Time to catch you up!

I haven't posted forever, and almost didn't today!  Blogger has made some changes and it took me forever just to figure out how to start a new post.  I really don't have anything to exciting to post about, so maybe it would have been best to NOT figure it out - lol.  Our next show is a month away (YIKES) in Dallas and we are just really busy trying to get lots of new things made to take along.  We will have lots of our ruler boxes with the pin cushion and binding clips.  These were originally made for our first "Surprise" program, and since everyone seemed to like them, we decided to make a bunch for the show.  Here is the batch we made for Surprise...

My aunt made all of the pin cushions.  I sent her different fabric for the ones that we will take to Dallas - there are some from Kansas Troubles fabrics, two different fabric lines of Betsy Chutchian, and one from Barbara Brackman.  They are all really pretty.

Surprise 2 just got started (thanks to everyone who signed up!) and this is the first mailing!  My mom came over and helped me one day last week - she wrapped all of these for me, and I got them in the mail on Tuesday, so if you are in the program, you should be finding a surprise in your mailbox soon!

 Mom also stuffed a bunch of patterns for me.  I was low on almost all of them.  And...I have THREE new small patterns that will be finished soon - I'm just working on the binding on the last one.  I know that some designers whip patterns out really quickly, but it takes me forever.  Mostly because I do it all myself, and I have a million other things that have to be done too.  I'm excited about these new patterns, and will even have a few kits for 2 of them.  And...they have a little bit of wool applique - something new for me as far as designing goes.  I have a limited amount of fabric to use for them, so I only have about a dozen kits of each, but plan to make up some that are just the wool.  Seems that most of us have a nice stash that we can use for the piecing, but not everyone has a great stash of wool.  I also now have Valdani pearl cotton available to match the wool in the little kits.  And of course, we will have lots of different shapes and sizes of ruler boxes to keep all of your stuff in!

We've been making lots of jewelry too.  I feel like I've never really caught up after the show in Dallas last year!  It was busy all last year, with shows, and sales on the website.  I have a whole box of pendants that need some bling added to them - maybe that will happen next week.

Here are a few 1 1/2" pendants that we recently finished.

My quilter, Kym Ward, has also been busy.  She quilted my new little quilts, and I also had a few others that she did for me.  This was a Christmas gift from my friend, Nancy.  She didn't have time to get it quilted, but it's done now - isn't it wonderful?  I love it!

And this is designed by Betsy Chutchian, also made with one of her fabric lines.  I just love everything that she does.  There was lots of fabric left over, so I pieced the back, but didn't think to take a picture of it.  My quilter does not love a pieced back, but she didn't yell at me too much about it!

There doesn't seem to be much spare time, but I have worked on these funky chicken blocks a little bit.  This is the first stitchery pattern that I've ever done, and I have to say that I really love it!  It goes so fast - that's what I need...something that can get finished!  This kit came from The Little Red Hen in Muscatine, IA.  Love it!  I've never been big on chickens, but my niece loves them, which has made me change my tune a little bit.  I still don't ever want the real thing, but the stitchy kind are good!

And of course, I have lots of help from the kitties, but Ozzie was taking a little break here.  He's had to visit the vet twice - he had lost A LOT of weight, and they discovered that he has an over-active thyroid.  So now we have to give him medicine twice a day.  We tried crushing it and sprinkling it in his food, but he won't eat it.  So, instead we have to cram it down his throat and it's not fun for any of us!  But, he's gaining weight and looking a lot better - what a relief!

 I guess you get a little peek of 2 of my new little quilts!  Callie was being so helpful...

That's all for now - I think you are caught up on everything here!

Have a great day!