La Conner Here I Come!

We're packing up the trunk show, making floss kits, putting together door prizes and goody bags and heading for the La Conner Quilt Fest!  I'll be teaching there this weekend and I just can't wait to see everybody!  I wish that Sheila had been able to come with me to help with the class but she's busy with kids etc.... DARN!  I'd bring Cindy along, but she doesn't stitch or sew.....so much for THAT!  LOL!!!!  I'd have asked Jan, but she's going to be with her sisters all weekend and I don't want to ruin her "girl's weekend"!  So.... it's just me..................maybe I could get Phil to sit in on the class????  He HAS to have picked up SOME stitching skills over the years, even if just by osmosis!?  No.... he refuses to learn to stitch............just CAN'T understand why NOT!! LOLOL!!
I'm sure that it's going to be just gorgeous crossing the mountains (lots of fall color!) and we'll be staying at a campground that's right on the water... YAY!!!  I'm meeting a friend there and we're going to go to the quilt show on Saturday!  Usually I miss all the fun because I'm in classes the whole time, so this will be a real treat!  The show is focusing on applique (don't know quite why they invited ME to teach!  I think somebody made a mistake?.... well, I guess I do a LITTLE bit of applique.... hmmmm......)  ANYWAY!!!!  I LOVE applique and can't wait to see these quilts!!  Every one will probably be a work of art.  I'm so excited about it I just CAN'T STAND IT!!  Maybe I'll see YOU there???! Tho I guess you'd walk right by me without saying "Hi!" because I don't plan on wearing a big sign on my back that says "I'm Meg Hawkey".  I'll just have to say hello to EVERYbody and hope I get lucky?..... or get arrested for being obnoxious???........maybe that's not such a good plan.

We've been busily preparing for the first Stitching Sojourn Retreat.  Today I tried out a brunch recipe that Jan gave me...I brought it out to the studio so that Cindy and Sheila could taste test it this morning and it got a "thumbs up"!..... Cindy & I think we're going to have to doll it up a little bit tho....can't leave well enough alone...EVER!!! LOL!!!  We're having so much fun preparing and planning... I wish you could ALL come and visit!
See you in La Conner! 
xo  Meg

Time passes SO quickly!

The past few weeks have just flown by..... I've totally lost track of time!  I looked at the last post and realized that it's been almost an entire MONTH since I last wrote!!!  We've all been so busy.  Between finishing and writing the new "How Does Your Garden Grow?" quilt and pattern, getting ready for the retreat in October, classes, and doing all that "guilt" cleaning (the cleaning you only do when you realize that somebody's coming to visit? LOL!!!), decorating for Autumn..........oh, and a million OTHER things....there just aren't enough hours in each day!  Add to that Sheila and Cindy's childrens' school and sports activities and we're up to our EYEBALLS!!!  We talked it over today and decided that we need a week..... all to ourselves that nobody else has.... just to catch up.  That could only happen in a movie!  Yeah, we need a "Groundhog Day" week!  Just today we had the photographer here to take pics of "How Does Your....", 2 copier repairmen (not at the same time... 2 separate calls!), 1 computer dude, and a partridge in a pear tree!!!    

THESE GIRLS NEED A BREAK!!!!!

The pictureis one of the first test shots that Rich (Breshear...our photographer) took this morning.  I'm just SO in love with this quilt!  The pattern should be ready to release in a couple weeks. I'll send out a little note about it when it becomes available!

Later!  xox  Meg

One step closer to Spring!

I tried SO hard to finish the center block this weekend!!!  I still have most of the verse to stitch...PROMISE I'll have it done tomorrow!  This has been so much fun!  I really like the little circle flowers done in a buttonhole stitch.  I'm thinking that we may need something done to go along with this, that uses JUST those flowers.....Hmmmmmmm...........!
xox  Meg

Time to think Spring??

