Retro blocks link ... Whoops!!

Well, this is what happens when you're too durn lazy to check your work! I forgot to capitalize a letter in the link's URL (for some reason, my web host is REALLY picky about that) and it messed up the link! But it's fixed now!! I'm really, really sorry if'n I messed ya'll up or aggravated you!! :(

To those that gave me a holler 'bout it, thank you!!! I'd never have realized it!! :)

Until next time ...

Big ol' quilty hugs!!
Connie :)

PDF patterns for the next three FAFSQ blocks!

Well, Christmas is just a pleasant memory now ... though we still have all the decorations up (we'll keep the decorations up until February - in honor of my father-in-law and his birthday, a wonderful man, who passed away last year). Talk about hectic! We had my mother-in-law (divorced from my FIL for 'bout 30 years) over for Christmas Eve and Day ... and to say that was on the hectic and stressful side would be an understatement! To say that I'm less than what she had hoped for her only son would be like sayin' quilters love fabric! :)

But anywho, I've finally got the mess cleaned up and I'm back. The day after Christmas, we had over 8 FULL bags of trash!! Our garbageman earns his pay and then some! And I really doubt that our annual "Christmas tip" made up for it one iota!

One source of trash is the newest addition to our household: the cutest li'l guinea pig you ever did see! My sweet li'l boy, Luke (10 years old - and feelin' it!), has been pesterin' us for a pet for the past two years. O'course, takin' care of a pet isn't an easy task ... and this Christmas, he told us that he finally felt "mature" enough to take care of another li'l life. So, Santa brought the cage and we supplied the piggie. You never saw the trash this cutie makes (the piggie, not my son - though he does run a close second)! Bedding, food, poop ... you name it! I really didn't think that such a small critter could poop so much! I guess that's why the Good Lord made'em so cute - if they weren't so adorable, we'd eat'em and not keep'em as pets!! And for a li'l "poop machine" he's a cutie and a half!! As soon as I can catch the li'l stinker I'll take some pictures. That li'l critter moves FAST and doesn't seem to be too comfy in front of a camera!

Alrighty, all jabberin' aside, just take a quick look to the left and you'll see the new patterns in PDF form. I'm tryin' a different method of "printin' them to PDF" so if ya'll have ANY issues with the patterns, please let me know!! If the letters or numbers are too small when you print'em, if the numbering is confusin' ... whatever might not be what it could ... I want to know about it!!

I also want to give a quick "thank you" to all the wonderful quilty friends who wrote me after my latest "newsletter" thankin' me for the patterns and givin' me encouragement! I swear, I may just kidnap ya'll and make you live with me! I don't get THAT much support and encouragement from my family and friends!! Ya'll are truly special ... and truly a Blessin'!! Ya'll are the ones that make the work worthwhile ... the creative juices flow!! So .... thank YOU!!! :)

Well, updatin' my site and blog is goin' to have to wait a spell ... we've got a few electrical issues that have to be fixed before I can go into my studio (where I have my main computer and the software I need to use). For the next few days I'm without power in there. We're hopin' to be able to use extension cords to hook up to the upstairs (my studio is in a converted garage) ... but if that doesn't pan out, the "premiere" dates for my blog and site may have to be postponed a bit. For those of you that are interested, I'll keep ya'll updated. :)

One good thing ... I've got two new pin cushion patterns ALMOST done. I'd like to use pictures/photos for the directions instead of illustrations - mainly because I think it'd be easier to understand than simple illustrations. One of them is a bit on the tricky side and the photos will be a big help. My dear, sweet, quiltin', daughter will be helpin' me with this! Yay!! She's out of school until the 7th of January, so we'll be puttin' in a LOT of sewin' time!!

Anywho ... please feel free to give me a holler - whether it's a cause ya'll need help with, a pattern you'd like to see, or to complain or compliment - I'd LOVE to hear from ya'll!! Meanwhile, I'll be designin' more quilts and blocks!! And tryin' to catch a picture of that cute li'l piggie! :)

Until next time ...

Big ol' quilty hugs!!
Connie :)

Almost done with the Quiltin' Tote pattern! YIPPEE!! :)

Nothin' new today ... just wanted to check in with ya'll so you know I've not disappeared again! I've been workin' on the Quiltin' Tote pattern - I'm really hopin' that ya'll will like it and find it useful (and fun to make!). It's Fat Eighth friendly, too ... but Fat Quarters are invited, too. It has (sew far) two sizes - so if you'd like it roomy enough to tote your quiltin' supplies to your next class, make the big'un. If you'd rather use it as a cute li'l purse (okay, not THAT li'l), then make the "li'l sister!"

The big'un measures 15 inches wide at the top, 13 inches wide at the bottom and is 15 inches deep. The lil'un is 12 inches wide at top, 10 inches wide at the bottom and is 12 inches deep. I'm thinkin' you'd be able to put at least a small cutting mat and ruler in the big'un (with handy pockets for your rotary cutter and such). With the lil'un, it's not so big that your checkbook (you have to have it handy for your trips to the fabric store, right?) gets lost - but big enough to hold whatever hubby asks you to carry for him. :)

It's pieced (but you can always applique on it, of course!) - a variation of the "Turning Twenty" block (that is sew popular here lately), but you can use your favorite block. There's no "pattern" to it to print - you'll just find the center of the block and measure for your cuts (I'll show you how with illustrations - that's what I have left to finish). And for the first time (blush) I'll have a finished product to share (charged up my camera's batteries and have a new digital card in her!).

