HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!!  I’m very excited to announce the release of  the new book I coauthored with my friend Sharyn Craig……Challenge Quilts. It should be arriving at your favorite quilt shop any time now…or, you can order it from my website.

The book is all about breaking out of your  creativity comfort zone and taking a challenge to create your own unique quilt. There are no precise recipes….just great ideas for getting started on making an original quilt.  The idea all began when  I was visiting Sharyn in San Diego and  took her a set of blocks to see what she could come up with. I call her “The Queen of Sets” because there’s nothing she likes better than starting with the blocks and creating a setting to bring them to life.

To make a long story short…. we had such a good time creating a quilt together with the blocks, we decided we HAD to make it a book. We’d toyed around with coauthoring a book before this, but decided we just didn’t have time, didn’t want the commitment etc. etc. etc. Well, that all went out the window when we got exicted about the challenge idea.

Basically,  in the book we’ve given you a specific block and a color scheme or  color idea for the block for eight different challenges….the rest is up to you! it’s your chance to “think out of the box” …..with a little help getting those creative juices flowing. We both felt it was a good jump start to our own creativity so we’re hoping you agree. I’m sure you will! We also invited other quilters to take the challenge…..and there are lots of their quilt photos as well. I think there are 55 quilt photos in the book ……plenty of inspiration.

Here’s a look at two of my quilts and two of Sharyn’s. We started with the same block and used a combination of hand-dyed or batik fabric with vintage-looking fabric in this challenge.. Now that might sound like an odd combination…..but we loved working with it. I discovered a whole new world of vintage looking fabrics out there that I had basically been ignoring for years!  Like I said, the challenge idea really got us thinking differently.

Here’s my quilt Raspberry Salsa….. probably on my own personal list of favorite quilts I’ve pieced over the years.

This is my other quilt for this challenge……Cinnamon Spice. I’m pretty crazy about this one too!

This one, Tequilla Sunrise, is Sharyn’s….all  four of them from the same basic block and designated fabric selections. Quite a difference, huh. That’s the fun of the challenge!

When Sharyn  finished this quilt for the same challenge….I totally fell in love with it. I loved the blended, same-tone look of it…which as you know…..is my favorite look. Sharyn, being the good friend that she is, named it for me  …This One’s for Pam….AND she gave it to me. It has a proud place in my living room and looks fabulous. I think of her each time I walk by it. What a nice bonus.

Isn’t it amazing how some of our quilts look very contemporary and the others have a very vintage look. It all depended on whether the batiks and hand-dyes or the vintage looking fabrics dominated. The possibilities are endless.

That was just a little taste to entice you…..believe me, there are many more great quilts in the book and I’ll show you more in posts to come. Right now….I’d better get on to the next task on my list. Don’t forget now….check out Challenge Quilts….”what if” ideas for color and design   by Sharyn Craig and Pamela Mostek.

 

Bon jour……after a wonderful family vacation to Paris, I’m home and back at work. You know the feeling…..it’s like you never REALLY had a vacation! Even though I’m buried in work, the trip was so delightful I don’t even care about the work….and that’s saying something. Those are my two daughters you see above with me….and a little Notre Dam Cathedral in the background!

My husband Bob and I and our family….our daughter Stacey and her husband Brian and their children Jared and Lauren, and our daughter Rachel, her husband Ben, and their children Josie and Brooklynn spent 10 wonderful days exploring the sights and the life in Paris. We rented a house and set out from there… and by the time we came home, we were all feeling (almost) like real Parisianers.  For us, it was a trip of a lifetime and it was a real joy to see the children discover a world so far from home. I think when you see Paris at age 8 (or 6, 7, or 10 as they are) you’ll probably be back!

Your’re going to have to indulge me on this post. You know, about once (or maybe twice) a year, I have to splurge with some family photos. I try to keep my blog pretty much professional and art related….but after all, it’s a trip to Paris! Since I’m soooooo far behind in work, I’m going to skip the words and introduce you to my beloved family……in Paris. Enjoy!

 

 

 

I could go on and on since I have lots of great photos…..but I think you get the idea. We had a great time….with memories to last forever.

Next time…. exciting news about a new book release this month! Keep checking! Thanks for indulging me!!!