Tuesday, May 5, 2020

My Absence Explained


Into each life some rain must fall

It was so wonderful to see old friends, and meet new ones at the February 27 -29 Arizona Quilter's Guild Annual Quilt Show, where I had a booth at the show. It's hard to believe that just a few short weeks later, everything changed for all of us, with the various responses to the corona virus pandemic.

My son and daughter-in-law began to work at home the last week of March, and felt the need to have my 3 yr. old grandson, James, stay home as well, from his day care. I left for their home in Colorado the first weekend of April to help out by babysitting James, for as long as they needed me.

I was in my second week of babysitting (and enjoying my time with James!), when I called my brother, Scott, who had been readmitted to the hospital. He had recently been given the good news on March 26th that he was in full remission from his acute myeloid leukemia. However, when I called him on April 15, his doctor got on the phone with me, and told me that cancer had spread throughout Scott's body. He was told he had a few weeks left to live and was sent home to live out his final days. That weekend, I flew to Kansas City to help out with his care, as did my sister. My brother and Scott's 18 yr. old son (a senior in high school), were already living with Scott, and it was a team effort to take care of him. Scott passed away last week on Tuesday night, April 28th.

I know so many of you have had Scott in your prayers, and it really means a lot to me. I told him that there were a lot of people he doesn't even know praying for him. Thank you!
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Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;

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When you hear from me next, it will hopefully be happier news to share, but I wanted to explain my absence. I will definitely be looking forward to sharing news of my upcoming book with Martingale. Things are progressing rapidly now, ...... and we have a 




And …... we have a cover (which I can't share quite yet) --- more news to come!




I'll leave you with the third stanza of the poem, "The Rainy Day", by the great American author, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.


Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.


                                                                            ~~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

                                                                              From his poem, "The Rainy Day"

Until next time,

Martha

Friday, February 14, 2020

The Benefits of Having Unfinished Quilts

Last year, 2019, was a mostly sedentary year for me, as I worked on sewing the projects for my upcoming book, and then writing the copy, and drafting the diagrams.

I entered this new year, 2020, with the goal of getting back in some sort of shape. My son and I went on a little hike a few days after Christmas. Afterwards, although I didn't fall or anything, my left leg was aching. After the first of the year, I went to the gym and did some weights, and a few days later started going to a fun line dancing class three days a week.

Long story short, things took a turn for the worse, and at the end of January I tore the meniscus in my knee, and I have been forced to stay off my legs for the last few weeks.

Time to pull out an old project!

I started a quilt in the year 2000, and it's been an on again, off again project for years. But the last of it is an appliqued border, and the pieces, for the most part, are prepared and ready to applique (except for the hundreds of berries, which are in various stages of production).

I'm happy to say that although I'm not happy about being injured, at least I have a little progress on this quilt to show for it. The vines are completely done on this last border, and the two red birds are applied. Woo hoo!


Left to do will be making and adding berries to the vines on two of the borders, then sewing them on the quilt. Here is what the berries look like on one of the completed borders:


The interior of the quilt has twenty five hand pieced and appliqued blocks, and that part has been done for a long time. Each block has completely different fabrics and here are just a few: 




When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And in my case, the lemonade is a little progress on my 20 year old quilt project!

Until next time,

Martha

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Primitive Quilts and Projects Magazine Winter 2019 - Santa Claus!

Winter is here and Christmas is just around the corner! Time for me to get the house cleaned up and ready to pull out the boxes of Christmas decorating goodies!

I've got a cute little Christmas project featured in the new Winter 2019 edition of Primitive Quilts and Project Magazine called Ho Ho Ho Santa, and it's just small enough for you to start now and finish well before the big day!


Ho Ho Ho Santa from Primitive Quilts and Projects Magazine Winter 2019

Primitive Quilts and Projects Magazine Winter 2019

Ho Ho Ho Santa is all wool appliqué and measures 12 5/8" x 16", and I used Aurifil Lana wool thread for the appliqué and embroidery.

In other news, my projects and manuscript for my newest book is complete, and you'll be hearing all about it sometime next year!

Happy Sewing and until next time,

Martha

Thursday, June 13, 2019

A Festive Fourth of July

This year is almost half over, and it has passed all too quickly! I've spent most of my days working on quilts for a new book, which I won't be able to share with you for quite some time.

