A Little Miscellany…

Last week I was given a really great opportunity – Chittenden Bank, at their headquarters in Downtown Burlington, VT, has a wall where they feature a VT artist every month.  And guess who is this month’s artist??  Me!!  I was so excited that eight of my quilts are now on display in this prominent business.  I am really excited to see how they do there and hope for new opportunities as a result of this exciting chance.

This past week-end I had three of my quilts in a local quilt show.  We had our very first quilt show here in Barre, VT and it went so well!  Over 300 people  showed up for it and my raffle quilt sold more than 200 tickets.  To see how I made the raffle quilt, check out my post Raffle Quilt for New Quilt Show.  It was such a nice show with a beautiful variety of quilts on display.  Christine Fries-Ureel was the guest artist (she’s from Barre) and had several of the most insanely gorgeous quilts I have ever seen on display.  Please take a moment to look at her site and see what I am talking about! 

Another person I had a chance to talk more with is Jenny Hermenze, a Vermont artist who specializes in Japanese stencil dyeing.  She had a beautiful booth full of yummy indigo fabrics cut in quilter friendly sizes.  It is my hope that she and I will be able to get together and work on some designs together.  She needs a few samples for her booth and maybe I could trade for some fabric – now wouldn’t that be fun!

 

Nice Quilting Blog to Check Out!

I was sent a very kind request for permission to post a link to the Tumbling Squares Quilt pattern from Scarlett at Craft Gossip Blog.  What a sweet lady!  I have been having a lot of fun looking at her blog and enjoying all of her posts for free patterns and tutorials.  A lot of creative ideas and tips.  Check it out!

Here is a link to her post about my pattern:  http://quilting.craftgossip.com/free-pattern-tumbling-blocks-baby-quilt/2009/04/30/

More Children’s Art Bags

My hairdresser is such an awesome lady and she has asked me on several occasions to make my crayon bags for her.  This Christmas I made two for her daughters and just a few weeks ago she asked me to put together two more for her friend’s little boys.  I am thrilled with how they came out!  Especially the accent fabrics I chose.    I also like my decision to make the pocket on it in both the print and the accent fabric.  It makes it more fun!

I’m Back!

Sometimes things happen that you don’t intend and time just slips away from you.  And this is all too easy when you don’t feel well and circumstances make it hard to pick up a needle and feel joy in what you do.  I have been struggling the last few months with this and hope that I have figured out what I need to do to get myself motivated again.  Sewing has always been a joy for me and I think that I have let the business part of it suffocate that joy.

I want that joy back! 

So my plan is to get back into the sewing room and focus on projects that I want to do.  Take a break from special orders which I have been doing straight since September.  Take a break from craft shows – Lord knows with this economy that is not a bad idea.  Take a break from projects I feel I have to do and do what I want to do.

I have had quilt designs rattling around in my head for over a year and I have the fabric for it, just never been able to get around to it.  Too many other things have gotten in the way – special orders, craft fairs, etc.  So I have decided to take a creative break – to CREATE! 

My hope is that I will be able to finally get back to doing what I love to do – making quilts that excite me and make me happy.  Wish me luck!

Vacation Report – Part 2

Yesterday we spent the morning playing miniature golf which was tons of fun!  My eldest wanted to immediately start playing another game and the youngest did not want to return his club.  I think we will be doing this again soon.  I just wish there were mini golf places in Vermont.

We then went over to the Disney Fort Wilderness Resort Lodge and ate at the Whispering Canyon Cafe for lunch.  The food was ok at best (my enchilada was slathered in BBQ sauce if you can believe it) but the lodge itself is stunning.  7 stories of rough cut timber frame construction with an open balconied lobby that goes up all the way to the top.  We walked in and the first words out of my mouth were “Holy cow, Batman!”    I hear that the rooms range from $250-1200/night so it had better be stunning for that price!

That afternoon we tried to get to Gatorland (I know – how touristy of us!) but the darn place has absolutely NO parking.  One tiny lot that was overfull so people were parking across the street.  Across the 6 lanes of busy traffic!!  Business owners had people kicking cars out of their lots for parking there and the street was jammed so full only one car could comfortably get through at a time for about 2 miles.  We gave up after that and went back to the house to play in the pool.  A much better choice if I do say so myself.

Today, my husband has now fallen victim to the dreaded stomach bug.  I hope he will feel better tomorrow ’cause we want to go to more of the parks.  The kids have been great though and very patient with all of this.

Grandma and grandpa took the kids and I out to Downtown Disney while DH stayed in bed.  We at at the Rainforest Cafe (much better than Whispering Canyon Cafe) but my youngest was a little scared when the thunder and lightning started.  Why they do something like that in a family restaurant, I will never know.  And, seriously, would it kill them to turn the volume down?  But the food was good and the gift shop was really neat.

Here is a shot of the sea serpent that is made out of Lego’s.  He was cool!

We also went out on a pontoon boat ride in the little lake and canals which was great.  The kids all took a turn driving the boat and turns out my youngest is a bit of a menace behind the wheel!  Should be fun in 11 years when he starts driving.  I think Daddy will handle that one!

We had a great afternoon exploring all the shops and marveling at the merchandising machine that is Disney.  All of the endless stuff you can think of!  I did succumb to a few t-shirts and a tie for DH.    The ice cream was great and I LOVE the gift shop at Cirque de Soleil.  I know that no matter how DH feels, tomorrow he will be going to La Nouba.  There is no way I could stop him!

Vacation Report

I cannot say enough about how lovely it was to step off the plane in Florida and be anxious to shed all of these winter clothes.  It is sooo warm here and sunny!  I can’t remember the last time I saw a sky so blue.  

