I'm back, I'm still alive.

My gosh, how time flies.  It has been pretty crazy with Spring Market work, and then my Dad became very ill and I flew to Seattle to spend some time with my parents.  He was in the hospital for 13 days at the ripe old age of 88 before they finally decided he could come home, much to everyone's relief.  He had an intestinal blockage that finally fixed itself, and we were all glad that he didn't have to go in for surgery before it was over.  Along the way I got a great pic of Mt St. Helens from the window seat.  It was a clear beautiful day so I was thrilled to see it so clearly.  I remember my parents telling me how they actually heard the blast when St Helens blew.  Amazing.

So now after several long weeks, I can say that I actually finished all 9 quilts, plus designed 15 more.  There will be alot of quilts coming out in magazines this year from many of these.  The first one this year is the Summer issue of Fabric Trends magazine.  I also got a full page add in Fons and Porter for a quilt I designed for Quiliting Treasures last year!  It has been busy, busy, busy.  I'm really thankful that alot of the pressure is off on deadlines.  I'm still designing more, and have 4 more quilts to make.  A few longarm jobs in betweenand I should be all caught up!  HELP!  I need a vacation!!!!  

 

This one I think I posted in the past while it was still in progress.   This line is called Summer Solstice by RJR Fabrics.

The heat has been unreal here in Vegas for almost a week now.  Last Sunday was 110!  Summer came quick, I hardly knew Spring was here.  Summer here can almost be like those cold snowy winters in the midwest.  We just stay inside and quilt!  lol  Well, I guess not everyone quilts, but that's what's going on in this house!

Personally, I just love strawberries and they are in season. Love that strawberry shortcake.  I always make mine using a white cake mix to bake the cake, then serve it warm with sliced sweet strawberries and your favorite whip cream.   Speaking of cake, I have a whole new design called "Eat Dessert First".  It's adorable and I hope you will enjoy it too when it comes out.  Here's a little sneak peak for you!

There are cupcakes too in the pattern.  I'll keep you posted on when it will be out there! 

I know it's not Thanksgiving just yet.  But I am so thankful for my Dad's recovery and the fact that I have a job in these times. Hope you are all well and happy, and I definitely plan to be back soon.

Until then, Keep Quilting....                                                                            

Fiber Arts Show, Pahrump, NV

Best of Show!!!

The Pahrump Fiber Arts Show was held on April 9-11 this year, and I was very honored to be asked to judge the show this year!  It was a great experience, I learned alot, and met some wonderful ladies and quilters at the show.  There were some BEAUTIFUL quilts to peruse, and I was like a kid in a candy store!!  LOL!  But I wanted to share some of these beautiful quilts with all of you!  The bargello quilt was just fantastic, the color choices really took your breath away! I have these posted at random here.  There were a few really cute and whimsical quilts as well, like the frogs in the water!!This one is Judge's Choice

The Best of Show was an exquisite piece of work, all hand stitched applique and hand quilted.  I wish these pics showed up better!

I have many other here at random, for you to see.Frogs!!Here is just another sneak peak at some of my own handiwork, a couple of quilts that are heading to Spring Market 2010!

There will soon be some upcoming magazines to share with you as well!  The weather has been wonderful, but the sewing room is calling.  Lots more work to do before Market!  Until then, Keep Quilting!!

Easter is coming!

Peanut is wondering what is going on around here.  There are eggs everywhere.  Real ones and glass ones......

And rabbits of all things.But Roxy doesn't seem to be bothered with all this nonsense.  She's just waiting for the peeps to come out.  In  full force.  She knows how it works around here. 

 The flowers are in bloom, the weather is getting nicer and it won't be long before we start eating outdoors again.  The flowers have been beautiful so far!  Of course, when it's spring, it also means Spring Market, and I've been busy busy busy.  Here's a sneak peak of one that has already shipped out!  I'll have lots more to show you soon!

I'll be sharing a new logo design with you very soon too!  And in the meantime I know what I'll be doing.......Keep Quilting!!

New Addition to the Sewing Room

I think my poor husband might be glad he's going back to work this week. He had some vacation time to kill, and we decided to stay home. We went to the movies, and out to dinner, and before he knew what hit him, he was moving furniture and hanging shelves up for me!! Well, I have to say, it really was his fault. He decided he didn't want the elliptical in the dining room anymore. "What? You mean it doesn't look good in the dining room?" I exclaim. Well, NO, not particularly. So, the quest was on to find a place in the house where it would fit, and I would still use it. Yes, I do use it. I won't tell you how often, but I do still use it. So into my sewing room it went! It weights about 200 lbs, it really is a nice one, so we finally put those furniture sliders under the base and "slid" it right into my sewing room. Of course this demanded a total room makeover, so before you know it, I'm changing quilts on the walls and hanging all those little hooks and shelves I've been meaning to get to for eons. We moved a huge cabinet in the corner to the opposite corner so that ever important and quintessential elliptical would fit .
Now here's a shot looking in from the doorway, and you really don't even know it's there!

Moving quilts meant the longarm room had to have some changes as well, so he really didn't know what monster he had uncovered until it was WAY too late!! lol!

New quilts now hang in the longarm room, and I really enjoy the new view.

Ooops, yes, those ARE Twilight posters on that far wall. Ok, you caught me.

