International Quilt Market Portland, Oregon

Have I told you that I'm super duper excited about having a booth at Market? 

I'm a first timer and I'm nervous...but, after getting my booth half way set-up yesterday...I'm getting so excited for tomorrow!  Last night I was able to meet Hayden and Emily from Timeless Treasures...so fun to put a face to the emails we have exchanged.  I also met Alyssa from Checker Distributors...what a sweet gal.  I am now Distributing thru both companies, which is so exciting too!

I took a photo just for you so you can have a little sneak peek at what my booth looks like and you get to see my wonderful husband who was helping me. 

As we were leaving we pinned up the blue tule so no one would be tempted to 'shop' while we were away. 

As soon as I can I will post photos of my finished space.

what a good sport he is...I think he was having fun playing with the fabric and seeing all the other booth displays...

Show and Tell Tuesday...Market Bound

The bags are made, the table coverings are done, patterns are folded and stuffed, flyers printed...phew, I think I'm ready for International Quilt Market!  Can't wait to Show and Tell about it next Tuesday.  Have a happy week and I'll be back here to report how everything went.

Thank you to my husband, family, and friends for your support, help, and encouragement while I prepped for this big event.  I could not have done it all without you.

If you are attending Quilt Market...be sure and stop and say Hi at my booth...I am also featured in the Timeless Treasures Booth, and the Checker Distributor Booth!

I'm in Booth #2143

Show and Tell Tuesday...New Pin Cushion

"You are Enough"!  As quoted by my dear friend Joni when I have little confidence in myself. 

That phrase keeps running thru my head especially this week as I finish up stuff for the trade show I'm attending, and I'm starting to believe it, but isn't it so hard? 

When life gets tough and it seems like you are not making a difference or you just can't be everything to everyone...remember that phrase. 

Because you were made just how God wanted you...yes, we can strive to be better, but it's not necessary for us to always be thinking we are not good enough. 

That's just stinkin thinkin as my husband would say.  So grab some confidence today, hold your head up high and do the best at whatever it is that you do.  Because everyone of us can make a difference in our corner of the world.  

I hand sewed this small pin cushion using a tumbling block template.  The inside is filled with sand to sharpen my pins.  Have a Happy Tuesday!

 

Show and Tell Tuesday...How to grow SPROUTS!

So far, today has been productive.  I took my girls to school and decided to get the weekly grocery shopping done so I headed off to Winco.  First of all, I have to say, about a year ago I swore off Winco, for numerous reasons I won't bore you with.  But the biggest reason was I would go there, fill up my cart because I knew stuff was so inexpensive and spend my whole grocery budget for the month in one trip, but need to go back the next week for more stuff.  So I decided I would just go to Fred Meyers, use my rewards card, and just get what I needed instead of always stocking up.  As far as I can tell I spent about the same at both places, but much less headache to go to Freddies because it is closer and they bag my groceries which sometimes is so worth it!  But in the mail last week I received a $10 off coupon for Winco and I decided I wasn't going to let that go to waste.  So I trekked there this morning.  I would have to say with my coupon it definitely was worth the trip.

On to the SPROUTS...

About a year ago, I posted a tutorial on growing sprouts and this morning when I was eating my egg white/sprout breakfast sandwhich I felt the post was worth reposting.

Step 1: Buy sprout seeds.  I buy them at my local health food store.  Put a couple TBS in a glass jar cover seeds with water and soak overnight.  I founds the handy dandy lid at the health food store too.  It makes draining them a lot easier, but cheesecloth would work too. 

Step 2 (Day 2):  Drain water from jar, and let sit on counter for a couple hours, then fill jar with water and drain.  Repeat this process, every day for a total of 2-3 times per day.  This keeps the seeds moist so they can grow.

Day 3: They will start look like this.  Keep filling jar with water and draining.

 

Step 3, Day 4-5: Pretty soon you'll have millions of pretty little sprouts! And at this point you can refrigerate.  I continue to add water and drain as needed.

Step 4: EAT!

Show and Tell Tuesday...New Pattern

Announcing....my newest pattern.  The Sally Bag!

Named after my dear friend who I work with at the fabric store.  She asked me to make her a bag...she loved it...had a lot of people want the pattern, so here it is.

It's a simple bag to make with a pocket on the outside for keys and phone.  The inside has 6 pockets, Yes, I said 6!  And it could have more depending on how you customize them.

The strap is long enough to put over your head or it can be shortened.  Bag closure is Velcro.

To give the bag more form I used Soft and Stable (a thin foam like material)...love the stuff!

