I LOVE YOU MONTANA!

Sigh... I loved my first ever trip to Montana and am heart sick I had to leave. I'm soooooo happy to be home with DH and DS, but I'm ready to pack up and head east. Have you ever had that feeling in your tummy and heart that you just BELONG somewhere? Maybe it's a reincarnation thing... I danno. Anyhoo... I had THAT feeling in Montana.

I was in the Bitterroot Valley this weekend with my good friend Karen at a quilt retreat hosted by Bell Tower Quiltworks. I had the TIME OF MY LIFE and made some lifelong friends. Everyone in Montana was SO nice and the scenery wasn't too bad either!

Before Montana, of course comes Idaho... another new experience for me! We stopped in the little town of Wallace, Idaho where Autumn was in full bloom! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Autumn!!! I have more photos to come, more thoughts, and much more Montana Goodness to share. For now... I must unpack and get my life back to normal (as if it was normal before I left for Montana).

Thank you Montana for your enchantment & kindness and thank you Missoula for putting the big "M" on your hill to welcome me!

I love you Montana,
Monica

My Montana/Idaho Flickr photos.

Quilt Pink!

Yesterday was Quilt Pink Day across the country. I spent Quilt Pink at Anna Lena's where a dozen beautiful blocks were waiting for me to set them. It was a beautiful day and the dozen+ quilters there were all in pink... we were bathing in a sea of pink fabric and we even snacked on pink cookies & pink lemonaid. The camaraderie was magical! Not only that we were all members of "The Stitcherhood of Quilters"... but we were all giving to something that has in one way or another touched us all! It was a very positive, powerful and uplifting afternoon! Not to mention fun! I take that back about us all being quilters. One lady came who's never even sewed before, but wanted to be a part of it and she became one of our "pressers". That was really cool! The lady backs up my statement that EVERYONE can do SOMETHING... no matter what that something is!

The blocks came to be by hundreds of volunteers from the NW Oregon coast and SW Washington. Quiters sent in blocks and made blocks at Anna Lena's. As well... some non-quilters made some blocks too! Through donated fabric from members of the Peninsula Quilt Guild, Anna Lena's and customers... non-quilters were able to "assemble" blocks from cut pieces and then pinned to paper to be stitched later. The Peninsula Quilt Guild had a "booth" at the Relay For Life at Ilwaco High School where anyone could "make" a block.

I do not know who made the blocks I had to work with, but boy are they beautiful! I especially love the Scotty Dogs blocks! They are soooooooooo cute! Click on the images to see them larger... they are worth the look! My friend Carol said she'd seem them somewhere before, so when she got home she poured through her stacks of quilting magazines and let me know the pattern is in Quilter's Newsletter Magazine (Sep 2006 issue). So being the impatient person that I am... I HAD to find the Scotty template ASAP... and found them for FREE online at the QNM website.

Aqua/Red Swap progress

I've been hesitant to show what I'm working on for the Aqua/Red Swap. I don't even know yet who my swap partner is. I guess this is just a peek, since this is just a small fraction of what I'm making. I'm much further along as pictured... but that's all I'm showing until the swap has been made.

WEElohalani

I've been so inspired by all the blogs I visit to make all the goodies that are offered. This is my Wee Wonderful Wee who I call WEElohalani. You can make one too at the awesome blog Wee Wonderfuls. You can also check out the pool of Wee's made from so many talented people in Wee Wonderful's Wee Gallery.

When we moved to the mainland from Hawai'i... I brought with me yards and yards and yards of Aloha fabric. Over the years my big box-o-Aloha fabric has hardly been used and I thought it'd be fun to put a dent in it! Hardly even a dent to make my little WEElohalani... but oh what fun! Cute thing is... I have friends who's daughter is named Alohalani.

Patchwork Party 2006

Have you heard about the Patchwork Party? It's twelve quilt shops from across the US, all selling a block (pattern and fabric) using the new Maywood Studio "Willowberry Winter" fabric line. All the blocks were designed by Marti Michell. Go to patchworkparty2006.com to visit all twelve shops.

Wow... 12 beautiful sampler blocks... now what???!!! Well... each of the Patchwork Party quilt shops is offering a setting kit (fabric and pattern) for sale. Each store designed their own kit and it's up to you which one floats your boat the most!

My favorite setting is an easy one! BLOCK AROUND THE CLOCK was designed by The Happy Zombie (yes, me) for Anna Lena's. I also did the PatternSmithing (it's very easy to follow and understand- more pictures/less words). You can purchase the setting kit (fabric and pattern) here or by clicking on the quilt. Look for more info about the Patchwork Party in the Sept/Oct 2006 issue of Fons & Porter.

Paint, paint, paint! La Petite Mémoire de Sucrerie

It seems all I do is paint! But ahh... the fruits of my labor!

The old studio.
The NEW studio... La Petite Mémoire de Sucrerie (The Little Candy Shop).

Or... Check out the flickr badge in the side bar.

What all started out as whim turned into a huge labor, though a labor of love. Truth be told... it all started with my DH. Last fall my DH suggested I move the studio from The Small Room into the Master Bedroom (which was actually two bedrooms before we purchased our house. My dear husband and a sledge hammer... you get the rest) and visa versa. Anyhoo... so out of the blue DH says to me, "You know, we actually spend so little time in here... would you like to swap rooms?". Hot diggity dog... why sure! So we undertake this crazy Trading Spaces gig and all seems great!

A month or so down the road, I feel the walls closing in on me in The Small Room. With each passing month I SWEAR that room was getting smaller! So last Friday I get a bee in my bonnet and the next thing you know we're on the road to Home Depot in Longview! My DH is a peach of a guy and he does so much for me (my whims are his labors), but I also know he'd drop everything if I so much as needed a thumb tack from Home Depot. Mind you, Home Depot and Lowe's are an hour away. Not a problem!

So anyhoo... I'm done with the studio switch, but I still need to tackle the MB now (which is getting a make-over as well). That can wait, hahahahaha.