Half-Day class

I just returned from a delightful trip to the Lighthouse Quilters Guild in Grand Haven, MI. It was a fun-packed few days. We started off with a half-day class on Mariner’s Compass Stars. Here one student proudly shows off her completed top. Everyone was delighted to see how easily these blocks could be made.

Perfect Points class

Day Two was the Perfect Points class. This class features one block from the 300 Paper-Pieced Quilt Blocks book. The students begin by choosing their fabrics, cutting and assembly-line sewing their blocks. Everyone loved their “Perfect Points”.

Bobbie Kruggink is loving her block.

On day three we were on to the Fire & Ice quilt from the Mariner’s Compass Stars book. I think everyone was thrilled with their blocks and were well on their way to having a completed quilt.

Nansi's completed top

One student, Nansi, even completed the entire top. Guess we could call this a quilt in one day! It turned out super!

A very proud grandmother!!!

During the guild meeting, after my lecture was presented, we were all treated to the Show and Tell portion. One member displayed a quilt that her granddaughter had made just for her. Kendra Merritt used the China block from the Mariner’s Compass Stars book and used it in the “Diamond Delight” setting. It was stunning and a real treasure for her grandmother. I was told this was her first quilt and I have to tell you, I was so impressed on two fronts. One that she had made such a gorgeous quilt as a new quilter and secondly that she knew just how to touch her grandmother’s heart.

Way to go Kendra!

Until next time, may all your points be perfect!

Carol

I just returned from teaching at the North Carolina Quilt Symposium. It was held at Peace College in Raleigh. There was an amazing line up of teachers at this event and we found ourselves enjoying dorm life together.

The organizers of this event did an amazing job putting all the pieces together. We were welcomed in our rooms by hand made quilts that made us all feel right at home.

John Flynn

Now back when I was in college (in the dark ages), we didn’t have coed dorms. So it was fun to have John in our dorm.

Rachel Clark

Rachel Clark from California was there. Rachel and I actually roomed together a few years back in Louisiana so it was nice to see her again.

Larkin Jean Van Horn

Larkin was there from Washington. I had not spent too much time prior to this event with Larkin, so I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know her better.

Hollis Chatelain

Hollis only lives about 40 minutes away. She drove in from her home and we had lots of time to catch up during our evening dorm visits.

Sue Nichols

Speaking of evening dorm visits, one night we gathered in Becky Goldsmith’s room and laughed until we cried. Boy, it did remind me of those good old dorm days, but I had a new sorority of friends.

Becky Goldsmith

I wasn’t able to snap everyone’s picture (or just didn’t think of it), but I did catch Elly Sienkiewicz.

Elly Sienkiewicz

She is always smiling.

Charlotte Warr Andersen

I thought when I began snapping pictures, I would write about visiting with friends in North Carolina for this blog.

Debby Caffrey

But as I downloaded the photos, I realized that all the pictures I took of my friends revealed they were either laughing or smiling.

And then it hit me, we simply enjoy what we do and that makes us smile.

All the best,

Carol

I love receiving pictures of completed projects from people who enjoy using my books. However, when Pat Frazier of Florida sent me pictures of her completed projects, I was blown away with her patience. Pat used all of the block designs in 300 Paper-Pieced Quilt Blocks and some of the blocks in 50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Stars to make the above quilt. No doubt this took some time to complete, but did it require patience? You only need patience if you are not enjoying the process. Obviously, Pat was enjoying the process.

This stunner of a quilt is also Pat’s. I love the black setting for the 50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Star . It really makes the colors pop.

Just recently, I have been thinking about patience. I just saw the designs for my new fabric line due out in the fall. Oh, how I love the designs and the colors. I’ve been designing quilts in anticipation of the fabric arriving and find myself so impatient to receive the actual fabric. I keep reminding myself, patience is a virtue.

I also just designed a new Anniversary Mystery Quilt for the Carol Doak Yahoo Group. I’ve uploaded the fabric requirements and the cutting list for all the blocks. However, I am going to wait a bit before uploading the first block to for members to make. OK, I can’t wait to see all the quilts that will be made using this design….patience is a virtue.

And, I joined Facebook. I had heard of this site, but I had no clue how it all worked. I just wish I knew the workings now, rather than stumbling through to learn the ropes. I realized that starting a “Fan Page” was the way to go. Ok, …patience is a virtue. If you are on Face Book, do stop by and keep reminding me…lol..

