Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Good-bye 2013

Dear friends,

I wanted to write a post at the end of the year looking back on all the things that have happened. In some ways it was a very successful year. In others, this has been the worst year I can remember.

I want to thank you all for the huge support you have given me and my book. The book has done better in one month than I ever thought possible. Every note and email that I have received telling me how much you enjoyed it has meant the world to me.

I wanted to write more than this. I wanted to give you something back for everything you have given me this year. But I can't right now.

In late summer of this year, my mom was diagnosed with liver cancer. It was determined that she could not survive surgery, so she was given microsphere radiation treatment. Though the radiation may have given her more time, she began to decline. When I saw her at Thanksgiving, she was sleeping for much of the day, and though she was eating well and seemed lucid, I could tell she wasn't well at all.

About a week and a half ago she was hospitalized for ammonia toxicity due to her impaired liver function. She was unresponsive for a few days, but they were able to remove the ammonia from her system and she awoke, seemingly more lucid than before the incident, though physically much weaker. After a few days she was moved to a rehab center in the hopes that with physical therapy she could get strong enough to go back home. But she became increasingly lethargic over the weekend and stopped eating. She passed away yesterday morning.

Someday I will write a tribute to her here. But not today. I can't just yet.

Thank you again for all your love and support.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Book Tour Day 15 - Kelly Biscopink

Whew! We're at the end of the first round of the Endless Book Blog Tour of 2013. And 2014. Our gracious hostess for the day is Kelly Biscopink of Stitchy Quilt Stuff! I met Kelly at Quilt Market in Houston after I attended the Schoolhouse she presented, along with Andie Johnson, for their book, Modern Designs for Classic Quilts. I knew I had to attend that schoolhouse because, well, the title of that book just screamed GenQ to me. So after it was over, I muscled my way up to see Kelly and Andie to be all like, "Oh hi, I'm with this new magazine and we'd love to work with you." And they were so super nice and never let on until WAY later that Jake had already been ALL OVER them for oh, I don't know, EVER, and my little intro was totally superfluous.

But it was no big because, as I said, they were just so incredibly nice. I meet a lot of nice people at Market, but there's not that many I look up on Facebook and friend immediately thereafter, so there you go. HIGH PRAISE INDEED.

Kelly has a very nice review of the book up (and mad points to Kelly for reading the copyright page!) and is doing a giveaway. So git yur butts over there, people and enter!

*****

The tour will return on January 6 with my stalwart employers at GenQ. In the meantime, I may be back once or twice to talk about my usual drivel. It has been quite a year and I'm feeling that dastardly need to go over it all and try to put it into some kind of perspective.

So, until then, thank you all so much for making the release of this book a bigger success than I could ever have imagined. I could not do what I do without you.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Book Tour Day 14: Cheryl Sleboda

OMG YOU GUYZ! I am so excited about today's stop on the tour. Cheryl Sleboda is, like, totally my idol. I devolve into teen-speak when I write about her because I am such a fangirl. I don't even remember now how I discovered her website, muppin.com, but I do remember that I was determined to feature her in GenQ somehow. So I pitched an idea for an article/blog post (this was back before we went to print) about LEDs in quilts and was able to calmly and rationally express my devotion without looking like a drooling idiot.

So, why am I such a freaky fangirl over Cheryl? Well, just go here and look at all of these. And then look at this. See? I long to take one of her classes someday or just, you know, touch the hem of her garment.

Cheryl is, in honor of a particular piece in the book, giving away one of her DELUXE LED KITS! This includes a battery holder, battery, conductive thread, two LEDs, instructions, and a bonus zombie pattern! I realized when Cheryl said she was going to do this for her giveaway that I had never bought one of her kits—though, as with so many things, I had always intended to—so today I did. I can't wait!

So, get your ass over to Cheryl's blog right now and enter and be sure to look at all her amazing work while you're there and geek out like a freaking lunatic - just like me!

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Blog Tour Day 13: Teri Lucas

All right. This one made me cry, dammit.

Teri Lucas has been a friend out there for a long time now, though we haven't really gotten to know each other beyond the blog world. Whenever I post anything on my Facebook page—and I mean anything—Teri is always the first to "like" it. Whenever I feel the need to vent there about some nasty comment or other, Teri is always right there to talk me down and make sure I remember what's important.

