Another Winner!

CONGRATULATIONS, Mary O'Net! You've won the fat quarter "tower" of my Dot-to-Dot Collection!!! :-) We just announced it on the Party with Patrick fan page on Facebook. Won't it be great to start the new year with a bunch of new fabrics?

Please contact us at gary@patricklose.net with your contact and mailing info and we'll get the fabrics shipped out.

Stay tuned here and on the fan page because there may just be an announcement for another giveaway soon ;-) And, believe it or not, I have ANOTHER fun new fabric print to show you and you'll be among the very first to see it...even before many quilt shop owners! Cool, huh?

Hope you're having a fabulous ending to 2009.

Party with Patrick and build your stash!

This is just a little peek at part of the prize for my new contest and when you see the whole photo, I'm sure you'll agree, this would be a wonderful prize to win.

In case you haven't heard, Party with Patrick! is my club that's been up and running in independent quilt shops since February of this year. We've been having a blast and I want the party to get even bigger. So I created a fan page for PWP on Facebook as a place for partiers and wannabes to get together and share all the fun. The page is starting to gather some fans but we need more. Here's where you come in.

There are just a few rules for this contest. They're simple but they must be followed to the letter to make you eligible to win:

1) Go to the Party with Patrick fan page (click here) and sign up to be a fan before 5:00 CST on Tuesday, December 22. You don't have to be a PWP member to join.
2) Add a comment to the page that tells us:
a) What you enjoy about the club if you're a member, or
b) Why you'd like to become a member at your local quilt shop
3) PWP is currently only operating in the United States and Canada so you must be a resident of either to be eligible.

That's all you need to do but feel free to add photos or stories from your PWP events if you're already a member. We'd also love to see photos of your finished party projects. That's what the fan page is all about. It's like a scrapbook of the parties and the partiers.

I hope lots of shop owners will enter this contest, too!

If you're not a member, I hope you'll join at your local shop. If they don't offer the club, be sure to let them know you want to PARTY!

Oh...yeah...you probably want to know who won the last contest. Drumroll, please.......

The winner of the 4 fat quarters of Satinesque Stripe is Leslie Stamp! CONGRATULATIONS, Leslie :) Thanks to all who subscribed to my email news list.

I suppose you also want to know what this FABULOUS new prize is? Well, take a look here.

So what do you think of that? Doesn't that make you want to Party with Patrick?

Ho ho ho ;-)

BIG giveaway :)

I'm getting ready to announce another contest and a WAY bigger prize :) Let me know when you're ready!

Check back here at 6:05 CST for the winner and next contest details!

Win 4 fat quarters of Satinesque Stripe!

Subscribe to my email list and be the first to see all of the fun stuff I'm designing for YOU! On top of that, if you sign up as a new subscriber by Tuesday, December 15th, your name will be entered in a drawing to win 4 fat quarters of my new Satinesque Stripe in holiday colors. I'm having a great time using it in my newest projects and I know you will, too.

Take a look here for all of the patterns and books available for those quilters on your gift list. And, because we're in the holiday spirit around here, any orders over $50.00 placed between now and December 20th will get free Priority Mail shipping! That means you could have your order within 2-3 days.

No purchase is necessary to be entered in the drawing, but your subscription information must include your first and last name and the mailing address where you'd like us to ship the fabric, if you're the winner. So, sign up and good luck!

I have Christmas shopping to do :)

STAY TUNED because you won't believe what the prize for the next contest will be. Some lucky quilter is going to have an awful lot of new fabrics to choose from in their stash!

Check out this new cookbook...

Michele at The Quilting Gallery has compiled a new cookbook, titled Quilter's Cookbook, and I think you should take a look.

"The first-ever Quilter's Cookbook, with recipes submitted by more than 100 quilters from nine countries around the world, is now available. There never seems to be enough time to quilt. That's why the theme for this Cookbook is "Quick and easy recipes, so we can get back to quilting!" There are 119 recipes, most with heart-warming family stories..."

It features photos of beautiful quilts and serves up the stories behind them, as well. You can also click on the button ad in the lower right margin for more information on this downloadable collection of recipes and stories from quilters all over the world.

Have a great day!

Fabric giveaway

Thanks to everyone who signed up to follow my blog! You were all entered in our drawing for the half yard cuts of my new Satinesque Stripe.

Because we're in the holiday spirit around here, we decided to give two prizes this time. The first prize is the 4 half yard cuts and the second prize is 4 fat quarters of the same Christmas colors.

The winner of the fat quarters is Debbie (WoolenSails) and the winner of the half yard cuts is Jean (Rannyjean)! Congratulations, Ladies :) Please email your mailing addresses to Gary (gary@patricklose.net) and we'll get these out to you right away.

Thanks, again, everyone and I hope you'll be checking back for more contests. I'll have a post soon about what's going on around here so stay tuned.

Ho ho ho!

We have a winner!

A big "Thank you" to all of you who entered our contest for a chance to win my two newest patterns, Christmas Card Caddy and Merry & Bright. We enjoyed reading about your gift ideas for the quilting friends and family members on your gift list this year.

We're happy to say that Gini Howard's entry was drawn and we'll be sending her the patterns by Priority Mail today. If you're reading this here first, Gini, CONGRATULATIONS! We sent you an email earlier and need your mailing address:)

Now, that's a fun way to start off the week. If you haven't signed up to follow my blog, take a look at my December 4th post. You could win two yards of my newest fabric, if you sign up by the end of the day, today. Wouldn't that come in handy, Gini?

Take a look at the Party with Patrick fan page on Facebook for some new photos from Cheryl and Barbara at The Yankee Quilter and Linda and Rick at Little Stitches Sewing of their recent Party with Patrick events. Both shops always have such great parties! :) While you're there, sign up to be a fan and stay up to date on what's happening with PWP.

Happy Christmastime

Satinesque Stripe

I admit, that last post was a bit of an outburst because I couldn't even wait to tell you about getting Satinesque Stripe in my hands (click on the photo for a closer look). Only a true fabric addict would know what I'm talking about. Don't act like you don't know what I mean.

It's one thing to see a cool piece of fabric in a shop and know that you NEED a sizable chunk of it in your stash. But it's something altogether different to be the designer of the print and to have waited 8 months from the time the artwork was created to see that artwork on fabric!

