Busy, busy, busy!

The new year has turned out to be one of the busiest ever for me.  Amidst the flu in our household, first my husband for over 2 weeks and then me, with a trip to the ER and several Dr's visits I think I'm finally getting back to normal!  What a relief to feel human again.  I swear I will never miss a flu shot again!  During all this I had 2 cataract surgeries which turned out to be a huge success and now I only need glasses for up close work, and that means REALLY up close work my friend!  Here I am with my friends at a fun stitchery retreat about 2 weeks ago and it was a wonderful day off!  From left to right my friends, Pat, Tina and myself.  I'm quilting so much these days that doing cross stitch is a new form of fun and relaxation!  Right outside the windows was a beautiful golf course and we had a great time.

In the meantime, I've had quite a few quilts going in magazines so far this year, and one last fall that I can see I failed to tell you about!  So I've add the latest magazine covers to the right of this post, and here are just a few of the quilts I made for them.  The latest is just now coming out, with a wonderful spread by Mc Call's that I'll share with you!  These were a ton of fun to make, and really very easy!

Simple quilts used my version of a zig zag quilt.

Fons & Porter's Easy Quilts for Summer of 2012 is a darling little girls throw.  Sorry I can't get the picture to rotate properly!!

I had a bonus quilt in the Fons & Porter Love of Quilting May/June 2012 that is beautiful Robyn Pandolph fabric by RJR.  This one was quilted by Tami Bradley.

One of my favorite quilts that I made last year went into the April/May issue of Quilt Magazine.  This one is paper pieced, and a Benartex line called "Bold and Beautiful"

I quilted this one with a contemporary design and the blocks were paper pieced.  I love to combine traditional patterns with contemporary fabrics.

I can't believe I got so far behind in my posting!  It has been such a busy year, so I hope you don't mind if I just catch up the work I've been doing all at once for you to see!

This one is called Flowers for Odessa, an RJR fabric.

Right after quilting in this picture, and the overall pattern in the smaller pic.

This Starring Kitties was in the last issue of Mc Call's quick quilts.  A fun and easy project with a border print.

LASTLY, the cover for last fall's Best of Quilts for Christmas issue by Quilter's Newsletter.  I was so excited about this cover!  The quilt used this Quilting Treasures panel print of Christmas Trees and has always been a favorite for me.  Easy paper piecing but it does take time with the border. 

Ok, now that's it!  You can see I've had a lot going on, but I hate missing out on blog time with all of you and searching through all my favorite blogs too.  Now there is also Pinterest on the web so what is a body to do?  So much wonderful information for all of us out there just full of inspiration!  I have so much to show you and share, but I think I better save it for the next post!  I should be posting more regularly again and the world is full of more than I can possibly do that I want to do!  But I have some fun upcoming projects to share, of modge podge on an old suitcase, spray painting a new file cabinet and my sewing room is looking mighty different these days!  I'm also working on a really cute Halloween cross stitch that I'll be sharing soon.  Hope you are all having a great year so far, and I hope to be back soon.  Thanks for not giving up on me---and keep quilting!!

False Spring in January!

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season!  We had a wonderful time, seeing family, being involved with holiday festivities and enjoying ourselves in general.   Of course the quilting didn't stop for long, and I can't believe I'm already designing for the spring lines, but life never stops and I can't believe how fast the time is flying by!  It has been beautiful weather here this week, in the 70's and it really feels like spring, but the plants still know it's winter.  Our warm days will be gone soon, but it's been a pleasant surprise!  Actually it makes me miss my home, the California coast, sitting by the beach.  A far cry from the high desert!  I found a picture that really inspires me!  I love the tranquil feel, the warm sand at your feet and balmy breeze on your face, the twinkle of the sun's reflection on the water, always moving, always changing. 

OK, so wake up, it's back to reality and I have some fun quilts to share!  This quilt will be in Quilt Trends magazine this year, it's a line called Odessa by RJR Fabrics!  I love the colors and the large floral.

I've been busy making cupcakes and ice cream! 

I just finished quilting this quilt for RJR, a beautiful new line by Robyn Pandolph called Lansdown Road.  Here is the finished quilt with a scalloped border.  It will be out as a kit soon.

I've found a new color range that I normally am never drawn to, but I saw a wonderful Smilebox slide show on The Quilt Show recently showing some gorgeous quilts in the browns.  I really am inspired to try something like this, as it's totally out of the box for me!  I even have to go BUY some fabric in the browns and neutral tones.  Darn! 

This is a picture of one of those quilts made by Emily Meier, in the Mystery Wheel design, also know as a Winding Ways block.  I just have to try it this year!  I think it is so beautiful in it's own subtle way.

She matched those points so perfectly!

I am also working on a personal wool project that I've just begun.  I saw this image of wool stacked up along the wall, and it's almost as pretty as some of our sunsets!  I love wool, it's so rich and soft, gives a whole new dimension to a project.  I love it when fabrics and color inspire a new idea.   Just a great reminder to enjoy each day as it comes, and put everything into it that you've got!  No fear, no regrets.  Keep Quilting!

