Cold, Comfort, Dolls, and African Women ???

What a week (um, or more like week-and-a-half)-- still trying to conquer this lingering cold which won't give up - my voice is stuck in scratchy-crackle world, but I'm managing and shouldn't be complaining. On top of the never-ending cold, I finished a quick but super special appliqued quilt. My sister called me and told me that her best friend was just diagnosed with breast cancer and would need chemo. I immediately thought she would need a comfort quilt and got busy...

Needless to say, Linda was thrilled, crying, wordless, but full of heartfelt thanks. Here is Linda opening her quilt...

Okay, now back to work (the customer/bill-paying kind). I managed to finish up two quilts for Jan -- first her super-adorable paper dolls quilt:

And also, her African women quilt:

National Quilting Day!

Saturday was National Quilting Day and what a blast we had at the JaM Patch celebrating "Stars in Our Backyard"! Pam Post (another of our local stars) gave a great lecture on how to prepare your quilt for a longarmer and was a wealth of fantastic information. She was way organized and very informative! Then, the disorganized chaos known as me... with a trunk show in no particular order. And I am so bad at talking in front of groups, but I think I did okay. As long as everyone is talking and its more question and answers I do much better. And everyone did tell me I did a great job -- I don't think they would lie?? Anyway, here's just a few of the quilts:

And, of course, a big thanks to Joey and Margy, owners of the JaM Patch!!!

Junk in my Trunk... Quilts that is!

Saturday, March 19, 2011 is National Quilting Day and to celebrate this, the JaM Patch is featuring Quilting Stars in Our Backyard. Apparently I'm a star and I just happen to live in their backyard -- isn't that so cool!

Make sure that you're there at 2:00pm as I'll be giving a trunk show featuring none other than "Oliver", "Clouds in My Latte" (my latest competition quilt), and many more of my quilts - both show and everyday. I'll even be bringing a couple of customer quilts that are just absolutely amazing. On top of all that I'll be bringing multiple samples, just small pieces of fabric that I use to play with new stitches and try out new threads. The best part is that it will be an open forum -- questions and talking are not only welcomed, but are appreciated -- we all learn from each other!

Don't forget to save the date -- Saturday, March 19, 2011 - 2:00 pm at the JaM Patch, 932 SE Central Parkway, Stuart, FL 34997

HOPE TO SEE YOU!!!

Oliver's travels...

Oliver is once again going to be travelling. For those of you who will be attending MQX (Machine Quilters Expo) in Providence, Rhode Island, make sure you take a peek at the Special Exhibit entitled Pretty as a Picture, Quilts Inspired by Photographs. Because while you're walking around and looking you'll be able to see Oliver, along with his classmate Park Ling. Park Ling is owned by Pat Parker, a very dear friend who was also in the week-long retreat with Sharon Schamber, he was painted and appliqued in the same manner as Oliver. It was my honor to do the thread play and quilting on Park Ling.

OLIVER - inspiration photo and quilt:

PARK LING - inspiration photo and quilt:

So make sure you visit MQX in April and send pics if you can as I will be unable to attend {pouting}. You can visit the MQX website here, the show is April 11-16, 2011. Hopefully the boys (Oliver & Park Ling) won't be getting into too much trouble while they're away!

the name... FINALLY!

Quilt with no name has been quilted and finally has a name! Yes, those that follow on facebook already know all about it, but for all my wonderful blogger fans -- quilt with no name is now "Clouds in My Latte".

It was sort of an aha moment. I had been going back and forth with all the suggestions you guys came up with. I had it narrowed down to a strange combination of a few of them, but it was working for me (in case you don't know, I'm sort of strange too). Well, I was standing there cutting my binding, ipod playing in my ears, when Carly Simon's "You're so Vain" came on. I'm cutting away, singing along and BAM... it hit me. Yep, just like that! The fabrics were called Vanilla Latte and as I was singing "...clouds in my coffee" it just seemed to fit; and no, I do not sing nearly as well as I quilt so don't ever ask me to reenact the moment!

Here she is, in all her beauty:

I would once again like to thank everyone for all the name suggestions -- you are some really good namers! I am sure I'll be tapping into those naming abilities again one day - THANKS!