quilts | Creative Bee Studios

Meet the Twilight Stitchers Quilt Guild!

Their name is intriguing and their guild is a lot of fun! The Twilight Stitchers Quilt Guild of Blue Springs, Missouri hosted me as their program speaker and class teacher last month. One of my many new friends from Blue Springs, Vickie, made the trip extra special for me with her care for details and accommodations – thanks, Vickie!

It’s alway fun to see how other guilds operate – from how they run their meetings to how they interact with one another and their communities. I try to note those things I think would be fun to introduce to my local guild – especially the ideas that don’t cost a dime – like “Quilt Angels” (pssst – someone from my guild ask me about this)! A special thank you to my Quilt Angels for the night!

First, here are some pics from our opening selfies – they appear to be a rowdy group!

Image of Twilight Stitchers Quilt Guild Selfie

The “Grace” quilt class the following day was fabulous – I tend to give LOTS of pre-class guidance for choosing fabrics to bring and I was so delighted to see that they were all well prepared! AND sew creative! 😉

As you can see from the pics, they choose varied fabrics and their bouquets were unique, even presenting the quilters’ personalities, I think! One gal used ties and other out-of-the-box fabrics and was going to design her own vase to fit her bouquet!

I wish I’d gotten a pic of my first husband/wife duo – but she slipped off before I could snag her pic – busy lady. Their quilts have “related” but different focus fabrics and will hang together in their home! Hope they’ll share them with us using…wait for it…#usebothsides !!!! Yes, they all learned about hashtags during the program!

I hope to get to see the Twilight Stitchers again soon! You just never know where quilters will cross paths! See Quilts at the Beach to see how I bumped into a quilter, from Warrensburg, Missouri (a hop, skip, and a jump from Blue Springs) at Pensacola Beach!

A hearty THANKS to my new friend in Blue Springs!

See “Grace” Quilt Pattern at my Etsy shop: Creative Bee Studios #usebothsides

Summer Books & Quilts

July 12, 2019 / The Bee / 0 Comments

My words are inadequate to describe the essence of this book. I can’t even try. All I can say is READ it. You won’t be disappointed:

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

A Reese’s Book Club selection.

This may be my shortest blog post ever, because I am still at a loss for words, more than 24 hours after finishing Kya’s story. I hadn’t planned on sharing the quilt shown below yet, but I need to – I guess it’s my feeble attempt to thank Delia Owens for the insight into a habitat I knew nothing about while enjoying a fantastic and enlightening book.

This guy was hanging around me at sunrise on Pensacola Beach. I found the feather focus fabric later that day at A & E (Pharmacy) Fabrics. The light on his face and throat and the borders are the reverse of the focus fabric – #usebothsides

Thanks to my dear friend, Kim, I’m calling him Lord Stanley.

What book are you reading? Let us all know in the comments!

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Shop Creative Bee Studios Etsy Shop HERE for all the #usebothsides patterns!

Sally the Seahorse is right at home on Pensacola Beach.

Quilts at the Beach

June 17, 2019 / The Bee / 0 Comments

Location means everything! As you can see in these pics, Sally, Sandy, Fiona, and Bubbles were right at home on the beach!

We’ve lived in Pensacola, Florida – twice! The first time (as newlyweds), my husband was a student pilot and the second time, with two little ones, he was a flight instructor. When he left the full-time USMC life, we moved to Missouri – but we spent many vacations going back “home” to Pensacola (also home of the Blue Angels).

We had a wedding to attend in Baton Rouge, so we decided to grab a couple of beach days on the tail end of that trip. I debated whether I should even bother to take quilts along to photograph…I’m SO glad I DID!

Image of Sandy Quilt on Sand. — It’s Sandy on the beach. 🙂

It’s hard to spot another quilter at the beach, so when I met a gal on the walkway with a MSQS shirt, I had to speak to her – turns out she’s from Missouri, too and had just bought fabric from the pharmacy (now A & E Fabrics) to make some #usebothsides quilts! See my blog about her guild HERE: Inspired Quilters Inspire

Image of Karla and Cheryl, quilters at the beach. — Cheryl helped me take evening pics. Quilters are so nice!