You're probably thinking that I've been doing this long enough that the novelty should have worn off by now...? I know artists like that. I'm glad I'm not one of them. I still get excited to see the latest thing I've done turned into something that others will get excited about with me. And, especially, to know that they'll take that piece of my artwork and incorporate it in their own artwork. Wow! That's really cool to me...still.

So, how would you like to be among the first to get some of this in your own hands to use in your artwork? Here's the deal: Anyone who has signed up to follow my blog (there's a link in the right margin) by the end of the day on Monday, December 7th, will be entered into another drawing to receive 2 yards of Satinesque Stripe. The prize package will be four half yard cuts in Christmas colors! Seriously, when they're put together, they remind me of old-fashioned Christmas ribbon candy. Very cool.

Be sure that you have an email address in your profile so that you can be notified if you win. It only takes a few seconds to sign up and I really appreciate your support as I try to grow my blog's audience.

That's all for now. As busy as it is around here lately, I'm sure I'll have more news soon. In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying the season.

Cheers!

P.S. I'll be doing lots of bindings with this stripe, especially bias-cut!

Packages filled with treasures!

I only have time for a quick post but I just opened my first shipment of my Satinesque Stripe fabric collection that I designed for Robert Kaufman Fabrics: http://bit.ly/56jq43 . It's WONDERFUL and I hope you love it as much as I do. I can't wait to cut it up into pieces and sew it back together again :)

I'll share more soon.

Who's on your G(ift)-list?

How many quilters are on your Christmas gift list this year? What's your favorite gift to give a quilting friend or family member?

If you'd like your name to be entered into a drawing to win my two newest patterns, Christmas Card Caddy and Merry & Bright (shown in the margins of this blog), email your answers to BOTH questions to gary@patricklose.net before midnight CST on Saturday. The two patterns will be sent out on Monday by Priority Mail giving you plenty of time to make them up for yourself or for gift-giving. Or you might just give the patterns to one of those quilters on your holiday gift list. You decide. But get your answers emailed to Gary before the end of the day on Saturday, okay?

Ho ho ho!

FREE Holiday Handiwork pattern!

Sometimes you just want a quick-and-simple "something to quilt". Y' know? You don't want to haul out an old UFO that needs attention or to start on another UFO wannabe. At least that's how I am. If I have a spare 20 minutes at the end of the day or need to unwind in front of the TV, I might want something for my hands to do that won't make them bother my brain for guidance.

Here's a free project pattern that I'm offering to help kick off December and give us something to do in those last few minutes at the end of the day before we keel over from all of the holiday "spirit". These little raw-edge applique "thingies" make great Christmas ornaments for the tree or for creative package wrapping but they're also perfect for coasters to have around during the holiday/winter season. You can make a set of six with a fat quarter, a little batting, and some perle cotton....probably all stuff you have around, anyway. And what a great little "Secret Santa" gift that someone might actually appreciate because you took the time to make it with your own two elf-like hands :)

So, here's a little holiday handiwork "gift" from me that I hope you'll enjoy making for yourself, your tree, or someone on your list this season.

Don't forget to check out all of my new patterns and my new book that's now shipping! They're perfect gifts for quilters, too!

'Tis the season! ;-)

Terrific Tree Trimming :)

Well, despite Lily's preferred tree-trimming technique (see my last post, below), I think we were successful at decorating the tree again this year. We had a lot of fun, mostly because we didn't try to do it all in one day. The 2500 lights went on a few days ago and that makes for a much less stressful day of decorating. Here's a pic of Lauryn and Lily as we started out...first draping gold and red strings of faceted beads and then hanging simple red and gold ball ornaments for rich Christmas color.

At 10 years old, Lauryn is now an old pro from helping me the last few years. Usually she's "over it" by an hour into the process but I think she enjoyed it more this year...paying more attention to the ornaments and the memories attached to certain ones. Lily liked the Santa and snowman ornaments best and I caught her taking a close look at one of the Santas. Then, cute as can be, she gave him a kiss.

The Christmas season is going to be extra fun this year with her. It's always better with little ones around and, at 2-1/2, it's the wonder and awe in their eyes that I love the most.

I took a pic last year that I love of Lauryn helping me with the tree and, when we were all finished last night, the moment presented itself for me to get one just like it of Lily.

This is photographic evidence that the tedious (and sometimes nerve-wracking) process is well worth it.

Deck the halls! ;-)

Break Time

I hope you're all enjoying the long weekend. We spent the better part of today decorating the Christmas tree but Lily needed a nap break so we'll wait for her to finish it. She was in awe of the entire process but has little patience for neatly hanging the ornaments. She'd rather toss them into the tree and hope they stick somewhere. I'll have some photos for a post later on.

In the meantime, I've started a Facebook fan page for Party with Patrick and wanted to let you know. (What's Party with Patrick?) If you have photos or stories to share, that will be the place. You can become a fan even if you're not a member at a local quilt shop. Stop by as the page grows to see how much fun we're having with the club. If your local shop isn't a member shop, you can direct them to the page to see what they're missing. Knowing this bunch, there will soon be lots of silly stories and photos posted soon. Shop owners can use the space to share their success stories with those who are new to the club and swap ideas for future events.

That's all for now. I'll be back soon with an update on the status of the tree trimming. The last time I counted all of the ornaments, which has been a few years now, there were over 500.

That which doesn't kill us, makes us stronger.

Cheers!

Happy Thanksgiving

I have to re-post this from last year because, as I said then, Charles Schulz always knew how to say it. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Creating for a Cause

Quilters and crafters are some of the most generously giving people I know. What's really great is when a company with an articulate voice gets behind them and offers resources and materials to help magnify the scope of their giving.

If you take a look at the new website, http://www.weallsew.com/, you'll see that's exactly what Bernina USA is doing. I just got an email that directed me to the site and spent enough time there to know that this is something you need to take a look at as well.

At this time of year and in this economic climate, "need" is all around just waiting for someone like you to use your talents to help lessen it. Why don't you visit the new We All Sew site and learn about all of the ways you can help? You'll be glad you did. I am :-)

What a great way and a great time to express how thankful we are for what we have!