I also have the only quilt I've ever sent to a really big quilt show hanging there. I sent it to Road to Calif in 2004, and it was accepted. It won Best of Show in my quild that year for our quilt challenge, and I have to say, it was one of the most fun quilt projects I ever made. The theme was God Bless America, and I finished it on the day we went to war with Iraq. I'll have to show a more close up pic in the next post. It is raw edge applique, painted, couched and was just fun in general finding fabrics, like feathers for the eagle.

I also got my old bench from an old dresser that is long gone painted and recovered. It looks way better than it did in that old antique ugly green.

Ok, so yes, I have been quilting as well. I'm going to get this quilt on the longarm by tomorrow. All the blocks are done and I should finish putting it all together tonight. I cooked dinner late last night while I was in the mood, so I don't have to cook tonight!


The fabrics are from RJR called Summer Solstice. This quilt will be going to Fabric Trends Magazine for their Summer issue 2010! The missing secret here is the sashing. It will look totally different when the sashing goes into the design.

Next I'll be doing a cool paper piecing design from these fabrics by Benartex, I'm just waiting for the black to come in.

I'll show you progress as we go along.

Until then, keep quilting!

Mountain Snow

For the last several days, we've been talking wonderful walks and loving the outdoors. The temps have been near 70, when today we woke up to this view from our backyard! It was cold and it had snowed even on some of the foothills around us! Can you believe the winter we are having this year? We have already surpassed the average rainfall for the entire year, and it is only February! Beautiful though, and we are thankful for any precip we can get!
So I finished my Santa, and thought you would like to see him, charms and all. The cross stitch has now gone back into the basket because Spring Market work has arrived with a vengence!

I have designed a total of 14 quilts, with only 2 more to get approved, and am excited that I am now also working with RJR fabrics in California!

Two boxes of fabrics have arrived already and one top is almost completed. My days are going to be getting shorter and shorter as more fabric arrives. I'm very excited about Spring Market--I will have so much to share with you!

My Valentines flowers are still holding up well. Daisies are my favorite, and I'm inspired to build a quilt with daisies in the near future!

I've also gotten a project off my list for the sewing room and recovered my press board with a great new line called "Sew Now" by Alexander Henry. What is great is that it also comes in decorator weight, which I put on the press board. I have the regular cotton to make curtains as well, but for now the curtains will have to wait.

This is made from a piece of birch plywood, then covered with batting, then the fabric and stapled to the back. I've been using this board for years and I love it because it gives you such a nice big surface area. It measures 2' x 4'.

This is the latest longarm job I am working on for my friend Debbie. This is quilt called "So Many Blocks" and she did a beautiful job on it!

Well I can't finish this post today without addressing the friends in my life who are or have family members suffering with cancer. My heart goes out to you, and you know who you are. We tend to think we have problems in our lives until we learn of those we love whose husbands, children, wives and friends are battling with this disease. It is a strong reminder to hang on tight to those we love, make the most out of every moment. I'll keep you in my prayers and know that I love you very much. Until next time......

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day to everyone! It's right around the corner! Whether you are weighed down with snow, rain or maybe a little sunshine is finally peeking through the clouds, I hope you all have a great day!!!


January and February have been busy months for me this year so far. There has been lots to do. My husband gave me a Nook for Christmas, and it arrived in February because the back orders were so huge! I've actually been enjoying READING and relaxing when I give myself the time. I'm must be improving because I never use to allow myself time for reading and playing around. It was always work, work, work!!! Don't you find it's easy to get caught up on the treadmill?
I know there are alot of reading devices out there now, but I love my new Nook, it's easy to hold reading in bed, and I can download a new book for a much lower price at any time of the day or night! I have a few to read all lined up, and some to my different series that are coming out soon
. If you've never tried one, and really enjoy reading, I highly recommend a reading device of your choice! I should be on their commercials! LOL!!

The rain has lifted today, and we have a beautiful mountain range covered with snow. I know most people to the north and the east have been really getting slammed with major snow, so my heart goes out to you all and especially in DC! We have really enjoyed the rain, more than I've seen since we moved here 6 years ago. They say it's an El Nino year, and we needed the rain so much!! Maybe it will make a small dent in our drought and low levels at Lake Mead. I hope.

I've continued to work on my cross stitch when I watch TV with my husband in the evenings, and it is coming right along! I have all kinds of designs I'm looking forward to working on!!
He's not finished yet, but I'll keep you posted!

What else have I been up to? Well, the real work these last few weeks has actually been designing quilts for new fabric lines that are coming out at Spring Market. These are just a few of the designs that have been approved so far, or possibly making it into magazines in the future. I have one quilt approved for Fabric Trends magazine in the summer issue of this year. It will be a line I'm not showing here yet by RJR fabrics. It is called Summer Solstice and you can actually see the line on their website. http://www.rjrfabrics.com/ . Look under fabrics.

This one will be in Fons and Porter magazine this year, not sure which issue yet, but it was approved. Sorry that I can't show you the whole design yet, but it is a cute crib size quilt.

I'm busy with Benartex and P&B Fabrics as usual, and here are a few that are already approved. I sure hope the fabrics start coming in soon!!!

There will be no such thing as time for myself or reading OR cross stitch once these fabrics begin to arrive on the trucks! LOL!
So until they do, I am really enjoying getting some longarm jobs done, and making a little time for the other things in life I love to do.

So until next time, Keep Quilting!