Off to Houston

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!

 

FREE CHRISTMAS PATTERN

Computers make me crazy. I can't prove that is what did it, but it is just my guess. So here is the deal, I usually work on a PC desktop. But my husband has an Apple Laptop. I actually prefer working on my own PC, never mind what the commercials on TV say. But that is another story. What I want to explain is that while looking at my blog on my husband's MAC I clicked on the free quilt image on my sidebar. It links to my website. Well my whole website shows up as a goofy mess on the MAC. I can't explain it, but it is just awful. If you have a MAC and find my website to be a mess (or any other computer) I just don't have any advice. I think it displays better on Internet Explorer. But who really knows.

So far no one has complained that they are having problems. However, if you are trying to read the directions for the free quilt pattern and are unable, and if you want to make the pattern, please e-mail me and I will e-mail the directions to you. It shouldn't be this difficult. Honestly.

Thank you for all your kind words about the pattern. I am glad you like it!

YOU MAKE ME SMILE

Yes, you make me smile! I can't tell you how many times I sit here all alone at my computer and read your comments and laugh out loud. Or I read your blogs with a big grin on my face! When my husband and I moved to Virginia nine years ago I didn't know anyone. I was barely literate on the computer. We had never had the Internet before, and so I began looking around for quilt stuff. I managed to find some quilt blogs that were great fun, and so I began winding my way into Blogland. To my great joy, I found a whole new way to interact with quilters. I found a format for sharing my projects, and I found inspiration through other quilt bloggers. I found quilt bloggers to be open and unafraid, generous with their comments, and helpful to me as I struggled to learn new computer skills. In short, I found new friends! Most of you I will probably never meet face to face, but I do enjoy dropping in for the occasional visit. There are so many bloggers out there now that I don't know everyone, and can't always keep everyone straight. I recently found myself making a comment on a blog and as I scanned thru the other comments I found that I had already been there and done that. Haha! That made me smile too!

So my friends, as this year has literally flown by, I once again offer up my little token of friendship in the form of a free Christmas pattern. It is a simple little design that I hope you will find attractive and maybe you will have a chance to make it this year. In light of all that is going on in our family, I put forth my best effort to get this out early this year. You can find the link to the free pattern by going to my website at PatchalotPatterns.com. Free patterns from years past are there as well. Feel free to share this picture and the link to my website and blog.
If you are in this area you might join me at What's Your Stitch 'N Stuff where I am doing this as a class on November 3rd.

Best Wishes and Happy Stitches!

SUMMER SUCCESS STORIES

Summer has come and gone, but for once I can say that I actually got a few things done. The photo above shows my version of the little Orange Peel quilt that I made from Kathleen Tracy's book, Remembering Adelia. It was a delight to make and it gave me an opportunity to display some of my Civil War fabrics that I love so much. I even used a few 5 inch charm squares because they were so easy to find and use. I got two little segments from each square. It added a few samples of fabrics that I only had in those charm packs. As I dug through my fabric I found this Thimbleberries fabric from years ago that was just the perfect color for the border, and the corner squares are from an old Smithsonian print that I have also had for many years. I love this little quilt, and it was made even more special by Mary Flynn at Quilt Hollow who quilted it for me. She did a lovely job and I certainly recommend her if you are looking for a quilter. Mary also quilted my red, white, and blue Prairie Paisley quilt for my grandson. It is in the collage below, and guess what---McCall's Quilting is going to publish it in their Quick Quilts magazine, July 2010 issue! I thought I was really organized to have gotten the quilt completed for a baby that is not coming until December. Now the dear child will have to wait for his quilt for a while. But I made it plenty big and he won't know the difference, and I am psyched!

The collage above shows the several things that I have completed this summer. Along with my little Orange Peel, I have completed five full size UFOs this summer to the point where they are quilted, bound, labeled and delivered to new homes. Also I designed and completed two Honor Guard quilts with the four eagles; the red, white and blue American Dreamer quilt; and two Christmas Punch quilts. I feel good!

As always, more awaits me, including the directions for the Christmas Punch quilt, which I will try to complete this week. Our LQS What's Your Stitch N Stuff had Open House this past Saturday and that was very nice. Lots of browsers looking for classes to sign up for, and lots of classes to choose from, including mine. I will be teaching Indian Paintbrush again, and then Christmas Punch in November. If you are looking for a cute little Christmas quilt to teach you might consider Christmas Punch. It is fun to make and the pattern will be free! (And you can intoduce my patterns to your quilt shop owner!) Also keep in mind that there are other free patterns at my website, PatchalotPatterns.com Also, if you have trouble on my website with overlaying words or links that don't seem to work, re-open the site in Internet Explorer. For some reason the site has issues with other internet browsers. I try, I really do. I wish these various browsers would play nice.

Today is Monday and Friday will be here in a flash! Enjoy your week everyone!

WINDOWS ON THE WORLD

Here I am in front of my computer this morning, opening my (Microsoft) Windows on the World! I have been catching up on blogs after being incommunicado for the past week. I love that I can look in on you through your window in whatever part of the world you reside! I have favorite blogs in Australia, Europe, Canada, U.K., U.S. and even Japan! Thanks for sharing your talents and your enthusiasm, and for coming to visit me!

I have been doing a little sewing to sooth my soul. It feels good! I finished my "star" top, and will get a photo of it soon. Meanwhile I am back to writing directions for a project I completed last year. Remember my funny little eagle? Well, I have had the pleasure of enjoying him on my own wall for a while, since I never got around to writing up a pattern last year. Usually my quilts go to the shop and stay there. No, I don't own "the shop", but they do promote and sell my patterns and so many of my quilts are on display to help do that. (I can arrange for other shops to borrow them, however!)
I adapted this little eagle from a picture of a vintage quilt that I liked. He has now been dubbed the "Patchalittle Eagle". I also did a wool pillow from the same basic design that you can find on my free patterns page on my Patchalot Patterns website.

At least I got that part of the instructions done last year! Now I have this one scheduled as a class for June. The border for this is adorable, if I do say so myself. I will show that next time. Maybe it will entice you to come back!
Have a happy day!

TREES ON THE TABLE

I have been delighted to see my little tree quilt coming to life so quickly. Libby and Kim are the first that have completed theirs and sent me photos. I will get them posted on my web site, but in the meantime you can go to their blogs and see for your self how cute they turned out! They each decided on a different border, which makes it even more fun to view. Libby, of course, added her special touch and made hers primitive looking. I love it! Kim decided to issue a challenge to see how many people would like to make one this weekend. That's great if you can do it, but it is also great if you make it whenever you have the time. Once you see how easy it is, you may want to make more than one, as Libby, Kim and I are doing.

Libby and Kim both caught an error or two in cutting, which I have corrected on the pattern. Not a big deal, you would have figured it out. But it always helps to have extra eyes when it comes to proofing directions. So thanks my friends!

As you can see, I posted a photo of the quilt on the top of my sidebar for now. You can find the free directions by going to my website, patchalotpatterns.com, and clicking on free patterns. If you e-mail me a photo of your tree quilt I will add a link to your blog, with your permission. I am so happy with the positive response you have given me! Have fun with it!

I have lots more to share, but will have to come back later! I hope you do too!

SORRY, PATCHALOT PATTERNS WEBSITE IS SHUT DOWN. TO FIND THIS PATTERN SEARCH BLOG FOR "TREES".