Grab yourself a cup of coffee and browse this week’s gorgeous Watercolour Quilts. Every week, I’m amazed and inspired by all the wonderful quilts submitted. Thanks to everyone that has entered and shared their beautiful creations with all of us.

One lucky quilter will win a $50 gift certificate to use as she/he likes from Patchwork Gracie Quilting Fabric & Services. Find out more about this terrific sponsor here.

Now it’s time for you to vote for your favourite Miniature quilt!!

• Voting is open Friday – Sunday @ 11:59 p.m.
• One vote per IP address (NOT email address), so have your family and friends cast a ballot for their favourite quilt (from home if you send it to coworkers)
• Winner announced Monday!
• New: in the event of a tie at the end of voting, 5 random Facebook quilters will be asked to vote again to break the tie.

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Next week’s theme is Baby Quilts. Get your cameras out!

Facebook, email subscribers and RSS readers: You need to visit the Quilting Gallery blog to vote: CLICK HERE

Peggy, last week’s winner of the Miniature Quilts contest, sent me some close-up photos of her fabulous 1/4″ hexagon quilt.

Also, yesterday’s guest blogger, Elisa Wilson, has graciously donated a free pattern and template to one lucky winner. Read her guest blog post and leave a comment on that post (not here) to be entered in that contest.

Please join me in welcoming Elisa Wilson as a guest blogger today as she gives you a glimpse into her life as a pattern designer. Share your favourite beginner’s quilting tip for a chance to win a free pattern and template of your choice.

I have a secret life. Most of my friends and acquaintances don’t know what I do. When I meet someone for the first time, this is how the conversation goes:

Them: "Do you work?"

Me: "Yes, I have a business. I design quilts and produce patterns and acrylic templates for quilters."

Them: Blank stare, long pause. "Oh, you make quilts."

Me: "No, I make patterns and sell them to quilters who make the quilts."

Them: "Who buys them?"

Me: "Well, I sell mostly to quilt shops across the US and to distributors who sell to quilt shops."

Then another person walks up and Them introduces me: "This lady makes quilts."

Me: Sigh. "Yes, I make quilts."

For a pattern designer, life revolves around market (it is a BIG deal for us). International Quilt Market is held twice a year. In the spring it moves around to different locations and in the fall it is always in Houston. At market you will find many different pattern designers, fabric companies, publishers of magazines and quilt books, thread companies, sewing machine manufacturers and much more.

Market is about what is NEW. It is your chance to show everyone your newest creations. Immediately after market is over, you have to start on the new NEW and have it ready in time for the next market.

So what do I really do all day?

After my breakfast and morning workout I am on the computer. Computer work takes up the majority of my day. I am sending emails, posting blogs, marketing, taking online classes, designing, writing patterns and coordinating with graphic designers, printers and shop owners. Some days I even get to sew!

I truly enjoy the design the process. This is how it usually goes:

First, I receive fabric from one of the fabric companies I work with.

Then I sort through the fabric. This time there are about 30 different colors. Immediately I pull out any fabric that does not appeal to me. Fortunately there are only about 6 I do not like in this bunch. The rest definitely speak to me.

Next I divide the fabric into colors. I make piles of colors that seem to be the same (greens in one pile, yellows in another, etc.). Then I re-divide the fabric into lights, mediums, and darks. I re-arrange it many times.

I am handling the fabric, getting familiar with the colors and patterns. I usually let it sit on the dining room table and look at it during the day. Depending upon the deadline it can sit there for a few days or a few weeks.

I begin to get a few ideas and then I go to my EQ (Electric Quilt) and play around with different blocks.

Will this be an easy pattern or something more complicated? How many fabrics do I need to use? Does it have to be a certain size? Will I be producing the pattern or am I writing it for a fabric company? Playing on EQ can take days.

Once I have a few ideas I begin to make test blocks. It is surprising that what looks good on EQ does not always translate to good in fabric. I sew a few test blocks, try a different fabric, arrange the blocks, go back to EQ, re-arrange the blocks.

Then I write down how to make the blocks. Make a few more blocks to see if my instructions really make sense. A lot of back and forth goes on. More questions: Is it a good pattern? Is it different? Does it showcase the fabric? Who will this appeal to? Is it too boring or too challenging?

Every quilt needs a name. My husband is super good at coming up with names. He writes down a bunch of names, just letting his imagination go and writing anything that comes to mind. We can get a good chuckle during the word play on names.

After the quilt top is made I have to quilt and bind it. I love the quilting but dislike the binding. I then send it off to the photographer to get its picture taken for the pattern cover. While the photographer is working, I’m writing the pattern instructions. The pattern is proof read and tested. As soon as I get the quilt photo, the graphic designer and I create the pattern cover. The instructions and cover design are sent to the printer. Everything is printed and assembled into bags.

Whew! That’s a lot of work. I usually have three or four patterns going on in different stages at one time. I work about 40 hours a week and I juggle a lot of hats.

So my secret life is out. Are you surprised? How does it sound to you? Is it what you thought it would be? I would love to hear your comments and questions.

I invite you to join me as I chronicle my life as as a designer and my adventures in the awesome Montana wilderness that is my home at Seams Sew Crazy or on Facebook. Visit my online shop, Elisa’s Backporch Design, to see my patterns, templates and video tutorials.

Give-Away

I am offering a drawing for a free pattern and template of your choice. Anybody who makes a comment is entered.

To enter the give-away: Leave a comment below sharing your favourite beginner’s quilting tip. Give-away ends September 8, 2010. Winner will be chosen randomly.

Please join me in welcoming guest blogger, Teresa, as she shares her Nifty Fifty quilting group and charity. An awesome group that has accomplished so much.

I created the Nifty Fifty state quilt block swaps which also make charity quilts for Breast Cancer Awareness. I live in Virginia and I have been quilting for almost 20 years. I love to hand piece and hand quilt. I do all my appliqué by hand including the 50 state quilt blocks that I have made in the past.

In 1995 my quilting pen pal and I started a centralized 50 state quilt block swap. I represented the state of Virginia and while making my 50 Virginia state quilt blocks (all hand pieced) I thought how easy it would be to make a couple more quilt blocks for charity. So I requested our quilters to make two extra quilt blocks. We decided to use one quilt block for a charity quilt and one for a museum quilt. As a group of women we voted to make our charity quilt for Breast Cancer Research since this disease touches so many women’s lives. The museum quilt would be used to collect signatures of breast cancer survivors and victims.

Our Original Nifty Fifty Quilters meeting in 1998 to sew the Breast Cancer Charity Quilts together

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Peggy who won last week’s Miniatures quilt contest, sent me these more detailed photos of her mini quilt to share. You can click on each photo to view a larger version.

The title of Peggy’s quilt is Let Freedom Ring!. It finishes at 7.875″ x 7.125″. Here’s the story she submitted:

About 2 wks before 9-11 I took a mini class with Carol Henry. I made 5 tiny grandmother’s flower garden blocks of various colors. 3 of them were red, white and blue. Over 2 yrs later I was inspired to finish the quilt as my dedication to 9-11. Hexagons are 1/4″ wide & fussy cut. Total time 300+ hr.

To see the scale, Peggy included a quarter and a dime in the photos.

I can safely say I will never have the patience to accomplish such a quilt. Thanks Peggy for sharing these detailed photos.