Fat Quarterly Shape Workshop - Giveaway

And so the Fat Quarterly Shape Workshop Blog Tour kicks off on the blog of their newest member, me!  If you want to see all the dates and places of the tour, with more chances to win this book along the way, go to the end of this post for more info.  And for a chance to win a copy of Shape Workshop for Quilters, please leave a "top tenuous" comment on this post.  Now a "top tenuous" comment comes from a UK radio show where people have to phone in with their most tenuous link to a famous person, eg, my Mum's dog has her hair cut by Katy Jones' next door neighbour.  So your most tenuous links to any of the five Fat Quarterly team members, the more absurd the better.  One comment per person to win the book.  Mr Random will pick the winner in a week but I will be entertained along the way by your comments!

And for my stop on the blog tour, I have decided to host an interview with the most eccentric member of the team, my real life friend Katy Jones, known online as I'm a Ginger Monkey.  Although she is as tall as a giraffe, has many tattoos, wears outlandishly stylish clothes, has a designer haircut and cinema 3D type glasses, you'd think she would be a scary person in real life and in fact she is as nice as pie.  And here is my interview with her, interspersed with photos from the book.


1. Firstly can you tell us a little bit about each of the four of you who have written this book.

Tacha is the glue that holds the rest of us together. She's organised, focused, determined and looks quite serious. I say LOOKS quite serious because Tacha can reduce me to a fit of giggles with a single look, she has a dry sense of humour that is actually a little bit naughty. John is our big brother - both in stature (he's 6'4" or something huge) and personality. He's a complete whizz with words, and having the male personality in the group keeps us grounded (although truth be told, John is as much of a girl as the rest of us). It's a running joke amongst ourselves that John and I are the eye candy - everyone else makes these crazily complicated quilts and we stand around batting our eye lashes. Try to imagine John batting his eye lashes and looking all pretty, it's quite funny. We all feel crazily protective of him, because he's our brother. Brioni likes to make complicated quilts. If there's an easy quilt to make she won't be doing it, or she'll make the block teeny tiny just to make it harder. She once made a fussy cut english paper pieced quilt in 6 weeks - completely finished in 6 weeks. Brioni is from Yorkshire and those familiar with Yorkshire will understand what I mean when I say she's a true Yorkshire woman - she has a fantastic, dry, cutting sense of humour. And then there's me. Um. I'm not good at talking about me. I like cats. *bats eyelashes*


2. How did Fat Quarterly come into being?

We had all met through various swaps on flickr. It was Tacha that finally brought us together as a group though.  Tacha contacted us individually and asked if we would be interested in doing something together. The initial idea was quite different to how FQ is now, more of a few patterns together and less of a magazine. It has evolved into a magazine that we like to think showcases new and emerging talent, both in fabric and quilt design - a kind of stepping stone into the industry for people that might not have had anything published before. Our main focus is on the community we are part of and championing it.

3. What is Fat Quarterly (the e-zine) all about?

The basic idea for Fat Quarterly was for a more modern quilting magazine that we felt wasn't really represented in the more traditional print magazines available at the time (I think we are still quite unique). We knew we couldn't do that in a printed form without a massive cash injection that none of us had, so we went down the digital road. We were clear in our minds about what we wanted to see in a magazine, and have stayed true to that focus. Fresh, modern, up to date projects using designer fabrics for a variety of skill levels and demonstrating a variety of techniques. We have a theme for each issue (the latest issue is set around the theme of Kids - creating with and for them) and the projects are all related to that particular theme. The magazines have no advertising in them (the only exclusion to that is the special issue we are releasing to coincide with the Fat Quarterly retreat in June), so within the 90-odd pages you get pure content. We are unique in that way, and consequently we don't have a big old pot of money to play with as most magazines draw revenue from advertising, but for $8 an issue, the price of a single pattern, you get practically a book.


4. And how did the idea for doing a book come about?

Within the magazine or on our website we have designer challenges - either a shape, a block, or a fabric and designers that we pick from our readership or twitter make something using whatever the challenge is on that particular occasion. The book came about from that same idea but expanded - each chapter is a different shape, and within that chapter there are 10 different blocks (a mix of traditional blocks and modern interpretations of traditional blocks, and new blocks), and 2 quilted projects (1 large, 1 small). It's always great to see how different peoples' minds work out the solution to a problem or challenge, and I think the book's premise shows our own personalities and strengths within the blocks and projects.


