Gudrun´s World

Get your Quilty Groove on!

Well, the cat is officially out of the bag now! The event that had me excited and nervous to the bone at quilt market is now on YouTube!

The Quiltmaker Shuffle

You can read more about the back story on the Quiltmaker blog here:

http://www.quiltmaker.com/blogs/quiltypleasures/2013/06/the-quiltmaker-shuffle/

The idea hatched at the Quiltmaker Block Party in Portland, and of course got some extra steam at the final designer/teacher dinner cruise......after a glass of wine:) And there goes another case of me opening my big mouth with whatever crazy idea poppes into my head! But this one caught everyones attention.

We really felt like quilters needed their own little dance to break out on class breaks, at retreat or even at quilt market!! Using just simple steps that quilters could all relate to, it would be done in a "square dance/electric slide" kind of a format.

After leaving Portland, I was given free range on putting it together. Then on Saturday morning at 8am on the quilt market show floor, it was showtime!

Quiltmaker had gathered a large group of 100 block designers and other great sports that were willing to participate in the craziness at 8 in the morning, and I taught them the moves in just a few minutes and had a blast!

Go to the Quiltmaker YouTube channel to view the videos. There are two videos, one is just us doing the Quiltmaker Shuffle from start to finish.

 

The second video is "Learn the moves" . It will take you through the routine, but if you scroll to about 3 minutes, you will find me explaining each of the moves to the group and going through them slowly.

 

So here is what we would love for you to do.....Share the video with all your quilting friends, on your blog if you have one, on your Facebook page or at a guild meeting. We would love it if you learned the moves and got all your Quilty friends shuffling with you at the next gathering!

Let's get our groove on!

New Book and Quilt Market

My new book is here! Fast & Furious Home came back from the printer last week and I am already shipping out a couple hundred pounds of them today:) 

I am really happy with how it turned out and excited to show it in Portland this weekend. My bags are packed for an early morning flight tomorrow.

If you are coming to Quilt Market, make sure to visit me in booth #2340. We will have the books there plus some Icelandic Chocolate!! Yes, it is the best in the world in case you wondered:)

I am planning a blog hopping/giveaway event when I get back from market, but until then, here are some pictures of some of the projects in the book.

The book is filled with smaller items that are all done with the "Quilt As You Go" method like the previous Fast & Furious books. This is Brick House Bed Runner, and this is the largest project in the book. Since it is a runner, it still works well using the QAYG method. It comes in 4 sizes and the book includes the matching pillow cases as well.

Well Rounded Table Runner has two versions in the book, with or without borders. It is a simple design but a striking and modern result. I loved displaying it on a wall and this small space was perfect for it.

For a more traditional look, add a border.

This is Broken Glass Runner. It is made with Charm squares and a contrasting fabric. It has a real modern vibe to it and so I loved displaying it in a more vintage setting.

I loved the idea behind the runner so I decided to include Broken Glass Placemats in the book as well. These assorted Kaffe Fasset fabrics gave them a really cool look.

The Log Roll Runner uses some 2-1/2" strip scraps that I am sure we all have laying around. It's a simple, scrappy design but a modern looking finish.

Ring Around the Hexie is one of three placemat patterns in the book. The hexagonal placemat works great on a round table. You can also just make one mat and use it as a candle mat or table topper.

The sweet treat placemat is a fun one to make to brighten up your table.

Make a few adjustments to turn it into a celebratory mat for a birthday or other celebrations. How fun would this be for a teacher to use in the classroom. A student would have a special treat getting to use it on their birthday.

The Birthday Bash runner can be the centerpiece of every milestone celebrated in your house.

There are two different crib quilts in the book. This is Hey Princess, so masterfully modeled by Allie:) What a cutie. I might be in a little trouble because I was teaching her to jump on her bed for the pictures.

This is Three Square Circus and the cutie in front is Ryker. This quilt is perfect for those fun novelty prints that are available in the shops. It can be adjusted for either gender, according to a kids interest. 

Ryker didn't disappoint with his modeling either. At only 6 months he is a pro!

I'm gonna stop right here, even though there is more in the book, a total of 16 projects. I have been sharing some pics on the GE Designs Facebook page so make sure you hit the "Like" button there to keep up with all the updates. 

I will be posting from Quilt Market on the Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram under @gedesignsgudrun so check that out if you are there. There is a very exciting thing happening at Quilt Market....Saturday morning, which has my stomach in knots, both from excitement and anxiety! Stay Tuned....

In the meantime, I would love to hear what you think of these projects:)

And the book is available here right now: GE Designs Kit Shop

Photo Finish

Today we are finishing up the photo shoot for the new book, Fast & Furious Home.

We will be in the studio this morning, capturing the last few projects. Here is a little sneak preview from our work last week.

I am so excited to have a truly round quilt in this book! Wait until you see the other colorway!!

We will have the most adorable prop with us in the studio today....

