Where to Begin, What to Finish?

The cold weather seasons always make me want to do more quilting. Combine that with the holidays, and the new fabrics that continue to arrive, and the fact that I'm on break from school for a month, and I really want to quilt! Now that I've finished all the long-arm quilting for Christmas gifts, I might actually get to sit down at the sewing machine before midnight soon. In high hopes of this, I am adding my to do list back to the blog. Maybe this will help keep me accountable to actually finishing up some projects!

Christmas Specials

A few days ago I posted about a Christmas special, where if you commented on my post I would send you a coupon code. Well......shame on me for not checking this out first, but without a way to contact you through the Blogger site, I can't send anyone who comments a code! So, either give me a way to contact you in your comment, or send me an email to crazyforquilting1@yahoo.com so I can share the coupon special with you! That way I'll be sure to make good on my promise.

Groovy Girls Tomorrow!

The December Groovy Girls meeting is tomorrow, Saturday, at 10am! Come see proof that it's not too late to make great handmade gifts. This month's features are the Zippy Strippy Bag, some great bonus ideas to make your bags one of a kind, and a fantastically easy bottle cozy with built in gift pocket! (It's not just for wine, either!)
No fooling about it not being too late, I made this bag in less than an hour, and the bottle cozy in less than an hour too! Since Bailey's probably getting this bag for Christmas, I've already started on one of my own, using one of the bonus ideas for customized trim. Stop in Saturday to see how it turns out!

What Are You Looking Forward To?

With only one week of the semester left, and the Christmas season upon us, I find myself thinking about all of the things I am looking forward to doing in the next month. Of course, as with everything I do, my list of wants is far longer than what reality will probably allow. However, forever an optimist, I like to set my goals high and see what happens. With that in mind, here is part of the list of things I am looking forward to:

*Vacation days spent at home playing with my kids.
*Being more than a train passing in the night to my husband.
*Baking sugar cookies with the kids from my Grandma's fantastic recipe.
*Not buying a tank of gas every 3 days.
and, of course, *More time for sewing and quilting! (can you say home-made gifts?)

So, what are you looking forward to this season? Send me a comment with your favorite holiday "look forward to" and I'll comment back to you with a coupon code for 40% off your Christmas fabric and/or pattern purchase! Send your comment before December 15th!

New Stitchery/Quilt Patterns On the Way

I just ordered some great new patterns from Pumpkin Berries Stitchery. They are small applique wallhangings with just a touch of stitchery thrown in. I had to slap my hands not to order some of the super cute Fall/Halloween themed patterns and focus on the Winter ones for now. They will be up online as soon as they arrive!

Piece, Love, Applique Under Way!

The P,L,A Block of the month is underway! There are over 10 people participating, and I've run out of the right fabrics to kit up any more in similar color ways. (although I can see this quilt in other exciting colors, so don't worry if you are still wanting to join I can make you up a fantastic kit!)
You can view the pictures as they come into me on the shop's Facebook page. Just search for "The Crazy Quilter" on Facebook to find me!
I also promised to give tips, hints, help, etc. for those of you who are participating. Since you have received blocks 1 and 2 so far, and 3 is being sent next week, here is a tip to save you time:

Block 1: The pattern tells you to cut 2.5" squares and then sew them all together individually. Instead, try cutting one light strip 2.5" x WOF, and two strips from a dark fat quarter 2.5" wide. Then, sew the dark strips to the light strip and place the dark strips against each other but not overlapping when the first one runs out. Then, you can sub-cut this unit into 2.5" units, cutting around the middle where there is a break in your dark strip.
This strip piecing prevents you from having to sew a bunch of little squares one by one. You can use this technique throughout the quilt top whenever you make checker board units. It also saves time later, because you will have leftover strip sets to cut more 2.5" units from for other blocks!

You can use the tag at the end of this post to view the rest of the Piece, Love posts if you need to.

Happy Quilting!

To Market or Not to Market? That is the Question.

I'm having a horrible time deciding whether or not to go to Quilt Market. So horrible that I've put the decision off until now, and it's only a month away! I've got to get down to business, before the price of plane tickets sky rockets, and the only hotel rooms left have cockroaches! So....I've posted a little poll on the blog. Help me out! Would ya?

When Did I Become a Real Mom?

I've been a mother for over 13 years now, but I was never a real mom until just recently. Without me even trying, true motherhood just snuck right up on me.

