She Sews, She Knows...

OMG.........She blogged!

2010-10-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

It's about time I posted a blog already! It's two in the morning and I have to be up at 6:3o, so it's not fancy! Blogger is having some trouble loading photos so I just did a few. Market was great today! We found so many new patterns, gifts, fabrics and other various new ideas to bring back. I am so excited about some of our finds and I know you all will be too!

Here are the ladies from the Michael Miller booth dressed to the nines. The booth is absolutely gorgeous as always, I'll post more pics tomorrow. Kathy Miller (the Miller in Michael Miller) is in the black and white polka dots.

The Easy Peasy girls had this cute bedazzled walker in their booth. When my mom needs a walker, this is what she's getting!

After the show, we headed over to Minute Maid Park for the Moda Dinner. It was so cool to be at the park when it was empty! Such a different feel! The dinner was delicious. If you know me at all, you know it's all about the sauce for me. Particularly the Barbecue Sauce! A traditional southern Barbecue was served, with plenty o' sauce!

Here's my dear friend Marie. I moved into the house across the street from her more than a decade ago. (boy, that makes it sound so long ago. I swear it was yesterday) That was when I lived in Citrus heights. I'll never have a better neighbor, she was the best! Anyway, she owns the fabulous Runs With Scissors Quilt Shop in Citrus Heights, and I never get to see her enough, so it's been great to catch up while we're at market!

oops, more of the MM girls slipped in!

It was a fantabulous day! I am looking forward to tomorrow, when we will be buying about 3 months worth of fabric for the store. We have appointments with Moda, Westminster Fibers, Michael Miller, Robert Kaufman, Maywood, Studio E, Lakehouse, Blank and more that I can't remember. It will be hectic and crazy, but I have a carefully detailed list.

Party Favors!

2010-01-14T14:58:00.001-08:00

Beka and I spent most of today getting ready for Mercedes birthday party tomorrow. Several years ago our friend Vicky who owns Obento Sushi told us about dessert sushi and how we could make it with rice krispy treats and candy. We thought it would be a fun party favor for everyone, so first thing this morning we were mixing up the ingredients for rice krispy treats and flattened them out into a cookie sheet.

Then we unrolled a fruit roll up and cut a square of the treats a little bit smaller than the fruit roll. We put some gummi worms and licorice in the centers and rolled them together.

After we had them all ready, we sliced them crosswise to make little pieces of dessert sushi. They are so cute, and they taste really good! The kids wouldn't leave us alone to finish making it, they kept begging us for pieces.

They hardly took any time to make, I thought it was going to be a big project, but it turned out to be quite fast. So then we started baking the cake for tomorrow. It will be a pagoda. Are you starting to see the theme? Tomorrow we will roll the sushi, California rolls, Chicken cutlet and spicy peanut sauce and salmon and cream cheese. Yummmmmm! I love sushi!

A Snow Day = A Sew Day!

2010-01-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

I'm visiting my sister in Minnesota this week. It is far colder than I could have imagined and the snow is piled on thick. So today we are staying in where it is warm and working on a fun sewing project. My niece Mercedes is turning the big two soon and we are having a sushi party for her birthday this Friday night. So we decided to make her a fun Asian inspired outfit for the party.

The coat is a beautiful Fuchsia color that has little tiny blossoms on it.
Here are the makings of the pants, a gold print with Fuchsia accents.

The jacket has cute little ties that hold it shut.
Here is a really fun new pattern from Susan Fuquay of American Quilt Retailer. It's called Holy Snowballs and is super fun and really fast to make. This one is made out of Odyssea from Moda. It still needs it's borders, but I just had to share it because I am already in love with it!

My sis and I are having lots of fun, crafting, sewing, cooking and playing with our kids!

New Years Resolutions- You had to know this was coming right?

2010-01-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

We rang in the new year at Oberon, in Eureka. My girls, Larissa, Elizabeth, Molly and me, Liz.

So it's a new year. 2010. A new decade. I am sitting at my new desk, which we just switched out last night before heading out to celebrate. It's a cute little desk. I didn't really have any plans to get a new one, but a few days ago, across the street from the quilt store, Eureka City Schools was having a surplus sale. It intrigued me, and after our sale quieted down enough to sneak over there, I did. There were tons of old wooden teacher's desks, and at the end was a cute little one with a button nosed end. I loved it instantly and had to have it. I was trying to figure out what I would do with it while I waited for my unknowing husband to come pick it up for me, when I realized that I had driven the truck to work that day. It was meant to be! So I handed over by 25 bucks and they loaded her up. Just had to share, because I am loving it!

And on to New Years resolutions. I have never made any. Not a single one ever. I am very much a realist and have always thought it seemed silly to make resolutions along with every one else when most of them seem made in haste, not true commitments. I don't like to say I'll do things and then not follow through. When I commit to something I like to see it to the end. But I suppose it's time to go out on a limb here and take a leap of faith. Challenge myself to try even if I'm not completely sure I will be able to complete said task. So here goes:

1. (This is the obvious one) I resolve to be a healthier person in 2010 than in previous years. I have been working on this one for a few months now, so I have a head start. Just like many others, working full time and being a mom and wife have left me a lot less "me time." One of the first things to go seems to be taking good care of my health. By the end of the year, I would like to have a committed workout routine in place that I enjoy.

2. In 2010, I resolve to be more professional, to learn everything I can to better serve my customers and to provide a positive, uplifting experience for everyone who walks through the doors. You all mean the world to me!

3. This new decade, I resolve to raise up a polite, kind daughter who knows right from wrong and knows fully how to love and be loved. (At the end of this decade, I will have a 14 year old) What the what?

4. I resolve to continue for this year and many more to come, to grow my marriage and grow a decade older with my wonderful husband. I am looking forward to it!

2010, bring it on! I'm ready for you!

It's one of the things I love about Christmas

2009-12-19T18:53:00.000-08:00

We all have our own Christmas traditions. They are rituals born out of repetition, from the mere fact that we do them every year. Sometimes they change over the years, variations of previous traditions. As families grow and expand to include in-laws, and babes are born, traditions merge. A very wise woman told me my in my first year of marriage, "Steve has his family traditions, and you have yours. Now it's time to make some new ones together." I remember that every year as we have grown our little family and are sharing Christmas rituals and traditions with Sydney.

