My Studio

Come along with me, I'm going to give you a tour of my studio loft! Pretend you are just walking up the stairs and as you reach the top this is what you see...the room is yellow with pink accents. Very feminine and a bit shabby!

On the left hand side is a walk in closet that holds fabric, copier, business file cabinets and that yucky ironing board we all need. I had a plug put in the closet so it would be its own little room. Things can be messy and you don't see them (no peaks, sorry).

Thanks to Pottery Barn I have the perfect work stations. Cutting height and lots of storage cubes. Add some bar stools and you never have to leave. Underneath the windows are my old sewing desks and file cabinets (also from Pottery Barn). 3 hours a day of direct sunlight so I had blinds installed. I love light, so most of the time the blinds are up.

Over in the right corner is my design wall, drafting table and yes, that old white TV! Doesn't Bessy look great next to my pretty pink featherweight? 3 sewing machines in all, but the little pink featherweight is my favorite. (A Pfaff and a Bernina are very happy here too. Not to insult the other machines...they do a lot of work for us.) All those little drawers under the TV hold the drawings etc. for the new quilts I'm working on.

From the closet area you can see my computer in the corner. I have a corner desk and a wireless lap top! I am one happy designer!

Blogging Fever

You know you've got the fever when in the mail arrives a pink camera....

and you put it in your pink purse....

... and take it with you everywhere you go. Heavens knows you might want to take a picture of Home Goods or something else to blog about. I think I've gone over the deep end! (:

Now, if I could just catch up with the rest of technology and get rid of this archaic old bessy of a TV. I can't bear to part with her because then I can't watch my VCR tapes. And, have you tried to buy a white TV lately? Almost impossible. Black or silver only thank you very much! What happened to white? Don't they know women need a small white TV not some huge "thing" that spans the entire sewing room? And then how are you supposed to watch those VCR tapes? I'm not getting rid of her until I figure something out. Email me your ideas and tell me what you've done. I can't be the only one with this problem. When you see my studio pictures part three, Bessy will be in it with all her glory.

Cindy at http://cutepinkstuff.com/ I'm counting on you to come up with a pink solution to my TV problem! In case you didn't know, Cindy has the blogging fever too! She's got a new blog at http://wwwcutepinkstuffcom.blogspot.com/. Congratulations Cindy!

Baltimore Bunny Club

I've been invited to join a Baltimore Bunny Yahoo group! I'm just so excited to have a group! It was started by Amy Elizabeth and you can view her blog at http://www.aerostitcher.blogspot.com/. This wonderful group of ladies share their progress, exchange ideas, post photos and work on Bunny Hill projects together. They are from all over the country. If you're working on something from Bunny Hill and want to join this group you can go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BaltimoreBunnies/ On the right hand side, just above the picture of the quilt you click on "Join This Group". It's a members only group, so follow the directions to join. Doesn't this sound like fun? It's like having a little quilt group on your home computer!

American Patchwork and Quilting emailed me the photo from page 102 of the September 2007 issue. Hope you can see it better when you enlarge this photo.
Thanks to Pam, http://pamkittymorning.blogspot.com/who just got the well deserved "Nice Matters" award, I spent an hour at Home Goods today. I've never knew about that store until she blogged about her ironing board cover. Well, I left there today with 5 peachy pink towels, 2 pillows, and 2 pictures. This store could be dangerous! (: And to think they get new things in all the time...

So many things in one day!

Look at what I found in the new issue of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine, September 2007, page 102! Laura Boehnke, the quilt tester, made Tara Lynn Darr's beautiful quilt out of "My Sweet Baby" Fabric! Wow, it's just so cool to see someone choose my fabric for a quilt! They asked for some fabric about 8 months ago, but I'd totally forgotten about it. Shows you how far in advance they work! I'm trying to get a better photo of it if I can. We'll see if they can work magic. (:

Then it's over to Pat Sloan's blog (I love her stuff and the way she writes), and today she's talking about how Heidi Kaisand, the Editor of American Patchwork and Quilting is leaving. Read more at http://patsloan.typepad.com/. Heidi will be missed, but it sounds like she has a heavenly job that will work around her new twins!

As if this wasn't enough for one day, I ventured out and joined Flickr. You can see the badge on my blog. I had no idea what I was doing so I played around and it seems to work. I have to research some more to see what it is you are supposed to do with Flickr, so stay with me. Maybe I'll figure this thing out yet!

