Hmmm…
I don’t know quite where to begin about this subject.

I guess I could start by saying that mine came and went without much fanfare. I guess I’m happy about that, as I tried as much as I could not to make a great big deal out of it.
I have worried about this milestone birthday ever since I was 16, and what it would feel like to be 50. Well, now I am and I have to say that it doesn’t feel anything in particular. I don’t feel old, I don’t feel young. I’m glad that the life expectancy rate has gotten better with each generation and that our’s seems to be about 80 – although I’m not sure I want to live to be that old.

I feel good. Better than I have for several years. I feel like everything is coming together for me, based on the happenings of this last year, which have been written about in previous blogs. I feel like I have my whole life ahead of me and that things are going to be wonderful!

I do have quite a bit ahead of me. None of my children are married yet – which means no grandkids yet. My husband and I are in better health than we have been in previous years. The unemployment cloud has finally passed on by – for which I am SO grateful. Baseball season is on the horizon – the Giants pitchers report in just 12 days and my son starts practicing this Friday!
I am doing exactly what I have always wanted to do – career-wise, if you can call it a career*. Being immersed in quilting, teaching, designing and doing it my way is a pretty big thing. Being able to be there for my one child that is still in school is another lifetime dream.

I guess you can say that today, I am happy to be alive. I am thankful for the many blessings in my life. I’m thankful to live in a free country and to be able to choose as I wish.

And that’s what I think at age 50. Hmmm…

*My thoughts on careers: All I ever wanted to do was be a Mom. For some, that doesn’t seem very ambitious. Personally, even if I were to find the cure for cancer or the common cold, or were the first woman on the Moon, those accomplishments could never be greater than to give birth to another human being. I mean, everyone is trying to find a way to live forever, stay young, be more beautiful – but what in this life could ever be more meaningful giving Life to another? It’s not about “me-time”, which has become the 21st century catch phrase. It’s about “us-time”.

I digress.

I wanted to be a Mom and raise my kids and be actively involved in their schools, etc. What I did was help support our family when we critically needed it. I have been a bookkeeper, apartment manager, a Training Coordinator, a Technical Support engineer, a Customer Service Rep, a Trainer, a Benefits Administrator, an HR Supervisor, a Telecom Analyst, an ACD Designer, and and Office Manager in the last 25 years; in addition to giving birth to and raising three healthy children.

During the last 25 years, the only career I have had is that of being a Mom. All of my other titles were only “work”, not something that I married myself to. I will always be a Mom. I will never be released from that title. No one will ever fire me from that job; make me obsolete, merge me, take me over in a hostile way, or buy me out. Being a Mom is forever. All the rest is, well, work.

Wow! I haven’t realized how long it has been since I have written a blog!! Way too long.
I thought I was busy when I was working on “A Bountiful Harvest”, but I really didn’t know what I was thinking! I’ve gone from one major project to another since I wrote last, and now I am literally up to my eyeballs in bolts of brand new fabric for the new quilt shop that is opening in San Jose, which I am helping the owner get up and running.
We made a surprise trip to New Jersey for Christmas to visit with my husband’s nephew and his family for one week. We had the most wonderful time. They have a family of five boys — all under the age of 14 — so our 13 year old son was in hog-heaven with his cousins. We spent a day in New York City, which is 30 minutes by train from their house. It was a magical day, filled with walking our heads off (6+ miles), being crushed in sidewalk traffic and subways trains, honking cars and scary taxis weaving in and out of traffic — all of the stereo-typical New York-isms. It snowed on us, big fat snowflakes, in the evening. We were in Times Square at the time and the snow and the lights were magic.
We went to observe Ground Zero, which was an emotional and devastating visit. That and visiting the Statue of Liberty were the top two must-do’s on my list.
What I didn’t get to do is go to the The City Quilter on 25th Avenue. Maybe next time.
As soon as we got home, it was back to work on the shop. We are busy every day entering fabric, books, patterns and notions into a computerized Point of Sale system, which will allow our customers to call us and ask for a specific fabric — very cool.
You will be amazed at the fabric selection that we have — close to 2,000 bolts already, with more coming every week after we open.
There is so much more detail that I could write about what has transpired in the last six weeks – but it would take forever and you would be bored by the time you got to the end.
Big news on our home front is additions to our family: Guy’s nephew, John is finally getting married after being single for almost 40 years. And believe me, that was BIG news in our family!! The other addition is that after waiting for 5 years, we have finally found a golden retriever to adopt. Rather than getting a puppy, which seem to be really scarce lately, we are getting a two-year-old from a breeder who is hanging up her shingle. He is a beautiful dog named Rusty — which is the name of the first Golden we ever had. The name just fits, and we feel that it was an omen that he was “familiar”, so Rusty it is. Rusty will come to our house just about the time that the store opens — so our lives will continue to be filled with noise and busy-ness.
I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Happy Quilting!!