One of my favorite traditions is putting out this very special little house. I love it so much that I often want to leave it out all year long, but I don't think it would hold the same meaning if it were an everyday piece. It is not at all ordinary and really quite extraordinary to me. It was given to me by my Grandmother, Esta, my dad's Mom. She held onto it until her death 12 years ago, but she told me that I would have it after she passed away and I treasure it. Every Christmas my Grandma put it out, and I never tired of looking at it. It really fascinates me. I imagine the fictional family that lives inside that cozy little house. She has been putting it out since the 70's, when it was given to her by a friend, Elizabeth Vessels.

Elizabeth was born in the 1880's and was getting up in age when she gave it my Grandma, Esta. Elizabeth lived in a log cabin in the San Bernadino mountains that was built for her grandmother. I don't know much about Elizabeth other than she and my grandma were friends and my grandma had always admired the house, so when Elizabeth grew older and needed to downsize, she gave my grandma the house.

But the story of this little house didn't start with Elizabeth. It actually started with her Grandmother, who received this house as a gift when she was a little girl. I know even less about her, but I have many years to imagine who she was, and who made this beautiful little house for her. I believe she was born in the 1830's, but I don't know for sure. I don't really know where the items that are inside of the house came from. Sometimes I think about adding things or changing items, but in the end I always decide I just kind of like it the way it is. At some point, a light was added to the inside of the top roof, so it lights up nicely!

The little gnome came with the house, he is a wooden fella. I don't know when he joined the house, but he stays out all year. He sits on my piano when it's not Christmas. That's the little door that swings back and forth. You can see the house is in need of repair. It has seen a lot of years and I'm afraid to do anything to it. I think it is due for a major cleaning though, but I need some recommendations on how to clean it without damaging it. It's hard to get a camera inside to take any pictures, because of how small the opening is in the top. I love the little sofa. It is made with a silky fabric and there is a little bible that sits there.

There is a little rooster in this window box and a little picture of an American flag. A little chest sits there on the left as well. You can't see the four fancy little chairs that are in there, or the china hutch, but I'll leave it to your imagination.

The only thing that I have added to the house is the little Merry Christmas sign that sits on the roof ledge. I think that someday I will make a teency-weency miniature little quilt to throw over the sofa and that will be my contribution for my time with this house. I tell Sydney about my special little house when she'll listen, and as she gets older, I'll have her help me put it out every year as I tell her the story of her Great Grandmother Esta that she never met, Esta's friend Elizabeth and Elizabeth's Grandmother who was the original owner. This is my part in this very long tradition, that I hope someday Sydney will have and make her own tradition.

Thanks for letting me share my little house!

Who doesn't love a giveaway?

2009-12-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

It's December and that means Christmas. And with that, comes the spirit of giving. So what's better than a holiday giveaway? Not much. Well, maybe a trip to Disneyland, but since that's not in the cards for the next couple of weeks, how about a book giveaway?

One of our favorite new finds at Quilt Market this year is the book, One Yard Wonders by Rebecca Yaker & Patricia Hoskins. Rebecca and Trish have carefully crafted 101 projects that can be made with just 1 yard of fabric each! The directions are clear and the spiral bound book includes an envelope inside to hold all of the pattern pieces!

To make this even more fun, these delightful authors have autographed a copy for the winner! We'll draw a winner on Jan. 1st, 2010!

To enter, click on the link below and leave a note on our Scottie Dog Quilts Facebook page that says "enter me". You can earn additional entries for each friend you refer when they add your name after "enter me".

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Scottie-Dog-Quilts-Creative-Sewing-Center/70359672850

The Order Of Events

2009-11-26T08:07:00.000-08:00

It's Thanksgiving Day. A day I typically mix with cooking, relaxing, eating and thinking about what I'm thankful for. In that order. Something seems different this year. Yesterday morning on the way to work, for no particular reason I was thinking about how blessed I am. I couldn't get it out of my head. All day long, I had a smile on my face and it's still here. Sydney and I ran a couple of errands in the afternoon and she asked me what Thanksgiving is. As I was describing how Thanksgiving came about and why we continue to celebrate this holiday, it really hit me how much I have to be thankful for. Here's my list:

1. I have a husband who loves me unconditionally and still makes my heart go pitter-pat. He does the little things that make me happy, and with a smile on his face. I am still madly in love with him!

2. We have a beautiful, healthy daughter who is joy in our lives. She is an easy kid and her smile melts our hearts. Watching her amazes me. Just a few years ago, she didn't talk and couldn't figure out what a toilet was for. Now, she can write her name and sing songs and process information.

3. I leave my house each day and make the one mile trip to my dream job. There I enjoy work that fulfills me and inspires me. Having an opportunity to dream, design and produce and then reap the rewards and learn from the failures feeds my soul.

4. I am thankful for a family that I couldn't ask for any more from. My sister is amazing, one of the strongest women I know. She is an inspiration and a confidante. There is no one in this world like my sister and I appreciate her so much. My parents are the kind of parents everyone should have. My dad has more patience for me than anyone in my life. He will listen to me endlessly and is always there for me. No matter what. My mom is about as good as it gets. Her dream has paved the way for me to create a job that I love. My entire life, she has put herself aside in favor of everyone else. She is, simply put, amazing.

5. I am so very thankful for an amazing Grandpa. There is no one in the world like my Grandpa. He is everything a Grandpa should be, loving, caring, compassionate, smart, hilariously funny! I have a million wonderful memories of my Grandpa and we continue to make more. He is incredibly special to me and I know how lucky I am to have him. He is one of a kind.

6. When you are a kid, you always have a million friends. As you grow up, some move on, sometimes we are the one who moves on. Some stay. My friend Larissa has been in my life since I was pretty small. I am so thankful for her friendship. She truly "gets" me. She knows when to poke fun, when to back off, when to support and when to just show up. I know she's got my back and I can always count on her. Watching our girls grow up together has been wonderful. It's like watching little "mini-me's" run around together. Having her by my side supporting me whether in person or in spirit is such a gift to me.