Teri did a pretty long interview with me for her blog post, but I'll warn you, I was ill when I answered her questions so I wasn't feeling very funny that day. But she asked a lot of interesting questions and I think you might enjoy it.

And Teri has decided not to do a giveaway. She explains at the end. Thanks, Teri.

http://terificreations.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/an-interview-with-megan-dougherty/

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Blog Tour Day WhoTheHellKnows and Day IsAnybodyPayingAttentionAnymore

I'm playing a bit of catch-up today, as yesterday just kinda generally sucked ass. The stop on the tour yesterday was my friend Lisa Sipes, who was also apparently having a suck-ass kind of day too. Long, long ago I made a baby quilt for an old friend and was not confident enough to quilt it myself. We were pretty strapped for cash back in those days and paying someone was a luxury I could not afford. I wrote about this conundrum in a blog post and a short time later got an email from Lisa saying, in essence, "I will quilt it for you. No charge." I was floored by the offer and my first instinct was to refuse, but I decided to say yes. It was beautiful.




I started hearing from Lisa more and more in comments and emails and then she did another quilt for me, the one I made for the person who gave me a plane ticket so I could go see my brother after his first brain surgery. This time I sent her a check. Bitch refused to cash it. And look what she did for me:




This seemed to be right before Lisa went and got INSANELY FAMOUS. I love her so much and I love her work, and if it were at all possible, I'd have her quilt everything I do. I worry all the time about asking her, because she has gotten so, so busy and everybody, it seems, now wants a piece of her, and I don't want to be one of the ones pulling her limbs off just so I can have something I want. I just hope that someday I can figure out a way to give her something back that means as much as what she has given me.

ANYWAY. My favorite weirdo was yesterday's stop on the tour and she is giving away a book so get on that shit and enter!

BUT WE ARE NOT DONE! No, now I am going to tell you about my friend and Quilt Market Stalker, Charlotte Newland, who is today's stop on the tour.

When I went to my second Quilt Market in Houston in October of 2012, I was scheduled to leave noonish on Sunday, which meant I could swing by the Market floor quickly Sunday morning. I posted something about my Market exploits Saturday night (most likely something to the effect of how much time I spent in the bathroom trying to avoid having to talk to people) and someone named Charlotte commented on my post, asking if I'd be around on Sunday. I said yes, but only for a few minutes first thing, and though no more of it.

Then Sunday morning, I'm in the GenQ booth with my big-ass suitcase being stuffed full of extra copies of the mag and I hear a little British voice behind me: "Megan? I'm Charlotte."

I know that Charlotte now thinks I am a total freak, but I must have hugged her twenty times. It was so amazing to me that someone wanted to meet me at all, and then even more amazing that she was willing to get out of bed early and come down to the show floor to try and catch me before I left. And she was so funny and sweet and I knew that we would have to become BIFFs (that's Best Internet Friends Forever, natch).

Since then, I've seen Charlotte win ribbons at QuiltCon:


and make all kinds of cool stuff, and teach classes, and snuggle with her dogs and celebrate her kids and her husband. I love reading her blog because she is so funny and warm and real and pretty much exactly the way I remember her from our short in-person meeting.

In real life, Charlotte is an editor for a scientific journal, so when I was working on my little booky-poo, I asked her to copy-edit for me and she graciously agreed. I wish I could share with you all her suggestions (Charlotte did not edit - she suggested), because they were all phrased like, "You certainly don't have to change this, because who the hell am I to tell you what to write, but I do think it should be 'fewer orphans' and not 'less orphans.' Please don't hate me!" I could never hate you, Charlotte, and yeah, I know 'fewer' is technically correct but the narrator of that piece would not, so it stayed 'less.' Sometimes the incorrect thing is intentional—ARE YOU READING THIS JAKE AND MELISSA?

I am determined to get to the UK someday so I can stalk her right back. And play with her doggies.

My dear Charlotte is doing a giveaway on her blog today, so please go look at all the marvelous things she makes and tell her how wonderful she is and then enter to win!

Friday, December 13, 2013

Blog Tour Day 10: Liz Kettle

Wow, we're at day 10 already! Please go over and give Ms. Liz Kettle some love today. She and I were both writers at Quilter's Home back in the day and she's still a good friend of GenQ. She's giving away a book too, so go leave a comment and then stick around because Liz is an amazing fabric artist and there's lots to learn from her at her site.


