More Great Prezzies

Suzanne at Knots and Bolts is closing her shop, so she’s got some fantastic  deals on all kinds of great stuff!   She sent me a gift certificate for my birthday, and I ordered fabrics for quilt backings. The fabrics arrived, and they are beautiful! I also ordered a neat pattern for a wallet made from two fat quarters. Thank you, Suzanne! I am tickled to pieces!

Look at what my friend, Christiane gave me!

I also got a festive ball in these colors,  to hang on my Christmas tree. It has been put away with my Christmas stuff.  However, this little guy is going to hang around my studio year round! Thank you, Christiane, for giving me such a funky little elf to remind me to live creatively and with joy!

Cotton Patch Quilt Guild Show

Today was the first day of our quilt guild’s bi-annual show. The weather was nice, and people were streaming through the doors for the first 3 hours of the day! Booths were busy with shoppers, and everyone seemed to be in a festive mood. I spent the last two days helping to hang all the quilts, and we have over 200 on display!

I entered 3 of my personal quilts and 2 customer quilts in the show. I was very excited to see that each of my personal quilts took ribbons, as well as 4 of my customer’s quilts! My silk wholecloth quilt was awarded a 2nd place ribbon.

My painted sun quilt was awarded a 3rd place ribbon.

My small portrait quilt was awarded a 2nd place ribbon, as well as a judges choice ribbon!

I had to enter all the categories as a professional, so the competition was pretty fierce.  I am humbled to be included in such a wonderful group of quilters.

My customer, Pam, did a gorgeous job of appliqueing  the Bird Song quilt, and that quilt was awarded an honorable mention ribbon. We have some fabulous applique artists in our guild, who compete and win awards all over the United States, so Pam can be very proud of her work! She ranks among the best!

Carol pieced a beautiful quilt out of homespun fabrics, and she gave me complete freedom in the quilting. Her quilt was awarded a first place ribbon!

Stephanie’s dresden plate hearts quilt was awarded a 2nd place ribbon. She added a little touch of bright orange piping just inside the binding, and it was the perfect element to add a little extra zing to the quilt!

Martha’s rectangle pizzazz quilt was awarded a 3rd place ribbon.

Becky’s quilt was awarded a 1st place ribbon. She will be teaching a class on how to make this quilt at Strawberry Patches.

I can’t think of a better way to spend a day than to celebrate with my husband, friends, and awesome customers!

Good Things To Check Out

I just wanted to jot down a quick note to let my readers know of some websites that I think are worth visiting.

Suzanne Earley is closing her shop, Knots and Bolts, so she’s having a – clearance sale on fabrics, notions, books, patterns, yarn, knitting notions, and crochet hooks. I ordered backing fabrics for some projects!

Stacy Hurt is a gifted artist who creates very cool cards that can be given to someone special, or they can be framed for hanging.  Stacy also makes kitty beds which contain special treats for cats.  If you are interested in learning about calligraphy, she will be hosting workshops throughout the year. Check out her blog and her Etsy shop!

Susan Italo is the artist who created The Wild Onion Jacket pattern! She is hosting a fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders, who are helping earthquake victims in Haiti. Visit her blog for details.

Vicki Welsh creates beautiful hand dyed fabrics, and she sells them in her Etsy shop! She’s also part of 3 Creative Studios, which is hosting a fun BOM. Vicki also regularly posts tons of links to other fabulous blogs.

Nancy Rink, is a quilt pattern designer who has had her works published in several magazines. She has also had her quilts juried into the biggest shows in the United States! Nancy sells hand dyed fabrics, quilt patterns, and quilt kits on her website. She is also hosting a fabulous BOM!

How’d We Get To 2010?

Holy cow, it seems like the last few months of 2009 screamed right past me!  I stayed busy with Christmas quilting, and squeezed in a few projects of my own. One of the things I did for fun was to dye a scarf as a gift for Toni, Collin’s girlfriend. I first saw these gorgeous hand dyed scarves on Vicki Welsh’s blog.  Toni likes blue, so I used a combination of bright blue and bright green dyes on her scarf.

The scarf blanks and dyes are available from Dharma Trading Company. I may just mix up some dye and make one for myself this evening!

