Happy New Year!!

Both Polly and I are back from our family travels and are going to ring in the New Year at home. The wedding of Lorelei and Dan in Texas was lovely and we are so happy for them. I hope to post pictures from the event soon (good pictures - real pictures). What I managed to get on the blackberry is a bit meager. Here are the best two - the morning of the wedding the ladies involved spent the day at the salon. Here is Lorelei getting a "Texas Up-Do".And Krista, the maid of honor, getting her finishing touches.
Besides Lorelei and Krista, the 3 moms were pampered too. (Mother of the Bride, Pam; Mother of the Groom, Joyce; and Step Mom of the Bride - me). The best of all to the newlyweds in 2011.

Back in the damp and dreary Midwest, we are happy to be home with the dog and kitties. The next big chore will be getting all the paperwork in order for taxes and doing a bit of inventory for Minick and Simpson enterprises. (This involves me in the basement, with a calculator and a cranky demeanor), In anticipation of said inventory...... we will have a little sale to start 2011. The few kits of La Playa that we have - will be priced at $140.00 and that includes all fabric for the top, the pattern, the sand pail in which it is packaged - and shipping (U.S. only for this price - please email me here if you are interested in international shipping)Just type in "New Year" in the add any details part of the order and the price will be adjusted on the final sale. Also to help the inventory headache...... order any two patterns this week and get a 3rd for free. Type in the third pattern (same price or lesser price) in the add any details part of the order and we'll get them out to you pronto.

Laurie

A Holiday Wish

As this year wraps up, we look forward to 2011. Polly and I will be as busy in the new year as we ever have. There will be workshops in Oregon and Nebraska and we'll write about those more later, but the first one coming up will be on Mackinac Island in May. It is Mother's Day weekend to be specific, and we are honored to be the opening the summer season there.
The spot will be the Grand Hotel. It truly lives up to it's name. A more luxurious place would be hard to find. You can find out all about the workshops here. {pdf}
This is what we will be making...... Chippewa Nine Patch.....

Or maybe a wool stitched pillow.....

Polly will offer this hooked rug...
Or one of these adorable hooked purses.Registrations starts January 2nd. Remember that the room fees include your meals at the Grand Hotel. This is not just an inconsequential add-on or afterthought. The meals here are truly Grand also. So Grand, that there is a dress code. This will be a memorable weekend so start making your plans now.
We hope to see you there.

We also hope you get everything you wish for this holiday season...... maybe even a red Etch-a-Sketch to match your red shoes!
Polly and Laurie

Gift Winners

Wow, there are a lot of recyclers out there. That's good to hear. Loved all the re-gifting stories.

The winners of the Petit Four™ bags are

Melinda

Cindi P

Email me here and they will be sent quick as a wink.

Stay warm, everyone. I know the next few days will be very busy.(snow dog on the streets of Bucharest Romania)

Laurie and Polly

Re-Gifting

Did you read Carrie's post about her ribbon obsession? I can relate. Carrie and I do keep in touch about other things too, and in my last email to her I thanked her for the ribbon inspiration. "Now I have something to blog about too." People, we take inspiration where ever we can. Just be grateful I didn't decide to post about my groceries again.

So.... ribbon. I have been using the same ribbon on my packages for years. Years. Probably about 30 years. Where do I begin? Well, for one thing. I started quilting before rotary cutters existed. There was a time when I made a template of my quilt shapes (sans seam allowance) and took this template and traced on yardage and then cut out each piece with scissors and a seam allowance I judged "by eye." The seam allowance was less important, because I was hand piecing and sewing on the drawn seam line. Yes, I am as old as dirt.

So..... when I was cutting this yardage out, whenever I needed big pieces for borders and backings, I did not use the scissors. I tore fabric. And, I am going to admit that when I need large pieces for borders and backings I still tear fabric. Do not judge.

So.....when I tore this fabric, I also tore off the selvages. Tons and tons of them. I kept them and put them in a basket and kept them for ribbons for packages. It was well known in my family that whenever they got a present with a weird cloth-like ribbon, it was from me. I still have several baskets of selvages that will live out their destiny as ribbon.So.... a couple of years ago my niece was having a baby shower. She was handed a present and without looking at any tag said, "This is from my Aunt Laurie". She was asked how she knew and she said - "The ribbon." So.... she was untying the ribbon and her eyes got very big. "WOW. How did you get yours and aunt Polly's name on this ribbon?" I told her "I know people." Seriously, one of the best perks of designing fabric is having your own personalized ribbon.Speaking of presents... Polly and I are re-gifting. This was sent to us by Lissa and Deb at Moda and we want to give it to you.
A whole bag of Petit Fours ™ . There are 2 bags, actually. If you comment on this post about anything at all, or maybe about recycling (ribbon) or re- gifting (we won't tell) and make your comment before midnight on Tuesday December 21st, you could win a bag of Petit Fours ™.

Laurie

Endings and Beginnings

Today I am sending off (if I can find boxes big enough) about a year's worth of projects, drawings, stuff to Kansas City Star for a book. Polly has shipped off all her stuff last week. It's good to finally be finished and the wait between now and the eventual publication date will be too long. So, the year of secret projects and vague hints will continue. Sorry.

