LaVieEnRosie

Thank you Tommy...

As in Thomas Jefferson ~ thank you for those papers you wrote about independence, freedom and so on.

 

Happy 4th of July to everyone ~ near and far!

I'm swamped with work and still way behind schedule but everyone is good so no complaints.

Thank you very much for all the kind comments and support regarding that eBay thing.  As far as that goes -- so far, so good.  Ebay is doing what they can and they've pulled some of her listings involving my patterns and those of others.   

The biggest and most important thing I've learned is that stopping this kind of thing is up to us!  If you see something you believe may be fraudulent, report it.  On the page with the listing, go to the very bottom of the page and look for the link to Report this item.  Click the link and then use these steps >> Reason for Report - Counterfeits and Copyright Violations.  >> Detailed Reason - Potential trademark infringement.  >> Additional Information - Other replica or counterfeit items.  Then click Continue.  In the Brief Description box, give the reason why you think the item is violating whatever. 

I hope Tommy would approve.

I know I said I would have a picture of Sweet Tea by the end of this week but I'm late with that too.  Next week, I promise.

But while I'm on the subject of tea... have you ever had an "Arnold Palmer"?  It's equal parts lemonade and iced tea and it's currently my favorite drink.  It's perfect for summer ~ especially a hot one!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend wherever they are. 

And if you're in the good old US of A... have a very safe 4th of July! 

One at a time...

 

It's a pretty simple symbol.  Most of us know what it means. 

cop·y·right, noun.

The legal right granted to an author, composer, playwright, publisher or distributor to exclusive publication, production, sale or distribution of a literary, musical, dramatic or artistic work. 

But not everyone... including one particular woman ~ sorry, I refuse to call her a "lady" ~ who is a Seller on eBay.  This "person" has decided that it's just fine, right and dandy to provide "free patterns" with some of her quilting auctions.  These "freebies" include quilt patterns and stitchery patterns.

While some of the patterns are mine, her generosity includes the "works" of at least eight other people/companies.  The problem is that it appears as though many of her "free patterns" are photocopied from actual patterns, books and magazines, which means they are done in clear violation of the copyrights of the authors.

Remember that soapbox I clambered onto last week?  Stand back, I'm jumping back on...

I am not going to identify this person and, yes, I have filed a couple of reports with eBay for those listings ~ past and present ~ where I can identify what is clearly a photocopy of one of my patterns.  And, yes, I have contacted the other pattern people I've seen to alert them to the "potential abuse".  (First clue to the abuse ~ the Seller couldn't afford to be  giving away so many copies of the patterns if they were legitimate.)  I will tell you that the gentleman I spoke with at eBay was very kind, very helpful, and I think there is a chance that "something" will be done about it.  (And if eBay doesn't take any action to stop this person, I will be sure to identify the Seller here.)

Before I continue, let me emphasize that I am certain that this kind of person/Seller is in the minority.  This Seller is overwhelmingly outnumbered by the many wonderful, ethical Sellers on eBay.  And eBay does what they can when they find out about copyright violations ~ but they can't do anything unless they hear about it.   

What probably bothers me most is that I've always had a fairly relaxed policy about making copies of the patterns for your own personal use or even to share with a friend.  I still believe in that ~ though there are a few folks who disagree with me on that.  But this is clearly a violation and this Seller has to know that.  I'm sure she thinks she is circumventing the copyright laws by not actually selling the patterns, but she's wrong.  And so you know, this Seller has been with eBay for many years and has a 100% positive feedback rating. 

Here's the reason I decided to post about this ~ if any of you should ever buy/receive one of my patterns that you think might be an "illegal copy", please let me know!  From eBay, from a quilt shop, from anywhere... I want to know about it.  And I can say with 100% certainty that every other quilt pattern publisher/designer also wants to know about it!  The only way we can stop the handful of people who abuse the situation is to know about it. 

(On a sidenote, there are probably a few of my patterns that might look like illegal second-generation photocopies but aren't.  Sometimes the copier gets a little smudgy and the copies aren't perfect.  And there are a couple of covers that I ran out of and have had to photocopy... if I'd known they were going to keep selling like they do, I would have reprinted but I keep thinking "this is the last of it... that's a really old pattern!"  So if you have a Flies in the Barn, Sweet Emma, or Luci in the Sky cover that looks like a photocopy... sorry about that.)

And thank you to the very nice lady who alerted me to the problem.

Okay... I'm done venting.  I have to go calm Rosie down... she's snorting and growling... she really wants to hunt this Seller down.  It's bad enough this person had to annoy me... she's gone and ticked off Rosie! 

Oy vey... there's going to be #(*&$ to pay for that!  :)

I'll end this on a happy note... this is Jackson Maitre. 

 

A little over a year ago... he's much bigger now.

