We had a wonderful Christmas this year. We are all settled into our new home and really enjoy being close to my husband’s family. Christmas just seemed that much more comfortable this year, since we’ve been togther so much this past year. Even my mother seemd to manage to enjoy herself a little.

Our 5 year old Andrew was very much into Santa Claus this year and the 9 year old is still hanging on with no signs of doubt. Even more beautiful was how much Andrew was excited that we were celebrating the birth of Jesus and often told us. On the hour car ride back from Grandma’s house on Christmas night, while Stephen slept, Andrew went on and on about about what Christmas “was really about – giving and love.” I think 5 year olds are often much more in tune to what is important than we grown-ups.

And then there is my incredibly supportive husband, who keeps cheerleading me on in my crazy quilting adventures. I just happened to mention that self-threading needles would make burying threads easier. Don’t you know that man found a quilt store on the way back from a business meeting a few days before Christmas and put them in my stocking. He never ceases to amaze me!

Every day I count my blessing to have such a wonderful family and be able to pursue my dream. It’s a wonderful life! Hope your holidays were extra special this year!

Helle-May

Did you ever wonder if there’s a reason why you’ve met a particular person?  I was never interested in getting married or having a family until I met my husband 15 years ago.  But now I cannot imagine life any other way. 

Last spring, as I was just starting to  think about how I was going to start this new business venture, I just happened to stop and talk to the father of one of my son’s classmates as we were both picking up our kids at school.  I happened to know he had just started his own business (I had no idea what kind) and so I just wanted to ask if he could point me in the right direction for filing the appropriate papers to make it official.  Turns out he’s a bit of an internet maven and six months later, he and his wife have become  friends. 

Last night, we invited them over for Christmas cookies and a glass of wine to celebrate the holidays.  We’ve all been very busy with our lives and so haven’t talked much in the last few months.  I began to talk about the frustrations I was having in getting the business moving forward as fast I would like.  Now mind you, we haven’t known each other very long and yet he was able to read me like a book and tell me what I didn’t want to hear but needed to.  Essentially he said, I am paralyzed by perfection and that if I wait until I have things perfect, I’ll never get anything done.   Those of you who know me are laughing right now – because that is one of my biggest challenges – I’m a perfectionist.  It is a personality trait with very mixed blessings!  I have very high expectations of myself and demand perfection on anything I try to do.  Those of you who also fall into this category know how frustrating that can be when you can’t meet your own expectations, let alone those of someone else. 

My friend was right, I can’t seem to make progress on getting my patterns to you because I can’t seem to get them perfect enough (for me anyway!).  If it’s not a software issue, it’s a printing issue, etc.  I’m not saying that the directions aren’t as accurate as I can humanly make them – but they may not contain all the bells and whistles that I’d like to see in them and with them.  So I’m going to give it my best shot and try to overcome my “perfection paralysis” and make some progress.  Some of those bells and whistles will just have to wait!

Sometimes we all need to listen to someone who is a bit more objective than those who are close to us.  It might not always be easy to hear, but we need to listen with an open mind and heart.  My friend’s advice may be one of the most valuable gifts I receive this Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, it’s almost here and I think after a few more batches cookies we’re ready!  We had barely moved into our new house last Christmas so this year we are much more relaxed and feel much more at home.  Hope all of your holiday preparations are going well and that you are able to take time and truly enjoy the spirit of the holidays.  

Helle-May

Our first snow day – no school.  It’s snowing and sleeting.  I suspect this is the beginning of a long winter!  Fortunately I finished everything yesterday that I needed to go out for – food shoppng, mailed my last cards and sent a few packages.  This weekend I planned to do some baking and hopefully some sewing!

I’m in the process of working out the bugs with the printer regarding the new Publisher software and I think I finally got my e-shop issues resolved.  I’m hoping that I’ll finally have this booklet done by mid January.  Keep your fingers croseed!  Something tells me that I won’t be able to get in touch with the printer today!

Stay warm and dry!

