Three more sleeps....until

QUILT MARKET IN HOUSTON

I leave Thursday morning for Houston and I'm so excited. I hope this excitement is enough fuel to keep me going to get everything done. I am packing light so I can bring home lots of fun stuff. Wish I could take everyone with me.....but wait....I can!!! I'll be taking two cameras and possibly my video camera too!!! (still have not figured out how to get the HD video camera to upload video to our computer)

I've decided I need a full time secretary/assistant who is older than 7!!! I'm so busy that I need someone to run this show while I'm gone. I'll do my best to blog while away...but if I can't for some reason....just know...that is twice as many posts coming your way :)

How about a re-cap of the best of May Quilt Market? Great....here is a list of all the excellent notions I found at the last Quilt Market (in not particular order) :
*** means I own it and highly recommend it. ** means I wish I owned it but I don't because of time limitations with using it.

*** One of my very favorite items. I love, love, love my Thread Carousel. These are hand crafted heirloom quality Thread Carousels. If you plan to sew for years and years I think this is the way to go. You can store your thread conveniently and within reach too. This won't go in a garage sale....it is something to pass along to the next generation.

** Electric Quilt Software....I would own it if I had the time to use it. I am blogging or filling orders...taking care of kids, house, family, etc....but I would love to have it when time permits to use it.

***Roc Lon Multi Purpose Cloth. This stuff is wonderful!!! You can look back through my blog for all the great things made with Roc-Lon MPC.

***Sizzling Circles by Lacey Hill. Excellent book with excellent directions. I made a great table topper for the fall. You can see it here on my blog too!!

*** Texture Magic if a lot of fun. You can add fun texture to any project. I really like it on hand bags and quilt centers. I've seen it used on a child's bodice...made it look it had been smocked. Check out Gayle's Gallery for her a great photo shoot for using Texture Magic.

*** Q Tools Cutting Edge Strips...these repositionable little babies are on all my rulers. I love them....and they are inexpensive too.

***One of the best things to come out of May Quilt Market!!! I saw a Floorquilt made by Ellen Highsmith Silver and that is how I fell in love with Roc-Lon MPC. This is Ellen's book, "Floorquilts." I even have gotten to know Ellen and that has been an added bonus :)

**Simplicity Rotary Cutting Machine. This is an great tool for those who need to cut a lot of strips. It is a pressure cutter and not a razor cutter. I think that has been the misunderstanding when people first see it. Now you know!!! It cuts by pressure and I had it cutting through everything I had in my stash...everything :)

*** 4" Jackpot Scissors have been a huge hit since I learned about them in Pittsburgh. The holes for your fingers and thumb are nice and wide and the thinner pointed tip helps to un-sew (rip out) and for applique.

***These little guys don't come off....honestly. The guy put one on my finger while at Market....it stayed on all day. Needle Grip It is excellent for pulling your thread through without any slip. One package will last a very long time. If you are very thrifty....you can cut one in half too!!! (don't tell them I told you this :)

***Majorly cool!!! Transdoodle tracing paper. You will love, love, love this tracing paper because it is non-waxy, non-staining, reusable, chalky-color transfer paper for clear guidelines that never set - not even with ironing - and simply rub out with the swipe of a cloth or in the wash. Transdoodle is made to be long lasting - use it over and over and over again.

Olfa's Circle Cutter. I tried this at Market and loved it. I don't cut too many circles so I have not bought one. I can tell you first hand that it works and works easily. It is a very nice tool. I think it would be great for scrapbooking and other crafts too. If you make a lot of YoYo's this would be a MUST HAVE tool.

***Paintstik Inspirations. I love this DVD and yes I own the Paintstiks too!!! I even have some rubbing plates!! How fun is it to embellish my fabrics (tote bags, luggage, kids backpacks...I'm nuts so I have to be careful not to "tattoo" everything around me) without being an artist. The DVD shows you how to use them and gives you lots of tips too. My Mother-In-Law watched it and she really enjoyed it too.

