Plan B

Well I've just had a gander at my Craftsy store - they've removed all but two patterns, and they're both freebies.  And one is a Christmas pattern.

I don't have words for this.....at some point, I'm deleting my Craftsy store.  I've already taken down my pattern pages that had links to the store.  Research on different venues will commence tomorrow.

I'm feeling at peace with all this, oddly enough.  It will be what it will be, and I'll either adapt or stop selling patterns.  No clue what yet, but that's ok.  God has shown me grace and I'm grateful.

I hope you all had a good Christmas, we had our family celebration on Christmas Eve.  All went swimmingly until I took mum home, and fell in her driveway - right on my nose - spent the next 8 hours at the ER.  Several hours, a CT scan and a tetanus shot later, I was told I would live.  I'm still dealing with the aftereffects of concussion, and bandages everywhere, but feeling surprisingly good.  I guess 2018 wanted to go out with a literal bang!!!  But you know what?  NO broken nose, NO broken glasses, NO broken wrist.  I am incredibly blessed!!!!

So my dear friends, I'm going to wish you a very Happy New Year now, may this coming year be a year filled with God's grace and mercy, and drawing closer to Him.  He is good all the time, no matter our circumstances, He knew about them from the beginning, nothing surprises Him - so,

(James 4:8) "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. 

Love,
Allie

A terrible pic of me with my band-aid mustache!!  And it looks like one eye is rolling around loose....

***URGENT***

Hi everyone, it's almost Christmas, I hope you're all ready - I did all my shopping today!  

I have some urgent news for everyone who uses Craftsy.  I got a letter from them, along with every other designer - they're keeping my shop, but taking down patterns and I won't know which ones until they do it.  I don't like that they're taking control...but they've been a great place for designers for so long, I guess nothing lasts forever.  My urgent news is for you to RUN to your account, and download everything in your library - it may not be there in a few days!!!!

I have no idea if the patterns in your library will still be available after the changes.  Especially if you've purchased patterns, and never downloaded them, better head over there ASAP and get them!  Speaking for myself, I will not be able to scroll through hundreds of pages to verify your order, so will not be emailing patterns to anyone.

I know this is really short notice.  It is for us too.  I have no idea what will happen to Allie-oops Designs in the future - whether I'll find a different venue, or just stop designing patterns for sale.  I can safely say I won't stop designing, lol....it's in my blood.  A lot of folks are moving to Etsy, which I won't do, you need a credit card to link to your account and I don't have one.  Plus, they charge a fee for every pattern.  My patterns are very low-cost, and after paypal fees I don't get much....add in etsy fees, and I'd get nothing.

I was going to start a new BOM in February, but that's completely on hold now.  I'll stitch it up and write it up, but whether it ever gets shared is a mystery right now.

In other news....yesterday was mum's birthday, she's 81!!  I took her shoe shopping.  I think she's happy!

Then I took her out to lunch, and for some birthday ice cream.  Again with the happy.

I have been stitching a bit in between work days.  I stitched up a couple of Kathy Schmitz patterns, one for mum, one for my aunt....

I think they'll approve.

Two ladies have sent me pictures of my patterns they're working on.  Jan is doing my Sweet Country set in redwork - I love it!!!!

By the way ladies, I've put my watermark on your pictures, not to take credit but so that anyone seeing them anywhere else will know where they came from.  Jan, I adore this in redwork!

And Brenda sent me pics of her Garden of Contentment quilt and dish towels she did, so gorgeous - 

Isn't that stunning?  And the quilting!!  Brenda says the quilting was done by Starlit Quilts in Bonney Lake, WA.  I wish they were close to me, lol, that's fabulous!

Brenda also did dish towels in both applique with embroidery, and just embroidery!

Those done with that variegated thread are gorgeous!  I told her I didn't think they'd look great in just embroidery, but I love them!!!!  Thank you Jan and Brenda, you've both blessed my socks right off!

Ok my friends, that's enough of a post to keep you busy for a few, sorry for being so long-winded....but after not posting for more than a month, I had a lot to say!  Especially after the shocking news from Craftsy....please, please remember to get over there and download your pattern library!!!!  And if there's any patterns you want, from any designer, not just me, better get them now....you have until the 28th of December, although folks are reporting broken links already.  Yikes!!  

If I don't see you before Christmas, I wish you a very Merry Christmas - and a lovely, happy, shiny New Year!!!

Love,

Allie

***EDIT***  As a hobby designer, the changes at Craftsy affect me only minimally - but for my best blogging buddy, Jenny of Elefantz, this is her bread and butter.  Please, if you can, check out her shop and see if there are any designs you don't have that you would like - I'm praying for a rush on her shop that will carry her through this transition period.  Thank you!!!!!!