Cheers,
Patrick

Who needs fruitcake?

I've been thinking about starting my yearly tradition of making my Caramel Christmas Mix by the boat load today. I'm wondering if I even want to open that can of worms after last season. If you didn't read about it, here's a link to the post I wrote after hearing from shop owners who tried the recipe that's included in my A Patrick Lose Christmas book.

Call me a pusher, but you really need this recipe so you can start another holiday tradition, too.

You can order your copy by calling us at 623-414-9464 or by emailing gary@patricklose.net. You can also order online here. And if you're looking for single holiday patterns, you've come to the right place.

Here's to a good sugar buzz!

Patrick

Party with Patrick™ for the holidays!

If you were a Party with Patrick member at your local quilt shop, this is the project you'd be making at the November party. Click on the photo for a larger view.

Your local shop isn't a member shop yet? Tell them you want to Party with Patrick every month and have them contact us to sign up! For more information, take a look here.

It's time to welcome in the holiday season with a PARTY!

Website facelift

With winter and the holidays fast approaching, it was time for the website to get a bit of a facelift. Take a look here to see why I love this time of year so much. Fat lot of good it does me living in the desert! ;-)

Thankfully, I have a vivid imagination.

Wherever you are, I hope you like what winter will bring.

How about another?

The gang at the retreat really liked this one, too. I hope you do, as well. Click the cover for a larger view and you can see the rest of my holiday offering here and here.

I'm sure you've noticed that I love to use type/text in my designs. When I finished the rough sketch for this one, the words popped into my head immediately...merry & bright. I had to include them in the design. It didn't include the snowflakes until I was almost finished placing the appliqués for the festive tree and its twinkling stars. Then it dawned on me that the only thing that would be more merry & bright would be if it started to snow. That made the picture perfect, to me.

I completed this project in no time at all with a raw-edge appliqué technique and lots of free-motion "scribble" quilting over the tree in gold metallic thread that makes it look like it's covered in spun sugar. Because it's so easy, you plenty of time to have it done for your holiday decorating or gift-giving.

Let me know what you think and have a great day!

Cheers,
Patrick ;-)

Brand Spankin' New Pattern!

Honestly...There's so much new and exciting stuff going on around here that I feel like I'm meeting myself coming and going. I'm getting used to it, though ;-)

On top of the release of my new book, Terrific Table Toppers with Patrick Lose, I have a new pattern that's ready to ship tomorrow! I shared this one with everyone that came to my retreat in Boulder City, NV this past weekend and they all loved it and made some really cute versions of it for themselves as well. Click on the photo for a larger view.

It's a 12 x 18" quilted snow guy with a cheery, striped scarf that doubles as a pocket to hold the holiday greetings you receive in the mail. I call it a Christmas Card Caddy. To order, just give Gary a call at 623-414-9464. He'll be happy to help and I'm sure you can talk him into having me autograph your books for you! This one won't be posted to the website right away so call to get it in time to make for this holiday season.

To see more of my patterns, click here or visit: http://www.patricklose.net/online/new_092109r.html

I'll be back in touch soon with more info on all of the new things coming and maybe even another new holiday pattern!

Check back often!

Cheers,

Patrick

New Fabric Collection!

I also have a new fabric collection to show you. It's a companion print to Satinesque called Satinesque Stripe that comes in a beautiful range of colors. Click the link to take a look. This should be arriving at your local quilt shop in early December! Judging by the popularity of Satinesque, you'll want some of this collection as well. We've also added 14 new colors to freshen up Satinesque. Here's a look at a bundle of the vibrant new colors.

Don't forget my fairly new and VERY popular Dot-to-Dot collection and Scribbles (which may be getting a couple more coordinates added to the line soon :-)

I've been having lots of fun designing new projects with these fun-to-use fabrics.

Hope all's well with you.

Terrific Table Toppers with Patrick Lose ships soon!

My new book, Terrific Table Toppers with Patrick Lose, begins shipping in two weeks! It's time to pre-order your signed copies now for your holiday gift-giving.

As the title suggests, this book is full of table runner and placemat projects for everyday, holidays, and special celebrations. There are 10 projects in all and the price tag on this one will help you stick with your gift list budget. Want a sneak peek? Click here. The arrows at the top right allow you to skim through the pages for a preview. I'd love to hear what you think of it!

Order at your local quilt shop or call Gary at 623-414-9464 to order a signed copy that will ship to you in a couple of weeks. You can also reach him at gary@patricklose.net.

Halloween may be over but Autumn is in full swing. Celebrate it by making a new table runner and/or place mats from my Fall Finery pattern now available. It's super easy to make and a wonderful way to display the colors of the season. Check it out here.

Cheers,
Patrick

P.S. Be on the lookout for a new Christmas pattern coming next week as well. More on that later ;-)

Catalina Quilting

Catalina Quilting in Tucson, AZ celebrated their Grand Opening this past weekend and invited us to come for a trunk show Saturday afternoon. What a great bunch. The shop is wonderful and bright and the owner, Betty, and her crew were so gracious to us and we really enjoyed our time there. All of her customers seem like loyal old friends...the way it should be in a quilt shop. We wish Betty and Catalina Quilting the best of luck and success in the future!

One of Betty's customers, KathyAnne, shared a photo with me of the birthday banner from my Poster Quilts with Patrick Lose book. I love what she did to personalize it. She quilted mini "name plates" to hang below the banner for the birthdays in her family. Thanks for a GREAT idea, KathyAnne. She was more than happy to share her idea with other quilters so here's the photo in case you'd like to do the same.

It's about 90 degrees here but the designing for Christmas of 2010 can't be held up by the desert heat. So...back to the drawing board (and to lower the thermostat) for now. Hope you're all well and happy!

Thanks for looking in on me ;-)

Updated look

I finally got around to updating the look of the blog by adding a fall-ish background from my Dot-to-Dot collection from Robert Kaufman Fabrics. I also posted my newest patterns and my NEW BOOK, Terrific Table Toppers with Patrick Lose, from C&T Publishing (shipping November 16th!), in the margins. All of these were big hits at Quilt Market in Houston so, if you don't have them, you can order now!

