"I'm Hooked"

I thought I would add to the blog, as you know it is pretty much Laurie's fine work that keeps our blog going - I am not so good on anything tech. I had to share my story with you. While driving around Naples, Florida I have been spotting these bumper stickers - "I'm Hooked" and it got me very excited. There are rug hookers here as I meet with two different groups when I have time. They both meet on Wednesday and if I am not too bogged down, I try to go. During our "high season" there are many more gathered as all the northern gals who winter here are around to join us. Sadly I have missed most of the summer due to other commitments. So seeing these bumper stickers - I felt we were getting a Rug Hooking Store and I was very excited. I googled it and could not find any info - just the bumper stickers on cars. Last week while driving down Tamiami Trail I spotted a van with "I'm Hooked" in huge letters across the side of the van, parked in the lot of a little strip mall. I felt I had found the store!. This is what I found in the mall. Now, if this is your church, I am sure you are excited - but you will never know how disappointed I was to find this in the mall.
Polly

Rainy Days and Mondays

Well, I'm back in Michigan and decompressing from all the excitement and glamour of Miami and South Beach. Polly and I got some errands done and had some fantastic meals. We also saw some yummy fabrics, but I can't tell you about that now.

Disaster was averted here at home. When I left Thursday afternoon I told Bill that I had the 5th season opener of Bones scheduled to be taped on the dvr. He called me Saturday and told me the sad news that somehow it had disappeared from the taped history. Geesh. Thankfully I found the episode online and the world is still spinning. This marriage was saved.

Leigh Ann stopped by this morning and showed me this. It is an raincoat made with our Bar Harbor coated fabric and an Oliver + S pattern that will be debuting at Houston. ADORABLE. I took over a dozen pictures of it - but my pics don't do it justice. It really needs a cute 4 year old girl to make it work, but we are out of 4 year old girls at the moment. Great job, Leigh Ann! I cannot wait to make one a wee bit bigger for myself.

Laurie

Working

Polly and I got a very early start this morning. We stopped and fueled up. A few hours of driving and we came upon this.

And this.

Unfortunately we forgot our suits.

So did she.

We did NOT go here, but she does look like a nice lady, doesn't she.

We did go and see this.

and this. Polly said if I told you where we were she would have to kill me. Then she would have to kill you. I won't tell. You're welcome.

Laurie

Where In The World Are We?

Polly and I are working together for the next 3 days. We have lots to do. Designing, strategies, planning, talking, eating...... Can you tell where we are? It's hot and steamy, but Polly's blood is thin, hence the long sleeves. Here she is taking photos.

The scenery here in South Florida is quite nice, but we are still working like crazy.

It's kind of hard to keep focused on the Minick and Simpson look here. Some things here are a bit shiny and glamorous for our time worn Americana look. We are persevering on.

While the water is relaxing, it is making us think of other beaches and towns. Our minds are elsewhere. Wiscasset and other points of interest beckon. Check back tomorrow for more silly photos and plans.

Laurie

I'm No Annie Leibovitz

While no Leibovitz, the photos are undeniable getting better. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks. I know, it's very sad that the highlight of my week is grocery shopping. You are again subjected to pics of the Farmer's Market. I promise these will be the last. These were taken on my Blackberry this morning. This bodes well for Quilt Market posts in a couple weeks. I promise not to take better pics than PamKittyMorning, though. Really, I do.



I don't know who this guy is, but I couldn't resist. One old dog to another, so to speak.


Notice the brick pavement underneath? It is the original pavement in the historic Kerrytown shopping district. Oh, it's been there over 100 years.
It's a little bumped and bruised, but still lovely and quite functional. 100 years! It kind of makes you want to rethink all the new road construction that we live through all summer, doesn't it?

Okay, here is something that is NOT grocery shopping. This came in the mail this week. Hushabye by Tula Pink. Our niece Katie is expecting. She is scheduled to deliver Monday at 8am. How civilized. Scheduled childbirth. Anyway, this will be baby Kayce's quilt when I can get to it. A sophisticated baby quilt for a sophisticated baby.
This also came in the mail. The new Hancock's catalog. Yippee! This one is a knock-out. The fabric industry really should be proud of itself. So many wonderful choices. I am marking pages for my new purchases.

