Look at this gorgeous antique quilt I found. This is one of my 15 that I'm re-designing!!! What do you think? Won't it be wonderful in reproduction prints in the golds, browns, reds, blues? Add those scrappy backgrounds.... a stop border(inner border...I think it needs one) and a super outer border and we have a winner!!

Now tell me... who doesn't love making 1/2 square triangles? Each large block will be 18"! With borders it should finish somewhere around 100" x 118".... just the way I like them! BIG!!!!

H-m-m-m-m... I'll have to come with a great name for this quilt!! It's full of flying geese... they seem to be flying around the center block! How about helping me to name this quilt? Let me know what you think!! If I pick your quilt name, I'll send you a pattern when it's finished ... FREE!!!

Later.... Gloria

We're back home....

Wow... what a whirl wind trip we had to Paducah! The show was over before we knew it. We had a great time... we stayed in a lovely home with Gayle and her husband. It was nestled in a wooded area... big white house - long front porch with beautiful wicker furniture with stuffed pillows, flowers everywhere, beautiful ferns, and the most gorgeous antiques I've ever seen! We felt like we were queens. Look at our beds we slept in!!! Aren't they awesome? She had a beautiful table set for us each morning and fixed our breakfast! aaaahhhh.... lived like a queen for a week!

And look at this adorable "TC" !! This was the sweetest dog I've ever seen! He was so adorable...and he LOVED Jill !!! Check out this bed!!! This was Jill's bed and the other photos are of the upstairs where we were housed. She had collected 6 panel doors for years and then put them in the house as her walls - painted white - GORGEOUS!!


Our booth was located in the Pavilion in Paducah. It's a GREAT, BIG white vinyl bubble tent! It's like living inside a marshmellow! It was bright and cheery and perfect for large events. We were also in a film... eeeekkk.. I'm not a fan of having my picture taken. It's some type of documentary they are making of Paducah. The camera crew came to the house as we were arriving and filmed us meeting Gayle the first time at the front door!

We went to dinner with our "show buddies"! What wonderful gals they are... I've never laughed so much in my life! They were from South Dakota, Texas, Iowa, and New Hampshire. It's so sad... we won't be seeing them again... it was a very tearful departure. We have promised to keep in touch with each other through our blogs and emails.

This is the last week of open hours for the store. Thursday and Friday we will be closed - preparing for the auction on Saturday, May 1. I'm praying I will not be a blubbering mess... time will tell. I do want it to be fun for everyone... that's the only way to go... having a good time.

While I've been gone Katie Puckett has been working on my Block-of-the-month rug design! She's getting it drawn on monks cloth. Then we will pick the color palette!! That's the part I love! Once we get that all set, I'll be able to put it on the website and blog and get gals signed up! So exciting!! While I was at the show my creative side of my brain went crazy! I sketched so many new ideas I was dizzy!!! eeeekkkk.... now to get them to paper and samples made! I think I'll also have it designed as a quilt! oooohhh.... with wool applique!! I'm liking it!

My goal.... this is a big one.... is to have a good supply of new patterns along with their samples to show at the Houston Fall Quilt Market in October! Whew... here's hoping I meet that goal! I know I sure have alot of work ahead of me. I'll keep you all posted on the ideas so I can get your feedback!

Well... it's off to unpack and do some laundry... and hit ther sheets early! I'm a tired girl!!
Chat with you soon!!

GLORIA

Paducah....here we come!!

Well, Vicky and I loaded up the Sprinter van this morning (man was it hot...!) for our last show - on to Paducah! It was very sad knowing that this was the last time we would be getting ready for a retail show. I am excited for this trip... we are in a new building. The hotel in Paducah is no more (it was really, really icky inside!) The city has purchased this building - it's like a big blown up tent!! They use them at the Olympics and huge events. It is permanent in this location. Has 40 foot ceilings, concrete floor, very bright and light inside. It has to be better than the "greenhouse" we were in last year. What a nightmare that was!!!! It will be fun to see my Bonnie Blue buddies and all of the other nice vendors we've become friends with. What a great group of hard working people they are!


It's also hard to believe than in just two short weeks, the store will close. I can't even imagine how I'm going to feel when I walk out the door for the last time and lock it. My heart is just simply broken. However, I do know that God has plans for me and I'm movin' on! I have so many ideas that I want to design... I know I must be scaring poor Heather to death. You see... she's a big part of my designs... I love her talent..hhhmmmm.... did she get that from me? HA!!!


We think Lexie is going to be artistic too... you should have seen the stick figure she drew on Friday... without any of us helping her. It had fingers and toes... Heather was shocked. What a sweet little girl...!!


My suitcases are packed, our goodie snacks (for in the van) are ready... tomorrow morning bright and early ... I'm off to pick up Jill and off we go! I always have to prepare hand projects to work on while we're in the van. I just prepared another wool block that I'm designing for a block of the month quilt. It's pretty drop-dead-gorgeous. Whatcha think? I can't wait to get started on it. I use a whip-stitch applique method with silk thread... you can't even see the stitches. LOVE IT!

Also... today Jack (my hubby) brought the Olde Green Cupboard to the house. I have it full of quilts already with my pretty red/brown/cream star quilt hanging over the door. It looks so pretty in the house.

That's all I have for today... I'll keep you posted while in Paducah!!

Remember - "Celebrate Handmade"
Gloria

Yippee!!!!!!

I just talked to Blue Hill Fabrics(they print my fabric) ... I'm going to Spring Market in Minneapolis to work in their booth. I get to take fabric orders from shop owners! How much fun will this be...sittin' on the other side of the table! I just hope I can fold up those fabric cards!! They show you the fabric on big cards that they lay out... it's kind of like refolding a map.... eeeekkk!!!

It sure will feel strange not to order fabric : ( !!!! Very sad!!! At least I'll get to see the samples !

The other great part of this trip is I get to stay with my Bonnie Blue friends - Paula and MaryEllen!! They are such a hoot and so much fun!

Wish me luck.... hope I sell a bunch for them!!

Chat with you later.... Gloria

I've always wanted to make "Quilt Rugs". When I tell people this they cringe with disbelief. We have throw rugs on the floor in our homes today and they are made from cotton and other fibers... we see nothing wrong from walking on these rugs. Yet.... when I mention making a "quilt-rug" the first thing I hear is, "Oh no, I can't walk on that...it's a quilt!" Well, yes and no - it's all in how you look at it I guess.

I'm forging on... even though people have questioned my idea.... See this proud fellow I've drawn? Well he's my next design... I'm going to put him right in the middle of a great big round circle.... bordered with beautiful tongues like they use on penny rugs.... He'll look grand... I'll keep you posted on my progress! Keep on sewing !! Gloria

It's Sunday afternoon and I'm so excited!! I've been designing all morning and I'm finishing up a drawing for something NEW! How about (for all of you wool rug hookers) a wool block-of-the-month rug? Oh my gosh.... this sounds like so much fun!!

I haven't worked out all of the details but it will work somewhat like our quilting block-of-the-months are handled. You will receive your entire pattern drawn on your monks cloth (linen will be an extra cost) along with your first months wool. Each month we will send you the wool for the next block!

You'll have a great time hooking a HUGE sunflower (and a snail) along with an Olde Glory flag, Radio Flyer Wagon, stars, a sheep with her Americana blanket, watermelon with a crow and a saltbox house with a willow tree and flowers! As soon as we get more details on the distribution of the program and the cost... I'll email and blog everyone with the information! In the meantime... remember.... "Celebrate Handmade"!!

Later.... Gloria