It started back in August, as I was preparing the kids for school to start. Kylee and I had a conversation about getting ready for school in the morning. Kylee is not a morning person. In fact, she is just the opposite, as in don't even think about looking at her, talking to her, or asking her to do anything she might not want to do until at least 10 a.m. unless you like to be growled at. (And I do mean growled)
In an effort to save the rest of my household from unneccesary agony, I discussed laying out her clothes for the following day. "I'll lay out an outfit for you, and then when you get up you can just put it on," I told her.
She gave me "the look," but didn't really say much.
Two days later, the topic came up again. "Remember, I'm going to start laying clothes out for you the night before, right?" To which Kylee replied:
"Yeah.......But could you make it look like you didn't?"
"Huh?"
"Well, if you pick my clothes out, could you make it look like you didn't pick them out?"
Hmmmmmmm....
Then, fast forward to last week, when Bailey came home and shared that she was running for school Vice President. I, being a super-excited, proud mom, immediately began coming up with great campaign slogans. I was quickly informed that I was "embarrassing and un-cool, and under no circumstances was I allowed to tweet or blog my campaign ideas!"
Then: The final medal on my "Real Mom" chest. Shopping on Monday, I noticed that one of my favorite clothing stores is now selling their own leggings, which are very in style right now.
My exclamation of, "Look, Bailey, they have leggings!" elicited this response:

"Oh. My. God. Mom. You cannot buy leggings."

"Why?" I ask.

"Because, Mom. You can't wear leggings. That's just wrong."

Wow! Suddenly I was having flash backs of my mom's stirrup pants. Specifically, of how un-cool those stirrup pants were. But suddenly, it's me, and what are leggings if not stirrup pants without the stirrups?

Oh. My. God. I've turned into my mother! But I thought I was so much cooler than that....

Groovy Girls Club Update

I will begin offering a Brand-New club in October, organized by Terry Atkinson at Atkinson Designs, called "The Groovy Girls' Club." I'm super excited about it, the information and design of the first meeting is loads of fun and includes a great learning opportunity. The club will be offered the 2nd Saturday of each month, for 1-2 hours, it's up to you if you stay and sew or not. Benefits include free patterns, demonstrations, door prizes, and fun! If you're a Groovy Girl, join me for coffee and fun on Saturday, October 9th, at 10am!!

*Club runs for 6 months, beginning October 2010, on the 2nd Saturday of every month at 10am.
*Club fee is $10/month. This includes free patterns and gifts each month. You will receive MORE than enough in club benefits to pay for your fee. (In month 1, you'll receive a FREE zipper and 2 FREE bag patterns with multiple options for customization!)
*Members receive a special punch card. Fill your punch card to receive a free gift by completing a club project, bringing a friend, or making a $25 purchase. A full punch card can be exchanged for a free club gift. Punch cards are exclusive to club members, and there is no limit to how many cards a member can fill!
*Bring your sewing machine and supplies and sew for the day up until 3pm in you like! Work on the club project, or work on anything of your choice!

Hint!: For month 1, we'll be learning about how to use zippers in a fast and easy way to make customized "Cash & Carry" bags to carry everything from your glasses to your credit cards to your change!. The new zippers from Atkinson are fabulous! Here is a sample preview:

This bag is one of the options for your first free pattern. This version is the perfect size for reading glasses, and only takes about 1.5-2 hours to put together! There is a perfect zipper color available for any fabric choice!

If you're interested in becoming a "Groovy Girl," contact the shop during business hours. You can find hours and contact information at www.crazyforquiltng.com.

When I Grow Up

It seems I still haven't decided what to be when I grow up. Yes, believe it or not, I've returned to college for round 2. After the urge to finish an Education degree I dabbled with during my Business degree years hit me last month, I decided "Why not?" and enrolled for the Fall term. Now, I'm a Secondary Ed./Math major, with an even stronger addiction to Starbucks, fed by my 7:30am Calculus class.

Yes, I said 7:30am......4 days a week.

It has been a very long time since my last formal math class. I frequently leave that class with one of two attitudes:

(1) The misconception that I actually understand the day's lecture. This misconception is quickly cured as I attempt to complete the day's homework. (Notice the word "attempt")

(2) No misconception that I understand the day's lecture, just a combination of fear of the homework and the feeling my head might explode if I don't get more espresso soon.

Yes, I am fairly convinced that Calculus was invented by a bunch of expert mathematicians.......while they were drunk.......as a cruel joke to torture the rest of us.

I am still here, I am still quilting, and I promise to post about something quilt related soon. Just as soon as my head stops throbbing.

Origins-Fresh on the Shelf

Origins, the new line by Basic Grey for Moda, arrived today! Myself and my freight crew (Bailey and Kylee) got it unwrapped, tagged, and ready for sale. It is beautiful, and I can't wait to get my hands on it and whip up some samples!

New! Groovy Girls' Club!

