New Winner and more

I'm sorry to say that I was unable to reach Ruth and she did not respond back so I had to choose another winner.

Vwlady is the new winner! She did leave an email address (that's how you win) so I have emailed her the exciting news! As soon as she gets back to me, I will choose 2 more winners. One for the magazine and the other for the fat quarter bundle. 

I'd like you to take a look at my two newest designs that have just come out. The first one was just published in McCall's Quick Quilts. It uses a beautiful fall collection by P&B Textiles called Abundance and the quilt is called Summer's Inn.

McCalls has wonderful step-by-step directions to create this block that only looks hard. (If it was hard it wouldn't be in their Quick Quilts issue!) The quilt is 82" x 99" and has a 12" block. A kit is available for the top including the binding on my website Gateway Quilts & Stuff.

The other quilt is in The Quilter magazine and uses the same beautiful collection, except this one includes a panel that is cut up for the plain blocks. It is also an easy quilt with fast log cabin blocks.

This one is called Sunflower Fields. This quilt is 68" x 88" and has a 10" block. This is also available as a kit on my website.

I have been very busy this year. I have quite a few new free patterns coming out and as soon as they are posted on the companies websites I will share them with you. Please come back to see what I am working on. I will also share photos of some of the work that my students have done in the workshops that I teach.

Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Winner of Best Christmas Quilts plus more!

I was stunned at all of the wonderful comments about my Winter Stars table runner (222 to be exact)! All of you are so generous in your comments that I have decided to draw two more names! One will win a copy of the magazine and the other a group of fat quarters of the fabric in the quilt.

But first I have to announce the winner of yesterday's drawing......(drum roll).....Ruth.. who said, "Winter Stars is a beautiful pattern and beautiful fabric. It is really lovely". Now Ruth left me no way of contacting her so hopefully she will check today's posting to see if she is a winner. If she does not contact me then I will draw another name. After Ruth or the next winner has come forward I will draw two more names. Ladies (and gentlemen if there are some), if you want to put your name in any drawing on a blog, you need to let the blogger know some way of reaching you. I know it is difficult to put your email out there but these blogs are only open to members and bloggers don't share information with anyone else. If you don't leave information you won't be able to claim your wonderful prize.

Okay off of my soapbox. I want to share the current project I am working on for a magazine. It uses a beautiful blue and white collection by Timeless Treasures called Charlotte. They make the most yummy fabrics and I love to design with them!

It is a work in progress. I am sewing on the sash and cornerstones and hope to quilt it tomorrow or Friday. I seem to be in my rectangle and square mode. I have a lady named Dolores who helps me with some of my projects and the last one I gave her was rectangles and squares. She was thrilled to get something without triangles! She told me it was the easiest quilt of mine that she had pieced. It will be a free web pattern on Timeless Treasures website so stay tuned and I will post it when it is ready.

Well, got to go finish sewing. Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

12 Days of Best Christmas Quilts Blog Tour

I am thrilled to be participating in the 12 Days of Best Christmas Quilts Blog Tour. If you are new to my blog – Welcome!  

I was lucky enough to have my quilt Winter Stars  featured in this special issue published by the staff of Quilter's Newsletter. The issue is available through Quilt and Show shop and your local quilt shop and bookstores. This is what it looks like in the magazine.

I love stars of every kind. I am always looking for new ways to make them. This one is foundation pieced. It is a 15" block. I used RJR Fabrics Holiday Accent Collection. (Sorry about the color, it is the blue in the photo above).

 

Here is what the collection looks like.

You can find lots of other star patterns on my website Gateway Quilts & Stuff including my book St. Louis Stars to see how much I like stars! You will also find a kit to make this beautiful table runner. It includes all the fabrics needed to create the top and binding or you can purchase it with the backing.

Would you like to win a copy of the magazine and this wonderful fabric bundle? Just leave a comment on this blog post before 11:59 p.m. MDT tonight August 28, for a chance to win the Holiday Accents fabric bundle and a copy of Best Christmas Quilts. Tell me how much you like stars and your name will go into a drawing. Get an early start on those holiday gifts. Anyone would be thrilled to receive this wonderful table runner! One comment per person please. Open to those who haven't won something from Quilters Newsletter in the last 90 days. And please leave me some means of contacting you if you do win.

Come back next week and I will show you my newest template set called North Star. It is used to create a fast easy star to make a place mat, table runner or table topper using a stripe or with simple strip piecing.

Thank you for visiting my blog and good luck.

In closing, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Is it February already?

I can't believe how fast January went. 2012!!! When I was a kid, I imagined we would have flying cars like in the Jetsons, by the year 2012! (Well that ages me!)

