JANUARY, 2011

New Year’s Greetings to you and may it be a good year for you!

May you enjoy each day with some special time to yourself for stitching, even if it just 15 minutes! 
Relax and enjoy wonderful feeling we share of working with fabric.

I love the promise of a new beginning offered with the new year. It’s fun to feel free with the idea of a clean slate. Begin new projects as a treat to yourself, but don’t worry about old unfinished projects. You probably didn’t finish them because you didn’t like them. Get them out of your house! Instead of that negative energy on the old unliked projects, pursue your new projects with pleasure.
Someone in your guild will love the challenge of your UFO.

I am looking forward to the editing of my newest book, America’s Quilted Garden, and its’ release toward the fall of 2011. This book is dedicated to our state flowers and was really fun to create. It has been on hold with AQS and now is its turn to be released. ‘I will keep you informed
of the progress and the cover once I see it.

FEBRUARY, 2011

Happy February!

When this month leaves us, Spring is on its way,
at least we hope so here in New England.
This is the month of Love, so do something loving for yourself.
Free up your space and guilt by eliminating some UFO’s!
IF you do not have any, then enjoy new projects and some chocolate!
IF you do have SOME UFO’s, go through them and get rid of at least 3,
 maybe more if you are on a roll.
Unless you are madly in love with the unfinished project, chuck it!
It is not worth the space it is taking up.
Your tastes in fabrics have changed,
 or maybe you didn’t like the technique involved.
What ever the reason, free yourself for more new projects!
Springcleaning!
I would love to hear from you, if you have taken any of this advice to heart.

MARCH, 2011

Spring is Finally Coming!!

I look forward to no more snow, gentle breezes and new life.
I am grateful for a new life on a personal level. On January 16 I had open heart surgery to repair my mitral valve that had become defective. The surgery was a success and the valve repaired. However, 3 weeks later I had more surgery to remove fluid from my heart sac. I am now finally getting back to normal. Just need to rest and regain my strength and stamina. Thank goodness for fabric, needles, thread and my sewing machne for keeping me sane in the weeks ahead as I get stronger. Small accomlishments became major milestones!
The old saying is very ture - if you don't have your health, you have nothing!

Enjoy the sunshine and have fun with fabric.

APRIL, 2011

I am waiting anxiously for Spring to come! Snowy weather does not help!!

I am feeling better each day and hopefully will be attending the quilt show in Paducah with our tour group at the end of the month.  Did you know that Quilt Shows ARE good for your health?  Look at the walking for hours at time looking at the beautiful quilts. Granted it is a slow walk pace with lots of stopping time,
but it is still walking! Then all that weight lifting as well. Bolts of fabric to carried to the cutter and then packages to be carried around. Who said this was not good cardiac rehab! Not me!! I may be sitting down more than I normally do at a show, but I shall be stimulated from all the beautiful quilts and fabrics!

Have a great month!

JUNE, 2011

I hope everyone is safe from all the horrible weather conditions we have been experiencing
across the country. What destruction our country has seen! Survival and renewal are very much a part of the American scene.  I have been focusing on the final editing of my newest book:
America’s Quilted Garden Blocks.  The book is due to be released around the end of July 2011.
I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I have creating it. I have included order information
and view of the cover with this bouquet.

Enjoy June in all its glory!

AMERICA’S QUILTED GARDEN BLOCKS
By
Faye Labanaris

A Quilted Celebration of America’s State Flowers

Faye’s newest book pays tribute to the beauty of America’s State flowers in this collection of 55 original designs
quilted as wall hangings.
Learn to use over a dozen different techniques to create
 the many different flowers for the
50 United States United States,
as well as, the District of Columbia and four US territories.
Clearly illustrated photo instructions will take you
from start to a successful finish.
CR_ROM Included with full size patterns
and interesting state and flower information

 Published by The American Quilters Society in 2011
Summer release

Order your autographed copy today for $24.95.
Send check or money order to the address below.
 Includes free shipping in the continental USA

To: Faye Labanaris
80 Mt. Vernon Street    Dover, NH 03820
E-mail: fayequilt@comcast.net

SEPTEMBER, 2011

Back to School!

It has been a busy summer for me and I apologize for abandoning my Bouquet
for summer vacation time. I’m back on track now with great news! My book,
America’s Quilted Garden Blocks
is at the printer and should be released for sale any day now.

I have a prototype copy and am very pleased with it. The book will have a CD with it, so in addition to the 80 pages of book proper text with directions for making all the state block, the CD provides you with an additional 144 pages of text with flower, state, historical information and state trivia. Plus you are able to print out the full size patterns or reduce them to your preferred size. That is over 350 pages of information all for the price of $24.95. If you order from me, you will have your copy autographed and with free shipping to you!

This has been a long time coming and I feel like I have delivered an elephant, almost!
I hope you get a chance to take a peek at this book and enjoy the USA!!!

On this the 10th Anniversay of September 11, I am honored to present the USA to quilters in another format.

God Bless America!

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER, 2011

The Book is out!!!

America’s Quilted Garden Blocks was sent to me the day after September 11.
What a set of emotions! I hope you would like to have a copy of this special book.

Please see and print out the order form for purchasing an autographed copy. Click HERE for the link.
This is the first time AQS has included so much additional text on a CD!
It is like getting a couple of extra books for the price of one. I had a Red Velvet cake
delivered from a local bakery to the company to thank them for a wonderful book and to celebrate its’ long await release. First time they ever had an author send them a cake. This book of full of firsts!

I hope you have a lovely fall. It appears with all the rain we had this summer
that the trees in New England are very happy and the foliage should be wonderful!
Major tourist roads destroyed in sections by Irene are at least one lane passable.
Our Quilt Ventures Fall Foliage tour will see the progess first hand next week.

Please see October in the Past Bouquets Archive for my mother’s wonderful pie crust recipe
for an apple pie to celebrate fall! Enjoy!!

Nantucket Pie
Compliments of Nancy Ekola, Cocheco Quilters Guild, Dover, NH

• Filling: 2 cups cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• Batter: 2 eggs beaten, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 3/4 cup melted butter, 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar
• Grease a 10" pie plate or spray with Pam
• Place cranberries on bottom of pie plate and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar.
  Add all the almonds over the cranberries.
• Prepare Batter: Mix sugar and melted butter, then add the rest of the ingredients and
  pour on top of berries.
• Bake at 325 degrees F. for 35-40 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.

DECEMBER, 2011

Wishing you all the best this holiday season!

It’s always wonderful to find something delicious to make without too much effort.
The enclosed recipe is just that!
Please give it a try and you will deliciously surprised!
 It would be great with a mixture of blackberries and raspberries, too.

Another great holiday treat to make is found in the Bouquet Archives - Dec ’11
Less time in the kitchen means more time for ourselves and for fabric fun!
A wonderful gift for any quilter friend or yourself would be an autographed copy of my newest book:

America’s Quilted Garden Blocks
$25 includes free postage.
Contact me at fayequilt@comcast.net for details
Or send check with ordering information to 80 Mt. Vernon St, Dover, NH 03820

Remember to relax and enjoy the season. Less is more!!