Lots to tell you!

OK so I have posted what amounts to a photo album but there is so much that I want to tell you about. The summer is so busy for all of us and as the saying goes..."the livin" is easy".

Here at Seams Like Home Quilt Shop we have been sewing,arranging and preparing for the shops biggest summer event, "The Quilt Minnesota 2010 Shop-Hop". This event kicks off this Friday the 30th and for the next two weeks and weekends ending August 15th you will know exactly where to find both of us. The shop is open for this event 7 days a week. We have a store display that features a dog sled, cross-country skis, skates, snowshoes and all things winter. In the other corner of the shop is a Christmas tree, stockings and all things Christmas. With the air-conditioning running sometimes I need to look out the window and remind myself it's high summer.

The next event of late summer is the "Quilter's Yard-sale" on August 28. This will be our biggest sale yet and we hope you will make plans to attend. If you are interested there is still space available but I believe we are out of tables, so you would need to provide your own. There will be deep discounts in the shop and clearance fabric outside with the yard-sale's. The event kicks off at 9am sharp and will continue until 1pm.
I want to tell you about some of the posted photos. The children sitting together are some of my grand-children and my niece. We enjoyed a family camping weekend together at our place in the Grand Rapids area. We kayaked, swam, rode 4-wheelers, stayed up too late and ate too much. We tried to pack as much as we could into 3 days and the photo of Boomer my youngest daughters dog probably speaks for all of us when I say we were tired by the weekends end. No one does vacations better than a dog. They spend most of the time napping, they might just be on to something.
The scenery photos are shot from the patio of a hotel I stayed in when I traveled to Park City Utah with my sister. My sister travels extensively for business and occasionally she brings along a guest. I was the lucky traveler on this trip and what a treat it was. We stayed in a 5 star resort, Park City's newest, we were wined, we were dined, we were pampered and gifted. We enjoyed an under the stars acoustic performance by John Oates of the band Hall and Oates. We rode chair lifts to 9500 feet. We drank wine from a wine list that had prices like mortgage payments and I tried very hard to use the right forks and my best manners. I talked to wonderful people, heard alot of good stories, left some cash at the shops downtown and loved every minute of a chance to spend time with one of the top women in my life. I was so proud to watch her in the role that has earned her many achievements and awards. She is a business women of the highest caliber. Of course would it be a vacation without flight snafus and a side trip to urgent care? I don't think so. That is a story for another time.

The photo of the runners are my youngest daughter Heidi and two( and one little friend) of her friends. They have just finished running the five mile race that is an event for our local Willow River Days. This race is community sponsored and extremely well run, there is a corresponding walking event and every year they pull good numbers of local runners and visitors in town for one of the states friendliest and fun small town fairs.

Finally, lets talk quilting. The fall fabrics are here and they are fabulous. Fall is my favorite season to sew for. There is just something about those rich oranges, deep golds and browns, hints of metallic with some black thrown in that just makes me want to plan a new project. The shop sample is a "five-yard quilt" called "Race Track" by Mary Danielson of Easy Quilter.Com pattern comes in wall and twin size. If you haven't done a five yard quilt, you must. I went alittle crazy last winter and cracked off several. They were addicting once I got started. The two small quilts hanging one over the other are from the "Villa Rosa Designs" pattern company. We brought these patterns back from Quilt Market this spring and we just keep re-ordering. Most are either fat sixth friendly or fat-quarter friendly and we all know how much fun it is to choose those. The final photo shows our "Wine Country" fabric by South Sea Imports. Beautiful shades of plum, forest green and tan/browns.

And then there's this: My grandson Nolan has entered the season of "why". He uses it as a verb, a noun, an adjective, virtually every grammatical way you can. Every comment is answered with why, every question is answered why, it has taken the place of yes and no in his vocabulary and he accompanies it with a facial expression where his head is tipped sideways, his eyes are slightly closed and he is looking at you for answers. There is no end to conversations that have why in them and he can continue to ask with a patience that amazes me.

