Oh where have I been?

Hello everyone!

Remember me? I am finally back in New Jersey. We have been driving around to all destinations this summer and we got back late last night. My sister and her family are visiting from Toronto the rest of this week so it will be great to end the summer this fun way. To all of you who have commented or e-mailed, I will get back to you soon! I gotta unwind and do a pile of laundry.

Before I forget, run over to Bunny Hill Designs. Anne is having a scavenger hunt [so fun!]. The winner gets some of her lovely fabric.

Oh where have I been? Let's start with this last trip. I just came back from a fun trip to do a book signing to promote my books, "Cool Girls Quilt" and "Sew Sentimental" at Checker Distributor in Maumee, Ohio for their 60th Anniversary Open House. Checker Distributors sells wholesale to those who have businesses in the quilting/needlework industry. What a fab group of people! Everyone from the organization to the shop owners and other designers who came were fantastic. 

Here's an end cap of designs and fabric from Kim Diehl and my fave group of people, Henry Glass.

Here are some more endcaps showing other fabrics and patterns. It was like being in a candy store. This is the fabric section. Their notions and book section [sorry I didn't get a pic] is phenomenal. I need an organizational system like that for my kiddos' stuff.

Joan Hawley of Lazy Girl Designs was demonstrating next to me. Super nice and super talented. She's got these Handy Tabs for purse making. So smart and they come in great colors.

Here's Gina Krieger, head of their IT department and also the buyer for their knitting, crochet, and needlework department. You know how people say that everyone has a twin in this world? It could be a physical thing or a personality thing. Well, obviously we don't look alike but she is my twin. I am sure of it. She's got great energy, and the same "obsessive, compulsiveness" [in a good and positive way] when it comes to crafting. Just take a look at this gorgeous sweater. Can you believe that she's only been knitting for THREE years? Gina, the knitting is awesome if I didn't tell you then.

We had dinner after the hectic day and I just loved spending time with my favorite person at Checker. Nancy Weber has believed in me since day one. Her honesty and friendship is greatly appreciated.

Hubby took the kiddos got to see the Toledo Zoo and surrounding area. Dh is great about supporting me that way even though he may go a little bonkers by the end of the day. The kids really enjoyed the visit too and they're such great troopers because dh and I drag them everywhere. More on our travels later. We made a stop in a fabulous place on our way back but it will have to be in another post for another day.

Come back soon. I will be having a giveaway next week. My baby starts kindergarten. So put on your thinking caps and open your hearts. I will need some funny stories about your little ones so that I won't need to think about mine being away from me for the first time.

p.s. If anyone can tell me how to add spaces between paragraphs beyond the normal way of pressing enter, please let me know. I feel like an idiot. I have been trying everything and it just won't let me do it.

It's so hot, hot, hot!

It is hot, hot, hot outside! Peony is from my mom's garden again. I love this color and the flowers are so lovely and delicate.
I am trying to focus on updating my website and blog. See that flickr badge over there? Yeah, I am behind the times when it comes to this but I am learning!

I have enjoyed the process of creating a lot more. I am currently knitting something to actually gift to someone. Haven't done that in a while. Usually I am up to my eyeballs in making book/magazine samples!

Speaking of knitting, I stopped in at one of my favorite and inspiring spots in NJ. Here's Justine in all of her pregnant glory. She owns Angelfire Studios in Basking Ridge. Justine, you look awesome! On the one hand, I envy her because I loved being pregnant; on the other hand, I can't imagine being pregnant with the heat. I always comment about the color and inspiration that she has going on in her store. The best way to describe her store is to say that it's colorful, funky and tasteful all rolled up in one.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy fourth of July! I just returned from a trip to Washington, DC, Annapolis, Maryland and Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. The Smithsonian Institute in Washington is truly a national treasure. The exhibits are first rate and they're free. The walk all around the entire area from the Lincoln Memorial back to the Air and Space Museum is quite a hike but worth the effort.

