Holly Blog

114...My Favorite Things...New Stuff

I've really meant to keep in touch, really I have, but we've had YET ANOTHER big bout with flu here at Chez Boulders. I got sick again about 2 weeks after I'd started feeling better from the first flu, and then Paton caught it from me.  Now I am back at it fighting the good fight aka "counting the days to market", while Paton's version has turned into pneumonia, so he's tired and napping a lot. It's too bad, because he is very handy and endlessly patient with my "honey-do" lists at this time of year.

To those of you who I am behind in my correspondence, please bear with me, after market we'll get caught up on every little detail...I still haven't heard from some of the people who won prizes in our recent give-aways...not to worry...your goodies are put aside in my "to do pile" at the new office...

So we have a lot to catch up on...Still no pictures of the office, but I can tell you this, my studio is about 1,000 square feet now...(that's just the room that I work in).  You should have seen my landlord's face when I told him that 5 offices in our suite of offices needed to be knocked down so that I would have enough room to work in.  Yesterday, when we were staging a lot of the fabric for salesman cards, shipping boxes, props and projects for our booth in Portland, there were only a few narrow paths to get where you needed to go.  You will all have to wait until I get back from Portland to see our progress...(which in fairness, hasn't been much decor-wise, since the market countdown crunch had already started when we begun our move in March).

We used to sing a song that I loved in Girl Scouts when I was in grade school..."make new friends, but ke-ep thee o-old, one is silver but the other's gold"...That's sort of the way I feel about a lot of the designs I do in fabric...I get really attached to the fabric lines I design, and I would really like a little more time to work with the fabrics after the market rush, ya know?  One of the best ways I know to give the line longevity the stores (which translates into me having more time to work with it) is to add new things to keep the collection evolving and fresh.  That's what I've been doing with the La Belle Rose collection that we first introduced last May in Salt Lake City.  We added some new things for Fall Quilt Market, and we'll be adding even more to the La Belle Rose III at Spring Quilt Market in Portland.

Here's a picture of my Gypsy Rose version of my new Circle of Friends Quilt...It's got fabrics from La Belle Rose I, II & III...

This is a shot of the work in progress at the talented Mrs. Winslow's...I can't wait to show you more than just a peak at this project, Cheryl's long-arming is just delicious on this quilt.  I have also done several other color and fabric combinations of this design that I will show you later too.

So thanks for your patience my little blog-ettes, with all of the illness in the last few months, I am just glad to be sitting upright at a chair in my office...of course with my rescue kitty "Vickie Dixie" wedged between my chest and the keyboard as we share a few nuzzles and tail thrashing moments while I send this off to you...meow!

Back in two shakes...H2

113...My Favorite Things...New Stuff!

It's been a little while!  In the midst of taxes and getting ready for Spring Market, Paton and I came down with a horrible flu.  When you live in the middle of nowhere, with no deli on the corner to bring you soup and tea and sandwiches...it's even worse being sick.  It started with sneezing, I didn't think much of it, since things were starting to bloom a bit outside, then the next thing I know it...whammo, flat on our backs for 4 days.  Another few days of brain fog as all of the cold remedies flush out of my system, and wa-la...a littl sneak peak of what's new for Spring market.

Meet BOB, that's short for "Boy Oh Boy"...It's my first collection of boy/toddler designs on fabric.  We'll do charm squares again as a promo at Spring Quilt market, in this new palette, that has lots of my favorite blues and greens, and even some new browns.  (Those of you who have been bugging me to do something in browns (and you know who you are)...a drum roll please!

On a sad note, Paton found our little Jasmine floating in the lake a couple of days ago.  We assume that she accidentally fell in, and in the cold water she didn't have much of a chance to save herself.  Jasmine was such a creature of habit, so we just knew that something bad happened when she didn't show up for meals back in February.  The freakiest part of this story, is our neighbors who live 6 houses down, lost their beautiful Siberian Husky a week or so ago in the middle of the night.  They searched everywhere, and then a couple of days later Tundra also was also found mysteriously floating in the lake.  We are such animal lovers here, almost everyone on our street has a cat, or dog or both, it's been a real shock to all of us.

With the temporary set back of the flu, most of the things we've moved to the office are still in boxes, but I'll have more to show and tell very soon...new spring things are arriving every day!

Back in two shakes...H2

112...My Favorite Things...Young Geets

The title of this little story should be "Geeter Helps Out"...Geeter, aka Kitty is the kind of dog who does her "spin to win" move when she sees me put my shoes on, or if I get the car keys out of the drawer.  She's the best little traveler there ever was.  "Where we goes she goes"...

Here she is on one of our recent moving days...is it just me or is she adorable?  Danielle our trusty dog-loving intern took this pic with her phone.

I know a lot of you are chomping at the bit for pictures of the new office.  We've made lots of plans and are in the midst of implementing them right now.  Paton has been terrific helping us get all of our shelving in place. We now have what seems like miles of new shelving (that will fill up in no time, I'm sure.) 

We looked for over 6 months to find the office space that we finally took.  We had several deals fall through (including our dream space), so don't get too excited.  The space is large and we have windows along three exposures.  But the basics are white walls, new gray industrial carpeting, and "standard issue" 8 foot acoustical ceilings (which I really can't stand!).  I must admit, coming from Manhattan where space is $$$ cha-ching, we are getting a lot of space for our money.  But the perks:  Central Park a block away, latte's on demand on almost every corner, and 6 bakeries including a French pastry chef within an easy walk...They just aren't to be had anywhere near our new digs. What's a spoiled Chub-ette like Moi to do?

Anyhoo, things are moving along, and  I am anticipating a (very small) lull before the last big push for market, so I promise to indulge you with "new place pics" soon.

Back in two shakes...H2