Christmas Brings Out the Worst in My Kids

Ever since we put up our Christmas tree over a week ago, it's been the center of controversy. Silly me, thinking no one would notice that some kids have more presents than others. But no, 1 hour after the presents went out, they all wanted to know why Kylee has more than Bailey. Before I knew it I was giving a lecture to three kids, 11 and under, attempting to explain that one $40 present is equal to 2 $20 presents.

A few days later, Kylee tattled on Bailey, who had been carefully ripping tiny holes in select presents to find out what was inside.

Then today, Bailey and Will spilled the beans and told Kylee what they had gotten her.

To top it all off, after I scolded Bailey and Will for telling, I asked "You didn't tell each other what you got, did you?"

"No Mom," says Will, "Bailey and Kylee just told me that you forgot you had a son and you bought 3 girl presents."

Wow, only my kids......
Assuming we survive the 2 remaining days before all controversy is settled, I'm considering not putting presents or a tree up until Christmas Eve next year.

It was inevitable.....

My dining room has officially turned back into a sudo-quilting studio.
I tried, I really did, but I just can't leave my sewing stuff at the shop. I only have time to sew in the evenings now, and it's cold at the shop. And I'm poor and can't afford to turn the heat up high enough to match the cozy wood stove burning away in my living room. So, today I broke down and hauled just enough supplies home to piece my Lackadaisical quilt.
And it's already paying off! My first flower is nearly finished!
This quilt is super fast to put together, right up my alley these days. Hopefully there will be a finished picture to post soon! I'll also be posting an updated pricing list for the kit tomorrow that includes the entire quilt top! Happy quilting!

Best Ever Sugar Cookies

If you love a soft and sweet sugar cookie, I have the perfect recipe. This recipe came from my grandma, and I don't know where she got it. All I know is that I don't bake, but every year around the holidays I end up making these cookies. They are too good, my second batch in as many weeks is chilling in the fridge right now! Here's the recipe for your eating pleasure:

1 1/2 Cups of butter
3 Cups of sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
6 Cups of flour
1 Cup of sour cream
3 eggs

Combine all of this and mix well. A kitchenaid type mixer is a must, as this dough is super thick and sticky. Once mixed, chill well in the refridgerator. If your dough isn't cold enough, it will be impossible to roll and cut the cookies.

Once dough is chilled, roll and cut into desired shapes. A pastry sheet is best, and it will take a lot of flour to prevent the dough from sticking! PAM sprayed on the cookie cutter also helps.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. (I have larger cookie cutters that take a little more than 10 minutes to cook completely.)

Let the cookies cool, and then frost them with this frosting:

4 oz. cream cheese
3 Cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. milk
1/4 Cup of butter

Happy Eating!

It's Not Too Late to Make Your Table Merry!

For a festive holiday table, all you need is a couple yards of fabric and a super fast tablerunner! Here is one of the fastest and easiest ideas for holiday table decor, so easy you still have time to finish it before the holiday!



The fabric featured is from Sandy Gervais's Moda line, Merry and Bright. All you need to do is cut a square piece of the extra wide fabric, hem or serge it, and your tablecloth is done! Next, use the Merry and Bright panel to quilt up a tablerunner with all the appeal of applique and none of the work! Hem/serge up some coordinating fabric napkins, layer the pieces on your table, and you're done! A simple centerpiece finishes the ensemble. Mine usually holds round ornaments, but this year they're mysteriously MIA and I'm not about to go crawling around under the house in single digit weather to find them!

Yee Haw!

The Cowboys and Indians fabric arrived today! This is such a great fabric line, as it has both boys and girls in the focal fabric, yet could easily be an adult quilt by leaving out that one fabric. It's done in 1950's style and is just fantastic!

Tomorrow's project will be fixing up the display my mom and I have been planning to go along with it. We've already collected a saddle, and my mom has plans to build a fence for the fabric. Pictures to follow as soon as possible!

Hopefully my super helper comes home from Hawaii soon (you know who you are) to whip me up some sample quilts! Remember Boot Scootin' and Stampede? These quilts were attracting all sorts of attention at Quilt Market, so I can't wait to have my own versions!

Apron Trends

Aprons grew hugely in popularity this year, and with their popularity the number of great apron patterns grew too! January is going to be apron month at Moda University, so to get you ready here are some of the aprons on display in the store. You'll find all these patterns under the Bags and Wearables pattern category.

Those Crazy Kids

No, this is not a post about my family. It's to announce to arrival of the newest Buggy Barn book, "Those Crazy Kids!" I ordered this book at Fall Market, and it just arrived today, hot off the press! The quilt on the cover was featured in The Buggy Barn booth, and it was so darn cute it stopped my mom and I in our tracks. I know at least 2 little boys who will be thrilled with this quilt! The fabrics are from a line by The Buggy Barn, "Ron's World," which is due any day now.
The rest of the book isn't so bad either. Flowers, purses, kites, and sail boats are some of the great things you'll find featured in the 7 quilts. Even a coordinating crib sheet and bumper pad featuring the trucks!
You can find this book in the "New Additions" catagory of the online catalog.

Holiday Gift Ideas

Despite the unusually mild temperatures we have had here in North Idaho, it really is just a few weeks until Christmas! Time is ticking away quickly for gift shopping, so I thought I'd share a few ideas.

For your quilting and sewing friends, there are tons of ideas! A small basket filled with notions like thread, needles, a special tool, or even a few fat quarters is always a big hit. For many quilters, purchasing new tools or notions is hard when we're hoarding our money for fabric. If you have a special quilting friend, buying them a tool they wouldn't otherwise purchase for themselves is a great gift. Ideas include the Sidewinder, the Calantha Rotary Cutter, the Clover Mini-Iron, and the Electric Scissors.

Another idea for your quilting friends is to buy a kit. If you shop with them, you've probably got a good idea what styles and patterns they like. There are kits for every taste, and every budget. View them all here!

If all else fails, gift certificate never disappoints. I have them available in increments of $5. Call and I can even mail them with a card for you!

Random Happenings and Updates

Wow, have I been lazy at updating this blog lately! I've been on a mission to get caught up on long arm quilting, and the blog has slid as a result. Saturday I actually quilted 3 quilt tops! That never happens unless everything works out perfectly, which is maybe once a year. However, I have to be careful not to get too lulled into thinking I'm getting ahead enough to take a few days off, or I'll be right back where I started!
Another reason I've been frantically quilting is that I've recently come to the crazy, psychotic, hair-brained idea that I should go back to LCSC and finish my degree. Yes, I've been a big, fat, quitter for 2 years, and it's high time I finished up. I 9 classes away from being a Business/Accounting know-it-all. When I mentioned my newest crazy idea to my mom, she promptly replied that I couldn't do it unless I was all caught up before school starts. That means by Jan. 12 those 40+ quilts had better be gone!
My mom and sister have been great at picking up my slack in the samples department. My sister whipped up a great new apron for me over the weekend, and I have several new ornament kits and patterns that I need to add to the website. Pictures soon, I hope!
I also need to finish organizing my "12 Days of Christmas" at the store. Dec. 1-12, something new will be on special each day. Watch here for details as I figure them out. Nothing like waiting 'til the last minute!

All I Want For Christmas.....

My middle child is going through an extra strong phase of parent hating lately. Actually, she mostly hates me. I guess that means it's Mom hating. Anyways, as a result I'm sorry to report that Grandma's Secret Spot Remover does not remove "I Hate Mom" from a bed sheet when written 3 times in red Sharpie marker.

