Barb and I have been on a roll! We just took the newest Loose Feathers pattern to the printer yesterday. Sarah’s House is the second of the 2012 series of four Loose Feather booklets which revolve around antique samplers. 

The antique sampler which inspired the booklet is pictured above.  We found this piece on e-bay (our favorite place to get in trouble) and fell in love with it immediately. Any sampler with a house always captures our attention. The young girl who stitched this piece only signed it with her first name. If you look under the front steps you will see she used two colors of floss to stitch in her name.




The reproduction offered in the pattern is a bit different from the original. I did stitch my daughter's name on my sampler. Although, now I wish I would have used two colors of floss as Sarah did! I guess I forgot to look at the original sampler before I got out my needle and thread.

Bee Update:
 In beekeeping class we were told to provide water for the bees. The girls get thirsty during hot dry days. I dutifully carried a small bird bath out to the hives and placed it close so the bees wouldn't have to go far for water. Much to my surprise I found they never used it. I continued to fill it full of clean water daily.....but I only saw one or two bees drinking from it. 



 Two days ago, while watering my flowers out front I noted the birdbath by my front door was abuzz with the gals....about 100 of them. I was surprised that they flew over the house for water when I had some right out back adjacent to their hives. After more study I found you can't put the water closer than 10 feet from the hive. 



 Foraging bees let the others know where to find flowers and water. They do a dance that communicates distance and location in relationship to the sun. They have no way to communicate something in close proximity. Who knew? I try to make things easy and find I've made them fly over the house. Now all the gals are out front to greet any guests that might venture to the front door.

Guess I should get a sign that says: 
Beeware! 

Alma 

In the Meadow is at the printer and it should be ready for shipping by Monday of next week. Maybe sooner if all goes well. There are seven quilt patterns and a hooked rug in this book. Check out the May 31st. blog post to see some of the other quilts.

Barb and I are planning for fall quilt market and our next loose feather project. I'm getting the frames tonight and will be doing photography soon.

Keep your fingers crossed for rain. It's hot and dry here!

Until later,

Alma

 

 I visited a local quilt shop yesterday. While I was there a woman brought in her 6 year old daughter to find a sewing class for her. The young girl told the sales clerk she wanted to learn to sew. (I was amazed to say the least! I had to beg my daughter to even think about sewing....Laura...are you reading this?)

It made me think of these cards I purchased last spring at an antique sale. I've seen the traditional sewing cards for young children. They are made from heavy cardboard and the children thread something like a shoelace through the holes in the card. But these were something new for me. Have you seen any like them before?

After finding these small sewing cards at the sale I grabbed them right off the table. I couldn't believe how cute they were! A young child would actually have to use a needle and thread or floss and really sew the details on the cards. 






 I love the pointer....below are the stitches on the reverse side of the card. You can tell a child worked on these. But at least the front looks great.

 




This card wasn't completed. It gives you an idea of how they looked before sewing. I wish they still made these!

Our newest quilt book, In The Meadow is going to the printer tomorrow! Will show a picture of the cover then.

Until later,

Alma

While at Quilt Market we set aside some time to talk with Pat Sloan, the host of American Patchwork and Quilting Radio. She let me know that our interview is now available online. Your can listen to it on your computer or download it via itunes, or right off this link!
http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/radio/index.html    We were the last guests for 6-11-2012.

I want to share some pictures I received last month.

Denise In Saudi Arabia sent the above picture and she writes:

" Thought you might like to see the completed piece I am hoping either to finish as a box top or a needle book. Using the colours you sent me made all the difference. Thank you again for such a nice book and for such prompt help. The S is for my daughter who would love to have time to stitch. It is stitched on home tea dyed fabric."


 Jill sent the above picture. She writes:

and love all your designs!  Keep them coming!"

Well......back to work!

Until later,

Alma