I love to walk around Washington and wish that I lived in an urban setting with lots to see and do for the family every weekend. I have NYC and Philly nearby and appreciate them but I do miss city living!

I remember when I first went to Washington. Dh was doing some work with the FBI and I had two days to explore the city. I stumbled upon the Itchiku Kubota exhibit and I was inspired for a lifetime. I sat in front of the breathtaking landscape of 45 hand-dyed kimonos and I cried. The passion and dedication that he had for his work was beyond words. Mr. Kubota developed what he called Itchiku Tsujigahana.

I just discovered that there will be an exhibit of his work in San Diego, CA and Canton, OH at the end of this year and early next year. You wouldn't want to miss this if you live in either city.

A Walk On The "Wild" Side

I was in Toronto a couple of weeks ago and I enjoyed a "me" day. I love to wander around with my camera and go to my favorite little hangouts.

Check out the banner above. Queen St. West is one of my favorite areas in Toronto. There are lots of funky shops and the biggest yarn shop, Romni Wools, you can ever imagine. Years ago when I designed greeting cards, the paper place was known as The Japanese Paper Place. It was a wonderful store with such character. The store has new owners and it's still an inspiring place. I must admit that my first love is paper and this store is addictive!

Next door is one of my favorite book stores, TYPE. I love the atmosphere and I can, without a doubt, stay there for a good period of time just browsing the kids' section.

A few doors down, there's this cool architecture. Isn't it great how they blended the old with the new? Did I ever tell you that I thought about being an architect when I was young?

I love the orange colors that decorate the outside of this cute gardening shop just a few doors down the street.

I hope that you enjoyed the tour as much as I have. I've got a few more pics and then some of my trip to Delaware, DC and Maryland this week. xo. L

Strawberry Lemonade

Today's the last day of school! Yahoo! I'm feeling a bit sad too because it was a good year and I don't really want it to end. There will be a "moving on" ceremony and a school picnic today. Crazy me decided to stay up and cut three 1/2 yard pieces of fabric as gifts for each kid in the class. Only difficulty, Big A is in a multiage class and there are 42 kids in the class. It was done and I'm a bit tired but I know they'll love it. I donated some leftovers and remnants this year and the kids had a ball with the stack. They made these funky headbands with beads and they cut up the fabric to make other goodies. How cool is that?

Fabric Trends [Summer 2008]did a wonderful job of showcasing my Gardenia fabric [www.henryglassfabrics.com]. I designed and made this quilt a while back but when I look at the quilt now makes me smile. It's so happy and vibrant. Perfect for a picnic I think. xo, L

My Inspiration Wall

Here's another addiction of mine ... wallpaper! I love Graham and Brown, Nama Rococo and Walnut Paper. I love patterns and textures. Oh, and the colors are so glorious. There's just so much wallpaper out there right now. It's not the old fuddy duddy stuff that we used to see.

I've had a mental block about wallpaper because dh and my dad would always tell me how awful wallpaper is to take down later. Since we rented for a long time, putting the stuff up just never happened.When we did finally buy our own place, it still took a while to convince the free help around here that it would look great on the wall. Well, my parents always said that I'm a persistent person. So a while back, I just ordered some and let's just simply say that I have a beautiful wall now.

I have loved this wallpaper from the day that I saw it. I think that I saw it on NBC morning news about six years ago. It doesn't have color but that's the beauty of it. You just add the pics to make it fun and funky. I just stick my fave photos [here's a pic of a design of mine from my book, iKnit] onto the paper whenever and remove it whenever. It's on the wall going down to my basement. I adore it.

I also wanted to put a cool piece of wallpaper on the wall behind my headboard and frame it with molding and to do cutouts for the kiddos' room. Not successful at convincing the help of that yet. I see that Pottery Barn is doing something similar. At least I got the chocolate powder room and the funky green bathroom that I wanted. That was only 4.5 years in the making.

