progress in the blog this spring.)

ANYway!!!  They'll also be starting a blog tour of all of the designers who contributed blocks!  Doesn't that sound like fun??

Day before yesterday I got everything sent off to Nireko at Lecien for my next fabric line.....this is just the first step.  I'm really excited about it though...and I can't wait to start drawing up my designs for the patterns I have in mind for it!!................................now, just how to go about finding the TIME to do it????  That's another issue! LOL!! 

See you on the blog tour!  I'm going to have to think of something fun to do for it.......xo Meg

We had so much fun at the retreat!

Customize a free picture slideshow

The Whitewash Fabric is HERE!!!

IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE!!!!
Finally!  Enough is here that we can put it up on the website!  I just got it all put on there a few minutes ago.....WHEW!

It's here just in time, too, for the Fall Stitching Sojourn Retreat!  We'll have everybody here next weekend and I can't WAIT!  We have everything A L M O S T  ready........we just have to arrange some pumpkins and clean up some of those pesky dust bunnies that live under all of the tables..........who am I kidding?  They're reproducing like MAD and they live EVERYWHERE!!!  If I could just get Honeybunny to dust......I KNOW he's capable if he'd just apply himself!

The Walla Walla Quilt Festival was SO MUCH FUN!!!  What a great group of people the organizers are... alot of fun, and really good at what they do! ................and I got to meet Eddie Walker!!!!!!!  She lives in Walla Walla!!!  I have to admit that I made a fool out of myself....Geez!

Anyway... I bought WAY too much fabric, sparkly stuff, jewelry, you name it.... at the vendors. Ahhh....all in all a VERY good weekend!

Have a great week!  xox Meg

Show & Tell!

WOW!!!  Do we ever have a lot of show & tell to share!!!  Let's start off with a "BANG"!!!  This is an adaptation of "Susan's Dresden Garden" made by Josephine de la Cruz Keasler from Riverton, UT.

 I just love what she did with it...the applique is gorgeous and the sparkles are beautiful!  Truly breathtaking Josephine!  Thank you for sharing it with us!

 This is "Snowmen A to Zzzzz" made by Paula Smith. She won not only the Best of Class and Reserve Best of Show...but a People's Choice award too!!!  WOW Paula!!!

 Paula wrote "I added one taken with all the ribbons (any more and I think they would have covered up one entire border.) I love winning those silly things!"  It looks like they were very well deserved!!!  Beautiful!!

 This "Winter Wonderland" was made by Carmen Sipes and was quilted by her husband George, and was entered in the AQS Show & Contest in Des Moines IA.  This is just plain exquisite!!!  Both of them did such a great job!!!  Look at the closeup!!  Are the snowmen stuffed lightly or is that just the effect of the quilting?  It looks SO COOL!!!!

 This is "Flight of Fancy" made by Mary Matt from Mt. Si Quilts in North Bend Washington (it's really pretty there by the way!) and she calls it "Birds".  I just love it done in browns!!  You know, this looks very masculine this way...a good quilt for a husband!...Hmmmmmm...... maybe I'll make another one in browns for someone I know!  Good job Mary!

 This "Snow Days" was made by Mary Rogers of Baird, Texas.  I love the color combination and the borders she added....beautiful!  She wrote "I loved every minute of making this."  It shows!!

 OOOhhhhh........I LOVE this border fabric!!!  Monica (She's in the witness protection program or something....only gave me her first name! LOL!!!) shared "Which Witch's Boot".  She did such a great job on it... Look at her crayon tinting!  Love This!!!!

This is "Hocuspocusville" sent in by Melinda Maw.  She wrote "I got the idea for the added color (an element in each block) when one day my granddaughter came over and was up in my quilting studio.  The black outlined/embroidered blocks were all arranged on my design wall.  Mia picked up a red crayon and began to color neatly within the lines of one of the cats (I'm sure she thought the cute little house looked like a perfect coloring book page).  Her mother gasped and yelled, "Mia, that's MaMaa's quilt!"  I calmly said, "That's fine Mia, that makes it look even better.  I'm going to sew that in just like that..."  Melinda donated this quilt to the Primary Childrens Hospital Festival of Trees Quilt Auction.  She says she's going to have to make another one for herself.  Beautiful Melinda, and such a great thing to do with the quilt, too!

This is "Over the River" made by Sharon Metzger.  She's simplified the piecing...it really showcases the embroidery, doesn't it?  Beautiful work Sharon!  She writes that she's getting started on Winter Wonderland and wants to make Zelda's Fancy Hat too....Get to work Sharon!!

This is an embroidery envelope made by Sharon Larson from Onalaska Washington (another beautiful place!) She writes that this is her second embroidery envelope and that she's teaching a class at Quilters Junction in Centralia, WA in a few days and will take pictures of her students with THEIR completed projects and send them in!!! YAY!!!!!  I can't wait to see what they come up with!

So pretty Sharon!  Thanks for making such a great sample for your class...and for teaching a Crabapple Hill pattern! xoxox

This is a "Wild Rose Sewing Wallet" made by Mary Ellen (Nash?....another witness protection program person???)  She says that she enjoyed using the "old family crazy quilting" stitches from her childhood and also embellished the wallet with some needle tatting, silk embroidery and beading!  WOW!!!  Very, very pretty Mary Ellen! 

This is our free heart quilt (they were free patterns on the website a year or so ago) made by Martina Schaefer from Germany (if I'm reading her email address correctly).  You did a beautiful job on this Martina!!  It's only the second one that I've seen completed.  I love the way you added the year to the banner in the corner!!  Beautiful, beautiful!

These last four quilts were all made by Helen Belcher from Huntsville Texas where she is a Historical Interpreter at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum. I've actually been to Huntsville many times!  We drive through there to get to and from Quilt Market in Houston!!!...I know...It's goofy of me...but I love being able to get a picture in my head of the places people come from.  Anyway........The Winter Wonderland and "Bluebird on My Shoulder" were shown in the Airing of the Quilts in Huntsville and she will enter them in the Walker County Fair next year.  The second "Bluebird" quilt is called "Tea and Bees".

All of her quilting was done by Becky Stowers from Tennessee.  They're all just gorgeous Helen! 

WHEW!!.........did I forget anybody??? There were so many emails and pictures I hope nobody fell through the cracks!  Thank you all for taking the time to send us an email with your images!

Well....I'm getting ready to leave for the Walla Walla Quilt Festival this weekend...I'm taking tons of samples and will be doing demo's of crayon tinting.  Come and say hi!

Sheila is going to be at the EE Schenck Trends show in Portland this weekend.  Since I was busy this weekend, she agreed to go over there and represent us for the show and do a make & take series!  I'm so proud of her and if you're going to be there...stop in and say hello & give her a hug.  It's her first time stepping out on her own and could use a little bit of encouragement

(translation....she's scared stiff!)

OH!  Thank you to Shabby Fabrics for honoring me with a designer profile on your website!  My heart's all "a'flutter"!!  And thank you too, to Hoffman Distributors for doing a designer profile on their website (this may just go to my head!! LOL!!)

Remember, come say "hi!" in Walla Walla.  I can't wait to see all of the quilts!!!!

xoxox Meg