From Us to You

Sisters, Friends, Partners

2012-02-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

We're very good friends, my sister and I. We're partners in our business. Our last names remind people of the phone company when people referred to it as 'Ma Bell'. We definitely talk on the phone a lot. We have our differences.

I am organized. Sally is not.*

I have dogs. Sally has cats.

I like to garden. Sally likes to Facebook.

I am right-brained. Sally is left-brained.*

I watch Top Chef. Sally watches Blue Bloods.

I drive a new SUV. Sally drives a vintage sports car.

I use a land line. Sally uses an iPhone 4s.

*Some days we switch.

But that's OK...we're friends anyway.

We both love color.

We both like to create.

We both love gaining knowledge and sharing.

We laugh a lot, too. And sometimes we cry.

But even when we're mad, or just feeling sad, we're always glad to be sisters.

Have a nice day,

Susan

Positivity

2012-02-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

I’m sure you’ve noticed how many people in the blog world are picking their word for 2012. Well, I’ve finally picked mine. I had to think long and hard about it so that I came up with just the right word that suits me just where I’m at in my life. So, I picked . . . are you ready . . . drumroll . . .

P O S I T I V I T Y

pos•i•tiv•i•ty [poz-i-tiv-i-tee]
noun, plural -ties.
1. the state or character of being positive: a positivity that accepts the world as it is.
2. something positive.

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am not a negative person by nature. However, I have been known to have my ‘non-positive’ days! But, no more. Not in 2012 anyway. I’m working on seeing the positive in everything/everyone this year. Yes, it’s going to be hard sometimes. If I can’t see the positive in a situation, then I will change that situation or leave it altogether. If I can’t see the positive in a person, then maybe I need to restrict my time with that person, etc. See where I’m going with this? I see the positive and the whole world becomes positive for me! I’m going to give it all I’ve got. And, I would love to have you inspire me along the way with your positive comments.
I’m leaving you with some beautiful images of our Bitterroot Valley. Looking at these, how could you not be positive??
xo
Sally

A Clean Slate...

2011-12-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

Susan and Sally

It's Christmas Time...

2011-12-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

Susan and Sally

Sweetwater's Simple Home

2011-12-13T13:00:00.003-07:00

Sweetwater's new book, Simple Home, was released just about the same time as our Summer at the Lake Quilts book. C&T did a beautiful job with both books (did you expect anything less than perfect from C&T?).

Sweetwater's Simple Home is a Stash Book. We love those Stash Books--they're smaller, fatter, and just all-around fun to thumb through. And, Simple Home is a treasure trove of wonderful projects for your home. Everything in the book is something I would love. You just get that warm and cozy feeling from the projects. They decorate everything from the baby's room to the laundry room. And, it's practical. And fun.

The book contains 35 beginner-friendly projects, including quilts, pillows, table linens, and accessories and many can be made in a day or less.

The Sweetwater girls--Karla and her two daughters, Lisa and Susan--really pulled out all the stops with their photography. From the sweet little chair of quilts on the cover to the bed in the woods, they just know how to get our creative juices flowing. They're from Colorado. Maybe that's what makes their projects so down-home and cozy. You know how us Montana girls love other western states like Colorado.

Sweetwater designs fabric for Moda Fabrics and we all love to visit their booth each Quilt Market and take a peek around. We definitely need to meet up with these girls next market.

One of my faves from the book.

If you love to decorate your house with warm, wonderful stuff, or give a beautiful gift to a friend, this is the book for you!

Best,
Susan and Sally

A Winner and Victory Girls book review

2011-12-10T21:40:00.006-07:00

The winner of our book 'Summer at the Lake Quilts' and our awesome Picnic Ant Pincushion (a project from the book) is . . . . . . .

(drumroll, drumroll, drumroll)

PAT

who said on December 9 @10:42pm, "WOW the cover is amazing....love the quilt!!! Polly and Laurie sent me here and I will definitely be back.The ant is to die for...he makes me smile and in my favorite color too. Thanks for the giveaway." So, Pat, e-mail us: info@maw-belldesigns.com and give us your address so we can send you your prizes!

Ooh, another beautiful book from Polly and Laurie! Kansas City Star pulled out all the stops when they published this book of 'patriotic quilts and rugs of WWII' by Minick and Simpson. And, what better subject matter from the queens of red, white and blue?!? The title certainly works for them--Victory Girls.

The cover is beautiful, as usual, with the red, white, blue, and creamy background. Ooh, I love that creamy background stuff. Take a look at this quilt.

How beautiful is that?
And look at these beautiful borders.

