this weeks happenings

i've had a lot going on this week.

surprisingly, it's all been steps forward.

not one has been backwards.

and that, my friends, is a huge sigh of relief.

jackie's farm girl vintage barn silo quilt
yippee ki yay pantograph with white thread

aside from quilting client quilts i've managed to make some thank you gifts,

finish two baby presents,

tidy my office and get some gardening done.

i don't say all that to make anyone jealous...i think i'm reiterating that i can, in fact, cross more things off my to-do list than things that get on it.

you see, for several years now i've been so overwhelmed 

that i'd stash stuff places with the intent in getting to it "later".

but "later" never happened.

seriously.

it was bad.

i was finding photos that i meant to mail to people.

clipping the dogs nails.

projects that were stacked up but never touched.

stuff to go to a thrift shop.

re-potting plants...

the list is huge.

and it, at times, feels quite overwhelming.

but i decided that if i start a to-do list (i found a pad at target in the $1 bin),

keep a running list of what needs to be done 

(not writing EVERYTHING down at once but only when i think of it),

then maybe, just maybe, i can sort things out as i go.

people.

it's been amazing.

yesterday i crossed off FIVE things.

FIVE!!

that didn't include things like washing my shower curtain.

or making a little thank you gift for one of my pattern testers.

my attitude towards the to-do list is changing.

it's no longer an unyielding slave master.

but my tool in sorting myself out.

and that feels really good.

and it means i can work.

when i'm able to work unhindered it's a soothing balm to my soul.

i think it's because i'm able to do the work my hands were created to do.

below are some of the projects i've worked on the last two weeks.

you'll note that my mum's the word is now quilted!!

at the moment the binding has been attached and i've started hand stitching the binding.

by next week's post there will be a completed picture of it.

*so excited*

the very last picture you'll see is my little cuticus maximus standing next to bolts of fabrics.

*nervous excitement*

we've been "threatening" for about 6 months to start carrying kits for my patterns.

well...we did it.

kits aren't made yet.

it's on my to-do list (ha!) and i'm planning on tackling that on monday.

we're also getting wide-back fabrics in!

5 so far...it's a start.

i'll post a picture of those next week too.

so there you go.

this week's happenings in a nutshell.

i hope you have a lovely weekend!

xo,

~ h

katie's modern quilt
bollywood pantograph with white thread

my mum's the word!
passion fruit pantograph with a pink/orange variegated thread

jackie's lilac heart quilt
butterfly bliss pantograph with a variegated light purple thread

helen's star quilt
mistletoe pantograph with a dusty pink thread

helen's walkabout quilt
dusty miller pantograph with a dark blue thread

jackie's bloom quilt
belladonna pantograph with a light yellow thread

dawn's hawaiian snowball quilt
bell blossom pantograph with white thread

nancy's star quilt
independence day pantograph with red thread

barbara's flower quilt
seafoam pantograph with a light grey thread

max is introducing tree party fabrics with polka dot wide back fabric.

banish the ruffle!

ruffles, my friends, are for dresses.

or shirts.

or coats...

heck, you can put them on unders, socks, hats...

but they are not...i repeat...NOT for quilts.

well...okay...i've seen ruffles used in quilts.

but no longarm quilter will ever have a happy word for borders that ruffle.

they are a serious pain in the a...

right.

so here's the deal.

even if your quilts aren't perfectly straight there is a very simple way to banish those ruffles from your quilt borders.

1)  cut all your border strips.

2) sew them together.

i prefer diagonal when joining pieces but straight seams work too.

3) measure the long seam NEXT to the raw edge you will be sewing the border to.

see mine?

it says 72".

4)  measure border strip and cut to that number.

usually i put a pin in the border strip marking the number.

then i take it to my cutting mat and cut it right there.

5)  pin the border to the raw edge that it matches.

pin the outsides first, then the middle, then the quarters and, finally, the eighths.

6)  sew border to body of the quilt.

7)  fold the border fabric over and press.

no need to press border seams open.

quilts with borders that don't ruffle are easy to quilt on a longarm.

they stay square (no angel wings) and there's no tucks.

(note: the inside white border is the one i was demonstrating.  it can barely be seen in these photos!  the outside border is a striped material and i did miter that border.  so, one is square and one is not!)

here's a pdf that you are more than welcome to download.

Applying Borders ~ Banish the Ruffle

have a lovely weekend!

