We're baaack!

I know Quilt Market has been pretty thoroughly covered on many other blogs, but Pam and I just got home so we've got lots to report. I assume she got home...haven't heard from her since she dropped me off last night, but after spending 8 straight days with me, she may be under her bed whimpering. Who knows.

So we left last Wednesday, which seems like soooo long ago.


Started pretty early, too!


It was daylight by the time we got to Shasta Lake--what a lovely area.



And it's just not spring quilt market time without snow! At least this time we didn't have to drive through it.

Looked around a bit in Dunsmuir...and discovered that Pam has a darling place in the mountains. Who knew?

Tough to find a place to eat...and I do believe we should have kept looking. Here's our breakfast being prepared at one of those fun retro diners. Every item in the place was covered with a nice film of retro grease, but we lived to tell about it, and that's the important thing, right?

Well, there's lots more to tell, with actual quilty pics and antique shop tales...but I still haven't unpacked and my guys so thoughtfully have left me with MUCH to do. More soon!!

Happy Monday!

It was certainly a beautiful weekend to be working nonstop in the studio! Seriously. It looked so nice outside that I decided to let Melvin enjoy it as well. Presley loaned out his basket and Melvin had a blast.



If you do any of your own machine quilting, you may already know about this product, but if not, you SO should! It's by Quilting Made Easy and you just stick the papers on your quilt with the adhesive strips, and just quilt right on the lines. The motifs are super easy to adjust to the exact size you need and the paper peels right off. I love the stuff.

This week is total crunch time--so much left to do!
Have a great week, everyone!

Oh and P.S.: A big thank you to Alicia for sending the link to another wonderful place to view piggies...because Jack, Louie, Compton, Turbo and Melvin are not enough! Not to mention that apparently now I need to be sewing little pig outfits...

How did this happen??!!!

Tell me there's something wrong with my phone. And my fax machine. They say it's April 30th? IT CAN'T BE.

I've been spending so much time chained to my Bernina that I've MISSED almost an entire month?

Pam reminded me yesterday--in her cheeriest voice--that we're leaving for Portland in 2 weeks!

Am I even remotely close to being ready? That would be a NO.



I've missed a few things around here...never did get the yard cleaned up for spring but that didn't stop the roses from starting their magic. Had to really fight my way over here to see "Evelyn" in bloom...


Didn't get my hanging baskets planted out back...that was an upsetting thing for our resident mourning doves to deal with, but they adapted by actually building a sturdy nest in a more reasonable place.

Many things have been blooming up in the studio, however...
And Melvin has been enjoying the nonstop company.

You'll be hearing lots more from me in May...you know, starting TOMORROW...since there are lots of quilts being finished up and Market preparations are in full swing. Hope you all are doing well--I haven't been on a single blog in weeks!

The theme is...

BABIES!


Nah, not exactly real babies, but you'll see what I mean.
Like "Cherry Baby" by LakeHouse Dry Goods, which even after several previous project is just so much fun to play with!

And Eldest Son Eric (the car guy) brought Turbo over for a few days so he could go visit his gf in Santa Barbara. Yes, Turbo is like a baby. Eric had requested that I bathe him and trim his nails--the least pleasant aspects of Pig Maintenance.



He initially wasn't too sure about hanging out with Grampa, but he totally remembered me and we had a great time! He was a good sport about the bath, too. And he smells ever so much better now.





He and Melvin pretty much ignored each other so we had lots of time to cuddle. I know, it's darn strange, but what can I say?

Now it's full-on Power Sewing for the rest of the month.

Not so great at time management...

Honestly. Here it is, mere WEEKS away from Spring Quilt Market and what have I been doing? Shopping with Pam. Eating lunch with Pam. Driving Pam around (but hey--when I drive we get places faster.)
Well, today I decided I should do some working. Indeed I should! I've got quilts still to make, instructions to write, and so on.

I started my work day by gathering the quilts that will soon be on their way to Oregon for a trunk show at Traditions Quilt Shop in Baker City. One of the items that will travel is a Little Purse designed of course by Pam.

That got me thinking. I don't actually have a Little Purse for Spring. I've got a darling new jacket from Anthropologie, and nothing to go with it! Will making a purse help me in any way toward getting ready for Market? Certainly not! Is it imperative that I do so anyway? Yes!


So I gathered some pretty fabrics, and you have to admit, Lecien makes some of the very prettiest, and off I went.



I've made so many of these little bags that it didn't take long at all. I used a vintage French button (acquired on a trip with Pam) and some vintage French trim (acquired on a different trip with Pam) and I'm quite pleased with the result! I used a little bit of glue to help those buttons because quite frankly, I suck at sewing on buttons, and now I can get back to the real work.

Of making quilts and showing you sneak peeks of them.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Do not attempt!

To thwart Pam, that is.