Terry Atkinson has come up with a new club centered around quilting, learning, and fun. "The Groovy Girls' Club" will be offered through The Crazy Quilter beginning in September. I don't have all the details lined out yet, but here is what I CAN tell you for sure:

*Club Members will meet once a month for a fun lesson on a new technique. (The first month involves zippers) There will be free patterns and lessons relating to each month's pattern.
*The club day and time is yet to be determined. Membership and all benefits are available in store only. Sorry distance followers, this is a rule of the club and not my rule!
*Members will have exclusive dibs on these projects and lessons. They WILL NOT be offered outside of the meeting!
*Fun, easy, inexpensive kits will be available for members featuring the monthly projects.
*There will be a small monthly fee to cover the costs of copies, snacks, etc. While I haven't crunched any numbers yet, this will be quite affordable. I aim to keep it under $5/meeting.
*As of now, the club will run for 6 months. Should Atkinson Designs choose to extend it before then or run it for another 6 month period, I will let you know!

More details to follow!

Maggie May Bag

Over the weekend, in between the shop hop customers, this bag pattern (The Maggie May Bag)kept tugging at me from the pattern wall. So, I grabbed some fabric and took it home with me on Saturday. A few days later, and only 2 or 3 hours of sewing time, here is what I have! This was possibly the easiest bag I've ever made, and I'm not saying that lightly. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it went together and how easy to cut out the pieces it was. The pattern utilizes 1.5" strips from a honey bun, and 1 honey bun could make 3 bags. Add a fun button, and you've got a great hand bag!

White Flag Waving

I'm waving my white flag for the night. It's the last few days before the Crazy 8 Shop Hop, and I've been putting in some late nights of quilting and piecing in a last ditch effort to finish as many new displays and prepare as many things as possible for the hop this weekend. My last big project? Finishing up the quilt sample for Holly Lane, which shoulda, woulda, coulda been done last month had the fabric arrived on time. As it stands tonight, I am a few borders short, which brings the promise of another late night tomorrow.


So for now, I am waving my white flag and yelling "Uncle" at the top of my lungs.

Well, at least I would be, if I had the energy. I.....need......sleep.

But first, I am going to finish drinking this: (Don't mind the mess in the background. I waved my white flag at housework last week)

Next, I'm going to eat this:



And I'm going to attempt to be somewhat coherant when C gets home from work, around 3am.

However, if he's lucky, I'll fall into a deep sugar coma before I go back for seconds, and there might be a brownie left for him (if the girls don't find them first!)

New Monthly Program Updates

Today I finally made it far enough on my to-do list to add a new monthly program I've been wanting to start. These new patterns were designed by The Wooden Bear, and now that I've added them to my website, you can view them under Monthly Kits.
I debated about waiting until I had some samples made and everything in order, but who am I kidding? If I do that I might as well pencil it in for 2044 or so. Instead, I'm offering it right away with a promise to myself that I'm going to have to get it in gear and make some samples soon.
Here are the basics:

Once monthly for 1 year, you'll get a pattern and buttons to make one quilt. These quilts hang on a scroll stand, so with the monthly program you'll also get a stand. The price of the monthly kits ($13.75/month) includes shipping and one stand as well as patterns and trims/buttons. You can also get each kit separately, if you prefer not to do 12 months, or if you need an extra. The quilts finish to 12x12, so they are a perfect way to use up scraps and stash fabrics, making them very affordable! A very fun addition to a table, desk, shelf, or dresser in any home.

Busy, Busy, Busy

This month it seems like I am really good at starting things and not any good at finishing them! Just ask my husband, who's having a hard time dealing with my home improvement projects and the mess I leave in my wake. (What do you mean you didn't see my official title, "Home Improvement Diva," on the marriage license??) Who knew he liked having a shower in the bathroom, a ceiling in the dining room, or carpet on the floor?? They'll all get finished....eventually.

Our house has revolved around a certain car for the past month or so, which I hope to share about soon here. Suffice it to say I have been officially inducted into the world of muscle cars and 100+mph, and I am slightly addicted.

There has been so much going on between home and the quilt shop I have found it hard to focus on writing even one post. There are just too many things to choose from. Here are a few things happening of late:

Preparations for the 3rd Annual "Crazy 8 Shop Hop" are in their final stages. Well, OK, maybe not exactly in their final stages. Well.....OK......maybe I haven't really started yet. I promise, it will be wonderful, even if I don't get any sleep the week before. The hop happens August 6, 7, and 8th, and involves a figure 8 shaped map full of fun quilt shops to visit in Northern Idaho/Eastern Washington. Want details? I'd promise to post them soon, but I might be lying about the "soon" part, so if you really need the goods than give me a call or email.

The "Origins" pre-cuts arrived today. You might remember this Moda line from an earlier post on this blog. It is Gorgeous!!! The line is due to arrive in August.

