Hello World

Thank you to a very special and kind person who surprised me beyond belief last night by creating this page layout you see here!  She did it all on her own and I cannot explain what a relief it was to be on the receiving end of such a great gift.  I'm going to leave this person as nameless, because I'm not sure if she wants to advertise the fact that she can create such a pretty blog layout and ask nothing in return.  You know who you are and thank you a million again.

I'm had a few emails that pictures are not showing up in some of the new blog posts here that I was able to retrieve from my old blog.  Sadly, toward the end of that blogs life I started saving the images in a different file on my server and that file was deleted also.  I'm going to see if I saved any of these images somewhere else, but I'm not counting on it!

Also - I missed wishing everyone a Happy Easter while my old blog was having issues, so Happy Belated Easter!

I'm working on uploading pictures from out last quilt show we vending at - it was so fun!  When I get that finished, I'll post a little eye candy for you!

Word has it that Cocoa Express is making it's way to quilt shops now......hmmmm, I wonder if Mr. UPS man has my boxes???  Please Mr. UPS can you come visit me today with some pretty Cocoa Express?  I'm aware of one shop that received there order yesterday, so if anyone just cannot stand the wait any longer, contact me and I'll let you know where you can order some of this yummy fabric now from a friend of mine!

Testing....

Just a test to see if my "new" blog is working.

I've been having blog drama and had to completely delete my old blog - long story short - I'm happy to be on blogspot now and feel a lot safer here also!

I've lost all my contacts from my old blog, so dear fellow blog friends if you can pass my new blog address on to other bloggers in blogland - I would greatly appreciate it!

Here is the new "direct" address for our blog:

www.sewuniquecreationsblog.com

2010 Springfield Illinois Quilt Guild Show Pictures

Here are the pictures from last weekends quilt show in Springfield, Illinois!



2010 Springfield, Illinois Quilt Show

Here is the direct link to our webshots album if you would like to view the photos individually.

2010 Springfield Quilt Show

I hope you enjoy the pictures!  Toward the end of the album I took a lot of detailed close up shots of some beautiful hand quilting!

Our Facebook Page

Sew Unique Creations



Promote Your Page Too

I have been on facebook for a while now and enjoy it, but we are going to be separating our personal account from our business/quilting goodies.  I'll be keeping my original page for family and friends and going private with that.  This morning we created a fans page for Sew Unique Creation so that we can have fun with all our quilting friends.  I think I'll be having a lot of fun with this fans page if I can get it all figured out!  Come join me!

We are on Twitter also, but I'm not as "into" that as facebook.  I'll have to see if I can get a little bit more "techie" this morning and link the Twitter account to the facebook account so that I only have to update one at a time!  LOL

This Is What Chaos Looks Like

I don't think the following pictures of my sewing room need much explanation.  Chaos at its best....

Above is "supposed" to be my cutting counter.

Above is "supposed" to be my sewing area.

Above is "supposed" to be my pressing area. And I'm not even going to show you what is to the right of this picture - it's a mess - a big huge mess of papers, fabric samples, piles of scraps (geez I should do a scrap give away or something), pictures, bags for this weekends show - just a mess, trust me.

What you see here, is what I will be doing for the rest of today - and probably tomorrow.  Pictured is about 150 fat quarters that need folded (with about a gazillion more that I need to cut and get ready for the Chicago and Paducah shows). 12 fat quarter bundles with 24 pieces in each bundle (that's 288 fat quarters folks!)  186 kits that need to be folded and assembled. 378 patterns that need to be folded and assembled.  Oh yeah, and I think my apple and water bottle is hidden in there somewhere to - I'll snack on that if I can find my way to it.  Looks like fun huh?

Well, you will have to excuse me while I disappear into my cave for a little bit.  The photos of last weekends show are in my webshots album and if you've been there before I'm sure you can find it.  I'll post a more "professional" link to that when I get more time.

Also, be sure to view the 8 new patterns and kits we just uploaded on the website!  You'll get a first hand view of what all the above piles of fabric and paper will become in a few hours time.  Here are the links:

New Patterns

New Kits

Wish me luck and if anyone out there is really bored, come on over to my house and help me out for a little while!  The kids are off hiding on me (they are on spring break) - they know if I hear one "Mom, I'm bored" I'll find something really quick to keep them entertained!

Toodles!

Pictures For My Aunties

Here's a few photos of a quilt I saw this past weekend that I'm posting especially for my two Aunts that will just love it! (Don't forget - you can click on the photos to make them larger!)  I wish I were there with both of you right now!  I thought of you both when I was looking at this quilt - it was just so sweet to see in person!

Enjoy!

Yet Another Quilt Finish

Well, last week we were able to finish quilting yet another quilt during our longarm quilting time!  Here is my "mock" grandmother's flower garden quilt that I made back in December of 2008 using one of Moda's freebie patterns.  I adjusted the pattern a bit and cut 3" wide strips from a Blackbird Designs fat quarter bundle and then used my hexagon ruler to cut the shapes.

