No more clock watching!

Sometimes when I was working at a “real” job, the kind where a pay check would appear every two weeks, time would just draaaaaaaaaag on and on.  I’d clock watch and it never seemed to move.  That’s such an awful thing that clock watching. 

But now that I have this more than full time fun job, I never have enough time.   I don’t even wear my watch at work.   I’m up at 5:30 every morning, and off to work in my pj’s! 

 

 

I can’t wait to get started!  I LOVE mornings.  They are my favorite time of day.  I’m officially dressed and working by 9AM, but it’s those wee hours in the morning that I do my best work. 

Lots going on around here early in the morning.  64 days until Fall market! 

How about you?  Morning or Evening person?  If you’re a morning person join me for sunrise sewing!  If you’re a night owl, please don’t wake me up.

Oh, and don’t give me too much credit for these photos…clipart, courtesy of Microsoft. Proving that you CAN have photos on your blog, even without a camera!

Did you notice the time on this post? Have a great weekend!

 

Anne

Calling all Apron Addicts!

Do you love aprons? Do you love to make them? Wear them? Cook in them? Give them as gifts? I do!

Here at Bunny Hill we’ve been wearing them for years! Just look at these photos from 2006! We were wearing them in 2005 too!

Aprons were just coming in “style” and we were ahead of the time LOL! We changed to pink aprons in 2007, and then came 2008 and I designed an apron for my dress on the Lakehouse doll dress quilt.

Well all my years of apron experience has paid off. I’m going to be the judge for Pat Sloan’s apron challenge! Me…the knower of all aprons!

You’ve got a chance to win big! Just click here and read the rules (Pat’s not known for rules just fun)! Then click on her Flickr group and upload your apron photo. I’ll be strolling by every now and then to see the entries. And when it’s time to judge you’ll KNOW I’m qualified!

I might even have an apron of my own up my sleeve, so to speak. Fall market is right around the corner and I remember writing some kind of pattern that had a waistband in it. Oh that’s right! Now I remember but I can’t tell!

Have a great Wednesday!

Hugs,

Anne

Breast Cancer Quilt

Have you heard about the “Forget-Me-Not” quilt?  It’s been touring some of the quilt shows and if you happened to be in Long Beach this past weekend you may have seen it. 

It’s the brain child of Meg Hawkey from Crabapple Hill Studio, and it comes from the hearts of 25 designers. 

It’s a quilt filled with stories, hope, love and prayers.  Wouldn’t you love to own this quilt?  Just look at the back of the quilt!  Meg designed the signature blocks for the back of quilt, we all signed our names, and she pieced together a quilt back as wonderful as the quilt front! 

You can buy a raffle ticket to win this beautiful quilt!  It’s a one of a kind quilt and all the proceeds go to the Susan G Komen Foundation to fight breast cancer.  Visit the Susan G Komen web site to buy a raffle ticket and view a close-up of each block.  It will be the best $10 you ever spent and you could end up owning this beautiful quilt. 

Most of us have been touched by Breast Cancer at some point in our lives.  I lost my mother and my sister to breast cancer and every stitch in my block is  honoring them. 

Here’s a close-up of my block.  The bunny in the basket is “me” and I’m holding two hearts (mother and sister).  The tag says “Imagine”…

Someday it will be more than just imagine.   It will be a world without breast cancer and you can help!

Get out that credit card and enter!  Do it today so you don’t forget.  The drawing will be held December 1st.  Click here!

Have a great Monday everyone!

Hugs,

 

Anne

In Love With Color Cards!

The brown tuck came again yesterday. 

 

…and left this stack of boxes!  Hummm…see some United Notions boxes in this stack! 

It means more “French General” Pincushions AND this color card…

Can you believe it?  This is the Moda Bella color card!  I am so in love with this card and this fabric!  This is the best solid collection ever and it comes in all these colors! 

You’ll find Bella fabric in almost every design I make.  Bella =  variety & easy to find fabric.   The next time you’re shopping, stock up on a selection of Moda Bella.  You’ll have an instant rainbow of useable color! 

I’m off to sew for the rest of the afternoon!  What a great weekend for appliqué!

