Cotton Spice Blog

Our first quilt has arrived and is it a beauty! Rochelle Martin is the quiltmaker. I’ve spoken to all the other quiltmakers and their quilts are ‘in-progress’. I have two tops ready to go, I just need to purchase batting.

Are you interested in providing some warm quilts for the elders in our Macuwita sni project? We’d love to have you… the more the better!

Hi all….

If you’ve tried to access the Designers Club from the link in the magazine, you’ve found out it didn’t work! Here is the correct link:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CSDesignersClub/

The goal is always to get more traffic for the Cotton Spice website/magazine to get and keep advertisers in order that we can continue. Without advertisers or winning the lottery, we won’t be able to keep going. Last week I got some stats together for Nicole (our salesperson) and I AM AMAZED!!!!

Look how far we’ve come -

March 1-13, 2007: 1199 unique visitors

March 1-13, 2008: 4800 unique visitors

…from the end of March until June 21, 08… are you ready? 37, 764 unique visitors …. THUD!!!!

Since we don’t advertise anywhere (can’t afford it) the growth is due to word of mouth. You guys are telling your friends, and family, passing along the news that a new issue of Cotton Spice is out and it’s just spreading like wildfire!!!! Thank you. Thank you.

I take all your comments very seriously. When I uploaded the June 08 issue, it was about 22 MB. For some reason, it didn’t penetrate into my mind this was a pretty large file. I got an email from Gloria at CyberQuilters saying some of her list members wouldn’t be able to download the magazine due to it’s size. Well, duh! I quickly remedied the situation and uploaded a file that was about 3 MB. Hopefully there were some happy CyberQuilters!

The point is - if you email me about something, I will do what I can to fix it, write it, delete it or whatever needs to be done.

So.. thank you again…

What’s in store for our next issue in Sept 08? For one, a Sunflower Festival. Several patterns for making your own Sunflower project, from punchneedle to quilting. There will be links to awesome Sunflower patterns for sale. Even an Idea’s section to ignite your creativity in designing your own Sunflower project.

A very cool Christmas Tree skirt made from Poodle Noel fabric designed by Yolanda Fundora.

Along with our regular columns, plus even more! Stay tuned.

What’s coming up on this blog? The Summer Workshop! Remember the Last Minute Gift Countdown we did last November? We’re doing another one. July 21 - Aug 3 The Summer Workshop. Designers of quilts, usables, knit items, paper crafts, stitchery will be gathering here to share a free project with you. Quick, fun projects you can do inbetween running to the ball park with the kids, and going to the library and taking the whole gang to the pool, you need some creative time. This is it!

Have a lovely week

My friend Robin, who I introduced in the last post, designed and made a beautiful shawl she named Spring Meadow. She combined 2 unlikely yarns and produced an incredibly wonderful shawl.

She’s great to wear this on the hot day that it was - this shawl is wool!

it’s kind of hard to tell on these pictures, but she knit beads into the center of every flower

and the leaf border, thereby completing the Meadow

Uh…. ok… I won’t make you guess what it stands for any longer than that! World Wide Knitting in Public Day! Last week was the first I’d ever heard of it. Turns out Saturday was the day! It was also the day for my Fiber Guild Meeting. We were meeting at the Powers Museum in Carthage, Mo. I think we were supposed to be doing some kind of demonstration, because the other 2 ladies that were at the meeting (a total of 3 when you count me) brought their spinning wheels. I don’t have one, but I got a great first row seat watching them spin. It was just incredible and I see myself learning this in the near or far future. I rode to Carthage with Robin, my friend who I met on the internet (ravelry.com) and it turns out we live about 3 blocks from each other! We have a wonderful time together and Saturday was no exception. After the meeting, we decided to go get something to eat and then find a shady place in the park and spend the afternoon visiting and knitting. (in public)

We took a little tour of the museum before we left and it was quite a fascinating place. There were several displays of dresses and lace. We studied those dresses and took in all the intricate details - just fabulous dresses. I wish I’d had my camera.

They had one quilt hanging up and it was beautiful. It was an appliquéd whole cloth quilt, hand quilted and gorgeous.  I couldn’t find a picture of it on the website, but this page tells a very interesting story of 2 other quilts she made.

