May I introduce...

Had a very "heavy" day today. My longest friend (meaning we have been friends the longest in our lives - since we were 4),  her father passed away last week and his memorial service was today. Her family asked that I sing Ave Maria at the service. He was buried with military honors this afternoon. What a moving ceremony to witness. It was a beautiful tribute to a wonderful man. I felt very honored to be able to be a part of that tribute.

So, I felt I needed some shopping therapy today. I purchased the following for a project that I will be working on, the It's All About Me Blog Hop (see the button to the right).

We are to create the image you see to your right, but in our own way, making it about Us. I have chosen to make my project about a character that I portray.

May I introduce, Mama Z:

She always says, "Excuse me, but I'm not feeling very well." She carries her "pill bottle" with her so she has her "medication" close at hand to help her feel better (which is usually very large Smarties, chocolate or candy of some kind).

Stay tuned to see how my tribute to Mama Z will come to fruition...

Show and Tell Challenge

I have entered a Quilter's Show and Tell featuring my current UFO project, a Log Cabin Broken Star Pattern quilt which is still in progress as you can see in my previous post, and on Lavonna's Quilting Habit page. The theme for this week is "Challenge Quilts". Considering I began this project because of the challenge that my husband set before me to finish my UFOs, and that I usually hand quilt all my quilts (this one I have quilted by machine), I figured it was an ideal choice to enter in this category.

Voting begins Friday the 18th shortly after 8 am and goes until Monday the 21st. Click on the Quilter's Show and Tell challenge button to the right and then click on "see the latest blog post" then click "continue reading", or simply click on this HERE and that will take you to the page to see all the entries.. This is how the challenge works:

• Quilt photos submitted will be featured on the blog on Friday morning along with the sponsor info and the prizes for that week. Additionally, everyone visiting the site can enter the weekly give-away.
• Voting is done by visitors to the Quilting Gallery site from Friday to Monday morning and the guest judges (see below for more info).
• Only one vote per IP address, so have your friends and family come by to cast a ballot! You can invite everyone to visit the contest page to vote and enter the give-away, including friends from web forums and Yahoo groups.
• The winner will be announced the following Monday.

Vote for your favorite. The entry with the most votes is the winner for the week. 

Thanks for your help!

Making Progress

I am making progress on building the blog. I am trying to keep adding to is little by little. I will be joining a Quilting Blog Hop at the end of February - see the link to the right. It's All About ME! How perfect. I am looking forward to creating my "likeness" with a little twist.

Something new today:

I have added some more photos to the "Lavonna's Quilting Habit" page. I have decided to use that page to describe the current project I am working on. I am trying to focus on finishing my UFOs this year so that I can start new projects. :)

The current UFO is a Log Cabin Quilt in a Broken Star pattern.

I am finishing up the final section right now to make the quilt 100" x 100", but I would like to add one more row all around for a finished quilt measuring 120" x 120".

Click on this link HERE or on the page title above to see more photos of my progress to finish it.

Out of the Depths

It seems like so long ago that I was actively running the business, out there soliciting clients, working with them filling their orders, designing and creating their embroidered logos, and selling to individual customers on ebay. Change stepped in and other priorities had to take precedence. Health issues became a priority and a more stable income was needed, so the business slipped away to the shadows.

The business may have slipped away, but my products and creations have not. That leaves me with quite an inventory for me to store in my basement, so now that I have a little bit of time to spare, why not use that time to sell that inventory? Brilliant solution, I do believe. So, out of the depths they come...

I will be listing items on my Zellerwear Items For Sale page with the link to where they can be purchased.

These are the first items I have listed for sale.
A collection of Zellerwear original tote bags

Hot Chili Peppers and Vintage Flowers Totes

Various Music Themed Totes for your music lover 

There is so much more, but alas, that is all for today. Please feel free to go to the Zellerwear Items For Sale page, find something you like, click the link at the bottom of the page and go from there.

Thank you for your support.

Blessings

Eleven years ago when I put this quilt top together, I was a single Mom struggling to make ends meet, raising 2 young boys with very little help from their father. I had seen a quilting show on television that focused on house blocks. Inspired by that show, I created this scrap quilt based upon a desire to bring blessing on my home. The block in the bottom left corner is wonky on purpose for it is how I see my household (not perfect). It adds an extra 3" to that corner of the quilt as a result. 

Ten years later, I hand quilted it. Included in the quilting are secret words of blessing that I desire for my household. Words such as joy, prosperity, compassion, etc. It now covers the window next to my bed. 

It reminds me to be thankful for all the blessings I have in my life. Things are very different today than when I pieced it together.. My boys, now in their teens are succeeding in their endeavors, I have a new, loving husband whom I adore (we just celebrated our 3rd Anniversary), and we live in a very lovely home. 

We are truly Blessed.

My prayer for this new year is that you and yours will be blessed as well.

Lavonna

Everything has a beginning...

Everything has a beginning. Eventually all comes to an end... or does it?

Zellerwear began in 2003 as an opportunity for me to work from home creating polar fleece hats, scarves and stadium blankets for schools and organizations to use as a fundraiser. I created the items desired from scratch at a wholesale price so that schools could make money for their programs. Being a music teacher, this was important to me to help out any way I could.

At the time I was a single Mom, with 2 young boys (ages 6 and 4) and I felt it very important to be at home for them as much as I possibly could. Working the business full-time from home, it paid the bills for 3 years until my health declined and I needed to return to teaching in the public school system so I could have the very much needed health benefits.

Although our website is no longer up and running as of this past summer, Zellerwear the company is still around, just not at a full-time capacity. I still design hats, create and sell them along with other items as the need arises. This blog will now become an area for me to share what is created and where one can find one if you so desire.

So, here's to NEW beginnings!

Lavonna ZWB