I'll have more to post soon so stay tuned ;-)

Party with Patrick for Halloween!

This looks like a fun bunch, huh? Here's what Karen, owner of the Quilter's haven in Ontario, Canada, had to say about her first Party with Patrick:

Here is the first photo of my very first ever "Party with Patrick". I had all the ladies (13) come dressed in orange and black and if they participated there was a chance at winning a door prize!! We had bug punch and Halloween treats for our refreshments. At this time I was hosting 2 parties and am now up to 3 sessions with a possible 4th one available if more ladies sign up!!! We got a lot accomplished and had a great time!!! Thanks Patrick for your great projects. They are already gearing up for the next party!!!!

Karen

Way to go, Karen. And welcome to the party :-) We have lots of new member shops that will be joining us in November.

Cheers,
Patrick

Cloud 9

Hi All!

I'm completely overwhelmed by the events and happenings at market in Houston and I can't even get it sorted out enough at the moment to tell you all about it. It will have to come in bits and pieces because it's just TMI! In the meantime, take a little video "tour" of our booth at market.

I just had to tell you that I am also really excited about the November Party with Patrick club project and everyone who got a sneak peak at market was thrilled as well. It's really cool and something a little unexpected. I'll be working on getting it out to you very soon if you're a member shop.

Give me some "decompression" time and I'll be in touch about all of the new and wonderful things coming soon (and some that are in the works!)

I hope you're all well and happy!
Patrick

Running around like a chicken...well, you know.

We're in the home stretch in getting everything finished for Quilt Market in Houston this weekend. Gary and I will be hitching up the trailer (that's now full of all of the stuff it takes to put together an exhibit booth there) and making the drive to Texas starting tomorrow morning. Quilt Market is where quilting professionals of all types gather to see, buy, and sell all there is to offer in the quilting industry. I'll be showing my latest designs and samples to quilt shop owners and companies interested in licensing my work from around the world. It's my favorite show of the year and, because it's where I started in this industry 15 years ago, it's kind of like coming home.

Market is also special because, in a busy world, it's sometimes the only chance we get to see our friends and acquaintances we've met through this love we share for quilting and creating. And that's what I look forward to most. I have a long list of people I'll be looking for in all of the hustle and bustle and, even though there's usually only enough time for a few sentences to catch up on each others' lives, it will be great to see them, once again.

Keep your eyes on my blog over the next week because I have an announcement to make about a great new project I'll be involved with! I'm really excited to share it with you all but I need to wait until the formal announcement has been made at Quilt Market. Hopefully, I'll have a post about it, right here, on Friday :-)

Thanks for all of your support and good wishes for Market and I'll be in touch soon!

Cheers,
Patrick

Scary...

It's definitely been a busy and productive weekend and, if you're a member of my Party with Patrick club in your local quilt shop, you're gonna love the November project! But as much as I know you'll love it, you still have to wait a few weeks to see it ;-) I mean it, so don't start calling and emailing.

Speaking of the party, take a look at how one shop celebrated this month. The project of the month is a 15" round place mat with an appliqued jack-o'-lantern face. Recipes were offered for treats and lots of shops partied and made the project in Halloween style. Some even had costume parties!

Common Threads, in North Liberty, Iowa, (see the post below) sent in this picture of their group having a great time as they always do when they get together. I told them I wouldn't be teaching there anymore unless all rotary cutters and other sharp objects were checked by a uniformed officer at the door. Thanks to shop owner, Peg, and the gang (I miss you all) for including the rest of us :-) Peg had this to say in her email:

"I want you to know that the parties are very good for the shop. I limit space to ten and it is a nice night and also profitable. Last night we watched Young Frankenstein and sewed the place mats. Customers walking in are always intrigued too. Thanks for your hard work....Peg"

That's what I like to hear!

Who's going to Quilt Market in Houston? I'll be in Booth 1115 and would love to meet you so please pay us a visit if you're there. I'm also working on a Facebook page and I hope you'll all come by and introduce yourselves.

I really should call it a day but I have another binding I'd like to get done. You know the feeling you get when you can call another one "DONE!"? Well, this will be the 3rd project today. Yep, it's been a busy and good day.

Thanks for looking in on me ;-)
Patrick

Lips zipped...for now, anyway

Hi Everyone. Yes, I meant it when I tweeted that something exciting is going on and, yes, I really am sworn to secrecy....for the time being. You'll be the first to know...trust me.

In the meantime, I just introduced a new pattern called Christmas Compass and I hope you'll take a look at it and all of the other new ones that have been recently released. I have lots to offer for Fall, Halloween, and Christmas. Just visit www.patricklose.net to see everything.

For an up-close look at Christmas Compass made with my Satinesque collection from Robert Kaufman Fabrics, click on the photo of the pattern cover. We're adding lots of beautiful new colors to the line very soon! Brand new in the way of fabric is my Dot-to-Dot collection, also from RK. Dots are always HOT and I think you'll love the color range.

'Tis the season for getting into that seasonal quilting and gift-making. Let the fun and games begin!

More soon,
Patrick ;-)

Cross-Country Quilting

I know it's been a long time since my last post but things got a little crazy with new books, patterns, and fabrics being released. I hope you've had a chance to see them all. There's also been a lot of traveling lately that is winding down for a bit now. So, aboard the RV we've been on for two and a half weeks now, I thought I'd let you know how it's been.

I love traveling the country this way. To be able to stay at a scenic campground rather than some hotel chain is wonderful. Iowa has had an unusual summer and, last night, the temp in the Winnebago dropped to 60 making it feel like fall is going to be pretty early this year. Living in the desert, with two seasons at best, I've really enjoyed the weather...even the bouts of torrential rain. I heard that, in some places, 10 inches of rain fell in one night. Of course, we happened to be on a five hour drive back from Columbia, Missouri to Des Moines that night. It made for an adventurous trip, to say the least.

Getting back into quilt shops to teach has also been wonderful. I taught at Common Threads in North Liberty, Iowa and Satin Stitches Sewing and Embroidery in Columbia, Missouri. These are both destination quilt shops and, if you're nearby, you must stop in. We had a trunk show presentation the night before an all-day class in each location. Both groups were great fun and there were lots of laughs and new friendships made. Quilting classes don't have to be the same old thing. That was probably the comment I heard the most; the classes were more like a party than a class. But it made me feel good that they all walked away feeling they had learned so much as well.