Here is her Christmas list (and I quote):

1. Littlest Pet Shop House
2. A New, Nice, Not Mean Mommy
3. A Radio with lots of SiDis

How sweet!

Just Say No to White on White

Occasionally I have people ask if I have any "white on white" fabric. White on whites are exactly what it sounds like, they are white background fabrics with a white pattern overlaid. (see picture) Most of the time, the pattern is stamped over the fabric instead of dyed or woven into it. These fabrics are easy to identify because if you run your fingers over them, you can feel the texture of the stamp. Joanne's carries a large selection of such fabrics, which tells you something about their likely quality.

The stamped texture throws my quilting machine into fits. As the needle goes through the quilt, I can hear the sound of it piercing the stamped material, and it's not good! It spells thread breakage and missed stitches galore. In short, I HATE white-on-white fabric. When I see a quilt made with it, I get chills. And not good chills.

So, it's not surprising that the answer to the question of whether I have any or not is a resounding "NO!" Thus far, I haven't identified one I like. I believe that companies like Moda do make white-on-whites that are not stamped, but I haven't had the need to find out. I much prefer a traditionally manufactured print or a marble instead. Plus, my quilting machine is high maintenance and so am I. We need quality fabric!

New Market Stuff Just In

The shipments are starting to arrive on things I couldn't stuff into mine or my mom's suitcase from Market! Today I received my Patchabilities patterns, and I have finished uploading them to the website and created a new catagory just for them! The Patchabilities catagory holds the patterns I have so far, but there are sure to be more because I love their stuff! (There is an adorable Summer scene set that has a martini button that I must have before next Summer!) All of Patchability patterns have awesome buttons that make them unique, and buttons are included in each pattern! There is also a wire hanger from Ackfeld available for every pattern, which just finished them off beautifully. Their Advent Calendars are the best I've seen anywhere! As each season approaches, watch for new things to be added in this catagory.

Also arrived this week are Amma's Garden fabrics from G.E. Designs and Red Rooster Fabrics. The Poppy Garden quilt that coordinates with these fabrics is gorgeous, and waiting to be quilted at the shop right now!

New notions arrived this week as well, including the buttons for the Lackadaisical quilt. I know you're thinking that the kit price is high for this quilt, but trust me, the buttons are well worth it! They are fantastic, lending a unique effect to an otherwise super simple quilt.

I also have jelly thimbles from that I will be uploading as soon as I find or take a good picture.

Last, I now have mini irons and mini iron cooling bags. These are excellent for small project like the Patchabilities, or for applique. The cooling bag allows you to transport a hot iron to and from classes or other locations. The Patchabilities Christmas Bulbs kit includes a patch for the sole-plate of your mini-iron, making it non-stick. This allows you to iron on the fusible ribbon (for the bulb hooks) and any other fusible product, without it sticking to your iron and without using a pressing sheet!

For now, that's what's new. Watch for more, because that's not all I ordered!

Serged Satchel from Indygo Junction

I spotted this bag in the Indygo Junction booth at Market and loved it. (My mom hated it, so I guess this is subjective) The pattern will be in store soon, and since I just heard on the news show that "ruffles are everywhere" this season, it's just in time! Actually, I loved several of Indygo Junction's new patterns, and am expecting many of them in store by the end of this month! Summer clothes for girls, bags, tunics, and even pajamas! Since the patterns are coming in November, maybe I'll have time to make something for the girls before next Summer!
You can see them all soon in the Bags and Wearables pattern catagory.

Food Drive at The Crazy Quilter

I guess it's time for me to grow up and give back to the community! For my first attempt at becoming socially responsible, I am holding a food drive during the month of November. Here is how it will work:

Thru Nov. 30, when you bring a nonperishable food bank donation, I will give you 10% off your in-store purchase. The only exclusions are machine quilting and class fees.

In addition, for online purchases, I will donate 10% of the total purchase, (before shipping and sales tax) to the local food bank.

Now you can quilt in November and feel good knowing someone will be eating Thanksgiving dinner because of you!

Wool Pin Cushion Kit

For the past few evening while I watch TV I've kept my hands busy making up one of the new wool pin cushions I found at Market. Here is a picture of the final result:

Everything but the floss and stuffing to make this pin cushion is included in the reusable tin! For $1 more, I also have bags of crushed walnut shells, which is used for the filling. A great stocking stuffer or friend gift!

New-Ragspuns

Ragspuns are a product we purchased this Fall at Market. They are adorable little pre-cut shapes that are fast and easy to applique to all sorts of things. Wall hangings, pillows, tablerunners, towels, pins, and ornaments to name a few! They are not expensive, and add a lot of texture and personality to your projects!

Dec. 1 we will be starting a monthly towels club. Basically, for $13.95 + shipping each month, you'll get everything you need to make 1 tea towel. These make excellent gifts, or use for seasonal decor in your kitchen! You can literally have this done in an hour or two!

You can view and order the monthly kit Here! Don't forget to watch the New catagory, as other Ragspun products arrive that I have ordered! There are some adorable pin kits on the way, and more!

Back from Market

Well,

I'm back from Quilt Market! It was a whirl wind trip, but worth it as usual. I will be updating the website with everything new, so be sure to check the New Additions catagory over the next few days for everything I brought home.

I don't even know where to begin, we found so many things we loved. There are new fabrics featuring tractors, cowboys and indians, paper dolls, and shoes coming in the future. There are TONS of new patterns (2 suitcases worth), and some exciting new products. I have a couple of advent calendars, a tree skirt, an adorable wool pin cushion, and so much more to add! I will try to highlight one or two things per day over the next week or so. If you want a sneak peak, watch the New Additions!

My money saving strategy of staying farther from the convention center and renting a car proved to be iffy, at best. By the time we drove 30 mintues each way, paid for parking at the convention center ($10/day), and got lost looking for the nearest Starbucks, I'm not sure this proved to be a good strategy, so I'll probably be revamping for next year.
Although my GPS was invaluable, it did have it's faults. For example, did you know it doesn't tell you when you're about to run a red light? Nope, you need my mom for that, who's scream from the passenger seat is actually quite effective. It also doesn't speak up when you're driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Nope, once again, major GPS design flaw. Some days you're just lucky to be alive, huh?

Yep, I think I'm going to fire myself from making travel reservations and let my mom take it over. Especially after the long lay-over in Seattle and the puddle-jumper plane we had to ride to Spokane in. Try staying calm with my mom next to you, making comments like "This small of a plane should really come with parachutes." Yes, I think I'll let her make any future reservations!

Anyways, watch for lots of new stuff. Lots, and lots, and lots.......

New Names for Hair Dye

See, the funny thing about black hair is that it's really hard to match the color and get a natural result. We've all seen those ladies whose hair is so black it looks neon blue.

I don't dye often, but lately the grays come faster and faster. Since my #1 is to NEVER, NEVER, NEVER actually buy "black" dye, but stick with the darkest shade that isn't black instead, I thought I was safe with "Natural Black" instead of the darkest "jet black." Boy was I wrong...

The last time my hair glowed like this was when I dyed it for fun in highschool. And I don't mean a good glow. Here are some alternate names I've come up with for "Natural Black."