***Of course....ya got to have some Paintstik Mini's to make sure you have the colors you want right? That's what I told myself anyway :)

***Rubbing Plates. You can use these with Paintstiks and many other inks as well.

***GrabARoo's were one of the most surprising "must haves" from May quilt market. I saw them and walked right past them. I thought....ok...so you have gloves with little grippers. Cool....and I kept walking. Then Lois, one of my East Coast Advisers, said, " wait Kelly....you just have to come with me over there and try these out." Lois knew what she was talking about alright. If you don't have a pair.....treat yourself to a pair. You might think, "I have a pair of garden gloves or rubber tipped gloves....or I don't need them." Pardon me for saying this....but you are wrong. You won't know until you try them....I did know either. Do a search on my blog for GrabARoo's and you'll see why I say this. The good thing about IHAN is that everything comes with 100% satisfaction guarantee. I won't sell anything I don't think is worth having. It's like having an "Uncle in the Furniture Business"...and I'm not Jushua Door (showing my age again).

***Honestly the best light weight fusible I know of, Mistyfuse....check out the Work Forward Method here. Do you love to applique? Want to learn and make it easy? You won't go wrong with Transdoodle and Mistyfuse...I PROMISE!!! Mistyfuse comes in Ultraviolet as well as Black.

***Very cool fusible powder, 007 by BoNash. If you tear or worse yet cut through your fabric....all is not lost. You can use this fusible powder on another piece of cotton fabric and iron it to the back of the fabric that was damaged. It fixes tears and cuts. I've used it on my boys jeans....it holds :) It has craft uses too....I just have not had time for those yet.

***If you read my blog on a regular basis.....you already know that the Simplicity Bias Tape Maker Machine is the fastest way to make bias tape...fabric tape....and if you don't tell everyone I told you this....I use my fusible in there too.....I just put the fusible web inside the fabric strip and run it through the machine....because the heat plate is my "mini iron." It also will press your ribbons and trims if you get them all wrinkled...just set the heat setting appropriate for what you are ironing. Now Available: 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4" inch single fold tips!!!

*** I think I should buy stock in this Applique Template Paper. I just run it through my printer and I press it on my fabric...done. Excellent price....excellent product.

**Accu Quilt Go Fabric Cutter....this is a wonderful die cutter for fabrics. It works exactly like you would expect it to work. I think it is worth every dime you will spend on it. My only reservation in purchasing it for myself is I don't cut that many pieces to make it cost effective. They are great for retreats and making charity quilts. I think every guild should own one....honestly. If you have the means to purchase one....I know you won't be disappointed.

**This Stack and Store Bobbin Tower is very popular. I've sold several. You just pop your bobbin right into the "fingers" and they hold your bobbins. You can take off each layer if you are going someplace and only need a few. You can use the green holders for one type of thread and the lighter one for another type of thread. I don't need one because I have the Thread Carousel....it holds my threads and my bobbins.

***Another item I walked past. Thankfully Mary Jane did not. She is another East Coast Assistant!!! We all hugged Jan Carr from Clover when he introduced us to the Protect and Grip Thimble. If anyone knows Thimbles it is Mary Jane. She said she would pay 30.00 for this thimble if that is what they charged. She loves them and has sold a ton for me!!! THANK YOU Mary Jane. I can't stand using Thimbles....until I found this one....now I use it.

As you can see this list is getting very long. I have not even gotten to the patters that I found that I loved. So....for today....I'll stop. Just be forewarned that this Blog will be overloaded with information when I return....you head just may spin....so go out and find some really good C-Clamps while I'm out of town :)

Zippity Doo Dah Smiles,

Kelly

Big O Blog World (BOB World)

It used to be that you knew everyone in your town and if someone needed something everyone pitched in if they could. Now we live so far away from our families and friends I have managed to connect with people all over the world and now my community is global. I'm sure this is true for all of you as well.
So when the Tsunami hit American Samoa it became real for me. I know someone who lives there now, Barb from Bejeweled Quilts by Barb Blog. So instead of it being another disaster on television it became very real for us. Once I heard that Barb was safe I felt some relief.

I went through the house looking for things to put into boxes to send for the children and families. I brought up a video of the Tsunami in American Samoa for my boys to see so they would understand why these little children needed some of their things.