The newest patterns will be up on the website at the first of the week, so now it's time to start working away on.....well,.... the NEWEST new patterns! LOL!!! I have all of the patterns drawn up for our first Stitchery Sojourn Retreat in October and Sheila has started stitching on them (they're SO MUCH FUN but a BIG secret!) and now work on the new patterns for Spring has begun! This is a little preview of "How Does Your Garden Grow?" (as in..."Mary, Mary, quite contrary etc....") It's so bright, sunny and cheerful it makes me happy just to look at it. I'm going to start stitching today... hopefully I'll have it done by Monday and I can start on the pieced blocks (they'll have some stitching on them too!) Then we can send it to the quilter so that it will be ready to release in October!                                                                                                            It's so exciting to start new projects! I feel like a big breath of fresh air just swept through the studio!!
xoxoxoxoxo! Meg

Des Moines!!!...the one in Washington!

When you start off your weekend by passing through THIS gorgeous scenery, you know it's only going to get better!! This is our beautiful Mt. Rainier in all it's glory. This is where I most love to be. It's just amazingly beautiful here! We passed by on our way over the mountains to the class at Carriage Country Quilts in Des Moines.....(beautiful too! Right on Puget Sound...sparkling water...sailboats....big ships............nope! Didn't get a SINGLE picture!) You can see the water right out of the front windows of the shop too! The class was held at a church nearby, so I didn't get to visit the shop until after class. Isn't this just the cutest shop you've ever seen?

Now.... for the class!!! The girls at Carriage Country Quilts really know how to spoil everybody! I think that even if you didn't really care much about the "class"... it would be well worth it to show up just for the flowers....and the food....and all the little (and NOT so little!) special touches that they provide!

Aren't these beautiful??? They were freshly picked from two of the CCQ ladies' gardens, and were arranged in these lush bouquets ALL OVER the room!!!

These were the "goody bags" they had made for everyone attending the class..... I got SO lucky!...they gave ME one TOO!!!!! These are pillowcases....all of them were different...there are snacks and provisions inside (their kits were in here too) and then it was all tied up with a wired ribbon bow. On top of each pillowcase "bag" was a hand embroidered, stuffed nametag! Susan (you'll see her pictured later) had designed and made ALL of them!!!! They're SO pretty!!! Such a perfect, special little touch, huh?? I love mine! I think I'll find somewhere to pin it up in the studio, maybe on a lamp?

I'm sorry....caught everybody eating in the next photo! This is "naughty girl corner"....no, not "knot-y girl"...these ladies are actually trouble makers! But in a very good way! They met at a class a few years ago and are BFF's now! Isn't that cool???

Busy, busy! Everybody's getting to work!.......it's taking a while to go through everything in the goody bags tho!

More lunch scenes.....or was this the continental breakfast? Bagels, muffins, homemade cinnamon rolls, orange juice....WOW!..... everybody finished just in time for lunch!!....by the way...come hungry to a CCQ class....just a hint! LOL!!!

Carol and Sandy checking out the new designs I'd brought...

HERE is Susan (who designed and made the nametags) and Kathleen showing off their pretty smiles!

OK!!... it's time for the afternoon snack!..........after all, we're all getting weak from lack of food (lunch WAS a whole 2 hours ago!!) and all this hard work! Emily and Wendy are all ready to make rootbeer floats!!! YES!!! Rootbeer floats!!.... They also had little cupcakes in different flavors.......not positive what they were.... I was busy and didn't get over there until all that were left were the rootbeer float and orange cremecicle flavors. They were REALLY good! I didn't even tell you what they did for lunch!!!!..........oh, it was really all about the food!! These girls need to put together a cookbook!!! Thank you to Debbie for such an enjoyable day! I didn't get a single picture with Debbie in it!.... darn!!!

Here's the aftermath of my trunk show.... ready to pack up again. What a mess!!!

Thank you to all the lovely ladies who came to the class, and thank you, THANK YOU to Debbie and all the girls from CCQ for such a special day!

XOX Meg

New Designs

Hi again!

I've had lots of questions about the new banner and the designs shown on the home page of the website...YES!! They're new designs that will be coming out in a couple of weeks! The ones shown on the homepage are all going into the same pattern...3 designs....two needle packages and one button card. I have them all appliqued to their backgrounds and will be framing them tomorrow. I'm SO in love with them!!! There's also a stuffed heart that will be released at the same time..........geez!...come to think of it, I'm in love with IT too! LOL!!!

We'll send out an announcement when the new stuff is available. Watch your email!

xox Meg

August Begins....

