Friday, May 31, 2013

WOW It’s almost June!

BonnieHunterHeadshotThose are the words that I just spoke when talking to my pal Bonnie (yeah I’m name dropping…lol) regarding the

Celebration Collaboration Retreat

we are jointly teaching at this upcoming August in North Carolina. In order to get the early bird registration price your envelope needs to be postmarked by tomorrow June 1st!

You can find all the information here. 

 

 CelebrationONE4x4

This is a sample of the wall hanging project we are teaching.

A fun and scrappy pieced background that can be done in any color way that makes you smile taught by Bonnie.

I will be teaching a new Pieced Hexie pattern that won’t be available to the public until the release of my next book in early 2014.

The plan is to start off the retreat as a whole.

Break into two groups so that each can spend a whole day with Bonnie and I.   And we will all come together in the end to finish the project.

 

CelebrationTWO4x4

 

There are a few spaces left…..hope you can join us! 

Lots of fun and surprises planned.  

Laughter, friendship, a “fiber fix” and quilting are guaranteed!

 

 

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In the meantime I am busy packing up the truck yet again for the third moving trip in as many weeks. 

 

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This time It’s back to Arkansas with Emily as she has landed the position of Admissions Counselor for Hendrix College. 

Yep…this nest is officially empty come June 4th.

I’m just gonna quilt my brains out until I hit the road again 2 weeks later to keep from crying to much.

Enjoy the day,

MickeySignature

Monday, May 27, 2013

Twin A’s Quilt

It looks like my camera problem has been solved with the “reset to factory settings correction” so I am blogging again. 

And just in time to share Pauli’s quilt before he flies the coop tomorrow to his new apartment and job in Madison Wisconsin.

He is going to be missed.  But at only 152 miles from our door to his I hope he will surprise us everyone in awhile and head here for an evening or two and some Rosie’s pizza. 

I got the binding on his quilt and it will be off with him in the morning. 

A simple quilt of Triple Nine Patch blocks.  Nothing fancy.  Just made with love.

I made both Paul and Em the same quilt but dramatically different colors.   I will have a blog on Em’s in a week or so.  The quilts are named Twin A and Twin B.  Their legal names for the first 4 days in the hospital until the birth ceritificate lady finally got to my room. 

The quilts aren’t big at 68 x 78 but they are good lap size.  I plan to make them each a queen size quilt now that I have a feel for their style and colors of their apartments.  Yes apartments…Em is out the door on Saturday to her new abode. 

 

 

 

I think Molly is going to miss Pauli.  She just loves jumping up and snuggling him when he is on the couch. 

 

 

 

I am so proud of Paul.  He is ready to take on the world. 

MickeySignature

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Aim,Click…..reset

 

isI am trying desperately to blog.  I am trying to take pics of all the lovely quilts I have been “rearranging” in my studio. 

One problem.

My 6 yr. old point and shoot camera may have got up and left.  Every picture I take looks fuzzy, or grainy, or both.  I am frustrated.  

I am taking a lesson from this situation.  Sometimes after hours (days, weeks, months…years) of fiddling and trying to tweak something.  Well sometimes it is best to hit “return to factory settings” and start all over.

…..now if I could just find that button.

MickeySignature

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Lessons Learned

 

I’ve learned a lesson this month.  About myself.

handworld

 

It’s ok to ask for help.

That was a toughie for me.  I am very independent and don’t like to bother others.

But I realized sometimes I need a helping hand.

 

Actually I learned two lessons.FlockedFULLWeb

The second is that I need to be more direct.  Funny I know.  I am about the most brutally honest person out there.  …..well I do know someone more brutally honest than me but she will remain nameless. 

…..  err OK I know two….maybe three….  ok “birds of a feather thing I know”.  

 

 

 

 

RailRoadTracks-curved

     Back on track.

 

I tend to think “they know what I need from them.  They understand.  They will get it and come thru.”  When I need to just tell people. imagesCAFPJU2W

And then I am hurt and disappointed when “they” don’t.   And it’s no one’s fault but mine.   I am learning if I need something from someone, or I need them to realize something I need to pipe up. 

backsI think I lost two good friends this month because I didn’t do this.  I just kept to myself my confusion and hurt about a situation that I know truly no one meant any harm it was just one of those “not seeing things from my perspective” things.  And finally when forced to face this fact I felt overwhelmed and extremely hurt that they didn’t get it before it grew into this situation.  And well I honestly don’t know where I stand now.  I realize there is a lot of hurt on both sides. 

thinking
So I am putting myself out there with my lessons learned. 

Sometimes it helps to write it down to when trying to figure out a solution.  

And of course there is always hexing to help the thinking process.  Smile

 

Piece out.

MickeySignature

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Pieced Hexies Star–GINGER

Whew!

I know this post is one day late, my apologies.  It has been crazy busy here at Chez Depre.

Both kids…err…young adults are home…for a small amount of time.   Both have secured well paying jobs that will afford them the luxury of living on their own…actually they have no choice as both will be in other states.   But more on that later.

Today is all about Pieced Hexie Star GINGER!

Ginger is a name I love.  I even considered Ginger for Emily’s name.  I just love it.  So spicy and sassy, yet soft and traditional.   The perfect name for this months star.

Here she is!

GingerPHStarColored

With everything going on lately in my life I concluded a few months ago that there is just not time for me alone to make all my creative ideas come to life.   So I have two wonderful “helpers” now making the Pieced Hexie Star samples.  They are Maggie S. and Cathy K. and they are lifesavers!  I am so grateful.

Here are their renditions.

 

 

PHStarGinger1

 

 

 

Maggie’s GINGER star

 

This rendition is done in soft tonal prints so I put it up against a black background so you could see the edges easily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHStarGinger2

 

Cathy’s GINGER star

I sent Cathy a collection of

30’s repros to make this star.

 

I absolutely love the soft turquoise “ring”.

 

And I love that Cathy used the same solid bubblegum pink in the outside “points” of the Jacks Pieced Hexies.  Cathy did do the actual piecing so you could easily understand the concept but in reality you could just drop off that step in your making of the Jazzy blocks and save a step. 

 

 

I hope you are enjoying the Pieced Hexie Stars.   Considering making a Flickr group for them.  Any thoughts?

 

Enjoy the day,

MickeySignature

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Happy Mom’s Day to me!

Graduation1My gift came one day early this year.

I am now the Mom to two college graduates.

Hendrix College Class of 2013

Graduation3Emily Ashton Josephine Depre

– Cum Laude

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graduation2Paul Alexander Depre Jr.

– Cum Laude with Distinction

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both are back home for a few weeks before they are scattered to different cities to begin life as adults with jobs.  (bonus gift!)

Happy Mother’s Day to all,

        MickeySignature

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Blue Ribbon Antiques in Conway, Arkansas

 

As always while in Arkansas Paul and I visit many of the local antique/flea market stores in and around Conway.

Yesterday we opened the door to one we hadn’t prior. 

Oh boy.

ConwayShop1As Paul tells the story he knew we would “be awhile” when we stepped inside and that is the signage towards the back of the store that you see.

I bee-lined.

That backroom was Mecca.

Jane who is peering over her counter at us (and had given permission for pics) was the sweetest lady.

And she knew her stuff.  She loves turn of the century quilts.  And her offerings show this.

 

ConwayShop2

 

And then I spotted “Machine Row”.  Oh My!  Paul pulled a few out and I looked them up and down.  We won’t have enough room in the vehicles.  :/

I spent about an hour. 

I could of spent many many more.

 

 

 

These treasures are coming home with me.

 

A set of approximately 70 of these 6” nine patches from the mid 1800s are mine.

 

And yes I will be setting them with kona solids in browns, taupes, and black and quilting them.

 

I am big about completing vintage quilt blocks and tops.

 

 

I am always buying vintage yardage.

I own many vintage quilts.  Something many people are surprised to know. 

YES you really can love and do both Art and Traditional quilting!

And I couldn’t pass up the Singer 600 series attachments for $3.  My new vintage Singer is a 400 but I know the seam guide will be useful and maybe the feet.  If not I know someone I can pass these on to.

 

 

 

A bag of vintage hexies for $3!

MINE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And another bag of vintage bits also screamed my name.

 

There is a vintage top that has been nagging at me since we left.

 

There may be a return visit before we shove off for home.

 

Enjoy the day,

MickeySignature

Friday, May 3, 2013

Ugg….the learning curve is on the horizon.

 

   It’s that dreaded time again.

 

 

A few weeks ago I dropped my phone.  Now I have dropped it before.  But it always landed face up on the carpet.   And since it is incased in a lovely “crash guard” it has always been all good.

This time …err….not so much.

I dropped it and it bounced off the top corner and landed face down on the hardwood floor.  My heartbeat was racing when I reached for it and turned it over.

Whew….the screen was not cracked.   A swipe of the finger and it came to life and all was up and running properly…or at least I thought.

A few hours later I snapped a pic.  Looks ok on my little screen.  errr….not so much when I upload to Facebook.  Fuzzy would be an understatement.

And so I began to tweek and tweek some more. 

And in total frustration reset the camera app back to factory default.

Nope something is wrong.  And it goes in and out.  strange.  and even more frustrating.

It’s time for a new phone.

Well at least we are a bit in front of the curve on this situation.  In early March, Paul and I stumbled into the AT&T store to take a gander at the newest smartphone offerings.  After all it is time with 2 years hard use under the belts of both phones.  We each needed more space, who knew how addictive apps would be.  Not to mention the picture taking.

And yes I do realize I jinxed my phone by making this pilgrimage visit. dimension copy

We decided we liked the HTC One X+.

MC900383314See we have a strategy.  We get the same phone.  Makes the learning curve easier when you are stumbling around with a buddy.  That’s our story.  

Our initial new phone dialog usually goes…”hey look what I figured out to do”  or “let me show you how to set that up”.

So wondering does anyone out there have this phone?  If so, what do you think of it?

 

Enjoy your day,

MickeySignature

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Zazzle Store and Free Shipping Offer!

How's that for a direct blog post title!

Let's tackle free shipping first.

HAPPY MAY 1ST.  To celebrate May and the upcoming Mother's Day, I am offering FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING on Pieced Hexies from right now to midnight May 5, 2013.

Just put MAYMOM in the comments section of your order off my website (you can get there by clicking the book link in the side bar of this blog) and I will refund your Econony Shipping Costs when processing your order.

and now for the Zazzle part.

I have and will be adding some new products to my Zazzle store.  Yes this means Emily will be back "on staff" for a few weeks this summer! 

You will find link to my store of the side bar and this will always shows the latest products so keep and eye on it.

Yesterday I add the following:

Make your own shirt online at Zazzle.
 
So if you are both
a TRADITIONAL and aRt Quilter
let the world know! 

ZAZZLE is having a storewide sale that ends tonight at midnight - 15% OFF!
 
I am in the studio for the day.   There will be creativity!
 
Enjoy your day,