LaVieEnRosie

So much for good intentions...

Four months.  Okay, four-and-a-half.  I didn't think it would be that long.    

I wish I could tell you that my morning would be spent here...

But with a long list of things to do before leaving for Salt Lake City and Quilt Market this week, that's not likely to happen.

It's odd that I find myself sitting here not really knowing to write about - I know, I'm usually much chattier than that.  The past four months have passed quickly - too quickly in some ways and not nearly fast enough in others.  Just as I find it hard to believe it's been four months since I was "here", it's crazy to think I've been in Texas for a year-and-a-half.  It seems like longer than that... and it seems like I just got here yesterday.  

Did I tell you that I moving in January?  I did.  Have you heard of the company, Two Men & A Truck?  When I called, I told them I needed the men, not the truck.  They sent three and it still took the better part of the day.  I moved across the street to a different apartment floor-plan in a different building of the same apartment property.  As much as I loved my "old" apartment, this one is much better suited to me.  The upside is that I did take advantage of the opportunity to clear out some things, the downside is that I really need to clear out a little more.  

Then I was in Pasadena for QuiltCon, that was February.  If you ever get the chance to go, it's worth it.  If you're expecting to see all sorts of young tattoo'ed hipster quilters, you won't be disappointed.  You'll also see a few old tattoo'ed hipster quilters.  And a whole lot of people who look just like you.  My favorite part of this year's event was the exhibit of Gwen Marston's quilts - she was the Keynote Speaker.  

I don't think I'll ever get tired of looking at Gwen's quilts.  It's the style of them, and it's her amazing use of solids.  While I've made several quilts using only solids, it has been awhile since I've done that so maybe I'll add one to my to-do list.  Though I don't think it will be improv-piecing because as much as I enjoy doing that, I've had to accept certain realities about my personality - I really like points that have points.  And I'm too much of a planner to not have some kind of a plan.  And I really prefer prints.  

So much for my being "liberated".     

I also went to the Dallas Quilt Guild show in March - at least I think it was March.  As beautiful as the quilts at the show were, my favorites were in the Pilgrim Roy exhibit.  

While there won't be any sewing today, I have plenty ready for what I'm hoping will be a lazy, slow, not-much-going-on couple of months.  :::snort:::  It sounded good in my head.

In January, I shared a block for a "maybe-quilt".  It's now a "work in progress".  I'm using different colors of crossweaves for the backgrounds, I think I've nine different pieces cut out.  One or two might not make the final cut but since I like making extra blocks anyway, the "rejects" can go on the back of the quilt.  

The prints are all cut from charm and mini-charm squares - it is my favorite way to get a really, really big variety of color and pattern. It's also the easiest.  (It's also easier to slip a charm pack or two past Chelair... just saying.)  

This is another one of my charm-pack projects, it's another "work in progress".  It's cut out and about one-third of the rows are sewn together.  

I'll get back to work on this in June - after I replace the iron that "died".  While it's a bit of an inconvenience to have to replace it, I consider myself pretty fortunate that this one lasted almost three years.  I don't know about you but I'm a bit hard on irons.  I'll replace it with another Rowenta steam-generator model - I love those.  Using a "regular" steam-iron the past week has reminded me how heavy they are and I how much I really, really dislike that auto-shut-off feature.  First world problems.   

What did I forget?   

That's it for today, I'll try to be "back" before September.  I'll set a goal - I'll be back when I finish one of the two quilts-in-the-works I shared.  

Of course, back in January, I set a goal of being here more frequently.  

I'm a "work in progress" too and that's apparently a very, very long process.  

 

Are you surprised?

Happy 2016!

I shouldn't be surprised that I haven't been here since April - my sweet brother keeps reminding me that "it's been awhile."  He says it's how he keeps track of what I'm doing - or not doing - that it's easier, faster, less exhausting than calling.  I'm not quite sure how to take that last part but I'm sure it's a brother-thing.  

One of the reasons I've been a bit absent is that I blog twice-a-week "elsewhere".  Between that, Instagram and Facebook, I'm not sure what I've got that isn't already there.  But I'm going to try to be better.  (I'm going to try to be better on my own IG too.)

