New Sophie for July is posted!

Please take a peek at our web site to see the latest Sophie to download for free. I think you have to agree that it looks like Sophie had a great shopping trip. Don't you love her hat??? I'll post a picture of her all done up in RED in a day or so. Until then, click on the Free BOM at the top of our web site home page and get ready to start stitching.

New Felt and Project

We are lucky enough to work with some great people at National Non Wovens-a great company that keeps turning out new products that can be used for anything you ever want to make from felt. We met them at our very first trip to Houston International Quilt Market and they just stay nice and creative! This time they have created a new blend for great felt that is eco-friendly, strong, and in great colors. It's called XoticFelt and is a blend of bamboo and rayon.

Jeanne has fallen in love with their color selection and is hard at work creating something special for kids. The blue fish to your right is just a teaser-you'll see more later this week and we think you'll love what she has been working on!

Also, July 1st will bring the next edition of Sophie-our great block of the month featuring our girlfriend Sophie. This month you see Sophie herself...and what a treat that always is! I hope you liked the coatrack-we're over half way through with this delightful, whimsical wall-hanging. And don't forget that as the year continues, we'll share some ideas for other things to do with our girl!

Garden and Too HOT

Ok-I'm sick of the heat already! Yesterday it was 94 degrees by 3 pm and today is no better. I know that I should be appreciating the early heat but I'm not going out of the air-conditioning any sooner than I have to. This morning I walked at 5:30 am and it was already 73 degrees!

Jeanne and her husband have a huge garden this year-even bigger than last year. The first 'fruits of their labor' are the basket of radishes that Dan picked this morning. Don't you love the thought of just going out to the garden and picking a salad??? They are blessed with enough land to plant whatever they want-not to be confused with the solitary tomato plant I have in a planter by my front door.

I think the July Sophie block of the month is almost ready for posting. Jeanne has been hard at work with her finishing touches-we think you'll love our girl when you see her! We are also working on a pattern using some great new National Non-woven felt. The perfect "back to school" gift for someone special. Keep watching-you'll see the design as we develop it.

Sophie in Color!

Don't you just love this adorable coatrack??? It was really fun stitching this one up in colored floss. I especially liked the necklace and hat. We have just about finished all the other designs for the rest of the year. Just wait--Sophie keeps getting cuter and cuter!

Yesterday we did more running around with our Mom and then I tried to finish the curtains for the living room. I didn't anticipate that the longer length would cover the cool air ducts in the floor. I think I have to re-think how long long is! And I need to get 2 more panels to make them even more full-time for more running around today.

Jo's Flower

Our parents are visiting this week from Virginia. It's been a good visit so far-done some running around, I think all family members have been accounted for, and we are going to a wholesale craft distributor tomorrow. Doesn't get much better than that! (And, Mom may help me with curtains too!)

I wanted to share a new endeavor that our sister Jo is working on. Take a quick peek at the adorable pink paper flower that she made as a delightful party favor! She isn't sure what to do with this yet-perhaps she will start her own store on Etsy. Jeanne and I are super excited about what she shared with us-lots of creative ideas. She is really focused on re-purposing items. She's always been clever-that shows no sign of disappearing!!!

Visiting Door County

It's been a great weekend so far-we are visiting Door County, WI-a peninsula about an hour north of Green Bay, WI enjoying touring the lighthouses that dot both sides of this peninsula. Yesterday it was perfect-mid 60's, cool breeze off Lake Michigan and not a cloud in the sky. We got to climb up 102 steps of the Cana Island Light and look out onto a beach that was made up completely of sand and crushed seashells. This is the Lighthouse Walk Tour-only held once a year and several of the lighthouses are only open this weekend. It's been amazing to hear of the families that lived on these isolated points-sometimes not seeing another person for months on end. Makes me feel lucky I can just call up my friends and meet for coffee whenver I want!

We just wandered around all day-stopping at 4 locations and doing a bit of touristing along the way. We're enjoying the company of our friends the Marx and have 2 more stops to make today before heading for home.

I think Jeanne and I need to think of a design with a nautical theme. Between the lighthouses and the sailboats up here, it's given me lots of ideas. Hope your weekend is going well too!

Pin Cushions shown in Quick Quilts!

We were thrilled to get a call telling us that our favorite Pin Cushion Treats were in Quick Quilts Magazine, #102! This great magazine, published by Harris Publications in on sale now at your local store. Please take a peek at page 61, Hot Products to see our Vintage Pin Cushion in both adorable sewing motif fabric and dark green and blue wool felt. We love this pattern and it has become quite popoular on our web site. We can also send you a kit if you'd prefer!

We are going to have some finished pin cushions available for sale at our Etsy site this week too!

Jeanne's Birthday!

June 3rd was actually Jeanne's birthday but we celebrated last night with wonderful conversation, appetizers, and drinks of choice. (Of course, I ended up with a Cosmopolitan-hmmm???? Is it the drink I love or the glass it comes in???) It was a great girl's night out with the addition of Jeanne's twin grandsons-they were very well behaved and enjoyed being with Grandma I think.

Take a peek at the cake! Our friend, Jenny, had the cake decorated with our Button Faces characters and a favorite Helen Keller quote that Jeanne loves. This cake is the best! And what a sweet treat to use one of Jeanne's original designs.

Etsy!

I was finally able to start listing some items in our Etsy store. If you aren't familiar with Etsy, you might want to go browsing around. It is kind of like an Ebay selling environment but is supposed to be all items that are handmade...sounds kind of cool, doesn't it???

We will eventually make the Etsy store look a little more fun but for now, I'm just happy to have a couple of posts ALIVE!

Jeanne and I have quite a few things to post-some are truly one-of-a-kind items that we created as potential new pattern ideas--and some are items that we are able to offer to make up easily. Let us know what you're interested in seeing! We will have lots more to post and will share when new items are uploaded. For now, take a quick look at our Jar and Candle Wraps. The pattern is also going to be available. We plan to have some kits available on certain items on Etsy as well as on our web site.

Sophie #6 and Etsy news

Take a peek at our web site and check out the next Sophie design. With 2 full blocks stitched, it's time to move on to the 3rd. We've used the same size blocks but are reversing the placement so this 3rd big block looks great. I'll post the colored floss version later this week as it's ready to go.

We are also working to get some kits and finished items posted on our Etsy site. We decided to take a shot at this and establish a little shop there. We have lots of kits for your ease in stitching some of our newest designs, as well as left over samples from design excercises. Some of these will be one of a kind items that we just don't have room for in our sewing areas. Keep your eyes on this-we'll post the address when we are ready and see what you think!

New studio and June Sophie almost ready!

Last week was a blur ending up with a long drive to IA for a quilt escape with 4 good quilting buddies. When I find my camera-I know it's in one of bags with ALL the fabric I purchased-I'll upload a few pictures of what we did and what we accomplished. It was wonderful to get away with good friends and just quilt!

My husband and I have been working very hard getting a new studio completed at our house. The purpose of the room is to share videos with prospective customers for our event videography business. It's bee a wonderful transition and I had to share the final results. He has worked hard to pull it off-including new paint, lighting, window treatments, and furniture. We are both SO very proud of it.

And today our sixth block will be available to download on our web site! Keep an eye out for the next installation of Sophie!