Today is the day – my pattern, Colors of October is published in wonderful The Quilt Pattern Magazine – May issue! And if I am not already beyond thrilled and excited – it is on the cover too, LOOK:
I have to repeat here too – I am so very grateful to TQPM staff for giving me this opportunity, it was a pure pleasure working with them!
If you are a quilt pattern designer, or if you would like to try and be one – I highly recommend submitting your patterns or articles to TQPM! As it states on their web site, they are more than a magazine, they are a family of quilters! In the same time – staff is so very professional and their execution of patterns and the whole magazine is amazing – trust me, your pattern will look so good and yet it will have your “stamp” on it, since TQPM ladies like to have it published as YOU wrote it, to let your personality shine – how awesome is that?
If you are a quilter who loves creative patterns, good articles, block of the month and more – I highly recommend the subscription to TQPM!! (I was a subscriber before becoming a contributor!) It is an amazing value – for less money than any other magazines you will get a brand new issue EVERY MONTH! And for all of you still resistant to having a digital magazine only – trust me, it is a future! I am not saying ALL of your magazines should be digital and I truly understand the need to curl-up on the couch with a paper magazine and a cup-of-something, but having a digital magazine has so many other advantages and yes – it is environmentally so much more responsible, don’t you agree?
Colors of October will be a 4 part workshop, going on from May to August issue and I tried to pack it with as much learning and fun as I could – variations on the techniques, possibilities of each block, color variations…And the best part – when you are subscriber to TQPM, you can also be a member of their on-line community and forum, called Pattern Pastiche – a fun place to chat with fellow quilters about many things, to work on a project together (yes, there is a PP Group for Colors of October now!) and to cheer each other as we need it – what’s not to love!
Before we go on to the important stuff (giveaway of course), here are few more photos of the quilt:
-I think this photo was taken just before the month of October, in my backyard
– Detail of quilting – I used black thread in the black background since I wanted to maintain the sharp contrast between black and all the bright colors and a variegated thread (having all these beautiful fall colors in it!) in the print and fall colors.
Initially I thought I will use that variegated thread everywhere, I was even convinced it was a perfect one to use, but then realized that would “over-crowd” the whole thing…Realization happened as I quilted the middle (Bear Paw block) and saw the variegated thread in small parts of black background – you can see that in the photo bellow.
So, what do you think? Do you sometimes have that kind of “Ah-HA” moment?
OK, let’s get to the important part!!
As you can see, I am really excited about my first pattern in the magazine and I really, REALLY like The Quilt Pattern Magazine, so I want some of you to try it out too!
I am celebrating with a giveaway of TWO subscriptions to this wonderful new magazine!
Just leave me a comment bellow by midnight Sunday, May 6th – tell me if you like to work with dark backgrounds in your quilts? If not, why not?
UPDATE – giveaway time is extended to Friday, May 11th – so go ahead and comment-away! 🙂 I will randomly pick and notify winners on Saturday!
Double or triple your chances by following my blog, joining me on Facebook (button on the right) or even checking out (and maybe following? 🙂 ), my guild’s blog (I co-write it my fellow guild member and it is full of great links, information, photos and, in very near future, tutorials too). Just leave a separate comment that you did it!
Have a wonderful Tuesday,
Marija
Wonderfull quilt. I especially like the bow ties that frame the center. I love working with black backgrounds. The black background makes your choice of colors pop.
Sarah
Congratulations Marita! Your quilt is beautiful. I love dark backgrounds especially with batiks, but I have a hard time working with black – it's hard on my eyes. I look forward to seeing more of your designs. Linda
What a beautiful quilt. Congratulations on being published.
Hi Marita. It's a beautiful quilt. Congratulations on your pattern getting published. .
Thanks for including me in your giveaway.
Madeline
I loved your quilt. Congrats of the new pattern release too..
I never try dark background before, I think I should try.. 🙂 I love your quilt again 🙂
I'm a follower! 🙂
Marija, what a beautiful quilt! I have just finished my first quilt on a black background for the same reason you did yours that way — I wanted my beautiful jewel-toned batiks to sing. I wasn't sure if I should use a varigated thread to quilt. I really appreciate your advice on that matter, and I can see the wisdom in using black on the background. I'll do the same! I've never heard of the Quilt Pattern Magazine and I LOVE the idea of a monthly edition. I hate waiting two months between issues and an electronic version is perfect for today's lifestyle. Please enter my name in your drawing. Keep up the good work. I'm sure we'll see your name in lots of magazines in the future.
Beautiful quilt! Congrats on being published; first of many, I'm sure! Would love to win the online mag subscription but will subscribe anyway!
