Announcement!

I Have A Notion blog and store have moved to:


the store can be found at


There is a much easier to navigate store, with new items. The blog has its own page as well... new content too.

The blog is now at www.ihaveanotion.com/blog

Please come and visit!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

This Is My Brain

This is my brain......

This is my brain on fireworks.....



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Oh how this brain loves fireworks......

I'll leave you with one of my favorite 4th of July stories.....a few years ago when Aaron was probably just 3 we went to the fireworks here in town....sat on top of the big hill behind the elementary school with lots of other families......and when the grand finale ended.....there was complete silence.....Aaron jumps up and screams as loudly has he could...."Happy Birthday Jesus"
I almost rolled down that big hill laughing.  All he knew was this was one really big event and for it to be this big it must be someones  birthday.....I'll never for get it.

May you be with those you enjoy the most and appreciating the things you love today.

Smiles,
Kelly

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Tutto - Machine on Wheels - Spring Quilt Market 2010

I am frequently surprised when I say Tutto Bag in a conversation and the person asks what a Tutto bag is.  For some reason I think everyone who sews or quilts and has ever taken their machine on a retreat or on a trip knows about  Tutto bags.  I'm not exactly sure why that is, I think because when I first started taking quilt classes it seemed like everyone had one.  When you go to Quilt Market , Shows, and Seminars many of the folks use them to carry the brochures they gather, purchases, and their extra shoes in them.  So, for those of you who don't know what a Tutto bag is.....here they are:

They are Sewing Machine, Serger, and Machine Embroidery travel bags.  They come a variety of fun colors and they are very sturdy yet light weight.  They have 4 wheels on the bottom, open from the top or side, have a variety of pockets on the inside and outside and they fold to 3" so they can be easily stored.
These are the Machine Embroidery Bags.  They are padded and have inside straps to keep your embroidery modules secure.  There is a front compartment that has built-in organizer pockets for your supplies.  They can be carried by their strap or they stack on top of Tutto Machine On Wheels or Tutto Serger On Wheels bags.
This is a Serger bag stacked on a Machine on Wheels Tutto bag
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You can see here some are wider than others.  The come in Medium, Large, XL and XXL for those new Bernina 830's.  To see all the measurements, sizes, and colors available click here.
These are so popular right now they are on back order most everywhere.  Everyone who has bought the new Bernina 830 that I know has bought one and some have had to wait a few months to get them (some colors are just that popular).

So, now you know what a Tutto Bag is!!!  Unfortunately I was not given one to give away on my blog...LOL.    But I was aloud to touch, photograph, and drool on them!!  All Tutto Bags are available at IHAN at a very nice savings.  If you don't see one listed and you want to order it, just e-mail me at IHaveANotion@yahoo.com and I'll get it for you.  Being a one person shop makes it tough to juggle all the balls.....so sometimes I just let them fall and rely on the good ole e-mail system :)

Smiles,
Kelly

Winner of "Oodles of Doodles" Wall Hanging Fabric Kit

The winner of the giveaway gets the kit below to make the wall hanging above made from Ricky Tims new fabric line, "Oodles of Doodles" with Red Rooster Fabrics.  "Oodles of Doodles" does not ship to stores until September/October....so the winner is one VERY LUCKY IHAN BLOG READER!! :)

Without further ado......STORMY DAYS.......you ARE the winner :) 

Please e-mail me at IHaveANotion@yahoo.com with your complete name and address. My sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a comment and tolerate the mystery of the loss of photos the first day. No worries for those who did not win today.....because my box of goodies is still overflowing....stay tuned :)

Just a reminder, have you gotten your comment posted for the "Quilt Blocks on American Barns" giveaway?  See the upper right hand side of my blog and click on it to enter to win this incredible gift package compliments of Lady Eleanor Burns and Quilt In A Day.




Smiles,
Kelly

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Ricky Tims' "Oodles of Doodles" at Spring Quilt Market 2010

I think the photo problem is fixed!  Thanks for your patience.

Red Rooster Fabrics hosted Ricky Tims for a Schoolhouse presentation at Spring Quilt Market 2010
(Music for this presentation provided by MC Hammer thanks to IHAN's creative staff?)

You know IHAN was not going to miss this presentation!! I can't say I got the best photographs but I did have a great time and enjoyed hearing Ricky Tims speak.

