Sunday, January 31, 2010

Road Trip....And New Tote


What's better than a Shop Hop? Warehouse shopping of course!

And what a way to end the first month of a new decade - a road trip with a side trip to my favorite fabric manufacturer, P & B Fabrics in Dallas!

Okay, so my new A-1 Quilting Machine customer lives in Stephenville, that's just a little southwest of Dallas right? Close enough for a detour - when fabric calls my name I listen (grin).

Imagine walking through a working warehouse with row upon row upon row of luscious fabric collections begging to jump into your rolling cart. Truly overwhelming to the first-timer but so welcomed to a seasoned shopper!

This was one of my most conservative shopping sprees, I've been known to have several layers on my cart - but after awhile, even the most avid shopper can realize there's just so many places to store bolts of fabric IF you aren't a quilt shop! In my defense, these bolts are for future class samples as well as quilt samples that will adorn my studio wall or in a future booth at a quilt show...and I was a little shy on some brights (grin), and I added to my collection some beautiful black and whites for which I have grand plans!



I just love 'field trips' and watching people do their jobs, ever thought about the fellows that roll your fabric on the bolt, or the gals who pull the orders to be shipped to your favorite quilt shop? Becha' didn't know that they work in an un-air conditioned, un-heated warehouse! Yep, it's hot in the summer and cold in the winter, yet these faithful workers just mill about quietly doing their job, looking up every now and then to the occasional wholesale shopper who has come to pick out their own order. I love going to P&B, everyone there is so nice and helpful. I make it a point to 'swing by' whenever a road trip steers me in that direction!

I've always loved road trips. When I was a child we had the normal 'going to grandma's' road trips. I'll never forget the 200+ miles in our blue VW bug with my sister and I in the backseat. It's amazing the positions a kid can get into riding in the backseat of a bug - sometimes I'd be laying down with my head at the 'don't cross the center' line and my feet up on the window casually reading a book as my sister did whatever it was she did. We'd sing commercial tunes - remember "oh a kid will eat the middle of an oreo first and save the chocolate cookie outside for last" or "zestfully clean...." or "my bolonia has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R" To this day my sister can burst out in song at the slighest reminder of some of those old jingles.

When my hubby and then teenage sons lived and worked on the road, I continued to do a lot of reading or napping. It got to be that if I wasn't snacking to stay awake I was sleeping, and that's when I was driving! The past couple of years I've finally outgrown that, and now can manage driving long distances without nodding off. I've learned to appreciate the solitude, even with others in the car who might be napping, it's a time to think, or not to think as the case may be. It's a time to enjoy the outdoors from the climate controlled atmosphere of my car. A time to discover new things, along the road, or within me. A time to just relax, not answer the phone, not check email, not have to be accountable to anyone for a brief period of time.

Needless to say this trip was no different...and yet it was. This road trip was a time of refreshing for me. Seems sometimes life gets confusing, so many things coming at you in so many different directions, good, bad, indifferent. Just a lot of stuff to process and it can be overwhelming. Behind the wheel on a road trip is a time to leave all that behind and rediscover the adventure of living again. Being spontaneous a little in trying to discover fun things along the way... feeling carefree with the only goal of making it to the fabric warehouse before they closed and making it out of Dallas before the rush hour (grin). The only negative was being in the dark on back country roads worrying about deer. Yep, next time I start out earlier!

We enjoyed getting to know our new A-1 family member, Carla, and setting up her machine. It's always such a joy to me to see the excitement with a new longarm quilter as her dreams have finally come true, this new huge quilting machine has been put together in her studio and now she has the opportunity to learn how to use it to fulfill her desire to make beautiful quilts. It's a passion shared and creates a unique bond, quilter to quilter. Yep, a new family member, a new friend, a new longarm quilter eager to jump past the learning curve and spread her wings and watch that needle fly across the fabric with all sorts of creative designs! Have I mentioned that I love my job!

As we travel across Texas on these A-1 set-up road trips we try to discover local places to eat and not the typical franchises that we find at home. We weren't disappointed in Stephenville!



By far I had the best fillet I've ever had at the Fiddle Creek Steakhouse. The atmosphere was totally Texan as was the hospitality. A wonderful way to end a successful set up.

