Moda Duz It All

This is the box that the invitation to the Moda Market Party came in.  Isn't it awesome?  Moda Duz It All.    I tend to agree with that, wouldn't you know.  

And this tea towel came inside it.  Of course I had to take a picture of the tea towel with a clothesline on it - on my clothesline.  They did spell my name wrong (Brannock/Payek) but that just makes it more of a collector's item for me.  I think it was our first fabric line where they goofed and put Sandy Gervais' name in the binding on one of our prints.  :)

I didn't go to France like Barb and Alma, but I just got back from Wichita where I went to see my dentist - (who just also happens to be my son) and his wife and my grandchildren.  All are as awesome as ever.  And I got to sit and quilt my next little MiniQuilt for Memorial Day while I watched the young ones play.  Since their mother was there, I got to mostly watch and stitch.  I got the whole thing quilted (it's small - mini might have told you that) and got home in time to sew the binding on.  I'd go sit in the garden and finish the binding but the rain followed me all the way home and just got here.  So I'm inside at the computer instead.  But that's OK, I got to catch up on what everyone's been posting while I was gone.  Now I'd better go stitch so we can get it on the website early next month.

Happy quilting ladies.

Taking a Break

I just read in Laurie Simpson's blog that she's all primed and waiting for the UPS truck to bring her fabric so she can start sewing.  I'm envious.  Edie McGinnis and I are doing the Block of the Month for the KC Star for 2010.  We're both really excited about it.  Right now, however, I'm at the stage where I'm drawing all the patterns into my computer so I can print them out.  Then we get to play with the fabric.  And this morning I did the pattern layout for the kit we send out in May.  So I'm taking a break for awhile.  I was standing at the kitchen sink looking out the window.  The birdfeeders are mostly empty by this time of day so there aren't many birds there either - just one lone chicken.  Well - after all she is a bird!  We have a couple of rabbits that come out from the trees behind the fence and eat the corn that drops beneath the bench.  

I think that's why rabbits have been showing up in my quilts the last few years.  Oh and I put in this picture of "Miss Tabitha Twitchet".  I got it out to put on the loveseat in the kids TV room for spring.  I didn't notice it when I made it but the Liberty Garden fabric I used for the borders has eagles in it.  Poor rabbit - living in a quilt all of her life with an eagle beside her.   

Well, I'd better get back to the computer.  Edie's coming up Wednesday and we get to sew.  And I am doing my applique on my pineapple quilt for Market so there's something to look forward to each night and morning.  Happy quilting, ladies.

There....

My pillow is finished.  I don't know why but whenever I finish a quilt the world seems to be a better place - at least my portion of it.  It lives on my couch for now - not outside.  I just liked both pictures.

Next time I'm going to try to figure out how to have pictures and text down in a row like other's I've seen (you know, picture, text, pictures, text) but I just spent an hour at Walmart with Cullen - he's 2 - and that's enough frustration for one day.  Right now, I'll just sit and stitch and look at my pillow.

You can tell that I'm just trying to figure things out in this blog posting stuff.  I can't figure out how to go back and edit things.  That was supposed to say -" My sister Nancy and I took the 4 grandkids to church in Kansas City" - neither of us would take them all by ourselves.  We weren't born yesterday by a longshot.  

Happy Easter everyone.  The last of the kids and grandkids just left and I am wery weary.  Friday was spent shopping, Saturday was spent cleaning and going on a long walk with grandkids.  The forsythias up by the barn just take your breath away.

This morning Cullen and Quinn got up, found their Easter buckets and started eating chocolate, one piece after another - until I took most of it away and hid it.  (I commented later that it was very clever of the Easter Bunny to leave all of that candy and then let Grandma be the one to call a halt to eating it because the Bunny had worked very late and needed to sleep.)  But with Zoie's help, we all got dressed and out of the house and into the car.  My sister Nancy (the one with the beautiful white hair) took 4 grandkids to church in Kansas City.  Cullen in particular was on a sugar high.  Then back home for dinner and the easter egg hunt - inside this year due to the rain.  The chickens have been outdoing themselves so eggs for deviled eggs and for the hunt were no problem.  Thanks, ladies.

Now it's blessedly quiet and I get to sit and stitch on my pillow when I'm through chatting here.  One of the few drawbacks to designing quilts is that you're always working around 6 months ahead.  For instance I just finished designing both a pumpkin and a snowman wallhanging for the Blessings fabric line.  So recently I started making Mini Quilts and now a few pillows.  That way as well as the bigger quilts, I can be working on something fresh and seasonal for my house.  And of course, I always make sure that I have enough fabric to kit a few.  Lissa Alexander (Moda Lissa) told me years ago that it's not nice to show people something you like a lot and then have no idea where they can get the fabric to make one.

It was a delicious weekend - full of family, church, good food and ...stitching.

Have a blessed week.

Jan

Oh my - oh my - oh My.  It's about the weather around here.  One day there's 5" of snow, then it's 60, now we're back to icy rain.  And somehow, some way, my brave little garden struggles through it all to bring me joy and beauty.  

Every morning I get up, put the coffee on and then take the dogs on a walk to fill the bird feeders outside.  This accomplishes 3 things.  It feeds the birds so I can watch them as I do my morning chores in the kitchen.  It also assures that my spoiled bulldog will go outside even if it's cold or wet or hot or whatever.  And at this time of year I always take a detour through my garden to see what new is green and growing. 

 And as usual what is going on in my life get's translated into my quilts.  This is Cottage Garden, a new pattern and kit we're offering out of my new Harmony fabric line for Moda.  Time to go for my evening walk.  And I'd better cover my few flowers that are blooming.  It's supposed to be 24 tonight.