The latest news from Patrick Lose

A taste of Fresco

2012-01-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

Fresco has been even more well-received than I had hoped and you may not have it in your area yet due to availability. If you can't find it at your local independent quilt shop, take a look at our web shop and build your stash with these new Roll Ups and Charm Squares. What a great way to add some color to your stash's palette in Brights, Lights and/or Darks :)

Happy New Year!!!

Cool new embroideries!

2011-12-02T14:32:00.007-07:00

Click on the photo for details and ordering info.


Click on the photo for details and ordering info

Embroidery SALE

2011-11-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check out the sale on my embroidery collections for Amazing Designs here!

Fresco now available!

2011-11-14T09:17:00.004-07:00

If you can't find my new "Fresco" collection in your local quilt shop, it's now available on our website! I've been having a great time making my first designs from it for Christmas of 2012 but you can get your hands on some for the projects you're working on for this holiday season. Scarlet and Parsley, shown here, are the ones I'm pairing for Christmas red and green. They look great with Amber as an accent. (Amber is the background color of the blog page right now.) Start building your stash palette, a little at a time, with a new texture that's great to have on hand for any of your quilting, sewing and craft projects.

2011-11-12T13:02:00.002-07:00

It's been super crazy and I've been away from home so much that I've really let the blog go. Sorry it's been so quiet here. I'll try to do better.

As you can see, I added "Fresco" to the background. I'm having so much fun using my new marbled/mottled texture (59 colors!!) in my new designs. And there are LOTS of them coming! I'm working on holiday stuff for 2012 and liking the new pieces so much that I wish we could still get them released for this year. But they'll be out early next year so you have plenty of time to make some new pieces for the holidays next year.

"Party with Patrick" is still going strong and even picking up steam. We're adding new shops and just got the first report from Quilter's Corner in Grand Junction, CO. It looks like they had a great first party. Take a look at the pics here. We're looking forward to lots more parties with them!

That's all for now because I'm itching to get to the studio to finish a new project I'm quilting. I'm sure you understand how that is ;-)

Have a great weekend!
Patrick

Cruise photos

2011-10-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

No time to write now but photos from our first Party with Patrick at Sea are posted here!Looks like a great time, huh? Well, there are more cruises to come!!

Our first "Party with Patrick at Sea" cruise!

2011-09-26T10:03:00.001-07:00

With everything that's going on right now (all GOOD), I could sure use a vacation. I rarely take them; opting to combine work with travel when it's possible. We often have classes or retreats in the areas we visit and I like that. It keeps me from getting bored being in one place for too long! I'm a bit of a workaholic but that's because I love what I do and like to be very hands-on with my business.

The perfect opportunity to combine work and pleasure came up last year and I jumped on it. I've never been on a cruise and wanted to give it a try. Ten days at sea could make me a little stir crazy so the perfect part of this opportunity is that I get to work a couple of those days teaching some quilters how to make a couple of my fall designs. We're taking Party with Patrick to sea and cruising the northeast coast from New England to Canada for a fall colors tour sponsored by The Yankee Quilter quilt shop with Quilt Retreat at Sea. It sounds ideal to me because I love New England AND fall. (It's hard to find any fall color in Phoenix except for the usual sage or tan.)

This all starts tomorrow morning when we get on a plane for Philadelphia where we're meeting our good friend, Ann, to spend a day with her before she takes us to the ship in New Jersey. I can't wait because we had such a great time with Ann last year around this time touring the autumn countryside, hitting some great shops and restaurants. (Don't miss this restaurants link. It's a GREAT place Ann took us last year and we MUST go back!)

I'm going to try take time for blogging about this trip a bit. I'm not the best at keeping up with any kind of social media but I'll definitely make a good effort to get some photos and highlights of the trip posted here for those who wish they could come along or would like to next time. We make it a point to have a good time wherever we go and I know that the group of quilters we're traveling with will guarantee that. So I hope I can capture some of it for you all here.

The ship sails on Thursday and, if I'm not a seasick mess, I promise to keep you posted!

Cheers,
Patrick

Quilting Celebrations Fall/Winter 2011!

2011-08-25T21:27:00.002-07:00

Here it is - the cover you'll want to be looking for at your favorite shop or newsstand beginning September 27th! Just look at the variety of projects offered in the Fall/Winter issue of Quilting Celebrations (click the photo for a larger view). If you'd like to see a few more sneak peeks of some of the projects, watch the slideshow on our website. And several of them have begun to be featured on Quilting Celebrations with Patrick Lose at QNNtv.com.

I hope you like what you see so far. I guarantee that you're gonna be busy quilting beginning at the end of September. What a great way to welcome autumn. :)

If your local shop isn't going to carry QC, you can pre-order here. Your copy will be shipped promptly on September 27th.

Cheers!
Patrick

Sassy Sunflowers

2011-08-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

More new sunflower machine embroideries are now available here. Sunflowers are great for late summer and throughout fall. But who says they have to be sunflowers? Color them as you wish and make whimsical flowers for all seasons!

More quilting and camaraderie :)

2011-08-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

Take a look at some of the photos from our events this week on the road, here. On to Adel Quilting tomorrow evening. Looking forward to it!

Having fun in Iowa!

2011-08-12T09:19:00.001-07:00

I expected no less. The events at Pine Needles and Common Threads were WONDERFUL and we made lots of new friends :)

Happy 7th Anniversary to Common Threads! Wishing you many more years of FUN and success :)

On to Centerville and the Material Girlz guild today and tomorrow and then Adel Quilting on Monday night...can't wait!

On the road....again :)

2011-08-08T10:48:00.007-07:00

We're on the road to Iowa again, even though all of the repairs on the Winnebago aren't finished from the last trip there back in June. Some of you may remember from my rant posts that we had a double blowout AND the retractable awning turned into a "sail" on the trip back in some high winds. It's okay, we're gonna be busy on this trip and won't get to use the RV as much as usual. We have 4 events scheduled - appearances and a couple of classes.

The first stop is Cedar Rapids and Pine Needles Sewing Center. We've been there before and LOVE it. If you have a chance to take the class on Wednesday the 10th, click here for information. This place is a true "destination shop". Plan a trip - even if you're not close by. It's worth it! We'd love to meet you there.

Next stop is another favorite shop, Common Threads in North Liberty. I hear there's gonna be Iowa sweet corn involved in this event so I had to sign up :) The pig in this post was designed especially for shop owner, Peg Griffin, and her gang of quilters for a table runner project. I can't wait to see you guys (and your pigs)!

After that is an appearance and class with the Material Girlz guild in Centerville. I don't have a website for them...sorry. We've never played with this bunch before but we already know we like 'em and are really looking forward to this event and meeting a new group of quilters and friends :)

The same goes for the appearance/trunk show at Adel Quilting & Dry Goods in Adel, Iowa on Monday night the 15th. We haven't had the opportunity to visit before but can't wait. We're actually gathering at the library and if you want information, you can contact the shop by visiting here. Wait til you see how cute this shop is in the photo on their website. It screams "Iowa" to me :)

Another thing that screams it is the Iowa State Fair and I wouldn't plan a trip home in August without a chance to attend. It's amazing! You should visit the website - if only to see the line-up of entertainment at The Grandstand....including Janet Jackson, Jason Aldean and Reba! If you're not into that, you can just eat your way through the massive grounds. If it can be put on a stick and/or deep fried, it's available (I don't even no what to say about "deep fried butter on a stick"). I might be persuaded to have a funnel cake (at least) ;-)

So that's my end-of-summer trip home to Iowa - filled with all the best things about it. We're only about 5 hours away now and I'm already anxious!

I hope you'll join us at any or all of the events above. We'd love to see you.

Cheers,

Patrick

Fresco!

2011-08-01T17:00:00.002-07:00

I'm so excited for you to see my new collection for Robert Kaufman Fabrics called Fresco! I've created another mottled texture for your stash-building and we're bringing it to you in 59 colors to start with.

Fresco has a more hand-painted look than any of the other marbled, mottled textures I've designed and we spent a LOT of time in the engraving and strike-off process to be sure that the pieces you find in your local quilt shop will look like the painting that left my studio only a few of months ago!

I hope you'll be as excited as I am to have another textural choice in your stash of blenders and basics. Whenever you want your finished pieces to have the look of hand-painted fabrics, I hope Fresco will be the fabric you turn to.

I'd love to hear what you think of it.

Cheers,

Patrick

Free pattern

2011-07-28T16:14:00.002-07:00

In case you don't have this one in your stash, we've added my free "Good Morning" place mat to the website. I made an appearance on America Sews with Sue Hausmann and this is what we worked on. We're always getting emails from folks saying they couldn't find it on their site so now you can find it on mine.

