Update on the hubby (the saga continues)

Well, as most of you know, hubby went into surgery Tuesday for his poor ol' knee (and I know most of ya'll know this seein' as how I came back to a humongous pile o' e-mails wishin' him well! Thank you!!!!). Surgery went better'n could be expected ... they ended up doin' him orthoscopically (they didn't think they could before for some reason unbeknownst to me) and he was out of the OR in two hours, groggy, giggly (now, can you imagine an ex-military officer, yea 'bout 300 pounds, over 6 feet, bein' giggly? Don't worry, I couldn't have either!), and more affectionate than I've EVER seen that man - includin' on our weddin' night! Believe me, if'n I could have, I'd have snuck some of that anesthesia out in my purse!! If'n my hubby's behavior is any indicator, "anesthesia goggles" beat "beer goggles" any day o' the week! :-)

After many (and I'm bein' kind, here) silly jokes, and an hour later, we got that poor man stuffed in the back of the Jeep and we headed home. Now, why it didn't dawn on us a'fore the surgery, I don't know, but we realized that our livin' area is UPSTAIRS. So, o'course, we call on our best friends (two strappin' men in their own right) to help poor hubby up the stairs. Lordy, if'n it wasn't like watchin' some sort of "Xtreme"sportin' event! Three men, huffin', puffin' and tryin' to reassure each other that THEY had the hardest part and were doin' the most work (men sure can be silly, can't they?)! T'was a sight to behold! And hopefully, ya'll are still rememberin' how giddy and silly hubby was! Well, let me tell you ... he was hoppin' on his good foot up the stairs and boy if he didn't look like the Easter Bunny bein' chased by some mother hens!

But it wasn't all fun n' games ... the pain medications had a'hold of him ... he was not only still under the anesthesia (which I already said was the "good stuff"), but also had one o'them "pain busters" - a li'l bulb type thingie on a catheter that pumps pain killers directly into his knee. The pain killers were SO good that he didn't feel even an ounce o'pain. Most of ya'll'd say that's a good thing - and it would've been for most. But not my hubby. I think I've already mentioned that he's a bit on the stubborn side (he makes most teenagers - whom we all know can be a bit on the mulish side - look like the most biddable critters on earth!) and o'course, he assumed that he could do durn nigh anything. So he got up several times (ten times wouldn't be much of an overstatement, I assure ya'll) and ended up poppin' a few stitches! We called his doctor who pretty much said that as long as the bleedin' stopped, we were okay until Friday (his follow-up to get the bandages removed). Still, he was feelin' no pain.

Well, as all good things must, the pain buster thingie soon ran out of pain-bustin' and Lordy, was it bad when it did. So things have been a bit on the rough side o'the street - hubby's been agonizin' somethin' fierce. And as all of us get when we're in loads o' pain, he's been a bit on the cranky side. But he's been takin' the pain in more stride than I know I would - Lordy, if I wouldn't be bitin' the heads off invisible folk if I were in as much pain as he is. The poor man can't even get himself up to use the potty ... just the movement needed to get up is too much for'im. But he's still bein' a soldier 'bout it. :-(

So if'n ya'll don't mind ... I'd surely appreciate a few prayers, well-wishes and sweet thoughts sent his way. As I've said a'fore, he's a good man and though stubborn as all get out, a sweet natured fella with a heart o' gold. He's still more concerned 'bout everyone else in his life - 'specially the cub scouts that miss him so. And he's still tryin' to take care of his work - if'n he doesn't, some wonderful people out there workin' "for him" might not have anything to work on next year. So, he really deserves and needs all the sweetness he can get.

I'll keep ya'll updated on the saga of the knee ... and if I don't post for a day or two, everything's okay - it's just hectic and hard to find the time to get online. I came back to bein' online this afternoon and found out that my router had died. Took me forever (and several blue words) to get a new one, get my service provider to see it, and then get it to work with my lappie.

To all of ya'll who've written me with such wonderful wishes and words of encouragement, thank you muchly! I'll be writin' ya'll back soon ... I have to get my poor ol' patootie off the chair now and out to my son's Open House and book fair, and then grab some dinner for the family. Soon as I'm back, I'll be writin' ya'll back. I'll also sneak off and get some more designin' done! Lordy, do I need to do that!! Bein' away from ya'll is bad enough, but not gettin' time to design some quilts?? Well, that's just cruel!! :-)

Until then ... big ol' warm n' quilty hugs!!
Connie :-)

Quilt Shows Alert! San Fransciso Bay area!!