~ h

quilts for the week

i keep wondering if it's appropriate to have that as a regular title...

other than a lot of gardening (our yard makes my heart happy with all its' pretty blooming flowers), i really don't have a lot to say.

well, okay.

that's not entirely true.

i've had quite a few people ask about borders and backings.

so i will start that post after i show you what i worked on this week...

joan's motorcycle quilt.
quilted with double bubble but really big with yale blue thread.

carla's fall star quilt.
quilted this one with indian summer pantograph with a variegated rust thread.

carla's christmas horse quilt.
we used the holiday garland pantograph with a light brown thread.

one of my ufo's!
seriously...it's about 7 years old.  finally got pillows made.

carla's flying geese quilt.
very modern!
used bauhaus pantograph with a variegated light blue thread.

kathleen's log cabin quilt...custom quilted this beauty.
feathers in the large black areas.
stitch in the ditch in the red and small black areas.
cross hatching in the outside border.

close up of kathleen's quilt.
the markings are with a chalk that washes out.

sherry's raiders quilt for her brother.
double bubble pantograph with a dark gray solid thread.

so here's the deal, folks.
we live in hawks territory.
as you can imagine D said, "charge them an extra $50 for bringing that thing into my home."
LOL
as they were standing right there they knew it was a joke.

i've got a few projects of my own going at the moment.
here's to pictures to keep you guessing...

can you guess?!?
i hope not!
but they're really good!

xo,

~ h

retreat time!

our spring retreat is so much fun!

every year i'm suddenly aware that retreat is "next week" and i'm nowhere near ready.

so then i spend that week running like a crazy woman organizing, making, writing, printing, stuffing, answering questions, sending emails...and then...it's time!

fabric box for door prizes

fabric box for door prizes

fabric box for door prizes

fabric box for door prizes

RJR donated charm packs from their Basically Patric line for our door prizes!

fabric box for door prizes

i send the girls off to friends for a night or two.

pack everything up and drive off into the sunrise (because it's too darn early even for the birds, it seems).

this year i was up at 4:45!!

(D was up getting ready for work and i simply couldn't get back to sleep.)

okay...maybe i don't drive off into the sunrise...i did leave home at 9:45am even though i wanted to go back to bed.

listen.

i'm not going to sugar coat it.

we sew in a big gym with bad lighting.

the rooms aren't terribly fancy.

and somehow toilet paper rolls always make their way into the nooks and crannies of my room...and sewing gear.

but, when it comes right down to it, it isn't about the gym, or the lighting, or the un-fancy rooms.

it's about the friendships, the encouragement, the support, the learning.

it's about hearing peoples stories.

crying with them.

cheering over life's successes.

and making really fun projects!

our ice breaker and swap on wednesday night, this year, was a needlebook.  everyone made one.
we then laid them out, put numbers on them and everyone got a number.
starting with #1 the lady picked the #1 item, introduced herself and opened the pressie.

and here's my finished (finally!!) mum's the word!
it was relieving to have it done.  :)

my second project up was a rag quilt.
it's not done but i accomplished what i wanted to get done.

toilet paper rolls!!

and more toilet paper rolls!!

did i mention that the retreat fairy always shows up??
she leaves pressies for us and it's always wonderful.  <3

saturday found me driving away from camp arnold with a deep sense of satisfaction because,

well, all of that happened this last weekend.

and did i mention that the mountain came out this year?

hmmm...mt. rainier really is an amazing thing of beauty.

i'm thankful for the ladies who come every year.

they make it a wonderful experience.

every.

time.

there are more pics...i'll share them in another post when they've migrated from my phone to computer.

happy sewing this lovely monday after easter.

i hope your weekend was as lovely as mine.

xo,

~ h

putting the pieces together

as i've been working this week i've been thinking about all the bits and pieces we have planned for the business.

i know that you've been seeing, feeling and recognizing that something's been up.

i've also eluded to it multiple times.

for me it's been a subtle change.

what you don't know is that i have struggled with mild anxiety (not enough to be on meds, thankfully).

questions constantly pummeled my brain and emotions.

questions like:

are my policies fair?

is my pricing reasonable for the work i provide?

did i offend that person?

was the job done the way the client wanted?

did i do enough?

believe me when i say that these lines of questioning lead to nothing but rottenness.

all i can say is that i feel like i've done a more than adequate job answering those questions for myself.

and the answers to those questions have led us to where we are.

i do struggle though.

i've watched my clients go other places.

*deep sigh*

i'm not going to lie.

that's really hard.

most of the time there's no explanation.

and when i discover it (come one, people...social media is a killer) i *get* to revisit all these lovely questions.

again.

for the four millionth time.

like a checklist.

and then i remind myself of a few things:

1)  God knows what i need.

He provides for me.

ultimately all of it passes through His hands before it reaches me.

and if i can honestly answer all those questions (yes...for the four millionth time) and be okay with the answers then i know He'll work the rest of it out.

2) this business has run my life for too many years.

in part, it made me very sick.

it's okay to not have ALL the work.

