The Roller Coaster of Life

I'm going to try to make this quick (I think I've said that before!).  We have been out of town, as my sweet mother-in-law passed away last Tuesday.  She lived in North Dakota, so we have been there with family for a few days.  It is sad that she is gone, but it was so nice to see all of the family again and to make some new memories with them.  My daughter hasn't ever been able to spend much time with her cousins, so they had a blast.  There was a giggle fest that still makes me laugh when I think of it!  And these girls are ages 20 and 24...not little girls!  They were so funny.  But, back to my MIL.  She was a quilter in her day, and I was lucky enough to be able to finish a quilt for her that she had started.  It is something that we will always treasure.  Again, it is hard to know that she is gone, but also comforting that she is at peace now and with other loved ones who were gone too soon.

Enough sadness...I also wanted to show you the fabrics that we will be working with in Omaha at More Sew For You - with Lyn and The Crow Girls.  (You are all signed up, right?)  It's my understanding that there are only a couple of spots left, so you aren't going to have much of a chance if you don't HURRY!

I can't even put into words how yummy and rich these fabrics are.  Lyn sent them to me and I was sooooo pleased when I opened the package.  They really are gorgeous.  And what am I doing with these????  Well...if you are in attendance you will find out!  Could be some special offerings for class attendees!

Don't forget that my friend Missie, from Hallbrook Designs will also be in Omaha - she will have a display of her awesome quilts (and much more) and will be offering her patterns for sale.  If you have not seen them - be prepared to be wowed!  She has some really great designs.

One other thing - I was notified by a customer that they were having trouble on my website, that when they put items in their cart and attempted to checkout, they kept getting bumped back to the home page.  I am told by Intuit that this problem is corrected, so if anyone has any other trouble, please let me know!

Ok...I said this would be quick - so now I have to get back to work!

Have a great day!

Here Kitty, Kitty!

Sarah from Sarah Did It blog reminded me that it is Feline Friday, and we know I always have cat pictures to share!

First, the ultimate in cuteness...

That is Callie, when she was itty bitty.

And reality at my house...

Yes, it looks like all is well, but do you believe it?

 And yes, it looks like Callie is a sweet kitty and is giving Ozzie a little bath.

And even Ozzie is buying into the sweetness.

The real Callie...

 I will stop you with my mighty paw...

 And...the takedown...Ozzie always wins in the end...

 And this is just funny!

I think he's gonna get her!

And Miss CC - pretty kitty.  Still miss her lots.

Thought I would show something quilty too - it has been a looooong time since I posted any of my Civil War Love Letter blocks.  I haven't made any of these forever, but I did find a few that I hadn't posted yet.  I really do love these blocks and want to make some more!  Do you have all of Rosemary Youngs' books?  I love them all - and she's working on a new one!

And one last thing - if you haven't signed up for the classes in Omaha with The Crow Girls - go do it!  Find all of the info on my last blog post.  It's gonna be so much fun!!!  Let me know if you are going - and make sure that you are NOT a "no-reply blogger" so that I can reply to you!

Have a great weekend!

Winners!!

I just drew names for the two winners (under the management of Ozzie and Callie, of course!)of the Simple Quilts magazines and they are....

Gayle

and

Yvette!

Congrats girls - I will mail them out to you just as soon as you send me your addresses!  Hope you like the magazine - and let me know if (when!) you make something from it!

Thanks to everyone for commenting and for following my blog!  I had several people who left comments that are "No Reply Bloggers".  I always reply to all comments, so if you did not hear from me, it is because your settings are "no reply".  Please change that so I can answer you!!

Have a great day!

Giveaway time!

I noticed that I have over 200 followers, so I thought I would have a little giveaway!  The winners (there will be two) will receive this issue of Simple Quilts Magazine.  There is a ton of different projects in here, including the pattern for Poor Lil' Punky - my pin cushion that is shown below.  All you have to do is !) be a follower and 2) leave a comment, and I will pick two winners (with the help of Callie and Ozzie) on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

The Crows are flying in!

We are back and almost recuperated from "It's A Gatherin'" - we had a great time!  There were lots of people and it's always fun to meet everyone.  My friend, Missie, from Hallbrook Designs was there too - this was her first show and she did great and her booth looked amazing!  

Go see her blog to see more pictures of her booth.  I love every single one of her patterns - she gives everything a unique twist.  Make sure to check out her punch needle pieces - some are coasters and others are quilt centers - what great ideas!

My next outing (remember I don't leave home often!) is going to be to Omaha, NE to More Sew For You.  If you haven't heard - The Quilted Crow Girls from Australia are going to be there teaching classes!!  They are the authors of this book...

