Report from Houston and back in Aussie

Well I will try an pick up where I left off. Remember Robbie's mum Dorothy turned 90 on the 31st of October, well I missed the big surprise party so here is Dorothy (in the middle) surrounded by her friends drinking Champagne in her stretch limo being driven to her party. Robbie greeted her and as you can see much fun was had by all - what a special day Dorothy had surrounded by her family and friends who love her. Trust me she is far from a typical 90 year old!

Houston for me was exciting as always however I got sick (second time in Houston for me) and really spent most of my time in the Hotel room. Had to go to the Doctor who prescribed heaps of drugs and bed rest however I am still not over it. Evidently I have an upper and lower respiratory infection, bronchitis and fluid on my left lung - and am perched up in bed typing this. Good news am home, been to the Doctor for more drugs and today am feel quite a deal better.

In the brief time I was on the show stand I did get to say Hi to lots of people and thank all those who sent messages. Great to see Erica briefly on the first day of market, Petrina (whilst crossing the road after jogging), Margaret, Laura, Debi and Gail who all flew in for the show and to see me, so that was really special. Margaret was an angel and never left my side of hotel room while I was sick and Simon fussed over me as always, - I love you all.

Saw Theresa Robinson from VSM as always a special friend, Sue and Herb Hausmann along with the gang from Windham Fabrics. Had a wonderful dinner with Clifford Wallach, Ricky, Kay and the team JH (Janet, Paula and Pattie) on our first evening, so good to catch up with everyone. Also had dinner with Toshi and Randy from Janome USA. Many Aussies popped in to say hi and it was great to see Kim and David Bradley (picture below) venturing into the US market - way to go Kim.

Here is a pic of our amazing Janet and Simon who worked both Market and Festival, with smiling faces and happy banter (joined for festival by Pattie) these three are like little kids, even texting after we left - well they had a ball and do such a fabulous job at shows and promotions. Simon was at the end of a five week presenting tour of the US and Canada and still got up happy (well almost) every day of the show and looked after his ailing mother!

I did take pictures of the winning quilt but it was all blurry, a little like me I suspect. However this pic did turn out and it was the centre of a quilt that caught my eye - simply amazing and the technique was just so clever. Like a pressed tin ceiling I thought.

Well I do have more news, but will save it for the next blog. By the way hope the Aussies have CE 29 by now and the US should be out in the next week, hope you are enjoying it and getting those machines out and keeping them busy making wonderful projects for Christmas.

Until the next time,

Jenny

CE 29 cover, a quick catch up and the off to Houston!

Here is our cover for CE 29, I have received the advance, so 'from my mouth to God's ears' it should arrive in Australia in the next week or so and the US not long after. This is our Christmas edition and has heaps of glorious quick and easy projects for Christmas, as well as our War of the Roses quilt directions it surely is a must have! Lots of memorable dates since my last blog posting, (sorry it has been so long) but with Simon away for nearly five weeks, presenting around the US and Canada, we have been rather frantic back home here in Aussie. By the way Simon is having a wonderful time and I know he would like to thank everyone for making him feel so welcome - he is having an amazing time and of course he is cute and very good at what he does!

Harvey turned two in September, as well as Kirstin his mum having a birthday so birthdays are on our list of events.

Baby Zoey has had her 6mth birthday and is doing well and as you can see quite the little girl now and is just such a happy baby - every day we thank God for her as she is that day.

Robbie, our dear friend and editorial assistant for CE's mother (Dorothy) turns 90 at the end of October, so we took her out for a special afternoon tea - she is simply amazing - we all say if we can be as good as she is then we all want to reach 90. Dorothy has recently moved into her own luxury apartment, knits teddy's for the Children's hospital (she has knitted way over 100 so far), takes herself out daily and is generally a social butterfly - happy 90th Dorothy you are our hero.

Robbie, Laurie and I have been frantically working on orders for our Jazzy&Me patterns as well as our Special Edition CD's so that has 'kept us off the streets' so to speak. We have also made a spectacular long line vest (which I will be wearing in Houston) as well as a very 'Picnic at Hanging Rock' Victorian white gored dress with eight frilled circles on the bottom of it. On top of that are working on an embroidered patchwork quilt made with the When Dreams Flower fabric and using our latest (not released) special embroidery collection to be called Sam's Love Hearts and then there is Simon's quilt Fabricadabra which will be released under the Special Editions label featuring a fabulous new technique. So you can see everything is go, go, go in Aussie.

I leave for Houston on the 27th October, so am thinking about packing as well - just hate packing, but it is a necessary evil. So if you are at the International Quilt Market/Festival please look us up we would love to see you.

So till I come back from Houston,

Remember: Miracles happen for those who believe in them - I am a true believer!

Having Fun in the Sun - Spring is Here Yipee!!