 

Okay... I feel much better now.  :)

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P.S.  Two things I'm adding on Tuesday morning... this whole thing with the Seller is more annoying than anything more than that.  I promise that I'm not losing any sleep over it.  The sad reality is that I know that copying of patterns happens... there are always those who look to get something for nothing.  

Thing number two ~ Jack is my friend Sue's little guy.  He is over 1-year old now and he's weighing in at 80 pounds... that is, when he'll get on a scale.  He pancakes himself on the floor of the vet's office when he sees the scale... bad news for you, Jack, it doesn't work.  Been there, done that.  He's funny, rambunctious, and a total hoot.  Sue keeps asking me if I think he's going to grow out of some his crazier behavior and I just tell her... "Rosie was almost nine when she ate a watch..."

Hasta luego... 

Mishegaas...

I do love funny-sounding words. 

And so you know, "mishegaas" means foolishness, insanity, senselessness.  Which sort of suits the randomness of some of what you'll find here this time around.

I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful comments to "My perfect quilt..."  It's a big soapbox and I'm glad there are so many of us that are like-minded when it comes to perfection... it's a very nice goal but not I'm not going to make myself crazy about it when there are other more important things to concern myself with.

Like the UPS man...

I've told you about the lovely boxes I sometimes get from Ted... well, I probably should have mentioned that when it comes to anticipation, excitement and I-just-can't-stand-it-eagerness, Ted-boxes rank a very-distant second behind those from Dottie, Gracie and Sarah.

Rosie gets so excited, her hair actually curls...

(Sorry, I just love that little curl on the back of her leg.)  :)

Do you know Sarah, Dottie and Gracie?  They're from Kansas City...

 

I would rather have a little Simple Abundance or some Rouenneries but Rosie prefers this...

 

Dervish... another funny-sounding word that comes to mind right now... can't imagine why.

But the cookie jars have been replenished so all is right with Rosie's world... perfection attained somewhere!

Sweet Tea!  I should have a picture of it for you by the end of the week as the quilt top is at the printer getting photographed.  I think we're going to be able to do a little computer-magic for the binding so the pattern won't have to wait until the quilt is quilted.  If everything goes well, that pattern should be finished by late July. 

The first step to producing the little bit of computer-binding magic meant getting the quilt binding made now instead of later.  So I decided I would tell you about how I like making scrap-bindings.  No, there isn't any magic involved, just a few personal preferences.

Before I start, can I say one thing about bias vs. straight-of-grain bindings?  I don't think one is better than the other, I think most of us do the one that we first learned and that we're most comfortable doing.  There are times when one is preferrable to the other ~ scalloped edges on the quilt, working with a stripe or plaid binding fabric, etc. ~ but so long as everything else is done well, both work equally well.  In my opinion, of course.

That said, it's a whole lot more efficient to do a scrap-pieced binding with straight of grain strips.  If nothing else, you use less fabric and you can use leftover strips from the quilt top.  Sham-Wow!  What an amazing idea!

So start with a whole bunch of strips you want to use for your binding ~ probably leftovers from the quilt top...

 

Sorry about the picture... bad lighting, late at night, needed to get the picture taken so I could get the binding pieced!

I like to use shorter length strips ~ about 10" to 11" ~ when I do a scrap-pieced binding.  Because I usually use a pretty wide range of value and color, I think the shorter length strips work best.  Por quoi?  Because it means those strips that are on the ends of the value spectrum ~ the darkest and the lightest ~ aren't as distracting as they might be if they were longer.  There are definitely going to be times when you'll make a design-choice that will warrant longer strips, but with a really scrappy quilt with lots of little pieces, I prefer the shorter lengths.  For the Sweet Tea binding, I used a half-strip from the strip I cut from the fat quarters ~ 2" x 21".

On a side note, when I'm trying to figure out how many strips I'm going to need to fit my quilt, this is how I calculate about how many strips I'm going to need.  My quilt top measures 73" x 73".  That means I need a minimum of 292" of binding ~ or 300" to include the fold for the miters and something for my final seam allowance.  Since most of my strips measured 10 1/2" before cutting the angle, I will divide that 300" by 8".  That gives me a little bit of extra to work with ~ always a good thing.  So I will make a binding strip that uses at least 38 of my scrap strips. 

The next step is to cut the ends of the strips at a 45-degree angle ~ and I would recommend that both ends are cut in the same direction...

  

And then comes the fun part... piece every single strip individually.  Okay, the fun part is randomly deciding what to put next to what ~ and I vary this by color, scale of print, value, what's on the top of the stack, etc.   

 

Chain piecing is a good thing...

 

When you've got all the strips pieced, this is what you'll have...

 

Cut the threads between the seams... press the seams open... and then fold the binding in half and press. 

 

Trim those little "ears" and you're all set... except that I like to roll my binding...

