Friends are relatives you make for yourself

-Eustache Deschamps

Where in the world do I begin this blog entry? We finished the Stitch In on Sunday night. Seven days of sewing from 9 a.m. - 9pm. To say it was a blast, fun, exhausting, and a thousand other adjectives is a complete understatement! The fellowship, sewing, laughing, eating, and just being together was unbelievable. I smile every time I think about it. There are so many stories that could be told, I think I could blog everyday for a month on the subject. One thing that sticks in my mind is just the overall comraderie between a room full of 30 women. We are all so different but we came together through a love of quilting. As it turns out the quilting takes a back seat to the fellowship! I feel like our stitch in is a modern day mirror image of what women used to feel when they sewed around a big quilting frame. We share our joys and sorrows, we celebrate and cheer for each finished project, we laugh so hard we pratically fall out of our chairs and we begin to get a little sad round day 5 which means the week will soon be coming to a close.

I have been the facilitator of this group for almost 5 years. I have seen first hand the power of quilting in the lives of the people who come to my club classes, workshops, lectures and retreats. It is AMAZING and very humbling. I am so blessed to be able to work in the quilt industry! The people I meet and talk to everyday bring such joy to my life..........How did I get so lucky???

Here are a couple of little pictures of the group playing Left, Right Center...which is a dice game that we play for fat quarters. It is hilarious! Everyone brings 3 fat quarters to the game and we roll dice, passing a fat quarter to the left or right, hold.... or thrown in the center never to be seen again. The winner is the last person with a fat quarter and she wins all the fat quarters in the center of the floor. Notice Catherine who is doing hand work DURING the game...now that is an overachiever!!! The last game of the week is for actual quilt blocks. We all made 9 patches from Red and Tan fabbies. The nine patches were 6 1/2" unfinished blocks.....GUESS WHO WON???? YUP YOURS TRULY...I'm sooooo doing the happy dance. I didn't count the blocks but I think I won around 78 blocks. I'll take a picture of them. I'm going to have to come up with some spectacular setting for these precious blocks!

Well I will post some more pictures of the stitch in and some of the spectacular quilts. Our resident photographer Sarah...has captured so many great moments and I will post some of her pictures as soon as I can steal them from her!!!
I know I'm sooo tardy with my postings.......I will do better, I will do better, I will do better, I will do better........well you get the picture!

Pat

A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars

author unknown

Ok so here we go! Stitch In begins today at 9 am. and the committee woke me up at 4 am......not good! I think this is much like a kid on Christmas morning I can't wait to open the presents. The presents are coming to me in the form of 40 women armed with sewing machines, rotary cutters, snacks and laughs. They are all wonderful and unique little presents each bringing their own personalities and joy to this wonderful event. We sew from 9 a.m. to 9 pm for 7 straight days. Yes folks I am not kidding!

Oddly enough when I think of quilting I really don't think of any one quilt or fabric or sewing machines or even my sewing studio. What I think of are these women and the women (and men) whose faces I see during my classes, lectures and workshops. FOR ME it really is all about the people. I love it sew much. I love the bonds that we have made over the years and I love the healing power I have witnessed through quilting (that is soooo amazing). I'm not being sappy either! I could tell stories that would last for days about all this stuff (much of which would make you smile and cry at the same time). I am including a couple of pictures from the Winter Stitch In with pictures of this weeks festivities yet to come. Here are some of the quilters enjoying a facial during our week together! We had massages too....so see it's not ALL about the sewing.

I am meeting Sarah and Susan at Sams, we are loading up the carts with food for the week. MY MY we can't sew and not have goodies. We usually each lunch in the shop and dinner is on our own. This is the scary part...there are several local restaurants that obviously have caller ID on their phones. When I call to order food for the group they answer the phone with "Hi Pat what can we get for you today?" Now when I die I would NOT like to be remembered by the local eateries in the greater Snellville, Grayson, Lawrenceville area OKAY???

Have a quilty day,
Pat

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.
-Helen Keller

GENTLEWOMEN START YOUR ENGINES! BOBBINS LOADED, MACHINE CLEANED AND OILED, SEWING MACHINES PACKED (I always travel with a back up) LET THE PRE GAMES BEGIN. Yes friends the time we have waited for is almost here. SUMMER STITCH IN!!!

I will be teaching our club program all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday...Then 9a.m Monday morning begins 7 full days of sewing from 9 a.m. - 9 pm.......That's 84 hours if you are counting.
104 hours if you count the class time prior to the Stitch In. BLISS TOTAL BLISS. I will be blogging about this wonderfulness next week. YES SIR I WILL!

