A little time for a little quilt

 We all lament the passage of time and I am no exception. Where does it go? It evaporates into space and leaves us wondering. I truly feel that the older you get the faster time flies. I can't prove it, but ask anyone of a certain age and they will testify as I have--it's next week already! The past few weeks have been filled with doctor appointments as my husband and I prepare to use our insurance while we still have it. He is trying to retire, but doesn't feel comfortable about it until he knows that my voice problem has been resolved. So tomorrow I go in for that surgery that I mentioned a few months back. I can't wait to get this over and out of the way. My grandchildren are beginning to make fun of me! We were doing 'facetime' on our phones the other day--the kids love that. All of a sudden Isaac (age 3) began talking funny. My husband picked up on it right away and had a good laugh.

After thumbing through my Primitive Quilts and Projects magazines I decided to make this little quilt by Lisa Bongean from Primitive Gatherings. This is from the Summer 2011 Issue. I love a little wool with scraps! I feel very happy picking up small projects right now. And I love playing with scraps. I pretend that I am cleaning up in my sewing room if I sew any small scraps together! I have so many little pieces laying around that it is like a scrappy blizzard in there.

This little quilt is the remains of a class I taught for my Old Elegance quilt. I made several blocks to demonstrate color options and to show how to use the Tri-Recs Tool for the star points. Since I just had nine blocks I added a sawtooth border to finish it. I think I would have gone on to make another whole quilt if I had more of that plaid that I used in the 9-patch block. But now it will be a table topper or wall quilt. You can see another color option of this design on Patchalot Patterns Facebook page. JoAnne at the Patriotic Quilter was in my class and her quilt turned out great! By the way, if you go to that Facebook page be sure and hit LIKE will you?

So many great things going on with quilters these days. I really love what Rose Mary has done with her favorite star. Take a look at Applique 'n Patch for an eyeful of her talent and skill in design! What a delight it is to meet so many wonderful quilters and peek in on them as they share their projects! 

Hopefully more next week from me after a bit of down time.

 

New Friends, Old Elegance!

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,

Speechless!

 

Welcome to my blog! Above is a Primitive Gatherings wool project that I have had almost finished for several months. I needed a little wool to complete a couple flowers. I even had the binding on it! I quilted the fabric with straight lines before I appliqued the wool in place, which is easier for me since I am not a not a quilter. (I hate to say that out loud)

I have never spoken of my voice problems on my blog, so I thought I might explain what is going on with me. Over the past three years my voice has become increasingly high pitched and scratchy. It began when I was recovering from a flu bug of some sort. The kind that leaves you coughing for months. My voice never really recovered. Finally I saw my doctor about it and he was confident that it was a result of acid reflux. I never realized I had that problem, but he started me on medication. I also saw an ENT who scoped down my nose to look at my vocal cords. Oh well, you probably don't care about all the details, but I saw the ENT again yesterday and he says one of my vocal cords is immobile and dry, this leaves the cords without the ability to vibrate and make sounds. All of this has resulted in my inability to teach or speak at functions. In fact, it is difficult to have conversation at all. My voice is but a whisper at times and it is a strain to speak. I have been referred to a different specialist who may inject my throat with something to stimulate my vocal cords. 

Meanwhile, I was referred to a speech therapist who gave me the best advice, and things my doctors failed to mention. Number one on the hit parade of advice was that I needed to drink more water to hydrate my entire body. I drank a lot, but mostly diet coke, which I found out is a diuretic, as are other caffeine drinks. They don't hydrate. I was using anti-histamines for post nasal drip and to help me get to sleep when necessary. Also a big no-no as they cause drying, as do the menthol cough drops I was using. Luckily the post nasal drip has subsided, as has the coughing, so that is helpful. So I am drinking lots of water, avoiding caffeine, and anti-histamines, and using fruit flavored cough drops when necessary. Since this problem seems to be affecting more people than I realized, I thought I would pass along what I have learned and maybe you can take steps to avoid going this far down the road.  Not looking forward to the injection!

On a side note, I am scheduled to teach at an event in October in Hampton, Virginia at the Coliseum Convention Center. It is Expo II-2012, sponsored by Bella Fabrics. For info, follow the link. They have a great selection of teachers. So after that great build-up on my voice, let me assure you that I will have a microphone! I will be teaching an all day class on my Old Elegance quilt.Come join the fun if you are in the neighborhood! Save the dates October 13th and 14th, 2012.

 Pattern available at Patchalot Patterns!

Here is my bio:

Like most quilters, Marcie is addicted to fabric. She thinks it must have first occurred the moment she was born and was wrapped in a nice soft cotton blanket. As a child she watched her grandmother and her love of sewing, and realized that she wanted to do that also. She began sewing with cotton prints and sewed through the evolution of fabric as polyester blends and then double knits became popular. Now she has come full circle and she is the grandmother, and she is sewing with lovely cotton prints again; only this time she is making quilts!  

Marcie's passion is scrap quilts. She has a large fabric collection focused on reproduction prints. When she makes a quilt, she draws from what she has on hand. She models her designs after traditional quilts and tries to add her own twist to make it unique. She sells her patterns under the name Patchalot Patterns, putting her last name in play.   

She is happy to say that she has had her quilt designs published in several wonderful magazines, including McCall’s Quilting and McCall’s Quick Quilts; American Patchwork & Quilting, Fons and Porter’s Love of Quilting and Primitive Quilts and Projects.   