Annie

Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday.

I love Christmas too, but that holiday is filled with so much stress with worrying about getting things done “on time” and having the perfect present for someone that I don’t enjoy it like I did when I was little. No duh, right?

But I love Thanksgiving because it is Christmas in it’s simplest form; family and friends, good food and plenty of it, and feeling the spirit of the day. Sounds like Christmas without the presents, doesn’t it?

This year, was one of the best Thanksgivings my family has ever had. Everything was perfect. The house looked nice, every item that we had for dinner was cooked to perfection, we shared our dinner with dear friends, played fun games and were just plain happy.

Thanksgiving was a little more meaningful this year for me; at least I was more aware in a different way than I have been in the past. Let me explain. One of the things that I love about Thanksgiving is the idea of giving thanks. Setting aside that one day of the year to count my blessings and pay gratitude to God. In the past, I have made lists (I love lists!). One Thanksgiving before I was married, I took the advice of a radio DJ and had my entire family write down wishes and predictions to be read the following year. It was really cool, as all of my wishes and predictions came true.
So I started this season with overflowing gratitude in my heart. LIfe is good.

So how was this one different and in what way? Ryan’s girlfriend got us hooked on the PBS “House” reality series. First, we watched “Manor House” which was about Georgian England — not something that directly influenced me, as my paternal ancestors were already in the States at the time, and my maternal ancestors were in Portugal and Italy. It was fun to watch and sparked our interest about the other PBS series.

Guy found “Colonial House” at the library and we spent the week before Thanksgiving watching it. It is about a 1628 colony and how they tried to flourish to become a good investment for their backers. This show was the real “Survivor”. Looking at what our ancestors had to accomplish on an every day basis was really eye-opening. The hardest part for all of the people involved was to keep their 2003 opinions and lifestyles out of what they were doing, during the four month period that they were on the project.

But here is the part that got me the most:
The project was done with absolute realism. The settlers met with Indians. Not one tribe from the area, but two. The first were the Passamaquoddy and were mainly interested in trading. The Indians were descendants, not actors, and they spoke about their heritage and the things that are still earnestly meaningful to them. They approached the settlers with friendship and sought to make a bond with them.
The next ones that the settlers encountered towards the end of the project were descendants of the Wampanoag tribe. This group shed a much different light, as they weren’t warm and friendly. In fact, they stole into the village undetected while the settlers were at Sabbath service and stole a chicken! The one who stole the chicken was filled with anger about the settlers, voiced it, and was roundly put in his place by the Matriarch of the tribe. This tribe was outspoken about their view of their relationship with the settlers; they were guarded, didn’t want to have a friendly relationship with them, didn’t want food from them (which is key) and wanted a business-only relationship. In 1628, there would have been unrest between the two.
The Wampanoag said that in their history there was no “Thanksgiving” — no meeting of the Indians and settlers to have a great feast in peace and brotherhood. What we “whitemen” think Thanksgiving is, is just from our history books. According to them, what really happened is that the Indians heard guns shooting and hubbub going on, and decided to investigate. They came upon the settlers and were invited to join them and eat with them. In the Wampanoag’s view, that was the first mistake – that the Indians didn’t need the Whiteman’s food to survive; they were capable of feeding themselves and that Thanksgiving was the beginning of the end for them. The narrator of the show went on to say since 1970 Indians gather on Thanksgiving day at Plimouth for a day of mourning.

