An adventure in Portland

Last week I got a message from Debbie Busby of Wooden Spool Designs. We have met many times at Quilt Markets and always had a great time in our brief visits....but for all of you who have gone to market you know that if you are in a booth, visits unfortunately can't be too long! Anyway, she knew I was in Portland and asked if maybe we could get together one day. So....on Tuesday I took the MAX (Portland's wonderful light rail) to it's last stop going east and Debbie picked me up and took me on an adventure. We drove through beautiful countryside and ended up at her home. It was such fun to see her treasures and to visit her studio. Here she is standing in front of one of the old wooden stands in her work area. The whole room was full of wonder.....



....and here Debbie is again in the middle of the room....every where you looked there was a bit of inspiration. Debbie is just like her smile...warm and welcoming. It was such fun to see her new projects that she is developing for Spring Quilt Market....They are still a secret...but I know you will all love them!

Don't you love how she used the stack of suitcases for a lamp stand. I forgot to ask if she uses them for storage too....but I know mine at home are all full of samples,etc. She later took me to her favorite antique store and sure enough she found a smaller case to add to her collection.

The antique paper stands add a wonderful look in her shipping area. I saw one similar to this later that day when we were shopping, but it was a little too big to carry back on MAX....so it had to stay at the shop. I love it, don't you?

All in all it was a great day. I of course found some treasures of my own and plan on sharing them with you. I also took some photos of Debbie's version of Wool Crazy. She has taught it at a local quilt store, Hollyhill Quilt Shoppe in West Linn and her samples are very fun.

We had snow in Portland yesterday morning. It only stayed for an hour, but it was so beautiful to see. My grandkids were very excited!

Visiting Debbie's studio made me come back and work on my mystery stitchery....I only have two more blocks left.....and I think I'll close and get to work....Bye for now, Jo Ann

Back in Portland

I am back in Portland again. Actually I came back on the 31st of January, but I spent the first 3 days wallowing in a cold! I wasn't much use to anyone....although Nick came home sick from school that first day and he had to put up with me! I finally felt like a human being by Thursday...and just in time, because Megan had planned a girl's weekend at the Oregon Coast!

Before I tell you about that, I wanted to share block #2 of the Folk Branches bom at The Country Loft.....remember that it is a mystery and won't be put together until the end. I now have the first 7 done, but you will have to wait to see them! Of course this is Heart Branch...right in time for Valentine's Day.

....and now onto the coast. I love the Oregon Coast. It is so different than the beaches in Southern California! We were lucky to be staying in Megan's friend's family home just steps from the famous Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach. My sister Marlene is walking down the stairs to it. We had overcast, but calm weather during our stay and were able to trek up the beach both days.

Megan planned this trip, because her friend, Val came to visit from Iowa....This is a photo of Megan (on the right), Val (middle) and my niece Margaret. They have all been friends for years.
... and here we are our first night in the beach house. Gene had sent us all a gift for the weekend (head scratchers) and Margaret is showing hers off....It was such fun to spend some time away and just visit, eat, drink and be merry.

Can you see that Megan's hair is starting to grow back. The clinical trial drug that she is on now does not kill hair cells, so she is sporting a fuzzy head. So far it is dark, but she said she is just glad to get some back ! Sophie might like her Mom having her hair color!

Going on this journey with Megan has taught us all to enjoy each and every moment (maybe not the ones suffering with a cold).....but all the special little things of life.

Thanks everyone for all your messages and prayers. We all so appreciate them....

Hope you are having a great day and I send you all a special wish for a special Valentine's Day with those you love......Jo Ann

Finally! Here I am again.....

Hey everyone!
It has been so long since I have written, I don't even know where to start. I haven't been sewing a whole lot, so I don't have much to share with you on that. The last time I wrote, I had just moved up to Portland for awhile and then flew off to Quilt Market.

Well, I am still living in Portland helping out in anyway I can with Megan and her family. Life up there is sooooo different weather wise than San Diego. Here is a photo of my street the first week I was there. The fall colors were beautiful.....




....and here is a photo of my sister Marlene and her husband Thomas' home in Washington with a Christmas snow.....Something we definitely do not have at home. I have gone out a few times to visit with them. Gene came up to spend 9 days at Christmas and we had a big family sleepover on the 26th...it was wall to wall beds!

.....and here is Megan and her husband, John. As most of you know she is fighting a second bought of cancer. I moved up to Portland when she started her chemo. Unfortunately the cancer wasn't impressed by this treatment at all! It was such a disappointment. She is now involved in a clinical trial for a drug nicknamed "Ippy"...She has had 2 doses of it and will have 2 more before they test her to see how it is working. So many of you have written that you are praying for her. Thanks so much for keeping her in your thoughts....and any prayers you can add for this new treatment would be great.

Last week we all flew down to San Diego, so that Megan could see all of the family. I am one of six kids and my sister Kathy had a big family dinner last Friday night. Here are my grandchildren who we forced into a picture. It was nice to have them all together. The next day Megan and John took their two to Disneyland and then they flew home yesterday.

