Geniuses Go Wild! Soft Book

New Reversible Soft Book

From just one Grammie & Mimi's Geniuses Go Wild! panel, rick rack and Pellon Fusible Fleece, you can make two soft books! The www.Pellonprojects.com page will soon carry Grammie's new pattern, while the kit with directions is available now on her site: www.lindacarlsonquilts.com. The book opens and ties shut from both sides because it is reversible. The macaws are on the front; 

turn over and the back shows sea turtles! 

We created this line to enhance a child's concept of wild animals living in the sea, sky or on the land. Each background behind the animals can be another concept builder in understanding floral and fauna, animal skins, sea waves or clouds. Parents and educators can help foster critical thinking and language skills by asking "tell me what you see; why do you think the lizard has spots?" Above all, praise the effort when your little genius reads this fantastic soft book full of sea, sky, and land adventures!

Spin Control!

Spin Control!

Caution signs are black and yellow for a reason! These hues provide the highest contrast when paired together. No spin outs with this wall hanging in an older budding genius' room! The high contrast spokes encourage curious inspection and opportunities to think about theme and variation.

Each yellow background row is one unpieced fabric width from our Grammie & Mimi's Geniuses Go Wild collection, now available. The SKU is called "Patch Stripe" because it can be cut horizontally across the WOF to accommodate any size foreground motif. To vary the backgrounds, I cut (4) strips and rotated the first and last design motifs every other row so the background to each spinning wheel was different from the one below and above it.

Half of the spinning spokes are from the black Patch Stripe. Blue, red, and green are available, too! Spots and Dots, available in black, red, blue, and white complete the non juvenile prints with older geniuses in mind. Animal Bubbles prints mimic the Spots and Dots motifs for the younger geniuses in your life! Go to http://www.lindacarlsonquilts.com for more information about the fabrics and kits.

Geniuses Go Wild!

Geniuses Go Wild! Collection Is Here!! 

Permission to Go Wild! granted when you see our newest collection featuring the wild environment of the air, in the sea or on land. One quick project is this three fabric 37"X43 3/4" quilt, the namesake of the collection. Make some strategic cuts in the zebra/butterfly stripe, sew the borders to the panel and the top is done!*

And...Ta-Daaahhh! Your own little Geniuses Go Wild quilt is ready for the explorers in your life!

Be sure to engage in language development activities by prompting comments or questions such as, "Tell me what the lizard sees. Why do you think it's in that position?"

*Kit available at www.lindacarlsonquilts.com

Houston School House Presentations at the George Brown Convention Center 10/26/2012

Logging-On To Genius! 

What's old is new again when you use the Wavy Squares  modern log cabin template set by Gina Reddin in a new way! This wavy log cabin square and other "logging" techniques featuring our fourth Benartex fabric line, Grammie & Mimi's Geniuses Go Wild!, will be presented at 11:00-11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 26th in room 371D of the George Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX at Quilt Market. Join the crowd and receive a Benartex goody bag  with this pattern, OUR NEW FABRIC and a roll of Pellon Stick-N-Washaway 1 1/2" tape!                                                       

Wildly Genius About Bias!

Are you bias about bias? From 11:35 a.m.-12:05 p.m. in the same room, see how I conquer bias edges created by those special rulers and templates we need to make our little geniuses rooms come alive with excitement! Help your beginning sewists and quilters build confidence in creating circles, wavy curves and diagonal cuts using spray sizing, a sewing stiletto and/or Pellon Stick-N-Washaway  1 1/2" Tape. Your Benartex goody bag will have our NEW FABRIC, instructions on using several bias edged rulers, photos of several "biased" projects, and a roll of Pellon Stick-N-Washaway Tape!

Fun Head Gear!

Less than 1 Hour Head Gear!

In the post below, Mimi & I are all decked out in these headbands and chokers at the Kansas City, MO International Quilt Market.

You can create them in less than an hour with one package of Wrap N' Fuse, rickrack or other fun trim, Pellon's Peltex two sided fusible, and of course, your favorite Grammie & Mimi's fabrics. Go to www.lindacarlsonquilts.com PROJECTS PAGE to see kit for two pieces.

Just follow the directions on the Wrap N' Fuse package after fitting a length to your little genius' head. You will need a fat quarter of fabric. Cut the trim piece at least 10" longer than the Wrap N' Fuse to accommodate tying a bow at the base of her head. Sew to the now fabric covered headband.

To make the pinwheel, cut a 3" square of Peltex. Follow directions to fuse both sides with fabric. Make a dot in the center. From each corner,  make a 1" diagonal cut with pinking shears towards the center dot. Fold one cut corner backwards, pin, then remaining corners. Use a heavy needle to make two holding stitches through all the layers in the center. Glue or sew a cute button over the center.

Post Kansas City Spring Market!

Grammie & Mimi ... Take One!

Here we are in all our "twindom" during the Benartex booth set up all ready to present our School House sessions pertaining to attracting new sewists from 'tweens to the thirty-somethings with little or no sew projects.

From head to toe, we received fun stares and great compliments!

Speak Up! Balloons

Our first School House class showed how to make these adorable coiled wall decor balloons from  "Grammie & Mimi's Geniuses Speak Up!" panel squares and a fat quarter, plus Clover's Wrap N' Fuse. Check out my site www.lindacarlsonquilts.com for the few remaining kits to make one! Here's a variation that would look great on a headboard or bulletin board. The petals and leaves were added to show beginning decorative machine stitching on the raw edges and centers. 

Speak Up! Frames

Another no-sew project perfect for young to young at heart crafters! The self adhesive photo frames are 8 inches square with the opening 4 inches square. Several kits are available on my site: www.lindacarlsonquilts.com

Nighty-Night Light

The second class featured this no-sew self adhesive light shade. I bought inexpensive lamps, then switched out the shades. Two kits for the large shade are still available on my site: www.lindacarlsonquilts.com.

Grammie & Mimi .... Take Two!

Here we are sans twin attire in front of Jackie Robinson's beautiful quilt in the Benartex booth made with her debut fabric line, Tulip Festival. It's gorgeous and you can see it on her site: www.animasquilts.com, or at www.benartex.com.

Our next post will feature the head and neck bands we wore for our School House classes!

Hey, Baby! Check Out This Fabric!

I've had an irresistible urge to check out fabrics for let's see, ... at least 63 years? Read how all this began in the June issue of Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson's The Quilt Life magazine on page 76.


Diana & I will be at the IQF Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City, MO doing two School House presentations on Thursday, May 17 starting at 2:35 p.m.-3:05 p.m. with Grammie & Mimi's "Speak Up!" Balloons, and at 3:10 p.m.-3:40 p.m. "Light It or Frame It: Little or No Sew Projects = New Customers". All shop owners and buyers are welcome at this trade show.