… giveaway winner is. . .

. . . #21 . . . & that is Debbie! Congratulations! (Debbie - please email me (acornquiltandgiftcompany@comcast.net) with your email address & last name & I will forward the info to Annie at the 'Quilting Stash' so she can contact you with the class information!)

It was so fun to get to read about what you all love about quilting. . . I wish I could have awarded you all a prize. Hopefully you, like me, will find the rewards of quilting are great no matter.

The comments were especially great to read as I am in the midst of the craziness (read: moderate panic) of the week or so before Quilt Market, & they helped me remember why I love this so! I'm not especially fond of the pre-Market crunch that comes every time. . . but I must admit that underneath it all, I'm pretty excited. This is the first Market where I will have a line of fabric (Celebration) being introduced . . . & I think that's why I wish there were more time. . . I'd love to make more projects with it for my booth. But, I will have several - (& there will be more in the Lecien booth) - & I plan to be releasing additional patterns using 'Celebration' in November & January as well. . . So stay tuned!

I took the last of the quilts for my booth over to my quilter's yesterday. . . & I'm busy stitching away on a new project using Lecien's wonderfully smooth embroidery floss - COSMO - for the special booth they will have - just for their COSMO floss! (So if you are coming to Market. . . be sure to see it!).

I promise that I will give you some peeks this week . . . but for now. . . I hear my stitchery calling my name!!!

xo, Bren

… a giveaway!

How would you like to attend an 11 week quilting class right in the comfort of your own home. . . (& even in your pj's of you wanted to!)???

Many of you may already know of Annie Smith, from Simple Arts. She is well known for her podcasts on quilting & quilters. . . as well as her beautiful quilt designs. Annie is also teaching online quilt classes & the next one, 'Quilt Making 101 - The Basics & Beyond' is an 11 week course that will start on October 2. . . & we are having a drawing for a spot in this upcoming class!

Just leave a comment stating what it is about quilting that you love. We will draw a name on Saturday the 26th . . . so don't delay!

Hope you have a great week!. . . Me?. . . I'll be in my studio. . . because I ♡ quilting!

xo, Bren

… rotate!

Yesterday, after photographing a couple of new quilts, I was putting my 'Seasons' quilt back up on the wall. . . & I realized that I was putting it back up exactly the way I had taken it down. . . with the spring & summer blocks on the top. But I knew from studying the calendar a little earlier in the day. . . (counting the days 'til Market. . . 'til I need to ship my boxes. . .) that this week autumn officially arrives. So it was time to rotate the quilt & put the autumn tree at the top! I love that about this quilt . . . that it can be rotated to celebrate the seasons as they approach & as we spend our days in them!

For us, the beginning of autumn is when we usually have what is called an 'Indian summer' - meaning that we have temperatures that don't really classify as autumn weather. . . (really meaning. . . it's too warm!) - so I will soak up my share of autumn in the photos on many of your blogs. . . & after Market I'll make my own trip up to Mt. Lemmon - where it's only 45 minutes away - but the weather (& trees!) are like it's Colorado. Ahhh!. . . I can hardly wait. The last time we went up, we found a great new little log cabin place at the little town of Summerhaven (up at about 8000 feet) where they make wonderful pizza & cookies as well that are made to order & about the size of a small pizza themselves. When they come to your table. . . they are just out of the oven, & warm. . . & wonderful!!! (I think I'm gonna start doing some extra time on the treadmill. . . just to get ready for that little day trip.)

I'm hoping to get some sneak peeks up for you this week. . . I just got back some quilts from Nubin (my quilter). . . (& she did the binding for me too!) - so there will be some more photo taking this weekend! Market is 2 weeks earlier this autumn, & even though I've known that. . . & have been working on projects - the crunch is still on. Last evening I finished making some pole covers for my booth & today it's finishing up some new draping panels. I'm using the cream & white gingham from 'Celebration'. I'm hoping that because it will be neutral that I will be able to use it a few times. Then I'm going to be making a few more things for the booth. . . so it promises to keep me busy!

Until then. . . I'll be trying to make some visits to the blogs of all of you who live where autumn is making more of an appearance - than just a quilt on a wall!

xo, Bren

. . . the routine

These past weeks have been pretty much the same routine. . .