We were eager to be on the road the next morning as overnight temperatures dropped and we were concerned about freezing rain. A little concerned when I couldn't get the passenger door open due to the rain freezing in the locks, but was able to crawl through the driver's side. I could just kiss whoever it was that invented seat heaters! Oh my, this gal couldn't wait to head south in hopes of warming up! Can't believe I'm such a wimp after living almost 20 years in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee where we had regular snow and occasional blizzards. Now I feel frost bit if the temperature goes below 50 degrees!

Another nice little surprise on the journey home...a wonderful treasure in Huntsville next to the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church -- Church BBQ!


This tiny little building houses the best BBQ and the nicest folks. Very casual, very reminiscent of church pot-luck dinners ... with the exception, it's ALL bar-be-que. Just walking in the door and smelling the smokers outside was enough to work up a big appetite, road trips make me hungry!!

Well, I'm home now and still cold. I'm wishing that since this is the last day of January that it's the last day of winter. Wishful thinking, but I'm hopeful (grin).

Since it's Sunday it's my "day off" and I've enjoyed my afternoon after worship....making another new tote for future road trips....

Penny asked the other day about my press... I bought this one on the recommendation of my best friend in Tennessee. She has a Simplicity Press and steered me towards a company called All Brands I decided I might need one as I have several t-shirt quilts coming up soon and loathed the idea of pressing on interfacing. I chose this model because it wasn't too big and wasn't too pricey.


Here you can see me making good use of the press on today's project - it was so much nicer to steam press the fusible Pellon to my fabric in one giant area in just seconds instead of standing over a hot iron pressing and pressing little areas for hours! I am really feeling spoiled!


So what did I make today? The outer shell of Amy Butler's Weekender Travel Bag It helped that I had previously prepared the cording when I made the Carry All a few weeks go. I had really hoped to finish as there is just one more Sunday afternoon "day off" before the next trip, but alas, I still have to do the lining.



Weekender on the left, Carry All on the right. Pixxie no where in sight. (sigh) I tried, but the poor pup was buried in the Man Cave under two quilts and I didn't have the heart to disturb her - Chihuahua's don't do cold either.

I plan on adding several pockets to the interior and then making several zippered bags to carry my various toiletries on the up coming trip - this time no 'road' just a big beautiful ocean as we cruise south to warmer weather! Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself...lots to do in the next few weeks...maybe I can steal away a few minutes at lunch this next week to continue working on this project, or blow the quitin' time whistle a little early....tempting!

So I'm closing out the month with the return of sanity. No more focusing on things that can't be changed or understood. Just resting in the fact that everything that comes my way has already been filtered through my Father's hands. He cares for me and wants the best for me, so why should I worry? The worst that could happen would be to die, but as Paul said in Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain....if I die (when I die) I'm going to be with the Lord - see I've read the book, and in the end, we win! Life here is just a journey and an adventure, one that is full of amazement, wonder, and in my studio, endless possibilities! Stay tuned. I have lots and lots of totes and bags planned this year as I've stocked up on lots and lots of patterns and books! Yep, this is the year of the return of the bag lady!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

A Time of Distraction, Discovery and Delight

It's been a while since I've rambled, well, online at least!

I've been delightfully distracted lately. In several ways actually. I'll share just a few.

I don't think I can count a lunch out with my youngest son as a distraction, but it was a delight as we enjoyed a Sunday lunch together. And a rare photo op so thanks for indulging me (grin)


I've discovered something this week. A new use for tearaway stabilizer - and I don't even own an embroidery machine! I actually have several ideas for this product, Stabilglider Embroidery Stabilizers: Fil-Tec's Tear Away Backing, but one I'll share in this post.

I had a customer request for butterflies in the background that matched the butterflies in her border fabric. Now, you can add this to your growing fact file of the things I like, and that's butterflies. Especially the delight in seeing real ones on an afternoon in the park. Several years ago I tweaked Jamie Wallen's trademark dragonfly to become my Quilts 'N Kaboodle butterfly logo - making it first on a tote bag I designed to carry at the Houston Quilt Market/Festival (you can see it in webshots) and later having that same photo on my business cards. So I'm no stranger to quilting butterflies, but I had my own style. The request was for one that resembled the ones in the fabric.

