We're almost out of September

Happy Blockheads Wednesday        

Purple Pumpkin Patch - well, sort of

Besides Purple Pumpkins there are a few 

other colors - like blue, red and of course orange.

There will be a big house in the center of the quilt

with all of the pumpkins making up the borders. - 

- At least that's the plan for now, we'll have to

see how it turns out.  

Sometimes these quilts have a mind of their own.

It was my birthday on the 7th and 

this is the centerpiece my friend 

Suzanne from Germany sent me, along with 

some yummy chocolates.

Thanks Suzanne.

I need to see if there's a pattern for those 

awesome pumpkins.

Here are the pumpkins on my front porch.

Luckily pumpkins are waterproof because 

it started raining last night.

And speaking of water, Zoie and I went to

Liberty last week to refurbish my aquarium

with plants and 2 new goldfish.

This is Annie - she's an Oranda and

seems to have adjusted well.

It's Summer Tablestand time.

This summer's table stand

is called  Watermelon Basket and 

sports the basket, sunflowers, and 

a flag lovingly held by a bird on

the front.

The back repeats the baskets, flags

and birds in four 6" blocks.

                                                 

You can order a kit or a

            pattern by clicking here.

Have a great week ladies and see you. next week.

Never Forget

 

Happy Blockheads Wednesday

I thought this would be a good day to showcase one  of my favorite Quilts

America For Me.

If you'll go to our store

you'll find the kit on sale.

When I first designed this quilt. Lissa Alexander 

from Moda called it. "A Flag in a Bag".

I've always had a patriotic streak - with my father being Career Army

and Peps father being Career Navy 

Byron earned a bronze star piloting a minesweeper during WWII.

Anyway, my prayers are with everyone in Aphganistan.

Christ said to "pray for your enemies" so I guess we'd better pray for

the Taliban-they seem to really need prayers.

Our vintage book this month is 

It will be on sale for half price all of this month

and has quite a few quilt patterns as well as lots

of smaller wallhangings.

Its getting to be pumpkin time and sure enough, there a

Libery Pumpkin. I think  we even have a few kits left.

You can go to our store by clicking here.

I'm out of the hospital and doing well

and slowly getting back to stitching.

See you next week

 

Sampler Spree - Week 9

 

                                                                                     Week 0

Top Row: 43, 88, 95

2nd Row:  56, 50, 72, Birdhouse

Sampler Spree - Week 8

Sampler Spree Week 7

Top Row: 27, 40, Whale & Stars Applique

Bottom Row: 59, 63, 75

So far the day has been uneventful, thank God, so there's not much to chat about.

Cataract surgery is over, I've picked out my new glasses,  and I don't start the round of surgeries to put the shunt back in until the 13th.  On the 13th I have my first CAT Scan and then the PreAdmission Testing. The actual surgery is scheduled for the 18th and I am definitely ready.  I can't wait to get that fluid off of my brain so I can walk like a normal person again.  Tammy and Terri and I have been working to get as many of the Sampler Spree blocks done as possible so there won't be a big blank spot while I'm on the hospital.  See you next week.

 

Sampler Spree - Week 6

Pieced blocks: 82, 94, 101, 96,

2, 14,  sailboat applique,  

This is a little late today because it has been a very interesting

morning.

Every when morning I get up, I of course, visit the restroom and then

go let the dogs out to do the same.

Today when I let Elizabeth and Dobby out the door to the deck,

Elizabeth took off full speed, chasing a chicken.

First I had to chase her down, under the deck and through the wet foliage,

get the chicken away from her and carry the very wet chicken back up

the hill.  Somehow the gate between the yard to the house and the chicken yard

had been left open and the chickens decided to visit.

I've had my exercise for the day and the chickens are safely 

back there they can range without being molested by my dogs.

I need to leave for a doctor's appointment but first wanted to 

show you this cute adaptation of My Little Lavender Chicken birds.

This is Little Chicks by Brittany Davis.

Have a good week ladies 

Sampler Spree - Week 5

Usually the blog is written the day before

and scheduled to post early but there just 

wasn't time yesterday so here we are today. 

Top Row:  Block 22, Block 31, Block 49, Space

Bottom Row:  Block 71, Block 67, Block 35, Watering Can Applique

QUILT SHOW:  

I am going to try to be showing the work of some of you using my 

patterns because I enjoy it so much and life has been so stressful lately,

Here is "Patchwork Garden, first by Janice Black and then by Linda Aiken.

One of the reasons life has been so stressful lately is the fact that the doctor who is taking care of the hydrocephalus has been ill himself and hasn't been able to put the shunt back in.  So lets all pray for his

continued health and wellbeing.  My brain and my quilts need him up and running. :). And I'm sure he

would rather feel well just on his own. He's also a very nice man as well as a very talented neurosurgeon :)

Back to quilts, aren't they both awesome?  If you would like me to include one of your quilts in one of our Quilt Shows please send a jpg to janpatekquiltsinc@ gmail.com.

