Saturday, April 30, 2011

Today at the quilt shoppe

Today I had an absolute wonderful day at the quilt shop teaching my Friendship Rings quilt. I had 5 students, I knew 4 of them and I think I have a new friend...the one I did not know. And!! Carolyn was there!! I was so shocked to see her!!! Carolyn is the owner of the shop and is now the new editor of Quilter's World magazine.  I have not seen her in about a month or longer. I was so happy to see her today.
If you are coming back to my blog to get the rest of the pattern for Dahlia Blooms, I deleted the steps. Why? Because I felt someone was going to try to copy this and take credit for it. I will be releasing the pattern soon, so if you are interested in purchasing it, let me know. Just drop me a line.
I've submitted the quilt pattern/design to a magazine already, hopefully I will from them in about a month.
Later y'all...

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

I'm back home!

I'm back home from a ten day trip to the Carolinas! Oh how I miss my sisters and extended family from there!! I wish we all lived closer! My neice, Ashley and her fianc'e (spelling?), Greg, were married on April 16. The wedding was beautiful and very elegant. Ashley is not a flashy person and her wedding showed just how elegant and simple she is. I absolutely loved it! I'm very impressed by her new hubby too. When we were all at the hotel the day after their wedding Greg was the only one who blessed his food before eating. Now that is a southern gentleman!
This past weekend I pieced a new quilt, I'm calling the pattern Dahlia Blooms. This quilt was inspired by two people's techniques: Billy Lauder and Cathy Wierzbicki. Cathy's book is Geometric Gems. I don't know the name of Billy Lauder's book or pattern that this technique came out of. I was told by my friend Dawn, that Billy used this cutting piecing technique in one of her books/patterns. She scanned me a copy last night just so that I could compare the technique. So, needless to say, I can't take credit for the techinique, but the two combined methods make a beautiful quilt...at least I think so!
So, what do you think of the quilt? Hmmm, I hope the image isn't too blury.
I think I'm going to pursue publishing my own patterns. The more I think about it the more I don't want a magazine to "own" my pattern and I no longer benefit from it financially.  I need to insert here that I've got a second pattern that I submitted to a different magazine than the first pattern...this magazine reserves all rights....The first magazine returns all rights. I like this better. I still love the other magazine though, and no I will not say which magazine it is.
I have great news!! My sister Gail, is now in remission of her colon cancer!!! Praise the Lord!!  Gail had stage 4 colon cancer and I know she was scared!! And I know she is now relieved that her battle is over. I'm going to pray that the cancer does not come back!!!
One more thing: my truck is now back on the road again! lol...her name is Big Red ;o) I love my truck! My husband, my hero, had to replace the ball joints and U-joints this past weekend. The parts cost us $500. My husband being the great engineer/mechanic that he is saved us $1,000 by doing the work himself. Thank you honey!!!
Well it is off to work now!!
To my followers: drop me a line telling me what you are up to!! I love reading our comments!!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

She never knew

I believe my last post was March 24...it has been a while, and a lot is going on.
This morning though, I realized, while reading other quilters' blogs, that my mom never knew I was a quilter. She never met any of my children, nor did she get to meet my husband. Mom died when I was 15. My sister Gail, had her first child in March of that year and mom died a couple months later. So mom, never met any of the rest of her grandchildren. Dad was around for my sisters' other children births, but he never met mine. That is a long story and honestly, that is his fault. He died about 5 or 6 years ago. Wish life would have been different. He walked away from us all. I still don't know and I don't think my sisters do either.
Him walking sealed the deal for me with having a strong family bond with my children. I wanted life to be different for them. Children always need their parents, aunts and uncles and grandparents. Family bonds need to be strong! I love my family!
Quilts: man am I swamped! Pushed with a deadline!! I'm working on the magazine quilt currently (piecing project), I have a clients quilt on the longarm machine (it will be done this morning), 2 other projects waiting to get on the longarm machine and both of those have to be bound, and 1 that I still have to cuts units from and get busy on!!! I'm leaving Tuesday for South Carolina.
My neice is getting married and I am heading down to help my sister Renee. I'm looking forward to heat and sunshine!! Michigan is beginning to warm up, just not a lot. I will have to finish Ashley's quilt after get back home from her wedding! I hate that!! I wanted it done but I did not expect what all occured in "home" life to make quilting go to the back burner. It was nothing major, just things take time and take you away from sewing.
On that note.....got to go sew....later....