"I'm so excited...and I just can't hide it."

Yes, Gary, Jan, Tony, and all of my friends who try to keep me focused - I'm off task again with good reason; Here's my new grandbaby! As I said on the Party with Patrick fan page, comments about the little bean looking just like me are cheap and unimaginative so you don't need to go there ;-)

My daughter, Katie, wondered if it was going to be twins this time because of the way she's been feeling but this ultrasound image put those "worries" to rest. Just one. Just WONDERFUL!

Back to work before I get scolded. I have lots to do. I'll be appearing/speaking at the Quilting in the Desert banquet tonight in Phoenix. If you'll be there, make sure you say "hi".

Cheers!

An Irish Welcome

I've been busy for the past few days on lots of new designs and I already have one of them quilted. Luck o' the Irish is a 15 x 30" applique door banner or wall hanging that's perfect for St. Patrick's Day but fun, anytime, for those of us that are Irish every day of the year ;-)

The one I made uses fabrics from my own collections but you can use a wide variety of festive greens from your stash on this one. I love how the Lime from my new Fizz collection for Robert Kaufman Fabrics works for the background - it reminds me of green beer! Satinesque Stripe, also for RKF, is perfect for the binding.

I hope you like this new pattern which will be ready to ship the first week in February. Be sure to tell your local quilt shop owner that you saw it here and that you'd like them to carry it and all of the patterns from my line.

This is my offering of a "wee little bit o' springtime" to those of you that are still dealing with ice, snow, and cold. I hope it lifts your spirits! :-)

More Fizz

Hope everyone's having a great weekend. I thought I'd post another color from my new Fizz Collection for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. This one's called Raspberry.

I'm off to a book signing soon. Then it will be back to the drawing board later this afternoon to work on new patterns and embroidery designs. I'm really looking forward to both.

If you're in the Phoenix area, stop by 3 Dudes Quilting between 1 and 3 this afternoon and say "hi".

Cheers!

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Update: As always, we had a wonderful time at 3 Dudes Quilting. Thanks to the Dudes and their great customers!!

It's unanimous. Winter s*cks! ;-)

Congratulations to Vicci Conway who's the winner of my Tropical Table Toppers pattern! Thanks to everyone who offered their "sentiments" on winter where they are. I feel for all of you and I hope there's a big thaw coming.

We'll have another contest soon but, to the Party with Patrick members, get your January (LOVE) projects done and post photos and comments on the PWP fan page on Facebook. You'll be entered to win the fat quarter tower giveaway of my Dot-to-Dot collection. See your Party with Patrick host or Hostess or click here for details! You MUST be a fan on the FB fan page and post there to be entered.

It's super busy here with lots of designing and quilting going on. The paperwork, instruction writing, and day-to-day grind of business has been put on hold for the weekend. I don't mind working weekends if its all creative stuff. I'm also looking forward to spending a few hours at 3 Dudes Quilting tomorrow afternoon signing books. If you're local, please stop by and visit!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Effervescent!

Here's my latest print from my Mixmasters Collection for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. It's called FIZZ and I think you'll agree that it's got a bubbly personality. This one's so new that most shop owners and buyers haven't even seen it yet. In fact, I just realized that I can't tell you how many colors we ended up with in this line but it's quite a few. I'll find out how many and get back to you.

I wanted it to look like fizzy drinks and the colors even have fun, soda-fountain-type names like Cranberry, Blueberry, Cider, Vanilla, and Champagne, to name a few. The one pictured is Ice. It's useful in more than "bubbly" applications, too. I'm using Root Beer (colored as the name suggests) for the center of a sunflower and it looks great.

I just wanted to give you a sneak peek so you'll be on the lookout when it hits quilt shops. When? Hmmm....I can't answer that off the top of my head, either, but it's SOON, I swear. Don't you love getting to see it so early that even I can't give you all of the details? ;-)

Let me know what you think of it here or on the Party with Patrick Facebook page!

Have a great evening.

Do I hear teeth chattering?

From what I hear on the news, it's most likely cold where you are. I heard last night that there were 5 U.S. states where the temperature wouldn't be above zero overnight. Please don't hate me for living in the Phoenix area. I spent 40 winters in Iowa before I moved here. But I also have to say I STILL miss winter in Iowa. Yeah, the cold and wind gets old fast but I love the snow.

So, if you're over the winter already and can't just drop everything and go off on a warm-weather getaway, maybe you'd like to work on a quilting project that helps to take your mind off of the sound of bitter cold winds whistling at the windows and doors and warms you up a little on the inside. My Tropical Table Toppers pattern may be just the ticket to that balmy place in your dreams.

Anyone who is a fan on my Party with Patrick Facebook fan page and comments there by the end of the work day on Tuesday, January 11th, will be entered for a chance to win the pattern. Click here, become a fan and add a quick comment telling us how you're feeling about winter where you are (no profanity, please). That enters you in the drawing. We'll draw for the prize on Wednesday and you could have a Tropical Table Toppers pattern by next weekend!

Just doing our part for shivering quilters everywhere.

Stay warm! I'm back to the drawing board :-)

Another Booming Party!

It's happened again....another Party with Patrick has outgrown its venue! I just posted a couple of days ago how Fiddlesticks had to move the Party out of the shop and into the Boulder Dam Hotel conference room across the street. Today I got this email announcement to her customers from Peg at Common Threads in North Liberty, Iowa:

"For those of you who have not been able to join us for a Party with Patrick, now is the time! Patrick Lose, designer and quilter, hosts parties at Common Threads the last Thursday of every month. He sends a design exclusive to the party, a party theme and recipes to share. Common Threads has only been able to accommodate ten people at these parties until now. Thursday, January 27th, we will open it up to all. Please join us at the South Slope Community Center for Party with Patrick!"

Peg is blatantly trying to overtake a couple of other shops for the position of biggest PWP (most members). I'll root for any of you that take this on - knowing that, as with any party, the MORE the merrier! I think a lot of participating shops have realized this, too.

So, CONGRATULATIONS to Peg and the gang at Common Threads. We miss you guys and I wish I could be there for your "expansion". I know you won't let the cold and ever-accumulating white stuff spoil a good party.

Don't forget about our Party with Patrick retreat in Coralville, Iowa at the beautiful Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. Be sure to take the photo tour on their website (Iowa is beautiful). We're starting to get sign-ups for the retreats so reserve your spot now before they fill up!

That's all for now. Yesterday's "day-of-designing" didn't quite pan out so I'm gonna try again today. You want new stuff, right?

Have a happy Friday :-)

Hello to the newbies

Just wanted to take a minute to say "thanks" to all of the new blog followers here. I appreciate your interest in my work. It will be a little quiet today here and on Facebook and Twitter. I'm going to try to spend the rest of the day designing because the day-to-day stuff has kept me from the drawing board recently. But I have another new fabric collection to show you...soon!

Have a great day :)

The Party Keeps Getting Bigger

I want to congratulate Fiddlesticks Quilts in Boulder City, NV for being yet another Party with Patrick member shop that has to take its monthly events to a larger, off-site location because the parties are getting too BIG! If this doesn't tell you how successful PWP can be for your shop, then I give up! ;-) Fiddlesticks held the very first Party with Patrick back in March 2009. Congratulations to Merry, Jan and the gang for being such hardcore partiers :) You ROCK!

If your local quilt shop isn't a participating shop, and you want to PARTY with us, speak with the shop owner and let them know what they're missing. They can join at any time for a successful year full of fun and friendship and you can have your "monthly dose of Patrick Lose". It's a win-win situation for you both :)

More soon....

Party and Win!

Do you Party with Patrick at your local quilt shop? If so, you have another chance to win a tower of 29 fat quarters from my Dot-to-Dot Collection from Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

Party with Patrick projects are manageable-sized quilted pieces that are easy enough to complete in a short time but a few of you partiers are still finding ways to turn them in to UFOs (UnFinished Objects).

This is a new year, people! Let's at least start the year with the resolve to not send any more projects into UFO limbo, okay? I'll help you out by offering some incentive to finish the January party project which you can see here.

If you're a member and complete the January project, go to the PWP fan page on Facebook. If you're not a fan, become one and post a photo of your finished piece and a few words about your PWP experience. Your name will be entered in the Valentine's Day drawing to win the fat quarter tower. It's that easy.

The Party keeps getting bigger and the fan page community grows larger every day. Join us and get to know some of your fellow quilters from across the United States and Canada. That's what Party with Patrick is all about...quilting and camaraderie!

Looking ahead

The year has hardly begun and we're already gearing up and planning for our 2010 events. The one you all keep asking about is our Dam Christmas Party at The Boulder Dam Hotel in Boulder City, NV. The dates are set and we're working on the details. Bookmark this page and you can check back for updates: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=236997203253

If you're interested in attending the Dam Christmas Party or any of our other retreats being planned for 2010, RSVP while you're there and we'll be sure to get info to you as it becomes available. You can also email us at gary@patricklose.net for more information.

We've got another contest coming up to ring in the new year so stay tuned!

Cheers and Happy 2010!!
Patrick