Oodles of Doodles is Ricky's new fabric line with Red Rooster Fabrics.  It will be in stores by September/October 2010.  "Circles spinning with bands of color that swirl and twirl create the ultimate in contemporary design!" is the description I copied from Red Roosters Site.  I think I would have called it, "Way too much fun" and  the song "Can't Touch This" would be playing in the background. - IHAN's creative staff managed to add it just for this post....cuz.....I felt like it :)
Can you tell IHAN really, really, really likes this fabric?  I love the energy....and it does not even have caffeine or sugar....so just the effects without the shock to my internal organs....just the beauty in my eyes.  I bet if you hooked me up to one of those brain scans my pleasure centers would go bonkers when these fabrics were shown to me.  What about you?  No, then close your eyes and those who say Yes....DEFINITELY YES....keep reading :)


Obviously I did not get to meet Ricky while he was giving his presentation for Schoolhouse.  The next day I was able to meet him at the American Quilter's Society booth.  I know why Alex Anderson likes him now.....he seems to have a kind, gentle, creative, fun-loving and sincere spirit.  He posed for a photo with me but since I don't know how to Photoshop the pix I'm not posting it today.  I look like Casper and I'm having one of those days (you know what I mean).

Ricky gave everyone who attended his Schoolhouse presentation a kit to make the wall hanging that is pictured above.  How cool is that!!!  Extremely cool indeed :)  I know the gift was intended to be used by folks to make Samplers for their shops.  Since IHAN is virtual.....and I already posted a photo of it (above) then why not pass this lovely gift alone to one very lucky IHAN blog reader right?  RIGHT!!
All you have to do to win this "Oodles of Doodles" Wall Quilt Kit is leave a comment on this post and tell me where you will hang it or who you will give it to.  Easy enough?  Make sure you leave your e-mail address if you are going to leave an anonymous comment or you are a no-reply blogger.  This giveaway will end on Friday July 2, 2010 at Midnight.

Smiles, Kelly
All of these Ricky Tims Items are
NOW Available at IHAN (at a nice savings too!!!)



         


Superior Threads - Ricky Tim's Art Studio Colors

Rhapsodie Fantastique Embroidery CD

Grand Finale DVD

Harmonic Convergence

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Some Goodies for Me

I'm trying to hurry to finish my work so I can get downstairs and have some "me" time.  I would work at this computer for 12-14 hours at a time if I did not set limits on myself and my co-workers were on auto-pilot.

These are some books that I'm actually not giving away.  I know, can you believe it?  I bought these for myself recently and I'm excited to have some time to look through them as well as finish up a few UFO's.

For time's sake I'm only going to give you a quick review of Jane Davila's Surface Design Essentials.  I'll get to the other two as soon as I get into them a little more.  No fair in reviewing a book you have not even had time to read right?

 
If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times, I'm a visual learner.  But it is true.  If I read instructions without pictures, and good pictures at that,  then I stall and my mind goes blank.  Here are a few snapshots of the photos and instructions in Surface Design Essentials.
Here Jane is describing color mixing.  For some folks that comes natural, not for me.  Last night while giving Zach a bath he asked me what green and red made (he likes food coloring in his bath water)....I had no idea. (non-fiction)
Do you get excited when you see all the design tools and supplies but you don't have a clue what to do with them?  Good, that means I'm not alone.  This book gives instructions and describes what to do with the supplies that many of us have in a drawer someplace because we did not know what to do with it.  No, I'm not going through your drawers....I'm a psychic medium in my spare time :)

  • Using Soft Body Acrylics
  • Using Acrylic Mediums
  • Creating Background Washes
  • Using Acrylic Ink
  • Stamping
  • Printing
  • Mono-printing-Subtractive
  • Mono-printing- Additive
  • Sun printing
  • Stenciling
  • Painting Unusual Surfaces
  • Using Water-Soluble Ink Pencils
  • Modifying Commercial fabric
  • Making Image Transfers
So you see, I'm not so generous after all.  LOL  I'm off to the basement now....that is where my sewing area/design studio/stuff is :)

Smiles,
Kelly

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Cutting Corners Template Set by Toby Lischko Winner Announced



Goes to: Mary on Lake Pulaski
(please e-mail me with your address)

Thanks to everyone who left comments.  I'm still going through all the Quilt Market photos and I have lots more fun gifts to give away so stay tuned :)

Smiles,
Kelly

St. Louis Stars by Toby Lischko at Spring Quilt Market 2010

EDITED 6/29/10 2:00 PM

IHAN blogifers meet Toby Lischko, Toby, meet the IHAN bligifers :)

This is Toby's new book, St. Louis STARS.  She was showing me her book and template set and we were talking at the QuiltWoman booth. 

