Big news!

The time has finally come that I'm able to share my exciting news.  My quilt is in the upcoming April 2014 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine.  Here's a picture of the cover (not my quilt), but the little "gorgeous applique" square in the upper right hand corner refers to my project.

Yes, obviously I'm excited, this is my first time being published.

   

“Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2014 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.”

 This project was such a labor of love.  From the first design work, finding just the right fabric, and then working up the first block.  Joyous colors, my favorite actually.  Who can't love purple and orange?

 “Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2014 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.”

The diagonal set of the repeated block is what creates all the movement and I can't wait to try this idea again, I've got a dozen ideas floating around in my head.  I hesitate to make a new time commitment and then realized I can make just one block and multiply it on the computer before I continue on.  Hmmm...I may be getting started sooner than I thought.

“Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2014 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.”

A big thank you to American Patchwork & Quilting for including me in your magazine, you were all so wonderful to work with, it was a real pleasure.

Wrapping up...2013

The weekend before Christmas we decided (at the last minute) we needed to have family pictures done.  It's seldom that all ten of us are together. I can't wait to get the rest of the photos and to do this again in the summer.   Megan Rose did the photos for us, she was so great!  Made us feel at ease immediately.

 

Our son's children spent a couple of extra days with us and the girls were leaving before Wednesday so they opened their gifts early.  Addisyn LOVED her dolly.  Now I know what to make for her birthday...doll clothes!!

 

Ratchet loves Alexis (it's mutual I believe). 

 

 

Wednesday was another wonderful day with family.  Somehow I didn't spend much time with the camera, probably enjoying the kiddos too much.

 

We celebrated our anniversary with a quick trip to Sisters for breakfast.  We left the foggy dreary valley to find wide open blue skies and sunshine.  I did not take this picture but it is exactly what it looked like on Saturday. 

 

So it's about time to get back to work after a week away from the shop.  The phone will likely be busy tomorrow, mostly returning calls.  This is a scrappy quilt we started at Third Monday sewing group at our church.  It may need to be bigger so I'm contemplating whether to add more blocks or just borders to increase the size. 

What do you think?  More blocks, borders, or perhaps both?

 

Happy New Year, may 2014 be a year that each of us follow our passion and find our purpose.

 

Almost ready to celebrate Christmas!!

This lovely was among one of many Christmas deadlines.  Isn't it so festive?  I love the colors.

The tree is up and decorated.  We found a lovely Turkish pine on a little tree farm not far from home.  An elderly couple are lovingly growing the beauties and doing a marvelous job.  Besides which, very reasonably priced.

Lights are up outside if it counts that I used clothespins to attach them to the grid of the wire fence in a chevron pattern.  I used the last strand to wrap around my wreath.  Festive enough and no ladder required.

The last Christmas deadline quilt is nearly finished, just need to trim it and join the binding.  I understand the stress my clients have, knowing they still have to stitch down the binding (this one nearly king size) in a few short days. 

My knitting (Alyssa's poncho) isn't finished but I have a back up plan in the event I don't finish so I'm relaxing that pressure.  She has a January birthday...perhaps a more reasonable deadline.

There are still dinners to plan and a house to get clean but for some reason, this year, I'm feeling unhurried and relaxed about the whole thing.  There is a fresh understanding that this celebration time is not about food or decorations or presents. We are celebrating the birthday of our Savior, Jesus.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Day 29

I am thankful for quiet. That kind of quiet that comes after the hustle and bustle of a house full of people.  It was wonderful to have a house full and it is wonderful to have quiet. 

Thankful also that  we were able to raise our children in a quieter time.  Before the constant focus on the electronic device, when there were still bedtimes and routines, mealtimes, playtimes.  It makes me worry a bit about the future generations.  Perhaps that serenity prayer, the courage to change what you can and accept what you can't with the wisdom to know the difference is another thing to be thankful for.

Peace to you all!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Day 28

What an awesome Thanksgiving day it has been.  So the list of thankfulness begins.

Our son came with his three children Wednesday evening to spend a couple of nights and be with us all day today.  The kids stayed up really late last night, thankful they crashed early this evening.

These two precious girls are nearly five years old.  Natalie (left) has her birthday in December, Addisyn (right) in March.  They were both so excited to see each other, playing inside and out.  Thankful for the dry weather and the love of little cousins.

 

My turkey turned out moist, first time ever I think.  I'm thankful I splurged on the Butterball instead of making due with the Jenny-O.

I am thankful that Alyssa loves her big cousin, Alexis, and in return Alexis is gracious, kind and patient with her younger cuz.  Grandson, Jacob, was in a few of my photos but nothing I can post.  Picture a fourteen year old boy with headphones playing computer games.  Yep. 

 

I enjoyed, so much, having our children and their families here today. 

 

I am thankful (and a bit in awe) that other than turkey, a couple of dinner rolls, and juice we had NO leftovers.  Not dressing, not mashed potatoes, fruit, veggies, dessert...nothing!!  I'm not sure if I figured well or if they just quit when it ran out.  Oh! and I'm thankful for paper plates and plastic cups.  Made the day so much more pleasant (for me) not having to do major clean up. 

 

My little trip to Target yesterday turned out great.  I only have a couple of gifts left to find or finish making. 

 

Hope you all had a wonderful day with your family and friends.

 

 

 

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Day 25, 26 & 27

I am thankful that there really are no Thankfulness Police.  I would imagine they are similar to Quilt Police and I'm thankful they don't really exist either.  Oh, there are people who think they are them, but really, they have no authority in our endeavors. 

I am thankful for sales.  Heading off to Target this morning to get a dolly for one of the granddaughters.  I will not be going out tomorrow evening or on black Friday.  I may be thankful for sales but I am not crazy.  I really dislike crowds and though I can be competitive in some areas, getting the deal is not one of them.  I think it's all hype anyway.

I am thankful for what Christmas is really all about, and it isn't the sale, or the presents, or the decorations, or the food.  How is it that we humans can turn something awesome completely upside down and backwards?  Ok, I'm pretty sure I know the answer to that question, but greater is HE that is in me than he that is in the world (1John 4:4)

I am thankful for good neighbors. The kind that don't get upset when your dog goes visiting,  playing and running with their dog to the point that neither dog is listening and they're both having so much fun they can hardly stand it.  The kind of neighbor that loans you a leash (since you didn't take one with you when you went to retrieve the dog) to get the dog home.

I am thankful for my husband who can replace the rear seal in the truck (again) and for God's provision (again).
 
I am thankful for oranges.  Especially Cuties.  Those seedless little compact citrus gems full of sunshine and vitamin C are amazing good. 

I am thankful for Mrs. B for teaching me how to knit when I was seven.  I don't know how to spell her name but phonetically it would be something like botch-a-gull-loop-o.  She didn't teach me everything, nor perfectly correct.  I never developed a passion for knitting but I can do it well enough that one of the grand girlies will be getting a poncho for Christmas.  I'm two skeins into the five skein project.

I am thankful for other things too.....more to come. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Day 23 & 24

Yesterday I went (with my sisters) to a memorial service for an older cousin.  Jan had suffered from ALS for nearly a decade though she was first diagnosed in 2009.  She lived a wonderful and full life which included struggles and heartaches.  In the last couple of years of her battle with this horrible disease she had come to a place of peace and courage, I am so thankful that she is now free.

There were many stories told of the memories she had made with her family, friends and loved ones.  Today is memory making day here at our house.  The grandson is here to bake pies and spend the night.  I realized how old I am as soon as he opened his mouth...when did his voice change?  Oh my, I was so not ready for it.  This will be the year of pie baking voice changing memories....thankful, once again.