Collin came home for Christmas break, and Toni came down for a visit before they headed back to school. He was pestering her one evening, which resulted in a total Collin smack down! Girlfriend pinned the big boy! LOL!

I  got away for a day to the coast with my brother. We visited with my niece, Jenny, and her baby boy, Jackson. It was an unexpected trip, and it was great to get away and get time to visit with my brother.  I love watching him interact with Jackson. It reminds me so much of how my dad was with my boys!

I’ve also been busy getting quilt ready for our bi-annual guild show. The Cotton Patch Quilters of Kern County will have its show at the Kern County Fairgrounds, January 30th and 31st. If you are in the area, I hope you’ll see the show. We have some amazing talent in our guild! Almost 200 quilts will be on display, and our vendor mall is full.

Here are the last couple of quilts I got finished for the show:

Stephanie’s Dresden hearts

Becky’s embroidered flowers quilt.  The class to make this quilt will be held at Strawberry Patches.

My fellow quilter and  friend, Carie Shields, came for a visit. Carie is from Oregon, and she has extreme anxiety about flying. She dealt with that stress, just to come for a visit! Talk about a good friend!  We took a day and traveled south to The Road to California Quilt Show. Another friend, Nancy, went with us. We had a ball! I got to visit with several friends from my days as a vendor, and I also ran into my friend, Candy.  We got to whoop and holler together in celebration of her 2nd place ribbon on a quilt that she quilted on her domestic machine. I am thrilled to pieces for her!  Of course, I had to indulge in a little retail therapy while at the show.

Last Monday, I celebrated my 49th birthday. It was a wonderful birthday! A few friends gathered at my house, and we had a fun day of sewing together. They all brought me prezzies for my birthday. It was completely unexpected, and I realized  how blessed I am to have such good friends!

Carie hand dyed these yummy bamboo yarn socks for me, and she added to my polka dots fabric stash.

Nancy gave me these fancy gloves. I’ll look good while cleaning!

Collin and Toni gave me the mug and foo foo smelly soap. If you can’t read the mug, it says, “Don’t make me bitch slap you”. LOL!  Toni was afraid I’d be offended by it, but my boys assured her that it suits my personality to a tee! LOL! It gave me a great laugh and is now my favorite tea mug. The soaps are hand made, and they smell absolutely divine!

Christiane knows I love little pottery bowls, and she bought this for me while on a vacation in Mexico. She also gave me a very cool key chain made of  leather and stones.

My friend, Suzanne, sent me a gift certificate to be used in her online store, Knots and Bolts. She’s having a HUGE sale, so I’m going to have some shopping fun!  Zack took care of dinner, and Scott bought me a birthday cake.  It was the first birthday cake I’ve had in years! It was a perfect day!

While Nancy and Carie sewed, I quilted on Becky’s quilt. However, I think Zack and Chunk had the best idea of the day…

Carie and Zack had a constant banter going on all week, so I had to get a picture of them together before she had to return home.

It has been a crazy busy couple of months, and I’m tired! This is how I spent yesterday…

I need to make a point of staying caught up on my blogging! It takes way too much time to catch up!

Good-bye My Penny Love

We had to make the excruciating decision to have our dear Penny put down yesterday morning. She turned 13 on Saturday, and got very ill during that night. We knew it was coming, and I’ve nursed her through several serious health incidents since last spring.  When this one occurred, I knew that I could no longer make her go on just to ease my heart. Penny was the sweetest dog I’ve ever had.

Penny came into our lives 13 years ago, after we’d suffered the devistating loss of two dogs within 6 months. We were heartbroken, and we missed having a dog inside the house. We had two outside dogs, but it wasn’t the same as having that constant companion to snuggle up on the couch with. My niece, Shannon, called me one day and asked if I’d drive here to a nearby town to pick out a Beagle puppy. She stressed that there were several puppies still available in the litter, and said that I should get one. One of the dogs we’d lost, was a Beagle pup who had Parvo when we brought him home. I told my niece that I was too afraid that the Parvo virus was still around the house, so I told her I’d drive her, but I wouldn’t be getting a puppy. After much “encouraging” (nag nag nag) from Shannon, I finally called the vet and asked their advice. I’d cleaned everything thoroughly, including spraying down the yard with dilluted bleach. The vet gave me the okay, and I told Shannon that I’d think about it.  Shannon was picking up a female, and I wanted a little girl too. I’d decided that I’d bring one home if there were two females in the litter. When we got to the home of the breeder, we found only one female still available. She actually came to me, and in the midst of the puppy kisses, Shannon said, “You need her more than I do.” That was it! Penny and I were both hooked! Shannon held her while I drove us home, and Penny howled and cried througout the entire drive!  Whe we got home, I first let Penny do her thing on the grass, then opened the front door. She trotted right in like she knew she belonged. Collin vividly remembers looking at the door as I opened it, and seeing this tiny little bundle trot right through! She made a bee-line for him, and it was love at first sight. Everyone thought she belonged to Shannon, and it was a wonderful surprise to tell them otherwise!

