Making stuff

So what did you do this weekend?

I made these:

You might be thinking "Big deal! I make cookies all the time." But let me tell you, this is a rare occasion at my house. I just don't bake. It's hard to believe that I'm the daughter of one very talented woman who makes the most beautiful wedding cakes. But it's true. And even though I used her recipe (A family secret *wink*wink*) they dind't turn out nearly as nice as hers do. Funny thing though, there's not one left this evening.   :o)

I've also been making a little of this:

 I haven't stitched in a long time. It's been years I think. But seeing all of this girls stuff at market has really made me want to stitch again. And thanks to this other girls awesome product my fingers have been spared the usual "I-just-got-back-into-stitching" tenderness. 

Oh yeah, this is a sneak peek of that project I'm working on.

The stitchy...not the cookies.  :o)

I'm in love

with this.

Not because it's organic- although that's an added bonus.

But you see, I have had this project I've wanted to do for several years and when I walked by this booth at market it was like fate brought two things together that might not have otherwise met. Ok, I'm making it sound a little too mushy. But really, it's that exciting for me.

And....I'm a little lucky cuz I got a few pieces to start playing with already.

I'm just trying to be good and finish a few things before I start cutting.

But I gaze longingly at it on a daily basis.  :o)

Don't worry, I'll show you on Monday!

More Market Mayhem!

Have you seen and read enough about quilt market yet?

Well you haven't seen THIS video!

The Michael Miller team definately knows how to party! I am still pinching myself that I get to work with such fun and fabulous people.

Ok, now go watch. :o)

Look Now!

I "almost" finished my 'Don't Look Now' project. (I still have the binding to finish) Obviously I took some liberty with my placement but that's what you're supossed to do, right!?

I am VERY pleased with the way it turned out. Especially since I have become quite impatient. (I was going to crop the pic down more, but when I saw the toe of my shoe I thought I'd leave it. Made me smile!)

I layered an 80/20 batting with a poly batting on top for some loft. I kinda got the feel I was going for. The flowers definately have a little more dimension than otherwise.

I used fabrci from my stash with Sandy's 'Frolic' print as my main inspiration. I even fussy cut some of the flowers like Kelli does. The background was a cheapy white on white that had a paisley print on it. I "loosely" followed the design in my quilting.

Things I learned:

I am not as much of a perfectionist as I used to be- but I am ok with that.

Kelli is even MORE talented than I realized. And I already KNEW she was talented.

This is not a difficult technique, it just takes practice to master.

I AM going to try this again...though I'm not sure how soon. (I have lots of other projects on the table....and around the table....and on the floor.....you get the picture)

On another note- who wants free fabric? :o)

Hop on over to Ribbon Candy, she's got goodies to give away. And after you go today, keep going back, this is just the beginning!

What did you do on Saturday?

I was sitting around watching iCarly with my kids and glanced over at this horrible looking table. We've had this thing FOREVER. I think we've had it longer than my oldest child.

My kids have had it out playing games on it ever since Grandma and Grandpa were visiting. My daughter was picking at the top and of course I scolded her and told her not to pick anymore. Then I got an idea.

"Paris, want to go to Corn Wagon?" (it's one of her favorite places to go- seriously)

I picked up some Amy Butler laminated fabric and set to work. Only a couple hours later and I had this:

It only took that long because I had to wait for the spray paint to dry. I didn't even have to buy any- I had some that matched already!

All that old table needed was a little "LOVE"

Now I just have to do the chairs!

Don't Look Now!

One of my favorite booths to visit at market is Don't Look Now!

I LOVE this gal!!!!

Her quilts are nothing short of AMAZING.

I am in awe of her skill....and the majority of it is raw edge applique! (she did comfess that on accoassino she has done a bit of needle-turn.)

Oh how I would love to go to Australia and take one of her classes.

This one caught my eye at market and I couldn't stop thinking about it.

And she had this one in a frame that she made for her daughter with all of her classmates names on the leaves for end of the year. *heart!*

Although I've thought about it a million times I've never purchased a pattern. I fear that it will end up with so many others in that never-gonna-do-it pile.

But this time it's different. I am DETERMINED to do one. I'm starting out small.

I went here to get a free download and started reading and re-reading her steps. It's really pretty straight forward. However, the trick to making the finished product look so wonderful is her quilting technique of going around each shape a couple of times. That is one steady hand!

I'm going to practice, practice, practice on this little pillow and then I will attempt the TREE! :o)

Rainy days and Thursdays

Ugh. Winter seemed to last FOREVER. And now, the wet side of spring has come to stay. C'mon April showers, it's MAY already!!!

I'm slowly getting back into my routine since market. It is crazy what a few days can do to a person. I think my body is rebelling against me because I am just barely starting to feel "normal" (I use the term loosley) again.

So it's raining. My husband is out of the state on a business trip. My sweet baby girl had Kindergarten graduation today but was up all night with a stomach bug. And my oldest child is sick too with who-knows-what.