Okay. I can do that. First thought about just tracing the figure with blue washout pen on the background and then realized that I really didn't want to mark the quilt top, so thought of my standby of Golden Threads tear-away paper, but in the past had been disappointed becuase it would shift on me and it was a nightmare to get all the paper pieces removed from the project...then I thought AH HA why not use Fil-Tec's tearaway stabilzier - why not indeed!

I appologize in advance for the sideways photo, blogger is acting up again. So I used my blue marking pen and drew out the shape I wanted to quilt - and of course, decided it would be in my best interest to try this on a practice fabric prior to quilting the customer quilt!


I chose to use the wash out pen for my outline in the event that my needle would push the ink down into the fabric - this way it would at least wash out verses using a sharpie and it being in the fabric forever and ever amen (ask me how I know)

Okay, so I bobbled on the outline, but it was practice so ignore the goof up - focus instead on how easy the product tore away from my stitches without disturbing them! I'm hooked on this new way of transfer!


Here is the "real thing" in the customer quilt. Do you recognize my fiddle faddle feather puff meanderings in the background? Something I drew on a napkin at lunch a week or so ago.


I love distractions! Sometimes its an email from a dear friend, or a text saying let's meet for lunch, or packages in the mail! Not too long ago I received a delightful package in the mail.


It's so much fun to fondle fabric - the bright colors just call my name. I have such plans for these temptations!

Actually, all the major shipping companies were ringing my doorbell this past week - here's another new addition to my studio, an iron press. I quickly put it to good use this afternoon as I prepared eagerly for my "day off" - my day to delight in the desires of my heart totally uninhibited by any "to do list" or other obligation, taking a break only for nurishment - both physically and emotionally. Laughter is good medicine too.


For some reason I'm really into purses and totes. Another fact to add to your file on the Quilt Rambler, I'm a self-professed Bag Lady!

So today, using my new fabrics from P& B called Paulina and a pattern from Lazy Girl Designs called Summer Tote as well as my new iron press I was totally distracted from any other activity and focused on making a new bag.


I did change the pattern up a tad, I am into zippers right now too (another tid-bit) so I adapted a technique I've learned to make the inside pocket a double pocket, a zippered area as well as a pocket behind the zippered pocket.

The bag went together very nicely and Pixxie was pleased as punch to expand her duties as Professional Quilt Model to include modeling with my latest creations. To her it all pays the same. Sit still, wait for the flash, then jump up and beg for a treat!


The black bag is one I started earlier this year but discarded due to waiting on a tool to be able to trim the piping. It's an Amy Butler Design called Sophia Carry All. I carried it as a purse this week, but neglected to put an outside pocket for my cell phone (sigh) so I think I'm going to use it as a carry all for makeup and such when I travel. I have plans for a larger matching bag called Weekender Travel Bag... I finished up the Carry All sometime between my last post and now, and didn't have time to post photos due to other delightful distractions so I included it with this one, got a two-fer from Pixxie, two purse poses for one treat!

Well, the night was still young so decided to work on another pattern by Lazy Girl Designs, called Wonder Wallet. Again I changed up the pattern to include a zipper - they were using Velcro for the change pocket.



What I like about this little wallet is it's small size. It will fit in my hip pocket on my jeans so if I need to run out somewhere real quick and don't want to carry a big purse, such as a walk where I only have my phone and my wallet, I can do so. Notice the little butterfly closure (grin)


Here's another close up of my new purse - I added a key clasp that actually flips inside the interior so no more fumbling in my purse for keys. I like the outside pockets on this purse, as you can see there's a special place to keep my phone in easy reach.


All ready for a day out! Oh! I neglected to mention some of my adventures 'out' this week - three quilt guild meetings in one week! What a schedule to keep up with, but what a delight! I truly needed inspiring this week, and hearing national teachers and seeing their trunk show was simply wonderful. But more wonderful has been the times spent with friends. I am truly blessed to have such amazing friends. Time to talk, to catch up, to laugh, to be outside on these few rare days of sunshine - the kind of distraction I'd like to have more of! Yep, nothing better than the delight and discovery in the distraction of spending time with those who are special in my life.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Extended Lunch - taking advantage of the sunshine


If you've been following my blog then you know how much I love going to Galveston. Since Hurricane Ike those visits have been few and far between, at least the day time visits when I have time to walk on the seawall - as I do go to the Island Quilters Guild evening meetings as much as possible.

