Happy Halloween 2013!

 

Halloween and all the weeks leading up to

it are a BIG deal at our American Homestead.

We started with our kids when they were babies

to show them the importance of this wonderful

day of pumpkins and candy and costumes!

 

Back when Kate was born, doctors told you

to not take your baby out in the germy world

for a month.  She was a month old for Halloween.

This little witch has grown up to be the biggest

Halloween lover of all of us.  In fact she just

messaged me from university:

 

happy halloween!! hope you're enjoying

the most wonderful day of the year

 

 

By the next Halloween Kate had a little partner

to share in her Halloween fun.

 

 

Just a couple of clowns.

 

 

Raggedy Ann and Andy

 

 

Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf

 

 

Tigger and a Princess

 

 

Belle and the Beast.

Brennan's costume was very cool, he

could pull the cape around him and

tilt his head down and look like the

Beast and then he could throw the

cape back and transform into the Prince.

 

We couldn't find the big container of

photos today, maybe we will find them

by next year.  So, eat some candy and

enjoy Halloween.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Quilt Market

 

Hello!

I'm just back from International Quilt Market

in Houston.  This year I flew and it was a test

to see if you can you fly to market and bring

everything for your booth in a few suitcases. 

The answer is NO! 

Those who know me, know I'm not a spare and

minimal person.  So, it is either drive or drop-ship

 boxes in the future. 

I also heard from my customers that they want

kits, so that is on the list for the future.

Much thanks to my friends Dawn and Cathy

who helped me set-up and take down the booth

and for being such fun to travel with.

Now to unpack...

I Didn't Sleep At All Last Night...

 

Ever since I was little, I could never sleep

the night before a trip.  That's something

I never grew out of...

I didn't sleep a wink last night.  Maybe it is

because Mr. Wonderful usually comes with

me to trade shows but this time I'll be all

alone.  I can't wait until I check into my

hotel this afternoon.  Hopefully my booth

will be ready and I'll have had a great lunch

and then it will be time for a nap!

 

Wheels up in a few hours...

New Pattern Collection

 

Tomorrow I leave for the Fall '13

International Quilt Market in Houston.

I'm flying and have LOTS of stuff to take for

my booth so the laptop is staying home.

That means my blog readers will have the

first peek at the new designs.

 

This is Stars Hollow.

 

 

Floral Park

 

Summerside

 

I have been back at work with wool felt.

 

Grand Isle

 

Avalon

 

Petaluma

 

The patterns are up on the website and you

can order by just emailing me:

 

ellen@americanhomesteaddesign.com

 

 

Wholesale orders are available through me

or from Checker Distributors.

Snow!!!

 

It has been a wildly busy week here at the

American Homestead and I never had a

chance to listen to local weather reports.

 

 

I woke up to what I thought was rain

and never even looked out the window

until I walked downstairs and then I

screamed when I saw this!  It's just a

 light dusting actually but it's only

October ~ I'm still delighting in

pumpkins and gourds and mums and

the colors of the leaves ~ I'm not

ready for snow!

 

 

My birdies are going to go ice skating

today instead of taking a bath.

 

I've been loving the brilliance of these

roses, some of the last color of summer

in my garden.  Bye-bye beauties, I'll

see you in the Spring.

 

I'm leaving in a few days for the great

state of Texas, I'm sure I'll be able to

soak up a bit of warmth while there.

I'll cherish it,

I'm a Viking?

 

I just got off the phone with my cousin

Lynne, our family genealogist.  She was

filling me in on all the new discoveries

she has unearthed about our family history.

 

Perhaps the biggest shock is, we are Vikings!  The

Vikings first came to Ireland  in 795 and over the

course of time, they eventually were absorbed

into the religious and political life of Ireland.

This also included intermingling with the

natives.  Well, DNA doesn't lie and our family

has Viking blood!  A male descendent with the

family name can be tested and one of my cousins

accepted the challenge and here we are ~ Vikings!

 

Another interesting branch of the family tree.

Wanted: Quintessential American Christmas Village

 

I'm asking for help from the readers of the

American Homestead.  I'm working on a new

project and I'm looking for small towns

that evoke a quaint charm, they would need

to be within a 12 hour drive of Indianapolis.

 

 

I'm looking for sweet, little cottages

dripping with gingerbread trim.

 

 

Old fashioned downtowns with old-timey

holiday décor festooned across Main Street.

 

 

A place with décor consisting of more holly,

berries and pine than plastic.

 

 

I need to take photographs and snow would

be a nice addition, so somewhere with snow

in November or December.  Perhaps Wisconsin

or Michigan?  If you have any ideas, please

leave a comment or contact me by email.

 

Thank you!