Home Sweet Home!

Hi again!!! Here are the pics I took yesterday on our cross country trek....after this I won't bore you with any more travelogue!!! LOL!!!

Eastern Montana someplace.....I think that's the Yellowstone River. Doesn't it look like John Wayne should be leading the calvary across that river??? "Around her neck, she wore a yellow ribbon"! I'm POSITIVE this is the Yellowstone River below... can't really tell from the photos, but it's flooding a little and looks like milk chocolate (the rain was something FIERCE the day before!)

The first entrance to Yellowstone

More Montana...sorry, they're out of order

Even MORE Montana! (yes, that IS a big bug splat)

This is just minutes before heading down the hill into Butte MT.

This is a very pretty view as you head down the hills into Butte....except for the gorgeous bug splat taking up most of the picture!!! LOL!!!! Ok....we'd planned on stopping in Missoula for the night but since we were so close....we decided to drive on to Coeur de Alene (Boy, if I spelled that right I'll be amazed!!!) Idaho. THAT turned into "We're only 3 or so hours from home, so let's just go for it!!!!"

Ahhhhhhh........................... Idaho!!! Now the hills are starting to look like "OUR" hills, and the trees are getting taller and thicker like "OUR" trees!!!! HOME is so close we can TASTE it!!!

Down the hill...................and there's beautiful Lake Coeur de Alene! (yup...still think I spelled it wrong!) This is just part of the lake. It twists and turns...so pretty! Then.... here's good old Spokane in the setting sun! Two more hours and we were home!

We arrived to freshly cut alfalfa hay fields around us... a little bit of rain (unhappy hay farmers because of THAT I'll bet) and a VERY happy cat! Sixteen hours is too long to be in a car, but when home's at the other end of the drive it's worth it!

When I got in the office this morning I realized that these pics were on the blog sideways!!! Kind of hard to see, so I moved them here (they're of the booth!)

When we get a chance to unpack the trailer and take all the tags off the "trees", we'll lay out some of the "autographs" and get a picture of them to show you!!

Thanks for hanging in there with me while we drove home! I'm all junk-fooded out!!! Tonight we're having SALAD for dinner!!!

XOX Meg

OK, why i don't get to stop at quilt shpps..

...And why all my travel pics include the hood of the car or a side mirror!
My husband, tho a willing driver, refuses tp stop for shopping, views, or photo op's which is why I don't have a picture of the herd of antelope with their babies!!
Phil wouldn't stop for a flock of sasquatch by the side of the road unless they were manning gas pumps and were beckoning to him with bags of MandM's!!!!!
He should make ads for adult diapers too, because any unscheduled stops bring on heavy sighs and rolling eyes worthy of a sixteen year old!
THAT Kristinn is why I didn't get to stop at Quilting In the Country...and I'm not at ALL bitter about it...can you tell???
XOXOX. Meg (almost to Missoula for the night)

Road Food!

Just got a comment from Sandie...Yeah!!! I'm on Diet Coke intravenous drips!!! So funny about the snack-y stuff! We'd just stopped for gas and managed to walk out of there with:
Circus peanuts
Slim jim
Teriaki beef jerky
Salted cashews
MandM's

THAT should last till Missoula!! LOL!!

40 miles to Billings MT

Montana's getting prettier and prettier..lots of muddy, swollen creeks and rivers tho...undoubtedly because of the wild weather yesterday. We got off the road a little earlier than we would have liked to last night because it was raining so hard it ws hard to see and every now and then the car would hydroplane as if we were on ice. Not real safe!! The second half of North Dakota was a blur...literally!...pea soup fog, heavy rain, hailand lightning.
Today we're just enjoying being able to see off th sides of the road!LOL!! I'm taking a few scenery pics and will email them to Sheila this afternoon so she can post them. She and Cindy are hard at work in the studio shipping Quilt Market orders (that will take a few days) and Cyndy (who went with me to help in the booth) is back at her home this morning and hard at work catching up on emails. Me??? I'm driving along with nothing to stitch on because my stuff got BURIED in the boxes in the trailer when we broke down the booth....SO... I'm just boring lucky YOU to death with this constant posting!!! Sorry! Aren't you glad I'm usually too busy to do this??
OH!!! Totally forgot to tell you that I ordered really COOL reading glasses at market!!! They have SPARKLIES!!! As soon as they arrive I'll photograph them and get them up on the wesite.....that is, after I take out the ones that I fall in love with...hope I ordered enough! LOL!!!!
Someone commented on what I'd said about acting like an idiot when I met lynette Jensen...I wasn't tongue tied when I met her!....no...that would have been a blessing!!! Instead, I was struck STUPID!!! And, unfortunately words still come out of your mouth when that's your affliction!.....geez...what a dork!
Hey, what are your opinions about Transfer Eze?? I'd really like to get as many people's takes on. It as possible and I'm going to test it myself too.
Later!!