You might wonder how those quilts just seemed to hover in the air above the beach…You can see in this blooper: thanks to his quick reaction, my hubby saved Bubbles from a big one! I thought he hid quite well on that little beach chair behind the one-yard square quilts!

Patterns for each of these quilts (and about 24 more) are available HERE: my Etsy shop: Creative Bee Studios

Home Sweet Home

June 10, 2019 / The Bee / 0 Comments

Riding bikes and playing outside all day long, rolling down the terrace wrapped in a quilt (what?), playing “Penelope Pitstop” (only Peppermint Patti would understand), putting on plays and magic shows in our yards…those are some of the memories of my childhood.

I rarely go back “home” without taking a drive down Church Street, around Chloe, and down (which is actually up) Edgemont. Guess I’m a softy for nostalgia. I had a great childhood. Not perfect, but mostly really good.

So when I was invited by the Memory Maker Quilt Guild of Perryville, Missouri, to teach a class last July, I was thrilled. We had a great turn-out of quilters and creativity. I couldn’t have been more happy with their responses.

Imagine my delight to learn they were having a Use BOTH Sides category of their class quilts in their next quilt show!

Setting up a booth as a vendor, I was even more surprised to see them hang their class quilts right across from my booth!

Maybe to someone who is perpetually confident, these events wouldn’t be so unusual. But if you are at all like me, you’ll understand the constant tug-of-war between confidence and doubt. Constant self-evaluation is not only exhausting at times, but it makes you quite surprised when other people like what you are doing. Seeing my own category was such on honor to me and to have it be in my home town, whether it means anything to anyone else in the world, meant the world to me.

My thanks to the members of Memory Makers Quilt Guild. Hope you enjoy seeing their very creative quilts from class.

Unfortunately I was not able to get all of the quilters together for a picture, so only some of them are shown here.

If you live anywhere nearby or are traveling through, put it on your calendar to attend this show on May 1 & 2.

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

Use BOTH Sides patterns by Creative Bee Studios have been featured in Hancock’s of Paducah, Nancy’s Notions, and Connecting Threads.

Shop Patterns HERE

Monochromatic by Nature

June 2, 2019 / The Bee / 0 Comments

Its amazing how difficult it can be to choose fabrics for a quilt, especially for a new quilter. I distinctly remember the kind teacher helping me choose fabrics for my first quilt class at The Sewing Basket.

It was for a patriotic quilt, so even though that palette was obvious, I had a lot of fear of choosing the wrong colors!

I’ve written before about letting nature provide your palette (see One Easy Way to Conquer Color) So when I found these seashells last night on the beach, I realized that even nature can be monochromatic.

Enjoy these monochromatic quilts:

Click picture for link to Amy’s Creative Side.

Click on link for beechtreelanehandmade.com

Image of Monochromatic Quilt — Click on picture for link to Craft Paper Scissors pin.

Do you make monochromatic quilts?

How do you choose your quilt palettes? Let us know in the comments below!

Enjoy your quilting journey, Karla

Quilt Week Faves

May 3, 2019 / The Bee / 0 Comments

There’s simply no way to take pics of all the fabulous quilts at Quilt Week, because 99.9% of them are just THAT! Here are just a few that made me stop, take out my phone and grab a shot. Hope you like them, too!

Oje De Dios by Mary W. Kerr, quilted by Candace West was featured with Mary’s whole series at the Rotary. She takes pieces of old quilts, blocks, or parts of quilts and incorporates them into new works with a modern flare. She gave each quilter freedom to do whatever they wanted for the quilting.

Below is Homespun, quilted by Donna Ferrill James. The wonky star was made from a worn quilt with lots of various designs in it. Mary was able to salvage parts by hand-piecing the star points. She used other workable parts as part of the backing.