Zach wanted to decorate a card for them.
I could not help but notice how a 5 year old communicates I'm sorry you are sad. He first draws a frowning face then a smiling one. I think he communicated his message very well...and oh so precious too.
Barb said to send priority flat rate boxes. It cost us only 1/2 as much to ship these as it would have been to ship in our own boxes. Great idea Barb.

Grateful Smiles, Kelly

Where have I been??? MIA

Normally I post every day....and sometimes a few times a day.....but what happened to me?

I'll show you where I've been....join me on a little adventure. Rick and I are now the parents of a Tiger Scout. So....we go to these den meetings and go on adventures. This is our first Boy Scout experience. It comes with buying shirts, neck-ker-chiefs (sp?), wooden cars and wooden boats.....oh yea....lets not forget that expensive pop corn we have to sell (LOL).

Camp Miakonda here we come for a day of adventure and an over night stay. But first.....oh yea....Rick tells me I have sewn Aaron's den numbers on wrong. This will only be the third time I've done this....because the first two times I actually sewed one or more of the patches to the sleeve...closing the sleeve...oh yea that's me....I did it :)

The numbers are supposed to be beneath the Ohio patch.

I did this under duress....this was after all my second attempt and Aaron needed his shirt in 10 minutes when I hurried to get these put on his shirt.

So I sit down at the kitchen table....this time with a whole 30 minutes before we are leaving for camp. My job is to rip the stitches and get them back on....numbers on top this time. Who insists they have to help? Zach (5 yrs old) and he absolutely insists that he needs to do this. So....here is Zach doing his part.

Off we go to camp....shirt looking good.

Rick and Aaron shooting a BB Gun for the first time together.

Rick and Zach shooting this time.

This morning....after sleeping in the cold and rain all night....this is Mommy....trying her best to rest. Honestly I don't think I got more than an hour or two of sleep. Between the rain and cold....I kept covering up the kids to be sure they were warm. There was a guy in the next tent who must have had an excellent air mattres and a very warm sleeping bag.....he snored all night long. I should have thrown a tennis shoe at his tent and said...quiet down over there....but I was polite...this time!!! :)

We had a ball and this is a beautiful photo of the leaves turning. I was very impressed with this gathering and camp. Every event was very well organized and supervised. This is going to be fun :)

Smile,

Kelly

Wooo Hoooo I won

The Business Women's Expo was great for another reason: I won and this package arrived at my door today!!!
So of course I grabbed it off the porch...after the mail man left....no need to scare him....honestly it is bad today.....so I ran into the kitchen and opened the envelope....

I won this book from Hershberger & Huff Studios....an autographed copy of their book.

How nice was that? They even autographed it for me. This is a really awesome book. I spent some time looking at the drawings and thinking about translating them for applique. Can you imagine me making an original applique? That would be truly amazing....I don't think I would believe it myself!!!

Thanks a million Kelli & Carlynne!!! If you did not stop by their blog during the Women's Expo....it's not too late....click on the link and there you will be.

Grateful Smiles,

Kelly

Are You Prepared?

Please, please, please GET YOUR NICKERS IN A BUNCH if you see this happening....don't stand and watch as these folks did....what were they thinking? I guess some folks are begging to be taken out of the gene pool....not me....how about you?

After the Tsunami recently and not hearing from Barb of "BEJEWELED QUILTS BY BARB" blog I started thinking how prepared we are for an emergency.

I have batteries, gas, bottled water, canned food, blankets, flash lights etc....but what about those very important papers if our house flooded? What about our kids medical records? What about copies of all our credit cards and house papers etc? What about all our photos? If a tornado hit and we lost everything how would we tell the insurance company what we owned? Who would know what they have exactly?

I did what I always do....I Googled Emergency Preparedness and found this site with great checklists and I thought I would share them with you.

You will be able to find lots of great information and start putting together some tangible plans for you and your family should you have an emergency. I thought it would be an excellent idea to scan birth records, prescriptions, all phone contact numbers, home and auto paperwork, immunization records and all your most important documents and put them on a thumb drive. They are pretty cheap. If you keep one at home and then mail them out to your family and/or friends. Should something happen....they would be able to help you retrieve those documents and even have a list of all your contacts to check with them as to your well being.

