We're BACK-

We got back this afternoon and have unpacked and started laundry and other boring stuff. It's hard to come back although I missed home and Bruce. I will be trying to upload some photos later tonight-we met some great people, reconnected with old friends and saw some wonderful quilts. We have orders to fill and lots of emails to sent and read. I'll be back-Jan

Off to Market!

Jeanne is going to pick me up in about an hour. I think I have everything packed that I am supposed to have-including shampoo, make up to share, and a spare pair of panty hose. There are benefits to travelling with a little sister-we can share if we have to!!! We get to Houston around 5 p.m. and will go right to the George A. Brown convention center to set up our booth. The booths and exhibits open tomorrow at 9 a.m. so we have much to do. Best of all is that we are going to string hundreds of yo yo's on fishing line, put a heavy button on the end of each strand, and hang them as curtains!!! I will be sure to take a pic and try to get it posted. Wish us luck-we have some appointments to meet with some Cranston, Moda, and Benartex folks and talk about using fabric in our designs and will meet with the distributors that carry our patterns. I'll try to post tomorrow-Janell

Leaving on a jet plane!

Tomorrow is the last day before we take off. Suitcases are out and "stuff" is in piles around them. The last design project has done a complete reversal-Jeanne wanted to make a purse big enough to hold folders and put yo yo flowers on the front. Well, when she showed it to me last night it became an adorable wall-hanging! It only takes a charm pack to make and is so cute. I'll post a photo later today-I dropped it back at her house this morning so she could take a photo for our Market flyer. We still want a new purse design but not today!!

More later.... Jeanne is off to run to the printers and I have a few hours of "real" work to put in at the office before I focus on final packing.

One day closer to Market!

Last night was spent stitching some embroidery motifs on a second version of our Fall Harvest wall-hanging. It's fun doing a second version of this because I can change the embroidery colors and have some of the designs in different corners of the wall-hanging. Jeanne reminded me that tonight I need to finish assembling the new purse she designed with yo yo flowers on the front! We used Kansas Troubles fabric by Moda and I love the way the purse goes together. Should be a quick night-good thing because I have to pull out the suitcases and start packing for Market!

Also uploaded is a photo of a skirt that Mary, a crafty buddy who works in the the office next to mine, added yo yo's to! She fell in love with the Clover yo yo makers a couple of weeks ago and she and her daughter, Catherine, have been making yo yo's ever since. She just tacked a big and a medium yo yo as flowers along the swirls of her denim skirt! It looks adorable. I'm not sure who can make a yo yo faster. My guess would be Catherine!!!!

Tuesday before Market

I stopped at Jeanne's house this morning and drank 2 cups of coffee while we talked about our final list of stuff to do before we leave on Friday for Houston. I think we are in good shape although if you ask her you might hear a different story! She is busy working on all the paperwork "stuff" that needs to be done yet while I just sit and stitch. Sometimes I think I have the easier part of this partnership-until I can't get a block to turn out the way I want or she makes me do something I don't like to do. Sisters can be aggravating!

I think we have almost everyone in the family helping us get ready. Mom stitched designs for the Fall Harvest wall-hanging, little sister Jo made yo yo's for Caterpillars, my best friend Jenny made yo yo's and my brother in law is helping with our flyer and labels for demo items. Even Jeanne's husband got in on the act by helping her figure out how to make strings of yo yo's to hang as curtains. And Bruce, my husband, has been staying out of my way as I run back and forth from the living room to my sewing room trying to finish the last of our projects.

And on top of it all, I am itching to get started on a new Christmas stitchery idea!!!! I want to lay out all our Christmas fabric and start designing a new block. Stay tuned-more to come on that idea.....hmmmm-just how many weeks is it til Christmas????

We are just getting started with this blog and hope you enjoy reading about our journey to design new quilt patterns. Lasting Treasure is the brainchild of my sister, Jeanne, and myself and we have been creating embroidery and quilt designs for 8 years now. Our patterns are available at quilt shops across the country and on our web site, www.lastingtreasure.com.

We are working madly to get ready to leave this Friday, October 26th, for the International Quilt Market in Houston. This week I will try to update a blog or two and add some photos of our new "stuff"! Also, I will try to get my profile posted and some more information about us.

Later!
Janell