Thanks, Meg!

TQL regular columnist Meg Cox had some kind praise for TQL on her e-newsletter http://megcox.com/newsletters.htm. I thought you might like to check it out. Lots of other good info too.

Kit and pattern questions

Thank you to everyone for the glowing reviews of TQL! Not every subscriber has gotten it yet, but I swear it's almost there. There's been a lot of interest in the Burnished Chintz pattern and the kit that's available from Liza Lucy's online shop gloriouscolor.com. You can also order it by phone: 800-269-0309. Warning: if you are a fan of Kaffe Fassett's Collective lines of fabric, you'll be in heaven when you get to this website. Liza does a great job of designing quilts that show off the fabrics, but you can do that too. If you fall in love with the fabrics you see there, try this: pick a simple block pattern with just a few patches, enlarge it, repeat it, and voilà, there you have it—a pattern that presents a good opportunity to play around with those luscious, mouthwatering prints.

    And one of the quilts that was shown in Alex's article "Quilting in the Garden" has aroused some interest too. Welcome Home is a great scrappy quilt, shown here hanging from a tree with beautiful blue California sky behind it. This quilt was made from one of Alex's published patterns that's still available at alexandersonquilts.com. When you get there, click on Patterns at the top of the page.
     Myself, I'm a hand applique girl; I love the relaxing nature of it. But piecing also provides that Zen feeling when I'm deep into it. Both of these quilts would be good candidates for an absorbing day of piecing. So easy, yet so visually inviting.

It's here!

I'm happy! And from the email congratulations I've been getting, many other people are happy with The Quilt Life too. If you haven't gotten yours yet, hold on, it's almost there. In the magazine, I promised you a photo of the "Happy Goat with the Bulging Belly" and here it is. I know that if you've just gotten your TQL you may not have had a chance to read it yet, but in Alex's article "Sparked by a taste for faraway places," she mentions the goat with the bulging belly that she saw on her vacation to Door County, Wisconsin. The goat was scheduled to have a photo in the article, too, until he got "bumped" by the chicken. I couldn't bear to have him disappear altogether because it's a unique sight, so here he (or she) is.
     Yes, it's quite a tubby little goat. It's standing on the roof of Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant in the heart of downtown Sister Bay, Wisconsin. Al's has been there for 60 years, but it wasn't until a 1973 renovation that grass became part of the roof, followed by the first goat, Oscar. You can read all about Al's here. Next time I'm in Wisconsin, I'm going there!
     Do notice throughout TQL that there are opportunities for you to let us know about people and stories that would fit some of the regular features in the magazine. Celebrities taking questions, suggestions for Ricky and Alex's Cook-off, "unexpected" quilters, and more. The Submission Guidelines are available at TheQuiltLife.com and you can also email us at info@thequiltlife.com. Think outside that box; TQL is about more than making quilts!

10...9...8...

Countdown! The Quilt Life issue 1 has gone to press! We'll get to see the new baby within the next week. The wait is almost over. I speak for the whole TQL team when I say, "We can hardly wait!"