Whimsicals Threads

:: make it merry projects ::

So, yesterday, I showed you the cover for my new book. Make It Merry.

Today, I'm going to show you a few of the projects!

The first one is All Wrapped Up....

One of my favorite prints in this line is the one that I call a "wrapping paper" print because, well, it looks like wrapping paper!  It makes a great border print on this quilt because it looks like you've taken lots of time to piece together all those squares, but really, it's just a print!

I also did these really sweet little stitcheries I called Tiny Tidings....

I think the simple little words on the big background really draws the attention to the message, making a big impact for something so small. 

And the final project for today is a full picture of Tree Trimmings, which became the cover for the book....

This one was fun to make because of all the different techniques and textures.  The "believe" on the ornament was stitched on, where the "peace on earth" was cut from the large border print in Winterberry Lane.  Then, I painted the branch onto the fabric using Shiva paintstiks, added more embroidery for the needles, and finally added the rick rack trim that each of the ornaments is hanging by.  So much fun!!

And as a bonus, another version of Tree Trimmings.....

No, this is not the exact same layout as the other one.  This one is smaller than the first, but it is another option if you don't want to paint the branch on.  And can I say that I just LOVE the fabric in the center ornament and no, it is not mine.  When I saw that fabric, I knew that it would be a great print for an ornament and just had to use it. 

So, that's it for today.  I would love to hear your feedback....

Oh, and just in case you're wondering, I used a lot of the fabrics from Winterberry Lane on these projects, but also mixed in some from previous lines, and even snuck in some from my stash of other fabrics to balance things out.  You can't imagine how hard it is to create so many projects from just one line of fabric, so I like to mix things up by throwing in something unexpected, like someone else's fabric!

Hope you like them!

 

:: spring is here! ::

Happy Spring!!!!

I was so in need of a good weather day, and today did not disappoint.

This morning as I was sitting in my room working, I glanced out the window and saw this.....

And I realized that it was the first day of spring!  And the sun was shining.  And it was warm.

I don't know about you, but it's been a long winter and I am so excited to think about putting my winter coats and boots away.  My flip flops were calling to me from my closet this morning and although I ignored them, I know that it won't be long before they become an intrical part of my wardrobe again.  Woo hoo!

And another thing to celebrate....

Last week I sent my new book off to the printer!

Can I tell you what a relief it is to have this book completed?!  AND how happy I am to not work on anything Christmas related?!  I know, that's probably not what you want to hear, when the Winterberry Lane fabric is starting to show up in shops about now, but I feel like I have been stuck in Christmas mode since October.

And because I'm so over the Christmas thing, I'm going to give away a fat quarter bundle of the Winterberry Lane fabric to one lucky person along with a copy of Make It Merry when it shows up sometime next week!

So, over the next several days, I'm going to share with you the projects in the book.  All you need to do is leave me a comment on one of those days, and you'll be in the running.  It's that easy!

Good Luck and Happy Spring!

 

:: silent no more ::

Hello?!

Is anyone there?!

I know, it's been a very long time since I've posted anything, but believe me, I've been really busy.  Wanna see what I've been up to?

The first week and a half of February, I was snowed in.  Well, ok, not really for a week and a half.  It was probably more like 3 days.  But it sure felt like a week and a half.  And it wasn't really snow, either.  It was ice, which would explain why I couldn't go anywhere, since my car doesn't do well on the ice.  Or snow for that matter.  But that's all beside the point.  This is what it looked like....

It looks a little bit mad, don't you think?  My feelings, exactly.... 

There was ice everywhere and I felt like I was never going to escape.  But I finally did.  And my car did too!  And there was much rejoicing!

We had a lot of snow this winter; more than we usually do, which usually puts me in a grumpy mood, because I don't like snow.  But one day as I was grumbling, pulling into the snowy driveway again, I saw something that made me smile.  

My son had been outside and randomly made this little snowman on the little patio table that sits in the front yard.  I don't know why, but I had to laugh.  And then I had to grab my camera to get a picture.  This was before the ice storm.  AFTER the ice storm, this same table made me laugh again.....

How funny is that?! 

I have no clue how this formed, but this sheet of ice hung on like this for several days.  It was the wierdest thing.  No one in our house could figure this one out.  Finally, it just melted away.

So, while everyone else was happliy stitching away when they were "iced" in (get it? Instead of snowed in, we were iced in?!  Ok, that was lame, I know.  I won't do that again...) I spent most of my time at my computer, trying to get patterns written, a book completed, and a new fabric line designed. 