We put all our pictures backed up on a drive in our safety deposit box. Of course I started thinking....what if the flood goes into the bank and ruins our drive....what then. So I think I"m going to have another back up made and sent out of state for safe keeping.

Ready America has a great list of items for kits as well. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention also has some great info. The American Academy of Pediatrics has some excellent information for families with children. The American Red Cross has information as well. FEMA has a list of information about different types of emergencies and disasters. For those of you with pets, Pet Finders has information about helping your pets during an emergency. Livestrong.com has a list of first aid disaster preparedness products that may be helpful.

Ok....I've done my job...well....Google and I went to work to help you have a plan for those things in life that are unplanned. ( I'm sorry if you get pregnant and it is unplanned....I have no advise for you.....other than....get your sleep now....cuz good sleep it is over for the rest of your life!!!)

If you have information or great ideas that are not listed here....please, please, please leave a comment or an e-mail and share those tips with the rest of us.

AND because I put this list together...you are now obligated to take my family in if there is an emergency....and we want all your quilts to keep us warm and your needle work to give us interesting things to look at!!! Oh yea....we'll need some PB & J sandwiches on whole wheat bread, diet pepsi, apple juice and milk with lots of chocolate chip cookies too!!!

Safe Smiles,
Kelly

Dear Jane...I mean Dear Mary Jane

This is a photo from the Dear Jane quilt my girlfriend, Mary Jane is making. She sends me pix of her projects and I do the same....it helps us feel like I can just drop by....even though I'm 8 hours away....booo hoooo.

I think choosing just one fabric for the designs really makes the designs pop. Besides...Red is one of my favorite colors....Green is up there too.

This is what MJ has to say, "Our guild has a Dear Jane group that I joined but making a whole quilt is overwhelming to me when I have so many other ideas in my head or UFOS that I want to finish. This is as many as I am going to make and finish it into a wall hanging. I enjoyed the experience of being with other women having the same interest and hand piecing but sewed the blocks together by machine. On to the hand quilting which I love the most."

Notice she loves the hand quilting the best? Now you know why she took the first place ribbon at the recent Needle Arts Guild of Toledo Exhibit.....she is EXCELLENT at hand quilting....every stitch is so tiny and perfectly spaced....I love her work. She taught me needle turn applique and my first project got a 3rd place ribbon at the same show....not bad ay?

Smiles,
Kelly

Giveaway Alert: Wanna win a Jelly Roll?

Here is a beautiful Jelly Roll....you wanna win it? Click on the picture and follow the instructions.

You gotta love this new world....the world of the Bots. I truly enjoy being connected to "sew" many wonderful people....this has opened my heart and mind in ways I never expected or could have even imagined.

Smiles,
Kelly

Barb in American Samoa

UPDATE 11:09 9/30/09 CMT: Lots of folks have heard from Barb and she is fine.....I'm sooooo glad to hear....thanks to all who wrote....funny how our families grow through this here bot.

Smiles,
Kelly

I'm sure many of you know Barb "BEJEWELED QUILTS BY BARB" she has four sons and lives in American Samoa. She comments regularly on my blog and I'm very worried about her and her family. If anyone hears from her....please, please, please e-mail me so I know she is ok.

I'm off to a medical appointment with my husband so I'll be away from the bot....please let me know by e-mail at IHaveANotion@yahoo.com or by leaving a comment on my blog.

Kelly

I know I'm bad....but I can't help it

I hope this does not offend anyone....but if it does....well....that is about you...get some help fast. For the rest of us....sit back....enjoy....I would not be sipping any beverages while reading....you'll see why:

Three Ladies in a Sauna

THREE WOMEN, TWO YOUNGER, AND ONE SENIOR CITIZEN, WERE SITTING NAKED IN A SAUNA.

SUDDENLY THERE WAS A BEEPING SOUND. THE YOUNG WOMAN PRESSED HER FOREARM AND THE BEEP STOPPED.

THE OTHERS LOOKED AT HER QUESTIONINGLY. 'THAT WAS MY PAGER,' SHE SAID. I HAVE A MICROCHIP UNDER THE SKIN OF MY ARM.

