FALL

Sometimes the cutest things come from the easiest patterns. I used fabrics from Gobble-Gobble by Sandy Gervais for Moda to make this darling table runner. Perfect for fall. It can be used all of October and November. This pattern is from Pieced Tree Patterns, Shelly, the designer is one of my summer camp buddies! She has dozens of darling table runner and topper patterns that are on small lamented cards. A perfect place to store them is in a small photo album. A great gift for a quilt buddie, just pop one in a card.

COSMO EMBROIDERY THREAD

Thread is a beautiful part of sewing. I love it when the thread units in the shop are full. The colors are just amazing. We use different threads for different purposes. There are many more choices today than ever before. I spend a lot of time thinking about the thread in the shop. I spend a lot of time thinking about ordering new thread for the shop. Ultimately I order the thread for you, my customers. But, when I am making the decision about what new thread I am going to purchase, it is all about me. When I place an order it often takes months before the new unit and all of the thread arrives. I think about it. I think about using it, I think about where it will go in the shop. I wonder if I have made the right decision. I wonder if you will like it. But, on the day it arrives, it is all mine. All, 1,152 spools of it. I love putting the display together, I love opening each box and finding the right spot for it. I love when it is full, and beautiful and all mine.

I ordered Cosmo Hand Embroidery thread in July. It arrived a couple of days ago, this afternoon I was able to get it out of the stock room, and spend time playing with it. It is everything I had hoped for. It looks beautiful sitting right next to my favorite thread for hand applique, Aurifil. It is all ready for you! I hope you will love it as much as I do.

The thread is cotton, made in Japan for the Lecien Company. They make the finest of the Japanese fabrics. Now, they make the finest hand embroidery thread on the market. It comes on a spool, 2 strands ready to embroider. There are 88 meters on a spool, and it is $4.20 a spool.

Compare it to DMC floss. DMC has 8 meters in a skein, with 6 strands. If you divide it into 2 strands for your projects you will have 24 meters to work with. It is about the equivalent of 4 skeins. Our skeins are $.70 a skein. So it is a little more expensive, but a much higher quality thread. Kay Harris has been using it on her Flights of Fancy sample for the shop, and she is ready to switch completely to Cosmo.

Some of the pattern company's that are using Cosmo are, Crabapple Hill, Bunny Hill and Acorn Quilt and Gift Company. I hope you will give it a try!

Quilting As You Go

One of the dilemmas most quilters have is the actual quilting. I am not a confident machine quilter, so anything larger than a table runner I usually send out to be machine quilted. When you are making a gift, you have to take this cost into consideration. Years ago, I used to tie quilts that I gave away as baby gifts. This seems to be out of fashion.

Last week, I made a small table runner that was a quilt as you go pattern by GE Designs. It was fun, cute and nearly finished when the top was finished. It just needed a binding. That started my wheels turning. GE Designs has a darling book Fast & Furious-quilting as you go. There are several baby quilts in this book. The shop had one of the fabric lines used in one of the baby quilts, so why not give it a try.

The results are in the photo. In about 2 hours, I had cut, prepared the backing and batting, pieced and quilted this cute baby quilt! I trimmed it up and stitched the binding in another couple of hours. It was fun to do, the results are awesome, without the additional cost of machine quilting. I highly recommend it!

FIRE ESCAPE

Each summer I go away to camp. It is a wonderful camp in the Amish Country of Wisconsin. I feel so lucky to escape for a few days to bond with other campers, aka quiltshop owners. Terry Atkinson, of Atkinson Designs (think Yellow Brick Road), is our Camp Councilor. She has wonderful projects for us to try. This year we all worked on a new pattern, called Fire Escape.

As you can see, mine is back from the quilter, and the binding is stitched down! This was a really fun project. When we show up at camp, we bring our own fabric, not really knowing exactly what we will be sewing. The other quilts were bold and dramatic, mine was a little more blended and sweet. This would make a darling little girls 1st bed quilt, and it would be wonderful in flannel. Terry's patterns are now in the shop, her cover quilt is made using batik's, and would be a terrific masculine quilt. Very versitile.

Thanks Terry for designing a great pattern, can't wait to see what we will be working on next year!

Scarecrows

It's been a great day for Harvest Festival. There are still lots more scarecrows to be made. So if you are in the area, you should plan a trip tomorrow!

Harvest Festival

Country Village is all decorated and ready for our annual Harvest Festival. The activity list is long this year. So, be sure and check it if you are coming to the village, you wouldn't want to miss any anything! I personally want to see the Valentine's Performing Pigs. They will be on the main stage today only, at 1:00.

The Keepsake Kuties stitched 40 yards of burlap into scarecrow heads, 86 of them to be exact! I am hoping that someone cut wooden heads again this year, as you can see, they make really cute critter scarecrows.

We have our Quilt Pink raffle quilt hanging on the line. The tickets are $1, and the money goes to Susan Komen. A reminder to make your Mammogram appointment, early detection is the best way to save lives.

We hope to see lots of you and your families this weekend!

Just In

Every day is like Christmas around here. Boxes arrive, and we dive in to see what Rob, our UPS driver, has brought us. Last week 2 fun groups arrived. From Northcott, a winter-sports-theme group. With the Olympics in our back yard, I am sure there will be lots of excitement before and during the games. The Olympic Rings cannot be reproduced, but they have done a nice job of giving you the feel of "the games". Including the Canadian Maple Leaf.

Kaufman Fabrics has been licensed to print fabric with both the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and the Boy Scouts of America. The Girl Scout fabric arrived last week, and the Boy Scouts is on it's way. I hope they have badges for sewing for both organizations. This would be great in easy projects! I'm thinking pillow cases, pj bottoms, tote bags, Eagle Scout quilts, the list is endless.

I'm not going to Quilt Market this fall, but I have lots of friends who are, and will be sending me info all 3 days. I will post some of the new things as soon as I see them!

Gobble, Gobble

Do you have a little, (or a lot), of this wonderful fabric line, and you haven't decided what to do with it yet. Well, Moda Bake Shop is having a challenge and you might just want to participate. Go on over to www.modabakeshop.com and get a little inspiration.

We still have a little yardage and a few Jelly Rolls and Turn Overs in the shop. But, don't hesitate if you are planning on participating. People are on the hunt for this fabric, and Moda does not have any in the warehouse.

I would love to see your entries!

Show and Tell

We get the best show and tell at the shop. Yesterday, Barb Yandl, came in to find a border for this wonderful quilt top. It is from the book Spring Cleaning, by Terry Atkinson. Absolutely darling. I have not made this quilt, and have seen several. I am totally inspired to make it! I could call it Fall Cleaning!!

Speaking of Fall Cleaning, I have continued to clean in the stock room, and have put many things out for the Yard Sale. So, if you were unable to shop today, there will be new "stuff" out tomorrow. I have 200 bolts of fabric marked at $4.00 a yard. Great for backs! Hope to see you.

91 mile yard sale

A quick reminder, Friday and Saturday, Oct.1 and 2, is the Tri-County 91 mile yard sale. 15 terrific quilt shops cleaning out the stock room, storage units, and the shelves to bring you "yards" of bargains. Different at each store, but their promises to be something for everyone.

We will all be open from 9:30 to 6 each day. Come enjoy the fun!