Greetings from Kansas

Hello from Kansas! Just a quick update while the garage door openers are being professionally installed...and then I am off to pick-up Schatzi and Garin from the kennel.

MOVING UPDATE: We left West Des Moines early Monday morning, once we knew everything was good for the closing and headed to Kansas. Although we put the majority of our belongings in storage PODS that will be arriving tomorrow and Monday, we had our Jeeps loaded up with necessities, along with a U-Haul trailer - Travis had the trailer and I had both dogs...it was quite the trip! We dropped off the dogs for boarding and spent Monday night in a hotel getting everything in line with our new house and closing Tuesday morning. All of the documentation was taken care of yesterday and we arrived to our new home in the early afternoon. I was able to go to the local post office and get everything set-up for receiving mail - thank goodness for Google Maps - then I spent the afternoon/evening getting the necessities unloaded and unpacked. With the majority of our belongings arriving over the next week, we are trying to get as many odds and ends done before the craziness starts...

BLUE RIBBON DESIGNS UPDATE: I have my business license in Kansas and paperwork has all been filed. YAY! Next Monday, the storage POD with all of my studio and warehouse items will arrive and I will do my best to get everything put away and be somewhat ready for shipping/receiving orders late next week. It is going to be quite the job to build all the warehouse shelving and get things organized, but once that is complete, I will get the website and Etsy shop turned back on. My goal is to ship distributor and shop orders sometime next week. If you are a current client - I will be sending an e-mail to you with details regarding sewing/finishing/quilting orders. Please be patient just a little while longer while I unpack everything and I hope to be up and running by April 22nd (well that is my plan, barring any complications). Thank you again for your patience during this transition - Wifi may not be available in our area for possibly a couple months, so my response time may delayed...I will do my best to keep in touch!

Leaving our Iowa home...bittersweet....

Arriving at our new home in Spring Hill, KS...beautiful day and
green grass (the sod is taking well)....

New front door - the personalized welcome mat was gift from
our realtor (the first personal touch)....

Our backyard backs up to a farmer's fence and field...this is the first
cow to walk up and say hello to me...yep, this is now what I see
out my back windows...we'll see how the dogs like the cows!

Another lovely gift from our realtor - we will have to find a place for it...
and yes, it is laying on my beautiful new hardwood floors...

I want to thank everyone from our old neighborhood that helped with the move (heavy lifting and therapy sessions across the street). I also want to thank everyone who has sent us words of encouragement and kindness - I truly appreciate it. Finally, to those who placed an order for my first Norwex show - THANK YOU SO MUCH! - I had a great show and I appreciate you.

For now - I'm off to pick-up the dogs and get them acclimated to the new house/yard...plus I have a million errands to run - Google Maps is going to be busy today.

It's All Happening...

Happy Tuesday readers! I am checking in today before the next couple weeks are monopolized by the move. We are set to close on our house in Iowa on Monday (less than a week), then I am headed to Kansas with the dogs to close on our new home next Tuesday...yes, you heard me correctly...in a week, we will be ready to move into our new house. I am finally starting to get a wee bit excited (how could I not be with that view - the red arrow points to our house and shows our fabulous backyard "farm" view)...I was actually in the Kansas City area over the weekend...picking out window coverings and appliances and seeing the Spring Hill area...we drove by the local quilt shop (it's only a couple miles from our house) and stopped at the dog kennel where we will be boarding our fur babies. As a bonus, I made my first trip ever to IKEA (yes, there is an IKEA close by) and made a shopping list of items that we will pick-up in the coming weeks. It was a whirlwind trip, but quite productive. Today, I cleaned the garage and storage shed and packed some of the last boxes - I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel...but I know I will have my work cut out for me unpacking and settling into the new house and area.

I am hoping to have Blue Ribbon Designs back up and running by the end of April...I will be sending an e-mail to my current clients with details as soon as they are available. I will definitely post when I am taking orders and opening my Etsy and website stores...you will only have to be patient a tiny bit longer. I can't wait to get back to work - designing, sewing and filling orders! We spent some time at the new house over the weekend and I have a plan for my office, studio and warehouse.

