Can It Be Even More Bahful?

Yes, I am still alive, just a terrible blogger. The next time I am due for surgery (and boy does there always seem to be a next time) I need to schedule a block thingie so that all you wonderful people send me "presents". I can't even begin to tell you how fabulous it is to open envelopes and packages from all over the world and get these marvelous blocks. This is what Bah Humbug looked like as of February 27th:

There are a couple of items on the left hand side that aren't part of the future quilt, including the sweet postcard that Joe Tulips sent me. [By the way, J is currently working on a lettery geocaching quilt, it's wonderful and Holly G. in particular, you'd love it!]

My husband had a hard time believing it had actually come through the U.S. mail, despite seeing postage and a cancellation stamp on it.

I finally got so many blocks that they just won't fit on the design wall anymore. So this photo shows you a couple of the blocks that are in the previous photo (but didn't get nearly enough attention) plus the latest ones which arrived yesterday:

You can find out more about the blocks and their makers over at the UnRuly Quilting blog. Plus you can check out these two really fun UnRuly Letter quilts that Diane is working on here and here. Diane also sent me an extra block for me to use however I like in an UnRuly project:

I love the subway fabric. Diane works at City Quilter and this fabric is specially made for their store. Wheee, I've actually been on some of those routes. 

Along with the outrageous toothy Bah, the always joyful and fun Em sent me a great buggy glass dish. I love it, thank you!

Um, for those of you planning to do a Bah Humbug block, might I suggest that if you haven't already started it, that unless you are really excited about it, maybe you could um, not do one and wait instead for the next exciting project that we do. cuz holy cow, this quilt is going to be huge. I wish I had the skills of Victoria to make king-sized quilts with ease.

This blog post doesn't have the smoothest transitions, sorry. To refer back to the UnRuly Quilting blog, hey you can post any UnRuly project you're working on there. it doesn't just have to be the Bah Humbugs. I keep hoping Hedgehog will come and share some of her fabulous placenames at the UnRQ blog but meanwhile you can visit this wondeful project at this post.

Speaking of places you can show off UnRuly Letter projects: send an email with a photo of your project to Karen at kburns@martingale-pub.com to go into the Martingale photostream AND into the Word Play Quilts set. on Flickr.

I admit I haven't been commenting on blogs as much as I used to, for all sorts of reasons. But I managed to delete my entire blog subscription list (argh) and it's taken awhile to rebuild. There are some blogs which I would have sworn I'd resub'ed to that nope, still weren't turning up. Soo eek, if you haven't heard from me in awhile, feel free to poke me with a stick.  

I've gotten more fun prezzies in the mail, but I can't fit everything into this blog post, which is already rather unwieldy. But I definitely have to mention this. Wooohooo, Bonnie Hunter's new book Scraps and Shirttails II:

Wheee! I think my favorite quilt is Fair and Square:

I am so drawn to the strings and tiny squares. Lovely. If I were smart I'd cut out a bunch of those little squares so I'd finally have a leader ender project going.

I'm slowly getting better after the knees surgery. The second week after the surgery I was doing great and thought recovery would be such a breeze. Of course now I realize that had something to do with my husband waiting on me hand and foot and the lovely pain meds. Sigh. Now he's back to work (not to be seen in these parts for quite some time) and I'm having to take care of myself, the cats AND go to physical therapy. ow. It will someday be nice to walk without limping, which I realize I've been doing for years, compensating for the stupid evil tumor in my knee.

I've managed to do some sewing at last - woohoo! my husband got me a rolly chair, I put a mini rotary cutting mat on my table and set up on ironing station (tv tray covered with a towel and my beloved Rowenta Compact Iron.)

So I haven't gotten a LOT sewn, but at least some. I much prefer to stand while cutting, but you gotta do what you gotta do. But that's all secret...

I'm ever so grateful to have a laptop to work on while I recline with ice on my knees. I've been doing lots of sudoku as well, especially my newfound love Sum Sudoku aka Killer Sudoku. It involves math, which is hardly my strong point, but I've printed out cheat sheets to help. yes, pathetic as it is, I need to look up what combinations add up to 13 etc. I can do the easy puzzles and some of the moderate ones, but after that, whew, out of my depth.