Well, today was just too nice of a day to stay inside - I was tempted by the offer of an "extended lunch" and I was most eager to head south.

It's always fun to see the positive changes each time I visit the island post Ike. Today was no exception. After a wonderful lunch at The Spot it was time to walk the seawall.

The building behind me was totally washed away with Ike, I blogged about it a month after Ike, you can click here if you want to read about it. Hope. Today was the first time we've been to the Island since the gift shop has reopened. How do you like my new hat?


The Flagship Hotel, above, is still in a state of ruin. But even that couldn't put a damper on the beautiful day and how much I enjoyed being outside. So many memories in Galveston, it's a great escape and I love anytime I get to go there.

Now for those of you who think I play too much and don't get enough work in those "work hours" I'll have you know that I "doodled" some designs on my paper towel (The Spot's version of a napkin) while waiting for my lunch!



Who knows, might make some nice background fill in the next quilt. Hum....aren't most brilliant ideas first sketched out on napkins? (grin)

All too soon my extended lunch break was over and it was time to head back to the studio....I noticed that my thread catching cup was overflowing and figured that was a good excuse to go outside again for a minute....


See, I like to put my threads out for the birds. I somehow dream of them eagerly picking out their favorite color to line their nests. Alas, I've never seen any threads in nests, haven't even seen the nests...


But my offering is out there spread out on the burn pile so as not to clog up the lawn mower like I sometimes clog up my vacuum cleaner. Whether the wind blows it or the birds indeed find a treasure I may never know...

Back to work...have a beautiful colorful quilt on my frame that is as bright as the mood I'm today.

Gotta love what I do! Freedom to work, play, enjoy - who could ask for more!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

The First Week of the Rest of My Life


I love the opportunity for new beginnings. Sundays are my all time favorite day of the week because that is my time for refreshing and worship. I count Mondays as good too because even though technically they are the second day of the week I think of them as the first day of my work week and I'm always eager to see where the week will lead me. The first of a month is fun because I get to turn to a new page on my calendar, there's a whole clean slate and days waiting to be filled - an opportunity to write my own history. New years are the epitome of newness. All of these are opportunities to start over, to put off the past both the joys and the failures, and to look with anticipation of the new day/week/month/year. The first day of the rest of my life awaits me fresh each morning. A day full of choices. My goal is to chose JOY!

I also like starting a new quilt. And what fun when I can start a new one on Monday and watch it's progress during the week. It amazes me how a pieced top can change so much while it's on the quilt frame. Little by little, row by row, stitches are added in an effort to complete the quilt. The hard part is being patient - I want to see how it's going to turn out! But that takes diligence, focus, and just plain hard work to put all those stitches in so I can "visualize" the finished quilt. (Sad thing, unless I'm doing the binding I really don't get to see the final quilt, as the binding adds another finishing design element to the quilt, but that's another rambler story!)

It's a new year and I'm ready for new things. Can't imagine what the future holds, but I know Who holds my future! It's a trust thing for me. Faith.

I also like new design elements and fresh ideas for my quilting. It's good to review things of the past and then see how to improve upon them, to grow with my passion. That happened this week with a new little design I like to call "Feather Puffs"



The design is a spin off of one of Irena Bluhm's designs. I have to admit, it's also a spin off from a scene in the movie Avatar. A small disclaimer here, while I enjoyed the movie for it's creativity and special effects I didn't like all the hidden messages including the pantheism - that of nature and God being equivalent. Tree hugger I'm not. But! With discernment I really enjoyed the visual sites in this movie including a beautiful seed pod that floated through the air, pretty much like blowing of a dandelion seed pod as a child and watching it take flight, with the added grace of jellyfish/sea anomee like movements.

It was with these thoughts that I decided to play around with adding "feather puffs" on the quilt gracing my frame this week. The one above became the design element in the chain blocks and little minature 'puffs' were sprinkled in along the border. The movement in these elements was very joyful and freeing this week. I was quilting in my element and enjoying the process.