For those of you who'll be in the San Francisco Bay, California area the weekend of September 22-23rd, you're in for a TREAT! You've got two, count'em, TWO quilt shows to choose from!! Yippee!! Boy, am I envious! :-)

The first is the Diablo Valley Quilters quilt show in Danville (California, o'course). If you went to their show last year, you'll be pleasantly surprised - they've expanded their venue and DOUBLED their size from last year! Did I already mention that I was envious of all of you that'll get to go to show? And Pauline, a friend of mine, and a DVQ member who'll be workin' the show, says that if you get a hankerin' for wine, you can always visit the wineries nearby! Yum! :-) If that sounds sew good to you (as it does to me!), mosey on over to their web site for more skinny on the happenin's.

After you've visited the Diablo Valley Quilters' quilt show, be sure to take a side trip to see the "Quilting in the Garden" quilt show in Livermore ... Alex Anderson (yes, THAT Alex Anderson - I love her, too!!) takes part in that show every year - why would this year be any different?! If you want to find out more about gettin' there, what to see and sew forth ... visit their web site and see what there is to see! :-)

And we can't forget the Alameda Quilt Show, who's proceeds will go to benefit the Humane Society of Alameda (if we don't help these potential QIs, who will?). For more details, give their web site a look-see. Try and make it if you can and support their wonderful cause!! They're only asking a $5 donation to get in and see the beautiful quilts and all the vendors' goodies! :-)

Alrighty, if anyone's got neat announcements to make about THEIR upcomin' quilt show, give me a holler and I'll help get the word out! You know we quilters LOVE to travel and when we do, what do we love to see more than quilts?? Other than fabric to MAKE quilts! :-)

Take a peek to the left-hand side in the next couple of days ... I'll have a new section over there (where the polls are now) givin' ya'll info on upcomin' quilt shows and wonderful opportunities to help your community!

And remember to give Pauline a big ol' hug from me when you see her! :-)

'Til next time, big ol' quilty hugs!!
Connie :-)

My apologies!

I'm really sorry, everyone ... I've been so focused on getting the eZine done that I've not yet had time to upload any more patterns! And I've been absolutely SWAMPED with wonderful e-mails - everyone's been so supportive and encouraging, I'm just ... well, overwhelmed! :)

I'm almost done with the eZine! Yippee! I'm waiting only for a few product companies to send me their images (for the new products spread) and to take pics at our featured quilt shop. I've got a few more articles to format (okay ... and finish writing! LOL) and then, the debut issue should be sent off to everyone's e-mailboxes! Did I already shout "Yippee?!" :)

For those (and there have been a LOT) who've asked for the hummingbird and egret pattern pieces, rest assured, they will be in the newsletter. As it is right now, I have 3 crazy quilt paper-piecing patterns, two applique patterns, AND the egret & hummingbird patterns (all separated & full-size) in this issue.

Also included is plans for a BOM quilt ... 12 blocks (so, I'm committed to 12 issues, LOL!). So start choosing your fave fabrics NOW while you can! :)

But what I had intended to be a "quickie" newsletter (3-4 pages) has quickly evolved to approximately 24 pages (and counting). Due, mainly, to the overwhelming response I've gotten from ya'll! And nope, that's not a complaint! :)

But what I still DESPERATELY need are questions for "Ask Miz Sew-and-Sew" - please, please, if there's anyone out there with a question or a comment - or even a pattern request, please holler! I need to get this page filled!!

Also, if anyone has any info on their guild or local quilt shows, please share! Your guild deserves to be spotlighted! If I had the proverbial nickel every time that I heard someone say that they wanted to join a guild, but didn't know where to start ... Listing YOUR guild would not only help to encourage the next generation of quilters, but create opportunities to make new friends! And give others a wonderful creative outlet!

I'll admit, I have illusions of grandeur when it comes to this eZine ... I want it to be much like a favorite quilty friend - or an awesome guild meeting. Something you can turn to for ideas, inspiration, comraderie, tips on making your life easier, and just FUN! And call me an optimist, but I think that, considering how amazing the quilting community is (and those who inhabit it) we can do this together!

And lastly, I want to thank EVERYONE who sent me e-mails with well-wishes for my family. Having a rotavirus isn't fun by any means, but your kind e-mails and lovely wishes made it so much more tolerable! Ya'll's e-mails were Gatorade for the soul! :)

Please keep coming back ... I WILL have more patterns uploaded once I finish all I can with the eZine. By this weekend, it should be a "waiting game" for pics only and I can get some more patterns up (though, separated pattern pieces will only be available via the eZine).

Until then ...