Enjoy!

Patrick

Time for a creative getaway?

2011-07-26T15:08:00.004-07:00

We're planning some true quilting celebrations at Patrick's Quilt & Create Studio for the upcoming year. Let us know what months are best for you to come to Phoenix, AZ, for a long weekend of quilting, CREATIVITY and camaraderie! If you've heard about our annual Dam Christmas Party, you won't want to miss our "home turf" retreats.

Quilt & Create Studio is Patrick's personal studio and home of his Quilting Celebrations with Patrick Lose show for QNNtv.com. It's also a great gathering place for all kinds of other creative activities and your group is welcome to hold your own retreats or guild meetings here, schedule permitting. We've had groups come for the day or evening for sew-ins and classes and love having the hustle and bustle of creativity here!

Post a comment, below, or contact Gary at gary@patricklose.net or 623-414-9464 if you'd like more information on upcoming retreats, classes and other events on the calendar at the studio. We also invite you to subscribe here and check all fields of interest that apply so you'll always receive the latest pertinent info.

Join the online party!

2011-07-09T10:58:00.006-07:00

We had a wonderful group of partiers, last year, for the online version of our popular "Party with Patrick" club and we're hoping you'll join us for year 2. Sign-ups have just begun and we're already looking at a FUN group.

Take a look here at what "Party with Patrick" offers online and, if you'd like to join us, it's a quick and easy process. For under 5.00 a month, you could be partying with us for a whole year!

Don't be a party pooper! Check it out :)

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T11:01:00.002-07:00

Hope you're all having a great July 4th weekend! Be safe and have FUN :)

Cheers

More Christmas-in-July :)

2011-07-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

We're in the process of turning some of my patterns into ePatterns for the website that you can order and have emailed to you in PDF format. Some of the first year Party with Patrick patterns are already available and, back in 2009, this was the party project for the month of July. Now, even if you don't have a Party with Patrick club that meets in your local quilt shop, you can join our gathering of hundreds of quilters across the U.S. and Canada for the "monthly celebration of quilting and camaraderie".

Each of the Party with Patrick ePatterns also includes the supplemental materials like recipes, blank recipe cards and stationery that you can print as many times as you like for your personal use. Best of all, you can choose to print only the pages you need and you can save the PDF file on your drive for future use. No more paper patterns swallowed up somewhere in your creative space! ;-)

Be sure to check back often for the new additions of patterns from my Patrick Lose Studios line, as well. Based on your comments, this is what you want. So we'll add new ePatterns as quick as we can.

Have a WONDERFUL July 4th weekend!! Be safe.

Cheers!

Christmas-in-July

2011-06-30T13:58:00.001-07:00

Get a sneak peek at the project that will be featured on the Christmas-in-July episode of "Quilting Celebrations with Patrick Lose". This episode will also feature one of the projects from the Fall/Winter 2011 issue of the magazine. I hope you'll join me for the fun beginning next week! :)

By the way, the pattern for this month's project is 15% off now. Get yours and join me on QNNtv.com!

Summery Sunflowers and more

2011-06-28T21:26:00.002-07:00

Have you checked out the latest machine embroidery designs available on the website? Stop by and see what's new...like this Summery Sunflower. There's an awful lot of new fabrics too, including my new Monochromatix and Kona Colorworks 2 collections for Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

I hope these offer some inspiration for your next projects!

I'm gonna be staying inside where it's COOL for awhile and working on some new designs :)

Cheers~

Monochromatix is here

2011-06-20T18:47:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to let you know that, if your local shop isn't carrying my new Monochromatix collection, you can get it all right here! There are 46 pieces, in all, in a beautiful range of brights, white-on-white and black and white prints.

Monochromatix is the kind of collection I need to have a lot of in my stash. The prints are perfect when you don't really want a solid but you don't want a multicolored fabric, either. They lend texture and interest without being overpowering.

Take a look and let me know what you think :)

More new fabric!

2011-06-17T10:08:00.004-07:00

Kona Colorworks 2 has been a long time in the works ensuring that we've got a new collection of the highest quality yarn-dyed fabrics for all of your quilting, fashion and crafting projects! It's now arriving in quilt shops and independent fabric retailers and you can see the whole collection, by color story, here.

Be sure to check out the holiday colors for all of your Christmas-in-July projects. They'll also be featured on the Christmas-in-July episode of Quilting Celebrations with Patrick Lose on QNNtv.com. We'll be making some great little gift card holders that double as Christmas tree ornaments for your holiday gift-giving.

Take a look and let me know what you think. I hope you like the latest!

Cheers ;-)

Luminescence available!

2011-05-28T10:17:00.006-07:00

Perfect for all of your patriotic quilts or for any piece needing a "fantasy" blender, Luminescence is now available on the website. Check out all of the colors here!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend :)

Coming in October....

2011-05-23T13:26:00.007-07:00

Do you have a Quick Response Code reader/scanner on your phone (it's a free app you MUST get if you don't have it already). QR codes are everywhere and it's fun to be taken around the internet by pointing your phone at one and scanning when you come across it in a magazine or poster or a piece of mail you receive. I recently scanned one in Newsweek magazine.

If you already have the capability to scan the one at left (you probably do) give it a shot and see what's coming in the fall. If you don't have the scanner app yet, download one today and don't miss out on all of the cool places of interest these QR codes will take you :)

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Back from Quilt Market

2011-05-19T16:44:00.003-07:00

The Spring/Summer issue of Quilting Celebrations is now available at your favorite quilt shop and on newsstands everywhere. If you can't find it near you, you can always order on our website by clicking the animation at the left.

It's full of lots of spring and summer quilting inspirations. I hope you'll share photos of any projects you make from the issue on our Quilting Celebrations Facebook page or in our media gallery for the Quilting Celebrations group at Quilters Club of America.

We've just returned from Quilt Market in Salt Lake City and it was GREAT! There's so much new stuff coming and I especially can't wait for you to see my new fabric collections from Robert Kaufman Fabrics. There will be at least 3 new collections this summer, alone. We'll have all of the new fabrics added to the website soon. So, if you can't find them at your favorite local shop, you can get them online at www.patricklose.com.

I'm looking forward to the weekend and I hope it brings you lots of time for creative endeavors!

Have fun :)

Join our community

2011-05-10T17:46:00.001-07:00

Here's the link to the Quilting Celebrations with Patrick Lose group at Quilters Club of America. We hope to see you there! Be sure that you enter the contest for a chance to win the entire roll of 90 x 40 Warm & Natural batting once you've joined the group!

This will be a great place for us to gather and discuss how we celebrate life's events, holidays and seasons through our quilting and creativity :) We'll also have quarterly contests and you'll have the chance to have your comments, recipes and tips printed in upcoming issues of Quilting Celebrations magazine.

Come and join the party!

Cheers :)

I've got a notion....

2011-05-06T20:15:00.005-07:00

We finished taping another four episodes of Quilting Celebrations with Patrick Lose last weekend and had a blast! Having a few "under our belts" made this round of tapings go even smoother than the first ones did. I want to thank all of you who have sent such nice comments on Facebook and in emails. I'm glad you're having fun right along with us. Be sure to visit the website from time to time so you're not missing out on any of the "extras".

I also want you to be aware of something new that we've developed just for those of you who want to know all the latest about Quilting Celebrations magazine and show. Starting next week, we'll have a new place, just for us, at Quilters Club of America.

It will be a great place for chatting with each other about our quilting and other creative endeavors and to share how we celebrate life's events, season's and holidays with our creativity! We'll also have fun quarterly contests. It's free to become a member and to create a user name and password to join the group. There are also options for paid memberships including a year's subscription to QNNtv.com (home of Quilting Celebrations with Patrick Lose). Many of you already belong so I just wanted to give you the heads-up that we'll all be able to gather there soon. We're hoping to "go live" next week.

Some BIG news - the winner of our first quarterly contest will be the proud owner of an entire roll of Warm & Natural batting - 90 x 40 valued at over 500.00 retail! I think it will be worth your while to join us at QuiltersClubOfAmerica.com.

Why is there a photo of a seam ripper (looking an awful lot like a scalpel) on my blog? Well, I have to say that visitors from all over to my Quilt & Create Studio in Phoenix have fallen in love with this particular one whenever I demonstrate how WONDERFUL it is - especially for those of us who do a lot of satin-stitching (and un-stitching!). Many have told their friends about them and some are having trouble finding them in their local shops. Well, if that's you, you can now find them on our website, along with a lot of my other favorite notions - especially for machine embroidery and machine embroidery applique. So, check out the new notions page!

