Good Morning!! A Lovely Day to Spend in the Sewing Studio!

Yesterday was my son's 29th birthday.
I can't believe I almost have a 30 year old son! 
Where did the time go?

Here he is working our booth for us.

I'm pretty proud of him! He was a piece of cake to raise compared to my three 'darling' daughters!

I love mornings like today....

when a comment from one of you....

just starts my day out with a smile!!

I am looking forward to spending the day sewing.

I have the applique pieces for the third block

in Buttercream Summer

all ready to go...

I am missing one little 'red' petal at the bottom...
I know I made them all...
That's what happens when I am transporting
my work all over the country.

And now I will pull out the light box...

and trace the embroidery designs.

I just have to show you what all three of these blocks look like together:

Oh this is going to be so much fun figuring out the borders...
etc.

I'm tickled....buttercream over them!

I was thrilled at the San Diego show...

to take several more sign ups for it.

If it is something you are wanting to do...

make sure to get signed up HERE

before they are all gone!

It is also on my 'to do' list today

to finish the instructions for the

"Meet Me Under the Mistletoe"

pattern...

and do the photography

so I can get that out to 

all of you who ordered it.

There is still time to Pre Order  it

and not be charged the shipping

until September 30th.

And the final thing on my list today is...

to finish the instructions for Block 2 

of Buttercream Summer.

I just had to finish this post with some pictures of my latest grandson. I know the last one isn't the 'perfect' picture...
but he looks like such an angel in it.

So my friends...

off I go...

for a walk...

and then to the studio.

I will meet you back here later!

Hugs until then....

John'aLee

Happy Findings Around Blog Land

In traveling around Blog Land this morning I found some goodies I just have to share with you.

Jan at Quilt Walk Talk posted a darling quilt she made from one of my patterns called Pinkilicious that is just so yummy!

She also made it in a different colorway:

If you are interested in ordering this pattern Click HERE!
 
Also...if you haven't checked out Susan Branch's website ... you must...you must...you must. On THIS page she has FREE wallpapers that you can download to your computer of her darling artwork. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter too!

And there's a chance to win a FREE Accu Quilt GO machine over at Sew Create It. Check it out: HERE!

I've got to get into the Sewing Studio...so I'm going to sign off for now.

Have a Happy Day!

Back from our San Diego Quilt Show

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I can't begin to express the feeling

I get 

when I see one of my designs 

hanging at a quilt show.

At this show there was a "Meet Me in Paris" 

out of batiks.

We sold this lady a kit

last year and she got it all done.

I thought it turned out beautiful.

I usually design the kits with floral fabrics

and when asked by a customer for 

a custom design out of batiks

I had my concerns on how it would

turn out.

My concerns are put to rest.

These gals are part of the San Diego Olde Town

Quilt Group

that promotes the arts of

yesterday.

Rug Hooking, Quilting etc.

This is a quilt that is known

as the oldest quilt in California.

They were all dressed in period clothing.

And here are some of the quilts that were in the show.

I am now in St George...

working on my new pattern.

Kenny Roy went on home...

to take care of business...

while I love on these grand babies

of mine for awhile.

'til later....

Hugs,

John'aLee

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We are Moving!! Nashville Tenneessee...here we come!

What a weekend!

Many, many years ago I had 'a' garage sale...

and swore I'd never have one again!

But seeing we have decided to pull up stakes

and move back East....

the 'Guitar Man'

promised me 'new' whatever I wanted...

if I wouldn't make him haul all of 'this' stuff 'here'

across the country.

Can you believe...I made $7,700!?

I'm still in shock!

My dad has always said that I could sell ice to eskimos.

(I guess it comes from being a single mom for so many years,

raising 4 kids on my own...

and to feed them...

I had to go and knock on the 

'society of the elite's' doors 

to convince them they needed my design services even though I didn't know what I was doing!

I was a stay at home mom 

with no college education...

but I did know how to sew curtains!

 A momma bear will do anything to

care for her little ones!

So on Saturday....

people were running in and out of my house...

pulling pictures off the walls...

begging me to sell.

It was crazy...

the more I said 'No!"

The more determined they were to change my mind.

They wanted my antiques...

They wanted quilts, sheets, pillows,

lamps, gadgets and on and on.

Finally....

I named my price...

and they gave it to me. 

The hardest thing for me to sell...

was my first ever purchased antique...

a ladies secretary

and

the buffet and table and chairs 

I bought that the kids grew up around.

But as the 'Guitar Man' says....

everything has a price!

Girls....the surprising thing....

it's kind of been therapeutic...

to get rid of sooooo much stuff!!

Boxes of fabric scraps...

that I was going to 'someday' make a quilt from...