 

OCD?  Not me.  :)

The one thing to warn you about... if you use the shorter strips that I prefer, you're going to have a lot of seams in the binding to deal with.  This is one of those times when it is very advisable to pin the binding to the quilt top before you start stitching lest you wind up with a seam in each corner.  You don't have to completely pin it, just kind of loosely pin-baste it to see when the seams are falling and adjust accordingly.

All this hard work deserves a treat, don't you think?

Rosie thinks so... :)

My perfect quilt...

Here it is... it all it's glory...

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Wait... I'll find it...

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Still looking...

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Goodness... I have to have one somewhere... this is getting a little embarassing...

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Uh oh... I don't have one. 

I don't even have a quilt that's close to  being perfect.  Some are better ~ closer ~ than others but the truth is that every quilt I've ever made could have been better.  Each had a flaw... or more honestly, more than a few.   

Nicole ~ the lovely Sister's Choice ~ has had a couple of wonderful posts about "to fudge" or "not to fudge", brought about by a rather wonky goose she made for a star block.  Her post really touched a nerve with me because it is one of the hardest things to address in a class, and it's one of the things I'm asked about most often ~ how good is "good enough"? 

My position has always been ~ if it's going to make you crazy every time you look at the quilt, fix it.  Make a new piece, fix the existing one, do whatever is necessary to make it the way you want it to be.  But if it isn't going to bother you, don't worry about it.  It's that simple. 

But here's what makes me crazy... am I wrong if I don't insist you strive for something better?  Accepting mediocrity makes me crazy but I also don't want to ever do or say something that leaves someone feeling inadequate, or that takes the joy out of quiltmaking.  And I would be a hypocrite to suggest that I haven't had to let something go because of time constraints when I really would have liked to have fixed it.  (From whacked off points to backwards borders... even the two quilts that made the cover of American Patchwork had "issues" that kept them from being perfect.)

If you love the process of making it as near to perfect as you can, then you are to be commended, admired and... okay, envied just a skosh.  Doing something really well takes time, experience and the mastery of skills.  Some of it is talent, but most of it is hard work and the search for finding the methods that will yield the best results for you.  I have several friends who love the process of making it perfect ~ and their work is exceptional.  But here's the thing, if the quilt is for a grandchild, they aren't quite as concerned with "perfect" as they would be for a quilt they are making for themselves... for the love of it.   

What always makes me angry though is when someone who doesn't worry so much about "making it perfect" is made to feel inadequate or unworthy because of it.  Anything ~ or anyone ~ that takes the joy out of quilting for someone else is wrong to do so.  One of the most joyous quilters I've ever met didn't worry about any of that ~ she loved making things, and her quilts were a perfect representation of her happy, joyful spirit.

Over the years, I've joked in presentations that our quilts are a reflection of who we are.  We can see ourselves and our lives in our quilts.  None of us is just one thing, and the choices that we make in our quilts are very much a reflection of who we are.  Your personality in cotton... so to speak. 

And no, I don't want to know what my quilts would tell you about my personality... :)

Before I fall off my soapbox, I would like to share two "stories" that help keep things in perspective for me about "the need to be perfect..."

Many years ago, while teaching classes at a local quilt shop, there was a quilter in my class who was making a quilt for someone special in their life.  (I am going to purposely be a little vague, just in case someone should "recognize" the situation.)  I'll be honest... the color/fabric choices were "questionable", but they were what this quilter and this other person liked.  When it came to 1/4" seam allowance, no matter how many times I said it, the only thing this person heard was "seam allowance."  This quilter finished a half-dozen or so blocks in class, and I think it is safe to say that there weren't two blocks that were the same size.  More importantly, I don't think there were two sides of any one block that were the same size.  What do you say at this point?  Near the end of class, the person who would be receiving this quilt came to pick up the quilter.  When they saw the blocks and realized that the quilter was making a quilt for them, they burst into tears and hugged the quilter.  The two of them cried, hugged, cried some more, hugged some more and told each other how much they loved the other.  And the intended recipient said over and over again how truly touched they were by this most beautiful gift, what they were sure would be the most beautiful quilt ever.  It was very clear that this would always be a most treasured gift. 

I felt this big...  Perfect didn't matter because the quilt was a gift from the heart.

My second story is about a very famous quilter.  One of her quilts was published in a very popular quilt book by another very famous author/publisher.  There was a close-up picture of the quilt ~ just a few blocks ~ and one of the first things that caught my eye were all the points that didn't match up.  As in -- not-even-close-to-matching-up!  Turn the page... and a full-view picture of one of the most glorious quilts I've ever seen.  (I've since seen the quilt in person and trust me, you don't notice the points that don't match... the only thing you see is the incredible fabulosity of the whole quilt.) 

Come-upped again.  In this case, perfect didn't matter because the quilt was the result and the evidence of someone's joy. 

So Nicole... do what makes you happy and do it quickly... so much fabric, so many quilts to make and time's a-wasting. 