7. I am certainly thankful for a roof over my head and food to eat and heat when I'm cold. I definitely take these things for granted, and I have to really stop and remind myself to be thankful for these things.

I am often thinking about the future, and where I want to be at what age and at what point in my life. If I want to do X by the time I'm Y, then what should I be doing right now? Am I on track? Am I producing enough, working hard enough? But what about right now? I rarely stop to think about what I am doing right now and if I am happy and content with who I am and what I am doing right now.

I read a great article recently about slowing down and enjoying life. It was the same old article that has been written a million times, but maybe it takes a million times to really get the point across. Maybe I need to read someone else's version every once in awhile to remind me how rich with blessings I am. Maybe I'm writing my own version right now. Either way, we all know that we need to stop and smell the roses from time to time. Today, I am pausing to truly consider how richly blessed I am and just enjoy the day. Then I am going to cook the dinner, relax and eat a bountiful Thanksgiving feast in remembrance of those who paved the way. In that order.

It's Cruising time again!

2009-10-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's time to cruise again! Well, almost! We had so much fun on our last cruise to Alaska, that we have already booked the next one. Our wonderful travel agent, MJ Bryant of AK2TRVL vacations has us all set for our Quilting Retreat on board Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas, sailing from Los Angeles on Feb. 27, 2011, for a 7 day quilting cruise! The Mariner is one of the most exciting ships in Royal Caribbeans fleet, with an ice skating rink, miniature golf, rock climbing wall, basketball court and much more! Don't forget the state of the art conference center which has been reserved for Scottie Dog Quilts!

Here's a picture of the room I booked for my husband, Sydney and I. We had a great family vacation on the last cruise. Steve had plenty to keep him busy on the days that I sewed away in the sewing room, and Sydney had a blast on the "big ship."

Karen Lovie made her version of the quilt project with a beautiful Bali Pop. Projects for the cruise are timed so that you will have time to go home with a completed project and still enjoy all the ship and ports have to offer.

Families are welcome, here are three generations that went on the Alsakan Quilting Cruise.

Here's Paula on her way back down the rock climbing wall. She made it look so easy, until I gave it a try and realized it's harder than it looks.

MJ has secured us fabulous pricing starting at $749 for inside cabins. This price includes all port fees, govt. taxes and quilting classes/activities. We will set sail from LA and visit Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. Come Feburary, I will definitely be ready for a warm, summery vacation! Bring a friend, or your whole family, and come quilt with Scottie Dog Quilts! And a special gift for all cabins booked by Nov. 9th, 2009, a $5o Scottie Dog Quilts gift certificate per cabin! Call MJ or the store for more info.

MJ Bryant 888/278-7875

Scottie Dog Quilts 707 444-9662

More Market Fun

2009-10-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

Michael Miller's booth at Market was completely Gnome themed. Little hedges, a little tear drop trailer (in red polka dots!!!!!) and a roaming gnome. It was a very cute theme, and a new fabric line to support the idea. The roaming gnome fabric was adorable and had some great pieces to blend with it. Did we order it? Of course!

For their tenth anniversary, Michael Miller has brought back some old favorites and reprinted. Here are a couple of the ones we ordered. How to get a husband was one of fastest selling fabrics we have ever had in the store.

If She Sews She Knows was another record setting fabric we carried. It was the inspiration for my blog. I always thought this fabric said it all and now it's back! We should have these great fabrics in the store any day.

There's this booth at market that always has these incredible buttons. I love to look at them, they are so purty. I'll take one of each, please!

We go to quilt market to find all of the newest things, search the new trends and buy all kinds of goodies to stock the store. But right there through a wide open doorway is the biggest quilt show, already hung in preperation for the following week's Quilt Festival. The ribbon's haven't been awarded yet, that doesn't happen until the Tuesday's winner's circle. But I always try to sneak in a little time to go walk the show. This is a quilt that struck my interest. Of course the picture doesn't even begin to do it justice, but in person, it was one of the most interesting quilts. I was really drawn to the layers.

This little girlie went to market, and to Floresville to drive a tractor!

2009-10-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about market is experiencing the new fabric lines the way that the designer wants you to experience it. There is a feeling evoked when you're looking at something new and seeing carded samples at a desk just doesn't give the same vibe as standing in the middle of the designer's booth. This is a corner of Heather Bailey's booth. She won first place for best individual booth. Not to shabby and not at all surprising. Amy Butler was right behind in second place. Also not a surprise. Those two girls are definitely always at the top of my must-order list. Heather's booth was filled with great samples made from the newest line, Nicey Jane. New patterns were present as well.

Here's her new turtle pattern. A fun play toy, or a super-fly pincushion. (Did I really just say super-fly?) It must be because it's 1 a.m.

Anyhoo, moving on. Moda always has a theme and decorates to no end. This years theme was Beach Blanket Bingo. Everything was beach themed and we of course played bingo at the Moda dinner.

Today we had a VERY early morning meeting and then took some time off from working to drive out to a little town outside of San Antonio. Our friends Tom & Tracy Rickstrew and their son Riley moved to Floresville last year and Tom joined the family business. Tracy delivered baby Abram six months ago and he is just the sweetest thing. He's so smiley and happy!

So, we were standing around when a woman who had come to the farm to buy was pulling away and I asked a question about what she had bought. Suddenly Big Tom was showing me a seat on the Kubota and I was off and running on the farm tour. It turns out that the very little that I knew about hay farming was totally wrong and it was actually quite interesting. Before I knew it, I was taking this tractor out for a spin. The inside of that tractor is quite fancy, mind you. They sure don't mess around when it comes to the farm equipment. That's Riley in the bucket there.

Market drunk

2009-10-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

I'm totally buzzed from Market. I'm overdosing on creativeness! Did it really just start this morning? Has it only been one day? I love the frenzy of it all, every day here feels like several because we pack so much in!
Here's some samplings in the Alexander Henry booth. It was too busy to make an order today, but I knew we needed some new pinup gals. I found some of these classics while I was thumbing through the rack. FutureELLA!, Sexy Cowgirls, funky owls, and more. I took a picture so I would remember to order these tomorrow.

