Sun + Long Grass = Hay

Last summer the rain chased away all prospects of haymaking.

This year, July nearly gone, the sun shone and the haymaking ensues in our neighboring fields.

Farmer Pat is happy.

Why, of course! Have you not seen his helpers? They are the cutest tractor watchdogs you'll ever lay your eyes on.

Make hay, make hay, hey, make that hay!


Roll on, your silly self!


Hope your internal sun is shining, and remember to make hay!

Since You All Seem So Interested

Thank you! I was pleasantly pleased with the numerous comments regarding the impending birth of our Irish Quilting magazine. So much so, please indulge me as I solicit even more information from all you quilters (and nonquilters--join in!).

We are working around the clock to ensure our premier issue, launching in October, is a what YOU want out of your new quilting magazine, Irish Quilting.

We are in the imagery phase, so if you spot the cameras and quilts over yonder, you can bet it's us. Irish Quilting magazine highlights the gorgeous scenery, indoors and outdoors, of Ireland. If you're local and you've got a colorful quilt prime for modeling, give me a jingle.

What are your quilting questions?..Tips, techniques, history, what's what and who's who of quilting... Now's your time to ask and we'll track down the answers.

Also, feel free to scan the topic titles below and rattle up some questions. Comment here and we'll do our best to print some answers! Alternately, if you have favorite designers or fabric lines (especially Irish), quilting notions, puh-lease plug away, you just might see them between the pages of IQ.

Upcoming Features in Irish Quilting
Top Designers Dazzle Countryside with Colour
Off the Hook Shopping Online
Quilts Get Sexy, Not Your Grandmother's Craft
Irish Eyes Decade of Designs
Winter Romance Pattern
Legacy Pattern Feature
When Charity Drives Creativity
Home on the Emerald Praire, Scrap Sensation by Irish Designer Terri McNeill
Birdcage Set Free, Pattern by Anna Maria Horner
Designers on Show: Anna Marie Horner, Tammy Tadds, Luana Rubicon, TerriMcNell, Elizabeth Scott...
Regular appearances inlude: 5-6 featured patterns; tips and techniques; craft cousin; scrapping; quilting roadmaps; quilted accessory; traveling quilter; kids at quilting; events; web directory; inside the life of (designer); shop directory and much, much more...

Upcoming Special Episodes
Time for LongArm Quilting
How and Why to 'Show' Your Quilt
Spin the Colour Wheel
Hand Quilting vs. Machine Quilting
Use Your Laptop to Make Your Lap Quilt, Quilting Software
ABCs of Applique
Work that Workshop!
EBay for Quilters
To Blog or Not to Blog
Rounding out a Round Robin
Where's the Batting? Guide to Sandwiching Your Quilts
Find Your Muse to Create Your Own Patterns
Say Cheese! How to Photograph Your Quilt
Reach for the Sky! How to Hang Your Quilt
Stand Proud! Why You Should Show Your Quilt
Free for the Asking, Quilt Goodies
The Ultimate Sew-In
Quilting Retreats
Redwork Quilting
Amish Quilting
History of Quilts: Quilts Get Sexy; Irish Roots; The TransAlantic Piecing

Finally, a note from our human resource department, blogger to blogger, if you're a writer who's interested in contributing magazine content, get in touch with me. You never know!

Thanks a bunch!

Another Look

Your thoughts? (Specifically, on the masthead/name,...the pic and the tag lines are just filler text.)

Congrats to Jane at Sew Create It as our random winner to this query. Jane, drop me your address in an email and I'll send the chocolate your way!!

Cashin' on the Favorites

Did anyone else notice the anonymous comment that Johnny Cash was a quilter? You know, I sorta buy that idea. But then again, anyone who shares gossip and signs themselves Anonymous, well, you gotta wonder. But still, maybe so.


Too bad for Anonymous, we wanted to award him/her just cause Cash is a favorite in our house. There's still time for more hearsay, go comment and I’ll be pulling the random winner tomorrow.

Speaking of favorites, we at VerrySherry cashed in! Firstly, thanks to Kelly who organized this quirkly little, big Favorites swap. She thoughtfully connected me with another Sherryverry nice. Like how I sher my name?

Oh, alright, I’ll stop with the name plays.

According to me, Kelly did a knockout job and it couldn’t have been an easy job; I think there were over 300 bloggers playing along! Sherrie, my partner, is a quilter and a very thoughtful one at that.

She sent me her favorites, which are now my favorites. They were adorable in quilty wrapping paper. Too sweet!


A lovely quilt top done in her favorite colors. What a gift! DH was floored. I get to finish it off and keep it! Thinking I might add one more border so it is that large enough for me to lounge with it in my favorite chair. I thought this was an incredible gesture and handiwork and I love it!!!

