Evening Edition–Free Kindle Book!

I'm sewing, I'm sewing! Ooohhh...even got my block done for the NEXT after the NEXT issue of 100 blocks by 100 designers. How's that for planning ahead?

I've decided that I just can't go to TN this week. It's time to be a bit realistic...you really CAN'T do it all, can you? Though I wish I could!

In the mean time --

I just found this little who-done-it murder mystery, and it’s free in the Kindle store today.

Dead Deceiver is written by Victoria Houston.

Book Description:

In Loon Lake, Wisconsin, a woman is murdered, her body discovered under a bridge. But Lew Ferris, chief of police, has his mind on another case—a local woman claims she’s being stalked. Is the woman, a former nun with possible psychological problems, imagining it, or is someone really terrorizing her?

The latest Loon Lake mystery, like its predecessors, depends on its characters to propel readers through the story: Lew, Doc Osborne, likable Ray Pradt (who, in this book, is angling for a part on a new reality TV show about ice fishermen), and the newcomers, alleged stalker victim Patience Schumacher and her husband, Charles Mason. The nice thing about the book is that fans of the series will enjoy reuniting with some old friends, and newcomers can jump right in and have a great time.

It just sounds like a good read, stack it up with the others, I’m ready!

As usual, check the price before clicking in case it has gone from being free, back to NON free again. Prices can change without notice, and I get these out to you as soon as I can.

Storm Lake, Day Two!

Saturday was our My Blue Heaven workshop! Of course, the fun of that workshop is seeing them go from Blue to Red to Pink to Purple, to Green, to Brown and every color in between!

I love getting to know the Quilters, and the funny things that come up in conversations! You’d be amazed at the things you can learn by simply walking around the room and tuning in to what is being said…bet you can’t guess what was said over this rotary blade you see to the left!

“THIS is what happens when you cut through the cord of your Ott Light!”

“Really? Why were you cutting through the cord anyway? You should have unplugged it first!”

“I wasn’t TRYING to cut through it! And if I had, I would have unplugged it first!”

Too hilarious! And the Quilter said that her hubby offered to take it in to work and fix it for her there by splicing an old lamp cord to it. My favorite comment of all?

“I can just see them standing around watching my DH fix this thing…and what will DH say? The Famous Five Words: MY WIFE IS A QUILTER!!” NUFF SAID!!

*Disclaimer* We do not advocate running over ott light cords with your rotary cutter. it can be HECK on a new blade!

O

One of These Things is NOT like the Others! LOL!! We are the cheddar sandwich! I swear..I thought these two gals were SISTERS! Can you think of any other mother/daughter team that looks more alike? And they are both so fun to be around. This is Jo of Jo’s Country Junction and her daughter Kelli!

They went over to the school bookstore and bought these Cheddar Tshirts….I guess they wanted to match the leader/ender bow ties that Jo was sewing in between the lines of her chain piecing!

Aren’t these the cutest little Beezers?!? LOVE THEM!!

I also love how inventive Quilters are at expanding to fill the space they’ve been given…and when it is close quarters? We use the white-board try to hold our extra cut out parts! ((do you know how hard it is for me not to call that a CHALK BOARD still!? Oy! Am I giving away my AGE or what?!))

The silly girls had me SIGN the shirts!!

And I got back at them with bunny ears over their heads… hehehehe! Jo! What is your hand doing on my butt, girl?! LOL!!

So…how are YOUR Leader/Ender bowties coming?! I think I’ve got…ummm……18….but we discovered something, if you can’t stomach the color of Cheddar…just think of it as MARIGOLD! We saw some of the most beautiful marigolds in the school landscape, and it was gorgeous with every other color that was around it…so just think..MARIGOLD!

So on to the pictures!! I hope you will click to view them full sized….I don’t think that the “slide show” where it runs on its own works anymore…at least it hasn’t on my end, but you can still click the arrow to go from one to the next to the next ---

		My Blue Heaven, Storm Lake, IA 2011 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I’m trying to get all my work done so I can take a road trip THURSDAY with some friends to TN ((!!!)) How can I resist?! I “SO” want to go…..but do I dare? I said if I can get caught up on a few things I might be able to go. “MIGHT” But but but but, oh how I want to go! And they are ploying me with temptations like

“ We are planning on going to Tennessee Quilt Shop and the quilt festival, then stopping at Batiks Etc. In Wytheville on the way home.”

Can they MAKE it any harder to say NO!?? I need to decide by this time tomorrow, so I better get off here and go get some work done!

From Small To Tiny!!

How small do YOU consider as TOO SMALL!