Deary Community Days will coincide with the Crazy 8 Hop this year. This might make traffic a little difficult on Saturday morning, with the parade lining up in my back yard. I will be placing red balloons around town to mark alternate routes around the parade for hoppers. The local quilt group, "Country Pine PieceMakers," will have their Annual Quilt Show that day as well, so stop in if you're making the hop. Their quilts have kept me quite busy and admittedly a little stressed out as I attempt to beat the Olympic record for number of quilts quilted (and quilted well) in one month. I already hold this record from March 2010, but I'm nothing if not ambitious!

I have begun to add photos and some info to a Facebook page for the shop. You can find it by searching "The Crazy Quilter". I am also adding custom quilting photos when I get time. Watch for this album to fill up fast!

My dad (who surprisingly never fails to answer his phone, even when he knows it's me), along with my bro-in-law and my oldest sons, helped me move my quilting machine about a month ago. (OK, so maybe they moved it and I "directed.") This was no small feat, as it doesn't come apart in the center and weighs close to a million pounds! It now resides in my living room, which is where it will stay unless it falls through the floor to the basement. As a result, the quilt shop has tons more room (everyone keeps commenting that it looks empty, but I promise I actually have equal or a little more inventory than usual). I also now have a great place upstairs for sewing. You can bring your machine and latest projects in anytime I am open and enjoy sewing with me. I have been getting many projects finished just by sewing for an hour or two here each day.

New items continue to arrive almost daily, and there are sure to be a lot of new projects to see in the shop. Since I won't find time to post them all here, be sure to check out the "New Additions" category at www.crazyforquilting.com, where new items will appear first.

New Fabric!

A new line arrived this week that I had ordered at Spring Market. It is called Olde World Style from Maywood Studios. C talked me into it at Market, and despite myself I am sure glad he did because it is gorgeous! There are a few patterns I purchased specifically because they feature this fabric line, so watch for more to come as I work on getting samples made. For now, you can see the fabric online or in the store!

Claire Cami Dress

Last Saturday, kind of last minute, I decided I would cut some fabric for a new dress pattern I picked up at Market. (The Claire Cami Dress)The designer that sold it to me swore it was easy, but you know how that goes, right? We've all heard that one! Except, this time it was true, and by Monday evening after only a few hours of sewing, I had a new dress that is super cute!
Here's a picture of my reluctant model, Bailey, because it's hard to take a picture of yourself wearing a dress, and she's probably cuter in it than I am anyways!

Now I want to make one in all sorts of interesting fabric combinations!

More Hats!

I LOVE this Hat!

Yesterday, sort of on a whim, I decided I would whip up a hat for Bailey for her birthday. (which was yesterday) This hat is from Whimsical's new book, "Tangled Up in Thread. I knew the hat was cute, I'd seen them at Quilt Market. What I didn't know was how easy, and how addictive, they were going to be! Here's the run down on the hat:

2 hours = 1 hat
<$10 of materials = 1 hat
2 fat quarters, 1/8yd. trim and 1/4yd. interfacing = 1 hat
1 hat made = orders for at least 3 more!

Even if you made nothing else from the book, the hat is more than worth purchasing the book for! I am making 2 more today for my other two girls, and maybe tomorrow I'll finally get one for myself. It is great fun to embellish them with different flowers and buttons, and this Fall I'll probably make us all a winter hat from the Woolie Flannels!

Newly Completed Samples

Finally,a picture of the Piece, Love, Applique quilt!

Also, my mom finished this quilt this week, and it is BEAUTIFUL! The quilt is Blessings Baskets and we have kits available.


I also finished up this sample today. It is from the book Dolly Days that I brought back from Market. The book is loaded with girly quilts and cute doll clothes. This project is so fast and easy, and made to fit right on this wire table top stand.

Now, I'm on to making something wonderful from One Bizillion B.C.. Will was eye balling these fabrics this morning, so maybe I'll earmark it for him!

New Books Featuring Embroidery and Quilts

The book I ordered from an Australian designer at Quilt Market finally arrived today! Along with a couple patterns from the same company, this book, A Boy's Story, has become my motivation to start doing more hand work!
The book is full of fantastic boy quilts, for boys of all ages. There are some quilts with minimal or no embroidery, but the one that stole my heart has equal piecing and embroidery work. The embroidery sections are stunning in their creativity, and capture the essence of little boys perfectly.
And then there's the embroidered door signs, with sayings like "Toxic Waste Dump," and "Pretending to Study," they are to die for!
I will definately be starting a quilt from this book soon. I am also offering a beginning embroidery class for anyone interested in making their own projects like this. Trust me, if I can do this hand work, anyone can!
If you're already into hand work like this, check out their 12 Days of Christmas advent calendar pattern!

