Perkins Dry Goods

I would like to feature quilts made from my patterns in the Gallery on the Perkins Dry Goods website. I know that dealing with images can be daunting…..so I am sweetening the pot. If you send me a picture of a project you made from one of my patterns, I will send you a free pattern. This is a time limited offer for the first 10 people who respond with images that I can use.

The rules are simple:

1. One pattern per person, even if you send multiple pictures.
2. Click here for submission guidelines.

Thank you to Pam in Kansas City! She sent images of three Grandpa’s Best quilts that she made. Here is one of them ~ click here to see the others.

My friend Jenni kindly reminded me that I need to update my blog. It’s been almost a month, point taken!

Lots of things have been happening here. Son #1 graduated from high school, twin niece and nephew made their first communion, I celebrated a major birthday with a surprise party thrown by my wonderful husband and children. We had family visit from California and Colorado. There hasn’t been this much going on since we had babies being baptized!

Big news around here is about the Iowa flooding. Having a son who is looking forward to starting at the University of Iowa in Iowa City this fall has given this disaster a whole new meaning.  I can’t imagine going through something like that.  The people involved have been so very supportive of one another.  Click here to see images on campus. And an excellent flood information blog by the University News Service.

New projects have also been in the works - still not ready enough to share too much about, but here’s a sneak peak at some of the fabrics I’m auditioning.

More quilty topics coming soon - I promise!

Things in this design studio have been a bit wild lately. Graduation and Prom along with end of year banquets, award ceremonies and baseball have taken over. I have to say that sending my two kids off dressed to the nines was kind of thrilling. My son is on the left and daughter in the blue dress.

Never fear though, I have been working furiously on the Quilt MN Quilt for the pattern cover, writing the “step cards” that each shop will hand out. Elaine from Silver Lane Quilting has been very kind with her editing assistance! Her son Doug helped with the first round of pattern testing - I know many of you met him in Houston last fall.

I would love to feature quilts made from Perkins Dry Goods patterns in a Virtual Quilt Show on my website in the Gallery. Carol Miller from Quilt University suggested this as a great way for people to see lots of options and colorways made from one design. I think she is brilliant! BUT I need your quilt pictures!!

If you are interested in having me post a project that you made from one of my patterns, click here for more information.

Quilt Minnesota is a huge shop hop that was held last year for the first time. It was such a great success, that it will be happening again this year from August 1st through August 17th!

The state is divided into 7 sections and there are prizes to be won for visiting a certain number of shops. You can see all of the participating shops at the QuiltMN website.

Each of the 7 sections will feature a unique quilt designed by a Minnesota designer. I am thrilled to have been asked to be a featured designer! But the quilt is a secret until the shop hop starts…stay tuned!

The list includes: Terry Atkinson, Lynette Jensen, Linda Hohag, Heather Mulder, Sherri Falls and Gudrun Erla.

I just had to share a picture of my oldest son as a four year old. He will graduate from high school next month. I remember taking this picture like it was yesterday.

During one of my many wanderings around the net, I stumbled upon this rotary cutting tutorial at the purl bee. I thought it was really good since it reiterates things that I think are important! You will see how to use two rulers to straighten your fabric, good safety tips and basics on cutting strips and how to cut squares from strips. Enjoy!

If you are a knitter/crocheter there are tons of fun things on this blog as well!

Celine

Lots of things have been happening around here. The big news is the new look. I hope you like it! Now my blog and website work together as a team, thanks to Gloria, Derry and Andrew and Gloderworks. I still have some fine tuning to do, but for the most part I think things are looking really good.

We just returned from Spring Break, which was wonderful. The trip to Virginia and Washington, D.C. combined the best of both worlds. The monuments and historical floral and fauna is overwhelming.

The first part of the trip was to Charlottesville, VA. Home of the University of Virginia and my college roommate Barb (on the right). What a beautiful day it was and our visit to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson was fabulous.

Here is the view of the Washington monument as seen from the (top of the steps) at the Lincoln Memorial.

There is a story for every monument in the area. Now, this obelisk shaped monument was designed by Robert Mills and by law, no other building in Washington, D.C. can be taller. Construction began in 1848, and stopped in 1856 when funds ran low. Work began again in 1876 and the monument was completed, opening to the public in 1888. It is truly spectacular.

The quilty part of the trip was made possible by my friend Pam Matthews who drove me over 130 miles across the Virginia countryside to quilt shops! We visited the Jinny Beyer Studio, Web Fabrics and Treasures from The Heart pictured here. What a lovely day!

We are off to Washington DC for a few days for Spring Break. Couldn’t have planned it better as the Cherry Blossom Festival starts on Saturday. I am very excited - this is my first visit to the Capitol! We will also be visiting friends in Charlottesville, VA and my friend Pam Matthews from Alexandria is going to pick me up for a day touring the area quilt shops.

Stay tuned for pictures!

Rosie, my assistant happily tests quilts.

Tracy from Plumcute tagged me yesterday.  This was after a long conversation about how much time we waste wandering around the internet looking for things like glue bottle tips or that perfect font…. 

I’m happy to perpetuate efficient use of time, so here are the rules:

1. When tagged, place the name of the person and URL on your blog.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Write 7 things about yourself .

4. Name 7 of your favorite weblogs .

5. Send an e-mail letting those bloggers know they have been tagged .

---

1.  My favorite color is pink.  My husband knows that no matter what he gives me for my birthday or Christmas, that I will love it if it is pink (most of the time).  Didn’t care too much for the coral choker he gave me in 1985, but just about everything else has been a winner.2. I don’t know what my true hair color is.  It used to be dark blonde.  That’s the fantasy I pay my hair stylist to keep alive for me.

3. I was never a cheerleader.  Not for lack of trying.  If anyone has ever seen me in a jazzersize class, they know immediately why I never made the squad.

4. I love to drive.  I get great pleasure out of the fact that I can park my minivan just about anywhere.  I have only backed into the trash cans once in 33 years. 

5.  I have always wished I was a drummer in a rock and roll band.  Not one ounce of musical talent in this kid.

6.  I can catch a mouse with a dixie cup.  Yes folks, when the kittiots bring the mice up from the basement to play with, I capture them under a dixie cup.  We only have mice in the fall when it starts to get cold outside. 

7.  My first computer was a MacPlus.  It cost more than my first car and had a whopping 20MB hard drive.

I have lots of favorite blogs, but don’t know the bloggers well enough to tag them.  But I’ll list them anyway!

I’ll tag back Tracy at Plumcute -but she doesn’t have to do the game again.  Here’s to Pam at PamKittyMorning.  She’s been tagged a few times now.  Gudrun, another Minnesoooota designer.  Kathy at Pink Chalk Studio.  Pat Sloan’s Corner.  Tammy  Tadd,  Roseann at Rosebud’s Cottage and Annie Smith at Simple Arts (she’s having blog issues at the moment).

So there you have it!

Sorry for the pun but I couldn’t resist.  This Bambi has been walking through our backyard for the past two weeks.  She ususally comes with 4 or 5 of her best friends.  They bed down in the woods behind the shed at night.  Granted, we live near from a nature preserve, but it still amazes me that these guys are here in the middle of a major metropolitan area.

Now onto the bigger news.  We celebrated my son’s 18th birthday this month!  Boy did he grow up fast!  Here’s his sister trying to steal his thunder - as usual.  She wasn’t quick enough.  This has been a busy winter with college searches, auditions and concerts.