Amy Butler of course has gorgeous new prints that will be shipping later this fall. They are happy and sexy and full of love. I'm so excited about them. They feel like the new morning after a rainy night!

Jay McCaroll, season one winner of Project Runway was promoting his new line. Jay is a blast! I met Jay last year and have to admit, I had no idea who he was. All I knew was that I had to meet this guy that had me about to pee my pants from laughing so hard at the conversation that I was overhearing. He is so energetic and fun and you could never have a bad day around him. My four year old would say, "Jay's the best!" And he is. Jay's new show "Celebrity Fit Club" will be starting in Feb. It's everything a trashy reality show should be and I can't wait to watch.

This is one of Pat Durbin's projects in her new book. We were able to see the mock-up of the book which will be released in Dec. We will be hosting a book signing party for Pat so you can come and celebrate with her and get your autographed copy of the new book!

Dinner at the Moda party was fabulous as usual. The beach blanket bingo was in full swing. Here's my bingo cards. I didn't fare so well at the bingo, but excelled at having a swingin' time. It's probably a good thing I didn't win. Somehow the winners were all finagled into getting on stage and uh-oh.....doing the Macarena. Now, it pleased me to realize that I couldn't remember how it goes. It did not please me to realize that apparently doing the macarena is like riding a bike. It comes right back. I guess that one will be hiding in my subconscious ready to bust itself out after hearing a few beats of the song. Dang. Anyway, Moda always knows how to throw a party. The only thing missing was my good friend Marie, owner of Runs With Scissors Quilt Shop. She is a blur of dancing queenness on the dance floor. She really knows how to get a party started!

A totally inspiring day!

2009-10-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today was awesome! Being surrounded by all of the best designers and seeing the newest collections of fabric makes for a girl giddy with excitement! I can't wait to get my hands on all the new stuff! Heather Bailey has an amazing new line called "Nicey Jane." She painted a picture of a nice girl who goes for walks with her boyfriend. He brings her roses and they are blissfully happy.......Sigh.... You can't help but smile when you are around Heather. She has an infectuous smile and it's hard to catch her without it. Anyway, new patterns from her, fabulous colors, it was heavenly.

Here are new bags from Amy Butler's new collection. I have simply fallen in love. And in Amy's words, "It's all about Love" And she means it! She has a great new free download on her website for a "Sexy Hexy Love Quilt." It's absolutely gorgeous and is a must make quilt.

Here's the Sweet Harmony Handbag

More great hand bags from Amy Butler. I can't wait to make my own!

Here's Ricky Timms and Alex Anderson showing the Accuquilt GO products. Lots of new GO dies have been added, making the GO a really usable product. We should have these in the store soon, ready for Christmas!

Anna Maria Horner had a great new fabric line and new patterns. I didn't get any pictures, I was too busy ogling her new baby! He's such a cutie!

There were a million other great new products and ideas, my head is bursting at the seams!

After a long day of vivid colors, wonderful inspirations and seeing old friends, we headed off for a quick bite at a local Chinese restaurant that boasts "off the menu" meals. They are a family business with deep roots here in Houston and they want to make your experience unforgettable.

Then it was off to Sample Spree. An hour and a half of mayhem and madness, rushing to get the sample goods for you! This is a chance to buy cut goods long before they are available in the stores. And let me tell you- it is madness. A proper event it is not....but worth it to bring home exciting goodies. And one thing we were able to get was Bali pops. We have been unable to get these into the store for weeks, but we have many new colors that we will schlep back to Eureka on the plane. And we do it all for you!

So now, I am off to bed, for tomorrow a very busy day awaits. I will tell you more about it tomorrow night.

It's funny what you'll do for other people's kids

2009-09-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

I'm Supermom today. I don't hold this title very often. I'm a bit of a workaholic and I've always got a million ideas running around in my head that I want to work on. Steve is the one who takes our daughter to the beach, the park, the ice cream parlor, etc. He gets down on the floor and makes the animals talk and the dolls cry and all the other stuff that goes along with four year olds. He's wonderful with her. But today I am not going to work and I have the privilege of spending a half day with my friends daughter while Mom takes a CPR class for work.

It's amazing what you'll do for other people's kids. I tend to be a little freaked out by the idea of making a mess, but give me someone else's kid and suddenly I loosen up about the idea of a kid cracking eggs, measuring the flour, and anything else that might cause a spill. (I know what you're thinking....that's what cleaning supplies are for, get a grip, woman!) Yeah, I know, I'm weird. And before you worry that my kid doesn't get to do these things, don't. She spends a TON of time at her Grandma's house where Grandma has all the patience in the world. I hear that there is a lot of egg cracking taking place in her kitchen. I also hear a lot of, "you know mom, Grandma always lets me crack the eggs." Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Good thing you have a fabulous Grandma.

Anyway, back to me being Supermom. Our little guest has me loosening up. We got out all of the ingredients to make pancakes and they went to town measuring, pouring and stirring. We poured the pancakes, watched them turn brown, and decorated. They were pretty smiley the whole time.

Measuring the flour. Look there's flour spilled and I didn't even freak out. Although, Sydney kept mentioning that there was flour spilled on the table and the floor. I guess she's my kid.

Now, this Supermom is off to the zoo. We are going to go look at the monkeys and the bears, and as our little one puts it, "the mangos." I think she means the flamingos. They seem to be a big favorite of the little ones. Then we're off to the park next door. The one her Mom and I used to play at when we were wee ones.

Block Swap!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

Scottie Dog Quilts is hosting a 1930's block swap!

What is a block swap, you ask? Swap participants make a set of 8 identical blocks using the pattern provided. Blocks are turned in by the deadline and a few days later, you will receive 8 blocks back. They will all be the same pattern, but made with different fabrics. If you want more than 8 blocks, you can make additional sets, up to 10 sets. To make the quilt pictured, you will need to make 6 sets, that way you will receive 48 different blocks back.

The deadline to turn in blocks will be October 22. If you are mailing your blocks please mail them early enough to allow sufficient time to reach us by the 22. Make sure you provide a SASE with proper return postage. If you are a local participant, you can just drop your blocks off at the store.

Once you sign up, we need you to follow through. If you commit and then do not turn in blocks, there will not be enough blocks to swap. If for any reason you do sign up and something comes up, let me know ASAP.