I got quite a bit done on my Summer Sampler Scarf, and some progress made on the current PIF project I’m making. (That progress had to be ripped out the next day as I found many mistakes)

Visit our Quilt Along!  And have a wonderful day

Is on the website! Go to www.cottonspice.com and click on the picture of the cover and that will take you to the download page. Click on June 2008 and viola… in a few minutes you’ll have it!

http://www.cottonspice.com/WebMagazine/cover.htm We are also considering doing a web-version of the magazine, you can see a sample at this link. There would be no PDF file to download. If this is something you’d want on a regular basis, I need to hear it from you. Email me!

Enjoy… tell your friends

Knitting: Pattern 1 of Summer Sampler Study Going to start Pattern 2 right now!

Last night, I finished the June issue of Cotton Spice. I sent it to the proofreaders for one last go-over and as soon as I get it back, it’ll be posted on the website. Stay tuned!

This last weekend, I made a ‘toybox’ for our little granddaughter. It’s simply a basket, and Jack used to keep his toys in it, but I thought it needed to be spruced up a little for girl toys

I also finished the scarf I was making for my sisters birthday, which is today. Happy Birthday Kris! (she is blogless, or I’d share that with you cause she is one talented lady!)

I used Elann Baby Cashmere and it is just luscious!  And the pattern is named Sinuate and best of all - it’s Free!

Today, I’ll be working on the Summer Sampler Study I’m doing with Bad Cat Designs.  I just love her designs. Have I shown you pictures of my Isis shawl - in progress? This is also her design - beautiful!

I’m using up odds and ends of sock yarn, and it’s bigger now, but this is the latest picture I have of it. I haven’t had any time to work on it lately, and I miss it. I’ll be getting back to it.

I also made 3 quilt designs for the magazine - here’s a preview of one of them….

Well, have a lovely weekend, and June 2008 Cotton Spice will available later today - check back!

will wake me up. I wasn’t too sure, as we have a small AC running in our room and a fan - love the cool air and the noise from the fan. But I was never sure if the sirens would wake me up. They did. This morning about 6:30am I woke up to the sirens. Mike was already up. I nearly turned back over and went to sleep. I figured if there was anything to get upset about, Mike would come and get me. But then I thought I should be responsible and get up and see for myself.

I saw an ad on TV yesterday for a quick loan company. They were offering a $2600 loan at … are you sitting down?… 99.25% interest. Yes that’s correct. I went back and reread the small print. It was paid back at 42 payments of $216 a month. That’s nearly $10,000. Is this legal? WHY would you borrow money at 99%? WHY? I’ve been through some very difficult financial times in my life, but this wouldn’t even tempt me. What’s the difference between this company and the guys who break your legs if you don’t pay?

I put together a last minute quilt addition to the magazine I think you’ll like it. My very favorite machine quilter, Kat LeFevre took it at the last minute - what a wonderful friend she is!!!

Today I’m swatching for a new lace sampler study I’m doing this summer.  I’ll keep you posted! Have a wonderful weekend!

You’ll be hearing more about the Breast Health Project later, please make a block for our quilt - you’ll be glad you did

So, what have I been doing since the project started? Well! let me tell you -

We planted flowers, in the yard and some baskets for the front porch…

The flower baskets are quite underwhelming so far, but they will grow big and bushy. We planted Wave Petunias on both sides of the front walk, and they’ll spread pretty fast now that the sun is out. We started some planting in the tiers in front of the house, some Candytuft to hang over the edge with the Creeping Phlox - in the fall I’ll plant some yellow tulips in the Candytuft - it’s a lovely spring treat. The Iris’ were already here - who can get rid of them? I mean really - if you know how to get rid of them, let me know! And the most wonderful of all - my Hydrangea bush. I’ve wanted one forever - but it’s much too dry in Idaho. Even with all the rain we get, we still have to water it! It’s my pride and joy

I’m toiling away on the June issue of Cotton Spice - it’s a good one!

Knitting? Well, I made a pair of cotton slippers for Mom -

They look pretty funky without feet in them, but she tells me they are VERY comfy. They are adorned with some vintage pearl buttons I received in a Freecycle haul of the century. More on that later.