As you may know, Laurie is the quilt designer and Polly is the rug designer in this sister duo. And, this book certainly does not disappoint in either category. These talented sisters bring you a stunning collection of their latest works, including quilts, rugs, and stitchery. Their inspiration was the brave women who kept the home fires burning during WWII.
Polly and Laurie have got to be some of the nicest people at Quilt Market. They are always friendly. That's why people love them so much and they have such a loyal following.

Good work, girls. See you in Kansas City in the spring.

Best,
Susan and Sally

Our Giveaway!

2011-12-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

We are giving away a copy of our book Summer at the Lake Quilts.

We are so pleased with all the wonderful comments we have received about our book. The photos were taken here in Montana on Swan Lake in August of 2010. Every time I walk by the book and see the cover, it brings back vivid memories of that warm summer day spent with Sally and Mom, and my sons, Wyatt and Jesse, who took the photos for us. While the guys were setting up the camera, the rest of us were setting up the shots which involved wading in the lake, setting up a picnic, and placing ants in position. Which brings me to the second half of our giveaway - one of our Picnic Ant Pincushions!

We have had such a fun reaction to our whimsical ants! Be the lucky winner by commenting on this blog post, and we'll pick a winner on Saturday, December 10th. If we don't hear from the winner by Monday, the 12th, we'll pick another name.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Susan and Sally

Anya's Here!

2011-12-03T09:31:00.002-07:00

The wait is over. Our new patterns are here! I promised photos of the pattern covers in an earlier post, so here is the big reveal. Anya's Hat & Pleated Skirt - Size 5,6,7.

And, Anya's Hat & Pleated Skirt Size 2,3,4.

We're so pleased with the look of the patterns. Thanks so much to Cadence and Gabby for doing such an awesome job modeling the skirts and hats.

So wait no more, we're sending out orders now.

Oh, and did you notice our new logo? We have some fun news to announce in the near future, so Sally said we needed to update our logo to fit our new look.

Talk later,

Susan and Sally

Girl's World

2011-11-28T14:32:00.002-07:00

Girl's World is the title of a gorgeous new book by Jennifer Paganelli of Sis Boom fame. You can judge this book by it's cover! It's a girly-girl book exploding with color from the pink-colored title to the frilly bed coverings and little model wearing a pretty dress and fancy hat. You just know that you have to have this book if you are a lover of all things girly. The models are absolutely adorable too!

Jennifer has designed many vibrant fabric collections for Free Spirit Fabrics. Her fabrics are showcased in all the projects in her book which adds to the lush photography.

Jennifer is a featured designer in the latest issue of Where Women Create.

Check out the spread on her colorful blog here.
Another page from her book which is my favorite.

We really appreciate Jennifer as a friend and always look forward to seeing her at quilt market.

Enjoy,
Sally

Baby Boy

2011-11-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

Meet Baby Boy, my 'special needs' kitty. Well he's not really a kitty, he's almost two years old. But, he's definitely 'special'. You see, he was kicked and mistreated as a baby and ended up in a shelter for abused animals. Because of the neurological damage he sustained, he wasn't expected to live, let alone ever walk again. But 'determination' is his middle name.

He wasn't my kitty at first. My daughter heard about him and came to the rescue (umm, if I remember correctly, this is how we ended up with one of our dogs too!). But, when she moved to her apartment, guess who ended up with him? Mmmm, hmmm, you guessed it--me!

He is the most lovable, kind, happy cat anyone could ever ask for. He has learned to walk as long as he curls his tail over his back for balance. Now and again he 'tips over', but, he's such a good sport, he gets right back up and goes again. He can't run, but he has learned to hop. Yes, hop. His back legs spring off the floor just like a bunny and he can hop really fast. When he's especially happy, he hops around and around the house until his little legs tire out. Then a good cat-nap is in order.

Besides lot of hugs and encouragement, the only thing that Baby Boy requires to keep him happy is his daily treat. Every evening at 6:00 on the dot, Baby Boy reminds me that it's time for his 'yum-yum'. His treat for the day is a small amount of soft food just for being the perfect kitty.

I think we can all learn something from Baby-Boy. He could be the poster cat for 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going'! I know he keeps me going some days. So, if you're ever having a bad day, think of little Baby Boy. His advice for life: "If you tip over, get back up, don't forget your nap, and have a 'yum-yummy' day"!

xo,
Sally

I Love Lucy...& Gus!

2011-11-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

This is my little Australian Shepherd puppy, Lucy, at 3 months.

This is Lucy at 7 months. From these photos it looks like she has grown into her ears!

We call her our golden girl. Her coat is such a beautiful color of gold and champagne with white and copper. Each eye is blue with green. She's very sweet and looks like an angel, but looks can be deceiving because she is full of mischief! I Love Lucy!