Below is Fan Flower, quilted by Vicki Maloney. She purchased three fan blocks at an antiques shop and Vicki worked her magic using those three blocks!

See Mary W. Kerr’s work and get her book Twisted HERE.

I like how Mary combined the old with the new, not just the fabrics, but the design and the quilting techniques, too. I have a book somewhere that shows how to combine hand and machine quilting – maybe I’ll give that a look and see where it takes me.

Quilt show aren’t just about prizes, ribbons, and vendors (whaaat?), are they? It’s about inspiration, aspirations, goals, achievements, sparks, and happiness.

Watch for more quilt week pics to come! Meanwhile, enjoy your quilting journey!

And…quilt by the light of the moon.

April 15, 2019 / The Bee / 0 Comments

It certainly is a wonderful life! Sharing a new quilt pattern is ALWAYS fun…introducing Buffalo Moon!

Image of White Buffalo quilt. — Buffalo Moon Quilt Pattern

Buffalo Moon is a quilt pattern that has a lot of meaning for me – which is interesting since I have never lived “where buffalo roam”!

You might know that we visited South Dakota for the first time last summer so we could watch our youngest daughter play the role of Laurie in OKLAHOMA! at The Black Hills Playhouse in Custer. See South Dakota Quilts & More , OKLAHOMA! Backroads in South Dakota, and Quilting – Dakota Style.

Image of Final Show Scene — OKLAHOMA! at the Black Hills Playhouse

I’m happy to announce another trip is on the horizon! This year our daughter will be in Sherwood, – the Adventures of Robin Hood, she will play Annelle in Steel Magnolias, and one of her bucket list roles…Sophie in Mamma Mia.

Needless to say, she’s quite excited to be able to work again in such a beautiful place–but, even more, she’s happy to be able to work at what she loves to do. What might seem a glamorous occupation to some or even a frivolous choice to others, professional performance is not an easy road to take.

Between roles there’s the down time, the work of researching roles, the honing of singing, dancing, acting and auditioning skills, the doubts, the endless auditions…and along with auditions come many rejections. Landing a job is a big deal. When it’s over, you start all over again… but this time with another line on your resume. You don’t land a job to keep for the next 10 years…and future roles DEPEND on each role you land NOW and the contacts you make.

I watch both of our girls struggle to work at what is their passion – and I wonder at times where they get the courage. Yes, I make jokes that we let them play too much dress up and not do enough science fair projects, but truly I am glad they can give it a whirl…and, in this case, go where the buffalo roam.

Buffalo Moon is made using BOTH sides of a fabulous focus fabric (say that three times fast!) on a scrappy, nighttime background. Spotting the bison roaming the Black Hills was an incredible experience. Having also learned about the Legend of the White Buffalo, saying YES to this focus fabric was easy! Unlike most of my other patterns, the difference in value between the front and reverse of the focus fabric are subtle, but still noticeable. Choosing dark background fabrics was a change of pace and a lot of fun!

Jacq as Violet Bick in **It’s a Wonderful Life**

Buffalo gals won’t you come out tonight…

You can find the Buffalo Moon quilt pattern in my Etsy Shop!http://www.etsy.com/shop/CreativeBeeStudios

Reach for the stars…lasso the moon, or

…maybe just dance…by the light of the moon.

#usebothsides

Image of Tucker Trimmer III and LEDGLE Book Light

Totally Cool Quilting Tools

March 18, 2019 / The Bee / 0 Comments

I learned about some cool tools at quilt retreat – thanks to friends who like to share!

For the first year EVER, I had my retreat projects planned, cut, packed, and ready-to-go to retreat one whole month before we left. What I didn’t plan for were some unexpected opportunities to pop up which took priority over all of my great planning – I didn’t even get my projects out of there neat cases.

I hope to share those #usebothsides opportunities in the near future with you, but let me just say, I wasn’t prepared! I hadn’t brought the right rulers to do the tasks at hand, so that led me to ask, “Does anybody have a squaring ruler?”