And again, subscribers will get it first ... "membership's" got to have some perks, I figure. I've also got the next block for the Folk Art Flavored Series Quilt comin' up, too! This time, it'll have the appliquein' instructions to boot! I'm hopin' to have it all ready by Monday ... tomorrow hubby and I are goin' to go meet some good ol' friends up in Destin (down the road a piece). So Sunday, other than goin' to church, is reserved for sewin' and quilt designin'!!

I really hope that ya'll are as excited as I am 'bout this! I'm really lookin' forward to sharin' more with ya'll!! And keep an eye out for a few simple (but elegant and fun) sewin' projects perfect for gift-givin'!! :)

Until next time (soon!!) ...

Big ol' quilty hugs!!
Connie :)

PS - I'm still catchin' up on my e-mails - so if you've not gotten the last newsletter/update yet - or an e-mail confirmin' your subscription, keep an eye out! It'll be in your mailbox 'afore the weekend's over!!

Sneak preview ... and a call for opinions!

My dearest quilty friends, ya'll have been so wonderfully patient with me and my trials and tribulations here lately, that I feel the need to impose on ya'll once again! Ya'll have been so kind as to name the eZine, give me suggestions on what patterns to include, and have even been so sweet and supportive as to give me feedback on the blog design as well. Well, no good deed ever goes unpunished, so I'm asking for help again!

I've uploaded a sneak preview of the cover (by the way, if it's too small to see, just click on it and you'll be taken to a bigger version) and I'm hopin' for some feedback, opinions, critiques - whatever you can spare the time to comment - on how it looks (ya'll have already helped sew much on the content!). Sew what do ya'll think? As you can tell, I love "beach-y" colors (considerin' I love the beach enough to move 1200 miles from where I hung my hat for 30 years, that ain't too surprisin', right?!) - but how do YA'LL feel about them? Too bright? Too "out there?" Or just too "Ow! My eyes! My eyes!?"

*** In my own defense, to me, beach-y colors are just plain cheerful and optimistic. And if anything brings out the cheery optimist in me, it's quilting and ya'll!! ***

Please give me a holler - or just take the time to vote (once again, I'm asking you to vote on another poll! I'm startin' to feel like a politician!) ... whatever you have to say, I want to hear it! :-)

Again, ya'll, thank you sew much for all your help, suggestions, comments, and howdy-do's! Ya'll have no idea how much I love hearing from you!! :-)

Quilty hugs!!
Connie :-)

To redesign or not redesign ... I give! What do YA'LL think??

Well, shucks, I was really frustrated the other day when I wanted to post some pix of the items I was talking about (the flexi-curve, the taboret, etc) - I wanted to give ya'll a better idea of what I was talkin' about - and each time I inserted an image, much like last year's fruit cake, it just did not look right at'all. In fact, VERY much like last year's fruit cake, it looked downright scary.

So, I'ma thinkin' about doing a redesign of the blog ... something that will allow me to upload images AND look "right." 'Cause really, if'n ya'll can't visualize what I'm sayin' what good does it do? I can write all day (and believe me, I sure can!) and unless I use references to what ya'll know personally, it doesn't do much good, now does it? :-/

So, one blogging site that I really like is Heather Bailey's blog ... nice, bright colors, easy to understand and navigate ... AND room for great pix! I'd also like to get some tutorials up here soon. Of course, first things first - I've got to get the eZine finished and off to your e-mailboxes! I'd really love to get that done before you start sayin' "Sew Very Creative, who?"

Alrighty, if ya'll could be so very kind as to let me know what you think about this idea, I'd awfully appreciate it ... I've got a poll gettin' set up to the left there, asking for ya'll's opinions! Hopefully, by now, ya'll realize that I care about what you have to say!! :-)

Big ol' quilty hugs!!!
Connie :)

Applique Pattern

Just a sampling of what you'll get in my newsletter (if you sign up for it, of course!) ... Feel free to copy the image and use it - all I ask is that you let me know if you liked it, hated it, or have any suggestions on improving it. :)

I tried to keep it simple - but some of the shapes might do better with a fusible applique method. The dashed lines indicate embroidery stitches - chain stitches are recommended (and easy enough for a beginner). The hummingbird's eye is a french knot.

The pieces are numbered - just remember to start at one (in this case, a bias strip) and allow a 1/4 inch seam allowance under overlapping pieces.

If you'd like it larger, you can either enlarge it using your printer or I can e-mail you a larger/higher quality image (use the e-mail link in a previous post or subscribe to my newsletter).

That's all for tonight - still taking care of a sick hubby so I didn't have time to do more. :(

Next up will be a cat applique pattern - for those wonderful, zany, adorable quilt inspectors out there! :)

Happy Quilting!!
Connie :)

Newsletter!

As you can see, I've added an e-mail newsletter sign-up form to the left of the page ... while the newsletter generator will be coming from CafePress (so sue me - they'll do all the hard work FOR me!), it'll be fun and cool content like free patterns, amazing tips, and okay, of course, ocassionally an update on new designs in my CafePress store.

Don't worry, I'm not a big conglomerate - I won't be giving out anyone's e-mail addies or abusing them. And all you have to do is holler if you want to be left alone. :) But ... considering all the goodies I'll be sending you, hopefully, you won't want me to leave you alone!

Until next time! (probably tomorrow)
Quilty hugs!
Connie :)