I have been quiet for far too long. But it’s been a tough year.... My mom had several unexplainable health issues that surfaced over a year ago. My husband and I wrestled with a new job opportunity that would make him happier with his work but required us to move away from our roots and all family. (We decided to stay where we are. After all, our youngest son graduates from college in May and still comes home occasionally on the weekends.) We took a long overseas vacation to visit our oldest son that chose to stay and work in... Continue reading

Yes, yours truly is going to be a guest on the AllPeopleQuilt.com podcast with Pat Sloan today! Tune in a listen today at 4pm Eastern time! If you happen to miss it and want to listen later, I will post a link to the show tomorrow. Have a happy day! Continue reading

I hope you have had a chance to read all of our blogs about our journey through this round robin quilt project. I know I've learned a thing or two from reading everyone else's thought process through each round. And don't forget to check out the article in the Feb. 2014 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting along with the additional videos at allpeoplequilt.com. So, here we are with our final round, and this week we are all focusing on Terry's quilt "Kaleidoscope". To see what everyone else did, check out their blogs this week! Terry's quilt - round 1:... Continue reading

It finally came! My own copy of American Patchwork & Quilting arrived this week! Have you gotten yours yet??? I am super excited because this issue features the Round Robin Rebels quilts. And this is the week we all get to share my quilt! Playing With Crayons.... If you have not been following along, you may want to go back and read our previous posts, just to get lowdown on the "rules" we set and how we approached this quilt project. Me {you are already here, but check out my first post on the Round Robin Rebels} Kari Carr {New... Continue reading

The Round Robin Rebels story in American Patchwork and Quilting is in full swing! Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2013 Meredith Corporation.All rights reserved. If you happened to stop by last week or came from allpeoplequilt.com, you already know what we are all about. But if you simply stumbled here on your own, I encourage you to check out all of our blogs from last week where we shared our rules (or lack thereof) for our Round Robin quilt project and the evolution of Gudrun's quilt. You can find links at the bottom of this post.... Continue reading

I am so excited to finally be able to share with you something that I have been so fortunate to be a part of... The Round Robin Rebels. And our story is featured in the February 2014 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting! Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2013 Meredith Corporation.All rights reserved. If you don't have a subscription, you really need to grab one at the newstand when it is available because you won't want to miss it! Trust me on this. So, who and what are The Round Robin Rebels you ask?? A little... Continue reading

Thank you to everyone who left a comment about my pattern All Geared Up. It was fun to hear everyone's preferences for applique..... and how many just stay clear of it. My preference has always been to use freezer paper on the reverse side to turn the edges under, then hand stitch the piece, but I have to admit that I have recently been trying and researching other methods and found a couple that I really like. Maybe someday I'll get around to doing a post about applique methods. But not today..... First, I need to let Tami know that... Continue reading

It has been a very busy, chaotic week, so I am sorry for letting the ball drop in posting a winner for the giveaway from my last post. The winner of the Big Blocks, Big Style book and the Nordic Visions fabric bundle is Angele. I agree with her comment about GE Designs book and fabric.... "Wow, I do love that fabric. The big block book is just what I need to get going. Thanks for giving me the chance to participate in this giveaway." I will be sending you an email to get all your info so we can... Continue reading

I'm back! And am happy to be a part of a really cool give away for a very special friend and fellow Red Rooster Fabrics designer, Gudrun Erla of GE Designs. I think it was at least 12 years ago when I first met Gudrun at International Quilt Market as the owner of a quilt shop in Iceland. Wow, it's hard to believe that I have known her that long. She would come into my booth to purchase my books and patterns for her shop until she decided to make a move to the U.S. and start her own design... Continue reading

For those of you who follow Whimsicals Quilts on Facebook, you may have seen some of these pictures already, but it's been so long since I've posted anything here, I thought I would share the journey of my studio from one end of the house to the other. You see, for 10 years I have called an almost 11' x 13' bedroom my "room", my "space", or most of the time, my "cave". It was cozy. It was familiar. It was all mine, with as much "stuff" as I could stuff into it. I was comfortable there.... most of the... Continue reading

Well..... Nothing like running myself down to the point of having a cold, chills, and no voice before going to Quilt Market, feeling a little better while at Quilt Market, only to come home and find myself (and my husband) sick again. You would think that after so many years of doing this that I would learn the importance of proper rest and nutrition, but < sigh > it hasn't sunk in yet. Getting ready for and exhibiting at Quilt Market is always a blur for me and this one was no exception. In fact, the night before we left,... Continue reading

Has it been a long time since I have written a blog post? Oh yea. Do I have a good excuse or reason? Um, no. But I have to be honest and say that blogging is one of the easiest parts of my "job" to ignore and let slide. And really I have no good excuse other than the fact that there is always something else that needs to be done, where blogging falls somewhere between a want and I-know-I-really-should-do-this. So several weeks go by without a posting, which then drags into a month..... or several months..... and I find... Continue reading

First things first. I want to thank each and every one of you for sharing your stories, your hearts, your hurts and prayers. I can't tell you how much they touched me. And made me wonder why I waited to share. Well, besides the fact that I was (and still am) so completely overwhelmed with how far behind I am..... BUT, I do have some good news! Tad's scan came back good and his tumor markers were down, so no surgery is needed right now. He goes back in a month for another check and they will once again look... Continue reading

So, I have some explaining to do because I have been silent for far too long. Like many creative people, I tend to expect a lot out of myself, which leads to working way too many hours and ignoring other things that really need to be done. Like cleaning the house. And doing the laundry. Or writing a blog. And I know that I can ignore those things for only so long before they too start to become another source of stress. Funny how that works. And my way of dealing with it? Go into hiding. Or more specifically, become... Continue reading

As you can imagine, I have been frantically trying to get ready for International Quilt Market, which is in { gasp } less than a week. Where oh where did the time go?! I've had several days in the past few weeks when my parents have graciously come to help out, and because mom always brings her camera and takes pictures, I thought I would let her write a post and share some things from her perspective. So, let me introduce to you..... Mom (aka Jackie)! As you read, you will see that I felt the need to insert a... Continue reading

Have you ever done something that unintentionally hurts a dear friend or someone you care about? Now I KNOW that most of you can relate, so go ahead and admit it. Well, this recently happened to me and I am so deeply saddened by it. Even when things happen that are merely an accident or unintentional, I still feel the need to try and make amends. So here goes.... You see, I just got my copy of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting (November/December 2011 issue). And on page 78, you will see a lovely quilt called Winterbury Lane and... Continue reading

I know, I know, it's been FOREVER since I've written anything here. I've started countless times. Have had lots of ideas. I've even written them in my head - and please tell me that I'm not the only one who composes thoughts into stories in my head at a time when I can't write them down..... like when I'm driving or taking a shower.... No, the problem is not in coming up with the ideas or getting started. It's more in the completion. You see, I get started, then get distracted, then lose my train of thought, and by the... Continue reading