5.  Who is the book aimed at?

The book is aimed at any quilter - there are projects that are aimed at each level of quilter, from absolute beginner right through to the experienced quilter. We would like to think there is something for everyone within the pages. It's also a perfect book for someone thinking of joining a quilt bee - the 60 blocks are all 12" finished which is the general size used for the online quilting bees we have been part of over the years. I guess the idea isn't just about the patterns and the projects but hoping that it might encourage you to think about how you can use the different shapes in your own projects and as you develop as a quilter.


6. What makes your book different from any of the other modern quilting books being published at the moment?

Unlike most other quilt books that are mainly projects or quilt blocks we have both. The chapters are clearly separated so that all of the blocks in each chapter use the same fabrics/colourway, for example all of the polygon blocks are made using kona solids in blues and greys. We hope that the book becomes a reference book in every quilter's library that they can pull out every time they need some fresh inspiration.

7. And now some quick fire questions:

Fave all time quilt you've made:

At the moment my favourite is probably Hexy MF, although orange soda from the book comes a close second.


Worst quilt you've ever made:

There have been a few. The worst one in that the one I am most disappointed with was probably a hexagon quilt I made for Leo, my son, that doesn't look bad at all but I had ideas above my station and thought I could hand piece something amazing (the piecing is ok) and then hand quilt it with a fine cotton thread. I managed to hand quilt one hexagon flower before giving up, and tying it with buttons. It's lumpy (I used a wool batting) and wonky and although does it's job of keeping him warm it reminds me I failed.

Fave quilt someone else has made

A double wedding ring quilt that Erica Ray made and I found on flickr. I absolutely adore this quilt - everything about it is pure perfection, I look at it quite often and just sigh. It's my one day, when I'm a grown up quilt.

Fave quilt you made in the book

Orange soda. I love it. I love love love love love it so much.

Fave other quilt in the book 

This is tricky. Probably Tacha's Nordic Star quilt because her use of dresden plates is genius, although I also love the simplicity of John's flickering stars pillow and the design of Brioni's saw blade quilt.


Fave fabric line ever

Ever ever ever? Building blocks by American Jane. It was that line of fabric that first got me thinking I might want to make a quilt. I still love her fabrics, they are timeless and perfect for everything. I would still go out and buy up every print from that collection now, and it's about 5 years old now.

Fave fabric designer ever

Sandy Klop of American Jane. I buy her fabrics, I hoard them, I love her. She has a style that is undeniably hers and immediately recognisable.

Fave colour

Red. I don't necessarily use it all that much but it's my favourite and I'm always inexplicably drawn to anything red. Including nail polish and shoes.

Fave drink

A really cold bottle of corona, with lime. I actually drink very little but a corona always makes things better, more relaxed, more fun, and just makes me feel happy inside.


Fave food

I am constantly craving really good pulled pork sandwiches or barbeque food. In fact I have some pork slow cooking in the crock pot now for pulled pork sandwiches tonight. With a smoky barbeque sauce. Yum. Apparently Kansas City (where Spring Market is this year) is a great place for barbeque - I'll be dragging the others around trying to find me some ribs and pulled pork.

Fave place in the world

I love the size of the US, the fact that it sprawls, that the sky is so huge and everything is bigger there than in the UK. Food portions are huge (I like to eat), everything is cheaper than it is here (don't get me started on the price of gas in the UK), but I don't really know if I could live there.  So I think my most absolute favourite place in the world ever is London. If I could move there right now I would, I'd live in the hustle and bustle of East London close to my brother and one of my best friends and my kids would grow up way more streetwise and independent than there are being in the Countryside and getting driven all over the place.

Tell us a joke
This horse walks into a bar.
The barman says 'why the long face?'

Hmm, rubbish, isn't it?


