LaVieEnRosie

What's in a wall?

I need some help with a wall.

Uh no.  Not that one. 

Not that one either.  Besides, this one was torn down years ago.

 
Oh-for-three.  Though seriously, if I don't get some help with my wall, I'm going to be doing some wailing of my own.

Okay, this one I just threw in for fun. 

Seriously, what I need is some advice.   

I've kept putting it off because I couldn't decide which way to go for a design wall.  But I need to stop waffling and make a decision.  Okay, so I'm already leaning in one direction, but I decided to ask for some opinions before I make my final decision.  Or "nearly final" since I am going to reserve the right to change my mind down the road. 

What do you think?

Flannel?  Batting?  Some fleecy stuff? 

What color?  White?  Cream?  That camel color that Kaffe and Liza are recommending in all their books?

I'm going to be "covering" three or four of the doors on the wardrobe.  Each door measures approximately 20" wide by 90" high.  These doors.

 
So what do you recommend?  What have you used?  What do you prefer? 

If you're thinking I'll figure it out on my own, I'm going to show you just how desperate I am for some opinions.  If you leave me a comment telling me what you would use ~ and why ~ I just might have to send you a couple of things I brought home from Minneapolis. 

All you have to do is leave a comment by Midnight on Tuesday, June 1st. 

Pacific Time.  That's currently "my" time since we don't "spring" here in Arizona. 

Even if I don't use your idea, if you've left a comment, you'll still be entered to win.  Random drawing and all that. 

Thanks in advance for the help.  I'm counting on you!

What have I forgotten?

One of the best things about going to Quilt Market is getting to visit with all sorts of ladies that I really only see at Market.

 
Roseanne, Heather, Sandy, Kari, Terry, moi, Linda standing in the back.  Terri, Pat and Gudrun are kneeling in front.  This is most of the cross-country Christmas blog hop from last November. 

I saw PamKittyMorning and I met a still-slightly-under-the-weather-but-still--Happy Zombie.  I even made a Spun Sugar girl happy by grabbing the last Holiday Happy on the Lecien table and passing it backwards.  I received a package of the most amazing homemade chocolate-covered pretzels from a Jaybird.  I chatted with Jo while her sweet husband Russ ate a piece of chocolate.

I saw Joanna at Sample Spree, and visited with Bonnie and Camille in their beautiful booth.  Both Breakfast at Tiffany's and Bliss are gorgeous, and I love all the quilts they've both made with their fabrics.  And just to keep them humble, I made a point of harassing a couple of very Happy sisters I've known since forever. 

I had dinner with Kathy, Bonnie and my buddy Monique Dillard of Open Gate Quilts (I'd link to her blog but she hasn't posted in more than a year!) one night, and Polly and Laurie the next.

Oh yeah... and I worked really, really hard. 

The truth is, Quilt Market is a lot of work.  It's very tiring.  But it's also a lot of fun.   

If there is one thing that I don't like about Quilt Market is that I really don't get to spend more than a couple of minutes visiting with anybody. 

By the way, the lovely lady with the orange bag in the picture above is Debbie Roberts, owner of The Quilted Moose in Gretna, Nebraska.  She's one of my favorite people ever and I'm totally psyched that I get to go to Nebraska in a couple of weeks.  It will be the first time I've been to her shop, and I will finally get to see The Lodge.  It's a retreat space, classroom space, all-around cool place that Debbie built near the shop to accomodate quilters and classes.  (Not to worry, I'll take pictures.  I promise!)

I'm hoping Debbie and her girls will let me be a Mooseketeer.

As for the picture, I was signing Schnibbles Times Two books.  I got all these ladies to show up by telling them that I'd put a $20.00 bill in every 4th book.   

Even though I totally dropped the ball in the picture-taking department this time, I do have a few.  I have this one of Monique Dillard of Open Gate Quilts but it's a little blurry.  I think Judy took it and no, that's not the reason it's blurry. 

Do you see all those gorgeous quilts in the background?  They're Monique's and they're made with her new fabric collection, Olde World Style.  It's by Maywood.  It's by Monique.  It's gorgeous.  And yes, she's demonstrating her most-fabulous Fit to be Geese ruler. 

