I can't believe it's been a month

I really can't - almost a month since I've blogged. And this needs to be short because Cullen and Quinn are here and will get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow. That's one of the reasons it's been a month. They have been staying with us every other week all summer. Their father is back in school - midlife crisis career switch - and he's been working construction in Oklahoma all summer. Since school has started again now, things are back to some kind of routine.

This is one of the sunflowers Quinn planted this spring. He checks on it the minute he gets here. They are awesome. And as my life always ends up in my quilts somehow...

Sunflowers and Scarecrows - I know there's only 1 scarecrow but scarecrows sounds better - poetic license in quilt naming. This is the next Mini Quilt Club offering that will ship in September.

Let's see - the new fabric lines - Classic Wovens and Lilac Hill are being worked on. Four new patterns for the wovens and some minirugs.

Then I took a break to work on the book I'm doing for Quiltmania - get to go to France next April on my way to Salt Lake City. The Quiltmania people are such a joy to work with.

And in between Jennifer Dick (editor extrordinaire for KC Star) sent proofs and we finalized Across the Wide Missouri book by Edie MCGinnis and myself.

Finishing up patterns for Quiltmania book the first couple of days this week and then on to Lilac Hill line. Even if I do say so myself both the Classic Wovens and Lilac Hill are awesome. See you get to say things like that when you do them with someone else :)

And this is Zoie and Quinn's masterpiece. Quinn's first assignment for kindergarten had to do with this gingerbread man. It was his job to decorate it to make it have something to do with him. Since the poor guy got pretty manhandled for a week, going in and out of backpacks, his dad rescued it and made sure it came with him this weekend. With a little help Quinn traced it and had me cut it out for him. Then he and Zoie went to work with fabric scraps, glue and markers. Then they decided to add his sunflower and things really took off. There's our apple tree and berry bushes and flowers! Wow! I think it is absolutely awesome and just had to show it off.

And something I had absolutely nothing to do with, (except one person removed) but get to enjoy, is the fact that I have a new granddaughter born on August 27th. Her name is Brooke and she is beautiful.

I lost the connection to the internet last night so am finishing it today. They did get up at 6:00.

Better go let the chickens out.

Keep quilting.

Thank God for the internet!

This is my dog, Wooly Bully - not a very original name but it fits him. This is his usual stance unless there are dog cookies around. In fact he occasionally gets left in the loft and I have to go get him because he sleeps through the leaving part. Being a bulldog he could be prone to skin problems but at 8 years old, he has had nary a one. An occasional bath and sprinkling with flea powder and he's good to go. No Frontline - no Advantage or Biospot - fleas just don't bother him.

This is my son Max's English Mastiff "Nero" who is staying with us for the summer. This is a picture of him as he's only been for the last 2 days. The whole rest of the summer he's been scratching and chewing and itching. He is highly allergic to fleas and they have been driving him crazy. All of the usual remedies don't work. The really expensive one worked for around 24 hours. As we live on 160 acres of pasture and woods, spraying the yard wasn't much of an option. Nero was losing weight and his skin and hair looked horrible. After we had exhausted all of the chemical remedies Pep went to the internet and googled.

We mix plain old white vinegar and water half and half and spray him down every morning and night. (Luckily he doesn't seem to mind it - he gets a cookie afterwards.) It is supposed to repel fleas and boy, howdy it seems to do so. It isn't recommended for cats - they don't like the smell of vinegar. Just thought I'd post this in case anyone else is having the problem. It doesn't totally get rid of the fleas but there's only an occasional scratch.

Now Nero and Bully are sleeping buddies - thanks God, for the internet.

Thought I'd let you know

When I was at Girl Gang last Saturday, Sue is making a wallhanging for all of her daughters and daughters-in-law and brought her daughter's quilt for Show and Tell. It is the time of year to start thinking of Holiday quilts, etc. for your house or gifts if we're going to make them. Anyway, this is the latest email Kelly sent. I can't figure out how to change the size. Should be a good sale and we have done a Holiday quilt or two.

Christmas in July from Jan Patek Quilts! Hey Quilters! Jan Patek Quilts has decided to celebrate Christmas in July! All next week check your email often to get in on someSPECTACULAR sales on holiday projects, patterns and books! Quantities will be extremely limited, and first come, first served! Lets get a jump start on those Christmas projects and save some serious money! Stitch, stitch, stitch! Join Our Mailing List!

Lots of Thanks

Ok, so I put the pictures up backwards. This is one of my birdhouses in the garden - it seems to need dusting.

And the basil and peppers in the beds are doing well and share their room with the last of the lettuce and Quinn's sunflowers he planted himself. I haven't taken down the markers for the radishes and cucumbers. Actually the cucumbers weren't here at all. They grow on a trellis.

But I use the green markers to mark the rows of lettuce and the red ones (beets, etc) for the radishes.

Here's where I got with the pillow cover. The star isn't sewn on so it looks a little big but I think it will stay. I made it out of the same fabric as the center stars on the quilt. On the pillow cover it's subtle and I like that. Now off to the quilter and when it comes back I'll get to decide on the binding.

Thanks to all for their input. It was pretty divided but it's still helpful to get all the different opinions and reasons. Oh and Luned, if you will email Tara at info@janpatekquilts.com she'll ship your Turnover. Thanks again.