And finally, I have a cold. My sinuses are clogged and the spring pollen just adds to the discomfort. I know it will be gone in a week or two…patience is a virtue.

Until next time,

May all your quilts have perfect points,

Carol

I just returned from a 10-day teaching trip to the great state of Texas. It is a huge state and has so many wonderful quilters. My first stop was in Huntsville, where I taught at Stitching in the Pines.

It was a super class and everyone one made great progress. We also had a few giggles and laughs along the way.

Here is our graduation photo! Look at all those awesome smiles and blocks.

Then we were off to the Wynne Home Arts Center for a reception. Lots of wonderful quilts were on display.

The next day was to be the Airing of the Quilts in Huntsville. We stopped by the place where all the quilts were numbered and stacked, ready to be hung all around town the next morning. An event like this doesn’t just happen. It takes a good deal of work and organization and the Tall Pines Quilt Guild does it like a pro!

A group of my quilts were on display at the Old Town Theatre. It was kind of neat for me to see so many of them on display in this charming setting.

The guild also hosted a wonderful miniature quilt auction in the theatre as a fund raiser.

But the real charm of the day was the amazing collection of quilts hung from the buildings all around town. What a feeling of celebration it was!

Betty Register and her sister Linda Hord kept me on tract. Not only were they just fun to be with, they were just amazing to watch as they took care of anything and everything!

I was the Featured Teacher at the Airing. It was such a pleasure to meet and chat with quilters from just about everywhere you could image. The street was closed and our table was right in the middle of the street. Guess you could say…we stopped traffic.

My next class was for the Tall Pines Quilt Guild. We did the Simply Sensational 9-Patch Star class and then that evening I presented a lecture to the guild. I was sorry to say goodbye to everyone in Huntsville, but it was time for me to head to The Woodlands.

However, before I began teaching in The Woodlands I had an extra day. I was offered the opportunity to see NASA and I jumped at it. Wow! I had no idea it was so big. The tour of NASA was such a wonderful experience. Think we could convince them to add a few paper-pieced blocks to the NASA suit?

I was just in awe of the rockets, the test area and the size of the jet engines. We also saw the original control room at NASA. I just kept thinking I wouldn’t put myself on top of all those huge containers of fuel with all those wires underneath. What if there was a loose wire?

OK, time for another quilt shop fix. I stopped by The Quilt Room in Huffman, Texas. Claudia and Julie were just a delight to meet. I even purchased some fabric to make another new vest. Yeah!!!

I finished up my week by teaching the Sunrise Workshop in both The Woodlands and at the Kingwood Quilt Guild and presented lectures at both.

It was a super time and I came home with such fond memories.

Heading off to Rochester, New York tomorrow….

All the best,

Carol

I just returned from teaching in a lovely shop in Springfield, Missouri. I’ll do anything to get just the right bolt of fabric…..even climb to the top of several shelves.

The shop is located in a large building and not only contains the large shop, but a long arm quilting room and an amazing Tea room.

The first day I taught the Bright Stars workshop from the Simply Sensational 9-Patch Stars book. Here, Merrily, the owner is introducing me to the class. LOL, I think they knew who I was.

Michelle is showing off the sections of her first star block for the wall quilt. She is sporting a name tag badge for the Carol Doak Yahoo Group. When members where their badge to a class, then I know they are a member of the group.

Each day when we broke for lunch, we walked through the shop, through the long arm quilting room and into the most wonderful Tea room for the best ever lunch and to die for desserts.

You just never know who you are going to run into along the way. This “old bat” was right at home.

On the second day, I taught the Perfect Points class from the 300 Paper-Pieced Quilt Blocks book. Kay Turner and Merrily sat side-by-side in the class. I had to keep an eye on those too…they were constantly giggling.

The third day was the Sunrise Quilt from the Mariner’s Compass Stars book. Everyone did a super job with their quilts. Vicki Crow is showing off her quilt top featuring just the perfect print border.

I do love to teach and having the opportunity to spend the weekend at Merrily We Quilt Along with such delightful students was a gift.

Getting to know Merrily (center) and her two charming daughters, Heather (left) and Holly (right) was such a pleasure. I did feel as if I was saying goodbye to good friends when I left because they do make you feel so welcome in their lovely shop and Tea Room. If you are ever in the Springfield, Missouri area, this is a must stop for any quilter. BTW, ask Merrily where I signed the wall with my special message.

