Daisy & Dell

New and More New

We're not little Elves, but we sure have been hard at work!  The website is updated with everything new, and it was all in the Daisy & Dell booth at Quilt Market this month.  I thought we'd have a mini Market Review of just us to highlight a few of the details!

All our new Christmas Ornaments are Singing Ornaments^TM

 This little snow guy is showing off his moves!  AND he's got the music to dance to right in his back pocket!

Great Flakes! is the first in our NEW SERIES of Christmas Ornaments (and maybe there'll be some of these for other seasons or holidays later)!  Pattern is available Dec. 1, and two more are coming fast.  They'll all be about 5" - 6" (not necessarily always a square) so they'll fit in the window of the Gift Package.  

He's lightly stuffed with polyfil, uses either fusible or hand applique, and as you can see, he's adorned with some darling buttons from Hillcreek Designs!  Simple embroidery in floss and sparkly fibers with some real fringe on his scarf!  Cute!   (All in our Embellishment Kit!)

AND he really has an optional back pocket to hold the Sound Card with a pre-recorded Christmas carol to play just by touching the button!  The Sound Card can be re-recorded with a message - or singing - of your own, if you prefer.  How about all the kids saying "Grandma, we miss you!  Merry Christmas!".

We are excited about our GIFT PACKAGE!  

It contains everything you need to finish your ornament, including the Sound Card & Embellishment Kit all packaged in a beautiful 5.75" x  5.75" x 3" Heirloom Box.  The Box has a window in the hinged top (hard to see in the photo) with a silky ribbon to tie over the top for a perfect presentation!  

Since the ornament and the pattern both fit in the box, you can just add the pattern and give to your quilting friends for a great project gift - they will have the box to store their finished ornament in and you won't have to wrap it since the Box is it's own packaging!  Or give your Handmade Ornament in the box to a lucky someone for a very special gift!  Then again you could make one for yourself and you have a storage box to keep it in for all the years to come.

So you can purchase the pattern alone, the pattern & Embellishement Kit, or the pattern & Gift Package, which is the best buy of all!

Can't wait to show you the new Christmas Block of the Month!  But it's late and will get to that tomorrow!

Always Yours,

Pat

 

Fall Market Update

I wanted to update you about our Fall Market attendance.  With the construction of our new space coming to a close (I'll catch you up with that in next post), we were looking forward to attending Fall Market with 2 new blocks of the month and more.  However, about mid-week last week I received news about my Mom's health, and I needed to visit her.  So Daisy & Dell cancelled their booth space at Fall International Quilt Market.  Thanks to Quilts, Inc. for their understanding!  With relief, as I write this, my Mom is OK and I will get to enjoy her a while longer!  Her children, grandchildren and greatgrands are very grateful!

If you'll keep an eye on the website, we'll have our new things up starting about mid-November (had to delay our print order, too, because no one would be there to receive it!), and start to move some basics into the new quarters.  

Something great to come from this is that Daisy & Dell will be attending Spring Market in Salt Lake City in May, and with many new things for you to see!  We are in a suburb of Houston, so it's easy for us to attend Fall Market, but this will be the first Spring Market we've been to!  We're really excited at the prospect, and I'll do some planning as soon as I get home!

That's about it for now.  If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to call and leave a message, or order from the website (wholesale orders will need a wholesale login, which we can email to you).  I can often have orders filled even when I'm not there myself (the studio is closed right now), and I should be back within a few days, anyway.  Thanks for your patience, because we've sure had a year or so of this!  And remember, I'm

Always Yours, Pat

 

 

More Progress

There is a definite change in the air now.  Even last week was wonderful here in Houston - our humidity goes away and it gets cooler, too!  Something we don't have very often!  This is my favorite time of year - I just want to go sit outside!  But it's also the busiest; with fall market coming up and the holiday season after that.  I would never have turned down my husband's suggestion for more working space, but it sure has taken a bite out of my everyday days!

Wilma came to help me with the the Christmas block of the month.  We placed the last couple fabrics, ordered the fabric that was short for the borders (whoops!), and worked on putting together the cut list.  We checked and rechecked the cut and finished measurements for all the blocks that were actually cut, then cross-referenced those with the pattern measurements and "The List" (which becomes the cut list), and made changes where necessary.  I'm so glad I didn't have to do that all by myself - I'd have been cross-eyed!