Gus is my son Jesse's dog. He is pretty close to perfect. However, he does get confused at times as to whether he is a kid or a dog! He's a beautiful blue merle w/copper. He has one blue eye and one brown eye. I love Gus, too!

In fact I love him so much that I designed a quilt featuring him and named for him.

It's called Gus On A Wild Goose Chase and you can find the pattern here.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Susan

Oh Thank Cuteness!

2011-11-20T15:53:00.008-07:00

Recently, out there in blogland, there was some criticism of a quilt blogger who periodically posts pictures of her adorable children instead of blogging about her quilts each and every day. That situation was diffused in a courteous manner, but it brought up a point. From time to time, we all love to show off our children, grandchildren, and pets.

So. . .
Jake, Melissa, Megan and Scott at GenQ Magazine came up with a wonderful idea: GenQ is declaring the week of Thanksgiving as Oh Thank Cuteness! You see, they feel that, “It’s the personal glimpses that help our readers relate to who we are and how we work. Our work is integrated within our lives and sometimes our families are our best work to be showcased in a blog post.”

So we’re joining in the fun this week and giving you a glimpse into our lives. Throughout the week we will be posting about the people and pets closest to our hearts and who have become a big part in our lives. Enjoy.

Oh, and btw, come back next week to see some grand book reviews and the week of December 4 for a great give-away.
Without, further ado. . .

Brooklyn Elizabeth, Sally's granddaughter: 19 months old at present, adorable, smart as ever, exceptional personality, beautiful eyes (you can tell the proud grandmother wrote this! lol!). She is one of our Maw-Bell models as you can see by the bottom picture, Brooklyn's Dresses pattern.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Sally

Anya's Hat

2011-11-08T23:40:00.001-07:00

Sally fell in love with the sweet little beret-style hat that her friend's daughter, Anya, was wearing, so we decided to design our own version of the hat. We added our pleated skirt to the pattern, and because we are mad for Moda's Preppy Plaid fabric collection, we used the plaids to showcase our outfits for the pattern fronts. My son, Jesse, took the photos for us on a beautiful fall day.

This is 3-year old Gabby in her hat. What a charmer!

This was the first time Gabby modeled for us, and we were so happy

with the great shots we got of her.

This is 6-year old Cadence in her hat. Love her hair!

Cadence has modeled several times for us, and has become quite the little pro. Her cat came walking by as we were wrapping up, so we took one last shot of her before the cat decided that she was out of there. I love this shot!

Our patterns should be ready and on our web site in about 10 days. We'll show you the pattern covers then.

Talk later,

Susan

Colors of the Fall

2011-10-14T20:02:00.000-06:00

Take a walk with me.

Enjoy!

My favorite season.

Talk Later,

Susan

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2011-09-09T11:14:00.001-06:00

We randomly picked a winner from the very nice comments we received about our new book.

Kielian DeWitt said...

Fabulous Blog! Incredibly beautiful pictures and I loved the video. Talent abounds! The book looks fabulous. I've purchased Maw-Bell patterns for years and am thrilled to see you've pulled together such a fascinating quilt book.

Kielian please e-mail us your address so we can send you your very own copy of our book. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to leave a comment, but don't worry, if you're not the winner you may buy your very own copy by clicking on the book cover in the right column!

Talk later,

Susan and Sally

"Summer afternoon -

2011-08-25T16:14:00.000-06:00

summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." Henry James

I love this quote. Summer is such a fun time to be laid back and just enjoy the lazy days of summer.

We love hiking in Glacier National Park.

A field of Glacier Lilies.

A view of Wild Goose Island - the opening shot in the movie "The Shining".

We got a new puppy this summer! Her name is Lucy!

Something fun for you this summer - a giveaway! Leave a comment and you might be the lucky winner of our new book Summer at the Lake! We'll post the winner in about 10 days.

Happy Summer!

Susan and Sally

Celebrate!

2011-08-16T13:40:00.010-06:00

Summer at the Lake is here! We received our shipment of books and are sending out all of the pre-orders now. No more waiting! To celebrate, we had Susan's son, Jesse (an aspiring film maker, photographer, and musician) put together a little video to show you some of the projects the book has to offer, such as colorful quilts, fun totes, and beautiful photography from NW Montana. Enjoy!

The background music is also courtesy of Jesse playing "Summertime" on his fiddle.

Stay tuned next week when we will have a book give-away.

