Very Exciting News!

Our long awaited grandson arrived this morning at 10:55...weighed in at 6 pounds 13 ounces and 19-1/2" long. Katie did just great. Pushed about 3 times and he made his appearance. Things are mostly good...his blood sugar is a bit low so they took him to the nursery and were giving him some special formula. If it doesn't come up soon they will give him an IV. They won't let Katie nurse him yet though until they get him where they want him. We are heading up at 6:15 in the morning and will stay through Monday. We'll come home and Katie's Mom will arrive to stay for a week or so. I'll go back up in Jan...they decided they wanted me to come then when they are really tired. I promise to have pictures next week. This is very exciting! Andy just looked at me and said "Oh, you are a grandmother"...can't wait to get him in my arms.

Trip to Chicago

Didn't get anything quilty done this weekend but I did spend Friday and Saturday with Josh and Katie in Chicago. I came home yesterday morning. It was a great weekend. We're getting very close to "our little man's" arrival. We're still calling him that because they have not settled on a name. They have many boy names that they like just can't decide on one. We had a wonderful visit. They showed me all the wonderful sights in the city. Josh took me to his office on the 71st floor of the Aon Center and I could see for miles...I think I could see Wisconsin :)...they also took me out to Schaumberg for a quilt show. I didn't spend much time there at all because they stayed outside so I was in and out in about 45 minutes. My friends from Country Threads in Iowa had a booth and although I was only there for a few minutes I left a bundle of money. I picked up several new punch needle projects and I bought several kits. They kitted one of the wonderful dog quilts from new Buggy Barn book Crazy Dog Days...they changed it a bit and took out the flowers and made it all dogs. Well I had to have it. Just pitiful...I'm sure I have lots of the fabric on my shelf and I do have a whole quilt shop, but like my customers "It is all together, and all I have to do is start cutting". I got home around 2 yesterday afternoon, watched football with Andy and called it a day. He left this morning for California for the week...so I have big plans. SEW, SEW, SEW! I will be posting pictures this week! I promise!

Where does the time go?

I just can't figure it out...where in the world does the time go? I got back from Market Monday afternoon and I don't think I've stopped running since I returned. Market was wonderful...new patterns...Lori Smith had several new ones. Loved her "Road Less Traveled" it's a row quilt, Jeanne is working on one and it is awesome...zillions of pieces. We also found a new pattern designer called Bonnie Blue Quilts that we fell in love with. They design Civil War reproduction quilts. I've added many more to my list of To Do's. Sue (my right hand at the shop) says she now has to live to be at least 560. Lots of inspiration...it's always that shot in the arm that we need to get new samples made. I've been thinking about my November Goals...there is so much I want to get done but I'm going to be realistic...since I'll be gone next weekend to Chicago to see my son and daughter-in-law, and there will be a quilt show there that weekend, I had no idea when I made my reservations. They said they would take me to the show and I was thrilled. I promised that I would just run through quickly and get on with our day. The real reason I'm going is to get the lay of the land for when I go up to stay after the baby is born. I need to know where to go, since they live right downtown, they say everything I could possibly have to get is within walking distance. Of course this will be in December and I am a Florida girl. YIKES! And then there will be Thanksgiving, and all that happens then...we do close the shop the day after Thanksgiving and Sue and I do almost all of our shopping. I'm going to look at this all a bit differently...although Andy will be gone on a business trip to California after I get back from Chicago for a whole week, and I get tons done when he's out of town. Here's what I'm planning to get done in November: 1. Finish Tumbler quilt top (started in Oct) 2. Finish Michael's Victory (Carol Hopkin's pattern, started in Oct) 3. Cut Circle of Love quilt (Donation for Relay for Life) 4. Cut Spiderweb quilt (Spa Day event at shop) 5. Binding on last Spa Day quilt That's it...if I get that done and have days left over I'll start something else. I just love what I do! It's a wonderful life...I work with fabric and creative people everyday and then I come home and work with fabric some more. What could be better? I then I hear from lots of my Blogger friends and that is the icing on the cake.

