Fantastic Retreat Weekend

I spent this past weekend in LaPorte, TX at Ronda's retreat house - And Sew It Began-Pieceful Stitches - with 14 of my quilting BFF's.  We arrived on Thursday afternoon, left on Monday morning and in between we laughed, joked, shared, sewed, shopped, dined out, snacked and basically just had a fantastic time.  Some people machine sewed, some rug hooked, some hand appliqued, some did English Paper Piecing and some did a little of everything. Ronda and Cynthia (from Houston) played hostess and even cooked for us.  Thank you Cynthia for the delicious shrimp gumbo and chili.

Here are some photos from the weekend:
  First  up - a photo from Hobby airport - it's Rodeo time in Houston!

  Next - a photo of the whole group in front of the house.  The house was a Sears craft house from the 1920's that Ronda and her husband David bought and remodeled into a retreat house- 4 bedrooms, each with their own bathrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen and separate craft room (this they had built in the backyard). Check out Ronda's blog for info on the remodel and build.

BACK - Cynthia, Gloria, Katie, Anjie, Lynn, Denise, MIDDLE - Sara, Tami, Wynette, FRONT - Me, Paula, Donna

 Ronda with the quilt block sign that David made for the house.  It's in the front yard.

I made a special request and got to share the Red Crinoline Quilts room with Sara and Tami (mother/daughter).  Ronda's version of our Carolina quilt hangs on the wall and Long Road Home was on my bed. Quick note - fabulous, comfy beds and great linens!!

Friday was a shopping day and some of the group went off to Alvin and did some antiquing (and brought back some fabulous finds) and the rest of us went to Painted Pony n' Quilts to do a little shopping (some of us visited the shop a couple of times that weekend!).  We had a great time and bought a few things we just had to have! Here's Donna, Anjie and Cynthia with their purchases (and my bag too).  I snapped a quick picture of the RCQ pattern section - it still surprises me when I see our patterns in a store!  Then it was on to Mainly Drinks for lunch and back to the house to get some sewing done.

In between shopping, antiquing, dining out and visiting, we did manage to get some actual sewing done.

Anjie's Star Block exchange - she made one of each set so she had a sample for later.

Paula brought her EPP to share.  Katie finished about 4 of her Lucy Boston blocks.  2 are shown here with the light blocks around them.

Gloria worked on a new wool BOM, some rug hooking and cross stitch.

Ronda's Hostas from Judy Niemeyer. 

Lynn's rug hooked Santa - all done!!

I finished all of the blocks for Tanner Crossing.  Wait until you see the actual setting!

Ronda also shared our Star of the West pattern that she made in purples. Yummy!  I hope she checked that it went back in the house and not in one of our suitcases!!  There was some oohing and ahhing over this one.

Paula came on Saturday to spend the day and brought a couple of her new fabric collections to share - Latimer Farm for our new BOM, Davenport Garden (still in production/design) and Historical Stripes for the next quilt I will be making.  I only have a picture of Historical Stripes and yes it is all stripes!

I arrived home on Monday afternoon, unpacked and started thinking about my next retreat - this weekend!  I'm picking up Paula at the airport tomorrow afternoon and we are headed to Camp Blanding for another retreat.  The projects are packed - Tanner's Crossing (now that the blocks are done, Paula can arrange it and I can start sewing the top together), Historical Stripes (fabric all cut for the blocks and ready to be sewn), and Star Block exchange (this needs to be done by the September retreat, so I had better get busy!).

Well, there's still a lot of packing to be done tonight and I want to be able to watch the Season Premiere of Survivor (the only reality show I watch), so that's all for now.  I'll take some photos as we work through this weekend's retreat to share with you next week.

Until next time, happy quilting,
Mary Ellen

 

On the Road, Again!

Well it looks like 2015 is shaping up to be another traveling year.  January started off very nicely with almost the whole month at home and time to work on RCQ quilts, but the beginning of February changed all of that! Paula and I were scheduled to go on Quilter's Emporium cruise on the Carnival Magic, but unfortunately Paula's mom developed pneumonia and she had to back out.  I was tapped to be the teacher and our dear friend, Phyllis Anderson (author - Diamond Quilts from Landauer Publishing) was able to join me. Now I have plenty of classroom experience, but it has all been with children and this was my first time with adults.  They were wonderful (and very kind and gentle- LOL) and we had a great time. We made some wonderful new friends, visited some great places (Key West and the Bahamas) and by the number of umbrellas in the picture, apparently had a number of fruity drinks!!