The boys flew like seasoned veterans and Gabe was a champ.  I could tell he was still not 100% from his stomach bug but we had not bouts of illness – thank God!  I could not have asked for better kids – no whining, fighting, and no illness!  Yipee!

Yesterday morning we started the day at Sea World and that was so amazing.  It was my oldest’s birthday (he turned 7) and we went there at his request.  Our day began at the Clyde and Seymour seal and otter show which was a riot.  The animals were so beautiful and well trained and the actors/trainers were incredibly funny.  And the times when the animals did not perform according to the show routine, they turned it into a lovely comedic moment rather than get frustrated.   A great start to out day!

Next, we had lunch with Shamu.  If you ever get the chance to have this experience, I highly recommend it.  The food was fabulous and the show was stunning.  We were behind the main pool where the Believe show with the Orcas is held so we could see all of what the trainers do during the show.  Then, once the show was over, the mama whales and their babies swam over to us and gave us a private show.  WOW!  I could not believe it.  It felt like we could just reach out and touch the whales we were so close.  They were stunning creatures and I can’t wait to go back and see the Believe performance from the audience perspective rather than behind the scenes.  What a treat!

Unfortunately, as the day progressed, my stomach started to make itself known and we had to cut our day short.  Apparently I caught my son’s stomach bug and it has not been fun.  I spent the rest of that day in bed but am feeling much improved today.  Thank goodness!

Today we decided to start our Disney experience with Hollywood Studios.  We felt that this was the park we wanted to spend the least amount of time at as not too many if the rides seemed of interest.  I should have known better.  There is a vast difference between reading about a ride and seeing it for yourself!  We went on the Little Mermaid ride, the Star Wars tour, the Muppets 3D and the Indiana Jones show.  My absolute favorites were the Muppets and Indiana Jones.   What a great day!

Off We Go!

Here we are getting ready to go on our first major family vacation ever and I spend my day cleaning up after my son who has the stomach bug. 

Oh.  Joy.

It seems that my mommy immunity to all things related to the stomach bug has worn off and I am having a very hard time cleaning up his messes.  Luckily Gabe is good about knowing when he is going to be sick and there is little for me to do.

But now he is sleeping and this afternoon has seen him vastly improved, so I am hopeful he will be feeling a lot better by tomorrow.  I have been taking this time to get the rest of the packing done and am trying not to panic.  Last minute jitters combined with the fact that there is a snowstorm rolling in tonight and into tomorrow – when we are flying out!

Oh.  Joy.

If anything, this will be a memorable vacation.  If we can just get there!

Blocks of Pineapples

Or is it Pineapple Blocks? 

Here are shots of my latest project, a custom order of my Organic Baby Quilt, but in a different color way.  It will be alternating red and blue blocks with a blue border and red binding.  I think this will be really sweet and classic for my client’s new grandbaby.

 Lately things have been pretty crazy.  Both of the children are sick and I have been knee deep in stuff for the CPSIA (see previous posts or my Facebook page).  On Monday, I was asked to testify before the state Senate Appropriations Committee and after waiting three hours, I was not given a chance to talk.  Typical government – they cut off more than a dozen people waiting to testify in my location alone (the state capitol) and many more at the satellite locations.  We were all connected together through an interactive TV network – which, by the way, is on the chopping block of the fore mentioned committee.  Typical.

On a happy note, my kids are jumping out of their skins with excitement.  We fly out next Thursday to Orlando and we have promised to take the kids to Disney and Sea World.  We have tickets on my son’s birthday to have lunch pool side with Shamu, which should be a lot of fun.  Grandma and Grandpa have rented a villa for a month and we get to stay with them for free.  All we have to pay for is the plane, food, tickets to parks, entertainment, car rental (their only request was that we must have a mini van), and anything else we do down there.  I am nervous about the cost, but as my husband said, how often will we get a chance like this?  I will admit, though, that the tickets to Cirque de Soleil look like a lot of fun!

Safe from the CPSIA

As many of you know, over the last 3 months, I have been fighting the new government regulation called the CPSIA that would require all of my quilts be tested for lead.  This ludicrous law would have bankrupted so many retailers and manufacturers, including quilters and those wonderful Etsy folks, that the Wall Street Journal was calling it National Bankruptcy Day!

Today, the CPSC has announced a list of exemptions and textiles, including wool and cotton, are safe!  Here is what the CPSC had to say:

Not impose penalties against anyone for making, importing, distributing, or selling :

• a children’s product to the extent that it is made of certain natural materials, such as wood, cotton, wool, or certain metals and alloys which the Commission has recognized rarely, if ever, contain lead;
• an ordinary children’s book printed after 1985; or
• dyed or undyed textiles (not including leather, vinyl or PVC) and non-metallic thread and trim used in children’s apparel and other fabric products, such as baby blankets.

Yeah!  Baby’s Breath Quilts is safe from the CPSC and I am so incredibly relieved.  Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on this issue and included us handmade manufacturers and artists in your prayers.  There are still a few of us who may have problems, but for the majority of handmade toy and children’s product makers, we are SAFE!

CPSIA Grants Stay of Execution

Just released today, the CPSC has put off the mandatory requirement of third party lead testing for 1 year until 2-10-2010!!! The thought is that in that year’s time they will be able to come up with better ways of testing for pthalates, develop lists of exemptions to testing, and actually figure out some rules and guidelines.

A lot of CPSIA activism sites are cautioning us not to get too excited just yet. The CPSC will still prosecute retailers and manufacturers if they sell anything that violates the new lead limits and there are some exceptions to the new reprieve. See the CPSC site for full details http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09115.html

By the way, they voted unanimously on this 2-0. Anyone see a problem here?