Oops!

My daughter Kelly tells me not to say "oops" - it doesn't sound professional.

The thing is - sometimes life gives you an oops.

This is the center block for Spring Break - my quilt that's featured in the Spring issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine.  We've made up fabric packs for the quilt and have run into a "challenge" on this block.  

The magazine changed my instructions - which is no problem - there are as many different ways to do appliqué as there are quilters.  The problem is that I didn’t know it. I have always just cut the block pieces to size and sewed them together, then put on the applique.  In 30 years of doing applique I’ve never had one shrink up.  Apparently some people do so they cut the backgrounds larger and then trim the block down to the correct size after the applique is on.  And apparently that’s how the wonderful ladies at Primitive Quilts do it and that’s the directions they gave.  And I'm sorry to say I didn't read the directions in the magazine when it came because I thought I knew what they said.

And since I wrote the original directions and sent them, I assumed they were going to use mine so we cut the fabric for the Fabric Packs last summer doing it my way.   The top piece should be cut 21.5x17.5 and the bottom piece should be cut 21.5 x 3.5.  Sew them together and you have a 21.5 square.  Then put your applique on - Unless your stitches are mega tight or your background wasn’t lying flat, it shouldn’t shrink.

So, if you've gotten a Fabric Pack from us, you'll probably need to cut it this way.

Communication - communication - communication.

I hope everyone who got a fabric pack reads this.  

And if the background in any pattern or kit doesn't go together right, try to get it corrected before you start the appliqué.

If you need to get in touch with us our email is janpatekquilts@centurylink.net.

Tuesday came a little late this week.......

Actually it came way too early.

I'm doing the layout for the patterns that will show with the fabric line (Hawthorn Ridge) that will show at Spring Market.

And when I'm doing fabric and quilts my brain just doesn't do hardly anything else.

That said I apologize for not posting the winner of the patterns.

The random number generator picked #18 and the 18th comments was M.A. Barb.  If you would send your shipping address, etc. to Tammie at janpatekquilts@centurylink.net, we'll get you patterns out to you asap.

This is "Lilies of the Field" and you can get the pattern for this quilt by clicking here.

Back to work.  (I do still have time to appliqué at night but that's about it.)  :)

Lilies of the Field and Go Figure!

Lilies of the Field, my latest fabric line for Moda is shipping to stores this week.

This is Birds and Bunnies, Herbs and Honeys , 

my latest Block of the Month pattern made out of  "Lilies of the Field".  It's 62" x 76"

And these are two 14" x 14" Circle/Star Candlemats.

And last but not least is "Let Freedom Ring"

my latest patriotic wallhanging.

There are 3 more patterns - you can go to the store to see them now or I'll post them on my blog next week

Today is Friday the 13th but it's felt like it was Friday the 13th for more than a week.

We're switching systems, from Quickbooks to Quickbooks online.

I'm sure we're going to love it once we get all of the kinks out or rather, once they do.

At the moment when we try to enter a customer s information to charge and ship an item, it works for about 3 - 4 entries a day and then starts giving us "error" messages.

Tammie has been on the phone with customer service for 4-5 days and nothing has shipped out.

Finally today we went back to the old system of plain Quickbooks and we got a lot of items entered and invoiced.  Hopefully we'll be able to import them into Quickbooks online when they figure things out.

The first installment of Spring Break and the Finishing Kit for the 2014 Mystery Quilt should finally be shipping next week.

I mean it never rains but what it pours.  Actually it will be snow, not rain, on Monday but you know what I mean.

Anyway, to celebrate the fabric, I decided to do a pattern Give Away.  To win a copy of all of these 3 of my patterns + a Charm bundle, make a comment, any old comment and I'll have a drawing Tuesday morning.

Football & Snow, snow, snow

This is Brian Jr, our oldest son Brian's oldest son.

Brian Jr. has been an avid Patriots fan for years.  His dad tries to take him to at least one Patriots game each year and quite often they have to travel a ways to see it since we all live in Mo.

This is one block of a full-sized quilt I made for him using a pattern from Barbara Brackman's Sports book.

It really turned out well with sashing and corner blocks of the appropriate colors.  I can't find the picture of the whole quilt but you get the idea. 

And while Alex Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs is our favorite Quarterback, Tom Brady is a close second.

We were quite happy with the outcome of the Superbowl. :)

That was on Sunday.  

This is what we awakened to Monday morning.  School was closed and the girls couldn't get here.  

And then it happened again Wednesday.  - No school - snow covered country roads.

Needless to say we're two days behind on shipping out orders.

And I'm going to have to buy a new answering machine for the office - one that we'll have a manual for.  We can't figure out how to change the message.  Kelly did it once lately but can't remember how again.

I much prefer snow in quilts by now.

This is "Starry Night" our latest wallhanging kit and you can buy it by clicking here or on the name.

And, speaking of snow, this is the first block of Winter Solstice, this years Mystery Quilt.  You can sign up for it by calling Tammie at 816-632-7632.  Each block will be $28.50 and that includes shipping.   I kind of like the snow here.  

I think the camera was so cold that it fogged over when I went into the loft to take the picture.  The block isn't foggy. :)

As soon as I finish the binding on Fall Festival, we'll post a picture of the finished quilt. 

Meanwhile, stay warm ladies and keep quilting.