I love it!

Sorry for the bad angle on this picture!  The quilt is a queen size plus and I had to lay it on my living room floor and then go up the staircase and shoot the picture at a weird angle!  All because I'm to lazy to dig out the tripod quilt stands and go outside to take a picture!  LOL

Here's a close up - you can see the quilting better in this picture:

Last weekend's show was fun. The kids went with me and ran the booth like champs while I ran around taking quilt pictures and chatting.  I'll upload those photos later on and post a link here to my webshots like usual!

I think the biggest highlight of this past weekends show for me was getting the chance to sit and chat with 3 very accomplished quilters.  One lady showed my daughter and I how to do some of those beautiful ribbon work type flowers for Baltimore Album quilts.  She showed a great one using rick-rack.  The other 2 ladies were priceless and I could have sat an talked with them for hours.  Both ladies shared endless tips and techniques on hand quilting.  They hand quilt beautifully and could probably do it in their sleep.  I also learned a lesson that I need to remind myself of every once in a while - sometimes the good old fashioned way of doing things is best.  I'm reminded time and time again that some of the tools in the quilting market today are not all they are cracked up to be and we just don't "need" them.  Going back to what our grandmother's used is sometimes best and all we need.

One thing that still gets me though - that tiny, faint little line drawn as a marking guideline for hand quilting using a pencil????  I don't know why I really enjoy studying old antique quilts and love finding the pencil/quilting lines - but why does it irritate me on my own work when I cannot get those lines to erase and be gone!   One of those odd little quirks about myself I guess.  I even got a little scare last week when I washed 6 of my newest little quilt designs and "assumed" the chalk pencil lines would disappear.  When I pulled them out of the wash - they were still there!  I about freaked!  I had to scrub each individual area very gently with soap and a sponge.  What a pain!

Also - if you are interested, the Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon batting is back in stock on the website. This is the batting I use for all my hand quilting projects.  I can get several little quilts out of one of these packages!   Just go here:

Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon Batting

Also - after speaking with those 2 wonderful ladies this past weekend, I ordered some Hobb's Thermore batting.  They swear by it for hand quilting.  It's a low loft poly batting - which I swore I would never use - but they bent my wrist a little and I decided to try it for my next hand quilting projects.  I'm only stocking the smaller size for now to test it out, but if there is enough interest we can get larger batt sizes.  I'll be hand quilting some of my newer small quilts using this batting once they are completed.  The quilts those 2 special ladies showed me this weekend sold me on trying out the low loft poly batting.  Any thoughts on this batting? The Thermore batting is listed here:

Thermore Batting

Also, the remaining bolts of Aster Manor fabric have been marked down to $5.00 a yard.

And yes, we are still sadly waiting on our initial order of Ravenwood fabric.  I'm really bummed it's not here yet.  Cocoa Express should be here in the next couple of weeks also - I wonder if I'll get it - or will I get bumped from the order line up again?  I guess time will tell!

Plus, I hope those of you that are local will come out to see us at the quilt show this weekend!  We'll be in Valparaiso, Indiana vending at the Quilts In Bloom Quilt Show presented by the String-A-Long Quilt Guild.  The show is at the Porter County Expo Center, 215 East Division Road, Valparaiso, Indiana.  It's conveniently located one mile south of Route 30 on Route 49.  So easy to get to and a nice large parking area!  I remember going to this location as a child for the fair - brings back a lot of memories!

2010 Plainfield Quilt Guild Show Pictures

Here are the photos from this past weekends quilt show.  The Plainfield Quilt Guild put on another great show, the quilts were gorgeous and the vendors were excellent.  I was able to find a couple older magazine to add to my collection along with an older quilt book that is now out of print, so I'm a happy camper!

Here's the slide show of the photos (please remember I did my best to get pictures of each of the name tags too!  Many from this show listed the pattern designer or the source of the pattern!)

2010 Plainfield Quilt Show

If you would like to go directly to my WebShots album and view the photos individually here's that link:

2010 Plainfield Quilt Guild Show

Quilting today was excellent!  My quilting is getting so much better!  I quilted the entire queen almost king size quilt and now it just needs to be bound.  But I have lots of work to do - we leave Thursday afternoon for our first quilt show of the season that we are vending at!  So I better run and go get the trailer and start loading up!

Chat more later!

201

My Proud Moment

It's the little things in life that make me happy. But I finally, after 11 1/2 years of designing patterns had a "big" proud moment this past weekend while visiting the Plainfield Quilt Guild show.

You see, I've been to many - many - quilt shows and seen 1,000's upon 1,000's of quilts on display.  I've even seen our own pattern designs made up and hanging so beautifully on display and really enjoyed it, but felt a little let down each time.  Why?  Well, because even though it had been our quilt design it had never had one of those beautiful name tags hanging on it proudly stating who designed the quilt or where the pattern design originated from.

