Anti-Procrastination Month or Sit-N-Snooze? You Choose!

Someone told me March is anti-procrastination month. Whether or not their information is true, anti-procrastination sounded like a good excuse to start blogging again. And today seemed as good a day as any--much better than Saturday evening when we all lose an hour of sleep. Well, maybe all of us except Ollie.

If you happen to have trouble sleeping, you may want to ask Ollie for advice. As you can see, he's perfected the skill of sleeping sitting up. Maybe if you could find a shelf about chin height with a comfy curtain stretched across it you'd also be ready for a Sit-n-Snooze. Just watch the snoring so you don't get caught!

Nancy Gault of St. Louis, Missouri, hasn't been doing much snoozing. By the looks of her Show-and-Tell she's been spending many hours sewing. The result? Nancy has cleaned out some of her favorite stash fabrics to complete her version of McCall's 2011 series quilt, America the Beautiful.


Don't you love the way she turned the church windows into stained glass?

We had fun "oohing" and "ahhing" over Nancy's beautiful work and can hardly wait to see her again.

If you're having trouble keeping your eyes open to finish your quilt projects, you may need a jolt of caffeine--and we have just the thing! Our Chavin Coffees are now available online! Order whole bean or ground,decaf or fully caffeinated in your choice of flavors.

http://www.homesteadhearth.com/shop/CoffeesTeasCocoa/Chauvin-Coffees.htm

Whether you plan to use March to Sit-N-Snooze like Ollie, or seriously stitch like Nancy, we wish you a happy Anti-Procrastination month. Take time to come see us. Don't put it off! We'd love to have you join us for simpler times.

Procrastination

I thought I'd do more quilting when I retired from teaching. I thought I'd do more quilting when I started working for Dolores and Sarah at Homestead Hearth. Apparently I've spent WAAAYYYY too much time thinking and not enough time stitching. How do I know? Well, the third Civil War quilt, Civil War Journals, will be starting in just a few months and I haven't finished this year's offering yet.

http://www.homesteadhearth.com/civil-war-journals.htm

In fact, here's the progress I've made on this year's quilt, Civil War Chronicles.

At least I know where all the blocks are--safely stowed in the very same bags they were packaged in!

When I signed up for the BOM I had the best of intentions. But when January disappeared and February arrived, I told myself ,"That's not so bad. Two months? You can easily catch up." When Valentine's Day slipped into St. Pat's and then Easter was quickly followed by Memorial Day I told myself, "You'll have plenty of time this summer." Now that summer is closing in on Labor Day, I took myself by the ear and said, "If you don't kick it into gear, Sister, you're never going to get this beauty done!"

The final straw came this past weekend when our Sunday School class issued a challenge to quit procrastinating. Each member wrote out a sticky note detailing one item she'd been putting off. As an added incentive the notes were hidden in our lesson book with the expectation we'd have made some progress by the time our lesson arrived on our chosen hiding place.

"I want the LAST page!" one of the members announced. "Now I'll HAVE to do this," another muttered as she placed her reminder after a chapter heading. "ACKK!!" I thought. "Now everyone will find out what a dawdler I've been!"

Peer pressure can be very motivating, so Monday morning I began...

As I expected, the hardest part was getting started. Once I had my tools assembled cutting everything out was a dream! The drawings were large enough that I didn't even need to hunt down my reading glasses, and the simplified sketches were just what this professional-grade Procrastinator needed.

Now that everything is out where I can see--and sew--it, Month #1 is well on its way. My goal is to keep chugging along on what I've begun, and start Month #2 next Monday, Month #3 the Monday after that, and so on. If I miss a Monday, no worries. I'll just push it back a week--and hope my sticky note is still a few chapters out.

Are you a procrastinator? Have you missed out on some of our programs because you delayed? We have had multiple phone calls from Stars and Sprigs fans who were thrilled to see a second offering of that popular BOM.

http://www.homesteadhearth.com/stars--sprigs.htm

So, are you procrastinating? Need a kick start? Leave a comment detailing one of your long-avoided projects and let us help you get started enjoying your stitching and simpler times.

Road trip anyone?

The other day I overheard a customer asking Dolores how many bolts of fabric we had in the store.

Her reply?

Over 10,000.

Far too many for us to get every one on line--and here's Ollie guarding recently delivered boxes holding even MORE bolts.

If you haven't been to our store in Mexico, Missouri, lately be sure to allow extra hours when you come for a visit.