Awhile back, Pam got the coolest thing...a frog spitter. Not sure if she ever posted about it, but I've wanted one ever since she first discussed getting a frog spitter. I also like to just say "frog spitter", especially since turns out people tend to not know what on earth you're talking about. Frog Spitter.

So anyhoo, in case you don't know this, Pam knows where to find pretty much anything. You can order a frog spitter online, but for real savings, you need to go to the source.
Last week, after dropping off my husband and Jeff at the Oakland airport, I drove back to Livermore to meet up with Pam. We got into her car (someday one of us will have to explain why Pam always drives)and drove up to 98th Ave in Oakland, which coincidentally, is where the Oakland airport is. Go figure. Anyway, a few twists and turns later, we're in front of Art Craft Statuary. Which really isn't a store, it's where they make the stuff. Like statues missing heads (guess I was absent that day in Art History), and huge fountains, etc. And frog spitters.

We had to wait awhile because my frog spitter arrived fresh from the...the...whatever you call the big place where frog spitters are made. He had to be cleaned, sanded, and given his spitting tube.

Next we went to Lowe's to gather the additional supplies. I was having a Bad Day and Pam's so experienced, so I left everything in her hands. Saw her locate the pump which specified the 1/2" tubing that we needed and into the cart it went. Along with the other items: the tubing itself, and a big pot.
We get home and discover that the pump requires 3/8" tubing. How can that be? We both SAW her get the right pump!
So back to Lowe's we go. Where we find an adapter kit. Pam, not wanting to take any chances, opens the kit and tries it out on the sample pump that's on display. It fits perfectly, so I purchase it as well as a cool water plant and a tacky fake lily pad and back home we go.
Only to discover that the adapter does NOT fit.
Off Pam goes to the hardware store...where she figures someone will help her. No such luck but she comes back with some different tubing stuff and voila! I have a fountain!


I'd really hoped to surprise Husband with the amazing water feature we now have, but he's not really into frog spitters, it seems.
He's also noticed that my pot seems to have a leak.
Indeed it does. But we'll face that on another day. Like when Spring decides to come back and I'm not shivering in my long sleeves.


But our cold gray day is appropriate, I suppose, when working on Christmas quilts. Here's a peek at an upcoming pattern. I love these little Smores guys!

It's that time again

Where did the weekend go? I'd honestly planned to do this on Saturday, but was so busy basking in the quiet of an (almost) empty house that the time just slid by. Youngest son Jeff and my husband were in Texas visiting his family, so it was just Nick and me, but there wasn't a lot of together time since Nick is 18 and all.
So what did I do?
I cleaned the house.

But you didn't come here to read about my weekend, you came to see who won the book!
It would be much faster to just tell you who won, but it took a lot of effort to get this drawing to happen, so prepare for lots of piggy pics.



So I plop Melvin down on this adorable Lecien fabric (dash on over to the Fat Quarter Shop so you can get some, too)
and what do I get? Nothing.

Time to shift his position and plop him again. Like so.



Nothing.



But wait! Something has captured his interest!



This is obviously going to take ALL DAY.



So time to bring out the Big Guns. Remember Jack? He's really not good for much, but the dude loves his paper.



And he goes right to work.



Know why the paper is so blurry? It's because he's gnawing away on it. He loves a good, fresh Xerox offering.


So congratulations to "weet Cottage Dreams"! I do believe that's "Sweet" Cottage Dreams, but Jack got a bit carried away.

OK, who is next? There were too many wonderful comments to pick just one name, you know. So back to Jack, who dives right in.





It's Annie from San Diego!

Congratulations to both winners. Just send your address to me at latebloomerquilts@yahoo.com and I'll get the books off to you right away!

Tending my

It was so much fun to take the time to plant my pretties...and that has given me the excuse to spend a little more time in the yard. Our beautiful days are cooling off a bit, but that's fine. Things are definitely waking up and starting to bloom, so even if it's still cold where you are...trust me--Spring really is coming!

I adore these little double impatiens...




It'll be interesting to see how long this hydrangea lasts by the front door. You know, before some huge-footed teenager comes barging into the house some evening. It WILL happen.

Aren't you glad your name isn't "Scabiosa"? Poor little dears!



Why must I continue to plant things that make me sneeze? Why ask why?



Well, I can't help any of you with your springtime planting, but maybe you'd like to make a "Nest" pillow of your own? It's my very favorite project from my book, and though I've given away books before, seems like the right time to send one off again! If you'd like a copy, leave a comment and I'll see if I can find a guinea pig to draw a name this weekend.

Spring Fever!