And thanks to everyone who read this and let me vent a little bit.  I'll leave you with a picture of the beautiful magnolia I picked while in Georgia. 

This is what I had to leave behind the morning I left Atlanta.  I love the deepening golden color and the contrast of the brown with the petals... and it still smelled heavenly.

 

Not any one thing...

I'm having a scrambled kind of morning... Don't get me wrong, it's been great... it's just a little scrambled. 

I got up early... started one thing... that reminded me of something else... figured I would get it done while I remembered... which led me to doing something else for a little while before I get back to doing what I started... which is making a tiny little change to Sweet Tea before it heads off this coming week to be quilted/photographed... and that will depend on what the printer can do about the "binding".  Very age-related-attention-deficit, don't you think?

Whew!

And since that is kind of how my day is starting off, that's kind of how this is going to be... a couple of little things that I keep forgetting to mention or show.

First up... isn't this quilt gorgeous?

 

No, it isn't mine... though I really do wish it was.

This gorgeous quilt ~ titled "Starstruck" ~ was made by Phyllis Pickelsimer of Cartersville, Georgia.  Phyllis ~ who is nicknamed "Pickle" ~ brought this to "Show and Tell" at the Etowah Valley Quilt Guild, it was made using my pattern, Stella Blue.  Starstruck is even more gorgeous in person ~ seriously... thank goodness I got to do my trunk-show thing first!  Who wants to follow this?

I do have a picture with Phyllis in it... well, her arms from the elbow down.  While her arms are lovely ~ almost as lovely as she is ~ this picture shows the quilt a little bit better. 

About the post yesterday... and Daniel Craig. 

 

Yes, Laurie... I love the bowtie scene too. 

One of the other movies that I almost included was The Power of One, a 1992 movie with Stephen Dorff, Morgan Freeman and Daniel Craig.  I really liked the movie even though I think the critics hated it ~ another one of those movies that makes you think about the world, man's inhumanity to his fellow man, and how the world can be changed.  It was the first time I saw Daniel Craig and let it suffice to say he's "memorable" in it... and not in a good way.  He plays a horribly vile character... but it's an amazing performance.  (I don't think I've ever seen him in a movie where he wasn't good... even when the movie wasn't.) 

Sweet Tea ~ I'm tweaking something in the setting triangles.  After really looking at it while I was on my trip, I decided that I did want to add a few more four-patches in the setting triangles to continue one part of the design just a skosh more.  It's a small change but I love the way it looks.  So I'm doing some un-sewing and re-sewing before it can be photographed, quilted or whatever. 

Do you remember when I posted this picture on The Jolly Jabber in January?

  

Those fabrics ~ and lots more ~ became Sweet Tea. 

 

That isn't all of it but you can get the idea...

The quilt is going to get a scrap-pieced binding and that's why I don't know if it will be printed or photographed this week.  Christen can "bind" my quilts on her computer but a scrap binding is a little more difficult, especially when the pieces in the quilt are small.  So I'm hoping we can take a picture of the assembled-and-ready-to-go-binding and use a little computer-magic to make it work.  Otherwise, the quilt/pattern probably won't be done until late July. 

And finally... do you save random pictures of "whatever"? 

I have lots of them.  This is one of my favorites...

 

This was taken during a practice run for the Indianapolis 500 in 1987.  The car went airborne, flipped upside down and continued to spin as it flew down the track.  It is a very famous photo ~ generally considered one of the best race photographs ever taken ~ and I still have it in one of my "notebooks".  And don't worry, the driver, Pancho Carter, walked away from the "accident".

I'm betting his day was a little scrambled after this... 

Now playing...

One of the reasons I enjoy having an "errand day" is that it gives me some alone time in the car to just think, ponder, contemplate, reflect, whatever.  And no matter how many messages or texts I get from Ginger to "turn on the cellphone", I don't think I'll ever have it on all the time.  I really love the time to myself.

So while traversing the Valley this morning, I got to thinking about "movies that changed my life", courtesy of Nicole at Sister's Choice.  She had written on the subject, and after being"tagged" about it, so had Susan of Blackberry Creek.  They got me to wondering whether there were movies that had had that kind of impact on me.  I confess that I was initially at a loss to think of any...

And while it was certainly a "life-altering" moment for me, I don't think watching Daniel Craig emerge from the ocean in Casino Royale is what Nicole was referring to. 

I think I'm supposed to be a little deeper than that... like I do that very often.  :) 

Movies were never a huge part of my childhood, or even part of my teenage years.  The first movie I ever remember going to was at Radio City Music Hall though I can't remember what the movie was.  I remember the Rockettes.  My next movie experience was an outdoor thing at the company "camp" in Maracaibo, Venezuela.  The company my father worked for had a large compound where all the company families went on Friday nights.  The kids ran around and played, the parents socialized and then there was a movie "imported" from the States.  Once the cartoons were over, we were usually too busy running around to watch whatever movie was playing.