"Too Poor to go to a Hair Salon"
"Why I Didn't Go To Beauty School"
"My Hair Glows in the Dark!"
"Now You Know Why That Hair Dye Was On Sale"
"You Can See My Hair From Space"
"Well, At Least There's No Gray Left!"
"Who Needs a Halloween Costume, Anyways?"

And the ever popular, "Holy Shit!" which is what my mom said when she saw my hair. Yes, I've now joined the ranks of women whose hair is "so black is looks neon blue." Just in time to head off to Houston. Oh Joy.

Warning:Make at your own risk!

I had a moment of weakness at the grocery store yesterday. Actually, a few moments of weakness in a few different aisles, and when I left I had all the ingredients to make really good Chocolate Oat Bars. I found this recipe almost 10 years ago in a recipe book of my mom's, and I've made them so many times since I have the recipe memorized. I'm not much of a baker, so that's saying a lot!

If you're up for some major acne breakouts and instant weight gain, whip up a batch of your own! They only take about 10 minutes, which is why they're so dangerous! Here's how:

Melt 1 cup of butter. Add a tsp. of vanilla and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Stir until the sugar is mostly disolved.

To this, add about 3 cups of uncooked oats. I use Quaker Oats. Cook this mixture on low about 3 minutes. You may need to add more or less oats, just add enough to soak up almost all of the butter mixture.

While that cooks on low, spray a 9x9 glass pan with Pam. Add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to a new pan and turn on low to melt.

Press about 1/2 to 2/3 of the oats mixture into the bottom of the glass pan. Be sure to stir the chocolate too, so it doesn't burn.

When almost all the chips are melted, add 1/2 cup of peanut butter and melt into the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Then, pour this into the glass pan.

Sprinkle/crumble the remaining oat mixture on top of the chocolate. Then, refrigerate until firm.

That's all there is to it. While it firms up, I recommend stocking up on acne wash!

Store Menu Changes

I finally figured out how to change the layout of my online store menu this week! I have changed it so that it is now 4 rows across instead of 2. I have added so many new catagories since I started the site that 2 rows across meant a lot of scrolling to find the right catagory. So, what do you think? Is it easier and more pleasing to the eye?

Check out the changes here!

Blackberry, Crackberry

I leave for Market in less than a week, which means that Bailey is once again having trouble sleeping.

It happens every time I'm away over night. Bailey gets so anxious she has all sorts of sleeping trouble. Just the other night she was upset because she wouldn't be able to email me while I'm away. Because, I don't travel without my laptop, which is the only computer I have at home. My sister has even called me "Velma" on occassion.

I've found a solution to this problem, and if you read the title of this post you probably already guessed it! I am the proud new owner of a Blackberry. Besides making it possible to have email without toting along my cumbersome laptop, it will also allow me to post pictures and updates right from Quilt Market. Oh! The joy of it!! I even posted this entire entry from the comfort of my super cool, super comfy new couch. Ahhhhhh.......my life is complete.

Kid Kwip-Dead Deer

This past Sunday my mom, sister and I took the kids to a pumpkin patch. On the way there, we passed a large doe, sprawled on the side of the highway with it's tongue hanging out, clearly the victim of a hit and run. It prompted this conversation in the back of the car:

"Ooooooo! Gross! Did you see that dead deer?"

"Ooooooo! Gross! Yuck!"

"Wait........maybe it was just passed out?"

New This Week

Here is the quilting update for the week:

Paisley Party arrived Monday. What a beautiful line! There is a great beginner level quilt kit, which I've scheduled a class for in November. See it here!

I added a few new classes. Be sure to check them out if you're in the area.

My sister was nice enough to update the Quilt Samples on the website.

My sister also did my dishes. Oh yeah, she even added some of the new kits:

Warm Hands, Warm Hearts
Christmas Crossing
Sweet Sunshine
And More!

Recipe for Friendship was shipped Thursday. It should be in-store by next Thursday!

I finally got to use my long-arm Wednesday! Quilts are once again going out the door. Hooray!

2 weeks and counting until Quilt Market. Can't wait!

Where's a Flu Shot When You Need One?

It's that time of year again. I'm stuck in a time warp, still wishing we were boating on the weekend, when suddenly I'm stuck in bed with the stomach flu. Just when things were starting to settle down slightly, the shop is moved, the longarm is moved, quilt shows are over until next Spring, and suddenly I'm bed ridden.

I spent all of Sunday in bed, unless you count trips to the bathroom to, well......you know the rest. In the mean time, my kids took full advantage and terrorized the house all day. Where was Monte? Why, lying right next to me with the same problem, of course! Which could have been funny, except that it wasn't.

It was all we could do to crawl to the bedroom door every few hours and yell something like "Settle down!" "Go outside and play, NOW!" or "Who left the fridge open?!"

And that big, empty room that used to be filled with a mountain of quilt tops and a certain longarm machine? My kids have mistaken it for a wrestling/tag/basketball/dance arena.

The light bulbs in the dining room/deck/family room area aren't all mysteriously burnt out at once, either. The breaker's just tripped. "Not me" decided to investigate the former longarm power outlet in the floor with a screw driver.

Now, I'm stuck home today with "Not Me," who has the stomach flu. Just when I thought I might get to make sure my longarm still runs. But hey, who doesn't love scrubbing the carpet at 6am? By the way, race car beds are all kinds of fun, except when the driver doesn't make it all the way to the bathroom. Then they're just a great big germ factory that requires lots of disinfecting.

I think I'll find some time to make 5 appointments for flu shots - ASAP.

Kid Kwip-Combed Your Hair Lately?

For some reason, most of my kid kwips come from Kylee. Perhaps it's her matter-of-fact way of observing the world that only a 6-year old has. Here's another one:

Yesterday afternoon I stopped at Walmart to pick up a few things. Just as we were walking away from the register, Kylee offered this observation -

"Hey Mom, it looks like that girl never combs her hair."

She was referring to the cashier who had helped us. The funniest thing was that Kylee was right. At least she waited until we were leaving to voice her opinion!

New Fabric for Preorder-Bistro

I've uploaded new fabric this morning! Bistro is due in some time in October.

I'm working on adding Recipe for Friendship also, which is another line from Moda due in October.

Happy looking!

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad, 2 Days

It started yesterday morning. I woke up exhausted, and I'm not a morning person anyways. My car was still stuffed with everything we took to the quilt show, so the only free seats were the two up front. (I'm pretty sure I hold the world record for most stuff ever stuffed into a Durango)

I crowded all 3 kids into the front seat of my car, because I needed to unload it and didn't want to come back home after dropping the kids off to switch cars. The school is directly next to the quilt shop, and only 3 or 4 blocks from our house, which is why I figured I could get away with breaking about 15 driving safety laws.

We made it to the school ok, but somewhere in the process of 3 kids tumbling out of my front seat, one of them hit the automatic door locks. Now I'm locked out of my car with no phone and no keys. Thankfully, I'm wearing sweats, and not what my mom calls my "shortie-shorts." I proceed into the school to call her for a ride.

Amazingly, I actually locate the spare keys to my car pretty quickly and mom gives me a ride back to unlock it. I spend the better part of the morning inputting the weekend sales into the POS system and trying to make sense of my notebook scribbles while Will pulls Aiden around in the Tutto. My cash drawer is $600 out of balance, but at least I got all the sale in the system!