Dec. 2 - Maddie Kertay  - Bad Ass Quilter’s Society (no giveaway)

Dec. 3 - Sam Hunter – Hunter’s Design Studio

Dec. 4 - Carla Crim – Scientific Seamstress

Dec. 5 - Scarlett Burroughs – Craft Gossip

Dec. 6 – Jill Dorsey – Made with Moxie
           

Dec. 9 - Victoria Findlay Wolfe – Bumble Beans Inc
           
Dec. 10 - Lynn Harris - Little Red Hen

Dec. 11 – Teresa Coates – Crinkle Dreams

Dec. 12 - Joshua Helms - Molli Sparkles

Dec 13 - Liz Kettle – Stitch Journeys

Dec. 14 - Leah Day – The Free Motion Quilting Project


Dec 16 - Lisa Sipes – That Crazy Quilty Girl
           
Dec. 17 - Charlotte Newland – Displacement Activity

Dec. 18 - Teri Lucas - TerifiCreations

Dec. 19 – Cheryl Sleboda – Muppin.com

Dec. 20 – Kelly Biscopink – Stitchy Quilt Stuff


Jan. 6 – Generation Q

Jan. 8 – Rose Hughes – Rose Hughes – Quilt Artist

Jan. 9 – Janice Ryan – Better Off Thread

Jan. 10 - Flaun Cline – I Plead Quilty



Jan. 13 – Heather Jones – Olive and Ollie

Jan. 14 – Meg  – Without A Stitch On

Jan. 15 – Laura Lochore – Quokka Quilts

Jan. 16 – Elaine Wong Haselhuhn – Dashasel Sews

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Blog Tour Day 9 - Molli Sparkles!

I KNOW you are already a devoted follower of the inimitable Molli Sparkles, yes? Because no one I know would dare miss out on his not-quite-daily doses of color, glitter, and snarky sass. I fall in love with everything that shoots out of his Juki—he named one of his recent creations "A Lot of Look" - who wouldn't love that?—AND he was kind enough to be my Mr. May in the 2014 QSMASBC.

My beloved Molli is fightin' with Miley—it's a Molli/Miley showdown! Will Miley twerk it hard enough to win back Molli's affection? Will YOU win an autographed copy of my book? Will I prove Molli's assertion that I can twerk like a desperate-to-be-relevant pop star? Go to Molli's blog today to find out!


Dec. 2 - Maddie Kertay  - Bad Ass Quilter’s Society (no giveaway)

Dec. 3 - Sam Hunter – Hunter’s Design Studio

Dec. 4 - Carla Crim – Scientific Seamstress

Dec. 5 - Scarlett Burroughs – Craft Gossip

Dec. 6 – Jill Dorsey – Made with Moxie
           

Dec. 9 - Victoria Findlay Wolfe – Bumble Beans Inc
           
Dec. 10 - Lynn Harris - Little Red Hen

Dec. 11 – Teresa Coates – Crinkle Dreams

Dec. 12 - Joshua Helms - Molli Sparkles

Dec 13 - Liz Kettle – Stitch Journeys

Dec. 14 - Leah Day – The Free Motion Quilting Project


Dec 16 - Lisa Sipes – That Crazy Quilty Girl
           
Dec. 17 - Charlotte Newland – Displacement Activity

Dec. 18 - Teri Lucas - TerifiCreations

Dec. 19 – Cheryl Sleboda – Muppin.com

Dec. 20 – Kelly Biscopink – Stitchy Quilt Stuff


Jan. 6 – Generation Q

Jan. 8 – Rose Hughes – Rose Hughes – Quilt Artist

Jan. 9 – Janice Ryan – Better Off Thread

Jan. 10 - Flaun Cline – I Plead Quilty



Jan. 13 – Heather Jones – Olive and Ollie

Jan. 14 – Meg  – Without A Stitch On

Jan. 15 – Laura Lochore – Quokka Quilts

Jan. 16 – Elaine Wong Haselhuhn – Dashasel Sews

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Blog Tour Day 8 - Crinkle Dreams

Okay, today's stop on the tour is Teresa from Crinkle Dreams. Teresa is an amazing person who has travelled the world and runs an incredible charity called Sewing for Orphans. Please go read about that and THEN enter to win a signed copy of the book!

Sorry this is so rushed today - I'm still dealing with dead computer issues!!!