 


Toby is a Quilt Teacher, Pattern Maker, Award Winning Quilter so when you read her book and look at her instructions you can quickly see she knows how to explain each step so that students can understand how to repeat the process and be successful in making their quilts and other projects. 
EDIT : Apparently I have not been clear in my post.  The template shown above is only one in her set of templates for her book: St. Louis Stars.  The templates below are completely separate and do not relate to her book.  They are some new and very useful templates she has designed.  I hope that helps clear things up a bit.  As soon as I get some more photos of the templates for her St. Louis Stars book, I'll add them above.  Thanks!!

Toby gave me a set of her new templates,  Cutting Corners while at Quilt Market.  I was very excited because I watched her demo and I knew this was something I could repeat without having to be reminded what I was doing.  (Not to say instructions are not helpful.....but there was an intuitive process that I could see)  

So I decide to get them out to review them for the IHAN blog and I know you are going to laugh at me.....but some of you may relate to my insanity (if you don't - keep it to yourself because NO ONE likes a perfect person :)  .

I take them out of the package and head downstairs to photograph a demo.  I get out the instructions and actually read them....all.....can you believe that?  Then I get some scrap fabric out to use for the demo.  I turn on the iron, get the fabric ironed and ready to go.  I turn around to my cutting table and realize there is paper on the back of the templates.  Dang, do I want to take off the paper just to do a demo and then the person who wins them won't get a brand new set?  Then it dawns on me.....why on GGE (Gods Green Earth) would I even do this when Toby did a full demo of all the templates at Quilt Market and I took photos already.  So, I decided to leave the paper on and show you what one lucky IHAN blog reader will receive.

These templates work great for Square in a Square blocks, Flying Geese blocks, Star Sashing, and strips with triangles on the ends or unusual sash effects, Bowtie blocks, Snowball blocks as well as Bindings and Borders.  You won't need to draw those lines on the back of your squares if you use the Cutting Corners Templates.
Here is a glimpse of how easy the directions are to follow.  If I can follow them.....trust me.....you can follow them.  I'm a visual learner and between the easy to understand directions and the pictures it really is very simple.

So here you go.....instead of me taking time to do the exact same thing Toby did.....here are the photos I took while at Quilt Market:



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Toby has more samples on her blog, just click here.  What I found to be very helpful with these templates are the flat edges that help to match the correct edge.  There is no guess work with those little triangle tips.  Although I'm good with math I don't like to have to "think" or "calculate" my way through a pattern.  When I have to do that I tend to make silly mistakes.  These templates help avoid the typical math calculations because you just use the strip sizes in the directions for your project and you use the correct template.  If you are anything like me, you will need to put the other templates away because I am always picking up the an adjacent ruler or template and cutting something that not on the step I was on.   I'm not a lame brain.....but I do have ADD and it does make it a challenge to break down things into small manageable steps that go quickly.

Yes I did use my rotary cutter to cut some strips and begin to use the templates without tearing off the paper.  They do work exactly as described.....and I guarantee you there will be many more uses for these templates once you begin expanding your ideas with other projects.

Currently the Cutting Corners Template Set is only available at  Toby's site Gateway Quilts & Stuff.  However, on very lucky IHAN blog reader will be able to win this very nice set I have here on my desk.  If you would like it to be you, leave a comment on this post telling me how often you think you will use them, what project you will use them for AND promise me you will use them and not just enter to be winning another set of templates.....these are just too good to be added to "the collection" and you do know what I'm talking about!!! :)
Giveaway Closed
The deadline for entering......let me see.....what is this week looking like?......Hmmmmm......how about I say only the first 30 comments count, you can only leave a comment once.....it must include the information requested above......and as soon as we hit 30....I close it and do the drawing?  Good idea?  I thought so too :)  NOTE: I have to be able to contact you.....some of you don't know it but you are no-reply bloggers....I can't contact a no-reply blogger.  So if you are not sure, leave an anonymous comment and be sure to put your name and e-mail address in the comment.  It makes me sad to not count all the entries for a giveaway.

Good luck to the first Thirty who read this post. 

Smiles,
Kelly
PS....Thank you to everyone who continues to say I'm so generous.  Generosity is a quality I possess.....but keep in mind, I have a store, http://www.ihavea-notion.com/ and you can't exactly walk in my door and get a demo....so I can share in photos those demos and then I get the pleasure of giving away the gifts that the extremely generous and talented folks give me to tell you all about.  If I kept them all......it would be a crime and I'd have more than one person can possibly use.....so be sure to thank the folks who provide the lovely gifts too.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Robert Kaufman and Hemma Eye Candy From Spring Quilt Market 2010

A little self explanatory eye candy to gaze upon while I'm finishing another fun post that includes another giveaway!!  Stay tuned :)





I'll be back later to finish the other post....hope you had fun looking at these lovely items....see you soon.

Smiles,
Kelly

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