I was working away on my border section for my hexagon medallion during show and tell-- before my lecture on Friday night…and one of the quilters in front of me held out her hand, uncurled her fingers around what she was holding, and I couldn’t believe my eyes!

She handed me that tiny little hexagon rosette sitting there next to my thimble. And then she showed me the whole piece she had been working on.

The one thing she said that she had to pay attention to was SCALE…the fabrics really can’t have the design spread way far apart, and the size of the motifs has to be fairly small or all 6 petals around the center will look too different from each other.

I love how she's fussy cut the yellow centers to include those tulips! PRECIOUS!

Don’t they make my hexies look HUMONGOUS?!

And mine are 3/4” per side…fairly on the small side!

I know THIS doesn’t look like much….but it’s the bottom edge…..((But guess what? I just counted and this much is 126 hexes!! Oy! So far to go yet!)) There is a row of Red units that will go up the side too, It’s been weird figuring this out because things don’t always turn corners the way you want them to…so I balanced it out in the centers of the borders..and let the ends fall where they may, thanks to the inspiration from antique mosaic quilts.

There is just going to be a whole LOT of neutral hexies that will be filling in big open areas. But I think the quilt needs that space to balance out how busy the center is. Neutral hexies…hundreds of them…guess what I’ll be working on all the way to Alaska and back?!

I’ve spent the day catching up on stuff…The pet sitter Deby came by, and she and Sadie got along famously. She’ll take care of the cats, bring in the mail, water my ONE plant…..and this is a huge load off my mind!

Renting a car in Alaska costs an arm and a leg! But it’s a trip of a life time. Same with hotels…I’m sure it will be “PRICELESS” in memory, but it sure hurts to book it!

Like a Bunch of Wild Animals!

I made it home last evening with only an extra hour spent in Chicago. YAY!! I’d consider that “pretty much” on time as far as delays go.

I just stitched hexagons all the way home…making progress on my filling in around the medallion. More pics of that to come later!

((Note to self -- Cut more NEUTRALS out before next road trip!!))

Our weekend was spent at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. I’ve been informed that it is pronounced BEEEWWWWWNA Vista, Not Bwayna Vista! This always cracks me up! I remember moving to South Carolina, and the first time I went to meet Siobhan and Tonya in Augusta, GA….I was told the neighboring town, Martinez, is NOT called MARTEEEEEENEZ, It’s Martin-ehz. Weird. Especially for someone who grew up in the Bay Area of California, and everything has hispanic roots and it definitely would have been MARTEEENez. :cD

So..back to the university! Our classrooms were in the science building! And we were greeted by copious amounts of…….TAXIDERMY!!

It was really very cool, as far as stuffed animals go. I can see why the students would find the science department an interesting place for hands on learning! Biology of all creatures, you know? This guy was saying “Keep away from my fat quarters!!”

This guy was saying ---- “I know I left my rotary cutter somewhere!!”

This guy was saying “Yes, I do believe you can cut stripes off grain and mix them with polka dots!”

This one was wondering whether she could mix batiks and animal prints together ;c)

And THESE animals were having a great time even in close quarters! They came from Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Missouri and beyond. And we sewed!

I will say, that this retreat wins hands down ((or is that bottoms down?!)) for the BEST SEWING CHAIR AWARD! Everyone had comfy office chairs that we could raise and lower to whatever height we needed. And when you are sewing like a bunch of wild animals for 2 days straight, we need good chairs!

Friday’s workshop was Pineapple Blossom……and we had many blossoms in many colors going on. I love this class, the blocks are easy, the designs made with them are striking, and you can change up the options to create even more different looks!

		Pineapple Blossom Storm Lake IA 2011 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

It was an incredibly fun day! We left the heat and humidity outside, and stayed in and sewed our brains out! And if you happen to spy some little bow ties in the pics above....Some industrious someone was using them as leaders/enders! YAY!

I love this pic of Jo from Jo’s Country Junction and her daughter Kelli……Like Mother, Like Daughter, look at that long line of chain piecing!!

Here’s Jo laying out her blocks in the hallway! Aren’t they looking yummy?!

Jo, Kelli, Amy, Kathy ((all of the 14 Kathys LOL!)) Janell, everyone --- Thank you so much for the terrific welcome and a fantastic weekend!

Me, Amy and another of Amy’s online friends, Anne! Amy came from Wisconsin, her friend from Missouri!

There are more photos to post, but I’ve got a pet sitter coming by to interview for taking care of the animals while DH & I are in Alaska in a couple weeks. ((ALASKA!!! I am so stinking excited I can barely stand it!))

Stay Tuned…more to come later!