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 April 2008
Well, it’s April already. Spring is coming slowly this year to Missouri but any warmth is welcome after the long, hard winter. Usually I have lots of crocus, tulips and daffodils by now. This year we have one lone daffodil. I don’t know if it was the winter or the very late, very hard, freeze last year. Either way, the daffodil is all by itself so far and it’s almost May. Going to Festival in Chicago sure takes a chunk  out of the month. And I forgot to take my camera so I don’t even have a picture of the booth to show you. The Windy City lived up to it’s name and the winds were cold. But it wasn’t snowing as we drove in like it was last year – just raining. Luckily Chicago knows it’s the Windy City. We can pull into the convention center itself to load and unload and there is covered parking for the show with a walkway to the convention center. Actually, it was one of the most enjoyable Festival’s I’ve ever been too – mostly because I have started giving free demonstrations on needleturn appliqué. We made room at the edge of the booth for a table that would seat 6 people easily. Twice each day I would show people just how easy appliqué can be if you know a few tips I’ve learned over the years.  Cyndee had made up some very simple little kits with a background square and a freezer paper star (points), oak leaf (curves) and berries (circles) ironed onto separate pieces of fabric. Participants would draw around the patterns, cut them out (adding seam allowance, of course) and appliqué them to the background. If you can master points, curves and circles there isn’t much you can’t do in appliqué. So we got to sit and talk and stitch the show away.
I decided to start carrying some of the tools that I use on the website as I was told that some shops don’t carry them. For applique needles, I use Milliners #9 with large eyes so that I can thread them. I always use a sandpaper board to mark my fabric. It holds the fabric snugly in place, keeps it from stretching and makes your drawn line - your stitching line - clearer.  And I found this awesome pencil pack containing yellow and silver marking pencils, a sharpener and fabric eraser. What makes it so great is the sharpener. I really like it much better for sharpening the marking pencils than the electric pencil sharpeners. I use Clover silk pins – they’re very sharp and long (I always weave the pin in and out twice to make sure the appliqué piece stays on the background) and easy to use. And of course, thread – you can get thread at most shops, I don’t need to carry it - but I use Mettler silk finish cotton thread 50 wt. Anyway – check out the What’s New and Accessories page in the catalog for the items we carry.
We also made extras of some small kits (not the teaching kits) that we took with us so we would have some to sell on the website. Cyndee made us some Wild Oak pillowcases to go with the Wild Oak quilt. If you haven’t gotten this kit yet, order it and the pillowcases now. You really don’t want to miss this one. It looks fantastic on a bed.
Then there’s our Crown of Thorns Pillow for your couch or an accent pillow on the bed. Mary’s Basket is a great small, quick kit to bring a new breath of spring and summer into your house as is Tulip Urn.
We’re also offering Hemming House Fat ¼ Bundles and Charm Packs in both the prints and homespuns. And I just couldn’t resist the Jelly Roll Tins.
Another flower block for the 4th block in the Mystery Quilt. See the Home Page and the Mystery Quilt Page for a drawing of the blocks, border and sashing. I’ll get flowers somehow. In the Mystery Quilt and in Spring Fling – our Wallhanging Club offering for April.
A humongous “thank you” to our new webmaster, Shannon, for all of her hard work and great ideas.
And I thought I might get to relax for awhile when I got back. I forgot I had a May 1st deadline for my next fabric line. Linda and I are doing separate lines this year – just for a change. Her line will show at Market in Portland this spring and mine will show in Houston this fall. Better keep this short and get back to work. Lots still to do.
Keep quilting.
Jan
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