A FEW MINUTES LATER, A PHONE RANG. THE SECOND YOUNG WOMAN LIFTED HER PALM TO HER EAR.

WHEN SHE FINISHED, SHE EXPLAINED, 'THAT WAS MY MOBILE PHONE. I HAVE A MICROCHIP IN MY HAND.'

THE OLDER WOMAN FELT VERY LOW-TECH. NOT TO BE OUT DONE, SHE DECIDED SHE HAD TO DO SOMETHING JUST AS IMPRESSIVE. SHE STEPPED OUT OF THE SAUNA AND WENT TO THE BATHROOM...

SHE RETURNED WITH A PIECE OF TOILET PAPER HANGING FROM HER REAR END. THE OTHERS RAISED THEIR EYEBROWS AND STARED AT HER..

THE OLDER WOMAN FINALLY SAID..........WELL, WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT.....I'M GETTING A FAX!!

My Mother sent this to me.....it had me laughing out loud and wanting to share it with other fun gals....I hope you laughed. My problem is my mind won't stop here....I keep thinking of other things to say and do in addition....but you know...for tonight....I'm going to bed.

Sleepy Smiles,
Kelly

New Gifts Added to I Have A- Notion . com

Anything that is bright and different usually catches my eye. I love fun new things. I found these greeting cards and prints by Paper Squid and I've added them to my store today.

8 1/2 x 11 inch print

8 1/2 x 11 inch print

I LOVE YOU....Though you piss me off sometimes
You know I love this one....it is just too good.


Blank Inside

Flat Note Cards

For a great friend note card

This is a set of 5: just because, good luck, thank you, hello and miss you

There are lots more cards HERE. I think these will make wonderful gifts and add to a great stash of all occasion cards. Please come on over and start your Holiday Shopping with I Have A Notion. I can't think of a better place to shop....and if you can....keep it to yourself...LOL

Swirly Smiles,

Kelly

Halloween Punchneedle Fun

When I was at the Needle Arts Guild of Toledo show on Friday I started a new project. I was inspired by seeing someone else working on a Halloween pattern. So I pulled my Lizzie Kate pattern out and started working on it.

This is my first little square. Isn't it so darn cute? I just love it. Punchneedle is so much fun....it goes quickly and the sky is the limit as far as designs go. I wanted something fun that the boys could enjoy. They love watching me punch. Zach and Aaron have both practiced punching with my punchneedle. They punch for a few minutes....then they are off to do something that makes noise!!!

This is the pattern I'm working from. It comes with the design on the weavers cloth....yippee....no tracing :)
I used the colors I had and mixed some threads together. I think I'm going to put them onto a box and put candy in the box on the counter. Unless of course I find another good idea before I get to that stage....

Smiles,
Kelly

Winner of the Bag Tags from Expo Posts

The Business Expo was fun. I got to see several peoples work and shops. What fun. I even found a new supplier for gift cards. I'll be adding those to the Gifts section of I Have A Notion tomorrow. I'll post about them so everyone can see these really fun cards.

If you stopped by and left a comment about at least 2 items you liked in my shop your name was entered into a drawing for a sew of Bag Tags. Congratulations Linda Atkins....you are the lucky winner!! Please e-mail me and let me know your favorite colors. I'll make you a set of bag tags and put them in the mail to you.

My thanks to everyone who stopped by....I enjoyed your company and comments.

Smiles,

Kelly

No-reply bloggers

Do you know if you are leaving messages as a no-reply? So many of you are and that means I can't send you a message back. I would love to be able to chat with you so if you could change that....that would be great :)

Here is how to do it if you don't know how:

•first, go to your blogger dashboard
•near your picture or logo on the left, click "Edit Profile"
•go to the first section labeled "Privacy"
•in this section, the third line down should say "Show Email Address"
•make sure the IS a Check Mark in the "Show Email Address"
•if you don't have an email address listed, you can fill it in in the "Identity" section
•The MOST IMPORTANT part when you finish, is to go to the bottom of the page and click "Save Profile" on the bottom left side. If you do not click save it won't work.

(copied from Sew Many Ways blog)

Smiles,
Kelly

Busy Weekend

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend. I was participating in a Women's Business Expo and I have not been able to figure out how to leave that post on top and then have my daily posts below....so I just did not publish a blog entry. Guess I better learn some new tricks here soon.