So here is the bottom line for me: I am a descendant of colonists and one-eighth Cherokee. I understand both sides and am sympathetic to both sides. I am also the daughter of people who made decisions generations and centuries ago that effect my life today. Watching “Colonial House” was a profound experience for me.

I understand the Indians’ plight from a different perspective, though. It was prophesied centuries before the Colonists that the Indians would be driven; just as the children of Israel have been driven from place and to place. Does knowing that make it easier for me to dismiss what happened to them? Nope. I don’t dismiss it at all because I know my family’s story and it was a hard one. What it does is bring understanding.

For that, I am most thankful.

I love men’s ties. The fabrics that they use are absolutely gorgeous. Why someone doesn’t design fabric for quilting like they use for men’s ties boggles my mind. Those fabrics would make the most gorgeous quilts!

I have felt this way for a long time. I keep saying that one of these days, I am going to collect ties and make a quilt out of them. But then I think about having to pick the stitches out of enough ties to make enough fabric to make a decent quilt and I don’t buy any ties from the Goodwill.

I have this thing about ties, too, because, well, I am partial to guys who wear ties. You know, the ones who ride bikes in white shirts and … ties? Yeah, the missionaries. My son was one of those, as was my husband — and I have a special place in my heart for the young men (and women) who set aside two years of their lives to work and not get paid.

When my son came home from his mission to Italy (one year ago today!), I sat and talked to him while he unpacked his suitcase. All of those Italian ties! Ties from the motherland of Italian silk and tie-making! It was too much for me. My son brought me back down to earth by letting me know in no uncertain terms that I would not be allowed to make him a quilt out of his mission ties. I think he is planning on keeping them for the rest of his life. (When he moves out of the house and leaves his belongings behind, guess what the first thing is that I will nab…!)

Anyway, earlier this week, I was minding my own business when the phone rang. It was a missionary who pleaded with me to take on a quilt that would be a gift for the MIssion Presdient and his wife for Christmas. Not just for Christmas, but it has to be done by December 17th, at noon! It seems the person who agreed to do it, backed out and they were desperate for someone to do it for them. A good friend of mine, who was called also and declined, recommended me — (I love her anyway ; )

It seems all of the missionaries in the San Jose California mission had begun taking pictures over a month ago in anticipation of having this photo quilt made. So, pictures printed to fabric sheets would make up the quilt.
After I hung up with the missionaries, a thought came to my mind “Use their ties to make the quilt”. So I called them back and requested ties, which are a precious commodity for missionaries. That was Tuesday.

On Thursday, I picked up the October issue of Quilter’s Newsletter magazine which someone left by my sewing machine. I flipped through it to find on page 28 and article about using ties for quilts and how to prepare them. I couldn’t believe it! So now I know exactly what I need to do to be able to use pieces of those beautiful silk ties with cotton fabrics.

This morning, I received a bag of ties from the missionaries — 60 so far, more coming next Saturday. My sons immediately started picking the ones they wanted to keep while I was sorting through them — unfortunately for them, they can’t keep any. I need to use all of them.

These next few weeks will be filled with picking, washing, sorting, pressing, cutting, sewing and recutting to get it to the quilter in time. The result will be a beautiful heirloom quilt for President Heywood and his wife for their service in behalf of hundreds of missionaries who have been in their care for the last three years. Mrs. Heywood has been diagnosed recently with cancer, the fast moving kind, which we are hoping will turn out to be better than predicted. The Heywoods are beloved by the Elders and Sister missionaries. What a gift that quilt will be, which I why I said “I would LOVE to do this for you!” when they called.

