Ladies, I need to set the record straight and admit that Aleece is my granddaughter, not my daughter. Actually, I would rather stick a hot poker in my eye than have a 5-year-old full time at this point in my life (52-years-old). Don't get me wrong, I dearly love all my grandkids, but there's no way I could keep up with this job and chase little kids, too. I remember all too well how hectic is was 25 years ago when my own were that age. Now, my oldest, Neil, is 32; Brent & Brian (twins) are 30, and my daughter, Nicole, is 28. Glad I had them when I was young and stupid :).
Anyway, here's a shot of 4 of my 5 grandkids after the Easter Egg hunt last Sat. From right to left, Cooper, 9; Aleece, 5; Delainey, 3 (Cooper's little sister); and Bronson, 4, in front. Rowan, 7, lives in WA and couldn't be here this time. He'll be back for 6 weeks this summer between our house and his other grandparents. We'll try to squeeze all the fun we can out of time we have with him.
Watch in the next few days for the April Giveaway.
Later,
Lynne
Monday, April 5, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Lauren will be Wrapped in Paisley!
Congratulations to Lauren (uswheelers@blogspot.com), our March Giveaway Winner! We'll be sending her a Wrapped in Paisley booklet plus a bag of fabric scraps leftover from our quilts. With 3 little ones at home, you need to start your Christmas projects now. Enjoy!
The new fabric for market, Summer's End, arrived yesterday. It's always so much fun when the UPS guy brings boxes from Moda. Lois and I will be sewing like crazy beginning next week. For now, I've got grankids here for the weekend (short spring break at Aleece's school). She'll help do some stitching on charm squares, but I'll wait to do the big projects after she's back at home. Aleece, 5 1/2-years-old, loves fabric. I've purchased a couple of charm packs for her - the latest was Sandy Gervais' "Needful Things" with the adorable shoe prints - and she'll lay out the squares in various configurations, pet the fabric and talk about which print she wants for borders, etc. She's my best hope for the next generation of quilters, so far. We'll work on her quilt this weekend when we can, but the weather is so beautiful we'd both rather be outside. I have flower beds that need a good spring clean-up and pansies to plant and she has a dog to chase and a cat to cuddle. It'll be a busy weekend all the way around!
Have a happy and blessed Easter at your house,
Lynne
The new fabric for market, Summer's End, arrived yesterday. It's always so much fun when the UPS guy brings boxes from Moda. Lois and I will be sewing like crazy beginning next week. For now, I've got grankids here for the weekend (short spring break at Aleece's school). She'll help do some stitching on charm squares, but I'll wait to do the big projects after she's back at home. Aleece, 5 1/2-years-old, loves fabric. I've purchased a couple of charm packs for her - the latest was Sandy Gervais' "Needful Things" with the adorable shoe prints - and she'll lay out the squares in various configurations, pet the fabric and talk about which print she wants for borders, etc. She's my best hope for the next generation of quilters, so far. We'll work on her quilt this weekend when we can, but the weather is so beautiful we'd both rather be outside. I have flower beds that need a good spring clean-up and pansies to plant and she has a dog to chase and a cat to cuddle. It'll be a busy weekend all the way around!
Have a happy and blessed Easter at your house,
Lynne
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
There's still time!
You still have 24 hours to get in on our March giveaway of a Wrapped in Paisley booklet and a bag of scraps to start one of the projects.
I've been editing patterns on the front porch this afternoon, taking advantage of the beautiful spring weather. There's plenty of entertainment out the window - birds of all sorts at the bird feeders from blue jays, red-winged blackbirds and starlings to pheasant and geese and, Gus (Robert's Cairn Terrior) and Hook (the cat) teaming up to chase squirrels. Hook was named because her tail is short with a barbed end - much like a fish hook. We were told by the farmer who gave her to us that she'd had her tail broken as a kitten and it fell off. There was no reason not to believe it until she had a litter of kittens last spring and 2 of the 4 had the same hooked tail. Now we believe somewhere in her family tree is a bobcat. Anyway, she and Gus are good buddies, chasing each other around the yard and napping together in the sun. Their antics always make me smile.
More tomorrow,
Lynne
I've been editing patterns on the front porch this afternoon, taking advantage of the beautiful spring weather. There's plenty of entertainment out the window - birds of all sorts at the bird feeders from blue jays, red-winged blackbirds and starlings to pheasant and geese and, Gus (Robert's Cairn Terrior) and Hook (the cat) teaming up to chase squirrels. Hook was named because her tail is short with a barbed end - much like a fish hook. We were told by the farmer who gave her to us that she'd had her tail broken as a kitten and it fell off. There was no reason not to believe it until she had a litter of kittens last spring and 2 of the 4 had the same hooked tail. Now we believe somewhere in her family tree is a bobcat. Anyway, she and Gus are good buddies, chasing each other around the yard and napping together in the sun. Their antics always make me smile.
More tomorrow,
Lynne
Monday, March 22, 2010
Oh, what a wonderful weekend!
I'm just back from a lovely weekend retreat in Urbandale, Iowa hosted by Heidi Kaisand (former editor of APQ magazine, now working with APQS long arm quilting machines). About 17 of us enjoyed a relaxing few days of stitching, eating, sharing and more eating. Heidi spoiled us with homemade goodies each day and a wealth of handmade treasures to remember our outing. Even though I've been anxiously anticipating spring, I was perfectly happy watching it snow and blow outside as we sat cozily inside sewing to our hearts content. Fellow designer friend, Pam Buda (check out her new BOM Hearth & Home at Fat Quarter Shop) and I had made plans to meet at the retreat to catch up and hang out together. Pam describes herself as a KT stalker, but I found if I just become good friends with stalkers it takes all the negative connotation out of it! I was also enjoyed the company of Pam's friend, Deb (owner of Quilter's General Store in Rockford, IL). It filled my soul to spend time with these ladies and babble about everything and nothing. I work alone so often it's a blessing to have good friends in the business who "get it". My roommate and dear friend, Connie Huddleson (Starry Pines Designs and The Little Wool Shoppe), was unable to attend due to her husband's ill-timed triple bypass surgery. But, we're already planning a summer get-together as soon as Chuck's on the mend. My best to the patient and care-giver.
Heidi provided us with a unique opportunity at this retreat by having an APQS machine AND expert instuctor, Dawn, available to quilt our own projects. I took a pic of Deb as she proudly displayed a table topper sample for her shop. It certainly did not look like a first time long arm project. Great job! I finished a lap quilt for market but was afraid to totally ruin it by quilting it myself. Wish I'd taken a generic UFO to play with - it really looked like fun.
Off to KC Tuesday thru Thursday to visit a couple more guilds and Prairie Point Quilt Shop. Finally home for a few days in April before heading to Scott's Bluff, NE the middle of the month.
Still time to enter for the March Giveaway next week (where did this month go???).
Lynne
Heidi provided us with a unique opportunity at this retreat by having an APQS machine AND expert instuctor, Dawn, available to quilt our own projects. I took a pic of Deb as she proudly displayed a table topper sample for her shop. It certainly did not look like a first time long arm project. Great job! I finished a lap quilt for market but was afraid to totally ruin it by quilting it myself. Wish I'd taken a generic UFO to play with - it really looked like fun.
Off to KC Tuesday thru Thursday to visit a couple more guilds and Prairie Point Quilt Shop. Finally home for a few days in April before heading to Scott's Bluff, NE the middle of the month.
Still time to enter for the March Giveaway next week (where did this month go???).
Lynne
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Finally, pictures!
You've all been so great signing up for the unknown/unseen Wrapped in Paisley booklet. Finally, here are pics of the 3 projects included (I'm afraid I'm still figuring out formats, sizing, etc for all this stuff). You still have time to throw your hat in for the pattern - and a few scraps to get started - for the giveaway this month.
Just saw the final proof pages of our brand new KC Star book, Piecing the Past - so exciting! It's been a great experience working with Deb Rowden and the whole Star team. Can't wait to hold a book in my hands and smell the new pages - don't ya just love new quilting books??? Hopefully can post a few sneak peaks soon.
Also on the agenda this week, a new quilt computer-generated for the Summer's End fabric line for Moda's market playbook - August or Sept. release. I'll post a few swatches next week.
