Almost done

This is Block #11 of Over the Meadow, the Block of the Month quilt that started last March and will end in February. It is turning into one of my all time favorite quilts. (Although I agree with Linda (Brannock) that my favorite quilt is always the one I'm working on.)

And I am working on this one. After the Santa block there is only one more and the quilt will be complete. (And could the lady who asked me to please substitute another block for the Santa one for religious reasons, please get in touch with Tori or Byron at 816-632-7632- I can't find where I wrote your information. Sorry.)

Anyway, my quilt is almost done. It sewn together and beginning to look like a quilt instead of a series of blocks. Everything is on but the outside borders. It will be ready to go to Lori's to get quilted tomorrow. I am so excited!

Here are the borders and sashing that will be shipped with the block this month - fabric from the Classic Wovens and Together fabric lines.

The picture is good but the quilt is awesome - even if I do say so myself. It is really neat when the actual quilt turns out to look like what I saw in my mind's eye months ago. And this one did.

I'll show it all to you next month with the last block but meanwhile you'll just have to be patient and use your imagination. The blocks are on the side bar.

I am such a meaney :)

Meanwhile, next year I'm changing gears and going back to sending the Featured Fabric quilt out in blocks of 3 starting in April. It's going to be an Album quilt with flowers - coxcombs of course along with others. I'll post a drawing on the blog soon along with sending an email.

Meanwhile, I'm quite content. I just love Over the Meadow!

It's Winter! And we have a winner.........

The Random # Generator picked #5 - which is .......Wendy, Quilts by the Sea. Wendy, if you will send your shipping information to Tori at jpqinvoices@yahoo.com, she will ship you your Zoie's Baskets kit when she gets back from Mexico, poor dear. :)

Congratulations to Wendy and lots of thanks to all of you for your very nice comments about my lovely granddaughter and about my quilt. Wish you all could have won.

And while Tori and her husband are basking in the sun in Mexico, it finally decided to be winter here. Which brings to mind one of my favorite quilts "The Winter Quilt". It's one of my more complex quilts, to say the least. Helen Williams, bless her soul, pieced all of those star blocks and three of us worked on the applique - Helen, Barbara Dunaway and me. People always ask me how long it took and I really don't know but it was awhile :).

It's on the back cover of The Winter Book. And to celebrate the arrival of winter, I'll put the book on special over the weekend for $10.00 off.

Happy winter. I just love winter ---- as long as it doesn't get carried away with itself.

When Spike and I headed for the barn to feed the cats and let the chickens out we found a little lady cardinal sitting on the sidewalk. There are drawbacks to very clean windows. I was pretty sure that she was just stunned so I scooped her up and took her to the barn. We have an old bird cage there that's a good hospital bed. She just sat on the floor when I put her in. After feeding the cats and letting the chickens out and giving them food and water I went back and checked on her. She was flying around the cage trying to get out. I opened the window and the cage. Out she flew!

Probably over the garden and back to the feeders :) Stay away from windows, this time dear.

Just maybe sit awhile and bask in the sun.

Have a good weekend all.

Day 12 - Zoie's Baskets

First things first. Loud drum roll here..............................The winner of the 2012 Mystery Quilt is judyquilts who started her comment with "I can always be tempted by birds." . Congratulations Judy . If you'll email your shipping info to Tori at jpqinvoices@yahoo.com she'll make sure you get on the list and marked paid. We try to ship the Mystery Quilt blocks around the middle of the month.

Sorry everyone couldn't win but just to console the rest of you we have another big giveaway to mark the 12th day. It's Epiphany - the day the wisemen brought gifts to the child according to church tradition. So we have a gift for one of you.

But we need to back up a little.

This is our oldest granddaughter, Zoie. Zoie never played with dolls like Lilly. Zoie loved and loves animals.

Here she is with Turkey/Surkey (not a whiz at names). She just loves turkeys. And that turkey knew it. She would come running when she saw Zoie heading for the gate of the chicken yard.

When someone dumped a cat and kittens at the farm and the cat disappeared, Zoie jumped right in and fed them all the milk replacer. And eventually took 2 home. Of course when they moved from their duplex to an apartment the cats both had to come to the farm to live. And in the house - not in the barn. Hmmm!

This is Zoie and Afentra - her beloved guinea pig. Afentra had her toenails painted, wore a crown and knew how to work it so that she got lots of green and red peppers - her favorites.

This is Sumo Zoie's Japanese Chin a Christmas present last year. At the moment he's purple - still has on his costume from Halloween.

Zoie occasionally goofs off with people too. Here she is with Quinn & Cullen. Those are their jammies - the bones glow in the dark.

And this is Zoie's Baskets.

It's 102" x 102" and a very special quilt, like Zoie is a very special girl.

It's on sale all day for 20% off. Obviously the shipping is free.

And - - - - we're giving a kit away.

Make a comment, any old comment before the 12th. We'll draw another name then. If you've already bought it, we'll refund your money.

Happy New Year from all of us at Jan Patek Quilts.

Day 11 - House and Tree Day

Years ago (back when the dinosaurs roamed) :) when I very first started quilting I did a quilt called "House and Tree and Me and Thee". With a house full of teenagers it was a kind of wishful thinking quilt.

A few years ago I did a little "House and Tree" wallhanging. All 3 are grown with houses of their own - pretty well full of kids and love.

Every once in awhile the kids come bursting into our house and bring all of their noisy love with them. We are always so very glad to see them. After another while they all leave again and it's House and Tree and Me and Thee again. And blessedly quiet.

Anyway, House and Tree is on special today for 15% off. After Valentine's Day it will hang in the back hall until time for the Easter quilts to come down from the loft.

This is Brian Jr. - one of the older bursters. If Brian and Shannon are coming he'll call and say, "Grandma, is Jake going to be there? OK, I'll come then". And Jake will say, "Is Brian Jr. going to be there? OK, I'll come then." Makes a Grandma feel needed. Oh well, I suppose if I learned to play X-box 360, I'd be more popular. I think instead, I'll make Brian Jr. a football quilt using Barbara Brackman's sports pattern. He looks like he plays football doesn't he?

On a different note - back to quilts - this is Square Dance Garden. We've returned to Coxcombs after the Lilacs. If you belong to the Wallhanging Club you'll be getting yours soon. If not, you can order yours by clicking on the title.

And this is our Valentine Mini Quilt - Heart to Heart. Just finished the binding today. Kind of hard to believe they're out of the same fabric line, but they are. I did use a classic Woven for one of the backgrounds in Heart to Heart but otherwise they're both from Together.

Don't forget to type in the promo code Holiday for free shipping on all orders over $30.00 (after discounts). And be sure to go back to Day 7 and comment if you haven't for a chance to win this year's Mystery Quilt. Tomorrow is the last day!.

Day 10 - Lilac Hill Day

This is Lilac Hill - made out of the Lilac Hill Fabric Line by Brannock/Patek for Moda.

Linda and I designed the fabric, Linda designed the house and I designed the quilt. And for a change it has Lilacs instead of coxcombs. :)

Buy a Lilac Hill Turnover and get the pattern for the Lilac Hill quilt free. Or buy our one last kit and get 15% off. Or $5.00 off of a Lilac Hill Jelly Roll and a free Dresden Dahlias pattern.

Christmas tree down and out in the garden guarding rose bushes. Ornaments carefully wrapped and back in boxes. Beds made, morning stitching done on the Mystery Quilt. Now, think I'll start a pot of soup for dinner and then play with the Valentine Mini - it's almost done. Just love these days.

Oh and I've been reading some of the comments for the Mystery Quilt drawing on Day 7 (Be sure to go comment if you haven't already.) Glad the Random Generator is picking because I sure can't. Thank you all for saying such nice things. And for those of you who asked, I think we may have a few Bible Quilt kits left but you'd be better to email Tori at jpqinvoices@yahoo.com and check with her. Also Phyllis who had the problem with the October block - email Tori and she'll send you another. Hope it get's through. We won't even talk about the mail - stresses me out too much.

Here's Lilly with her Ariel baby doll and Ariel's quilt. I did indeed finish the binding on Christmas Day :)

Day 9 - Coxcomb & Bird

Yesterday I was talking about how fast they grow up. This is the inside cover of Together Again - our book special for the month of January. Linda is holding the baby Jake. She told everyone that she had to hold him because he cried if anyone else held him. Hmmmm!

This is Jake on New Year's Eve in Pep's chair. I tell you, they have to stop this, it makes me feel old. Well, maybe not stop but slow things down a little.

I must say, prejudiced or not (and I am) we have some very nice grandchildren.

And really that has nothing to do with the kit that's on sale today except that Coxcombs have long been a favorite flower in Linda and my quilts. Together Again has quite a few quilts with coxcombs in them.

This is Coxcomb and Bird. The kit is on sale for 15% off and the pattern is $5.00 off.

Don't forget to use the promo code Holiday if your order is over $30.00 after discounts to get free shipping.

Be sure to go back to Day 7 and make a comment for a chance to win this year's Mystery Quilt.

Day 8 - Layer Cake Day

It's the day after New Years and I'm waxing nostalgic. We had our Christmas with Brian and Shannon and their kids on New Year's Eve. Cullen and Quinn were here too along with Brian Jr. and Jake.

They're all growing up so fast.

Yesterday they were all Brooke's age.

It makes a Grandmas's eyes leak.

Ah well, they're all healthy and happy.......

And active. It's so quiet when they leave - and I can sit down for a second. Life is good.

In the 12 Day Sale it's Layer Cake Day. Buy a Layer Cake and get a pattern for Cottage Garden (using a Harmony Layer Cake) or House on a Hill (using a Remembrance Layer Cake) free.

Or get the kits for House on a Hill or Cottage Garden for 15% off all day.

If you haven't already done so, be sure to go back to Day 7 and comment for your chance to win a free Mystery Quilt for the year.

Day 7 - New Year's Day

Happy 2012. Hope you had a fun and safe New Year's Eve. We did.

The end of 2011 brought the last block in another Mystery Quilt. For those of you who have seen the original the mystery was how close I was going to be able to get to the feeling of fabrics long gone. It really was a lot of fun and I like it a lot. I already have 2 Bible Quilts. My sister Nancy is undergoing chemo for breast cancer and she said she'd like it, so it has a home.

And I had so much fun redoing a classic that I decided to do it again. So this year we're going to redo the Collector Series. Linda and I designed it years ago as an 18 month BOM. I've reworked it a little so we'll send it out in 12 months. If you belong to the Mystery Quilt Club, you're already on the list. If you decide you just don't have the time or inclination for another quilt right now, be sure to let Tori (who does the shipping) know by emailing her at jpqinvoices@yahoo.com. If you aren't a member and want to get the blocks each month, email her or call Tori or Byron at 816-632-7632 to join.

You're really getting a block and a half each month so the cost is $22.00 but that does include the shipping. The only month we'll charge shipping is the month the borders go out. (International shipments will cost the same if we send your blocks in groups of 3 or 4. If you want them monthly the cost for Priority so we can track them is an additional $10.95)

Whew - that's a lot of info!

I'm really having fun redoing the quilt. Neither Linda nor I have the original. It went out on a trunk show and never came back. She thought I had it and I thought she had it. Now I will finally have my own.

Here's a sneak peek at the first block.

What has this got to do with the 12 Days After Christmas Sale? Well................

Make a comment, any old comment between New Years Day and the 6th (you'll have to come to this page to do it) and we'll have the Random Generator draw a name. The winner will receive all of the monthly blocks free.

Good luck ladies. I wish you all could win.