Thanks for looking at my housewifey pictures. There will be better ones later this week. Polly and I are going on a little trip to someplace terribly exciting and exotic. Later.

Laurie

New Developments

I am slowly learning how to use my Blackberry. Yesterday the Geek Squad came out and synced it to my computer. Not exactly sure what that means but I can browse the Internet and send emails with photos attached. This is big news people. I am also trying to learn how to use the camera. This is even bigger news. It might mean that I can take more photos at Quilt Market and get them out to you folks promptly. We all know the only reason you are reading this right now is to possibly get some good quilt gossip. Polly and I are all about the timely quilt gossip.

Here are the first photos I took with the phone. Fuzzy, yes, but give me time.This is the quilt that I hung in the living room recently. Boring. I know. Okay, I do actually leave the house. Here is what I saw at the grocery store.
On my way back from the library I drove by the Michigan Stadium. This is the best I could do while driving.Which brings me to this...... the traffic here is crazy again. (I know all of you who live in Boston, Atlanta, and Los Angeles really feel for me) I will work on the "fuzzy" factor. My old camera use was limited because it didn't keep a charge for very long. Most of my pics were taken at home, as well you know.

Tomorrow is September 11th. Polly and "Moda Lissa" are all on board to get people to fly your flags. Lissa posted this awesome vintage magazine cover. Gosh, wasn't the early 20th century just the best for graphic images??!

Which brings me to this.......

I get emails all the time about this quilt pattern that was in McCall's several years ago. The issue is out of print, but the pattern will be resurrected again. Polly and I are reissuing this pattern, along with a few tweaks at Quilt Market. Check back next month for the new version. We think you might even like it more. Thanks

Laurie

Labor Day Weekend at the Farmer's Market

It wasn't as early of a start as I wanted, but I did get up to the market by 8am this morning. It's awfully hard to choose what to get as EVERYTHING is in season, or it sure seems like it. My haul today was white corn on the cob, tomatoes, basil, and peppers. That, along with a steak, is what we ate today. The vegetables became this.....
Ina Garten's Confetti Corn - you can get the recipe here. If you read the reviews of the recipe, it is unanimous. This is a keeper. The kitchen is clean now and it is back to quilting, watching baseball and tennis. Have a great weekend everyone.

Laurie

September

Have you bought new pencils and crayons? That is one of the things I think of when I think of September. Shorter days and longer shadows too. There are other things. Apples. Sweaters.

Quilts. We are in good standing in the quilt department. Four quilts are now being quilted (one by hand) to get ready for Fall Market in Houston. The fifth in in progress and the 6th...... well, the 6th is kind of an enigma. Remember when I mentioned that I was making lots and lots of half-square triangles? Well, so were some other folks. Me and My Sister, Sandy Gervais, Laundry Basket, Kansas Troubles, Jan Patek, Blackbird Design, Sweetwater, Deb Strain, and American Jane made lots of half-square triangles too. Now they have all been divvied up and here is my collection. I haven't counted, but there should be over 400 of them. We designers are being challenged to make a quilt. I definitely feel challenged. I actually feel vacant and a little brain dead. I am open to suggestions.

While some of us are here in the Midwest waiting for the leaves to get some color, (and quilting our fingers to the bone!) some of us are at the beach. Yep, Polly, Tom, their sons and grandchildren are at the beach for a long anticipated family vacation. Hi y'all. Don't forget the sunscreen. Polly is supposed to send some pics soon. I will post them asap.

If other peoples fun, and the changing seasons aren't enough to sap any ideas out of my head - well, then there's this......

TEAM	W	L	%	GB
Detroit	70	61	.534	-
Minnesota	67	66	.504	4.0
Chi White Sox	65	69	.485	6.5
Cleveland	58	73	.443	12.0
Kansas City	51	81	.386	19.5

I'm kind of afraid to type it. I'm certainly afraid to say it out loud. But, ahem, if you hadn't noticed (and frankly, I know, most of you have not.) it's September and the Detroit Tigers are in first place. It is very hard to concentrate here.

So, if you have any good ideas for these triangles...........

Laurie