 

The Crows have their own method of applique and it involves a stapler!  I was fortunate enough to meet them last year at Market in Kansas City, and let me tell you...they are SO MUCH FUN!  If you are anywhere near Omaha I strongly encourage you to sign up for one, or all, of their classes - you will learn lots and laugh your head off!  These girls are coming a LONG way and this is an opportunity that doesn't come along very often.  I can not wait!  And, not only are they a blast to be around, they do gorgeous work.  I have their book, but seeing all of their projects in person was just unbelievable.  You can see them too because there will be a trunk show on Saturday.  To get more information and to sign up for this event go to the More Sew For You website, on the classes tab, scroll down to Events.  If you have any questions, the owner of the shop, Lyn, has the answers.  She is working on the samples and has pulled some really great fabrics and wools for the 3 projects.  You can see some sneak peeks on her blog.  I know that I sound like a commercial - but I'm telling you...this is going to be a blast, and it really is a rare opportunity. I am going to be there all 3 days (have I mentioned that I'm EXCITED!) and will have my jewelry there too.  And you just never know, there may be some special opportunities for class attendees!  Now, go get yourself signed up!

I also wanted to show you the latest charms from our charm bracelet program.  I always try to take a picture of them all together in a big pile - just because they look kinda' fun that way.  I thought we could all use a little bit of spring, so this time I made lots of flowers...

 And for the people who ordered from me (not through the participating shops) they had the option to buy an extra charm.  Here are a few of those...

We have had so much interest in this program that we will be running it for a second year - so if you are interested in joining in on the fun, send me an e-mail and I will add you to my e-mail list so you will be among the first to receive the information on Charming 2.

And of course, I have a few pictures of my fluffies...

Callie has decided that it's fun to knock this quilt off of the footstool and roll up in it.  It's my current hand quilting project...

 Can you see her head in the above picture - she is really snuggled in.

 Thank goodness I just got another case of lint rollers!

And here is Ozzie getting ready to take a nap in the doll bed...

Now it's back to the grind stone - I've got paperwork, unpacking and orders to catch up on!

Have a great day!

A Little Bit of Everything...

I just don't get around to posting on my blog as much as I intend - so...I'm going to try to keep this short on words, but still show you a few things about what's going on here and what we've got coming up!

We've had a lot of snow in the last month - but it's all melted now except just in a few spots.  The birds spent most of their time at the feeders.  We always have tons of cardinals in the winter - I counted 28 one day...

 I received a super fun box of scraps in the mail from Tara Darr from Sew Unique Creations - not only does she design really awesome quilts, she sends the best scraps!  I have been playing in this box ever since I got it...

Instead of hand quilting for an hour or so in the evening, I've been trying to work on this quilt.  I want to give it to some friends as a house-warming gift.  It is called "What's the Point?" by Mark Lipinski and is in the March/April 2013 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting.  I was on a roll, then when I put it all up on my flannel wall, my DH looked at it and thought it was ugly!  He's not dumb enough to come out and say it's UGLY, but he just said..."hmmm...it's got a lot going on - is it your newest design?" (said kind of like...I hope not, because it's UGLY!).  Well, whatever, I don't think it's ugly, it is colorful and I used all reproduction fabrics, but I chose brighter prints because that is what I think the recipients will like.  I need to get back to it, but now I am too busy getting out the next charm for our "Charming" program, so it will have to wait a bit.

 And look what else came in the mail...

These are fabrics from Lynette Anderson.  There's more, but I don't know what happened to those pictures - I will have to retake them, because you just have to see them all!  Lynette sent me some wonderful bundles of some of her fabric lines - one that you will see at Market this spring.  So exciting!!  She will have some new jewelry made out of these pretties!  But unfortunately she has to wait until I return from my next show.

Which brings me to the next topic!
As soon as we get all of those charms finished, we have to get to work on jewelry to take to my next show...

It is in Stover, MO - so if you are in the area, please come and see us, and if you're not in the area, why not plan a little road trip!  With 30 vendors, it has to be fun!  I haven't received a full vendor list yet, but I do know that Renee Nanneman of Need'l Love and Dawn from Sew Cherished will be there.  Hope to see some of you there!!

And you know I can't post without mention of the kitties!  Ozzie keeps very busy taking naps in a basket in my sewing room closet. He occasionally gets little bursts of energy and plays with a mouse full of catnip, but then he needs another nap. And Callie is just...BUSY!  Even though she is 3 years old, she still has an awful lot of kitten energy! Here she is holding down some books, looking irritated!

Now, I have to get busy - it has been crazy around here, and we've got orders stacking up - so thanks to all of you for that!  I also want to thank Lynne Hagmeier from Kansas Troubles - she gave me a little shout out on her blog that led some new people my way, which I really appreciate!!  Lynne is opening a new shop and retreat and is now counting down the days and showing some of the items that will be for sale in the store.  I sure wish I was closer - I would love to visit - it is going to be wonderful!

Have a great weekend - Happy National Quilting Day, Happy St. Patrick's Day, and Happy Easter!

Don't forget to vote!

Time is running out to vote for The Golden Quilter Awards!  Be sure to follow the link and vote for your favorites!  There are lots of great people and shops that have been nominated, so go help pick the winners.

It's hard to believe that my birthday month (haha) is almost over! My mom brought me lunch on my birthday, and look what else...

