Chicken Dinner Quilt and Throw Pillow!

On Facebook a couple of weeks ago, I introduced Chicken Dinner, my new design for a cute table or wall quilt and 14" throw pillow.  If you're a beginning quilter and worried this design is too complicated to start with, you'll be surprised!  I'm a self-taught quilter and designed this quilt a few years ago on typing paper with colored pencils, and it was the first quilt I ever made.  I kept all that trial-and-error in mind when I recently decided to publish the pattern and included LOTS of diagrams and extra instructions for beginners (if you're not a beginning quilter, you can cheat and skip around!).

If you're interested in the pattern, you can pick up Chicken Dinner by snail-mail or by instant ePattern download from my website at http://www.americanpiedesigns.com/.

Some of you know I'm a bit ecletic when it comes to designing and have plenty of UFOs ("Un-Finished Objects") on my worktable, so it shouldn't be surprising to anyone I'm dinking with a new rug hooking design.  In my previous post (A Slice of Pie - June 17, 2011), I mentioned I enjoy hooking in the summer sunshine, but I really meant rug hooking on the deck of our Idaho cabin over the 4th of July.  For this occasion, the men are banished to a tiny fishing boat and the ladies use that time to test out their best barbecue and Bloody Mary recipes, play cards, read books and hook in the sunshine.  I've been planning well in advance of the occasion by perfecting a yummy spice rub and sketching a new fall design I want to release after the 4th of July.  I haven't named it yet, but here's a small sneak preview:

 

I'll post more pics of the design as it is completed, so be sure to check back or follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/americanpiedesigns.  At 5:00 am each morning, you'll also find me working on additional pages for this blog that will contain tips, links, videos and full-color printable instructions for quilting, rug hooking, punch needle and applique (Mmmmm, applique).  I'd love for you to be a "Follower" of this blog, and you can also join my private email list so you're notified when new patterns are released.  In the meantime, I've gotta go cut the wool for that new rug . . .