To all of the "moms" out there - have a carefree and relaxing Mother's Day weekend. I hope you can find some time for your favorite creative pastime.

Be sure to watch the Facebook pages for information on the new community starting at QC of A. If you're not a member yet, you can go there and sign up for free so you'll already be one when we launch. I know we'll have a great time "partying" there.

Cheers!

We want to hear from you!

2011-04-20T19:06:00.008-07:00

It's hard to believe but, with the arrival of the Spring/Summer issue of Quilting Celebrations only a week or so away, we're hard at work on the Fall/Winter issue! Thankfully, all of the projects were designed in cooler weather because we're warming up fast and it's hard to design for the holidays in the heat of the desert. But, I'm working on some of the features and I'd like to hear your answer to this question;

Gift wrap or gift cards? I mean...do you buy/make gifts or rely on gift cards for your giving at the holidays?

Your answer may be published in the Fall/Winter issue so give this some though and let me know what you have to say on the subject! Post your answer as a comment here or go to the QC Facebook page and comment on the post there. One more thing - I'll need to hear from you within the next week if you'd like a chance a chance at being included.

Cheers!

Just Beachy!

2011-04-16T09:39:00.001-07:00

As the weather begins to warm up (we've already hit 100 degrees here in Phoenix!) it's time to start thinking about creative summertime projects.

Here's a new collection of embroidery designs that are "Just Beachy"! They're perfect for towels, t-shirts, napkins and placemats or even the 12" mini quilt I've designed for our Embroidery Club at my Quilt & Create Studio. The project sheet is a bonus included with your purchase of the embroidery files available here: http://www.patricklose.net/machine-embroidery.htm

I'm ready for a day at the beach - how about you?

"Pretty in Pinks" for Mother's Day

2011-04-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the project on this month's Quilting Celebrations with Patrick Lose and featured in the Spring/Summer issue of Quilting Celebrations, available May 3rd!

In the magazine, you'll get templates and instructions for creating the hand embroidered applique table topper. If you're a machine embroiderer, we offer the digitized files for machine embroidery applique here.

Make it either way and you'll have a wonderful gift for Mom or a great decoration for yourself!

Visit QuiltingCelebrations.com to keep up with all that's happening on the show and in the magazine.

Join us for the fun!

Fabric, anyone?

2011-04-05T12:07:00.003-07:00

Wanna see something CRAZY? Take a look at all of the new fabrics coming soon - including new yarn-dyed wovens, Kona Colorworks II. Then, imagine that this is only about half of what's coming in the next few months! WOO HOO!!!! I can't wait to get my hands on it :))))

I'd love to hear which one "speaks" to you the most. If you'd like to participate in our poll, click here.

Artwork for Applique

2011-03-20T14:06:00.007-07:00

For those of you who have been requesting some of my artwork as applique templates or line work for applique and redwork embroidery, we're beginning the slow process of making some of it available on the website. Most recently requested is "Patrick's Piggy" and it's now available here :)

These line drawings, some of which are already developed into actual templates for your use, are pieces of artwork that I haven't developed into actual quilting or embroidery patterns. There are no instructions available for projects - you receive only the artwork, in PDF format, for printing onto 8-1/2 x 11" paper using your own printer. All PDFs are delivered by email, to the address you provide at checkout.

"Patrick's Piggy" is a part of a custom-designed quilted table runner project for some friends in Iowa. When they posted photos of their finished runners on my Facebook pages, the requests began to come in from others who wanted the design for various projects of their own such as farm-themed quilts and barbecue aprons!

Maybe you'd like a cute pig on something you're creating?

May Flowers have arrived a bit early

2011-03-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

Visit www.patricklose.com for more information!

2011-03-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Wishing you the Luck o' the Irish

2011-03-09T16:22:00.000-07:00

In celebration of the debut of Patrick's new show on QNNtv.com, we're giving away a fat quarter bundle of Luminescence - his latest collection for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. That's 5.5 yards of fabric in a palette of 22 colors valued at 65.00!

If you're a subscriber to our email list, you're already entered in the drawing to win.

If not, all you have to do is follow these rules to subscribe:

1. Go to www.patricklose.com and click on "Subscribe" in the navigation bar at the top of the home page.
2. Complete the subscription form. Please check the areas of interest that apply. Enter the access code provided at the bottom of the page and click the "subscribe" button.
3. You will receive a confirmation email at the address you provided and you must open and confirm your subscription in the email. If not, you will not be subscribed or eligible for the drawing.

We'll draw the winner's name from the subscribers on March 31st!

Be sure to check out the promo for Quilting Celebrations with Patrick Lose. The first episode premiers Monday, March 14th!

Thanks for joining us and Good Luck.

Quilting Celebrations with Patrick Lose coming March 14!!

2011-03-03T13:56:00.001-07:00

Okay....so this is pretty exciting!

I hope you'll be there with us for the debut at QNNtv.com on March 14 :)

And I'd really appreciate it if you'd share this with your quilting friends and family!

Cheers~

Here's a look at Luminescence

2011-02-28T19:21:00.001-07:00

You can now see the entire collection of my newest print for Robert Kaufman Fabrics, Luminescence, on their website. Click on the samples there to get a larger view. Here's a St. Patrick's Day shade of Kelly. Imagine quilted Christmas projects using this print. It looks like a lit tree to me.

I'd love to hear what you think of it. I used it for a couple of patriotic projects in the upcoming Spring/Summer issue of Quilting Celebrations and I'll be posting a sneak peek of those for you soon!

Cheers :)

Wishing for spring?

2011-02-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

Have no fear - spring IS coming! Check out the springtime pattern offerings and the new machine embroidery designs on the website.

Speaking of the website - you can now access it at patricklose.net OR patricklose.com.

I hope it's warming up where you are.

Cheers,
Patrick

Lily's dress-up picnic

2011-02-05T14:34:00.004-07:00

This is about the cutest thing I ever heard of...Lily asked Lauryn to make an invitation for her to invite her family to a dress-up picnic in her room the other night. All of the ladies obliged and wore their finest. Lily was in heaven. Just a few minutes of preparation on everyone's part made her ecstatic. Toby made an appearance but didn't have proper attire so he couldn't stay...lol. It's so cool that you can make a child's dreams come true with so little effort if you just take the time.

An Irish Embrace

2011-02-04T10:20:00.001-07:00

Here's another new machine embroidery I've designed for St. Patrick's Day or every day if you love the traditional Irish Claddagh ring symbol.

In case you aren't familiar with it, the Claddagh ring is usually given as a token of love and loyalty or friendship and is often worn as a wedding ring.

I've added shamrocks to my design because I love them and, originally, to symbolize my parent's children - each shamrock leaf symbolizing one of my eight siblings and myself. But, I also wanted it to symbolize an Irish embrace.

I love my Irish heritage and having a St. Patrick's Day birthday. When your birthday is on St. Patrick's Day, it's like the whole world wants to celebrate with you :) That's why you'll always see some "Irish" in my designs around this time of year. I hope you like it!

Cheers :)

More Scribbles

2011-01-26T19:43:00.003-07:00

Guess what?! My Scribbles "Meander" collection is now posted in all 23 (!) colorways on the Robert Kaufman website. They'll be arriving in quilt shops soon and, from the emails we've gotten, I know there will be some happy quilters out there :)

Take a look and I hope you like this new group.

:)

And the survey says.....

2011-01-24T11:07:00.003-07:00

I'm hearing about all of the nasty arctic cold going on in so much of the country right now and feeling bad for all of you that don't live HERE in Phoenix where it's cool in a refreshing way! So, today is a good day to ask a new survey question for the next issue Quilting Celebrations;

What's your idea of the "Perfect Picnic"?

We want to know what you would bring, who you would bring, where you would go, and so on. Give us all of the details of the things that would make up a picture-perfect picnic.

Post your comments here and we'll collect them all and you may even see your response printed in the Spring/Summer issue that will be on newsstands May 3rd. So, go wrap yourself in a quilt and warm up thinking of the coming of spring and summer and picnic season and share your thoughts with us!

A whole lotta love!

2011-01-21T22:42:00.005-07:00

This is just one of 5 designs in my new collection of machine embroidery applique hearts. These scroll hearts can be stitched two ways - with running stitch details, as shown here, or with chain stitch detailing. Purchase the set, and you'll receive a total of 10 embroidery files for only 14.95.

You'll see a project featuring some of the hearts in the next issue of Quilting Celebrations on newsstands May 3rd. Get them now to have on hand when you pick up your copy!

Of course, they're perfect for Valentine's Day but hearts are useful motifs all year long. Take a look at the collection here and just think of all the things you could create with them :-)

Lucky Shamrock

2011-01-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this fun new machine applique embroidery design we've added to our offering here!