And I have two out of the three done. 

Not bad, but I was hoping to have my book done by now.  Just a few more weeks, though.  I'm finishing the final projects this weekend, and then it's back to the computer for writing, layout, photo touch-ups, etc.

But, I did get the new patterns completed and printed.  I even got them up on my website this week.  And just in time too, becuase I've heard that the Winterberry Lane fabric is starting to show up in the shops already!  So, just in case you haven't seen them, here are the new patterns to go with the fabric....

I also have a new hat pattern and my very first apron pattern!! 

I have to say that this hat is by far my favorite one that I've made.  I take it just about everywhere I go, just in case I'm having a bad hair day, which is more often than I like.  And every time I wear it, I get compliments.

I can't say the same for the apron though, because I think it usually works best to wear an apron in the kitchen.  And since I spend very little time in the kitchen, well....  Let's just say that the apron has not seen a lot of use.  But, it is a fun one!  I made it so that it can be reversed, which also gives it a bit more thickness.

So now, all I have left to do is finish this book.  I'm working on it, believe me.  And I'm hoping that everyone finds that it was worth the wait.  It's been fun, making all these Christmas things, but I'm ready to move on now.  Ready for some spring, not only outside, but in my sewing room too.  Just a few more weeks, I know.  I can feel it....

:: a new year ::

Well, I don't know about you, but I feel like 2010 just flew by.  For some reason, I thought that as my kids got older and I got more gray, that things would slow down for me, but that hasn't happened yet....

Ah well.  It's a new year.  A new beginning.  So, I'm headed back into my sewing room.  Time for some serious work now that the holidays are over. 

But as I sit here, I'm wondering how my room suddenly became so full and disorderly.  I work in a relatively small space, and although I think it has personality I am constantly considering how I can make better use of the space I have.  My husband can count on it, at least twice a year..... he'll make his way home from work, hoping that a delicious meal awaits him.  But when he walks in the door, he is greeted not with a yummy smell wafting from the kitchen, but a mess of what used to be in my room now sitting out in the hallway, as I desprately try to find more space where there isn't any. 

And then this morning, it hit me......  maybe I just need a different perspective.   

So, I took some photos of my room as it is right now and will share them over the next several posts, in hopes that you (can you sense my finger pointing at you from your computer screen?) will give me some ideas.  Or inspiration.  Or maybe suggestions.  Let me know what you might do.  What works for you.  What you have done to make your space your own.  How can I make better use of what I have..... so here goes...

The first area is my sewing table.    

I know, it's hard to believe, but I've never had a cabinet for my machine.  It's usually the cost that stops me from buying one.   But I'm thinking that it would be nice if I could find one that fit.  I have only 40 inches between my fabric storage cabinet and that annoying jog in the wall.  Do you see it?  I had a friend make this table for me, and he cut the hole in the top so that my machine would sit down in it, as well as a little jog in the table to fit the jog in the wall.  It works, but I would love to find a way to have some sort of storage underneath.  I guess that's where a cabinet would be a benefit.

You can see the plastic box of thread standing on end under the table, as well as the light box (it's kinda hidden).  Then, I have a thread rack nailed to the cabinet for the threads I use frequently.  And more threads in a couple of the drawers in that old wooden box sitting on the bookshelf.

And many of my tools are on the shelf above the table. I don't mind the shelf, since it gets things off of the table, and although I love the cabinet that is hanging above it, it's not very practical.   The shelves are not adjustable inside and I've never really found a good way to store things in it. Which is obvious in the pictures below.....

Those shoe boxes are the only things I've found so far that will fit inside, but they aren't very easy to get out.  Hmmmm..... maybe I just need to put something different in here, or maybe even move it to a different room. 
 
   

And then there is my table top, which holds a lot of the tools I use on a regular basis.  My favorite thing is this little egg separator that my mom gave me, which now holds my seam ripper, scissors, etc.  That, I won't give up because it just makes me smile! 

And just in case you are wondering, the fabric box is my "beginners and enders", or little works in progress.  You know.... when you begin or end a long string of piecing (what I call "string piecing"), and you just need a scrap of fabric to segway from one seam to the next?  Instead of using a scrap piece of fabric, I've been sewing these little pieces for a civil war quilt together. It's taking a while, sewing them together this way, but it's my quilt-free way of working on something for myself without taking the time to do it.  Hehehe!

