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

I Feel Guilty

I have so many friends that post on their blog almost daily. It makes me feel so guilty because it seems I write a new post every few months. Not to say I don't THINK about doing it, but somehow so many other things get in the way that I just don't get it done.

So let's see ...... back in April I wrote about going to Minneapolis for Spring Quilt Market in May and showing my line of patterns under the Holly Hill Quilt Designs name. Well, May is long gone so I'll give a quick synopsis of what happened there. First I took pictures like I said I would, but they are still in the camera so you'll have to use your imagination. Picture taking (or at least downloading pictures) might be lower on the list than creating posts for the blog. At Market I ran into lots of friends and I also met lots of new people too. I was approached by Quiltmaker Magazine to design two projects for them. One for their 100 blocks magazine and one for Quiltmaker. I will confess here that the projects didn't go to the bottom of the list and they were completed on time and delivered! (WHEW) In fact, they are using my project inside the magazine and then also using parts of the design for a cover quilt they made for the Nov./Dec. issue. This is truly exciting for me. I was also approached by a fabric company to design fabrics for them - BE STILL MY HEART!! Now even though I've done some sketches I am running into trouble. I can't paint!!! (that is unless you want your living room painted, then I'm pretty darned good) To try and remedy this, I bought a new computer. It looks like it came right out of Star Trek. Incredible machine - love it, but now I have to master using a computer to draw. In my brain it sounded really easy - just draw on the screen with a paint brush and VOILA you have beautiful fabric designs - NOT!!! If you've ever tried this you'll understand that using your hand flat on paper is so much easier than using it up in the air on a screen. And if you touch the screen with more than the paint brush you have a whole different picture than you envisioned. So each night I'm taking a few minutes or hours, depending on my schedule, and practicing. If I'm lucky then maybe I'll get something usable before my 100th birthday.

June was even more of a blur. We went to Chantilly, VA for a quilt show, then had a week off, then off to the Vermont Quilt Festival.

July was a little vacation time. Went to the Cape with the grandkids for a few days. Took some really beautiful pictures there (still in the camera too). Then when we got home went right back to work making quilts, designing new patterns and generally working 24/7. My quilter (who is remarkable, by the way) can't believe how many things I've been bringing over. I took 4 last week and when I picked them up had 2 more to bring. Now I already have 1 more to bring on Monday and who knows what else I'll get done since I have 2 more days before I go. But I also have to really get busy if I want to go to Quilt Market in Houston in Oct. The designs that are in my brain need to get on paper and sent to Nancy (my wonderful applique and embroidery person). Without her I'd be lost. She just did 12 embroidery blocks for me and they are a masterpiece. Even my husband noticed the beautiful SMALL perfect stitches.

August is fast approaching and in August we will be vending at the New England Quilt Museum's show in Lowell, MA. This year they are having it at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium so if you are coming, please look for us there.

Well, I better sign off for now. I have 4 quilts to get the binding on. Mary Jane

Thank You

Thank you, thank you to all of you who voted us "Best Exhibitor Booth" at MQX in Providence, RI! It was such an honor to receive this ribbon. To know that you picked us #1 from all of the other exhibitors is a tribute I will cherish.

Right now I am getting ready to make the wholesale debut of my pattern line, Holly Hill Quilt Designs, at Spring Quilt Market in Minneapolis, MN. I have about 3 weeks left until I leave - can't believe I am driving there! It is a 2,800 mile round trip. I won't say I'm looking forward to the driving, but I have a vision of my booth that requires bringing the big van, or as I call it "the boat". Luckily my friend, Jackie, is going to ride with me. I don't think I could drive there alone so I'm really glad she volunteered to ride along. I have been madly working on the very latest designs - still need photos of 1 quilt, pattern covers of 3 quilts and then the time to sit down and write four patterns. Here's what is new - Autumn's Arrival, Good Morning Sunshine, Mary E's Christmas Cottage Tree Skirt, and Snow Is For The Birds. So if you have a favorite quilt shop, ask them to stop by my booth (#2700) and see what's there. I'll try and take a few photos for you so you can see the booth from start to finish.

Hope you are enjoying your spring. Mary Jane

Hello Lancaster, PA

Sometimes I think I'm the luckiest person in the world. I LOVE what I do!! We work incredibly hard setting up booths, working for long hours at shows on our feet the whole time, and then there is the take down. Some vendors think I'm completely nuts (and they are probably right) but I tell them that set up is like going to the spa - you get tons of exercise and work up quite a sweat! Then we have 3 or 4 days of real joy - working the booth and getting to meet all of the wonderful quilters. We just finished up a show last night in Lancaster, PA (got out of the convention center at 11 pm). Thanks to all for making this an incredible show for us! We love to see you.

Today we took the day off - slept until almost 9 am, then went for a leisurely breakfast, made a stop at the outlet stores (said a quick hello to Harry and Davids for some english muffins to bring home), then went to the BIG mall and had a pedicure. After at least a million hours on my feet they were begging for mercy. Now I'm sporting some bright pink toes so maybe that means spring is right around the corner. Forget the manicure - they always try and talk me into it but with the abuse I give these hands it only lasts about a day. I can't justify the expense for one day of beauty. The toes are a different matter - lasts a really long time and it is oh so pretty.