Hugs,

Anne

Yesterday

Yesterday Bunny Hill closed at 3PM so that this mixer…

and these girls…

could make these cookies with my assistant Brigette…

while wearing these French General aprons…

A good time was had by all, but some were a little tired after the fun!

You can buy these same aprons (one size fits all) on our web site under notions.   Then, as soon as I talk Brigette into her recipe, you can make these cookies too!  They are the best chocolate chip cookie ever!  Maybe she’ll post it on her new blog…it’s coming soon!

Hope you have a chocolate chip cookie kind of day! 

Hugs,

Anne

Reading Material

I’m always on the lookout for new reads.  Just so happens I found two of them this week.

Ok, you may not need to read the first one…just thought I’d point it out because it’s my “Sugar Bunny” quilt on the cover!   Well, part of the quilt...they cut off the bunnies and changed the colors!  But it’s my quilt and hey it’s on the cover minus a few star points.  

And there’s more! Inside the book, they credit the quilt design to Anna Sutton.   You’ve heard of her, that famous Anna Sutton?  Hummm, name sounds familiar to me.

The second find, “Blogging for Bliss”  I recommend as a good read if you like blogging or reading blogs.  Not only does it have some great blogs inside, it has information and tips on blogging!  Our own Pam Kitty Morning and Happy Zombie are in the book! Congratulations ladies!

I visited The Vintage Magpie blog yesterday as I was looking through the book…cost me a bit of money.  She makes bunnies!   Cute ones and you know who, (me) bought one.  I was influenced by that Anna. 

Have a great day everyone!  I’ll be reading more of this book later! 

Hugs,

Anne (with an e)

The Pink Box

It arrived in the mail looking quite unassuming.  A large priority mail box, like all the other boxes arriving and departing from Bunny Hill.

I knew it was special the moment I saw the return address, and a bit of pink tissue inside…Carrie Nelson, Miss Rosie’s Quilt Company. 

You just won’t believe the treats that were inside this box!  There’s a pink theme going on inside! 

It’s so amazing, this thing we call designing.  You actually end up with FRIENDS!   Designer friends!  Friends who think about each other,  who like each other, who care about each other!   How lucky is that?

I love designing, but I love the friendships even more.  Thank you Carrie!  I’m a lucky bunny to have a friend like you! 

Have a great Monday everyone!  Maybe I’ll mix up something in that pink mixer using my new pink spatulas.

Hugs,

 

Anne 

Creative photo practice session

I LOVE the way Camille takes her photos.  You know the photos I’m talking about don’t you?  They have the tilt to them.  The angle that give the subject interest? 

So there I was yesterday, up in the studio, putting away my cotton ric rac (rick rack) that just arrived.  (Yes you can spell ric rac either way.) I get this great idea to take a picture for you! 

First I take this one…

Straight up photo: bookshelf with new ric rac,  AND new French General pincushion that I LOVE! No awards here except for maybe the pincushion and the ric rack. So how boring is this photo I ask myself?  Why can’t I be more like Camille?

So I take another photo…camera tilted…

…made myself feel a little sea sick.  Had to move that big pincushion.  It almost fell off LOL!  How does Camille do it?

Let’s try again with my new bunny from Jennifer Murphy…

…Oh no!  I left in the pink file folder and that tacky yellow Tupperware cup I drink out of!  Can you believe I did that?  Oh and that pencil sharpener too! Tilt is there, but the background is SO tacky!

One more time and I’m sure I’ll get it…

…Oh I think this is better.  Just a few lessons from Camille and I might have it!  Notice how the cup is gone and the shelf in the background is blurred.  She’d be proud of me! 

 

So now I try this one…tilt the PINCUSHION and leave the camera straight.  Pure genius.  Ok, I admit not quite genius. 

It does give me a chance to rave about The French General linen pincushion from Moda…it’s LONG, and HEAVY, and I just love it!  It’s weighted and I do mean weighted.  If you had two, you could do arm exercises.  There’s something about them that’s so cool. 

I have them on my web site so you can buy one too.  Just look under notions.   These are heavy (a little over 3 lbs) but we found we can fit one in a flat rate envelope!  It’s true!   Unless you live in another country or your postman has weak arms! 

Back to photography school…

 

Hugs, 

 

Anne

She’s a good old dog…

Never thought this would apply to MY dog. 