Stressed Out, Over-Worked Tooth Fairy

Will lost his first 2 teeth recently. One a little more than a month ago, and the second just this past week. Imagine his excitement when his sister informed him he would actually get paid for losing teeth! After a harrowing ordeal with the first one, when it actually became unexpectedly lodged in his gums after he bit down on his fork at dinner, he was truly excited that there was an upside to that pain.

Now, imagine his dissappointment when he awoke to find he was still in possession of said tooth, and none the richer for it. It seems our part of the world is serviced by either a lazy or an overworked tooth fairy.

I did give our tooth fairy the benefit of the doubt here. I was careful to explain to Will that maybe there was a rash of kids losing teeth recently, and the tooth fairy got backed up and couldn't make it all around in one night. Maybe she hadn't budgeted for so many lost teeth, and the bad economy meant that no one would give her a loan? Or maybe, she got caught up in putting together her Best Bias Skirt, or piecing her block of the month quilt, and completely lost track of time?

Whatever the reason, Will did finally get paid. The second night after the first tooth and the third night after the second one. She even left the tooth behind the second time. Maybe she felt bad about being late and thought he deserved to keep it? (I'm sure it's not because she forgot to take it, or anything)

Piece, Love & Applique Up and Ready to Order

I'm so excited to share that I've finished my new BOM quilt! I will have pictures of the complete quilt some time this week, when I get my mom to help me hang it for a good shot. In the mean time, I am really excited to say that I've figured out pricing, and I think it's an awesome deal!
After finishing my quilt, I went through my notes and totaled up how much fabric I actually used. This leaves plenty of room for personal color choice and scraps for mistakes, yet doesn't leave a lot of extra yardage for no reason. What I came up with is a cost of only $10/month! The quilt is about 62x82, so this includes significant fabric for a substantial project. But the best part? For only $10 you also get your backing!
Yep, that's right, I was able to include the price of backing and keep the quilt super affordable. I just love it when you have a matching backing all ready to go with your quilt top and don't have to make another purchase or hunt down the perfect fabric months after starting your project!
Here is a link to the ordering page I've created for this project. Monthly kits will be available starting in August. Piece, Love & Applique link

New Pillow-Class to be Posted Soon

I made this great throw pillow the other night as a class demo. I will be listing it as a Summer class on the News and Classes page soon. This is a great class if you've never made a throw pillow and would like to try it out. What a fantastic way to easily customize your home decorating! A great beginner class as well.

Final Blocks of Piece, Love & Applique

Here it is, the final block of the newest BOM at The Crazy Quilter! This quilt is gorgeous, and if I can stay awake long enough tonite I might finish the applique on the borders.
In fact, today was my last day of work at my "real job." (to some people, owning and operating the quilt shop is just a "hobby" and not worthy of being a "real job." ha, ha)
So, technically I can sleep in as long as I want tomorrow. Not really, since my husband has a wild hair you-know-where to drive to Kellogg, ID and drool over some Dodge Challengers tomorrow, BUT, if I really wanted to I could sleep in.

At least telling myself I could sleep in tomorrow might just get me to stay up late enough to finish the applique on the borders of this quilt. Then it will be ready for the quilting machine! Can't Wait!

Piece, Love & Applique Blocks 7, 8, 9, 10!

Here they are, almost the entire remainder of the new Block of the Month I've been working on. I'd better be careful, or I might actually finish something on time!






Here is a quick refresher on this quilt:

Block of the month (BOM) to begin at The Crazy Quilter in August 2010.
Finish your block each month and receive the next pattern for free!
Finish you quilt top at the end of the year and win the chance at great prizes, including FREE quilting!
Approximate costs will be $8-$12 dollars per month (plus $2-$5 shipping if applicable). This is only an estimate, based on the materials I've used so far in my quilt. I'm contemplating including backing so you can have a truly complete quilt kit.
Each kit will be different, and allow for individualizing through fabric choices. Share pictures with me and I will post them online so we can all have fun looking at everyone's interpretations.
Opinions or questions? Please comment!

Piece, Love & Applique Blocks 4 & 6

Here are the pics I promised earlier today of the Block-of-the-month. This starts officially in August, you will be able to see the real deal on display in the shop in July when it's done! Just a note, not all the kits will be like mine, you will have to trust me, but they will all be gorgeous!
Here are blocks 4 & 6, there are more on the way but I need to take pics of them first!

Don't let Block 4 scare you, the appliqued basket is not nearly as difficult as it looked. I promise, I was a little aprehensive but it went really fast. Plus, that is it for month 4, so you don't have to worry about any additional piecing that month!

Here are blocks:

Crazy Updates!

Don't forget to keep checking the New Additions page, as I continue to add in new stuff from Market. A lot of the things I found I had to order, so as they arrive in-store they will be added to the website.

