Saturday, December 8, 2012

Rainbow Galaxy Published!

Hold the Phone!  Its time for a Give-Away! 

McCalls Quilting will give away 3 free issues to 3 lucky readers who leave a comment on this post .  Just leave a comment!  That is all it takes!

I will choose 3 winners from comments on Friday, December 21. 
Here are the OFFICIAL RULES for the contest. 


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Whoo Hooo!  My Civil War Stars quilt just returned home this week and much to my amazement it got a new name:  Rainbow Galaxy.  I guess because it is a lot of stars and they are all different colors, get it?  Hehe, yea took me a while to figure that out too.  Some days I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

But here is the best news.  McCall’s Quilting just published it in their special publication called America Loves Scrap Quilts Winter 2012-13. 
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My quilt is on pages 66-69.  You can see it HERE.
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Let me tell you the story of this quilt.  I was wandering around on eBay one day looking at old quilts and saw this great old red and white quilt.  Now this was way before that big red and white quilt exposition in NY happened.  I just was struck by the pattern.
quiltredstars1
Being the curious type, I wanted to see it in more detail so I scanned the listing for a close-up.
quiltredstars2
I loved the secondary pattern which was formed by the white space between the blocks and had to figure out how it was made.  I realized that it was a combination of two blocks:  a variation on the variable star and the counterpane block.   I immediately drew it up in EQ7 and was off!
I tried a variety of colorings, mostly variations of red and white.
red and white quilt 74 x 74 with border2
Then I turned it on point. . . Yes, the original is a horizontal setting.  Here is what it looks like on point:
red and white quilt 78 x 78 with border
Strange huh?  I sorta liked it like that but I knew all those pieced setting triangles would earn me no friends!  LOL  So I returned to the horizontal setting and tried other colors.
Scrappy Civil War Stars
I loved the civil war repros a lot but thought it needed a border.  In the red and white versions I created the illusion of a border in my fabric colorings.  But I thought this one needed a real border, but it had to be simple.
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Viola!  (pronounced wah-la’)  The Civil War Stars quilt was born.  I sent it to McCall’s Quilting and they wanted to publish it.  It took me quite a while to get all the civil war reproduction fabrics I wanted to make it.  There were 41 stars and I wanted each one to be a different fabric.  I had a lot in my stash but they all tended to be blues and reds.  I needed more variety.  I went shopping in the stash fabrics from some of my quilty friends who kicked in a few fabrics and then I shopped the online fabric sales and purchased a few more in interesting colors and textures.
It went together really fast and the blocks filled my design wall and I was ready to put them together.  Then I discovered I had only made 8 rows of blocks and when I consulted my drawing there were 9 rows of blocks!  Yikes.  I raced to my LQS, picked up a few FQ’s from the repro section and scooted home to make up five more blocks.  Thank heavens I had enough background fabric.
I finished the top and ran it over to my quilter – the incomparable Brenda Weien of Brenda’s Machine Quilting and asked her to do her magic.  I always love how Brenda “reads” the quilt and knows just what it needs to make the pattern work.  She is a wizard with thread and did a fabulous job on the quilt, as always.
Here are a few pictures of the completed quilt so you can see her work up close and personal.  Now that the quilt is home, the magazine is on the news stands I have to figure out what I will do with this baby!  It is 80 x 80, a bit small for my queen-sized bed.  I think it will become a snuggle quilt on my recliner or perhaps a Christmas present for my new daughter-in-law.  Hmmmmmm. . . . . . .  Smile
Now I discovered I may have to change the label.  Why?  Well look at it.
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It was originally scheduled for publication in the December 2011 issue but looked too “Americana” for that issue so they held onto it.  The told me they would publish it in a different issue so I waited patiently to find out which one.  When I got an email from their editor last week saying they were returning the quilt I asked if they were returning it because they were no longer going to be able to find a place for it.  To my delight she told me they put it in their annual Scrap Quilt issue!  Well I knew my quilt would be very happy there and home it came.
I like the label, however, so I may just leave it in place and add a little note to the bottom identifying where it was REALLY published.  HEHE.
Hope you go buy the issue!!  Cuz there are lots of great scrap quilts in there!  If you decide to make this quilt I would love love love to see what your version looks like!  Yup, it’s a Happy Scrappy Quilt.

51 comments:

  1. That is very pretty. I will have to watch for that issue of McCalls.

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  2. Congratulations!
    I'll be watching for the issue too!
    Take care, Leslie

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  3. Its lovely and I like it much better than the red one :) Congrats on having it published :) hugs Vicki x

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  4. Congratulations! It is one beautiful quilt. I also will have to keep an eye out for that issue.

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  5. Congratulations.It`s gorgeous!

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  6. What a wonderful start to the holiday! congratulations!

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  7. Beautiful! Congratulations on having it published.

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  8. Congratulations Reeze! That is a beautiful quilt and a wonderful start to your holiday season festivities.

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  9. What a beautiful quilt - all the colours give it a special vitality - my kind of quilt.
    BEtty

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  10. lovery quilt the magazine looks great.

    Judy

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  11. Lovely quilt. Congratulations on its publication.

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  12. Beautiful Quilt. If I get the magazine I will surely buy it.

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  13. I always buy the Scrap Quilts Editions. Your quilt is just perfect for stash busting. And I like all those secondary patterns by using different colors. Love it.

