Sweet Home Quilt Co.

One of our favorite finds at Spring Quilt Market was an ingenious product called Swatch Buddies™, and we’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of our order…and it’s finally here!

Swatch Buddies™ are reusable fabric swatch cards with adhesive labels, which allow you to create a flexible and portable ring of your fabric swatches. The adhesive labels have space to note yardage, designer, fabric collection, and even the quilt shop where you purchased the fabric! The cards are reusable (we also have the refill kits in stock), and are available in 12, 24 and 48 piece sets.

How many times have you bought fabric because you were sure it would be a good match, only to get it home and find out that it wouldn’t work with your other pieces? Think about it…if this product saves you from buying just one yard of mis-matched fabric you will easily have paid for it! Besides the obvious use, these little kits have all sorts of possibilities!

-Easily shop for multiple projects at the same time by creating a ring for each project.

-Is your stash stored in plastic bins or boxes? Attach a Stash Buddies™ ring to easily see the contents at a glance.

I’ve already started a couple of rings for myself and I’m sure there will be more in my future! What other uses can you think of?

Melisa

Order here

One of my favorite finds at Quilt Market is the Heartfelt Home collection by Wing and a Prayer Design and Timeless Treasures. The primary focus of the collection is two printed word panels, Heartfelt Celebration, focusing on the home and family, and Heartfelt Inspirations, with a focus on blessings and inspirational quotes. Each panel includes multiple project panels that can be worked into unique projects, which would be perfect for wedding gifts, housewarming gifts, or for those times when you want to give someone an uplifting gift…just because.

We have the panels available separately so you can create your own unique designs, and we also have kits available that include the individual panel and the companion pattern with project instructions from Wing and a Prayer Design.

Individual panels available here, and Kits are available here.

Melisa

Hot off the press! We have the most up-to-date release of the Quilters’ Travel Companion book in stock, featuring over 2000 shops, 1400 shows and 50 shop hops throughout the country. Don’t plan your trip without it – you wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to visit a great quilt shop or show while you’re out traveling!

Quilters’ Travel Companion…19.95

Remember the workshop we did back in February with Terry Atkinson where we tested a new pattern for her? Well, here’s the book, hot off the presses! Terry has hit another home run with this book (and yes, I might be just a little partial since we helped with the testing!). The graphic nature of the designs lead to some really great projects…large and small…that offer a challenge for all skill levels.

Terry has also released four new patterns, including a new table runner in three sizes, a casserole carrier and an organizer and project bags. These will be fun, quick projects to make!

Our shipment of the new books and patterns should be here early next week. Be sure to get your copies before they sell out!

Melisa

Need a last minute gift for Mom? Or maybe a little treat for yourself? We have the perfect answer! Our Sewing Machine Mat can be made in under ten minutes, no sewing required, and will help solve that age-old problem of the “bouncing” sewing machine. Don’t you hate it when you’re sewing along, pedal to the metal, and your sewing machine starts bouncing up and down on the table? This mat will help eliminate the problem…

The mats can also be used as a portable ironing surface – just roll it up and stick it in your case when you go to a class or retreat! These are perfect gifts for your quilty Mom, or a treat for a quilting buddy. Heck, make one for yourself and call it your Mother’s Day present to yourself! Kits are just $12 and include your choice of fat quarter from our selection.

You’ll have plenty of fabric leftover from your fat quarter to make a matching mini-size mat, which can be used as a coaster or a mini ironing surface – for paper piecing maybe? Mini-size mats are just $2 each.

Drop by Saturday, May 11, between 10 and 2 and we’ll have everything you need to make one…while supplies last.

See you then!

Melisa

Prairie Life
95 1/2” x 95 1/2”
Designed by Brenda Plaster, Spool & Bobbin Quilting
Featured in QUILT Magazine, June/July 2012

I am always amazed at the inner workings of the quilting industry, and especially when the stars align to create opportunities. I recently received a call from the Technical Editor at QUILT magazine inviting us to kit the project shown above for their readers. Why us? Well, the project is made from one specific fabric collection (Sienna by Kensington Studio for Quilting Treasures) and the magazine had contacted the fabric manufacturer to find out which shops had ordered the complete collection. As it turned out, due to a mix-up last fall, we had received DOUBLE the complete collection! Lucky for us and QUILT magazine readers, we still had plenty of the fabric in stock, so I was able to say ‘yes’ to the question of kitting the project.

This is a striking quilt project, easy to construct using just two blocks, but with dramatic results. The rich reds, creams, golds, and browns of the Sienna fabric collection result in a beautiful quilt! Grab a copy of the magazine and call us for your kit!

Melisa

We’re busy busy busy getting everything ready for our Christmas Preview Party this Thursday – we hope you’re coming! If you haven’t already called to get your name on the list, you’d better do it today…space is limited and you don’t want to miss out!

Enjoy some of the new books we’ve gotten in this month, and the new Astral Summer collection from Paintbrush Studios, which has me dreaming of early Fall days and cooler temperatures!

A Baker’s Dozen: 13 Kitchen Quilts from American Jane
by Sandy Klop

Fruitful Hands
by Jacquelynne Steves

History Repeated: Block Exchange  Quilts by the 19th Century Patchwork Divas
by Betsy Chutchian and
Carol Staehle

Welcome Home: Surround Yourself with Country Warmth
by Cheryl Wall

Astral Summer by Paintbrush Studios

Visit the webstore to check out these and many other great treasures!

Happy Quilting!

Melisa

The newest book from Need’l Love — Pumpkin Patch Threads — has arrived in the shop, and I’m sure you’re going to love it as much as I do! These books always include a good selection of projects, combining textures and vibrant colors with a wonderful balance between past and present.

Quilters are tactile people, and these books are a feast for the eyes. The projects in the book include not just cotton, but also wovens and wools, which add dimension and texture. Combining applique and piecing in the projects gives you the best of both worlds. This miniature quilt combines applique with a pieced border — perfect for a fall table display!

Small projects such as the pumpkin coasters give you an opportunity to practice crazy quilting stitches, and will make great gifts. The embroidery is another decorative touch that adds dimension and that extra  wow! factor.

The rectangular pillow project combines wovens and wool…my new favorite! No worries about getting those points perfectly appliqued either…success is guaranteed because they’re cut from wool so no points to turn!

I’ve already added the new Pumpkin Patch Threads to my library, and I’m sure you’ll want it for your library, too. It’s not too early to start on your fall projects!

Melisa

You asked for it and now we have them! A large selection of bright, hand-dyed wools just came in yesterday and to coin a phrase from my friend, Ruthanne, they are “yumptious!” I’ve been ripping these up into usable pieces all afternoon, and they really add a punch of color to our Wool Corner.

And yes, I know it is 102 degrees outside, but with names like Sparkling Sangria and Great Guacamole and Pumpkin Pie who can resist? You know you need to get started on those fall and Christmas wool-y projects…no more excuses!

Melisa

One of my favorite market finds was this Season’s stitchery series from Sherri Falls at This & That. The stitchery patterns are packaged with matching notecards and envelopes, and Sherri is offering the complimentary finishing instructions on her website. Collect all six stitchery patterns and dig into your stash to make the scrappy 40” x 54” quilt. The notecards are an added bonus…send a note to a friend, or tie up all six notecards with a nice ribbon for a cute gift. Patterns/notecards are available individually or as a set of six on our website.

Happy Stitching!

Melisa