So I think the first movie I remember that really had an impact on me was one I saw in high school -- She Wore A Yellow Ribbon starring John Wayne.  We saw the movie as part of an English class and after seeing it, the teacher introduced a discussion about the many stereotypes the movie portrayed.  The Indians in the movie were the "bad guys", the "enemies" and they weren't particularly smart, whereas the cavalry were noble, brave and much, much smarter.  It was one of the first times that I really thought about what kinds of messages and ideas I was getting from movies, television, books, etc. 

It was around the same time that I first saw Inherit the Wind starring Spencer Tracy and To Kill A Mockingbird with Gregory Peck.  Both movies made me think about the power of ignorance, and the need to think for yourself and to find your own truth.  And both movies made it clear that thinking for yourself and challenging the "status quo" was difficult, and not without consequence.    

 

 

Like Nicole, I loved Audrey Hepburn.  Though I wouldn't see Breakfast at Tiffany's for many years, I fell in love with Eliza Doolittle and My Fair Lady.  At first it was the songs ~ I Could Have Danced All Night still gives me goosebumps and makes me smile.  But in later years, it was the idea that you could change someone's life by changing something so seemingly small as their manner of speaking. 

 

Consciously or unconsciously, we judge others ~ and we ourselves are judged ~ by external factors over which we sometimes have no control.  In My Fair Lady, by giving Eliza the speech of a lady, people's perception of her changes even though she does not.  She is the same person she's always been.  Years later, Point of No Return with Bridget Fonda made a similar point.  By changing the appearance and speech of Maggie, the way that people responded to her changed.  But unlike Eliza, Maggie did become a different person, a better person.  Both movies made me really think about how often we make judgements about people based on race, gender, education, appearance, etc., and how those judgements can shape and affect that person.    

(And getting to stare at Gabriel Byrne didn't hurt.  Or Dermot Mulroney for that matter.)

Now, don't laugh at the next one... I loved Independence Day with Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and a whole slew of other folks.  I loved all the action and special effects, but what I remember most walking out of that movie was the notion of how really stupid we humans can be.  There are too many times when we think we're so smart, that we're the only thing here, that there isn't anything bigger, more powerful or more knowing than we are.  I also liked that we needed everybody working together to solve the problem.  

More than anything, I think there are moments in movies that I remember having an impact on me.  One of my favorite movies is The Shawshank Redemption.  While I love everything about the movie, the scene near the end where Red goes to Buxton gives me goosebumps everytime I see it.  I could play that on a continuous loop ~ everything about it is perfect.  The light, the music, the pace, the symbolism... it conveys "hope" perfectly.  You have to move to it, it takes time and faith, and it's a little scary.   

There are dozens of others but if I continue, this will become as long as Gone with the Wind.  Been there, done that before... :)

Now I have to go microwave some popcorn... all this talk about movies has given me a craving. 

And then I'm going to go find my Casino Royale DVD...

          

   

Be it ever so humble...

Yes, Rosie became a whirling dervish as soon as she saw me.  I don't know how dogs do it but they seem to be able to get their tails to get going so fast that the tail does wag the dog. 

My bags are unpacked.  Rosie helped.  Most everything is put away.  Rosie followed.  The dirty clothes have been laundered.  Rosie watched.  And my boxes with the quilts are scheduled to arrive next Tuesday.  Rosie is excited ~ she loves FedEx.  I've returned my phone calls.  Rosie listened in.  I've answered my e-mails ~ I think I've gotten all of them.  And I played with Rosie. 

Now let me tell you about my day on Tuesday ~ it was a lot of fun.  And I could have bought more as both of my bags were underweight!  First time that's happened in a while.

Three lovely ladies from the Etowah Valley Quilt Guild ~ Kay, Karen and Terry ~ took me around to some of their favorite quilt shops... all of which are now some of my favorite quilt shops.

We arrived at Tiny Stitches shortly after they opened at 9:30. 

 

That's Karen and Terry you can see reflected in the window.  The owner of Tiny Stitches, Maetha, was on her way out the door to a shop-hop meeting with other area shop owners when we arrived.  I had the pleasure of meeting Maetha on Monday so she knew I was going to take some pictures.

 

The shop is very large, wonderfully bright and it is filled with thousands of bolts of gorgeous fabric.  The ladies there were incredibly nice, and they went out of their way to find a copy of the instructions for these gorgeous flowers...

 

These hydrangeas are made using batiks and hand-dyed-looking fabrics in pink, violet and lavender.  And they look fabulous.  Clover has the instructions on their website.  And, yes, I bought a few things... I know, you're shocked! 

From there we went to Little Quilts.  

  

I missed Mary Ellen at the shop though I did get to see her later that evening. 

 

The shop is in a beautiful old building with lots of character and charm, and it is filled with beautiful quilts, projects, fabric and inspiration.