Tell us an embarrassing story about yourself
The most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me without a doubt was last year at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. We had a booth for the first time and taught some classes. Everything was wonderful....except for a lecture on Social Media and Blogging that Tacha was supposed to take but had been ill (quite seriously, in the hospital and it had been touch and go as to whether she would come to FoQ at all) and at the last minute I said I'd do it for her, thinking the class would be about 5 people and I could grab coffees and we could have a bit of a chat about twitter and the like, all round a table and passing the ipad round. I had absolutely no prep, because I hadn't expected to do it and I hadn't expected anyone would actually go.
In fact there was a large room, set out lecture style with mic and lectern and me stood at the front thinking 'oh crap no'. By the time everyone arrived there were over 30 people and they all sat there looking at me like I was going to tell them something interesting, informative and worth the money they had paid. 3 walked out. You know the day is bad if people walk out of your class. I just wanted the floor to open and swallow me up. It was terrible. The rest of the weekend involved people coming to the booth to tell me how bad the lecture was, I needed a drink after that.

OK so a quick reminder (i) leave a top tenuous comment for a chance to win a copy of the book and (ii) visit the rest of the stops on the tour for reviews, giveaways and block tutorials from the book:

5/24  Handmade by Alissa: www.handmadebyalissa.com/
5/29  In Color Order: incolororder.blogspot.com/
5/31  Comfort Stitching: comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/
6/4  Generation Q: generationqmagazine.com/
6/7  Sew Mama Sew: sewmamasew.com/blog2/
6/12  Pat Sloan: patsloan.com/
6/14  WhipUp: whipup.net
6/18  Sarah Fielke’s The Last Piece: thelastpiece.typepad.com/
6/22  Fat Quarter Shop: fatquartershop.blogspot.com/
6/26  Diary of a Quilter: www.diaryofaquilter.com/
6/28  Amy’s Creative Side: amyscreativeside.com/blog/
7/3  A La Mode Fabric: alamodefabric.blogspot.com/
7/6  It’s Sew Kiki!: kiki-itssewkiki.blogspot.com/
7/10  Craft Buds!: www.craftbuds.com/
7/12  Craft Foxes: www.craftfoxes.com/
7/16  {sew} Allegorical: www.sewallegorical.com/
7/18 Wrap-up Party back at FatQuarterly.com!

Comments

  1. I really need a FQ book...that will be lovely. Thanks for a chance to win.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My tenuous connection to Katy is a Twitter conversation we had about our mutual love of the back of EPP. I haven't bought a quilting book for years (block design books only) and Shape Workshop would be a great book to have on my shelf.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My connection is my brothers friends boyfriends uncle is Anthony (the blue wiggle) . He happens to be the only original wiggle left now :(

      Delete
  3. John left a comment on my friend's blog about his quilt =]

    I so want a copy of this book

    THANKS big time for the awesome interview - she is just too darned cute

    ReplyDelete
  4. One tenuous link is that I am a born and bred Yorkshire woman too! So that's my link with Brioni, AND I use to live near Wakefield.... AND I have been in The Black Bull pub at Midgley...does that count!!!! I also have a tattoo so that's my tenuous link with Katy. I am part Welsh and I allow you to insult me so that's my link with you. There you have my links... how did I do??? Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  5. How about the fact that I am a ginger (redhead). Also the joke is one of my favourites. My other two are: Two elephants fell off a cliff, BOOM BOOM. and What do you call a boomerang that won't come back? A stick.
    Love the look of this book.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've noticed from his blog that John is a fan of the North Carolina Tarheels. I am a NON-fan of them and cheer against them when they play my favorite team the Virginia Tech Hokies who are in the ACC with UNC. Even though I don't share his team preference, I'll bet John is a great guy.

    ReplyDelete
  7. i only have links to katy that i know of, but they are actually the type where i commented on her blog and she emailed back! in particular a great exchange about how easy it would be to mistake a gluestick for chapstick, which i've been afraid would happen to me... and it did happen to katy! great interview, i'm a big fan of katy.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have a sort of tenuous link to Katy. I won her latest giveaway! Does that count? LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow, I wish the world were a little smaller right now and I had a better connection. The only one I can come up with is that I read every one of their blogs regularly. Thanks for the opportunity to win.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I follow Lily Quilts blog who is a fast friend of Katy Jones! Thanks for the fun!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hmm, I don't think I have any tenuous links. I guess the closest thing I can come up with is that I live in NC like John.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I would love a copy of this book, Katy rocks.....and she is super duper sweet.....my link to her, we are Blythe friends....and I had a few of her dolls for a while :-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. wow, my brain doesn't work that well at this hour. but I'd love to win!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh dear, no tenuous links I'm afraid, but the book looks amazing - some lovely projects shown here, can't await to see more