I've always been a light background kind of person. Love to look at & admire the black & dark grounds, but havent made one (yet) but there's still a lot of quilting to go!
i have always wanted to make a quilt with a dark background, but haven't yet. i think i have the perfect fabric…….."found" in my sewing room while trying to organize a little better….lol. it is black with a tiny multicolor confetti print to it. now i have to dig into the bright TOT's to make a quilt. think i have a pattern but may have to search a little longer for THE pattern.
What an honor! Congratulations. I love your quilt too…dark fabrics make everything pop. I'm really partial to grays but black is always a fantastic choice
shel704 at aol dot com
I'm following via GFC
shel704 at aol dot com
Congratulations for your pattern published!
In don't know what you see and i'll be sincere with you… I don't worked with dark backgrounds yet,but your qulit it is awesome so I like this colours…
Congratulations, Marita! I probably lean more to dark backgrounds, although it really depends on what my focus fabric is…
Okay, Marita, I've "Liked" you on FB, I'm now following your blog and your guild's blog :o) …
Awesome quilt. I have always loved bright colors against black. Great job and congratulations on getting it published. Looking forward to seeing your next project.
found your blog via facebook and love it (already bookmarked it) and think this is a beautiful quilt that has so much visual interest it makes me look forward to whatever you design in the future through this magazine….it is the perfect project on so many levels and not overwhelming since you broke it down into four parts…Black as a background works for me if I'm doing something Amish-inspired (sometimes am influenced by local Amish community) but as a rule, I don't use many solid colors…tone on tone provides more visual interest in my opinion…I think dark colors make the other colors pop sometimes and other times I think it takes the focus off the focus fabric…it just depends on the project….my focus project for this quilt is a thistle print that has a light blue background…so my background fabric is a print that reminds me of a field during the winter months so as to not take focus off the focus fabric (which I'm tenatively calling this quilt 'season of thistles'….they are sometimes a problem for farmers in my area but oh, couldn't resist this fabric, lol…it literally begged to be taken home and made into a quilt! if you pick me that's fine, I think Cindy's magazine is awesome…and if you don't that's okay too, I'm already a winner having found your very nicely done blog! I have no idea how to post using the 'comment as' profiles…I have none of them so am doing this 'anonymous' until my computer guru grandchild visits and educates me how to create a profile…my email is quiltmom@scrtc.com though
Marija what a great quilt. I love the contract of light/bright colors on dark fabrics. Very nice pattern. It is definitely in my future to make. Congratulations!
I love your quilt. As a dimensional piecer, I like your dimensional bow-ties and square in a square.
I Love working with dark backgrounds. It makes the piecing and quilting "pop" and gives a lot of richness to the quilt. I have to say that my older eyes do not like having to reverse-sew when I make a mistake. Taking out the thread is a bit of a chore…
Congratulations! I can feel your well deserved excitement. I feel honored to know you and learn from you. As for working on a black background, I've never tried it except a counted cross-stitch piece that took forever. Living in a log house the ambient light is muted so I tend to have lighting issues but just maybe you've given me the incentive to give it a try. I do love saturated colors! Mary
I like both dark and light fabrics, as long as my quilting thread is a little contrasting so I can see where I am going 🙂
I don't usually like fall quilts, orange is not my favorite color, but I'm learning to like it. I love the colors in your quilt Marija!
I know how you feel. You just want to shout it out to everyone. I love black backgrounds. They just bring everything to life. Congratulations!
Congratulations Dear Friend!! With your talent and enthusiasm, you'll soon have your own TV series!! We all look forward to your new designs! Martha
Marija – WOW! I am so excited for you and can't wait to follow along! I have signed up and am looking forward to working with my first digital magazine! I am so looking forward to learning from you! I have to learn to "go out of the box" with colors, as I typically will use a more neutral lighter background fabric. I will be looking forward to future projects with you and will see you at our next quilt guild meeting! Contrats again! Colleen Dee
Congratulations on having your pattern published! It is fantastic. I have only been quilting a little over a year, but I am finding dark backgrounds very dramatic and I am drawn to the solid colors too! I must say though, that quilting with black thread on black fabric is challenging!
I usually work with lighter fabrics on the background. Have seen some nice results with darker fabrics, too, just not my preferred taste! Follower of your blog.
Congratulations Marija- We are so proud of you!! We can now say "we knew her when" when you become more famous than Eleanor Burns!! And- I love to work with dark backgrounds, especially with solids or near solids!! Been doing it a lot lately!!
Congratulations. Think I will try to work along with you on this quilt.