After the trip to Texas for the wedding, I have several big projects to start in the new year, one of which is the dreaded taxes. The less said about that the better. So, the Christmas shopping is done, as is the Christmas baking. What to do??

First of all, I have finished off a half done applique block that has been hanging around my coffee table/antique red wagon for months.
That makes 4 blocks done - out of the nine. The pattern is from Barb and Alma's "When the Cold Wind Blows" and it is the Love Letters quilt. This quilt is for nothing special at all. No deadline. No agenda. It just makes me happy. I don't get to stitch on it very often, but it is such a treat when I do. I believe I will design a new border to go with Barb and Alma's blocks. I have no idea yet, but I'll let the idea stew for a bit longer before I get out the paper and pencil.

There is also another project that languished in the red wagon this year..... a scrap quilt that I am hand quilting. It was my prototype for the Patrick's Patchwork pattern.
The next few evenings will find me quilting on this. All the while, letting my mind wander to the newer, larger projects in 2011. Happy stitching.
Laurie

Another Good Day to Bake

If you are in the Midwest, you might be snowed in by the end of the day. There is about 3 inches on the ground right now as I type this, and it is snowing like the last scene of White Christmas.



It's was a good day to bake yesterday and it looks like a good day to continue to do so. But First..... the winners of the Charlevoix Pre-cuts are:

Darlis

Barbara

Mamabug

Please email me here and I will get these out to you pronto.
p.s. For all of you with cable tv.... White Christmas is on tonight on AMC.

Charlevoix Pre-cuts are here.

I am glad to say that Wednesday is way better than Monday. Once I got a human on the phone at Shoes.com, my problem was solved. The correct slipper socks are one their way - and with an extra discount. Yeah! But, they can't get here soon enough. If it isn't cold enough, Bill is getting ready to go out and play hockey. Outside. It's kind of a big deal. He's going to skate a few shifts here.
Some of the locals will have a game there tonight - a few days before the Big Chill.

I'll just be watching the Big Chill on t.v. as I have other plans this weekend. I am going to make these.These are some peppermint chocolate cookies make by pookie and schnookie. I will make some caramel corn and some other things too. Santa has asked me to get these to some very good children this Christmas. I'm really looking forward to it.

And for those of you who asked for a better view of the silver tree.....Gibby says "Hey!"

And now...the important stuff. Make a comment here about Christmas baking. Are you doing it? Not doing it? What are you making? Links to recipes will be appreciated by all. If you comment before midnight Saturday, December 11th you could win one of these.A Chippewa Nine Patch pattern and a Charleviox Charm pack™

Or a Janie's Quilt pattern and a bunch of Petit Fours™
Or a Liberty Road pattern and a Honey Bun™

Keep warm, everyone.

Laurie

Monday

The Christmas Spirit did make a short appearance yesterday. Bill and I attacked the ELEVEN tubs/bins/crates of Christmas decorations in the basement and attic and came up with one silver tree. The rest will hibernate another year. This is my icicle tree. It's fitting as it is cold here. So cold, I kept the hockey game up behind it. Frigid. We were spoiled by a sunny and bright and beautiful fall and the sudden arrival of winter has been sort of rude. It's twenty degrees today. Not particularly startling for Michigan in winter, but it was practically balmy up until Thanksgiving. Anyway......

Did you "cyber shop" last Monday? I did. One of my purchases was for myself. I wanted an old fashioned pair of toasty warm slipper socks. I have been checking the porch everyday since for their arrival. Here they are.
And they're RED. What's not to love? Well, for one thing, they are the wrong size. Really wrong. These are a men's size 12. Sigh. And hey, Shoes.com...... what is up with the box you sent them in??
Yep, one pair of admittedly large slipper socks in a box big enough for several dozen pairs. Sigh.
Oh, and the return page on shoes.com is not working and neither is their phone number. Double sigh.

One bit of good news on this cold Monday - we have La Playa kits back in stock. Order today and I guarantee it will be the right size and shipped in an appropriate box. Happy Monday.

Laurie

Deck The Halls

This was the weekend to decorate. Bill is at a hockey tournament and I haven't got the gumption to tackle all the boxes in the basement by myself. So, for now..... decorating is on hold. Since we will be leaving the day after Christmas to go to Dallas for the wedding.... decorating has not been a priority this year. Polly is getting ready to leave a week before Christmas so she is feeling the same way. How about a little "virtual" decorating with some pictures of Polly's home from past holidays.This post is more for me than anyone. I need to get "in the holiday spirit". Now.

Thanks, I needed that. Look for more holiday posts and a give-away later this week. Ho Ho Ho.

Laurie

Darn It!

I suppose you got the new American Patchwork & Quilting magazine in the mail recently too. It has our friend Sandy's beautiful Row By Row quilt on the cover. There is lots of neat stuff in it. Make sure to check out page 22 with a photo of Polly's rug hooking studio.

