Valori Wells

To Market, to market we go......

First, I just have to say to all of you mommy's out there - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!! I feel so blessed to be a mom and I cherish my family every day! It is amazing to me how children remove a certain amount of selfishness and ego that comes with being young or a strong woman.....does that make sense? Anyway, I wish the best to all of those mom's out there and mom's to be and future mom's you know all of those great ladies that are a part of our lives......weather you are a mom or not celebrate being a woman!

Here we are on mothers day and I shooed everyone out for a photo in between cooking dinner....I love to cook for people so I made homemade pasta, roast chicken and sausage with lots of fresh veggies, mom, John and Grandma Jo came to have dinner.....it was a nice evening and it made me happy to feed my family....so weird I never thought I would be one of those people - that liked to feed and cook for people - but I love it. So gratifying......Then Monday rolled around and I picked up Miss Amy from the airport... we ended up hanging out with Miss Vi at the house all afternoon and I cooked dinner....again that satisfaction of feeding people......before we left for the lecture I had Ross take a photo of us....

We were definitely all smiles after a good meal and a little wine....the lecture was awesome - Amy is so generous and kind - we were very privileged to have her come to the shop.....I loved having my friend around....we headed to the new restaurant in town - Pleadies - to have a little girl time and some wine. It was so nice.....makes me sad that she lives so far away from me.....anyway, next time it is my turn to visit her.....at least I get to see her in a couple of days at market.......
       Speaking of market I am - I think - ready!!! Well, to be honest I haven't packed my suitcase but I know what I am wearing.....isn't that what matters most. I have the girls packed and the booth organized at the shop...we load up tomorrow and take the caravan to Portland.....I am nervous (usual response for me just before market) and excited (not a usual response) maybe I am gaining more confidence and security in who I am - embracing who I am........tough thing but I am working on it.
    OH - my friend Carmen came to the lecture last night and gave me a card for mother's day with two great flash cards.......

working Mother - is that not perfect!! SO I put it on my bulletin board with all my photos of family - right in front of my cutting table.....I love it! Makes me smile - Thanks Carmen!!! You rock!!!
Well, I am going to try to post while I am at market but I cannot promise but I can promise lots of photos for later.....take care!
Have a great day!
Valori

the studio.....

I recently had to take a couple of photos in the studio.....moving and cropping out the mess. I thought I would share them....as well as my cute girls!!!

This is my drawing table / painting area for the fabric...it looks out over the canyon and gets really nice morning light - this was taken in the morning....and if you look in the corner you can see Miss Vi's johnny jump up - which she loves!!! It is in the doorway to my darkroom. Sadly the darkroom has not had any use for a couple of years - pregnancy and all...but soon I will get in again! I am determined.....
Next.......

On the opposite side of the studio is my fabric.....and my very cool chair that my mom bought for me one year after Quilt Show.......it is from Anthropologie and I had been drooling over it for a long time. Anyway, these windows look out over the driveway and our front yard........

This is my idea wall.....all of my recent obsession photos of dahlias......wonder what my next fabric collection is going to be?!?!!? There are my drawings for fabric, palette ideas from magazines, table cloths, there is a dead leaf (which was really cool before it completely died) anyway....ideas! I love this wall it helps me keep track of my thoughts. And then you can kinda see my easel which has the beginnings of a painting of a dahlia....see completely obsessed....to tell you the truth I CAN'T wait to get to work on the next fabric......This wall sits on the back side of my darkroom and since it is a work space for me I have a door to outside steps and down to the driveway.....one of these days I thought it would be cool to have a studio party with lights coming up the outside stairs and have wine and food and candles on my island with paintings all over the studio.....one of these days - got to get some more painting done first - stop giving them away........rambling.....this is how I get when I am overly busy so many other things that I would like to do. So here are some cute photos of my beautiful girls......

They LOVE dada's guitar....when he plays Violette starts moving up and down and smiling...Miss Liv has his old guitar and will play along with him.....God I love those girls.....

You would think that I have nothing to do but take photos of them...how can you resist!!
Well back to my day........
Have a great one!
Valori

busy, busy, busy, did I say busy......

So I thought I was SO prepared for market - Next week - Yes Next Week......but no as Monday rolled around and I started making my list I realized HOW MUCH I still had to do.....so the list began....and is still going. I am now taking it with me because once I am in the car I think of something else. Since the whole fam is coming it isn't just packing for me it is also doing the girls laundry and packing for them, toys for them, food for Vi - which I need to get in the kitchen and make some more, sleeping stuff, my stuff, then there is the booth and the school houses......my heart beats faster as I am writing about it. To add to all of this my good friend Amy Butler is coming here on Monday to give a lecture - which I am so excited to have her visit - but we are getting ready for that at the shop - and my house since she is going to come have dinner with us before the lecture. Then......Kaffe Fassett is coming after market for a few days to teach quilting and knitting....mom is off to Italy the Sunday of market!! Lucky girl!! FEW......I am tired just thinking about it! Anyway....as we were planning the booth I realized that I needed another quilt  - so here it is!!!

Gracie - in the emerald side of Olive Rose Topaz.......Of course Sophie is helping me by taking down pieces of fabric......It is done and my friend Terri is quilting it for me....can't really do that with everything else......
I will write again soon.........
Have a great day!!!
Valori

Wow!!!

What a great response to the fabric.....but who doesn't like free fabric!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the kind words...as I have more fabric I will for sure give some away!!!! I love hearing that you are inspired and want to work with my fabric.....always makes me feel good......today is one of those not so confident days!!! I really dislike feeling like that.....but I have to remind myself that it is just a day and that it is important to have bad days to enjoy the good days...!!! Right?!?!
Have a great day!
Valori

FREE FABRIC!