For example, you'll want plenty of time to enjoy the Civil War section. We have numerous bolts sorted by color, several of our newest arrivals grouped by designer, and we even have one entire platform dedicated to the prolific Jo Morton. At the farthest end of this section you'll find a rainbow of blenders as well as the first two quilts in our Civil War series: Civil War Tribute and Civil War Chronicles.

In the center section you'll find colorful batiks, sale items, and plenty of Wind & Willow mixes to tempt your tummy. There's a shopping cart filled with bargain fats ($1.50 each), remnant bundles, discounted patterns and trims, as well as a variety of flavored coffees we'll be glad to grind on site.

When you stroll on over to the left side of the main floor you'll be dazzled by Japanese fabrics, cheerful 1930's reproductions, and eye-popping brights. This is also our area for modern prints, seasonal offerings, and child-centered lines. And scattered throughout the store you'll see books, candles, kits, and fat quarters galore.

Looking for Whimsicals? We have a large selection nestled in the hallway downstairs. Can't live without Kansas Troubles? Sneak a peek at our varied collection as you head upstairs.

Not a fan of stairs? No worries! Our elevator may not be the fastest, but it will get you to the second floor with no worries. Once you reach the heights you can browse through our plaids, homespuns, hand-dyed wools, and stitchery items.

So, what are you waiting for? You know you want to come. Clear your calendar, gather your friends, and head down the highway straight to our door. We can't wait to see you! Come enjoy a visit to simpler times.

When you're not a quilter...

Not everyone who walks through the front door of Homestead Hearth is a quilter. Some of our visitors are very patient friends along for the ride. Some of our visitors are trying-to-be-patient children who have seen their fill of fabric. And some of our visitors are spouses who have a tolerance for fabric. Need we say more?

When any non-quilters arrive, we point out our gift items, food mixes, eateries on the square, and the antique store next door. For those who choose to remain in the building and wait, we bring out a chair, something to read, and a faithful companion.The other day Harvey decided to keep the spouse of one of our quilters company. Both of the guys enjoyed the latest issue of The County Register while keeping an eye on the front door. Ah, the joys of sharing a dog's life!

But sometimes spouses never set foot in the building. Sometimes they go for a walk while their partner shops--just not usually across the country.

"He's a retired anthropologist," Carole Fairbanks explained, "and says certain stages of life require a rite of passage. In his case he decided to walk across the United States."

Bill started his walk at Los Osos, California, in July 2009. Since Carole is "doing him a favor" by driving his support vehicle, Bill has encouraged her to take advantage of the many quilt stores along their route.

While Bill walks, Carole visits fabric stores or spends her time stitching at their hotel. Throughout the spring and summer they follow the lure of the open road, but when Thanksgiving nears they head back home to rest over the winter.

When will they finish? It's hard to tell. Visiting with folks along the way has caused a variety of detours to see some amazing things, and as Carole says, "This trip has grown like Topsy."

On the day we met Carole, the weather was hot and she was scheduled to pick up her 74-year-old strolling spouse close to Novelty, Missouri.

"He tells me his route when he leaves, and he tells me where to pick him up. He tries to select a place where I can turn around and where he can easily be seen."

Has the duo ever missed connections?

"Just once," Carole said. "He was on the other side of the median where there was a garden, but he saw me."

And the Fairbanks will be watching for each other for some time to come.

"We'll finish in Boston," Carole explained. "They claim every Fairbanks in the U.S. can trace their ancestry to the Fairbanks House, so that seemed a fitting destination."

Want to know more? You can follow Bill and Carole's journey by going to the following link:
http://ccanthro.blogspot.com/2011/07/bills-daily-update-thursday-july-21.html

Even if you're not up to walking across America, you can create your own "rite of passage" through quilting. You've probably already stitched a gift for a special birthday, a long-anticipated graduation, a milestone anniversary, a bittersweet retirement, a brand-new baby, or a wonderful wedding. Why not share your magical moments with us? Stop by the store, comment on this post, or share your creations on Facebook. We'd love to share your creations in celebration of simpler times.

The Off Season

Have you ever wondered what snow ski resorts do in the summer? Me either. But a few days ago I happened to attend a wonderful brunch at Seven Springs Resort in Pennsylvania. After my group finished stuffing themselves to the gills, we opted to take a quick stroll before climbing back into our cars. That's when we enjoyed a closer look at a ski resort during the off season.

As we strolled onto the balcony outside the dining room we enjoyed listening to a live Bluegrass Band performing for the families splashing in the pool. As we looked up the mountain we watched a variety of age groups riding the lift to the top.