Helle-May

Well I was on a roll!  Kids – gotta love them!  My Andrew (5) has been on and off sick with a bad cough for a month now, but this Monday it got worse.  This time the doctor detected some wheezing and put him on a nebulizer and antibiotics.  Of course last night was the big Christmas program that the kids have been practicing for months.  I had to get him better to get through that or he’d be devastated.  The treatments worked – he read his lines loud and clear with not a cough to be heard.  It was so cute!  He starts public school next year for 1st grade, so sadly, this will be our last Christmas program.  He just had to get better!

Now that he’s on the mend, I’m sure my 9 year old will be sick on Christmas Eve.  Family tradition, you know!    Anyone else have traditions like that, too?!

My printer encouraged me very strongly to get Microsoft Publisher to avoid any formatting/printing issues.  I have been working in Word.  I listened, ordered the software and of course the CD drive on the computer crashed.  Finally got that up and running via phone support from HP.  Amazing  – over the internet they were able to reach out and and get into my computer – she erased a few files (I hope I didn’t need them!) and Voila!  it was fixed.  I was very impressed!  Back in business!  I’m trying to get that booklet done, believe me! 

I can’t believe Christmas is only 2 weeks away!  Everything will get done I keep telling myself.  My husband says I’m most productive when I have a lot on my plate. His theory will be tested once again – I hope he’s right!

Keep shopping – the economy needs a lift!  I know I’ve been doing my part!

Helle-May

Where did this fall go?  I had such great plans to be up and fully functioning on my website by now.  I was so naive about the amount of time I’d really have to dedicate to this new venture.  I have been making progress, just not as fast as I’d like.  It has been one huge learning curve after another – establishing a new business, setting up the website, learning how to write pattern instructions and drawing diagrams, setting up the blog, and now trying to get the on-line store set-up, just to name a few.  In all honesty, despite a lot of frustrating moments, the times when I finally felt like I understood or mastered a new skill were very satisfying. 

After being a stay at home mom for exactly the past 6 years (my last official day of work was December 1, 2002) , one of the things that I have really missed has been the challenge of learning new things.  Yes, I have learned a lot as it relates to child rearing and I’m still learning – but I’m talking more about mental challenges – brainy stuff.  As I’m sure other stay at home moms who have left careers to raise their family will attest – its a bit of a challenge to switch gears so completely.  

In conclusion, I’m very excited about learning all this new stuff, but this 44 year old brain just isn’t absorbing it all as fast as I’d like! And this mother of 5 (almost 6)  and 9 year old boys doesn’t quite have as much time or energy as she though she would!   So bear with me on this!

Helle-May

3 blogs in almost as many days!  Tomorrow is back to reality and back to school.  There are no days off until the 24th – theoretically I should have even more time to get things done – we’ll see.   Yesterday we went and tagged a Christmas tree to chop down in a few weeks and then put up our mini Christmas village in the dining room.  This morning we even woke to a light coating of snow – the season has begun!

Regarding that mini-book… I have worked up a tablerunner (just needs to be quilted) and a wall hanging using the same fabrics, but arranged in different ways.  It’s cool to see how fabrics placed in different patches makes the design look a lot different.  Since I now have more pages to work with I am hoping to include a blank layout big enough so that quilters can color their own designs.  I work with EQ6 (which I absolutely love!) but for those of you who prefer colored pencils/markers (I still enjoy that too when I don’t have access to a computer) I think it would be fun and creative to come up wth your own design.  The possibilities are endless.  Probably the only challenging part for many quilters would be then to figure out the yardages required if you were making a larger size quilt.  I’d be happy to help anyone with that dilemna.

I am also working on getting  the e-commerce part of the site up and running (I ran into technical difficulties a couple of weeks ago.)  When that happens, I will have kits available with the Christmas fabric.  Of course, I’ve missed the window for anyone wanting to get a quilt done for Christmas.  Oh well – there’s always next Christmas – fortunatley fabric doesn’t go bad!  Until I get the mini-book finished (this month – cross your fingers) if anyone is interested in a pattern for just the larger sizes, I do have a few copies.  Please E-mail me.   hm@hellemaydesigns.com

Happy last day of Novemeber! 

