It was such an exciting weekend for me! My design wall was installed on Sunday by my hubby! He labored with love over it while he could have been watching some kind of sports program. I know a design wall is not normally as exciting as this, but if you saw the one in my old house you would be so happy for me! I’ve gone from flannel attached with velcro to the closet door, to one that I can pin into, and step back from to see how things look! Imagine that!

I’m using a product called Celotex Board, recommend by my photographer Gregory Case, recommended to him by Freddy Moran. I’m I could go on and on as to who recommended it to who, but I only know these two people. I’m sure you’re grateful! If you are interested in finding this board yourself here’s the link http://www.knightcelotex.com/pages/distribution_dealerlocator.asp.

My design wall is at the top of the stairs on one of those walls you never know what to do with. It’s perfect for my needs!

Now for the photos! These tell it all!

Celotex Board attached with screws to the wall. 2 pieces of 4 x 8 board, joined down the center, cut out around the plug and patched with Spackle. It’s so ugly at this stage that my husband thought I was nuts!

Celotex board after being painted, and trim attached to the edges. Even the wall plug is still accessible! Now I can pin directly into the board or, if I want to use flannel I can pin the flannel on first!

A sneak peak at my prize drafting table. It’s double sided and antique! My find of the year! You can see it peaking out in the photos above, so I thought I’d show you the whole thing. I’ve ordered a princess chair (you know, one of those that has fabric going to the floor and a bow on the back), but it’s still several weeks away from arriving.

Give a quilter a ruler and some fabric and watch what happens! Happy Zombie is smarter than the average bear and has figured out a new Jelly Roll Trick…or as she calls it “Jelly Roll Trix”. Go visit and put this in your memory banks. Be sure and say “Hi”…she deserves some hurrahs for this one! I tried to leave a comment and her blog decided I had already left one…therefore no comment from me….just a rave review here! http://www.thehappyzombie.com/blog/ She is one smart cookie! (:

Emma’s off and will arrive in New York on Monday! Flowers for Emma, my next fabric line left the west coast on Friday, packaged so she’ll make an impression. After all presentation counts a lot! Inside this box are Bristol boards with pencil drawings and pretty little bags with colors attached to each board. The whole set is wrapped in pink tissue paper with a Bunny Hill carrot sticker on top. I get very nervous sending off a new line because I never know what the reaction will be on the other end. I mean what if they don’t like it? It’s mostly men who will judge her and she is really very feminine. Augghhhhh! I could drive myself crazy!

Party Cakes Quilt Kit

As some of you know, my son and his wife have an online business called http://www.crafts4me.com/ This is where we get all the crystals, beads, ribbon and embellishments that are used on our patterns. If one of my patterns has embellishments, you’ll find a kit for it on their web site. They have some new additions coming very soon. You’ll be able to find my fabrics on their web site! I’ll let you know when they become available. In the meantime, they have the cutest little kit for my Party Cakes pattern. The kit includes the pattern and all the fabric for the quilt top including the binding! http://www.crafts4me.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=c&Category_Code=_whatsnewhill

Most designers plan their new patterns for release at either Spring Quilt Market or Fall Quilt Market. I’ve thought about releasing them as they are done, but logic takes over and I’m saved at the last minute. Can you picture me at market with “new” patterns that have already been released? Shops would walk by my booth and say “seen that, nothing new”. Can’t have that! So we all work in-between and release new things at market. That means twice a year you get new patterns and designers get the big “unveiling”.

Between markets we work away sewing, stitching and thinking up new things. Yesterday, I noticed my assistant Nireko had these little stacks of quilt blocks she is working on sitting right next to this pretty silver bowl of flowers. I had to share the moment with you, our first new pattern in the works! (: