Tis the Reason

For the Season

Christmas 101

May His peace and joy be with you today and always.

Merry Christmas.

Santa's Coming......

but not until tomorrow......

Santa's Coming to Town

Lots to do - lots to do.

Have a good one ladies and try to find some time to sit and sitch - even if it's just a minute or two.

Merry Christmas Eve.

Sooooo..... "Let It Snow!"

And it did  :)

Pep got home safely but the schools as well as the office are closed.

The chickens and bunnies are fed and watered and the heat turned on in the loft.

And I get to spend my day sewing the last block and borders on Fall Festival, last years Mystery Quilt BOM.

After all the trouble we had this last few months I was considering having Fall Festival be the last one we did as a kit.

And they truly are my favorite quilts I make.

They're always a sampler quilt (my favorite) made up of blocks I get to take my time on - one a month isn't a deadline compared to Market

and I'm not restricted to one fabric line.

I do love my Market quilts but the BOM's I kit are special for me.

So I decided to do another one this year but limit the amount we do to make it easier  - I just keep getting older every year :)

We're sending the borders for Fall Festival out in January this time to make it easier on the budget for people so Let It Snow won't start until February.

This is a picture of Let It Snow (the 2015 BOM) in progress.  The fabrics just got here yesterday.

I am - however - being disciplined - and finishing last years quilt first.

And that's not easy except I'm excited to see Fall Festival sewn together and off to Lori for quilting  :)

Here's what the first block will look line - only on that navy background in the upper right corner.

Anyway, I love the snow and birds and houses - and of course snowmen.

If you want to join us, let us know as soon as possible because it's filling up already - people have been emailing already.

Have a good one ladies, I'm putting on my boots and going to the loft.

I give up..........

It really is almost Christmas!

This is Eagles and Roses and I designed it for my bed at Christmas.  

Its so neat to get ready for Christmas by putting the quilts in place.

There's a tutorial on tips for doing the large center block.  You can watch it by clicking here. 

We only have 2 kits left 

but we do still have the BOM available. And this week we've got it for half price.  This is one of the last BOM's I did with color pictures of each block as well as of the whole quilt.  It costs so much more to print them in color individually - the ink and the labor.  Anyway, this week the pattern is half price.  You can get the kit or the pattern by clicking here.

And while it's certainly way too late for this year, Christmas comes every year and this one could take you until next Christmas if you start right now.  :)

Have a good week ladies.

On His Way -

This is my grandson Cullen (really Justin Cullen Riley Patek - but we just call him Cullen)

and this is the Santa he made for us a couple of years ago.

And this is the Santa's Tree Farm Quilt I made this year.

  It's 44" x 68" and just fits on the back of my chair.

This is "On His Way", our latest Table Stand Mini Quilt.  

I know we're pushing two together but we're trying to catch up and he is "On His Way".

Whew - it's almost upon us.

To back up just a little, this is Traditional Turkey and we have a tutorial that covers both it and Flock Party below.

You can see the tutorial by clicking here

and buy any of the kits or patterns by clicking here

Usually we give 15% off the patterns and kits the day we release the tutorial.

BUT we have gotten behind a bit and it is Cyber Monday so we'll catch up and even jump a little ahead by having 15% off all of these kits and patterns today only.

And we'll throw in a set of my Angel cards with each order today.

Have a great week ladies.

Happy After Turkey Day!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving - full of family and food and maybe somewhere in there a little stitching.  :)

I've kept trying to get to the computer to at least blog "Happy Thanksgiving" but I thought I'd show you why that just hasn't happened.

This is Cullen Patek and 

this is Quinn Patek.

 They've been here - pretty well in this spot - since Thursday afternoon.

The only time the computer is free each day is for about 3/4 an hour each afternoon when I go for my walk with the dogs and make them come with me or when we're eating.  

And of course - I can't blog then.

November Table Stand Mini Quilt

I have gotten a little stitching time in but

by far the majority of my time since I got back from Market has been spent in the office working with the girls to sort through the Mess (with a capitol M) that Tori left.

We're still not sure we've gotten all the missed order and blocks sent so if you haven't gotten something you should have, please email us at janpatekquilts@centurylink.net and let us know.

November's Mystery Quilt Block is finally ready to ship.  Everytime we would start we would get phone calls and emails about missed Aug-Sept blocks and we'd have to back up and cut them.  We have a few more to cut even now.

But we're catching up.

For awhile I had about decided not to do a Mystery Quilt BOM next year but things are smoothing out and we've had so many nice emails that I probably will. I think it's going to be called "Let It Snow".  It will be very limited though - we won't do anywhere as many as we used too.

Hope you had a good Black Friday.

For obvious reasons, we didn't jump in.

However - we are going to do something for Cyber Monday.  Kelly will be sending out an email so I hope you're on our list.  If not, just watch the blog Monday.  The boys will be back in school Monday so I get my computer back.  :)

Thank you Veterans

Thanks to all the men and women who serve to keep the rest of us free.

My father was career Army and Pep's father was career Navy.

We honor them and all who keep us safe.

We're in a Quandry

We recently parted ways with our last office manager and were stunned, absolutely mortified to realize that our customers were NOT being treated fairly and that many, many shipments we were told had shipped, actually had not.

Block #10 of Mystery Quilt

We apologize - as my daughter Kelly says - deep down in our bellybuttons!  I have been designing quilts for 25 years and this is not how we run a business or treat our friends and customers.

Just one of the little problems we're running into is a lack of a list of our club members.  If you belong to the Mystery Quilt Club, Featured Fabric Club or any of the other clubs we have, could you please email me at janpatekquilts@centurylink.net and let me know which club or clubs.  If you would give me your name and either phone # or email address we can get in touch with you if we don't have  mailing information, etc.  We hope to be invoicing and mailing the Mystery Club blocks today or tomorrow.  If you pay through PayPal, please watch for the invoice.

October Featured Fabric block

Tara and Kelly and I are sorting and organizing a magnificent mess and are quite regrettably behind on shipping.

During this transition things will take a lot longer.  

Half the time we have to not only go cut the kits that were supposed to have been shipped but also go back and enter customers and items into Quickbooks.  Yada, yada, yada.

Aargh!!!!!

Thanks for sticking with us.

:)

Jan 

Another Market gone by - Almost

Here we all (Moda designers) were last night just after closing. 

A motley crew if I ever saw one.  :)  

No - really, a bunch of very nice people

as well as great designers.

We'll tell you about Laurie's black eye later.  She really did slip in the shower and hit her head on the counter.  (All sorts of ribbing has been going her way - and my husband has been a major contributor.  - Of course, I did tell her to have Polly stop hitting her so hard :).)

Anyway she did go to the hospital and a CT showed things to be in working order which relieved us all.

And not to forget our fearless leaders, Cheryl Freydberg and Mark Dunn.

Of course Mark is a designer himself.  He even came to the schoolhouse wearing jammies from his latest line.

This is the Collections for a Cause quilt kit for this Market.  It benefits the Texas Quilt Museum.  The original quilt the fabrics come from is the kind of blurry one with the 8 pointed stars.  

We all highly agreed that the 5 pointed stars are much more Texas-like, if that's a word.  :)

Gotta run - last day and take down.

Pep took the pictures with his I-Pad and I can't figure out how to get them on Instagram.  I am so challenged.

Houston - here we are

And big changes back at home.

But first - Tuesday morning it was time to take the loaded van

And head for Texas.

We always make the first day a long one and end up just south of Dallas in Ennis Texas.

In north Missouri the only Patek's around are related to my father-in-law, Byron and his brother Sherwood, sons of Grandpa Harry.

Not so in Ennis.

Here's the gas station, car wash, bakery we get our awesome Kolaches.

We definitely filled up.

During the drive and after arriving in Houston, bind, bind, bind - I miss Dobby.

Here's a pixilated October Mystery Quilt Block.  I won't go into all the issues Tara and Kelly are dealing with at home just trying to clean up the lack of organization and the mess it has caused.  They are slowly wading their way through.  If you're a MQ Club member and don't get invoiced or charged this week, please get in touch with Tara at janpatekquilts@centurylink.net.  Our list is a little pixilated too. :)

And they're still having a "Cat's Away" sale - 25% off all books, patterns and kits with Code

GOROYALS.

And tonight GOROYALS!

Under New Management, new office hours, an additional email address, a new tutorial and Punkin Heads

How's that for a bunch of changes.

First - Tori is no longer with us.  

We're all on a journey and sometimes the people we travel with need to change.

And Tara - the new/old office manager has an evening job so our hours here will be Mon. - Friday from around 12:00pm - 5:00pm  CST.  

That way she can work both jobs.

Last night when we were revising things in the office we had major problems getting emails at the janpatekquilts@yahoo.com address.

So we added another.  janpatekquilts@centurylink.net.

We'll be working on the yahoo address because it's on all my patterns, etc but meanwhile you might use the centurylink one if you don't get a response.

OK - onward & upward.  This is Handpicked Pumpkin, our latest Mini Quilt.  You can get a kit or pattern by clicking here 

or

watch the tutorial by clicking here.

The latest Quiltmania Seasonal pattern book (Special Autumn 2014 -English-)  just came out and it features my little Punkin Heads wallhanging.  You can get the awesome little book by clicking here or order the kit by clicking here.

That's all for now - back to getting things ready for Market.

Keep quilting!

October Already

It's a bit nippy in the morning when I open the door to let the dogs out and the cat in.

Turkeys, Pumpkins and Geese (from "We Gather Together", a KC Star book)

went up in the foyer.

And I spend most of my time inside getting quilt blocks ready -

Market is just around the corner.

Blocks from Birds & Bunnies, Herbs and Honeys, a BOM pattern

made out of my new fabric line "Lilies of the Field".

I did take a break yesterday, though, and go on a bus trip to Des Moines for the AQS Festival there.

And Lo and Behold, who did I meet there but the Debbies (Outlaw and Duckworth) manning (or womanning) the Moda Bake Shop booth.

A good time was had by all.

Now - back to work.  :)

And the Winners Are.....................

I know I didn't say there would be three winners but the comments were all so awesome I just had to pick more than one.  

First the winner of the Moda Love quilt kit and the Fat 1/4 bundle is the lady who said

Owen, my Corgi, sends a shout-out to Dobby. It's a big job being an assistant to a quiltmaker. 

Moda... they're the best!!!

And then I just couldn't resist letting the random number generator pick a couple more - Moda is who we all thank for the prizes by the way.

Anyway, the winner of a Layer Cake is the person who said:

I have read lots of tutorials and watched videos to learn how to applique and none of them gave the tip you did in the video about doing it, if possible while the quilt top is in smaller pieces. Thank you. That makes a lot of sense. Great video too. 

I love MODA fabric collections. It doesn't matter if I want to make something for an older person, or one of my grandkids, I can always find the perfect fabrics with MODA.

And the winner of a Jelly Roll is Kris D who said:

MODA Love is spreading throughout the countryside! I've had fun along this blog journey and picked up a cool hint from you -- using the round labels to make your berries.

It was nice meeting all of your family. Have a wonderful weekend!

Oh - and yes, I leave the paper in the berries unless I think the quilt is going to be washed a lot.  If you want to take them out, cut a small slit in the back and use a pair of tweezers to take the paper out.

I wish you all could have won.

Now would the winners please email us your snailmail address so we can send your goodies.  Email them to janpatekquilts@centurylink.net - one of only 2 email addresses that reach us.  (The other one is janpatekquilts@yahoo.com  - all others don't come here so please don't use them)

Castlewood

Here's a little promo we did on Castlewood when we were filming the tutorials.  To watch it click on the name.

Thanks so much for joining us all on this hop.

All of us at Moda truly enjoy designing fabric for you - and you can always find the perfect fabrics for any quilt you've got in mind.
Better hop on over to the others and see who won.  It might be you.

Moda Love My Day - Almost to the Goodies

Welcome to my day at the Moda Love Blog Tour

Our fearless blog leader Lissa gave us a list of questions.  

And I can't use the word Love in any context without bringing in my family.

Our oldest son Brian (here holding Brooke) and his lovely wife Shannon, 

our daughter Kelly (mother of Jake & Zoie)

And youngest son Max (in the white shirt) with his lovely fiance Valerie.

8 of our 9 grandchildren (that's Brooke in Brian Jr's arm) - Brian Jr, Lily (in the pink), Gabriel, Cullen, Quinn, Jake (who is 18 and now has very short hair) and Zoie with Sumo.

Our pesky dogs, Dobby, Spike & Hunny

my chickens

and bunnies and

living where I do in the middle of nowhere with all its space.  And living here has its drawbacks too ..(horrid internet for one, dusty cars for another!).

And my main love - my wonderful supportive husband Pep - seen here at one of many Markets with our friend Bruce Gervais and their green friend..

as well as working for Moda - just the best fabric company in the world. 

Its an honor to be in it's family. ...  Best designers too.

"What fuels you to create?" - my life and the fabric.  

I love the colors of the country and want use them in my fabrics and my quilts.

And since my life is so full - so are my quilts.  

This is "Jan's Moda Love Quilt".  It uses a Charm Pack from Castlewood, my latest fabric line.  

To download Modas directions for the background click here.

To download the appliqué and border instructions click here 

"When I teach classes or workshops I love....."  I don't get to travel and teach as much as I used to but I love appliqué and helping people learn the little touches that makes it easier.  So I started filming tutorials - on the basics and tips of little things that make it easier.  

And to watch my tutorial on Jan's Moda Love Quilt click here.

And sometimes a lot of my "Loves" come together - like sitting and watching TV with Pep at night and sewing the binding on a quilt - with a little help from Dobby, our Welsh Corgi.

Now for the good part - the Giveaway part.

If you watched the tutorial you saw me use a partially pieced quilt.

Make a "Moda Loving" comment and we'll have the random number generator do a drawing around noon CST tomorrow.  If you win we'll send a quilt kit using those pieces as well as the applique and border fabrics AND this Fat 1/4 bundle

You can order a kit for my Moda Love quilt by clicking here 

If you win the drawing, we'll refund your money.

If you haven't had a chance to follow me along on the blog tour each day, you might scroll down and see my other Castlewood quilts.  I posted one each day.

Good heavens and don't forget to hop on over and visit

Barb & Mary of Me and My Sister Designs
and the lovely ladies from
Sweetwater

See you tomorrow.