    ReplyDelete
  15. That's a cute book. Clearly Tacha's great-great-grandmother lived in the same English village as mine, because despite being on opposite sides of the world for multiple generations, I have exactly that shade of brown hair.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Umm, my Nana was from Darling ton in County Durham, and that's in the north of England, which is close to where Katy lives because everything is close in England.

    ReplyDelete
  17. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I think my link is that I discovered that the Faticus cat is really a stuffed, posable cat that Katy places on quilts for photographic purpose. Oh and for good measure.. What is brown and sticky? A stick.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I follow your blog...does that count? Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Well, let's see, all of you are human and oh my gosh, so am I. And we all live on planet Earth....in the Northern Hemisphere...and we all like fabric and quilting. What a small world.

    ReplyDelete
  21. No link to her but if I win then I would have one.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Well I live on the Canadian prairies which have the biggest sky ever, far bigger than the US and we spell correctly and I think London is also probably my favourite city ever so I am sure Katy must be a distant cousin for sure. I want to make the orange soda quilt, I do need the book.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I am going to go with the fact that I lived in North Carolina for 9 years and my mom still lives there. I don't know what city John lives in but I suspect it is very close to the same area.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Cheryl Collins21 May 2012 at 14:08

    My best friend for the last 30 years is called Jones so she is obviously related to Katy even though ( and I say this with huge amount of love) Lesley has no visual sense, unlike Katy. Also Hexy MF is my favourite of Katy's quilts that I have seen and I am dying for her to do a pattern/workshop. Next week I move house and so my prize can find me then at cheryl62collins@btinternet.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. My daughter is in London right now for 6 wks. and Katy would like to live there! The book looks amazing-thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I love this book. Borrowed it from the library and find it is a must have. I made the Interlocked block and found it a challenge, but I love how it turned out.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Several years ago now I knitted a pair of socks for Katy. She asked on her blog if anyone could make her some as she couldn't knit and I offered (although I had only just learned how to do it myself!) - in return she made a gorgeous lap quilt for my youngest, Joe, which he still uses and which I treasure. I think I came out of that swap on top (no idea if she still has the socks though...)

    ReplyDelete
  28. I had to look up tenuous in my dictionary and still it doesn't really make sense to me... Ok, so I am a ginger and I plan to buy monkey wallpaper for our future nursery. That is as far as I get....

    ReplyDelete
  29. Fun interview. Sounds like a good book . I actually had to look tenuous up to make sure I was leaving the right kind of comment.

    melodyj(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  30. Great interview! The book looks fun! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  31. My tenuous thought is I really want to come to London, drink tea, and put my feet up reading the book! A girl can dream can't she!

    ReplyDelete
  32. This book looks wonderful! Thanks for the chance!

    ReplyDelete
  33. If you believe in evolution, we are all sort of distant relatives so that is as close as I can get. Plus I'm a follower of her blog.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Okay, this book looks wonderful. My tenuous connection is that Quilt Dad lives in Triangle area of North Carolina and so do I! So basically, neighbors.

    Thanks for the chance to win!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Well I actually listen to said radio show on the way to work so at least I know what you are talking about...

    I have twins, you have twins and John has twins, and I have a Dad, but he can't quilt, but he discovered a great website he thought I might like (I already did)... From the Blue Chair, and Kati has twins.

    ReplyDelete
  36. My tenuous link to Katy would be that I got to play with some of her fabric to make a Siblings Together quilt.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I once saw a ginger monkey at a zoo... tenously linked to Katy obvs!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I would love to win this book! My tenuous link is that I started blogging because I wanted to participate in John's Block-a-palooza!

