Syd can sew!

Today when I came into the store, Sydney greeted me with, "Gamma....will you teach me to sew?" Everything I wanted to accomplish at work went right out the window. How could I resist that request? Sydney found some pieces in the scrap drawer and we got out her sewing machine. It's a white (slightly green) Singer 221 Featherweight. She wanted to make an apron for her doll. I'd say she did a good job. I had taped the foot pedal to a box and we patiently sewed the apron. Mostly she sewed a straight line. Good sewing for a 5 year-old.

Tonight was the last meeting for Redwood Empire Quilter's Guild for the "guild year." They don't meet in July or August, so in June there is a pot luck meeting. The theme was "Hawaiian." I didn't get the memo on the theme but obviously Ann & Carolyn did.Don't they look happy!A view of the room. My plate is empty...it's so nice to eat what others cook.

One of the best things at any guild meeting is Show & Tell. Here are 6 of the 8 ladies who joined together to make this quilt.
One gal had taken a photo of some pottery in a garden setting and divided the photo into 8 sections. She blew it up, created line drawings for each section and gave one to each of the quilters. They had a tiny photo (2" X 3") for true color of their section and the actual line drawing. Some sections were embellished, some were 3-dimensional, all were fantastic. Each section was quilted by the creator, then sewn together on the front and the back seams were covered with bias. They will be selling the quilt to raise $$ for a charitable organization (still to be determined). Well done, ladies.

A Broken Window

Just after midnight the telephone rang.....it was the Eureka Police Department asking if we owned Scottie Dog Quilts at 301 W. Harris. Affirmative. The officer proceeded to tell us that someone had broken a window and they had the culprit in custody. Mr. Scottie Dog got up, put his clothes on and drove down to the store.

Here's the story: Around midnight an intoxicated man was walking near our store. Another man was riding his bike to WinCo (a 24 hour grocery store down the street). As they passed they exchanged words. Then the cyclist heard glass breaking and turned around to see the intoxicated man groaning and moaning with a bloodied hand walking away from our store. The cyclist called the police and followed the miscreant and the police were able to apprehend the suspect and hauled him off to jail. Seems he has an anger problem and has been known to do damage before.

Bless Mr. Scottie Dog...he spent a very long hour in the middle of the night picking glass out of the window frame and off the ground and then putting up the plywood over the window.

This morning he came and took measurements for the new glass. Does anyone know how hard it rained all day long? So unusual for June, but it poured pretty much continuously most of the day. I went out about 4 pm into the damp to get this picture. The glass is in my dining room until the rain stops long enough to be installed. Thanks Mr. Dog!

The 9-Patch Project

Today is June 1...The first day of the 9-Patch Project. It is simple...you just make one 9-patch block each day beginning with June 1 and finishing on August 31. At the end of the summer you'll have 92 blocks...that's right, 92! What can you do with 92 blocks? Imagine the possibilities.

What are the rules, you ask? Well, really there are no real rules. You make one block each day. One 9-Patch block made up of 9 squares. That's the rules. What size? What size to you want to make? 3"? 4.5"? 6"? 9"? 12"? It's up to you. In fact, you can make them different sizes if you want.

How do you color them? That's up to you too. Make a traditional 9-Patch with two fabrics. Put a different color in the center. Use 9 different fabrics...use up your stash or buy some of that fabric you've had your eye on.

You can join the 9-Patch Project at Facebook here. You can post pictures of your blocks or be inspired by the pictures others post.

By the end of the summer, we of the 9-Patch Project will show you several setting options.

Here are the sizes of squares to cut for various sized blocks:

Cut 1 1/2" squares for 3" Blocks
Cut 2" squares for 4 1/2" Blocks
Cut 2 1/2" squares for 6" Blocks
Cut 3 1/2" squares for 9" Blocks
Cut 4 1/2" squares for 12" Blocks

Remember your seam allowances are 1/4." Press seams on first and third rows towards the outside squares and press seams on the center row towards the center square. This way the seam allowances will nestle and reduce the bulk on the back of your 9-Patch Block.

I'm going to make my block, are you?

PS. If you miss a day, don't stop....just pick up where you ended. Or make an extra one. It's so simple you could just make 7 blocks one day of the week and be done with it.

Quilt Market, Part 1

It's hard now for me to believe that just last weekend, just 7 days ago I was in the midst of Spring Quilt Market in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Quilt Market is always such a rush...one day is classes, lots of classes....really way too many classes. By the end of the day you feel as though your head is going to explode with information about the newest notions, the coolest fabrics, books and patterns to WOW our customers...plus the "how to run a quilt shop" type of thing too...how to make displays, how to fold fat quarters, how to do the accounting (I usually send Mr. Scottie Dog to these!) and so much more. There are 20+ sessions of 15 minutes or 30 minutes over 6 hours.

But what I am sure YOU want to hear about is what I saw at Market. Here's some pictures.Cindy Taylor Oats in her booth. We've ordered her new book: Mother and Daughter Aprons.
My good friend Jo Morton and I pause for a picture. Jo taught in Eureka several years ago. She designs Civil War era fabrics for Andover, writes books and patterns.

Button, button, WE'VE got the buttons...yes these fantastic over-sized buttons are coming soon. Use them on jackets, purses, bags even quilts if you want!
We can't go to Market without seeing our friend Jackie Clark! She designs lovely clothing and accessories for babies & children. I'm sure you've seen the baby jackets & ruffled pants hanging in the store. Now she has a delightful little Posy Pocket Top. The patterns have already arrived! Jackie mentions Liz in every class or lecture she gives....Liz told her how easy to follow her patterns were and made quite an impression on Jackie.
Are you a Princess? A Quilting Queen, Diva of Everything? Then you'll need some "PINcess Pins." They come in several color collections. So sweet, so beautiful...you'll feel like a Princess every time you use them.