I've been crazy busy with making new quilts from new patterns that I've designed. . . (& getting to use my own fabrics has been such a wonderful experience!) In fact. . . although I want to make more designs, for the past few days I've been making myself stay out of the studio. . . & I've sat myself down at the computer - to get the patterns written & completed. (The creating & making of the new designs is soooo much more fun than writing the patterns!) Pattern writing is so important though - & I'm trying to be sure that directions are clear, & that things are checked, rechecked & then checked again. It's quite the process.

But. . . in making the new designs. . . that means that my quilter, Nubin, has a lot of new things that keep coming her way. . . and bless her heart - she turns my quilts around so fast for me when it's Quilt Market time, & often, she even delivers them. (I ♥ her!)

So this is a scenario that has been happening on a fairly regular basis. . .

"Hey Bailey! . . . what's going on?"

"Nothing much, Mom. . . . um, but. . . wait. . . I think I see a car!"

"Hey Mom! It's Nubin's car!! I love Nubin, Mom!

"I know Bailey. . . but you know the rules. . . you have to sit until the car stops."

(. . . & the car has no sooner stopped then Bailey becomes 'Johnny on the spot' & at Nubin's car. . .)

"Hi Nubin!!!! I'm here!. . . I'm here!. . . I'm so glad to came to visit me!"

"Do you need me to come in & help you with anything?"

"Really!. . . I can carry in something for you if you need me to!"

"Oh, okay. . . you got everything?. . . "

". . . like 'loves' for me?

Thanks Nubin. . . I love getting 'loves'! "

This happens each & every time Nubin comes over. . . (even when she doesn't have a quilt!). . . & I never tire of it! What I couldn't capture in these photos is how much Bailey's (aka "Mr. Wigglebottom") bum wiggles! I tease Bailey that Nubin is his 'girlfriend'. . . (& honestly, she is!)

. . . This is the scene when Nubin gets inside. . . & according to Bailey . . . it must happen as soon as we all get indoors. . . if not then he literally grumbles & cries until she gives him all her attention. Then after a minute or so of 'loves-'n-rubs' . . . he lets us talk & he happily goes to one of 'his' chairs. . .

. . . After all. . . his 'girlfriend' is in the house. . .

Hope you have a great week!. . . I'll try my best to check in as often as I can!

xo, Bren

… my favorite mountain

I know it may sound a bit. . . um . . . strange that I have a favorite mountain. But I do.

Folks, may I introduce The Catalina Mountains (specifically Pusch Ridge in this photo) . . . Catalina's. . . my blogging friends. . .

From the time when I moved here to Arizona (for which I thought was going to be two years at the most. . .) I fell in love with these mountains. They are stunning.

In the winter the tops (& sometime all of them) are covered in snow . . .

And, all the rest of the year you can see a continual sprouting of little patches of green. . . (sometimes you have to look hard to see it!)

In the morning they are soft & hazy, as the sun rises behind them. . .

At midday they are rugged & strong, as they are in full sun & all their details & layers stand out. . .

In the late afternoon - early evening they blaze with the colors of the sunset, their colors changing every few moments . . . causing the breaths of many to be taken away. . . over & over again.

I was lucky for most all the years I was teaching art & design - at a school that sits at the base of Pusch Ridge - that my classroom windows faced this majestic sight. And, these days - whenever I leave the house - these beauties greet me.

. . . & in the days when uncertainty can fill the news, & sometimes our lives. . . 'my' mountains remind me of where strength can be found. . .

"I lift up my eyes to the hills -

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth."

Psalm 121: 1 & 2

xo, Bren

… food for thought

- Albert Einstein

. . . may your week be filled with miracles around every corner!

xo, Bren

… a bit of wandering. . .

I know that it would seem that designing quilts & needlework, & writing patterns for them - would seem like a harmless way to earn a living. . .

. . . & for the most part - it is. . .

. . . except when it comes time to sit down at the computer & write the patterns. . .

. . . & write. . .

. . . & write. . .

. . . & write.

After a bit of time - the mind goes a little fuzzy & the email ping becomes way too distracting, so then it's time for a break. . . (& emptying out the email in-box).

. . . And then, when one of the emails is from Starbucks - in my fuzzy state of mind. . . I caved. . .

. . . & I am now the proud owner of my own custom Starbucks card. (Mine says 'Bren's favorite way to start & end the day!')

. . . & yes, there is also a t-shirt (on sale!) on it's way from J.Jill. . .

Sigh. Who knew this would be such a tough job with so many temptations!?!