3) if i can't provide what these quilters are looking for then it's okay for them to go somewhere else.

i can not be all things for all people.

i can only be who i am.

4)  a happy heather means happy work.

a relaxed heather means joy in the work.

and those two things make for a pleasant experience all around.

by the way, i realize i haven't been particularly funny as of late.

self-deprecation just doesn't seem funny anymore!

i'm rediscovering my sense of humor too.

hang in there with me.

i'm a work in progress!

this week was full of keeping kids on track and planning with D.

that means i didn't get much actual work done.

so here's what i've done.

Becky's National Parks quilt.

quilted with Dusty Miller pantograph and a variegated orange thread.

Barbara's red quilt.

quilted with Denise's Spirals in a light variegated thread.

Carla's spring tree quilt.

quilted with the New Leaf pantograph in a light green variegated thread.

i've also made progress on the UFO i'm working on.

the picture just hasn't made it's way through the chain of command, so to speak.

next week!

hopefully i'll be able to show you a finished quilt top.

wouldn't that be cool??

xo,

~ h

back at it

these last few weeks back at work have been odd.

i didn't have this surge of excitement and energy to actually work.

wondering if it was because i have worked tirelessly and pushed myself so hard these last 7 years that the weariness was more than bone deep.

but then, after a moment, i decided that i need to remember what i'm focussing on.

balance.

it's terribly freeing to say, "work is 10-3."

and if i can't finish then that's okay.

i don't need to kill myself!

progress is made is small steps, right?

the result has been that i'm not overwhelmed and actually get to do some of the things i want/need to do.

like quiet time.

*gasp*

or time wandering around my garden enjoying growing things.

*bliss*

or laughing with my girls.

or petting my puppies.

and here are the results:

joanne's seahawks quilt with dragons quilted on it.

sylvia's batik quilt.

dandelion pantograph.

sheri's diamond quilt.

bluster pantograph.

kathleen's hand applique quilt.

custom quilting.

double batting for the flowers to really stand out.

sylvia's scrap quilt.

quilted with feather fancy pantograph.

(one of my favorites.

i have also been working on two unfinished projects and making progress.

and now i'm off to ballet.

one of the highlights of my week!

xo,

~ h

the joys of vacating

I sit here in my office, looking out my window to an almost gray day (there's clouds but blue sky to be seen), with a quilt on the frame waiting for attention, a child quietly doing her school work next to me and piles of my own papers just asking for attention.

And yet, I think of this photo.

Yes, it was as wonderful as it looks.

Warmth.

Sun.

Slightly breezy.

Salty water.

The sand was absolutely perfect.

The parts of my body that I missed with sunscreen got a wee bit burned (bliss...mostly).

Chloe got knocked over by a wave (never turn your back on the ocean) and hurt her tailbone.

Both girls started to learn the trick of the boogie board.

And I watched little white clouds evaporate, literally, into thin, bright blue air.

It was enchanting.

Every.  Blissful.  Moment.

This trip, for me, was about relaxing.
Letting my body and my brain stop.
And when I say, "stop", I mean to just stop thinking,
reacting,
managing,
problem solving,
helping,
teaching...
I simply had to stop all of it.
Of course, I've got kids...and a husband...and a certain amount of all those things had to happen.
But I didn't have to be hyper about it.

People.
I would sit and do sudoku puzzles endlessly.
D would ask a question and my general response was, "whatever you think is best."
Because I have been just that tired.

Do you see?
Managing a business is bone-deep work.
It feels like you need to be on every single second.
Phone, email, Facebook, website, longarm machine, sewing machine, pattern, teaching, designing...
wash, rinse, repeat.
It is endless.

For years I've struggled finding balance.
That lack of balance means that bone-deep work wears right down to the bone.

With the advent of homeschooling our precious girls I've rediscovered some of the important things.
They are important.
My faith is important.
My husband is important.
(not necessarily in that order, folks.)

And balance is super important.
I don't need to be On all the time.
So if you have been wondering where I've been and what I've been doing...
well, there you go.
I've been finding balance.
And resting.
Glorious, blissful resting.

Oh...and dancing.
:)
I started ballet last spring.
That has been the best addition to my life.
When I go to ballet it's just me...
well, okay, the room is full of teenage girls who have been dancing significantly longer...
that parts been a bit brave (ha!)...
but I focus on my body and what I'm meant to be doing.
I'm not sorting anyone else out...or managing their needs.
I'm resting my brain, really.
Which is, entirely, a different kind of rest.

Every year I say my goal is ___________.
But this year I really am setting some goals that feel right.
This year feels different.
I'm different.
And that's a good thing.

xo,
~ h