 

 

 

They'll be using these right away!  Weathered-in means floors (of some sort), walls (of some sort), windows (windows are windows), and roof (just enough to close over).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at this!  You can see the outline of things now.  If you look through to the back, you can see the windows are in along the back wall.  Up higher for more wall space!

 

 

 

 

 

Here they are - but, what's that? - Uh, Oh!  Looks like those little windows on the right are too far down.  We'll have to check the drawings to see.

But there's siding!  That counts for weathered-in!

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are moving FAST!  Now the tar paper is going on.  There is somebody working everywhere these last three or four days!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally!  The roof is on!  I can really breathe easy now because we're

Weathered In!!!!

AND, they're even starting to add the brick.  It's been 10 years since we built this house, so there's some question about how close the brick and grout will look to the original house.  Fortunately, our brick is on a list of those which can most easily be matched years later, but the grout? . . . . . he's not so sure.

 

 

 

 

Here you can see a little better.  They throw all those bricks up there - not a single miss!  Doesn't it looks like fun to walk around up there!  H-m-m-m . . . . I'll have to think about a design wall for the new area (have just been working on tabletops so far), so I'm just wondering about that scaffolding . . . . . . . 

Continuing Saga . . . . .

Things have moved so fast for me, I didn't realize how long it's been since updating you!  Even though the office/studio addition is ahead in real time, I'll catch you up in the next few days.  Chris, owner of Thelen Homes, has kept crews so well scheduled that I can't imagine what next week will bring!  Meantime, here's where we left off:

 

Just wanted you to see the end of the de-struction phase in a full-feature, get the whole idea photo!  Well, anyway,  I was impressed to see part of my house at the end of the drive!  Enough dramatics.  Actually,  you can see the joists going in for the office (over the drive) - how exciting!

Now they are talking all the time about rain.  Chris' wife, Sonia, says he's better than the weatherman!  When I see him every morning, I get a weather report, so I believe her.  They don't want any rain on the exposed lumber and sub-flooring (to come), so it's a race for 5 days to get it "weathered in".    See those clouds in the background?  They have already caused us to be  8 days past our original start date.   At least now rain is only predicted in the afternoons - so maybe we'll get lucky!

 

They are laying the floor joists for the office and studio (over the garage).  They walk around on them like they won't fall through!  Never a mis-step!  See where the roof met the house on the right?  Soon it will be well up on the house roof.  And instead there will be a big HOLE there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now look a that!  Walls!  Chris is observing, but I guarantee he's walking on flooring!  Floors!

 

 

 

 

 

 

And you can see the windows at back of study.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the bay window in office.  When someone sits on the window seat, they're suspended over thin air!  And it's supposed to have a storage compartment in the seat, but better be careful what I put in there, huh?

 

 

Break time!  All the plywood in the drive is going to be the walls for the whole area per hurricane standards for this far in from the Gulf of Mexico.  Same for the 2 garage walls on 1st floor, including the shared wall inside the garage for support of the office/studio wall above.

Hope I'm not boring you - it just seems so interesting to me how it's all done!

Will begin to show you little bits of the new Christmas  block of the month we're working on for Fall Market.  Except for moments when I stop to take pictures or ask a question, I know I'd better work hard now, because when they put the hole through the wall into the house, things will change dramatically and become more difficult.

So on that note . . . . . !

One Adventure After Another

In a year with so much happening, you'd think we were ready for a breather!  But NO!  This may be the biggest adventure we've experienced this year, and I'm about to reveal it to you . . . . . .  Daisy & Dell is about to move into new Office & Studio space!!!!!!  We are still pinching ourselves to be sure we're not dreaming!  

We have spread far & wide here at home - too far and too wide.  So we're adding on to the house to accommodate everything.  I think the most wonderful thing about it is (besides having everything in one place and all together, and  knowing where things are without having to look for an hour to find them, and getting the closets back, and . . .) things will actually be organized:  

Or-gan-ized,  adj.,  orderly and effiicient.  

Wow!  I'd say that's exactly what we need!  I'm so thankful to my husband for launching off & taking this step!

