Thought I would take time to share some of my favorite hot pads that I have made over the last 2 years. They are all gone tho to Kalona as usual.
This is what I spend most of my time doing besides having grandkids every weekend!

The hotpads are my biggest seller at Kalona and the bookmarks are the second best seller. I like to make the bookmarks because they are quicker to do.

Sorry the words go with the red hotpad and the blue hotpad. I got it on the wrong picture and now I can't move it. Oh well!!

MORE

Sorry if I duplicated anything if I did I didn't mean to.

Hi Rhonda - they are lovely - how big are the Hot Pads? What do you use for the bookmarks - Steam a seam? then satin stitch? Great Job!

They are exquisite! You did a wonderful job creating. Just one question, what is Kalona?
-Pat :) :) :)

You really have a knack with placing a light in just the right point to make your projects look as though they are sparkling! I don't recall ever seeing anything like it, but your color combinations are impressive!
Thank you for sharing!

Sorry I have a habit of shortening my references.. I sell to Yoders Antique and Gift store in Kalona Iowa. It is a town in an Amish area that caters to tourism with an emphasis on quilting. They have quilt blocks on almost every store window and hung in most of the businesses. I went in to the bank up there and they quite often set up the local Amish women in the bank and they quilt on a quilt right there and you can watch and ask questions.

My hotpads are 8 1/2" unfinished and 8" or so finished. They may vary a little.

My bookmarks are made with my cut down method and the hotpads are also.
If you want to see some of my methods click on "the cut down method" in my signature below and it will take you to my free teaching site. You will see how to make "Blocks" and use them to make projects.

I did a tutorial for making Bookmarks with my Boston Blocks if you'd like to see it let me know. You can sign up for the Quilted Paradise Newsletter. That is where the tutorials are.

I love your hot pads!!

Those hot pads are hot!

Thanks for the kind words! :D :D

Very nice! Glad I don't have to pick a favorite....

They are so nice! I love all your diffrent patterns and fabrics!!!

They are all beautiful!!!! What a fun way to test drive different blocks :D :D :D

They are so beautiful!! Too nice to use. I'd cry if I got spaghetti sauce on them. :cry:

What a lovely assortment of Hot Pads. I always look forward to seeing what you are sharing, for the day. Thank you......... :D :D :D

Thanks Sulabug and to all for the nice words. I love quilting and creating --- sharing feeds the soul!! I have so loved seeing what everyone else is doing and I get great inspiration from all of you!

They are gorgeous! I'd never let anyone put anything on them!! :D

What a lovely collection! You do such nice piecework! I too would be afraid to mess them up! They would look so cute hanging in the kitchen. Quilt art for the kitchen!

Those are very nice. I can see why they were big sellers.

Rhonda, You're amazing! You do such beautiful work!!!

It's all about making the "Blocks" Everything I make is made with the 'blocks" It makes it so much easier to piece. The little pieces just happen when you join the "blocks" together.

These hot pads are all! made with "Blocks" there are no curves or small piecing involved. Where you see curves that is an optical illusion.

:D Just lovely! You do very nice work. Can we see the bookmarks too? And what is Kalona?


judee

Your hot pads are beautiful. Too pretty to use and get dirty!!!!

I sell my stuff to Yoder's Antiques and Gift shop in Kalona Iowa so Kalona is just my shortcut - sorry talking and not thinking again!

Yes I can put the bookmarks on I also have checkbook covers and eyeglass cases and billfolds coinpurses and totes and mini quilts that are 5" x 8" and keychains and magnets....... I just didn't want to put too much on at a time. Didn't want to flood you with too many pictures at a time. I have several files of pictures from ever since I got my computer 3 years ago. Before that it is all on 35 mm pictures.

I take an order up to Kalona at least every three weeks and sometimes every two weeks so there is a lot of stuff. Just don't want anyone to think I am overbearing with too much info.

All these pictures are things I have taken to Kalona over the last two years. I do have alot more.

FYI my avatar is a large tote I sold last year to Yoders in Kalona

OH! I don't think you would be overbearing with too much info! We love INFO! And PICTURES!! (or I do, and I think most of us do!) You do wonderful work! Now, I want to go visit Kalona just to get in that store! :D

Joette(theowner) had plans to go online but I don't think she ever really did much besides post a little on Ebay

ooooooooooooooo pretty

What do you sell them for?$$

Generally $7 I know they are worth more but they aren't worth anything if I make them and they don't sell! So I price them to what I would want to pay.

Wow, they are ALL beautiful. :thumbup:

Thanks!!

What wondergul hot pads you have here...tooooo pretty to use! I'd be upset if it got scorsed or something spilt on it !

Thank you, but I can't use a wing nut on mine :-(

Those are gorgeous....may have to take a trip to Kalona :)

Sorry she closed the shop last year. So I don't have any on sale right now. I do plan to get some done and put on my website again.

My best friend lives in Muscatine, IA. I went to Kalona for the first time last Labor Day. Towns like that need to be appreciated. Hit the quilt shops there, time well spent and will probably go again. The main street was all tore up when I was there last, hopefully it is fixed by now. I did go to Yoder's great items. It was my understanding that the Amish and Mennonnites live on the outskirts of rural Kalona.

Kalona is a great town for quilts. There is a museum of quilts. I always intended to stop and look at it but never have. Yes there are lots of Amish who live in the country. It is interesting to see the buggys and horses tied up to the post at JWs (grocery store) and there is an Amish blacksmith shop at the edge of town where you can usually see a few buggys and horses waiting. If you look at the houses and you don't see any electricity going to the house then it is an Amish house. You can usually tell because they sit back abit and are always wood two story frame houses. At least in our area. They probably vary from area to area. There is a school for the Amish kids you can see as you go by on the road.

Stringtown is an Amish(Mennonite?) Store a little ways up from the Cheese Factory. They don't use electricity. they have unique lights. THey are basicallly a metal can like tube that is set in a square in the ceiling. the natural light comes down through them. They aren't very big probably about 4" across. So it is a bit unnerving or it was for me for the first few times when you go in and it seems really dark. But as you are in there your eyes adjust.

very pretty......

You do BEAUTIFUL work...thanks for the inspirations and ideas!