Coming Home

Well it's been a fun couple of weeks, mostly.  I've enjoyed working, driving through country roads and looking at all the gorgeous fall colors....

This was the burning bush in my driveway.

Not as pretty as some, but impressive still.

At least until this happened....

Melted now, thank goodness.  

Thing 2 and I went to Dublin, Ohio, for the Ohio Pen Show.  I had no idea so many folks were into fountain pens.  We had a blast!  Sam collects and restores vintage fountain pens, and was truly in his element.

That was the "parts" table.  AMAZING.

This was the Scheaffer guy's table.

I think what impressed me most was the number of really expensive pens just laying around - $2-3,000!  And no theft.  Amazing.

While Sam was busy at the show, I was checking out quilt shops.  My first stop was right by the hotel, Red Rooster Quilts....OH MY.  Budgets may have been broken.  I missed out taking pics of the shop itself, everyone was so friendly and nice I spent the time visiting and spending instead.  This was my haul....Kim Diehl fabrics!!!

I LOVED this shop.  I highly recommend it.  Fantastic selection, beautiful quilts hanging on the walls, and the friendliest people ever.

The second shop I went to was Quilt Beginnings.  Another great shop!!!  I had spent my budget at Red Rooster, so was just browsing, but you know how that goes....they had a quilt made up that I fell in love with, and when I found the pattern I simply had to have it.

She's a treadle lady!!!!!!!!!!  Can't you just see her hanging in my sewing room???? I adore her.  I've never spent that much money on a pattern in my life, but I just had to have her.

There was a little of this....

Sam is very fun to go antiquing with!  And on Sunday, I was able to meet with my homeschooling friend Martha, who I've known for over 20 years but never got to meet in person - what a dear sweet friend she is!!  So lovely to give her a great big hug in person.

The pen show ended on Sunday, and we booked an extra night so we could go to the Columbus Zoo on Monday, it was also right by the hotel.  Unfortunately, Sam woke at 2am, so sick....we ended up leaving for home around 10am.  He's better now, but of course shared it with me.

No stitching got done in Ohio, I brought it with me but the light in the room wasn't bright enough for me.  Well, and I was too busy, lol.  Since I've been home, I've worked 3 days and also been sick.  Over the worst of it now, thank goodness!

Today, my oldest son brought me a present.

LOL not really - it's his kitty, Sophie, and she's staying at my house for a week.  She seems quite happy already!!

You may recognize my over-size cutting table - it's hers for now.  She's fascinated with the windows, and she's seen her first deer!

She's enthralled....I think it's going to be a fun week!

Now let's see if I can get caught up with all of you!
See you soon!

Love,
Allie

Geography

Does anyone live near Dublin, Ohio, or north of Columbus?  If so, could you email me at allie hartom @ gmail dot com [no spaces....]....thanks!!

Who Left The Fridge Door Open???

Autumn is officially here, and with it, cooler temps...I don't like it.  I love the colors of the trees, but I can do without the cold!

This is one of the stops on my route - you can just see one tree turning behind the others.

Up north, it's a riot of color.  Some trees down here have already lost their leaves - *sob*

I managed to get to ONE garage sale this season.  But oh, look what I found!!!!

This table is massive.  It has two drawers on each side, and it's on wheels, and it's solid wood.  It's almost as high as my waist.  It's my new cutting table!!  The guy wanted $100 for it, but I talked him down to $40...

Here it is with a chair in front of it, so you can see how high it is.

I might have to get a bar stool so I can sit at it as well.

GREAT for pinning quilts!!

No aching back.  That's one of the quilts that I'll be hand quilting this winter.  I found three, all vintage, all pieced by hand....I need to clean out my totes more often.

I also pulled out an old UFO, I believe it's from 2012 - a Homespun stitch-a-long.

This is only the second block!  Yes Wendy-girl, I'll finish it someday, lol - Wendy very kindly sent me the Homespun issue with the first block.  I love this project, it's the only one I've ever bought the floss for, following the designer's colors.

Ellen sent me some of the stripe for my pillows that she had left over - 

Thank you so much Ellen, it's renewed my determination to get these made!  I can't wait to get started now!  I love that it's on the diagonal!

For those of you that have unsaved family members, I want to give you a word of encouragement.  Thursday evening, we had a Celebration of Life for my cousin.  He died the week before.  At the party, his son told me that he had accepted Christ 3 weeks before he died - it is never too late, don't ever give up praying!  As soon as we heard he was sick, that was the one big prayer we had for him.  Thank you Lord, we know he's safely with Jesus now!!  Don't. Give. Up.

Oddly enough, that night it was so warm, I had to wear a sleeveless top - and now we have this.

No wonder so many folks get sick this time of year!

I'll leave you with an astonishingly large spider web I spotted in a tree outside my sewing room window - I thought it was a clear plastic plate at first.

I do not want to meet whatever made that in the dark!

Be well, be happy....

Love,
Allie

Catching Up

Just came off three days of work, so I'm catching up on emails - Ellen, thank you for your lovely comment, could you please email me?  Your email wasn't attached to your comment.  My email is allieoopsdesigns@gmail.com.

It's also serious housecleaning day - wow what happens around here in three days is a crime, or should be, lol!  That's it from me today!!!!

Love,
Allie

Non-Happenings

Bumper crop of Black-eyed Susans this year

It's a busy season in Allie-ville right now - can't exactly tell you why.  I was going to do a blog post a week ago, but my card reader died, couldn't get the pictures off my camera!  Fortunately they don't cost much, and Amazon had one just for me.

Anybody know what bird this is?  They were everywhere the other day.

All the critters are frantically running around, gathering for winter.  We had a most unusual heat wave, and in one day the temps dropped almost 30 degrees, now we're definitely in autumn.  Time to find all the jackets.

I finished up my Garden of Contentment, doing the binding while watching the coverage of Hurricane Florence and praying for all in the path.

I don't watch cable, they're far too dramatic for me.  I don't even have cable.  Not sure why the binding on this took me so long, my heart just wasn't in it....but it's done, and I love it.

Someday I'll hang it up.  The walls in this house are plaster, so I've been very slow to hang anything - just utilized the holes already in the walls.

I did pull some very old fabric that I want to use to make couch pillows.

I'll cut the panels and use a matching red for the backs.  I wish there was more of the stripe, there's not enough to go around all four.

I picked up mum the other day, and spent a little time with her, she seemed to be really rambling - and when I got home, I thought it over.  I think she's alone too much.  Our friend Shirley, who just lost her oldest daughter, is also alone too much - as is my best friend.  I decided to do something about it.  I rearranged my sewing room, into more of a sitting room, and I'm going to start having teas for us.  We can sit and visit, or work on projects, and just socialize.  Maybe I can come up with projects for us to work on.  I can't wait....

Shasta from High Road Quilter sent me a lovely ATC that she made.

I love it.  I want to get a tiny frame to put it in.  Thank you Shasta!!!  She has been a good friend and I will treasure this.

So that's about all for me today, I'm doing more reading than stitching lately.....maybe as the cooler weather draws in I'll get my mojo back.  Always good to have the iron on all day when it's chilly, lol.  Take care my friends, and enjoy whatever season you're in...see you soon!

Love,

Allie

Never Forget

Slow Saturday

Good morning everyone - I finally got to sleep in on a Saturday!!  No work today.

I've uploaded a new free pattern for you, I haven't stitched it yet.....it's a Scripture pattern.

I'm still really enjoying drawing, but not so much stitching.  The pattern is for the design only....no instructions.  The design size is 7" x 9 1/2", although you can enlarge [for applique] or shrink it.  I hope you like it.

Available in my shop for instant download:  

Allie-oops Designs

I absolutely love this verse.  It reminds me that not only has God promised to never again destroy the earth with a flood, if floods do come (and they do, don't they - ) we'll not be overwhelmed.  We are safe in the ark which is Christ Jesus.  No matter what kind of storm rages around me, I am in Him and He has promised to keep me.

Not a whole lot has been happening.  Last week, I had to work on Labor Day, so we had a party on the Sunday before.  Saturday night before the party, we lost power - all that food in my fridge!!  Hubby plugged in the generator, and Sunday morning I called off the party - the temps were going to be in the 90's F, and the humidity was through the roof.  My aunt talked me into moving the party from 2pm to noon, and since the house was still fairly cool, we got started.  Just as everyone got here, the power came back - linemen are my heroes!!!

It's been so humid - this was my view one morning out my sewing room windows.

It wasn't raining - that was how humid it was.  The a/c was on in the house, all the condensation was outside!

Our friendly coyote is still hanging around, terrorizing the wildlife.

I look for him every morning when I leave for work, in the dark.....*shudder*

I'm still battling spiders - it's that time of year.  My decorating style has gone from Pleasantly Cluttered to Hotel Lobby.  I want nothing extra laying around.  You wouldn't believe how fast these things build webs....the quicker I can run the vacuum around, the better.  My stretchy vacuum hose is my new best friend.

That's it from me for now - be happy, be blessed!!

Love,

Allie

Starting Over

morning sun 

Good morning!  Don't you love the sunrise?  So much of my life went by without ever seeing it....boy, now I am.  I guess I'm making up for lost time, getting up at 2am.  Not that long ago, that was my bedtime!

