Are there Blooms All Around?

Thanks to Sharon Noble today for sending us this great photo of her recent quilt she made for the Habitat for Humanity Charity Auction.  This quilt really makes me smile...I love the super simple applique border.  To purchase the "Blooms All Around" pattern please visit our website by clicking here!  Please, please, leave us a comment when you drop by...we'd love to hear from you.  Hope you are all enjoying your summer!
Lorraine at the Rabbit Factory

Be Still my beating Heart...just love batiks, don't you?

Here's Lydia's latest design, Stars of Wonder!  You'll be an expert at making half square triangles when you complete this 84-1/2" x 84-1/2" quilt!  Lydia has used all batiks in her new quilt...don't they look scrumptious?  To purchase her new pattern visit the website at http://www.therabbitfactory.com
Please, please leave us a comment...we love to hear what you think!
Hope you all have been enjoying this lovely summer weather...load up on lots of sunblock as the forecast is calling for a warm one!
Happy Quilting
Lorraine at the Rabbit Factory

Is it possible to reduce your stash with this quilt?

You bet ya!  Here's Mary Fawcett's rendition of Lydia's Cactus Rose pattern and I bet her stash went down a little making this large scrappy quilt (94" x 94")!  Mary sent us this photo which was taken at the Halton Quilter's Guild show.  It was quilted by Lucy Rowntree of the Quilt Rack-Ancaster, On.  Thanks again for sending me your photo...it was such a pleasant surprise in my email!

Craving Licorice Allsorts and another Opportunity Quilt

I remember when Lydia first designed this quilt...the colors she chose reminded us of "Licorice Allsorts"...I just love them and this quilt!  Yumm!!!
Kennalee Mattson contacted us recently to let us know her guild the "Santa Monica" guild wanted to make this quilt as an opportunity quilt to benefit the YWCA Santa Monica/Westside.   Kennalee says "I was just sure I would have problems with the border but it fit like a dream!  I found the perfect backing fabric - an Alexander Henry with beautiful birds of all the colors in the quilt with black background.  And one of our members did a fabulous job of machine quilt!"  They have called their quilt "Songbirds at Midnight"...what a lovely job they have done!

Old Fashioned and Charming Opportunity Quilt!

Jill Bowman asked if she could use Lydia's pattern "Old Fashioned Charm" for their Opportunity Quilt for the Heart of the Triad Quilt Show 2011 in Kernersville, NC.  The quilt show is May 13-14, 2011 at the Girl Scout Learning Centre behind Magnolia Manor, 1203 Frances Daily Court, Colfax, N.C. 9 am to 5 pm Admission $5.00--  Jill did the piecing (a slight change from the original block) but had lots of help with the applique border.  The quilt graces the quilt show poster designed by Nancy Lassiter...aren't those Fig Tree fabrics soooo delicious?  Beautifully quilted by Theresa DeWalt.  I am sure they will be selling lots and lots of tickets! Thanks for a great team effort and for sharing your time and talent and such a beautiful quilt!  Ahhhhh.... a lucky someone will win this quilt!
Lorraine

Beautiful quilts from our beautiful customers!

Here's Shirley Magee's version of Lydia's Pressed Flowers Pattern.  This beauty is hanging in her upstairs hallway.  What an entrance!  Thanks for sharing Shirley!  P.S.  Check out that hand quilting done by Linda Hoiko of Pickering, On....dreammmy!

Jennifer Parslow from Canajohaire, New York recently contacted me to ask for permission to use the Summer Day Sampler pattern to make a raffle quilt to help a young girl go on a People to People Student Ambassador program to England and France.  What a great neighbour Jennifer is!  Jennifer said, "I worked on the quilt when time allowed and it took less than two weeks to complete the top! " This quilt was machine quilted by Cheryl Lee of Galway, New York.  Some lucky raffle quilt winner is really going to enjoy this Folk Art style quilt made out of cuddly Maywood Flannels...imagine!