Happy quilting & quilty hugs!!
Connie :)

PS - For those of you who've e-mailed me and not yet received an answer - I'm VERY sorry. I haven't forgotten you and I'm not ignoring you. You'll be getting a reply SOON! :)
As I mentioned above, I am literally SWAMPED with such GREAT e-mails that I'm having a hard time keeping up! :)

Update ...

WOW! Yesterday I had approximately 100 unique visitors to my blog! More astonishingly, I've got about 50 subscribers to my newsletter! I really didn't expect so many people to be interested!

That being the case, I'm not going to offer a traditional newsletter, per se. You know ... the kind where it's all black and white, short and thin on content ... It's going to be an E-zine of a sort. I'm thinking about 12 pages (maybe more)? With nice color images, regular departments, etc ... hopefully, since I've designed 4 magazines in my career as a graphic artist, this'll be a piece o' cake. The biggest problem will be knowing when to stop with the content! :)

So ... I'd like some help from the quilting community! I'd like to offer an advice column, some reader's quilts, simple recipes (we all want to spend as much time quilting as we can, don't we? Simple recipes might help us get that latest project done quicker!), feature an online and/or traditional quilt shop, some product reviews, etc.

So, please e-mail me with what YOU'D like your perfect e-Zine to feature. Love product reviews, but hate celeb bios? Simply adore seeing what other quilters are doing but hate leafing through scads of ads? Go crazy for seeing the new fabrics, but dislike

Here's what I have so far for the first issue in no particular order (look for it in your e-mail box late next week!):

"Ask Ms. Sew-and-Sew" - Your quilting dilemmas solved! I have three advanced quilty friends to help in answering YOUR questions about getting the most out of your project!

"Fondle-worthy Fabric" - What to look for (and drool over) in your favorite quilt shop soon!

"Sew it Simple" - Simple quilting projects for beginners or guild meetings. Or you can use these projects to nurture a love for quilting with the next generation of quilters!

"Block of the Month" - Get out your fabrics and sewing machine! I'll feature a BoM each issue that'll get your creative juices flowing and your fingers itching to quilt!

"Applique it Sew Easy!" - Easy applique patterns for fusibles or needle-turn. Whichever is your favorite method, you'll find a pattern for it here! Separated pattern pieces you can print out full size (or bigger) and a coordinating quilt label (I'm a fanatic about labeling quilts for posterity, can you tell? LOL)!

"Quilt Shop of the Month" - Have a favorite shop you'd like to recommend? Know a shop owner who goes out of her way to get you that fabric you're dying for or who patiently helps you with a tricky technique? Looking for a quilt shop to visit while you're traveling this summer? Find it here!

"Sew Simple Recipes" - Recipes to get you OUT of the kitchen and back in your sewing room - all while managing to fill up the family's tummies, AND netting you major compliments on your culinary skill! :)


"Reader of the Month" - Get to know other quilters ... not just the celebs. AND let other quilters know who YOU are! Share your quilts, your passions, or pix of your Quilt Inspector! It's YOUR column! What do YOU want to say? :)

"Sew Simple Tips" - Tips, tricks, and tidbits to make your projects go more smoothly, keep your sewing room organized, tackle tricky binding, end those aches and pains at the end of your quilting day, and MORE! :)

"What's New?" - Products that you can't (or won't want to) live without! I'll scour the industry rags looking for new and innovative products to make your quilting projects easier, more fun and of course, quicker! :)

"Have Quilt, Will Travel" - a listing of upcoming quilt shows! Let me know about YOUR guild's or local area's quilt show!

And MORE! I have a few friends brainstorming even as I write this! :)

Now ... CafePress, the newsletter generator I was going to use won't let me get that creative ... so for the first few issues, the newsletter will be in the form of a downloadable PDF link in the e-mail you'll receive. All you'll have to do is click on the link and download the PDF! Sew simple! :)

There may come a time when I'll ask for your e-mail address so I can send it through my web site (which I'm still working on, of course) - no pressure. I won't use your addy in any way except to send you my newsletter (or e-Zine). And it will be easier for you to "opt out" of future mailings (though hopefully, you won't want to!).

But in the meantime, send me an e-mail and tell me what YOU want to see (no one else can tell me what YOU like) ... or tell me about your favorite quilt shop/owner, or ask a question about your latest dilemma. And don't forget to toot your own horn, either - I'd love to see YOU as my featured "Reader of the Month!!"

Remember, this is YOUR e-Zine, too! Spout off, give lauds - make your voice heard! Whatever you have to say, I want to hear it! :)

Until next time (probably later today - still have to upload the quilt label and reverse image for the egret applique!) ...