Somewhere around 11am, Will informs me that "one of those glass bottles" fell out of the fridge when he opened it. I proceed downstairs to find the "glass bottle" is actually a nearly new bottle of vanilla latte syrup, now in a puddle of sticky glass in front of the fridge. I do a terrible job wiping it up, leaving a sticky spot on the floor. Thank goodness I haven't painted the floor yet!

When I make it back upstairs, just as I'm trying to wrap things up, my computer locks up. After fighting it for another hour, I give up and head home. I decide to pin a quilt on the longarm while Aiden sleeps, but after pinning it on wrong twice I think maybe I should try again later.

Later, I run to Moscow for groceries. I stop at the bank to see about why my debit card has suddenly stopped working, and learn that it was tagged as showing fraudulent activity. I have to reorder a new card, and while I do that, Will manages to act like the brattiest child on planet Earth. I think I'll stick to the drive thru from now on.

His behavior continues through the grocery store. I think grocery stores need drive-thrus too.

Around 7pm, I head back to the shop to investigate my computer. After 1.5 hours on the phone with Dell, we decide my computer has a virus. I'm thankful that I'm able to make a backup of my POS files, but when the tech on the phone says he'll be happy to help me reinstall Windows as soon as I find the disc that came with the computer, I have a small coronary. "Just shoot me now," I think, at the thought of looking all over the new shop for that disc. Instead, I tell him I'll call back, and I head home to drink lots of wine.

This morning (Tuesday) I wake up to freezing temperatures outside. The battle of the computer lasts all day. I manage to find my Windows install disc, but still have to spend over 2 hours on the phone with Dell tech support to fix everything. The technician says he lives in Florida, which makes me jealous. I haven't had time to clean the furnace ducts in the church, and it was 32 degrees last night. I spend the day shivering and so cold my fingernails are blue. I think I'll add long-johns, an electric blanket, and a turbo-charged space heater to my shopping list.

Thanks to my mom and my friend Barb, the shop gets put back together today and actually looks pretty good. First on my to-do list for tomorrow is to cut 30 Moda U kits. That's after I get the stitches removed from my mouth and make another Home Depot run. I'm going to stock up on furnace vent filters and crank the heat!

Breaking and Entering

Labor Day weekend, my mom and I always hold a booth at the show. Sunday, after the show, we decided to go through Moscow on the way home. I needed price tag labels for my new printer system and was dying to try it out. Moscow adds another hour to the trip home, which put us back in Deary around 9 or 10pm. My mom and I never pass a Starbucks without stopping, so in addition to labels we picked up a drink on the way home. Therefore, I was quite ready for a bathroom break by the time we got back to Deary.

When it comes to keys, I am extremely scatter-brained. When I was growing up, we didn't lock anything. The house, the car, nothing, so there was never any need to keep track of keys. This means that as an adult, I am hopeless when it comes to key organization. Give me a key to anything, and I will lose it within an hour! Thanks to the extra copies of my quilt shop key made for me by my mom and a friend, I haven't locked myself out of the shop for quite awhile, but I used to lock myself out weekly. (Which my mom finds extra annoying)

So, back to Labor Day weekend. Saturday night, I had locked the laundry room door, which exits to the garage. This door has one of those doorknobs that can be locked on the outside but still turns on the inside without automatically unlocking. This has, on more than one occasion, proven not to be a good choice if you're not good with keys, like me.

Sunday morning, my mom, who has an annoying ability to be an hour early for everything, had already called and demanded to know why I wasn't at the shop yet, so I was in a rush. I even left without properly fixing my hair. That meant that I rushed out the door Sunday morning without realizing the door was locked. A bad idea, indeed, since my family was gone camping for the weekend.

It wasn't until I arrived home, doing a potty dance, that I realized I had locked myself out of the house. Any other day of the year, I would've had the house key on my car key ring. But not this day. This happened to be the one time that I had removed the key a couple days before so Bailey could borrow it. I could see it perfectly in my mind, laying there so neatly on the table by my bed, right where I left it when she gave it back. So, that left me, exhausted, doing the potty dance, locked out of my house, in the dark.

Yes, in the complete dark. Because even though I could get inside the garage, I still couldn't turn on the outside lights. In addition to being scatterbrained about keys, I'm scatter brained about almost everything else. That includes remembering to buy and replace the light bulbs that had burned out. So scatterbrained, that every single light (all 6 of them) outside our house have burned out before I can remember to replace even one of them.

Thankfully, I did manage to get inside. It involved the headlights of my car and making a staircase/ladder out of fire wood, but I did get in, and I did finally make it to the bathroom. The entire time I kept hoping that no one would see me, because thanks to my hurried morning, the a-line hair cut I'm currently growing out, and a lack of hair gel, I held an eerie resemblance to Charles Manson (minus the facial hair). And if my neighbors have reason to believe that Charles Manson is breaking and entering my house, I can only hope that they would call the cops.

Quilting Blossom

It's down to the final hours this week! I have 2 days to finish up projects to take to the St. Maries Quilt Show Sunday and Monday. With only one quilt left, it should be easy. But only a few blocks into that final quilt, I realized that my urge to customize was going to mean it would take a lot longer than I had hoped for. Finally, at 8pm last night, I was too tired to keep quilting, so I had to give up until this afternoon. Here is what is taking me so long:

And by the way, that late night party? Never happened. The computer shipped separately from everything else, so I'm still waiting. (not so patiently!)

Great, Big, Juicy Burger, Anyone?

Monte arrived home from work today and announced that he was hungry for a "great big, juicy burger." After some debate about whether or not we should order from the only restaurant in town, or wait until tomorrow night for "Taco Tuesday," we decided I would make burgers at home.
Monte ran to the store for buns, and I fired up the grill and carefully arranged the last 9 hamburger patties from our freezer once the grill was hot. Monte returned home to drop off the buns, then left again to go do some more work to the rental house. I then checked my email, finished pinning a quilt on the longarm, dumped the last basket of laundry on the bed to be folded, and then, just as I was about to sit down and blog, something out the window caught my eye.

"Where's all that smoke coming from?" I wondered to myself.

Then, it dawned on me. An unknown amount of time ago, I had placed 9 soon to be "great big, juicy burgers" on the grill. "Uh-Oh!"

I burst through the front door and onto the porch, to find the grill sprouting flames and spewing smoke clear across the yard. After turning off the burners and dousing it with a spray bottle full of water until it was cool enough to open the lid, here is what I found:

Monte will be back any minute, only to find that his "great, big, juicy burger" has morphed into a grilled cheese sandwich and dino-nuggets. (chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs). I'm sure I'm going to hear all about it. Sigh.
Tomorrow, we are definately eating out.

When the girls are away...........

the boys will play!

Paisley Party-Coming in October

If you love fun, bright fabrics, be sure to watch for the new line from Terry Atkinson, Paisley Party. It will be the store in October, and I've uploaded it for preorders right now. Enjoy!

Civil War Crossing Fabrics

I just uploaded all of the new line from Barbara Brackman, after I realized it has been shipped! I will have it in store with a week. Preview it here: Civil War Crossing
With plenty of time before the September Moda University meeting, hopefully I will have a sample quilt made for the block of the month program!