So this is what I did yesterday - New Year's Day.  

I cut strips from mostly-Fig Tree fabrics in assorted reds and greens to make a Christmas Lucy.  The strip-sets are about half-way done but then there was a hockey game, some binding to do, a nap to take and black-eyed peas to eat.  Now that I'm back in Texas, I have a few traditions to adopt.  

I took a short walk last night - it's rather cold, thank you very much - but I wanted to enjoy the lights on the street near my apartment before they come down this week.

If you're wondering why the street is so quiet, it's because I took this picture a little after 6:00 am one morning on my way to work.  

Somewhere, my parents are laughing.  Me.  Getting up and out that early in the morning.  I've always been an early-morning person but showered, dressed and commuting... that's a whole other story.  I'd much rather grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy the morning.

Something like this...

December 26th, a little bit before 7:00 am at the country ranch-ette west of Houston belonging to the Clippards - friends of my brother's.  The rooster sounded at 6:43 and then about every 10 minutes after that.  Who knew roosters have a snooze-button?  

Two years ago, I wrote about not being sure where the next year would take me but how a simple message for the year had stuck in my mind.  I ran across something like it a few days ago on Instagram and as before, it stuck with me.  But I re-arranged it a bit to suit my current mindset.  

Learning new computer skills is on my "to-do" list for this year.  

But not today, I'm sewing today.  Lucy - while the sizing dries on the charm squares for another "let's see where this takes me" project.  

So Happy 2016 - I hope you have a wonderful year filled with grand adventures.  Healthy, happy and worn out from all the fun.

 

 

Spring cleaning...

Big surprise... there's not much of that going on here.

I just moved, and that was after doing what can only be called "pre-move cleaning", aka clearing out. So I figure I'm good for a little while.  

How have you been?  

Life here is good.  Busy and getting busier - Quilt Market is in six weeks.  So yes, that means some sewing is going on but right now, it's mostly writing patterns, writing for the Cutting Table blog and trying to figure out the phone system at work.  I'm getting better - I no longer have the little notification that I've missed 10 calls.  But I'm still not sure how to put someone on hold while I go ask Tammy or Susan a question.  Forward a call?  Heaven forbid I have to do that... can you crash a phone system?

Sewing?  Some.  Not enough.  More coming soon.  

But I'm ready...

It's not usually this cleaned up.  Right now, there is something stacked on every flat surface - partly because I just got home from a trip, and partly because I'm trying to get my priority sewing in order.  One of the things stacked on the ironing board is the binding for this quilt - I found it while packing for my teaching trip this past week.  

Wee Hours.  I started it two years ago and got side-tracked... then I got back to making nine-patches early last year and then I got side-tracked again.  I finally finished it last Fall and now it just needs a binding... which I couldn't find after the move.  This quilt was going to be in the book I was working on, the book I've postponed.  Again.  It might sound odd but the single focal-point of patterns seems to suit me better than books.  They're short stories instead of novels, meaning that the "big concept" has always been a struggle for me.  

On the subject of bindings, this quilt needed one too.  That's on and sadly, it had to be glue-basted as it needed to be shipped off this coming week.

I've titled it "Mi Casa" and it will be in a book filled with Log Cabin quilts scheduled for publication next year.  Mine is scrappy and measures about 76" square.  When the editors asked if I could do a quilt with Reproductions, I said "sure" and then panicked.  I'd cleaned out a lot of my "scrap stash" before moving so I only had one, maybe two, collections as a starting point.  Then I hit the jackpot - a co-worker cleaned out a cupboard and gave me about 200 Layer Cake squares from Reproduction and traditional collections.  

I was out of the office this week for a teaching trip.  I was in Midway, Utah to teach at one of Amy McClellan's Under the Garden Moon Quilt Retreats.  Amy owns American Quilting in Orem, and oh my, does she do an amazing job with this retreat.  

This is the Zermatt Resort - the site of the retreat. 