See you next week with more of Susan's blocks.

Sampler Spree - Week 4

 Week 4

Top Row: 105, Beeskep Applique block, 8

Bottom Row: 93, 20, 97

Can you tell I really like the Beeskep block -

somehow I used it in 2 sets of blocks in a row.

Pep surprised me this week with sheets

and pillowcases for our bed to match our

50th Anniversary Quilt Clover Meadow.

He ordered the sheets and pillowcases 

(and pillows) from My Pillow.com because

he was sure the purple would match....And boy does it.

You can order the pattern for the big quilt and the

throw pillow (Tree Dancer Pillow) on our website by 

clicking here.  Be sure to search for Tree Dancer Pillow.

 

Then of course, I had to get my Lavender Little 

Chicken Bird Quilt to go with the rest.

Chantilly immediately claimed it as hers :)

See you next week, ladies.  :)

Sampler Spree - Week 3

Top row 58, 39, 90.

2nd Row:  33, Applique Beeskep, 84

Yesterday I went and had catarac surgery.

I'm sure things will improve but right now I

can't see very well.

Anyway, here are six pieced blocks from Susan's

book and 1 appliqué block.

Hopefully, next week will be better.

Sampler Spree - Week 2

Happy Blockheads Wednesday :) 

 I'm assuming that by now you all

have your book.  If not, be sure to go to 

"Shop Martingale.com, do a search for 

Sampler Spree and get your copy asap.

As I said last week I'm going my QAL a little bit

differently.    Each week we'll do 6 of Susan's pieced blocks

and one appliqué block.  Carrie Nelson of Moda fame

is fixing the appliqué block so it can be downloaded

and we're sharing it with the Facebook group too.

The pieced blocks for this week are

Top Row:  Block 68, Block 99, Block 5,

Row 2:  Block 91, Applique block (Bird on a Branch),

Block 12.

If you want to use my purples, we're selling fabric packs in our store.

Hopefully the blog will go smoothly and there are a couple of

complications that could interfere.

I had Cataract surgery on one eye at the beginning of the

week so one eye still sees things in a blur and one eye is

perfectly clear.  

I'm scheduled to get the other eye done this week so

that should balance me out.

And my neurosurgeon is due back on June 28th to deal with the

hydrocephalous again.

I could use lots of prayers that the silly shunt stays

where he puts it this time instead of working it's way

to the surface.  

Getting older certainly seems to have a lot of complications lately.

Have a good week ladies and Keep On Quilting.

Its Flag Day

 And we all know how much I love our Flag.

Tablestand Front

    

and back

The table stand kit is on sale TODAY ONLY.  :) 

To order email Tammy at janpatekquiltsinc@gmail.com.

Happy Memorial Day and more info on Sampler Spree Fabric Packs

We went to Chillicothe yesterday to

take care of the graves of Byron, Eunice,  

and Keith (Pep's side of the family) and took care of 

Daddy's monument when we got

back home.

Today we'll go to Mom's grave and Nancy's 

son Mathew after we take care of the 

chickens.  

There was a treat when we went to the chicken yard.

Our pretty gold hen had hatched out 2 babies.

They're 1 day old here 

but before we know it they will be as big as 

their cousins the Orpingtons.

Everything is growing so quickly- radishes, 

beans and all sorts of veggies.

Inside we're getting ready to start the Sampler Spree QAL.

If you can't find the book at your favorite quilt shop

simply go to shopMartingale.com and type Sampler Spree

 in the  search bar.  

Both the Ebook and the print book should come up.

We're going to be selling fabric packs of the fabrics I'll be

using for my quilt but the supplies are very limited.  A 4 week 

bundle will be $40.00 and will be packaged in a Jan Patek Quilts

Homespun sack.  You can put in the order for yours today from Tammy 

at janpatekquiltsinc@gmail.com.  I've devided the QAL up somewhat

differently so there will be 17 weeks in all 

or 4 bundles of 4 weeks and 

1 bundle of 5 weeks..  Each week there will have 

fabric for 6 of Susan's pieced block and 1 of my appliqué blocks.

Have a good day ladies.  Say a little prayer for Tammy and me.

She needs prayers to get over her cold and I need prayers not to get it.  :)

Happy Memorial Day! and Sampler Spree Fabric Packs

Happy Memorial Day.  

My sister Nancy and I had a busy one.

Pep's parents are buried at Resthaven Memorial Gardens

in Chillicothe, Mo.  Pep's brother Keith has been taking care 

of things in Chillicothe but he passed this year and

his son, Jewell Patek lives down near Springfield, Mo.