Here is a picture that is proof positive that I am married to the best man in the world. It is also proof positive that I am certifiably CRAZY. Last weekend when my SIL was here he came upstairs to the studio for a little visit with Tricia and I. I happened to mention that portions of my fabric closet (which is large) were in a mess (which I created) and that I don't have time to fold everything the way I like to have it folded. WELL after Tricia left...guess who showed up in the studio while I was sewing??? Asked to be shown the technique I use to fold my fabbies...and proceeded to fold away. Here is a picture of him folding fabric around the ruler!

All of this is wonderful AND problematic. He is getting too close to a better understanding of the depth of my fabric addiction........DANGER......... He was also interjecting his opinions on various fabrics. "I like this one...why don't you use this in your next design" HMM this is coming from the man who asked ME where his "Grey" coffee cup was......Folks it was a pink coffee mug (Longerberger breast cancer edition) YUP, color blind.

So there it is in a nutshell. I am in deep trouble on several levels! I loved having him and his sweet help in my studio!!! Maybe he will return. He can fold all the blue fabrics (I'll tell him they are orange).

Have a quilty day and night,
P

There are two ways of spreading light; to be

The candle or the mirror that reflects it.
-Edith Warton

My lovely sewing retreat with my SIL ended yesterday. We both enjoyed our time together and of course the sewing was fantastic. She had NEVER sewn like that and was able to get sew much done. She did this little bargello tree and got her entire neutral bloomin nine patch sewn, up on the design wall and stacked so she can finish it at home. I finished this little tree skirt which I am doing a demo at Little Quits on Wednesday for their Christmas in July celebration. I will also be teaching my Slice of Christmas class coming soon. I also finished my newest pattern Pinwheel Parade. I'm so please with this quilt as well.

Tomorrow I will be going to my small group sewing! YIPPPEE. I have started working on a red work pattern which I am doing as a Christmas present. I am doing the Crabapple Hill pattern
Winter Wonderland. I love to have projects on the Ready Set Go to take with me everywhere so I can sew at the drop of a hat (or needle!) Does anyone else do this??? I also love to do any kind of hand work. I have loved it since I was a child. (such a short time ago!)

I began updating the blog this morning...stopped when Debbie came over to work on our book, then sewed all afternoon, had our wonderful MONDAY cleaning party, and now at 9:03 I have finally gotten to finish my update. Do you have spurts of time? Sometimes I feel like I have ten thousand things going on in one day. But hey that's all part of being a busy active WOMAN RIGHT????

Have a quilty day and night,
P

Follow your bliss, Find where it is and don't be afraid to follow it.
-Joseph Campbell

I am 1 hour and 46 minutes late for my Thursday update on my blog... When I say I have been on the run even more than usual, I'm NOT kidding!!!

My SIL is here and we just left the sewing room. We got a VERY LATE start to our sewing because we were shopping at Intown Quilt Shop and Sweet Home Quilt Co. We had a total blast as usual. I particularly loved that Tricia was away (even tho she was hooked to her Blackberry and constant emails from her office) from her work which keeps her so busy 24/7. She is a terrific quilter (perfection) and enjoys it so much. It is a real stress reliever from her pressure cooker job. She also cranks stuff out like you would not believe!! She was telling me that she sews at night but does not get to her sewing until around 9 pm...Zoowie! I'm horizontal reading a book by then!

Yesterday was the Mother of the Bride dress shopping day from #$%^&*()(%$%^&. Well we just won't even discuss it. Today Tricia went with me and I found a dress after she slapped me into my senses (not literally). I needed another set of eys and I think we found a good look for me. I'll be wearing Eggplant which is good cuz I'm shaped like one!

Here is a tiny peak at what I'm working on. As I have said before I am bringing 3 projects/designs to the finish line at the same time. I don't usually operate like this but this time it just happened. This is a teaser picture. You won't guess what this actually is. Will be posting very soon, SHHHSHHH it is a secret right now.

I really MUST get some sleep. I don't usually sew into the middle of the night. I used to do that but those days are over.. Night Night.

Have a quilty day (I know I will!)
P

Write in your heart that everyday is the best day of the year

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The evidence is in! Below is a tiny portion of my stash closet and the method I use for folding and storing fabbies. I love to keep my fabric closet and sewing room as tidy as possible. Bottom line...I don't function well in chaos.

And here is the proof of my design chaos. An effort to find and audition THAT PERFECT BLUE FABRIC. I will use in a tiny strip of blue in the newly perfected blocks along with 28 other different fabrics. So you see I HAD to seek out that most perfect blue, otherwise the entire quilt would have been TOAST.....YES people the evidence is in....CERTIFIABLY CRAZY!! And I LOVE IT!