New Books and Patterns

Over the past week, I've fallen even farther behind on everything, especially with some help from everlasting mouth pain, scorching weekend temps, and a weekend long party at the lake. The thought of the upcoming quilt shows and impending shop move is enough to overload my mind! Thankfully, it's raining here today, for the first time in a long time, and it has put me in the quilting mood, which will hopefully make things easier.
With Fall fast approaching, there are so many patterns I'm hoping to try out. I managed to make a Crazy Jack wallhanging yesterday, which was so fast and easy, and makes an awesome wallhanging for October! Others I hope to try before Fall is over include Gourds, Stars, and Punkins, Pumpkins in a Row, and Pumpkin Soup.
Another new book worth taking a look at is Barabara Brackman's newest, Making History:Quilts & Fabric from 1890-1970. Especially if you are interested in quilting history, this book has excellent info and tons of pictures, along with directions for 9 reproduction projects.
Last, the bags and wearable projects craze continues. A couple new patterns that arrived this week, Little Charmers Skirt and Jumper, and Sweet Delight Tote, can be seen under Bags and Wearable Patterns

Finally, A Diet That Really Works!

Yep, that's right, I've finally found the secret to fast weight loss. Here it is:

1. Have your dentist pull your lower wisdom tooth, even though you developed a serious and painful case of dry socket from the last one.

2. Go home and await the arrival of symptoms, characterized by serious mouth pain and possible swealing. Soon you'll be unable to eat anything!

3. Sit back and watch as the pounds melt away, up to 1 lb/day!!!

That's all there is to it. It worked for me, and it can work for you too! 5 lbs in 5 days and still counting!

Please Vote for Batting!

I've just posted a new poll regarding batting. If you quilt, please tell me your favorite brand of batting. The poll is anonymous, but I would love to hear the reasons behind your choices so if you want, post a comment under this post, telling me why you like the batting you do.

Thanks!

The Benefits of Dental Surgery

I know what you're thinking. How could there possibly any benefits to having oral surgery, besides fixing the problem that requires surgery in the first place, right? Well, since I have to have just such a surgery next month, I have been thinking long and hard on it. Here is what I can come up with:

1. A 1 week liquid diet isn't so bad. I can't help but lose a few pounds, and what can be more fun than doing it while ingesting nothing but iced mochas?

2. One surgery equals no less than 3 trips to the surgeon. One for the actual surgery, and 2 follow ups. That equals 3 trips to Lewiston with no kids in the car, because not even I am crazy enough the take my kids to the periodontist. What's so big about 3 trips with no kids? Well, that means 6 blissful hours in the car without 2 movies players going simultaneously, without stopping at McDonalds, without having the child lock the windows, without the risk of a Spiderman Sandal hitting me in the back of the head, without the chaos of continual fighting, and without potty breaks. I might even make it home without any new messes in the car, such as the pb&j smeared into the back seat right now, or the smiley face on the window that only appears when it's foggy. I can even dare to drive all the way without the window lock on! Oh the thrill! What more can a mother ask for?

3. Surgery gives me a pity card to play with potential baby sitters. That should be good for at least a couple weeks or more!

So, that's all I can think of for now. At least there's some silver lining in an otherwise unpleasent experience, sort of.

Who Needs the Pattern Anyways?

Well, apparantly I do. I finished all of the flying geese for the Portugal quilt, so proud of myself for using a short cut method of making flying geese, only to discover that they are all the wrong size. Yep, that's right, every last one of them is 2 3/4" x 5", instead of 2.5" x 4.5".

How did that happen, you ask? Wouldn't I like to know the same thing. It might have something to do with the circumstances surrounding the last few weeks, including a broken sewing machine (since repaired) and about 10 trips back and forth between my house and the store with all the pieces stuffed in a bag, or thrown across the passenger seat of my car.

So, I'm going to spend the afternoon attempting to make a respectable quilt from the mess I've currently got going. Wish me luck!

Happy Monday........or not.

Hopefully you're having a happier Monday than I am. I spent the morning getting a wisdom tooth pulled, so I thought I would post before the numbing meds wear off and I have to resort to the happy pills.
First, I feel the need to brag, because yesterday I figured out how to stay up on the wake board for longer than 5 seconds. Current record: About 1 minute. Now I need to practice turning left, since I keep getting stuck on the right and can't get back.
This past weekend was the Crazy 8 Poker Shop Hop, which went well. This coming week is the online "back-to-school" sale for quiltshops.com. A lot of things in my store have been marked down for the sale, which is online only.
We hope to start hanging Sheetrock sometime this coming week, but nothing's for sure. Sept. 1st is coming up fast, which marks the day we get to start fixing up the church building that will soon house my quilt shop. We will be making a lot of cosmetic changes to the interior, hopefully moving quickly enough to be moved in by the end of September. My Mom came up with this new slogan for the shop: "We're Moving to a Better Place!"
Today I'm working on quilting a gi-mongous (translation: super huge 110x120) quilt. I hope to complete it, but it won't be easy! Also this week I will be:

Cleaning out the inside of the boat for next weekend, removing all pine needles, Doritos crumbs, and sand.
Attempting to set a new quilting record for number of quilts quilted so I can finish some of my own for the upcoming Labor Day quilt show in St. Maries.
Hoping, praying, and begging God not to give me dry socket again.
Thanking God for Hydro-Codone.
Making a run to Home Depot before my 10% coupon expires.
Mowing our yard, pending the sighting of any more snakes.
Trying to finish school shopping, without a certain whining 6-year-old in tow.

Happy Monday to everyone! Here's to a productive week.

How to Clean an Air Filter

Last night I finally remembered that I'd been meaning to check my car's air filter. My car has a reusable filter. Here's how it went:

Me: (in the garage, opening the hood, removing the clasps that enclose the air filter, reading the LARGE, EASILY SEEN sticker on top of the enclosure that clearly explains how to clean the filter.)

Monte: (previously minding his own business at an unknown location, suddenly appears over my shoulder) "What are you doing??"

Me: "Checking the air filter."

Monte: "I told you, I just cleaned it when you went to Portland."

Me: (Thinking that Portland was almost 6 months ago) "Yeah, but I'm getting bad gas mileage."

Monte: (annoyed) "Mindi, I just changed it! You're going to need a nut driver to get that......" (As I remove the cover, easily, WITHOUT a nut driver, and remove a VERY filthy, black filter.)

Monte: "Oh......., that is dirty......"

Me: "Where's the cleaner?"

Monte: "What? You don't need cleaner, just use soap and water."

Me: "It says right here (on the EASILY SEEN sticker) to use K&N cleaner."

Monte: "Just use dish soap and water."

Me: (annoyed) "It says to only use filter cleaner, right here, see???"

Monte: (walks over to the shelf, removes a box) "Soap and water works the same, then you have to re-oil.....Oh, here's some cleaner right here."

Me: "See?"

Monte: (Exits garage, finally leaving me to clean my filter in peace)

Moda University Civil War Quilt

I've been number crunching all morning, trying to figure out how to make the new Moda University project as affordable as possible. Here's what I'm coming up with so far:

Monthly cost for 12 months will be $10.00/month.

This will include patterns and fabrics for that month's featured block, an alternate nine-patch block each month, and setting triangles and borders to finish the quilt to 76x89. Month 12 will include finishing instructions.

I would suggest purchasing binding and backing at the beginning of the year, you make sure the yardage is still available. Also, this quilt would look great with another border, so if you would like yours larger you should plan ahead for that as well.

I would love to have as many people as possible making this quilt. It's a great opportunity to incorporate something a little different that most projects today into your quilting repertoires! History lessons, reproduction fabrics, and a variety of skills to practice your piecing.