I personally want to thank those of you who placed an order for my first Norwex party and/or shared about your experiences and favorite products - thanks to you, I am able to start building my collection...a couple more orders and I should be able to reach my goal (a mop - yes, I have hardwood floors, along with lots of tile in the new house - I know it is a lofty goal, but the mop is at the top of my wish list!). I have been so thrilled with the few products I have and I can't wait to try more. The Pet Towel has been a lifesaver during the terrible weather this past Midwest winter and is now saving me with all of the rain...I am so thankful I have one for each dog! My party is still going on for a couple more days, so if you are just seeing this and would like to help me out, you can place an order for my online party and/or view a catalog, by visiting this link:
http://carmenjacobsen.norwex.biz/en_US/customer/party/3651994
I truly appreciate it...and if you have any questions or favorite products to tell me about, please comment below!!

Last but not least - here is the last quilt I completed before I started packing for the move - I titled it "Pineapples and Prickly Pears"...I designed the pattern and made the sample for AccuQuilt a few months ago. It uses the new(er) GO! Pineapple 10" Finished Cutting Die. I really enjoyed designing and creating this quilt and see more pineapple style quilts in my future.

I'm looking forward to getting back to work in a few weeks and creating projects that bring me joy! I have so many lists and ideas, it will be hard to choose where to start...and my beloved sewing machine is finally back from the repair shop (yay!), so I plan to start bonding with her as soon as I can...

For now - I hope you can be patient with me while we travel to Kansas and the dust settles from the big move - I will be back here to visit with you as soon as I can!

Sew Happy

As we get closer to the actual move, I am starting to get a little more excited - truth be told, this born and raised Iowa girl really didn't want to move...but all of the waiting, unknown, complications and stress have taken a toll and now I just want to get moved and settled into our new home. Things have finally started to fall into place and we will finalizing even more details this coming weekend (window treatments and appliances). Some great news we received a couple days ago - our sod is in place - YAY! - which means we can have the fence installed as soon as we close on the house. Also exciting - thanks to a stitching friend - we have found what looks to be a fantastic kennel to board our dogs...and it is close to our new house. The next stress is finding a new hair stylist - yeah, I'm somewhat nervous about that...I can handle a completely new area and leaving my home in Iowa, but I can't handle bad hair....and with the stress of the last few months, the gray is coming in a bit faster.😄 It all started to feel real last week when I ordered "we're moving" postcards and a self-inking stamp with our new address. April 12th will be here soon!!

Oh, and one more quick thing before I get to the needlework pretties...

I am fairly new to Norwex cleaning products - in fact, I just tried them a few months ago for the first time (and although I was skeptical, I was quite impressed). I was looking for cleaning products that were environmentally (and dog) friendly and Norwex checked all my boxes. With the new home on the horizon, I have quite a wish list...I happened to mention this to a dear friend and she suggested I have an online party - I am not a big fan of this and hate to solicit family and friends, but I was assured it would help me grow my extremely small collection. So, if you happen to need any Norwex products - I would be thrilled if you placed an order...or if you would like to learn more about them - I am happy to help!!

To place an order for my online party and/or view a catalog, visit:
http://carmenjacobsen.norwex.biz/en_US/customer/party/3651994
(when you review your cart, it should show my name and details (Belinda's Starting Fresh & Green in KC - Host: Belinda Nace)
Okay - that is all on that subject - and I appreciate you listening and possibly placing an order.💓 Now on to the creativity portion of this post...

I can't wait to get settled into a new studio...but for now, here are some needlework gifts and needlework finishing photos I haven't had a chance to share with you yet. The lovely sewing bird in the upper right corner ("Sew Happy" by All Through The Night) was a birthday gift from my very dear friend Robin - I can't wait to hang it in my new studio - isn't it FABULOUS?! Next up a couple finishing photos - that were done for a customer...

Flat finishes for placing in a basket...
Fronts
Designer information unknown.

Flat finishes for placing in a basket...
Backs

Flat finish ornaments - "Blue and Silver Christmas" by Misty Hill Studio

Flat finish ornaments - "Blue and Silver Christmas" by Misty Hill Studio
Backs

The next few photos are small pieces I have stitched while my studio has been packed for the move...the first is a Christmas ornament I stitched and finished as a holiday gift for a friend. The other two are personal stitches that I will finish after we are settled...

"Christmas Biscornu" by Just Nan

"Christmas Biscornu" by Just Nan

"Noel Squared" by Lizzie Kate

"Red Santa" - Birds of a Feather

These last photos are all exquisite gifts I recently received (yes, I am blessed!). I am so *in love* with these little cross stitch sled ornaments (designed by Foxwood Crossings) - my incredible friend Robin has made me one each year since 2014 and she signs/dates the back...2014 was the squirrel, 2015 was the quilt, 2016 was the monogram, 2017 was the red bird with green background...and for 2018, she stitched the cardinal with the blue background...aren’t they AMAZING?!