So today I met Pam closer to her side of town--we had quilt tops to drop off for Quilter Extraordinaire Diana to work her magic on. I'd never actually been to Diana's and Pam knows the way. (Pam actually knows the way pretty much anywhere, but that's another story.)
Turns out Diana lives in one of those older neighborhoods where every house is totally charming. Like to DIE FOR charming. So we drove around a bit drooling over all the homes and yards.
It's a tricky balancing act--to sightsee just enough--so that we're having fun and not feeling too discouraged over what our own tract houses look like.

Got home and it was so stinkin' BEAUTIFUL out...and that combined with the intense relief over dropping the quilt tops off...I just couldn't settle down. So I called my dad and uncle and we went to our local nursery.



You know, Alden Lane...home of the annual quilt show.



It's pretty much impossible to not come home with something. The fact that I have a smallish car is about the only thing that kept me in check!

This viburnum that's just coming into bloom, doesn't look like much right now but the flowers smell heavenly.



And here's my little box full of Possibility...it'll be such fun to pot these all up this weekend.



I'm looking forward to a nice, quiet and sunny Easter...I hope you all have a wonderful weekend as well!

Keeping Entertained

It's been crazy around here--12 and 13 hour days--which will continue for some time. I don't know about you, but I've learned that it's generally best not to be left alone with my own thoughts for an extended period. Hence the need for entertainment while stitching.

A couple of years ago my husband got me a very nice radio/CD/ipod system. Somehow I've managed to become tired of all 200+ songs on my ipod and we really don't have any good music stations. Said husband enjoys talk radio, and I've tried both liberal and conservative shows and within 5 minutes of either I feel compelled to start throwing things. Like rotary cutters.



I know plenty of people who have neat little tvs in their studios. Well, my space is quite small and the only way to make room for a tv would be to find a new location for Melvin and that's just not gonna happen.

So yesterday while listening to the podcast of the one radio show I do really enjoy, I learned about a super cool website--maybe you all know about this, but it was terrific news to me. Tons of tv shows! Old ones, current ones...all with limited commercials.

So last night I stuck my ibook on my table and stitched up triangles in the company of Gomez Addams! It was awesome.

Yawn!

Between the time change and the Benadryl, I'm feeling a lot of Melvin-envy this morning. The little guy has the right idea.



Gotta keep going though; I'm still way behind! I think it was 2 weeks ago that Pam and I went back up to Quilter's Inn--had to see the shop sample Kathy made of Flight of Fancy. As is often the case, I like her version way more than mine. She used wool for the pears and cherries, which I really love. How's this for embarrassing...I asked where she got her letters, as they seemed vaguely familiar...ummm...she used my book!
And yes, they do have kits!



Meanwhile, back in the studio, it's beginning to look a bit like Christmas--unlike outside, which looks (insert sneeze here) a lot like Spring!

Show & Tell (part 2)

Can you believe this? Two posts in a row, people!

Recently I received an email from Lynn, who is a very talented local quilter. Here's the quilt she made for her sister--the body of the design, and the lettering, is from my book, but Lynn made the quilt extra special by getting really creative with her applique.
She created the bouquet by using extra flowers from a Horsefeathers design, and the bow is from a Laurene Sinema pattern. I think the quilt is so beautiful--and what a lucky sister Lynn has!

Show & Tell (part 1)

I know, I know, I have been terrible with the blogging stuff. Time has really gotten away from me lately. Market prep is going full swing and family obligations, of both worrisome and fun varieties have taken up every second of the day. And then some.
Meanwhile I've been accumulating photos of things that really need to be shown off. And so show them off I will!
Now here's what's really embarrassing. I taught a class A MONTH AGO and am just now getting around to discussing it. It was an awesome True Love class and I had wonderful, talented students. Who get stuff done.




Just like last time, Kathleen finished first. Cute heart, huh?



Well she didn't stop there--she ended up turning the pillow motif into a wallhanging for her garage. It's my understanding that anyone going past her house gets to gaze upon it--how clever is that? (Just tip your head to the side for the proper effect, please!)



The thing I remember most about Nikki was the vintage lace she brought to class. Miles of it! And all gorgeous. She owns so much vintage lace that when it starts to fall on the floor, which it did, multiple times (gasp!) she doesn't even care. You'd better believe she was keeping an eye on me, though.



Jean, who has a darling blog, btw, loves all things Scottie (and who wouldn't?) so she was working on a very appropriate cone. It isn't finished in this pic, but you get the idea.



Last but certainly not least, Sara was putting together a lovely assortment of fabrics and she sent me a pic of her finished runner. It's so stinkin' pretty! She used lots of Verna's pretty fabrics.



We had a special guest arrive while we were toiling away...Carol wanted to show me how she'd enlarged the runner to make a bigger quilt. Carol's specialty is taking a Late Bloomer pattern and then messing with it...and as usual, the end result is so pretty!

OK, that's enough for part one...I'll be showing off some more projects later in the week and we'll soon be having another giveaway, so stay tuned.