There Should Be More Days In The Week

I had a very special day yesterday and it didn't involve work! As you probably have gathered from previous posts, my average work week is over 100 hours. With this schedule it doesn't allow for much "down" time. But yesterday we had more than 30 people here for a barbeque. It started with one friend, Dave, asking my husband to make chili like he made about 45 years ago when my husband was about 21 and the rest of this group of Boston friends was about 17. Now I'm not sure if it is the never ending appetite of 17 year olds that made this chili so famous, but my husband doesn't really cook. So here we are planning this event around Dan's famous chili. The short version is my daughter, Allison, and I made the chili. We were sworn to secrecy and promised not to reveal that he didn't make it. I'm not breaking a promise here because in the end he told everyone that he didn't make it.

But the lead up to the party was all thanks to his working non-stop to clean the house and get things organized! I didn't get back from the Oaks, PA show until late Monday night so that didn't leave much time until guests arrived on Sat. and I had so many things to get done for the next show and then Quilt Market right after that I didn't start helping until Friday night. But I must give him credit because he cleaned and polished so things looked really good (that is unless you looked in my bedroom because I moved a bunch of junk in there). Luckily we had to lock our cat, Roxy, in there since she is an indoor cat and we didn't want her to accidentally get out.

Now today I have to get one last design worked out so my wonderful applique person, Nancy, can be stitching away on it while I'm vending in Santa Clara, CA at the Pacific International Quilt Festival. And it's time to mail the next My Garden Button of the Month out so I've got to get these envelopes ready to be mailed tomorrow. And I still have to get the binding on the BIG quilt (82" x 102") so it can be mailed to the photographer for the picture for the pattern cover. So it's off to work for now..... Mary Jane

Here We Go Again

Just wanted to update everyone on what's happening at The Christmas Shoppe & Holly Hill Quilt Designs. I leave on Tues. for Oaks, PA to vend at the Pennsylvania Extravaganza Quilt Show. If you are planning on attending, look for us there. We have a 30' booth that will be filled with lots of wonderful new & exciting things. I've been madly cutting & folding (about 16 hours a day / 7 days a week).

I'm also getting merchandise ready for Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara, CA in Oct. I have a 30' booth there so I've got to get goodies for there too because my friends, Trish & Dave, will drive my boxes from PA to CA at the end of the PA show. Nothing like working on two BIG shows at once! And if that isn't enough, I also signed up for a booth at Fall Quilt Market in Houston. I'm working on 6 new designs that will debut there. (and they are coming out really cute!)

So now you know why you haven't seen new posts here for some time. I also heard from the editors about the upcoming issue of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks From Today's Top Designers Vol. 2. The issue will be on newsstands November 16th so look for my block there.

Well it's back to cutting & folding .... hope you are enjoying your week-end. Mary Jane