Lilacs!!

North Dakota is COVERED with lilac bushes in full bloom! Everybody has long, long, lush hedges of lilac bushes in full bloom! Every shade of lavender,purple and white...wish we could smell them...can't you just picture me whizzing down the freeway with my head hanging out the window!!?? Don't know if I'm all wound up because we're headed home at breakneck speed or if it's the half bag of Whoppers I've managed to down in the last 3 hours!!!LOLOL...probably the latter? Anyway...ND, you're gorgeous today!

Home again, home again, jiggedy jig!

Well, we're on our way home from market...halfway through South Dakota and we've already driven through 3 big thunder/lightning/sleet/heavy rain storms!! As long as there are NO tornados we'll be happy!! I'm TERRIBLY homesick!! Just got a text from Sheila telling me that she's taking her daily hour lunch "date" with Honeybunny. He just needs his daily cuddle, head rub, and company until we get home. Wish I was there!!
It was so nnice to see everybody at market...catch up, gossip and laugh until our stoaches hurt! Our last night's dinner together at the Hyatt hotel, I thought we just MIGHT get thrown out of the restaurant!!!! Between Susan's air travel stories and Jan's smuggling her TAB in and refilling her glass under the table..."POP..sssssss!" And choreographing our routine for the Crabapple Hill synchronized swimming in the lobby fountain we're lucky they didn't call security!!!LOL!!! Oh well...it's amazing what trouble you can get up to when you're so tired you're downright punchy!!!
When Sheila gets back to the office we'll see if she'll have time to load the pix I sent this morning. They're oF a few of my favorite booths (and fav people!) And a little of this and that!
See ya!...sorry for the typo's..mtired thumbs!

Quilt Market day two!!

Denise Sheehan from A Graceful Stitch in her booth ( I bought the pattern for the quilt on the table and two others that aren't shown in pic........GORGEOUS!!! And Denise is SO nice too!!!

A new Christmas BOM from Pearl at P-3 Designs (looks great here and even better in real life!!)

There's Pearl in her booth surrounded by her beautiful quilts!!

The Weeks DyeWorks booth made that entire end of the aisle GLOW!

Check out the flaminco dancer ruffled sleeves on the man in the booth above!

There are SO MANY people here!!! That's GREAT, don't you think? Really says something about the health of the quilting industry!
We have some beautiful booths directly around ours.. Michael Miller is directly across the aisle and is done all in white...white trees, white fabrics, crystal chandelier..."Ecien and Cosmo are across the aisle in a different direction. OOOoooo!! Looking at all of their floss and fabrics all weekend!!!! The Weeks Dyeworks booth is several rows down but pretty much glows with all the gorgeous color in their booth. The other booth is A Graceful Stitch (really, REALLY beautiful applique!!!
The last images are all of my own booth. The"trees" have turned out to be a lot of fun for us! We"re having everybody who comes into the booth sign a card, put down their company or shop name, a message etc... Some people have written messages,song lyrics, and even a recipe or two!! I'm going to keep each and every one!!
OH! I'm so excited because I met Robyn Pandolph last night and then met Lynette Jensen today!! (Kind of got flustered and made an absolute fool of myself!)
I'll get more booth pix tomorrow...sorry I'm not getting out and about much but I will tomorrow!!
Good night!! XOX Meg
PS...sorry about all the typos, I'm doing these from my Blackberry and the buttons are TINY!!!

We're in Minneapolis!!!

We've arrived, set up the booth,(well ALMOST finished!) And today Jan, Cyndy and Susan are shopping at the Mall of America. We're all going to meet up this afternoon to put the finishing touches on the booth. I'll take some pictures then!
Last night after setting up the booth Phil, Cyndy and I headed back to the hotel and Jan and Susan took a little detour... Let me back up a little bit. ;an drinks TAB and it's kind of hard to find so she had us bring a case of it along with us in the trailer. She was carrying her case back to the hotel the last time we saw her. ANYway... They got lost walking back to the hotel (One block away!) And ended up walking for about a mile...with that stincking case of pop!!!!! Wish I'd had my camera! Poor Jan!
I'm hoping that by the time we get over to the convention center this afternoon ther will be more booths set up so that I can get some pic's for you!
I'll keep you posted! SO EXCITED!!!
XOX. MEG

testing mobile

Let's see if this works! Then maybe I'll be able to figure ot how to add an image.