Enter the Tucker Trimmer ruler into my life. My projects included lots of half-square triangles, quarter-square triangles, and flying geese. I quickly fell in love with this ruler! Thank you, Nancy! Click HERE or on the picture below to see more of Deb Tucker’s tools.

Image of Ruler on Block — Notice I #usebothsides of the fabric in this block?

You’ll see here the Tucker Trimmer III which I bought asap and equally love – the size of this one is perfect for my new projects.

The second tool I find indispensable I borrowed from friend and retreat roomie, Peggy: the LEDGLE Rechargeable LED Book Light.

Image of LEDGLE Book Light and Tucker Trimmer III

What makes it so great for me are the re-positionable arms which let you guide the light to any angle. It rests around your neck so it is hands-free and perfect for hand-stitching in a dimly lit room. It also works great for reading in bed or even walking back from the neighbors or feeding the dogs in the dark! You set the light to shine where you want it and it stays until you move it. And best of all, I’ve used mine every day for more than a week and I still haven’t charged it once! Click HERE for link to book light.

So there you have it for month three of great quilting tools: the Tucker Trimmer and LEDGLE Book Light!

What are your favorite quilting tools and how do you use them? Do you recommend any you want highlighted here in future months?

Image of Two Sewing Machine Quilts — Shop #usebothsides patterns in my Etsy Shop – Click HERE

Popular Vintage Machine Quilt

March 12, 2019 / The Bee / 0 Comments

Quickly becoming a best-seller, Aria ahr-ee-uh is a quilt pattern for any feather-weight or other vintage machine lover!

Arias evolved from simple melodies in the 14th century and became a means to tell a story in a more emotional way, allowing a musicians (and later, vocalists) to display their talent. Arias are mostly associated with opera today.

So why call this pattern an Aria? Take a look at her…she’s definitely a singer!

I haven’t always known what an aria was and, had my oldest daughter not studied opera, I might still be in the dark. But here she is, four years ago, as a senior at Eastman School of Music, singing “Emily’s Aria” from the opera, Our Town by Ned Rorem.

Click here to hear “Emily’s Aria” from Our Town by Paige Kiefner

Here I was in Rochester, NY, on an unusually warm, sunny day, binding her graduation bow-tie quilt made with a fabric line called…wait for it…Our Town!

While the traditionalist might cringe, fun things are happening with these featherweight machines. Tables and inserts, custom carry cases, and bright new paint jobs are indicators that these little work-horses will be around awhile.

As I mentioned HERE, I’d love to someday own a colorful featherweight, so making a Tula Pink quilt version seemed the thing to do!

#usebothsides of one focus fabric for the machine, binding, bunting (reverse), and scissors and thimble (both reverse). Choose fun, scrappy background fabrics and accent strips – all the while learning the nuances of value! (Click here for more about value.)

Shop for Aria and all the #usebothsides patterns at www.etsy.com/shop/CreativeBeeStudios.

Inspired Quilters Inspire

February 27, 2019 / The Bee / 0 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to share my quilting journey with a group of women whose enthusiasm for quilting was truly inspiring to me.

Image of Inspired Quilters Guild — Inspired Quilters of Warrensburg, Missouri

The Inspired Quilters of Warrensburg, Missouri invited me to speak during their guild meeting. It was a cold, wet, and somewhat icy night. I expected a lower turnout of members due to the weather. That was my first surprise.

One of the interesting things I see when speaking to quilt guilds is the uniqueness of each group.

As quilters notably are, everyone was welcoming and helpful – helping my friend and me carry in 50 quilts, bins of patterns and fabric, and set up the power point.

After the presentation, Nancy and were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic quilters who lined up, waiting to purchase patterns and kits. It’s so fun to see people excited about something you’ve designed – and it is quite humbling.

Image of Presentation with Something's Brewing quilt.