Auditioning a summer pillow cover

When I started my website back when the dinosaurs roam there wasn't any e-comerce, the websites were just for information. Way back then I had a section called Jan's Notes where once a month I just talked about what was going on - in my quiltworld, with the kids and the farm. Then when blogging came around it turned into a blog.

There is a problem with me and blogging. I don't do it very often first because I don't have time but mostly because I don't have much to say. I am not a historian like Barbara Brackman nor funny like Sandy Gervais or Laurie Simpson. I just love their blogs. And most of my ongoing projects are pretty big, not small and quick like Alma and Barb's or Moda Home Mom. (And I keep things current by posting the latest wallhangings and BOM blocks on the side.) So I finally decided to stop stressing about it and just do what I'd always done.

BUT!!! - this month I do have something somewhat small I can show you. The bed was too bare with just the knot pillowcoverings so I decided to applique a pillow cover that went with Ring Around the Posie.

I thought a basket with the same flowers would look good with the quilt. For the basket I found a remnant of a Gatherings print that seemed to go best with the quilt and say "summer". There was enough of the print to do my pillow cover and make 8 kits. We'll probably do something with them that ties in with buying a Posie kit since there are so few. More on that later.

What I'm trying to decide now is whether to use red or green for the binding (no ruffle, just binding) and whether to put a star in the upper left corner. There is a star in the center flower of each block. It would look good, I think, but on the other hand I like the uncluttered simplicity the way it is. Decisions, decisions.

I welcome your comments and we'll do a drawing Monday for a Remembrance Turnover. I used a lot of Turnovers in the patterns that will come out this fall.

Can't wait to see what you think.

Oh, and to answer questions about the chair. It's an Aeron chair (I think I spelled that right) and it's construction is supposed to relieve the pressure on you while sitting. It really works. I'm still a little stiff when I get up but I can stand and walk. Until I got this chair, that wasn't always possible without tears. You can google it here www.hermanmiller.com/Products/Aeron-Chairs

Whew!!!

This is where you could find me since we got back from Market. Notice the distinctly modern chair. That's what enables me to work at the computer for long periods of time writing instructions for patterns with my bum knee. I tore the cartilage in the back of my knee and sitting for long periods became pretty painful (as did walking, yada, yada, yada). My great husband did some research and ordered the chair for me. It is a godsend.

I got the patterns finished and moved on to this year's Girl Gang instructions - the quilt is called "Wisdom House" Here it is in tan. It's shipping to the Girl Gang shops as we speak with only a slight interruption because Tara's son and then Tara got sick.

Occasionally during the last month I got to leave the computer and walk up to the office.

Lillies, coneflowers and marigolds were showing off.

Walking through the garden finally made me remember to have Shannon post Garden Kisses and Hugs on the website. This isn't a "Club" quilt so it won't go out automatically. You have to order it. I really like it so we decided to offer a few kits.

And finally today I got to play a little. I went to the loft and got "Ring Around the Posie" to put on my bed for the summer. It's red and green which is usually Christmas, but right now I think it looks summery and gardeny and like the 4th of July - even without the blue.

And then I went back to the loft and made two of my knot pillowcases to go with it.

I brought down the rest of the 4th quilts yesterday so that part is finished. On to cleaning and cooking. We always have a full house.

Have a good one, ladies.

Home Again, home again

Dueces and Bully were ever so glad to see us when we got home. Pep unloaded a few necessities from the van (it was a little after midnight) and then sat in his favorite chair. As soon as he made a lap there was a cat in it (that's what laps are for, isn't it?)

Right now, I'm uploading pics to my blog and doing my usual multitasking. Yesterday was sunny but it's supposed to rain tonight. Pep got the peppers and chard planted and I've been unpacking and doing laundry. On the entryway railing are the dry clothes to be ironed and a basket of wet clothes destined for the clothesline. In between folding and hanging clothes I upload a picture or two and I took a lot of them.

Here are Pep and Bruce Gervais (and Pep's newfound friend) the first day. They're taking a well deserved rest after the hard work of set up.

One view of my booth. For those that don't know, most of the Moda designers have booths that ring the central Moda booths. So I'll try to take you around the circle from my booth.

Camille - one half of Bonnie and Camille. Across from their booth is

the section of Moda's booth with my Morning Song quilt. Moda's Lissa Alexander is smiling as usual.

Stan & Sandy Klop - American Jane.

Laurie Simpson and Polly Minick. And you all have a great treat coming in the awesome quilt Laurie is making (not seen here) and the great rug Polly is making that will be the basis of a KC Star book. The quilt is applique and both the quilt and the rug are "to die for". I've already told them they need to kit at least the quilt if not both and that I WANT one. It's not my project so I won't say more but keep watching their blog for word of it. It probably will be awhile but well worth waiting for.

Edytka of Laundry Basket with her usual awesome booth full of quilts.

Lynne and Robert of Kansas Troubles Quilt - longtime friends and consumate quilter.

Kathy Schmitz - love her Crackle basics as well as her latest line -

Sandy Gervais and her Lollipop line. The airconditioning was really going the first day and we were all freezing.

And full circle to my booth. I do apologize to the designers that weren't in their booth when I made the route with my camera - Joanna of Figtree, Sweetwater Bay ( you were there but my picture turned out lousy and I try not to post bad pictures of people), my great and longtime friend Deb Strain and finally Me and My Sister.

And here we all are for our group photo - they're going to do something on the Moda website similar to the Brady Bunch - that's why we're all looking different directions. I can't wait to see it.