...and since we all know how much I love squirrels, check out these spectacular cross stitch ornaments and fabrics, along with a needle minder and keeping bag (pen and ink pieces by one of my favorite artists Michelle Palmer!)...all of these gifts made my heart swoon!

Thanks for stopping by and visiting with me today! I am looking forward to getting back to work and sharing fun new ideas with you. For now, I am off to do a little cross stitching - a very thoughtful friend sent me a surprise kit in the mail and I am itching to start it...

Looking Forward

Hello friends and visitors! It's been a month or so since my last post...and many of you know that is because we are in the process of moving from Iowa to Kansas. This means not only moving from our home of fifteen years, but moving my business/studio, as well. Our home in Iowa is finally under contract (sidebar - I don't recommend trying to sell a home in the middle of a terrible Midwest winter - insert eye roll here)...and we have a home under contract in Kansas - yes, things are finally coming together...whew! This whole process has been a challenge and we aren't even moving into our new home yet...

We are scheduled to close on both homes April 12th - fingers crossed - and I am a little overwhelmed with everything we have to do. I have received a lot of questions about where we will be in Kansas, as I have taught quite a few classes and retreats in the area. We are actually going to be in Spring Hill, KS - one of the fastest-growing cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Our home is new construction (see photo above)...and no, we weren't necessarily looking for new construction...but after months of looking, my husband viewed a handful of new homes and this one was perfect for us. Yes, I am excited everything will be new...but it also means we have to purchase all the window treatments and some appliances, plus have the garage door openers installed, etc. - and our home doesn't even have sod or a fence yet (kind of a big deal when you have two German Shepherds...luckily, we have a six-mile walking trail around a five-acre pond within sight). As a bonus, our backyard butts up to farmland/a farmer's fence - providing a great view - and we are told we will see cows, which makes me happy! This our first experience with a Homeowner's Association, so that is all new too...and I have to completely learn the area...so it is entirely a new journey...

I will be in Iowa until April 8th...and moving into our new home on April 13th (crossing my fingers). I am hoping Blue Ribbon Designs will be back up and running before the end of April, as I know many of you are anxious to get your project bag orders filled and finishing orders underway! Believe me, I am ready to get back to work too - having my entire studio packed for months is truly wearing on me. Once all the details are official, I will be e-mailing specifics to my clients...and as soon as we are settled, my website store and Etsy Shop will re-open for business. I truly want to thank you all for your patience and understanding during this BIG transition.

To add a little beauty and creativity to this post, here are more lovely project bags I completed before I packed up my studio for the move...geez, I never thought I would say I missed sewing bags (only because I have made SO MANY), but I really do...I can't wait to be in my new sewing room!

I actually have a few needlework finishing projects left to share with you and one more AccuQuilt project I finished up before preparing for our move...I will be back to share those when time allows. Thank you all for hanging in with me during this crazy transition!

Seasonal Samplings Wall Hanging

Hello friends. It is a crazy weather day here in Iowa (yes, I'm still in Iowa) and we are currently experiencing "thunder sleet" (who knew this was a thing?!)...and, of course, more snow is on the way....but this is WAY better than the polar vortex -50 temperatures we had last week. After finishing some minor work on our house this morning, I am settled in with a hot cup of tea (hoping it will sooth my sore throat) and catching up on a few online tasks. With the craziness of the move, I have had minimal time to to catch up on correspondence - thank you to everyone who has checked in on me and sent me messages/notes/comments and I apologize if I haven't answered you...rest assured, I am hanging in there.

A quick "moving" update - our house in Iowa is finally on the market and we are hoping for a buyer soon - I am staying in the finished basement with Schatzi and Garin and very minimal furnishings - our entire life and my business is packed in storage PODS - my husband is working full-time in Kansas and living out of a hotel - he is on the search for our dream home down there. That's it in a nutshell - I will be in Iowa until our home is sold.

