a correction and my apologies

Correction to my pattern "Ten":

On the back of the pattern cover, with the yardage requirements, add 1 1/2 yards border print fabric.
On page 1 with the cutting directions for the border print, cross off 6 1/2" x 72".  Change to 8 1/2" x 54".

I am very sorry for the errors, and I apologize for any problems that result.  If you have a problem or complaint, please contact me at myemmalinedesign@gmail.com or 612-750-1085.  I will make things right for you.  These patterns have only been sold at Bear Patch, so I can backtrack most of them via our computer database.  However, there are always some that can't be tracked down, so that is why I am putting the information here.  Again, my apologies, and I feel terrible about this since I found out yesterday.  Anything printed and sold from here on out will have the corrections made.

Sometimes the old saying, "Haste makes waste" is all too true!   Working on the Quilt MN fabrics for a pattern every year brings a firm deadline.  I am sometimes printing the patterns on the night before the deadline!  This year, I thought things were good because I was ready about 3 days early!  I do the printing myself, and collating and folding and packaging, too.  Because I am on that deadline, I never have enough time from the point that the fabric is available.  I usually have the basic ideas in mind or started on the computer, but I often change direction once I have the actual fabric in hand.  So that does not leave me the time I need to have test sewers work on the quilt.  I really like coming up with new quilt designs, and I like to be able to share them, but the part about getting everything down on paper in an understandable format is the bad part.  I can only hope that this is the worst it gets!

On a much happier note:
I completed a knitting project!  Another winter scarf, this time for myself, although the hot and humid weather makes it seem strange to be working on it!  I wrote about it in a previous post.  I like it posed on the deck railing!

 That means that I get to start a new project, and this one is by request from some young moms I know (that would be Brita and Molly!).  I'm giving it a try and we'll see if it turns out to be worthy of Miss Ada.  It's the Azel Pullover and I'm using a chunky yarn and large needles, so that goes fast.  It's multi-sized, and I chose to start with the smallest size because Ada is 1 year old.  I hope she's walking, because this would not be a good thing for a crawler!

I'm enjoying a few days with my mom and sister in Iowa.  My brother, sister-in-law, nephew and friend, niece and husband have also visited or been visited, so it's been a good time.  Jan, my sister, is returning to her home in San Francisco today, so that's no fun.  But we did something special every day, and made the most of our time back in our hometown of Lake Park together.

Mom's house is on the shore of Silver Lake, with a good place to relax on the deck and watch the lake life.  And here's a picture of her very self reliant hollyhocks, too.  They always re-seed themselves and take care of themselves all summer, too!

We took a little drive to the Round Lake Winery, (on the shore of Round Lake!) about 10 miles away.  It was a great afternoon to sit outdoors and share a bottle of their 2012 Merlot.  It was a very good year!  They are making some good wine out in the middle of the corn and bean fields!  Here's a toast to you....

special delivery!

 I feel like I can take a deep breath and relax after stressing for awhile about creating a new pattern for our Quilt MN event.  At Bear Patch, I am given the opportunity and freedom to create something new each year with this special edition fabric collection.  This year, I decided to think back a couple of years and re-invent a row quilt design I have used before.  This is the result:

Ten by Emmaline Design

 Here's a closeup of one of the sections, including portions of the great border print that I used.

I had a couple of challenges to put together the pieced blocks that I used.  The fish blocks, shown in the picture above, were derived from another block that I found when I was looking for something to create a frame.  It actually included diamond shapes where the orange pieces are, but I was pretty sure that few people would really want to tackle little set-in diamonds with Y-seams!  So I converted it over to triangles and flying geese blocks to get a similar look.  

I think they look like fish fins and tails!

I also had to do a bit of head scratching to create this chain link row!  I had seen something similar somewhere, but needed to make it fit into the dimensions of 8" x 48".  And find a way to end it neatly without a partial link chopped off!  I like the way it looks now!

If you are interested in making this quilt, we can send you a pattern through Bear Patch.  (I don't do any direct retail sales myself.)  Call 651-429-1039 if you would like to request one.

Also, I put together some of the tools and supplies that would be most helpful in making this quilt:

Starting at the upper left and moving clockwise:

a square ruler 8 1/2" or larger

a rotary cutter with a sharp blade

good scissors

Companion Angle ruler

Strip Stick

Clearly Perfect Angles

a cute pincushion with good (not bent) pins

a chacoliner for marking

mechanical pencil

frixion pen

an awl

seam ripper, get a good one like this one from Clover

good thread like Aurifil

a 4 1/2" square ruler

2 1/2" x 6 1/2" ruler

new needles

If you put those all together, you are much more likely to be successful!

I will be posting some other tutorial-like information over on the Bear Patch blog.

summer fun

What I've been doing this summer:

1.  Admiring the beauty of nature!

I only wish these gorgeous flowers could last longer!

2.  Quilting for a customer, a hand-embroidered quilt from a pattern by Crabapple Hill.  There are many beautiful designs from Meg on her website and available at Bear Patch.  

This one is called Vintage Tin.

I took this picture to show the little wireless speaker that I attach to my handlebars to listen to recorded books while I work.  It's called the Buckshot and is made by Outdoor Tech.  The holder is intended for use on bicycle handlebars, but it fits right on my machine handlebars, too!  I get most of my books through the Anoka County Library as digital downloads on my iPhone.  With this little speaker, I can still hear the recording and the sound of the machine at the same time.  I have to have an ear to the machine to pick up on the noises and sounds that alert me to a problem.  Headphones don't work as well for that.

3.  Visiting North Carolina to get some playtime with my little guys!

Happy Jack!

The best selfie I could get of the boys and Brita together.

We had something fun to do every day, and I learned all about the favorite books, videos, foods and anything else you can imagine in the life of a 2 and 4 year old!

4.  Starting a new quilt design for a new pattern.

This is for the Quilt MN fabric and shop hop starting 7/29.  So I need to keep pushing to get this done!  I have it all done in my head, but that doesn't really count!

I'm using a row quilt layout again, with the border print cut and place between rows of pieced blocks.

It's coming along, but there's still a lot of work to be done.  The top row of spool blocks is pretty straightforward, that's a block that's been made many times.  The row of chain blocks was something I pretty much had to invent to get the right size and shape that I wanted.  So that took awhile.  The bottom row of fish blocks was a block design that I found in my EQ program, but had to modify.  It was made with diamonds and Y-seams where the orange points are.  That type of construction is not easy, and I want this pattern to appeal to any quilter who looks at it.  So I re-drafted it to incorporate half-square triangles instead.

I have one more row of different blocks to make, then assemble the rows with borders, get it quilted, bound, photographed.  And write up the directions!  And get them printed and packaged, too.  And kits cut!  But hey, I've got 24 days to do it in!

What are you doing this summer!

comfy and happy

One of the key things about this type of vacation is comfort.  Relaxed clothing, no schedule, casual meals and companions who do likewise.  Leisl caught me late last night --

I was happy to accomplish putting together all of the blocks for this fun new quilt.  It is a pattern by Bee In My Bonnet.

I also got some work done on this "pinwheel flower" quilt that I am making for a class to be presented this winter at Bear Patch.  I am writing the pattern as I go.  It will have a row of green grass all around the outside, but I don't have enough of the green fabric here to finish it all, so that will happen after I get back home.  Fortunately, there is still a bit of that fabric left at the store and tucked away waiting for me.  Otherwise, we would be on Plan B.  Always good to have a backup plan!

 And I have spent time tracing, fusing and cutting pieces for this picture that will go out to Montana when it is completed.  It is designed by McKenna Ryan, one of her many Pine Needles patterns.

I purchased the pattern when shopping at the Backdoor General Store in Whitefish, MT.  They are a combo gift shop/quilt shop, featuring many of the Pine Needles patterns and samples because McKenna Ryan has lived (or currently lives?) there.  I had a very nice chat with the shop owners and hope I can return.

The Backdoor General Store in Whitefish, MT.

And that wraps up all of the excitement for me today at Causeway on Gull resort.

running in circles

The colors don't look true in my huge circle, it really doesn't look so drab in real life.  But I do like the effect, and once I figure out what to do with the big bump of seam allowances in the middle, it will move to the next step.  I think I am going to trim out the very center and then applique a circle on top of it to cover that problem spot.  And then the question is do I leave it circular or add a square background?  It's a work in progress to test out the Creative Grids 15 degree wedge ruler.

The BQ2 assembled by Margaret, to be donated for a church raffle---

Leisl managed to put together this nice little tote bag/purse before departing to pick up sister Linda at the airport last night.  Hope they are having a good visit today!  We miss you!

 This is the completion of the applique piece I showed previously, from Kim Diehl's book Simple Charm.  Marva did a great job, don't you think?

Here are 2 versions of the same 5-yard quilt pattern, looking completely different with the fabric combinations.  On the left is the "up north cabin woodsy" look by Jean, and on the right is the "summer garden cheery" look by Geri.  

And below is my Bucket Bag, almost finished except for some topstitching details  It is going to make a great tote bag and perfect knitting bag with pockets all around the inside.  Very detailed instructions from Around the Bobbin.

getting all fixed up

Do you sometimes just feel like you are treading water and not getting anywhere?  It's been like that for a bit for me, but some of those reasons for treading water are progressing--

#1.  2 new patterns all printed up and ready for release.  I was really stuck on a good name for the first one, I was running all sorts of rhymes through my head without anything having the quality to stick in my mind.  Then last week I was spending some quality time with my little Ian, cutest baby ever, and it popped into my head--Wild Child!  So maybe he is my muse?

Wild Child

 And Pie In The Sky is all set and ready to go.  Big thanks to Dan for helping me with the pattern covers, once again.  I described some of what goes into pulling together the pieces for my pattern covers previously, and I don't think it gets any easier!  This time it was about 90 out and humid enough to work up a sweat in no time, good thing the lens wasn't turned on me!

Pie In The Sky

#2.  Major problems with our washing machine caused a role reversal for us--we took our dirty clothes to our daughter's house to wash!  After some delay in getting the proper computer part ordered, it was installed.  And thoroughly tested with the backlog of dirty laundry we had accumulated.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again, one of my favorite things is clean sheets!  And if I could, I would have a "clean sheet lady" that would put fresh sheets on my bed every day!

#3.  A car without A/C is like a bed without clean sheets--useable but not as enjoyable!  So when my A/C went out again, choices had to be made about another repair on my trusty vehicle.  Thank God I have a husband who understands the value in having a cool, calm, collected wife!

#4.  Lots of neck and shoulder pain are not unusual to me, given the fact that I am often in a position that requires me to tip my head forward to see my sewing and quilting, on top of the fact that when I am tense or stressed it goes straight to my neck.  But things had gotten to a state of continual discomfort, so I actually went to the Dr.!!!  Not a habit of mine!  Anyway, I have done some PT and returned to my favorite massage therapist, Janet Richards.  She has magic fingers.  All in all, the neck and shoulders are actually sometimes pain-free now!  Halleluja!

So now I am feeling like things are on track and getting all fixed up again--until the next time!

on the home front

Yesterday Bob had a hankering to indulge in some special cooking and when we saw a cooking show about grilling pork roasts, he knew he wanted to try this. Who knew that Balinese BBQ could be so good! The spices in this concoction were incredibly aromatic, especially when they got heated up. He used his handy-dandy rotisserie to do the cooking, but it could also be accomplished in a regular grill or oven. We both loved the result!

I happily finished up a big quilting project yesterday, you can read about it on the Bear Patch blog. It took me a good chunk of time to decide what to do and then to carry out the plan. I am pleased with the outcome, but I do find something like this very challenging. I know that this will be a quilt that will draw viewers who come during the Shop Hop specifically to see the quilt and get the pattern. I'm not necessarily comfortable with that kind of pressure, because even though Laurel designed and constructed the quilt, I know that the quilting that I add can really enhance what she has already done and make it something that people will like. Or, it can be so-so (or should that be sew-sew), and leave me wishing I had done something else! I guess we will all see come April 30!

I have recently prepared some new samples for my pattern, Going Sewing, and had so much fun using selvedge edges from a variety of fabrics. I'm going to offer it as a class at Bear Patch next summer as part of my series of accessories for those who sew.

We are quietly celebrating Valentine's day with Bob in the kitchen again. This is so fun! He is making risotto, scallops, and green beans. Yummo!