We still need a winner, so I picked a new entry!

Well I never heard back from the original winnner of the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks magazine so I needed to pick a new winner and it is Glenna who was comment # 32 and she said  "Love your block - new blocks provide inspiration for new quilts!"  Thank you Glenna!  Send me your address please and I will make sure your magazine gets in the mail right away!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner.  We were in Sacramento for a little over a week and had a great time  seeing most of our children and grandchildren, and getting reaquainted with our newest member of the family, Shane.  He was so much fun with all his smiles, as the last time we saw him he was only 5 days old!  Now he is officially 5 months old! Here is Daddy and son, and they are so missed! 

Christmas is in full swing now and we have been busy, busy, busy!  I made a new project called a block keeper and I'll post pictures of it soon!  Now, the big challenge is to try and enjoy the holidays, make time for the fun stuff and somehow get it all done in time.  At least we can have fun trying!  LOL!  Seriously, my favorite time of the year is Christmas, so I'll be back soon with more pics!

We have a Winner!

Julie was the 44th person to comment on my blog for the winning number and a new magazine!  Julie said, "I love your block! I think 100 Blocks offers wonderful ideas for quilters to try new techniques as well as to sew more creative blocks. You designers have great ideas!" 
 Julie, I have no way to contact you, so please let me know your email address, so I can reach you and get the information I need to send you your new magazine!  I need to also send your information to the magzine, as you will be entered in other prizes as well!  I can only give you 3 days, or I'll have to draw another winner.  Congratulations on your new issue of Quiltmakers 100 Blocks, Vol 4.  I used a random number generator to pick you out fair and square!  Thanks to all of you who commented on my post!  I enjoyed hearing for each and everyone of you!  Thank you so much!

Well, the new year is coming closer and closer, but instead of waiting for New Years to make a new resolution, I decided to make one last Aug.  After a couple of espisodes with health problems I realized I needed to take better care of myself.  I've been working out at the gym since August, and I recently decided to become a full fledged Vegetarian!  I thought it would be really difficult, no meat, low fat and sugar, and hardly any dairy, but surprisingly, it has been the best thing I have ever done for myself.  I've slimmed down, I feel better and I have energy to spare.  The best part is, I never go hungry!  Woo Hoo!  I wish I had known before what I know now about food, because it is so wonderful to feel satified and lose weight at the same time!  So to celebrate my new regimen, I wanted to share with you a new a recipe that I recently discovered and LOVE! I found the recipe on the Food Network, but here it is:

It's call Curried Couscous Salad with Dried Sweet Cranberries.

Ingredients

• 1 (5.8-ounce) box instant couscous
• 3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 orange, juiced
• 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 to 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Stir the couscous, cranberries, curry powder, salt, and sugar together in a heatproof bowl. Bring water (amount will be listed on package directions) to a boil and pour it over the couscous. Add the orange juice. Give it a big stir, cover the bowl tightly and let it stand, giving it a big stir once or twice, until the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 5 minutes.

Fluff up the couscous with a fork. Add the olive oil, scallions, parsley, lemon juice, and walnuts. Stir around until everything is distributed evenly throughout the couscous. Make up to 2 hours ahead of time and keep at room temperature until you're ready to serve. Check the seasonings just before you serve the salad and add salt and pepper, to taste.
Note: To toast the walnuts, spread them out on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree F oven until they turn a shade darker, about 8 minutes.

I like it warm or cold, and I plan to have it during the holidays.  It's also good at room temperature. 


We are going to be with our children and grandchildren (all but one family) for Thanksgiving next week and we can hardly wait to see them!  We have a new grandbaby and he is over 4 months old, and we haven't seen him since he was a week old! Can't wait!  I understand he has become quite the talker as of late too!  Grandma is having withdrawals!

I'm taking a little quilting break this week, catching up on long arm jobs and planning for our trip.  I've gotten my room reorganized since Houston and I'm looking forward to some new projects soon.  One I definitely want to start as soon as we get back is Moonglow by Jinny Beyer.  I've loved this quilt for forever, and I finally have a kit in my hands!  YAY!

So I'll have to keep you posted on my progress!

You know, sometimes it's just really fun to do someone else's design for a change!  Kind of like eating someone else's cooking--it just tastes so much better!  LOL!

Happy Thanksgiving in case I don't see you before! 

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour!

     

Join the fun once again for the 100 Blocks Blog Tour, by Quiltmakers magazine, Vol 4 is now here, and you have a chance to win prizes and a free magazine issue!  I am one of the lucky designers to have a block in this issue!  It's called Ocean Life, and I made my own version of an ocean wave design for my block, with an added dophin appliqued to the center.  In the magazine there are 100 newly designed blocks by 100 different designers!  The instructions for making each and every block are there!