Remembering ...

Jo Pau.

I miss you.

xo, L

So much to do yet so little time

I do have a confession. I have SIX posts in draft mode awaiting publication but life has gotten the better of me so I will have to re-write my posts so that they are more time appropriate.

I just returned from Portland. It was a fun and inspiring trip. Portland is such a terrific city. I didn't take a lot of photos this time around but I will post a couple of pics of some goodies that I did bring home later this week. I got a couple of cool patterns from my friend, Amy Butler and some cute kits from Olympus [Japanese softies].

I caught a cold on the flight back and have been battling that for the last little while. I have been doing some behind the scenes design work that I can't post at this time. I can, however, introduce you to my latest book, Home Stuff. I am so in love with the styling and look of this one. Let me know what you think.

I'll be back later this week. xo, L

Portland here I come

I am off to Portland for Quilt Market tomorrow morning. Wee hours of the morning as a matter of fact. So much last minute stuff to do.

I hope that I will see some of you there. Don't be afraid to stop and say hi if you see me.

Henry Glass will be showing some new fabric of mine. We are working on tying up the loose ends as we speak. Whew!

See you there!

So good.

The cherry trees are blooming and it is looking quite beautiful here. I love the fresh colors of spring. The antique quality of our town is just so magical at this time of year.

Last year I couldn't have imagined that I would be saying this but this week has been awesome. Although my family experienced much sadness this week a year ago, it has been a good week this year.

First, the four wonderful firefighters who saved my dad remembered us and it was a comforting feeling. My heroes. Thanks, Bill, Andrew, Bruce and Steve.

Then, a major magazine came to my home for a photo shoot. What fun! Thanks, Nancy, Bryan and Avery. I will definitely let you know when the profile will be published. We worked hard and then ate a lot. Lunched at Pru Thai here in Clinton and then dined at the Pittstown Inn a few miles away. Lots of history and oh so quaint. I am not the best person to be photographed because I simply don't like to pose. The poor photographer. He'd say stay still and I'd move. Thankfully he was a very patient man.

The next day I went into Manhatten to do some work with the fabric company. I love the buzz of the city. I also stopped by Kinokuniya and Tinsel Trading. I love those two stores for inspiration. The garment district is always hustling and bustling. I can't get enough of it.

Finally, one of the firefighters won an award for his efforts. Congrats, Andrew. He couldn't make it to the awards ceremony so he asked my mom to accept on his behalf at tomorrow's ceremony.

These little events and the wonderful people involved are the very proof that life does go on and it is so good.

Remembering ...

my dad, who inspired me so much. I miss you.

Score!

I was driving down to Princeton to get a haircut and I drove by a rummage sale. It looked promising because a lady was packing a really cool chair into her van as I was driving by. "There won't be anything left on my way back," I thought to myself.

For some reason, I felt compelled to stop on my way home. Well, 20 minutes later I was in possession of 6 chairs and one painting for $54! There were two of each chair plus one large painting. I don't think that I will keep the painting. I bought it for the frame. Can you believe it? It was meant to be. I was thinking about trips with my dad to these sales when I was a kid. I have always loved to find my own little treasures and it is a major thing for me to get a great deal. My dad would have gotten a kick out of this.

I ran out to get some foam and I had some of this Alexander Henry fabric on hand. Presto! Two new dining room chairs. How cool is that! Sorry the pics are mediocre. I was way too excited to share this with you and it was getting dark outside. I couldn't wait.

Oh Baby Mac ...

I love you! I've been having fun playing with the photo booth and the kids think that it's a hoot to distort my head.