Talk later,

Susan and Sally

The Reveal

2011-07-22T14:40:00.108-06:00

Keeping a secret is pretty hard for us to do, especially when it involves a project we have worked on for almost 20 months. So, without further ado, we are so excited to announce that our book, Summer at the Lake, will be available in August! This is the first book that we haven't published ourselves. C&T Publishing agreed to publish our book for us. The process, although long and tedious, was so much fun because of all of the people we worked with at C&T. They tirelessly listened to us and made any changes we asked for without complaint. We thought we would let you in on a little bit of the process. We approached C&T by a somewhat unconventional method when we sent them a 'creative journal' expressing our vision for the book.

We envisioned a romantic set-up on the dock of the lake for the cover of the book. The working title changed along the way from 'Alpine Picnic' to Summer at the Lake.

Surprisingly, our Table of Contents remained nearly the same.

We included fabric samples.

We designed and made our Picnic Ant Pincushion as our first project.

We included a sketch and fabric samples of our proposed Picnic Tote.

More samples for the Indian Paintbrush Quilt. The drawing is enclosed in the envelope.

Drawings and ideas for the theme and appearance of the book.

The back cover with an envelope that opened to our written thoughts and ideas for the book.

The reveal...our finished book cover!

We don't have a copy of the book yet, but can hardly wait to hold it in our own hands! Summer at the Lake is available for pre-order at C&T, our website, and Amazon.

We want to thank Susanne, Deb, Carolyn, and the rest of the team at C&T Publishing.

We will be posting some sneak peeks in the coming weeks before the release of our book. Watch for a book give-away too.

Talk Later,

Susan and Sally

Almost Famous!

2011-07-19T07:05:00.002-06:00

When we were at market this spring, Susan Fuquay, the publisher of American Quilt Retailer magazine (a magazine for quilt store owners) loved our Charlotte Anne Pincushion and wanted to include her in the July Market Review issue.

Here's Charlotte on page 33 in the upper left corner.

Charlotte thinks she should have had the full page! Lol!

Thanks to AQR for including our pattern!

Talk Later,

Susan and Sally

Blue-Ribbon Pronghorns

2011-07-15T11:10:00.000-06:00

My daughter, Sally Vannoy, won first place in the Wildlife Division at the Wild Horse and Western Art Show for her painting of five pronghorn. She also won three 3rd place honors in 'Wildlife' for her painting of mountain sheep, 'Spirit of the West' for her painting of pack horses in the fall, and 'Landscape' for her painting of a river w/cottonwoods. But best of all she sold her first painting! And then sold four more!

This is a picture of her booth. Congratulations Sally!

Talk Later,

Susan

Fiddle-Dee-Dee

2011-07-13T12:33:00.002-06:00

For the past 13 years, my family and I have been fiddling around while on vacation. We make an annual trek to Weiser, Idaho to spend the 3rd full week of June attending and competing in the National Oldtime Fiddle Contest.

We stay here - one of three motels in Weiser.

We watch the parade.

We love the hospitality that the small farming community of Weiser puts on for the contest every year. They really go all out for the musicians and many tourists who invade their town every June.

We eat, drink, people-watch, and listen to the Battle of the Bluegrass Bands at Bluegrass Village.

But most of all we attend the fiddle contest. My sons compete while I sit in the stands and do a lot of nailbiting! One or both of them have won or placed every year for 13 years. On the way home we talk about the week, complain if not winning 1st place, and celebrate yet another year of practicing, competing, and nailbiting!

Talk Later,

Susan

1 + 1 = 3

2011-05-30T21:37:00.000-06:00

We haven't finished showing you all our new patterns yet. We introduced 2 new kid's clothing patterns, each in 2 sizes, at International Spring Quilt Market. After Sally's lovely little granddaughter, Brooklyn, made her modeling debut for us, we named the pattern for her, 'Brooklyn's Dresses'. In an earlier post, Sally gave us some details of the fun time they had getting her to pose for the camera! This design also debuts the first pattern we have made available in sizes 1, 2, 3, and also sizes 4, 5, 6. Another first for this pattern - our own fabric designs! That's right, the dresses are made from our 'French Blossom' line of fabric! We were pleased with the positive reaction to both at market.

So you see - 1 dress plus 1 pinafore equals 3 different looks!

The second pattern, we call, 'Summer Place Shorts and Top'. With elastic at the waist, delicate gathering at the cuffs, and side-seam pockets, our bubble shorts are practical yet sophisticated and stylish. The sleeveless top includes fun rickrack trim and a tiny patch pocket. This pattern is offered in 2 sizes - 3, 4, 5 and 6, 7, 8.

Thanks again to our pretty little strawberry-blonde models, Cadence and McKenna, and to our photographer, Susan's son, Jesse Maw.

Talk later,
Susan and Sally

The Winner!

2011-05-23T11:19:00.000-06:00

Pam posted a comment on May 7th and wins a pattern to make her own Charlotte Anne Pincushion!
Send us an e-mail with an address, and we'll get it right out to you.