Our home away from home for a week!

Lots of umbrellas = lots of fruity drinks or generous bartenders!!

I've been home for a week and a half and tomorrow I leave for LaPorte, TX and Ronda's new retreat house - Pieceful Stitches.  Gloria organized a group from Jacksonville and we're going to christen the house!  I can't wait.  This is a great group of ladies and we will have a fantastic time.  I'm also a little excited about maybe getting some Tex Mex for dinner at least one night.  I need my queso and of course, a margarita.  Plans are in the works for a trip to Painted Pony Quilt Shop, also in LaPorte.  I'm back home again next Monday and then it's off to our Camp Blanding retreat for the weekend. Same great group of ladies and about 100 more!!

In between all of the traveling I've been working on finishing some projects.  All the baby quilts have been bound and some have even been sent off to the babies!!  I received some help on one of the pillowcases I was making for my nephew from my 12 year-old niece.  She is taking a sewing class in a free period at school and she has asked me to help her.  She's come by a couple of afternoons and we've made headbands and a couple of pillowcases.  She is really enjoying the whole sewing thing and I am so glad!  It is so nice to see someone so enthusiastic to learn.  She has a list of projects she would like to tackle and last night she added a quilt to the list!  YAY!!!  Future Quilter of America!!!

Paula has been designing all sorts of new fabric collections and as the fabric arrives, I've been making the quilt she designed to go with the fabric.  We've made two quilts using the Border Companions and if there was time I think we could make a new quilt using each of the 15 borders.  I shared the Blue and Grey quilt already - pieced, quilted, bound and off for its photo shoot - and then I completed a re-do of Old Abe using one of the border prints as the sashing.  It's is also pieced, quilted, bound and heading for it's photo shoot.  It's hard to take a good picture in the house, so here's a close up of the border and some of the blocks.  We replaced the eagle stripe with the border stripe and it has a totally different look.

Old Abe re-do with Paula's Border Companions

The next collection that came in was Tanner Crossing and that's the quilt that's going with me this weekend.  I've done all of the prep work for the blocks and have even completed 3 of the blocks.  I'm hoping to have all of the blocks done and ready for Paula to arrange for Saturday at our retreat.  Next on tap is Historical Stripes.  Paula has designed a new template for this one and I'll get my demo this weekend.  This one will probably go to the Camp Blanding retreat with me.  And just when you think there's a moment, another collection arrives and this time it's the fabric for our 4th Block of the Month. Oh and in between all of this, we were editing the manuscript for our book!!  Yes, we are writing a book with Martingale Publishing Co.  We are so excited!!  It will be in your local quilt store in October, 2015 - more details to follow, as we get more details!!

Tanner Crossing collection - another pretty stripe in this one too.

Center star blocks

3 blocks done! 27 to go!

The suitcase is calling!  I had better start packing soon because I have a 6:30 AM flight and have to leave the house at 4:30 AM.  All I can say about that is UGH!!!  I'll share pictures of the retreat house and what everyone was working on when I get home.  A lot of the girls will be doing handwork - EPP, rug hooking, cross stitch and probably some wool applique.  I'm bringing my machine, of course, and maybe some EPP.  I need to get some more of my 6 pointed stars finished!

March is also shaping up to be a busy month - Dallas Quilt Show, new fabric collection and Block of the Month quilt!!

Until next time, happy quilting,
Mary Ellen

Welcome to 2015

2015 - wow!  What happened to 2014?  It's hard to believe that we've started a new year.  2014 was definitely a busy year and as I look at what's ahead for 2015, it looks like it's going to be just as busy, if not busier!  I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

I haven't blogged since Christmas (excuses, excuses), so I wanted to share what we've been up to since then.  I didn't decorate because of our traveling over the holidays, but Paula did.  Back when we first started our business (wow, that's like 10 years ago), Paula's home was in the first holiday home tour that was sponsored by her daughter's high school drill team. My jaws dropped when I walked into the house - everything was red, white, green and gorgeous.  Since then, Paula has done degrees of that decorating, but her tree and mantel are always outstanding. With the move to her new home, came a switch in color scheme, so she needed new stockings to go with those new colors.  She made new stockings for everyone, using a black toile fabric that we saw at Spring Market, black embroidery monograms, and touches of black and red for trim.  I think I wanted to be adopted so I can have one of these stockings too.