So, that's it for that area.  Now, bring it on.  Give me some ideas.  Please?!

 

:: it's cold! ::

I hope that everyone had a merry Christmas! 

In the past month, I've started several posts and not completed any, so today, I'm going to try compiling them into one, so stick with me here......

We've were hit with cold weather really early this year, which is a major bummer to me, but it sure doesn't seem to bother our dog, Yukon.  The first snowfall we had was at the beginning of December and there has been snow on the ground ever since.  One day while my son was out shoveling the driveway, I happened to look out the window and notice Yukon patiently waiting by a tree for him to come back and play with him....

He is so funny. I think Yukon is the only one in our family who really likes the snow!

Yes, I know.  He blends right into the snow, right?!

Ok, here he is, ready for a chase through the yard......

Yep, he's a great dog for the snow!

So, what else have I been up to? 

Well, you may have guessed that I'm not a huge fan of the cold weather in Indiana.  Already, I'm wishing for those warm sunny days of June.  But instead of donning my beloved flip flops and shorts every morning, I've been layering up with sweatshirts, scarves and wool socks, just trying to stay warm.

So,I decided that what I really needed was a new winter coat, and when I couldn't find one, I took matters into my own hands.  I dug out some black heavyweight wool that I've had for years, threw it into the washing machine and felted it so that it was even thicker, and decided to make my own coat, using a pattern by Serendipity Studio.

 

(Image taken from www.sewserendipity.com)

 Ahhhhh...... all those memories from my 4-H Clothing days came flooding back.  

As you might imagine, I've never been one for following the directions, so I made a few minor changes as I made the jacket..... I added pockets in the side seams, (because pockets are a must for carrying my ipod and keys), and because wool against my skin makes me turn all red and blotchy, (which IS NOT a good look), I added a lining. 

I did have a few challenges.  One being the mix of fabrics and the faux suede that I used on the collar, facing, and cuffs.  It kept shifting on me as a stitched, but it didn't take long to figure out that it worked better to have the suede on the bottom and the wool on the top as I fed it through the machine.  And with 4+ layers of heavy, coat-weight, felted wool my trusty Pfaff with dual feed was a huge plus.

It is in no way perfect, but I love the way it turned out.  It's warm enough without being too heavy.  It's long enough to cover my bottom.  And the best thing is that both of my boys (who are really young men at 17 & 20) think it's so cool that I made a jacket!

It's been a busy month spent visiting with family and friends, making it hard to get any real projects accomplished.  I did get the patterns for the Newsboy Cap and the Little Apron sent off to the printer.  Now, I'm moving on to the patterns and book to go along with the new fabric line, Winterberry Lane.  I will keep you posted as to when each one becomes available.  In the mean time, I pray that you all have a SAFE and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Terri

 

:: off to market ::

 

This is just a quick note to say that we're on the road, headed to Houston, with a van full of, um.... stuff.

Yea.  That's what I would call it.  All the stuff to fill and decorate a 10 foot by 10 foot booth.  And what could all this stuff possibly be?

I've been hard at work the last several weeks.  Not that I'm ever NOT hard at work.  Just ask my family and they'll tell you.  But it's been non-stop. Trying to decide what to do, which projects to finish, which ones could wait.  And then deciding that the best thing to do would be to wait until spring to release my new book, Make It Merry.  And before you say anything, let me explain.....

The fabric line I did this time is called Winterberry Lane, and is really a winter/Christmas theme.  Do you want to see the swatches?!  Click the link below to see them.....

 Download WinterberryLaneSwatches_sm

Anyway, since the fabric will not start filtering into the shops until March, it didn't make sense to rush getting a book finished before then.  So, guess what I'm going to be doing when I return from Quilt Market?!  Yep.  Making Christmas quilts.  Which should be fun and easy since it will be the Christmas season anyway and my brain is already stuck in that mode.  

BUT, I did manage to get several things made before I left.  In addition to the book, I will have two separate patterns that make use of the panel print from Winterberry Lane.  One is a large quilt that uses all four parts of the panel and the other is four separate wall quilts, each using one part of the panel and a different border.  These will be available in February.

 But, I didn't stop there.  In the midst of all this, I was having a really bad hair day.  Seriously!  And when I have a bad hair day, what I really want to do is just cover my head.  So, what did I do.  Why, I made a new hat to cover up my hair, of course.....