With my entire studio packed, there isn't any sewing/quilting happening and my online shops are temporarily closed...but I have done some stitching when things aren't insane. I only had a couple very small projects (I didn't think things would be up in the air for quite this long), but my sweet friend Terri sent me "Paisley" by Stacy Nash Primitives all kitted up as a gift for my milestone birthday next week...so I have been working on that...in fact, she is about half done. I have also been doing some designing and charting...along with layouts for new pieces...anything to stay creative and give me purpose.

Today's images are of some stitching I did last fall...a gift for my mommy's birthday. I stitched "Seasonal Samplings" by Hillside Samplings (a rare non-BRD finish!). I decided to stitch the boxes vertically instead of horizontally and finished it as a quilted wall hanging. I was super happy with how it turned out...and it was quite a special surprise for my mom. I packed the chart for the move, so I can't tell you what fabric I used, but I can tell you that I used the DMC conversion...I'm guessing I used the chart listed fabric, as I had it kitted for many years...

I have a few more house details to take care of today before the realtor takes some new photos tomorrow...then I may enjoy a little stitching time...or work on gathering documentation for our taxes - keeping busy keeps me positive. I want to thank you for your patience during this big transition - I truly appreciate all the notes, love and support! 💗

Feelin' Groovy

Yesterday was a snow day. I honestly don't think I have shoveled that much in decades...side note: my kind husband (always thinking of others), sold our wonderful snowblower to one of his friends for well less than it was worth (without asking me)...thinking that we wouldn't have to move it and it would help his friend out...plus, he didn't think we would need it where we are going to be located (which I think is inaccurate)...unfortunately, he forgot that I am still living in Iowa and it is WINTER. Yeah, I was outside shoveling snow for over three hours yesterday (it was one heck of a fasted cardio workout!)...and then, lucky me, I got to dig out/defrost our Jeeps, as our garage is full of furniture and boxes. I have suddenly reverted back to my twenties - living in a basement with minimal furniture, little to no money coming in, shoveling snow, and cleaning off vehicles frequently (starting them at least once a day to make sure they will start in the future)....all those things I worked so hard to get away from are back for a repeat performance. Geez, I cannot wait until we are moved into a new home - this living situation is definitely not ideal...at this point, I just have to laugh about it all...

Today I thought I would share another recent design/pattern and sample I created for AccuQuilt - it is for one of their newer cutting dies, the Studio Fractured Tumbler-6" Finished. This unique cutting die has multiple block options and that creates quite a few design possibilities...as you can see in my image below, there are tumblers and fractured tumblers on one die. You may remember the "Give it a Whirl" pattern I also designed for this die - I briefly shared about a few months ago. The design I am sharing today is a wall hanging I titled "Feelin' Groovy" and it is more of a modern layout...perfect for scraps!

Feelin' Groovy

Give it a Whirl

Yes, I designed both of these projects using the same cutting die! Like all of my projects, I designed this wall hanging in EQ8 (Electric Quilt 8 quilt design software). I knew it was going to be more of a scrappy piece, so to get a good feel for the final look, I colored the blocks using standard fabrics supplied in the software.

Something about this completed design reminded me of lava lamps - hence the name "Feelin' Groovy"....

You can find both these Studio Fractured Tumbler quilt patterns in the Studio 2 Pattern section of the AccuQuilt website.

I hope this cheerful quilt brightened your day!

I am now headed back out into the frozen tundra to shovel the end of our driveway once AGAIN, where the plow has covered it...and to start our vehicles...just another day in the life of a twenty-year-old. 😃

Project Bags Aplenty

It's another winter day here, with frozen rain falling on our snow covered ground (and more snow on the way)...and I just skated out to the mailbox to mail a letter. The dogs had me up bright and early today in a messy turn of events that I won't go into here...but let's just say it wasn't the preferred way to start my morning. I'm doing my best to stay warm, keep the sidewalks/driveway clear, and trying (some days without much luck) to stay positive while we attempt to sell our home in the dead of Iowa winter (this is not an easy task).

I've been spending my days packing, cleaning, organizing, fixing and shoveling...oh, how I long to be sewing and stitching! I can't believe I waited four months for my fancy sewing machine to be fixed and now it is sitting in a closet, waiting for the move (it is NOT going into a storage POD) - it's just heartbreaking - I am truly going through creative withdrawal...yes, the struggle is real. I do have a few small stitching projects kitted up and as soon as the last box is packed, I will be happily grabbing a needle and thread.

For now, enjoy these GORGEOUS large and small project bag photos...I recently created all of these with lovely customer supplied fabrics...