Also, if you're at all interested in Block-of-the-Months, check that category out and watch for new additions. I have a few more programs to add to it, and all of them are available by mail as well as in-store. By the way....I saw the newest kitty at Market, and it's a fabulous broccoli cat. It's so new it's not even on the website yet!

I have lots of new pics of the Piece, Love & Applique quilt, which I worked on a lot this past holiday weekend! I am nearly finished with the quilt center, so watch for pics later today.

Also watch the News and Classes page, as I am updating it for Summer this week, complete with a Summer class schedule including a Kids' Quilt Camp in July!

And, now for the best part.......

Are you ready??? It's really good......

After June 11th, I am officially unemployed again.

What, you say? How is that a GOOD thing??
Well...OK, it's not. At least, not if you're my checkbook.

And, I must admit, it wasn't an easy decision, and there are a lot of factors that led up to it. Many of which won't fit into this blog post, and all combined wouldn't fit into a made-for-tv movie.

BUT......it's a very good thing if you're a Crazy Quilter customer! It means more projects, more products, more classes, more quilting, more website updates, and more blogging.

I have lots of great, fantastic plans for the shop. And yes, I know I always have great, fantastic plans, many of which fizzle and die, or crash and burn. Yet, I continue to make more plans. I know, I'm a sucker, or a glutton for punishment, or just plain stupid. However, I can't help myself.

Watch for a Crazy Quilter newsletter soon with some new details on classes, BOM's, and such. If you're not on the mailing list, shame on you! You should sign up right now!

Home From Another Quilt Market

I'm home from yet another Quilt Market experience, this one in Minneapolis, MN. I must say, Minneapolis was a great city to visit, and this turned out to be a great Quilt Market. I came home with as much as I could carry, and ordered even more than that to be shipped to the shop!
C had fun too, I think, especially since we were able to do a little site seeing in between time at Market. However.....he has already ran out the door this morning to go meet G for some man time, so maybe he got a little more girl-i-fied than he could handle after all.
They wanted $9.95/day for WiFi access, so I didn't blog from Market at all. I mean, come on, that's like over a yard of fabric! That means I have a back log of great stuff to share with you all. To get started, I'm going to begin uploading new items into the online catalog. Watch for them to start appearing today!
Oh yeah, a little birdie told me that new Christmas fabric from Moda arrived in store while I was gone. You can check it out at Fruitcake in the online catalog under fabrics.

The Final Count Down to Market

I leave for International Quilt Market in less than 12 hours! I have yet to finish packing and get my thoughts in order. It has been a crazy week. I've spent all week fighting off a nasty head cold, and completely lost my voice yesterday. I've burned through nearly half of my sick leave at work, and spent every afternoon sleeping in an effort to avoid attending Market with a box of kleenex and bottle of cold syrup in tow. I think it's working, as I'm starting to feel better, but it's working slowly. And, chances are C will just start to come down with it by tomorrow and I'll end up towing around a box of kleenex, a bottle of cold syrup, and a miserable husband! Should be fun, huh?

Our plane leaves at 6:15am sharp tomorrow, and since the airport's a 2 hour drive from home we'll be leaving the driveway at 3am or so. Another reason this has been a crazy week? C's started back to work, with a night shift of 4:30pm-2:30am. That means that he'll have just enough time to take a shower and inhale a few of those donuts he bought today just for the occassion before we hit the road.

Despite all of this, I'm really excited! I think we'll have enough time to check out the Mall of America tomorrow afternoon, before Sample Spree. I will try to post some pictures tomorrow of Sample Spree, so watch for those. That is...assuming I don't get trampled over, Day After Thanksgiving style, by the mass of quilters waiting to get through the door!

So, I'm off to finish up the last minute tasks. A t-ball practice to take Ky and Will to, packing to finish, thoughts to organize, kids to organize, etc. etc. etc. Let the count down commence!

Origins-Sneak Peak

A couple weeks ago my Moda rep visited with a preview of new fabrics. One line really stood out for me in particular, making both my mom and I drool with excitement. What can I say? sometimes fabric "speaks" to me!

So....I got an awesome email from Moda with links that I can share with everyone. Here is a link to "Origins," which I loved so much that the ENTIRE line will be in store this August!

Origins by Basic Grey for Moda

Happy drooling!

Surivor..........or Sewing

I had high hopes of getting a lot done tonight in last minute prep for the Shop hop this weekend. I planned to finish blocks 3-6 to display 1/2 of the new Block of the Month this weekend. I also wanted to finish my Caulipuss wall hanging. But, when 8 o'clock rolled around I was done for....or so I thought!

I popped a big bowl of popcorn, poured a bigger glass of wine, and settled into the couch for some fantastic vegging in front of the T.V. So, here I am, thinking I'm done sewing for the night cuz it's time for Survivor, when the phone rings.