 

This is kind of a blending of the hat from my Pumpkins and Spice book and the hat in Tangled Up in Thread, with a twist.  Well, really, it's a fold (on the brim), not a twist, but you get the idea. And it will be an individual pattern, which I plan on having ready sometime in November.  

Along with the pattern for this.....

Oh, and the book?  It will be called Make it Merry.  I've done a "mock up" of the cover in Photoshop.  I can't guarantee that this will be the final one, but look for something similar in February.  And check back in the next few days to see sneek peeks of different projects that I already have finished, along with pictures of the booth in Houston!

Now, I'm off to bed to rest up for Quilt Market!

 

:: quilts :: fall-o-ween blog hop final day

OK, this is it.  I hope you all had fun and get all 10 projects made.  Remember, if you want to share something that you made from these patterns, you can post it here.....

Flickr group

And you won't want to miss the free project today from Pat Sloan.  Personally, I don't know how this woman gets all these things done, but she does.  I'm amazed.  And just a tad bit jealous that I'm not nearly as productive as she is!

Ah well.  We can't all be great. 

So, on to today's topic, QUILTS.  Now here's something that I could spend a lot of time talking about.  But, I'm thinking that maybe it's time I let the quilts do a little of the talking, although I need to share a little bit of information about each one.

This is Fall Frolic, one of my very early patterns.  Although it has been out of print for a while, I still get requests for it.  And actually, after looking at it again today, I'm thinking it would be a good candidate for a makeover (that would be a makeover as in make-it-over again using new fabrics).  Hmmm... something to think about.

This next one is still one of my very favorite quilts.  Probably because I love the simple lines of the courthouse steps block.  But I don't think I'll be making this one over again.  I don't think I've ever been so happy to be finished with a quilt as I was when I finally got this one all together.  It is called October Sky and is in my book Full Circle.

And then there is Rusted Moons, which is somewhat of a fall quilt.  It has the fall colors and I had fall in mind when I made it, at least.

Ok, now brace yourself, because here goes my shameless plug...

A few years ago I did a fabric line and a book, both called Pumpkins and Spice, that is full of fall projects.  I'll show you a few projects that are in it.

 

And if you are a fan of panels, these came from a panel I did for the Pumpkins and Spice fabric line.  This was the first fabric line that I did a panel for, and although I love all the projects, the panel is getting harder to come by.  However, as it is with any quilts done with a panel print, you could always substitute something else in the center of them.  Or, you could just purchase a panel from me, since I bought a few bolts of it. 

I have a limited quantity, just sitting in my dining room.  I'm just sayin'......

And something besides a quilt that you might need for a windy fall day...

Notice that the top one here is made out of felted wool.  This hat is in my Tangled Up in Thread book and the next one is in Pumpkins and Spice.  Both an be done in either wool or cotton and I can't tell you how many times I've had people want to take the hat right off of my head.  Literally!

Ok, so that's enough about me and my quilts.  I hope you enjoyed yourself and keep checking back, even after the blog hop is over.  Just so you know, though, I do plan on going into hibernation for a few weeks to recoup and to try to get something ready for Quilt Market, so don't be surprised if you come back to visit and I haven't shared anything new!  It doesn't mean that I've forgotten.  It just means that I'm busy sewing, and writing, and everything else that needs to get done!

Although, I will share the news of the lucky Grand Prize winner on Monday.   That means that you have until Friday to get your comments on each one of our blogs.  Good luck to everyone, and thanks for hopping along with us!!!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Gudren of G.E. Designs  (gudrun.typepad.com)

Sandy Gervais of Pieces From My Heart  (piecesfrommyheart-sgervais.blogspot.com)

Roseann of Rosebud's Cottage  (rosebudscottage.typepad.com)

 Kari Carr of New Leaf Stitches (newleafstitches.com)

Terry Atkinson Designs  (terryatkinson.typepad.com)

Heather Mulder Peterson of Anka's Treasures (ankastreasures.wordpress.com)

Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. (lavieenrosie.typepad.com)

Linda Lum DeBono Designs (lindalumdebono.blogspot.com)

Pat Sloan's Designs (patsloan.typepad.com)

:: free project day ::

7: 30 am.... If you had problems downloading the file, I think I may have fixed it, so after refreshing your screen, try again!

12:00 pm.... It seems that some of you are still having a problem with the download, so I've tried a different method and am hoping that it works.....

It's my day!!!  My day to share a free project with you!