Aren't they pretty?  They tasted pretty good too!  She also brought me a big ol' German Chocolate Cake!  I think that I was so excited I forgot to take a picture of it.  She makes the very best homemade GCC.  It is my dad's favorite, so we usually have it on his birthday, but he opted for pie last year, so I was having withdrawals.  It was sooooo good!  Aunt Nancy sent me some fun presents too, but I haven't taken pictures of them.  One was a really awesome towel that she embroidered - she does such good work.

I'm always amazed at how many tempting sew-alongs there are in blogland.  And also how many people seem to follow several of them and actually FINISH them!  Last year, I watched from the sidelines while tons of people followed along with Lori, from Humble Quilts blog, making a cute little quilt called Pink Lemonade.  I kept seeing these little quilts on blogs, and finally couldn't take it any more and just had to make one!  Well, it didn't take that long to piece it.  Then I basted it last year so I could take it along on The Great Fart  to start the hand quilting.  Well, I did work on it a little bit, but put it away when I got home, because I had a bigger hand quilting project to finish.  So, FINALLY, a year after everyone else, my Pink Lemonade is finished.  You can see on Lori's blog that she hosted another SAL this year called Abundance - it is wonderful and last I saw, 45 bloggers had linked up - showing their version.  I AM NOT going to break down and make it, even though the temptation is great!

We've been busy here, as usual with jewelry.  Kathy Schmitz ordered a log cabin pendant from me, and was kind enough to blog about it (how nice was that!?), so we've had a few extra orders this week.  Another exciting order this week came from Lynette Anderson from Australia.  We have a few ideas in the works for some upcoming jewelry, so I'm really looking forward to that.  This weekend we are finishing up some new orders and working on charms - it won't be long and it will be time to mail out the next one!

I posted a new pattern on my website.  These pin cushions were originally in Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting, January/February 2012 magazine.  So if you missed that issue, you can now get the patterns from me.

Callie is busy as usual, tending to put a damper on my productivity!

And the view from "behind"!  Now that's just funny.  What's really funny is that she tried to crawl through there and got stuck!  Watching her back her way out was good for a laugh!

I will leave you with that visual!

Have a great weekend!

Fun mail, friends, finishes and fluffies

One of my awesome blog readers took pity on me when she read my plea for THAT fabric!!  Pam sent me almost a yard of that great red, and also surprised me with some of the same print, in purple!  LOVE THEM!  Thanks again, so much Pam.  Even though, between Janet and Pam, I have over a yard of the red, I'm still going to hoard it!

 Recently I met  two of my blogging friends in person!  Missie and Carolyn and I got together and had such a great time!  If you don't already follow their blogs, be sure to go check them out.  They are both so talented. They both design patterns (see just one of Missie's in the photo below) and Carolyn does the cutest drawings and watercolors (see the adorable card in the photo below).  Carolyn gave us each the needle book with the little notebook in it - what a great idea - something small to keep in your purse to jot down ideas, etc.  She also made the little candy holder on the right and included a box of candy hearts to put inside.  Missie made the wool heart pin cushion.  LOVE IT!

We really had fun - spent most of our time chatting and eating, but they did take me to the Adel Quilting & Dry Goods shop.  I've heard about this shop, but had never been there before.  The owner, Jacque, bought a lot of pins, pendants and patterns from me, so if you are in the area, be sure to stop by and see them!  I bought a few little things at the shop...

I think those little flowers will be perfect in the centers of some pendants.

Last week I won Missie's birthday giveaway, so when we got together this week, she gave me this...

 She also gave me a little tutorial on how to use it!  I've never done any hand piecing myself, but would like to try.  Now I have no excuse - I've got the templates and have had a lesson!

I thought you should all see what goes on in my sewing room daily!  Here is Ozzie - do you think he's comfy?  It's a good thing I keep a good stock of lint rollers.

 I also wanted to share Callie's antics with you.  Ozzie was sleeping away in the chair, minding his own business, when Callie decided she needed to jump up there with him. How long do you think that will last?

 Awww...look - she's telling him how much she loves him (really she is just trying to annoy him!)

 Yep...it worked...down he goes.  So much for his afternoon nap...

 Now who gets the nap!

 I actually do have a few "finishes" to show - now remember, my definition of "finished" doesn't necessarily mean quilted and bound!  These blocks were on my design wall forever -all stitched - they just needed to be put together!  MTM came over to sew one day and I decided this was going to turn into a flimsy!  Now it is ready to go off to the quilter.

 Here are the last blocks from Randy's sew-a-long.  Hmmm...wonder how long before this one gets put together?!

 And this one is a true finish.  It took me forever to get this hand quilted - mostly because I rarely worked on it!  CC had decided it was her bed, and I didn't have the heart to chase her off of it, so that was my excuse for not working on it for awhile!  I just quilted simple, straight lines and when I put my mind (and fingers) to it, it didn't take that long to get it done.  This pattern is by Edyta Sitar (love her!).  The blocks were really fun to piece, but putting it all together...not so much!  I hate Y seams and there were plenty of them in here. The hexagons are supposed to extend out, but I got frustrated and just chopped it off!  This was pieced several years ago but was in the "to be quilted" stack for a long time.

I'm glad it's finished, I do love it, chopped off or not!

Have a great weekend!