I've been working on my web site and hope to have it up sometime soon. So many things have been going on and the big chore for this month is cleaning up for a photo shoot for a magazine here at chez moi. Lots of stuff to get out of the way! How do you keep those Lego pieces together? Oh, those bolts of fabric need to be put away. And, yes, I need that bathroom painted, like, yesterday! It's only had 3 test strips on it for about, oh, a year give or take. I've discovered another love - decorating. I haven't done much of it because certain little people just love to draw all over my walls and furniture so I decided not to fight it. When we put up wallpaper a while ago, Little A decided to start drawing on it just as the paper was freshly pasted. A long time ago, he also managed to get his head stuck in my dining room chair. Had to toss it by the time we got his head out. Keep chanting: "Someday I will have nice furniture and decor." So that's what they tell me. In the meantime, how could I get mad at such a sweet face, green and all?

Yo!

I have discovered that I have a few addictions [all good, I promise you]. The first addiction? Yo-yo's. Sometimes I love using the Clover yo-yo makers and other times I just cut out a circle and sew it freeform. I especially love extra large yo-yos. The oversized ones add a lot of spunk to any simple project. This pillow is in my book, The Modern Crafter - Tot Stuff [http://www.leisurearts.com/]

Welcome, Baby Mac

We waited a week for the delivery and Little Baby Mac came into my world this week. He weighed 25 lbs. Ouch. I love him so much and he's already made such a big difference in my life. My brand new PC gave me problems and it was time to buy this baby. I've been working on a new web site and it has been straightforward so far. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

It's been busy around here. First, Little A and I celebrated Chinese New Year by going out for dim sum. Yummy! This kid eats anything. Happy New Year! It is the year of the rat.

The weather was crazy today. There was an accident early morning when I left the house. I didn't leave the subdivision. So I ended up sitting on a sheet of ice on a hill because an Audi was facing my lane head-on. When I came back home, all I wanted to do was stay in. I got some reading done but then I ended up playing Transformers for a while. Let's roll, Autobots.

Rejuvenate

Over the holidays I had started a few projects. I needed to do some crafty things that others had designed. Sometimes I need a diversion from my designs and just let someone else do the work.

I hadn't done crochet for a long time but I had picked up couple of Japanese crafty books. I made an amigurumi bear and I just started a lacey cell phone holder. I love the look of the lacey piece but I'm not sure that I would do a lot of the fine crochet. My eyesight is bad enough. Of course, I would re-call my crochet abilities by using a size 3 hook. Yes, the meds are still affecting me.

I started a new pair of mittens. I LOVE Fleece Artist and her yarn bundles are fabulous. They're a quick knit and the color is oh so yummy. It's a purple mix. I don't normally wear purple but this shade of purple goes really well with my aubergine colored coat.

I have been on a nesting binge especially with all that happened last year. I have had the urge to renovate, rejuvenate and de-stash. I started by trotting off to the local paint shop today and brought back a zillion swatches. I can't decide!!! Yikes. I love color but since I live in a small townhouse with no other females in sight, the melons, oranges, yellows and fuschias are off the list. Too dramatic in a testosterone driven home. I have mixed ideas about what a home should look like. I love so many different styles that keeping it all in sync is my biggest problem. I love Tricia Guild. Her colors are bright and dramatic. On the other hand, I love the modern/retro look. You'll see the look in my upcoming book, "Home Stuff" in the Modern Crafter Series [Leisure Arts].

I don't care for a country or primitive look. I do love it when you see a home that mixes old with new. I inherited a wooden throne-like chair, a wooden desk set and a watchmaker's repair table last year when my Dad passed away. They're in storage right now but I love those old pieces. My Dad also bought me two treadle sewing machines a long time ago. I look forward to the day when I can have all of the pieces together with me.

Hopefully, I will narrow it down in a few days. I need to rejuvenate. I think that I said that already. It's my buzz word for this new year.

Move over Mr. PC

I have been whining a lot lately and my thoughts have been in a bit of a rut. The cause? My computer situation. So what did I do this weekend? DH bought me a brand new MAC! I cannot wait. My head felt as though it was going to explode. This has been an ongoing thing for about forever and moreso since September.