I hope you remember this story when you see missionaries on their bikes. I hope you’ll honk and wave. Even though they don’t know you, it makes their day.

When the quilt is done, I’ll post a picture. In the meantime, say a prayer for Mrs. Heywood.

P.S. recently, one of the Brazil Mission Presidents contacted me about how to make a quilt using ties, and I realized that I didn’t post a picture of the quilt here. (I may have in another post, but I thought it would be a good idea to have a pic here too) So, here you go:

another P.S. : Sister Heywood survived her cancer and is well and happy!

Annie

After working an obscene amount of hours on the quilt show, I felt entitled to a rest.

So what did I do the following weekend? I took a group of ladies on a quilt retreat. So how was that relaxing, do you ask? Consider this: location is everything. We went to Seascape Resort, which is just south of Santa Cruz, and stayed in a villa that is situated right in the center of Monterey Bay. The weather was perfect, the beach was at our feet and the sound of the ocean drained every last knotted muscle from our bodies as we worked on various projects. It couldn’t have been a more fabulous weekend!

We started our day with shopping and then did more shopping. We went to Natural Expression in Los Gatos, Judy’s Sewing Center in Scott’s Valley where we stayed to eat a yummy lunch prepared by Chef Guy. We travelled to Capitola, where we visited Round Robin and Cabrillo Sewing Center. Oh my, did we have fun shopping! We had show-n-tell of our purchases and many of us got the same fabrics. We decided beforehand to do a Fat Quarter exchange and got all of our fabrics at our stops – which was much like a shop hop.

After lugging our belongings into our room (which felt like moving away from home), we were all starving, so set out for our dinner location. Perfect times are not without mishaps and something to laugh about and this outing was no exception. The lead car (who were the only ones who knew where the restaurant was) got separated from the ones following, in the dark, and it took us 45 minutes to catch up with each other. I was beginning to worry that the lost ones were going to give up and go for pizza! During dinner, they confessed that they thought about it!

We watched movies and listened to music that made us want to get up and dance while we were working. We talked about everything under the sun, shared our projects and love for quilting and did a lot of laughing. The sunrises and sunsets were breathtaking. I think everyone came home with their wellness buckets full to overflowing.

If you have never gone on a retreat before, you need to seriously consider one. The chance to get away from home, work on quilts with other quilters and eat good food is something that everyone should do at least once, if not many times in their lifetime. There are many different varieties to choose from, and in different locations. Personally, I am waiting to find one that is exactly like the Elm Creek Quilt retreats that are described in Jennifer Chiaverrini’s books. I love reading about those and hope that some day, some where, some one will pick up on the idea and do it.

Happy quilting!

Annie

p.s. the saddest part of the weekend is what I did this morning. I synched my camera up to my computer, downloaded all the pictures, wiped the SmartCard and turned off the camera. I opened iPhoto and realized that not ONE of the pictures had saved to my computer!! I took 152 pictures at the retreat, chronicaling almost every detail of this fabulous weekend — now gone.

Sunday night after “A Bountiful Harvest” quilt show… PHEW. Relief and sadness mixed. The hardest part of the show for me is turning out the lights and driving away from an empty building — a building that was filled with beauty and life just a few hours earlier. I cried all the way home, and not from relief.

The show becomes my “baby” during the planning process and becomes real with set-up and the doors opening to greet the public. And then, post partum sets in. I wanted to start a new quilt when I got home last night, just because I felt the need to still be in touch with quilting. I haven’t been able to touch my sewing machine for several weeks now and I have withdrawal symptoms. I am going to make up for that tomorrow morning, when I have to sort the absolute pile of quilts that have overcome both of my sofas and is taller than I am.