Laurie wrote the other day about our dinner at Restaurant Alma, and she mentioned something about getting in and out of a limousine.  A tiny clarification is in order.  Getting into the limo isn't hard.  Getting out of the limo isn't very hard either.  It's getting around inside the limousine with any semblance of grace that's darn-near impossible. 

Leigh Ann, moi, Laurie and Polly.  Picture taken by Judy Adams. 

One more thing.  While limos are very nice, they're really only fun when there's someone around to see you getting in and out of it.  And dang it, there wasn't anybody we knew at the Hilton or the Hyatt outside when we got there.  As for dinner, it was amazing.  The only thing better than the food was the company.  Thank you Laurie, Polly and LeighAnn. 

Now... about that booth.

The red wire laundry baskets in the right corner ~ they're Sunrise Red.  And they're what made Rosie so rosy.

The quilts from left to right on the one side are Route 44 ~ made with Simple Abundance.  Then there is Brown-Eyed Girl ~ made with Aster Manor.  Then there are two quilts for Short Line ~ a red version made with Jelly Rolls of Rouenneries and a Honey Bun version made with Happy Camper.  Nicole ~ yes, that Nicole ~ made both of the Short Line quilts.

 
The red quilt and the pink one are four-patch quilts inspired by an antique.  The pattern is Times Four and both of these quilts were made by the Stashmaster.  Lisa. 

On a side note, if you value your life and your continued good health, don't mention Honey Buns or quilts made entirely with 1 1/2" strips around either one of them.  You've been warned. 

The pink and blue quilt on the right is titled Blue Skies and it has a "companion quilt" too.  Options seemed to be on my mind this time as I kept thinking of other ways to make the same quilt.  Judy made this version of Blue Skies.

 
These quilts are both part of the same pattern, it's titled Ashcombe.  One is cut from fat quarters and the other has squares cut from strip sets made with 1 1/2" strips.  Darlene made the one on the left and Carol made the one with all the strips.  

I have to take a moment and thank Nicole, Lisa, Darlene, Carol and Judy for all their help in getting quilts made for this Market.  This has been a kind of weird Spring for me in terms of getting things done and I absolutely, positively couldn't have gotten anywhere near being ready for Market without a lot of help.  And that doesn't include my quilters.  Lawdy... what would I do without them?

When I get back from Calgary, I'll show you the new Schnibbles and I'll take a close-up picture of the quilting on the Happy Camper version of Short Line.  It's pretty amazing.  I would have gotten it done tonight but I had to work at Williams-Sonoma this evening and I still have to pack! 

So that's it for now.  The shuttle picks me up in the morning and I'm off for a quilt show, a class and a presentation thingie.  I'm a little nervous about the last one, I'll tell you about it next week.  I am taking my camera ~ but not my laptop ~ and I have notes everywhere reminding me to take pictures.  Lots of pictures.

Really.

Market in reverse...

I had the best of intentions. 

I had my camera.  And I had my laptop.  I remembered to take a few pictures though I didn't get to take as many as I had hoped. 

I did get these pictures of Minneapolis.  I told the incomparable Miss KittyMorning that I would take this from my hotel window since this was the extent of what I was going to get to see in Minneapolis.

This is the view of downtown, that's Nicollet Avenue ~ also known as Nicollet Mall ~ in the middle of the picture.

 
This is looking to the right (east... west... north... south... who knows?).  You can't really see it, but on the far right, just past the little dome thingie in the middle of the picture is the  convention center.  It was about two blocks away if you walked streetlevel.  It took about five minutes if you walked via the Skywalks.  (FYI ~ they're called Skywalks, not "gerbil tubes".)

This is the view to the left.  I'm sorry that I didn't get a picture on Wednesday or Thursday when it was sunny and gorgeous. 

 
The Hilton was right across the way.  The window with the light on on the eighth floor?  That's Barb and Mary's room.  They kept flashing us!  

By now, you've already seen everything there was to see at Market from ladies who got to see so much more than I did so I'll show you something they probably didn't get to see.  Lucky them. 

And I was just kidding about Barb and Mary.  We were at the same hotel ~ The Hyatt.  I don't know who it was flashing from that window... I'm kidding!  Ooooh... before I forget!  Go post a comment on their contest ~ the answer is all three pairs!