    ReplyDelete
  39. I have already purchased this fabulous book but thanks for giving us another peak at Katy. She is someone I would love to meet...oh yeah, I am going to meet her in October at Sewing Summit. Yeah!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Ok so a long time ago when I first start quilting I entered a competition on Justine's blog (not a FQ member but a good friend of the infamous Katy) SOO somehow I won and little did I know that Jaty was actually sending out the gift...so I have a cute doll in my house that was once touched by Katy and once LIVED in her house (I've never been able to wash her).

    ReplyDelete
  41. My link is with John. I have visited Myrtle Beach, South Carolina twice and might have seen John while I was washing the sand off my feet.

    ReplyDelete
  42. I have glasses and Katy has glasses... hmmm, but I have my contacts in now.

    Trying again, I am super-cool and edgy... OK - I can't even pull that off in a blog comment.

    Final try - Katy used up her tatoo allotment, so I secretly transferred mine to her "account." So... half of her tattoos are from me :-) You are welcome - ha ha!

    ReplyDelete
  43. I have friends who have met some of you, but my connection is vicarious in most cases, thanks to having four kids 6 years old and under ;)

    ReplyDelete
  44. OK here is my awful joke: How do you make holy water?
    You boil the hell out of it.
    I would love to win this book. Thanks, Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  45. My daughter's tattoo artist went to the same art school as Katy Jones's tattoo artist. At least it looks like they did!! Kathie L in Allentown Thanks for the giveaway

    ReplyDelete
  46. I saw Katy at the Harrogate quilt show last September but was too shy to say hello...even when her group of friends sat at the next table in the coffee shop!

    ReplyDelete
  47. I live on an Island halfway across the Pacific from the Mainland US. Most of the FQ team live across the Atlantic from the Mainland US. So I'm kind of related to all you English gals in that we are all an ocean away from John! (That doesn't make sense, does it-I was stretching here!)

    ReplyDelete
  48. My link to Katy is that we both think Man versus Food is NOT vulgar !

    ReplyDelete
  49. I shook John QuiltDad's hand at a blogger meet-up in SLC . . . he's really tall. Here's a joke for you: How do you make your handkerchief dance? Put a little boogie in it. Thanks for the chance.

    ReplyDelete
  50. I have this book in my Amazon Wishlist. Thanks Lily for hosting the interview and Katy for sharing. I love the body pillow for the couch! So I have no connections to Katy, besides being one of her little fans who sits behind the security guards at the red carpet with a poster that says I love your Quilts I'm Ginger Monkey. haha :)

    ReplyDelete
  51. i need a good quilting book thanks for the giveaway

    ReplyDelete
  52. Well, I like to cook with ginger. How's that for a link?

    ReplyDelete
  53. No links but would love to win this quilting book. Loved reading the interview with Katy.

    ReplyDelete
  54. And I think candied ginger is very nice... and you said Ginger Monkey is nice...

    ReplyDelete
  55. Hmmmmmm, when I was pregnant with my last child I had Brioni on the list of possible girls names. Of course I need to let you know that Dexter John arrived instead!!! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  56. My connection: I'm a quilt mom and I live with a dad (my kids'!). Also, I have a daughter named Katie and she quilts.

    ReplyDelete
  57. My tenuous link to Katy is that she mentioned on her blog she had been to Jamie's Italian in Leeds and my husband and I installed the sound system in the restaurant. I introduced myself to her at FoQ last year.

    ReplyDelete
  58. John's third cousin's best friend's massage therapist was once abducted by the same aliens as my uncle's insurance broker's second wife's poodle.

    I may have made that up.

    ReplyDelete
  59. I bought some fabric from a shop that is featured on Katy's blog!

    ReplyDelete
  60. tenuous link - Quilt Dad's name is John
    My name is Marcia

    ReplyDelete
  61. Ooooh I would love love LOVE a copy of this book. Erm... my link to you is that you emailed me yesterday...does that count, lol!x

    ReplyDelete
  62. Hmmmm. A tenuous link. I'm reaching here. I've been to England, and I love London. The people, the history, the sights... All amazing. One of my best vacations ever. I wish I was seeing the summer Olympics in person.

    ReplyDelete
  63. That looks like a wonderful book. I'd love to have a copy.