Until next time,

Carol

When I traveled to New Zealand in January, one of the things that I noticed quickly was the different flush options available when using the toilet. This knob went either way, so it wasn’t apparent at first exactly what I was selecting. I thought the little circles were decorations.

When I arrived at this flush options, the light went on and I realized I had the opportunity to select a half flush or a full flush. Ooooh, options…But, what constitutes a half flush and what warrants a full flush?

OK, so I am thinking someone stole the knobs off this toilet…perhaps they are collector items???

This one clearly marked my options, but the full was on the left and the half was on the right. I think there should be some consistency as to where they are located.

Now see what I mean…no markings on these buttons…which  is half and which is full?

This was a smart flush, but they weren’t smart enough to mark the buttons!

This was the first toilet flush that really confused me. Did they have the options and if so how did it work?

I am now back on track, clearly marked and quite stylish.

These buttons were huge!!! Were they handicap flush buttons?

I liked this one, it is rather stylish. By now I had the full flush and half flush down to a science…but the buttons still fascinated me.

When I arrived back in the USA, I felt cheated…I no longer had the option to select half flush or full flush as the flush was automatic which caused me not to linger once my task was complete.

I have to admit, when I am  visiting a new place, I tend to note the signs everyone. This one caught my eye and just made me laugh out loud! Look at the faces on those guys. I wonder if they are know as the “Big Nuts” guys.

The New Zealand humor was everywhere. This was a sign on the door of a restaurant in Queenstown. I bet it got  everyone’s attention.

Until next time,

All the best,

Carol

I just returned from La Veta, Colorado where I taped a segment for the online community, The Quilt Show. It was a fast and furious trip, but I was delighted that I accepted the invitation to tape a segment to be aired in the fall. I flew to Colorado Springs and then drove to the charming little town of La Veta. There, I met up with Ricky, Alex and the crew for dinner at the La Veta Inn. The next morning the guests began arriving to view the taping. Justin addresses the audience and entertains them during the prep time.

The taping doesn’t happen without a good deal of preparation by everyone involved. Here Alex and I are going over the steps to be covered so the camera men will know where to aim the cameras.

I demonstrated the steps for making the France block from the Mariner’s Compass Stars book to make the Sunrise Quilt. Alex and I are getting all the step-by-steps in order before the taping begins.

We are ready to begin the demonstration so Ricky plays a bit of piano and introduces the demonstration segment. The set was decorated with several quilts from the Mariner’s Compass Stars book.

I think Alex is asking a question here during the demonstration. Do I look confused?

Actually, the demo went very well and we are ready to move on to the fireside chat.

During the chat portion, obviously Alex and I thought something was very funny and Ricky isn’t laughing…lol. I described several of the quilts decorating the set and answered a few audience questions.

After the segment taping, Ricky, Alex and I posed for pictures. It was a great experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat! It was also fun to catch up and visit with Ricky and Alex.

One surprise was seeing Judith Baker Montano at the afternoon filming session. Judith lives in La Veta and she graciously invited me to her studio and home after the show.

Judith is famous for her exquisite use of thread and ribbon to create spectacular pieces. I loved seeing how she stored her threads.

After visiting La Veta, it is easy to see where she gets her inspiration. This piece displayed in her studio looks just like the La Veta area.

Now, one of the perks of taping a segment was receiving a gift certificate to join The Quilt Show that I was instructed to give away.  I am going to give it away to one of the members of the Carol Doak Yahoo Group in a random drawing. To be in the drawing, visit the group site to read how to enter.

All the best,

Carol

Last week I had the pleasure of traveling to New Braunfels, TX to teach at a five-day Seminar for Quilting Adventures. I do love a multi-day format because not only do I get to spend more time getting to know my students, I have the pleasure of seeing the finished project. Each day, the learning builds on the day before and I see the students become comfortable with the process. We began the class with a discussion about color and the students selected their fabrics.

As the blocks were made they were put up on the design wall to audition different fabric choices. 

The students learned to baste their sections to check for a good match. Nancy Ament was thrilled that she was in the basting stage when she opened her block to see she had added two of the same sections…we did have a chuckle over that one. The setting was wonderful and we all bonded as a group throughout the week. Lots of fun, laughs and learning took place. 