This is the room where 144 ladies enjoy a lovely view, a mini quilt-shop and each other's company.  It was a lot of fun - and yes, I was working!  I taught three classes, did a little presentation and a trunk show.  But I do hope to go back one day soon as an attendee so I can take classes and sew.  (If you have any interest in trying to go, you need to sign up for the e-mails on Amy's website and then cross your fingers.  The retreat "sold out" in a day this past year without any advertising or much "advance warning".)  

This is not the reason it fills so quickly... but it might be a factor...

There is a bakery at the resort - out the door, up the stairs and about 200 feet away from the sewing room.  And it's good... or so I've heard.  :::snort:::

(The Lemon Meringue Tart was really good.)

I managed to do a teeny little bit of sewing - a big stack of half-triangle squares was stitched.  That means I layered my two fabrics and the triangle paper, and I managed to get a little over a dozen stitched.  And I did finish this eventually-to-be-pillow made with Urban Chiks Nomad collection and a gray Fiesta Woven.  It was nice to get this done as the un-trimmed half-triangle squares have been sitting on my cutting table for a month.  

So that's what's going on.  I have to get back to patterns... re-writing the cutting for an old one and then finishing a couple of new ones.  So far, we've got Otis, Full Circle, Viola and Wee Hours.  Two more are coming - names unknown.  And I have ideas for two more... but they might wait until Fall.  Or not.  We'll see.  

I hope life is treating you well - good health and good fortune!

 

Channeling Emily...

Litella.  

As in... never mind.  

It appears as though you're stuck with me.  

I really had worried that continuing to blog as La Vie En Rosie might be a conflict of interest, or at least a conflict of purpose, but after thinking about it and discussing it with others, I decided that I could make this work.  The truth is that there are things I would like to share that really aren't suited elsewhere - recipes, silly stories, goofy stuff, non-work related stuff I'm working on, etc.  So for the foreseeable future, La Vie En Rosie isn't going anywhere.  

Since you're sticking with me, you get to see this first...

My American Patchwork & Quilting Quilt-along Go Four It quilt.  Except it really isn't that.  I was inspired by ModaLissa's quilt to make four-patches... and then I was inspired by April Rosenthal's Buried Treasure to make a little bit different block.  Add in a little Lori Holt - her Scrappy Crossroads setting - and then still make a few changes.  Yes, it's been pointed out to me by several friends that I have a deep-seated inability to follow rules, directions or instructions.  I am compelled to change something - anything... as much as possible.  

Guilty as charged.  (In my defense, it probably relates to how / why I got into this business.)

Instead of cutting my strips at 2 1/2" so that the blocks finished at 8", I cut my strips at 2" to suit the small-scale and tone-on-tone prints I was using.  I wanted to use multiple backgrounds, I decided to piece the blocks as 16-patches and "X" blocks because random-placement of the background prints was probably going to make the background a bit choppy-looking.  I have to admit that it didn't occur to me to align the blocks so that the black/gray squares would make a directional chain - with the orange squares going in the opposite direction.  When I was laying out blocks, I decided that I didn't want like-corners together.  Six of one, half-dozen of the other, right?

My quilt finishes at 72" x 72" - or it will after it's quilted, trimmed and bound.  

And I really love it.  (Since Lucy wasn't mine to keep, this is the next best thing.)

As for the rest of "life", it's all good.  I still love the challenges of work, all the new things I'm learning, commuting and adjusting to a new, different kind of schedule.  I won't pretend that I didn't prefer my old commute - 25 feet to walk in my pajamas vs. 25 minutes on the tollway - but I won't complain.  I still wish I knew everything there was to know right NOW - RFN! - but I also know that isn't realistic.  (Yeah, I'm still working on that patience-thing.)

It's also a huge factor at work because there are so many things that I'm seeing that I can't talk about.  It's excruciating.  All this gorgeous, fabulous fabric is in the works and I.  Can't.  Talk.  About.  It.  For a chatty, excitable girl like me, it's agony.  Texas Fabric Torture.  Even worse, I can't cut it up and sew with it!  Strike-offs are evil - fabric that you can look at but not cut up.  So near and yet still so very, very far away.  

That's all I can think of for this Sunday evening... 

Have a good week and I'll be back soon.  Okay, at some point.  

 

Change of address...

I had a list.  