    ReplyDelete
  64. I like flowers, my daughters name is Lily (she's 7) Her middle name is Bibi (meaning: Sparkly bauble!)I googled all blogs with the name Lily one day & found yours (and a few others-yours was the only one I added to my Faves!)

    ReplyDelete
  65. Okay, I have been to the meeting of the Berlin Modern Quilt Guild once and didn't meet any of you there...
    Great interview!

    ReplyDelete
  66. Minha ligação com Katy,são as minhas três filhas,Catiúscia,Catiene e Catierine.Por mais estranho que possa parecer é a mais pura verdade.Muito obrigada tiacarminhapezzuto@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  67. Um, my sister's husband's brother lives in East London. Is that tenuous enough?

    ReplyDelete
  68. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Your book is aimed at quilters and hey, I'm a quilter. I too, am a ginger monkey!!

    ReplyDelete
  70. My tenuous link is last year at Festival of Quilts I met Katy and Tacha and Katy kindly showed me her Tula Pink Frog Prince tattoo. We decided that I could tattoo myself with Sharpie pens (far to chicken for the real thing) and so I became Sharpie Girl (for a few hours!)

    ReplyDelete
  71. My brain is too mushy to come up with anything remotely top tenuous...but I did have to comment and ask did people really come up and tell Katy the lecture had been bad? That just seems mean.

    ReplyDelete
  72. My top tenuous is that I listen to the same morning show as you on Radio 2!! Though maybe someone else has said that already.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Tenuous... I'll be taking John's class at retreat and he once commented on a comment I left on his blog... Tenuous enough...??? Great book - would love to win and meet your ALL!!!

    ReplyDelete
  74. I sat next to Elizabeth Hartman from Oh, Fransson! at my MQG meeting. I even passed her some sort of ornament that was circulating around the room. Big moment! And I didn't even mention how I stalk her blog and love all her designs..that would be too much!

    ReplyDelete
  75. Katy Jones made a quilt called Orange Soda. When I was a sixth grader in Japan many years ago, my class took a week-long field trip to an experimental educational farm in the mountains. Every day we were given orange soda for breakfast by the hotel.

    ReplyDelete
  76. My very tenuous link - I have a computer and I can sew!

    ReplyDelete
  77. I have the same weird spelling of my name as the 'famous' Katy, even though mine's short for something terrible that doesn't get out in public, even on a Sunday best, and I'm sure hers is just Katy, you know, like a normal person ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  78. Brioni is from Yorkshire and I LOVE Yorkshire pudding! Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  79. i hv lived in UK for several years and have kids there. . . . can that counts me for a chance of the giveaway? LOL

    ReplyDelete
  80. I stalk Katy on twitter. Now that's tenuous. (And possibly creepy, but let's not go there.)

    ReplyDelete
  81. I have just previewed this book via Amazon, it looks so fabulous, well done guys!!!

    ReplyDelete
  82. My only tenuous connection is that I follow your blog... oh well :)

    ReplyDelete
  83. My tenuous link. Katy is as nice as pie and I like pie. Also, I was born in NC, the state John lives in. Oh, and I have a ninja vs. pirate embroidery he made me in a swap!

    ReplyDelete
  84. I like books. I like Fat Quarterly too. Thanks for the chance to win! I looked up tenuous. I'm not sure if I got that across or not :D

    ReplyDelete
  85. My tenuous link? I can spell "John" . This book looks like so much fun!

    ReplyDelete
  86. I don't think I'm cool enough to have even a tenuous link.. or to really understand the whole idea! But I really like the pretty pictures of your book!

    ReplyDelete
  87. Links- I follow all of your blogs, I gave birth to a ginger, I drove through North Carolina today and live in South Carolina and went to England on my honeymoon. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  88. Apparently there are only ever 7 steps of separation . . . So I (step one) MUST know someone (step 2) who knows someone (3) who knows someone . . . Who knows one of you. Useless eh?

    ReplyDelete
  89. My tenuous connection is that all of my UK friends, plus a few from more far-flung places, are attending the Fat Quarterly Retreat (and making me very green with envy too!). :) Thanks for the chance to make my tenuous connection less so!

    ReplyDelete
  90. I listen to Chris Evans and he's a ginger but probably isn't acquainted with Katy....
    Really enjoyed the interview and loving the look of the book.

