www.craftsy.com/SweetHome_MothersDay

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!

The theme for Sweet Home was “Black, White and Red Allover” and it was evident every where you looked!

On the right, Echo and Hen and Chicks Runner from Hen and Chicks Studio.

The red & white quilt with the scalloped border above is a new version of Dreaming in Black & White from Butterfly Threads Quilting.

Jeanne made us some adorable Ladybugs … any guesses what she made them out of? If you guessed a bowling ball, you’re right! She’s so crafty!

We had lots of new samples using 2 1/2” strips … ideas for using the 2 1/2” strip packs featured by each shop in the hop.

Fun, new samples using our kids’ novelty collections … these were two of our most popular kits. On the Go (left) and Monkey Around (right).

More strip quilt favorites — Tortilla Strips by Atkinson Designs (blue background), Tic Tacs by Silver Thimble Quilt Co (brights and black) and Urban Cabin by Atkinson Designs (white background).

I went a little overboard with new reproduction samples and kits, but everyone knows these are my favorites!

New 30’s reproduction samples and kits — on the left, Cheese & Crackers by Atkinson Designs, Barn Square by Rosebud’s Cottage and Grandma’s Garden by This & That; on the right, Shadow Song by Atkinson Designs.

A super cute kid’s quilt – Into the Jungle.

The softest flannel you’ll find – Tailor Made from Timeless Treasures.

We had a couple of trunk shows hanging … this is Twinkle, Twinkle Scrappy Star designed by Connie Farland. The design is easily made using Deb Tucker’s V-Block ruler and the Tucker Trimmer. If you’d like to make one of these, we have a class coming up!

Trunk Show from Elisa’s Backporch Designs, featuring the Square Me Up Ruler. We have a class coming up soon with this technique, too!

Last but not least, our shop hop quilt … Waste Knot … made with the combined strip packs from all the shops on a black and white polka dot background. We love how it came out, and for those who have asked, we now have a very limited number of kits available!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little stroll through the shop. We had a terrific time during the Shop Hop and appreciate everyone who participated and paid us a visit!

~Melisa

Join us for another installment in our bi-weekly series featuring a behind-the-scenes peek at inspirational crafting retailers nationwide that we’ve had the pleasure to meet through Craftsy Connect. This week we were lucky to talk with Sweet Home Quilt Co. owner Melisa Morrison, about the challenges and triumphs of her family-owned business in Georgia, as well as what her unique customers enjoy the most, and her unique events like the Teddy Bear’s Picnic!

via www.craftsy.com

We started early cutting and packaging the Shop Hop Fabric Strip Sets…what you see is only about half of the 600+ kits we’ve done! We’re offering something a little different to shop hoppers this year — if you missed it, check out the Shop Hop Blog for details on this new program.

Emptying bolts and bolts of fabric…

Cutting kits…some on the die cut machine, which generates tons of scraps…

Labeling and packaging all of those kits!

Finding a place to put all those kits until they’re needed!

Daily visits from Mr. Brown bringing new stock to be checked in and added to the mix.

Making new samples…which still have to be hung on the walls for display!

All of those new samples means there’s been a whole lot of binding going on!

Ripping wool to re-stock our display … there’s something really satisfying about ripping wool!

Several trunk shows have arrived and are waiting their turn for display!

And finally, a sneak peek at our Shop Hop quilt, which is finally off to the quilter for quilting! (This picture was taken during the last stages of construction as the borders were going on.)

Remember those strip sets I mentioned that every shop will have for shop hoppers? All the shops exchanged sets and this is the free project we came up with. As is tradition for us, we always use black and white in some way in our Shop Hop project and this year is no exception…the black and white polka dot really showcases the vibrant strip colors. We hope you love it as much as we do!

~Melisa

Grand Prize: $100 gift certificate to each shop ($1000 value)
Second Prize: Sew Ergonomic Chair ($400 value)
Third Prize: Tutto Bag, ($200 value)

We realize that not everyone can make it to all ten of the shops, which is why each shop also offers a $100 value drawing for everyone who visits. I always try to choose a special prize to give away, something that you might not buy for yourself. This year I’ve selected a really nice quilt kit:

Cottage Garden Quilt Kit, 89 x 98

The kit features the Cottage Garden fabric collection by Kaye England for Wilmington Fabrics, and includes the instructions and fabrics for the quilt top (binding and backing are not included.) The kit is packaged in a reusable sewing basket.