I finished a pair of mittens for Macuwita sni for Mitten Quest 2008-09 - our goal is to send 250 mittens in the fall -

and another pair OTN (on the needles for you non-knitters)

I started a shawl. I’m falling in love with lace knitting. It nearly beat me, but all of a sudden something clicked and my friend Robin showed me a few things and presto chango…I’m knitting lace!
I’m using bits and leftovers from my sock yarn stash, 100% wool, so it will be pretty and warm!

I’m working on some gift-ey things I can’t talk about it yet.

We did have some wild weather a week or so ago. An F4 tornado just south of us, didn’t touch us at all, but damage and destruction was huge. Almost 20 people died and many injured. Please remember to pray for them, many of them have lost Everything.

My quilting web guru friend Tammy Harrison is coming to visit me on Monday. I’m so very excited to meet her in person. We’ve been virtual friends for about 2 years now, much of what Cotton Spice is now, is because of her and her work. She makes the techy stuff work.

Now, my confession, where you find out exactly what kind of hostess I really am. She was traveling to see her nephew graduate from college and had go thru Joplin to get there. The plan was for her to stay a night going to, and one night coming back. Well… she arrived right on schedule, but I thought it was the next week… wasn’t prepared for her at all and even worse… we didn’t answer the phone. Yes… she was stranded in Joplin, with no way to get a hold of me and then had to get a hotel. The next morning when I checked messages - I was mortified. Absolutely mortified. I couldn’t believe what I’d done.

We finally connected and I have to say she’s such a gracious lady. She laughed it off and it’s been good joke material for the last few days. But she will be here Monday afternoon - she’s reminded me several times - and I’m looking forward to a wonderful time. And from on, I will be answering the phone unless it’s an 800 or 866 number.

Ok… my Freecycle haul of the century. I answered a Freecycle email about 3 bags of fabric w/notions, buttons etc. I’m still not real familiar with the area here so when she told me they lived in (I don’t even remember the town now) I just said Great! We’ll be out to pick it up when Mike gets home! Well… she lived 50 miles away!!!! Maybe not many miles for you city people, but it took us 2 hours when you count getting gas, getting lost, driving a curvy country road for much of it, but it was SO worth it!!!!

There were the 3 bags of fabric PLUS - bags of zippers, bias tape, notions of all kinds, lace, ribbon, little girl dress patterns (SO cute) and the jackpot - an antique candy tin full to the brim of vintage pearl buttons. All kinds from huge to tiny. Some on original cards which are so pretty, some strung on thread. But every one of them absolutely gorgeous!!!! I will get pictures of it soon. It was like Christmas!

Ok.. enough from me. I’m not sure if I’m caught up, but that’s all I got right now! Happy Saturday!

A Belated Happy Mothers Day to all you who are Mom’s!!! Today we feature our Much Loved Coordinator - Kathryn Ramirez - block for the Breast Health Project. Kathryn has done an outstanding job and I simply can’t say enough how much I appreciate her work. Visit her site Penelope’s Pride Quilts.

You can download the file for this design - penelopespridequilts_forgetmenotcrown.pdf

Now, there are 6 Gorgeous blocks to choose from - which one, or twelve, did you decide to make?

This part of the project is where you come in - We want to make and auction off enough quilts to make a great donation to a Breast Health Charity of Your choice! We can’t do this alone!

If you or your best friend, maybe your sister, mother, grandmother has been affected in some way by breast cancer, this is a way for you to fight back. Even if you haven’t been touched by breast cancer in your family or circle of friends, you still need to fight. And why not do it by doing what you do best? Quilting.

We would love to hear your stories. We’ll celebrate recovery with you. We’ll grieve the losses with you. We’ll be there to hold your hand - virtually - through the treatment process.

Whether you decide to make a block or not, post your story on your blog. Please take our graphic to display on your blog and let’s spread the word about our own little war against Breast Cancer. We want to focus on Breast Health, but we won’t ignore the fact that for many women, and some men too, focusing on the prevention is not an option. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if we could wipe out breast cancer in our lifetime? If they had the funds needed to research and come up with a cure or a vaccination or a prevention program, it could be a reality. This may not touch us, in our lifetime, but what about our daughters and granddaughters? Many times women won’t do things for themselves, but they will move heaven and earth to do for their children, so do it for yours, for the future of your family.

If you post your story, link below and let us all share in it!