Countdown

My oh my! In 8 days I will be in Montana at Certified Instructor training ! I can't quite believe it is next week, it's been so far away for so long and suddenly it's time to pack and plan and go! I am so excited to see the new pattern and really play with some color ways....the certified shop education was a few weeks ago, and I got to see some blocks and components, but no full quilts yet! Seriously folks, it's driving me crazy, I want to see some finished ones SO badly! More later this week once I have my fabric requirements from Carrie.

New Lovelies -- from the amazing people of Hoffman Fabrics

If you know me, you know I have a love of batiks -- okay, perhaps obsession is a better description. I love, love, love them...for their rich, deep colors, for their depth, and for the complexity of design. What can I say, I love them!!! (in case you were wondering).

So, since I didn't get to go to Market this spring in Kansas City, I decided to stop in at Hoffman to see the fabrics first hand and place my orders for fall. And I was completely blown away, the new colors are fabulous (the purples are BACK!!!), there are some great new prints, and there is a whole line set in black and white !!!! Anf if you know me, you know my second favorite color way is black and white, so I had to order them all...yes, all. And now I must wait for them to arrive and drool over the online shots and the paper versions....seriously folks, it's torture over here.

And since I'm being tortured by the loveliness, I thought I would share some of it with you....specifically the new bali pops, and some new products straight from Hoffman....

The new Bali Pops (2 1/2" strips)....named after desserts (or ice cream, either way, completely yummy!)

 Brown Sugar

 Macaroon

 Parfait

 Rum Raisin

 Tiramisu

 Wild Berry



Couldn't you just eat them up???? Seriously, making me hungry now......and then to make it even better, they now come in more sizes, that's right, Hoffman is beginning to make the traditional charm and layer cake sizes......called SNAPS (5" squares) and Crackers (10" squares). For now they are making them in the same line sets as the jelly rolls.....but wouldn't they be luscious in color way runs -- just the idea makes me excited......

I am super duper excited to get my hands on some of these....unfortunately, I have to wait, just like everyone else (completely unfair, I know. especially since I have teased you about them). I did manage to get a jelly roll of rum raisin from Hoffman, so I'll be showing off some of the prints in my next post.

Have a great week peeps!!!



Hello Monday

Hello Monday -- I am so glad you are here!!! It was a great weekend, and is looking like a fantastic week at work! New projects to get started, a new office to decorate and a diet coke (yes, I know this sounds insane, but I'm out of diet coke at home, and was just to lazy to get any yesterday, so I've had no caffeine for 24 hours!).

We had a great Saturday -- I was with my cousin extraordinaire Laina Guidero Colgan (who just happens to be a great photographer!!!) doing a quilt photo shoot for the blog and the website!!! The pics are fantastic -- and I've only seen a handful of them. She'll probably spend this week editing, and then I will be able to send out new pics on all of my materials!! It really was a great time, she found an old property in Encinitas, with a really rustic artsy vibe, and we had a blast, staging and re-staging the quilts. I'm so excited to see the pics!!! And then she teased me by putting a few on facebook!!! They are fantastic!!! Can't wait to see everything all finished!

Sunday was a pretty mellow day, shopping for a fridge, and going to IKEA, which is always an experience. It was nice to hang out with Jason and Sue and just putter around doing things that need to get done, but are much more fun to do in groups.

Finished the weekend with a visit to the gym, and some sewing....all in all and great weekend, and it looks like to week will be just a good!!!

See you all later this week, when I talk about packing for a quilt retreat!


Cat  

Crazy week ahead

Well, it has been a crazy week, and it looks like it will only get crazier. I got a chance to visit Hoffman Fabrics on Monday evening, and while I was there I got to see the new releases that I missed at market. They have some great new prints in the line! And the line is HUGE, like more prints that ever in more color ways than ever, but you'll have to wait for picks, since we have a BIG photoshoot this weekend. We're redoing covers for patterns, and we have some new quilts! And some new samples of existing patterns. So a verry busy weekend of quilting planned. And then the real madness will begin...starting with the new job on Monday and a three week prep period for certified instructor training in Montana! I can't believe that it is almost here! A full week with Judy to work on the new technique of the month and finish up my Glacier Star! So excited that I simply can't stand it! Anyway, I think I might have finally gotten everything that I need for blogging from the iPad! Just a few more photo tests and then I'll share some iPhone and iPad pics that I have taken over the last few weeks!

Who said the iPad was genius?

Okay, so I've been beavering away over here! Making tops, putting on binding, all with the intent of updating the blog....but iCloud is down, and my pics are stuck in never land....so, until I figure out how to get them out of jail....just pretend there are pics here....

Welcome Back

Yes, it has been a long time since I was here in this space. Will you forgive me? Life has been a little crazy! I moved, I accepted a new job, and the world has been a little tipsy turfy for a few months, but it looks like it is all calming down and life will resemble normal soon (whatever normal is, anyway). I have some new patterns in process, some new tools to make blogging easier (can we say iPad?), and a closet full of unfinished projects that need documenting and completing. So it looks like a busy summer is upon is. So, let's lace up our quilting shoes and get ready for fun!

Dallas, here I come, and there I go

It has been a world wind around here, lately. Craziness at home, craziness at work, a big move coming up, new patterns for market, and a general insanity feeling going on, but i was lucky enough to get away for a week. I visited some friends (both old and new), met some new people, and spent some quality time working on things I love. It's not too often that I get a chance to really devote large amounts of time to sewing (or if I do, I'm giving up sleep and cheerfulness), but I was lucky enough to spend a couple of relaxing days working/playing in the Dallas area.

I visited a friend that I hadn't seen since high school. Rhonda and I were best of friends in elementary school, and her family moved away after 6th grade, so I didn't see her much during middle and high school and not at all after that, but we reconnected again through facebook last summer, and since I was going to be in Dallas anyway, we got together. I must admit I was a little nervous after 15+ years, but it was pointless, we might as well have seen each other last week, it was that easy and simple. It was also that reminder that Southern Hospitality and life-long friendships aren't just fairytales, they are actually quite real, and incredibly awesome. So, Rhonda if you are reading this, we must get together again SOON. So excited that my business will bring me to Dallas quite often. Kinda feels like a fate thing, as corny as that sounds.

On the other side of the fate thing is a relatively new friendship -- she and I met at a retreat in Montana two years ago. We're both Judy Niemeyer stalkers (yes, I admit it, no, I will NOT join a support groups, I am perfectly happy with my addiction). We've both made 10+ Judy quilts, and you can never learn too much, so we agreed to meet up for a class at Stitchin' Heaven in Quiltman, just an hour from Terri's home. I got to meet her family, and take a tour of a catfish processing plant (that was interesting, seriously, it's hard work), and visit a little east Texas town, population 600+. I hadn't been in the rural south in quite a while, and I had forgotten how friendly people are, how noone is a stranger (or they won't be for long) and how everyone has manners (and all the kids have chores). It was totally refreshing and a great visit. Reminded me to be proud of being raised in the south, of my old fashioned southern values.

And just like that the visit was over -- 9 days gone in a flash -- and as soon as I figure out ICloud, I'll show some pics -- until then you'll have to imagine it all.....and if anyone has any pointers on ICloud -- send them my way.