So I thought you might be interested in seeing the progress.  When you were little, do you remember reading books in school and the inevitable story about the little boys, all lined up on some perch overlooking a construction site?  They could hardly wait each day after school to take their lunch boxes (with an after-school snack, of course) to their special spot and watch all the big machines, and the men yelling instructions, and everything going on at once.  Well, we're not constructing a skyscraper, but we thought you might be interested in seeing what's happening & joining in our excitement!

We're adding a second floor over the porte-cochere and the small garage at the front.  S-o-0-0-0, as you know, de-struction comes before con-struction.  But I take some comfort in that brick sitting on the drive.

Already there is a little brick down, now some more . . . . . .

And here's what it looks like up close.

Ugh!! What a rubble - and brick dust is everywhere!  It is truly amazing to watch them - really hard work - but it comes down in no time.

 

Here is Chris Thelen of Thelen Homes, giving instruction.  It is good to have him on site with all this going on!  His construction business is HIS ADVENTURE!  He knows what he's doing and is great to work with and we know he'll do well.  

He has spent lots of time explaining things to me about the how and why of what's going on.  I feel like the little boys watching the construction site.  I'd love to just sit down somewhere (with a glass of iced tea, of course!) and watch all these guys work - but they seem to be a little shy about that, so I pick my moments.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This gentleman thought I was funny wanting to watch him knock the house down!  Do you see that window just to the right?  Well, he doesn't know it, but I peeked out a couple of times just to get a bird's eye view!  I was sneaky though 'cause I didn't want him to fall of his perch!

I'll have more tomorrow because they are moving FAST!!

Adventure or Tea?

Yippee !!  We have a NEW BLOG design and we love it!  Hope you do, too!  Don't the colors make your eyes twinkle?  And you should stop by our NEW WEBSITE !!  The basic design is the same, but the function is different.  The old served us for awhile, but we couldn't keep it updated ourselves because of it's initial programming, so we decided to have an adventure and changed everything at once!  We feel a little like we've been bunge-jumping - just all the ups and downs of learning something new, u..h..h... no..... everything new!  2009 put us to the test in lots of ways, but ... everything ... is much better now, and we're full of ideas to turn into patterns for you to stitch.  In fact, in the next several posts I'll show you another reason things are going to be even better.  Curious?

Have you noticed our by-line, just under the header at top?  This is really the question we face at Daisy & Dell everyday . . . . . adventure or tea . . . . . adventure or tea (?)  So, I have tea while I design, because that's the adventure for me!  I hope Peter Pan would approve.  What's yours?

 

New Live, Love & Laugh Quilt Kit

I think most of the country is covered in snow right now!  So maybe these quilt kits will brighten your day)!  The Live, Love & Laugh Quilt (46′ x 64″) is tucked inside!  All you have to do is put it together!  It’s from the fabric collection of the same name at Henry Glass Fabrics, then click ‘Collections with Limited Skus’ at the bottom of the page, then Live, Love & Laugh is the second one down.  Yes, this is my own line!  WoW!!!!  I still can’t believe it!!!  It’s been out since August & has limited skus now, but we have these kits to offer you!

You’ll have enough fabric for the top & binding, including the panel.  And the pattern, which is a project sheet, is included, of course.  And you get this CUTE, CUTE reusable bag made from the same collection!  You can see the contents below.  The panel has been folded to show the “Butterfly Bandits” block, but you can see the whole panel in the quilt photo!

 

Even though the fabric is limited now, I’d like to tell you about the collection.  I named some of the blocks in the panel. You can see the ‘Window Box’ in the upper right corner, ‘Up Close’ in the upper left (do you see the butterfly wing?), ‘Flower Bouquet’ down the left side, the ‘Flower Gallery’ & ‘Seed Packets’ across the bottom, and on the right side there’s the little block ‘Just for You’ that could be used as a tag on a gift – like the quilt you’re about to make!

All the panel blocks can be cut apart and used in any way you could imagine.  Soon I’ll have two pillow patterns out and the samples use these blocks cut-apart, so you can see what I mean.  I think you’re really going to like the idea!  Of course, you can use any fabric to take their place in the patterns or even use blocks from another panel!  As you can see in some of the closeups (below) of the individual blocks, the quilting in some of these is just AMAZING with tiny background designs & thread painting!  Many thanks to Mary Jo Yackley (Quiltin’ Time) for making room for me in your schedule.  You always make me look GREAT!!!! 