It's back to work, drawing some more applique. I've got this thing going about hearts. Don't know what's up with me! I've always wanted to do a heart quilt so it's time! Chelsea doesn't seem to care and she's sleeping on the job. Can you fire a dog?

That Lakehouse Dot

It's addictive...that Champagne Frosted Dot from Lakehouse fabrics. I can't get enough of it! Today the doorbell rang and the UPS man delivered 3 bolts of this wonderful fabric! It's the best basic dot anywhere and I use it in almost everything I do. So, if you're at your local quilt shop and you see this dot, pick up a few yards for your stash. Thank you Holly for all that wonderful fabric you do! http://www.hollyholderman.typepad.com/ Speaking of Holly, she's been thinking up some creative blog ideas, coming soon. Let's just say that my husband is excited because he gets the rewards. I'll have tired feet and a day spent in the kitchen...something that hasn't happened in a LONG time! Must be a man's dream come true. You were thinking something else? (:

New to our web site, we've added the best applique scissors we could find. A selection of German made, Dovo scissors are now available at http://bunnyhilldesigns.com/store/products/?category=27 . Sharp points, that cut those little curves with precision. How did I ever applique without them?

How's this for a first design? It's from my 5 year old grand-daughter Alyssa. I never thought about a flower with different colored petals before but hey why not!

This post is for Audrey

I've been visiting one of my very favorite blogs today from Posie Gets Cozy at http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/. She's had to put her little dog Audrey to sleep and I feel so bad for her I could cry. So for just a minute the world needs to stop and remember Audrey, that beautiful little dog with the Phi Beta Kappa. Alicia and Andy have made the most compassionate act of love for their pet possible. We've all been there and we know how it feels. So Audrey, the world has stopped just for a minute in your name. I hope you are running on the beach with many other doggies! Much love from your friends at Bunny Hill.

Bitsy Button Sutton is OK!

Bitsy and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts! All of your prayers must have helped because Bitsy went to the Dr. today and came home with some good news! She has a "clean cut" and only a stage one. Sounds awful but it's the best news I could have hoped for! She is here to stay for a bit! She's back to being the head of the committee and bossing me around. She really wants a dog quilt so I said maybe for the next market. Now I can get back to trying to expain to my husband why this stack of pillows is in our dining room. He thinks I've gone nuts and so does the UPS man. So, what do men know right? Just wait till he sees what I have in store for these pillows! (:

A Little Prayer for Bitsy

We all have our ups and downs in life. I know I'm not alone. Yesterday was definitely a down day for all of us at Bunny Hill. Bitsy went to the veterinarian to get her teeth cleaned (she had really yucky breath) and she came home with two 3" incisions in her legs. The vet found some little bumps called Mast Cell tumors and had to remove them. They are cancerous and they they have to remove a large amount around the tumors. In about 3 days we should have the results of her biopsy back and we'll know if they got it all. To top it off this poor little dog had 3 teeth pulled.

We knew when we took on a 12 year old dog there would be health problems. We took her in because we love her so much. She is amazing! Today she's been acting as if she never had surgery. She's a bit stiff, but walking around, barking when the door bell rings, and eating as normal. I took the photo below, after she went in and ate a plate full of tuna from the cats! It's a sad look of guilt, not pain. She's never had tuna before so let's hope it's OK for dogs. In the second photo she's cleaning her feet, probably trying to get off the tuna juice. She came home with one of those awful collars that they make pets wear, but she will only need it if she starts to bite at her incisions.

So, I ask all of you to say a little prayer for her. She needs to have a happy old age.

Little Bits of my studio!

It's tour day so grab your computer mouse and come along with me! I'm calling this "Studio Part Two" because you'll find part one at http://www.fatquartershop.blogspot.com/! The Fat Quarter Shop has a new blog and you will love it! They've got lots of surprises coming up so you'll want to visit often! I'm so excited and honored to be Kimberly's first guest designer! Thank you Kimberly and thank you for the wonderful blog!

So, visit Kimberly's site, then come back and I'll tell you about some of the things you see in the photos.

The old shabby cabinet you see above is my prize possession. It's a rare antique that came from a men's clothing store in San Francisco. Each shelf has antique wood trays that pull out, and glass doors that fold down. It holds all my trims, buttons and beads so they are within easy reach! You know how I love to embellish those quilts! It's centered on the back wall with bookshelves on both sides.

On the stairs we've hung Dolley's Garden. A big thank you to my very brave husband for defying the odds and hanging this quilt! I have a horrible fear of heights, so I wasn't much help. All I could do was sit on the floor and try and hold the ladder. The work table in front of the railing is a crafting place for my grand kids that also doubles as a work station when they're not around!

