A Weekend Alone

Paul is off this weekend playing golf and catching up with his college friends in Flint, MI this weekend which leaves me a weekend to play and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I don’t just eat pb&j but I opt for simple meals that don’t require much prep or clean up so I can spend time doing other things. It’s nice every once and a while to have a weekend that can be like that.

I got a terrible cold a couple days after returning from quilt market that took me out for a couple of days but my energy is back and that means I’m feeling alive again. I just sound funny as the cold has settled in my chest - I’ve got that deep raspy voice.

I spent most of today working outside in the yard planting but have been chased inside by a passing thunderstorm. I’ll have to take pictures and post in the next several days so you can see my handiwork. All week I had thought I’d spend today in the studio painting but there is something I find renewing about working in the dirt. As I place each plant and cover it with dirt - I feel my creative self being reseeded with lots of new energy and potential. I have always thought of my creativity as…well, kind of like a plant. The seeds are sewn, lie dormant until the right combination of nurturing elements are present where they then sprout and grow into something unique and wonderful. I’m continually collecting the seeds but never know when conditions will be right for them to sprout and what direction the ideas will take as they develop.

Well the sun is out and I’m on my way back out to continue renewing my spirit.
Happy weekend to you all.

Back from Spring Quilt Market

This year Quilt Market was located in Portland, OR and Paul and I had a terrific time visiting with our customers and meeting new people. There is a lot of work that goes into preparing for market and I’m never quite sure how it will all fit together until we are there. This year went especially well. Our Schoolhouse session was in the morning; we got the booth set up in the afternoon and met my sister for dinner in the evening. The day of set up doesn’t usually run so smoothly. Anyway here is the booth.

Starting on the left side of the booth, hangs the new O’ Christmas Tree Quilt constructed in a brighter color palette with plain borders and next to that is the scrappy version of the same quilt.

Moving to the center back of the booth is the Holiday Chorus quilt that is part of the HoneyBee Club program. A list of participating shops is on our website www.beecreativestudio.com in the HoneyBee Club section if you are interested in purchasing a kit for this quilt. I also designed all the fabrics for this project with Andover Fabrics. The bird blocks are part of a printed panel and I found lots of inspiration at the bird feeders out the studio windows.

Working around to the right side of the booth are three small holiday wall quilts and the 5 Golden Sunflower project. On the last wall of the booth are the three projects included in the Holiday Dressings pattern. The tree skirt and table runner can be made with a pieced quilt block (on the wall) or the bird blocks from the panel (over table and under tree). For a slight twist, I made stocking hats instead of the traditional toe stocking – very fun and easy to make.

For the past several years we have had the same booth neighbors however this year several new businesses were located near us. It was nice to meet new people.

I’m always looking for something fun to give out at market and this year Toni Foster found chocolate bees. The chocolate bees were a chocolate egg covered in foil to look like a bumble bee. I’m sad to report that on the journey to Portland a couple of bees got naked and Paul was forced to eat them.

Hope you all have a great day!