Scissor Charms!!! Cindy's been busy, busy...and had made some beautiful scissor charms! Kathi will have them up on the website within the next few days. I'd like to keep them ALL!!

We have some new photos to share!!! This is "Winter Wonderland" made by Diane Ashley from Yakima, WA. (Just down the road!!) She has won a blue ribbon with her quilt... congrat's Diane!!!! It just looks beautiful!!! She writes that she'll be starting work on "Snow Days" soon....can't WAIT to see it!!!!

The next "Forget Me Not Bedding Set" pics were sent in by Leslie Fehling....she made these for her daughter.........Her work and her sewing are PERFECT!!!! Want to see WHY?????.... Want to really get jealous because you don't live where she lives, in her house????? Go to her blog at www.lesliefehling.blogspot.com and after you've read EVERYTHING there....go to her other site that shows you pictures of her Summerhill Retreats!!!! OH YOU HAVE TO CHECK THIS OUT!!!! I SO, so want to go to a retreat at her home.....lampshades!...I want to do the lampshades!!! Already know how to make slipcovers......YUP, LAMPSHADES!!! Check out the one with all the little pleats! I wish I lived right next door .....well, a forest and a few acres away!...and Leslie was my new BFF!!!!! Thanks for sending all this in Leslie!

This friday I'm heading to Des Moines (the one in Washington!) to Carriage Country Quilts. Can't wait to see everybody! I know we'll have fun!! I'll try to take plenty of pictures while we're there...CCQ's classes are always so nice!!

Bye for now!

xox Meg

How I Spent My Summer Vacation...#1

What a busy, but fun and relaxing weekend!!! I made jam (isn't it pretty with the sunset shining through??? We'll be set for raspberry and pineapple/apricot for the whole year!
Then I made some "artwork" for the house. I've been putting this off for MONTHS....just waiting for the right time to get everything out and make the mess! LOL!!!

I have an old, torn up, coverless compilation of the Ladies Home Journals from 1923 through 1924 (I can't WAIT to do something with the Christmas editions!!!). I used some of the pages for backgrounds etc... This was SO MUCH FUN!!

The next picture is in my livingroom...I wanted to give you an idea of how big these three botanicals are. Phil and I went up in the mountains and picked a few stems of roadside plants and then I pressed/dried them between paper towels and a couple big pieces of plywood. We stacked heavy boxes of paper (for patterns) on top. It just took a few weeks, and VOILA!!!!

I had wanted....(not a descriptive enough word for what I felt....)....COVETED some botanicals like this that I had found on the Wisteria website last summer. They were smaller than these and cost over $300 each. Yeah....just couldn't justify THAT much no matter HOW cool they were! LOLOL!!!! All three of these together came to under $100 (not counting the gas to drive to the mountains....It was so pretty that day....sigh!!) Not a bad deal! I think I like these better anyway. Local flora, good memories... WOO-HOO!!!!

I found out too late that the glue would show through the leaves....I'll stick something in front of this one to sort of cover it up... it'll be OK.

I've decided that I'm going to have to dry/press more and do a few more of these for here and there...........smaller tho! I'm thinking wild roses, wild lilacs, phlox....stuff like that!

When we had to move out of the house to have the floors re-done we moved Honeybunny out into the studio. He's been so happy out here! He greets everybody when they walk in....demands attention even if it means lying down on the keyboard or right in the middle of YOUR DRAWINGS AS YOU'RE DRAWING THEM!!! YIKES!!!.... and he takes great joy in helping Cindy with the shipping...(everything she does makes SUCH fun noises!) Anyway, I think he's now a shop cat so you may find cat hairs in with your orders! Sorry!!

Well.... I'm off to new adventures. With the whole day empty and ahead of me I can do whatever strikes my fancy, huh????

xoxox Meg

Summer Vacation!!

Summer vacation starts TODAY!!!! .... A whole week of possibilities!...WOO-HOOO!!!!! I have lots of plans............cushions to make for the front porch's furniture, slipcovers and curtains to make for here & there in the house, a COMPLETE cleaning and re-arrange of the studio, raspberries and apricots are in all the farmer's markets so I think I'll make raspberry and apricot/pineapple jams, I have some artwork I want to finish and frame for the house..........THEN!!!! I think I'm going to think about giving the website a new look??? THEN.....I think I'll..................oh, who am I kidding???? I'm going to vegetate for a few days and run out of time and won't get even HALF of all that done!!! YAHOO!!!! A lazy summer vacation!!!
xoxoxox Meg

Free Christmas Pattern!!!

