Two-Hour Tulip Easter Baskets!

With Easter just around the corner, I received a phone call last week about a store that had put together the Two-Hour Tulip Purse Petite size with bunny rabbit ears to be used as an Easter Basket. I have not received a photo yet, but one is promised!
However, when I ran into Liat of Miles of Stitches (Hemlock, MI), one of my best customers for this pattern, she told me she would send me a photo of the 42 Easter Baskets they made in 2009. Well, she did send me the photo, or Julie did, and also gave me permission to post it on my blog. Here is it! If this does not inspire you to try this easy pattern, nothing will! Are they not cute?

New pattern/old pattern

I am very excited about the new quilt pattern which will be available at Spring Market (or maybe a little before!) I have made 3 of them so far, and have much interest from friends who are currently pattern testing. I won't post a photo yet and keep you in suspense!

However, from a published pattern of mine, Circle in a Square, I was able to construct a wall hanging using the hand-dyed cotton fabrics by the lovely Lorin Fields, of Local Colour Hues. This pattern uses a set of 2-1/2 inch width strips of fabrics. Set in black, these colors just glow! I was able to get two quilts, each with 9 squares using the strips and the pattern. One is going to Lorin for her retail booth and one is going out in my trunk show, which leaves tomorrow. I have included a photo which was taken before binding. It now has a simple black binding that is not in the photo!

Puppet Costumes

What if your skin was blue and you had no neck, skinny arms and a large flat head? And what if you needed clothing? Sometimes knowing how to make people clothes is not much help when it comes to outfitting a puppet!

My husband is a puppet master. He teaches kids and adults how to make a puppet come alive in a performance. This coming weekend, his puppets will be performing the nativity at our church. He needs 5 shepherd costumes, plus a Mary and a Joseph costume. I went through my stash today to find simple plain colored fabric for the shepherds and some stripes for the sashes.





Here is our little blue friend before we started.












I cut the sleeves out of an extra large t-shirt to make the "tunic" The fact that he has no neck and will have a coat over the tunic, we don't have to worry about straps. His fuzzy "skin" keeps the t-shirt in place.











Next a draped fabric and made a pattern for the coat. The coat has an opening with rounded edges in the front, and self sleeves.
To make the sash, I used about 4 inches of cross grain fabric folded in twice, pressed and folded in half. After placing them on him, I then stitched them in place.


The head dress is cut from the bottom of the t-shirt and rounded on all edges. The top sash was made the same way and sewn in place. Because they don't have round heads, the head dresses are difficult to stay in place, so tacking is necessary in the back also.

Well, he is all finished! Does he look like a shepherd to you? Only 4 more to go!






And here is the whole group, add dressed up and ready for their big performance!
The back left is Joseph and the front right is Mary. All the rest are shepherds.
Merry Christmas!

Fall Market, 2009

With the help of friends, I was able to drive my booth to market in Houston in October, 2009. This was my first time to have a booth, though my product had been there the previous two markets. Mary C. was kind enough to ride out there with me and work in the booth the entire time. Sheri S. drove back with me. It was a real treat to visit with Sonja L. in Baton Rouge on the way there and for a weekend on the way back home. We were also able to visit several quilt stores along the way! Some were existing customers, and some became new customers! I have uploaded photos so you can see the booth. Yes, there is 18 inch long NEON green fringe at the top front of the booth! Hard to miss us!

Organizing!

Is it time for spring cleaning? Wait! No, it is November! But it sure feels like spring around my house!

Next week I have a professional organizer coming over to help me "re-do" my master bedroom closet. It seems like I have had to rearrange every closet in the house to be able to declutter and get ready for the big day.

Since I am having my grown children in for Thanksgiving, I gave my work room a make over this week. (One of them will be on the floor with a blow up bed, and there was not enough floor!)

I have posted a photo to show you the new look. I know some of you won't even recognize it is my house, but it is!

I stayed with the black and white theme I used at market. I think it works well. The heavy duty shelving unit came from Lowe's. It is 74 inches high and 48 inches wide and the five shelves are adjustable every inch. The boxes are decorative banker boxes from Target.