Summer is still here!

Well, the kids are going back to school today, and the Olympics are finished. I will miss those late night hours trying to stay awake long enough to see who wins the gold. The closing ceremonies last night were awesome, and China really outdid themselves in Bejing. It was spectacular! I always remembered when I was a kid that going back to school meant summer was over. But we are still having 100+ days and it is not over here in the high desert by a long shot! Roxy has finally learned how to use her doggy door, and if I can just keep her from jumping up and biting the batting hanging down from the longarm I might be able to get something done! Not that she is mischevious or anything like that!! lol! For those of you that have asked, Cindy is learning to accept Roxy in the house, though she's not thrilled just yet. She wants to sleep and Roxy would rather play, so you know how that goes. She is allowing her to sleep next to her now though, so I think with time, it will get even better!

I just ordered this scrumptious pattern from Heather Baileys website and can hardly wait to make one for myself! I have a bowl of pears on my dining table and I just couldn't resist this. I think I'll blow the pattern up larger and make a big one for the table. What do you think? Of course having Heathers beautiful fabric to make it doesn't hurt either!!

This is a cake layer and FQ set my beautiful and thoughtful daughter, Charlotte got me for my birthday last month. I am still looking for just the right project. I just love this line by Moda.

My husband came home with this picture from work last week and said "Hey, I saw this floor in one of the casinos and thought it would make a great quilt pattern"! Now isn't he a sweetheart? I have been working in EQ6 to see what I can come up with. I took lessons with http://www.quiltuniversity.com/ to learn how to draw my own applique patterns and it is really a huge help. I still have more lessons to get through but I have to space those in between the Market quilt projects right now. I just finished another for P&B and it is VERY contemporary, and I'll send a pic soon. Got to get busy and finish up the binding, then off to UPS it goes. My next project is called "The Apple Orchard", a new design for Benartex and Nancy Halverson's new line. I will keep you posted!

Congrats to Anne Sutton (Bunny Hill Designs) for having American Patchwork and Quilting magazine come to her house! Check out her blog and see her great workspace. http://www.bunnyhill.blogspot.com/

Until next time, keep quilting!

Diane

Meet Roxy!

This is Roxy! She is a 3 mo old Rat Terrier and I got her last Sunday. Now you know why I haven't been on my blog like I should have been! She is a very busy and smart little girl. I am going through the "potty training" phase, which I haven't done in over 14years, so needless to say it is a new challenge and very time consuming! But we love her and she is a sweetheart too, very loving and happy to have a new home with us. Doesn't she have the cutest face ever?!!

Here are some blocks of an embroidery quilt that I have been teaching for a year. I can't get these close ups to turn the right way, so hope you can make them out anyway!! This is a block of the month using machine embroidery and was lots of fun. We all used different colorways. This is a pattern by Lynda Howell called Bloomin Flowers. Below is a finished quilt center, still awaiting the final borders by Debbie Peterson! Everyone's quilts came out so cute.

These blocks were some work, but we had a great time making them! I am finishing up another quilt and 2 more boxes of fabric have arrived! More designs to work on and the longarm will be very busy soon. I am working on a line by Nancy Halvorsen and I'm really excited to get it started. There is always so many things to do and so little time! Roxy sleeps in my sewing room for her naps when I am sewing, but I do have give her some attention too! She has already learned how to sit and come, so hopefully she will being going out the doggy door to do more than just play!!

Will be talking to you all soon!

Have fun while summer's still here!

Diane

A new Giveaway!

I have to let you all know real

quick that http://lilatuellerdesigns.blogspot.com/ is having a wonderful giveaway for a beautiful bag. I entered, and so can you, it's not too late! What have we got to loose? There are only over 400 entries so far!!!! LOL ......Good luck to all.
ALSO, there is a great new swap at http://chookyblue.blogspot.com/ for a Christmas swap. Should be tons of fun.
Diane

Holy Cow, it's August already!

I don't know where July went, and it's really sad, because that was my birthday month!!! :( But I guess life must go on, and boy can I tell it's getting closer to fall, because Houston Market is quickly closing in on us, and I am trying to get projects out to companies as soon as they arrive so I'm not making the mistake I made last time of 6 quilts in 6 weeks! Talk about the time going fast!! I lived, breathed, ate and slept (or NOT) quilts!!
Here is a close up of a block for my newest quilt for Benartex. The wheel design I derived from the wheel in the fabric---you can see it on the big piece. This is a beautiful line coming soon from Benartex, has a very oriental flair and really pretty colors. I will post more about it in the future!



Here is my July wall hanging, sadly before I take it down, and decide what new wall hanging I will put up for August. This one is a pattern by Country Stitches that I made a couple of years ago. It was fun, with all the buttons. I sew all my buttons on by machine now. Most machines have a button-sew-on program that ties the knot before and after the stitching. It is so fast and easy. Put your feed dogs down, make sure with the hand wheel that the movement of the needle will match the width of holes in your buttons. Then they sew on in seconds flat. So fast and easy. My Bernina has a special foot just for holding the button in position. If your machine doesn't have a program for sewing buttons on, use a zigzig setting, lower the feed dogs and adjust the stitch width to match the holes in the button. See, you're a pro already!

My African Violets are finally blooming again. I began to wonder if they ever would show their little petals again!

I just have to share with you one of my collections that are starting to take over my kitchen! I got my first bird when we went on a trip with friends to Death Valley. These funky little chickens are made by the Indians and are painted up so cute! (I only collect funky chickens). Well recently, my friend Faye, from Arizona, sent me a beautiful surprise. He is the big yellow bird she picked up for me in Zion National Park. I just love him! His colors are perfect. I have them all displayed in front of my very colorful Radiant Suns quilt that I made 4 years ago. This hangs in our entry. It was the first batik and curved piecing quilt I had ever made. I love jewel tone colors. Well, I guess you can see that, but I thought my chickens were perfect right there. My friend Janet gave me the cute one on the left with real feathers! I love it! (big picture)

I also wanted to share that I found a new blog by my friend Suzanne, my favorite quilt shop owner in Bakersfield, Ca called Strawberry Patches! Her blog is http://patches.typepad.com/ and she is having a great giveaway right now so be sure to go and visit her blog!!

Back now to finishing up that quilt, and I will have some fun finished projects to show you real soon!

Diane