SPEED-not all it's cracked up to be

Another week, month, year has sped by and leaves me in it's wake wondering what I can say I have accomplished. Whatever it is, it is not enough, I can tell you that. 
I have been working on a little hexagon treat that I shamefully copied from Jo Morton. Well, I did change mine a bit. Jo made the most darling little tree skirt! I hope she won't mind if I share her photo. She is amazing! Follow Jo's blog!

 I added another round of hexagons to mine and made a table topper. I think it will look darling with some greenery on my round kitchen table. The hexies are 5/8 inch. I learned that you measure hexagons by the length of the side. I was able to purchase a couple packs of them at a quilt shop over the summer. It is enjoyable stitching in the evening while watching TV. But let me tell you, these babies take forever! This project has been every evening for a month! In this case speed is not involved. Just consistent stitching!

 Somewhere on line I saw where someone finished the edge of their project by adding hexagons all around the underside of the quilt. Again, tedious, but what a nice edge you get. I should have stopped there because I am not at all happy with my hand quilting on this project. Maybe it doesn't need to be quilted. Can I get a hands up for that?

 I happened upon this project in the December 2012 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine while sorting through my magazines. The design came from a vintage project that Ann Hermes adapted. This is one I wanted to make when I first saw it. I always have scraps, and they prompted me to get to work. I enjoyed this scrappy, wonky project so much that I just kept making blocks, and now I have a much larger quilt like this that I adore! Plus it feels so good to find yourself at the bottom of the scrap box!

 On another note, I have been having a terrible time posting to my Facebook for Patchalot Patterns. Things just don't seem to show up. It is very frustrating. And you know I don't post to my blog like I used to. But I am on Instagram and also on Pinterest. In fact I just noticed that I have 91 boards on Pinterest. Someone please save me from myself! I do think it is a great way to catalog photos of quilts and things that you like. I would prefer to fine tune it a bit, but so far making more boards is my only option. I have so many boards now that sometimes I am not sure where to pin an item. So I make another board.

In reference to my last post, I am now into season 12 of Midsomer Murders and they have become a little spicier and perhaps a bit more graphic. I hope I didn't recommend something that you find offensive down the road. Oddly, it didn't seem as provocative to me as American TV. Then again, my head is down stitching for a good part of the program!

At Quilt Market-Houston 2012

I am rushing to get this posted as I am in Arizona and leave tomorrow to go home. It is always nice to be here. I came straight from Quilt Market where I picked up a nasty cold and so I have been coughing my guts out and haven't felt that well. Consequently, not much blogging going on. Now I am pressed for time, so this will be quick.

 Here are a few photos of my booth. Me above with Button Bandits to the left and Old Soul in the back. 

My buddy Joan went with me again and helped me set up and work the booth, etc. Don't know what I would do without Joan! We are surrounded here in our little 10' x 10' booth with padded walls! Very cozy, as one visitor commented!

It was exciting to me to have several people come to my booth and tell me that they read my blog! Thank you! And thanks for stopping by! It was also fun to see people that I have been meeting at different shows and they remember me. Alma Allen from Blackbird Designs, for example, remembered that I took a class from her and Barb Adams several years ago. That shocked me. Just goes to show you how special these ladies are. Or how gullible I am!

 This is Barb Adams from Blackbird Designs. Alma was busy at that moment so I didn't interrupt her. their booth is always so nice.

 I grabbed Jo Morton as she was walking past my booth. I introduced myself and she said, "You're Karen Mowery's friend". Yup, that's me! Don't we all love Jo? Yes!

 My neighbor in the booth next door was Mary Koval.I was so happy to get to know Mary. She has been doing this for many years and has a huge following all over the world. I often see her on Scandinavian blogs. She designs fabric, has a quilt shop, and also sells antique quilts. Her booth was full of antique quilts. Fabulous! Her husband Joe was with her working hard!

That's all for now. I have to pack to go home! More photos later.

 

Anyone Coming Home?

Raise your hand if you know who this is? 

If you guessed Jo Morton, you are right! By the time I met her at market I realized that I was the only one taking photos of the stars, and so I kind of restrained myself. Was I being silly? Were they flattered, or did they find me obnoxious? I don't really know, but they were all very gracious about it. I was delighted to meet Jo and was quick to tell her that I am a friend of Karen Mowery, whose patterns Jo has promoted.