A patriotic pin cushion. Ok, hold on to your seats, when I say..I do not own a pin cushion. I know, I know, what kind of seamstress am I? A dangerous one. So says DH as he gingerly picks a straight pin from his sock.
I now own a lovely pin cushion and solemnly swear to use it gladly.

The Quiltmaker’s Gift book by Jeff Brumbeau and Gail de Marcken. The most touching gift for the whole family. We’ve read the story over and over and it is now by far a favorite in our home. What a gift!

and last, but not least, M&Ms…uh, um, candy? I think it was something like premium, decadent flavors and almonds in your traditional M&Ms. I think? It all happened so fast. We wolfed that bad baby down before the postman made it out our gate. Yummy.

Thank you Sherrie. You are one of my favorites!

Here's to the Memories

Eighteen years ago we were twenty something city slickers in San Francisco. We lived life high on Taco Tuesday happy hours at the Golden Gate Bar & Grill and Bloody Mary-drenched breakfasts on the deck at Sam's in Tiburon.
We reveled at rowdy 49er tailgate parties and hosted rooftop barbeques below the soaring Blue Angels. We clubbed and danced all night at neighborhood haunts like Cal's and Covered Wagon, and many other hot spots. Oh how the memories live on.

Eighteen years ago I met Colleen, Cutiepie's 'godmutter'. She was fun. She was smart. She was the life.
We had the life. She is fun. She is smart. She's still the life. And we're honored to have her in our life always.

Happy Birthday Colleen! We love you.

64,000 Question

Which celebrity quilts?

Though they are greatly admired, I'm not talking about celebrity quilters, but rather starlets or otherwise famous people who quilt.

Rack your brains, nudge and ask your fellow quilter, and pass the gossip onto me. Please!

Plus, there is another Irish Chocolate Beans Bar up for grabs. Leave a comment and be that random winner!!

Random Winner Who's Not Random At All

Using www.random.org, a winner was selected for this jury.

But the winner, Angie, my sister, is the most "un-random" person I know. From a million miles afar, she reads my blog and delurks every once in awhile to leave a comment. Though, she remains a visitor in blogland, in later emails she comments on my posts, my girls, my life in a touching way showing just how much she cares. She is a guardian angel who views our day-to-day life through a cyber window.

So congratulations Angie Angie--my not-so random-sister, but randomly generated winner! (Long ago, the girls misinterpreted her 'Auntie Angie' name to be Angie Angie. So be it.)

Thanks to all who voted!! Our prototype issue unveils in mid August.
Stay tuned!

This Old MacDonald Has a Franchise

The morning was sunny and the roads were dry. A clean fresh feeling fell over me, following a string of rain drenched summer days here in Ireland. Yesterday I finished listening to my last audio book, and so as I drove, I focused on the playful bantering coming from the radio.

Two DJs were mocking a local car dealership who had set out to increase their sales by using red white and blue balloons and banners, creating a faux celebration hoopla for the 4th of July. An otherwise uneventful day in Ireland.

Smiling, I pulled over and dialed into the radio show and thanked them for making me homesick.

Soon news reports were repeating for the gazillionth time that a recession has descended upon Ireland.

In a quirky twist, reported the newsperson, one company's policital correctness had backfired when they terminated a rather large number of employees explaining that as the company must downsize they had hoped to limit such financial burden on nearby households, where many husbands and wives were both employed at this one factory. Thus, the company proceeded to terminate one partner in each married couple. Future hiring policy would prohibit husbands and wives from being hired within the company.

The following morning, five of the now-jobless women, wives of husbands employed by said company, marched into court and began divorce proceedings. Apparently, given the choice of your husband or your job, they chose the job.

I'm a bit perplexed by that choice.

What would you choose?

Our day ended with sloshy puddles. While it may have started sunny nostalgic of my California 4ths of July, I cut my work day short, took the girls to the library, checked out more audio books and soon set out to early dinner as our Independence treat. In keeping Americana style, we dined at McDonalds...or Ol'MacDonalds as wee lassie Cutipie says.

Eating a Big Mac at Old MacDonalds will have to suffice for our Irish American 4th of July.

There's always next year for the BBQ. Enjoy your 4th!

Hanging on the Line

This colorful quilt is for a baby due to arrive in just three weeks. We enjoyed a lovely sunny baby shower on Sunday and mom-to-be was happy to receive this quilt.

In case you noticed, the red diamonds and their cut off points are more proof that I should focus my efforts on making a top quilt magazine as opposed to making elaborate quilt tops where I continually sell short proper time management and always end up with dull points.


Thank you everyone for voting on the last post; the random winner will be announced later this week!