Spending time with her family takes priority over all and in order to see them she must travel, as they live in several different states. She is blessed with four wonderful children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. They all know that when she comes, she needs a sewing machine, Diet Coke and Hershey’s Kisses! It’s a family joke—quilts, coke and kisses! Life is good!  www.patchalotpatterns.com

Oh dear, now I have to dump the diet coke reference! But life is still good, and we move forward trying to dodge obstacles that are placed before us!

A visit to Millstone Quilts!

This is the darling quilt shop Joan and I went to visit on Thursday. It is Millstone Quilts and is just outside of Richmond, VA. We have been wanting to take a trip up there for quite a while. The shop is owned by Regina Simmons and is situated in an actual old mill that her husband restored. Brick walls and wood floors combined with lots of fabric and quilts makes you want to move right in!

Millstone Quilts was featured in AP&Q Quilt Sampler, Fall 2011 issue, and they sell my patterns! In fact they had three models on display and I felt so flattered. Below you can see the magazine that their quilt was featured in, along with jars of thread and darling pincushions made by the indispensable Vicki Johnson. Vicki gave us a tour of the shop and made us feel very much at home there. It took us so long to get there that we missed seeing Regina as she had to go to another appointment.

 You may recognize the brown and blue quilt in the center as my
 Old Elegance. Doesn't it look wonderful? 

They have one kit left for this quilt if you are interested. 

I don't know why this darn photo is sideways, but it is too pretty not to include.

 Kits are available for this darling sailboat quilt that Vicki made.

I love it!

Below is a lovely display of flowers on the stairs going to the porch. They were too pretty to ignor.

 This shop caters to those of us who love reproduction fabrics. If you are traveling down Hwy 64 between Richmond and Williamsburg set your GPS to find Millstone Quilts. It will not dissappoint!

Annual Ornament Feature

Getting a jump on Christmas and making ornaments for my grandkids. This is a tradition I began with my own children, and as they had children I continued with the grands. Oh there have been a few years where I didn't follow through, but that was before my grandson, 15 at the time, said that he loved to decorated the tree and find all his ornaments that I had made him through the years. When I discovered that it really meant something to him, a teenage boy no less, my heart was touched! Let's face it. we love to make things. It's in our blood or something. But if no one appreciates what we are doing it kind of takes the heart out of it. We all love a little recognition, right?

So here is this years simple little offering. The pattern was in American Patchwork and Quilting magazine December 2011 issue. It is a pattern by Sue Spargo that I adapted to my own needs. Hers is wonderful, but I needed something that was easier to mass produce because I needed so many. Years ago I made felt ornaments every year. In those days my mom would design the pattens and she always made them for everyone. Now I am working with wool, but I still had a nice big hunk of heavy white felt from "the old days" that worked well for the background. So I am happy to say that the ornies are done for this year!! Now I need to design and make four Christmas Stockings! Boy, these kids expect a lot!

On another note, someone telephoned me the other day to ask if I take credit cards for my pattern purchases. I do not. My website is set up to accept Paypal, which is so easy to use, and safe as well. If you haven't tried it, do so on something inexpensive, like one of my patterns, just to get the feel of it. If you are uncomfortable doing that and you don't want the hassle of mailing a check, you can always call this number: 757-523-2711. It is the local shop here in Virginia Beach (What's Your Stitch 'N Stuff) and they carry ALL my patterns. They also often have kits available for at least one or two of my patterns. It changes. Of course I also mentioned two shops in my previous post that have kits for Old Elegance, and naturally they have that pattern as well, plus other Patchalot Patterns. 
Seems like I am doing a lot of self promotion lately. Well I ask you, who else is gonna do it? LOL!

If you are living in snow country and got blasted yesterday, my condolences. We actually turned on the furnace for the first time last night. I hope this winter it is not going to be a repeat of last winter. Warm wishes to all!

 

Cocheco IV Fabric and Kits!

I just came home from the grocery store and am collapsing for a few minutes. My husband is expecting an apple pie. But before I begin that I need to catch my breath. I left several bags of groceries at the foot of the stairs by the garage. Our kitchen is on the third floor and it about kills me to carry heavy bags up there. I just carry the frozen and refrigerated stuff up and then Hubby gets the rest later. What a plan, huh?

 Here it is again, Old Elegance. I am excited about this quilt being displayed at the Marcus Fabric booth at Quilt Market in Houston. I know you have all heard this before, if you read my blog. The additional great news is that there will be kits available at two fabulous shops. Coincidentally, both are AP&Q top shops!

When I called Michelle Joyner of Fat Quarters Quilt Shop in Vista, California she was very enthusiastic about my pattern because she had ordered this fabric line from Marcus. She now has the fabric and the pattern in stock so hopefully kits are in the works! You can reach her shop at 760-758-8308. Also see the link to find out what other great things are in the shop. I had the pleasure of visiting this shop several years ago and love it! 

Another great shop, and closer to home for me, is Millstone Quilts, right here in Virginia. Millstone Quilts was just featured in the most recent issue of Quilt Sampler magazine. You probably have the magazine so you can take a look at how darling the shop looks. Regina Simmons is the owner and when I spoke to her she decided to order the fabric so she could make up kits. You can contact this shop at 804-779-3535. Wow, make my day!

I can't tell you how delighted I am to have these two great shops kitting up this pattern! It gives me the opportunity to share this pattern with you kitted in the original fabric pictured in the photo. I hope you love it and give one of these great shops a call!

Also, you can purchase the pattern individually at the Patchalot Patterns website, or ask for it at your LQS. I am always happy to take shop orders!