This is what I know: When you are two the world is big... many things surprise you, many things shock you. Nolan is just now trying to find answers to things he may have never questioned before. When you turn 50, the same is true. The world is big....many things surprise me, many things shock me and I spend much of my time trying to find answers to things I never questioned before. I'm gonna hang tight with Nolan and follow his line of reasoning. I'll turn my head sideways, slightly close my eyes and ask "why" as often as I can.

Till next time!

It's a wrap!

Well, team "Dashing Diva's" put another one in the record book finishing the Garry Bjorkland Half-Marathon in 2:33:34. Everyone looked fantastic!

We traveled up the back-roads around Jay Cooke State Park hoping to avoid the worst of the traffic.

The photos are of Nolan waiting for Aunt Missy, and then running for the finish with her for the 2nd time in his life. (First time was with his Mom, he was not yet born).

The "Dashing Diva's" rightfully proud. Melissa and Jen(back row) Julie and Deb(front row).

We are proud of you all!!

Till next time.

Summertime, Summertime

OK so we went to "Quilt Market" in mid-May and then a month got by us, just like that....

Quilt Market was exciting and frantic, as always. Melissa and I feel compelled to participate in Sample Spree, probably the craziest event ever. It makes Black Friday shopping look calm. I have to say for two girls that try very hard not to be aggressive and always be polite, we have learned that this event requires you to bring out the "fighten" side". Really tho, it's more that we know what to expect and we have a game plan. We stay focused and as hard as it is, we stand our ground.

Melissa and I both took classes. Melissa generally hits the marketing classes and this year I took the classes related to landscape quilting, photo quilting and memory quilting. I learned alot and this is an area I am going to explore. Ideally I should get experienced enough that at some point we will offer some classes to pass on what we know. We attended "schoolhouse" which are small quick sessions to introduce, new product, new authors, new pattern designers etc. Then we hit the market and put on more miles than you can imagine. Everyone from the quilting world is there and it is fun to see them as regular people and not faces in a magazine or on the television. We met alot of new people from some of our favorite states, Idaho, Utah and Nevada. We were wined and dined courtesy of the United Notions Company, more commonly referred to as Moda and when the weekend finally took it's toll, we loaded up and went out to the edge of the city and had dinner with the grand-parents.

June is half-way over and if that's the case then it means Melissa is running. Tomorrow she will again participate in the Gary Bjorkland Half-Marathon. This is the event she trains the hardest for and this year along with Deb and Jen, they will be joined by Melissa's mother-in-law, Julie. We will all be up there to cheer the ladies on but the big arguement is what time do we leave? If you have been to Duluth you know that the interstate is completely under construction. It is not pretty. Last year we also ran, not by choice. We barely made it to the finish line before the girls did. I don't want a repeat of that.

The photos show some of the projects we have going on here at Seams Like Home. The one that is just a note with web-addresses refers to my previous post. I put up a picture of those cute little dresses and then neglected to tell you about the project. The dresses are made from pillowcases and sent to countires where there is a need. Stop at the shop if you are close and we can give you a free pattern or look up the web addresses for information on what, when and where.

The "Circle of Life" wall-hanging is quick, simple and a great educational tool. I made one for my grand-daughter to give her teacher on the last day of school as a thank-you for a great year. My only wish is we had the fabric so I could have sent it the 1st day of school. So for those teachers in your life, that daycare that you trust with the best of your life or for your sewing room wall, stop in and pick up a kit. The fabric line is "Circle of Life" by South Sea Imports.

The super-cute flowers and crosses quilt is titled "Blossoms in the Breeze" by designer Linda Lum Debono. It is featured in the Feb. 2010 edition of American Patchwork and Quilting. We have kits here at the shop.

Final picture is from one of our new winter lines(yes, I know, I said winter). The fabric line is called Shivers and Company by Pearl Krush/Pearl Louis Designs.