Funny thing. Right after Reno put the order in, the floodgates in my head opened up and I actually felt relieved. I was talking to a publisher this morning and three ideas for books came together. The ideas have been there in rough form but to get it all together is the tough part. I know that it sounds hokey pokey but that is how I design. I don't sketch until after I've formed the ideas in my head. Then it is only to put the schematics together to form the pattern. Weird, non? Things are getting back to normal, yes!

I have been looking over the layouts for my next book in The Modern Crafter Series and it is fab! The photography is outstanding and the styling is oh so hip without being trashy or strange. That's a good thing.

Check out this bulletin board that I designed for The Modern Crafter Tot Stuff. It will be hanging above my work area soon [as soon as those who are good with a hammer can put it up. Big hint;)].

Curl up with a good book

The fine folks at Martingale & Co./That Patchwork Place have their act together. I received this fabulous stack of books yesterday in the mail. These are great for reading on such a day as today. There was a two-hour delay at school though I'm not sure why. It's just raining right now. My family laugh at me because they think that I'd never be able to go back to Canada based on weather alone. They're probably right!

There's Cool Girls Quilt on top but all of the books beneath it are beautiful too. I recognize a few names in there. Cyndi Hershey used to own The Country Quilt Shop in Pennsylvania and Karen Soltys is an editor at Martingale. I will let you know how my reading goes if I can pull myself away from the books long enough to write a blog about them. Thank you Martingale & Co.!

Make Believe

I love designing with a theme! This book is unusual in that there's quilt and pillow set for each theme. So adorable! There's one for a ladybug lover, a train lover, a rocket scientist and a few more!

Trendy Tots

I love making gifts for wee ones. For all of you modern moms, Tot Stuff is full of special little gifts for the trendy tot in your life. There are some fun designs. Be bold and use all of those cool fabrics that you have in your stash.

MIA but productive

Where have I been? I have been sick since December 22. Can you believe it? I am slowly getting back to normal. I rested, crafted and did a lot of thinking. Oh these ideas have been floating around in my brain but I've been working on a few ideas in the past week.

It was actually great to get some rest. I rather enjoyed being taken care of! My Mom, aunt, and brother visited. I got caught up with my favorite comedies, Chuck and Ugly Betty. I don't know why but I always love the underdogs or the geeks. Ok, I did do some other things like become an expert at Nintendo DS.

One of my favorite books was published over the holiday season. Sew Sentimental, above, is a scrapbooking book but there are many sewing projects to make for memory keeping. I loved writing this book and designing the projects. It was a treat to be able to have my family memories bound in a book like this.

I will have a few more cool updates soon. I can't wait to show you.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from the land of antibiotics and inhalers. I've been sick over the holidays but it hasn't completely stopped me from enjoying visiting relatives. My mom, brother, and aunt are here and it's been nice to have them here.

I've been watching and reading about the year in review in the news and in magazines. Lots of milestones in the world and it is no different for me personally. This year was forgettable and yet unforgettable. I lost four special people in my life within a six month period - my dad, my grandmother, my father-in-law and his brother, Uncle Joe. I've missed them all especially over the holidays but I've been blessed to have had them in my life.

From a design perspective, it has been the best year for me. I worked hard last year so that much of the work could come to fruition this year. I've had four and a half [contributed to the latter] books published, lots of magazine and fabric work. I thank all of the wonderful people in our industry for supporting my visiion and I especially thank all of you for coming along for the ride! Here's to a great new year.

xo, Linda

Merry Christmas!

I wish you a very Merry Christmas! Thank you to all for your support this past year. It has been one with some major ups and downs but all of the friendship has meant a lot to me and my family. All the best to you and your families. xo, Linda

Winter Sparklers & Holiday Winners!

There's a shop in the town where I live that is so inspiring. Heartstrings is a wonderful shop full of vintage gifts and their window display just sparkles! I took this the other night during our Christmas Parade. It was so magical with all of the holiday lights in the town and in the parade.