This is Ryker, Paula's little gem. He is going to model for one of my quilts. I am sure he is going to steal the show and you will barely notice the quilt! But who can resist:)

Hope you are having a great day!

Photo Shoot Day

Today we are shooting for my new book Fast & Furious Home, which will be released at Spring Quilt Market in May. It's always a very exciting day with the excitement building up in the past few days as we have been gathering props and finding the perfect locations for each project. 

What has really been uninspiring this year though....is the fact that I woke up to this:

Yes, we got at least 8" of snow yesterday and I just finished snowblowing my massive driveway!

April is usually photo shoot month for me when I am releasing a book at Spring Quilt Market. Last year we got some great shots with green grass and blossoming Crab Apple trees!

Well....that's not happening this year. Indoor it is for this book!

I have been posting some sneak peeks of the projects on the GE Designs Facebook page. Make sure to like our page to catch more sneak peeks of the photoshoot today and next week.

GE Designs Facebook Page

If you are on Instagram, follow me there to see our Instagram post, my user name is : gedesignsgudrun

instagram.com/gedesignsgudrun#

 

New Reveals!

Thanks for listening if you tuned in to my chat with Pat Sloan on Monday fr American Patchwork & Quilting Radio. If you missed it, you can still listen to the podcast. Click on the link below:

If you did listen, you might be more curious about some of the things we chatted about.

First of all, I have a new fabric line that quilt shop owners are able to order now and it will be in stores in June 2013. It is called Nordic Visions and is totally inspired by my Scandinavian heritage. I love the mixture of traditional prints with the modern and the colorways will give your quilts wonderful contrast and variety.

You can pick and choose just a few prints for a distinct look or mix them all together. It works out wonderfully either way you go! Believe me, I have been playing with these since November!

I have 2 new patterns that will be ready to ship March 1st.

Nordic Christmas is a very Scandinavian ispired Christmas quilt with a modern spin. It combines some of the motifs I grew up with around the Christmas season like the 4 advent candles, folded paper hearts we used to make and the very traditional scandinavian snowflake found in knitting and embroidery. Even though the fabric line is not a Christmas line the reds, greys, blacks and whites with a touch of green and gold give it the perfect modern look. The pattern consists of 10 blocks so stores can offer it as a Block of the Month. 

The blocks are mostly pieced with a few that have some simple fusible machine appliqué.

The second pattern is a new strip pattern, called Strip Ribbons. There you can see an example of combining all of the prints into a quilt and it is so fun. The pattern offers 4 different sizes and uses 2-1/2" strips of course.

Me and pat also talked about a new book I am working on right now. It will be released for spring Quilt Market in Portland. It is a new Fast & Furious book but the final title is not quite ready yet, I have a couple of working titles going right now!

      

As you might know, all of the projects in the Fast & Furious books are done with a Quilt As You Go method which makes them all....you know....fast and furious!! 

If you have any of these books and have enjoyed some of the projects, I would love to hear which kinds of projects you would like to see in the new book. 

What do you think the new one should be called? 

Fast & Furious ....????

I'll be on the radio tomorrow!!

I will be featured on American Patchwork & Quilting Radio hosted by Pat Sloan tomorrow, Feb 4th.

Show time is 3pm Central time.

If you can listen live, here is the link:

http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/radio/index.html

It's always so fun to chat with Pat, I'm looking forward to it! We will be talking about all the new stuff I am working on that will be coming out this spring. Don't miss it:)

Thankful

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I loved having all three of my little birdies home at the same time, even if it was only for a short time. My oldest son Atli came home from college for the first time since August and we had a great time together. It´s really incredible to see how fast these kids grow up....and yes, the NO Shave November is not helping my cause! As I went shopping with Atli I was determined to tell everyone that he was my little brother because he really doesn´t look like he could be my son! But of course I didn´t.....I am so proud to be his Mama:)

There is so much for me to be thankful for as we head into December (The way bestest month of the year!). It is going to be a busy month, with it´s ups and downs I am sure, but here´s to hoping that the ups will override any lows and make it a fantastic month! Here are a few of the things ahead.

Today is actually the first day of Radiation treatment for my husband. We are ready to tackle this like other challenges. It is going to be a 6 week treatment so he won´t be finished until January. He is determined to go through it with gusto and without side effects. Determination can take you very far right? Hopefully he will breeze through it.

My birthday is coming up next week. Yes, its a big one. Heading into a new decade! I am not scared or depressed about it....at least not yet. I think I´m ready to welcome it with open arms because with experience comes value right? I have plans to spend some quality time with great girlfriends in a warmer climate to celebrate next week:) Can´t wait for that!

My new fabric arrived on Friday and I am already digging in. This line is called Nordic Vision and will be available in stores next spring. I am absolutely loving it and of course I think it´s the best one yet! Even though I always say that, this one is really great:) I will show you some peeks soon...stay tuned and make sure you are a fan on our GE Designs Facebook page to get the first look.