I will take time to pour over the details of each quilt as I sort and take time looking at them — something I didn’t have during the show. That’s the regrettable part of running the joint. I had to keep one step ahead of everything, so I don’t have time to tour the hallways and the main floor to take in all of the beauty of each quilt.

Every one who attended the show was absolutely amazed by the talent that was presented there. We had 331 quilts on display, with a needleart room and a wearable arts room. The quilts were an assortment of old and new, traditional and contemporary, plain and mind-blowing. We had a professional photographer take pictures of every quilt in the show and pictures will be posted on the website in about two weeks. I didn’t have time to take pictures either ; ) Oh well, it’s a trade-off.

I’m being summoned to play “Apples to Apples” with my family and become reacquainted with them.

Happy quilting!

Annie

Remember that awful quicksand from old movies, that once a man (usually a guide taking someone through the dangerous jungle) stepped one step too many and found himself in oatmeal-looking soil that sucked him down to the bowels of the earth? Even the handsome hero throwing him a tree vine to pull himself out with never worked. He just got sucked down anyway. MYTHBUSTERS recently had a show dedicated to finding out whether quicksand was real or not, that recalled those old movies to mind.

I’m in quicksand — quilting quicksand. But it’s pretty cool, not the oatmeal stuff. I have 62 quilts at my house that belong to other people. I feel like running and jumping into the middle of them so I can be totally surrounded in quilt-smelling quilts. You know what I mean. Quilts have a smell all their own, a heavenly smell of fabric and batting and love. Oh, maybe that’s where I can make my million — quilt cologne! Nah, it would never sell as well as turkey dinner perfume or mom’s apple pie after shave.

I am drowning in a sea of quilts! It’s wonderful. I got a final count today of the quilts that will be in ‘A Bountiful Harvest” quilt show — 321!! Isn’t that great?! I am reading the entry forms like a good book, internalizing the stories and poring over pictures of ALL THOSE QUILTS. I can hardly wait to begin delivering, sorting and hanging all of these jewels that have been entrusted into the care of an army of fellow quilters.

We will be in our element on Wednesday, as we hang each precious quilt. We get to touch them over and over again, as we arrange, hang and label each quilt. I’m delirious even thinking about it.

This week will fly by in a flurry of activity and all too soon, we will be driving away from an empty building, returning quilts to their owners. I know all too well what it feels like to be the one to turn out the lights and close the door behind me after everything has been taken down. It’s like a christmas tree lot the day after Christmas.

But in between, the show itself is worthy of every phone call, typed word, interrupted sleep, pricked finger, volunteer schedule, too much fast food, and crumpled programs. This show is going to be something else. It will be awe inspiring, breathtaking, and down right amazing.

And I hope that you will get to experience it. See you there!

Annie

There are creative ideas swirling in the air over San Jose. I will talk about two of them who happen to coincide. They are both quilting related — my favorite subject (hee, hee…)

I’ve spent the better part of this last year with one foot in the boat, one on the dock about where to teach classes. My current store location has been showing signs of wearing out my welcome, and if I remain there I will wear out too. I have looked at every possibility where teaching classes are concerned and couldn’t find anything that met my criteria. There is a lot to choose from, but too many restrictions and I won’t teach where students can’t be comfortable.
Two solutions landed in my lap. It’s funny how a need presents itself and the solution finds a sneaky way of clicking in place.