Just another test.....how to add an image....let's see if a pic off my new phone is good enough quality. Maybe I won't have to lug around my big, heavy camera at market! OH! turned out rather well if I do say so! That's the hostas and bleeding hearts right outside the front door of the studio.

Oh...answering questions!

Spring International Quilt Market (yes, it's a wholesale only trade show) is in Minneapolis this time. Minnesota is really pretty at this time of year by the way!

.........wow!..........that's all the time it took for me to forget the other question!.........thinking.........thinking..........................uh................OH!!!! I remember! The new patterns are out RIGHT NOW!!!

xox Meg

October 2010 Retreat

Hi everybody!

Boy!!! What a great response for the retreats!!!! Our October 2010 retreat is full, though we have a waiting list if you'd like to be put on it just in case! The 2011 retreats all have spaces available...(Well... I should HOPE SO!!!!... it was just posted YESTERDAY!!! LOL!!!)

Our Cosmo "Seasons" variegated floss arrived yesterday morning and Cindy and I worked ALL DAY getting floss kits for the new patterns ready to go. They're up on the website without pictures (that's the next thing on MY agenda for the day....take floss kit pics!)

We got the booth for Quilt Market mocked up (that's what's in the picture above, one vignette minus the patterns that will go in the baskets) photographed (so we'll know where to put everything) ...taken down...packed and ready to load onto the trailer (we're driving it to market this time instead of shipping it) and we're pretty much ready to go! Sheila and Cindy will stay in studio this time instead of coming with us, so they will be here to fill orders, ship, and answer phone/emails and stuff. I wish they were able to go with us, I'll miss them SO MUCH!!!! They'll be here watching "the Middle" on Thursday eating pizza without me!!! (We do that every Thursday for lunch...so if you call & don't get an answer around noon....you'll know that we're stuffing ourselves and laughing our heads off!)................sigh!

I'm going to have to figure out how to blog from my phone so I can send you pictures from market!! OOOooooo!!!!!!.................. I'll do that today!!!! bye!

Stitchery Sojourn Announcement!

Market Mayhem!

Well.... here are the new patterns!!! They're all written and printed and ready to go! We'll get them up on the website within the week! Above is Snow Days (I LOVE the way this turned out!!!! It uses between 14 and 16 skeins of one color of the new Cosmo "Seasons" variegated floss...100% colorfast !!!! I just have to keep repeating that...it makes my heart happy!!!) The floss ranges through charcoal, taupe, golden brown, blue-green and back again...GORGEOUS!!! You could sure do it in other colorways tho!..........blues would be SO beautiful!!!!

This is Vintage Postcard....kind of speaks for itself!!! These samples are going in the house with me and I'm not going to let anybody pry them out of my hands!!!!! They were worked on a linen background fabric and can be crayon tinted or left plain. The floss I used is from the same new "Seasons" line. This time it's 4?...5?... different colors (can't remember...too lazy to swivel in my chair and look in the file or heaven forbid click...click and bring up the file on the computer! LOL!!!) ANYWAY..... they're all the softly variegated flosses....the "writing" looks for all the world like faded old ink!!! COOL!!!! You can use the old message I put on the pattern or use an address and message of your own to personalize the postcard... Lots of fun....

This is called Nesting Time (there'd a bird's nest in the pot snuggled down amid the flowers) Love the word "amid"...it's so Victoria Magazine!!! Kind of like "hence" and "hey nonny, nonny"!!! Do you ever read the letters to the editor? They're so full of flowery language...so cute! But I digress....I was talking about Nesting Time!!! This one is done in Cosmo floss (I used all colors that we have in spools) and you just use one section after another of all the floss colors called for to achieve a mock variegated look. Once again....use a different colorway & you could complement any deco!!! This stitchery is BIG!!! I'm mounting mine in a 22"x28" frame...no mat. I'm putting this one in my house!!! Another one nobody will be able to pry out of my hands!!!

