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It takes two...
It takes two...
Published:
Jan 16 2018 - 05:00
If the goal is to have fun, to laugh and to make colorful projects, you'll want these two.
Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobson.
This was Quilt Market - a Schoolhouse for the Moda All-Stars Mini Marvels book. Everyone in the book had superpowers - these are the Super Tidy Cleaners! Of course they were coming in costume! If there is one thing Me & My Sister Designs knows how to do, it's how to have fun.
They are sisters - they are positions one and three in a family of five girls. Both made their first quilt in 1999, just months before opening The Quilter's Koop, a shop they owned for three years. Me & My Sister Designs was born in 2003 when they attended their first Quilt Market, and their first Moda collection debuted in Spring 2005. It was titled Petal Pushers.
"Everyday color" is how they describe their palette; whimsical, bright and fun is how they describe their collections.
They're also known for taking something that looks complicated and finding an easier way to make it. Layer Cakes? After creating dozens of quilts made with them for patterns, they finally wrote a book with a dozen terrific designs.
Fun Facts with Barb & Mary:
- Their go-to color combination? Barb - Turquoise and green. Mary - Pink and green.
- What do they both do before starting a new project? Tidy up their sewing rooms.
- If they're not quilting, they are...? Barb - reading. Mary - knitting.
- What do they watch on television or video while quilting? Barb - reality TV, all of it! Mary - Downton Abbey, etc.
Easy Layer Cake Quilts - Simple Quilts That Start With 10" Squares.
More Fun Facts with Barb & Mary:
- Both love making mini quilts! When they do, Mary is likely to use scraps, Barb will go to her stash. (She doesn't like scraps.)
- While they sew with different models of sewing machine, they both use Aurifil 50 wt. thread and 80/20 Universal needles.
- If they're making a project that requires more than one charm pack, both agree that they will use two of the same collection. Always.
- Best quilting advice they can share? Barb - have fun, don't worry about being perfect. Mary - press seams open!
They had a great idea for a twist in Dresden quilts... or rather, Mary did. And the Double-Wide Dresden Ruler was born.
The idea was to make Dresdens that were a little funkier, a little more modern, and a whole lot easier.
Then came the Double Wide Dresden Book - more than a dozen projects to make with their ruler.
Lest you think there is only one way to make a Dresden block...
From gift packages to butterflies, rectangular blocks to pieced Dresden wedges, Barb and Mary have thought of all sorts of ways to use their ruler.
And More Fun Facts with Barb & Mary:
- What do they think about the pinked edges on charm squares? Mary - I trim they all off, they drive me crazy! Barb - I just make sure to measure and sew carefully... but mostly I leave them on.
- What is one of their favorite splurges? Barb - tote bags. Mary - yarn.
- What is their favorite quilting snack? Barb - Hershey's Nuggets, Milk Chocolate with Almonds and Toffee. Mary - Haribo Gummi Bears. Yes, they have to be the Haribo kind.
- What is your favorite "works with everything" color? Both agree - Lime Green.
Speaking of fabric, Me & My Sister have just debuted their next upcoming collection - Dot Dot Boo!
Twenty prints in Orange, Black and White - perfect for Halloween.
As cute as those cats are... that connect-the-dot print is awesome.
And yes, this will go with Lime Green.
For more adventures with Me & My Sister - Me & My Sister Blog.
Barb & Mary wanted to share some of their fun with you so we have a Double Wide Dresden Ruler and Book, and a Fat Eighth bundle of Confetti to give away. Just leave a comment by Midnight on Thursday - January 18 - telling us if you have ever made a Dresden quilt - regular wide or double wide!
Happy Tuesday! Go have some fun!
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