This is Jo's beautiful new book, Coming Home. It is available at your local quilt shop, I am sure. And if they don't have it, they will order it for you. Yes, you can order it on line, but why not give your LQS a break and buy from them. They need our business. And we need them!

On the other hand, you might get lucky and win this book from me, because I am having a drawing! Yes I am! Just leave a comment before Thursday night and I will announce the winner over the weekend. I will also include the McCall's Quick Quilts magazine in which my quilt, American Dreamer, is featured, along with my two newest Patchalot Patterns.

Any takers???

P.S. Please don't announce this drawing on your blogs. I want it to be for people who are regular readers.

THE LIST

I am checking off things on my TO DO list. Yesterday I got this quilt mailed off to my son with the bare wall. I made this quilt in 1999 when I was just beginning to try my hand at designing. I love this quilt. It was so fun to make, and not so big that I couldn't finish it. I even hand quilted it, which is something I rarely do these days. I have often thought I would like to re-make it using the beautiful fabrics that are available today. You may recognize some of these old fabrics from the 90's and earlier.

I also ordered and quickly received Triangles on a Roll. This is my HST maker of choice. I have tried other brands, but I keep coming back to Triangles on a Roll. And I found that they had free shipping if you order $25 or more. So I stocked up. A very lucky to find free shipping, but then this is my lucky year!

Also, I have a new quilt in the works! I am very excited about this design. I hope you will like it too. And I want to thank Jo Morton for the luscious array of golds that she brings us time after time. I seem to have collected a few. Are they cheddar? Gold, brass, cheddar, whatever they are I must like them! I keep buying them! 

And now for a grand finish! Yes, I completed this wall hanging, Perfectly Perched, by Lynda Hall from the American Patchwork and Quilting magazine, Dec. 2009 issue. I loved it when I saw it, and then Lori made it, and then Libby made it. I was hooked. I did my applique in wool.

This one is Libby's. She made hers into a big pillow and shows it here alongside her Church Cat pillow, a Cheri Saffiote Payne design. Libby and Lori are two very prolific and fabulous bloggers. You probably already read their blogs. They are two of my favorites among so many favorites!

INDIAN PAINTBRUSH

A new week is almost upon us, and dang! where did the old week go? Do you find time slipping away more quickly? I think we need to start a petition to put an end to that! Maybe start a lobbying group and go before Congress. All in favor? Aye!

I have been home from Arizona for a week now without much to say for myself. I have been trying to catch up on some blogs, but frankly, there are way too many, so the going is slow. I made it down to Jo-Ann Fabrics yesterday to use my 40% off coupon on the last day. I wanted to get a sheet of vinyl to cover the table on the deck now that the weather is nice. I always find it at Jo-Ann's and it is heavy duty, like they use to cover boat cushions, etc. Often they have some on the clearance table, which was the case yesterday, so I couldn't use the coupon on it. I found a nice dark blue for $6 a yard. I ended up using the coupon to purchase some fusible Pellon batting for making tote bags. I love mine and I want to make more! Also, I found this cute little Sandpiper birdie, just like the kind that run around on our beach! He is posed on a sweet little mat that my blogging buddy Joan, from Keeping You in Stitches, sent to me.

This is my latest quilt to be finished! Marae, my wonderful quilter in Arizona, quilted it for me while I was there. She did a lovely job, as she always does. The funny thing is that when I took her the quilt she quickly called her friend Debbie and they both wanted to make it on the spot! Please, I am still working on the pattern! But, sweet little quilter that I am, and being a sucker for a complement, I met them one evening and showed them the basics, and off they went with it. Yes, it is that easy! Actually, I don't design difficult patterns. I can't face writing difficult directions! And honestly, I prefer simple. So here it is, INDIAN PAINTBRUSH. I decided on that name because the border gave it a Native American feel, like arrowheads. Indian Paintbrush is actually a flowering plant that grows in the western US. By the way, the border idea is one that Joan (Keeping You in Stitches) shared with me. Thanks Joan! Also, I used a number of fabrics from the Jamestown line by Jo Morton at Andover Fabrics. Love, love, love it!

Thanks for all your nice comments about my dad from my last post. I wish I could share him with all of you, but he would probably hit on you, and then I would be embarrassed. Yeah, he's a player. And some of those ladies in walkers are not that difficult to catch! ---Marcie