I have been so busy the months of January and February. Just to give you a glimpse: I finished a quilt for Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting; hosted two groups at the St. Louis Star Inn, designed quilts for Timeless Treasures, P&B, and Hoffman; wrote a pattern; started working on the quilts I designed for Timeless Treasures; had three quilts published: McCall's Quilting, Quilter's Newsletter, and The Quilter, all of which I am selling kits for; had a clearance sale in my shop; wrote an article and free pattern for Onlinequiltmagazine (anyone can go and sign up for free monthly issues); AND FINISHED MY TAXES!!!

Rose de Provence featured in the Feb./March 2012 issue.

South Seas Sky featured in McCall's Quilting March/April 2012 issue.

Canterbury Table setting featured in The Quilter Feb./March 2012

Jasmine, free quilt pattern featured on the Onlinequiltmagazine February 2012 issue. 

Jody Anderson has a wonderful online web magazine. Be sure to check it out Jody Anderson's online quilt magazine at www.onlinequiltmagazine.com. She has lots of wonderful articles, free patterns, blocks of the month, and lots of other goodies.

Izumi Pond, free quilt pattern soon on Hoffman Fabric's website.

June/July 2012 future issue of Fons and Porter using the Patternista collection by Paula Nadelstern.

Whew! I'm exhausted. But I'm not finished yet. I still have to finish the two quilts for Timeless Treasures, start on the quilt for P&B, make quilts for Quilter's Newsletter special edition and The Quilter, and try to find time to make a block for the next Quiltmaker's 100 blocks, all by April 1. PLUS I will be hosting a group from Wichita, Kansas mid March and travel to Springfield, MO to present and teach to a guild at the end of March. There just are not enough hours in the day! If my husband didn't help me with the household things, I don't know what I would do. (I love you honey!)

I will be having a big celebration during the month of March on my website, Gateway Quilts n Stuff. Those of you that have visited there in March know that it is my birthday month and I have a huge special on my birthday which happens to be the last day of the month (31st).  So please stop by and say hi.

Well, I have GOT to get back to quilting. As always, do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Blog Hop Party continues

Congratulations to Bev! She won a copy of my book St. Louis Stars. She said she has lived in New England and loves my Autumn in New England Quilt. Bev, send me your information via my website and I will mail you my book.

For today and Friday I will give away some more fat quarters and patterns. Be sure to go to my website Gateway Quilts & Stuff to check out my patterns and sales and tell me your favorite fabric or pattern.

Good luck and thank you for participating. I hope all of the previous winners will be sure to contact me so I can send their prizes. Check on my previous posts to check if you are a winner.

As always, do what you love and love what you do.  Toby

Blog Hop Party days 3 and 4

I seem to have gotten behind in my posts! As usual there are not enough hours in the day!

So I need to pick winners from both Sunday (day 2) and Monday (day 3).

Sunday's winners are: Tina who loves my Liberty Square pattern so she wins it and Janet who said her favorite fabric was a Hoffman black pearl. So she wins a fat quarter of it! Ladies please contact me with your information so I can send you your prizes. You can do it on my contact me page so you can do it privately.

Monday's winners are: Laura who says she is a beginning quilter and would like anything to add to her stash. I will send her 2 fat quarters to build it up for her. If you have a preference, Laura to the colors please let me know. Sheila Marie is the second winner. She said she just moved to the St. Louis area (not too far from me) and really likes my St. Louis Star pattern. One is on the way. Don't forget to contact me.

Congrats to the winners!


For day 4 (Tuesday), please take a look at my gallery pages with the quilts in my book St. Louis Stars. Leave me a comment on which quilt you like the best and why and you might win a copy of my book!

Be sure to come back tomorrow to see if you are a winner.

Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Blog Hop party day 2

Continue to join me and over 200 other bloggers around the world in the Blog Hop Party sponsored by Quilting Gallery.

Such wonderful comments about my patterns. So yesterday's winner of a pattern is Michell. She is from New Zealand. I love how with the magic of the internet we can communicate with people all over the world! She said she loved my Natasha pattern so she will receive one.

Lisa said she loved all of my fabrics so she will receive fat quarters of the color of her choice. She is from my own state of Missouri.

Today I will be giving away more fat quarters and a pattern, so be sure to leave a comment about what you see on my website Gateway Quilts & Stuff and you may be a winner too!

Thanks to Michele for arranging it. It is wonderful to see how many people from around the world love to quilt just like me!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow to see if you are a winner and so I can get your information to mail your prize to you.

Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby