Friday, December 27, 2013

... progess. . .

It's been a wonderfully quiet & peaceful Christmas around here...
I've been piecing a lot of these . . .

. . . trimming & squaring-up. . 

. . . which makes a lot of these. . .

But, when the end result are these. . . I don't mind.
(These are the star block centers... there are 36 of them.)

I finished all the star blocks for my large 'for my grandmas' quilt, & I'm going to start the cutting for the 'setting' blocks this afternoon. I'm loving the process of it all. I also finished a block for my 'Beyond the Cherry Tree' quilt (... That one has been sitting in my stitchery basket for months!), so I prepped the next two blocks.
I'm wanting to make sure that I have all the projects that I've been working on, or thinking of working on ready to go... & I have a little of everything (piecing, appliqué, English paper piecing, embroidery, & cross-stitch) prepped & ready, so that whatever I'm feeling like doing. . . It's ready to go.

On the website front... WOW!... Guess you liked the buy-one-get-one-free for the patterns special!! A lot of you took advantage of the PDF versions. . . But you also kept Dad & I running to the post office in the days before Christmas (& jeepers... was that parking lot ever crowded!)!
SO... Since you liked it so much (& since some of you asked because you got some $ in your stocking...) I'm going to keep the B-O-G-O free offer on patterns (including the PDF versions) going on for the rest of 2013. (So, that's until the end of next Tuesday, 12.31.2013) Happy end-of-2013!!!
 For every two patterns you purchase, we will refund the price of one of the patterns back to you. I just can't thank you enough for being such wonderful customers... & if you're like me & planning lots of projects for 2014... hopefully this can help in getting some of them started!

Hoping you are enjoying these last days of 2013!

xo,  Bren

Thursday, December 19, 2013

… back to the beginning. . .






The first quilt I ever designed is 'For My Grandmas' (above). 
That was 2005 (?… I think.)
It is a wall hanging size, & when it first came out, almost immediately I got emails wondering if it was available in queen size. I was so busy making other new patterns - I never got back to it. . . until now.

I have been fiddling around with the directions & my calculator, & I'm finally at the 'testing' point. (… not to mention that because this quilt design has a lot of meaning for me I really have wanted to have it as a quilt for my bed…)  So yesterday, I started cutting all the pieces for the star blocks. It was more like cut some pieces. . . take a break. . . cut some more. . . take another break. . . (!) (For the original there were nine star blocks. . . for the queen size - there are thirty-six!) I'm having fun making it a scrappy version (like the original) - using my 'Hill Farm' fabrics. For the next few days - we are supposed to have some more rain & cool days again (& more snow on our mountains) - so it will be perfect for sewing the star blocks. . . & then cutting out the setting blocks. I've been itching to get back to my sewing machine & this will 'scratch' that itch rather nicely I think!

. . . & we've had so much fun with so many of you who have been keeping us busy buying gifts from the website. . . I've decided that I wanted to do one more Christmas special. . . so. . .

. . . starting today through December 25. . . my gift to you is. . . all patterns are buy one - get one free! (…& yes, that includes PDF patterns!)
Simply choose a second pattern (of equal or lesser value) for every pattern you wish to buy, & we will refund back to you the cost of the second pattern. You do not need any code - we will automatically refund the second pattern.  I just wanted to somehow let you know how special you are to me & how much I appreciate you!  (…& if you have ordered a pattern from the website in the last week - mention it in your order & we will look it up & will refund a second pattern choice for you.) 

I know that it seems like this Christmas season has come up so fast. . . but I hope that you will find the opportunity to stand back & enjoy the joy & the special-ness of these days leading up to Christmas.

 Bren 

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

… it's coming so quickly!


Just got a peek at my last post & I realized that I'd better get a new post up. . . 
. . . Thanksgiving was almost 2 weeks ago!


If you've been following me on Instagram (which I must admit - I post on a lot more frequently!),
then you've been seeing my progress on this table-runner.  It's the project that the wool club that I've had the privilege to lead this past year has been working on since September. It's called 'Seven Snowmen' & it's a pattern by Bonnie Sullivan (All Through the Night). It's all wool, & I've had so much fun stitching on it. (You can find it by clicking here.) I've put my final stitches in it - since Thanksgiving weekend. . . (I had to make myself stop!. . . I can still think of so many things that would be so fun to add!) I could see making this as a really cute tree skirt as well. . .









I know that it's been getting very busy for most folks - but I wanted to also pop in & let you know that we've gone through the last bin (I think!) of quilt show items that I had stored & have added them to the website. Some on the 'Gift & Treasures' pages, 'Notions & Tools' pages, & some on the 'Tag Sale' pages. I've priced them to move & a lot of the inventory has been getting snatched up - so don't delay! 





Also, I have added some kits & some finished quilts (all ready to give. . . (or keep!)) & they are either one of a kind - or are limited in quantity.

Also. . . a biggest news (& your reward if you read through this entire post. . . (thank you!)). . . is that we will be offering free domestic shipping for all orders over $50.00 through midnight (MST) Friday, December 13.  So for any (U.S.) order over $50.00 (before shipping) - we will refund the shipping charges! (For international customers - while I wish I could offer the same. . . for orders over $50.00 - we will refund the equivalent to what the domestic shipping charges would be. . . hoping it will help a little too!)

But remember - you must order by midnight (MST - Mountain Standard Time) on Friday, December 13.

. . . Hoping this will help a little to help make your holidays a little brighter!

Have a great rest-of-the-week & for the majority of the US residents. . . stay warm!  

Bren