We also had a trunk show presentation at The Quilting Connection in Ames, Iowa. This is another great shop that you can't pass by if you're in the area. The Iowa welcome was just as warm there and I hope to have the chance to teach there on another trip. I had a lot of fun with that group, too!

There was also a meeting while here about an exciting new project that I'll let you in on in a couple of weeks. If all goes as planned and if you're at quilt market in Houston, I'm sure you'll hear all about it. Stay tuned.

Today is our last day here and there's a lot to accomplish in a short time. My elderly uncle asked me to come over and help my aunt learn to thread her new sewing machine. How's that for a challenge? :) I also want to go to beautiful St. Patrick's cemetery and plant some fall mums at my parents' gravesite. Those visits are still tough. I wonder if they get any easier? Mom and Dad would have loved having me and the Winnebago camped at their place like we used to.

Time to get packing. Despite a wonderful trip, I miss the grandgirls a LOT! Little chats on the phone here and there don't cut it. I even hear that Lily gave up her pacifier since I've been gone...to the "passy fairy"...in exchange for a little box of presents (my daughter is a genius). So, that's all for now. I'll try to keep up with the blog a little better. In the meantime, be sure to check out the new patterns. There are a couple more coming very soon as well!

Thanks for looking in on me ;-)
Patrick

Patriotic Picnic Preps

Today is my daughter's birthday so the first thing I want to say is HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATIE!!! I always say that the day she was born was the best day of my life because of all of the days she's brought me that compete with it! We're gonna spend the afternoon together and celebrate with lunch followed by some hardcore shopping. Katie will be shopping and I'm sure Lauryn and I will be doing some hardcore "keeping Lily out of stuff". Suits me fine.

With the July 4th celebrations coming up fast, I wanted to show you the perfect banner (left) for your party from my new book Poster Quilts with Patrick Lose. This is one of my personal favorites in the book and I've gotten a lot of great feedback from readers and quilters who have already made it. It's super easy and includes a little piecing, a little fusible appliqué , and a little free-motion quilting. Something for everyone! It's a great door banner to greet your guests as they arrive for the festivities at your place and it takes no time at all to make. If you don't already have the book, check your local quilt shop or go here to order.

Speaking of summer fun, take a look at the right sidebar for my newest pattern coming next week! It's a hibiscus-themed table topper that will be great to have for all of your other summer parties. More details soon.

Remember to subscribe to my email list by June 30th for a chance to win a copy of Poster Quilts with Patrick Lose. Sign up to follow my blog publicly as well for a chance to win an additional surprise!

Win a signed copy of my NEW book!

Would you like the chance to win an autographed copy of my latest book? All you have to do is go to my website and subscribe to receive my email newsletter and special offers. Once subscribed, be sure to verify your subscription in the email that will be sent to you after you submit the form. Pretty easy, huh? If you're already a subscriber, you don't need to do a thing. You're already entered in the drawing.

For a chance to win an extra surprise, sign up to also follow my blog publicly. Click on the"Follow Blog" button at the top left of this page (you may need to scroll back up to access it). When the pop-up appears, be sure to click the radio button to follow publicly.

When you subscribe to either, you're the first to hear about all of the fun stuff I'm doing for YOU! By subscribing to my email announcements, you'll also receive special offers like this contest that are only offered to subscribers.

There are lots of new and wonderful things coming from Patrick Lose Studios that I know you'll want to be a part of. So take a couple of minutes to join and watch your email or the blog to see if you're the winner! Thanks for joining a great group of quilting and crafting enthusiasts.

Cheers!
Patrick :-)

More fun than a barrel of quilters...

It's 8:30 in the morning and already over 85 degrees and I'm working on details for a Christmas-in-July retreat in the desert. But, even though the weather is no inspiration, I'm getting really excited for it to finally happen. We tell every new person that signs up that they're gonna love the group that's coming and that doesn't even begin to tell it. This is gonna be "fun" with a capital "F". I know we'll spend the better part of the weekend laughing and that's what I'm looking forward to the most.

I think it's great that so many of the quilters who will be attending are coming on their own. They're not bringing a friend or two to ease them into this group which can be pretty intimidating (but only in the best of ways)! I think they realize that, if you want to make friends fast, throwing yourself into the middle of a group of quilters is a pretty good way to do it.

A couple of years ago, when I first got my website up and running, one of the first quilters to find it and contact me is a woman named Roz from Albuquerque. She had nothing but good things to say about my work so, of course, becoming friends was imperative. We also both have grandchildren and, as many of you already know, if you can find someone to share grandchildren stories with, you've truly found a friend! Well, over the last couple of years, I've heard from Roz now and then and it's always nice to get a quick note letting me know what she's up to.

I got this wild hair and decided that I should give her a call and let her know about the retreat just on the off chance she might have the weekend free and want to have a little bit of a quilting adventure. I was thrilled when she said she wouldn't miss it and would not only be there but would also bring her sister from Oklahoma! Wow :-)

As I said, this is gonna be BIG fun and Roz and her sister and all of the fun-loving quilters and friends who have signed on (most with wild abandon) are the reason why. Sure, we'll probably get some quilting done but, better than that, we'll be able to share ideas and help each other grow as artists. Riiiight...and if that doesn't work, what the hell...we'll just laugh a lot!

There are a couple of spots left for any of you adventurous quilters out there who want to join us...if you dare. I promise you'll be glad you did. The more, the merrier!

Break Time

I have a bad habit of not pulling myself away from work once in awhile so I decided to stop working around lunch time today. My friend, Gary, and I went to eat at The Corner Bakery and then went to pay a vist to one of the local quilt shops, The Quilter's Bee. It's always nice to stop in there and visit with Margaret and the "gang".

The shop isn't as far from my house as some of the other local shops so, when I have a little time to get out of the studio, I try to drop by with some of the new things I've been working on to get their reactions and opinions. They're good for my ego, that's for sure. I love the support I get from quilt shops and I try to offer mine to them whenever possible.

Tomorrow I get to spend the afternoon at another local favorite, 3 Dudes Quilting. I'm really looking forward to meeting more local quilters and just having a relaxing afternoon at another shop.

Since I took a break from work this afternoon, I'm not gonna get into what I've been working on the past few days. You'll find out soon enough ;-)

Thanks for looking in on me.

A Profitable Kind of Party!

I just got an email from Barb Geraldi, at The Yankee Quilter in Oxford, CT. They just had their first Party with Patrick!™ today. For the shop owners out there who haven't yet figured out why they should join us, I thought I should pass on an excerpt from Barb's email:

"Oh My God - Party with Patrick kick-off today and I didn't move from the register for 2 solid hours! The ladies loved the projects and the ideas and everyone was very excited. Somewhere around 30-40 people (participated)...."

Looks like The Yankee Quilter could be pushing to become one of the biggest parties in the bunch with their first try!

Thanks for the update, Barb, and I'm anxious to watch you and Cheryl make it even more successful. Don't forget to take some pics to share next time!

Cheers!

Patrick ;-)

Another Kind of Party

I can't wait for my first retreat, That Dam Christmas Party, next month. The group of quilters that has signed on so far is a bunch of nuts and that's just what we need for this Christmas fruitcake.

The retreat is going to be a Christmas-in-July event unlike any others you may have attended. We're going to be "holed up" in the 1930's era Boulder Dam Hotel in Boulder City, Nevada from Friday, July 17th until Sunday the 19th. You gotta see this place. It's just oozing with history! There's even a Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam) museum in the place.

We'll be working night and day in the open-all-night "Santa's Workshop" on holiday U.F.O.s and Christmas presents and I'll be offering classes in two NEW holiday/winter patterns that will be introduced for the first time at the retreat. There's going to be lots of fun and silliness and a stray Christmas carol here and there, I'm sure. Oh, did I forget to mention that the hotel has a very nice bar? 'nuff said.

Check out the details at:
http://www.patricklose.net/online/dcpintro.html.
More will be available as we get closer to the date.

If you'd like to join us, there are still a few spots available for more fun-loving, somnambulilstic, quilter types! For more information or to sign up for the madness, contact Gary at 623-414-9464 or gary@patricklose.net.

Like I said in my last post, I love my job! ;-)

Party Pics

We've gotten lots of comments on the "Batty Bridal Veils" so I thought you might like to see more photos from our parties that have been held so far.

I love my job! Every month, I get to send out a party packet with a project I've designed and recipes and other party ideas and wait for the photos and stories to come in a few weeks later about how much fun everyone is having. I'm loving it. Even better than that, so are the partiers!

If you want to see more of the fun, click here or you can paste the following address into your browser: http://www.patricklose.net/pwp/wallflowers.html. You can even get a peek at the project offered for June. If you're a Party with Patrick™ member shop, we need more photos! Don't be shy.

If your local shop isn't a member and you want to party with us, make sure you let them know that you want them to join. Shop owners need to know what you want so they can offer it.

That's all for now. Have a great day!

"The Battle of the Batty Bridal Veils" Begins

Reports from the May Party with Patrick!™ events are starting to come in from our "affiliates" across the country (none yet from Canada) and it looks like there's been a good time going on with "The Battle of the Batty Bridal Veils" competition! The project for May's party, an applique table topper called "Heart to Heart", is shown at left as made by one of our very talented partiers. Click it to see a larger version.

The May party's theme is a send-up of a wedding party and the partiers were asked to create and wear the silliest bridal veil they could come up with using, literally, whatever they wanted. Hosts and hostesses from the member shops are sending in photos of their individual contests from which I'll choose a "winner". The title is, at best, dubious. But it looks like there was a lot of fun going on in the process. And that's what Party with Patrick! is all about. Take a look here: http://www.patricklose.net/pwp/veils.html

There's a lot more than that going on lately and, honestly, that's why I've been too busy to get a post here recently. I'll do my best to update more often. Busy is good, that's for sure!

I hope all is well with you and, if you Twitter, you can follow me here: http://twitter.com/patricklose

Thanks for looking in on me ;-)

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I got an email from my friend, Jerona, this morning that said just this:

I just want to put you in a bottle and drink you for some energy! Keep up the great work:)!

I think she meant that she was surprised to get word that my new book has been released. Well, Jerona, you wouldn't want a bottle of me right now! I am bushed...plain and simple.

But it's a "good" bushed. Not only do I have a new book that's just been released but also 3 new patterns going out this week, a club that has taken off in quilt shops, and not one but TWO fabric collections hitting the market. It's a great feeling because of the amount of work I've gotten done but also because of the response I've been getting to it all. It is so rewarding to have the wonderful feedback I've been getting. It matters to me that I'm doing something that others appreciate.

So I'm going to hit the hay right now (and I may stay there awhile) but I wanted to let you all know that you can get your hands on any of the stuff I mentioned above by going here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed creating it for you!

There's a lot more where this all came from...coming soon!

Thanks for looking in on me ;-)

Party Pics

I promised to post a few pics of the party I had the pleasure of attending at Zoe's Trunk in Chandler, AZ a couple of weeks ago so you can click here to go see them. This was a really friendly and fun group and I got to offer a little show and tell with my newest fabrics from Robert Kaufman and my new book on it's way from C&T Publishing. Zoe's is a great shop and I'm sure Mary and the crew there would love for you to stop by!

I'll have more news on the latest fabrics in the next day or two but, if you can't wait, visit the website!

Hope all's well with you;-)

Today is Lily's 2nd Birthday!!!

I can't believe she's already 2 years old. She seems to be growing up faster than my daughter did and that's scary. There's a big party at the park planned for this afternoon and Lily will be in heaven playing on the "side" (slide). She LOVES slides and laughs the entire trip down them. I'm looking forward to it, too, although I do really wish time would slow up a bit.

Sorry for the long "pause" between posts. I was away...sort of. I don't know what the deal is but I'm just not very good at taking a vacation. Maybe it's the fact that I enjoy my work so much or maybe it's just that there's too much of it lately but I can't sit still and relax for anything.