Whether you're irish every day or only on St. Patrick's Day, you'll love how easy it is to add a touch of green to your quilted and other creative projects. At approximately 3 x 3", it's the perfect size to add to towels, napkins, baby bibs for the little leprechauns and any other piece you can dream up. We embroidered it into blocks and made a square mini-quilt to hang and we'll get a pic of that to show you soon, also.

I hope you like my whimsical new shamrock design and all of the new embroideries we've been adding to the website. Go check them out!

Have a great weekend everyone :)

Luminescence

2011-01-15T10:15:00.002-07:00

Here's a link to a couple of scans of my new collection, Luminescence, that will be coming to quilt shops soon! I'll try to get more colors posted when I have the chance. I LOVE this group and I think you will, too!

If you're in Phoenix area, come visit me this afternoon and help with 3 Dudes Quilt Shop a Happy 2nd Anniversary! We'll be there from 2-4 p.m. and, besides all the great fabrics and quilting stuff you'll find, I'm sure you could score some of Frank's freshly-baked cookies!

Have a great Saturday :-)

MORE new fabrics coming

2011-01-06T11:04:00.003-07:00

The sample yardage of my new collection for Robert Kaufman, "Luminescence", just arrived. It was like opening a box full of colorful twinkling lights. I'll scan some to show you as soon as possible! :)

A challenging and exciting year ahead!

2011-01-02T13:46:00.003-07:00

It's a new year and I've hit the ground running. Those who know me well would say I'm always running and I do like living more uptempo than adagio but even I'm wondering about the pace at which 2011 is going to keep me. It's definitely going to be a challenge and that's always exciting so I'll embrace it and see where this year takes me.

The first place I know it's taking me for sure is to Boulder City, NV, this coming weekend to work with the "Boulder Babes" (perhaps you read about them in the first issue of Quilting Celebrations?). I haven't seen them since July of last year and I don't know if we've ever gone that long without spending time together in the last few years. We're going to be working on the projects that will be featured in the next issue of QC and I can't wait. I'm excited about making the new designs but even more about seeing my friends and catching up and all of the laughs that are a part of our times together. Seriously...it's like getting another big Christmas present :)

February will bring another exciting challenge and one that's been in the works for awhile so it will be great to see it come to fruition. We begin taping the first few episodes of my show for QNN-TV, Quilting Celebrations with Patrick Lose. It will be like bringing the magazine to life with some of my friends helping me to show you how to celebrate life's events, holidays, and seasons with quilting and camaraderie! If you're a member of Party with Patrick, you could be one of those friends. :) I hope you'll be a part of the show and magazine from the beginning by joining us on my Quilting Celebrations fan page on Facebook. I'll be giving sneak previews, asking for your input and offering surveys there and would love for you to participate. You may even see your comments in one of the issues! Toward the top of the page, now, is a question asking how you welcome the new year and we need answers so go visit us there and offer your two cents.

I've got a lot of design work beckoning so, even though it's a Sunday, I better get to it so that we have lots of fun things to work on in Boulder City with the "Babes" :) There's nothing like being creative with our friends and I hope 2011 offers you lots of time for that.

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011!

2011-01-01T09:54:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year to you and yours! Wishing you only the very best of everything and a happy, healthy and bountiful 2011 :-)

Cheers!

Rockin' Applique Alphabet

2010-12-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

Take a look at my new machine embroidery collection, Rockin' Applique Alphabet, now available on the website! This is a great lower case alphabet with a lot of "energy" for using on all of your embroidered and quilted projects. The collection would also make a great gift for any machine embroidery fan on your list.

We're always looking for alphabet collections to personalize things like baby and kid quilts or anytime we want to add text to our projects. They would also be great on some of your Party with Patrick projects. And the applique letters are super easy to stitch out, too.

Take a look at our machine embroidery page to see illustrations of the entire alphabet. I hope you like the collection.

Cheers!

Party with Patrick for six months!

2010-12-07T17:30:00.003-07:00

How would you like to join us for the second half of our first year of Party with Patrick Online? Come to the party and stay for six months - January through June - by becoming a member of the club here.

You can still choose the option of joining for the entire first year, if you'd like, and you'll get all of the project packets from July 2010 through June 0f 2011.

'Tis the season to party!

Cheers :-)

NEW COLORS!!!

2010-12-03T09:08:00.001-07:00

I've been telling you about all of the new colors coming for my Fizz and Dot-to-Dot collections for Robert Kaufman Fabrics and now you can see them all on the RKF website! (The ones to the right are just a sampling.)

Stop by and check them out and start dreaming of all of the wonderful things you're going to make with them when they hit your local quilt shops in January :)

You can see Fizz here and Dot-to-Dot here. I don't even want to get started on all of the other new fabrics coming very soon (because it would take too long to go into right now) but you won't believe how many there are. I'll start giving you some sneak peeks as soon as I have time to get some of them scanned.

Happy Friday! :-)

A lucky day for a fan!

2010-12-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

I was so looking forward to an uninterrupted, creative day at the studio. Ri-i-i-ight - First thing this morning, the fridge breaks down. We get a repairman...could just be a switch...blah, blah, blah. Pay him 50 bucks to tell us to trash it and get a new one. So, within an hour, I buy a new fridge, so that we don't also lose everything in the freezer. This couldn't have happened at another time of year, maybe?

Oh well...not my lucky day. But it is Dorothy Fry's lucky day because she is the winner of a signed copy of "A Patrick Lose Christmas" and a stack of Satinesque Stripe fat quarters!!! All that, just for being a fan on at least one of my fan pages. Congratulations to Dorothy and thanks to ALL of you for entering! Be on the lookout for more contests in the future only for fans ;-)

And, I hope your day is luckier than mine!

Machine Embroidery designs now available

2010-11-30T21:33:00.002-07:00

Check out some of the new machine embroidery designs now available on the website! They're easy to get to with new website navigation. Just click on Machine Embroidery in the menu!

This is only the beginning. We'll be offering lots more designs in the future and our machine embroidery club will also be offered online, soon.

We're very excited about all of the possibilities and we hope you are, too. You've been asking for my designs in machine embroidery and now they're here :)

Cheers!

Holiday Embroideries

2010-11-29T09:47:00.006-07:00

We launched our new Machine Embroidery Club this past weekend at my Quilt & Create Studio in Phoenix and had a great time. You've asked to be able to get the designs for yourself, even if you can't join us at the studio, and now you can!

My holiday designs translated beautifully into machine embroidery thanks to our digitizer, Susan. If you'd like to add them to your collection, take a look at what we have so far, here. I can promise many more in the coming months.

Just a little more holiday cheer :-)

Have a great day and don't forget our Cyber Monday sale.

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Cyber Monday savings

2010-11-28T18:44:00.001-07:00

We've started our Cyber Monday special a little early so head on over to the website for 20% off all patterns through tomorrow! What a great way to save on gifts for the quilters on your list this year.

Best of all, you won't get trampled trying to get them and we won't run out ;-)

I also wanted to let you know that, as you requested, I'm beginning to offer some of my artwork for redwork and hand embroidery. Take a look at the first one here. He's a familiar holiday character of mine just in time for some holiday handiwork. Hope you like it.

Happy Shopping!

Don't forget!

2010-11-24T09:53:00.002-07:00

We have a great giveaway drawing coming up and I wanted to remind you so that you get your name thrown into the hat - maybe twice!

All of the details are here so be sure to check it out, now, because tomorrow is your last chance (and you know how busy you'll be tomorrow).

This is just a little token to say we're thankful for YOU, our friends and "fans", and want you to know it :)

I hope your holiday preparations are in full swing and you're enjoying every minute of them.

Cheers!

Become a fan of Quilting Celebrations

2010-11-22T13:47:00.004-07:00

We've started a separate Facebook fan page for Quilting Celebrations so that you'll have a place to go to get the latest information on my new magazine for Fons & Porter.

Please stop by the page and "like" us so you can converse with other fans, share photos of your accomplishments from the projects offered, and participate in the surveys and recipe sharing that are a fun part of Quilting Celebrations.

Stop by now and become a fan by clicking the "Like" button. Here's a link to the page:

Quilting Celebrations fan page

Cheers!

Day 6 - Mistletoe Make & Bake

2010-11-20T13:36:00.007-07:00

I'm sorry my post is late today but, if you had any idea of how I've beaten every challenge with an internet connection in all of 7 states and Ontario, CA, over the past week during this blog hop, you'd understand! I've been on a 2 week long workshop/lecture/trunk show/book-signing tour in New England and Canada and just got home.