Above is Laura Brandt with her version of "Elizabeth's Sampler"!  Laura wrote, "There's a story to the way Elizabeth's Sampler turned out for me.  It sure didn't turn out like I was aiming for, but it did turn out!  Time was of the essence once I decided to give it to my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas:  I made that decision two weeks before Christmas and had to get'er done!  So rather than quilt it, I decided to just tie it.  This is a pattern I'm hoping to make again."  Well done Laura.  I have tied a number of quilts over the years as well and I think they look just great!  Laura is new to the blogging world, so please drop on over to her blog at http://wentworthcountyquiltworks.blogspot.com/ and say hi!
Welll, that's all for now!  Keep those photos coming and thanks everyone for sharing!
Lorraine

Here's Our last free Seasonal Fruit Pattern!

Here's the last pattern from our Seasonal Fruit Series...Summer!  There's a cute little bird ready to peck at an apple sitting on the edge of a watermelon!  We will leave the series posted at our website until April, so don't miss downloading.  Go to our website right now at www.therabbitfactory.com
Happy Stitching,
Lorraine

Brrrrrrr! Baby It's Cold Outside!

How fitting to receive these pictures while we are having a bit of a cold spell here in Ontario!

Cindy Brown says: "Here are a couple pictures of the Under the Star Quilt I made for my in laws for Christmas last year.  Instead of using a permanent marker for the Snowmen's eyes, I used buttons.  I also used prairie points for the border instead of binding.  I sewed the whole quilt together by hand and also hand quilted the whole quilt".
Soooo cute!  Thanks for sharing Cindy!
Happy Stitching,
Lorraine at the Rabbit Factory

A Celebration Sampler Quilt that is truly a celebration!

Judith McNabb recently sent in these photos of her version of Lydia's pattern, Celebration Sampler.  What a beautiful quilt!  Judith made this quilt with love for her son's wedding in August!  Judith's choice of the beautiful hydrangea focus fabric and the various greens and blues are set off beautifully with the larger white setting triangles....sooo pretty!  

The lovely quilting is done by Ann Hutcheon!   Click here to see Lydia's original quilt (see heading...Our Quilt Patterns and scroll down a little)  See how Judith has changed it!  Try not to cry when you see her beautiful quilting label (below)...it's so amazing!

Here's our next free pattern!

Here's our next free pattern...Seasonal Fruit Spring, part of a series of 4 designs!  Lemons, strawberries, oranges and a few grapes...sounds like what we all should be eating just after the holiday season!  Hope you're all enjoying a little time with your families, a little time sitting at your sewing machine or hand stitching and a whole lot of time pondering your next quilting projects!  Go to our website to download your pattern now at www.therabbitfactory.com and remember to scroll down on the front page for all the downloads available.  We are keeping them all there for you until March 2011.
Happy Holidays to all and happy stitching,
Lorraine
Here's the complete wallhanging...just one more free pattern but you have to wait until Feb!

Here's our next FREE Wallhanging Pattern!

Hope you are collecting the patterns for our Seasonal Fruit Series. Last month we posted Seasonal Fruit Winter and here is our next free pattern "Seasonal Fruit Autumn".    Each month we are posting a "Seasonal Fruit" pattern...collect all four!   Each pattern can be made up as a separate design as shown above or combine them to make your own "Seasonal Fruit Wallhanging" (below).  Wouldn't this quilt look pretty in a number of different fabrics....civil war, batiks etc? Can hardly wait to see some of your fabric choices!

To get the free patterns you need to visit our website at www.therabbitfactory.com during the months of Nov 2010 (last month's design is still there), Dec 2010, Jan 2011, and Feb 2011! Be sure to tell all your blogging friends to drop by and collect the series! 

Happy Stitching,
Lorraine

Rabbit's Lair has yummy kits!