Break down.  Take down.  (Wasn't that a Bob Seger song?)

Laurie did a really funny contest last October about how long it took to break down the booth after Market so I thought I would show pictures of how quickly it all happens. 

Start with this...

 
Before I start... let me give you a little background.  When you come into the convention center on Sunday morning ~ or Monday morning at Fall Market ~ there are several flyers in your booth reminding you about the policies regarding packing up your booth.

In short ~ start early and you will be flogged.  Banished.  Shunned.  Driven out and never allowed to return.  Ever. 

You're reminded of this throughout the day over the loudspeakers. 

So while nobody actually, specifically, noticeably starts packing anything before 4:00 pm, there's a whole lot of re-arranging and organizing going on by 3:30 or so.  Sometimes earlier than that.

At 4:00 pm, a voice on the loudspeaker thanks you for coming to Spring Quilt Market and announces that it is officially closed. 

I took these pictures ten minutes later...

That's Judy.  She's working. 

This is looking down the aisle to the rest of the convention center ~ I was in my usual spot in the far corner.  I feel at home... it's very cozy.

This is thirty minutes after Market closes ~ it's 4:30 pm.

Judy's still working hard.  I'm still standing in the aisle taking pictures.  The convention center folks did make me get out of the way so they could roll up the carpet though. 

 
It's starting to look pretty bare. 

 

 
And one hour after Market closed... we're done.

We're packed up and I'm getting ready to start carting everything to the hotel so it can be shipped home.  Eight boxes total ~ five boxes of quilts and three boxes of "stuff".

 

 

 
If you're wondering why I carted everything to the hotel to have it shipped, it's simple.  It was the least expensive way to ship things home.  I had a terrific little hand cart and I figured that it would take three or four trips to the hotel to get all the boxes there.  But then I remembered seeing a line of taxis outside the convention center... 

Eight boxes, one hand dolly, a step ladder, two purses, three tote bags and two really tired ladies all packed into a mini-van taxi for a two-block taxi ride. 

It was so worth it ~ the best money I've spent in ages.

So by 5:45 pm, we were at the hotel waiting for Judy's son to pick her up.  He lives in Minneapolis and she was going to visit with him for a few more days.  My boxes were in the care of the very sweet Bell Captain at the Hyatt awaiting a FedEx Ground pick-up on Monday.  I had retrieved my bags from the Hyatt ~ they stored them for me all day ~ got them re-packed.  The only thing left to do was make the arrangements for a Super Shuttle ride to the airport.

It wasn't even 6:00 pm.

So why am I telling you this?  

"Someone" said something that makes me laugh every time I think about it and I just have to share.   

While chatting with a couple of very nice ladies about how quickly we can break down and pack up our  booths, I mentioned that I had been a little worried about it suddenly taking much, much longer than usual. 

Breaking down the booth never takes me that long ~ if nothing else, I don't have one of those super-gorgeous booths that requires lots of attention, furniture, props and detail.  I've done it by myself and I've done it with help.  I've packed up the entire booth and loaded it into a minivan or car, and I've loaded everything onto a pallet and shrink-wrapped it and left it in the booth for shipping.  It's taken me as little as 40 minutes and only once has it taken me more than an hour and ten minutes. 

When I made my flight plans this year, I decided to fly home on Sunday night, the 9:15 pm flight.  That was more than five hours after Market closed.  Plenty of time, right?  Except that I was suddenly worrying about not getting my booth packed up in time to catch my flight.  I kept remembering last year in Pittsburgh when it took me almost two hours.  In my defense, I was tired.  I was by myself.  And I kept chatting with my wonderful neighbor, Karen. 

So while expressing my concerns about not getting finished in time, a heretofore very nice lady suggested that I could remedy my concerns and avoid any delays by using some of the clear duct tape I'd bought to keep the little rugs from rolling up for "another purpose". 

Yep.  That's right.  "Someone" actually suggested I tape my mouth shut to keep me from chatting with neighbors!  Imagine that!

Heather ~ when I told Judy what you'd suggested, I thought she was going to hurt herself, she was laughing that hard.  But just so you know, she did pull out the duct tape and she kept it handy.   