Dec. 2 - Maddie Kertay  - Bad Ass Quilter’s Society (no giveaway)

Dec. 3 - Sam Hunter – Hunter’s Design Studio

Dec. 4 - Carla Crim – Scientific Seamstress

Dec. 5 - Scarlett Burroughs – Craft Gossip

Dec. 6 – Jill Dorsey – Made with Moxie
           

Dec. 9 - Victoria Findlay Wolfe – Bumble Beans Inc
           
Dec. 10 - Lynn Harris - Little Red Hen

Dec. 11 – Teresa Coates – Crinkle Dreams

Dec. 12 - Joshua Helms - Molli Sparkles

Dec 13 - Liz Kettle – Stitch Journeys

Dec. 14 - Leah Day – The Free Motion Quilting Project


Dec 16 - Lisa Sipes – That Crazy Quilty Girl
           
Dec. 17 - Charlotte Newland – Displacement Activity

Dec. 18 - Teri Lucas - TerifiCreations

Dec. 19 – Cheryl Sleboda – Muppin.com

Dec. 20 – Kelly Biscopink – Stitchy Quilt Stuff


Jan. 6 – Generation Q

Jan. 8 – Rose Hughes – Rose Hughes – Quilt Artist

Jan. 9 – Janice Ryan – Better Off Thread

Jan. 10 - Flaun Cline – I Plead Quilty



Jan. 13 – Heather Jones – Olive and Ollie

Jan. 14 – Meg  – Without A Stitch On

Jan. 15 – Laura Lochore – Quokka Quilts

Jan. 16 – Elaine Wong Haselhuhn – Dashasel Sews

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Book Tour Day 7 - The Little Red Hen

Today's stop on the tour is Lynn Harris from The Little Red Hen. GenQ did an article on Lynn's house for our second issue, and I was lucky to be creative director then because I got to play with all of Lynn's lovely photographs, including the one that became the cover. She's a wonderful quilter, and I'm extra excited because Lynn and I both recently joined the same quilting bee on Facebook and so sometime in the next year, I will have a quilt with a block made by her (and a whole bunch of other really cool people).

Go tell her your favorite quilting tool so you can win a copy.

And don't forget the past and future stops:

Dec. 2 - Maddie Kertay  - Bad Ass Quilter’s Society (no giveaway)

Dec. 3 - Sam Hunter – Hunter’s Design Studio

Dec. 4 - Carla Crim – Scientific Seamstress

Dec. 5 - Scarlett Burroughs – Craft Gossip

Dec. 6 – Jill Dorsey – Made with Moxie
           

Dec. 9 - Victoria Findlay Wolfe – Bumble Beans Inc
           
Dec. 10 - Lynn Harris - Little Red Hen

Dec. 11 – Teresa Coates – Crinkle Dreams

Dec. 12 - Joshua Helms - Molli Sparkles

Dec 13 - Liz Kettle – Stitch Journeys

Dec. 14 - Leah Day – The Free Motion Quilting Project


Dec 16 - Lisa Sipes – That Crazy Quilty Girl
           
Dec. 17 - Charlotte Newland – Displacement Activity

Dec. 18 - Teri Lucas - TerifiCreations

Dec. 19 – Cheryl Sleboda – Muppin.com

Dec. 20 – Kelly Biscopink – Stitchy Quilt Stuff


Jan. 6 – Generation Q

Jan. 8 – Rose Hughes – Rose Hughes – Quilt Artist

Jan. 9 – Janice Ryan – Better Off Thread

Jan. 10 - Flaun Cline – I Plead Quilty



Jan. 13 – Heather Jones – Olive and Ollie

Jan. 14 – Meg  – Without A Stitch On

Jan. 15 – Laura Lochore – Quokka Quilts

Jan. 16 – Elaine Wong Haselhuhn – Dashasel Sews

Monday, December 9, 2013

Book Tour Day 6 - Bumble Beans, Inc.

I am very excited about today's stop on the tour because I still get that giddy, oh-my-god-she's-actually-talking-to-me whenever I hear from her, and she's all like, "Oh, stop," and I'm all trying to be cool and act like I wasn't just jumping up and down and squealing but we both know I totally was.

Victoria Findlay Wolfe is not just an amazing, award-winning quilter, she's also one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. I got to work with her a bit when she offered herself up as a cover model for an issue of GenQ, and I pitched the story idea to write about her and Bill Volckening's collections of polyester double-knit quilts (though I wasn't able to write it). She claims that she will never be as funny as me, but I will never be as accomplished a quilter as her (nor as tall and gorgeous), so I guess we're even? Nah, she still totally wins.

