Sweet Home Quilt Co.

Spring flowers are starting to bloom, and so are the savings at Craftsy! We are enjoying our partnership with Craftsy bringing you terrific prices for online classes in quilting, sewing, knitting, and more! I love that you can view the interactive videos any time, over and over…not to mention Craftsy’s money-back guarantee! What’s not to love?

As an affiliate Craftsy shop, every class you purchase using our links earns you a $5 coupon to Sweet Home, which can be used to purchase supplies for your online class, or anything else you might need. We’ve started a Craftsy Project Gallery, too, and would love to add your finished projects so bring them in to share with us!

Learn any time, anywhere, with interactive video classes from Craftsy!
Expires Monday, April 8, 2013 at midnight, MST.

Craftsy Spring Sale
Friday, April 5 to
Monday, April 8 at
midnight MST.

Here’s how it works:

• Each day of the sale a different selection of classes will be on sale at up to a 75% discount.
  
• Each day’s selection of classes expires at midnight MST, when a new list of classes will be on sale.
  
• Check back each day to see a new set of your favorite classes on sale at up to 75% off!

Just got word from Craftsy that they are extending the Valentine’s Sale through Monday, 2/18, at midnight, so you still have time to grab an online class or two.

www.craftsy.com/SweetHome_BeMine

I’ve had some interesting conversations in the shop lately about the pros and cons of online classes, and Craftsy classes in particular since we are an affiliate partner. Here’s my take: any learning opportunity is valuable, and many people can’t fit normal in-store classes into their busy lives or maybe they just don’t want to have to pack up their supplies and haul them into the store for a class. Either way, Craftsy’s online classes are the perfect alternative. You have unlimited lifetime access to your classes, so you can watch when it is convenient for you. And if you need to refresh your memory it’s all right there anytime you need it. In addition, all Craftsy classes are backed by their 100% money back guarantee…you have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain!

So treat yourself to a class or two while they’re on sale…up to 75% off! What will you choose? Cake decorating? Knitting? Gardening? Or one of the many fabulous quilting classes they offer? Oh yes, don’t forget…when you sign up using our special link you’ll get a $5 coupon to Sweet Home Quilt Co. to use on supplies or any way you like — S.W.E.E.T.!!!

~Melisa

Happy Valentine’s Day! We hear you’re in love… with fabric! To further your infatuation, all Craftsy classes are on sale for up to 75% off through Sunday night. We’ve fallen head over heels with their interactive videos, and you will too!

~Melisa

CRAFTSY CHRISTMAS SALE!
HURRY!
Expires Dec. 24, 2012 at midnight!

Click image to select classes & register. To say thanks, you’ll get a follow-up email with a $5 coupon you can use to purchase supplies for your online class at our shop.

Saturday was the last session of the Tossed 9-Patch Class, which is a fun and easy pattern that looks totally different just with placement of fabric in the design. Everyone still has a little finishing work to do to add their scalloped borders, and the quilts are all just beautiful!

Barbara chose to use batiks in Caribbean colors…love the orange!

The white background Gay chose really makes the fresh colors pop!

Kathy is a girl after my own heart with her choice of black and white and pops of red! Her border is a really unique graphic print in black, white and gray!

Nancy’s pink, blue and lavender prints resulted in a really soft and romantic quilt! Her borders will be two complementary shades of pink.

Great job, ladies!

Melisa

Today marks the beginning of Aurifil’s 2012 Designer of the Month FREE block of the month program. The designer line up is pretty amazing — these are some amazing stitchers, y’all! Each month one of the designers will share a stitchery project with you with a focus on what the month is all about. Sherri Falls of This and That has designed a finishing layout and by this time next year (assuming you keep up!) you’ll have a cute wall hanging to add to your décor!

Aurifil’s focus on embroidery this year showcases their terrific 12 wt thread, which is perfect for embroidery of all types as well as big stitch quilting, sashiko and fine crochet! The thread comes in luscious colors and is equivalent to two strands of regular floss. I love it because it is spool wrapped allowing it to be kept neat and untangled!

These monthly stitcheries will be small and achievable by even the most novice stitcher, and there will be prizes involved! Participants may post photos of their completed blocks stitched with Aurifil 12 wt thread each month to the Aurifil Flickr site and be eligible to win Aurifil threads! Stitching fun and prizes…count me in!