Just some of the ornaments on Paula's beautiful tree.

Love the stockings and the whole mantel!

We were waiting for some of Paula's new fabrics to arrive so we could start some new quilts, so I decided to use the "free" time to knock out some baby quilts.  There seemed to have been a rash of new babies lately and I needed to get some gifts made.  I have my favorite Stacked Coins pattern from Moda Bake Shop that is my go-to baby quilt, but I had some baby flannel that I wanted to use too.  Lo and behold Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Co. fame had a tutorial of Self Binding Receiving Blankets on youtube.  Wow- super fast, super easy - and a new quilt to add to my baby quilt gift list.  So, 3 Stacked Coins baby quilts and 2 Receiving Blankets later, I was ready for a Red Crinoline quilt.

One of Paula's newest collections with Marcus Fabrics is Paula's Border Companions - 5 great borders, each with 3 colorways.  Biggest problem with this - we want a quilt in each of them and we don't have time for that!!  First up, a beautiful quilt in blues, greys and blacks and featuring a great border print.  And now for a personal bragging moment - check out that border - mitered and matching!!!  It just makes me smile a little!  Next up is a re-do of Old Abe and I should have a picture of that one a little later.

Just a reminder: Paula and Gloria Parsons will be teaching at the Special Event Opening Retreat at "And Sew It Began-Pieceful Stitches" in LaPorte,TX.  Ronda and her husband David have worked really hard to renovate, re-do and refurbish this 1913 Sears kit home.  The retreat is February 12-15 and it's sure to be a great one.  I shared pictures of the projects on one of my last posts, but here's the link for more information:  Special Event Opening. I've enjoyed looking at the pictures that Ronda has posted as the work progressed and I thought I would share some with you.

One of the bedrooms with our Carolina on the wall and Long Road Home on the bed.

 

This is the craft room that was added on the house.  Ronda has been working on adding fleece covered design walls.

Front of the house.  Landscapers have been by recently.

There's still time to sign up.  Just use the links above.
 
Well, the sewing machine is calling my name and it's time to get back to some stitching.

Unitl next time, happy quilting,
Mary Ellen

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our homes to yours.

Mary Ellen and Paula

Red Crinoline Quilts

Holiday Craziness

Have you finished your shopping?  Are the presents all wrapped? Did you finish all the gifts you planned to make?  Is the decorating done?  Have you finished the baking? Christmas cards done?  Are you wishing you had another week in December?  If you are like me, these are questions that are running through your mind everyday!  My answers: yes (I think), no, yes, no, no, almost and yes!  Caitlin and I and Copper the dog, are driving to Louisville tomorrow to meet Peter at our daughter's home for Christmas.  I've shipped most of the gifts there, so I will be doing my usual wrapping - Christmas Eve day. Decorating - didn't do any this year because we were gone for week and then will be gone again next week - feels very weird!  A special thank you to those of you that have shared your decorating on Instagram, Facebook, blog posts, etc. I really appreciated seeing all of it.  It helped me with not doing any decorating here. Projects - Monday and Tuesday were Minkie day - 3 Minkie quilts for Brett's family (can I tell you how much lint those things produce!) Baking - hopefully we'll do some in Louisville, but it's not my thing any way. I even managed to plan and organize our Christmas cards and hopefully they will be delivered to Louisville, where I will finish the process - address, stamp and ship!  Extra week - I would love one in every month!!! 

Do you watch Downton Abbey?  If so, then you have seen the commercial for Viking River Cruises.  Peter and I were on one of their newest ships - Eistla - last week for our Danube River cruise.  We had a fabulous time and I have to say, I love river cruising.  The ship was beautiful and I don't think I ever felt it move - quite incredible.  And it had the part of cruising I love the most - every day you wake up in a new city and you didn't have to haul your luggage around or ride on a bus!  We started in Nuremburg and ended in Budapest with stops in Regensburg, Passau, Melk, and Vienna.  There are excursions planned for you each day - usually a bus and walking tour of the city - and then optional tours.  Each city had at least one Christmas Market to see, so I did a little shopping too.  Here are a couple of photos just to show you some of the highlights.
 