It's G, my husband C's cousin. And when G calls, it's usually so he and C can discuss and solve all of the world's crisis in the world's longest phone conversation. (They're worse than a couple of women!) So, after sitting long enough in front of the paused, Tivo-ed, Survivor to finish my popcorn, I gave up and hit the sewing machines again. And before the world's latest crisis was completely resolved, I managed to finish a few things up!

First, my Caulipuss wallhanging. Finally, my own Garden Patch Cat for the quilt shop!

So, I moved on to some more Piece, Love, & Applique. Blocks 4 and 6 are done!

And then there's Block 5, which happens to need red fabric for a big basket of flowers. Red fabric that I don't have at home, so for now it's a big block of background.
I am officially 1/2 done with my Piece, Love & Applique quilt (minus the missing red fabric). Here's a picture of the top half.

BOM Blocks 1 and 2-Piece, Love Applique

Well, it turns out this BOM is very quick to put togther, and with only a couple of evenings after work I have churned out Blocks 1 and 2! Here are some pics for you to enjoy:
Here is "block" 1. With this project, they're more like sections than blocks.


Here you see two shots, one before and one after I've button-hole stitched the fusible applique. I went with my favorite method, fusible applique and machine button-hole stitch.




Here is section 2, the first try.


I didn't like how light the green of the leaves turned out, so I switched fabrics. Here is my final block, before the buttonhole finish:


So, I'm off to finish the button hold and section 2 will be done! Perhaps you'll find a picture of sections 1 and 2 attached to each other later tonite!

New Block of the Month-As Promised

OK, so I promised at Moda University that I would post pics and info about the new block of the month idea I've been cooking up. Here are the basics, about 90% organized and decided upon in my head. I'm still fine tuning the details, and won't be starting it until my sample is all but quilted, so you have some time to ask questions, get details, and think about how much fun you'll have participating!

First, the quilt. A pattern I picked up in Salt Lake City at a quilt shop about 2 or 3 years ago. Not exactly a new pattern, but one that I loved and have been saving for the right time and fabric.

Next, my idea of how this will work:

1. A 12 month block of the month. Pick up your pattern by the 10th of each month. First pattern section is FREE as long as you pay for each month's kit for the entire 12 months! You will get a fabric kit with a variety of fat quarters and a background fabric that will make the entire top. I don't know prices yet, as I'm making mine first to determine how much fabric you really need.

2. On months 2 thru 12, bring in your finished block so I can take a pic, OR email me a picture of your block if you are not in my area. This is meant to be fun for everyone, no matter where you live! I want to share all of the different quilts and different fabric combinations, so pictures will be posted either here or on the shop's Facebook page for everyone to view. Even if you get the same fabrics as someone else, you're bound to pick different fabrics for different blocks, so no two quilts will be the same!

3. If you complete and bring/email a picture of your block each month by the 10th, you will get the next portion of the pattern for FREE!!! (Do you all love FREE stuff as much as me???) If not.......sorry, you will have to buy your next pattern to continue.

4. I will post tips, tricks, and pictures of the steps my quilt goes through each month to help you construct yours.

5. After you receive the 12th month's instructions, submit a picture/bring your quilt in by the 10th of the 13th month to be entered into a Grand Prize Drawing!!! Number of prizes is yet to be determined, and will depend on just how many people are participating. The Grandest of Grand Prizes??? FREE (yes, another FREE thing!) Quilting for you quilt top! If you get your quilt, back, and batt to me I will quilt it for FREE! If enough people participate, I might even quilt 2 for free, and will also include a second and third place prize.

Questions, suggestions, and/or general comments? Please reply, I'd love your feedback!

Oh, So, TIRED!

Let me start by saying that working a 40 hour/week regular job AND running a business STINKS. Would someone tell me why I didn't request tomorrow off, because I will be lucky to crawl out of bed and drag myself anywhere in the morning. I am so tired, in fact, that I didn't even have the energy to be in this picture of my quilt show booth:


I did, however, actually finish a few things this week in the way of quilt projects. They are the Ellie Bag, and my Spring Needle Punch. Why yes, this is the same needle punch I started over a year ago. Thanks for rubbing it in!

Here are some pics:





Now, off to bed with me!

How Many Places Can I Be at Once?

After resisting for as long as possible, I finally broke down and joined Twitter. I even figured out how to get a fun background, currently featuring one of the fabrics from Moda's new Hunky Dory line. And now, I've created a page on Facebook just for The Crazy Quilter. Although it is a pathetic, empty space at the moment, I have plans to make it fun and wonderful with lots of pictures. You can visit it here:

The Crazy Quilter on Facebook

Have fun looking, more pictures coming soon!