I guarantee this is an easy bag to make...let me know if you have any questions.  Pattern can be purchased on my website, Etsy, or at Greenbaum's Quilted Forest.  It will also be on display at International Quilt Market in Portland in May!

Thank you Timeless Treasures for the fabric!

ps. the model is my daughter...sorry you can't see her beautiful face.

My love for sewing...

A friend just sent me this photo and I had to share...yes, this is me sitting in front of my mother's Featherweight when I was 8.  I am reminded that my 'love for sewing' started at a young age.  We were living in Alaska near a town called Wrangel, out in the middle of nowhere...fun memories.  My mom still has that little Featherweight and I might have one or two also ;)

Have you ever wanted to sew or create something with your hands?...for me it's a daily need.  If you have that desire, but are scared to begin...I encourage you today to do just one small step to start the process.  Maybe it's a trip to your local craft store to browse, maybe it's just picking up a pencil and making some sketches on paper, maybe it's looking thru a magazine to get some ideas...no matter what you decide to do, just take a step, then tomorrow take another step, and the next day another.  It takes many steps to accomplish a goal, but you can do it.

Show and Tell Tuesday...Pom Poms

Every day my thoughts and actions are all about getting ready for Market...but, once in awhile I do get to enjoy some time to look through blogs and I came across this great tutorial on making pom poms.  I always thought to make them a fancy tool was needed, but not the case when Dana makes them.

Enjoy the tutorial and visit Dana's site...she has great sewing and craft projects, and takes fantastic photos, as well as always has fabulous painted nails.

Show and Tell Tuesday

Tax time...ugh!  Does this scene look familiar in your house?  And it never fails every year that there is one receipt hiding from me...and, no, it's not the one in the photo ;)  I will keep up my search till that little booger is found, or die trying.

 But why is it when I should be looking for receipts I want to be sifting thru my fabric dreaming of what I'm going to make with it...like the chickens above.  My plan is to make kitchen curtains out of all three prints.  It's no secret in my house that I want real chickens someday when we live in the country...so maybe my husband will get sick of seeing them posted all thru the house and get me some real ones. tee, hee

 In the meantime...I will resume my search and daydream of good hair days and pretty little house quilts that hopefully someday I will get to make...

 Oh, and one more thing...see the scissors below? Yes, those are fabric scissors, not Rose Bush snippers. :)  They are the sharpest little scissor and great for snipping Rag Edge Quilts.  The spring loaded action makes them easy on the hands.  Leave me a message and I can tell you the brand name...for some reason it alludes me right now, just like that receipt.  Toodles!

Quilt Market Preparations

  Today has been busy...I've been working at my computer most of the day working on getting patterns to the print shop (Inkspot of Salem, Oregon) where Jim does an amazing job at making my photos sparkle and then prints them.  It takes a lot of computer time to get patterns ready for printing and that's where I've been spending most of my time.  From taking the pattern front photos to typing the last step of the pattern to stuffing them into bags...I do it all (with tons of help from my husband and children too).  They are good stuffers.

So with coffee in hand (at 1:05pm) I'm ready to get back at it, after running to the Sign shop (One Day Signs) to get my booth sign printed for Market.


In the midst of all my bag making and pattern writing, I did manage to buy some beautiful linen, cut 18" squares, serge the edges, and make cloth napkins.  I had hoped to use them for Easter dinner, but didn't quite get the lace put on.  I was thrilled that my serger worked perfectly and the stitch looked real nice.  I used a 3 thread rolled edge...whoooo, hoooo, I like that.

 
Needless to say, my house is overrun with bags right now. :)  But my family doesn't seem to mind...they are so kind.

 

Flag Quilt by Tom

It sure does my heart good when I see the result of creating a pattern that even a man would enjoy making.

This is Tom and he just finished the Frizzled Flag Quilt and he came to the shop to show it off.

Wow!!! He did a fantastic job!

The pattern can be purchased by clicking on the link to the right. Happy Sewing!

Show and Tell Tuesday...International Quilt Market

I started my sewing journey about 18 years ago.  I was living in Alaska working as a cook in a logging camp.  Each meal I made served about 100 men so needless to say when I got married...well, you can imagine I cooked enough for way too many people.  I had to learn how to scale it way back.  In between cooking all that food I found myself looking for a hobby and in the little town of Hoonah there was a quaint little fabric store and the owner introduced me to rotary cutting.  Which by the way, I still have the same mat and rotary cutter from all those years ago.  Don't worry, I've changed the blade since.

I was immediately hooked on piecing quilt tops and have never stopped.  One of the very first classes I ever took was at Greenbaum's Quilted Forest in Salem, Oregon after leaving Alaska.  I made Eleanor Burn's Double Irish Chain from Quilt in a Day.  To this day it is still used on our bed. 

As well as quilting, I have made a lot of bags...let's say probably around 300 at least.  I worked with a friend making customized bags and we were busy.  What a huge learning experience that was for my sewing skills...I'm pretty sure I could make just about any bag/tote while asleep.  Now I'm fully immersed at Greenbaum's Quilted Forest teaching, selling fabric, and writing sewing patterns.

This has all lead to the next step in my journey which is going to International Quilt Market.  What's that? you say.  I remember a few years ago wondering the very same thing.  So over the years I've read about, and asked people 'in the know' many questions about Market.  And after feeling confident enough and selling a few patterns here and there I decided to take the plunge and apply to be a vendor.

To those not in the sewing/quilting world...I explain it to them as a very large trade show, then they seem to understand better the big picture.  Too me though, it's like a HUGE candy store full of beautiful yummy treats to look at and learn from.  Not to mention all the very talented people/artists who will be vendors there as well.

So to sum Market up...spaces are rented to those selling their sewing related wares, it's wholesale buying so it's not open to the public, it's a high paced weekend full of meeting new people, learning, and hopefully above all else getting my name out there to quilt shops and distributors all around the country.

My house is a buz getting ready for Market.  I will show photos of my booth at a later date, so please visit me again.

Here's bird's eye view of Market in Salt Lake City.  I've also attached a link down below of some other photos I found that are fun to look at especially if you have an interest in being a vendor someday.


Happy Tuesday!   Hawthorne Thread

Show and Tell Tuesday...Liberty Love and Fabric Too

Today I'm 'Showing and Telling' a new book...Liberty Love!  This book has a great selection of quilts, small sewing projects, and clothing made from Liberty Love prints.  Liberty Love prints to me are a collection of vintage inspired designs.  The fabric is so pretty, but the real reason I love this book so much is the Spool Quilt below.

 I've always been in love with quilts with thread spools in them.  I also thought this quilt would be a super great way to use fabric from my stash...you know, the big tubs that are spilling over because they are so full.

I also picked up a few half yards recently of a collection called 'Center City' by Jay McCarroll for FreeSpirit fabrics.  Love the colors and geometric shapes.  I threw in a blue linen and a green Kona cotton...I think I see a bag out of these or placemats.  I just can't decided.

It's Friday!

I'm so happy to be home sewing today, but before I sit down at my sewing machine I thought I would write a bit about my goings on this past week...I will start with the biggest news first! ;)

1.  I've embarked on a 30 day nutritional program called "Isagenix"...lost 9 pounds and 11" in 10 days.  I'm super duper excited at this accomplishment so far and can't wait to see where I end up at the end of 30 days.

 










 2.  Getting panicky about getting everything done for Quilt Market.  I will be sewing 24 hours a day until then.
3.  Thankful for my father-in-law who made me beautiful tables for my Market booth.  He is the BEST!
4.  Highly annoyed that my doctor miscoded blood work so insurance won't pay....working on getting that fixed...

5.  Super excited to see a HUGE improvement in my daughter's Volleyball skills.  At 6'2" she is finally figuring out how to blocks those balls at the net and is slamming them to the ground.  I'm a proud mamma.  (she is number 12 in photo)

6.  Thrilled to watch my youngest daughter play her violin at her orchestra concert this week. She's playing so good...and she's so cute too.
7.  Finally getting caught up on laundry...aren't you happy to know that. :)
8.  So thankful for my husband!

Well, that just about sums up the week.  I would love to hear your 'going's on'...leave me a comment.

Show and Tell Tuesday

My dear friends had twins awhile back...in my hopes to find the perfect gift, I strolled thru one of my favorite places to shop - Aunt Bee's House - and found the photos you see above with the letters G and E in them which represent the babies first letter in their names.  I thought the photos were so clever, and decided they would be perfect for a framed piece.

I purchased a frame, some wonderful scrapbooking paper and went to work...it was very easy and didn't take too much expertise (which I do not have in the paper crafting world).  I stuck some little corner doodads on the photos and pressed them in place.  Cut a square of burlap and taped it down (which by the way...double sided sticky tape is a dream).  For the saying I used rub on stickers and Voila! a perfect gift for two perfect babies.

Happy Tuesday! janae'