I have a lot to be thankful for in my life and the best way to show gratitude is to pay it forward. That is why I am packing up this stack of quilts to donate to the survivors of hurricane Sandy. If you have quilts laying around that you are not using, please consider this great cause. My friend Victoria Findlay Wolfe is spearheading this effort and has been so inspiring to watch on this journey. The Acacia Network will only be receiving quilts until December 7th so hop on the bandwagon with me and make a difference by providing the warmth of a quilt for someone in need. Here is all the info:

Send to:

Acacia Network

Attn: Pete Gonzalez

311 East 175^th Street

Bronx, NY 10457

PLEASE Include INSIDE THE BOX CLEARLY WRITTEN
your name, email & address

please mail them with delivery confirmation.

 

THANK YOU for being loyal readers of my rumblings, I truly apreciate all of you:)

Winners

Thank you all for your wonderful comments and kind words. I really loved hearing about all of your favorite 2 color combinations. I am like so many of you, my favorites change rapidly and I like to experiment with new colors all the time to keep my creative juices flowing. 

The winners!

The two blog winners were randomly drawn and the lucky ones are:

1.  Tamsyn : 

"My current favorite color combination is lime green and purple. Love this block! Tamsyn"

Tamsyn, I really love your favorite color combo, it's something I haven't tried myself but check out some of these photos I found just by doing a search for that combination, gorgeous.

Cakes...

Wedding....

I even found someones quilt in progress using those colors! It's definitely something I have got to try!

 

2. Lee:

"I love using navy blue and tangarine! Congratulations on your fabulous block and your new patterns which are wonderful! Thank you for the generous giveaway."

Congratulations Lee, there is another color combo I haven't tried but is very intriguing.

Wedding...

Decorating...

I want this bracelet!!

I didn't find a Navy and Tangerine quilt in my quick search but I think there might be one in my future!

As a matter of fact, I have a similar color combo sitting on my shelf waiting for me to figure out a pattern for it. Aqua and dark Coral (almost Tangerine). It started with the large bird print and then I got some of the Coral to go with it. It's a tough color to find but I had a couple of others that worked with it. Then I had some dark brownish grey's that matched the tree in the print that I think I will use too. What do you think? Interesting right?

I will show you how it ends up.....if it ever becomes a quilt!!

Congratulations winners, look for an e-mail from me in your inbox or send me your mailing address so I can send your prizes.

We have two more winners drawn from our Facebook page:

Mary Schneider Zaccardi

and

Amy Roth

They will also be getting a set of patterns and the magazine.

Giveaway Tour!

Welcome to the Quiltmaker´s 100 blocks Blog Tour. This is one of my favorite magazines and I always look forward to the newest issue coming out. It is chock full of fun blocks from great designers with great variety of techniques and styles.

This issue is no different. It is sure to be a collectors item for any quilter if you have the previous issues.

 

My block in this 6th volume is called Fire Burst and is on page 53.

When I was designing the block, I was in the midst of working on mybook Big Blocks - Big Style which has quilts made with blocks that are bigger than 12". Since all the blocks in the Quiltmaker 100 blocks are 12" finished, I knew I wanted to keep going with the "Big Block" theme and design a block that could be combined to create a larger design. I designed the quilt Fiery Flower along with the block to show the versatility of it.

If the block and quilt look familiar to you, you must have seen the first ever Quilts from Quiltmaker´s 100 blocks magazine that came out earlier this fall. This quilt is in there and was fortunate enough to make the cover of the magazine along with two other quilts.

I used the greys and reds from my fabric line Reflections for the quilt and love how those colors look great together. With just a touch of yellow, the red and grey create the visual contrast to really make the quilt stand out.

I was also so happy and surprised to see my quilt hanging front and center in the Quiltmaker booth at Quilt Market in Houston. 

If you love the 100 blocks issues as much as I do, you can come and spend a fun weekend with some of the 100 blocks designers in Portland next March! Check out  page 96 of the magazine for this ad:

I am so excited and honored to be a part of this event, we are going to have a fantastic time! Registration for Block Party is going strong, check out all the classes here and sign up to be part of the fun.

Want some free stuff?

There are lots of ways to win!

Please post a comment here to be eligible to win a copy of the magazine and a set of my 4 new patterns! All you have to do is tell me which two colors you love using together at the moment. I will be randomly drawing two names from the comments on Saturday that will be getting some goodies sent to their house!

That´s not all.....

If you are on Facebook, become a fan of our page and TWO lucky Facebook fans will also get a set of patterns and the magazine!

Blog Tour kickoff 100

The Quiltmaker 100 blocks Blog Tour starts today and the list of todays bloggers is posted on the Quiltmaker blog. There are endless opportunities to win a copy of the magazine and more great things from all of the bloggers on the tour so check it out and get hopping.

The magazines official release date is November 13th and it is chock full of fantastic blocks from all the top designers along with ideas on utilizing the blocks in a quilt. 

My Blog Tour day is Thursday November 8th, so make sure to check back here for a chance to win some goodies.