It included everybody that needed a "change of address".  But as often happens with packing, moving, unpacking and trying to get settled, the list gets misplaced.

Or lost.  

There were a lot of boxes.

But it's all done.  I'm moved.  I'm mostly settled - that means there are a dozen or so boxes left to unpack but they can wait.  I know what's in them and I don't need any of it right now.  

It was odd and a bit sad to turn off the lights, lock the doors and leave the house where my Mom and Rosie lived.  But I know both would be excited and happy about my new adventure.  

I still love the light in my new digs - it'll probably always be my most favorite thing.  It makes me happy... it's a sign.  

As for the last picture... it's a sign too.  That truck isn't there every morning but it makes me happy too.

That's the other move... this is where I'll be hanging my blogging hat - The Cutting Table.

When I started LaVieEnRosie in 2008, I couldn't have imagined how many people I would meet and how much fun I would have.  You've been with me through good times and sad, funny times and... all the rest.  If I lived to be a thousand years old, I could never thank you enough for keeping me company.  So while this blog will be "going away" soon, I'm not.  I've just moved.  We'll still see each other, I promise!

Actually... I think we'll probably see more of each other now.  

 

On the homefront... Part 2

Random thought... I will never need to buy another kitchen towel, napkin or coffee mug.  Ever.

And I'm not moving again anytime soon... unless I get rid of some of my stuff - more of my stuff.  Oy vey.

It's done.  At a few minutes after 4:00 pm, Wednesday, December 17th, I closed the garage door, hugged the dear, sweet friend who had helped me get everything packed and cleared out of the house and pulled out of the driveway.   

It was odd driving away... and a little bit sad.  This is the house my Mom had called "home", and I could still see her there.  And Rosie had lived here - with furniture being pulled out, there were random tufts of dog-hair to be found.  No matter how excited I am about the adventure ahead, this was still an ending to a good, happy chapter.

I wasn't sure how far I would get but I made it to Lordsburg, New Mexico that evening.  There was some rain along the way but the conditions were good and there wasn't much traffic.  Thursday was a longer drive - but not a longer day - with my goal being Abilene, Texas.  That left a relatively short drive to Dallas on Friday morning - I arrived a few minutes before Noon.

I went from "empty" to "empty".   

And yes, I spent Friday night in my apartment.  I'd planned ahead and brought some "camping" equipment - an air mattress, a couple of quilts, towels, a stereo, a couple of forks, a plate, a bottle of wine and glasses, and my favorite scented candle.  Though with electricity, I didn't need that last one but it was sure nice for a little ambiance.

Okay, so I also ran to the grocery store.  The movers were coming early Saturday morning and I didn't know when I'd have the chance.  Or the energy.

Long story short - the move went really well.  While it did take me almost a week to find the power cord for the bigger television, nothing was broken.  A week after, I'm settled enough to be comfortable, only my sewing room remains to be unpacked and put in order.  (That's it in the picture.)

And then there was Christmas.  

Casey and Mark - brother's dog and brother - arrived Wednesday afternoon and I actually managed to make Christmas Eve dinner!  A Prime Rib Roast - Mark's request - that came out perfectly, thank you very much.  The pie, bread and green bean casserole were from Central Market.  Christmas Day was nice, quiet and really relaxed... naps were involved for all present.  While we had plenty of leftovers available, we decided to venture to a nearby sushi restaurant for dinner on Christmas Day.  It was perfect - dinner was great and the restaurant was a very short walk from my apartment.

I'm off to get my license plates today - and then I'll try the "getting the driver's license" thing again.  It turns out I need to register the car before they'll let me drive it.  Then I have to run by Home Depot, the Container Store, Staples and I don't remember where else before trying to finish the unpacking.  I hope to be able to do a little bit of sewing by next weekend.

Groceries!  I need soup!  It's definitely soup-weather in Dallas right now.  The high temperature on New Year's Day is supposed to be 34 degrees.  With a chance of ice pellets!  Ice pellets?

I was excited to spend the day watching the NHL Winter Classic - the Chicago Blackhawks at Washington Capitals... I just didn't think they'd be able to play the game in my apartment.    

And no, it doesn't make me feel better that it's almost as cold in Phoenix.