As the quilts were completed, I took pictures. I am so proud of all my students and loved seeing the results of their creativity and learning.

A potential table runner

As the sections were being added, this portion was admired as a potential design for a future table runner.

I used the Royal Medallion Quilt from the Mariner’s Compass Stars book as the basis for the skills in the class. Wait until you see what everyone accomplished!

Let the quilt show begin.

Rex and Chris McCaskill

 Rex and Chris Mc Caskill are a husband and wife team who worked on this stunning quilt. Rex was a good sport and let me use his fabrics to describe how to choose fabrics to get the result you want. Rex and Chris had this fabric that had stripes of blue, yellow and green stripes that flowed from one to the other. He liked that fabric, so that was the basis for their quilt. I thought the end result was stunning. It appears the center compass is radiating light.

Martha Zimmerman

Martha began with a wonderful multi-color batik border and I heard her say more than once, “I love red”. So taking her lead, I suggested putting red triangles in the corners of the center. It really made the center pop!

Linda Neal

Linda was one of the quickest students and not only finished her quilt, but began working on a miniature “My Little Town” quilt. The Autumn multi-color inner border fabric was the jumping off place for Linda’s fabric combination. It was so striking.

Linda Kager

 Linda Kager came to the class with her Mom, who is a new quilter. Not only did Linda complete her quilt, but she was always there to lend a hand to her mom. The multi-color check in the center of this quilt gives it a contemporary look and the vivid colors just make you want to study the quilt.

Margaret Sedlak

 Margaret, oh I have a fun story for you all about Margaret’s quilt. Margaret struggled so with the suggestion that she use a batik stripe with the blue batik fabric she had for the center. Then she was struggling with her border choice so we went downstairs to the onsite quilt shop and look what we picked out for the border!!! This gorgeous large floral and bold pink stripe. The cornerstones featured a fussy-cut flower from the border print. The quilt was such a “Wow” quilt. We joked that she was going to call it “Blue Stripe”. I guess you had to be there to appreciate the 180 Margaret took. It was such fun!

Georgia Roth

 Georgia had this wonderful collection of beautiful batik fabrics with different textures that were all tied together with the stunning stripe used in the center border. The playful red border tied it all together, but Georgia wanted a paper-pieced accent in the four outer corners. At first she was going to make quarter blocks and then after finishing the A section, we decided to just use 1/8th of a section. They were placed so they looked like they were swirling around the quilt.

Nancy Lowe

When we discussed color, I suggested that the setting triangles could be a different color for a different look. Nancy took this approach and found just the right fabric that contained all the colors of her quilt to provide a wonderful ground for her center portion.

Beverly Wilson

OK, so Beverly saw her friends go shopping for new fabrics and decided she wasn’t happy with the fabric she brought for her inner and outer borders….so you guessed it…we went shopping. Beverly was very pleased with the final result.

Nancy Ament

Nancy had completed her blocks and decided she wanted a more colorful outer border….off shopping we went. The end result was stunning. The dark ground in the center really made her colors pop.

Marty Becht

The combination of the greens, purples and peach in this quilt was just gorgeous. The bits of yellow against the center ground was like rays of sunlight. Marty was very happy with her finished quilt.

Marge Russo

Marge had come to the seminar with her daughter Linda. At first she was a little timid amount her skills, but boy, her confidence built each day. By the end of the seminar she was confident and thrilled with her first completed quilt.

Dorothy Johnstone

Dorothy chose fall colors for her quilt. The outside border was her jumping off place. Dorothy is going to use this as the basis for a bed side quilt for her grandson. We brainstormed how she could add blocks and borders to make it larger.

Lynda Thompson

Lynda had a gorgeous collection of batik fabrics for her quilt. She was encouraged to use the gold and when she completed the quilt, I think she was thrilled that she did.

Sherry Hughes

 Sherry is not afraid of color and her rainbow colored quilt turned out beautifully. She decided on the light blue outer border, but unfortunately there was none to be had in the store so her quilt will be completed when she gets that fabric. She is smiling because she only has the outer border to add to complete her lovely quilt.

I thoroughly enjoyed my week with my students and hope you enjoyed seeing their gorgeous quilt tops.

