Explore Further

Several days ago I was sitting, stumming my fingers at the dining room table, early...early, with coffee in hand. In all honesty I was wandering through Pinterest -- when I came upon a pinboard titled Explore Further.

Love this title, and naturally I dove in to see what wonders could be found amongst its 94 pins.

Finding several must haves, repining began... but I really fell in love with the title.

Exploring Further , to me, this is what life is about.

We search out things that make our heart sing and get our minds spinning.
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It has been quite some time since I began to cook up the idea of using my blog to do just this thing.

As my life begins to settle my need to explore grows, and in January my blog will start exploring the basic art elements. Each month will be dedicated to one of the elements and there will be opportunities for everyone to jump in.

As we explore we may uncover all sorts of things. Some BIG, some small, but really who is to say.
I want to become a place where peeps could come explore, or be inspired and be encouraged to for their own personal exploration, and share.

As for the pinterest board Exploring and Sharing.....
What would you pin onto this board?

Do you have a subject that you've wanted to delve deeper into -- become the explorer!

Please, please share it here --

Stitching On
~Rose

New Book Wonders

One of the fun things about writing a book or teaching a class is seeing some of the amazing things that appear from sharing a technique. This week -in the middle of all things moving- I heard from Theodra Rijkhoff up in Canada.

She was sharing a gift that she had just made using a couple of different projects from my latest book... Design, Create, Quilt.

Theodra made an e-book cover as a gift for her daughter-in-law. (lucky daughter-in-law).

 But, this is only the latest piece Theodra has shared. There have been others posted and I'd love to share them again here. These go back to 2009 and use Fast-Piece Appique as only Theodra can.

Thanks for sharing with Theodra.... Happy Holidays to you and your entire family!

Stitching On...
~Rose

The Baby's In

Sorry I kind of disappeared last week but the plan that started on my second visit to my new home was in the works. I love cooking and for this you need the best (and favored) tools. So as Dave and fell in love with the house on Clay St...the existing stove and oven had to go. This would not be as easy as just buying new, for the oven was from the 60s and they just don't make things the same size anymore... then there was the change from electric to gas.

As the unpacking was underway so also was finding just the right person to take a saw to my vintage (perfect) cabinets and rework the whole space. We were lucky indeed to be introduced to Ron Rock.

The space began its facelift with the removing the wallpaper, and from there the noise began. There is still painting and finish work, but the old is out and the new's in. What fun it was to see it in place and ready to go.

The plan had been to bake some yummy puff pastry chocolate treats first, for they had been the first thing I had baked in my last stove, but alas Kroger here in Paducah did not sell puff pastry, so I tried something else.


Decided to go with biscuits....





They were yummy.... and fed the work of painting that came next.

Location:Hughes' in Paducah

Pondering Gratitude

I have been sitting here in my new place in Paducah pondering gratitude...
how I would love to share some wonderful playful, adventuring way to nudge everyone to ponder along with me.

Well, the idea is there -- percolating -- like one of those old time coffee pots -- do you remember when the water boiled, then popped up to the top to percolate down through all that yummy coffee --- making everything smell wonderful.

Only my idea is still just boiling and the yummy stuff is still a bit out there yet.

See how distracted I am?!?
Luckily my friend Karen Johnson at Martingale was not daydreaming as I was, but having a grand time enjoying my new book... and writing about it!

After reading it, I know you'll enjoy hearing about it from her, and her page is offering big deals on my book and all the others at Martingale, too.

I promise to keep that idea popping...
and a huge thanks to Karen and everyone else at Martingale...they are really the best!

~stitching on

The Last Box

Several months ago I started looking for a new camera...one that would let me take great photos and also create fun videos. It didn't take long for me to fall for this wonderful little Nikkon, but things seemed to keep taking a higher priority than getting that camera.

I knew once I got it that I would want to take it out for a spin and might have a hard time putting it down, so in the middle of emptying boxes at the new house I decided to buy the camera and make the opening of the box a reward for getting through all the others. Well, the boxes have been opened -- they've even been hauled away for recycling and reuse by a couple of other will-be movers.

So please indulge me as I share the opening of the last box ---

and the beginning a what will be lots of picture opportunities!

Check back tomorrow and we'll see what kind of pictures we might take.

Stitch On! or should I say Click On!
~Rose

Booking It!

Well, the new book finally came out -- that is it now officially available!
I came home earlier this week to find boxes of books waiting on the doorstep.

After snapping a picture I lugged them into the house and the fun of signing,
packaging and shipping of all the pre-orders began.

Happily they are now all making their way into many hands all over the country.

Thank you to everyone that pre-ordered the book and I hope you enjoy the pattern,  too!

Now it's time for fun!

Happy Sunday all --

check back this week and see what might be in the final box to be unpacked in my new Paducah home.

~Rose

We have a winner!

Jann Gumbiner is the lucky winner of GenerationQ's first winter issue.

You're gonna love it Jann! Congratulations