Right now you also want to go the the link quiltmaker.com/100blocks to find out about other prizes you can win just by following the blog tour!  There will be ONE winner, from my blog's comments to win an issue of this magazine, and I want you to win!  Just post a comment explaining why new block patterns would be helpful to you!  You might just win a new magazine!

This block is made from a line called Mermaid Wishes by RJR Fabrics.  It has the cutest images of mermaids and sea life, so the dolphin just had to take center stage on the block.  Of course it can go into a quilt, but I also thought it would be a cute pillow to compliment a child's quilt.

Something like this!  With a flanged edge and narrow inner borders.  Soooooo- be sure to post your comment, and the winner will be drawn by November 12th, this coming Saturday!  I'll be waiting to hear from you!

Contest Winner!

Sorry I'm a day late in announcing the winner of the Quilter's Newletter Best of Christmas magazine!  I was hoping for more posts and I did manage to get 3 by tonight, but I can't wait any longer for a winner, so I wrote numbers 1-3 for comments 1st through the last, down on a piece of paper, folded and put them in a bowl and tossed them around.  My husband drew from the bowl and the lucky winner is Sandy!  So Sandy, please send me your address and I will mail your magazine out to you right away!
Thanks all of you for participating!  I know I haven't been able to post as often as I'd like to, but I do really appreciate all of you who visit and read my blog very much.  You are all an inspiration to me, and it is wonderful to be able to share my love of quilting with you.

October is here and it is an exciting month!  So far, we have had HUGE thunderstorms, lots of lighning in the sky and have been awakend in the middle of the night with the heavy rains during the last week.
Here's a quick shot out the front door of what it has been like!  The temps have now dropped too, well at least for us, and we are enjoying the cooler weather!

October means Halloween, Houston Fall Market and the end of daylight savings time.  It also means soon we will have warm homemade soup on the stove and cuddle up under lap quilts in the evening doing stitchery and watching movies!   Quilt projects will be completed this month, and the new season will go into full swing with Christmas decorations up in the stores before Halloween even gets here!  I have just a few sneak peaks for you of new quilts for Market.

This is a Nancy Mahoney line by P&B Textiles.  I seem to really be into doing applique lately. I don't know why, but it has been a fun change.  Just a lot more work!

Robyn Pandolph with her usual beautiful florals in yummy colors.  I've always loved her fabric lines!  Now she is designing for RJR Fabrics!  This quilt will be in an upcoming magazine issue in a few months.

This is a little table topper I'm having fun with for the fall season.  I still have to quilt and bind it, but I can do that in November!  Also in November I plan to do some stitchery, and my favorite new magazine is the Vignette.  I just got my Vol 4 issue! I'm collecting them all, they are really awesome!

It is chock full of goodies, both recipes and stitchery projects that look like so much fun.  Maybe I can work on my stitchery quilt that is in progress and really relax. Relax? I think I'm jumping the gun just a bit right now.  It's only Oct 7th! 

Keep Quilting!

Patterns are for sale! CONTEST!

Well, after much thought and many requests from customers and stores, I have finally added my current patterns that are for sale to my blog.  At this time I don't have a regular website, so until I do develop one I was asked to show you my phone # and email address so it would be easier for you to find and order my patterns.  See the list and photos of them to the right of my blog where you can access them at any time.  I hope it helps us all!

Of course we are in the full swing of market work for Houston, and I have been working hard on new designs for magazines and fabric companies, like Benartex, RJR Fabrics and P&B Textiles!  So many beautiful new lines are coming out and I'm have such a great time designing and making quilts for them.  I'm so honored and thankful for this dream job of mine that helps me earn while I do what I really love to do most, next to being with my family.  I'll try to share a few sneak peeks as I go along!

This cute little quilt, made from RJR's line called

"One is One" is a darling little girl's quilt with big flowers appliqued on.

I'm also very excited to tell you about a Christmas Quilt I made for Quilting Treasures that landed on the cover of Quilter's Newsletters new issue called Best Quilts

 for Christmas!  I was so surprised and thrilled when my quilt was returned to me with 3 issues.  Only then did I realize my quilt was on the cover!  So exciting!

CONTEST! Post to my blog, and a lucky winner will win an issue of this magazine!  I want to share the issue with one of you!  You have one week to post, and the winner will be chosen at random on Thursday, Oct 6th!  So stay tuned! I will announce it then.


In between all the "work" I have to do, I actually finished a UFO from a long long time ago!  Not my pattern, but just fun to do for the fall season.  I have to share, even though it is not quilted yet, and you know that is going to have to wait!  LOL!

Well, I just can't let the day or this post go by without sharing a sweet picture of my little grandson who is growing so fast!

Yes indeed, little Shane is getting to be a big boy!  Can't wait to see him again!  Thanksgiving we get to see all the grandkids and it will be so much fun.  But for now, I have work to do!  So I'll catch you soon, and I'll be back for sure on Monday.

Have a great weekend and Keep Quilting!