I've been having fun shopping with Little A. He loves to walk down the street and sing Jingle Bells. So off-key and yet oh so cute. Adults walking by often join in and start singing [off-key as well] with him. Thankfully I did my shopping in November. It is crazy out there.

Speaking of gifts, you didn't think that I forgot about our little contest did you? First, the technicalities. Two little judges drew slips of paper from the e-mails that were received. Then they continued to draw some more so I am including few mini-bundles for three other contestants. Drum roll please.

The winners are:

Ursula Anvil - Cool Girls Quilt book

Mary Zilg - Large bundle of fabric

Kelly Willis - Large bundle of fabric

Michelle Benton [?], sugar creek stuff - Mini-bundle of fabric

Karen Weir -Mini-bundle of fabric

Monique Harris - Mini-bundle of fabric

Please e-mail me your snail mail and I will post the items to you. Thanks so much for reading and entering the contest.

I'm In A Holiday Mood & Giveaways Too!

Yippee! Today is publication day for Sew Sentimental. It's not just a scrapbooking book. There are some great projects for you to make as gifts. For the book, I designed one large quilt and one little quilt, some pillows, a growth chart and a fabric envelope. Check it out!

Presenting, the Here, Birdie, Birdie Tote Bag. Yes, I finally got around to finishing it. I have the template posted on my website. Just click the link on the right. Now, the pattern itself is another story. It may be the end of the week before I get to it. I used some fabric from my new fabric line, Gardenia. Sorry for the poor photo. It is ugly outside and my model, Little A, won't cooperate. He thinks that it is funny that Mommy wants him to pose. Little does he know that that's him on the cover of Sew Sentimental!

Plus, we had a minor castrophe last Thursday. My very expensive and very relatively new Maytag washer had one very major hissy fit. There had been problems with this machine and they've discontinued it. I think that is what made Maytag, Maytag no more. So we decided to buy a new one. We now have one wonderful [keep my fingers crossed] Whirlpool machine. Please don't tell me that you've had problems with yours. I don't think that my hubby can handle it!
I suddenly find myself in a holiday mood! Let's have a little giveaway. I have two bundles of my newest line, Gardenia. Plus, I have one copy of Cool Girls Quilt to give away too. Gee, I feel like Santa! E-mail me all through Sunday and I will draw three names Sunday night. Good luck!

I made this tree skirt for a book and for once, I have used a design for myself. I bought the sparkly reindeer ornament when I was in Toronto a couple of months ago. I'm in love with it! As you can see, I don't really decorate in "traditional" colors. Then again, what is traditional? I don't eat turkey at holidays either. For some reason, I am really turned off by turkey. This year, when my family came for a visit, they ate turkey and I ate scallops.

Here's another freebie. I was playing around with the dots from my Funky Fabrics line and ended up making this fun little holiday pillow. It is so easy that no real pattern is required. Just cut a 15" x 16" piece of fabric for the front and back. Then make 15 - 2 1/4" yo-yos. I used the highly addictive Clover yo-yo makers. Arrange and pin them onto the pillow front. Cut out a stump, fuse in place and zigzag around with coordinating thread. With right sides together, sew the pillow front and pillow back together. Leave an opening for turning along the bottom of the pillow. Voila!

Special Gifts

This year has had many ups and downs but overall I have felt blessed. It is a gift to be able to design and I am grateful for your passion for all that I do! Thank you! I hope that you enjoy making this stocking! Click here for the pattern.


Speaking of special gifts, I received this beautiful handmade pincushion and label a little while ago from Lucy Locket. Isn't this gorgeous? It came in a plastic bag and I haven't removed it because I am afraid of getting it dirty. It sits right in my work area and I look at it whenever I am there. Thank you, Lucy Locket!

OMG! It's December!

