Stuff, Nonsense, Class Signups, and More

 I have decided to shock you all by saying I really cannot express enough how much more enjoyable summer is when a. one's children can all read chapter books, are old enough to feed themselves on a regular basis, and can be told "Mom is going to work for two hours. Deal with it wisely and don't kill each other. See ya on the flip side." and b. it is not one billion degrees with 600% humidity for days/weeks on end. Summer Sewing 2014 - winning!

Happy participant in a recent RRD class!

The biggest news I have today is that based on the shocking number of positive responses I got when I asked "Would any of you join me if I ran my Round Robin in a Day workshop in Pepperell MA this fall?" on the EPQD facebook page, I have procured my local community center for Saturday, October 25 from 10-4. I'm planning to run the class "mini-retreat-style" and will provide lunch and am asking all participants to bring a show and tell for the lunch break. This class is first and foremost about camaraderie and collaboration and a little bit about me keeping a nervous eye on the clock and cracking the whip as necessary. It's absolutely my favorite workshop to run and I don't think it any surprise that it is the most popular; I really hope you'll consider joining us! Don't let distance stop you - one participant is coming from Virginia! How crazy is that?  More information and signups are available in two locations: On the "Pattern Shop" page of this blog as the very first item to purchase, or via EventSpot at Constant Contact. Both locations feature easy payment via PayPal, and once signed up you will receive a welcome letter from me with a supply list. I mean what more could you want? I really hope you'll consider joining us for what I am sure will be a day of fabric frolic to remember!

Supercloseup is all I can show you.

Much of the last few weeks has been spent working on Scrap Squad quilt #4; I'm currently considering naming it either "An Imperfectionist's Worst Nightmare" or "My Own Personal Waterloo." This is the quilt that is making me sort of understand the "Slow Stitching" movement, although to be honest I don't know why we have to name everything cutesy things - just call it a long term project quilt. /modern quilt lingo rant over. But here's the thing. I loooooooove it. Love love love love love. This may well be one of the prettiest quilts I have ever made, pat my own back, and even though it features 139 pieces PER BLOCK and has about 1000 matching points total I have not yet thrown it out the window, and not only because I saw a snake close to where my studio window is yesterday while weeding. It might be the colors, which are so me, and the fact that I am actively proving that batiks and prints and solids and moderns and traditionals all mix if you tell them they do.

yummers

Did you see the July "Sizzling Hot Hottie" Hottie Hotseat post last week? If not, make sure you check it out! Carrie Hanson of Gotcha Covered Quilting was just delightful to have hang out in the hotseat, and really, I'd love to hang out with her in real life as well. Too bad she lives literally as far away from me as humanly possible on the North American continent.

She was so excited to be in the hotseat that she sent me some fat quarters from her shop! Free stuff! Presents! Woo Hoo! She's clearly been listing to my constant praise-singing of Art Gallery Fabrics. Thank you, Carrie!

I'll be taking August off from featuring a hotseater, mainly because Carrie and I almost forgot to run hers in all the summer crazy, but we'll be firing up the chair again in September with Gina Reddin!

It's back to the millions of pieces all over my sewing table for me.