If you have more questions, ask away. If you think you would like to sign up or want more info, you can email me at radromy@aol.com. I will email you the pattern and instructions. Or if you are local, just stop by the store and ask for the swap packet.

I am so excited and can't wait to see all of the beautiful blocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A super great day at the Humboldt County Fair

2009-08-21T23:38:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the fair to demo our AccuCut die cutting machine. Steve and Sydney rode rides while we did our demo. Sydney announced she was going to ride 600 rides. I'm not sure she met her goal, but she did a little bit of everything at the fair.

First on her list was a hot dog for lunch. She ate all but one bite! Then it was off to ride some of the rides with her Daddy!

Sydney LOVED the "horsies." I didn't realize my big four year old wanted to ride by herself. She did not want her mama standing next to that horse while she rode. I was relegated to outside the fence. What happened to my dependent little baby?

So after many, many rides, we headed over to the livestock barns to look at the animals. I loved visiting the animals when my parents used to take me to the fair. Sydney wanted to take home a rabbit. We said NO.

So while we are in the barns, two little girls come up to us and tell us they are giving miniature pony rides in the arena. It's only $2, she says. That sounded like fun, so we followed the girls through a maze of pens into a back area and just as we were starting to wonder where we were going, another girl shows up with two cute little ponies. One girl asks us for the $2, so I paid her and they put a helmet on Sydney and helped her on the horse. I took out the camera to take a picture and a third little girl who couldn't be more than six says, "usually pictures are an extra $2, but I'll throw it in for free." Suddenly as I look around I realize that there are no adults around and all of these girls are barefoot. The little girl started telling me how her rides were the best deal at the fair because they were really long and they weren't ponies tied to a chain. Then I noticed the sign that said "No riding in arena without written permission from office." She kept telling me how she would even let the pony trot with Sydney because Sydney was four. I could tell this little girl had been on the fair circuit for awhile and was a little sales person in training. Hopefully the horses did belong to these girls, but either way, I had to admire their entrepreneurial spirit. Sydney had a great pony ride and I have to admit, it did beat the little ponies chained to the wheel. But I did kind of wonder where those ponies came from.....

It was a hot day for Humboldt County, so we decided to get ice cream. Sydney chose chocolate. After she got her cone, we saw a little dog show and stopped to watch. They asked for volunteers from the audience and Sydney desperately wanted to be picked. She is the girl on the far end in the light pink shirt. A little terrier did tricks and jumped back and forth over the girls.

I really never thought I'd see these again!

2009-08-21T23:16:00.000-07:00

So I went to the fair today. And here's one thing about the fair; for the junior high kids, it's an early preview for back to school wear. I'm not a big fashionista, but I do realize that the tapered leg jean has been coming back into style. It's not my fave, I don't think it looks that great on me, but fine, whatever. I was dealing with that until I saw something today that weirded me out just a bit.

From the time I was about 12½ to about 14½, all of the best jeans had zippers on the bottoms of the legs. This was so that instead of pegging our pants to make them as tight as possible around the ankle, we could zip them on tight. That's right, my L.A. Gear Jeans were zipped as tight around my ankles as they could be without cutting off the blood supply. My mom always told me that fashion just keeps repeating itself. I guess she's right. I really never thought I would see these again. But there it was in line for the ferris wheel. Zippered legs. There's only two differences to my junior high days and this girl's. Her zippered jeans have the zippers on the inside of the leg, vs. my day when they were on the outside or the back (sometimes with a heart cutout at the top to show a little bare leg) and we wore slouch socks over the top of the jean, while she clearly wears hers underneath the leg.

So on what has been a fantastic day at the fair, a little walk down memory lane was fun!

So I know I have been totally slacking on the blog.....

2009-08-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy summer. That's putting it mildly. That's my excuse. Quilt Camp, The REQG quilt show, Kids Quilt Camp, The Stitch & Snip Craft Extravaganza, Fortuna Guilds Market Night, a couple of camping trips and a Quilting cruise to Alaska have been keeping me a little busy. Not to mention all of the planning for the Fall schedule at Scottie Dog Quilts. It has been one busy Summer.

We kicked off Summer with a family and friends camping trip to Watts Lake where my husband tore his hamstring right as we started packing up for home. He made a lot of loud noises and didn't look so hot. So after we made the three hour trip home we spent four more in the urgent care.

Quilt Camp was the next weekend, and it was a blast. In between trips home to deliver meals to my husband who was under strict orders to stay off his feet, BrendaLou and I taught a great pattern from Moda called "Sweet."

Then came Fourth of July where Sydney rode in her first parade and became a pro at flag waving.

Then off to vend at the Redwood Empire Quilt Guilds 2009 quilt show at Redwood Acres. On Saturday of the show, Sydney was asked to ride in the parade at the Fortuna Rodeo and to bring her flag to wave.

The next week was The Snip & Stitch Craft Extravaganza presented by the Crafty Mavericks and Arcata Main Street. This was a great Craft show on the Arcata Plaza where we sold lots of kits and had a chance to talk to a lot of crafters and let them know about our store. The same week, we packed up and went to the Fortuna Guilds Market night.

On to Kids Quilt Camp. This year we used our AccuCut die cutting machine and cut out rag quilts. The die has the raggy edges pre-cut, so the girls sewed their quilts together and then threw them in the washing machine. They made cell phone totes as well.

With Kids Camp over, we flew into Cruise mode to get everything packed for the cruise. It takes a large amount of luggage to pull off a quilting cruise. There were all the supplies for the classes and boxes and boxes of fun giveaways for all the participants. Many of the wonderful companies that we do business with sent great gifts. I tried to explain to the hotel that would be delivering us to the pier how much luggage we had. (19 pieces of checked luggage, some were large trunks.) She said, "It's a cruise. Everyone has a lot of luggage." Needless to say, when they saw how much luggage we had, they had to schedule a new van. The cruise was absolutely wonderful and exceeded my expectations. I will blog much more about that in the week to come.