Later,
Susan & Sally

Home Again, Home Again

2011-05-17T17:38:00.000-06:00

Wow, so good to be home.

We had a great time at International Quilt Market, but it's always good to get back to Big Sky Country.

Our booth looked great after we got done setting up.

Always fun to see Jennifer Keltner from American Patchwork & Quilting magazine.

and Jennifer from Shabby Fabrics.

Meg Hawkey's booth from Crabapple Hill is gorgeous, as usual.

And, Scott is taking advantage of Bari J.'s beaufitul couch.

Scott, gotta lose the 80's shirt, bud. You outgrew it!

Reets Rags to Stitches booth is lovely too. Rita has a real style that I absolutely love.

Jennifer Paganelli's (Sis Boom) book is absolutely beautiful.

Hope you enjoyed the little tour of International Spring Quilt Market, 2011.

Next year, Kansas City.

Susan and Sally

Charlotte Goes to Market.

2011-05-07T15:43:00.001-06:00

Charlotte Anne Pincushion is traveling to Salt Lake City next week to make her appearance at International Spring Quilt Market. She will be in the Maw-Bell Designs booth #1803.

These pretty little maidens all in a row will be available at Sample Spree on Thursday, the 12th, along with some other fun surprises.

If you are attending market, come by and meet her!

AND

even if you're not attending Quilt Market or Sample Spree, leave a comment on our blog for a chance to win a free pattern so that you can make your own Charlotte Anne!

We'll announce the winner when we get back from Market.

Talk later,

Susan and Sally

Brooklyn's Modeling Debut

2011-04-27T14:01:00.003-06:00

Yes, that sweet little baby that was born just over 1 year ago is now one of our little models! And, she's modeling a series of dresses named for her! Brooklyn's Dresses is one of our newest patterns that makes three dresses--a pinafore, a dress, and the combination of the two. What a great combination and what a great model!

Brooklyn's Dresses comes in sizes 1, 2, 3 and sizes 4, 5, 6. It is available now on our website. Thanks to Susan for our newest design, to Kristy for her great photos, and to Brookie for her creative modeling (and I mean very creative modeling!).
Best,
Sally

Introducing...Charlotte

2011-03-25T14:02:00.002-06:00

Charlotte Anne Pincushion is our latest pattern. We had so much fun designing her wardrobe.

After all, she is a fashionable doll!

With typical indecision, we had to make more than one Charlotte so we could have a whole collection of dolls wearing their finest. Do you prefer blonde, brunette, or redhead?

Or maybe you prefer a more ethnic look for Charlotte?

Charlotte is fun and easy to make. She is available as a pattern on our website. We will be selling a limited amount of her at International Spring Quilt Market in Salt Lake City during Sample Spree, so if you happen to be attending the show look us up to meet Charlotte in person!

Check back for more exciting news coming from us in the next few weeks!

Talk later,

Susan

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2011-02-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

I have an illness that seems to come around this time of year.

It is known as Spring Fever.

The view around my neck of the woods looks something like this.

My backyard...

My front walkway...

My dogs, Dottie and Gus...

My garden shed...

My lane...

My driveway...

No one is home.

Brrr...

It is 10 degrees below zero. The only known cure is for spring to arrive.

Until later,

Susan

B and T Day

2011-02-02T12:46:00.002-07:00

We were recently invited to an English High Tea to celebrate 'Mum's' birthday. Our niece, Willie Traeger, is home for awhile after having spent 6 months in London. She was interning for a famous fashion designer after graduating from Parsons The New School For Design. She wanted to honor her Grandma Phyllis with a birthday party. She thought it would be jolly fun to make it a High Tea to show those of us who have not had the privilege to attend one in London how it is done.

We were met with a table full of English inspired treats.

We learned that the food is traditionally served in 3 tiers, and that you begin with a savory food from the bottom tier. We were served 2 different types of finger sandwiches made with whole-grain breads, cucumber, peaches, imported ham, and cheeses.

The middle tier held cranberry-orange scones served with clotted cream and cornmeal-feta mini-muffins.

And, then after eating our way to the top tier, the sweets awaited us looking like little, delicious jewels. There were pomegranate macaroons with a mocha ganache, pistachio macaroons with a white chocolate, blueberry filling, and pretty little key lime tarts with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

And, of course, it was all served with a special tea.

Willie, with help from her 'Mum' who is our sister, Dallas, made all the food and all the pretty decorations. Everyone had a very special day as it had been some time since all the cousins had been together. It was a special birthday for Mom, too. Thanks so much to Willie for bringing a taste of London to Montana.

Cheerio!

Susan and Sally

I’ve decided I need a ‘muse’!

