2018 Quilter's Block a Day Calendar
Yes, another calendar. I started this in 2006. It actually started in the Christmas of 2003 when my favorite youngest daughter bought the 2004 calendar for me as a gift. When I opened it I was horrified at the primitive approach to the patterns. There was NO cutting chart for ANY block! The graphics were created in the still primitive Electric Quilt (all pixelated) and the way you got the pattern was to use a copy machine to increase at percentages like: 136%, 122%, 223%, and so on.
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| First Block a Day calendar for Accord Publishing |
The designs were lovely and very creative. But, since the author was not a quilter (I kid you not!), but assigned to design the calendar by the publishing company, she gave it her very best. It's just that she didn't have any tools or skill in writing patterns (and I do NOT fault her in any way).
It's what I did next that still surprises even me! I looked up the phone number of Accord Publishing, asked for the president, and then told him that I could do better. He could make more sales with something that actually patterned the quilt projects (and not just have a crude line drawing). By this time I had been publishing in Quilt Magazine for 11 years and I designed using Adobe Illustrator (the industry standard). I told him I would like to design the next calendar! And he took me up on it.
I sent some design files showing him my approach and then he said that I had 3 months to submit an entire year's worth of files! I gasped and then said, "OK."
Here is the cover of the 2018 calendar. This is the 12th one I've done (2009 was created by Jean Ann Wright). I would like to say that my brain is empty, but somehow every year when I begin designing (April, with an August deadline), I somehow find the hundreds of files I need. We work 1-1/2 years ahead and the 2018 calendar was "put to bed" in August of 2016. I am currently doing the final edits for the 2019 calendar (files submitted in August).
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| 2018 Quilting Block and Pattern-a-Day Calendar |
January, Celebrate Snow!
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| Celebrate Snow! |
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| Stepping Out |
April, Folk Art Sampler
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| Folk Art Sampler |
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| Hoorah! USA |
And one more from July: Ocean Breezes
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| Ocean Breezes |
You can find this calendar online at Amazon, also with Keepsake Quilting, and of course, at the web site of Andrews McMeel (the new publisher, which is the LARGEST publisher in the world for calendars).
I'm putting this calendar on my Christmas list!
ReplyDeleteI'm joining the fun and bringing a friend along 😋
ReplyDeleteHi Debby,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the links for your calendar. I'm going to check this out and order one. ~smile~ Roseanne
Sending this up to my sister who is a beginner in the world of quilting.
ReplyDeleteI love the shoe quilt. I have an aunt who collects shoes but said she doesn't need any more miniature ones. Here is one I can make for her that she can show off on her bed instead of a curio cabinet.
ReplyDeleteHello Debby; I feel so privileged and honored to own two of your calendars, but wow, I had no idea you had designed so many! I will have to start a collection of your calendars. The images you have shared today are so wonderful, I will be putting this on my Christmas wish list for sure! Thank you for designing all of these fabulous patterns in your calendars! You are so extremely talented, Debby and I am thrilled to be a follower of you! Have a great day!
ReplyDelete