All you have to do to be eligible to win the kit is visit Sweet Home Quilt Co. during shop hop next week, March 14th-17th, and get your passport stamped.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone…but there’s still tons of work to do! We’ll be ready! We’ll be ready! We’ll be ready! (Maybe if I say it enough it will actually happen?)

~Melisa

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

Our shop hop fabric sample has arrived! In keeping with the shop hop theme “Quilting…It’s Our Passion,” the participating shop owners selected a sewing themed fabric by Timeless Treasures, and it is a lively, fun print! Fabric yardage is available for pre-order now. The fabric is $11.50 per yard, and must be pre-paid when you order. Pre-ordered fabric will be available for pick-up during or after the shop hop (March 14-17), and if we have any remaining we’ll make it available for general sale at that time. You may also place your pre-order online; please indicate in the Comments Section of your order if you plan to pick up the order at the shop, or if you’d like it shipped. We will ship pre-orders the week of March 18th, and applicable sales tax and postage will be added.

Call the shop to place your order before it sells out! Or better yet, stop by to see the fabric sample up close and in person, and take a look at the cute coordinating fabrics we’ve brought in to go with! We’re working on some cute samples, including a Classmate tote from Atkinson Designs, and some cute aprons. This fabric would make adorable curtains for your sewing room, too! Limited quantities of the Shop Hop fabric are available so don’t wait if you want it!

~Melisa

I …   … !!!

Browsing Pinterest is one of my favorite past-times when I am wide awake at 2AM, or when I’m waiting at the doctor’s office. And I know many of you are the same way … you’ve told me! So much inspiration and so many creative ideas — just makes you want to save them all! It’s easy just to pin, pin, pin, but do you ever think about actually making any of those cute projects or actually cooking any of those yummy-sounding recipes?

That thought (and some gentle prodding from my friend, Roseann at Rosebud’s Cottage!) is what prompted me to host a Pinterest Party at the shop on Super Bowl Sunday. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than being inspired and having a little creative fun? So I searched through our Pinterest boards to find some favorites pins … not easy ‘cause they’re ALL favorites! … and got busy actually making some things to share at our party.

We were really busy…more than 60 people RSVP’d to attend…and I completely forgot to get any pictures during the party! But I did take a few pictures of the projects before I cleaned everything up, and I promised I’d share so here we go…

Pincushions, tool caddy, muslin flowers, yummy sugar scrubs (Mango Margarita and Peppermint!) — all were quick to make. The tape measure garland was another quickie – a 120 inch tape measure, cut into six-inch lengths and stapled together like we used to do paper chains – easy peasy!

The little floral table topper was designed by Roseann and was a less-than-an-hour project finished off with cute little crochet flower trims. Instructions for the blue polka dot ORT Jar have been around for a while, but it is one of my favorite projects to make ever! Definitely not hard once you understand how to make it. I haven’t had much experience with Mod Podge, but I was still happy with my Valentine’s Button Art Tile. It’s a regular white bath tile with Valentine scrapbook paper mod-podged on and then buttons glue on in a heart shape. Getting those buttons to fit in a heart shape was the hardest part!

More fun projects I made, although these weren’t quite as quick to do as some of the others. A friend had made me a wine cork bulletin board several years ago, and I knew I wanted to share the how-to when I pinned the instructions. A great excuse to drink more wine! The Valentine Topiary was a really fun project to do using wool felt…this will be a decoration I can use from year to year.

The Cherry Blossom Branch canvas was probably my favorite of everything I made. It was so fun to do using not a paintbrush, but a rather unusual tool to paint the blossoms …

Look closely — it’s a Coke® bottle! The instructions were for a two-liter bottle, but I didn’t want the picture to be that big so I downsized to a 20 oz. bottle. I felt like a budding Picasso! (no pun intended!) This would be something really fun to do with the kiddos!

A fun, no-sew pillow (just wrap it like a package and tie it!) and a girly ruffled tea towel finished off the project display.

Everyone who came to the party was able to do a little crafting, too, with our Make and Take projects.

Matchbook-style needlekeepers and stamped Duck Tape® greeting cards. Have you seen the cute Duck Tape® that’s available now — lots of fun designs to choose from!

Button Bookmarks couldn’t be easier, and make a really cute “just because” gift idea!

The fusible coasters project was a big hit! A quick gift easily personalized just by choosing the right fabric!

Many who came to the party have let me know how fun it was and that they were inspired to step outside the box and make some fun things. If you missed the party, hopefully you’ll be inspired to get creative, too, by the pictures I’ve shared. Find these projects (and lots of other fun stuff!) on our Pinterest boards and …