What Do You Love?

My sister is making a list of things she loves.  Sounds like an easy thing to do, right?  But she set her goal rather high - at least 100 things - so I thought I'd ask you to post what you love. 

Things are very busy around here.  I just finished picking out fabrics for 2 new designs I will preview at Quilt Market in Houston in Oct.  One is Happy Halloween and the other is Celebrate Christmas.  They are both appliqued and pieced designs.  I spent over 20 hours picking out fabrics.  The fabric selection is the most difficult thing because I send the block designs and the fabrics off to Nancy so she can applique and embroider them for me.  It is so different from when I do it myself because if I don't like the fabric choices as I go along with the applique I can change it.  But when it is all sent off at once  I always have to have a little faith (and hold my breath some) until the blocks come back to me.  So far I've been very happy with the results, except one time, and on that one I am going to remake the design with new fabrics.  I guess that is pretty good odds considering I've sent 25 designs off so far!!

And the big news is ...... my youngest daughter, Allison, is getting married here at our house on Sept. 1st.  There is much to be done so I have my work cut out for me between now and then.  This Sat. is the shower so that should be fun and I'm going to do a little cooking for it on Friday.  I'm going to try and find a recipe for a flourless cake because Allison has some dietary restrictions.  Anyone know a good recipe?  I figured I'd try online and see what I find. 

Well it's time to get back to work.  Enjoy your day and if you entered the pattern giveaway on the Henry Glass website, please check your email because there are still 4 winners that haven't gotten back to us.  Mary Jane

Thanks for everyone who participated in the Henry Glass Beach Party!  Henry Glass will be giving away 12 of my Melon Patch patterns and I'm going to give away another 6 right here.  I just got back from the show on Cape Cod earlier  today so I had a chance to take a look at all of your comments.  Thanks to all who wrote back. 

Here's the winners I've chosen and I'm giving you a little look into why I picked them:  #1.  Judy1522 - Judy is my sister's name and so that name is very dear to my heart since she is the greatest sister in the world, #2. Cecelia - her son-in-law just won a gold medal at the Olympics, #3. Carla G - I liked the fact that she is sewing summer clothes, #4. Deb - she wrote me 2 times since I didn't get the comments posted right away.  It was next to impossible to do it from my cellphone!, #5. Sandy D. - with the beef cows and the drought I thought she could use some good luck!, and last, but not least, # 6. Sherry - her husband just had heart surgery.  If you ladies could email me back with your names and addresses, then I will get your patterns out right away. 

My new fabric line, Ninth & Vine, should be arriving any day now.  Once it arrives I'm going to be doing some more giveaways ..... so stay tuned!  Mary Jane

Good Morning Everyone!  It's a beautiful day here on Cape Cod.  No, I'm not on vacation - we are here vending at a quilt show.  If you are looking for something to do today, why not stop by Bayberry Quilt Guild's show in Harwich, MA.  Henry Glass Fabrics is having a Summer Beach Party and today is my day.  I am giving away 6 copies of my pattern, Melon Patch.  Just leave me a comment about your summer so far and I will randomly pick 6 winners.  Make sure to check back to see if you are a winner so I can get your name and address. 

Now it's off to the show ..... Mary Jane

I've Been Gone A Long Time

Okay, so I never said posting on my blog was my strong point.  Every day I feel a "little" guilty that I haven't posted something.  But I guess not guilty enough to actually do it.  There are so many things that need to get done each day that posting here just goes to the bottom of the list.

Here's what's been happening lately around Holly Hill Quilt Designs - I am in the final rush to get all the projects done for the book I'm doing with Leisure Arts.  It is a Christmas book with 7 projects and my deadline to have all the projects and the directions to them is June 1st (I sure wish it was June 1, 2013, rather than 2012).  This is a HUGE undertaking and I won't even tell you how many hours are into it so far and I don't have one quilt 100% done and there are no directions written for any of them.  

My fabric line with Henry Glass, called Ninth and Vine, came out mid-March.  You can follow some of the goings on at Henry Glass by clicking this link to their facebook account  http://www.facebook.com/HenryGlassCo .  You can view Ninth and Vine by going to www.henryglassfabrics.com .  I just received the strike offs (strike offs are very tiny pieces of fabric that allow you to see the colors and designs and make any adjustments you think are necessary).  Now I'm going to try and put together a few little projects that use these strike offs.  I went to "town" the other day after the fabric arrived and found some adorable little pieces of trim.  I think I'm going to try and make a couple of little pillows, but who knows!  Sometimes what you think you are going to make turns into something else when you start sewing.  I could never understand how someone makes a quilt on the computer.  Maybe that's because I grew up in the time long ago when there were no computers (not even electric typewriters - gasp!) and we used crayons, colored pencils, etc. to draw and create.  I suppose I'll have to join this new world some day.  But I guess I'm somewhat modern because I can blog, right???

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive and well and if you are coming to Spring Market in Kansas City look for me.  I'll be in Booth #2700.  Or if you aren't coming, ask your local quilt shop to stop by and see me.   Mary Jane

Snow, Snow and More Snow

If you live anywhere that it snows, my guess is you've seen plenty of snow this winter.  I was in California a few weeks ago vending at the Road to California quilt show.  When we were setting up it was 79 degrees there and about 10 degrees BELOW zero at home.  Now I'm not a wimp and I don't mind the cold (that is quite a statement considering I was born in Los Angeles), but while I was away in CA and then upon my return to NH the snow just kept coming and coming and coming.  Our deck was piled almost as high as the rail and we were afraid it might just fall off the house.  So my husband and I shoveled 1 hour each one night, then the next day I shoveled another 2 hours and it's not even 1/2 done.  Now dear hubby has been using a snow rake to get the big pile of snow off the roof so guess where the snow is going to land - back on the deck again!  Tomorrow it might be back to shoveling again, but then on Monday I leave for California again to vend at the Folsom Quilt Guild show.  If it snows while I'm gone then I hope the good fairies come and work their magic.  I hope you are finding lots of quilt projects to work on during the winter months.  At least that way you can stay warm!  Mary Jane 

Some Winners Missing In Action

I've just emailed the winners who had links to their emails from blogger, but there are a few of you who I can't reach.  So if Qltn Robin, JYB Quilter and Bertie Quilts could email me then I can tell you how to claim your prize!   Mary Jane

AND THE WINNER IS......

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to pick the winner of my blog tour .  There were so many wonderful messages that it was really hard to choose!  I know sometimes people use a "random number" generator to choose winners, but I decided to use my own "human" brain instead.  I must admit the brain is a little overworked right now - I'm still working on writing the 6 new patterns that debuted at Market and then in the midst of this fun my husband decided we needed another garage built so there have been carpenters, cement trucks, etc. here all of last week.  But the good news is now the BIG cargo van that I use for shows will have an indoor home - and believe me it is a BIG van that I lovingly refer to as the "BOAT".

Here's how I decided to pick the winners - anyone who the word "quilt" or some variation of it in their blogger name has been picked as a winner.  So Happy Cottage Quilter, Qltn Robin, Quilt Mom, Renegade Quilter, jyb quilter, kwiltnkats, beckquilts, and bertie quilts are ALL WINNERS!  Pick any pattern from my website www.hollyhillquiltdesigns.com  and then email me with which one you want and your mailing address, and I'll get the pattern out to you.  (just remember that I'm still writing 6 of the patterns so they may take a little longer to get to you)  And then I decided to pick one other winner who didn't have quilt in her blogger name, but she was the 1st to write on my new blog site so VickiT is also a winner.  She's going to get a copy of the 100 Quilt Blocks by Top Designers, Volume 2 from Quiltmaker and a pattern of her choice. 

Hope you enjoyed the blog tour and I'll try and post some photos from my trip to CA so you can see the other "pink" Christmas tree is action there.  Mary Jane