Well, here it is my friends. My bags are packed and I'm leaving in the morning for Houston. This is THE big event that I have been working towards for months. All the preparation for International Quilt Market is about to be implemented in booth #935. You have seen my newest quilts and given me great feedback on them. I hope the people shopping at market like my stuff. That's all I can say, I've done my best. Here is a funny little fact for you, my patterns seem to sell the best to Wisconsin and Texas shops. Now why do you think that is?
The above photo is one I got from Pinterest. I just love this display. I need to find a cute ladder that I can do this with. I have seen so many cute displays with ladders that I have a whole board on Pinterest with just ladders. Check it out!
Since I don't have anything new to show you let me refer you to another blog who has a darling free pattern available. I would like to make this when I get a chance. This is from Joanne from Manitoba, Canada, and her blog is Thread Head. Many of you may have seen it already, in fact I saw that Karen at Log Cabin Quilter has made this project and posted it. You may need to scroll through some of Karen's beautiful work to find it on her blog. Thanks to Joanne for this darling project!
Another blog, Quilts by Cheri, has been posting free projects also. Cheri Payne designs darling primitive projects, and I am sure you all know her. Her last blog post shows a quilt she made from a pattern on Lori's blog, Humble Quilts. Lori has posted several darling little quilt-a-long patterns over the past few years. Bloggers are so generous with their time and talent. Sometimes I feel out of the loop because it takes me so long to accomplish my own projects and what I would love to do is just dive into one of these others. I really appreciate the great blogging community and am thankful for the friends I have made. I was explaining to my husband the other night that I have met so many bloggers over the years and even tho we may not keep up with one another on a regular basis, it is so nice to have someone that I met way back drop in to make a comment on my blog, or just to say hello. Such a nice circle of really nice people!
One more blog of note is that of my friend Karen at Sew Primitive. Karen has been making the Suffrage blocks that Barbara Brackman is providing on her blog. Barbara is amazing in what she offers us on her various blogs in terms of historical perspective and quilt blocks to commemorate events in history. Karen is one who follows along and actually keeps up with each block in real time! Check out Barbara's Grandmother's Choice blog, and then check out Karen's version of these blocks. Karen is amazing! If you are familiar with Karen you may know that she has been undergoing cancer treatment for the past year and has been really sick. All the more reason why her work is so amazing, as she just pushes though the pain to get things done that are important to her. Any prayers you send her way will be appreciated.
Thanks Blogging Buddies for all you contribute! More when I return from Quilt Market! And if you are going to market please come see me in booth #935! Patchalot Patterns!
I had fun meeting new friends yesterday! I taught a class at Quilt Expo II at the Hampton Convention Center, sponsored by Bella Fabrics of Carrollton, VA. Nice new friends, and a few that I already knew. It was delightful!
This is the class I taught--Old Elegance. The picture on the left is the one on the pattern cover that you may have seen before. It is on my side bar. Saturday I made up a few blocks to show an alternate color way. I was aiming for fall colors and liked how it turned out. The great thing was that when I went to class and saw the fabric that each of the ladies had chosen they were all different. Not one of them went with the original blue and brown. It delighted me to see how each of them was turning out. Reds and browns, repros and florals and even batiks! I forgot my camera, but hopefully someone will send me photos to share. I sold a bunch of patterns also, which always makes me happy. My new pattern, Pinfeathers, was well received and a visiting shop ordered a bunch for their shop!
You saw the Pinfeathers cover in my previous post, here is a larger pic of the quilt.
This is the block. It is a Double 9-Patch with feathers, hence the name, Pinfeathers! You can see how lovely my friend Marae Harris quilted it. It really turned out pretty! And yes, very scrappy. My friend Sue Cruthers, here in Virginia Beach, made the quilt using my design. Thanks ladies for all your help! This is the first time someone other than myself has been first to make one of my patterns. It was such a great help and I love the quilt!
On another note, my voice held up all day yesterday! I was surprised and so thrilled! I used a mic in the beginning, but for the one on one I was fine. A quilting friend, Chris, came into my class and told me that her sister in Atlanta reads my blog and told her about my voice problems. Chris, is having some of the same issues and is going to the same doctor that I am. Funny how news travels. Hi to Chris's sister!
Another week has begun and now the race is on in earnest to finish up all odds and ends before market. Remember, you can find my patterns at patchalotpatterns.com. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you stop and shop--hee hee.
Later Quilt Buddies,
As each day passes things occur to me and I often think, "I should mention this in my next post". But then I forget and am on to something else. While others have posts filled with wonderful photos of their works in progress my life has been filled with a constant barrage of computer work. What on earth am I doing? A little of this and a little of that with a load of laundry in between. I am happy to say that I have almost all instructions completed, or almost completed, for new patterns. Plus the covers are printed. This is a huge relief!
Here are the three new pattern covers. So glad to have them ready for market and also for anyone who wishes to order them. They will be on my website soon! patchalotpatterns.com
Button Bandits will be available soon also. Didn't the cover turn out cute? I took it on the floor of the deck. I have magnets coming also, so if you order this pattern it will come with a magnet of the same picture. I try to remember to include a magnet in each online order that shows one of my patterns, tho I haven't ordered them for all patterns. They are so cute on the fridge or where ever!
Oh, and I had to raise my prices a bit, but I eliminated the shipping fee, so it comes out about the same. Ordering is very secure as it goes through Paypal, and even if you don't have a Paypal account you can click on to order and Paypal will process your credit card. It is all out of my hands. Awesome! Am I too old to use that term? I will go back to saying "cool"!
I seem to focus a lot on aging. I guess it is because that is all my husband talks about. He says things like, "when I am gone you will have to learn to manage the money". The other night I said to him, "Just so you know, I am not in a hurry for you to be gone". He said, "I know, you just want me in the other room". I have to keep him around because he makes me laugh! Laughter has preserved our marriage for almost 45 years! See? I told you I was old. Not like I really care. Except for...
Remember that voice issue that I mentioned a while ago? Well I saw a new doctor (one that would put Dr. Dreamy on Grey's Anatomy out of the running!) and he is recommending surgery. So come November I will be having surgery to put a wedge in my throat to force my vocal fold into place to correct my speech. More on that as the date approaches, but meanwhile I have purchased a voice amplifier to use at market in an effort to be heard above my normal whisper. Here's hoping that will do it for the short term.
Feel free to visit me on Pinterest. I have so many quilt photos on my boards it will make your head spin, and with Halloween coming up maybe you were hoping to learn that trick. I try to be helpful where I can.
Later quilt buddies!
