Look What I Did Today!

Today I had a day at home, with five blissful hours to myself while everyone was away at school! Here is how I spent my day:

First, I helped Bailey get into her Cowgirl gear. This week is homecoming week, and today was "Western Day." Since Bailey lacks all of the self-consciousness I had in high school, I am taking full advantage of having a little fun and living vicariously through her. I didn't think far enough ahead to procure a horse for her to ride to school, so I drove her instead. Apparently Grandpa's Chaps weren't very comfortable for walking!

When everyone was gone, I vacuumed and did some other miscellaneous housework. But...since the kids had popcorn tonight while they watched Ghostbusters it's a little late for a picture of that.

Next, I finished putting the borders on my Night Owl table topper, which I have kits of in the store. I have been carrying the cut pieces of this quilt back and forth from store to home for about 6 weeks now, so this is a major victory!


Then, I did some quilting on the long arm.


After that, I felt like baking, so I made some rosemary bread to go with dinner. I wish I had a picture of how pretty it looked before I cut it up. Here is all that is left, safely sealed away so that Charlie actually gets to have some before I.....I mean the kids....eat it all.

Since I had baking on the brain, I decided to tackle the baked potato/tortilla steamer pattern that just came last week. It was super fast and easy, so in less than an hour I had it done!

After dinner, it was almost time for Bailey's volleyball game. I had just enough time to prepare some fusible shapes for her costume tomorrow, which Kylee and I cut out at the game. Tomorrow is "Super Hero Day." Can you guess what Bailey's going to be?
They don't allow guns in school. Even super cheesy guns that only shoot ghost-sucking plasma rays. So, I had to think of a different prop.
After the game, and after I finished the costume, watched Ghostbusters with the kids, and tucked them into bed, I whipped up another Easy Striped Tablerunner. This time I used fabric from the Tangled Threads fabric line by Whimsicals.


Wow, I sure wish every day could be like today. Now I can relax with a glass of wine, because I sure earned it!

New Samples

After spending last weekend at the St. Maries Quilt Show, I took some time to rearrange and reorganize the store this week. It's a great time to do it, since everything I took to the show had to be put away anyways. It also gave me an opportunity to hang some of the new samples that have been completed recently.

Hanging samples is not my favorite thing to do. It is difficult to do alone, since holding a quilt, hanging pins, getting everything straight and the right heighth, while standing on a ladder does not come easily to me. In fact, standing on anything tends to be a hazard when I'm involved. Take, for example, the time I decided to clean out the cabinets above my kitchen counter while standing on the bar stools. There are four stools, which I thought would be perfect since it meant I could step from one to the other while not having to get down in between. Cabinets would be neat and tidy in no time, right?

Turns out me on bar stools looks a lot like a contestant on Wipe Out crossing the "big balls." Only bar stools aren't bouncy and soft, there isn't a swimming pool in my house, and I wasn't one of the lucky ones who made it across.

Luckily Wipe Out is one of my kids' favorite shows. After making sure I was still breathing and there had not in fact been an avalanche in our dining room, they had a good laugh at my expense.

Thankfully, I am done hanging samples for now. Plus, I still have all of my bones in tact although my ladder is an old one of my dad's. The fact that he hasn't come looking for it in several years should tell you something about it's condition!

Here are some pictures to enjoy, albeit not the best quality since I'm using my phone. The first is the new sample of Flight North using Moda's Snowy Eve fabric line.

Next up is my wild and crazy holiday version of Spotlight featuring sock monkeys in Moda's Santa's Helpers fabric line.


And last for now, the new Shenandoah pattern featuring Bliss by Moda. This is the crib size, but the pattern includes sizes up to King.

Camera Illiterate, That's Me!

Well......I was going to post a great picture of my newly finished sample, the Giddy panel quilt for Valentine's Day! (And mine is so much cuter than the pattern picture!)But.......apparently I need photography lessons. More specifically, camera technology lessons. I have a really nice Nokia camera that's only about 2 years old. However, the lens quit focusing about 6 months ago, and I don't know how to fix it or where to take it to be fixed. Thus, a long drought of little or no pictures on the blog.
Then....I found my old camera. But the memory card from the Nokia wouldn't work in my Kodak. So, it took me about a week to uncover a memory card that works in the mess that passes for our family office.
So....today I get all excited that I actually remembered to bring said camera into the quilt shop. I take a picture of my new sample, and then plug the memory card into my computer to upload it. And what-do-ya-know.....my computer cannot read the memory card for an unknown reason.
What are the chances the universe does not want me to upload pictures to my blog anymore?
Maybe tomorrow.....(sigh)

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.

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.

Ta-Da! Garden Friends

Here it is, the long awaited completion of Garden Friends. It is such a stunning quilt! Don't mind the mess in the foreground. That's just my latest nemesis, the At Water's Edge quilt.

At Water's Edge

You might notice that I've moved "At Water's Edge" up into the Current Projects list. I am still working on my sunflowers, but the new line came yesterday, and I've decided to start it too.

Use the link from the list at the left to view the kit for At Water's Edge. It is a really unique quilt that was elegant and stunning in real. So much so that I have thought about it since Fall Market in October. I am cutting kits for it, with the pieces already cut to size. This allows me to sell the kits for $30 less than I would have to charge if I included yardage, because some fabrics only require one small piece, yet call for a fat quarter. It also means you can start your quilt without any cutting. Who doesn't love that?