  

Oh yeah... like I wasn't going to take a picture of the red fabric.  And while I was tempted to buy a little bit of every bolt, I behaved myself.  Of course, if I'd known my bags were going to have some room...

 

And as you can probably guess, everyone there was nice, friendly and a lot of fun.  I do so love that Southern hospitality.  Oh, and I got to sign the wall in the notions room.  That was a hoot!

Shop No. 3 on the Kay/Karen/Terry Shop-Hop was Intown Quilters ~ a shop featured in the Fall 2007 issue of American Patchwork's Quilt Sampler.  

  

The shop is filled with beautiful bright fabrics by Amy  Butler, Kaffe Fasset, Sandy Henderson, Anna Maria Horner, Heather Bailey and such.  And the shop is gorgeous. 

 

 

I bought some fabric, some gorgeous ribbon that I haven't got a clue what I'm going to do with, some very cute little bobbin thingies, a couple of plastic tote-bag things for gifts, a book and a pattern. 

The book is Ellen Highsmith Silver's book, Floorquilts!  After seeing this... I had to have it. 

 

We then went to lunch at a famous Atlanta eatery... The Varsity.

  

I timed my picture perfectly because it was very busy inside.  It was a blast and I'm so glad we went... after all, I have to do the "local" thing every chance I get!

After lunch, we went to the last shop of the day ~ Red Hen Fabrics.

  

I am mortified to say that after lunch, I forgot to take my camera inside the shop to take pictures!  Even this picture is from their website.  While I'm sorry that I didn't get to meet Mary Anne, the owner, it might have helped me remember to take pictures! 

But I can tell you that the shop is wonderful, the ladies there are very nice.  They even found one of the Clover X-Large Pom Pom things for me so that I may be able to make those flowers!

It was a terrific time and yes, I went four-for-four.  I bought something everywhere we went.  After all, it is very important to support my local ~ and non-local ~ quilt shops. 

And to Kay, Karen and Terry ~ thank you for the wonderful company and the awesome tour.  Yes, I did get very lost... I knew we were still in Georgia but that was about it.  And Karen ~ I did find an Atlanta Starbucks cup at the airport.  :) 

Until later...

Hey y'all...

I'm in Georgia... by way of Alabama! 

They have leaves here!

 

I'm having a terrific time and everyone is wonderful.  Everything you've ever heard or read about Southern hospitality is true!  I'm feeling quite spoiled as everyone is going out of their way to make sure I have everything I might possibly want, need or think I want or need. 

I flew into Birmingham, Alabama on Tuesday and did a thingie for the Kudzu Guild in Montgomery.  I call it a thingie because it is really just me babbling about quilts and how I approach things, which means it isn't really a lecture or anything like that.  Nobody fell asleep or ran out of the room screaming so I think it went pretty well.

We did the Summer Rental quilt on Wednesday and since nobody got more than a few star blocks done in class, you'll just have to take my word for it that they started making some gorgeous quilts!  The best part is that I spent the day with a big groups of amazing ladies.  (And it's my fault for not taking some pictures... I know, I'm such a bad blogger.)

After class, we went to Kudzu Blossom Quilt Shop for a little bit of fun and some shopping.  I bought a few charm packs that aren't brand new but I hadn't seen anywhere despite much searching.  I'll let you know when I make something with them.

 

On Thursday, my Kudzu hostess, Nancy, drove me to the St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Alabama, the site of the Alabama Quilt Symposium.  The building on the right is the gymnasium where there was a quilt show, vendors and some classrooms, and the building in the distance on the left is the retreat center where those of us staying "on campus" had our rooms.  Some of the buildings on the grounds are quite old ~ I'm told that some date back to the late 1800s ~ but the setting is beautiful.  It's very green, there are lots of trees, and it's just lovely and very peaceful... well, it would have been if there hadn't been a kids camp going on at the same time.  It was still lovely and peaceful, just not always very quiet. 

 

The Alabama Quilt Symposium had a lot of terrific teachers... and me.  Frieda Anderson, Bonnie Browning, Linda Cantrell ~ who has to be one of the funniest people ever, Ann Fahl and Kathy Kansier.  (Next year, the teachers are going to be Sally Collins, Cindy Blackberg, Brenda Henning, Joan Shay, Sue Nickels and a few other names that I am embarassed to say I can't recall right now.)   There were ladies there from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas and a couple of other states. 

By the way, Linda says that I'm from a foreign country.  California.  (That's where I grew up.)

One day soon I will tell you about one of the highlights of my trip ~ breakfast at the Busy Bee Cafe in downtown Cullman.  I'm still trying to figure out how to tell about Tex ~ who's actually from Alabama ~ without you thinking I've made the whole thing up.  And I have to change the names of a couple of my companions as they weren't supposed to be there... in Alabama.