But for those of you who don't know me, let me introduce myself....

Although I am sometimes known simply as "the whimsicals lady", really I am Terri Degenkolb and this is my husband Tom.  And if you've been following this blog hop, you've seen lots of pictures of my kids when they were young, but this is what they look like now. 

Our oldest son is attending Indiana University and the youngest is a senior in high school.  I started this business 14 years ago in order to stay at home with them, and never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be able to do it for this long and be doing what I am doing today. 

And what is it that I do?  I self publish my own quilt books and patterns, and design quilt fabric for Red Rooster Fabrics.  I recently got the fabric for my 12th line with Red Rooster and am working on book number 20, in hopes of having something ready for Fall Quilt Market at the end of October. 

But you didn't really come here today to read all about me, I know. 

What you really came for was the free project!  And you've been waiting on pins and needles, right?!

I really wanted to do something out of wool, since you know, it is fall and everything.  And this gave me a chance to use some of those wool threads that I showed you in my post on COLOR.  So, this is what I did for you.....

I've called this "On Pins and Needles" and it is a large wool pincushion (4" x 8") that I've filled with sand, and attached a little wool needle keeper.  Even if you don't want to use it as a pincushion, it would make a great paper weight or decoration for your end table.  And the leafy needle keeper is held on simply by a wool button loop on a shank button, so it's removable to allow you to take it with you. 

You can download the pattern here:   Download OnPinsNeedles

I used wool thread on the pincushion, but because I didn't want the stitches to show on the needle keeper, I used cotton quilting thread on it.  When I work with wool, I prefer a whip stitch around the edge.  This is done simply by inserting the needle from the back to the front with each stitch.

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For the stems, I used a technique from one of my favorite designers, Maggie Bonanomi.  They are simply rectangles of wool rolled up and stitched along the edge, but I love the dimension that they add.

And in addition to the whip stitch edge, the only other stitch I used was a stem stitch.  I like this stitch for the lines on the leaves and the pumpkin because it is a bit heavier and thicker.

Here are a few more close ups of the finished top....

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I hope you enjoy the little project.  I would love to hear what you think! 

Don't forget to leave me a comment to get your name in the drawing for the grand prize! 

~ ~ ~ ~

Now that I have that out of the way, on to today's topic, which is "gatherings". 

I know, this is sad, but aside from the Halloween parties that we had many years ago, I don't have any great "gathering" stories. 

BUT, there was this one gathering 25 years ago.  A very IMPORTANT one that took place on October 25th in 1986.....

Yep, that's when we got married.  And it was the best gathering.  Ever.

a nice surprise...

I got a big surprise last week.....

As many of you know, I've been slowly going through my stash of fabrics and quilts, trying to find extra space in my overflowing studio, and in doing so, I came across a few quilts that I had pieced together but never layered and quilted for one reason or another.  One of them was an exchange quilt that I had stuffed away because I wasn't really happy with the way it all turned out.... it's a bit chaotic, with not much pulling it all together.  I love some of the blocks but wanted to change a few things and actually had set it aside with the idea that I would rip it apart and redo it. 

Yes, I know, most people would never dream of doing that.  But I've been know to take an entire quilt apart and redo it just because I wasn't happy with it.  Sad, but true.  Just ask my friends... 

But in my quest to finish some things, I decided to just have it quilted the way that it was.  So, I gave it to my friend who has a long-arm machine and asked her to quilt it whenever she had the time.  And what a surprise it was to get a call from her a few weeks later to let me know that it was done!

It's quite chaotic, right?!  But take a look at some of the blocks and the quilting that Kathy did.

What can I say?  I find it so fun to work with stripes.  And with this one, I made it look like it had those old photo corners on it by adding the half squares on the corners.  Kathy just added to that with her little "snail trial" quilting.

This shows how old this quilt is.  Kindred Spirits did a fabric line many, many years ago, and that's what I used on the corner squares.  And can you believe that I still have some of the fabric?  It's just waiting on the shelf for the perfect project....

Yep.  Another one that I used a stripe on. 

Okay, so I had to show you one that I wanted to rip out.  How many of you know that I really don't like to use blue in my quilts?  Gray, yes.  Gray-blue, well that's okay too.  But not blue.  I think this may stem from my early years of quilting when many of my quilts were ** gasp ** mauve and country blue.  But, look at the great quilting the Kathy added! 