When she agreed to be on the blog tour, I really did jump up and down and squeal. I'm still doing it. Shut up - you would too.

Go over to her blog today to read her interview with me and enter for yet another chance to win! And if you are here from her blog and want to order one go here.




Dec. 2 - Maddie Kertay  - Bad Ass Quilter’s Society (no giveaway)

Dec. 3 - Sam Hunter – Hunter’s Design Studio

Dec. 4 - Carla Crim – Scientific Seamstress

Dec. 5 - Scarlett Burroughs – Craft Gossip

Dec. 6 – Jill Dorsey – Made with Moxie
           

Dec. 9 - Victoria Findlay Wolfe – Bumble Beans Inc
           
Dec. 10 - Lynn Harris - Little Red Hen

Dec. 11 – Teresa Coates – Crinkle Dreams

Dec. 12 - Joshua Helms - Molli Sparkles

Dec 13 - Liz Kettle – Stitch Journeys

Dec. 14 - Leah Day – The Free Motion Quilting Project


Dec 16 - Lisa Sipes – That Crazy Quilty Girl
           
Dec. 17 - Charlotte Newland – Displacement Activity

Dec. 18 - Teri Lucas - TerifiCreations

Dec. 19 – Cheryl Sleboda – Muppin.com

Dec. 20 – Kelly Biscopink – Stitchy Quilt Stuff


Jan. 6 – Generation Q

Jan. 8 – Rose Hughes – Rose Hughes – Quilt Artist

Jan. 9 – Janice Ryan – Better Off Thread

Jan. 10 - Flaun Cline – I Plead Quilty



Jan. 13 – Heather Jones – Olive and Ollie

Jan. 14 – Meg  – Without A Stitch On

Jan. 15 – Laura Lochore – Quokka Quilts

Jan. 16 – Elaine Wong Haselhuhn – Dashasel Sews


Friday, December 6, 2013

Book Tour Day 5 - Made With Moxie

I'm still reeling from having to shell out for a new computer, so if I sound shaky and faint, just wave some stinky cheese under my nose or something and I'll bounce right back.

Today's stop on the tour is Jill from Made With Moxie. Jill is totally cool and her blog is always full of interesting things. Like when she ran a Tough Mudder. And when she had some surgery and was really open and honest about it (and made me feel so much better for wanting to do something similar). She's an accomplished seamtress, an awesome quilter, and mom to two of the cutest little sprouts you ever did see. Know how I know? Her little bundle of cuteness, Jimmy, is Mr. July in the latest edition of the QSMASBC!

Head over to Jill's to read the review, and be sure to read it ALL (hint, hint).

Don't forget to check out past stops and future ones. The ones already done may still be open for entries!

Dec. 2 - Maddie Kertay  - Bad Ass Quilter’s Society (no giveaway)

Dec. 3 - Sam Hunter – Hunter’s Design Studio

Dec. 4 - Carla Crim – Scientific Seamstress

Dec. 5 - Scarlett Burroughs – Craft Gossip

Dec. 6 – Jill Dorsey – Made with Moxie
           

Dec. 9 - Victoria Findlay Wolfe – Bumble Beans Inc
           
Dec. 10 - Lynn Harris - Little Red Hen

Dec. 11 – Teresa Coates – Crinkle Dreams

Dec. 12 - Joshua Helms - Molli Sparkles

Dec 13 - Liz Kettle – Stitch Journeys

Dec. 14 - Leah Day – The Free Motion Quilting Project


Dec 16 - Lisa Sipes – That Crazy Quilty Girl
           
Dec. 17 - Charlotte Newland – Displacement Activity

Dec. 18 - Teri Lucas - TerifiCreations

Dec. 19 – Cheryl Sleboda – Muppin.com

Dec. 20 – Kelly Biscopink – Stitchy Quilt Stuff


Jan. 6 – Generation Q

Jan. 8 – Rose Hughes – Rose Hughes – Quilt Artist

Jan. 9 – Janice Ryan – Better Off Thread

Jan. 10 - Flaun Cline – I Plead Quilty



Jan. 13 – Heather Jones – Olive and Ollie

Jan. 14 – Meg  – Without A Stitch On

Jan. 15 – Laura Lochore – Quokka Quilts

Jan. 16 – Elaine Wong Haselhuhn – Dashasel Sews