So thanks again to everyone who has sent a block, card, present etc to me. It means a lot, even though I'm completely terrible about sending out thank you notes!!! I think this is enough of a novel, so signing off now. Later, gators.

Feeling Overwhelmed By All the Love

I have some of the sweetest dearest blog friends it is possible to have. Ya'all made me cry today, feeling all appreciated and loved.

And it IS all overwhelming! Rather than write a blog post that will take me another 10 hours to write, I'm going to include a Mr Linky box at the end of this post. Anyone who's posted about the Lazy/Liberated/UnRuly letters etc can add their post or blog to this. Hopefully I've included it correctly.

I am going to direct you to a couple of blogs though. Michele of With Hearts and Hands wrote up an amazing, thoughtful, funny post. thank you!

Em is celebrating at Em Celebrates and is giving away copies of the book. But ya gotta hurry and get over there quick, because I think it ends soon. My apologies for not getting a blog post done sooner.

I mentioned the Flickr collection that Martingale has got going on for quilts/projects done with UnRuly Letters. To get your photo added, send an email to Karen at kburns@martingale-pub.com

It will go into the Martingale photostream AND into the Word Play Quilts set. Although it is a hoot - I just looked at a photo where I am labeled as a sample made by Julie. hee hee hee.

This whole publishing thing has been a learning experience. For instance, today is the day the book is officially out, but that doesn't mean that it's in stores yet. My LQS say it won't be available until the 30th and that's what some of the online bookstores say too. eek. I had no idea it took that long. For anyone who can't bear the wait, apparently if you order it directly from Martingale it comes a lot sooner since they have it right there right now.

Don't forget to add your link if you've done a post. To everyone else, enjoy seeing all the creative quilts.

Almost Here

What's almost here you ask? My book, my book. Word Play Quilts is to be released in four days.

I have to admit I'm stressing out about it. Oh nooo what if everybody hates it? Eeek.

Lynne is eagerly awaiting the book. She is an absolute hoot. She has a countdown clock on her blog Patchery Menagerie and, even better, is showing her quilts that include letters. It's great to see the progression of her style. One of her quilts is in the book and I was lucky enough to see it at market. Fabulous!

Speaking of market, Tanya's quilt was hanging up in the Martingale booth looking all fabulous and fellow blogger BrendaLou got pics of her and me with the quilt. Small world!

And I hadn't even realized it, but Martingale has set up a Flickr set for quilts made with UnRuly Letters. Take a look at it here. (And geeze, I need to figure out what the heck my Flicker name was. oops...)

I've decided not to sell the book myself. That would just be one more level of organization and paperwork to deal with and I'm sooo not good at that. Instead, how about:

Your local (or favorite) quilt shop. We have to keep them in business. I know I'd have gone nuts without the JaM Patch and all the wonderful folks who work there. For ages they were the only quilters I knew when I moved to town and they've been so encouraging of all my work. Not sure if your quilt shop is going to carry my book? Just ask - I'm sure they'd be happy to order it for you.

Quiltville. Bonnie Hunter is a wonderful friend and fabulous quilter. Her site was the home of my letter tutorials for years and I'm not sure I'd have a book without her. This way you can order some of Bonnie's books at the same time. She has two out already and another one due in late January/early February. Man, I do not know how she gets so much done.


Quilt Books Unlimited. My book isn't listed there yet but I met the owner Cathy Neri in Houston, where we were staying at the same hotel. She is an absolute doll and I adore her. She's been reading my blog since I lived in Cairo and totally gets the whole UnRuly thing. She carries a great selection of quilt books which are hard to find elsewhere so she's a great resource.

Amazon. I will make a few cents if you buy it from the widget in my sidebar. 

I know, none of these will be autographed. I'm working on a plan to do bookplates which you can attach yourself.  I haven't worked out the details on that one yet (another thing I am stressing about). If anyone has design experience and want to come up with some fun bookplate options, just let me know.

There will be more book celebration stuff coming along, but it's kinda awkward to have it all occurring during the holidays. I think the book launch stuff will expand to include the month of January. Just like Halloween oozes over into Christmas (although that's reversed at the shopping malls). I've got Hallowistmas going on:

I've got errands to run. But a couple more quick kitty pics before I go. More from the photo session where I tried to include Lily along with the book and Cake:

and Pokey in the sunlight with the book. And wait is that shadow Howler?