My first order of business after the plane landed back here in Phoenix was to go pick up the grandgirls for dinner and it was wonderful. I really missed them :(

This morning, I went to upload my post and, after looking at a few of the others, noticed that Vickie beat me to the Rolo Cookie recipe! I don't blame her. It's a good one. So, I had to rethink mine and remembered this recipe I got from the Betty Crocker site. I'm sure they'd appreciate my sharing it with you. It's a good one, even though I'm not a big almond fan. I think the key is in chopping them up into very small bits.

Here you go:

Chocolate Snowballs

In honor of the last day of the hop, I've posted my Sugar & Spice pattern in this entry. It's one of my best-selling patterns ever. If you'd like to try it out, you can get one here.

Be sure to visit these blogs for another couple of fun projects to make:

Vickie Eapen Spun Sugar Quilt

Melisa Morrison Sweet Home Quilt Company

I hope you've had a great time with the blog hop. I've really enjoyed your comments and emails!

Remember - you can also earn two entries into a drawing to win one of my books and a stack of fat quarters! Details here.

Happy Holidays!

Day 5 - Mistletoe Make & Bake

2010-11-19T06:20:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Nana Jo, who is the winner of the two patterns in my give-away on Wednesday. Please contact us (gary@patricklose.net) with your mailing address so that we can ship the patterns to you!

The one holiday tradition that must happen at my house is to get the tree up and ready to decorate by Thanksgiving night. Sometimes it's even decorated by then, but not always.

A newer part of that tradition that I'm loving is having my granddaughters help with the trimming. To me, Christmas wouldn't be the same without little ones around. Lauryn is getting pretty good at hanging the ornaments but Lily still needs a little guidance. Anna, born just a couple of months ago, will just watch in wonder at all of the lights and the glittering colors of the more than 500 ornaments I've collected over the years.

I can't remember where I got this recipe but it's becoming a new tradition at my house, too. I hope you like it.

Raspberry Ribbons

Be sure to visit today's featured bloggers/designers:

Roseann Kermes Rosebud's Cottage
Brenda Riddle Little Acorns

Remember - you can also earn two entries into a drawing to win one of my books and a stack of fat quarters! Details here.

Happy Friday!

Day 4 - Mistletoe Make & Bake

2010-11-18T00:01:00.012-07:00

Congratulations to Nana Jo, who is the winner of the two patterns in my give-away on Wednesday. Please contact us (gary@patricklose.net) with your mailing address so that we can ship the patterns to you!

I knew today's post would be the one for which I wouldn't be able to decide what to write. Our go-to holiday book? There are too many to single out just one. But Christmastime, a ridiculous look at the holiday season by Sandra Boynton, has to be one of them for me. I make sure I pack it up with my Christmas decorations when they come down every year just so it's there the next year when I start decorating and I don't forget to read it!

It's a really clever little book by a really talented artist and writer and I love it. She offers up her take on everything from Christmas carols ("Deck the malls with plastic holly....") to fruitcake (there's a whole chapter on it that makes me laugh harder every time I read it).

To top it off, it features a bunch of her wonderful illustrated characters worth a look in themselves. This is one you won't regret looking up, if you can find it.

And here's another recipe you won't regret trying out. This one's from my friend Barbara Geraldi:

Date Nut Balls

Be sure to visit today's featured bloggers/designers:

Julie Stewart Quilts 4 Julie

Lissa Alexander Moda Lissa

Remember - you can also earn two entries into a drawing to win one of my books and a stack of fat quarters! Details here.

Day 3 - Mistletoe Make & Bake

2010-11-17T00:01:00.083-07:00

We were asked today to share with you a "cocktail party conversation starter that allows you to avoid standing in the corner alone".

How's this - "I have stuff to give away!" :)

And today, I do.

There's a theme I'm sticking with for today's recipe and the project I've designed to share with you...SNOW!

My recipe is for a traditional holiday cookie that goes by lots of different names but I've always called them Snowballs. And my project is an easy-to-make set of coasters (or ornaments!) with 3 different snowflake motifs quilted onto them.

Click the link to download the recipe and the project instructions:

Snowballs and Snowflakes

Everyone who comments on my post today will be entered in a drawing to win the Christmas Card Caddy pattern, shown above, and my newest pattern, Peace. I'll announce the winner in Friday's post. If you like snow as much as I do, you might want to check out some of my other patterns, here. You'll see it's a recurring theme with me. Let it snow!

Be sure to visit today's other featured bloggers for more fun:

Celine Perkins

Kelly Ann Richardson

Would you also like to earn two entries into a drawing to win one of my books and a stack of fat quarters? Details here.

Day 2 - Mistletoe Make & Bake

2010-11-16T00:01:00.007-07:00

Thanks for all of the comments from those who visited yesterday! Today we were asked to share a holiday sanity saver with you (what’s the one thing you do or don’t do to get through the season?)

I try to keep stress to a minimum even though it seems impossible. Having a shopping list of gifts that have been "requested" can cause stress, especially if they're hard-to-find things.

When it comes to the kids on my list, it's fun to shop for and give them the things they've been wishing for. But for other gifts, I'd rather get family members or friends the things they might not think to ask for or things that they wouldn't expect but I know they'd like. That cuts down on the stress a bit, at least in the shopping department.

So, I guess my advice would be to not ask everyone on your list what they want for Christmas. Take some time to think about what would really surprise them or make them happy and go for it! Give presents that you WANT to give. It's a lot more fun. Just ask Rudolph ;-)

Here are a couple of recipes I'd like to give you! ~

Ginger Snaps with Pumpkin Fluff Dip

Be sure to visit tomorrow because I'll have a fun free project for you to make and use throughout the holiday season or give as a wintry gift. These bloggers have something special for you today:

Heidi Kaisand Hen and Chicks
Monique Dillard Open Gate

Cheers!

Day 1 - Mistletoe Make & Bake

2010-11-15T06:02:00.009-07:00

Yesterday, Gary and I had the pleasure of touring the Connecticut countryside and a lot of its wonderful shops with quilt shop owners Barbara and Cheryl from The Yankee Quilter in Oxford.

Many of the shops we visited and homes we oohed and aahed over had holly bushes in their lawn decor and I really liked seeing that. I've always loved holly and it's yearly reappearance as a symbol of this season. I was a little curious about the origins of holly being used in decorating for Christmas and did a little reading about it.

The shiny green of holly leaves in the winter and the fact that it bears fruit when everything else is dead or dormant made ancient peoples believe it had magical powers of healing. Holly was often used in the Ancient Roman celebration of the Saturnalia which was a festival held in honor of the god Saturn. Early celebrations of the Christmas holiday were based on Saturnalia. Among the Celts, holly also played a major role in summer and winter solstice observances.

Despite protests from Church Fathers, who regarded their use in decorations as too pagan, holly and other evergreens were adopted by common Christians as Christmas decorations in Roman times. In an effort to bring the pagans to Christianity, many of their symbols and traditions were eventually incorporated into Christian celebrations.

That's interesting enough but, honestly, I just like what it looks like. The deep green leaves and rich red berries of holly look beautiful in our contemporary Christmas decorations, too, and I often use holly in my own designs for the Christmas season.

That's a bit of trivia I thought I'd share and I also have a cookie recipe to share if you'd like to download it by clicking here:

Christmas Cheesecake Cookies If you like my Holly Jolly table toppers pattern, you can find it here.

Be sure to visit the blogs of the other designers/bakers who are participating in the blog hop and I hope your holiday season is off to a Holly Jolly start!

Sherri Falls This and That Pattern Co (featured blog today!)
Heidi Kaisand Hen and Chicks
Monique Dillard Open Gate
Celine Perkins Perkin's Drygood
Kelly Ann Richardson Kelly Ann's Quilting
Lissa Alexander Moda Lissa
Julie Stewart Quilts 4 Julie
Roseann Kermes Rosebud's Cottage
Brenda Riddle Little Acorns
Vickie Eapen Spun Sugar Quilts
Melisa Morrison Sweet Home Quilt Company

Mistletoe Make and Bake 2010

2010-11-14T16:57:00.016-07:00

Spending the past week in New England (and not in the Arizona desert) has sure gotten me in the mood for the holidays...just in the nick of time, huh?

This year, I wanted to be involved in something new and different and maybe start some new traditions so, when Roseann Kermes asked me if I'd like to be a part of a blog hop, I decided to give it a shot even though I know nothing about blog hops. To top it off, I'm on a teaching tour traveling from one small, quaint town to another. Small, quaint towns have not-so-dependable internet connections...or none at all in some of the places where we've visited. This worries me a bit, but I'm giving it a shot anyhow.