I have to confess to spending time at the beach in the last month. As you can see the sun is shinning the the weather is beautiful heralding Spring. Below is a picture of my sister Sue, who took time off from her duties as a consulting Doctor (up in Brisbane) to have a long week-end at the beach with me. We had just finished our morning walk on the beach and believe it or not, as there was no one on the beach, I stripped off and went for a swim - it was magic.

Sue loves to pose for pictures so here she is on a rock platform with the beautiful sea behind her taking time out after one of our morning walks. Cleo, Kirstin and gorgeous Harvey came down to visit on Sunday and of course Noo Noo had to get Harvey a present - he chose a Wheelie Bin (Trash can) only pint sized - he would not let it go and would let no one touch it - even took it to bed with him. He had to practise taking it out to the road and back again in anticipation of trash day!

Spring is now finally here and I am so happy, I am a true Sun worshipper and just love the warm sunny days. Below is a picture of my daughter Sam and myself at Cockle Bay, (opposite side to Darling Harbour), last Sunday having lunch - the weather was glorious and the harbour sparkling blue with the sea gulls enjoying tit bits that were thrown to them. The food is always perfect at Nick's Seafood restaurant not to mention the Mojito's! I got into trouble from both Simon and Sam as I had not up dated this blog for a while - imagine my surprise when I realised my last posting was on the 20 of August. I have been spending more time at Toowoon Bay taking a week off enjoying the first day of Spring which was 24 degrees and the water is 18 degrees so all was perfect. Robbie was also up at the beach so we enjoyed leisurely strolls along the beach and a coffee at a little cafe that overlooks the bay. This became our ritual with our little white companions Honey and Mitzie - we never take this amount of time off, but we thought it time we stopped and smelled the daisies.

On the home front, Simon is home for a brief period, (check out Simon's teaching schedule for October on our web site) during which we celebrated Harvey's second birthday up at the beach. We all had the best of days, and could not believe that it was two years since Harvey was born. He is such a bright little thing leaving me saying, 'Talk to you on the phone Noo Noo, luv you.' Quite the little charmer like his father!

Yes we have been working, the Special Edition project based design CD's have been an amazing success and everyone has loved them so thank you for your support.

We have finished CE 29, which looks fabulous - this is our Christmas edition so is filled with wonderful holiday ideas and projects, not to mention Christmas gift ideas. Jazzy & Me patterns are now released and only cost $12.95 each, with the projects being so much fun and so easy - perfect if you just want to sew for fun or to start someone sewing. Kirstin, Harvey's mum came down one day and made an owl pillow had it finished in under an hours and she is just starting to sew.

Well will save the cover of CE 29 for the next blog and some teaser pics. I have caught everyone up to date and now do not feel so guilty for not being for punctual with my blogs - hope you are all well and happy and God is smiling on you.

Jenny

Special Edition, Project Based Design CD's

SPECIAL EDITION PROJECT BASED DESIGN CD'S OUT NOW!

I cannot believe it has been over a month since I up dated my blog - sorry everyone, my life is over whelming me at present. I am sure you all know this feeling - and I had another birthday which at my age is very depressing - not sure I like the alternative as yet.

Well we have been very busy with new products and ideas, but firstly check out our new web site design and all the new products. I am sure you will all love our new Special Editions project based design CDs. We now have complete directions plus all the embroidery designs to make many of our out of print most popular quilt patterns.

http://www.jennyhaskins.com/special_editions.php

The Jazzy and Me patterns are not quite ready, but we are close to it, hopefully they will be available in early September - it is me who is holding everything up, as the the covers are complete and the pattern sheets done, I just need to write the directions, but I have been busy with CE 29 - which by the way looks amazing with over 40 holiday gift ideas in it.

In the meantime here is a preview of the one of the Jazzy & Me pattern covers. hope you like it. I had Kirstin test trial one of the patterns and she just loved it and had a T'wit T'wit Tawoo owl pillow done in around an 1 1/2 hours - she thought herself just so clever and that she was!

I have had a tiny break - went up to my beach escape for an extended week-end and did have some much needed time out. The weather was magic and I had my first swim for the season and it is still winter!

My special project has been to put a Gazebo in my front lawn - it looks so cute and perfect for sitting in the winter sun reading a book, watching Cooper-Jay and Honey having a play in the sun. It was lovely getting out in the garden again planting pansies and polyanthas and their bright little faces seem to be smiling!

Well I shall leave you with a picture of what it looks like and a promise to try and keep things more up to date in the future.

Jazzy & Me, Simple Creative Patterns

Mr and Mrs Twitt-Twitt-Twoo door stop OWLS.

Group picture, from left to right:

Mrs. Twitt-Twitt-Twoo, Toby and Tessa Teddy, Mr. Twitt-Twitt-Twoo with Dilly Dolly Dandy in the front.