(don't worry...I still have my stash!!),

yards and yards of designer upholstery fabric

I was going to 'someday'

recover my antique couch and chairs with...

etc...etc...

Now think of all the work I've saved myself! 

Awww...just thinking of a simpler...

clutter free....

life....

makes me smile!

3rd Block in Mystery BOM (Buttercream Summer)

I'm so excited to start the 3rd block in this series!

I haven't figured

out the name yet...

but I do have all of the applique pieces cut out

and most of them ironed down ...

ready to be placed on the block.

When I showed this the first time at the 

Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival...

I was so surprised when

2 different shoppes

approached me about carrying the pattern.

I only had one block done!!

(I do have a great wholesale business going 

as well as the retail...

but this is just the first time

someone has ordered something

without knowing what the

final product would be.)

The one shoppe is going to do it

as there own Mystery Quilt starting in

January.

The other is a quilt shoppe in Southern California.

So it will be interesting to see what colors

they offer it in!

Now you gotta agree....

these gals have some faith!! 

Have a happy day full of Stitchin!

John'aLee

3rd Block in Mystery Quilt being worked out in the Design Studio

Well here it is! The 3rd Block

in Buttercream Summer

getting fine tuned

in the studio.

The leaves still need a little bit of work.

I cut all of them out as well as the petals

and realized the leaves

needed to be changed once

the applique'd fabrics were cut out.

So it's back to the drawing table...

Hopefully tomorrow I will have it all together

and ready to be stitched.

Happy Quilting,

John'aLee

2nd Block of Mystery Block of the Month Done!

Buttercream Summer (Flowers For Sale Block)

Ladies, the second block is complete!

I'm tickled pink with it.

I am kind of messing around with 

some small prairie points 

to possibly put around the edges.

I'll get pictures of it  up

if I do decide to go with it.

To sign up for this 

Mystery Block of the Month

and follow my design process

here on the blog Click: HERE 

Here are a few more pictures!

To see the whole "Design Process"

of this quilt....

Click: HERE! and HERE!

Have a Happy Day

filled with lots of Stitchin'

Hugs,

John'aLee

Good News!

Thank heaven for little miracles!

Everything is 'okay' in the

lump department.

I just have to go back in 6 months for another

mammogram and sonogram.

Girls....get your check-ups.

Nothing can compare to peace of mind.

Yesterday after a brisk walk first thing in the morning

I decided to sit my bootie down

and make some headway

on this 2nd block

for Buttercream Summer.

I popped in Project Runway

Season 5 into my laptop

set up all my embroidery threads,

scissors, needles etc up

and away I went to work.

I just about finished  it...

simply by sitting about 8 hours

in the chair!

On a sad note.....

remember my friend ....

the mayor...

I wrote to you about...

who found out she had lung cancer?

She passed away the other night.

We were all devastated!
Brooke and I went to the viewing...
I lost it when I saw the rag quilt I gave
her in the casket with her.
Her husband told me she took it everywhere
with her and was wrapped up in it
when she passed away.
You know...I am usually the best procrastinator...but this was one time I didn't. When I heard she was sick...I immediately wrapped this quilt up and took it
to her place of work.
And I am thankful that the one time
it really did count...to NOT procrastinate...
I humbly came through.
If it is on your mind to do something nice for
someone....
DO IT!
You might miss your chance.

Janet...we will miss you so...

you were very dear to us all!

My beautiful Brooke and I headed out to the funeral. (I told her to act like she loved me in this picture!)

Again...gals....if you feel something

is wrong with your health...

go get checked!!

On to the Stitchin' Studio....

John'aLee

It's Fabric Tuesday over at Quilt Story.

For  my first post...

I thought I'd share the

first ever pattern I designed.

"Meet Me In Paris"

I had no idea that this quilt

would not only put me into business...

but that thousands of people

would buy kits and patterns for it.

We continue to kit it up in all different

colors and it continues to sell.

It has quite a story behind it...

If you want to read it stop by HERE!
It not only is a fun quilt to make...
it is EASY!
So many people have shared their
own Meet Me In Paris stories 
with me now...
and it continues to bless me.
And to think I almost didn't finish it!! 

More 'Quilt' Pictures from the Colorado Show

I loved this little basket of flowers!

Stunning Quilt.

Loved the funkiness of this one.

No other word for this except....Amazing!

A great 'end of summer' pic.

What a talented quilter!

Beautiful!

My friend, Verna Mosquera's design...

Vintage Valentine.

Stunning Work!

What a great 'piecing' job.

This was a quilt where one felt like they could just walk right into the picture!

And that's all for today.

Quilting Hugs,

John'aLee