June 25th marks the unveiling of what we have ordered for "Christmas in July". If you have been in recently you have seen the fabric case gift wrapped in the middle of the shop.

Upcoming is the "Sisters of Summer Sale" July 10th.

Quilt Minnesota July 30th through August15th.

Quilter's Yard Sale August 28th.

And then there's this: June 5th was the 33rd birthday of my son Mike. It is a hard day. At 9am I was in the chair of a Tattoo parlor. I made this appointment two months in advance and although they could have gotten me in earlier, it had to be that day. If you had asked my children the least likely person they knew that would ever get a tattoo, they would have said me. It was never about the pain for me it was more if you intend to mark yourself permanently the reason should be pure.

This is what I know: There is physical pain and there is pain of the heart, the head, the soul. The first does not remotely compare to the other. In the early days I remember my sister saying that in this country we don't mark ourselves to indicate we are grieving. She said there should be some outward sign. Something that when we looked at someone it would be apparent that their heart is broken. The buffalo and full moon that I had permanently etched into my hand represents Mike, his dreams, his courage. It also represents me, the broken me that needs this daily reminder that courage is a verb. It must be lived.

This is my sign.

Till next time!

Some things I forgot to tell you!

I'm adding a second post this week before we head to Quilt Market. I got to the shop today and realized there are some things I forgot to tell you.

First, Summer Block of the Month. This is the second summer we have offered a BOM and the spots are filling fast. The pattern is called "Sea Glass" and will be featured in the "color of the year" turquoise and also "grown-up pink". This 3 month BOM runs June through August. You will be able to pick up your kit for each month anytime during that month. Kits are $14.oo ea. mo. and the combination of the kits will include all of the fabric for the quilt top including the binding. Finished size is 43 1/2" square. Kits are cut and limited. Call the shop to see if a kit is available in the color-way of your choice.

"Turtle Pageant" featuring "Tommy the Turtle". Each summer we feature a new beauty pageant. This year it is Tommy. Drop-off date is July 29th. Call the shop or refer to the newsletter for all the official rules.

Bag Challenge: Make a bag, tote, hand-bag...the choice is yours. Drop-off day is July 15th. Voting is done by our customers and of course yourself by dropping a quarter into your favorite. The bag with the most quarters...Wins! All proceeds are donated to local charities.

Quilter's Yard Sale, our fifth year and this event just keeps getting bigger. Fee is $10 to rent space. Tables can be provided for an extra $5.00. Sell blocks, fabric, quilt tops, patterns, notions anything quilting that you are tired of or no longer have a use for. You provide table, chair and your own cash box. Sales will be going on from Seams Like Home both outside and inside the shop.

Upcoming sales:

Flag Day Salelag, June 14th from noon-6pm. 20% off all patriotic prints.

Sisters of Summer Sale. Friday July 9th and Saturday the 10th.

And then there's this:Yesterday I stopped over at my Grand-daughters house to drop off some fabric scraps for a school project. Alongside the drive on your way in stands a grand old Willow tree. This tree is the kind of tree that just begs to be climbed and this is the year that Monica is old enough and tall enough to reach the lowest V. She has claimed this tree as her own.

She has her favorite things hanging from the branches complete with clothesline that has camis and t's blowing in the breeze. You can tell she spends much time in the branches of this tree, she can see the farm, she can see her sisters, she can get out of the reach of Rex(the dog) and Butterscotch the cat can visit whenever she likes. It is her "home". The first that she has decorated, she will be the queen of this castle until Laura is old enough and tall enough to climb up.

This is what I know: When you learn to ride a bike and climb your first tree, you understand freedom for the first time in your life. It is a little bit of taking charge of your own destiny. I have watched Monica learn to ride her bike, standing on the pedals, wind in her hair, nowhere to go but forward and also grip a tree branch and just know, she is strong enough to climb... as high as she wants to go. She is learning independence is a feeling and a good one. It is my belief there will be no stopping her but if her "homes" are always this hard to access. I might need to remember I once knew how to climb too!