One of the great things about the booths is that you'll get lots of ideas...check out the tiny rick rack on the quilt and the Jumbo rick rack on the pillowcase.
These darling baby shoes are just one of the projects in Anna Maria Horner's new book....should be arriving soon!

So that's just Quilt Market Part 1. Come back soon for Part 2.

We went to Minnesota

We arrived home from our trip to Minneapolis via Southern CA about an hour ago. Tired from multiple planes and a 1 1/2 day drive from Redlands, I'll just blog a tad from our trip today and finish up more tomorrow.

Our saga began on Sat. May 15 when Liz flew to Minnesota. Sunday morning early Sydney, Mr. Scottie Dog and I drove to Lost Hill, CA (North of Los Angeles) and spent the night. Sydney is a veteran traveler so it went well. She especially enjoyed the restaurant we chose that evening....she ordered mac & cheese and a bowl of red grapes. Monday it was on to Redlands to spend 3/4 of the day with Great-grandma Willie. My dear childhood friend, Maralee joined us all for dinner. Next morning we left for Ontario Airport for our Minnesota jaunt. We thought it a good omen that instead of 3 planes, United changed us to only two! Yahoo. We had enough time in Denver to get ice cream....always a good thing when you are traveling with a 5 year old. About 6:30 pm we boarded our plane to Minneapolis. We got on, prepared for take-off when the announcement came that we would be delayed for about 10 minutes due to a storm nearby. Five minutes later rain began to fall and 15 minutes later it was pelting the plane. Another announcement..."about a 20 minute delay until the storm passed by." The sky quickly darkened and over the loud speaker, "Leave everything behind and exit the plane as quickly as possible, a tornado is bearing down on the airport." We stood and waited to exit. We were about half-way back in the plane and some people were pulling their luggage out of the racks and nobody we could see had begun to move down the aisle yet. Then the flight attendants began to scream...."Get OFF the plane NOW!" "Run" "RUUNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!" The panic in their voices finally got people moving...I handed Sydney over to Mr. Scottie Dog and we first moved slowly down the aisle then we could run and we ran off the plane, down the skyway, into the terminal. People were running from all directions and uniformed workers were screaming and pointing towards the restrooms which were labeled "Tornado Shelter." As I ran down past the gates I looked at the greenish/black clouds outside saw constant lightening and the thunder boomed. Mr. Dog had gotten ahead of me with Sydney and gone into a Men's Restroom. I stood outside the Ladies' as it was full, but with the option of cramming into it if the glass began to break. A 20-something young woman stood beside me sobbing and texting on her phone. I patted her arm and told her it would be all right. I was probably telling myself the same message!

After about 20 minutes they told us we could go back and sit at the gate before boarding the plane. Whew! What excitement....give me an earthquake any time! We got into Minneapolis about 1:30 am...1 1/2 hours late.

Next morning I got to play with the grandbabies. Liz had bought a "SlippySlide" as the kids called it. They couldn't understand how to slide...but did it on their knees. Look at Jakob (4) here! (Sadies (2) in the background).

Shiloh is 3 months old now, with Mercedes and Jakob. Did I tell you it was hot while we were there? One of the things Sydney really wanted to do was hold her baby cousin. Shiloh seemed to enjoy all the attention.
I'll give a report on Quilt Market tomorrow.

Packing and other nonsense

Each day this week I've had a list of things to do, things to pack, things to finish, loose ends to tie up, etc. Spring Quilt Market is in Minneapolis May 20-23. Right around the corner. We are leaving a bit early to drive to Southern CA so we can fly to Minneapolis.?! It really makes sense....really. My dad's dear wife, Willie, is moving quite soon back to Illinois. This makes it necessary for us to pick up some furniture and memories and help her pack up and clean up before she goes. Also it's much cheaper for us to fly from a major airport than from our small, rural one.

Mr. Scottie Dog, Sydney & I will make the drive in a day and a half. We'll spend one night at Willie's, leave the car and flat bed trailer and fly out the next afternoon. We'll meet up with Liz in Minn. (she had a ticket already she couldn't change) and I'll get to see the Minn. grandkids too. While there we'll do all the typical things we do at a Quilt Market weekend....look at fabric, new books & notions, take classes, meet with my Quilt Shop Owner friends and more. One night we'll go to a fabulous dinner put on by Moda, squeeze in some time with the family.

All this meant I had to finish up matching skirts for the grandgirls Sydney, Mercedes & Shiloh. Poor Jakob....grandma had to buy him a shirt & shorts. I helped bind some quilts and samples for the store. My fingers have been busy. I've had to plan on what to wash, what to pack and what to wear now!

After Quilt Market Liz will fly with the rest of us back to Redlands. We'll do whatever Willie has for us to do, we'll go through the last of the "stuff" accumulated by my Mom & Dad for the 50+ years they were married and see if there is anything that has too many memories to leave behind (Liz is hoping for the red handled clippers Grandpa always used to cut oranges and lemons off the trees). I'm sure we'll come home with bags of oranges & lemons, some furniture, his car for Liz and who knows what! It will also be an emotional time....probably the last time I'll be in the family home before it is sold. I'll probably shed a few tears.

Another chaper in my life ended. I'm sure there are many more chapters in my future.