OK People, Here's the Scoop

So......A realty sign went up in front of the quilt shop this week, and apparently caused quite a stir. If you're wondering what the deal is (and even if you aren't) here's the scoop (the super condensed version, anyways):

I no longer live in Deary. Last year was quite a year for me, and due to several very big life changes I moved to another small town about 30 minutes from Deary. This happened in August of last year, within the same 2 week period that I also started a new full time job in Moscow, which is 30 minutes from Deary as well as 30 minutes from my house. (Picture a big triangle, with my house, Deary, and Moscow each at a point of the triangle)

I have spent almost every weekend since then driving back and forth between my home and Deary. I have spent Monday thru Friday commuting between my home and Moscow, and often (every evening for the most recent 2-3 weeks) I have driven the entire triangle every day, as I go to Moscow in the morning, to Deary after work, and then finally home.

It has not taken me too long to realize this is a pace I do not want to keep up with. Long story short, either
(1) I don't keep my full time job (not really a choice, can you say "health insurance"???)
(2) I don't keep the quilt shop, or
(3)I find a way to move the quilt shop closer to my home or my job.

So, I guess you can figure out which one I have chosen. I AM NOT selling the business, only the location. I hope to find a super awesome location in Moscow as soon as the building in Deary sells. While I love the atmosphere of my current location, and I am thankful to have had it available to me for the past few years, if I want to make the quilt shop work for me long term I need a solution better than running myself into the ground.

A Look at What's Happening

There are a few things I'd like to share with everyone about what's happening this Spring at The Crazy Quilter.

Coming up quickly is the Clarkston Quilt Show, at which I will be vending. It is April 24th and 25th, and if you'd like more information see their webpage here!

Following closely behind that will be Spring Quilt Market, in Minneapolis this year! I made my reservations this past week, after a few weeks and weighing cost against benefit, etc. etc. I decided I just couldn't pass it up. Quilt Market is always a great time for me to get re-energized about quilting, not to mention a chance to see everything new and wonderful about to flood quilt shops everywhere. How can I pass up an opportunity to get it first?? I can't.......so coming the 3rd weekend in May my husband and I will be traveling to Minnesota. My mom has decided to sit this one out, since she is busy building her own business, which I'll post about later this week I hope! So.......now I get to train C on how to pack as lightly as possible, stuff one suitcase into another to allow for carrying home all kinds of great goodies from market, and survive on nothing but pure adrenaline and lots of Starbucks for 3 days. (sounds like F-U-N!!!)

I'm expecting a new book (new to me, at least) called "One Yard Wonders" this week. I ordered one copy for myself to investigate, so I'll share what I find out with you all soon. It's full of projects that use one yard of fabric, great for stash-busting all of those cuts of fabric we all collect because we love the print but don't have the perfect project yet.

After a long, dry spell of no new fabrics, Spring will finally be bringing in some great new things from Moda, Blank, and a few others! Believe it or not, it was once again time to order new Christmas fabric from Moda. I placed my order this past week, so watch for it to arrive sometime in July.

Super Fast and Easy Apron

Looking for a gift? Want to make it yourself but don't think you have the time?
I discovered this apron pattern just before Christmas and LOVE it! It take less than 2hours to make these great No Neck Stress Aprons! The loop on the front pocket holds a dish towel, and you can customize the size and depth of the pockets on the front.
So grab your favorite two or 3 fabrics and let's make an apron!

Let There Be Light!

This weekend, after having it on my "list" for 3 weeks, I FINALLY remembered to buy some more light bulbs for the quilt shop. Back when I purchased the building, I replaced all of the light fixtures in the main room. As usual, price was the main determining factor in deciding which fixtures to purchase.

(OK, minus the absolutely fabulous ceiling fans with the matching fabulous price tag that I fell in love with and had to have. They look cool, right?)

Little did I realize at the time, the cheap lights would prove to be an issue during the dark North Idaho winters. Plus, they go through regular light bulbs like a newborn baby goes through diapers. (A newborn, breast-fed baby, no less) And my dad, the ever reluctant but always coercible handy-man, was getting a little cranky about spending every other weekend changing light bulbs.

So, Saturday I dropped a $100 on light bulbs, of all the things I could think of to spend $100 on....super awesome, super expensive light bulbs weren't exactly top of my list. Except they were really getting necessary. So light bulbs jumped the list, passing up a badly needed mani/pedicure, and new speakers for my commuter car, and leaped into first place.
Then, my husband (a very good sport, indeed, to take ladder duty) and I spent an hour yesterday replacing every light bulb (ALL 24 of them!) in the main shop room. And Hallelujah, Let....There.....Be.....Light!!!!

What a difference! Wait until you visit the shop next, I know you'll be pleasantly surprised. I forgot to warn my mom about the switch, and she reports that when she switched the lights on this morning she thought for a moment that the building was on fire!