I've been in my jammies all day, sitting at the computer eating Spitz Smoky BBQ sunflower seeds (YUM!)

I have a couple more orders to ship out first thing tomorrow and then I can get started on what I really want to be doing- SEWING with all the fun goodies at got a Sample Spree! :O)

Who wants some fabric!?

I have a cute bundle of 'Going Coastal' sitting on my table just waiting to be shipped out to a lucky winner. Could it be you!?

WOW! 237 comments. That's a record for me for sure. Thanks for all the love people. I'm sorry I only have one bundle to give away- I wish I could send a snippet for each of you. But the good news is- Going Coastal is shipping in July so you don't have to wait too long before you can get it for yourself. :o)

Thanks to our friends at Random.org for choosing a winner for me:


I counted all the way through these wonderful comments. You guys are so sweet. The winner is CATHY from COW BAY, CANADA (Cathy, shoot me an email so I can get this sent to you ASAP!)

I'm hoping to do another giveaway if I get some more fabric. But you know, with the quilts and decorations I had to make, my designer cuts didn't last too long.

After my post yesterday about pictures with ME in them looking like deformed creatures, I got a sweet email with a picture of ME in it! THANKS! I thought I would post it so you could see the finished booth, my ribbon and plaque (in the center), and ME in my nautical looking clothes. OK, maybe not nautical, but I did match the booth. :o)


Ok. That's all I can post for now. I need to go fill some orders.

Spring Quilt Market 2011

Prepare yourself for an extra looooong post full of LOTS of pictures

First things first- my booth!

Did you hear the exciting news!? My booth won 1st place for single booth! You don't even know how excited I was. So excited that when looking through all the pictures there wasn't a decent one I could post because they all had me looking like some deformed creature.

Here's an upclose pic of the chairs and boat (before I had the cute beach bags on them)

I think that boat may have been the piece that swayed the judges- LOTS of comments from passers by on that one.

I was very fortunate to have my Dad's help with all of the little vignette's around the booth.

There's a secret behind the design of those bouys- but I'm not telling

Whataya think of that ball!?

This is Sarah Jane, another new designer for M&M. I have been a fan of her blog and artwork for several years so I was jumping up and down when I found out that not only would she be at market, but that I would be able to meet her and work with her at M&M!

Meet Violet Craft and her debut line for M&M Peacock Lane. Her line is fresh and new. Great colors! Oh and it has elephants- I LOVE elephants. Don't worry, there's peacock's too. :o)LOVE this girl!

A sweet shot of Sandi's booth- the 1st place winner for double booth!

Camille is by far one of my favorite people! She is so sweet and genuine- just like her new line for Moda that she designed with her Mom, Bonnie- RUBY! It is delightful and coordinates perfectly with Bliss (...if you even have any left in your stash!)

And of course, Sweetwater. Have you seen HOMETOWN? It was on the top of my list for sample spree. Love the colors. Love the concept. Love those gals over at Sweetwater!

This is Thankfully Sew's booth. I am super lucky to live close enough to Terri that I get to have lunch with her roughly every month or so. She is AWESOME!

Terri designs a series of "Long & Leans"- this is one of her new ones and a FAVORITE of mine!

My girl Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts! She just released a STACK of patterns and they are fabulous. Lovin' her designs!

Do you know my neighbors Izzy and Ivy? (They live a couple towns over from me!)Their booth was so cute! Looked just like a little park with TONS of little kid clothes. They also introduced a new product- Sprinkles. Check out they site to learn more.

My friend Jenny has been designing cute quilt patterns and had her first quilt market booth here in Salt Lake City with her pattern company Sweet Ruby.

Hey look, it's that former crazy old lady that's rockin' the scene with her company Ribbon Candy Quilt Company. Although her company has been around for a while this was her first market and that girl was ALWAYS busy. I barely got in for a quick picture!

Man oh man- leave it to Cori to execute a booth I could only think of! Chitter Chatter designs had a beach themed booth as well with all of the elements I wanted to include in mine but couldn't figure out how to make work. It was SO COOL!

Check out Jillily Studios booth! It was an ice-cream (Sorbet) shop to promote her new line for Henry Glass- Sorbet Garden. It was so fun. She even gave out tiny ice cream cones. And, she won the award for Creativity. I should say so!

Ah, love this lady too! Barbara Jones of Quilt Soup is always so kind. She kept a close eye on me in Minneapolis and is always so sweet to ask me how I'm feeling. She was showing her new line Cherry Fizz (for Henry Glass) but had lots of quilts hanging with SUMMERTIME (one of my fave's from her!)

Another sweet girl, Amy, from Kati Cupcake let me take a pic of her booth. (Why is she not in it!?) She is AWESOME and has some of the cutest bag patterns out there.

*I'm announcing the winner of the fat quarter pack.....TOMORROW! (sorry!)