OOOOooooo!!!!.... I forgot to tell you that I have a free Christmas pattern to download on http://Freequiltpatterns.info . Take a look! There will be another new one on there in a few weeks also! I'll let you know when it goes up.
How could I have forgotten about that???? What a silly girl......................

Workshop Weekend!

On Friday, we packed up the camp trailer...(not too hard to pack up since we've been LIVING in it in the driveway all week because our hardwood floors had to be refinished...they had lots of problems with the finish to start with...dry spots...paint spots etc...).....and drove over the mountains to Arlington, WA. We camped at a lake resort nearby and the first class at Quiltmaker's started bright and early on Saturday morning! Here are a few pics of everybody hard at work...stitching away!!

Everybody was SO NICE!!! I only got pics of the first class on Saturday...completely forgot to get out the camera during Sunday's class!!! They were a great group of ladies too!! We had alot of fun, and Kim and Marty from Quiltmakers made the days so special for everybody. Arlington is such a beautiful little town...clean...old buildings...flowers everywhere....VERY old fashioned! I'd live there in a heartbeat!!! It's surrounded by beautiful forests and fields of hay, turf, pasture and one huge nursery after another!...rows and rows of trees, bushes and flowers! Several farm stands too, with fresh produce EVERYWHERE!!! They grow alot of raspberries over there evidently....raspberries for sale around every curve! Such a lovely place.....sigh!

This was a little store next to the quilt shop. They had lots of fun stuff. It's called Favorite Pastime and the little girl who was working there said that they have a facebook page...I'm going to try to find it...

After class on Saturday we were lucky enough to make it to this store before it closed. It's called Sasafrass & Company and was having it's grand opening RIGHT on the weekend we'd arrived! I was hoping each time we passed it to get to the lake where we were camped, that we'd be able to make it there before we had to leave!!!

Most of the stuff in there was right up my alley!!! I walked out with all of the things shown below. Old milk bottles....one of them was from the Yakima City Creamery! (Yakima's only about 75 or so miles from us) A red tablecloth that's almost in perfect condition, some embroidered table scarves, an embroidered tablecloth that was unfinished (I think that's so charming!) and lots of crocheted potholders (I'm going to sew them together like yo-yo's and make a pillow cover for my front porch)

This was the view in back of the store.....geez, it's so pretty there!

We had to leave for home right after the class on Sunday. I would have loved to stay a few more days and explore....I saw SEVERAL more shops and farmstands I would have liked to have visited and we never even made it down to the water (Puget Sound) though it was only a few miles from where we camped. We got close enough to see the sunset glinting off the water, if that counts! Totally forgot to take a picture....sorry, it's gorgeous! I have a class in Des Moines WA in August at Carriage Country Quilts and classes at La Conner in October so I'll get some water pictures FOR SURE both times!!!

It was BEAUTIFUL on the drive home! We don't like to take the freeways if at all possible, so we came back over the mountains over Stevens Pass (in the north/central part of the state) The mountain below is Mt. Index....I really think it needs a prettier name....something having to do with a secret, magic castle at the top or something????? It really looks magical....well....when you're not looking through power lines.....but, if you've kept up with my posts at all, you know that the car isn't actually allowed to STOP or my husband's eyes will actually pop out of his head and roll around on his cheeks............at least I THINK that's the reason I have to take all my pics out of the windows of a moving car!!???

The sun started to get really low in the sky as we went through the pass so everything gets that blue tint! These pics were taken on the east side of the pass in Tumwater Canyon. Those mountains are why the Rocky Mountains aren't terribly impressive to us....everything's bigger in Washington!....sorry Texas.....just a little Washingtonian pride peeking through!