At first I thought the passengers were merely enjoying the view, but then I noticed a few of the visitors coming back down. Some of them were making their descent on the Alpine Slide--a descent of nearly 2,000 feet, seated on a tw0-wheeled sled. But what about the rest of the lift riders? I decided I'd have to get closer if I was ever going to find out.

I'd seen glimpses of bicyclists racing down a dirt path, but hadn't given a thought to their ascent. Silly me, I'd assumed they were riding up one side of the mountain to come roaring down the other. Not so! Wherever the trail began, I discovered that it ended at the entrance to the ski lift.

As I watched, helmeted riders would slide to a stop, gather their bikes, and wait in line to catch a ride to the top. Before long here they would come again, barreling down the mountain with a cloud of dust behind them. Fun? Maybe for some, but my crowd was content to stand to one side and watch.

All of this summer fun at a winter resort got me to thinking. What do quilters do in their "off season?" If comment heard in the store during recent weeks are any indication, many quilters travel:

"We're on an eight-day trip visiting shops featured in back issues of The Quilt Sampler."
"I'm headed to babysit my four-year-old granddaughter in Florida."
"We're coming from Indiana to watch our grandkids show goats at the 4-H Fair."
And on the stories go...

Once in a while someone in our summer crowd of travelers just happens to bring along a little Show-and-Tell.


We were thrilled to have Judy Murphy (soon to be Hayes) of Jacksonville, Illinois, share her gorgeous interpretation of a design from Barb Adams and Alma Allen's Women of Grace & Charm. Thank you, Judy, for sharing your work!

As you can tell from the bottom of the photo, Harvey and Ollie thought Judy's fine work deserved a closer look. Inspecting customer creations is just one of the activities the Bulldogs have enjoyed, and both dogs have been very busy during these warm summer months.

Harvey has been enjoying his summer vacation from college by spending time greeting customers at the front door.
Since Harvey has taken over the doorman duties, Ollie has been branching out.
He even tried to convince Lori and Dolores (left to right) that he could assist customers at the Penney's catalog desk. Let's just say they have placed his application on file.

So what do you do during your quilting off season? We'd love to hear your ideas--and we may even borrow a few--as we enjoy traveling and stitching our way to simpler times.

One vote...as easy as falling off a horse.

They say any election can be won by one vote, and guess what? That's what happened here this week. In our last post we asked which of our new programs got your juices flowing the most. Christie managed to put "Are You Kidding Me?" into the winner's bracket with her single cheerful post. Thank you, Christie, for your BIG vote!
We got a few chuckles the first day this program became available. Our weekly email newsletter had barely hit the Inboxes when the phone rang. A customer on the other end of the line said she wanted to sign up for one of our programs.

"I'd be happy to help you," Lori responded. "Which program would you like to order?"
"Are You Kidding Me?" the caller responded.
"No," Lori said. "I just need to know which program you'd like so I can take your registration."
"Are You Kidding Me?" the caller repeated.
"No, I'm not kidding," Lori said. "I really do need the name of the program."
"That IS the name of the program," the caller responded. "It's called 'Are You Kidding Me?'"

Well, that may not be exactly what happened, but Lori and our customer certainly had a good laugh over the phone. A few days later we shared a laugh with a customer in person.

While the rest of the family roamed the store, one of the members took a seat next to my cutting table. We got to chatting about quilting and traveling, and before long she shared the purpose of their travels.

"We're in town for a wedding," she said with a smile.
"A wedding?" I said. "Family weddings are the best!"

Before long we were sharing stories, and a soon she confessed that her brood liked to sing old songs. She mentioned several familiar titles, but there was one tune I'd never heard of: I Can't Get Off of My Horse.

"Is that really a song?" I asked her.
"Sure is," she told me, and as she walked out the door she sang it to me.
And thanks to Google, I can share the lyrics with you!

I always wished that I could be a cowboy
A riding and a roping where the wind is free
But now I don’t want to be a cowboy
Cause look what's gone and happened to me

I can’t get off of my horse
All day and night I ride among the cattle
I can’t get off of my horse
Cause some dirty dog put glue on the saddle

On the saddle, on the saddle
Some no-good, ornery, thieving, cussing, cattle-rustling, dirty dog put glue on my saddle

Someday they'll bury me out on the prairie
Out among the sagebrush where the skies are blue
But when they dig a hole for me to rest in
They'd better dig it big enough for two

Stop by the store, send us an email, give us a call, or comment on this post. Share a chuckle, repeat a story, or sing us a song. We'd love to hear from you on our journeys to simpler times.