SO, IF YOU’D LIKE TO PURCHASE a kit or two, they’re $59.50 each.  Let us choose a cover color for you!  Just go to the How to Order page on the website and use whichever way is best for you to order.  The studio is closed through next Thursday (2/25), so we’ll fill orders when we return ASAP!  There is a limited supply, though, so don’t dawdle!

It’s such a perfect quilt for spring and summer!

I have a really cute free project to show you, which I’ll put up a few days after I return late next week!  I think you’ll really like it!  But right now it’s SWEET DREAMS for me!

Pat

A Real Get-Away!

This post is just about a favorite place of mine!  Our emergency turned out OK in October.  We were really tired after market in Houston, and since we already had reservations for a few days away, we decided to keep them instead of cancelling.

So-o-o-o, even though it’s been awhile, I thought you might be interested in some photos of our destination in West Texas. It’s a great place to go to clear your mind and reset!  Here’s the Gage Hotel where we stayed in Marathon – originally a ranch house. No TV and only this trip (out of 25 yrs. worth) did I notice the addition of phones. It’s quiet, quiet, quiet as far as getting away from …………!

This is the Courtyard looking through the gate. Some years ago this area of rooms was added and we always prefer to stay here rather than in the main hotel. It’s beautiful and a great place to sit and read, appliqué, etc.!  Design?!

Everything reflects the culture of the region, including the rooms inside. It really makes you feel like you are away from the everyday! The landscape is dry and desolate, just like the movies of the Old West. Pancho Villa used to raid all through this area. Big Bend National Park is just 1 hr. south with it’s sweeping views, dry, rocky mountains, colorful history, and the Rio Grande, of course! It has an awesome beauty, and despite it’s forbidding climate, it’s FULL of plant and animal life.

These are two other courtyard areas…..

and the outdoor area of their restaurant. Great food from their chef and if you want to just sit and sit at lunch, you can soak up the peace & quiet! (I don’t think you can take a nap in those chairs, though!)

OK! Now for some photos of the amazing landscape. With all my talk of peace & quiet, don’t get the idea there’s nothing to do!  The Park offers hiking trails galore, jeep & walking tours, birding, horseback tours, river rafting, etc. There is the River, the desert floor and the mountains, so there’s plenty to see even just by car. It’s an overwhelming place and I always seem to be able to put things in perspective when I’m here!

The dry air makes the evenings cool no matter how hot the day has been and that by itself is a big plus to those of us who live with the humidity in Houston!

The first photo below is on the desert floor across the creosote bushes to the mountains.

The flowers are Bluebonnets, but they’re a special variety called Big Bend Bluebonnets.  They are larger than the regular one that Texas is famous for, with a flower spike growing up to more than a foot high.

Then there is Santa Elena Canyon. This is just one of the canyons on the Rio Grande, but I believe it’s the most beautiful. The river is lazy in the summertime; wild in the spring!

This last photo is looking south into Mexico.  This area is home to mountain lion, black bear and peregrine falcon, among others.

Just wanted to show you a little of something special to me. It’s been great to look at all this again!  And since it’s getting late, it makes me think about that card the maid left on my pillow each night; it said “Sweet Dreams”. . . . . . . . .

A Beginning!

Hey!  It’s wonderful to have this outlet to let you know what’s going on with us!  And there’s been a lot!  Because it’s just after market and I have to leave for a few days, I can’t add photos for a little bit, but when I return, I’ll post some for you of our booth, etc.  I hope to keep you updated with all new things that are happening whether it’s fabric or patterns.  And my FAVORITE holiday is coming up soon (Christmas, of course – there is never enough Christmas!) – so there’s plenty to think about.  Plus anything else that may interest you.  Pattern updates and other things will come as they are needed, too.

You can see from my Notes on the Home Page that I have a new fabric collection!  WoW!!  Who would’ve thought I’d get to do that!!?!  It’s been fun and a lot of work, but really worth the nice comments at market this last weekend.  And, yes, I’ll have another one or two coming up later.  I’ll post the fabric line as soon as I can and tell you all about it with photos of the pillows we made with it!  And patterns and BOM’s to tell about, too!  This emergency trip has interrupted, but not for long.

I’ll have to go, but see you in a while!

Pat