And if you try to deny it, just remember that I've got a witness. 

If it makes you feel any better, you're not the first person to suggest this sort of thing. 

I promise I'll tell you about the new patterns and quilts before I head to Calgary, Canada on Friday. 

Later...

Rosy Rosie

Take two cans of Rust-o-leum Sunrise Red.

Mix in a spray painting project.

Add one active Golden Retriever who just can't resist playing on the patio at the same time.

End result?

A rosy pink Rosie.

 

 

Pretty in pink.

She had a blast.  I burst out laughing every time I look at here.

She's getting a bath as soon as I'm done painting ~ probably tomorrow.

Station Break

I would like to interrupt my previously scheduled pre-Market whatever to let you know the following:

Yes, I did manage to get caught up with "24".  Kind of sorry I missed seeing it when it actually aired though there were parts that I think were better "heard about" than actually seen.  Three hours left.  I think a Logan v. Bauer showdown is coming.

And yes, yesterday and today were much better days.  Monday was "Monday".  In the grand scheme of things, if that was as bad a day as I'm going to have this month or year, I'll take it.  Happily.  Gladly.  It's just frustrating while it's happening.  And usually by late afternoon, when one more thing has gone wrong, I somehow manage to start laughing.  I look upward and ask "Is this a test?"  I don't need any kind of sign to know the answer, and no, I don't care to see my report card either.

Since I had survived the experience ~ okay, so that's a little gratuitious drama ~ I bought myself a little treat yesterday....

Don 't worry.  They're not for me.  I wouldn't eat them even if they were as I doubt they would taste as good as they look.  They're for Rosie.  (The pet shop is two doors down from the hair salon.)

Which reminds me ~ Thelma !  I've been to Sweet Cakes Cafe!  The first time I went there, it was for lunch ~ their sandwiches are terrific.  I've been a few times since then and while I haven't tried that brownie ~ which sounds divine ~ I can recommend the cookies and the Scotcharoo. 

If yesterday was good, today was probably better because something lovely and much anticipated arrived in the mail.  This was in the box.

 
Don't you love the little pottery charm hanging on the package.  It's even more wonderful in person.

So what's in the package?

Teeny little cupcake cake stands.

Etsy, of course. 

Jeanette was a Featured Seller a few weeks ago and it was love at first sight.  

Her Etsy shop is Vesselsandwares and her name is Jeanette Zeis.  I am currently in love with this but I think it's going to have to remain a long-distance, unrequited love affair... oh well. 

One last thing, if you spotted something behind the package that looked golden and furry, yes, that's Rosie.  I'm outside.  It's beautiful weather.  I've been too busy to play.  I have no excuse not to play now.  So she deposited a rock at my feet.

Now I'm holding it above my head.

Will you just put down the camera so we can play?

Bye for now. 

Monday... grrr

I'm having a day.  A real "I really don't need this today" kind of Monday.

 
Yes, that kind of Monday.

The satellite receiver box-thing isn't working so no "24".  My computer is misbehaving and will need an attitude readjustment.  After Market. 

The website folks sent me a very nice e-mail asking me how I liked the updates.  Except that the updates weren't supposed to be published until next week, mostly because there's text but no pictures.  The updates that they couldn't undo.  So if you go to the website, don't be alarmed when you see "Coming Soon"... "On vacation until May 21st."  I asked them to do that. 

But it isn't all bad.

Sweep!  After years of heartbreak at the hands of the Spurs, the Suns returned the favor with a decisive sweep.  But look at what happened to Steve Nash's eye!  Oy vey!  (And just so you know, the Schnibble pattern "Nash" is named after Steve.) 

 
Ah... he's still cute. 

Some progress was made on the sewing front... though this is really all I have to show for it...

Bindings for six little quilts ready and waiting. 

