Doesn't this sound heavenly?

Not the part about taking a class with me, but having someone else prepare all of your meals while you relax and sew for an entire weekend?! Even though I will be working the whole weekend, it still seems like heaven!

Seams Like Home Retreats with Sue Cook from Larkspur Lane Designs

Christmas in July Gingerbread Man Paper Pieced Wallhanging
July 17-19

Haunting Halloween
Paper Pieced & Appliqued Wallhanging
October 8-10

Cost: $300 per person

Check-in is 3pm on Friday and check-out is 3 pm on Sunday. Cost includes dinner on Friday, breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday, and brunch on Sunday. After dinner on Friday, Sue will help you cut out and get organized and prepared for class on Saturday. You will have some free sew time later in the evening, or play some fun sewing and quilting games, watch TV or play pool in the lounge. Snacks are available in the evenings. On Sunday you can finish what you may not have completed on Saturday, have free sew time, or just sleep in! Sue is a very talented and creative quilter and teacher. This is an opportunity to master the paper piecing technique and learn from a pro. No phones, no kids, no cooking, JUST FUN AND RELAXATION! More detailed class descriptions and photos will be posted on the website www.seamslikehomeretreat.com in May.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

This past weekend, I spent the day at a quilt show and got to see someone else's version of one of my designs. I found it interesting to read her comments on the label, where she said she bought the pattern and then wasn't sure she wanted to attempt paper piecing but now she's a fan of the technique. That made my day!

I took this photo with my phone, so its not the best quality, but if you want to see a picture of my sample, you can go to my website and check it out: http://www.larkspurlanedesigns.com/

I tried to meet the woman who made this quilt and tell her how much I enjoyed seeing hers, but I missed her. Maybe she will see my blog!

Forget about spring, its Quilt Show Season!

Its finally here! Quilt Show Season!

Beside my pattern business, I also teach for a local sewing machine dealer and, on occasion, get the opportunity to spend the day in her booth at local quilt shows. This is about as far from WORK as you can get! I love being around other people who get as excited as me about fabric, new techniques, products and projects.

The show started yesterday, but I had to work in the store since I had a class to teach. But today, I get to go to the show! One of my co-workers called me from the show to tell me there was a quilt in the show that was done from one of my patterns. I always love to see how others interpret my designs and can't wait to see it. I will take a picture if I am allowed and post it soon.

Next Friday, instead of being in the store, I will be on a bus trip to the Sewing and Quilting Expo in Cleveland! Could it get any better?!?

Intellectual Theft?

There was a message posted to a Yahoo Group I belong to about "possible" copyright infringement, that I found to be very disturbing. A fabric company obviously "borrowed" (stole, in my opinion) images from a card designer and then refused to admit or acknowledge or reimburse her in any way for her intellectual property! They told her SHE NEEDED TO GET A LAWYER!

I am so sick of big companies thinking they can get away with anything just because they have more money or resources backing them up. Below, you will find a link to this designer's blog about the situation, as well as images of the designs in question. Check it out and see what you think.

Are they her images they used in their fabric? Personally, I don't think there is any doubt, but I am afraid she won't get any justice because she is just one person fighting a big company. But, I think if this company began to get emails from people who will no longer buy their product until this matter is resolved, they might change their tune.

http://kimberlyshaw.typepad.com/my_weblog/protecting-.html

UFOs and Bad Habits

I wish I could say I don't have any UFOs but that would be a lie. I have never finished my very first quilt, although I don't think that is a very big deal.

I wasn't happy with the fact that my stars had no points, so I had a hard time putting any effort into finishing it. I did make a "second" first quilt using almost all of the same fabric that I did finish, using the skills that I learned from making mistakes on the other one.

I am always so excited to get started on a new project and am so focused on it, but then real life gets in the way and its hard to get back to working on it. Deadlines help a lot, but some projects don't have deadlines or, in all honesty, I choose to ignore them.

One of these projects was a gift for a past president of the guild to which I was a member. She has a thing for clowns, so I designed a quilt with that theme in mind. I finished the blocks fairly quickly, then when it wasn't finished by the time I had planned, I put it aside and quickly forgot about it.

I ran into this lady at a function last fall and since she was aware of the quilt, it came up in our conversation. I promised her it would be in the guild's next show, if accepted, and she could have it after that. Do you think I went home and started working on it again? Nope, not me. The show is in mid-April, so I have plenty of time to finish it in time if I stop fooling around!

I'm curious about how others work on their projects. Do you make yourself finish one before starting another? Do you have multiple projects going at the same time? Why does a project end up in your UFO pile?

This has been a bad habit of mine for my entire life and any advice you could give me would be much appreciated. Not sure if I will take any of it, but I am definitely willing to listen!



MESSAGE TO M:
Yes, I am aware of the terrible thing you are doing to my friend. I am also aware of how often you check my blog to see if I am going to talk about it. That is more of a question of "when" not "if". I am simply waiting to see how ugly this gets.