Viking Eistla

Nuremburg Christmas Market at night.

Christmas tree at Market in Regensburg.  That's me dressed for the cold!

Passau, Germany

Church at the Melk Abbey

Matthais Church in Budapest

Castle on the Danube River in Wachau Valley

Schoenbrunn Palace - Home of Maria Theresa - Vienna

Parliament Building in Budapest

Let's take a moment and try to think past all of the holiday craziness and think about 2015 - it's just around the corner and if you're like me, it's filling up fast.  Have you started making plans for workshops you'd like to take, quilts you want to make, vacations you want to take?  Any of these would make great gift ideas for your family.  I've got one that you just might want to add to your list.  Our good friend Ronda Stockton has just opened a new quilt retreat in LaPorte, TX.  If you follow her blog (And Sew It Began), you've had a chance to see her transform this old house she bought into a beautiful retreat that sleeps 16.  Paula and Gloria (Olde Green Cupboard) are teaming up to offer a weekend of fun projects.  Mark the dates on your calendar - February 12-15, 2015 at Ronda's retreat house, Pieceful Stitches.  Here's the link with all of the info: Special Event Opening. Sign up now, there's only space for 16.  I thought a little enticement might get you psyched, so here's the pictures of the projects.

Paula's pieced framed wallhanging

Gloria's armchair sewing cozy

Gloria's pincushion basket

I'll let you get back to your own personal craziness.  Up next here is packing.  Caitlin just called to remind me that winter clothes take up more room in the suitcase!  Sweatshirts, sweaters and turtlenecks - not my usual wardrobe for Florida!

Until next time, happy quilting,
Mary Ellen

Marcus Fabrics Friends and Companions Sew-Along Photos

Now I know that I did promise that I would post the SAL pictures about 2 weeks ago, but it seems that life has gotten in the way of my blogging again - go figure!!  I honestly thought that I would have nothing to do the weekend before my family descended on me for Thanksgiving besides blogging, but I must have been ill, feverish, delusional, or just plain nuts!  Everyone was here (oldest daughter from Louisville and boyfriend; son, daughter-in-law and 2 granddaughters from upstate NY; and youngest daughter - who just happens to live in town) - that's a total of 7 additional family in our house that usually holds 2.  And all I can say about it is - it was wonderful!!  They are all back home again and the house is so quiet.  I have managed to finish all of the wash, remake the beds, and put the towels away.  

But without further ado, let me share the pictures of the Sew-Along.  I only have 7 for now, but if you finish later, please send me the picture and I will share it at a later date.  The comments from these 7 ladies were wonderful and so kind.  We are all so glad that you enjoyed our very first Sew-Along.  The pictures are the exact pictures that were sent to me - I didn't crop, edit or touch up in any way.  Congratulations to the ladies who submitted their pictures - your quilts are beautiful.  I love how so many people choose their own fabrics also - little stash reduction I'm guessing! Enjoy!

Barbara Leyland from New Zealand

Marja Veldthuis-Kluy from The Netherlands

Heather Gunter

Kathy Wagner of Ontario, Canada - waiting to add 2 borders

Kris Searle

Susan Gilbert

Ursula Yeo

I don't think I've touched a piece of quilting fabric since my last post.  I did a quick repair on leggings for my daughter-in-law and hemmed a couple of pants for myself, but basically it was family time.  Today I organized some stitchery - 6-pointed star blocks, tea towel to be embroidered, and Santa cross stitch to take on our 2 very long flights tomorrow and next Thursday.  Peter and I are going on a Viking River Cruise on the Danube River. We start in Nuremburg, Germany and finish 7 days later in Budapest, Hungary.  We love cruising, but it is usually on ocean-going vessels; this is our first time on a river cruise.  The highlight of this cruise is the opportunity to shop at the Christmas Markets that are set up in the towns we visit.  I'm so excited!! I'll share details and pictures when I return, but right now it's time to go pack!!