We took a little detour after we got out of the pass and drove to Cashmere, WA to go to Rusty's Drive-in for burgers..........excuse me??????......THE BEST burgers, fries and milkshakes in the WORLD!!!! Know how to tell that I'm not exaggerating??? This is a little, little, little town (I lived here as a child by the way!) And look at that line!!!!! It never slowed down the entire time we were there. We parked in the museum parking lot next to the drive-in and just ate dinner and watched everybody pouring in to this place...little families with their children in strollers or wagons walked in from town across the river...everybody leaving with milkshakes and ice cream cones....carload after carload of people coming here straight from the lakes or the river pulling their boats...ending the day at Rusty's. If you're ever up that way, it's the place to go! It doesn't hurt that there are two big (very cool!) antique malls right across the street and the Aplets and Cotlets factory in town just across the river!

We finished dinner and headed home over Blewett Pass (yup, alot of mountains!) It was dark by the time we got off that pass and when we finally came down the hill into the Yakima Valley we were shocked to see the hills above Selah on fire! It all looked so close to the lights of town and houses, I hope that we'd misjudged where the fire was and that no one lost their homes! We'll have to watch the news tonight and see what damage it did.

Anyway! Home again....we get to move back in to our house tomorrow...YAHOO!!!!...and back to working on new patterns!

xox Meg

Ch-ch-ch-changes!!!

Hi everybody! Sorry it's been so long since I last posted...SO MUCH has been going on!!! First, we've just been SO, SO busy in the studio!!! Then we had computer problems that just went on and on......and ON!!! Then we had to move out of the first floor of our house so that they could refinish the hardwood floors..........NEW floor??? you say????.....yes...not a happy thing! Where'd we move TO???? Our camp trailer in our driveway...not awful, but NOT HOME!!! We can move back in next Tuesday or Wednesday and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!
We'll be traveling to Arlington, WA this weekend and I'll be at the Quiltmaker's Shop for two workshops.... I can't WAIT!!! It's going to be so much fun! I just hope I remember to take the time to take some pictures so you can see what we're doing! It's so beautiful over there too... I'll try to get some photos of the scenery in gorgeous northwestern Washington!
Anyway, I have to share these photos of quilts and projects made by YOU!!!! These first two were made by Joyce Strack of Missoula, MT. Her Twas the Night Before Christmas won a 2nd place in the Holiday category and the Snowmen A to Zzzz below, won a 1st place ribbon!! They're gorgeous Joyce!!!! No wonder they won ribbons!

The next few photos were sent in by our good friend, Shellee "Hiccup Girl" !! She made "Susan's Dresden Garden" and it's just beautiful!!! She appliqued the centers on the dresdens rather than making yo-yo's and....

she raided her mom's button bin and found flower shaped buttons for the centers of her mini dresden flowers in the center block...(wish I'd had those buttons when I made MINE!!!)

Beautiful Shellee!!! Thanks for sending these to us!

The next projects were sent in by Sandy Holton of Spokane, WA. She's VERY prolific!!

Sandy's done the Vintage Postcard as a larger pillow and used what looks like different floss than the variegated ones we used. I love seeing everyone's imaginations coming through in their projects!!! She also made the Nesting Time stitchery below with such a pretty floral fabric!

Sandy also sent in this photo of her "Fondest Regards" quilt. I wish the picture was a little brighter... I know all the detail is beautiful! Thanks for sending them in Sandy!!!

OH!!! I almost forgot!!! Sheila is working on getting our new Facebook page all put together! She's just getting started with it, but we'll be adding more and more stuff every day. I don't really understand fully what the "workings" of a facebook page are (cuz I'm OLD!!!) but Sheila will get it all up and running!!!

Meanwhile, we just got an order of beads and stuff in and Cindy will be putting together new Scissor Charms and other fun stuff, next week! Then Kathi will get them up on the website ASAP!!!

Last, but not least...there are two new patterns being worked on RIGHT NOW that will be released next month! They're both small projects.........one of them is 3 different images-each a vintage style needle package front or button card....BIG of course!!!LOL!!! The second one is a hanging heart that I'm MADLY in love with!!! I'll take pictures when we get back next week and I'll give you a sneak peek in the next post!

Gotta go make dinner in my mini kitchen in the camp trailer........................do you feel sorry for me?????? Good..........I need it....geez!!! Wait almost a year...move in...move out....move in....HOLY MOLY!!!!.......................................sniff!..................... I'm wearing my most pathetic face.....maybe we'll go out to eat? Anybody feel sorry enough for me to come help us move back in next week?????

xoxox Meg