So, my blog title is Starting Over....and in many ways, I am.  I've deleted my facebook accounts, both my personal page and business page.  Blogging is my only form of social media now.  I don't watch tv, and relied on facebook for news, following both national, international and local news there.  But you know, I didn't like the affect it was having on me....people on facebook get very judgemental (without having all the facts) and my local news was getting into the act, asking opinions on different events, like should someone go to jail - really?  It seems nobody gets a trial by peers in a courtroom anymore.  It was getting to me, and I was stressing out over it all, so bye-bye.

MUCH happier now.

Starting Over also has to do with my new job.  I'm really enjoying it, not so much the hours but the job itself is fine.  I worked 3 days last week, and by the time I got off work Saturday I was exhausted, going to bed at 4pm.  I'll get used to it, lol.

And now for the quilty part.  I've come to realize that my tastes are changing again, I have some ideas for quilts I want to make, and for some reason always see them in autumn colors, kind of primitive.  I'd like to start collecting Kim Diehl fabrics - her colors just glow - although my latest idea for a crib-size quilt uses rainbow fabrics.  I just got my background fabric from the FatQuarterShop.

It's Moda Marbles, Baby Blue.  Pretty!!

I finally got my new glasses, only took them 3 doctors and two tries to get them right.  No pics.

I started attaching the binding on my Garden of Contentment quilt.

LOVING IT.

I'm Starting Over with my sewing machines also.  I've retired my Viking, it needs work and I just can't afford it right now.  I was thinking I'd wait until I get a few more projects quilted, but then I remembered I had purchased a walking foot for my Featherweight.  I'd like to do big quilts by hand - I miss hand quilting, so the Featherweight is fine for small projects.  I like the fact that I can repair the Featherweight myself.

Even with my wardrobe I'm Starting Over.  All the articles of clothing that are getting threadbare are out the door, and I'm shopping end-of-season clearance.  Normally I only purchase clothing at thrift stores, but I'm finding great prices in retail shops.  Out with all the uncomfortable clothes in my closet!!

I think that's all the news from Allie-land - by deleting facebook from my life, I have SO much more time to peruse blogs, and keep up with everyone.  And the bonus is how much more peaceful my life is.  

I pray your week is peaceful too - 

Love,

Allie

morning friends

Zoom Zoom

I am pleased to announce that I'm working again - only a few days a week, but test driving again which I love.  You may not see me as much...the lovely thing is, I can stay home and sew as much as I want, but when I get antsy and need a road trip, I get one.  Color me Happy.

I've started the quilting on my Garden of Contentment quilt.  I know, about time, right?

Just simple wavy lines over every seam.  It's bigger than I remembered - lol.  Makes me wonder how I ever did a queen size!

My shift starts at 5am, which is surprisingly hard.  My body has always been wired for the night shift - but I really don't want to drive in the dark for my full shift, which I would in winter, so I chose the a.m. shift.  I get up around 2am, as I need like a lot of time to wake up.  Fortunately, the shop is only 6 minutes from my house!

I've drawn up a couple of new designs, one for a wall or baby quilt, can't wait to start it - just have to wait for the funds to get the fabric I need.  The other, I'll need more fusible interfacing.  Gosh my supplies are low!  Meanwhile, I'll concentrate on my Garden, and git 'er done.

I'll see you soon - if I can resolve my router problems!  I'm not able to stay connected to wifi for more than a few minutes right now!

Love,
Allie

Good Morning Sunshine!

For many years now (we've both lost track), my best friend will call me day or night and greet me with "good morning, sunshine!"  I can hear the smile in her voice as she says it, and she always makes my day.  I simply had to turn it into a little quilt!  What a treasure she is.

Simple fusible applique, easy embroidery stitches, because that's what I love.  I outlined everything in black to make it pop, especially since I used a vintage sheet for the background.  I love using vintage sheets, but they're not easy to stitch through!

Oh no - looks like I got a little dust on my quilt!!!

You can make your own sunshine by popping over to my shop for instant download - 

Allie-oops Designs

I mostly spent the weekend stitching.  Normally, I like to clean up after every project, because in the frenzy of creating I make a mess.  But this time I went right from one project to another.  Guess what I'll be doing today???

What you can't tell from this picture is that nothing is where it should be, and I have to move things to put my coffee cup down.  Plus the cobwebs and dust!!!!  I need a good tidy and deep clean!

I did finish block 3 from my birds quilt.

Not real happy with his eye - might have to change that.  I started this at my son's house, I should be finishing block 4 but golly, sometimes ideas demand completion!

Today is a lovely cool day, I'm actually wearing a hoodie to start.  Better get cleaning before it warms up.....

See you soon!

Love,

Allie