I don’t know when this happened, but it happened almost overnight.  Bitsy has gray hairs. 

Not only does she have gray hairs, but she’s almost completely deaf.  I get an ache in my heart just thinking about it.  She turns 14 in October and I’ll be at market during her birthday! She’s so much a part of the Bunny Hill Studio.  She’s always by my side (or Chelsea’s). 

Look at her in January of this year…

And today…

This just isn’t possible!  This week for the first time she refused a walk in the morning. 

A nap on the studio day bed with a few friends is just fine thank you very much. 

She still plays with her toys and she’s pretty spry, but she’s definitely looking older regal.

I’ve named one of my new designs for her.  She loves it, so I guess that’s a good sign…“Bitsy Button”  is debuting at Fall market!  For all of you who have “good old dogs”…it’s for you too!  

Hugs,

Anne

This is my first quilt…

I may have loved pink, but I lived with red. Cottage red and yellow. 

The date was  January, 1997.  It was the year of Debbie Mumm, brick fabric and the color red.   I took my first quilt class from Laura Nownes.   “Quilts, Quilts, Quilts” by Diana McClun & Laura Nownes was the book.  My copy is FILLED with notes.

Notes that allowed me to make this sampler quilt…

I was obsessed with this quilt.  I loved this craft called quilting and I couldn’t get enough. My first theory  in 1997 was if you made the quilt, you HAD to hand quilt it!  A theory that didn’t last very long.

That’s not binding on the quilt.  It’s the backing basted to the front.  Much of the quilt is still basted together. My first quilt remains unfinished, but at least I can say I tried.  Horrible quilting, but I tried!  Even used the wrong batting, but I still tried.  And the appliqué?  Well, if you messed up a point just take a few extra stitches over it.  Oh my! There’s hope for us all!

My second theory in 1997 was houses had to be made out of brick fabric…I would have NEVER considered pink flowers!  I collected all the brick fabric I could find.  Who knew when I’d need another house? Humm… wonder what happened to all that brick fabric? I bet Laura hid it!

Now this may surprise you, but I still live with red and still love it.  Our master bedroom is filled with red.   That’s not pink on the bed, but a red & white toile.  My first quilt sits on a shelf in this room.  Folded neatly, waiting for the “quilter” to re-appear. 

My most recent quilt, that I can show you is “A Vintage Christmas”.  Pink & Red! 

It goes perfectly in my home at Christmas! 

Chelsea loves my last quilt.  She’s a vintage kind of dog and she loves Christmas!  Right Chelsea? (Disappointed in the plastic veggie tray…she wanted silver I’m sure.) Oh, and did I tell you she LIKES my first quilt?  She told me so this morning! Reminds her of the tomatoes on this veggie tray! 

Thanks Camille and Carrie for thinking up this first quilt idea! 

 

Hugs,

Anne

Pink Goes With Everything!

I’ve been into pink for quite awhile.  Put me in a room and ask me to choose anything I want and I'm pretty sure it would be something pink.

We’ve been busy this week at Bunny Hill, but not so busy that I can’t take a minute to appreciate pink.  This came today in the brown truck and it was a glorious moment.  Shhh…a minute of silence for pink…she’s  here! 

  

I carried her up to the studio for her first photo, and to show you that pink really does go with anything!  Isn’t she beautiful?  And now that she’s had her photo taken, I will carry her very carefully down to my kitchen and give her a home.  I’m so excited to own this mixer! 

And while I was looking online for the mixer look what else I found pink…

…chef knives, with white ceramic blades!  Of course I bought them too! Carried these knives up to the studio to prove my point…pink goes with everything…even pressing boards and rulers!  I have to say, as a pink lover I could NOT believe my good luck when I found these.  May just have to whip up a pink cake, in my pink mixer and cut it with my pink knife. 

So why am I going on and on about pink?  To prepare you for the quilt that’s coming in my next post.  My very first quilt.  I’m only letting you see it because of Camille and Carrie.  If you were in a room full of first quilts and had to pick the quilt I made, you would NEVER choose this quilt.  Not one scrap of pink in it!  Not one! And the appliqué?  Oh my goodness!  Think I need to get creative with the photo…

Back soon with my first quilt…

 

Anne