So, be sure to stop by the blog, tomorrow, for the start of the Mistletoe Make and Bake 2010 blog hop and visit all of the blogs, listed below, to get free cookie recipes and project ideas for the holidays. Each designer will offer a different cookie recipe for each day of the hop and, on their scheduled day, will also bring you a free project they've designed to help you with your holiday crafting and gift-giving!

Here's the lineup ~

Monday November 15

Sherri Falls This and That Pattern Co

Tuesday November 16

Heidi Kaisand Hen and Chicks
Monique Dillard Open Gate

Wednesday November 17

Celine Perkins Perkin's Drygood
Patrick Lose The Latest News from Patrick Lose
Kelly Ann Richardson Kelly Ann's Quilting

Thursday November 18

Lissa Alexander Moda Lissa
Julie Stewart Quilts 4 Julie

Friday November 19

Roseann Kermes Rosebud's Cottage
Brenda Riddle Little Acorns

Saturday November 20

Vickie Eapen Spun Sugar Quilts
Melisa Morrison Sweet Home Quilt Company

If you visit each of the twelve baking designers for all six days, you'll end up with 72 cookie recipes and that should be a good starting point for your holiday cookie baking. After you've had time to bake some of these or any other cookie recipes, you may ship a sampling of them to me at my Quilt & Create Studio for taste-testing ;-) 'Tis the season for giving....right?

You say you never win anything?

2010-11-06T20:47:00.004-07:00

Here's a chance to change that! We just announced a new contest and you can easily get yourself a couple of entries into the drawing.

Click here for details and follow the simple process of becoming fans on my Facebook pages for your chance(s) to win a great holiday prize.

Good luck ;-)

2010-10-28T12:19:00.006-07:00

After receiving an apology and a promise to look into it further from the Publisher of McCall's Quick Quilts, I decided to remove the post concerning the copyright infringement. But I do want to say thanks to everyone for all of the support and understanding of a huge problem in this industry.

I mostly wanted to bring this to light and that's been done so, unless there are further issues regarding this, I'd like to just move on.

Thanks, everyone!! It's nice to see people in support of doing the right thing :)

Thank you

2010-10-22T14:11:00.005-07:00

I got some great news from Quilting Celebrations publisher, Kristi Loeffelholz, today regarding initial reports on sales of the magazine and they are, as she put it, "GREAT"! In fact, they're right up there with Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting and Easy Quilts! Now that's some great company to be keeping :)

Thanks to all of you for your support and, if QC continues to do well, I'll be able to bring it to you on a regular basis. So, please tell all of your quilting and creative friends to get their copy before it's gone from their local retailer. It's also available on our website.

Quilting Celebrations is on newsstands through December 20th.

We'll be having a little celebration tonight at our Area 51/UFO night at the studio! Join us if you're a Phoenix local. :)

Have a great weekend, everyone, and I hope it includes some quilting and creating!

Cowboy Up!

2010-10-18T08:19:00.004-07:00

Another friend stopped by on Saturday with a baby quilt of her own. Sharon made this quilt using an older collection of my fabric from Timeless Treasures featuring a little cowboy in a not-so-wild-west theme. I think she did a great job combining all of the prints of cowboy boots, ropes, horseshoes and branding irons with coordinating blenders and a great Satinesque Stripe binding. You can click the pic for a closer look.

Nice job, Sharon, and thanks for sharing your finished quilt with us. I love seeing what my fabric designs become later in life ;-)

Cheers!

A Walk in the Woods...baby-sized!

2010-10-16T13:00:00.002-07:00

Look what our friend, Nora brought in for show and tell. She adapted my A Walk in the Woods quilt from Quilting Celebrations into a baby quilt for her great, great niece who will have a jungle-themed nursery! I think she did a beautiful job. I believe she said it only took a fat quarter of each color except for the black. Pretty economical, too :)))

Have you completed any of the projects offered in the magazine? We'd love to see your photos, too!

Hope you're having a great weekend.

Bit by bit...

2010-10-11T09:20:00.009-07:00

Here are a couple of photos to give you an update on the studio move. There's still a long way to go but doesn't his look like an inviting place to go to a class or be on retreat? Of course, it will look better when I get some colorful quilts on the walls :)

I'm off to move some more stuff in and start unpacking boxes (my least favorite part). Our first Quilt Cafe should be right on schedule for Wednesday morning. If you're local and want to join us, be sure to call 623-414-9464 to reserve your spot.

Have a great Monday!

Save on Halloween and fat quarters -

2010-10-10T10:59:00.004-07:00

Halloween patterns and hangers are 10% off and the 24 color fat quarter bundle of Satinesque Stripe is $10.00 off!

Picture the Quilting Celebrations projects, A Walk in the Woods and Star of Wonder in Satinesque Stripe...or Satinesque...or Dot-to-Dot ;-)

Take a look at it all at www.patricklose.net!

Hope you're having a great autumn weekend.

A true friend :-)

2010-10-09T09:11:00.014-07:00

Can I just say how much fun it was to see this at the local Hobby Lobby last night? Prime real estate. They put it top and center of the rack in the FRONT of the store and it caught my eye, as though I had never seen it before, when I walked into the store!

Part of what is so fun about it is knowing that my friends who helped me put Quilting Celebrations together are getting to see it, too. I know it's just as much fun for them to see their names in print and show off their work to their families and friends and that the magazine is a great souvenir of the time we spent together cranking out the projects.

On that note, I have to say how upset I am by the fact that one of those names was left out, accidentally. If you read the article I wrote in QC titled Quilting and Camaraderie, you'll know that a very talented group of my friends in Boulder City, NV worked with me on the quilted pieces featured in the issue.

It takes a lot of work to round up all of those people and coordinate everything a few hundred miles away from my studio. We wouldn't have been able to efficiently do that if it wasn't for my great friend and creative talent, Jan Urioste. When I was writing that article, I asked Jan if she could email me a list of all of the "Boulder City Babes" who helped so that I could include them in thanks. When I got her response, I copied and pasted the list of names into my story, not thinking about the fact that she may not have included her own name.

A couple of rounds into the proofreading (including Jan's own) I realized her name was missing and changed the article in Word and sent it off with some other corrections. Somehow, it was overlooked. Jan's name didn't make it into the printed story and, when I found out, I was truly devastated. We spent hours and hours proofing and it still got by us. Jan spent hours and hours of her already limited spare time helping us to create something she should be so proud of and didn't get the same recognition as the rest of the gang.

So I had to write this and share it with you because I want you all to know how much this wonderful friend of mine means to me and how I could never have brought you Quilting Celebrations without her talents and assistance and, mostly, her friendship. There were many times that I turned to her for her thoughts and opinions on what I was creating and she was there for me, with her support and constructive criticism, every time I needed her. Friends joke about the fact that we must be twins who were separated at birth. All kidding aside, Jan and I know there's some bit of truth in that as we're well aware of the fact that we are kindred spirits of sorts.

And what I love most of all about working with Jan is her sense of humor. We laugh to the point of being ridiculous. Here's what she said when I called to apologize for the oversight and told her how upset I was...."Well, get over it!". That was it (that's fit to print, anyway). And that's just another reason why I love her :-)

Thank you SO much, Jan, for all of your help. I couldn't have done it without you - and wouldn't have wanted to.

Q: Why did the designer cross the road?

2010-10-05T20:10:00.021-07:00

A: To move into a bigger and better Quilt & Create Studio :-)

It's hard enough to believe that we've only been in our current studio location since May and we're already moving into a bigger and better place. But it's even harder to believe that we only decided to move less than a month ago and have already found the perfect spot....just across the street! To top it off, the new landlord knew we wanted to get in right away and so they began work last week and will be ready for us to move in at the end of this week , after building a kitchenette, installing new tile and carpet, repainting, and some remodeling of the walls.

I don't want to give the whole thing away yet but I'm excited and confident that our current and new customers and friends will feel right at home in this new space. They'll have two and a half times the amount of space that's in our current location to hang out with us and quilt and create. And, because hanging out with friends is always better when it involves food, we'll have a kitchen in which to prepare and serve it instead of the lone microwave on top of the refrigerator in the back room ;-) Now, even our vertically challenged friends can make popcorn or heat up a snack!

The tile and carpet go in tomorrow and then there are just a few finishing touches to attend to before beginning the task of hauling all that we've accumulated since May to the other side of 32nd Street. Best of all, we'll still be close to Quiltz, the quilt shop we've had the pleasure of being next door to in our current location.

Until we get the place just the way we like it, I thought I'd share some pics here of the space as it was just this morning. The full reveal will come soon. I hope you have a chance to visit us here when it's all finished and ready to welcome you.