Sooooo tired

I should be showering (or sleeping!?) right now. I only have an hour before I have to get back on the road for an hour commute to my booth at Quilt Market. Oh I was so excited to have Quilt Market so close that I could sleep in my own bed each night. But oh how I long for a hotel bed to sleep in that's only minutes from the conevention center. This girl is TIRED!

But no biggie, I'm having SO. MUCH. FUN!

I don't have my camera close or I would post a couple pix. And really, my brain is so foggy I'm not sure why I even started this post or what it was I wanted to tell you.

I'm just checking in.

I wanted to say THANKS for stopping by to see me.

AND...

Don't forget to leave a comment on the previous post for your chance to win THIS!

Ok. See you Monday with LOTS of pix and a recap of Market from a Crazy Old Ladies' point of view.

:o)

I know you want some

THIS CONTEST IT NOW CLOSED!

International Quilt Market is THIS WEEK!

Things around here are nothing less than hectic.

As I was putting the finishing touches on one of the many projects for my booth I had a thought....

When was the last time I had a giveaway? And what better time for a giveaway than now?

So....are you dying to get your grubby little hands on some 'Going Coastal'?

I have a fat quarter bundle (tied with rope!) of every print in the line. And because a fat quarter was just not enough, I put a 1/2 yard each of the Bottle Cap print and the Patchwork Plaid print.

All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me WHY you LOVE this line!? (sorry, I just can't hear enough of it right now!)

I'll pick a winner next monday....after Market.

Good luck to you!

Introducing.....

You all know just how excited I have been about this- and now I get to show you why!

When I first had the idea for 'Going Coastal' I knew I wanted something that would speak to anyone on any coast. We've all seen nautical or beach-themed fabric before, but I wanted mine to be different. I wanted it to be both. I had a vision for a little more sophistication, yet fun and playful. And so I present: GOING COASTAL

It all started with that crab! Last year while I was going through my Radioactive-Iodine treatment for Thyroid cancer I had to be in complete isolation for 10 days. I set up camp in my bedroom with my laptop, a few DVD's, a stack of mag's, and some drawing paper. I was flipping through magazines and I saw a picture of a throw pillow with a huge crab on it. I was in love with that crab. I thought, I wonder if there's a quilting fabric with a crab on it and so I started seaching. But non of them had the feel that I was going for. So I started sketching what I would want to find. All of a sudden my mind started racing with ideas....

'Crab Walk' started a whole process but I didn't think he could carry the line on his own. I wanted the novelty of the crab print, but I also wanted to include other prints that would ground him.

A couple years ago I was visiting my family in California and we went to the beach. Northern California beaches are my personal favorite because they remind me of day-trips as a kid. While there I found a whole sand dollar about the size of a nickel. That was my inspiration for my dot. Everyone loves a good dot print and I hope this will become a favorite of many quilters.

Next came the Sea Star. I LOVE finger starfish and you see them all over the place in decorating. Everyone likes starfish so naturally I had to design a print with them too.

With the color Sand Dollar on white background, and the white Sea Star on a color background I knew I needed to design something with more tone-on-tone color. Also, being a quilter and knowing what quilter's like I wanted to design something plant-like and leafy. Different types of seaweed and kelp litter the beaches wherever you go. That was my inspiration for the Sea Kelp print.

Shortly after I began sketching my crab I had the vision for the Bottle Caps. This, I knew, would be my main print. With several caps I could sample little pieces of ideas I had without having to design a whole print from each of them. The beachball was a given. The oars, a life preserver, my crab! It was all coming together. And the surfboard- a little tribute to the Beach Boys. I mean, who doesn't love the Beach Boys!?

And then there was plaid. I can't even tell you how much I LOVE plaid. If you know me, you know I love plaid- always have. Years ago I bought a pair of plaid pants. Yes, plaid pants. And I wore them like crazy until I decided to paint in them. Ugh, what was I thinking!? If they weren't covered with paint I'd be wearing them to market.

Pieced madras plaid fabric always catches my eye and it's EVERYWHERE in the summer and on the beach. Different patches of different plaids all together on one piece of fabric- that's what I wanted to design. I am THRILLED with the result!

So whether you're an East-coaster, a West-coaster, a tropical beach go-er, or a surfer dude/betty I hope you can find a bit of yourself in 'Going Coastal' because YOU were the inspiration. :o)

*If you're interested in having some of this fun line for yourself- ask for it at your local quilt shop. They can order it now from Michael Miller and it should be delivered later on this summer! :o)

Get Ready, get set.....

Oh my gosh! There's only 1 week left until market and I'm running around like crazy trying to tie up loose ends on my whole booth setup.

I know I'm not the only one..... :o)

I'm so sorry about my absent blogging. I'm hoping to blog again soon about "Going Coastal" and all the individual prints. Let's hope I can do that BEFORE market!

And hey, if any of you out there are planning on going to SLC for market be sure to stop by booth #424
and see me- I'd LOVE to meet you!

Ok, I need to go paint and stuff and sew and sand some more