My friends know that I'm a HUGE fan of Martha Stewart. They groan a bit when I talk about her, but I love everything she does. The rose wreath you see above is from Martha Stewart.

Surrounded by vintage china plates it hangs proudly on my wall! Real roses that have been preserved in such a way that they are still soft! I hope Martha saved one for herself!

My favorite applique thread is DMC Machine Embroidery Thread. A Matchbox car holder has become a storage place for all my threads. It's double sided and I can flip it over and see another 50 colors!

You've heard me talk about Cindy at http://www.cutepinkstuff.com/ before. Well if you haven't gone over for a visit you're missing treasures like the pink box above. This sits between two sewing machines and holds seam ripper (hardly used), pin cushion, scissors etc. My studio is filled with finds from Cindy and I'll share some more in part three.

You'll have to wait for part three. I have to clean up before I can take photos. It's such a mess right now I can't have company! More photos soon, after I finish the next applique quilt and pick those threads up off the floor. Of course this is all subject to approval by the committee you saw in my last post.

The Review Committee

We've had a busy day here in the Bunny Hill studio. We've been working away, busy as can be, trying to get ready with new designs. Nothing gets out the door without being reviewed by our committee. It's quality control like you've never seen. A nod of approval has to come from everyone!

The review committee: Chelsea, Noel and Bitsy Button

(Noel is a consultant who comes to work with my assistant Nireko)

And what are they looking at?

Well silly, the quilt in this picture! They all approved and on we went. Coming soon from Bunny Hill Designs...

Cozy Corner

This is a huge thing! You have no idea, but it's taken months just to get this corner of our bedroom put together. Yes, months! It's gone something like this...

• order the day bed
• order the pillow shams and pillow inserts
• buy the mattress
• order the curtains & blinds
• bribe husband with enchilada dinner if he hangs the curtain rods
• daybed arrives and spend the day re-arranging the whole bedroom because someone measured wrong (good thing I'm better at quilting)

So now I'm off to find pictures for the wall, make some contrast pillows for the day bed and even paint a lamp shade or two. Then maybe I can read a book on the daybed? Well maybe sometime next year. There's still an entire house to work on not to mention new designs. Maybe I'll bring out the vintage pillow cases in place of making pillows! How smart is that?

Sewing Day Weekend

It was a sewing day weekend with my Grand-daughters and what fun we had! Sewing is a new pastime for them and I gave them special little projects to work on. My oldest grand-daughter used the sewing machine and my youngest used a thread and needle. With lots of supervision this is what we accomplished!

Alyssa drew a heart onto the right side of pretty pink fabric. From her drawing we cut out two matching hearts, and wrong sides together she stitched on the line . Then she added a bit of stuffing, we closed up the opening and her first sewing project was done!

A pretty soft pink rose fabric was Michaela's choice and it was off to the sewing machine to stitch up a pillow cover for her sister! Nothing like the feeling of making something for someone else!

Bitsy Button Comes To Stay

Chelsea has a friend! She's 12 years old and just look at her! Those eyes say it all. She was lost, collarless, shaking and afraid. My husband picked her up and brought her home. Off we went to our local vet for the microchip scan and a few tests. She was declared healthy and without a microchip!

So, how do I know she's 12 years old? Her owner posted flyers around the neighborhood and we found one. It was very hard for me to call, because by this time I was in dog LOVE. I did the right thing and called. Guess how it turned out...she's mine to keep! A 12 year old, wonderful little Fox Terrier. A gentle little soul if there ever was one!

Her owners came by to meet us and decided Bitsy had found a perfect home. They have 4 other dogs and knew Bitsy was happy here. So she's ours! She's not ready for the nursing home yet, and I'm sure she has lots of love left to give. She's in for some dental work and a microchip in a few weeks and then she'll be ready for the Terrier Olympics!

I can see I'll be designing a quilt called Bitsy Button!

American Patchwork & Quilting Calendar 2008 !

Oh my gosh! I can't believe it...I just got the new issue of American Patchwork and Quilting 2008 Calendar and my quilt design is featured for July! Candy Cobblestones is the name of the quilt. I submitted this design so long ago I totally forgot about it! Very appropriate because the name of the fabric line is "Faded Memories"!

Tomorrow I'm going to post about another little thing I've forgotten to mention. Her name is Bitty Button and she is 12 years old. Can anyone guess? Here's a clue...I think I may have to buy a farm. (: