WOW It’s almost June!

Those 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. 

 

 

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.

 

 

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!

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

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,

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. 

Aim,Click…..reset

 

I 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.

Lessons Learned

 

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

 

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.

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”.  

 

 

 

 

     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.

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. 

I 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. 

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. 

 

Piece out.

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!

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.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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,

Happy Mom’s Day to me!

My gift came one day early this year.

I am now the Mom to two college graduates.

Hendrix College Class of 2013

Emily Ashton Josephine Depre

– Cum Laude

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul 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,

       

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.

As 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.

 

 

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,