What a week.... I've never ached so much all over in my life. You would have thought I ran 200 miles! I'll tell you what... this moving and unpacking is simply NOT MY THING!

However, (drum roll please) all of my fabric boxes are now unpacked!!! YIPPEE!!! The next project is to organize the spare bedroom that now looks like a whoppin' tornado hit it. This was the room for boxes that we were unsure of.... you know the kind you look at and say to yourself.. "where are we going to put this?". Many of the items are for decorating.... which I will be going through and purging!

I now have an antique booth with Vicky (my sister) and Heather (my daughter) at the Antique Market here in town. It's a great way to sell what we have and that we are tired of... and then use that money to buy new things! I prefer to call it "revolving antiques"!

I'm getting ready for my first wholesale market as a vendor. We are going to do a practice booth set up in one of my bedrooms... you know... the teeny, tiny booth of 10 x 10. It sounds so large until you begin to fill it up and immediately it's SHRUNK... how did that happen?

I will have several new quilt patterns, a wool 6 month block-of-the-month wall hanging, a wool applique bed runner, plus a wool rug block-of-the-month (traditional wool rug hooking). Many of my quilts are at the quilters and I have two to finish piecing. Then we'll be good to go...of course there is the photos, writing the instructions, putting everything together.... and so on. Before I know it we'll be near the end of October!!

I'm anxiously waiting for Lisa's retreat house (Primitive Gatherings) to get finished. I truly want to spend some time away...just sewing and relaxing. You know... I don't know how I had time to work! I remember my father-in-law saying that after he retired...now I know what in the heck he means.

I'm off to fix dinner and watch some TV! I hope all of you are still sewing and quilting!

Remember... to "Celebrate Handmade"!

Gloria

August is almost OVER!!!

Well, I have now been retired from the retail world for almost 4 months. I cannot believe 4 months have gone by so quickly. I have been a busy girl! We just finished our first Camp Blanding Retreat. What an awesome weekend. We had 144 attend - to include 2 fellows!! I've never seen one giant room so full of happy people in my life. The projects everyone was working on were simply breathtaking!

I even finished my BOM (all pieced together)... It will soon be on it's way to the quilters... Cathy and/or Lynn! I can't wait to see the magic they do! Then I will be writing the pattern(s) and getting the shop manuals ready. As soon as it's all quilted... I'll post a picture !!

Then... a second project was almost finished also. I have to stitch everything down... then quilt...bind... and it's also finished. That reminds me.. I need to pack it up and take it with me... to KENTUCKY!!

Jack (my hubby) and I are driving to Atlanta where he will check out with his company, Varian Medical. He will then officially be retired. He's lovin' life right now.. I'm so happy for him. His job was sssssoooooo stressful.... the guy needs a break!

After Atlanta, we are heading up to Marti Norris's house! She and I and Jack are going to go antique shopping. I'm bringing back goodies and will be selling them on my website...so be sure and stay tuned!

Now... I'm off to finish packing and then on to bed!

Happy Sewing... and remember... "Celebrate Handmade"

Gloria

Man oh man... I can't for the life of me figure out where the time goes and how fast it flies by!! I've been a bad girl and haven't posted to my blog in several weeks...eeeeekkk... NOT GOOD! Let's see .. there is the blog, on-line emails, facebook, thank Heavens I'm not on twitter and so many of the other publications... I can't keep up!!

Here's what's been happening... I've been packing the house. My husband has retired (say a prayer for both of us... we have no tbeen together 24-7 our entire marriage.... scary... very scary) and we have decided to move to a more efficient house. We found one here in Jacksonville that has a gorgeous energy efficient kitchen, small yard (mine is BIG) that we can take care of instead of paying someone to mow my grass and take care of the yard that I probably haven't walked in more than a dozen times in 11 years... all brick, new roof... and the best part... I get a HUGE sewing studio. It's so pretty and bright.. love it! As soon as we are in and decorated I'll pass on some photos to you.

So in between packing, keeping my husband busy, and trying to design and sew... the time has just escaped me. Vicky is piecing my samples (love you sis!) as fast as I have them designed and the fabric chosen. Talking about fabric... I packed my double door closet (huge linen closet) and my walk-in closet with all of my fabrics, kits, projects, etc.... well do I need to say... OMG!!!!

I can design 15,000 quilts and will not have to buy one stitch of fabric to make the sample. Of course you and I both know that's a big ball-faced story... ha!

This is a new sample for "Princess Charming" that Vicky designed several years ago. The colors are so much prettier than this picture shows. I can't wait to see it when it's finished.

I'm trying to design patterns that are easier and those that are a little more challenging. This is EASY, fast and can be great fun. I've seen it done in batiks and Kaffe Fassett fabric and it's so cool.

Here's another idea I had for a quilt... design a basic pattern that can be quickly made by anyone and add beautiful wool applique pieces to the front... for example.. I have this drawing that I finished of a HUGE ROOSTER... wouldn't he look cute on the bottom of the quilt in the corner... facing the middle of the quilt...? Or.. .if you want the quilt to look more feminine...let's say for a little girls room... the wool pieces could be 2 adorable bunnies... get my idea? I'll have to play around and see what it looks like. (man.... I wish I could shut off the brain for awhile!)

Pretty Pots A Plenty is now finished at the quilters and Vicky is in the process of binding this sweet thing! I love this quilt... it reminds me of an old fashioned quilt that is on top of a big thick feather down mattress... you hop in bed, sink into the mattress and cover up with this luscious thing... aaahhh... doesn't that sound wonderful?

I'm currently piecing two new quilts... "Flight of the Sparrows" and "Southern Gathering" Block of the Month. I'm so excited to get them finished... first to see how they look all together and second... I'm ready to move on to a new project and/or design.


My next project is going to be a bed runner... you know... the kind they have in the hotels.. that lies at the food of your bed for decor. Actually... they have those on the bed for you to place your suitcase on to empty... that way the coverlet stays clean longer... kind of like when you unpack on the cruise ships. I'm making mine with wool applique.. and there better be NO SUITCASES placed on it!! I'll post a sketch of the design when I get to that point.


I'm off to sew... yippee!!! Have a happy day and remember... "Celebrate Handmade"!



Gloria