All the best,

Carol

 When the February/March issue of Quilter’s Newsletter magazine arrived, I was humbled to see that I was selected in the Readers’ Choice Awards as the Favorite Paper Piecing Teacher. To be in the company of favorites like, Karey Bresenhan, Ricky Tims, Alex Anderson, Ami Simms, Ele Sienkiewicz, Diane Gaudynski and other giants in the quilting industry was very humbling. Many thanks for your vote of confidence, for your support and friendship.

Jessie paper piecing

For several years now I have been using my teaching skills to teach my perfect granddaughter to paper piece.

Ironing fabric is cool, but not clothes

She began by choosing fabrics and gradually over the past couple of years has graduated to ironing too.

Learning in a supervised setting

Jessie is learning all the steps, but she is always supervised with me standing right next to her when she picks up that rotary cutter.

Placing the fabric correctly is the next step.

Jessie knows to take the step of placing her next fabric seriously.

Little sister looks on..

Jessie loves taking part in this grown-up activity. Little sister looks on with envy.

Oh, I see how that works...

She is learning…

Ooooh scisssors....

Not yet my little one…

But I feel ready to paper piece!

Not yet little grasshopper…

Look at that smile and sense of accomplishment.

Although I do love to travel and teach, perhaps my most important job is to share the love of quilting with my perfect granddaughters.

Until next time,

Carol

Ginny Carroll

I recently returned from a 11-day trip to Florida to teach and lecture for three different quilt guilds. Since if live in New Hampshire, heading south in the winter months to a lovely warm climate is an added bonus. My first stop on this trip was to Leesburg where I taught for the Quilting Sister Quilt Guild. The first day I presented the Fire and Ice Quilt from the Mariner’s Compass Stars book. The students jumped right in, with most getting a good start on their quilt. On the second day, I taught an introductory class to this book. Ginny Carroll has already completed one section with just three pieces. I could tell Ginny was a member of my Carol Doak Yahoo Group because she was wearing her group name tag.

Denise in Leesburg

Denise Mohler also is a member of our Carol Doak Group and attended both workshops. It is such fun to meet our members in real life!

Kitty Gonzalez at dinner

Kitty took the Fire & Ice class and brought the center section of her quilt to dinner that evening.

Shopping on the way to the retreat

Next I was off to teach at a quilt retreat for the Southwest Quilters Guild. Of course on our way to the retreat locations, a couple of stops at quilt shops along the way were a must!

Heather Phillips from Nova Scotia

You just never know who you are going to run into in a quilt shop. This is Heather from Nova Scotia and she is also a member of the Carol Doak Yahoo Group.

Retreat students counting blocks

 The Retreat was held at a lovely facility. One large room with lots of students working on their paper-pieced projects. These students are counting their blocks to see if they have made all the blocks for the Fire & Ice quilt.

Retreat quilt

 I also taught a class from the Simply Sensational 9-Patch Star book. One of the activities was for the groups in each cabin to make quilts from “ugly” fat quarters for a charitable project. The groups would then compete for a prize. Who knew one of the 9-Patch Stars was going to be the centerpiece for a lovely quilt?

Patchwork Pig Quilt Shop stop

Then I was on to Lakeland, Florida. No shortage of quilt shops here. We visited the lovely downtown shop called the Patchwork Pig. Here Jolene Welcher, Marion Pugh (owner) and Elsabeth Harris are ready to assist. Trust me, you could get in really serious trouble here. The fabric selection was amazing!!!

Happy Student with her Florida Star

I taught the Florida Star from the 50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Stars book at the Ladies of the Lakes Quilt Guild. This looks like one happy student and look at those perfect points!

Melody and Holly at the Fabric Warehouse, Lakeland, FL

Melody and Holly of the Fabric Warehouse in Lakeland c0-hosted both the workshop and evening program for the guild in their lovely shop.

Log Cabin Garden Mini quilt and maker

I do love the Show and Tell portion of a meeting. Here I had the opportunity to see one members lovely Log Cabin Garden quilt.

Treble Metamorphoses by Marian Sparks

I recently received an email from Marian Sparks regarding a quilt that she made using the Day and Night Star Flower pattern available as a free pattern on my web site. Marian then sent me a picture of a quilt she made using the block. This is one of those thought provoking quilts. As I study the quilt and take into account the name, it does draw me in.

Until next time, 

All the best,

Carol