The Story Benind 'Meet Me In Paris'

I've decided to enter my Meet Me In Paris quilt over here at

Amy's Creative Side.

The story behind this quilt:

Way back before I even considered myself a quilter...

let alone a quilt pattern designer

this quilt was created amongst great heartache in my life.

I never dreamed it would be the quilt that would not only launch my business but would sustain the business all the way through out.

Someone had shown me how to use that great little

Easy Dresden ruler and away I went.

I managed to get the inside diamond of this quilt finished

and was working on figuring out the setting triangle corners

when one night at Quilt Night with my quilting buds

there was a knock on the door.

The hostess said, "John'alee...it's for you!!"

I got up unaware that  a 19 page restraining order

was going to be shoved into my hands from a deliverer for my 

  ex husband, banning  me from seeing my youngest child

while he tried to put me away for child abuse.

It's ironic that this is the man who walked out on me and my 4 little ones years before when they were only 3, 4, 8 and 10.

And had failed to pay child support...owed me over $110,000

at the time these lovely papers were handed over to me.

I was so embarrassed!

At Quilt Night no less!

No hiding this one.

So the battle began.

And Meet Me In Paris....

almost got wadded up and thrown in the closet.

Almost.

But somehow some way I decided to keep at it.

I now call this quilt, "God's Quilt",

because I really don't know how I pulled it off.

I had no idea that standing up to the judge, my attorney and my husband would end up, but I was determined to not please man, and deny God.

This is what happened.

At court, my attorney came up and whispered in my ear.

"John'aLee this can all be done with. All the judge wants is for you to promise that you will never strike your child again."

My reply: "Nope, I won't do it. The bible tells us how to raise kids,

and I will not deny God to please that man, you, or anyone. I will go to jail before I will lie and say that I'm not going to spank my kid anymore."

Needless to say...

the ex dropped the charges  weeks later when his own dirty laundry started coming out...

and the child became too much for him to deal with.

 Meet Me In Paris, continues to this day,

12 years later to be our all time best selling pattern.

It is not only easy to make...I hear on the road all the time

people say that it is the funnest quilt they have ever made.

For anyone leaving a comment or becoming a new follower....

you will be entered in a drawing to receive a free pattern!

There will be 5 winners!

Here it is in a few other color ways...

Blogger’s Quilt Festival Stats

Finished quilt measures : 100"X100"″

Special techniques used : The EZ Dresden Ruler.

Quilted by : John'aLee Burk (On her lil ole Bernina no less...)

Best Category :Bed Quilt, Home Machine Quilted, Scrap Quilt

Make sure to check out all the other inspiring  'Quilt Stories'

over at,,,

               

Check out her Quilt Blog Festival!

 

 Amy's Creative Side ladies!!

You will be inspired to sit down and sew today!

Happy Sewing!

Trying to wrap up last minute things for this 

baby shower!

Some of the fabrics and colors I'm using for the baby shower and baby quilt!

 I still have to make an "It's A Boy" banner tonight.

The ones at the party store weren't the right color.

I wanted to make it where she could continue to use it in her nursery....

and was going to put on it....

"No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed!!"

Since she is using monkeys as her theme.

The title above was her favorite book growing up.

My dear friend Jenette always called her,

"The Best Little Monkey in the World"

and bought her the book.

So still....3 days before the shower...

I'm still trying to decide!!

I did get the template and fabrics figured out....

 And over at the cutting table....

several new Whimsy Lanes have been put together.

Thought you might like to see some of the yummy kits!

 Out of Moda's Victorian Splendor line.

Out of Moda's Sanctuary line. 

A conglomerate of fabrics in dark green, burgundy's and a rusty rose.

If you want one, head over here to

The Scrappy Appleyard 

 

Oh my....

I hear the sewing machine calling....

Gotta run....

P.S. Thank you sooooo much everyone of you who left me a comment on my last post. You all helped me a lot. I'm still getting through all of my emails and trying to answer everybody.

  

Just a Little Overwhelmed....

Okay...

Truth be told....

I'm a little weary!

Am I the only one that feels this way at times?

I look back at when my last blog post was and ask myself,

"What is wrong with you lady?"

"Get it together already!!"

So I've been pondering why I am feeling this way.

I think this last year's grief has taken a toll on me.

The piper is coming to be paid.

And then I look at the last two months.

A really stressful trip to Utah, 80 hours in the car, going back and forth between Panguitch and St George, taking loads.

Dealing with 'all' of our stuff from 3 storage units.

Literally everything had to be gone through and a decision made over it:

Keep it.

Sell it.

Give it away.

Last weekend we did a show in Hattiesburg Mississippi.

It was wonderful to meet new people and see

gorgeous quilts once again.

But somehow after a show I feel so depleted and it takes

me days to get my 'get up and go' back again.

The people as always keep me going.

The highlight of that trip was meeting Susie Jackson and

seeing her amazing quilts.

I convinced her to quilt my Parisian Summer for me.

(Note to Self: I've got to maximize these highlights more when I'm

in this state of mind!"

And now I'm gearing up for company tonight...

which means I have to clean house....

I have a baby shower to pull off for Tory next Saturday....

and the piles of fabric I've brought home from the Utah trip

have made my studio look like Hurricane John'aLee

has visited once again!!

Finally...

all this hand sewing that still needs to be done on my quilts,

weighs heavily on my mind daily!

I thought quilting was supposed to be fun!!

So enough of the complaining!

Any ideas from my loyal readers on how to not beat myself up

over not getting enough done would be much appreciated!

Thanks....

from a humble and needy heart...