Penny was very easy to train, and she had a lovely, gentle little temperment. One of her favorite games was to chase Collin around the house. She’d nip at his shorts (usually soccer-type shorts), until she’d grab hold and pull them down, tripping him to the floor, then she’d smother him with kisses. It was their game.  She loved a good snuggle, gave lots of kisses, and mended our broken hearts.  She had one litter of puppies; Shannon got her little girl, and we got two of her boys.  As old as she’d gotten, she was still the queen around here. When her boys would get too rowdy, she’d let them know who was boss. When customers came to the door, she was usually there to greet them. Our Penny-girl, our Penny Love, our Little Mamma, was one of a kind. Once again, our hearts are broken, but we know that this is the cost of pet ownership. We are thankful for it all.

A Look Back at 2009

Where have the past few months gone?  The holiday season is always a busy one, but this one feels like it flew by!

Christmas was celebrated over the course of several days for us. We had Scott’s sisters here for a visit last week-end. We hadn’t seen either of them for over a year, so it was nice to relax and catch up a bit. Christmas Eve was spent with my family. We always get together at my older sister’s house, eat Grandpa Cecil’s vegetable/beef soup, exchange ornaments, and play Catch Phrase. Of course, we liven things up with a few bottles of wine and lots of desserts! My niece and her family from Tucson were able to come out this year, which made everything that much more special! Scott and I had our own family Christmas celebration on Christmas day. It was peaceful, quiet, and we had a lovely dinner and enjoyed all day sports on the t.v. Scott and I went out to do a little shopping yesterday, and we stopped by my brother’s house to pick up the sunglasses that were left there at Thanksgiving. My SIL’s family was having their Christmas celebration, and they invited us to join them for dinner. Of course, we accepted! We skipped the shopping and enjoyed the company instead!

Today will be spent catching up a bit, tidying up the house, and working on a quilt. The Cotton Patch Quilt Guild of Kern County will be having their bi-annual quilt show next month, and I have lots of work to do for it! Scott gave me an Intuous 4 Professional Pen Tablet, and I’m looking forward to playing with it in my design work! I’d love to design a couple of art quilts in the coming year, so that’ll be put on my list of resolutions. I also want to read more, which will force me to have a little down time. If any of you have books to suggest, I’d love to have some recommendations.

As I look back on 2009, it has been an interesting year. My health tanked early in the year, and I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. My pain level was at an all time high, and I was having a very hard time with the depression that goes with having chronic pain. The economy was also going down the toilet at record pace.  Our purse strings were getting tighter by the day, and machine sales were at a stand still. Keeping stress down is a key factor is dealing with RA and Fibro, so I needed to make some major changes. I resigned from selling longarm quilting machines in May, and I eliminated some personal relationships that were no longer good for me.  When you are faced with serious health issues and/or severe economic issues, it quickly becomes very clear who your true friends are.  I “weeded my garden”, so to speak.

Today, my health is much better, my life is richer, I’m blessed with great friends, and I’m happier than I’ve been in years! In spite of the economic crisis, I’m hopeful.  God is faithful, and life is good!

Finally, I have a few pictures to share. Family first, of course!

Collin and his cousin, Richard, goofing around at Thanksgiving. Zack sits back and stays out of the fray!

My niece, Jennifer, her husband, and their new son.

My big brother and his first grandbaby. His smile says it all.

My older sister and brother.

