Sweet Home Quilt Co.

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!

Come join the fun once a month at our First Sunday Block Party beginning Feb. 6^th. We’re kicking off our latest Thangles BOM with a two-fer! Each month’s block kit will include the pattern and fabric to make two center blocks, which will be surrounded by a star setting. If you want to make the star sets as you go, you will want to purchase one of the finishing kits at the beginning of the program (or you may pick out your own fabrics.)

Choose from three color selections:

• Blue/Yellow
• Folk Art
• Firestorm

(Fabrics may vary from our sample blocks due to availability of fabric; we will make substitutions as necessary.)

Folk Art

Alternate Color Selections: Blue/Yellow or Firestorm (Batiks)

Registration fee is $12, which includes one package of 2” Thangles for the center blocks which will be included with the first block kit. Block kits are $1.00 per month, which could be free. You may opt to do more than one colorway, but only one set can be purchased for $1.00 per block; subsequent colorways will be $12 registration plus $3.00 per block kit.

Earn FREE BLOCK KITS when you make the block from the first kit you purchase, bring it to the shop between 1:00 & 1:15PM on the next month’s First Sunday, show it to us, and stay for a short demo/product review after which we’ll give you your next month’s block kit FREE! If you arrive after 1:15PM or can’t stay for the demo/review or if you miss a month, you may purchase the blocks for $5.00 each. Only one free block kit per person; subsequent colorways are $3.00 per block per month. If you send someone to pick up your block kit for you, the cost is $5.00. No exceptions, please.

Finishing kits are available for the Setting Stars ($34.99) and Border/Sashings ($44.99). Purchase both together and save 10% ($71.99). Finishing kits will be available in limited quantities. Finished quilt size is 67” x 94”.  The Folk Art quilt is on display in the classroom, along with representative samples of the other two color choices.

If you don’t live close enough to join us for the First Sunday Block Party, this quilt will also be available online as a block of the month after March 1, 2010.

Register by January 25, 2010 and be entered to win a FREE complete finishing kit!

We hope you’ll join us. Where else can you get a monthly quilt pattern, new friends, learn new construction tips, see what everyone else is working on, be inspired, and the laughter…yes, we are cheap entertainment! You can’t go to the movie with your significant other and have a large buttered popcorn and soda for this low price of entertainment…and we’re a LOT more fun!

Melisa

Saturday was the actual first day of Quilt Market, and my day started early at 8AM with a business seminar. The show floor opened at 9:30AM and my plan for the day was to walk the entire floor and make notes of interesting booths and products HUNDREDS! I think I finally gave up about 5PM and took a little time to see the actual quilt exhibits to clear my mind (I’ll share  pictures from the quilt exhibits later.) These are in random order, and I’ll try my best to remember the details…click on picture to enlarge.

Farm Fresh, a fantastic new design from the Buggy Barn being offered as a BOM. I ordered some of this collection and the book (although we won’t be offering it as a BOM) so watch for it to be in the shop soon.

Kansas City Star booth pics…

Carrie Nelson, Miss Rosie’s Quilt Co., signing her latest book. I ran into her later and we talked about her recipe for Artichoke Chicken Pasta, which is probably my all-time favorite food!

Button, Button…Who’s Got the Button?

I spent a good bit of time digging through these vintage buttons…like candy to a kid!

Cute new designs from an Australian company, Don’t Look Now. Their stuff was “stinkin’ cute” in the words of my friend, Kelly Ann! 

Celebrity Sighting! Ty Pennington was attracting LOTS of attention…I wasn’t about to stand in that long line, but I did sneak a picture of him while passing by (not sure who the lady in the picture with him is…it just happened to be her turn!) Loved his new fabric collection!

I had eagerly anticipated the new releases from Riley Blake Designs and I wasn’t disappointed!

Sweet Broderie by Rosalie Quinlan for Lecien. I could have bought everything Lecien had in their booth!

New from Maywood Studios…sorry I can’t remember the collection name.

Silver Thimble Quilt Co. booth…Pat debuted several new patterns. Notice the Christmas applique quilt on the left? That’s Comfort & Joy, which will be one of our new BOM’s…stay tuned for details!

Lots of yummy new stuff at Threaded Pear! Gina went to dinner with us Sunday night and it was fun getting to know her a bit!

Learning opportunities abound at Quilt Market with many of the vendors sponsoring demos on every topic you can imagine. I try to catch as many as I can while walking the floor, and happened to catch Sharyn Craig demo’ing her new Cutting Corners Ruler at the Checker booth.

VERY long day…went to dinner with friends and then back to the hotel to peruse all of today’s literature and devise a buying plan for the remainder of market! Stay tuned…more to come!

Melisa

Just thought I’d give you a sneek peak of a little something we’ve been working on lately. These are the beginnings of a new block-of-the-month that will begin in January. And here’s another hint:  think Christmas! That’s all you get …