It's Tuesday

2009-06-09T13:15:00.001-07:00

This morning, Sydney and I tagged along on Mrs. Goodwyn's class field trip to the Headwaters Forest Preserve. I've actually only gone once before, about 5 years ago. It was magical! I forget sometimes that we live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Just about ten minutes from my house, we set foot onto this amazing piece of land with an incredible history. The logging town of Falk was located there from the late 1800's to the late 1930's, and a few remnants of the town are still standing. There was a guide there to tell us the story behind this forgotten town. It was great. We walked about two miles total and had a great time. My good friend Larissa (who is Mrs. Goodwyn's daughter) had invited me to come and I'm so glad she did. We had a blast.

So, I promised pictures of some swap quilts I've made. This quilt is from a swap that Larissa and I hosted together. The rule was, 6" blocks, your choice of block. My sister had given me 100 six inch squares of 1930's fabrics, so I put them into the middle and then put the swap blocks all around the outside. I absolutely love this quilt. I know several of the people that made the blocks and it's like a little scrapbook. The little yellow plane on a blue background at the bottom of the quilt is the first paper pieced block I ever completed. (notice I said completed. I attempted several times before.)

Here's a sneak preview of the block swap that I'm putting together for the store. It is simple enough that most skill levels will be comfortable with, and makes a neat pattern.

Block Swap

2009-06-07T21:10:00.001-07:00

A couple of months ago I was itching to participate in a block swap. Over the years I have done a few and hosted some as well. They are quite a lot of fun and I have missed participating.

If you haven't heard of a block swap, a traditional block swap has a hostess that sets the rules for the swap. In this case, the block was set at 8" and was to be a basket block of your choice. The participants will make a set of 8 blocks. Seven of the blocks are sent off to the swap hostess with a self addressed stamped envelope and a small hostess gift to show appreciation for the host. (You keep one block because you will not get your own back.) A couple of weeks later, in the mail, will arrive seven different basket blocks. Now I signed up for 5 sets of blocks, so I will receive 35 different blocks back, plus the 5 I kept for myself of my own blocks, for a total of 40 different 8" basket blocks. Pretty fun!

The really neat thing is, you get these blocks from all over the country. Most people will put an address label on the back so you can see what part of the country they came from.

I finished my blocks today, and packaged them up to send off to Louann in North Carolina. She is our swap hostess. I bagged them up into sets and can't wait for them to be mailed back out. There is a twist though, instead of putting my address on the return envelope, I put someone elses address. Someone that I thought would like them. I thought it would be really fun to open the mail one day and find 40 1930's basket blocks just waiting to be put into a quilt. It will be a nice surprise.

Now for some more fun news. Scottie Dog Quilts will be hosting a 1930's block swap of it's own. I have just finished quilting the sample and am writing up the details. Anyone can participate, whether you are local or live across the nation.

I'll have more details to follow soon and I'll share some of the swap quilts that I've made.

Ice Cream Cones and Sydney's Special Day

2009-05-08T17:25:00.000-07:00

Today was Sydney's special day. Not because it marked an event or anything like that, I just delcared today Sydney's special day last night when Steve was putting her to bed. It had been a long day and I had not paid much attention to her throughout it. She was with me at work and it was a very busy day. We came home and I left about fifteen minutes later for a guild meeting. Then I came home just as she was getting ready for bed. I could see how dissapointed she was that I passed the story reading and bedtime routine off to Daddy so I could go check my email. The look was enough to put me over the edge with Mommy guilt. So......I said, "tomorrow after school we're going to go do something fun, because tomorrow is your special day!" Her face lit up like our house at Christmas '07. (Do you all remember how crazy my husband went with the lights that year?) Anyway, she was ecsatic. Success.

So when I picked her up from school today, she asked what we were going to do. I told her we could do whatever she wanted. I can say that because we don't have a Chucky Cheese in this town. When I lived in a town with a CC, I learned very quickly to end that sentence with, "except Chucky Cheese." That place is headache central for me. Well, what did she say? "Ice Cream!" Yelled is more like it. So, off to Fresh Freeze for a little ice cream on a perfect ice cream day.

We had fun at Fresh Freeze, I think a lot of people had the same idea, because we had to wait for a parking space. I don't think I've ever had to wait there before.

We walked down through Henderson Center to the Toy Box and I told Sydney she could pick out a small toy. Like she needs anymore, right? But she's such a good girl most of the time and I really wanted to give her a special day, all about her. After about an hour at the the Toy Box, and lots of suggestions from Michelle, Sydney settled on a toy hair dryer like the one her friends Hannah and Kayla have. She has wanted one for a couple of years now, and had it curled up next to her in her bed while she took a nap today.

Is she not just the cutest thing? I know I'm biased, but I just love her to pieces. It was a special day!

Those suh-weet 1930's!

2009-05-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

What is it about the 1930's? Why am I so drawn to this time period? I think I would have liked living in the 1930's. There were enough modern conveniences like cars, electricity, radios, even blenders to make life more than a primitive existence, but still a simple time. For fun, all you needed was a few instruments, a lot of friends and a big flat open space and you had a dance! It was a simple time and despite some of the hardships, families worked hard together and made the best of things.

For absolutely sure, I am in love with the quilts of the 1930's. One of the quilts I have been working on for quite some time now, is a reproduction of a 1930's Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. I really love the look and decided to undertake a Queen size version. It has been slow going. Sometimes I don't work on it for quite a while, and then I pull it out again. I usually take it when I go out of town for a non-working trip. It's fun to sit around lazily and work on it. Many of the fabrics used in the blocks, I have picked up on shopping trips all over the country. It's fun to remember where the fabric came from when looking at the blocks.

This is what the final version will look like. I have been working on it for about 4 years, and only have about a third of the blocks done. I'm going to have to step it up if I'm going to enjoy this quilt anytime soon. But no matter what, I just enjoy the process. I am using the English Paper Piecing method. It is all hand sewn, basting each piece of fabric to a little card stock hexagon and then sewing each of those individual pieces together.

There seems to be a huge interest in English Paper Piecing suddenly at the store. We can hardly keep the pieces in stock. We have been flying through the 2" hexagons. There are so many neat projects you can make with the papers which come in all different sizes. I seem to have caught the bug along with everyone else and am dreaming of TONS of new paper pieced quilts. The best part is that these projects can be taken anywhere to work on because they store so compactly. My friend Molly tried this for the first time on Saturday and I looked over an hour later and she had a whole stack of pieces! She sews fast. All this renewed interest has me pulling out my quilt to work on more often. I love seeing it progress.