2010-12-29T15:36:00.001-07:00

I’m thinking I really need to become inspired in 2011. I’ve been studying some of the world’s greatest artists and they all seem to have a ‘muse’. So, I’ve decided I need a muse!

Muse: a goddess who inspires the creation of literature and the arts (from Greek mythology).

I’m not sure if it’s the muse that makes the artist, but I’m willing to take a chance. After all,

Andy had Edie

Dylan had Joan

John had Yoko

Sooo, I’d like to introduce my muse: Baby Brooklyn (my granddaughter).

Let’s see how Brooky can inspire me this year. Think of all the beautiful little clothes that I can design for Brooklyn; and she’ll need a quilt or two—I’ll have to design a couple of those. Oh, she’s already inspiring so many things; I can’t wait to get started.

Oops, I'll get inspired right after this diaper change! Talk to you soon!
Sally

Cupcake Celebration

2010-11-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, Susan and I are celebrating (we never miss a chance to celebrate--especially with cupcakes! ha). Actually we had no idea our Cupcake Celebration quilt would be so popular. It was published in the AQS magazine in 2009 and now we can actually offer it as a pattern to you. So, don't miss this chance to celebrate and order yourself up a calorie-free cupcake quilt pattern.

Spooky!

2010-10-31T18:51:00.001-06:00

Happy Halloween!

Brooky Bunny with Mommy & Daddy

The spooky Jack-O-Lanterns were done by Travis and Nicki and Cooper and Haily.

Too much excitement for one day!

HAVE FUN TRICK- OR -TREATING!

Susan and Sally

New Pincushions For You

2010-10-23T20:36:00.001-06:00

Okay, so it’s been a while since we’ve blogged. Yeah, yeah, we know. We’re busy, you know. What with all our dilly-dallying, things take time!! And with finishing projects for our new book, taking photos for our new book, editing our new book, and did I say WRITING our new book, it’s time-consuming. We can’t tell you who’s publishing it yet, but you’ll know soon. Hint: we’re working with the best publisher in the industry. Can you guess now? Oh, and they have the most wonderful people to work with. Still haven’t guessed? Well, you’ll just have to wait then. The book will come out in July, 2011, but we can reveal some things in about January or so, so stay tuned.

This week we introduced 3 new Simply Petite Patterns—Frosted Cupcake, Petit Fours, and Piece O Cake. They’re all pincushions for your collection and soooooo much fun to make—fast too.

You can see all our patterns on our website.

Have a great week!

Susan and Sally

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

2010-09-23T12:27:00.002-06:00

We had the opportunity to photograph the projects for our next book at an awesome log house on Swan Lake. The lilies were in full bloom.

The window boxes were so gorgeous.

The lake was calm and peaceful. The deep blue of the water and the blue of the big sky were a perfect background to compliment our quilts and projects.

My sons, Wyatt and Jesse, were the photographers. Wyatt enjoying a break.

We have to keep the photos of the projects for our book under wraps until next year. We have been busy all summer preparing everything for our publisher. Yes, that's right we have a publisher! We aren't self-publishing this time. It has been an interesting and learning experience to work with 'real' professionals on this book. The day was an absolutely perfect day as you can see from these photos.

Enjoy!

Susan

Last Little Bit of Spring...

2010-06-20T12:51:00.000-06:00

The last scent of spring from my favorite spring flower...

The last chokecherry blossoms before they begin growing their tart, dark red almost black cherries that make such wonderful tasting syrups and jams.

The last days in the nest for these young Bald Eagles...

Mom and Dad keeping a watchful eye...

A beautiful spring day ending with the sun's last glimpse through the trees...

I hope you enjoyed this view from my backyard.

Susan

Wow!

2010-06-18T13:19:00.004-06:00

The on-line magazine Sew WOW has featured 2 of our designs in their Summer Issue! They made our Sweet Summer Sundress in their choice of fabrics and picture it on a very pretty model on pages 42 and 45-46. Our Natalie Skirt and Top pattern is made up in a cute red/black/white print with a white top and shown on pages 80-82.

Thanks so much to Sew WOW for including us in their fun magazine!

Happy Sewing,
Susan and Sally

Zig or Zag

2010-06-10T21:47:00.002-06:00

When I start to work on a design I always have a concept in mind. It always amazes me at the end of the project how my original idea has evolved during the process. You might say - I zagged instead of zigged! I've heard designers exclaim that their design took over and spoke to them. I wouldn't go there myself, but there must be something to that phrase. So it is refreshing when on that rare occasion a design ends up just the way I planned it. For our latest kid's pattern, that's exactly what happened. Maybe it is fitting to call this pattern Ziggity-Zag Skirt and Top, because I definitely didn't zag when I should have zigged! I thought you might enjoy some of the pictures we took at the park in April trying to get just the right shot of our little models wearing our new design.