I also wanted to take some photos of how I do feathers. The other day I mentioned in My Garden Grows Feathers how much I enjoy feathers and have worked really hard to learn many different types. So here's a little taste of how a formal feather plume grows under my hand guided longarm.


Basic stitched stem/vine/spine


I start in the middle and work my way towards the curl.
These are formal feathers sometimes called over the top
or hump and bump because every other one has
to be back tracked over the hump to form the following plume.

I like to work both sides of the stem instead of going down one side
and then back up the other. I think it's faster and funner (grin)

Once I've reached the curl I retrace or back track over the spine back
to the center and do the other side


Once the feather design element is complete I then add background filler
so it's not just floating out there (grin)


This is the completed quilt.


and close ups



The customer picked up her quilt today and expressed her pleasure, which of course completed my pleasure. Happy ending (grin). Actually, it's just the beginning for this quilt, it now needs to be bound and prepared to hang in a local quilt show next month, which I hope to attend!


So going back to the thought of improving with time...what do you think? Here's my feather of 2010 and..


here's my feathers of 2006 from a quilt called Purple Passions Unleashed


I'd like to think that I've improved with age (big grin)
and the best is yet to be!
After all, it's the first day of the rest of my life!


Monday, January 4, 2010

A Ray of Sunshine


I think I've mentioned before that I don't do cold (give me a tropical vacation any day!) nor do I handle dark depressing days very well. Seems we've had a lot of that lately. Sometimes it seems like it's been years...

Then out of the blue there was a ray of sunshine, and I took it as a time of rejoicing.

After running my errands I decided to drive through the local Mickey D's to get a coke and then knew I needed to go to the bay to unwind, reflect, pray.

I've gotten in the habit of bringing my camera where ever I go - never know when I'll see something inspiring (grin). Well, I realize that the Bacliff pier isn't that inspiring, but the calmness of the water and the brightness of the day was what I wanted to capture and record.

I can do a lot of thinking watching the water. Pondering really. Soul cleansing perhaps. Reflecting on the interesting twists in life. Sometimes life can throw some mean curve balls, other times there's so much joy that that too can be overwhelming or even confusing.

A new year, a renewed hope, a reminder that I'm not who I was, but that I'm still becoming who I am to be. A refreshing new knowledge that I'm loved for who I was, who I am, and who I will be. That I am truly blessed....

Deep thoughts for this shallow mind (grin). And all that from a ray of sunshine that just popped into my life today and distracted me for a little while from my work.

Tomorrow I'll post progress photos of the current quilt on the frame - it's a real beauty with fall leaves. I'm enjoying working on it. I hope that my customer is pleased with my efforts.

Time will tell. About a lot of things.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

My Garden Grows Feathers

I'm not a gardener, by any means, not even of the 'fake' version - my silk plants grow way too much dust to even pretend to look real. I've known folks who truly enjoy working the soil, perhaps growing beautiful roses or even veggies that they share with those around them, or just enjoying a beautiful yard. Me, I grow quilts.

I don't particularly grow the floral ones very often, I tend to lean towards bright, bold and sometimes juvenile fabrics in my creations. One thing I do like, and that's a lot of color! Especially if there's a hint of purple...

The fabric from my newest quilted quilt is leftover from a project I started several years ago, a Stack 'N Whack butterfly quilt (did I mention that I like butterflies?). I really like pansies (too), in fact I have this same line of fabric in purple in other quilts from my 'early days' as a quilter. I found myself drawn to this print in my stash a year or so ago when I needed to make a Square in a Square class sample called Garden Party. Fitting. So, the piece was pieced, the class taught, and the quilt top went into the "quilts in waiting" pile and forgotten about.

Until this week. My "personal quilting vacation" that I try to schedule annually between Christmas and New Years. Yep. It was time to quilt this quilt. Interestingly enough, beginning my One Year Bible again yesterday I thought about the Garden of Eden as the reading was in Genesis (the book of beginnings!)...I had my own garden on the frame...invoking thoughts of warmer days (I don't do winter very well, give me endless summer, walks in the park, sitting by the shore watching the waves, keyword WARM!!)...the beginning of a new year, a fresh start...happily I quilted along!