My wait is over - look -

Sandy - thank you from the bottom of my heart for stating where the pattern came from.  I can't tell you how much that meant to me.  I stopped  and almost tripped someone by stopping so suddenly when I saw the quilt.  It brought tears to my eyes when I read this label - seriously I had to hold back the tears, because the flood gates had opened.  I stood there and admired Sandy's talent. Her piecing is beautiful, her fabrics were gorgeous and her quilting - wow - I want her to quilt one of my quilts!  I took pictures and walked on to the next quilt display.

Then I came back to look again....

Yep, the quilt was still there and so was the name tag.  I hadn't imagined it.

Look.....

I have a confession to make - I kept going back and looking at that quilt.  6 times total and each time I got a little thrill.  Each time someone was there admiring Sandy's work.  Each time they where delighted by her quilt.  Each time I was so happy that Sandy had purchased our pattern and thought enough of it to proudly state on the name tag on this quilt who designed it.  I'm proud of you to Sandy.

So here's a little reminder to everyone.  When you submit your quilts to shows of any size, please state where the pattern design came from or originated from.  You cannot imagine the feeling the designer will get if they stumble upon it and you just never know who might be viewing those quilts at the quilt show.  The same goes for stating whomever quilted your quilt - Long-arm quilters deserve recognition also!

I can still remember the first time I saw a model of one of our pattern designs hanging in a quilt shop.  I cried.  And still today I'll see things in random quilt shops and my eyes will tear up.  The most recent time was when I was in The Back Door Quilt Shop in Indiana.  My daughter was with me and caught me tearing up - I got the "Mommmmm" warning and then she said "Mom - isn't that one of your patterns"  and I said "Yes, isn't that cool"  Her simple "Yeah, that is" made my day and we walked on. Then she asked "Does this mean your famous".  It was cute - it was very cute coming from my 12 year old.  I said "No, not at all" and she replied "Yeah right Mom" and rolled her eyes.

I can't explain the tingling feeling you get when you see something you worked really hard on, then put it out there in pattern form and hope for the best and then one day walk upon it in a quilt shop or at a show.  It's awesome, it's exhilarating and it makes you want to work even harder to make sure you have more "sitings" in the future.

Thank you quilt shop owners for purchasing our pattern and making the models and hanging them in your awesome shops and selling our patterns. It really means a lot to me.

Thank you to people like Sandy that bought our pattern, dug into their stashes of fabric and took the time to make the quilt or project.  Then took the time to fill out the form her guild gave her when submitting her finished quilt to their show.

Thank you!  You made me day - week - month and year.  This is one of those moments I will not forget.

I'm off to long-arm quilt today.  Working on a hexagon quilt that I pieced on the machine way back in December of 2008.  It's all Blackbird Designs fabric and it's so pretty.  Can't wait to finish it up so I can show you!

I'm also busy uploading the pictures from this past weekends quilt show. Those will either be ready this evening or tomorrow.  I'll try to get a link posted for you!

A Finished Quilt For The Week

Well, as you know I'm learning to longarm quilt.  I'm getting better - but still have more practice to do.

Here is my second finish - I finally got the binding sewn on this week:

This quilt is nothing fancy, just a simple scrap quilt I threw together from a lot of odds and ends pieces I had laying around.  I made this quilt top in December of 2008.  That was the time I took the whole month for myself and did nothing but piece scrap quilts and basically made anything I wanted to without worrying about designing new patterns.  I was able to piece 13 quilt tops ranging in size from twin to king that month and was quite impressed with that!  I have 2 more quilts that I finished putting the binding on this week also that I'll post later on - they are also scrap quilts and turned out really pretty.

Here's a picture of something else I've been working on off and on when I have time.  I try to take a few minutes each day to hand piece of a few of these Texas stars using some of my fabrics from my 70's, 80's and early 90's collection.  Aunt Julie - this picture is for you too - I wanted you to see these!

Those Texas Stars are a little bright for my normal tastes aren't they! I love my growing collection of these fabrics. They are so fun to look at!

And then I leave you with this photo today.  I figured while I had the camera out I'd get a picture of one of the little goodies I found last weekend!

Are those not the prettiest reproduction fabrics!  These are a roll of fat eighths I found - after digging and hunting for something special in a quilt shop.  I purchased a bunch of these bundles for a deal of a price.  Every single one I bought were all fabrics that are not in my collection already and each piece is different - that makes them even more special.  I love looking at these fabrics. I think I was able to rescue 15 of these bundles - each different except for 2 of the bundles - I did find one double, but bought it anyhow because I loved the fabrics.  This fabric purchase made me day - made my whole week actually!

Tomorrow, bright and early I'm off to visit another local quilt guild show.  I'm excited to be going!  Look for another slide show and pictures next week!