Another one slipped in that has blue in it.  And the funny thing is that I made both this block and the one before it, so I have no one to blame but myself.  But this one shows how different a block looks when you start adding borders and corners triangles.  And more of Kathy's fun quilting on the brown strips.

I think this may be one of the few ones that I did not make, (I can't remember) but I love the green stripe broken up with the gold triangles.

I just like this block.  A traditional flower with a little applique.

The quilt is a whopping 112" long, so now the big question is how long will this quilt sit before I can get the binding on it?! 

And here's the rest

As promised, I'm going to share the remaining projects in my new book, but first of all I want to thank everyone for all the comments.  Wow!  It's pretty humbling, (and a bit frightening) knowing that there are so many of you out there who like what I do enough to support and encourage me.  It makes every minute spent working on the projects, fabric, and book so worth it.

So, the first project I want to show you is another one that I gave you a glimpse of a couple weeks ago.  Going along with the sewing theme (I couldn't seem to get that out of my mind) it's another one that I used the new fabrics in and probably the only one in this book that you won't be able to make until the fabric is out in the shops.  Well, you could substitute other fabrics, but what I did was cut up the large print to use in the setting squares for the star, and of course, the border print around the star.

I call this one Spare Buttons, and made it thinking that I would use it on the floor of my booth at Quilt Market.  But my friend that quilted it for me about had a fit when I told her I wanted to do that, so I guess I'll have to put it on a table instead.  I love the rick rack around the edge..... so fun!  

 
And when I get back, one of the things I plan on doing is a post on finishing a quilt with rick rack.  Oh geez, now that I said that I'm really going to have to follow through with it, won't I?! 

Here's one that may leave some scratching their heads.  I call it Sew on the Go.....

Doesn't it look like your dad's shaving kit?!  Well, it's not, but it does have a story to go with it....

Several months ago, I mentioned that I wanted to design something to carry my sewing projects in.  So, one day I was out browsing through one of those stores that I love wandering around in but rarely purchase anything from (because the prices are so high), when I came across a really cool toiletries bag.  One look at it told me that it would work great for carrying small sewing projects, threads, needles, etc, so I actually bought it, came home, and promptly started measuring, drawing, and cutting, and after several attempts, came up with this little pouch.   And I must say that it DOES work great for those smaller hand projects!  But, you might have to explain to people why there are spools of thread and needles in your toiletries bag.....

So, moving on. 

These two are my Early Bird and my Night Owl.  Since I don't sleep very much, I've never been able to decide which one I am, so I had to make them both!  They are the same quilt, but I love the way they show how much the overall look and feel can change with the use of a different color scheme and fabrics.  Oh, and more of those little embellished flowers.  These are made out of wool, a little lace, and buttons.

 

 
Here's a small project that goes together really quickly.  All of these fabrics are mine.  Yes, even the teal one.  That's in my new line and although it's a little out of my comfort zone, I love the "pop" that it gives this quilt.  The applique is a combination of cotton and wool.

And the final project is another one that you may have gotten glimpses of in previous postings.  It's the biggest quilt I did for this book (about twin size) and the fun thing about it is that ALMOST all of the fabrics are ones that I designed.  I say almost because I just had to throw a few others in just to balance things out.  Once again, I combined a few of my favorite blocks, the churn dash and the spool.  I call this one All Churned Up (again, have I said how hard it is to come up with names for everything?!)

 So, there you have it.  Those are the projects that are in Tangled Up in Thread.  I hope you like them!! 

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REMEMBER, if you leave a comment, you may be able to win a free copy of the book.  I'll choose two random winners and send them a copy when I get back from Quilt Market.

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But, before I go, there's one last thing I need to share. If you didn't know, I designed a quilt that appeared in Australian Homespun magazine (No. 80 Vol. 11.1) this winter.  And if your luck was anything like mine, you may have had a hard time finding the magazine here in the United States.  So, I made this into an individual pattern that I hope to have delivered the same time that I get my new book. 

I love sampler quilts with various blocks and this one is no exception.  It's got a little of this and a little of that, but a whole lot of character!

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Ok, so now I really have to go get my day started.  There's a rug to finish, booth drapes to make, a rental van to pick up, clothes to pack...... the list goes on.  So many things to still get done before we leave tomorrow morning!  Yikes!  I'm hoping that our hotel has internet access and I have enough energy at the end of the day to at least do a few posting from Quilt Market.  If I do, they will be short and sweet, just to give you a taste of what it is like. 

So check back and wish me luck!