This is Fondest Regards... I LOVE the way Jill Therriault quilted it!!!! Look at the feathers she did in the borders!! This pattern also uses the "Seasons" floss. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE working with the hand dyed look floss... the way it gives movement to the petals of flowers... some look as if they're back lit by the sun, others in shadow... It gives shading to everything without even trying!!!! Anyway, it's really nice to be able to use that beautiful type of floss without having to worry about the color bleeding. I'm just thrilled with the watercolor-y look it gives...hope you'll try it, but if you don't care to, I've put conversions to DMC on the pattern backs.........but that means you're a party pooper!!! : o)

Well, we're getting ready to go to International Quilt Market in Minneapolis in a week or so, so I'd better get back to work on our booth mock-up!

Bye! xox Meg

Retreat!! and treats!

Well, It's time to announce the dates for the first..........

Crabapple Hill
"Stitching Sojourn"
Retreat
October 22, 23, and 24 2010

We'll have detailed information coming very soon, but I can tell you that there will be a class project with kit, free small projects, door prizes, gift bags & lots of fun, laughter, good food and plenty of free time to stitch, stitch, stitch!!! I'm getting exhausted just PLANNING it!!!! Come join us....we're going to have a ball!!! I'm planning on having a Stitching Sojourn each season, so I'm looking at dates for Winter 2010 and all of 2011 so you can plan ahead if you're interested! I'd like to have no more than 16 guests at a time so that everybody has plenty of room to stretch out and be comfortable in the studio....soooo.... spaces will be limited. You'll be able to reserve your spot as soon as we get the detailed information on the website so keep checking!

Here are the Treats!!!
Well, since we're thinking "Autumn"!!!! It's perfect timing to show you "Spookyville," as Lauretta Allen from St. Louis, MO calls it!! LOL!!!! I like that name, wish I'd thought of it! Didn't she do a great job????

I really like it when it's mostly orange!

See all the beading??? Doesn't it look cool!!!???? Lauretta says that she's working on Heirloom Romance right now. Can't WAIT to see pictures of it when she's done!

This Angel was made by Debbie Rice as a gift for her daughter...LUCKY daughter! She said that this was only the 2nd embroidered piece she's made! Great job Debbie!!! Sheila & I saw one of the Spring Angel's done up at the Tri-City Quilter's show a few weeks ago & the flowers were so heavily buttonholed, they looked like they were separate...sitting on top of the fabric! Really cool....I'll have to do something with those in it. Wish I'd had my camera!

Questions and Thank You's!

It's a very dreary, windy day today (I LIKE the dreary....HATE the wind!! Some of the branches on my bleeding hearts got broken off!!! UGH!) The perfect kind of day to just sit in front of the computer and write patterns!..... and, I have to admit I had to take an apple crisp break.... perfect time to update the blog!....bite of apple crisp, type a paragragh....bite of apple crisp, upload a picture.... you get the idea! HA!!! I snagged some of the apple crisp when I went into the house to snap this picture. We got this blackboard finished and put up this weekend and I'm SO THRILLED with the way it's turned out!!! It looks old, doesn't it??? It's not tho! It was made by Doug Bettinghouse who did all the trim work in our house. Didn't he do a great job?? I gave him a little scribbly sketch with about 1/2 this detail and he just ran with it.... turned out so much nicer than I'd ever even hoped! It was kind of that way throughout our whole experience with Doug working on the house though.... he'd just run with things & we could absolutely depend on him doing it well... and doing it right.... very uncommon these days. He also built us a counter/storage really cool cabinet, a couple pillar/vase things, and several storage seats for our market booth. They're just beautiful and I can't wait to use them (I'll share pictures!) Doug's wife Suzi thinks he's just about the greatest thing since sliced bread...and I think we all have to agree with her!! Thanks Doug!!!

There were several questions to answer........

Q. Where did I get the stools in my kitchen?
A. From Restoration Hardware (they have way too much beautiful stuff!!! BEWARE!!!!

Q. When will the new patterns be released?
A. Next month! I'd love to release them RIGHT NOW, but the patterns aren't written yet and
the quilts aren't back from Jill Therriault, the quilter yet and we need to do the
photography for the pattern covers...........OOOOooooh..... I need to remember to get UPC's
too!!! Thanks for reminding me!

Q. What floss and fabric did I use on Snow Days?
A. New floss from Cosmo from their new "Seasons" line. They're variegated as if they were
hand dyed and 100% colorfast. Same smooth, silky feel. This floss color ranges from taupe
to gray to a kind of blue/green, to a light charcoal. Really gorgeous! The fabric was all
pulled from Lecien's fabric lines.... Mrs. March's and Centenary. The stitchery background
was a solid from their 1000 colors line. I started out with several dark charcoal-y fat
quarters in my palette but decided not to use them after I'd made several blocks for the
center of the quilt (wanted it to be somewhat darker than the outer border) and they were
just TOO dark!! Anyway....I went with mostly lights and mediums and put all the blocks I
had to re-make on the back of the quilt! Nothing got wasted, I promise!!!