But I guess I got off the subject - that's what happens from a day off .... back to Lancaster, PA. I love this area. Now we do 2 shows around here - the AQS show that we just finished and then we are back in Sept. for the Mancuso show in Oaks. I loved the downtown area. It was the first time I'd been downtown Lancaster. What incredible buildings - I wanted to photograph a wrought iron fence and some windows I found around the corner from the convention center, but somehow I just didn't find the time. Oh well - I thought it might make a really interesting applique design.

Speaking of applique designs - I just got my 2 newest quilts back from the machine quilter right before I left. I did "Autumn's Arrival" which is a fall quilt with a layout similar to "Welcome Winter". There is the cutest little brown squirrel - plus some pumpkins and crows and other fall goodies. I think you'll like it. The other quilt is "Good Morning Sunshine". I've gone a little outside my "box" and used some brighter primary colored fabrics from American Jane. There is a center design with a sun, barn and silo, some fencing and a few really cute sheep grazing in the meadow. I'm hoping to have the patterns done in the next 3 weeks so I can debut them at Spring Quilt Market in Minneapolis. My last one to finish up is "Mary E's Christmas Cottage" - it's a red tree skirt. But unfortunately some of this week is going to be spent on taxes - I have an appointment on Friday and need to get a years worth of receipts itemized and sorted for then. UGH - I hate that part of business. God bless the ones who are good at it and like it. Give me fabric and my sewing machine any day - but take away the dreaded bookkeeping!

Anyway I better run. We have to drive home tomorrow and have a few last minute things to get done. I hope you are working away on a wonderful project - Mary Jane

So Glad To Be In Virginia

As I've posted previously, I really do love New Hampshire! It is beautiful and peaceful, but right this minute I'm glad I'm in Virginia. Haven't talked with the hubby tonight but I think it's been snowing quite a bit today. We drove to Virginia on Tuesday - started out with snow in our area, then changed to rain for most of the rest of the drive, and then when it finally stopped raining we had BIG traffic. So the 11 hour day turned into 13+ hours of driving. Our behinds were definitely numb by the time we arrived here at the hotel. But after the set up (don't even want to tell you all about this except to say it took 10 hours) we've had a great time here. Still 2 more days to go, but everyone has been so nice and complimentary. We've heard over and over again how much everyone loves our goodies and we're their favorite booth. So thanks to all for your kind words. It really does make it all worth it for us!

Now it's off to the room to make a quick call to home and then I've got to find the ice machine. The knees are not what they used to be and I think they are needed a little ice to make them happy. If you're near Hampton, VA stop by and tell us hello. We're here until Monday morning. Mary Jane

Back In NH (For Now)

I've been to California and back since my last post. The Road to California show was incredible and thank you to all who helped make it a success for us. I was asked by so many people while in "Sunny" Southern California, "Don't you love our weather?". Well, yes I do but I also love New Hampshire. Now that's a lot to say coming from someone born in Los Angeles and living in California until I was 20. I lived right outside of downtown Los Angeles until I was 15, then we moved to Northern California. I remember thinking I was going to freeze to death when we moved "north" - little did I know that wasn't freezing! In 1970 my husband, my newborn daughter and I moved to Massachusetts. Now that was freezing. We moved in November and in January the thermometer never went above zero. I thought I was crazy for moving there. But now that so many years have gone by and, of course, there was nature's thermostat change a few years back - I actually enjoy the cold. Now it's my husband who thinks we should turn up the thermostat. So even though California is fun to visit, I truly love New Hampshire. I love the fact that our town has only 1,200 people - that we don't even have a signal or our own zip code. Our only store is a tiny corner store where you can get some basic food items and gasoline. Some would think of this as a hardship, but I call it quiet, beautiful country.

On Tuesday I'm flying back to California to vend at the Folsom Quilt Guild's annual show. So if you are thinking of a day of quilt viewing, and you don't live too far from Folsom, stop on bye and say hi.

I finished up 2 new designs right before leaving for the Road to CA show, but unfortunately I didn't get the patterns written in time to bring them. They are currently visiting the photographer in Colorado and I expect them back by the end of the week. Then it's hurry, hurry to get the patterns written and printed so they can come to Folsom with me. We had a little contest that we held in our booth in CA to name the quilts and I'm still thinking about all of the possibilities. Right now I'm seriously thinking about Pumpkin Sorbet, Polly's Pumpkins or Papa's Pumpkin Patch for the (you guessed it) pumpkin quilt. For the red and green quilt (which has turned out to be somewhat harder to name) I've been thinking about Devonshire or Wisconsin Red Oak. So what do you think? I've got a few days left to figure it out and then it will be set in stone (or should I say ink??). I think it was harder for me picking names this time because of being sick for so long. I felt lucky to get the quilts done and then the brain went dead. Now the next one is going to be a tree skirt and I hope you'll like it. I think it's going to be titled Mary E's Christmas Cottage. Well it's time to get back to work. Enjoy your day, Mary Jane