Okay, maybe just a little bit.  

On the homefront...

Random thought... if I'm packing boxes that are only going to be unpacked a few weeks later, why am I not using "temporary" tape?

Just curious.  

Come-On-A-My-House.  Circa 2005.  

A friend asked me the other day if I was excited about moving - despite the craziness of packing.  That depends on when I'm asked.  I admit to having had moments where I'm completely overwhelmed by having to pack so much "stuff"... I feel like I'll never get it all done.  But as it is with anything, you just pick a drawer, closet or cupboard and start packing.  Or in my case, sorting.  I am cleaning out clothes and household "stuff" that I can honestly say I will never use.  Ditto for all those things that I like but don't love, those things that will probably not be used in the foreseeable future.  That's all quite liberating.   

Then there are the moments where I start thinking about where things will go in my new apartment, the different sort of schedule I'll have and what it will be like to have a "traditional" job again.  (How silly is it that I still feel like I have to put "traditional" in quotations?)  I do get energized and excited about that - a lot.  Then I realize that I haven't gotten around to telling you about how it all happened.  

I sent an e-mail.  

That's the short version - the really short version.  But it's also how it happened.  

Here's the longer version... Last Fall, when I made the decision to skip going to Market, I started focusing on Spring Market and thinking about "direction".  What's next?  

A couple of friends had been harassing pestering encouraging me to do fabric again, perhaps even submit a fabric proposal to "other" companies.  Multiple times.  (Pests.)  But after really thinking about it, I knew that my feelings hadn't changed, I still had no interest whatsoever in doing a fabric line.  None.  I've written about that before, but there is always that little voice that says "don't close the door completely... you never know..."  The reality was that I wanted to slam that door shut.  Nail it closed, if need be.  So if not fabric, what next?

Three Barns.  Circa... I don't remember.  Maybe 2009?

So if I could do anything, what would it be?  After working mostly by myself for twelve years, I loved the idea of working with people who would push me to do better - to be better.  And if there was anybody that would - might - be a good fit, it was Moda and United Notions.  But what the heck do I know?  (I used to think bell-bottom pants were a good idea too.)  So I decided to e-mail the lovely folks at Moda and tell them that I wanted to work for them.  Just as it was when I went to my first Quilt Market, what's the worst that could happen?  

So that's what I did.  I send an e-mail.  (I said it was really that simple.)

In the e-mail, I actually wrote that I knew I was applying for a "job that didn't exist".  What else do you include when you apply for a job for which there is no job listing?  The funny part is that writing the e-mail was easy... sending it was the hard part.  It took a dear, sweet friend - one of maybe three people who knew what I was thinking of doing - telling me to "just send it already!" to get it on the way.   Then came the waiting... I wasn't entirely sure what to expect.  A quick... "No. Thank you for your interest." wouldn't have been a huge surprise.  Nor would a... "uh, thank you... we'll be in touch... eventually".  What I didn't expect was to hear back a few hours later... "We'd like to talk to you... we have a few questions."

Uh, sure.  (Holy guacamole!)  What do you want to know?

A day later, I was asked for a resume and - if I was willing to share - sales figures.  Uh, sure.  

Resume?  I hadn't used one in... hmmm... a decade!?  FYI - they've changed.  A lot.  (Thank you, Monster.com.)  I wrote that on a Sunday afternoon with the help of another friend... seriously, what did we do before texting, screen shots and e-mail?  As for writing the resume, that was comical.  I never would have guessed that I have "initiated", "created", "launched", "designed", "developed", and "managed" so many things!  It also created a weird paradox - everything it included was entirely true and yet still, it's the greatest work of fiction ever.  Like most resumes, right?  

Just Ask.  Circa 2003.

A meeting was held to discuss hiring someone for a "job that didn't exist" right before the Labor Day weekend holiday.  A few weeks later, I flew to Dallas for an interview... and the next day, I got a call asking me if  I'd like to work for Moda.  

Crazy, huh?  

So there you have it.  

Yes, I'm very excited about the new challenges and okay, a little bit nervous.  Can I do this?  What was I thinking?  

But it's all good - life begins at the boundaries of your comfort zone.  To get better, you have to push the boundaries of what you know.  And boundaries are there to be pushed.  Right?  Yes, I love motivational quotations.  

Home for the Holidays.  American Patchwork & Quilting - 2003.

Now I just need to finish packing.  

Just so I can un-pack it in a couple of weeks.  A new address is coming soon.

401?

As in, this is my 401st blog post.  

And I couldn't think of another title.

More later - tomorrow - but I had a couple of things to tell you about.  

Pat Sloan.  You know Pat, right?  Of course you know Pat!  Quilt designer extraordinaire.  Amazing teacher.  Fabric designer!  Thread guru.  Radio talk show host.  I know I'm forgetting about 78 other things but the main thing is, Pat is the brainiac behind the Aurifil Block of the Month.  This is the fourth year - don't quote me on that - where Pat has invited a lovely group of quilty-people - designer types - to create a block for a Sampler Quilt.  This year the designers included Brigitte Heitland, Amy Gibson, Emily Herrick, Angela Yosten, Amy Smart, Heidi Pridemore, Camille Roskelley, Pat Wys, Jane Davidson and Scott Hansen.  And the amazing Natalia Bonner has provided all sorts of great tips and advice for machine quilting - you know she's uber-talented at that.  

I'm Miss December.  

You can read all about it on the Aurifil blog - and catch up with everybody else, their blocks and their interviews.

This is my block - Not Afraid of Flying

You can download the pattern for this block here.

I also want to let you know that the shop will be up for another week as there are some "new-old" PDF patterns coming in a couple of days.  The "moving sale" continues - Code: MOVING for 30% off.  :)

I'm off to run some errands today - big surprise, I need more moving boxes! - and then it's back to packing.  

Happy Monday!

 

We interrupt this Thanksgiving...

For some online PDF pattern shopping... if you're so inclined.  

Because I'm moving and because of the business changes coming, my online shop will be going away on Monday - December 1st.  The Miss Rosie's PDFs and paper patterns will be back in January - as soon as I know where, I'll let you know.  But they will be back!

Until then... all of the PDFs are 30% off.

It's that season, isn't it? Not the shopping part - the giving part!

Just use the Code - MOVING

It all ends at Midnight Sunday - that's the Sunday / Monday night.  

The sale ends at Midnight on Sunday night - the Sunday / Monday night.  Or 12:01 AM Monday morning.  :)

 

Hidee Ho Quilt-y Neighbors!

That's the kind of greeting you get when I turn on the television to find Sportscenter and I catch Wilson greeting Tim on a rerun of Home Improvement instead.  It seemed appropriate since... well, it's been a little while longer than expected since I was last here.   

Almost four weeks.  My brother hasn't called yet but since he's been busy, I'm sure he'll mention it on Thursday.  In my defense, I've been busy too.  

A few days after I was here last, I flew to Dallas to find an apartment and meet with one of my new bosses, ModaLissa.  Can you believe it - she's already put me to work!  I had such a good day meeting some of the ladies that I'll be working with that I left some paperwork behind and had to go back.  Ooops.  I was a little distracted...

Just a bit.  

That was Friday.  My flight arrived late Thursday morning and after picking up my rental, I drove off to find an apartment.  Even though I had already picked out a couple of favorites through online searches, I still allowed a couple of days for the apartment-hunting... just in case.  I had two properties picked out as my favorites and I decided to drive by Choice No. 2 first, just to get a reference.  It was very nice but I didn't want to make any decisions until I had seen Choice No. 1 - they are less than a 1/2 mile apart.  I saw two apartments at Choice No. 1.  The "open loft-style" apartment was first and it was very nice... except that when you come in the front door, you're kind of "in" the master bedroom.  I did love the hardwood floors though... it was a definite possibility.

And then I walked into this...

The floor plan isn't perfect but the light is.  Besides, is any apartment floor plan "perfect"?  I love this one and yes, I'll have a small bedroom I can use for a sewing room.

It won't be as big as my room now but then my workroom is probably bigger than it needs to be.  I promised a couple of friends that I would take a couple of pictures of my room before I started packing it up... I've already done some, but that's on my schedule for this weekend and next week.  It might sound odd but as much as I have loved my workroom, I'm looking forward to down-sizing and clearing some things out.