I did get to work on a quilt I'm making with Luna Notte, the next 3 Sisters collection.  It's officially now a race to see if it gets finished in time to be quilted before Market.  By the way, the fabric is beautiful.  I think it just might wind up being my favorite 3 Sisters collection.  The colors are hard to describe because while they are similar to what's been in 3 Sisters collections before, they're also very different.  The beige ranges from a golden-beige to an almost cream shade, there is a vintage-feeling tan that has a bit of a taupe cast to it, a beautiful "middle" red, a dusty rose pink, a beautiful blue, a deep rich almost steel gray and black.  I did get to take a few pictures and as soon as the powers that be say I can show those to you, I will.  I promise.

What else?

Quiltmaker Small Quilts!

Have you seen Quilty Pleasures ~ the blog written by the editors of Quiltmaker magazine?

They're having a giveaway for an issue of Quiltmaker Small Quilts.  You can enter here.  Or you can enter here. 

The second link is to the post ~ It's a Quiltmaker Jigsaw Puzzle.  If you leave a comment, you'll be entered to win a copy of Quiltmaker Small Quilts magazine.  And, no, you don't have to do the puzzle to enter but you should.  It's fun.  I've always liked puzzles. 

The first link is to this post ~ The Two-Legged Half ~ and it is about Beth, the little version of Elizabeth.  Part of the post was written by yours truly.  If you leave a comment there, make sure to tell us the name of your favorite quilt book.  And if you have more than one "favorite", you can do what I did and list lots of titles.   

(By the way, I agree with Duff who left a comment on that post ~ I forgot Freddy and Gwen!  Freddy Moran and Gwen Marston.  I love all of their books too ~ together and individually.  Awesome quilters and books!  One of my favorite books ~ it's one of the books that has inspired me to start working with solids again ~ is this one ~ Ideas and Inspirations ~ by Gwen.  If you love quilts made with solid fabrics, this little book is 100% eye candy. )

And while it exactly been published yet and no, I definitely haven't seen it yet, but I just know that this one will be simplifyingly divine. 

That's it for now ~ thank goodness Monday is over!  For this week.

I'm off to bed.  I have to get up early to run some errands Tuesday... the printer, the quilter, the hair salon ~ vanity, thy name is "mine".  If Cameron doesn't do her thing tomorrow, I'll have more roots than Alex Haley!

Toodles.

It won't be pretty...

If the folks at Prevention Magazine are correct, Spring Quilt Market in Minneapolis is going to look more like an AARP convention than quilt market.  We'll be a very sorry looking group.  And a very old-looking group.

I know.  According to those Quilting in America Surveys, the average quilter is 58 years old.  The average quilter has been 58 years old for 30 years.  Which ~ and not to get off on a tangent here ~ does kind of make me wonder, if you're not yet 58, are you above average?  Or below average?

Freddy Moran was in her sixties when she started quilting.  WAY above average quilter. 

Camille Roskelley isn't even in her thirties yet!  WAY above average quilter. 

I suppose that's a "point to ponder" for another day... so where was I?

Prevention Magazine and being ~ or rather, looking old...

While taking a few minutes break before heading back to my sweat shop workroom, I was browsing the MSN homepage looking for something to pleasantly divert my attention.  Maybe something informative.  Possibly even something frivolous.  Wouldn't that be nice?

There on the MSN homepage was an intriguing headline... 9 'harmless' habits that age you.

Unless you want to be really depressed, don't read any further.  Just let it suffice to say that we're doing everything wrong.  Everything.   

Here are their list of "little things can sabotage your efforts to slow down the clock"...

• You keep your college bedtime.  ... The problem with this is that too-little sleep is proving to be really, really bad for your health: Research links it to high blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain, and even just looking tired and older.
• You have a soft spot for sweets.  A sugar-packed diet can take its toll on your waistline, but now experts also believe it can make your skin dull and wrinkled too...
• You're stressed more often than not.
• You only exercise when trying to lose weight. 
• You blast your iPod.
• You never see your girlfriends.
• You eat fruits and veggies -- but not every day.
• You've shunned all fat from your diet.  Okay, this one probably doesn't really apply to me right now since most chocolate has some fat content.
• You can't remember the last time you had sex.

(That last one seemed a bit like overkill to me.  They'd already depressed the heck out of me... but no, they had to throw that last one in there just to finish me off.  Wicked little trolls.)

So let's see.  Spring Quilt Market is about two weeks away.  Everybody is staying up late, working into the wee hours, stressed to finish one more project... write one more pattern... get those boxes packed for shipping... figure out a booth... and so on.  Sleep-deprivation is common.  Just ask Laurie.  (By the way, make sure you're entered her Clermont Farms giveaway!)

Most everybody I know is screeening phone calls and basically behaving like an anti-social hermit.

And while I can't speak for everyone ~ I know they'll just deny it anyway ~ there's a whole lot of mainlining caffeine, sugar and carbohydrates to keep the energy up going on.  Fruits and vegetables?  Only if potato chips and chocolate covered raisins count.

Normal everyday things like bathing, brushing teeth and routine sorts of personal care are out the window until the morning you have to board a plane for Minneapolis. 

Oh well, there is a bright side.  It will be nice to know that I look as old as I feel. 

Before I forget... I'm sure you've been seeing glimpses and "sneak peeks" of the upcoming Lumiere de Noel collection by French General.  It's really beautiful.

The thing is, I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do with it.  The mix of prints and shading is such that most of the ideas I was getting were going to require yardage.  But I have this book laying around (multiple copies in every room of the house) and while flipping through the pages (for the 12,587th time), I got an idea.

McGuffey... with a twist. 

 
I wish I could tell you I pieced it as that would mean it was mine to keep but I didn't.  Sue pieced it and Louise is quilting it.  I will probably get to bind it ~ in red, of course ~ and I'm hoping that's enough to stake a claim to it.

 

I'm out and about today ~ to the quilter, to the printer, to the bank and so on.  Tomorrow it's back to the workroom. 

 

The weekend will be spent with something with an Italian influence... I'm sad to say that I think it's a given that the time won't result in my changing the status quo on the first and/or last items on Prevention's list.

 

Ciao!

 

 

In print...

I'm being taken to task by a friend for failing to tell you about a magazine "appearance". 

She saw it on a newstand... saw my name... which was quickly changed to "mud".  I kind of forgot to mention it to her too.  Oops.  Sorry about that.    

Quiltmaker magazine has a new issue out this past week titled Small Quilts.  It's very cool. 

Pretty good company, don't you think? 

It's kind of amazing that I was invited to be a part of this issue.  It's a miracle, actually.  But the ladies at Quiltmaker magazine are very nice.  Very nice and very forgiving.  And very understanding.  They gave me a second chance when I basically forgot about them last year. 

They very kindly invited me to submit a block for their 100 Blocks issue last Spring.  I was really excited about the prospect.  I started thinking about blocks.  I started thinking about fabrics.  And then I got behind schedule with doing this book manuscript thing and kind of dropped the ball.  Or the block, as it were.

I forgot all about them. 

I know.  I'm such a crumb.

But despite my transgressions, they invited me to put a quilt in their Small Quilts issue.  So I started thinking about blocks.  And fabrics.  And I got a quilt top almost finished when I realized there was no way it was going to be quilted and bound in time for their deadline.

I'm not sure they would forgive me twice. 

And then inspiration struck.  

My friend Judy had made the most beautiful version of Elizabeth.  She calls it "Beth" because it's a little Elizabeth, all the pieces and blocks are half the size of the original ~ 4" stars instead of 8"stars. 

I just love this quilt.

Aside from being beautiful, it was also quilted and bound.  It was perfect.  The best part is that Carolyn at Quiltmaker loved it too.  By the way, Carolyn and her crew have a blog ~ Quilty Pleasures! 

Judy made this using an old Blackbird Designs collection, Anna's Starry Night.  Wouldn't it be beautiful made with Rouenneries?  Kind of like what Wendy's making?

There are 12 projects in the issue...