I find myself asking why this sudden interest? Paper piecing has been around forever. Trends in quilting come and go, but why now? There is just something cool about looking at a beautiful item and saying, "I made that with my very own hands. I didn't use any electricity, I powered that needle with my own fingers." Now don't get me wrong, I would never give up my machine. Love the machine. Especially since my favorite machine is a 1937 featherweight! But I also love the idea that we can still make quilts as they did in simpler times. And apparently others feel the same way. It's nice to be reminded that modern conveniences are convenient, but we can still do it the old fashioned way too.

Mystery Quilting Retreat!

2009-04-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

Today we wrapped up our Scottie Dog Quilts Mystery Quilting Retreat. The retreat brings people together from all over the country and all over the county. We have been doing them for longer than we've had the shop and we love them! They are a blast and there is just something about the weekend that makes me super happy and excited. It might be all the people, it might be all the sewing, or it might be all the amazing food. It might even be all of them put together.

We do a lot of retreats. Lots of different kinds and styles. This weekend was one of the Mystery retreats we do. We design an original pattern, make a sample and then give the quilters a list of what to bring fabric wise. They pre-cut the pieces and come prepared to sew! We dole out the instructions one step at a time and after lunch on Saturday when they are halfway through the process, the quilt is revealed. This retreats quilt was called Duck Duck Goose. I bet you can't guess why. We used Eleanor Burns small Flying Geese Ruler which made the geese a snap. Because in case you didn't count, the queen size has 144 flying geese.

This was Sandi Williamson's version. I loved her dark background. It looks so completely different. Sandi travels from out of state to come to the retreats and she is a bundle of fun! She always comes with a group of ladies that she quilts with at home. There are so many people that I consider great friends that we have met through our retreats.

Paula is a marathon quilter. Someday when we build our big huge store, we'll have to draw up a space in the plans for a bed in the back for Paula. She practically lives at the store and we LURVE her! She is one of the most special people I have ever met. And as my friend Amanda says, "Paula gives the BEST hugs." (Okay, no more capitalizing words for emphasis. I promise.) Anyway, Paula is super encouraging and sweet and always in your corner being your cheerleader. She always comes to the retreats and she's like a big giant sunshine in the room.

Crystal's daughter Sammy came by the retreat on her way to prom so we could all see how pretty she looked in her prom dress. I hope I don't have to stop calling her Sammy now that she's almost 18! Sammy has been a quilter for a long time too and she's always around to help. Sydney thought that one of the Disney princess had come. She looked so beautiful in her dress. I can't get over how grown up she is and we just found out that congratulations are in order as Sammy has been named Valedictorian of her high school class. She is graduating from the Academy of the Redwoods with her high school diploma, as well as an AA degree from the college. We seriously could not be more proud of her!

Sue Johnson-Thissell's daughter also came by to show off her custom made prom dress that Sue crafted for her, but I didn't get a picture of her in her dress. My friend Larissa turned to me and said, "our girls are going to be doing this someday." The waterworks were on. I practically started sobbing.

So, it turned out to be a fantastical weekend! My husband got his new motorcycle pants in the mail that he had he ordered, my daughter got to watch the Rhododendron parade with her Grandpa and my Mom and I had a retreat. Everyone in my family is superbly happy today!

Car crashes, Easter Sunday and a four year old who says she knows how to use the remote.

2009-04-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

So, here's a blog completely un-sewing related. If you're still in, read on. It's been an interesting couple of days. I left for work nice and early yesterday. There was a full class happening and I knew students would be arriving early. I almost made it there.

A silver SUV was changing lanes and didn't see me. Soon we were pushed off the road and Sydney wanted to know, "why is that car stuck to ours?" She was a trooper. The other driver was extremely apologetic. She was from out of town and a bit disoriented. We were both a little shaken up and she asked me if she could have a hug. (I've never been in an accident where the other driver asked for a hug, but I thought it was sweet. I kind of needed one too.)

She was so worried about Sydney who had taken most of the impact. I pointed to Sydney to assure her Sydney was fine. At that point, Sydney had unbuckled herself and climbed up into the back of the car and stretched herself out between the window and the trunk. As I pointed at her from outside, she waved to us, face pressed up against the window as only a four year does. The driver got out her license and insurance and I noticed her last name and asked if she was related to a quilter I know. She said, "Yes, that's my husband's sister!" It's such a small town. Then a police officer arrived and when he walked up I said, "Is your mom a quilter?" "Yes?" he said. I told him how I knew his mom. It really is such a small town. By that time I saw my dad driving by as he was going to unlock the store for me. He gave me an encouraging smile and wave as he went on. Aren't Dad's the best?

So after we got everything straightened out, I tried the key in the ignition and it turned on. I was really hoping I wouldn't have to wait for a tow truck. Oooh, I thought? Is it drivable? Ummmmm, that would be a no. I hopped it along the few blocks to the store thinking it would fall apart any second. It did make it, but I'm sure not very safely. My dad checked it out and determined, no, it's not drivable. Bummer. I liked that car. One of the people in the class had an accident on the way to class too. It was a weird morning. The good news is, no one was hurt, she has insurance and the class went on! So I'm in the market for a new car and taking suggestions.

So that brought us to Easter Sunday! Sydney found her Easter basket, loved everything in it and wanted to eat candy for breakfast. Yikes! I'm sure this happens in every house on Easter morning, but as a Mom all I can think of is, are you kidding? You want peeps for breakfast? But in the end, we did have peeps for breakfast. I'm sure we'll live.

We had brunch at my parents house with my parents, Steve, Sydney and I, and Lewis, my friend Larissa's husband. Larissa was in Orange County with her extended family for Easter and since Lewis just started a fabulous new job, he stayed home.

So Steve, my Dad and Lewis filled plastic eggs and hid them in the yard for Sydney. We discovered something today. An only child is a lazy child. Without any other kids running around looking for eggs, Sydney just sort of strolled around the yard. So we put Grandma to work chasing her and

that sped Sydney up. Grandma is such a great sport!