I think I mentioned once a few years ago that I sew in what used to be the living room / dining room.  It's a large-ish single room that's akin to a wedge of pie with the pointy-end chopped off.  There is a large picture window on one long side, it overlooks the front walkway.  This is the view from the window of the end of the room - the chopped-off end.  

I have a lot of books.  And baskets.  

Ikea and Pottery Barn.  

This is the view from that corner looking toward the wider end of the wide.  There is a doorway into the kitchen on the right and an archway into the entry hall to the left - it's hidden by the lamp in the foreground.  There is an adjacent archway, the two are separated by a "corner" column.  

More Pottery Barn and The Container Store.  The only storage I have for all my sewing-related stuff, including fabric, supplies and books, and my "extra" quilts is in this room.  And even then, it's still a little bit cluttered.  Maybe a lot... it depends on how recently I've straightened up.  

Now I get to pack it all up.  

After being in Dallas for a couple of days, I was in Nebraska for a week with the wonderful Debbie Roberts at The Quilted Moose.  Because of the timing of it all, I was able to attend the workshops taught by an amazing Australian quilter and designer, Michelle Yeo.  Her work is spectacularly great - she does hand-piecing and machine-paper-piecing, and her quilts are complicated.  Gloriously so.  

As you can imagine, they're so much better in person.  

With nothing planned for Wednesday, Debbie and I went to Lincoln to see the International Quilt Study Center & Museum.  Gorgeous quilts, amazing center, lots of history... yeah, whatever!  I only wanted to see one thing...

How cool is this?!?  It's part of an exhibit titled "Modern Marvels - Quilts Made From Kits, 1915 - 1950".  This kit for Nice Day is an example of a "modern kit".  Not to worry, I won't let it go to my head... after all, there is a Veg-o-matic at the Smithsonian.  

The next couple of days were spent in workshops at Minglewood Lodge - the gorgeous retreat space Debbie owns and uses for workshops.  It's also where I stayed for the week - I love it!  (This was my room.)

We did a trunk show and Annelise Reid - a wonderful designer and the genius brain behind Eye Candy Quilts - took this terrific picture of my Little Bites laid out on some of the work tables...

I love this picture - and Annelise's work.

I also want to share this amazing, fabulous, GENIUS idea - it's from Gina, one of the lovely ladies in my class.  She covered a piece of that blue insulation board with batting and she uses it to keep her strips for strip-pieced quilts organized.  How clever is this?

Her assortment of fabrics is also brilliant - it's a mix of Reproduction, Minick & Simpson and French General.  Most of the French General fabrics are from the gorgeous new Rue Indienne collection... one I confess to over-looking just a tiny little bit (Hey... I've been distracted! lol) until I saw it - and some of the combinations made by ladies in my classes.  I'm not overlooking it anymore.  

While I was in Nebraska, that "polar vortex" thing blew through and it snowed.  Yes.  Snowed.  Snowed!  On Tuesday and then again on Saturday - all day Saturday!  I tried clicking my heels three times but it didn't work... that's what I get for not packing red shoes.  Raspberry pink is apparently not close enough.  

I loved Gretna and Nebraska but as entertaining as this was... I can't pretend that I wouldn't have been sorry to have missed this.  

So that's it.  Caught up.  

For now.  

I did promise to tell you about how my big "job change" came about... next time.  

In the meantime, I hope you have a safe, happy, wonderful Thanksgiving.  

Despite all the changes in my life in the past two years, I have so much to be thankful for.  I am excited about the changes ahead - and okay, a little bit nervous.  I am thankful for dear, sweet, wonderful friends who have listened to me and supported my "crazy ideas" this past year.  And I am thankful for the many wonderful people I've met through classes and blogging.  No matter what lies ahead in the coming months, I'm taking you with me... whether you want to go or not.  

Gobble Gobble!

(FYI - That blue balance ball... that's ModaLissa's "office chair".  It's good for working your "core muscles" and it's great for helping avoid back-pain.  Given that she's brilliant and amazing, I think I might get one too.)