I’m excited about doing this block of the month and thought it would be fun to gather a group to work on it together. We’re kicking off this fun year-long project with a “get started” session later this month to work on the January block. If you’re new to embroidery we’ll teach you different methods of transferring the design to fabric, basic embroidery stitches and other tips and tricks. (Check the Class Calendar for details.)  Then if you’d like to work on the projects with us each month, you’re invited to join The Stitcherhood for our regular monthly meetings on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 6PM (you don’t have to do this project at The Stitcherhood…bring any stitchery project you have in the works!) We will have the 12 wt thread kits for the first couple of months’ projects available later this month, and will continue to make the thread kits available throughout the year as they become available from Aurifil. These kits will be available in limited supply — call us at the shop if you’d like to pre-order!

Here’s the designer line up for the year and links to each designer’s blog so you can get to know a little about each of them.

January … Roseann Kermes from Rosebud’s Cottage

February … Sherri Falls … This and That

March … Victoria Findlay Wolfe … Bumble Beans Inc

April … Gail Pan … Gail Pan Designs

May … Anna … Thimbleanna

June … Pam Viera-McGinnis … PamKittyMorning

July … Sarah Fielke … TheLastPiece

August … Bari J … BariJ

September … Amy Ellis … Amy’s Creative Side

October … Amanda … Mrs McPorkChop

November … Emily Cier … Carolina Patchworks

December … Liz Hawkins & Beth Hawkins … Lizzie B girls

January Block “Snow Bird”
by Roseann Kermes of Rosebud’s Cottage
(photo by Roseann Kermes)

Let’s get this party started! Head over to the Aurifil blog to download the January block from Roseann. And while you’re there, be sure to read the interview with Roseann. She’s a very creative and inspiring woman!

Melisa

P.S. Be sure to call the shop to sign up for the “getting started” class and The Stitcherhood meeting!

Fun class this weekend with our beginners, who were all pumped up and excited to share their quilt tops…they have all done such great work, and their quilts are coming along nicely!

              Angie                               Charlotte

                   Linda                                                 Mary

                Robyne

Our lesson after Show & Tell was on how to measure and apply borders, and their homework was to apply the inner and outer borders to their quilt tops. I know each quilt is going to look totally different when the borders go on, and I can’t wait to see!

Melisa

One of my most favorite classes to teach is the Day & Night Quilt from Quilt in a Day. I love proving to quilters that they CAN make this quilt which looks so complex, but is actually very easy to make. Plus, I haven’t seen a finished quilt of this design yet that I didn’t just absolutely love. Today’s class did not disappoint…

These are all going to be fabulous quilts when finished…and look how all those points and seams come together perfectly…it’s magical! Great job Kathleen, June, Ruthanne, and Donna…I’m looking forward to seeing your finished quilts very soon…hint, hint!

Melisa

Last Saturday was the beginning of our Quilting Fundamentals for Beginners class. We have five enthusiastic students taking part in the class. We spent the first class session learning about the necessary tools and how to use the rotary cutter and rulers. The homework for this week was to have their strips cut to make nine-patches for their quilt.

In today’s class we mastered the 1/4” seam allowance, and made the strip sets necessary to make the nine patches for their quilt. Each of the ladies got one nine patch completed in class…

Didn’t they do a great job? They all left feeling better about the sewing and cutting process and anxious to get their nine patch homework done for next week. We’ll move on to the Monkey Wrench blocks next week.

I love teaching beginners to love quilting like I do!!!!

Melisa

“Spoolin’ Around” Beginner Paper-Piecing

Our class schedule through April is on the website! We have new dates of our most popular sessions, as well as all new offerings. We continually add classes as teachers become available and special requests are received so be sure to check back often to see what has been added. We also have some fun club groups to give you a little fun, uninterrupted quilting time. Take a little time for yourself in the New Year to make your first quilt, learn a new technique, or stitch up a unique gift for someone.  Classes are a fun way to improve your skills and enjoy crafty company!

A gift certificate to one of our classes would be a wonderful gift for the sewing enthusiast in your life? Better yet, you could take a class as well and spend some creative time together. We are happy to mail gift certificates anywhere they need to go, so please call the shop for details.

See you in class!

Melisa