    ReplyDelete
  91. I have been to Ikea a couple of times with Katy. She is friends with Apryl (meridianariel) who I met virtually on Crafteroo and had arranged a Starbucks and Ikea day a few times. Other participants have been Louise of Wall Envy Art, Sam of Incy Wincy Stitches and Amy of LucyKate Crafts. Not seen her for a while though.

    ReplyDelete
  92. I won't be original: My tenuous connection in that I follow your blog and Sew Ichigo blog! And my name is Sil and I live in Brazil!! :))

    ReplyDelete
  93. I stood behind Robbie Coltrane at an airport check in once and he was very big and tall, possibly as tall as John Adams. Is that tenuous enough?

    ReplyDelete
  94. Well, Lynne, I guess this is my cue to share our story with everyone. I thought you'd been wanting to keep it a secret, but looks like now's the time.

    Once upon a time, Lynne made a really ugly quilt. Yes, hard to believe (and hasn't happened again since), but absolutely true. Her son wanted a quilt with his football club's colours. Lynne though she'd be all clever and make a stripey quilt. Neither she nor her son were much impressed. It was dead boring. The Fat Quarterly blog had just started up and began a feature called Agony Aunt. Lynne posted a photo of the quilt and asked readers whether it could be saved and how to go about doing that. I took pity on this Lily person and wrote a novel about what she could do, how she needed to add some fabrics of differing value if she wanted to achieve the same effect of her inspiration quilt...yadayadayada. To this day, I'm sure she never took my advice, but we began a correspondence that summer and I made two new friends: one named Lily, and the other, a nice English woman named Lynne. I'm so clever that it only took me about 3 months to figure out that I had not doubled my friend count, rather Lynne and Lily were one in the same person. Nevertheless and like it or not, although we started with a tenuous connection, she's stuck with me now.

    ReplyDelete
  95. I have also batted my eyelashes...at my husband who is as tall as John. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  96. How's this for tenuous? My partner's "fishing wife" once allegedly dated Christina Hendricks (according to his wife) or they were just friends before she became famous (according to him).

    ReplyDelete
  97. I have red hair and two tattoos, and my husband is 6'4. but not named John, sadly.

    ReplyDelete
  98. My tenuous link is I'm Welsh like your husband and...that's it really.

    ReplyDelete
  99. I had a peek at Tacha's copy of the book this weekend. It is seriously the BEST quilting book I have seen in a while. I am inspired to try a few things just from the quick flip through. Not to make a project or block directly from the book but try something similar. That's what I like about it. It gets you thinking!

    ReplyDelete
  100. I have a moustache on my finger (but only when I hold my finger to my upper lip)

    ReplyDelete
  101. I also had a peak at the book this weekend and would love a copy. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  102. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  103. My tenuous link: a Croatian schoolfriend of my Mum migrated to Oz and had a daughter who became my BFF who just visited my sister in the U.S who has a daughter called Lily for whom I made a quilt and whose godmother is my BFF who happens to also have a tattoo and married a Pom and now lives in the UK, close to where the retreat will be held... and .... as geography precludes me heading to the UK for the retreat (I stayed in Australia, unlike my BFF or sister!), this yummy book would give me a virtual taste of all the inspiration to be had!!

    ReplyDelete
  104. My tenuous connection? One of the first quilts I ever made was a design by John Adams called Off The Grid 9-Patch. It's still one of my favorites!!

    ReplyDelete
  105. HELLO! WOW! HEXY MF IS BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL!
    THANKS FOR SHARING-LOVE IT!
    THANKS FOR A GREAT BOOK GIVEAWAY TOO!

    msstitcher1214@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  106. Great interview would love to win the book!

    ReplyDelete
  107. See you in London, very soon. :)

    ReplyDelete
  108. Wow, that tenuous connection thing is hard!! Mmmm ... Well, one of my blogging friends has attended a work shop with Anna Maria Horner and AMH has attended quilt market as have the Fat Quartely members. Wow, heh! ;-) And I've been mailing commenting on yours and Katy's blogs more or less regularly. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  109. My daughter wants the quilt of your nephew, but for our rat ... It`s a little monster, but not ugly or dirty... The padding should measure about 30 cm by 50 cm ... Would you be offended if I do ...? It would be an honor for me ... and rat ...