New pattern!

2010-10-05T12:15:00.007-07:00

My latest pattern, "peace", is now available!

A cat and a cardinal celebrate the season, peacefully, in this 15 x 25" applique banner. It's the perfect welcome to your winter guests.

We also offer some great hangers for displaying it on the website, so take a look.

Check out my patterns and fabrics in your local shop and, if you can't find them there, visit www.patricklose.net.

I hope you like "peace" :)

Now available!

2010-10-03T10:11:00.004-07:00

For those who've been waiting, Patrick Lose's Christmas Cheer is available a little earlier than we expected. It's a really fun collection of embroidery designs - great for whipping up some holiday-themed home decor or stitching out some gifts for those on your list this year. It's never to early to get started!

To get an up-close view of the collection or to place your order, click here :)

Party with Patrick embroidery

2010-10-01T15:33:00.009-07:00

Last month, our Party with Patrick member shops got a surprise with their September party packets. We had the "Ghoulish Grins" project appliques digitized for machine embroidery applique. The embroidery files were offered to those who wanted them as a free sample and we heard great things about the quality of the digitizing and how much fun it was to let the machine do the hard part!

So, since you loved having the choice of doing machine embroidery applique, we will now be selling the digitized embroidery files for your Party with Patrick projects like the new embroidery applique (pictured here) for October's project. Of course, the party projects will be the same as always, but you now have the option of letting your machine do the embroidery and satin stitching. You're under no obligation to purchase the embroideries to be able to complete the project. This is just something new and fun that we've developed for you. And it opens up many more possibilities and the promise of a new Patrick Lose embroidery club in the future (like you didn't already see that coming...).

If you're a PWP member and you'd like to order your October embroidery file for 9.95 USD, email Gary (gary@patricklose.net) for more information. The files are delivered to you by email and it's very easy to get yours right away.

Let us know what you think of this new facet to the Party with Patrick club. I hope you're as excited about the possibilities as we are.

Cheers :-)

Keep those cards and letters coming ;-)

2010-09-30T12:21:00.004-07:00

I've spent a good part of the morning reading your emails and comments here and on the Facebook pages about Quilting Celebrations. It's been a wonderful morning to hear how much fun you're having with it. Some of you have already finished projects from it (I'm impressed!). That's what I want to hear - that it's a magazine you'll actually read and USE! Has anyone out there made one of the recipes yet? I'd love to hear from you, too.

Please be sure to also copy your comments and make them known to Fons & Porter. After all, it's the tean there that needs to know if you want to see Quilting Celebrations become a regular thing. How would you like to have it come to you 4-6 times/year? I'd love to be able to bring it to you, and so would the great people who helped me with this issue.

So please contact F&P and post your comments here as well: http://www.facebook.com/FonsandPorter?v=wall&story_fbid=154124114618285#!/FonsandPorter.

Thanks so much for your support and interest in what I do. I have a blast and want to include you all in the fun!

Keep the comments coming as we celebrate quilting.

Cheers! :)

Christmas Cheer

2010-09-29T10:58:00.003-07:00

Good news...I thought my holiday embroidery collection wasn't going to be available for a couple of weeks but I was wrong. Christmas Cheer is available now! See the post below for more info and, if you'd like to order, here's a link.

I hope you like it! :)

Christmas Cheer

2010-09-27T17:27:00.004-07:00

Here's a peek at my upcoming machine embroidery collection, Patrick Lose's Christmas Cheer. I don't have all of the details yet but this one should ship in October. You've been asking for them and I'm really excited to be able to bring you some new embroideries for the holidays.

Check back for more details or watch the website. We'll post the info as soon as we have it.

Click here for a larger image of the designs included in the collection.

Come see us in Houston!

2010-09-27T08:55:00.007-07:00

After several emails this morning from shop owners/customers asking why we wouldn't be attending Quilt Market in Houston we did some checking and, lo and behold, Patrick Lose Studios is not listed as an exhibitor. The fact is, we have taken a booth in the Robert Kaufman Fabrics grouping and, although we were assured we would still be listed separately as a vendor, it didn't happen.

I'm sorry for the confusion this has caused and, no doubt, will continue to cause but it's out of our control.

Not the best way to start a Monday..... :-(

Happy Friday :)

2010-09-24T12:37:00.006-07:00

I can't believe what the FedEx guy just dropped off. I had no idea it was coming so soon but here's a little peek in the box. It's the sample yardage of my Scribbles "Meander" collection for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. What a GREAT surprise and a perfect end to the work week.

I thought you might enjoy a look at what's coming to your favorite quilt shop in the near future. Click on the photos for a more up-close-and-personal look.

More details to come. I hope your Friday is happy, too! :)

Party with Patrick at Sea

2010-09-16T17:32:00.010-07:00

The first 3 Party with Patrick at Sea cruises have been announced and you can find preliminary information here. I hope you're able to join us as we take the quilting and camaraderie to the high seas.

The page will be updated with information as it becomes available so check back from time to time.

Cheers!

This just in...

2010-09-14T21:12:00.004-07:00

Quilting Celebrations! Yep, I have the real thing in my hands and I'm awfully proud of it and the crew that helped me bring it to you. It's been a long time in the making but it was worth it. I hope you think so, too!

More to come....

A whole new Party venue!

2010-09-02T11:29:00.006-07:00

How would you like to join us to Party with Patrick on the high seas? We're dreaming up a few cruises for 2011 and would love to know where you'd like to go with Gary and me and a whole bunch of other quilting friends, old and new. It's quilting and camaraderie taken to a whole new level.

As details become available, we'll be posting them here and on the website under "Party with Patrick!". Info will also be available on the PWP Facebook page and my personal fan page. Stay tuned for the latest on this exciting new endeavor for all of us. What could be better than a wonderful cruise vacation to exotic places? Including quilting and partying time on the agenda!

I hope you'll join us on one of our adventures :)

Vintage Notions

2010-08-31T11:38:00.006-07:00

My good friend, Amy Barickman, has done it again. Her new book, Amy Barickman's Vintage Notions, was recently released and, as with everything she does, Amy has given her all to this project. I love what I've seen so far. My copy is on its way and I can't wait to get it. This is a book I'll actually read because I know Amy has gathered together a really wonderful collection of inspirations from the past, which always get my creative juices flowing.

Please take some time to visit Amy's blog and let her tell you all about the book as only she can. Her passion for it is infectious and I know you'll love hearing what she has to say. Be sure to pick up a copy for yourself. This is one of those books that will inspire generation after generation of creative folks like us!

Quilting Celebrations cover revealed!

2010-08-12T10:44:00.005-07:00

I know I've been a tease - only showing you little bits of projects from Quilting Celebrations. But I was sworn to secrecy.

No more! I'm really happy to be able to finally show you the full cover of QC and let you see some of the projects that will be included and give you a taste of the "party" I hope to bring you.

So, here it is. You can click on the cover to get an enlarged view. I sure hope you like it and that it gets the creative juices flowing. There are 18 projects included and they offer something for everyone.

I hope you'll request it at your local quilt shop. Tell them they can get the ordering information on my blog, in the post below.

So, what do you think? Does it look like a celebration you'd like to be a part of? I hope so. We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers!

More ordering info

2010-08-12T10:10:00.003-07:00

I hear that some shop owners have had problems reaching someone at the number provided for ordering Quilting Celebrations. Here are some more names and numbers that might help:

LaRita Godfrey 801-816-8410

Claudia Mann 801-816-8366

Becky Cude 801-816-8393

LaRita assures me that, even though they are on the phone a lot, they will get back to you if you leave a message. From what she told us, Quilting Celebrations is already selling well (in her words it's HOT) and they're very excited about it. Thanks so much for your support of this new endeavor for me/US.

I just got the exciting news from my Art Director, Tony, that the magazine is on it's way to production and, for real, you'll see it in September! Now I can take a deep breath and move on to the next bit of fun. I hope you're along for the ride :)

Cheers~

Happy Halloween ships September 1st!

2010-08-11T11:19:00.004-07:00

For those who have been asking, you can now place your orders for the September 1st shipping of my Happy Halloween embroidery collection. Do it soon and you'll receive a 10% discount off of the manufacturer's suggested retail price. This is a limited time offer.

Order now at www.patricklose.net or by calling 623-414-9464. Get those Halloween projects started!

Happy Halloween embroidery!

2010-08-10T17:01:00.002-07:00

No more sneak peeks - I can finally show you the entire Happy Halloween embroidery collection and, within the next day or so, you'll be able to place your orders for September 1st shipping! Click on the photo to enlarge and then visit my website for more details.

