Market is right around the corner!

Time is going faster than ever, and this year Houston Quilt Market is two weeks closer!! I have a few sneak peaks of some quilts that willl be hanging at market this year.

This one is ready for the longarm machine right now. A BOM for Benartex, soon to be made out of a new line by Nancy Halvorsen called Tried and True. This photo is a sample for show before the new line arrives.

Alex Anderson's new line by P&B Textiles. This block shows off the large print. These colors are so beautiful!!

One of the blocks in the BOM

There was a great side trip 2 weeks ago, even at Market time I can't miss out on the yearly Loa retreat by Marsha Chappell. It was nice to get away from the Vegas heat and enjoy some rain and thunderclouds in this tiny little town of Loa, Utah.

The trees were starting to turn color in the higher country.
You can see the yellow and gold high on the mountains.

This is part of our group ready to unload all the "stuff" we need to sew to our hearts content.

Becky and Kelly are just hating life. You can see some of the quilts coming to life in the background as we start laying blocks on the design walls.

Janet is working hard too, see that intense face?

More quilts coming together.

All the quilts looked so different, it was a really fun project.

This is my quilt, still needing a few more vertical seams to be sewn.

After all the fun, it was back to work when we got home, and the midnight oil is burning.

Soon market will be behind us, and I'll be able to get out the fall decorations and recover my dining room chairs! Maybe even make a quilt or two just because!!

Until I can get back, keep quilting!

Surprise Cover of Fons and Porter!

Well I had some really exciting news last week! I had no idea, but my Country Sunflowers quilt, made from the Farmyard Toile line by Benartex, made the Fons and Porter Cover!!!! It's my first magazine cover, and I was thrilled. It's not a hard quilt to do at all, and the appliqued sunflowers are very easy. So I hope that some of you get to see it!

It has been a crazy busy couple of weeks, with market fabrics coming in and I am now also a new college student! So my time is really getting filled up with work and learning, and sewing and quilting! I'm so excited to be taking a class in digital imaging, which will really help me in my business of pattern making. I have huge goals but it is always many baby steps to get there. I just keep plugging along, and I know with time and much effort, I will get there!

I just had to share with you a beautiful quilt that one of my customers, Kimberly made, and I got it finished for her on the longarm recently. This is one of my favorite patterns called Cottage Garden by Alma Allen from the Quilting in the Garden book that came out a couple of years ago. I love the colorway that Kimberly chose.

I believe she took this quilt class at Darlene Finney's company workshop, Quilters Quarters, in Henderson. One of the teachers, Eileen Hersley is fabulous when it comes to applique.

More exciting news! I have worked for several years, first as an employee, and then later as a teacher on occasion for a store in Henderson called Quiltique. It is a beautiful shop here in town and they made it to the Fall 2009 issue of Quilt Sampler magazine. Congrats to them!!! Since I am now in the business of designing, they asked me if I would work up a design for their quilt featured in the magazine.

Soooo, I said yes, and the results are this new "Out of the Box Argile" quilt made with very contemporary fabrics and colors which is so characteristic of the store!
We all got to pose for a store photo. The owners of Quiltique, the Tibesars, Jennifer, her Mother and Father, Jan and Bob, and sister Kara are in the foreground, from center to the right. I am on the front left, and the rest of the employees and teachers are all there, except for Kay McCain, manager of Bernina who was out of town. Sadly, Karen in the pink passed away unexpectedly last month after the photo was taken. She will be sorely missed.

Here is a picture of the quilt. Check it out when you get the chance!! It would be really nice in traditional fabrics too.

Last weekend I did manage to get away with a few friends for some relaxation (I know, at Market time, am I crazy?) at my friend Kelly's cabin in Utah, and this year we had new wildlife to enjoy. Thought you might really get a kick out of the family of chipmunks that came to feed on the porch. We started with seeds and nuts, and before long they were nibbling on watermelon rind and all kinds of goodies to fatten themselves up for the winter!!! Check out Mr. Cool and Casual, laying all stretched out while the others fed themselves. He looked just like my dog Roxy when she stretches out on the kitchen tile floor when its hot outside! He's a real mess! LOL!!!

It was a great weekend out of the smoke from the Calif fires and time to recharge my batteries for the weeks ahead. I will soon have some sneak peaks for you to see on my Houston quilt market projects.
I'll try to get back soon, you know if you don't hear from me right away I am busy sewing and quilting like crazy to meet deadlines! Until then, keep quilting!