I have been approached by students to have a “drop-in” class where they can come and work on any project they want and get help. Because a store location is restricted by its’ class schedule, and spaces to rent are 1.) hard to find in the location that is most convenient, 2.) so expensive to rent it’s ridiculous and 3.) community centers, which would be ideal, are already full with wonderful classes, I had to find something that would be a good compromise.
It was my husband who suggested that I offer classes at home. (Isn’t he a keeper?!) Having had parties in our home, I knew how I could set up the area and how many I could fit without people feeling cramped. I sent out an email, letting the students who asked me to do the drop-in know that I would offer the class on certain dates for a maximum of five students. I started on Tuesday, with one student. By Wednesday morning, I had four reservations for the next class and was setting up to have my regular Wednesday night class at home because we had gotten bumped by the store!
One year ago, there was a group of us who bought kits for a “Yellow Brick Road” quilt and have tried all year to get together to make them. So, on Friday night, four of the five original group members had class at my house, catered by Chef Guy. This is how my husband supports my “habit”: BBQ Beer-can chicken, sauteed asparagus and carrots in Guy’s special sauce, and Asiago sourdough garlic bread — yum yum. Oh yeah, he’s a keeper. Did I mention that he did the dishes after we ate? Good food and an evening of getting together with friends to do what we love best – quilting – was wonderful.
The experiences that I had this week holding three classes in my home made me realize that this could be a good thing. I really enjoyed having quilters working and conversing in my home. I loved the Friday night dinner-and-quilt so much that I think I am going to offer it on a quarterly basis. I’m already thinking what our next project could be and I can tell you that it is going to be an original project, and that Guy will cook again!

Happy quilting!

Annie

p.s. If you are looking for a quick holiday gift for someone you love, the Yellow Brick Road goes together pretty easily. It is perfect for your fat quater stash! One caution: if you are making a quilt larger than the small Crib size, you will want to look at the pattern introduction, which tells you to make multiples of what the actual written instructions say! The pattern instructions do not remind you to make as many as you need for the size that you are making!

I’m bummed. The Giants lost the race for the Wildcard. I will be in mourning until February 14th. The pall won’t be lifted because of Valentine’s Day but because that is the day that Giant’s pitchers report for Spring training.
You didn’t believe it when I said I was a die-hard Giants fan, did ya?

One of these days, I am going to make a Giants quilt. I saw a great one back in 1995 at Pacific International Quilt Festival, otherwise known as PIQF. It was an opportunity quilt that you could buy tickets for and one lucky person would be the winning ticket. I was sure that it was going to be me, and they never called me! I’ve never been so disappointed in all my life. It was a great quilt — deeply coveted. It was of a baseball diamond with players, fans and baseball facts on it. It had Dave Dravecky’s signature on the pitcher’s mound. He lost his pitching arm to bone cancer when he was in his prime. He was then and still is a real “stand-up” kind of guy. The Jewish have a word for a guy like him – “mensch” which means a real honest-to-goodness genuine man. A real life hero.

I still covet that quilt. I would like to see it again one day and just get a picture of it that I could look at once in awhile. When I go to PIQF on Thursday, I’m going to ask around at the guilds that will be there to see if I can find out who won it so maybe I can get that picture. The guilds will all have new opportunity quilts this year, and I will buy tickets and they will not call me this year either. I have no doubt. But I do love to support the guilds and I love their quilts. Here is a picture of a beautiful opportunity quilt that I didn’t take the opportunity to buy a ticket for at last year’s PIQF, much to my regret.

Ok, so a few days later…

PIQF has come and gone. It was a great show this year! I took 221 pictures of quilts and quilt detail that I want to remember. I bought tickets for two Opportunity quilts that I just couldn’t pass up. I have acquiesced that I am helping to support their quild because I still know, even as I was filling out the ticket, that I will not win. It’s ok.

Now my focus will be turned to another quilt show, “A Bountiful Harvest” which is just 2 1/2 weeks away. Sometimes I sign off my emails with this optimistic verse “Turning up the heat as I sit on the burner”, which is what I am going to do first thing tomorrow morning. All of the entry forms are in for the quilt show, so now starts the sorting part to figure out where they will be displayed. This is the part that I live for. How else would I be able to be immersed in other people’s beautiful quilts?
It will take us 4 days to set up the show and 3 hours to take it down. It doesn’t seem fair does it?