A hooded merganser...

Having some fun posing on a tree branch...

A cute shot, but too much sun in her face...

This is the shot we picked out for our size 3, 4, and 5 'Ziggity-Zag Skirt and Top'. We used a fun rick-rack stripe for the skirt with a coordinating print for the top by Moda fabrics from the line called 'Whimsy' by Joanna Figueroa. I love the untraditional stripe for the skirt which is made with 8 panels that zig and zag by cutting them at an angle with the stripe. It is paired with the top that is so feminine looking with a ruffled front band and slightly puffed sleeves.

A beautiful shot of big sister wearing the size 6, 7, and 8 version which uses a more traditional stripe for the skirt and a coordinating print from the fabric line designed by Heather Bailey for Free Spirit Fabrics called 'Nicey Jane'.

We loved this shot too.

Our final choice for size 6, 7, and 8 'Ziggity-Zag Skirt and Top'.

I hope you enjoyed the behind the scenes look into our decision process for our pattern fronts.

Later,

Susan

Denim & Ruffles & Snow

2010-06-04T12:01:00.000-06:00

In April we were ready to shoot our latest kid's clothing pattern fronts. We were determined to photograph outdoors this year after having been rained out for last year's photos and moving inside. The weather just would not cooperate, and we were running out of time to have them done for spring market. We had to cancel everyone because of a week of snow storms which would not work real well for our little models wearing sundresses! So, the first day we had sun everyone was ready to go and we got our shots.

After getting distracted by the Canada geese and their new goslings...

Our models are sisters with the prettiest coloring. Love the strawberry blonde hair!

They were good sports about wearing summer clothing in rather cool weather. Not to mention all of us trying to focus after being stuck inside from a spring not willing to let go of winter!

Our final pick for the cover of our Denim and Ruffles Dress in sizes 3, 4, and 5. The dresses are mostly made with Moda fabrics by designers Minick and Simpson using their latest collection called Bar Harbor.

Our final choice for the cover of our Denim and Ruffles Dress in sizes 6, 7, and 8.

Thanks so much to our models and photographer for being so willing to help us get our outdoor shots. We love the look this year. The red, white, and blue of the sundresses just requires a sunny day.

We were not able to make it to market this year so we were happy to have Debbie Outlaw at Moda/United Notions display our new patterns and samples in their booth. Thanks, Debbie! More new patterns to come!

Happy Sewing!

Susan

Brooklyn Elizabeth

2010-04-11T13:09:00.002-06:00

Baby Brooklyn has finally decided to grace us with her presence! She was born April 8 and was 7 lbs. 15 oz. What a beautiful little miracle she is. Congratulations to her parents, Nicki and Travis, and her grandmother, Sally.

Best,
Susan and Sally

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T19:04:00.001-06:00

Here's hoping you have a fun but meaningful Easter Sunday.

Susan

YAY, a Winner!

2010-03-18T09:59:00.000-06:00

Carol Anne is our winner for our Petite Posies Pincushion. Yay, Carol Anne! Send us your address and we will send you your very own PETITE POSIES PINCUSHION!

Baby Boy

2010-03-07T10:07:00.002-07:00

Besides lot of hugs and encouragement, the only thing that Baby Boy requires to keep him happy is his daily treat. Every evening at 6:00 on the dot, Baby Boy reminds me that it's time for his 'yum-yum'. His treat for the day is a small amount of soft food just for being the perfect kitty.

I think we can all learn something from Baby-Boy. He could be the poster cat for 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going'! I know he keeps me going some days. So, if you're ever having a bad day, think of little Baby Boy. His advice for life: "If you tip over, get back up, don't forget your nap, and have a 'yum-yummy' day"!

xo,
Sally

Simply Petite Patterns

2010-02-26T11:59:00.013-07:00

We are introducing our new pattern series--Simply Petite Patterns.

We've got a beautiful little pincushion pattern for you and a pattern for easy and adorable baby shoes--Bon-Bon Baby Shoes. We'll have these back from the printer soon and will offer them for sale on our website and with all our distributors, of course. And, in the meantime, you can 'comment' on our blog to win our sample Petite Posies Pincushion--complete with all the fancy pins. Just leave your comment on our blog and we will pick the winner by March 15. Be sure to check back to see if you've won.

We will use our new patterns for smaller and simpler projects. The patterns themselves will be petite and cost less than our regular patterns. We are extremely excited about these. The projects are fast and fun to make. We will be giving away some free patterns of each of these as time goes on.