I am staying home until next Monday.....I had a lot of paperwork to do for JAM...and we decided to finally remodel our bathroom while I am gone, so I am busy trying to order tile, fixtures, etc. It is a hassle getting it going, but this bathroom should have been condemned years ago....:))) ...and I finally can get rid of the awful bedroom carpet....YEAH!!!!

I am designing a new block of the month for The Country Loft...it is a mystery quilt. Each month they will unveil the next block until you have the whole quilt....it is called Folk Branches...This is the first block, Crow Branch. We thought it would be a fun way to present it and this gives me some extra time to get it together too....(true confessions)

I will try to be better about writing....and keeping you posted on things. Again, thanks for all your notes and good wishes. I hope that some of you have been trying the new projects in Crazy at Home....If you have, send me photos of what you have done....:)))

Bye for now.....Jo Ann

A little bit of Market

It has been awhile since I found time to write all of you, so I thought I would give you a little update....

I am all settled into my apartment in Portland...I was able to take a flying visit to Quilt Market in Houston. Kathy, my sister, and Sharon and Joe (the owners of the Loft) went down and put up my booth for me...after they had done all the work, I came in for a little over a day and got to enjoy it....

These are not the best photos, but they did a great job on the booth....It looked wonderful. Mary and Porter Versfelt who live in Houston again lent us furniture...it sure helps to have something to put your stuff on...What we didn't borrow from them, Joe drove down in his truck....It sure is nice to have such great friends and family.

This is Kathy hard at work telling someone all about Crazy at Home....I can never thank them all enough! Market is fun...but a whole lot of work too.

I am all settled into my apartment in Portland. Megan had her first chemo treatment last week and is doing well. She had several really achy and tired days after it, but is feeling good this week. Thanks all of you for your prayers and good wishes....they mean so much.

Bye for now and if I don't post again before it, have a very wonderful Thanksgiving....Jo Ann

Crazy at home book signing

Today at the Country Loft we had a book signing for Crazy at Home......I thought you would like to see how everything looked set up in the backyard of the shop....

It was threatening rain all morning and we weren't sure it would work outside....but we were under an awning and that kept the light rain off of us....


We had all 15 projects displayed. It was such fun, because no one had seen all of them....

Next week they are all off to Houston. My sister Kathy and our owner Sharon will be taking them and I may come in for a day .....I am off to Portland tomorrow to be with our daughter Megan...

This is my mom, Gert....she was my special guest all day and made cookies for all the people who came to the signing....I think maybe they come for the cookies....:))))

Thanks everyone for all your thoughts and prayers....All my best, Jo Ann

CRAZY AT HOME

I want to thank everyone for the nice notes I have been receiving. All your thoughts and prayers are most welcome. Megan hopes to find out what the procedures will be sometime in the next few days. It will be good to be starting the fight against this unwelcome guest in her body. She has a great attitude and a lot of people who are there for her, and that goes a long way!

Gene and I went up to Portland on October 8th and we found an apartment for me to rent. I will be up there as long as I am needed to help out with the kids and whatever. I am so glad that I will be near her....a thousand miles is too far away to hug her!

I've been busy getting all of my classes in order and kits made up for them....It is great to stay busy.....and I've also gotten everything ready for Quilt Market in Houston. My sister Kathy and my boss and friend, Sharon will be running my booth there. I pick up CRAZY AT HOME tomorrow and we will be having a book signing at The Loft on Saturday from 10 to 1....(you can preorder books online at www.cloft.com )

I am headed off to my studio to cut out some projects to take with me. I know there will be a lot of down time and of course I will need some stitching and wool to keep me occupied.

Take care everybody and if you have a chance check out the website my son just made for me....it is www.jampatterns.com You can't order from it, but you can dream and then contact The Country Loft if you want something.

All my best...Jo Ann


Some of the projects in Crazy at Home....:)))

A bit more fall

Hey everyone....A few weeks ago I showed some of my fall decorations and I decided to show you some more.....This runner if from a pattern by Cheri Payne, made by my friend Donna....and the mat is one from a pattern by Cheryl Wall for her company, Country Quilts....

I love carved folk art....Here are some of the pieces I have collected over the years...

This jack-o-lantern bag is one we made in my monthly Brown Bag classes...(you come to class once a month and have no idea what you will make...all you know if that it will be in a brown bag)

......and a crate full of pumpkins....my sister Kathy made the mat...

....and she also made the bird from Renee Plains book .... This little display is on my kitchen counter.....I actually did leave enough room to still use it when forced to cook....:)

I hope you enjoyed the little Fall tour....in Southern California the fall colors in our homes are much more abundant than the ones outside....:)

This last few weeks have been hard ones for our family. Our daughter Megan found 5 years ago that she had eye cancer. After lots of treatment and losing her eye, it looked like she was out of the woods.....but now the cancer has returned. They are doing tests and she will be starting to fight it soon (we are not sure what that will entail) . She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and a 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter.....I will be going up there to help out and staying as long as they need me....So, you may not be hearing from me very often......I ask that all of you keep her in your prayers. Take care.....Jo Ann