Since Springfield is 4 hours away and we're only about 1

hour away, we took over this year.

This is the Urn that some of the graves have.

 I'll see if we can get one for next year.

I think it looks better than just laying the silks on

the ground. We tried to secure the flowers but 

I like the urn better and it seems a lot

more secure.

I knew my father-in-law had earned a bronze star

for sweeping mines in the Sea of Japan during a

typhoon because it sits in a case on my dresser.

I think it's to late to get that on his tombstone but 

I wish I had.  He was a good, good man.

My father (Major Glover Wilson Laird)

died when I was 8.  He was

buried in his parents plot in Harper, Ks.

Since Harper is 4 hours away we made a

"touchstone" in our garden  years ago

and remember him on Memorial Day.

He also was a good man.

They both were always very supportive.

This seems like a good month to make 

Oceans Aweigh our vintage book.

It not only has lots of quilts about the sea

but it also has a quilt I made about

Pep and my song "Storms Never Last"

by Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter.

Lots of memories this month.

And we're in the process of making new ones.

This is the book and some of the fabric I'll use

in the QAL (Quilt Along) we're doing with Moda

and Martingale.  

And we're giving away 2 books.  An Ebook for

our Jan Patek Galore ladies and a print book for

our ladies on this side of the pond.

 

I'm sorry but my computer seems to have it's own mind to day.

                                            It has taken me 2 hours to get this much on the page.

But - we are finally moving along a little.  Be sure to go to  shopMartingale.com 

and get your book, either a print book or an Ebook and 

do a search for Sampler Spree so you can sew along

or Quilt Along (QAL) with us.  If the computer will let you, please leave

a comment and we'll try to do a drawing for a free book.  

Also we'll be selling the Scrap Packs for about $22.50 and 

hopefully you can order one in the store tomorrow.

Have a good evening.   I'm going to get

off of the computer and stitch a little.  Whew!!!!

                                    

Fabric packs for Sampler Spree QAL

            

Sampler Spree starts soon

We're getting ready for a fun Quilt Along  

called Sampler Spree by Susan Ache

To follow along you'll need a book - and it 

can be either a hard copy or an Ebook.

You can order your hard copy or Ebook 

by clicking here.  I you belong to Jan Patek Galore 

and live on the other side of the pond, you can 

order an Ebook and there's no shipping.  Or if you live 

in the US and order an Ebook there's

no shipping.

The "make these blocks" posts begin Wednesday, June 16.  

Do you have to make/post every block each week?  No.  Can you mix up your colors - or create your own color schedule?  Yes.  Two-color quilt?  Yes.   - That from Susan & Carrie.

And here's where I  (Jan) start changing things around.

 To begin with I've wanted a purple and white (read cream) 

quilt for quite awhile.  And here's my chance.

Secondly, a lot of us work full time (or work and live on a farm) 

and wouldn't be able to sew that many blocks in a week.  

And of course, I need to add at least one 6" appliqué

block each week.

Soooooo......

If you're getting the lavender & purple Sampler Spree Scrap packs - and we do only have a limited number, we'll try to mail them at the end of the previous month so that  you can cut out the blocks for the week on Sunday and the sew one each evening or sew them all during the week when you have time.  There will be 6 of Susan's pieced blocks each week and 1 on my appliqué blocks.

I'll stop here for now because I always blog the day before and have it post early for our ladies across the pond and I want to wait and have Tammy double check things before I finalize it.  If there are corrections I will have them posted by Wednesday evening.  

I'll also have the cost of the fabric packs.  If I've figured it right there will be 11 weeks in all.

Be sure and order your books as soon as possible, either a printed book or an E-book.

To order the book go to  and type Sampler Spree in the Search Window.

I will be giving away a free book this week.  

To enter, make a comment, any old comment and I'll have the random number generator pick a winner and announce it next Wednesday.

Gardens N Quilts -

On the deck - 

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

all doing well.

In fact we've added some lemon grass

& a tomato plant.

Out in the garden proper

a little light rain has popped

up rows of veggies.

--

Aunt Odell's Oriental poppies

are blooming and the salmon poppies are

getting ready to burst.

And since it FINALLY got a little

warmer, Grandma Laird's Iris

have started to bloom.

The sign above the fish barrel

says "Swim at your own risk-

"no lifeguard on duty".

And. since the iris are blooming

this seemed to be a good time to

put Audra's Iris Garden on sale.

You can go to the website to get 

your copy block clicking here

Next week I need to get my 

cataract fixed.

And I'm also going to be working

on my Samper Spree quilt

by Susan Ache.

Tammy is back from the funeral of Jesse's wife's

mother and I should be able to see out of

both eyes until Friday so next 

Blockheads Wednesday we'll blog about

how we're going to do it.

I never could do things exactly

like everybody else  :{

See you then.