My classes were Imagine ~ one of the Schnibbles, Cracked Pots and a new quilt that will be published in another month or so, Sweet Tea. 

On Sunday, I was taken back to Birmingham where I met up with Kay and Karen from the Etowah Valley Quilt Guild of Cartersville, Georgia.

 

No, we didn't take the train... I just loved this depot in town.  It wasn't far from where we ate dinner a few hours ago.  Cartersville ~ a very old town that pre-dates Jimmy and isn't named after him or anyone in his family ~ is not far from Atlanta, and everything about the area of beautiful.  It is very green, somewhat hilly and really nice.  I think I could move here... I love everything about it... well, all except for that humidity thing. 

As my uncle liked to say... Oy vey.

The ladies started making Come On A My House today and as usual, their quilts are going to be so awesome.  But alas... since my name isn't Eleanor and since I don't do that one-day thing, there wasn't much to take pictures of beyond a couple of blocks... which nobody would let me take.  So I took a picture of this instead...

 

How beautiful is that?  I even picked one to bring back to my hotel room ~ it's still a bud.  It does make me wonder though... why is it that we say magnolias smell lemony instead of saying that lemons smell like magnolias?  However you describe it, the smell is heavenly.

Tomorrow... Tiny Stitches and Little Quilts.  I know... I'm working so hard.  I think there will be one or two other shops but I'm not sure.  I'm just along for the ride ~ and the shopping ~ but I'm sure that Kay and Karen will make sure I don't miss anything important.  And, yes, I promise to bring my camera and take some pictures. 

And just so you know, I do have to do another "thingie" tomorrow night.  So it won't be all fun and games... unless someone falls asleep or runs out screaming...

One last thing... I have to tell you one of my favorite things about the South.  On my first trip to Alabama a few years ago, I learned that you can say anything about anyone so long as you also say "well, bless their heart."  And it is always said with love and a smile...

I'm still not sure about grits though... that just has to be an acquired taste.  Later...  :)

Where did she go?

 

Even Rosie is wondering where I went... but not enough to move too far away from her rock.

(I admit it, I love this picture and just felt like using it.)

I haven't gone anywhere... not yet, anyway.  But I am getting ready to go to Alabama and Georgia this week.  So I'm proofing the pattern for the new quilt I'm teaching and trying to get the last of the patterns from Market ready to go. 

It looks like I might get to pick up the covers for Birdseye, Summer Rental and Emma's Legacy before I leave but I don't think anything will ship until after I get back.  And since I have been so incredibly awful about showing you some of the new patterns ~ even though they have been on the website ~ I'll include that now. 

This is Birdseye...

 

It is named after Clarence Birdseye, the inventor of frozen foods.  Por quoi?  It is because of something Judy Martin wrote in her online newsletter a few years ago, something that I wrote down and have included on the back of my quilt and in the pattern.  She wrote, "We should be striving to make quilts whose beauty is a testament to the love that went into making them.  Quilts that sacrifice beauty for speed have the emotional appeal of a TV dinner.  If you want to make it memorable, invest yourself in the quilt as you would in a good home-cooked meal."

My quilt is made using lots and lots of Jo Morton fabrics.  And just so you know, this is a much easier quilt to make than it might look.  The blocks are simple ~ a star block, a double-nine-patch block and a pieced setting triangle.  If you can make a nine-patch and a triangle squares, you're all set. 

This is Summer Rental...

 

It is made with that gorgeous Beach House fabric from Blackbird Designs.  It too is not as complicated as it looks, it is just a star-thing block and an alternating block made with four-patches.  And more pieced setting triangles... I seem to be liking those right now.  (Actually, the new quilt I'll be teaching in Alabama also has pieced setting triangles so I'll need to take a break from that for awhile lest I get in a rut...)

I used Eleanor Burns' Triangle in a Square ruler for this one and I really like it but it did take a little practice to get the lines lined up properly.  And I wish you could see the quilting on this one as it is absolutely gorgeous.  Lots and lots of beautiful texture.  I promise to take more pictures when I get the quilt back ~ it's already on its way to Alabama.

I thought I had a picture of Emma's Legacy but it looks like I don't have that... I'll post that as soon as I have one. 

As for what else I've been doing, I've been trying to finish a couple of projects I'm working on... or running late with.  I'm trying to get my workroom a little more organized so that I can figure out what I'm going to do with the floor.  And I'm kind of waiting for my lemons to be lemons... they look more like limes right now.

The tree has at least 50 "lemons" like this so I'm optimistic that I'll have lemons soon.  And if I have enough fresh lemons, I should be able to make one of my favorite dessert recipes, Icy Lemon Souffle... a recipe I got from the Los Angeles Times a million years ago.  

Until then, there aren't even many flowers left on the bougainvillea...

  

I don't know if I'll be back before I head South -- or east -- and I don't know if I'll be checking in from there.  But I'm taking my camera so at least I'll have pictures. 

