Day 14 - My friend Sandy Gervais

Happy Valentines Day.

First you must, must must hop on over to my friends Sandy's blog and see her paintbox pillow. Sandy has been designing fabric 1 Market longer than Linda and I. We have become good friends setting up and taking down booths and admiring each other's work. That said, I'm not quite sure I believe that she paints those little pictures with her toes. Yep, she said she did.

But before you go, today only 15% off of Lilly Heart's Throw or Wallhanging while supplies last.

Day 12 - Minick & Simpson & Playing Possum

First - you have simply got to hop over to the Minick/Simpson blog and see Laurie's bed. I swear, I always love to read her blog. Usually I end up chuckling and feeling like it's a better day when I finish and today is no exception. And of course, I love their fabric.

Back in Missouri, it's Saturday - washday - the sun is out and the snow should be gone (except for the giant hills) by the end of the week. Oh whew! Good ole groundhog. I'm sure we'll get another blast of winter but for now - whew!

This isn't a groundhog but he (or she) has been visiting since it got very cold. One morning when I opened the chickenhouse, there it was, curled up asleep in one of the chicken nests. Apparently it had been hiding the night before when I shut up the house. It's probably the same possum that has been eating cat food on the deck. I had checked with my brother Jim (he a vet) who told me they don't carry rabies so that worry was gone. BUT before shutting the house up that night - it was still asleep - I googled possums to find out what they eat - besides cat food. Apparently they mostly eat mice, snakes and insects - fine with me. It probably came in to catch the mice that always follow the grain. It was a lot warmer than outside so he stayed.

It's been here about a week. It's asleep when I gather the eggs at night and asleep when I fill the feeders and waterer in the morning. Don't tell Pep but I put a little cat food out for it :)

On a totally different note, Happy Birthday to Mr. Lincoln. And since this is the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, I'm making (with a lot of help from Tori) a homespun quilt using Lincoln's Platform blocks. It's coming along splendidly. The piecing is easy and the visuals are - wow. Wait until you see it. We'll probably kit it.

More clothes to hang and a quilt to make.

FREEBIE FRIDAY - Free Fabric

We've started carrying some fabrics by the yard (all Moda fabrics, of course). The Homespuns are due any day but we do have a selection of prints on hand. Check out the category Fabric Prints (this is the red page) in the store.

To celebrate, and since it's Freebie Friday we're giving away a free yard of the fabric of your choice to the first ten orders of one of the following books.

Bird in Hand

Homespun Hearth

Garden Spirit

Say It With Flowers

Pokeberry Quilt

Together Again

Twixt Garden Gates

Young at Heart

The Free Fabric Deal will be posted on the " Specials" page at 11:00 CST and it's a "first come, first served" deal. Check out the books and fabric and get ready for 11:00.

And after you've shopped, be sure to hop on over to Me and My Sister's blog and see the quilt they have in store for you. Their post certainly reflects their humor and will make you smile. They are always so much fun at Market with their sparkling ideas and good cheer. And if you didn't get to Camille's blog yesterday (sorry, Camille, I was teaching and it takes all of my energy) you need to go sign up for a chance at even more free fabric, see her pillow and the pictures of her new baby. And the rest of the family - big brothers and husbands are important too.

"Love Is" Sale starts today and Day 9 of Pillow Talk - Kathy Schmitz - Wow!

Our "Love Is" Sale starts today (and runs through next Tuesday). So, for a week

"Heartsong" here is 30% off.

So is "Love Is"

Our "5 Hearts" kit is 15% off

and all patterns with a heart in them are buy 1, get 1 free.

(All prices on the "Specials" page reflect the sale price.) So hop on over and grab some Valentine kits because after all, Love Is something we need year round.

And speaking of hopping, you need to hop over to Kathy Schmitz' blog and see what she has in store for you.

Kate Spain - Master Plumber & Breadmaker - Day 8

You really must hop on over to Kate's blog and read all about her. She is a very interesting person who seems to be able to tackle almost anything - sinks, faucets and bread. By the way, Kate, my husband makes bread to relax too. His sourdough starter has been in the fridge "since the dinosaurs roamed" and makes the best bread in the world. Jake and Zoie spend most weekends with us and the first thing Jake does when he gets here is make toast out of Pop's bread. And while you're at Kate's be sure to register for her Jelly Roll.

We were all wowed at Market when she told us that these were her first quilts. Her pillow is darling.

And speaking of pillows - We have a pillow winner!

Kay who is a vet tech - please email your information to janpatekquilts@yahoo.com and we'll mail you a pillow kit.

If you didn't win and would like a pillow kit, as soon as the homespuns are here, we'll have some for sale. You can preorder by emailing us or watch the Home Page. I'll post the kits when they're here.

And a Layer Cake winner.

Sarah whose husband has a CPAP too, if you'd email us your info, we'll send you a Lilac Hill Layer Cake.

When the Lilac Hill precuts arrive, I have a fun surprise involving a Petit Four so watch the blog for news.

Tomorrow we go to Kathy Schmitz' blog. I'm lucky enough to have an awesome bulldog necklace she made. I can't wait - but then I guess I'll have to :)

Kansas Troubles - Home from the cruise just in time for Day 7

And just in time to have missed the great blizzard of 2011. Here's one of the perks of that snowstorm- Gabriels and Lilly's snowman. I just love the mouth. And the eyes aren't coal - they're walnuts still in the hulls.

I love Lynn's pillow and all of the symbolism. You simply must hop over to her blog to see it and read all about it. If you missed the retreats they used to give, you truly have missed a great time.

Tomorrow we off to see Kate Spain. Have just met her at the last few Markets and she seems to be a truly nice person. That seems to be a trait of the Moda designers. Maybe Cheryl won't hire you unless you're nice as well as a good designer. :)

Fun in the snow and Day 6 - Fig Tree

Here's what's went on at our house yesterday afternoon - or rather, outside our house. Gabriel and Lilly really like riding the intertubes. Their dad drove around and around the barn while Shannon sat on the tailgate and watched in case anything went wrong. It didn't. What fun!

Today I have to have a short post because I'm needed outside soon to take snowman pictures.

I thought I'd post the list again just so I don't have to go down so far to see what's going on with Pillow Talk. (Wasn't Bonnie's Tote awesome?)

Feb 6th Joanna from Fig Tree has it all buttoned up.
Feb 7th Kansas Troubles will amaze us all with her warmth and hospitality.
Feb 8th Find out what Kate Spain has to share. Any pillow talk secrets?
Feb 9th Kathy Schmitz has something wonderful stitched for you.
Feb 10th Camille Roskelley wants some pillow time (sleep) after having a new baby in the household.
Feb 11th Me and My Sister will energize you with the creativity oozing out of every orifice of their body.
Feb 12th Hear what these two retired librarians (Minick and Simpson) have to show and tell.
Feb 13th Liesl from Oliver+s has been so busy creating fun stuff.
Feb 14th Sandy Gervais, the queen of hearts, is featured today.
Feb 15th Lauren and Jessi Jung , one of our mother and daughter teams.
Feb 16th Sweetwater is so-o-o-o inspiring.
Feb 17th Visit this noted historian who probably can tell you when pillows were invented.
Feb 18th Deb Strain has just joined the blog world. Stop by to see her creations.
Feb 19th Join American Jane back here to talk about her design inspiration.
Feb 20th Primitive Gatherings is joining in on the fun as our newest moda designer.

And you need to hop on over to Fig Tree and download the really cool "sit upons" designed for her daughter's Girl Scout project. So cool.