My sister in law is coming to spend three days with me (she lives on the other side of Atlanta). We are going to work on our neutral Bloomin Nine Patch quilts (or at least SHE IS, I may be finishing the above mentioned quilt). I'm really looking forward to our own little stitch in. She works full time so this extended sewing time will be a vacation for her and we can spend some quality time together. We plan to visit Intown Quilters and Sweet Home before we lock ourselves in the sewing room and sew our brains out! Tricia has not visited either store (that big career of hers gets in the way all the time!)

Tomorrow is pick out the Mother of the Bride dress. Oh I just can't wait! Everyone asks me what color I'm wearing. Now what kind of question is that? Here is the answer...What ever fits and doesn't look frumpy. More later on this experience I'm sure.

Have a quilty day,
Pat

Where there is great love there are always miracles.

-Willa Cather

This picture depicts EXACTLY the experience we had yesterday at our "tasting" with the caterer for my daughters wedding. We had so much fun I can't EEEEVEENNN begin to explain, the wonderful food, laughter and love we all experienced. Choosing linens, table scape's, food and oh yes we had our coordinator Mr. Chris. I fell in love with him and appreciated his expertise! OH YEAH.

I have heard that planning a wedding is so stressful. I think we must be the strangest family because we are having a blast. My daughter and her fiancee are the most precious couple, sooo excited to be starting their lives together. My husband is STEVE MARTIN...and Mr. Chris is Franc, FRONC...as for me well I'm typing with tears of joy and gratitude for my family and our lives together. I am one lucky woman.

Today is cake tasting and choosing...how much fun is that going to be??? Dad is sitting this one out (wants us to bring him back a box of goodies) and the Maid of Honor/little sister is joining us. WHO wouldn't miss a chance to scarf down some cakes, and cupcakes??? Don't you wish you were with us??? We are all looking forward to this one!! I'm sure we will laugh our way through this experience as well.

I think the kids are going to go downtown and watch the fireworks so maybe...just maybe... I can sneak up to the studio and put my hands on some fabbies and sew a bit. If not...I'll be there on Sunday afternoon.

Signing out..committee is again in session 5:10 a.m.

I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July..
.THANK GOD FOR THE U.S.A!!

Pat

Learn the craft of knowing how to open your heart and turn on your creativity. There's a light inside of you. -Judith Jamison

It was bound to happen blog meets......committee! 4:15 a.m and the committee that lives inside my head has call a meeting (an hour ago!) The gavel rang down and the committee drug me out of bed for a meeting. And I was sleeping soooo well. Who and what am I talking about? Lest you think I am nuts or afflicted with multiple personalities, don't fret this is just my little gift from the hormone gods.

I have my very own committee that calls meetings in the middle of the night. They wake me up, we get out of bed and have discussions on tasks that need to be done. The meeting tonight is lengthy. There is the blog which didn't get updated yesterday issue so here I am 4 hours and 20 minutes into Tuesday. Then there is the new designs percolating, I love them all and the design committee member wants to go sew so I better type fast. There is the current DD wedding committee member, the exercise committee, the eat healthy committee, you have ironing backed up committee, and the clean house like Martha would expect committee member and blah blah blah..Get the picture??? I have lots of these meetings so chances are real good I will introduce you to various members of the "Committee that lives inside my head" in the future! (PS. WAIT TILL ONE MONTH PRIOR TO QUILT MARKET...THE COMMITTEE NEVER SLEEPS.)

My book club met at my house Sunday night. We read the book "When Crickets Cry" by Charles Martin. The book met with lukewarm responses from the Book Club. We've read better books in the past. Our new book is "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith a book I think and other members think we each may have read years and years ago. Or perhaps I saw the movie if there is one. I'm looking forward to this read. I was telling my friend Debbie this morning that the wonderful thing about this book is that often times we read books that we might never had thought about if it were not for the group.
I think reading is such a pleasurable thing. I don't really consider it a hobby but at some level I guess it is. It is what I have always done, every day. I have loved getting into books on tape and now I load them onto my ipod and sew like crazy. I also love to listen to books when I'm working around the house. So I always have two books going at one time reading and listening... Yes sir books on tape are a good thing!

My daughter and her fiancee are coming into town tomorrow night, the younger daughter and maid of honor is coming home as well! We are in full wedding mode through the weekend...No sewing going on here. We are having tastings with the caterer, cake tastings with the bakery, meeting with the florist, tux arrangements, shopping, list checking, etc etc etc........NO SEWING GOING ON WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY afternoon!! shh don't alert the committee. I'm a mom FIRST. The other stuff will have to wait this is a very special time for our family and I just love it when my babies (25 and 19) are both asleep in their beds!!!

Have a quilty day,
P