Well they say as one gets older one reverts back to childhood - well this is what Robbie and I have been doing in our Sewing Studio. Now having grand babies in my life and being accurately aware that there is a whole generation out there that have never sewn, Jazzy & Me patterns are designed for the young first up sewer of the more experienced one who just wants to have fun. Robbie and I have enjoyed just 'playing' with simple creative projects that use our When Dreams Flower fabric collection - which by the way should be available in the US NOW!!

We have quite a few great ideas for more patterns, but so far we have the ones shown above along with three pillows and a bag - but lots more on the drawing board! Let me know what you think of our Jazzy and Me patterns idea - of course for us who still love to embroider all these patterns would be beautifully enhanced with our embroidery designs either straight onto the fabric or using my Embroidered Decoupage technique to embroider and apply embellishments to any of the patterns.

Have you tried our Peaches' Purses designs yet - you will just love them and they are just sew perfect to leave on your embroidery machine just stitching away - and not only that they are great to use and give-away - dare I say Christmas is not that far off!!

Looking forward to hearing your comments on our new pattern range - am off to dinner with my daughter Sammie.

Thank you and moving along

Thank you to everyone who emailed me in regards to my beautiful baby Zoey - your emails were so appreciated and I am happy to report Zoey is getting more beautiful on the outside everyday. Here round of specialist appointments start tomorrow with the Cardiologist and then the Neurologist, EEG's and so on. As Zoey's mum said 'I can only think in the moment anything else is just out of my mind space.' I have to agree with her and so we take it hour by hour day by day.

As you can see, here is the cover for CE 28, which is at the printers as we speak - it is simply the best and we are thrilled with it. There is just so much in CE 28 with heaps of new and different things to make, inspire and challenge you.

We have finally finished our black, white and red quilt War of the Roses which we will feature in CE 29 and Simon is working on a fabulous new quilt and technique. Peaches' Purses is finally released and can be ordered. Of course go to our web site for more information.

Simon is off to BU in Orlando on Friday so that is exciting and Robbie and I get to play - we have some exciting ideas for which to use our new fabric range -When Dreams Flower which I plan to share on my blog so there will be lots of new things coming up. I also want to have Simon redesign the blog layout so I can make it more interesting.

Well it is Monday night and my girlfriend Sandy is making a quilt and she is up to the cutting and piecing stage so I must go and check on her. I will try and be more regular with my postings in the future.

Life, love and grandbabies

How do you like Robbie's Melbourne Cup Race outfit - hat and hand bag - the hat features designs from Margaret's Magnificant Melody Design CD and the hand bag is hot off the press from Peaches' Purses - the directions for the hat will be in CE 28 and the directions for the purse will be on the design CD along with directions to make all the purses etc that are on the design CD - it is truly a beauty!

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words - well this is it - I don't want the yogurt and you are wearing it - and that I am right on the middle of the nose with one flick of the wrist - baby Cooper-Jay hit the spoon flying with the yogurt in it and I copped it - I had forgotten how to wear food but soon got back into the swing of things.

Well our lives will forever be changed since the birth of our beautiful baby Zoey Ruby-Rose (Cooper-Jay's baby sister) has Tuberous Sclerosis Complete a rare genetic disease which can be inherited if one parent has it but in her case it is a spontaneous mutation. This horrid disease allows non malignant tumors to grow on vital body organs like the kidneys, heart, eye and brain - all of which she has. The main concern is the brain and due to the fact that the tumors die and calcify electrical currents get blocked and cause little explosions which result in seizures - she has started at eight weeks. (I was hoping for an up dated picture of our little Zoe but the DVD my son Jason gave would not open!) The picture will have to wait for next time.

A week in Westmead Children's Hospital is a lesson in love given by the parents and amazing nurses and doctors, acceptance for parents and grandparents and a total new perspective on life. Seeing this apparently perfectly beautiful baby girl with electrodes covering her tiny head for an EEG - not once but twice, learning she is on a strong anti-seizure drug with the edict being given that from now on we all will follow the path her tiny body leads us truly makes one realise you don't have a choice but to be strong. When I consider my life is nearly over and what can I do to be there for her and her parents and please God let it be for a while! (One good thing has come out of this I have discovered I can still cook on a regular basis - I have become a real soup kitchen!

Zoey is home now, doing all the wonderful things a 9 week old baby does, smiling, laughing, gurgling, kicking and bring a wonderful joy to us all, always tinged with the sadness of reality - but today is a good day and we are grateful for that.

Our beautiful Harvey is growing in charm, looks and chatter - he is like a sponge soaking up everything he sees and hears being the total little mimic - this we have learnt he is very good at too!

On the work front which has taken a second place we are still all on track with CE 28 being just completed and now we are up to our next projects - we have three new quilts in the making and a new design CD coming along - and yes Peaches' Purses will be out by next week - it is quite a large project, but we know you will love it.

On that note I must away and get back to work, forgive me Erica I am trying to be faithful in my blog up dates, but life has thrown us all a curve ball and it is a little hard to catch at present, love you all Jenny.