Fabric, fabric everywhere fabric!

I know I promised photo's, but I just haven't had everything lined up this week! Maybe this afternoon, I can sneak into my office for more than 3 minutes and get to it. I am surrounded by mounds of wonderful fabric that I bought at sample spree. Fabric that won't be in the shops for months, but I have fat quarter towers, jelly rolls and layer cakes of about 10 groups from Moda. The goal is to make samples before the yardage comes into the shops, so you will be inspired right from the minute it arrives. Yesterday I spent a lot of time looking thru books and patterns to make little kits for my staff. At least 9 projects went out of the door! Hopefully a couple more will go today. I have 3 things to be quilted before they go up.

I did hang several new samples on Thursday. A beautiful batik quilt from the new Atkinson book, Time Out Quilts. 3 new table runners, 2 from Anka's Treasures and one from GE Designs. A wonderful scrap quilt from the Wild Rose collection from Moda. And a beautiful small quilt from Quilted Quickies made with Sanctuary fabrics. I have more to hang, but I can only do this when the shop is closed. Joyce and Noel came in at 8 on Thursday to help me. We always get a good work out and a few laughs as we are trying to manuver a huge ladder in cramped spaces!

Wish me luck with the photos today! J

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity, Jig

We are home from Market, and exhausted. I would be worried if weren't. I'm sure everyone wants to know what the "Hottest" trend was, we think Cupcakes would win that category. Even booths without a pattern for cupcakes, used them as props. And, what goes with cupcakes? Aprons. So, be looking for new patterns for both. We are just getting things unpacked, and priced, so the books and patterns that we carried home will be out in the shop by Thursday. The things we had shipped will start showing up next week.

Tomorrow I will post pictures of a few of the wonderful authors we spent time with. Julie

Quilt Market

It is almost here! Tomorrow we (Noel, Joyce and I) are driving to Portland for Spring Quilt Market. Not the most exciting places to have market, but the money I save on air fair, I can use to buy goodies for the shop.

I'm hoping to take pictures with my phone, and then post them here! That will be an amazing fete, but I have confidence that I can do it, or that someone around will be able to help me. I want to share all of the excitement with you. Last year Marie Osmond was there, a true "star". All of the quilting stars will be there, so I will try to record it for all of you.

I have ideas swimming in my head, a list in hand, I promise to be on a mission. I hope to stay away from the candy bowl that will be in each booth, it will just give me a headache by the end of the day.

Sit back and hold on, we are quilters on a road trip! Julie

Mothers Day

Mothers Day in the shop was wonderful. We saw many multigenerational mom's. 60somethings pushing 80somethings in wheelchairs, 5 year old twin boys dressed alike with mom and grandma in tow, husbands waiting patiently for their wives,mothers and daughters to shop. Truely fun.

Just before closing time 2 20somethings came thru the door delighted to find a quilt shop. They were going to dinner at one of the girls aunts house, and saw the big chicken on the highway and just Had to turn in! I remember being 20 and just "turning in" to places just because they looked different. Now, my life is so busy that I am not sure I would take the time to stop. The lesson, slow down. That is why I quilt!

Quilt Sampler Magazine

The Spring issue of Quilt Sampler has hit the streets. It is beautiful, as I always expect it to be. One day, I hope to have my shop featured. It takes a village...

I am gearing up for Quilt Market, and for Shop Hop. Big, big events. Both are wonderful and exhausting at the same time. The great thing is there will be lots of new things in the shop for the Shop Hop. I love the inspiration and energy I get when I attend Market. 3 full days of classes, shopping, thoughts of new trends, seeing old friends, and making new ones. I sometimes wonder just how can it get any better-but it does.

Hope you are all gearing up for Mother's Day. I always work, and my trusted employee Joyce works with me. We have done it for years. It is really our Mother's Day tradition. We, also, always work on New Year's Day. Thank you Joyce! You are the best Mother's Day date out there!

dentist

The dentist was a success, thank goodness for "happy air", otherwise I have a hard time getting thru it.

I tried to sew in the afternoon, but the vibration from my sewing machine made my face hurt. I did get the borders on the cowboy quilt. Pretty darn cute, I will post a picuture tomorrow when I am in the shop.

Today I get to spend the day with #2 son, Cameron. Coffee, grocery shopping, lunch. The basic Fiddle-Dee-Dee. My favorite Tuesday ever. Unless, #1 and #3 son were along, then I would be in heaven. J

The Dentist

I wanted to see if I could figure out how to post from home and Yeah! I can.

Today is one of those days that I dread. I have an appointment for a crown. I really like my dentist, I like the people who work in his office, but, I just really don't like being there. I broke a tooth about a month ago, and today is my "big" appointment. I was awake about every half hour checking the clock to see if it was "time yet". I used to take myself to a cute little cross-stitch shop after an appointment with him. But it is no longer in business, and I can't see well enough to do cross stitch anymore! So, I will go, come home have a nap, and give myself a little sewing time this afternoon as a reward.

I just have the outer borders to put on a little cowboy star quilt. Hopefully, I will get that done this afternoon. It uses darling retro cowboy fabric that reminds me of my brothers PJ's from the late 50's, early 60's. Eventually it will go in my cowboy bedroom. I have collected lots of stuff for this room, and now with the boys all gone from home, I just need to get busy and pull it all out. Paint and decorate! Maybe that will by my June resolution.

Wish me luck at the dentist! J

May Day

My May Day resolution is to sew more, weed my flower beds and to blog on a regular basis. This morning I made a darling baby quilt using charm squares, and nearly finished a cowboy quilt top. So, I am sewing! I came into my office to do a little paperwork, and found myself in front of the computer. So, I am blogging! Now, do we think I will really go home and do a little weeding? Well, 2 out of 3 is pretty darn good.

Sewing with charm squares and jelly rolls gives me a certain push to do other things. You know how sometimes you just don't want to work on an old project, but you really want to sit at your machine? That's when I pull out the pre-cut fabric. It's the immediate gratification that I need. Then, I can take a deep breath and work on something that may be more difficult, or that I am stuck in a rut with. I've even sewn charm squares together in the middle of the night when I can't sleep! I have a no cutting rule after 2am!

It's quiet here at the shop today and the sun is shining, so I just might go home and pull a few weeds. I'll let you know! Julie