For each completed Moda-U quilt, you will receive an entry into a drawing. One Moda U member will win Barbara Brackman's newest book, Making History: Quilts and Fabrics from 1890-1970!

This program starts at September's meeting. I will asking for everyone to sign up prior to September 15th in order to allow time to prepare kits to be handed out at the September meeting.

Weekly Update & What I Learned at the Beach

Here it is, the post you've all been waiting for, the one where I resort to giving a report of all the boring things I've been up to lately, because I can't think of anything exciting to write about. Here goes, pop a "No-Doz" and read on!

I recently finished installing the zipper into my Cabo Halter, only to realize that despite measuring before choosing my (supposed) size from the pattern, it doesn't fit! The experience was so demoralizing that I have yet to finish hemming the shirt. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure if I give it to my sister, me being the loving, caring, generous person that I am, even if I do hate her a little for being skinnier, it will fit her. The worst part is that it's super cute, because I used this Kaffe Fassett fabric. By the time I manage to find motivation to make another, slightly larger, halter, Summer will likely be over.

This coming weekend is the Crazy 8 Poker Shop Hop. It promises to be seriously confusing, since I don't play poker. Hopefully quilters are having more luck getting motivated for this hop than I am!

My Bernina is back in new condition again after a trip to the Bernina doctor. I didn't even get a lecture about proper machine care! Now if I could only find my 1/4" foot, I might actually get something made! (besides one slightly too small shirt)

The kids and I made another trip to the beach yesterday, which was crowded since the temperature hovered around the 100 degree mark. Here is a recap of our beach experience:

Those really annoying kids who keep throwing sand on your things and splashing you? Sometimes they're mine.

Creepy old man at the picnic table, there is no possible way you have a good explanation for using those binoculars at the beach.

Why is the one person smoking on the beach always upwind?

Some people just aren't smart enough to figure out a crowded beach IS NOT a prime fishing locale.

A monokini, while helpful for camouflaging some body flaws, is NOT meant to transform 100 extra pounds. (My eyes, ahhhhhhhh, my eyes!)

Smooching teens is one thing, but if you're 40ish years old surely you can find a better place to make out than the beach full of young children. If you don't own a house, don't you at least have a car?

I mentioned in an earlier post that the beach is free, but maybe now I know why?

Deary Day Highlights

This past Saturday was Deary's Community Day, and being the unimaginative business owner that I am, I didn't prepare a parade float. Our friends that just took over the local saw shop did, however, and it featured a group of kids, including my own. That bug eyed creature in the middle? That would be my son. It seems that for the promise of his very own Stihl chain saw, complete with sound effects, he will do (or wear) anything!
Later that afternoon, the town held a "burn off" contest, right up the highway through town, of course right in front of the bar. It was a classic hillbilly, small town scene, with everything from show cars to mini-vans squealing their tires up the street. I must admit, I totally don't get it. As an observer, once you've seen one you've seen them all, and who wants to breath exhaust fumes and burning rubber that long anyways? As a driver, who wants to use up half the life or more of your tires in a few minutes. Have you seen the price of tires lately? I almost never like "silly" things, and this looks like the very definition of "silly" to me. I know, I'm a spoil sport and a party pooper, but nothing about this looks fun to me.

Will asked me,"Mom, what are they doing?"

"They're spinning their tires," I replied.

"Can we go home, now?" was his response to that, and I have to say, I think a tear of pride rolled down my cheek as we headed home.

Preview Moda Fabric

Here is a link where you can preview many of Moda's new lines, not yet released to stores.

Moda Fabric Previews

By clicking on the circles under the fabrics, you can view actual swatches of every line. These are the same pages I often use to order from, so coloring is very true! If you're interested in Moda University, be sure to check out the new Civil War Crossing line that will be featured in the new block of the month.

Kid Kwip 3

Kylee: "Mom, are you on a diet?"

Me: "No."

Kylee: (pause) "Then why do you drink Diet Coke?"

Can I Get a Volunteer?

Wanted: One babysitter for the upcoming weekend.

My grandma's usually up for a weekend of torture, but she happens to be busy. And I'm pretty sure if I ask my mom I'll get the death stare. You know? The same one she uses when her iced mocha isn't just right.

Anybody? Come on, I really need to learn to wakeboard with no whining children in tow. Getting up on it? Sure, no problem. Staying up? Well.....that's another story.

So, can I get a volunteer?.......Anyone?..............Cowards!

Me on My Space

My Space has been around for, well, I don't really know how long. I do know that it's been a long time. But, until last week, I had resisted. "How silly," I thought, "Who has time for that?" I even told my sister she was silly to participate.
I'm not ready to go so far as to admit I was wrong, just yet, but I will admit that I might be warming to the idea.
Yep, I did it. I opened my own myspace page last week. I couldn't stalk and spy on anyone without "logging in," and what can I say, I had a weak moment. So far, it's been sorta fun, much to my own chagrin. Wanna see my page? Click Here! Even better, wanna be my friend? Because right now I only have 10 and I'm not looking so popular.
I even went so far as to put an actual picture of myself up! Whoa, that doesn't happen, ever. As a general rule, I hate all pictures of myself and avoid them at any cost. However, I'm attempting to conquer the fear of my face in photo format, and I'm avoiding using pics of my kids, which is a cop-out since they're always cute. Those kinds of pages are so annoying.
So, if you're on myspace, send me a message. Can you believe I haven't found a quilting themed template yet?

New Kits as Promised

Here are some of the new projects and kits we have been working on at the shop recently. The first is Through the Woods, a pattern originally pictured using bright holiday prints. Instead, we used rich prints from Kansas Troubles and Holly Taylor, on a light marble background. The result is a beautiful quilt! It is also large, at 72x80. The kits will be up soon, priced at $94.95 for top and binding.
Although this project is not pictured on the Seasonal Celebrations cover, it is included. We used the new Buggy Barn fabrics.

This last quilt is made using the new Tracks Along the Trail flannel. The pattern is Side Lights,and it will also be available as a kit soon(by the end of today). I know these are horrible pics, keep in mind these are not quilted yet!

What Happened to the Quilting?

So I haven't written anything about quilting lately. Doesn't mean I'm not quilting, though! I quilt over 2 hours 6 days/week, so it's always there in the background of my life. This week, just as I was starting to catch a glimpse of the carpet under my machine, I was once again inundated with quilts. When I asked one customer when they would like their quilt back, the reply was "Not for about 2 weeks," as if that's a long time! Yikes, try 2 months! Once again, my carpet has disappeared.
This weekend is Deary Days, which brings the yearly town parade. It's one of those typical small-town fiascoes, with the same people and the same floats you can see in any parade within 50 miles, for the past 10 years or so. Although I haven't come up with a float, and have decided preparing to move the store next month is stressful enough, my husband is full of ideas. His latest? Borrow a friend's Volkswagen Van, hitch the "ghetto wagon" to it, (that's his trailer made from an old pickup box and covered with diamond plate), and hang quilts all over it. I think it's safe to say that, yes, folks, there is such a thing as bad publicity.
I have some great new kits in the shop that we've been preparing. I will hopefully upload them to the site by the end of the week. One of them features the new Tracks Along the Trail and is really great!
This Thursday is the monthly Moda University meeting. This month we are holding a Summer barbecue, along with a quilter's strip poker party. (Fabric strips, people, get your minds out of the gutter!) Should be lots of fun, as we had one for Christmas last year that was a blast! Happy quilting until tomorrow, everyone! Time for me to break up a fight about t-ball shirts......