I had fun this month putting together a cute little Independence Day centerpiece for the upcoming holiday. It has a few new items from Hobby Lobby, "USA" blocks from my own childhood building blocks, my own crafted paper hat and firecrackers from Country Living magazine patterns from years ago, a vintage star cookie cutter and cup, and red and blue pom poms to fill the tiered trays. Coincidentally, in addition to this new centerpiece, the rest of my little family room is decorated year round with a patriotic theme.



My centerpiece is sitting on my very first machine quilted quilt. For the class, we were told to bring something to quilt, so I quickly pieced a small nine patch quilt and brought that to class. I chose solid red and white fabrics, figuring that even if my first machine quilting was a mess, at least I would be able to use the small red and white quilt in decorating for the holidays - Christmas, Valentine's Day, Independence Day. 

I took my dear little Kenmore sewing machine to the class, and free motioned loops and stars over the top. And to the casual observer, it probably doesn't look too bad. My plan for this little quilt's use in decorating has been fulfilled many times over.

This month my quilt, Autumn Stars, from my patriotic themed book, Betsy's Scrapbag, will hang at the Texas Quilt Museum beginning June 27. The exhibit will run through September 29, 2019. The museum is located in La Grange, Texas, and if I can manage to escape my feverish quiltmaking for my book, I would like to take a trip to the museum, which would be my first time. I have also always wanted to visit that part of Texas, so it would be a fun trip!



For more information on the Texas Quilt Museum, here is a link to their website:

http://texasquiltmuseum.org/index.html

Happy Summer Sewing!

Martha 

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

On the Cover! Quiltmania!

Very shortly the newest issue of Quiltmania will be on newsstands or in your mailbox if you're a subscriber - the November/ December 2018 issue. Here's a sneak peak of the cover!

Quiltmania #128 November/December 2018


AND.... I'm proud to say that the quilt featured on that beautiful cover is my quilt - Georgetown Circle! You may have seen some of my previous posts while I was piecing and quilting Georgetown Circle, and what a joy it is for me to see it on the cover of one of my favorite magazines!

I've been busy getting new patterns out the past few weeks and I have three published and on my website. Here they are!

Happy Jacks Table Square

Fancywork Journal Cover

 

Countryside Needlebook

Countryside Needlebook and Fancywork Journal Cover are patterns which were originally found in my book Annie's Scrapbag. I've had many requests for the patterns, as Annie's Scrapbag is now out of print, so now here they are! You can see the inside pages of Countryside Needlebook on the website.


I have more patterns to come, but that's all for now!

Until next time,

Martha

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Autumn Happenings


Happy Autumn! We've finally had a break in the weather here in Phoenix, and it's a welcome change!

I have a few things to share about the upcoming months to come.

My book Annie's Scrapbag is now out of print. 

Annie's Scrapbag
I think it's a book with a wonderful collection of patterns, if I do say so myself. Although I don't have any copies left to sell, either wholesale or resale, there are still copies available at quilt shops nationwide, so please check the internet or on your travels, if you're interested in purchasing a copy.

I have decided, however, to release some of the patterns from Annie's Scrapbag, as individual stand-alone patterns, and those should be available at least by the end of the month. I will also have a new Halloween themed pattern –" Happy Jacks Table Square" – too!
Happy Jacks Table Square


Speaking of Annie's Scrapbag, one of the quilts from the book, "Garden Girl", will be on exhibit at International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas, next month, and again at the Spring International Festival in Chicago, Illinois. You'll find it in the exhibit "In Full Bloom".

And I'm also honored to have another of my quilts, "Autumn Stars", from Betsy's Scrapbag, on exhibit at International Quilt Festival in Houston and Chicago. It will then fly solo back to Texas, and be on exhibit at the Texas Quilt Museum in the summer of 2019. Woohoo!

Be on the lookout next month for the Nov/Dec issue of Quiltmania magazine, where I'll have one of my quilt patterns featured! I can't wait to see it myself!

I have another project that I'm so excited about, that I'm hoping will come to fruition by the end of this month. Fingers crossed.

Happy Fall Sewing!

Martha