To Market, To Market

I'm off to Market in Houston in a few hours. Our plane leaves at 11 am so I'm leaving here at 8:15 to go pick up Sue and then off to the airport. We are really excited. We just love Market and all the new stuff. I'm taking my laptop but I'm not sure whether I'll have time to post anything. I did pretty well on my October goals...the baby quilt with the dog fabric is off to be quilted, Spa Day quilt is off to be quilted (the event went great), as I posted the other day the Jo Morton Swap blocks were in the mail before the deadline. The tumbler blocks and the Carol Hopkin's "Micheals' Victory" are all cut and ready to go...I'll move piecing those to November. Off and running...have a wonderful weekend and I'll post again when I get back. Take care!

Progress Report

I am really pretty pleased with myself...although I know I won't complete my goal list for October I have made great progress. After re-evaluating the list and counting the days I had available to work I decided I really wasn't very realistic when I set those goals. Here's what I have accomplished...the 69 blocks for the Jo Morton Swap are complete and mailed off to the swap hostess, the Spa Day top is completed (we held the event at the shop on Sunday and it was tons of fun) the back is sewn together and has been sent off to be quilted. I should have the binding on the funny witch quilt finished tonight, "Michael's Victory" a Carol Hopkins pattern is cut and the tumbler quilt is cut. The quilt for our grandson, due Dec 2, from Howie and Zack is well on its way. I should have it done this weekend. I've included a closeup picture of the fabric so you can see the dogs. This baby probably will not ever have a dog so I had to do the best I could. I am fine with not getting done, since when I did my list I forgot about being gone so much this month. We leave again a week from today for Market in Houston. Can't wait...it is wonderful for us to get to Market and see all the new fabrics and patterns...great inspiration. The "boys" are fussing...ready for their long morning walk. I've already been out to put the trash out and it is so warm and humid...may not be such a long walk this morning.

It's Great to be Home

We had a wonderful, wonderful time on our trip...we left Wednesday morning last week and returned home on Monday...but it is always so good to get home. We were in Pennsylvania for Andy's 35th college reunion and we went to his home town and spent 2 days with his brothers. We couldn't have had a better time. I don't think I've laughed that hard and that much in a very long time...nothing better that good laughter with good friends and family. The weather was spectacular...the sky could not have been bluer and not a cloud in the sky. The leaves were so pretty...I love fall. I returned to the shop on Tuesday, all was well...and then I was off today...trying to catch up. Laundry, groceries and I did get to sew a bit. I finished an October goal...I finished the top for our shop event this weekend. It sure isn't my best piecing, but it's done...and it's not an heirloom. I also got lots of my Jo Morton swap blocks done. I looked at my goals again and realized I was probably a bit too lofty since I was gone 6 days this past week and then I'll be gone at the end of the month for 5 days to attend Quilt Market in Houston. Guess I'll do the best I can and re-evaluate...I'll move some to November. I guess I need to just stay home!

I'm Setting October Goals

After reading Judy's blog yesterday morning I decided I would sit down and write my October goals, rather than waiting until the middle of the month to figure out what I needed to finish. And as you know if I write it on my list and set a deadline, I almost always get it done. Like all of us, I have way more that I want to do but I'm going to try to be practical. I would love to do the Leaf quilt that Judy has for us, but I think I have more than enough on my plate. Here is my list 1. Piece baby quilt(dog fabric) 2. Finish Spa Day top (shop project) 3. Piece Michael's Victory (Carol Hopkins pattern) 4. Piece Tumbler Quilt top 5. Bind Funny Witch quilt 6. Jo Morton group Swap blocks OK, I'm counting on this published list to motivate me to get the whole list done. I will just be thrilled. Won't get much done though until the beginning of next week. We are going to Pennsylvania on Wednesday morning until next Monday. Andy's 35th college reunion is this weekend so we're going up. We try to get up there every 5 years for the reunions...all of his good friends also try to return so it is lots of fun. I'm looking forward to cooler weather and hopefully some leaves changing colors. I've lived in Florida for 40 years and still miss the leaves changing colors.