Sign of the (Flying) Times

Lately, I've been noticing some signs that time is moving faster than it seems. For instance, just the other day I found myself searching a box of Tylenol for dosing instructions for children 2 and under. The only problem, I don't have any children 2 and under!

Then, I was laying with Will at bedtime, when he asked if I would sleep with him all night. I quickly replied, "No, I'm just staying a few minutes, because I want to sleep in my own bed." Then it occurred to me what a momentus occassion this was! It wasn't too long ago I would have said, "Yes, honey, I'll sleep with you," while simultaneously hanging one foot off the bed and planning the quickest, quietest escape path. Since when do my kids answer a calm "OK" when I admit I have no intention of sleeping with them all night????

Then, yesterday, I overheard Kylee and Will giggling about some "gummy bear song." They were laughing and carrying on, so I had to ask what it was all about.

"The gummy bear song, on the computer Mom," says Kylee.
"The What?" I ask.
"You know, on youtube, you just put in "gummy bear" where you type things and the gummy bear song comes up," says Kylee.

Hold on now, since when does my 6 year old know more about youtube than I do??? I didn't even know she could spell gummy bear. This sent me running to the computer to see just what my kids have been up to. Thankfully, the "gummy bear song" turned out to be G-rated, OK, maybe PG if you count the booty shaking. Here it is, and for some reason it is kind of amusing:

Gummy Bear Dance

My How the Time Flies

This evening Kylee and I spent some time digging through the "too small clothes." The "too small clothes" are a group of Rubbermaid totes filled with clothes Bailey has outgrown. I have always saved them to pass down to Kylee. It has been a very long time since we've gone through them, and I'm happy to say I don't need to buy Kylee anything for school this Fall!
Digging through those clothes is like digging through memories. So many of those clothes make me recall specific days, or just how Bailey looked before she got nearly as tall as me, with bigger feet. The jean skirt I can still remember her wearing the first week of second grade, the dress she wore in class pictures, so many memories! It has me feeling a bit nostalgic. But.......some memories are better left in the past.
Why, oh why, didn't I get rid of that coat? I guess because it's in brand new shape and I hate to waste things. The coat is extra big, super duper puffy, and bright yellow. Not a nice yellow, but raincoat yellow. It's the one time I ever asked Monte to buy clothes for the kids by himself. The cold weather was upon us, Bailey needed a Winter coat, and I was home sick with the stomach flu. The result is this monstrosity of a coat that only a father could love.
Who buys such a coat for a girl, anyways? My husband, I guess. I didn't say anything, didn't return it to the store, because then, how could I ever ask him to pick up anything for me again? And now, since I'm too frugal to toss it, I get to re-live it all over again this year. Probably, since it looks like a boy coat anyways, I'll end up saving it for Will to wear, and I'll get to savour it for another year soon. Then, just to be sure I spread the joy as far as possible, I'll pass it on to my nephew for my sister to cherish. At least, for one year, we'll be able to spot our kids in the crowd!

Book Reviews & Shopping for a Good Read

I think I broke my sewing machine. Remember that class I took in Walla Walla in June? Well......if sewing machines were kids, mine would be in foster care right now. I forgot my machine was in the trunk, unpackaged with no suit cases to wedge it in place, and it allegedly tipped over when I hit the gas. Whoops......yeah, I'm a horrible sewing machine parent.

What's that have to do with book shopping? Well, my upright thread holder is broken, (at least I hope that's all it is) I can't sew, and I'm at the shop all day with no back up sewing machine. I'm not in the mood to finish cutting mystery blocks yet, so I've been browsing books on Amazon, looking for my next good read.

The last book I read (not counting re-reading From a Buick 8, which was just as good the second time) was The Pillars of the Earth. This was also an excellent book, with many underlying, thought provoking themes.

Before that, my most recent read was The Ruins. I love a good scary story, and this was one for sure! I bought it at the Charlotte, NC airport on the way home from Jamaica, and it saved me from unconsciousness on the ride home. Having something to focus on really helped with my air sickness. (Monte bought a Yacht magazine - the man loves to dream!) The book was so good, I don't want to "ruin" it by watching the movie.

Today, I'm in the mood for a self-help/informative book of the business variety. I know my warm, kind-hearted, enchanting and attractive personality can only take me so far in business. (Why are you laughing?) I'm hoping to find something worthwhile to my business, because it can never be good enough!

Since I'm also in the mood to be more frugal, I'm making a list for the library. Normally, I'd order the books, but I just blew my book fund of a wakeboard. (Totally worth it, by the way) Here's what I have so far:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
Good to Great by Jim Collins.
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't work.... by Michael E. Gerber.

If I manage to read all of those, maybe I'll actually learn something useful!

New Weekly Special

I started a new weekly special this week. Watch the home page, The Crazy Quilter for a new special every Thursday. Hopefully I will stay more faithful with this than I have in the past! This week's special is Valentine's fabrics.

Sweet Sunshine Complete

As promised, here is the final pic of Sweet Sunshine. I used layer cakes from Hemming House.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Today is my "Monday" at the shop. (I know, I'm a slacker) I guess everyone waited until they saw my car in the parking lot, because I'm been slammed all day!

I called to check on an order this morning and found out that they didn't receive my order from Spring Market? Oh no, not this again. Well, that explains why I haven't received it yet!

This morning, my Moda rep, Bonnie, was here. Always fun to look at the new fabrics that are coming out! I ordered a line for December, plus a few patterns.

As soon as Bonnie got here, and ever since, there has been a stream of people in and out. Shoppers, latte drinkers, people picking up quilts, etc.! In the middle of it all, my new wakeboard got here! It's pretty awesome, can't wait to try it! Plus, bonus - it has a weight limit of 170 pounds. How's that for motivation to eat right?

I managed to quilt my layer cake project yesterday. Yes, I actually quilted something of my own! I'll post a picture soon.

Yesterday, I spent the morning at the dentist, which always puts me in a bad mood. More on that soon!

Tuesday I found out I need to polish up my drywall skills. (Uh oh, what dry wall skills?) Looks like we'll be doing a little more work to the rental than we thought!

Saturday I squeezed myself into a dress to attend my grandparents' anniversary party. I've been told there are pictures out there somewhere, but I'm not sure I want to see them......I may never wear a dress again.

My shop day's almost over today, but tomorrow I get to do it all over again. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Ride the Waves!

I ordered a new toy yesterday. No, it's not a sewing machine, or a new quilting gadget. It's a wakeboard!
I've been wanting to try wakeboarding ever since we got our first boat 3 years ago. Now, I'm finally going to get my chance. Just to be sure I can get as many weekends of practice in as possible, I even paid extra for expedited shipping. Plus, it has flowers on it, to keep Monte from showing me up!

Hopefully, my one calling in sports will be water sports, because, trust me, land sports aren't it. At 6th grade basketball camp, I took a basketball to the gut and passed out. In junior high volleyball, I couldn't even serve it over the net. By highschool, I'd given up and taken up cheerleading instead. Still, I wasn't exactly at the top of the pyramid. Now, I'm on a mission to prove I do have at least an inkling of capability in watersports.
By this time Sunday, I will either be riding the waves like a pro, or unable to walk upright. Should be fun!

Snow Wonderland Up and Running

I've finished uploading Snow Wonderland to the website! I got the invoice in the mail yesterday, so I'm counting on them actually shipping it this time. Enjoy, the "Cabin Fever" book has some great projects using this fabric!

