QuiltCon - the Modern Quilt Guild

We don't have a chapter of the Modern Quilt guild in our town, but there are many located in cities across the country. In February the Modern Quilt Guild held their first conference called QuiltCon and if you weren't lucky enough to attend, Craftsy now has some of the lectures available on their website as a FREE class - click here to have a look and register: Free Online Quilting Class . Lecturers include Angela Walters, Amy Butler and Mary Fons - you can watch on your computer, tablet or phone and it is FREE!!

Modern Quilts

I have to say that I am in LOVE with modern quilts! So much so that I have two new patterns using Stonehenge Fabrics that would both qualify as "modern quilts". Both are now available on my website Fairfield Road Designs or in a quilt shop near you.

 Lime on the Rocks

Opposites Attract

Maybe my son IS proud of me....

Last week, my 15 year old son Aidan and I were in Ottawa for his dentist appointment. On the way home, we stopped in at Chapters to check out their magazine selection (he loves digital music magazines which are just NOT available in Brockville). So, of course, I had to look through the quilting magazines and pointed out to Aidan the Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine with my quilt on the front. He actually insisted that I pose for a picture, so maybe he IS a little proud of his momma!!

Machine quilting - free motion overall designs

Here is my newest favourite quilting design - I think it is probably called a Paisley, but maybe you've seen it by a different name. I love using it on modern quilts like the black and white quilt in the first picture!
The nice thing about this one is that you can modify the size/shape/direction of the paisley to fit into odd shaped areas and you can make it more complex by adding a second tear drop shape to the centre and some loops and swirls (like in the second photo) if you are quilting something that is a bit more traditional.

It is so hard not to get into a quilting rut where you use the same design over and over again, that's why I think the next Craftsy class I take will be Free Motion Fillers, Vol. 2 with Leah Day - I don't know how she comes up with so many new designs but she seams to be a bottomless supply of quilting inspiration!!

Free Craftsy classes!!

What could be easier than taking a class on your own schedule in the comfort of your own home?? If you haven't tried out an online class from the Craftsy website, why not start today with one of their FREE classes. There are a couple that might appeal to my quilting friends - one is a Block of the Month and the other one is how to make creative backings for your quilts, but there are lots of knitting, cooking and decorating classes too! Here is a link that takes you right to the page: Free Craftsy Classes

New patterns just added to Craftsy

Nellie and I have three new patterns now available through Northcott Fabrics. I have just added all three of these to our Craftsy site for immediate pattern download. Here they are:

Lunar Eclipse

Pony Club

Mosaic Maze

Wow!!! That's a lot of patterns!!!

I keep track of my sales on an Excel spreadsheet. It isn't fancy, but it does the job!
When I first started my business 12 years ago, I made the spreadsheet so that it would give me a running total of patterns sold, both per pattern and overall. Today when I was entering the orders that had just come through on my email I glanced at the overall pattern sales and couldn't believe my eyes. As of today I have sold over 23000 patterns!!
My best seller is still my "Cold Weather Friends"! Can anyone guess how many of those patterns I have sold?? Enter your guesses on my Fairfield Road Designs Facebook page (why not "Like" the page while you are there?) and whomever has the closest guess by Sunday night will win one of my Door Decor felted wool applique kits!!

More Punchneedle Kits

I've also added a couple more kits to my website for my "Folk Flowers" and "Heirloom Blooms" punchneedle patterns. All of these kits contains the punchneedle pattern, a square of weaver's cloth, a custom designer set of twelve balls of Valdani 3-strand hand dyed embroidery floss and a FREE punchneedle pattern or book. If you haven't tried Valdani 3-strand embroidery floss to do your punchneedle projects YOU SHOULD TREAT YOURSELF! It is amazing to work with and always gives GREAT results!!

 Folk Flowers

Heirloom Blooms

Yummy colours!!

Proud Peacock Punchneedle kits

Now that my Valdani Floss order has arrived, I have been busy adding punchneedle kits to my new website. Proud Peacock is one of the new kits I have added:

Look for this kit, and many more, on my Fairfield Road Designs Kits page!!

Polka Dot Dog

This month's issue of "Create and Decorate" magazine contains my "Polka Dot Dog" punchneedle project! Look for it at a magazine retailer near you.
 Here is a picture of the magazine cover:

And here is my project:

I've just finished adding embroidery floss kits for this project to my website. Check them out on my "Kits" page - Fairfield Road Designs Kits

The website is DONE!

I can't believe it, but my new website is finally up and running!
Last summer I decided that my website needed a face lift, so I took some time to surf the web to see what types of websites appealed to me. I sent some sample to our web mistress Sue Wilkins and gave her some other ideas about what I wanted. Sue set up the main pages and guided me through the process of entering all of my patterns and other products. This week we FINALLY finished, launched the new site and have already worked out a few kinks.
Please check it out at www.fairfieldroadesigns.com to see the new look. I'm so happy that my website, blog, Facebook page and Craftsy site are all now linked together in one spot. Many thanks to Sue for her guidance and infinite PATIENCE!