We took the Winnebago to the lake this past week and tried to have a "working" vacation. It turned into way more work than vacation including daily trips back home (an hour, round trip) for this thing or that thing I needed to work. I didn't have an Internet connection so I was trying to correspond through typed-on-the-cell-phone emails (what a joke). And RVs aren't known for their spaciousness so I couldn't spread out my drawings and paraphernalia all over the place like at home.

But, still, I really enjoyed it because it was something different AND, I got to take Lily to spend the night with me by herself one night and both Lauryn and Lily another night. That part WAS wonderful. Except for the fact that there's no "sides" at the camp playground.

Lots of April parties have been going on and lots of happy quilt shop owners are reporting in. Sherry, at Calico Cupboard in central Ohio, has been really excited about the response to the Party with Patrick™ Club at her shop. She and I had the chance to chat on the phone and I think she was a little surprised at the turnout she's had. I'm surprised myself by the fact that some shops are having to schedule more than one party a month to fit everyone in. What a nice problem to have, huh? I heard that there's one club with well over 50 members now and they just had their FIRST party! It's nice to know that what we're doing is helping to bring more customers into the quilt shops.

One thing that has always been rewarding about what I do is the fact that I can create a design and put it into pattern form so that my "audience" can make the same piece using their favorite fabrics. The Party with Patrick™ Club doesn't require a shop or its club members to buy large amounts of my fabric designs. I encourage my customers to use fabrics from their stash if they'd like or they can choose to use my fabric designs if they wish. In this economy, the main thing is to keep quilters quilting. Why do we have stashes in the first place? They aren't meant to take up space (I'm not even going to get into that issue!) So, if the money is tight, club members can draw on their stash and be able to join the party and all of it's social aspects without breaking their bank.

So, I get a lot of photos of my designs looking very different from the one I made and that's really cool to see. Sherry sent some pics from her April party and if you'd like to take a look you can click here. I posted the pattern cover showing my sample of the May Flowers design so you can compare it to the various choices in fabrics made by Sherry's partiers. It fascinates me to see what fabric prints other quilters choose for my designs.

I also had the chance to attend a party at a shop that's not too far from me called Zoe's Trunk in Chandler, AZ and these people know how to have fun as well. I have some pics to share from that party as soon as I get them posted so stay tuned. Hopefully, I'll have them ready to post tomorrow. I hear that Mary (owner of Zoe's Trunk) and Ken (their PWP Host) are going to be joining us for my Dam Christmas Party retreat in Boulder City, NV in July. I'm sure they'll bring a lot of fun with them!

I've lots to get done before the big birthday party this afternnon so I better get to it.

Thanks for looking in on me ;-)

Critics :-)

I woke up this morning, still tired, after a not-so-great night of sleep, made some coffee that's strong enough to strip the finish off of some of that horrific, black lacquered Deco furniture (it truly needs to be done), and went to my computer to check on the "stack" of email as usual. Someone had sent me a link to this review of A Patrick Lose Christmas:

Reviews

Another winning selection of quilting projects from Patrick Lose
By jenniequiltsit

Pros:
These are the kinds of Christmas quilts and accessories you'd find in the stores like Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn...GREAT stuff. They're not the sugary sweet and overly cutesy stuff you see at every craft show across the country. These are some sophisticated but still very fun and humorous designs.

Cons:
I wish there were even more projects but it's well worth the money.

If anyone knows jenniequiltsit, please tell her she made my day! I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday...especially you, jenniequiltsit. And I hope you like my new book ;-)

Don't forget to stay updated on the latest info we have on That Dam Christmas Party retreat in July. I wish we had a bigger location because I'm afraid it's going to fill up as soon as we start taking reservations so, if you're seriously interested, watch for details so you're not left out. It's gonna be a blast!

Someone's Getting a "Partying" Reputation!

Photos and stories have started to come in from the April parties and I'm sorry I'm a little behind posting them because of all of the other news to share lately. I got a note from Rick and Linda at Little Stitches Sewing Center after their second party on April 4th. They've only had two parties and I'm already looking forward to hearing from them every month because they go all out and really know how to party. AND because they're so good about sharing their parties with us (this is a not-so-subtle HINT to some other shops out there!)

Here's the note I got from them:

Hi Patrick,

Saturday was another "Party With Patrick" day and everyone had a great time. As before, we made our party an all day event. We served a springtime-themed lunch of soup and grilled chicken salad and followed up in the afternoon with your scones and lemon curd. What a hit! Thought you would like to see the attached pictures.

Thanks again!

Rick & Linda

Little Stitches

Now you should take a look at the photos they sent. Get a load of the lunch they served! Like I said, they know how to throw a party. It looks like everyone had fun. Thanks for sharing the day with us, Rick and Linda.

There are lots of other shops out there that have promised to send photos and the scoop on their parties so...get with it, slackers! ;-) Sherry, from Calico Cupboard, sent some and I promise to get them posted soon. It looks like her gang had a great time as well.

It's very rewarding to me to see that you're all enjoying this program that I really feel is a great way to connect quilters, create new friendships and foster old ones, and to bring this celebration of our favorite pastime to the centers of the quilting communities around the world...local quilt shops!

A New Book!

I got my advance copy of my new book Poster Quilts with Patrick Lose yesterday and it looks GREAT. It's exactly what I wanted it to be. I set out to put 10 easy-to-make projects together into a book that you could turn to when you have a few hours to spend making a fun project to hang on your wall or use as a door banner.

The instructions are super easy and most of the projects are raw-edge applique but you can finish them your favorite way.

All of the people at C&T Publishing did a wonderful job pulling this one together and I have to thank designer Kristen Yenche, especially, for making it look so festive!

If you'd like a closer look or want to order click here.

Hope all is well with you!

Project Linus and Patrick Lose (PL & PL)

As I said in my entry yesterday, I have lots of news that I'll have to report a little at a time. I've been working on something for awhile now that I'm finally able to announce "out loud".

At the end of last year, Project Linus National President, Carol Babbitt came to me and asked if I would design a collection of fabrics especially for Project Linus to be produced by Avlyn. I was thrilled to be asked and I'm really happy to say that my work on the collection is completed and the process of promoting it to independent quilt and fabric shops has begun. If you'd like to see what I came up with for them, click here. You can also download a PDF document that features many of these designs all on one page. I'd love to hear what you think of it.