There's a New Diva in Town

Look out, world. Here comes Kylee. She's my middle child, so she has the biggest personality. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see her doing her best model strut as we exited the mall after her hair cut! Where's the video camera when you need it?

Monday Mania and Happenings

It's Monday! My favorite day of the week, usually, because I get to sleep in and stay home. Today, especially, that was a blessing because we spent a long, long day at the lake yesterday. I was talked into riding the tube with my sister, plus water skiing, which means today I am feeling every muscle (or lack there of) in my body. Still, I've managed to finish a quilt and mow the yard. Now on to grocery shopping, which really hurts the pocket book these days!

This week, that Snow Wonderland fabric had better show up! The Basket BOM's are all ready for pick-up, and I'll also be sending out Moda University barbeque invitations, hopefully finishing them tonight.

I'll be posting renovation updates later today. It is going slow but steady. Luckily, I'm a pretty laid back person, so I've decided to just get the job done and let the money fall where it may. It usually all works itself out anyways, no use worrying about it now!

Kylee has managed to get gum in her hair. So much so, in fact, that 3 tablespoons of peanut butter and shampoo won't remove it! I think it's time for her first major hair cut. Yes, I said first. She may be 6, but after Bailey "trimmed" her own hair with pinking shears when she was 4 or 5, Kylee was my last hope for the long, flowing, luxurious, non-frizzy tresses that I'll never have. Time to let go of a dream!

Any ideas for a parade float? Deary Days is the first weekend in August, and I've got nothing. I can't be the only business in town without a float, so throw me your ideas, please! Otherwise, I'll have to resort to a really lame float, with a few quilts and my kids throwing candy.

Bathing Beauties

I took some time from quilting this past Monday to take the kids to the beach. It's free, and they had a lot more fun than the pool anyways. Here are some pics of my bathing beauties!

Pleasantly Surprised

Backorder is usually the kiss of death when it comes to fabric ordering. The actual translation of backorder is:

"Don't count on getting this fabric, ever. If you do get this fabric, it will be waaaaay waaaaaay after you sold the entire rest of anything that coordinates with it, and you'll only actually get it because you forgot you ordered it and didn't cancel it. Then, you'll have to sell it for less than you paid for it, because by then it's really, really old and every other store that still has it is selling it at a discount too."

Today, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my coordinating panels for Tracks Along the Trail beat the odds and actually showed up!

Well, well, miracles do happen!

Loose Ends Make Me Crazy(er)

I'm having a hard time maintaining a good attitude this week, due to feeling overwhelmed in several areas that are making me crazy, in turn making it hard to concentrate and get anything done!

The "Quilt Shop on a Budget" project is getting worse before it gets better. The bathroom is completely destroyed right now, the electrical bid is down right scary, and my poor husband is working himself to death on it every night.

I got swamped this week with quilts from people who didn't realize August is in two weeks. You want that done---WHEN?????!!!!!

The boat is still in the shop. I called Tuesday to check on it and the repairman very nonchalantly told me they hadn't received the prop back yet and wouldn't do the rest until it arrived. "Will it be done by the weekend?" I asked. He gave a noncommittal answer. I wanted to scream into the phone, "Do you realize it's already Tuesday, we already missed one weekend on the lake, and if we miss another and have to stay home and work on the rental house all weekend we'll probably kill each other??!!" Instead, I very politely told him that I'd "wait to hear."

The Snow Wonderland fabric I requested over a month ago is still MIA. I called on it Tuesday, too. The woman said "Oh yes, I've got that all packaged up for you, but it says you don't want it until August."
"What?! I requested it to ship immediately over a month ago!"
"I'm sorry, do you know who you talked to?" was her response.
I wanted to scream into the phone, "You, I talked to YOU! Are you stupid? I've been patiently waiting all this time while my fabric sits in your warehouse because you didn't listen the first time I called????!!!!" Instead, I politely but firmly told her I want that fabric ASAP!

I've spent the last 2 weeks of Tuesday and Thursday evenings watching my youngest 2 kids "play t-ball." Let's be clear, when I say "play t-ball," I mean play around, fill your glove with dirt, throw it in the air, stand motionless and watch as the entire crowd screams at you to "throw to first" while the ball rolls between your legs, run from home to third after batting, then get in the car to go home and fight with your siblings the entire way because you're exhausted. Phew, only 2 games left!

This Saturday is my grandparents' family reunion/anniversary party. I love my grandparents, but I generally avoid parties. I'm really bad at being social, just ask Monte who's the exact opposite. Plus, that pile of quilts will be whispering in my ear all day, "finish me, finish me, finish me...."

I keep telling myself this feeling of being overwhelmed will pass. But when? I'm ready for a change, quick!

Fall Brings Higher Prices

I just found out today that Moda fabric prices will go up, beginning in November 2008. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but prices for Moda fabrics will probably be $8.99 in my store, and likely more than that in many other places. I knew it was probably coming, but it makes me sad to have to raise prices.
Jelly rolls, layer cakes, and charm packs will also be going up. Jelly rolls and layer cakes shipped Nov. and later will sell for $35.00.
On a happy note, the Bistro and Civil War prints will remain at $8.75/yd because they are releasing in September!

My Older Sister

Did you know I have an older sister? Neither did I, until now!

If you read my blog often, you already know that possibly my least favorite question in the world is "How Old Are You?" Well, now I have some company, because I'm pretty sure it's now my sister's least favorite question too!

Last night we were both at a house warming party. My sister recently moved back into the area, so a lot of people don't know her yet, and most of them didn't know I have a sister. It seems that the question du jour last night was "How old are you?"

To be more specific, "So you're Mindi's older sister?"

My sister happens to be 3 years younger than I am. Ha, Ha, Ha. Need I say more?

Hey sis, I'll give you my baby face, but you have to take The Hair with it!

Moda U Fall 2008

Last month, at the Moda U meeting, I was disorganized (I know, what's new, right?) and didn't have all the info on the new project for Moda U. In an effort to redeem myself, here is what I have so far.

Beginning in September, Moda University will feature an article each month written by Barbara Brackman. The article will describe a featured block and its signifigance to the Civil War. We get to learn our history with our quilting! At the end of a year, the featured blocks will be combined into a block of the month quilt. Tentative pricing on the block of the month will be between $8 and $10 per month, depending on final costs of the finishing kit which I will figure out before September's Moda U meeting.

The finished quilt will be about 76x89, but could easily be larger with an added border or two. Moda has sent out a picture of their sample quilt, which I have to say I HATE! It is ugly, for lack of a better description. I'm not sure why they chose the fabrics they did for their finishing, but it's a disaster. Here, see for yourself!

Sorry, Moda, but I hate, hate, hate your fabric choices.

Barbara Brackman has a brand new Civil War Reproduction line releasing in September, and I will have all 40 bolts in shop! My kits for the block of the month will include fabrics from Barbara's new line, and as soon as I have my sample ready I will post a picture of what I think this quilt should look like! I'm excited about the fluidity of the new project, with the historical quality, the coordinating newsletters, and the fabrics. With a few different fabrics (OK, with ALL different fabrics) this will be a stunning project as well as a chance to learn some of our quilting heritage.

I will be offering the block of the month program online as well. If you are interested, watch for more info here and on my website, The Crazy Quilter, as soon as the program is posted.