Today was my day with Zach. We try to have one on one time with each of the boys weekly. Today Zach wanted to go to Chuckey Cheese. Here he is in all of his glory....happy as a lark. We had a great time.

This is a project I've been working on. It is going to be a business card holder that I'm going to be giving as a gift. I'm not very confident about my color choices and beading. I've played with the lay out over and over and over. So I thought I would post a photo and see what everyone else thinks. Do you like it? What changes would you make if any? Some of them are not sewn on yet....as you can see. I just want to get some feedback so I can feel confident about sewing on the rest of the beads.

Please leave me a comment with your advise....I certainly appreciate all the tips I can get :)

Smiles,

Kelly

Fall Business Women Online Expo - Booth # 20

Welcome to the Fall Business Women Online Expo

Booth #20.

Welcome to I Have A Notion blog. I sell sewing, quilting and needle art supplies to the thrifty shopper. Weather you are a seasoned stitcher or new to the needle arts and quilting, I can help you with the notions you will need.

My name is Kelly Jackson and I work from home. The best part of my job is this blog. My goal here is to inspire others to continue with their arts and crafts and educate people about the necessary supplies. Ever waste money on something you thought looked great.....but then it did not work so great? That's my job, to troubleshoot and test the new products and notions on the market and share my opinion and experience.

Meeting the fabric designers, pattern designers, company representatives and authors of the books I sell is another fun part of my job. I get to meet with people like Nancy Zieman, Alex Anderson, Eleanor Burns, Edyta Sitar and Amy Butler just to name a few.

Feel free to look around my blog and store, I Have A Notion . If you leave a comment on at least one blog post you have read on this blog and two products in my store that you would like to own, I will put your name in a drawing for a set of Bag Tags. If you don't win and would like to make some great gifts....click here....for the MJE Bag Tag Tutorial :)


Only those comments with e-mail addresses attached will be qualified for the drawing. The winner will be announced on Monday.

Thank you for visiting....you are welcome to come back anytime for a visit. I love meeting new people and being inspired by new ideas and projects.

Click on this button to get back to the Expo!!! Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy!!!

Smiles, Kelly.....After going back to the Business Expo....come on back and click on the button below....you can enter to win those prizes too!!! There are some very talented women out here :)

Needle Arts Guild of Toledo 34th Annual Show

Today was the first of a two day show at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library Sanger Branch for the Needle Arts Guild of Toledo. If you are local and can make it tomorrow.....it is an excellent show and well worth the drive.

"Bird In Flight" by Peverley Hormann

Peverley received several First Place Ribbons for "Bird in Flight." She was given First Place in the Silk and/or Metal Category, Best in Show and the Judge awarded this piece a Special First Place Ribbon for exceptional work. Peverley used different types of metal threads including check purl, Jaceron, plate, Japanese gold, Torsade and braid. The ground fabric is silk and the eye is a small crystal bead. Peverley used hand made silk paper as well. The lettering was done using press on letters.

Congratulations Peverley!!!! I'm so excited for you :) Your work is absolutely beautiful.

I entered a few of my pieces into the show. Typically when I go to a show I think to myself....I would never enter my work....it is not show quality. This time I entered some work hoping others might see you don't have to be an "expert" to enter your work. Not in one million years would I have ever expected a ribbon....and guess what....I received a 3rd place ribbon in the Quilting category for my Hawaiian Applique Wall Hanging.

I also entered the very first quilt I made, "Many Hands." My girlfriend, Mary Jane Ehlich, did the hand quilting and that was the category it was entered in under her name. I think Mary Jane does beautiful hand quilting and she gave me permission to enter the piece. Guess what? She took a First Place Ribbon for her hand quilting!!!! Congratulations Mary Jane!!!

There was one other piece I received permission to photograph. This is "Elvis" by Pamela Lungulow. She was given a Third Place Ribbon in the Counted Cross Stitch Category.

Congratulations Pamela!!! This is a very cool picture of Elvis. You just never know where the King of Rock and Roll will turn up next.

Smiles,

Kelly