Gotta run,
Lynne
Just saw the final proof pages of our brand new KC Star book, Piecing the Past - so exciting! It's been a great experience working with Deb Rowden and the whole Star team. Can't wait to hold a book in my hands and smell the new pages - don't ya just love new quilting books??? Hopefully can post a few sneak peaks soon.
Also on the agenda this week, a new quilt computer-generated for the Summer's End fabric line for Moda's market playbook - August or Sept. release. I'll post a few swatches next week.
Gotta run,
Lynne
Sunday, March 7, 2010
March Giveaway
Congratualtions, again, to Cindy - our February winner of 6 Mini Table Treats patterns. She shared a few pics with me of her KT fabric stash and some quilts she has made with it. Thanks, Cindy! It's fun for me to see what quilters are doing with my stuff.
Now for March giveaway. I'm up to my ears in Christmas right now, getting the Wrapped in Paisley patterns finished and ready to print. Then Robert takes over with the printing and shipping. The March giveaway is for the Wrapped in Paisley project booklet with 3 Christmas themed quilts - a lap quilt, table topper and runner. Can't seem to get the picture to come up for now, but I'll work on it when I get back in a couple of days.
I'm off to KC for a couple of guild meetings - Monday morning in Lee's Summit, MO and evening in Bue Springs, MO. Then it's Grandparents Day at my 5-yr-old granddaughter's (Aleece) school - we have a date for lunch. Can't wait to see what's on the menu. It's been a while since I've eaten school lunches.
Later, Lynne
Now for March giveaway. I'm up to my ears in Christmas right now, getting the Wrapped in Paisley patterns finished and ready to print. Then Robert takes over with the printing and shipping. The March giveaway is for the Wrapped in Paisley project booklet with 3 Christmas themed quilts - a lap quilt, table topper and runner. Can't seem to get the picture to come up for now, but I'll work on it when I get back in a couple of days.
I'm off to KC for a couple of guild meetings - Monday morning in Lee's Summit, MO and evening in Bue Springs, MO. Then it's Grandparents Day at my 5-yr-old granddaughter's (Aleece) school - we have a date for lunch. Can't wait to see what's on the menu. It's been a while since I've eaten school lunches.
Later, Lynne
Monday, March 1, 2010
A Weekend in Chicago
Hello! Our February winner of the 6 different Mini Table Treats patterns is.....Cindy from AZ. Congrats on winning and thanks for your input.
I just got home from a weekend in Chicago with designer Laurie Simpson of Minick & Simpson at the Vintage Textile Show in Elgin, IL. Laurie scored a few great fabrics there last year and I was eager to check it out. Although we didn't find much vintage fabric, we did find some way cool stuff - some hand-painted bird buttons, a nifty needlepoint purse and sterling silver necklace shaped like a purse. Laurie found some neat ephemera for an upcoming book. Definitely worth the trip if you love old junk like I do. We had a very nice dinner at a local joint before heading back to our hotel. Laurie had to leave Sat. morning, but dropped me off at the Algonquin Commons outdoor mall to shop on her way out of town. A day of wandering, inspiration and a couple of movies rounded out a very rare, relaxing weekend. If the sun had been shining, it would have been perfect! Sooooooo looking forward to spring!
Talk to ya later this week,
Lynne
I just got home from a weekend in Chicago with designer Laurie Simpson of Minick & Simpson at the Vintage Textile Show in Elgin, IL. Laurie scored a few great fabrics there last year and I was eager to check it out. Although we didn't find much vintage fabric, we did find some way cool stuff - some hand-painted bird buttons, a nifty needlepoint purse and sterling silver necklace shaped like a purse. Laurie found some neat ephemera for an upcoming book. Definitely worth the trip if you love old junk like I do. We had a very nice dinner at a local joint before heading back to our hotel. Laurie had to leave Sat. morning, but dropped me off at the Algonquin Commons outdoor mall to shop on her way out of town. A day of wandering, inspiration and a couple of movies rounded out a very rare, relaxing weekend. If the sun had been shining, it would have been perfect! Sooooooo looking forward to spring!
Talk to ya later this week,
Lynne
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