Moda Pillow Talk Blog Hop

We're back from our quilting cruise and ready to jump right into the middle of the Moda Designer's Pillow Talk Blog! I am so honored to be included with such a talented, fun bunch of women. Don't miss any of them!

Usually before market, when most of us are really just sitting around counting the days until we can pack up and go, there will be an email from Lissa "inviting" us to participate in yet another of her brainstorms to promote Moda fabrics and designers. Compared to last year's 350 half square triangles, the pillow idea was a breeze! What fun to see everyone's versions of their life as a wife/mom/designer in fabric. My pillow is made like many toppers I've done in the past - two 14" quilted squares buttoned diagonally over an 18" covered pillow. The front is pieced or appliqued and often begins with a leftover block to coordinate with a quilt in progress. This pillow topper incorporates the Kansas Troubles block (our company logo) that has 4 sections (my 4 kids), 24 small triangles (Robert and I are celebrating 24 years of bliss next week) and eight primitive flowers (for our 8 grankids). Several of the grankids even chose the fabric and button for their flower. I tried to use as many different prints from the 33 fabric lines I've done with Moda over the past 10 years. Thanks, Lissa, for challenging us once again.

As for KT Pillow Talk, it's pretty tame out here in the country.
Something you may not know about me? I was in the Air Force for a couple of years with my first husband and high school sweetheart, went to college for almost a decade on the G.I. Bill and earned 3 majors and 2 minors before the money ran out - Social Work/Family & Child Development, Psychology, Spanish and Sociology. I worked as a Social Worker in Child Protective Services for several years until I was widowed with 4 kids under the age of 6. I moved back to Kansas closer to family, started quilting to have adults to play with, met Robert at a Church picnic - and the rest is history!

What do I wear to bed? The softest cotton t-shirt PJ's I can find - longer for winter, sleeveless and shorter for summer. On the bed - cotton flannel sheets 9-months out of the year (to help keep my cold feet warm)with several layers of quilts to pull up to my chin or kick off in the middle of the night. My favorite bedtime comfort is a warm corn bag (heated in the microwave) at the foot of the bed. I even had to make one for Robert this year 'cause I don't share very well. He's colder as he's getting older and I'm hotter. Funny how that works - I think we were both the same temperature for about a week last year.

Who sleeps on the couch and when? Neither of us - ever. When I used to have migraines, Robert would find "extra" work that needed his attention in town at the KT studio and stay there (not too bad since he had his pick of a dozen beds). Now, when he's on call all night for the ambulance service, he stays in town. Once in a while, it's a nice break from his snoring, but I still miss his warm(er) feet.

We're both trying to eat a little healthier, so late night snacks have switched from cookies to apples, buttered popcorn to plain. Sometimes on the weekends, we'll have a little Captain Morgan with our Diet Cokes and sleep in a bit. I'm almost always up later than Robert, watching TV, catching up on emails, or reading the latest quilting magazine. He wakes up early and goes to town with his dog, Gus, hoping he doesn't wake me up in the process.

My favorite pillow used to be down/feather. Since we bought a Tempurpedic bed, the pillow of the same material works great. Our most fun pillow fights are with some of the grankids - Cooper-10, Delainey-4, Aleece-6 & Rowan-8. Now that they're all getting bigger and stronger, we've switched to throw pillows instead of bed pillows!

Thanks for stopping by KT on the Moda Pillow Talk Blog Hop. Go to ktquilts.com for a free pattern of the pillow above. Share one of your pillow talk secrets here by the end of the blog hop (Feb. 20th) for a chance to win a Perennials fat 1/8 bundle - in quilt shops now!

Be sure to visit Kate Spain's blog tomorrow at katespaindesigns.blogspot.com.