I hope you like this one as much as I do. I can't wait to see what wonderful things you'll make using the designs. I'd love to hear what you think.

Cheers!

New kid on the block

2010-08-07T09:13:00.007-07:00

We've been posting on the Facebook pages and tweeting about the fact that my 3 existing Scribbles prints for Robert Kaufman are going away (except for a select few of the colorways) to make room for my newest Scribbles print, Meander. Well, it's time I let the cat out of the bag and show you why I'm so excited to bring you this new "textural" print for discriminating quilters ;-)

Meander is scheduled for a mid-November release but you'll be seeing more of it well before then when I get my hands on some of the sample yardage to use in new projects. It has that same "shadowed line-work" effect as its predecessors and, in my opinion, the mottling of the ground and the shadows have really been perfected in this new print. I can't wait to see the sense of depth it will bring to quilted pieces. Best of all, there's a beautiful range of 23 colors to start. Here's a sampling of a summery spectrum. Keep your eyes out here and on Facebook for the latest info on it's upcoming release.

In addition, we're adding 9 new colors to each of the Fizz and Dot-to-Dot collections! I'm ecstatic about this because I've been missing some of the new colors when I go to pick fabrics for new projects. I've taken your suggestions into consideration when selecting the new palette so I hope you'll like what's coming in October.

That's all for now. It's Quilt Cafe at the studio this morning and I'm loving it. If you're in Phoenix, come join us!

Halloween embroidery

2010-08-04T09:22:00.005-07:00

With all of the hustle and bustle going on around here over getting the Winter issue of Quilting Celebrations out the door, I keep forgetting to give you peeks of other things going on.

I'm really excited about my new embroidery collections coming soon from Amazing Designs. I've been getting the stitch-outs/proofs a little at a time and the quality of the digitizing is wonderful! There's going to be instructions for a bonus project on the CD and I wanted you to get the first look at it.

Here's a pic of the mini banner I designed using two of the designs from the collection (you can click the image to enlarge). It's a great little project to complete in an evening and its manageable size and a fun hanger make it easy to find a place for it to be displayed when you're finished making it.

The jack-o'-lantern is a motif from my "Boo to You!" pattern and is applique embroidery which is super popular right now. I chose my Satinesque Stripe, in orange, for the pumpkin and it worked perfectly. In black, the same print is great for the borders and binding. The candy corn motif is perfect for the corner blocks or for scattering all over your other embroidered Halloween pieces.

I'll have more to show you soon from this Halloween collection but there's also a Christmas collection coming. So, those of you who have been waiting so long for new designs from me will have lots of new embroideries to choose from. Be watching my website to get yours as soon as they're available! I believe the Halloween collection comes out at the end of this month :)

The drawing board is calling me so that's all for now. I hope all is well with you.

Cheers!

PWP Online!

2010-07-23T12:12:00.004-07:00

Good news ~ Party with Patrick Online 1.0 (year one) is available to join on my website FINALLY! It took a long time to work out the bugs of setting up an online club but I know it will be worth it to bring the party to more of you.

The first quilter to join is John from Ohio and he gets a party gift for early arrival of a fat quarter pack of "Glitzmas" from Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Congrats and thanks to you, John. I hope you like the fabric and the first "party packet" from Party with Patrick Online 1.0.

Thanks to everyone for your patience as we worked to get the club online. I really appreciate your support of what I do and I hope this is a long and FUN party for us all! I'm happy to say that everyone can join us now, even if you don't have a local quilt shop that's participating. If you do have a local partying shop, remember that you can join there also because they're on year two now. The projects are completely different!

So, if you haven't joined yet, click here, put on your party hat, and celebrate quilting and camaraderie with us and get a "monthly dose of Patrick Lose"! ;-)

Cheers, all ~

Boo to You now available

2010-07-14T12:02:00.003-07:00

My new pattern, Boo to You! is now available. Take a look here if you'd like to see or order it and the hanger I designed to coordinate.

This pattern includes full size templates and easy-to-follow instructions for creating a 15 x 30" appliqued door banner or wall hanging and a 12" scalloped round candle mat.

It's not too early to be getting your Halloween and autumn quilting done!

I hope you like it :)

But, first, a peek at embroideries!

2010-07-13T10:12:00.008-07:00

I thought I'd be able to give you the sneak preview of my new Scribbles print for Robert Kaufman Fabrics, first, but this just came in and I wanted to share it with you right away.

Remember the sneak peek I gave you on Facebook of the artwork in this photo? Well, this is the first actual stitch-out of the design. Pretty cool, huh? This one's an applique design and the background fabric is my Fizz! By the way, you can stop calling me a tease now because I'm showing you the entire design. I think it would be fun on something like a trick or treat bag or a kitchen towel or an apron but I'm sure all of you embroiders out there could find a bunch of inventive uses for it. I think the stitched design is actually about 7" wide (?) so it's not puny. I hope you like it and I promise I'll get that new print posted for you to take a look at, too.

We'll be spending the rest of the day putting the finishing touches on this year's Dam Christmas Party retreat at the Boulder Dam Hotel in Boulder City, NV. I can't wait to spend time on holiday quilting with old friends and new there later in the week. I'm sure it will be just as full of laughs and great memories as last year :)))

Have a great day, all!

Out with the old and in with the NEW

2010-07-11T15:22:00.002-07:00

Be watching for a preview of my newest print for my Mixmasters Scribbles line for Robert Kaufman, soon. The existing Scribbles prints are being phased out to make room for the new so get 'em while you can here!

Another tease

2010-07-03T08:01:00.003-07:00

I promised another peek at Quilting Celebrations and here's a little taste of autumn. Since it's July 4th weekend, though, it's just a little taste because it's time to celebrate SUMMER! If you want to see a bit more, take a look at the slide show on my website and you'll get another glimpse.

What I love about this piece is the quilting by uber-talented long arm quilter, Jessica Jones. She quilted several pieces in this premier issue and I can't wait for you to see more of her work.

I'm off to enjoy more of this beautiful Iowa summer. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather on this trip but the forecast calls for more rain and storms starting tomorrow and lasting a few days, at least. Sounds like July of 1993. That's worrisome considering the already flooding rivers. Having gone through the Great Floods of '93 here in Des Moines, I sure hope the rains are minimal here. We're back on the road on Monday so we shouldn't have to deal with too much of it.

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL holiday weekend!

Making memories

2010-07-02T07:35:00.005-07:00

Here's another peek at a portion of one of the embroidery designs from my Christmas collection for Amazing Designs. Hint: If you have my book "A Patrick Lose Christmas" you can see the whole image :-) This will be an applique embroidery, I believe. It's also one of my personal favorite Christmastime illustrations.

I'm going to try to get another peek from Quilting Celebrations posted soon. I got print-outs of the page layouts Tony has designed so far and I couldn't be happier. It's like a "party on paper"! The colors and layouts are so full of life and I know you're gonna love the look of this new magazine.

We're still on the road with my daughter, Katie, and my granddaughters and the time with them has been wonderful. A highlight was our trip to the beautiful Winterset City Park in Winterset, Iowa (thanks for the suggestion Jeanne and Tony!). Lily and Lauryn had a blast going through the "hedge maze" and climbing the tower to look out over Madison County - home of the covered bridges. Another wonderful time was taking Lily to Toy Story 3. What a great movie! Lily was actually crying "No! No!" at the screen at one point but I won't say anything more so I don't spoil it if you haven't seen it yet. Go see it :)

Gotta run...more fun coming today with the girls. Talk to you soon and be on the lookout for the QC sneak peek coming soon ;-)

Cheers -

Another winner :)

2010-06-24T11:57:00.004-07:00

Congratulations to Leslie McSorley who's won the pack of 4 fat quarters in our contest! If you're reading this, Leslie, please email Gary with your shipping address. His email is gary@patricklose.net. We've also sent you an email.

Thanks to all who visited the new website and commented and keep an eye out for future giveaways!

Summer Sun

2010-06-24T10:44:00.005-07:00

The July/August issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting features my "Sunny Trio" wall hanging design with a sunflower theme on page 46. It's on newsstands now if you want to take a look!
With some easy-to-figure adjustments to the instructions, this design also makes a great table runner for your summer picnics...indoors or out! Just add as many of the blocks as you'd like to fit your table.

This is a great Party-with-Patrick-style project and very stash-friendly. Or there's even a kit available from F&P.

Hope you like it :)

Random sneak peek

2010-06-22T11:58:00.003-07:00

Here's a portion of a design that I hope makes the cut in the new embroidery collection ;)

I had so many ideas for this one that I think I could do two or three Christmas collections!