Till next time!

Bags packed and ready to go!

Well, after two busy weekends of sales at Seams Like Home it's time for Melissa to head to Quilt Market and find new product for the shop. She will meet with fabric representatives, walk endless isles of new product, new patterns, new fabric and new ideas.
I am the lucky one that gets to walk along side of her, offering occasional opinions and oohing and aahing over pretty much everything. Together we will attend "Schoolhouse" demonstrations, we will take classes and we will make an aggressive push through "Sample Spree" along with 300 or so of our closest friends and competitors. It is a whirlwind working vacation and I am looking forward to it. Remember our "open house" on Monday evening the 24th. I have heard rumors of a new logging line of fabric from the designer "Holly Taylor" and quite simply, I want some!

Here at the shop everything 4th of July is front and center. Stop in and see a table runner runner that could grace your picnic table for this holiday and a quick throw for over the Adirondack chair next to the fire pit for cool evenings. We have bunting on a roll for sale by the yard, you can decorate that porch railing in honor of this wonderful country we all live in. Don't forget flag day in June, a day that my Grand-parents always remembered by putting out the flag on the corner of the cabin facing the lake.

The photo of Nolan is his approval of the fabric that Heidi is putting in a new throw for herself. The top is fabric from Amy Butler but it is the backing that Nolan most approves of. It is the extremely soft(Minkee, Cuddle etc.) that everyone likes. Nolan is not put off by the color one bit. All he cares about is how it feels against his skin. So it's a throw for Mom that I think Nolan will steal to cover-up with.

The Christmas fabric is beginning to arrive. Soon the tree will be up and "Christmas in July" will be here. The first shipment of the new "Quilt Minnesota" arrived at the shop last week and as I knew it would be it is so beautiful in the actual fabric. I encourage you to stop in and pre-buy. It is going to go fast and if you wait for the hop to start in August you may run short of some of your favorites.

And then there's this: Two weeks ago Marty and I went to Little Falls for the 2 cylinder show. This event is held at the fair grounds in Little Falls, it's an auction, flea market, outdoor and indoor vendors and all things farm related. The main event is John Deere but International and Case, Ford etc. were all well represented. For years now my youngest brother and his childhood best friend have gone, this year they invited Marty and I and my Dad to go with. The photo of my 81 year old Dad shows him doing what has always been "his" job when the guys get together. He makes breakfast and after 50 years of doing it he has become somewhat of a perfectionist. No yogurt, omelets or sweet rolls here. We ate smoky fired bacon, eggs over easy, pancakes and drank pots of coffee. We stayed at "The Compound", it's a weekend get-away owned by the family of my brothers friend. A man's playground of 4-wheeler trails, deer stands, ponds stocked with fish and a pole barn turned kitchen/hang-out where you can do no harm.

This is what I know: The women in my family gather frequently for "Girls events", we shop, travel, eat fancy and drink wine. The men in the family gather too. They ride 4-wheelers, fish, have campfires and drink beer. Generally the two groups don't intersect. In the past few years I have had the fortune of "hanging with the guys" on several occasions. The rules have been broken because we need each other. I need the time to remain grounded to the maleness of life and my Dad and brothers know of no other way to help me hang on except to just be there, along side of me. They have welcomed me in to their time. The final photo is a shot of my Dad, my brother and his friend. It reminds me of a line from the commencement address "Anna Quindlin" gave when invited to speak at a College. She talks about the humbleness of life. Of what you think you know and what you really know. One of the final lines is when she interviews a homeless man that spends everyday sitting at the end of a pier, staring out at the ocean. When she asks him why he does this day in and day out, he replies, "Look at the view".

Sometimes, it's just that simple.

till next time!
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