Piecing Like Crazy!

My husband keeps coaching, that with a little preplanning, it wouldn't be so crazy around here getting ready for Quilt Market, with the mad dash to finish quilts, and books, and fabric lines.....seriously?  Stop being crazy?  When pigs fly!  Just one of several new quilts in my upcoming book, due out  next month!  I'll keep you posted!  

And since I've been madly piecing, that means winding bobbins! I thought I'd share how I store my newly wound and used bobbins...I was tired of stabbing my fingers as I tried to dig a bobbin off my magnetic pin holder where I use to keep them along with the pins!  Not such a great location!  So after one poke too many, I'm looking for a solution and had a spool of my appliqué thread and a child's paint brush (don't ask me!  It was in my pencil cup!)  That lasted all of about 5 seconds since the spool was too tall and skinny.  So I used these old, sturdier ones and the paint brush!  This lasted much longer, until after one tip too many with bobbins rolling everywhere, I decided I needed something more permanent!  Then came the dowel and glue!  I just took a couple of old spools and glued them together and put a dowel down the center.  It works great for me and there's something very satisfying about dropping that used bobbin on the dowel and hearing it clink together with another!  I must not have had enough of those kind of games as a baby, or else too many of them!  Anyway, I meant to share this after the last book came out, but if you haven't learned this about me yet, I'm chronically behind!  Behind my new bobbin holders is my journal cover from my "Down this Country Road" book and I made the thread box on the right to match but didn't have room in the book!  I was down to my last journal kit, because I ran out of that blue plaid, but on a recent trip with friends, below, I scored and found some so if any of you have been waiting to get a kit, you won't want to wait too much longer, but now you do have a little bit of time! 

Here we are, minus Darlene, who's behind the camera!  L-R: MaryLou, Robin, Sandi, LeeAnn, Valerie, and me.  We had a great time quilting and shopping and laughing!  But now it's home again and back to work and piecing like crazy!  Speaking of Piecing Like Crazy, I will be teaching this Friday, the 25th and Monday the 28th at Pinelow at Deer Lake, WA through Ed & Jean's Quilt Shop.  I believe they have three spots left so if you'd like to come be crazy with us, give Ed or Jean a call at (509) 276-6678 or edandjeansquiltshop@gmail.com  I will also be doing a program  at the North Idaho Quilt Guild on Monday night  and will have a couple of my new quilt tops with me to share so hope to see you in one or more of these locations!  

Hope you are all enjoying the Blog Hop that is ongoing in honor of Henry Glass's and their parent company's 85th birthday!  I thought you might want a chance to pick up this book, "A Flair for Fabric" that 14 of us at Henry Glass put together to support the victims of Hurricane Sandy.  And best of all it has a special birthday price!  Enjoy!