Of course Grandma and Grandpa had a basket for Sydney and in it were some sparkly pink shoes. Sydney had to wear them home.

After a Sunday nap, Sydney wanted to watch Olivia. Olivia is her new favorite show. There's only a few different shows she watches and most of them don't have commercials, which means after I start a show for her I have about 25 minutes to do whatever I like. But, Olivia is different. She comes with a big long commercial in the middle of the show. Sydney thinks that Oliva is over at this point and abandons post on the couch. And I think to myself, "boy that 25 minutes went fast."

Well, I finally realized what was going on and so I took it upon myself to teach Sydney how to fast forward with the remote. That was a hideous mistake. I warn all of you, do not teach a child how to use TIVO until they can read. We don't watch anything when it actually airs, we just record the shows we like and watch them later. But now that Sydney knows how to hit the yellow button (the skip ahead 30 second button) she thinks she knows it all. Now I have to fix something every couple of minutes. She accidentally mutes, changes shows, fast forwards through the whole show, turns off timers, (I accused my husband of changing my Millionaire Matchmaker timer) and a whole lot of other crazy things with the remote. I'm going to have to hide the remote. Quickly.

Making The Quilts We Didn't Inherit

2009-04-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite sales reps, Jan Cossette came to see us today. She works for EE Schenck, which is a distributor for many of the fabric companies that we love. Maywood, Marcus Bros., Studio E, South Seas, Henry Glass, Blank Quilting, In The Beginning, just to name a very few.

I swear, fabric designers are just getting better and better by the day! We ordered the most fabulous line from Jason Yenter. It's to die for! It's called Floragraphix IV. The pictures don't even begin to do them justice. He has written a great book with patterns that will showcase these fabrics. The first time I met Jason, I wasn't very familiar with his fabrics. They were a little out there for me. But lately, every time a new line of his comes out I just have to have it! And it doesn't hurt that he's just about the nicest guy in the business.

Anyway, you're probably starting to wonder what Jason Yenter has to do with the title of this blog. Nothing. I was just so excited about Jason's new line that I couldn't tell you about anything else until I covered that. So..........the other thing I was so excited about today, is a new book called Link To The 30's, Making The Quilts We Didn't Inherit by Kay Connors and Karen Earlywine.

Finally, a book dedicated to the reasons behind why I make the quilts I make. I should have written this book. The title says it all. I make quilts for friends. I make quilts for charity auctions. I make lots of quilts for samples at the store. But the quilts that I make for me and for no other reason almost always fall into the category of "quilts I didn't inherit." I told you about Steve's Grandma's quilt. That is the only old quilt I ever stand a chance to inherit, so that leaves me with a laundry list of 1930's quilts I need to make. Whew.

I never get tired of making reproduction quilts. The history behind these quilts inspires me. The happy colors make me giddy. I know I'm obsessed, but I can't help it. I dream of someday having so many reproduction quilts that the walls just break down from the stacks and stacks of beautiful quilts! So the good news is, I'm not alone in my 1930's obsession. Kay and Karen are right there with me. And chances are, we're not the only ones. I'm pretty sure my good friend Crystal might be even more crazada about these repro quilts than I am. I ordered several copies of the book. I don't want any fights to break out in the quilt store over a book.

This is the first repro quilt I ever made. I love the bow tie block. You just can't go wrong. Before I had crossed over into the land of maniacal stash builder, my Mom gave me a little bundle of these fabrics from a retreat she had gone too. I've never been a pastel person in any aspect of my life, but within the fabric world, this is my home. I made this quilt and never looked back.

This is my Candy Land quilt.....I bought some repro blocks at auction and this top was thrown in for free. It had the most ghastly border that someone had added some time after the 50's and was sort of awkward looking. I removed that border and gave it new borders and now it's one of my favorite quilts. Sydney was sleeping under it until I pulled it off her a few minutes ago to snap a picture of it. I can't believe someone didn't want this quilt!

This sampler is probably one of my most favorite repro quilts. I made this from a block of the month that we did at the store in 2006. Lots of 1¾" half-square triangles.......I lurve this quilt!

Day off project

2009-04-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

The little girl is off to school, the dishes are done, and it's my day off. That means I can spend some time on a ME project!

When I first met my husband's Grandma the conversation turned to quilting. (Doesn't every conversation naturally turn to quilting?) She told me she tried to quilt once when she was 16 and wasn't very good at it. I did the math and realized that she was talking about the year 1935. Hmmmm........ A 1930's quilt. Chances were good that I would love this quilt, being that I'm just a tad bit obsessed with reproduction fabrics. So I hinted a bit here and there that I would love to see her quilt and perhaps finish it. This past Christmas Grandma gave me the most wonderful gift! A beautiful old box filled with her quilt pieces. I was ecstatic!

My husband said, "Grandma, this is her favorite kind of quilt!" Just when I'm thinking motorcycles are the only thing on his mind, I realize he does pay attention. So, box in tow, we made the trip home and all I could think of was, I can't wait to put this quilt together.

Well, it sat for a couple of months while trying to decide the best plan of attack. This was Grandma's first and only quilt, and there is always a learning curve. Needless to say, this would be a little slower going since the blocks were all very different sizes. But I am always up for a challenge, and the idea of Sydney using a quilt that her Great Grandmother made was enough to make me want to roll up my sleeves and get to work!

So a couple of weeks ago, I got out this box and started sewing. I am totally in love with this quilt! So in love with it in fact, that I ordered the english paper pieces this morning for the store! Grandma would be shocked at how easy it is to make this quilt if she had learned this method. As it is, I think she will be shocked when she sees the finished quilt. I think she gave up on this quilt about 75 years ago. I can't wait to see her face when it's all done!

Here is one of the original templates. You can barely make out her signature, Juanita S. For awhile I couldn't figure out why It didn't say B, since her last name is Buell. But alas, this is from 1935, when her last name was Squire! This quilt makes me smile!

Welcome to my blog!

2009-04-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

The best things come to those who wait...and in this spirit, along comes my blog! She sews, she knows....what exactly does she know? You'll have to keep up with my posts to find out!