What I noticed next, while Nancy and I spent the next hour repacking quilts and patterns, was how excited and involved the quilters were in their guild meeting. I was wishing I could sit and watch, especially when it came time for Show and Tell. It seemed like each quilter did more than showed her quilt, she told the story behind her project – who or what it was for, how it came about…the details that make a quilt more than just a quilt.

These quilters truly inspire me – to tell the details, to let people know the stories behind the quilts.

Isn’t that what it’s all about? Whether the quilts we make are for special people in our lives, for hurting people we don’t even know, for veterans and service members to be honored, or even for learning something new alongside friends – it’s the people in the story that make quilting worthwhile.

A heartfelt thanks to the quilters in Warrensburg for sharing their quilting journey with me!

Sweet Ideas for Creative Minds - #usebothsides

Tag: quilts (page 1 of 8)

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

A Reese’s Book Club selection.

Thanks to my dear friend, Kim, I’m calling him Lord Stanley.

Location means everything! As you can see in these pics, Sally, Sandy, Fiona, and Bubbles were right at home on the beach!

Riding bikes and playing outside all day long, rolling down the terrace wrapped in a quilt (what?), playing “Penelope Pitstop” (only Peppermint Patti would understand), putting on plays and magic shows in our yards…those are some of the memories of my childhood.

So when I was invited by the Memory Maker Quilt Guild of Perryville, Missouri, to teach a class last July, I was thrilled. We had a great turn-out of quilters and creativity. I couldn’t have been more happy with their responses.

My thanks to the members of Memory Makers Quilt Guild. Hope you enjoy seeing their very creative quilts from class.

If you live anywhere nearby or are traveling through, put it on your calendar to attend this show on May 1 & 2.

Shop Patterns HERE

Its amazing how difficult it can be to choose fabrics for a quilt, especially for a new quilter. I distinctly remember the kind teacher helping me choose fabrics for my first quilt class at The Sewing Basket.

I’ve written before about letting nature provide your palette (see One Easy Way to Conquer Color) So when I found these seashells last night on the beach, I realized that even nature can be monochromatic.

There’s simply no way to take pics of all the fabulous quilts at Quilt Week, because 99.9% of them are just THAT! Here are just a few that made me stop, take out my phone and grab a shot. Hope you like them, too!

Quilt show aren’t just about prizes, ribbons, and vendors (whaaat?), are they? It’s about inspiration, aspirations, goals, achievements, sparks, and happiness.

Watch for more quilt week pics to come! Meanwhile, enjoy your quilting journey!

It certainly is a wonderful life! Sharing a new quilt pattern is ALWAYS fun…introducing Buffalo Moon!

Buffalo Moon is a quilt pattern that has a lot of meaning for me – which is interesting since I have never lived “where buffalo roam”!

I’m happy to announce another trip is on the horizon! This year our daughter will be in Sherwood, – the Adventures of Robin Hood, she will play Annelle in Steel Magnolias, and one of her bucket list roles…Sophie in Mamma Mia.

Buffalo gals won’t you come out tonight…

Reach for the stars…lasso the moon, or

…maybe just dance…by the light of the moon.

#usebothsides

I learned about some cool tools at quilt retreat – thanks to friends who like to share!

Enter the Tucker Trimmer ruler into my life. My projects included lots of half-square triangles, quarter-square triangles, and flying geese. I quickly fell in love with this ruler! Thank you, Nancy! Click HERE or on the picture below to see more of Deb Tucker’s tools.

The second tool I find indispensable I borrowed from friend and retreat roomie, Peggy: the LEDGLE Rechargeable LED Book Light.

Quickly becoming a best-seller, Aria ahr-ee-uh is a quilt pattern for any feather-weight or other vintage machine lover!

So why call this pattern an Aria? Take a look at her…she’s definitely a singer!

Shop for Aria and all the #usebothsides patterns at www.etsy.com/shop/CreativeBeeStudios.

One of the interesting things I see when speaking to quilt guilds is the uniqueness of each group.

These quilters truly inspire me – to tell the details, to let people know the stories behind the quilts.

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#usebothsides

Karla Kiefner

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