I will add pictures from PIQF shortly that were inspiring. I spent three days there and by Saturday I saw quilts that I would have sworn were just added to the show. I don’t know how I missed them on my eighth lap around the building, but I did! I actually voted for my favorite quilt this year. It was #1112.

“Tree of Life” was made by Judy Coates Perez depicts Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. She won First place for Machine Quilting. You may have missed this fabulous quilt. It was on the back wall of the main show room. It’s not very big — maybe 36 x 45. The thing that made it so spectacular is that it is a “whole cloth” quilt, meaning one piece of fabric. She painted every single bit of detail, making it look like it was patchwork and applique, putting print into the different colors she used for the “fabric”. She then quilted in fine detail with gold thread — extremely difficult to stitch with. The piece is a masterpiece work.
I always come away from PIQF thinking, “I’m not worthy” and conversely “Next year, I am going to have a quilt to enter!”. Did you come away from the show thinking that maybe you could enter? You should… there were many quilts in the show done by locals who are just like you. Think about it.

Happy quilting!!

Annie

The Olympics are over and tv programming is back to normal. The members of my family are Olympics junkies. We try to watch every minute of the televised events. We love the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Remember that poor skier that wiped out when ABC had exclusive rights to cover all sporting events? That guy actually lived that fall. He looked like a rag doll that someone had tossed in the air.
I hate the sports that have wipe outs, big and small. I don’t watch boxing because the theory behind it bothers me; if you make your opponent unconscious, you win. Another part of the games that I wince at are the hurdles. The hurdles get knocked over and, invariably, someone goes down with it. There were some pretty big biffs on the hurdles this Olympics.

I finally got over a hurdle this last week that I have been working on for a year. It was one that I struggled with every time I came up to it. Here is a picture of the culprit:

The quilt has been done for months and it doesn’t look like it would give me any trouble now, does it?

While I was making the quilt, I had this thought: “If I am designing a quilt, wouldn’t it make sense to market a pattern? After all, that is what you have wanted to do for ages!” So the thought wouldn’t go away after the quilt was finished and every time I looked at it, I heard that little voice again.
So a couple of months ago, I started planning; a business plan. Kind of scary. I met a new friend in June and we immediately knew that we needed to be partner/vendors. One week later, she got a call from a quilt guild, inviting us to take the last available booth at the Sonora quilt show. The clock started ticking. So, in my regular style, I didn’t start in June, I waited until Robin went back to school, making my deadline very intense. But that is how I work best – under stress. It’s positive stress, the kind that motivates one to action – but it doesn’t leave room for life’s other necessities, like family members or a house that is calling you to clean it.

Designing a quilt is an incredibly creative process; writing the pattern for the quilt is like having a root canal that goes on for days. The quilt allows for changes in size, technique, color, pliable and is soul-filling. A pattern is rigid, precise, confining; the antithesis of the quilt. The pattern is first you do this, then you do this, make sure you don’t do that, and read the instructions. If you have read my previous blogs, you know that I enjoy writing. I didn’t enjoy writing the pattern, mostly because patterns need to be perfect with no typos, nothing left out. Usually while the text was flowing, midstream I got a phone call or a “hey, Mom…” which broke the trance. Ah, but that’s life, huh? My life would not be as meaningful if I didn’t have those little interruptions by those I love.

After all, the quilt was made for my son. Making a quilt for someone is like giving the deepest expression of love, in my opinion. It’s like giving birth. Once you finish the binding and put on the label, you get post partum. Time to start a new one!

The biggest hurdle is that something I have been working on, and dreaming about for years is finally done. I have completed my first pattern for sale. My business is real. I have deep satisfaction in the pit of my stomach; a feeling of accomplishment. Now, I get to start on the next set. “All Hearts” was only the beginning.

The pattern is available on this webpage. Click Here to go to my online store where you can buy a copy of the pattern. You can order it online by secure transaction, or send me an email if you would like order direct. More new patterns will be arriving weekly. Up next are the block of the month Baltimore Machine Applique patterns.