While you're on the Project Linus website, take a look around and read about the wonderful work they continue to do to provide a sense of security through blankets to children in need. I'm happy to do what I can for them and I hope you'll do the same. Look for Project Linus Chapters in your area and ask what you can do to help.

Don't forget to take a look at the wonderful Boulder Dam Hotel where we'll be holding our "Christmas in July" retreat, That Dam Christmas Party, in July. We're working out all of the fun and crazy details now and will provide information as it becomes available.

More to come... :-)

Happy Easter!

I hope you're all having a happy Easter! Lauryn and Lily have spent the weekend with me and it's been a blast. In fact Lily's worn out and finally napping.

It's been another busy couple of weeks for me and the parties are in full swing. Party with Patrick™ is officially "international" now with shops joining in Canada and we're in contact with European shops as well. We also had our first Alaska shop, Sylvia's Quilt Depot, join this past week and I'm thrilled to have them on board. It's really exciting to me that everyone's having so much fun with the club.

There's so much to tell you about that I don't know where to start so I think I'll have to spread the news out in a couple of entires over the next few days. I spent last weekend in Boulder City and Henderson Nevada and had a great time. Merry and the gang at Fiddlesticks hosted the third of three consecutive weekend retreats in Boulder City. My friend, Gary, (who is also my sales and marketing director) and I stopped by for a vist and basically stayed all day and well into the night on Saturday because we were having so much fun with all of the quilters there. We spent a lot of time laughing and, after getting to know this great group, we decided that Boulder City is where we want to hold our first retreat. The town is perfect for the type of getaway we have planned and the people are so friendly, too. And, if you haven't seen any of the publicity/documentaries surrounding the builing of the new bridge, it's amazing! The photos don't give you the same feeling you get when you're driving through the construction area. It's like driving though a set from a science fiction film.

On to my news; the first order of business is to announce that first retreat we have planned. It's going to be a not-your-run-of-the-mill "Christmas in July" event. Since it's going to take place in Boulder City and held at the wonderful 1930's era Boulder Dam Hotel, I decided to call it "That Dam Christmas Party". We'll be posting info here as it becomes available. There are limited spaces available on a "first-come" basis so, if you're interested, check the info page often.

We're also having the first Party with Patrick!™ retreat in the same place in September. This will be an expanded version of our monthly parties for quilters and I will actually be able to be at this one like I wish I could be at all of the ones being thrown in quilt shops coast to coast! You can bet that both retreats will be great fun-filled and creativity-inspiring events that you won't want to miss. Dates for this one are September 18, 19, and 20. Mark your calenders and watch for information here and on my website.

I'll let you give some thought to the retreats and be back with some more news later. It's been pretty exciting around here lately and I'm anxious to share the developments.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!

Happy Friday

Hi Everyone! I'm sorry for the delay in posting but it's been an insanely crazy (and really fun) week here. I can't tell you how many quilt shop owners and customers we've spoken to this week about the Party and it's really inspiring to me that so many people feel this is what they need either in their shops or as a new social and learning adventure for themselves, personally. I'm really grateful for the trust and support from all of the shops and quilters that have signed up! The fun has already started and it's gonna be a wonderful year ahead.

I got some more photos from the various St. Pat's Day parties but since it's past we'll wait to see who throws some of the best April parties and get their stories posted. I also promised to get some pics of my grandgirls up from our St. Patrick's Day festivities for those of you who 'know" them and want to see some more recent pics. But, since this bizarre Blogger interface isn't allowing me to insert pics where I'd like them to be anymore, I've posted them here.

Speaking of the girls, I have to end here to go pick them up to spend the night with me tonight...yay! Come to think of it, I forgot to get the house Lily-proofed too. Gotta run!

Have a great weekend and thanks for looking in on me ;-)

Website updates

We've made some changes to my website and I wanted to let you all know that, if you have the old menu page bookmarked you should go to the new site and add it to your favorites. The old url for the menu page won't have the information you need anymore.

More and more shops are joining the Party with Patrick™ club and we're hearing fun stories about the various events at member shops. Remember to send photos so I can post them here. If you're a quilter and want to join the party, be sure to let your local quilt shop owners know!

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day and my birthday and I'll have a few photos to share with you from that. My daughter, granddaughters, and I went for a traditional Irish corned beef and cabbage lunch and it was a lot of fun. I hope you all had a fun day too. More to come soon.

Thanks for looking in on me ;-)

Another round!

More Party with Patrick™ festivities and preview events are happening and I just got some photos from Linda and Rick at Little Stitches in Missouri City, TX of their day-long event this past Saturday. They didn't even wait for St. Patty's Day to roll around before pulling out all the stops with everything GREEN! I have to share the note they sent me on the morning after. I didn't get a sense that there were any hangovers from green beer involved so they must have behaved:

Good Morning Patrick,

A quick note to let you know our first Party with Patrick was a big success! The classroom was decorated with St. Patricks Day items. Each student was given a box with their supplies and a schedule. Supplies included material, thread, batting, recipes, templates, instructions and even a strand of green beads. All three recipes were served to the students as either snacks or salad with lunch. (We served corned beef, boiled potatoes and carrots, coleslaw, Emerald Isle Salad, and Irish Soda Bread) The day concluded shortly before five. Everyone had a great time! We are now full for next month's party and have registrations through June. For us, making it a full day all inclusive event seems to be the ticket. Linda will be forwarding you pictures of our first party.

Have a great week and Happy Birthday!

Rick & Linda

Little Stitches

So, if this isn't enough to convince you that you need to be a part of our Party, I don't know what will. How about a peek at the first official EXCLUSIVE project for April's party, maybe? Take a look at this and see if you still want to be a wallflower.

Yep, this project is, literally, wall (or door) flowers. And, that's a custom-designed banner hanger you can purchase to go with April's banner project called "May Flowers"! Member shops are already filling their guest lists because their customers want to make this fun and easy project.

Just the two parties featured here, so far, have pulled in enough customers to their shops that they can't accomodate any more. That tells me that quilters are ready for a party and that, if you're a shop owner, you should invite the partiers to your place. So, put away your breakables and pass out the party hats. This party's gonna last awhile!

To join, all you have to do is contact us. Hope all is well with you!

:-)