    ReplyDelete
  110. My tenuous link is that I have two feet...

    Feet rhymes with "Retreat" which is something that I will be going to at the beginning of June and that you two will also be at!!!!!!!!!!

    And I really NEED a copy of this book so that I can get you guys to sign it when I'm there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  111. my tenuous link is that I also live in Yorkshire and have tattoos. I am also going on a workshop with Lucie Summers, who is great friends with Katie.
    Looking forward to winning that book!

    ReplyDelete
  112. Well I just got to meet Katy and Tacha at Market, so no longer tenuous, except for the fact that it connects me with you! Okay, this is kinda like the Kevin Bacon six degrees of separation. Here goes: My best friend's nephew's girlfriend is friends with Ree Drummond from Pioneer Woman fame, has been a writer on her blog and recipe contributor.

    ReplyDelete
  113. Let's see...last night I was part of a tweet chat in which the fabulous Angela Walters answered one of my questions. I believe she has long-arm quilted some of John Adams's quilts. So what is that, two degrees of separation?

    ReplyDelete
  114. My tenous connection? Susan from Canadian Abroad is one of my bloggy friends and she's headed to the FQ Retreat where she'll be meeting you!

    The book looks to be gorgeous and inspiring. Thanks for the fun interview with Katy and the chance to win a copy!

    ReplyDelete
  115. Hmmm... well can my tenuous link be that Katy and I spell our name the same (and might I point out - correct) way :)

    ReplyDelete
  116. I would love to win a copy!!! Rather than waiting for it to come on loan at the library! :)

    ReplyDelete
  117. Nothing tenuous but I would love to win a copy of the book.

    ReplyDelete
  118. Tenuous link...I sew!?!?!

    ReplyDelete
  119. this is going to sound so corny, but I have been following your blog for a while now and love it. i look forward to what new and exciting things you have made. I have many of your quilts on my todo list. This interview was really cute. It sounded like Katy Jones was just having a chat with a friend. Thank you for letting me get to know "Ginger Monkey" as I have been following her amazing blog also. A tenuous connection...well we were in London last October (I live in Vancouver Canada) staying with friends and on our tourism dash I bet I passed you and Katy somewhere. How is that for tenuous???

    ReplyDelete
  120. In the spirit of Chris Evan's my tenuous link... My daughter's best friend is nicknamed the ginger dwarf.

    ReplyDelete
  121. I have been quilting for over 30 years with hand applique being my first love. However, I'm so excited about the modern quilts that are popping up these days. I am currently working on an Urban 9-Patch and enjoy the inspiration of this blog. Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  122. I am currently living in London-hope this counts! Would be lovely to win this great book! lisanho@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  123. Since I almost got a tattoo, but left because I got scared of all that ink, I must be soul sisters with Katy.

    ReplyDelete
  124. 13 years ago, I spent the summer living in John's state, very near his favorite team's school... And I'm absolutely sure we must have eaten sandwiches at the same restaurant. And he very likely travels right past my house whenever he drives the northerly highway toward New England. Practically Family, we are!

    ReplyDelete
  125. Yes please I'd love a copy of this book. Tenuous link: last summer I went to the zoo and saw a orang-utan which is like a monkey and is sort of ginger! Does that work?
    thanks for the giveaway

    ReplyDelete
  126. I don't have a tenuous link other than I read the blog. The book looks fantastic. Thanks for a chance to with this fabulous book!

    ReplyDelete
  127. Well I know Katy b/c I found her book on a blog I follow so b/c I follow her blog the author is like my best friend even though we've never met and she doesn't know me at all - I only know her. Then I did a google search and found Katy's book here so now you're my friend b/c I visit your blog - even though we've never met - I only know you. And since you're real life friends with Katy and now you and I are friends, well I am friends with Katy - I only know her, she doesn't know me. But we would be friends if she know me b/c my husband has a really small tattoo on his leg. (;

    This book is really relevant. I'd love to win it!

    ReplyDelete
  128. saw the body pillow cover on Pinterest and want to make it but can't afford the book right now. I am a widow on one income.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comment away peeps :-)