Where does the time go? I can't get over the fact that Christmas is only a few weeks away. I had so much to do for business this weekend but since I had visitors, nothing was accomplished. Not a problem. I took our cousins, Helen and Angie, from Australia shopping at Short Hills Mall. It's nice to watch other people shop. If you have ever been to this mall, you'd understand. Let's just say that Tiffany's, Anthropologie and Jimmy Choo were the stops along the way. We had loads of fun and it was great getting to know them. Of course, they think that it is cold here. Oh, yes, it is veeeery cold here in the good ol' USA. I won't tell them that there was a foot of snow in Canada. They'll have to see it for themselves when they go up there in January.

We sat down on Sunday afternoon and made these sparkly little gems. It was all fun and messy and I suppose that I should have let them use washable paint. Instead, I gave them shimmery-really-tough-to-remove-even-with-nail-polish-remover ink. Hey, no pain, no gain. The ink along with using Martha Stewart's fabulous glitter, gave us sparkly and colorful ornaments.

It's so easy. Buy some plain glass ornaments and drop some ink into them. Add a load of glitter and swirl around. Place a cotton ball at the open end while you are swishing the ink around inside so that it minimalizes the leakage of the ink and prevents it from getting all over you. Let them dry and there you have some oh so sparkly tree ornaments!

Happy Thanksgiving

... from our family to yours.

Who Knew?

Who knew that changing computers would be such a painful experience? No one told me! I am still in the middle of using the old one and the new one. It's been a bummer but I am able to update a bit here and there now. Here's some more Quilt Market news.

Here I am just before my Schoolhouse Presentation. Trying really hard to look like a domestic goddess and not really achieving the look I think! I was a nervous wreck. I don't have a problem with public speaking when it is about something else besides me. I used to do it all of the time in the pharmaceutical industry. However, when you want me to start talking about myself and what inspires me, I freeze about 24 hours before the presentation. When I get going, then I'm fine. It doesn't help that I don't sleep in hotel rooms either. I was one lucky designer though. I had a great audience [and a full house!] and I had a few familiar faces in the crowd. It was actually quite fun.

I threw the spotlight back onto my audience. These pictures show my view of the presentation. Didn't my audience look great? All smiley and happy and I was very pleased because I had the first presentation of the day.

I'll bet that these ladies and gentlemen never thought that I'd take a pic of them!

When I arrived at my stopover in Atlanta, I met these crazy and wonderful women from Byrd's Nest Quilting [http://www.byrdsnestquiltshop.com] in Florida. The invited me to share their van and then to dinner that night. So generous and such a great bunch of gals. To top it all off, some of these ladies attended my Schoolhouse Presentation for moral support! Isn't that awesome! That's why I love the people in this industry! Thanks ladies!

Back row: Kathy Byrd [owner], Sherri, me, Kathy
Seated: Karen, Sandi, Melanie, Barbara
[Photo credit: Sandi Makowski]

On Saturday morning, I met these wonderful ladies from Watkinsville, GA. They own Dragonfly Quilt Shop [http://www.dragonflyquiltshop.com/]. They're such enthusiastic ladies and love New Noel. For those of you lucky enough to get to their store, they have a trunk show of their own of my New Noel book. Run and check it out!!

I still have a couple of important pieces to post but I'll get back to it shortly. I am going to see Mickey Mouse tomorrow! I can't wait!

Knit Pillow Templates

Just a note to those who wanted the letter templates for the knit pillow. Please go to my web site here.

I am in the middle of a computer change and I only had time to sit and figure out how to customize my blog yesterday so bear with me!!

Drum Roll Please

Well, this has been an interesting adventure. I confirmed and discovered a few things along the way. First, I have way many more "readers" of my web site updates than I do on my blog at this time. I expected that because I had neglected my blog for a very long time. That's ok. I am working on that. This brings me to discovery #2. I had fun posting on other blogs and in the process, I won a beautiful handmade pincushion from this lovely lady, http://lucylocketrecycledherpocket.blogspot.com Third, and very important, I came away very inspired by all of the new blogs and projects that I viewed over the course of the week. Fourth, my computer is about to explode any second now. I can't even open the pics of the drawing slips because my hard drive is full. So, you will have to trust me on this one. I will post the pics of the slips later.