Helle-May

So,  as I was saying… Evidently when it comes to pattern writing, I’m a little too verbose and I got a bit carried away with diagrams (once I figured out how to draw them well.)  In order to fit into the standard pattern mold, I’d have to lose a lot of meat.  Well, never having been one to fit the standard mold (my friends and family will attest to this!), I’ve decided that the best thing to do is to “do it my way!”  What I realized is that what I had practically written (duh!) was what I am calling a mini-book.  With just a few more pages and a few more projects based on the same instructions, I would have something much more substantial than just a pattern to piece a top. 

So that’s where I am and why you still haven’t seen a pattern for sale.  My first “mini-book” is based on the Christmas Candy design and will contain several projects based on that design.   Despite the fact that the main block and sash block are all made from various triangles, I believe the directions and diagrams are clear enough for a quilter that considers her(him)self at least a confident beginner.  I  include detailed instructions on mitered borders – which I know scare a lot of quilters.  I’m not going to lie and say they are easy – not everything in life is easy – but I present my reasonably simplified method for achieving them.  Ideas for quilting and complete binding instructions are also included. 

There are still a lot of seasoned quilters that still struggle with how to turn corners and end the binding.  Ok – I’m going to get on my soapbox now.  I think that’s because the majority of patterns and workshops out there only focus on getting through the piecing of the quilt top and that’s where the instructions end.  How many of you have sewn a garment from a pattern?  Those directions take you from how to cut out the pieces to how to finish that final hem.  When you’re done, you can proudly wear that skirt or dress.  So many quilt pattern instructions, however, leave the quilter with these parting words,”layer, quilt as desired, and bind.”  No wonder there are so many UFO’s out there!   OK, enough of my rant.

So please bear with me as I finish this first project.  I’d love to hear your comments on my approach! 

Helle-May

The kids let us sleep in this morning! Yeah!  It’s probably the first time I’ve ever slept in on Thanksgiving morning!  We are going to my in-laws for Turkey day and I was only in charge of the sweet stuff – – pumpkin pie, apple pie, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce.  Very unstressful.  So – I had the urge to finally sit down and get this blog rolling.  I’ve meaning to do it all month.  Even though the website has nothing new to show for itself, I’ve actually been doing a lot of thinking and planning and even a little sewing.

It seems like a lifetime ago already, but I attended Market in Houston at the end of October to do some homework and understand what I was really getting myself into.  It was a  worthwhile experience.  I spoke to lots of different people in the quilt world:  designers, quilt shop owners,  distributors andfabric company owers, just to name a few.  Lots of different perspectives, but lots of valuable information that has gone into helping me really understand how I’d like to add my contribution to the world of quilting.   It’s also why there seems to be a hold-up on getting my patterns to you.

I actually had finished (at least that’s what I thought) the pattern for Christmas Candy before I went.  (The photo of the quilt is in my album and on the previous posting.)  Long story short, it turns out that I wrote too much!  My goal was to deliver a pattern that would take a confident beginner  and up through each step of the quilt, as if I were there in a workshop – no assumptions.  Start to finish.  (I don’t like UFOs!)  Evidently that’s just too much information for a standard pattern because it takes up too many pages and costs too much to produce and distribute!  So back to the drawing board…      

Ok  – I’ve got to go and make the pumpkin pie now!  More to the story tomorrow!

Helle-May

Here’s a sneak peak at my first pattern – Christmas Candy.  It was originally published in Quilt It for Christmas 2007.  I have written the pattern in enough detail (including directions on mitered borders) that Confident Beginners and beyond should have no problems. It’s all ready.  Just have to get it on the store shelf!

So much new stuff to learn!  It’s all been taking much longer than expected!  Such a good feeling though when I actually feel like I’ve mastered something!  Please bear with me as I plod my way through all this new technology!

I’m still working on the “storefront.”  Thought it best to actually have some stock before the store opened!  Nothing more frustrating than empty shelves!

Please stay tuned!

Helle-May