Quilty hugs!!
Connie :)

LQSs & Quilt Guilds, Part 2

As I mentioned yesterday, I visited my LQS (again, an acronym for "local quilt shop") for the first time in years. My head is still dancing with visions of fabrics, patterns, quilting designs, brightly colored threads and teeny-tiny quilting betweens! From that one visit (about an hour long - had a sick hubby waiting at home for me - I was being good! I had to go across the street to buy flu medicine and it was just a quick stop ...) I feel rejuvenated creatively, spiritually, mentally and emotionally. And I plan to go back SOON! :)

But what I didn't mention is the benefits of visiting your LQS - as opposed to making all of your purchases online, via mail order, or worse for your LQS, your local fabric store chain (JoAnn's, Hancocks, Walmart, etc). Here's a few good reasons to venture out to your LQS the next time you're in a shopping mood:

Socializing.
Last time I checked, when you're shopping online, you're not actually being social (nope, raving to your Quilt Inspector about a new fabric line at your favorite online store doesn't count as being social). And if you're not talking to other quilters, you're not getting creative feedback. The worse thing for your creative spirit is to exist in a vacuum. While I'm sure your family will give you input on whether or not that blue goes with that red, they're simply not going to be as enthusiastic as another quilter about your color scheme - nor are they too likely to give the feedback you're looking for. Now, I understand that many of us are blessed with supportive family members (my family is exceptionally supportive), but it really won't be the same.

Getting tactile.
So far, neither the fabric companies, online quilt shops or even Jobs or Gates has figured out a way to give us online fabric shoppers the gift of touching what we see on our screens. Until then, all we can do is guess and cross our fingers that that lovely mauve print has a nice hand and body.

It'd be nice if the looks of a fabric was the only important criterion in creating a quilt, but as anyone who's ever tried to quilt genuine feedsack fabric or done trapunto can tell you, the weave, hand and body are important, too. Too tight a weave, too stiff of body and you're going to have a difficult time appliquing, hand-piecing or hand-quilting it! And believe it or not, even with the famous, quilting-focused fabric companies, I've experienced stiff fabric that was almost too difficult to hand-quilt!

Dark blue or black?
How many times have you ordered fabric only to find that it wasn't the color you thought you were getting?? Dark blue and black are often the hardest to distinguish ... and no, it's not likely the fault of your eyes.

So many variables are present when presenting a digital image to different monitors. First, how precisely was the swatch scanned? An off-calibrated scanner can muddle any color, much less the most difficult to discern. Next, let's approach the limitations of your monitor. Some monitors can only display 72 pixels per inch, while newer ones top off at 96 pixels per inch. And how about that limited palette? When an image is saved for the web, it's color palette is "condensed" - meaning, as opposed to the literally 64 million + colors that our eyes can distinguish, it's knocked down to a palette of anywhere from 216 to 256. Heckuva difference, isn't it?? And even then, unless YOUR monitor is calibrated decently, your chances of getting exactly what you THINK you're getting have gotten even slimmer.

For the record, I'm a graphic artist. So's I know about computing hardware, color and stuff. And I can tell you, I calibrate my monitor every day, and even then, I'm still surprised by color issues with fabric that I purchased online fairly often. Remember, it's not just MY monitor that can affect what I'm seeing!

"Walmart syndrome."
Now picture this: a nice lady opens up a lovely quilt shop in your neighborhood. She offers fabrics at the lowest possible price that she can - and still be able to operate. But ... uh-oh, the online quilt shops (some being only online shops - pretty much operated out of someone's basement or garage) are able to offer their goods at 10-15% lower (seeing as how they have lower operating costs). Before you know it, there won't BE a LQS. Now, how does that affect the quilting "food chain?"

No LQS = no local classes.
No LQS = no local meeting place (other than a quilt guild or YOUR living room).
No LQS = no jobs for those who depended on the shop for employment.
No LQS = (could) mean less local vendors at YOUR quilt guild's quilt show.
No LQS = less opportunities for those interested in quilting to get information, meet people, and get help purchasing their quilting needs.

The bottom line.
I've lived in several cities and I've seen quilt shops open and close - and the quilting community in my areas felt it. We suffered for their loss. We lost a valuable source for classes/learning, places to relax, get creative feedback, find and learn about new notions that can make our creative process & execution easier, and oftentimes, lost friends.

Even if it's only for an occasional purchase - one of those "I have to have this NOW!" sort of item or yardage, make an effort to support your LQS. If every quilter in your community does their part in supporting their local merchants, there will be greater chances of the wonderful art of quiltmaking passing onto the next generation!