Q. From Lynn S about the Quilter's Home article.......where were my email and website
addresses???????
A. I wondered the SAME THING!!!!!!

Q. From WAY too observant Brenda Riddle!.... "Isn't that your house on Snow Days???"
A. well........................................yeah.............................I have to admit I put the house and the
studio on the quilt...............figured they'd just blend in and nobody would notice.........I'm a
little bit ashamed of myself...........................but just a little! HA!!!

Last, but not least, thanks for all the nice comments about the Quilter's Home blurb! I've avoided magazines like the plague. Turned down several offers (I know, really dumb move!). But the thing is....they all want a picture! You have to try to understand the gravity of that request.................I'm one of those poor, unfortunate people who can't just flash a smile at a camera and out pops a cheerful....perfectly acceptable picture! I end up either looking heavily drugged or downright demented..........no middle ground at all! No matter the camera angle, no matter the pose, no matter how much I rehearse in the mirror, the split second that shutter clicks I close my eyes and grin like Jack Nicholson. Not a pretty sight............... hey! Want to buy a pretty, girly pattern from a crazed axe murderer????? You get my point. YIKES!!! So....if you EVER see my picture ANYWHERE, every again..........it'll probably be the same one in Quilter's Home...........for the next 30 years...........I just won't age! (Not too bad an idea after all???)
See Ya! xox Meg

Snow Days!.... April Fools??

No, REALLY!!! I just finished "Snow Days"! The back was the last chore....pieced from leftover pieces from the quilt top (and a few of the darker pieces that I ended up not using) I'd wanted the center area to be darker than the outer border, but once I started putting it up on the design wall, I ended up re-making several of the center blocks in lighter fabric combinations to tone it down a tad. This was SO MUCH fun to make!!! We all actually stood around here yesterday trying to decide which house we'd want to live in if it was a real community.... I know, we're pretty goofy!!!

If you look closely (click on pic to make it bigger) you'll be able to see that some of the trees flow out over the pieced portion of the outer border!

Now I have to get to work on writing the new patterns.....know where I'LL be for the next few weeks! Right in front of this computer!!!

See Ya!!

Meg

Take a break from sewing and play in the sprinklers!

I was setting some sprinklers yesterday & had a "helper"!!! This HAS to be the same goofy robin that is so in love with all of our car's windows and mirrors!

I swear... I'd just turned the hose on and walked around the corner of the house & he was already in the middle of bath time & happy as a clam!!!

I think with a couple of these shots, if you didn't know he was a bird, you'd be hard pressed to figure out WHAT it was! LOL!!! He was thoroughly enjoying himself so I just waited until he was finished before I hooked the sprinkler to the hose....well.... there it is! Proof positive that spring is here!

Thought I'd share a couple more pictures of the new house. This is some of my green stuff in the kitchen. They all thought I was out of my mind, just wanting shelves instead of cupboards!!...I think I was right!!! I love the way they look... clean, old fashioned, open and airy!

And this is a pic of the kitchen......I put the dirty dishes down in the bottom of the sink so they wouldn't show! HA!!!!

I've sewed all week on the blocks for "Snow Day".... all the girls & I have been stitching away on the blocks too and tomorrow Cyndy and Jan are driving down from Leavenworth to drop off the ones that they, Judy and Gracie have been working on. I'll take a picture after they're all together & try to remember to post it tomorrow. I LOVE this fabric and I LOVE the way the piecing is turning out!! Can't wait to see all the blocks together!

xox Meg

Moving along......

It feels so good when projects start getting finished one by one! I got "Fondest Regards" all put together yesterday and started on the blocks for "Snow Day" bright & early this morning!

The "Vintage Postcard" above is actually really big! I want one of them to put in my house. Usually I don't get to use any of the samples because they're traveling here & there as I teach etc... but this one Sheila stitched TWO of!!! One tinted with crayon and one just stitched. I LOVE the both & I'm going to have to steal one away!!! I'm making simple pillows out of them. They'll be the linen on front & back and a corded edge.

Here's a little preview of "Snow Day"!! (un-ironed...sorry!) I'm really loving how the blocks are turning out in that beautiful Lecien "Mrs. March's" and "Centenary Collection" fabric!!! I have alot of piecing to do...soooooooooooo.......back to work!