Susan has been working on some adorable little-girl patterns. Stay tuned for details and a pattern give-away.

Talk to you soon,

Sally

P.S. Don't you just love our latest pictures? We give thanks to Jo at Johanna B Photography and her fancy camera!

A Winner!

2009-12-17T16:11:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas and thanks to Jennine Jones for her clever comment! We will send our little bird flying in your direction to alight before Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all,

Susan and Sally

Fly Away Home Christmas Give Away

2009-12-10T20:14:00.006-07:00

A White Christmas in my backyard.

Oh, Christmas Tree! Oh, Christmas Tree!

Feather our nest with your comments and we will send our little red Christmas bird pincushion/needlekeep flying in your direction. We will post the winner December 17th.

Merry Christmas,

Susan & Sally

Boo!

2009-10-31T11:49:00.005-06:00

Pumpkin carving fun! Hope you have a spooky time!

Happy Halloween!

Susan

What's black and white and read all over?

2009-09-22T17:10:00.007-06:00

Newspapers, of course! I loved Project Runway this week. The designers all stepped up to the challenge and really showed their creative side when they were asked to design fashions from newspapers - the LA Times to be exact. It is right there at the top of my list of favorite episodes. If you missed it, catch a repeat. It reminded me of Sally and I preparing for our Maw-Bell Designs booth at spring quilt market where we used newspapers in creative ways on the bed headboard and footboard and the curtains. Fun!

Lakes, Bobcats, & Huckleberries...Oh My!

2009-09-10T10:52:00.030-06:00

We were off to see our favorite huckleberry patch in August. It is only a 7 mile climb up a winding dirt road from my house, but that is as much as I can divulge, since, as we all know, huckleberry patches are kept as much a secret as a favorite fishing hole!

Wild flowers bloomed along the way.

Gus is a lot of help!

Pies, pancakes, and jam followed in the next few days. Homemade biscuits are elevated to a gourmet treat with the addition of the earthy flavor and jewel-tone color of fresh huckleberry jam.

We spent one last lazy day of summer at Lake MacDonald in Glacier National Park which is only an hour northeast of us. There was the picture perfect azure blue sky, calm indigo blue alpine lake, and sandy pebble-stewn beach to sit on and just ponder the beauty of it all. Do I see some inspiration here for an upcoming quilt? Oh, and my 2 very handsome sons in the foreground make a beautiful picture all the more memorable.

Mom, is this what you call a vacuum!?!?!?

My second to youngest son, Wyatt, was off again to "bobcat country" as MSU in Bozeman is affectionately called. Jesse, my youngest son, and I helped haul all of the obligatory college stuff back to his apartment and spent a couple of days cleaning, hanging posters, and stocking the refrigerator. I really don't know how he survives with his limited culinary experience!

Summer is quickly coming to a close, company has come and gone, and the kids are back in school. Does that mean I must get back to business? Sally said to get off the beach chair and start working on our upcoming projects!

Talk to you soon,

Susan

We Have a Winner!

2009-09-03T09:39:00.002-06:00

TaDa! We have a WINNER! Linda from Iowa who posted on August 25. Congrats, Linda. You won one of each of our books. Email us with your address and we will ship them to you.

Cupcake Celebration

2009-08-20T12:26:00.013-06:00

Kathy and Chris from American Quilter Magazine caught up with us at Portland Quilt Market last spring and loved our cupcake pincushions. Now, I don't know how their minds went from 'cupcake pincushion' to 'cupcake wedding cake', but when we got home from market we had an email from them asking us to design a wedding cake quilt made from cupcakes. Hmmm, we said. That's an interesting one. So, Susan and I put our minds together and came up with our Cupcake Celebration quilted wallhanging. We loved it and so did Kathy and Chris. It is showcased in this September's issue of the magazine. If you're a member of AQS, you will receive the magazine. (Perhaps this is a good time to join AQS.) The quilt is fun and fast to make. We used Bubble Gum Basics fabric collection from Henry Glass Fabrics designed by Barbara Jones of Quilt Soup. We love her stuff.

If you make the quilt, we would love to have you email us a picture of your version.

And, BTW, thank you to Kathy and Chris. We loved working with you.

Celebrate, Celebrate...

2009-08-08T22:02:00.026-06:00

Okay, so here goes our very first journal entry From Us to You. We have felt the need to keep up with our blogging friends for some time now, so here we are. We don't want to be left out of the loop, you know. Living in Montana is far enough from the loop as it is!

Soooo, as a way to celebrate our blog launch, we decided to have a drawing for a little Maw-Bell gift. Oooooh, this is fun already! We gathered one of each of our five books and will pick a winner at the end of August. Just click on the comments link at the end of this blog and leave a comment. Good luck!