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  14. So exciting for you and us--it's gorgeous! Congrats! This issue would be eye candy and a wonderful addition to any quilt library!
    www.claddaghsquiltsandstars.blogspot.com

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  15. Gorgeous! I'll definitely look for that issue. The colors are wonderful. I have a lot of scraps and this would be perfect to use some of them up. Congratulations on being published.

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  16. Love it!!! I'm always looking for new ideas to use my scraps.

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  17. I love scrap quilts, especially star blocks! I would love this
    very much - thanks for the opportunity to win! :)

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  18. I really like scrappy quilts and love this one, both ways!

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  19. Congratulations! Beautiful quilt. I love scrappy quilts...especially reproduction fabric ones.

    Thanks for the chance to win!!

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  20. Gorgeous quilt for sure! I love how you can see the difference in the pattern/shapes based on the color variations. I would absolutely love to win this! Thanks for the chance :-)

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  21. WOW, how wonderful for you to have your quilt published. I know none of mine ever will be but I still love making them and watching people who I gift them to open them.

    momnanawolf

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  22. Sensacional, esta colcha é maravilhosas, meus parabéns

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  23. Congratulations, Reeze!
    Lovely, another absolute winner!!
    Merry Christmas holidays with loved ones and every happiness in 2013.
    Hugs, Bobbi

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  24. Reeze how wonderful for you and an honor. Great to see a fellow Kansan in a great quilt magazine. Your creativity with this pattern and choice of colors is beautiful.

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  25. How pleasing for you too be able too pick-up the magazine and see something you created for all to see .I am so excited for you .

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  26. How pleasing for you too be able to pick-up the magazine,and see something you created in it.I am so excited for you it just makes me smile.

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  27. LOVE this quilt! Don't enter me into the drawing; I purchased a copy of the magazine yesterday. Congratulations on getting it published in such a wide-circulation magazine! Great profile picture too, by the way .... ;->

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  28. It's a beautiful quilt. I really like it in the multi-colored version. Congratulations on having it published.

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  29. Great quilt. Maybe this will motivate me to use my stash.

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  30. Can't wait to see in magazine. Congrats.

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  31. I just love all the stars and especially love the Civil War repro's. Would love to have a copy of the magazine too.

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  32. I am not a lover of civil war quilts but yours is stunning. I can see why McCals wanted to publish yours. Congratulations!!! Will have to watch for the issue.

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  33. So happy for you! Congrats on having this quilt published. McCalls always has a wonderful scrap quilt issue and I love them all. Your quilt is a great addition to their many beautiful scrap quilts we all want to make!

    Sharon A.

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  34. Congratulations---McCall's, yet! What an feather in your cap! Colorful quilts always get my attention--love it!

    Patti O.

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  35. McCalls has a wonderful magazine of high quality and great stories. Always fun to have your quilt included in a magazine. I also enjoy the Civil War era and the fabrics to go along with the quilts.

    Cynthia in Connecticut

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  36. Very nice pattern, and a great use for scraps! I'll definitely be looking for this magazine.

    Susan

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  37. Your quilt is beautiful..makes me want to use my EQ7 more often! I love McCall's Scrap Quilt issues. I will be watching for it at my magazine shop.

    Judy in Canada

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  38. Your quilt is beautiful..makes me want to use my EQ7 more often! I love McCall's Scrap Quilt issues. I will be watching for it at my magazine shop.

    Judy in Canada

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  39. Congratulation on your quilt. It is gorgeous. Stars are my favorite and hope to win the magazine. If not, I will be looking for the magazine at my local quilt shop.

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  40. The quilt is amazing! I used to but MC for many years, may to have to again after seeing this lovely quilt and magazines!

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  41. Wow. How awesome for you. Congratulations! I just got an email from McCall's today about that magazine and was checking it out. I hadn't seen it before and thought it looked like a great one to have. And how funny I opened your email and see you're giving copies of it away and showing off your gorgeous quilt.

    I do recall quickly seeing this post when it was done but didn't take time to post or comment as we were on the way out the door that day. I was waiting for hubby to get ready and then I forgot to come back and read more carefully about your quilt. I'm glad you added this link in your email I got yesterday to remind me again. Thank you.

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  42. Nancy Angerer: rangerer@sbcglobal.netDecember 18, 2012 at 1:07 PM

    Congratulations! It is a wonderful design, and I love your choice of the Civil War repros. I am very fond of red and white or red and tan quilts, but You made the right choice.

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  43. Congratulations! I absolutely adore your quilt. I am also looking forward to your articles in The Quilt Pattern Magazine.

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  44. Oh my goodness, that's gorgeous! I usually buy that magazine, but this one I'll be hunting down, for sure. It's absolutely beautiful, you did a wonderful job!

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  45. Congratulations!!! This is one awesome quilt!! I love the look and the colors that you chose. You are one talented lady! I don't normally buy magazines of any sort due to the higher prices than yesteryear...lol But I will make an exception this time the quilt is soooo pretty I want to make it.
    Thank you for sharing with us....

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  46. I love your selection and placement of the colors. I've been wondering what to do with my stash of civil war reproductions. I have my answer now! Thanks for sharing.

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  47. Congratulations! Thanks for sharing the happy news. Your Quilt looks great!

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  48. Your quilt is beautiful. I love it!
    Greeting Guilitta

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  49. Congratulations! I love this quilt.

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  50. Whether I win or not, I will be checking out the new issue. Love Scrap Quilts!

    Judy Morin,
    Threadlady

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  51. Great quilt and wonderful for using up leftover fabrics.

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I'd love to know what you think! Thanks for sharing your ideas.