Help, I'm Drowning!

I took everyday off from the shop this week except for Thursday, with the expectation that I would finally make some headway into that stack of quilts under my machine. I even dared to hope that I might catch a glimpse of the carpet peaking through the mounds of batting and folded quilt tops. But alas, the universe has laughed in my face once again. Ha, Ha, Ha.

I lost track around Wednesday, when it became clear that despite taking time off from the shop, this was going to be one of those weeks that brought in more quilts than went out. That glimpse of carpet? Never going to happen, my friend! It's as if someone sent out a special bullitin, "Hurry, prime quilting time, send your quilts NOW!!! How did they find out I dared to take time off??

Wait, did I really think I was going to get "time off" from the shop? Well, if "time off" means still going in for at least an hour every day, rearranging, reordering, unpacking new shipments and packaging Internet orders, then yeah, I guess I had TONS of time off! That doesn't include the laundry I did NOT catch up on, the dusting that ISN'T done, and the solid coating of mud on my car that I have NOT had time to wash. (Yes, I really thought I'd have EXTRA time this week)

Not only was it a big quilts week, it was a big phone call week. So big, in fact, that Monte quit taking the cell phone to work at the shop with him because he was starting to feel like The Crazy Quilter's secretary. This is especially comical if you know that I normally get less than 1 call/week on my cell.

This afternoon I decided if I didn't start a list of quilts and owners, dates to be done and patterns requested, I was doomed to forget something important. The list is done, and now I am vowing to attempt to complete the quilts in the order in which they were received. Of course, something always comes up, but at least I'm trying, right?

I love what I do, really. Otherwise I wouldn't get what I do get done. Sometimes it would be nice if things just happened slow and steady, instead of in heaps and intermittent rushes. Maybe when all of my kids are moved out things might slow down, but then again, I always seem to find something. (Just ask Monte)

So Many Quilts, So Little Time

My ultimate goal is to do at least 1 quilt every day. Sometimes I have a good run and I stick to this goal 4 or so days. Sometimes, I find it impossible to meet this goal, like the past week. It took me 4 days last week to finish 1 quilt, and yesterday I missed again, not getting any farther than the first side of 1 border.

I judge my progress by the amount of carpet I can see under my Nolting. This is where I keep all the quilts-to-be-quilted. Lately, if all the carpet in my house wasn't the same, I might have forgotten what color it was under my machine. And don't remind me about the stack of quilts (mine and my mom's) at my Aunt's house, patiently waiting since I kept my machine there when I was homeless, for the day that never comes when I can fit in a quilt of my own.

And then this morning, Bailey said the dreaded words, "Mom, we have early release today."

"What?!" Was my response, fueled by the rising sense of panic as I watched my afternoon of quilting go up in smoke. "Are you sure? REALLY sure?"

"Yep," Bailey said, and she grabbed the school calendar from my desk to prove it.

How does this happen? This is the second time in the past month I've forgotten about an early release day. Once upon a time I was one of those mothers who had the entire school schedule memorized by Sept. 1. Even last year, in the midst of the craziest year of my life as a mother so far, (yes, I know it gets worse, I don't want to hear it right now) I never missed an early release day. Thank goodness someone (Bailey) in our house is responsible these days!

So, I will be futily trying to meet or beat my quilting goal this afternoon. I must get it in gear soon. If I have to leave for vacation with this many quilts undone, not even Jamaica will prevent my mental breakdown.

Snow Day-Again!

Here in Northern Idaho we are really getting hammered by the snow! This is a picture of my front porch, usually 2 feet off the ground, it's now 2 feet lower than the snow! And, that 1 foot I thought was on our roof? Turned out, there was more like 3-4 feet in most places! Add that to the 6-10 inches we have gotten over the past 24 hours, and it's looking very white around here! Still, no book. My Duma Key novel is probably stuck in a snow bank somewhere!

Of course, this means that today is a snow day. Both at school and at the quilt shop, since officials have advised every one to stay home I am assuming that no one will have a quilting emergency strong enough to send them to the store today. This means that I get to stay home and quilt, but I also have to entertain my kids. This is no easy task, since they are getting quite stir crazy.

My goal with my bonus sewing time today is to finish my Charmed Jelly Roll Quilt. I am using the Urban Indigo fabric, and it is turning out beautifully. It is quilt as you go style, so it won't get lost in the "to be quilted" pile like most of my projects!

By the way, did you notice that another project dissappeared off of my "Current Projects" list? That's right, believe it or not, I finished my Crossroads Tabletopper. I made mine with an Autumn Journey Charm Pack, and it turned out great. I hope to quilt it this weekend, and then I will possibly post a picture!

One last thing, the Chicken Pronto the other night was very easy and very good! The only bad review came from Kylee, who won't touch anything that resembles a tomato with a ten foot pole. Her plate was divided into two piles, the noodles, chicken, and sauce, and the pile of anything that looked remotely like a chunk of tomato. Other than that, everyone enjoyed it! Tonight, it's an easy mac & cheese dish called Shipwreck Dinner.. Then, I'm going to cozy up on the couch and enjoy the season premiere of Lost. If I can't read my Stephen King novel, this is the next best thing!