Did I mention that I love to quilt feathers? I don't know what it is about them, but I've been drawn to feathers since before I had a longarm. I've struggled with feathers, believe me, I've struggled. Some of my first ones looked more like sad half hearts instead of the long slender plumes I envisioned. But as they say, it takes practice...so whenever I have the opportunity, I practice!


I couldn't decide if I wanted to do 'longarm' feathers (above) or 'formal' feathers (below) So I did both! Practice, practice, practice!



Then to finish it off I wrapped small formal feathers around the narrow border and flowing formal feathers in the wide border. It's always hard to decide what to do in a busy printed border as the quilting usually doesn't show up, but that's okay. I know it's there... that and my little "KEO" in the corner marking this quilt as my creation, the work of my hands. Sometimes I hide my initials, but I know they are there, the final signature of the love put into the quilt.


Interestingly enough, I neglected to put the year. Sometimes I do that so I'll remember when, but for some reason I didn't today. Perhaps because this little quilt crossed several years (my how quickly the years pass)...one in the piecing and two in the quilting - New Year's Eve and today! Too bad I didn't realize that today is one of those once in a lifetime days when it's the same both backward and forward... 01.02.2010 now that would have been cool to quilt...

Time. God created it for us. Genesis 1:14 tells us how He put lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night and to serve as signs to mark seasons, days and years.....

Father, we surrender this past year and give it up to You. We give You our failures, our regrets, and our disappointments, for we have no more use for them. Make us now a new people, forgetting what lies behind and pressing on toward that which lies ahead of us.

We give You all our hopes and dreams for the future. Purify them by Your Spirit so that our wills shall truly reflect Your will for us.

As we stand on the threshold of another year, encourage us by our successes of the past, challenge us by the power of Your Word, and guide us by the presence of Your Holy Spirit. --copied--

They say friends are like the garden of life, that when God wants to bless you He puts a person in your life.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

Today my quilt garden grew feathers...

Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31

....and I'm trusting Him to grow my spiritual garden to reflect His love, forgiveness, mercy, restoration, joy, and peace.

My Garden Grows Feathers
41 x 41
Pieced and Quilted by
Karen E Overton

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, think on these things.
Philippians 4:8

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year!


I was hoping to complete a little quilt today and post it as my New Year's greeting (it went on the frame yesterday and only needs borders to be finished)...but alas, cleaning out the closet, bookcase, and kitchen pantry got the best of my day (grin). Seems January has always been a time to clean and re-organize and I truly look forward to it.

Typically I also like to work on a UFO list for the year and pledge to do better than the previous year in knocking some projects off my list...problem is, I'm always adding more! I think I must enjoy the challenge of picking out the pattern, fabrics and planning stage more than I do the completion stage. One reason why I have tried my hand at wholeclothes, a chance to quilt without piecing! There's just not enough hours in my day - sound familiar!

Well, I found a UFO challenge in blogville... Checkout Patchwork Penguin's UFO challenge...I like her idea and her style and encourage you to participate if you too have UFO's, but I'm going to have to do mine a little differently. Being a quilter for hire (as well as an A-1 quilting machine dealer) I never really know how my month is going to turn out, will I have a few hours in the evening after work to devote to my own quilting? How many Sunday afternoons will be taken up with family instead of 'my day off' to quilt? My thinking is to work on my projects as much as I can and in the order of the ones that are nearest completion first! I like the prospect of some-what instant gradification (grin) so picking my own order instead of a random number with a group is going to work best for me.

I've made a list of all the projects that are started already and in those nice little project boxes on my shelf. I'm sure I'll add a few as we go. I'm hoping to learn how to do the html code to be able to draw a line through the ones I've completed cuz knowing me they WON'T be done in the order listed. Anyone that knows how to do this can enlighten me! please!!

As an encouragement I'm going to post photos of completed items - and right now I've got the 2009 album up to remind myself that I did accomplish something last year!



2009 Personal Quilts & Projects

So that's my plan....to reduce my UFO pile, and to quilt up those tops that are "quilts in waiting"....oh, and did I mention going back and putting labels on all the quilts all over the house while I can still remember the names of them and perhaps the dates they were made.

Lots to look forward to in 2010 - and not just quilts! But that's all I want to talk about for now....

The Quilt Rambler,
Karen O in TX