A sneak peek

My knowledge of blogging is limited to this: If I type what I want to appear in a post in the little box that comes up when I click "New Post" it just magically shows up here. I can even post a pic, color the type, and create a link to another page. It's not that I'm stupid...just too busy to spend the time on learning much beyond that. (Sometimes I'm stupid, too.)

I know my friend Jami, back in Iowa, has tried to post a comment to the blog and it wouldn't allow her to. I had no answers because I'm oblivious. But I decided to look around my settings and, lo and behold, it was set to only receive comments from members. I hadn't even paid attention to whether or not there were comments because I was getting emails and that was fine with me.

I've changed the settings and, if you'd like, you can now make posts to this blog and maybe we can get a little interaction going among us. Of course, if the spammers start bombarding me, the settings will be changed back. But, in the meantime, feel free to be the first to comment.

I also found out that I could create a link to allow you to email posts to your friends. So, if you know someone who might be interested in what I have going on here, please send them a link to join us. The more the merrier.

Here's a bit of a tease. The guy in the opening photo is coming soon. Check back later for the whole picture! :)

Thanks for checking in on me and for being patient with the "oblivious guy".

More on the way....

Thanks very much for the response to "Happy Haunting!" I love to hear what you think of my new designs. That's the main reason I post them here; so I can get your take on the things I have in the works. I try to offer what you ask for or what I see missing in the marketplace. For those of you who don't have my email address, it's patricklose@gmail.com.

Starting out this entry is another "teaser" photo of the next pattern coming. Give it a click to see the pattern cover. It's not quite ready to ship but should be by next week along with a couple of others. I'm still really excited about all of the new things I've been doing. I have project designs that are already quilted and piled up waiting for me to get the instructions written. It's hard to shift gears when I'm in "design mode" and go from the sewing machine to the computer. I'm gonna have to find some good quilters to make some of the samples for me.

Of course, I'll keep you posted on what's going on. Keep in mind that, if you don't hear from me for a few days, I'm at the sewing machine instead of the computer. And that's good! You can also keep in touch or just keep up by visiting my website here.

Oh...and thanks for all of the questions and comments about Lily! She and Grandpa are back to work together now that Mom has started back to school. Besides being here lots already, she'll be here with me a couple of days a week while Mom and Dad are at work and "Sissy" is at school. They're on an alternative calendar at the school where Katie teaches and Lauryn is in 4th grade now. Lauryn was really excited to get back to school (back to friends!) but it made for an awfully short summer . Still, I'm glad to have Lily here to help me-as only...she...can. Let's just say that I love her with all my heart but I'm glad that there's only one of her. She's a bundle of energy and commotion. But she's also my biggest inspiration. I wish you could see the way she runs up to the Santa Under The Stars table runner and kisses Santa! Here are a couple of recent pics.

Thanks for looking in on me (us) :-)

A New Pattern!

Here's the cover for the first of several new patterns I'll be introducing in the next month or so. You asked for more Halloween designs and I love doing them. This one is now shipping and you can be one of the first to get your copy. Be sure to visit my website to order. I think there's going to be a contest involved with this new release so check back often for details!

"Happy Haunting!" includes the pattern and detailed instructions for creating the two 20x28" (please ignore the wrong measurement on the front cover) Poster Quilts shown in satin-stitched and raw edge appliqué (click on the photo for a closer look). The main quilt features two of my favorite characters I've ever designed for Halloween. They first appeared on one of my most successful collections of Halloween fabric. "Frank" and "Drac" make a great pair of beggars night greeters on your front door in this fast and easy-to-make quilt.

The second quilt is even easier featuring all raw edge appliqué and free motion quilting over the surface. Make one for yourself and one for a fiend...er, friend!

If you'd like to take a look at my other patterns and books that are available click here.

I'll get back to the machine and finish up some of the new designs. Wait til you see how many Holiday/winter ones I have coming :) It's been awfully busy around here and you'll see why soon.

As always, I'd love to hear what you think of this one. It's your feedback that drives me on to the next design.

Thanks for looking in on me :)

The July 4th weekend was wonderful but, even though it was a long weekend, it was way too short for me! It was great to get the family together for the old-fashioned barbecue and to take the kids to the fireworks display. I actually spent a lot of the remainder of the weekend working but, when you enjoy what you do as much as I do, it's not unusual to work nights and weekends.

I've actually completed 5 new projects for patterns and I'm in the process of getting them photographed for the pattern covers. Then, I'll design the covers so they can be sent off to the printer and the process of writing the instructions continues. I can't show you the projects just yet but, so far, there are two Halloween projects (both included in one pattern!) and 3 new Christmas projects. That's a teaser photo at the beginning of this entry :) I'm hoping to have them all available early to mid August. I hope you'll check back for the release date!

I've been using my new fabrics in a lot in these projects and I've also used some of Robert Kaufman's Kona Cottons. I have to say, these cottons are beautiful and a pleasure to work with! They're so crisp and full of body. Back in my fashion days, I would have grabbed yards and yards of it in different colors to make shirts for myself! They're beautiful and durable for quilt bindings and I love the perfect crease you get when pressing the binding fold. Be sure to get your hands on some..especially the Jet Black.

Speaking of bindings, I have one that's all ready to be sewn onto a holiday table runner so I better get to it. I hope all is well with everyone and that you're enjoying your summer. Cheers!

What a day!

First of all, Lily is here with me today and that always makes for a good day. Then, a gorgeous floral arrangement showed up from my friends at C&T Publishing to congratulate me on our new book and my advance copy arrived almost simultaneously with the flowers. The book looks great and, as I said in my last post, enough time has passed since the final work I did on it that it looked almost brand new to me. I hope you'll consider adding it to your collection. I believe the release date is June 16th.

As if all of that wasn't exciting enough, FedEx showed up again this afternoon with a box from Robert Kaufman Fabrics. I was expecting a couple of sample yards of "Satinesque" but I thought this box was too big for that. I was right...it wasn't just a couple of sample yards but a couple of yards of each of the 29 colors we're introducing! Seeing the whole collection when I opened the box was such a rush. And, since I still have a few projects to make for my new book that I'm working on, I'll be able to use some of them in it. I can't wait to start.

One of the things I'm happiest about with this new fabric is this: If you take a look here, you'll see a scan of the artwork from which this fabric was printed. Click here and you'll see a scan of the actual fabric (enlarged) or here for a detail that actually looks hand painted. I think you'll agree that it's a great reproduction, on fabric, of the artwork. That's what we strive for. Not only are the colors rich and vibrant but there is a depth and dimension that was beautifully recreated also. Take a look here for a couple more colors I scanned and a list of the colors we'll introduce.