in the works

I am happy about getting a new quilt pattern ready for publication soon.  This one is titled Box Blocks, and is really easy to make.  Writing up the directions has taken awhile since I decided to make it something very useful for quilters who want to make it from a bunch of random fabric (like using up the stash) so it required lots of figuring and calculating.  I have spent a lot of time on it to try to eliminate the possibility of misinterpretation and problems for the user.  It is a challenge to take something that just pops into my head and seems so self-evident, and then put it into words that are clearly understood by anyone and everyone who picks up the pattern.  I am at the point where I have the directions written and re-written, the photo taken and sent to Dan, the fabric requirements calculated and sent to Dan, and pretty soon he will work a miracle and get all the info squeezed into a grid for the back of the pattern!  This is more difficult for this pattern, because I have calculated yardage for 5 quilt sizes (baby to king) and 5 yardage variations for the blocks (10" square, fat quarter, regular quarter, 1/3 yard and 1/2 yard).  And up to 3 borders!  That makes a lot of little numbers to keep organized!

Also coming soon is a pattern for a baby or nap quilt, along with a couple accessories.  Getting a good picture of this has been difficult, I'm no stylist!  I think I could really use a baby as a prop!  I try to pay attention to detail in these photos, because I know from personal experience  that the photo on the cover plays a big role in whether the pattern is deemed  purchasable or not.  I don't have an extra fancy camera, but my Canon Elph does a pretty good job (thank you kids!).  And I came across this article which contains a lot of very good info for the amateur quilt photographer.  I showed it to Bob on Sunday, and when I got home from work on Monday, he had constructed 2 light fixture stands and purchased styrofoam sheets for backing for me!  This has already proven to be a big help, even though we are still a bit challenged by where is the best place to store this stuff!  The basement seems a logical place, but there isn't a good spot there to be able to stand back and get the range needed for any large quilt photo.  So we do have the space for that in the living room area, but getting the 4x8 foot styrofoam panels up and down the basement steps is not easy, due to the fact that the steps have a landing and turn halfway.  Because they are a little flexible it can be done (unlike trying to get the 4x8 plywood panel downstairs to cover the pooltable which resulted in 2-4x4 sections!).

Now I really need to get moving and finish preparations for the Block of the Month class that I am teaching this afternoon and evening at Bear Patch, which by the way, is very pretty and you can still join!