Check out these wonderful shop samples of Hare Affair and Folk Art Finery made up by Rabbit's Lair in Rogers, AR.  They are certainly doing things right....the sample is made and a kit is available to purchase!  Sometimes digging through the stash is such a job and if you are in a hurry to make up your project, a kit can save you TIME and MONEY.  Sometimes you don't have "just the right fabric" or having to go out and buy 6 different greens can run you into a little money when you only need a little piece, so kits are the answer!  I think you'll be surprised how many great quilt shops out there would be willing to kit up some of the patterns you have sitting in your sewing room, so go ahead and contact your local quilt shop and see what they can do for you!
Happy Stitching,
Lorraine

Our new FREE pattern series!

The Rabbit Factory has something free and very exciting starting November 1st...for 4 months.  Each month we are posting a "Seasonal Fruit" pattern...collect all four!   Each pattern can be made up as a separate design as shown below or combine them to make your own "Seasonal Fruit Wallhanging" (above).    Wouldn't this quilt look pretty in a number of different fabrics....civil war, batiks etc? 

To get the free patterns you need to visit our website at www.therabbitfactory.com during the months of Nov 2010, Dec 2010, Jan 2011, and Feb 2011! Be sure to tell all your blogging friends to drop by and collect the series! 

Here's a picture of the first pattern called Seasonal Fruit Winter!

Won't it be fun to dig through your stash or run out to your local quilt shop to buy some fabrics for this project or both!  And please leave us a comment and let us know a little about you and your quilting!  Or just post "LIKE"! 

Happy Stitching from www.therabbitfactory.com

Lorraine

What a few ladies, some sewing machines, and plenty of ambition can achieve!

Just love this photo Chena Wright sent us of her and her sister Connie showing their quilt group (Material Girls) quilt their version of Lydia's  " Summer Day Sampler ".  The Material Girls are from West Haven, Utah and this quilt was made for the Primary Children's Medical Center auction/fundraiser put on by the Festival of Trees, in Salt Lake City, Utah in December 2010.  Just lovely!!
Quilts featured in the "Quilt Block" will be sold by silent auction.  The Festival of Trees relies completely on volunteers to plan and orchestrate this 40 year annual event.  It is through the support of a generous community that every penny raised helps children at Primary Children's Medical Center.  Their group joins in on trying to make a difference in the lives of children, and other organizations in their community.  They have also made and donated "pillow cases" to shelters for men and women,  quilts to rest homes for the aged and quilts to hospitals! 
Thanks for sharing and making this a world a better place, one quilt at a time!

Amazing quilts by Karen Boe!

Karen Boe recently sent me photos of 3 of her award winning quilts...wow!  Yes, I said "3" quilts...that is quite an accomplishment!  She mentioned in her email the "JOY" she was brought making and displaying them...thanks for sharing with us Karen!  Just love the colors of the fabrics chosen and the workmanship is outstanding.  I especially love the "fresh" look to the Reminiscence quilt...the fabrics are yummy!   The quilting was done by Stoneridge Quilting, Barb Simons, Elderlin ND and some by herself.  The quilts are in order...Reminiscence, Wildflowers and Spring Beauty!  Karen, you will have these lovely heirlooms forever...how great is that!
If you just love these quilts, pop on over to our website and get a pattern ordered right now!  Start digging through your stash...I know you probably have a stack of fat quarters just waiting to be cut up!
There's nothing like a good scrap quilt!
Regards,
Lorraine

A visitor in my Garden!

There's something wonderful about finding a rabbit in your garden!  This beautiful "wide" eyed lovely has a rabbit hole just in the far corner of my garden and I just admit that I feel like I'm living in the country instead of my little Brighton town when I find him munching on my plants early morning!
Well, now on to something related to quilting!
I just had a visit on Linda Franz's website "Inklingo".   If you haven't been over, please visit her site and order for " free"  her new Hexagon Design Book (Value $20.00)...I just ordered it and I am so excited.  I haven't even seen it yet but I know the quality of the books and cd's I've purchased from her in the past that there will be amazing detail...what a generous person she is!  Don't you just love FREE! She also has a wonderful video on how to piece a Grandmother's Flower Garden Block, so if you've never explored the tradition of english paper piecing, now's the time.  There's still plenty of summer evenings to spend on your front porch stitching!
Hope you all are enjoying the lovely summer we are having,
Regards
Lorraine

It's the little touches in a garden that mean so much!