However, before I post the winners [yes, I am stalling ;)] I will post a new tote bag project up soon [relative term depending upon when my new computer is up and running and probably after I return from the International Quilt Market next week]. For those of you who are going to be there, I won't have a booth but I will be giving a Schoolhouse Presentation on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in Room 372B. I hope to see you there!

I also got a little carried away during the drawing. Big A and Little A, the officials who officiated the drawing wanted to draw some more names. Who can argue with a 6-year old and a 4-year old? Therefore, we will have a few extra winners of mini-bundles of fat quarters [4 fat quarters]. I really shouldn't be so mean because I am absolutely horrible at holiday time when I want to know what I'm getting! Lets go throught the technical stuff first. I printed the comments from the blogs and the e-mail addies from those who e-mailed and folded all of the slips. Last names are deleted to protect the innocent. Then, I [well, Big A] put them all in a dish. I had no input after this point except to stop the name drawing. Big A drew the first name and Little A drew the second name for the two fat quarter bundles. The winners are:

amy [ACK! Those fabrics are GORGEOUS! ...]
and
Patricia, who's originally from Madrid and who e-mailed me [Love the pillow & the fabrics]

For the mini-bundles:

Debora and Deb from Watkinsville, Georgia
Jodi [Oh! Your new fabrics look soooo pretty!]
Shawn [What gorgeous fabrics.]
Christy [Looks like you've got a few new readers, including me!]

I hope that this is ok with all of you. I have the new computer. All of my business stuff needs to be downloaded, updated and whatever this weekend. I put the references there just so there wouldn't be any mix-ups. Thanks for entering. I hope to have some exciting stuff for you from Houston! I am excited! No chores, eating out and hanging with creative friends. Can't wait.

So send me your snail mail and I will post them as soon as I can.

Catching Up - Updated

Update: With this fabric giveaway, I thought that I'd better update this post instead of adding on. I wanted you to see this cute little bolster pillow that I made. The "knit" pillow was so much fun to make. Easy peasy. I couldn't forget about my knitting friends so the template for the letters will be posted this week. You can applique the letters onto a tote if you don't want to make a felted pillow.

I have been regrouping myself these past few weeks. Catching up with everything has been both overwhelming and invigorating. What better way to start things fresh than to have a giveaway? I have two fat quarter bundles of my "Funky Flowers" line to give away.

All you have to do is say hello here or e-mail me at lindalumdebonoatattdotcom and I will pick two names in some random fashion to be determined later. I am prepping for the Quilt Market in Houston and will be busy in the next week and a bit so lets have the drawing on the 19th.

Stay tuned for free patterns and new previews. I have some of my new stuff on my web site at http://www.lindalumdebono.com and I'm all stoked about my new books and fabrics. Meanwhile, take a peek at one of the new publications, Tot Stuff, over at Cheryl's blog [http://http//www.livinginamaterialworld.blogspot.com]. Looks so cool doesn't it? I can't wait to get my copy.

I'm an alien

September marked my "anniversary" of becoming an alien. One could interpret that many ways but it was 12 years ago that I quit my pharmaceutical job in Toronto and moved to New Jersey to become an alien of the United States. What should I do to mark this special occasion? Why, publish some books and design new fabric, of course!

This month all in the quilt industry are working hard because the International Quilt Market is coming fast. Some will also stay on and work the even more frenzied International Quilt Festival. I will be giving a Schoolhouse Presentation for Martingale & Co. at Quilt Market. I'll be looking forward to catching up with old friends and seeing new things. I can't wait!! No housework, cooking or chores. That's a real vacation.