I really loved the Think Big quilt on page 76 made by Lorraine Hofmann. It just so happens I was thinking about hand quilting a top with a big stitch quilting stitch when I saw this article. In the past I have used regular quilting thread, linen thread, or pearl cotton to do this. Lorraine recommends crochet cotton. It is even sturdier than those others. This was definitely worth a try. Friday morning I ran out and got the crochet cotton. When the top was basted later in the afternoon, I tried to find a needle in my vast sewing box to accommodate this crochet cotton. I wasn't having much luck. A few emails later to some trusty needle workers - and they recommended a large chenille needle. My chenille needle wasn't cutting it so I made another trip out. I picked up 8 different packages of needles in varying shapes and styles and I can say, after 2 days of hand quilting - the winner is this.The John James Cotton Darner in size 7. I'm sure you have lots of darning needles laying around, don't you?? Well, me neither, but I will now. It is long, skinny and the eye is big enough to accommodate the crochet cotton. The skinny profile slips through all the layers without resistance. Big stitchers - stock up now.

So what else is happening?? Just now I was in the kitchen for an hour chopping vegetables and stirring a pot of soup. While I worked, I had on the t.v. When Harry Met Sally was on. A Simpson Family Classic. I can repeat the dialogue almost verbatim. Often, when out shopping, Bill will point out something he finds particularly nice and I find particularly heinous...... this is my reply... "Garage sale, Roy Rogers wagon wheel!!"
Oy! A lot of t.v. classics will be watched and listened to as I hand quilt this quilt.

Laurie

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope you are having a wonderful day with your family and friends. We are. The holiday started last night when Bill and I went to see The Drowsy Chaperone. If you are local, make sure to see this! What a lovely night at the theater.

I am finally done posting pictures of our whirlwind trip to New York. Thanks for indulging us. Polly wants to go back in March. This is why.

A quilt show sponsored by the American Folk Art Museum. But.... because of the epic size of the show (650 red and white quilts!!!!) it will be held in the Park Avenue Armory instead of the museum. Save the date, indeed.

Laurie

What Else? Shopping, of Course!

After fitting in museum visits, eating, sight seeing and sleeping into the 36 hours - what was left? Shopping. Duh. I am a sucker for museum gift shops. New York City does not disappoint. The MOMA Design shop is someplace where you could lose yourself for several days. Unfortunately, I was discouraged from taking pictures there. Not to worry. Here was the LEGO shop at Rockefeller Center. No, I didn't buy lego's, but I wanted to. This dragon wound himself through all the rooms of the shop, and yes, he is completely made of legos.
Across the street was the Anthropoligie store. Well, they have those all over, you say. Yes, but did you know the best part of Anthropologie is the merchandising? Each store is different and believe me, the best designers go to the high traffic stores, like the one by Rockefeller Center.This huge pine cone was in the front window. It is made from recycled burlap bags. It is over 6 feet tall. The theme of the store was nature. Rivers and trees made from found items moved through the store.
This huge sun on one wall was made up of hundreds of mittens. New York City IS the place to be for "window shopping".

Polly and I also had lots of fun window shopping at all the home stores in SOHO. Each little shop has a specific theme. One of our stops was Purl. Purl is a little gem of a place chock full of colorful yarn, thread, and fabric. Whoo-hoo. Down the street was another shop - everything in the store was white. Everything. Except for this.As you probably know, everything in Polly's home is either blue or white (with a smattering of red). We did stop and ponder, but no one at her home plays pool and she is in a condo, and wow, this was just massive. It is pretty eye-catching, though.

Laurie

Location, Location, Location

We stayed at a new hotel when we were in New York. We had to. They are tearing down our old one. This new one was picked because of the location. The Warwick is a lovely old hotel and we will definitely go back there. It was one block away from this.
This iconic piece of New York art! I have seen it in film many times, but had not seen it in person.

The Warwick is also 1 block away from this.
Both the American Folk Art Museum and The Museum of Modern Art. There is a new quilt exhibit going on right now.
Again, I have seen this quilt many times in books, but to see it in person was a treat. Why don't I make a quilt with a plain background like this?? I am a hand quilter, aren't I?? It's going on the "to-do" list. Here are some other quilts that have been in lots of books, but now we can say we saw them in person.
I love the goofy tree in this beauty.The Warwick is also 2 blocks away from Rockefeller Center! Rockefeller Center, that is home to NBC in New York and is a gathering spot for New Yorkers and tourists. (and let's not forget - Rockefeller Center, the meeting place of Polly and Tim Gunn!) Oh, the Art Deco! You know, it's just around the corner from Radio City Music Hall and you know what that means this time of year.... The Christmas Show with the Rockettes. Sadly, we didn't see it this year (but there is always next year). And Christmas at Rockefeller Center means the TREE. It hasn't been lit yet - but this is what it looks like right now as it gets draped with a trillion lights.
Yes, the tree is at least 10 stories tall. It's hard to grasp the size of the thing unless you are underneath it. This is the view across the skating rink. The scaffolding hides the lovely sculpture of Prometheus.
I wish I could ice skate well, for no other reason than to glide along at this famous and lovely place. More later.

Laurie