I'm a huge "gardening" fan and recently attended the Warkworth Garden Show.  We visited 7 lovely gardens and each one had it's charm.  But it's the little touches that gardeners place emphasis on, that really attract my attention.
Here are a few cute ideas that captured my attention!
I love reusing nature...check our these 3 stump planters!  I'm going to put some of these in my garden!

I also think the flowers planted in these boots placed conveniently beside this adorable rocker is really sweet as well.

Reduce, reuse, and recycle..finding another place for flowers!

 Or keeping a good part of this damaged tree as a place for birdhouses!

Or using found driftwood to give height to a "three" grouping of planters!

Or planting a picture instead of painting one!

 Or using clear netting draped over a lovely old chair that now has a new use for a climbing vine

 Or getting some height to a lovely urn by turning over another pot and painting it the same color

How about bring the "indoors" out by adding cool mirrors....reflecting the beauty of your garden!

Or creating a wonderful planter just from some "found" driftwood! 
There really were some wonderful tips in the gardens I went to visit and I just couldn't wait to share them with you!
Have a great week and happy quilting,
Lorraine at the Rabbit Factory

Bring your memories into your quilts!

Helen Ogden sent me these 3 photo's of the quilt she has just finished for her grandson's graduation from high school.  Helen changed the pattern to queen size by adding sashing and a couple borders.  The applique border is all about  "memories" she shared with her grandson.  The fun times at the farm, playing in the leaves in the fall, flying kites at Easter and throwing confetti filled eggs (filled by the grandson's paternal grandmother). 
Thank you Helen for sharing your beautiful quilt with us!
Lorraine

Is Bigger Better??

Wow! Look at Tammy Witwer's Jacobs Garden Quilt designed by Lydia Quigley!  This quilt really shows well as a full size quilt...the original pattern is just a wall hanging size!  Tammy's fabric choices are outstanding!  If you love this design be sure to visit our website to purchase the pattern at www.therabbitfactory.com
Thanks again Tammy for sending us your photos...we just L-O-V-E show and tell!
Have a great week,
Lorraine at the Rabbit Factory

Denise's Stunning "Flowers Forever"

What a pleasure it was to open my email and find a photo of Lydia's Flowers Forever sent in by Denise Falgiano!  Thought I'd better share this one!  I just love her fabric choices and the workmanship is outstanding!  Beautiful machine quilting done by Tara Thom of Albion, NY.   Don't you just love "show n tell"!!
Have a great week, Lorraine

Here are the Border Blocks for "Once Upon a Garden"!

Sure hope you love the finished quilt!

Here are the border patterns for our "Once Upon a Garden".  The Corner Blocks are cut 6-1/2" x 6-1/2" and you will need to make 4 each.  This block is rotated in the corners as you'll see on the picture of the completed quilt.

The Side Border Blocks are cut 6-1/2" x 12-1/2" and you will need to make 14 each.  It would help to make a clear transparency of the block to help position your applique pieces.

If you've been scrapping up the backgrounds all along, you'll notice the corner & border blocks are scrapped as well! Great way to use up the "stash"!
The weather has been fantastic here in Brighton and I've been spending plenty of time gardening.  I've lots of plans for our backyard this year!  Summer evenings are a great time to sit and applique after a long day digging in the dirt!  Hope you will share with us some of your blocks once they are completed!  We'd love to see what you have been up to!
P.S.  A number of you have just found our blog and are asking for May, June and July blocks, so please email me at lorraine.rabbitfactory@yahoo.ca and I will send you over a zip file so you don't miss out!  Also please feel free to post the above picture of our free BOM "Once Upon a Garden" quilt on your blog and let all your blogging friends share in the fun, as I will keep them posted on the blog until end of August!
Have a great week,  Lorraine