Ok I figured that FREE FABRIC would get your attention...............

These are stacks of fat 1/4's ready to go to a good home.....I have 18  bundles of 8 fat 1/4's of Olive Rose for you.....so I plan on sending out the fabric on Thursday when I am in the shop....without the girl - Ross has the girls that day....a whole day at the shop without crying.....anyway, the first 18 lovely readers to e-mail me with their mailing address will receive a bundle of new fabric......
Have a great day................
Valori

Sewing Cards

Hello All!!! Last year I started these little cards/patterns that I called sewing cards.....they are simple patterns that retail for $3.00....not bad for a pattern these days. If you want you can put one in with a card for someone as a gift...anyway, I have four new sewing cards for the Spring......Shit I hear the girl (Liv) screaming......I'll be back..........................................OH My god...the drama, sometimes it's incredible!!! I guess that happens when you are 2 1/2............................Where was I...Oh yes, sewing cards.
First the project bags...three great sizes of bags that are perfect for knitting projects, sewing notions, etc., etc., etc......

Then we have some pin cushions that look like tomatoes...too cute out of different fabric and fill them with lavender or part lavender and you are good to go.......smells good when you are sewing or makes a great gift..........

Then I did a sewing card for postcards....we did a great fundraisier during Quilt Show with fabric postcards and I figured that it would make a great sewing card.....I did some embroidery on some of my cards along with the piecing and fusing techniques.

and last but not least.....we came up with Fabric Roses.....that if you want you can take them apart and make something out of it. I want to come up some sort of pattern that if you give someone 2 dozen fabric roses you can make some sort of pattern out of it...I just have to come up with the pattern...when I do you will be the first to know.

They go so well with the Olive Rose...don't ya think?  There you go.....the other four patterns....whew! I am tired. I was thinking today that I would love to have a day to myself.....but the only thing is I think that I would  miss the girls and Ross and the stuff that happens in our lives every day. What can you do..... try to enjoy every day and love my life!!!
Have a great evening,
Valori

Menssenger Bag and Quilted Laptop Case

I love this bag....so much that I have made four of them so far....first just to have one then out of figuring out the pattern......then I made one for Carolyn to take to gift show. I figured that I needed a bag to carry my laptop in and I didn't really like what I saw out there so I made a quilted one....again a few different prototypes until I got to this final pattern.....

I added a decorative touch with embroidering one of th roses on the bag....I was thinking that there are quite a few different ways that you could make it personal...embroidery, fabric flowers, beads, knitted flowers.....the possibilities are endless.....


I was also thinking that you could make the bag smaller - maybe fit a sketch book (narrower) and then have it when you go out and about when you don't need so much of a bag. I use mine for going back and forth to work and all my stuff.....I am a bag lady; computer, messenger bag, diaper bag.....oh and a nine month old baby, it is a good thing I go to the gym...... On a side note I can't believe that Vi is nine months...I think I say that every month but oh my gosh time does fly!!! I keep thinking that she is going to crawl but then nope! I guess I shouldn't rush that since then I am going to have to pay attention to all the little bits of things that Liv drops on the floor without thinking of a baby eating them......
Have a great day!!!!
Valori
 

Gracie

Here you go another pattern......Gracie started with a quilt out of Sole'......

I wanted a simple quilt that you could play with the color and fabric....I thought it turned out pretty cool so I made a different version out of Olive Rose.......

They look so different adding the solids and approaching the rounds in a different way. I am now making the second version out of the topaz color way in Olive Rose.....I will post it once it is done. I want it for the booth at market so I have to get going on it.....
Have a great day!
Valori

Rosalind.....

I don't know if you remember this photo......

My sweet Sophie getting into trouble....well this is one of the new patterns. Rosalind.....


It is a simple quilt similar to a half square triangles but I used rectangles and pieced some of them to mix in and make it a little bit more interesting...then I made a blue one......

Two completely different looks.....I like how different a quilt can look with just the change of fabric.
Have a great day....
Valori

Animal Friends

I have been talking a lot about the patterns for this spring...well, they are off to print and we should have them in the shop by May1 - if all goes well.....but I thought that I would give you all a sneak preview of the patterns over the next couple of days.....

The first pattern is Animal Friends. My girls have lots of stuffed animals and the animals that they sleep with I always call their friends. Liv now refers to them as her friends - I remember feeling as though all my animals were my friends, I would pile them all into my bed at night before I went to sleep. Well, I wanted to create some new "friends" for the girls....along with the animal friends I did small embroidered quilts. Rather than trying to describe them I will show you some photos... they were too much fun to make!!!

There are three new friends - Ginger the Giraffe.....or George if you are making a boy!

Miss Vi really likes the Gingers......

There is Leo the Lion......Leonora if you are making a girl!

and Charlie the Bird.....I think Charlie works for girl and boy birds...just fits!

I had Carolyn's little boy Maddox over and did a photo shot with him and the girls and their new "friends"

It was too much fun.....Granted it was a circus....Liv was running around - hard to take photos of her anytime - and Maddox is just starting to walk - Miss Vi was good because she isn't mobile yet.....soon that will change. It was a good thing that I had Ross, Carolyn and myself to heard the kiddos......I got so many cute photos it was hard to just pick a couple. I am really enjoying doing embroidery so the animals and the little quilts have fun embroidery. I thought that it could be a great new baby gift.... a little quilt and a friend....anyway....a new project tomorrow. Have a great day!!!

Valori