Until next time, happy quilting,
Mary Ellen

Market/Festival 2014 and Beyond

International Quilt Market and Festival 2014 are over and we can check that off our To Do list!  It was great to be in Houston - good friends, good food, good fabric, good times!!  Market and Festival can best be compared to a high school reunion - good friends stopping by the booth all day to say hello and spend a moment with you! If you were one of the many people that dropped by for a quick hello and a hug - thank you, you made our day.

Now I talked about food before I left and I have to say I did manage to check off almost all of the restaurants I hoped to get to - Ninfa's, Lupe's, Macaroni House, Red Oak Grill, to name a few.  I definitely got my Tex-Mex fix!!!  Queso and margaritas - yum!!  And now it's back to the real world!   Here's a sample of just one of my fabulous meals - mac and cheese from the Macaroni House!

Good fabric - well I finally got to see some of the new lines Paula has been working on.  She always shares pictures, but you know how we just have to get our hands on it and play with it.  We are over the moon excited about her collection that we shared at Market - Paula's Border Companions.  Five border stripes, each in three different colorways - can you say heavenly! They coordinate beautifully with her Companions collection too.  Besides all the beautiful quilts  you will be able to make with these, they are also perfect for your Lucy Boston and 6-pointed star blocks!  We've got some great things planned for this collection!

This year we set up the booth for Market with the intention of keeping it the same for Festival.  We moved a few things (we always do), but basically it was an easy shift from one show to the other.  Here are some pictures of the booth for Market.  I don't know what happened, but I somehow never got a chance to take pictures of the Festival booth.
 

Soldier's Waltz hanging in the center.

Quilts from left to right- Bonnie Blue, Hanover Stars, Parker's Crossing, Foursquare and Lancaster on the table.

Quilts from left to right - James River Red, Hampton, New Market, Lily, Cumberland Valley (cheddar).

All of the new patterns and kits are now available on our website.  We sold out of some kits, but we making new ones as we speak.  Look for them to be available after Thanksgiving.

This year was the 40th anniversary of International Quilt Festival - the Ruby Jubilee.  And it was celebrated in style with red everywhere.  The red and white quilt display was beautiful and very similar to the show in New York a couple of years ago.  The tote bags were red and white, but the insulated glasses were the best - they were blinged!!!  Needless to say we had to buy two of them.

We were directly across from the Marcus Fabrics booth and that is always so nice.  They had so many new collections and quilts to share.  Check out Marcus Mentions for some great pictures of the Marcus booth.  Pam Buda of Heartspun Quilts introduced her new program: Prairie Gatherings Quilt of the Quarter featuring her new Prairie Gatherings collection.  If you love red (and who doesn't), then this is the program for you.  Sign up with your local quilt shop.  They even put  her to work writing up a sale.  Check her out with Indra and Rosie of Scarlet Today/Redworks Plus (looks like Rosie will have the program).

Prairie Gatherings Quilt-of-the-Quarter and additional projects.

Indra, Pam and Rosie

We did a lot of driving around Houston and Katy while I was there and I was amazed to see all the changes in the Katy area.  I've only been gone for 4 years, but they have been busy.  New home construction is booming and they've completed a lot of the 99/Grand Parkway in that area.  Only in Houston do you see roadways that look like spaghetti noodles piled on top of each other!

And my last picture of Market/Festival - what the George R Brown Convention Center looks like on Sunday night as everyone is leaving!

I've been back home for a couple of weeks and there really is life after Market/Festival - it's called pre-Spring Market!  I've already started on a new quilt, but we will actually debut it at the Dallas Quilt Show (March 13-15, 2015) and we will have kits also.  Here are the fabrics for the blocks and the border will be one of the new Border Companions (waiting on that to arrive). I've also worked on some personal sewing, but it's mostly Christmas gifts, so I can't share them yet. 

 I did get the house decorated - for Fall, not Christmas.  I am a firm believer in giving Thanksgiving its day!  The whole family will be here and I can't wait.  All the Northerners are hoping for warm weather, but at this point I think they will be happy with the predicted 70's - definitely warmer than the 20's and 30's they are currently experiencing!  It's been cooler here, but we managed to get to the beach for a sunset and fruity drinks!

I did say I would post pictures of the completed Sew-Along quilts after Festival and that will be the next blog, so here's your last chance - get your photos to me this week and I will post them this weekend.

Until next time, happy quilting,
Mary Ellen