A Bit of This and That

With the creation of Gotcha Covered Quilting my intension was to blog at least once a week.  I figured I'd have something to show off, some tutorial to share or just general blabbing about life.  I mean, in real life I talk plenty, so it stands to reason I'd never be short on words for my blog.  Some how though, I've been feeling like I need to have a completed project or have a full story to tell for my blog and that's not how the past 2 weeks have been.

However, I have been able to create this...

I swear this area creates its own mess.

…mess!  How does this happen so easily and quickly?

I've been trying my hand at Dear Jane…ahem, block 1A.   Uh, sweet Dear Jane is kicking my butt.  It seriously took me all night to figure out how to manage just this much.

A stack of beautiful Tula Pink fabric has been set aside because this Dear Jane is going to be entirely Tula. Oh my gosh, just thinking about it makes me a bit nutty.  I really love her gorgeous and whimsical fabrics.

5-inch Tula Pink charms and the Dear Jane book to  guide me through this very lengthy process.

I have been commissioned to create a memory quilt (more on that in a future post), so I've been spending a great deal of time and energy creating something that I hope they will love and will match the vision they had when they originally hired me to make this quilt.  I'm using fabrics that I would ordinarily not choose, but I've really fallen in love with them.  That's the great thing about making commissions…it's pushes you outside your comfort zone or beyond your usual style.

Fabrics for commission quilt

And have you all been over to And Sew We Craft?

They are a wonderful group of women who cover just about everything on their website from cooking, to scrapbooking, to knitting, crocheting, quilting, and more.  There is a wealth of info, projects, encouragements, tutorials.  There's a true modern day artsy craftsy collaboration going on over there.

Just love this Kate Spain fabric

As a celebration of reaching 2000 likes on their Facebook page, they are having a giveaway with a chance to win multiple prizes, including a 5-inch Kate Spain Sunnyside Charm pack.  Bet you can't guess who has donated that prize.  Please stop by their website and their Facebook page, have a look around, and enter your chance to win one of many great prizes.

Some very exciting changes are going on behind the scenes over here with GCQ.  I'll give you a little hint and tell you that it has something to do with fabric…lots of Moda and snuggly, soft Shannon Fabrics.  More info to follow very soon, maybe even in time for some post-Thanksgiving shopping.  That's it, I'm not saying any more for now :).

Lastly, Instagram is my new addiction.  Actually, it's an addiction in the making.  So much fun to share and see what others are doing, making, creating.  You can follow me by clicking the link on the right side bar.  See you there...

So tell me, what have you been working on?

Until next time...

Green With Envy

I bet you were expecting to see some fantastically wonderful green quilt I'm working, huh?!  Nope…the only thing green around here is ME.  Totally envious of all the people who went to Houston Quilt Market over the weekend and the accompanying show Quilt festival this week.

I contemplated going when I first starting putting together a business plan for Gotcha Covered Quilting.  Then I used some maturity and wisdom (these are 2 newly acquired attributes, I might add).  Did I really need to go to quilt market to see every last wonderful gadget, pattern and newly announced fabric line just as I'm getting started in business?  Is that really a wise choice for someone who might possibly be a little impulsive and impatient?

No!  And so I opted to stay home this year.  I know it was the right decision.

 But I've been feeling a bit like this…

Totally feeling left out of all the fun and excitement.  The girl who wasn't invited to the party with all the cool kids.  Waaaah!!!

I could have hung with all the really popular bloggers and phenomenal quilters who I stalk regularly.


That could have been me in the picture with Tula Pink. >>>>
It could have, I just know it.  I'm certain we would have become immediate friends because I'm cool that way and she's cool that way (or so I've heard).

Oh gosh, and Kate Spain could have gushed about my Ka-Bloom quilt and I could have gushed about…well, about everything she has ever created.  We would be besties by now.

And after browsing all the machine quilting done by Angela Walters (Quilting Is My Therapy) and Natalia Bonner (Piece N Quilt), they would have offered up tons of advice and introduced me to some of the big wigs in the quilting industry as their new protegee.

*Big Sigh*

It really is best that I wasn't there with my hands fondling fabrics and threads because I'm certain my credit card would be maxed out and I'd have to jump start the other part of my business that I'm not quite ready to jump start.  I really am using my new found maturity to slow myself down (I think my mom just shed a tear of joy)

Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and Instagram have been on Quilt Market overload just like my poor envious brain.

Here's a little taste (a very small taste) of what's caught my eye so far.

Fox Field by Tula Pink

Marcelle Medallion from Liberty Love

Garden Party Tango from Iza Pearl Designs and Windham Fabrics

Aardvark Quilts.  That quilt to the left
is the same quilt that I just made for KK

A little more Tula Pink

Dear Stella

If you want to get a glimpse of what we all missed, here are a few of the sites I follow on Facebook who have put together a nice array of photos.

The Fat Quarter Shop (She's my local favorite quilt shop…the nicest people you've ever met work there)

The Intrepid Thread

Pearl The Squirrel

Sarahs Fabric

Jay Bird Quilts

Piece N Quilt

Happy Monday to you all!

Until next time...

PS.  I hope I linked everything up properly, giving credit to those whose pictures I've borrowed for today's blog.  If I missed something, please let me know and I'll fix it promptly.