• Butterfliers ~ a terrific bright, cheery butterfly quilt by Mary Cain.
• Stars Over Texas by Jo Morton ~ it's by Jo.  What else do you need to know?
• Botanic Bricks by Diane Harris of Quiltmaker Magazine.  This is the coolest little block!
• Bloomin' 30s by Darlene Zimmerman ~ same thing I wrote about Jo.  It's by Darlene Zimmerman.  It's wonderful and you know you're going to want to make it.  (Edit... Well, duh, Carrie.  I can try to get off the hook by telling you that I was channeling "Diane" from the line before but considering how many books of Darlene's I have, and how many vintage feedsack pieces I've bought over the years because of her, I really should have remembered Darlene.  After all, one of my favorite people is named Darlene.)
• Cinnamon Stick by Lori Smith.  Lori is awesome.  She makes more half-triangle squares than I do.  I think I'm going to have to make this one.
• Lancaster Lilies by Eileen Fowler.  Inspired by an Amish quilt, it's gorgeous.
• Woolen Waltz by Becca LoGiudice.  A pieced and appliqued wool table topper.  It's wonderful.
• Sprinkle of Sunshine by Vickie Eapen.  Wait!  I know her!  You know her!  This Vickie!  You'll love her table topper... how could you not?
• Potpourri Petals by Theresa Eisinger.  Another bright, cheery, got-to-make-this-one kind of project.
• Bermuda Triangles by Carolyn Beam.  Blue and yellow Ocean Waves... 1" x 1" finished half-triangle squares.  It's quite wonderful.
• Pinny Weights by Barbara Winslow.  Pincushions made with little blocks... you know I'm going to need to make these.

So there you have it!  Don't you want an issue of your very own?

Now I have to go make a few phone calls.  I think there are one or two other things I might have forgotten to mention...

M.I.W.

Missing in Workroom.

That's kind of what it feels like, though it isn't all bad.  In fact, if I "spin" this... I was invited to a Garden Party by Verna in a lovely Rural Jardin.  Verna brought some Fresh Cottons and everything was Hunky Dory. 

These are either at the quilter or the photographer... at least that's where I think I left them.  And no, the one on the bottom isn't Rural Jardin.  That little quilt just went to pieces about missing out on being in the picture.  This one is a "variation" and I made it using those little Kona Cotton charm packs.   

I have big quilts everywhere.  Most of those are quilted, bound and ready to go.  They've even been laundered so that look all quilty.  They're now ready to get packed for shipping.  And I've got a big stack of quilts that need to be put away, those just came back from Leisure Arts, they were in the Spice of Life book.

Not a very exciting picture, is it?  I could have folded them with the right-side out but I was too tired.  And it would have meant moving everything.  And where was I going to put those strips on top of the quilts?  I had to move those from the cutting table so I could work on something else...

Why is it when "someone else" takes a picture of a stack of quilts, it looks amazing?  (I know the answer to that one so just you never mind about answering it for me...  pbbbbtttttt!)

(I get a little cranky and grumpy when I'm tired.)

Seriously.  I've got quilts everywhere.

These came back from the photographer.  Or was it the quilter?  I don't remember.  One of those. 

Aren't these bags gorgeous?  $3.99 from The Container Store.  The Brocade Zippered Tote.   

The Year of Schnibbles!

My gosh, you've all done it again.  Kudos to all of you!   

The Tagalong quilts are wonderful ~ I love them all!  In fact, if there is another Schnibbles book is in my future, I might have to shamelessly steal borrow a variation that several of you came up with ~ I love the sashing between the blocks!  

With Rosie's help and a bowl full of paper scraps with names written on it ~ we've managed to come up with two winners!  Who will each get a signed book... though really, you should already have one! 

From Sherri's Parade... Mary ~ NeedledMom ~ Boutique by Chez Moi.  Isn't this yummy? 

And from Sinta's parade... Andee ~ The Modern Diary ~ Make Life by Authentic.  Do I have any of this fabric?  I'm thinking I might need some... soon.   

 
Mary and Andee ~ if you'll leave a comment, I'll e-mail you to get your mailing address so I can get a book in the mail to you!  And maybe something else too.

I'm looking forward to next month's parade of quilts to see how many of you wind up doing the same pattern.  Have you read that if you have a random group of 23 people, the odds are that at least two of them will have the same birthday?  I'm curious to see if that holds true for something like this... how many of you will choose the same pattern?  And how many of you will do one that nobody else thought of?

I will be back in a day or so to tell you more about the Leisure Arts books ~ and yes, there are two of them.  Spice of Life Quilts is supposed to be shipping in another week or so, and then there is a second book "in the works" that will be published in October. 

Right in time for Fall Market.  I wonder if I'll be ready for Spring Market by then...