Maybe even some quilt pictures...

Thursday? THURSDAY???

Yikes!  It was just Saturday yesterday... what happened to my week?

I'm trying to get caught up before I have to leave for the next trip so I think I worked all weekend... proofing patterns, packing orders, unpacking the last of the Market boxes, and so on.  The good news is that I'm mostly caught up, to the point where I was out and about on Tuesday.

I took photographs, files and quilts to the printer to get the last three covers finished, and then I ran all sorts of those little putzy errands that need to get done at some point.  But lest you think I didn't have any fun... then you don't know me at all.  I did a few of those "since I'm not going to be far from there anywhere..." little side trips.

First up... Anthropologie.  They have the best "stuff"... like these awesome soaps!  They are wrapped in felted wool, wool that acts as a washcloth while you use it, then shrinks as you use the soap.  They smell amazing, but I admit it, the real appeal is that I think they're a hoot. 

 

They are made by a company called Fiat Luxe Designs ~ and really, the scents are fabulous. 

Then after a couple more errands ~ very important stuff, I promise ~ I went by one of my favorite Phoenix shops ~ Willows Home and Garden.

 

They were doing some major re-arranging of furniture in anticipation of some new arrivals... suppose I'll need to make sure I am by there again in the very near future, huh?  (Be sure to check out their blog to get a sense of their fabulous style.)

And since I was downtown... and it was lunch time... I stopped by my very favorite place to eat in Phoenix, Pane Bianco, for what have to be the best sandwiches on the planet.

The sandwich shop is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 to 3, and for a week or two once or twice a year.  It is owned and operated by Chris Bianco, a James Beard Award-winning Chef.  He is also the owner-proprietor of Pizzeria Bianco, a world-famous pizza place in downtown Phoenix.  He's been featured on Oprah, Martha Stewart and several Food TV shows, and his restaurant has been named by several writers as serving the best pizza in the country... perhaps even in the world.  Yes, it is that good.

But I like his sandwich shop better.

  

There are four sandwiches on the menu ~ a Market sandwich that changes daily based on what is good and available.  (It can range from the most awesome bacon, Emmenthaler cheese and arugula combination to a sandwich made with Serrano jamon, manchego cheese and a locally-made peach mustard.)  This is the Mozzarella and Tomato ~ yes, its rather like a Caprese salad.  Lots of freshly-made, locally-made Mozzarella, and lots of fresh basil and tomatoes.  The bread is a flat round of pizza dough baked in a wood-fired oven then sliced across the middle.  The bread is warm, crispy and a little chewy, and the ingredients are fresh... words cannot describe how good something this simple can be.  If you're ever in Phoenix, you simply must go there ~ everyone I've ever taken there has loved it. 

And before I forget, there are a couple of things I need to mention... some post-Market housekeeping, if you will.

A huge thank you to Ginny in Canada for the Calgary Flames socks!  I love them and I will think of you every time I see them and wear them!

Another huge thank you to Melody and Michelle, two lovely ladies I met at Market in Pittsburgh.  They came by the booth to say Hello, and when they returned on Sunday, Michelle brought me a wonderful little Pressing Pal.  (I promise to show a picture soon.)  It is a small blue wooden bird whose tail is used as a pressing tool.  I love it ~ even more after Michelle said that she had given me the blue bird so that I would always have a "bluebird of happiness" with me.  After she said that, Kathy Schmitz wanted to steal it... Michelle gave her one too.

And speaking of Kathy, she was my roommate at Market and I think that was a huge factor in why I had such a good time in Pittsburgh.  If you're not familiar with her work, Kathy is an amazing painter and artist who also designs for Moda Fabrics.  I always buy lots of trinkets from her at Sample Spree... this was one of my finds this year...

  

Kathy has an Etsy shop where you can find some of these wonderful little pendants.  

And thank you to Gudrun Erla of GE Designs and her buddy Yvonne for a terrific ride from Pittsburgh to Chicago on Monday.  Gudrun is one of those lovely people that I get to meet quickly at Market and then wind up waving at while we scoot past each other at Market, and it was so much fun to finally get a chance to sit and visit without that "work thing" intruding.  What you don't know is that getting to sit together on the flight wasn't all that easy, thanks to Southwest's no-assigned seating policy and an obnoxious man's ridiculous insistence on folks not saving seats for people in later boarding groups.  He was a jerk... not to me, he was a twit to someone else, but it meant that I resorted to a some odd behavior to save a couple of seats.  Gudrun posted a little bit about it but the best reason to jump over there is to see her wonderful booth, and to see just how much fun she had at Market!

And that's it for now... Mom wants dinner which means I have to go fool around in the kitchen and figure out what to make... which is probably warranted lest the Adult Protective Services people get on me for running a "sweat shop".  Mom's been busy packing patterns... lots and lots of patterns.   

I'm off to make dinner