My niece, Stephanie, and her boyfriend. We met him for the first time, and we definitely approve! I hadn’t seen Stephanie since she was home,  on leave, after being  wounded in Iraq. I think that was 2 years ago. It was wonderful to see her and catch up!

Patty’s Autumn House quilt. This was the 3rd Autumn House quilt I did, but I still enjoyed it! I have a beautiful embroidery applique quilt to do for Patty, but I have to finish quilts for the quilt show first.

Border detail

Martha made this quilt from the book, Rectangle Pizzazz by Judy Sisneros. Unfortunately, the quilting doesn’t show up much in this picture, but you can see it when you look at the real quilt.

Back of the quilt. I used an old gold color of thread, and it looked great! I stitched a water meander allover, then added some corner details.

Koi,  inspired by Judy Irish’s book, were stitched in the lower corners of the quilt. My friend, Carie, was a great cheerleader while I worked out the design elements of this quilt. She’s a very gifted quilter, and she’s a great encourager!

Irises in the fabrics inspired this design in the upper corners of the quilt.

Pam’s adorable wallhanging made from Nancy Halverson’s pattern.

Pam’s Bird Song quilt. She does beautiful hand applique!  I don’t usually quilt this densely, but I felt that the quilt called for it. Some of the feathers are as small as the tip of my pinky finger. Susan kept me company (via phone), while I spent 5 days feathering my heart out. It was so worth it!

Etsy Shop for Kitties

My friend, Stacy, is a gifted artist who has a very generous heart.  She often provides temporary shelter for kitties who are waiting to be adopted. In her desire to provide something special for other cat lovers, she has opened an Etsy store to sell the kitty  beds that she makes. Check it out!

 

My Name is Lynn, I’m A Blog Slacker

Okay, I admit it, I’m a total blog slacker. I used to post regularly, then I got hooked on Facebook. That’s like posting mini blogs throughout the week, so I felt like there wasn’t much to say here. I’m working on balance. Isn’t that a constant battle?

I’ve been crazy busy, but don’t have a lot of pictures to post. I did 3 large quilts in the same week, then made back to back trips to L.A. and San Luis Obispo in the same weekend. That totally did me in! I have to remember that the Fibro can kick in when I overdo, so that’s a no no. I’m not good at pacing myself. I don’t sit still very well, and I’m not much of a t.v. watcher either. I guess I need to take up some handwork and visit the library more often. At any rate, one of the most fun days I’ve had recently, involved meeting a VIP.

When you are preparing yourself to meet a VIP, you make sure you look spiffy. You do your hair, put on the make-up, make sure you smell nice, and wait with anticipation. The drive to the coast was fabulous, as I was traveling with my sister-in-law, who I love dearly. It gave us some alone time to chat, laugh, and yell at other drivers. As we pulled into the meeting place, I could feel the excitement build in my chest, as my heart pounded at a quicker pace. As we walked into the home, he was just inside the door, this VIP.

My newest nephew, Jackson. He’s beautiful! It also shocked me just a little to see this photo, because I realize how much I look like my mom.

I love this picture of my sister-in-law, Tami, and Jackson.

Later in the day, we drove over to Cal Poly SLO to see my baby.

It doesn’t seem all that long ago that he was so tiny. *sigh* Right next to this sidewalk, there’s some gorgeous flowers blooming, and the hummingbirds were too numerous to count! I could spend hours watching hummingbirds dance, so it was quite a treat. I took several pictures, but they were moving way too fast to get much on film.

We finished off the day by having a lovely dinner at the Apple Farm Inn in San Luis Obispo.

A zippy day, and a good time was had by all. Oh, and I’m totally in love! It’s a good thing that I’m too old to have another baby!

Tea Time

I enjoy relaxing a bit in the afternoons with a cuppa tea. Last week I was cleaning windows, and it was tea time.  I didn’t want to stop what I was doing, so I had the cup on the floor where I was washing the lower part of the windows. Emily popped over for a cuppa and a short visit. While I was in the kitchen brewing her a cuppa, we suddenly heard some very loud slurping! Apparently, Chipper likes his tea time too!

While Chip enjoyed “his” tea, Oscar was quite peacefully taking a nap.

A Little Dirt Anyone?

And I’m not talking about dishing the dirt! I’m talking about an all day windstorm and how it looks the next morning. ACK!