Sweet Home Quilt Co.

Another fantastic quilt from Karen of sewprimitive. I think this was from her Jo’s Little Women Club. I absolutely love the border on this quilt!!!

A very close contender for my favorite in the show – exquisite applique work and just my colors, too!

Close-up of the crow block from the quilt above.

Pink and brown is still a favorite color combination, and tiny little basket blocks always appeal to me!

Viewer’s Choice Award – Chin Chin by Mary Anne Henderson, owner of Red Hen Fabrics. My pictures in no way capture the beauty of this quilt! It is all thread painted on the front, and hand painted on the back with loads of crystals – simply amazing!

BEST OF SHOW – a fabulous hand-appliqued, hand-quilted Baltimore Album.

That’s it until 2011. I have been so inspired by the beautiful quilts in this show; not to mention the stellar organization and teamwork of the East Cobb Quilt Guild – those ladies (and gents!) know how to put on a quilt show event! Every detail was anticipated, and the show appeared to unfold like clockwork, although I am sure there were glitches behind the scenes they were never apparent to the participants, vendors or show attendees! I am proud to be associated with this wonderful event!

I hope you enjoyed the show – there were so many more that you missed by not being there! Make plans to attend in 2011 if you can, and start working on an entry, too!

There were more than 350 quilts hanging in the East Cobb Quilt Guild show this past weekend where we vended. These were some of my favorites:

Mini 9-patch

by Karen of sewprimitivequilter - check out her pattern designs!

Another beauty by Sandy Gilreath of Macon, GA. This quilt also won an award at Paducah earlier this year.

This incredible beauty was about 18 inches square – those little pieced blocks around the outside border were about one inch square!!!

This was done by Kristin at Fiber on a Whim (if my memory serves me correctly; if not, I apologize!)

another by Kristin

I’m out of photo space in this post; I’ll add more in the next post. Hope you’re enjoying the show!

I think we may need it if this rain keeps up!!! We dodged rain all weekend long, loading and unloading at the East Cobb Quilt Show and traveling back and forth each day, but today has been amazing with the amount of rain we’ve had! Mike emptied our rain gauge this afternoon at 4:30 and by 5:25 the gauge had another 3+ inches in it! We are certainly blessed in that we haven’t experienced the loss of life and property that many others in the Atlanta area have suffered from the torrential rains and flash floods, but the sheer volume of rain has been frightening at times.

Remember the show we vended this weekend at the Cobb Civic Center? That civic center has been transformed into a Red Cross Shelter tonight for people forced from their homes by flood waters. Cobb County has roads washed away, businesses and schools are closed, county residents have no water service, and there have been four drowning deaths in that county. I am so thankful for our safety tonight, and I am praying for the safety of our quilting friends in the area!

On one side of our property there is a creek which is barely three feet wide and usually only ankle deep with water. I took these photos of the rising waters late this afternoon during a break in the rain and from the safety of our deck.

Luckily, our home sits high above the creek so we don’t expect any flooding of our basement, but you can bet we’ll be keeping a very close eye on the rising waters in this creek!

I don’t think I’ve ever been as tired as I was Sunday after the East Cobb Quilt Guild show ended! Four days of non-stop standing on my feet, battling the incessant rain we’ve had for the last week, and meeting and visiting with customers in the booth really took a toll on me, and today I didn’t even get out of my pajamas until nearly 3PM! Even then, with the continuing downpours and feeling totally wiped out, all I could manage was curling up on the sofa with a good book! A much needed respite indeed! We had so much fun this weekend, though, seeing old friends and meeting new that it was all worth it.

I did manage to get all the photos from the weekend downloaded and resized, and I wanted to share pictures of our booth as well as some of the amazing quilts from the show. I entered our Shop Hop quilt in the group category and it was selected to hang in the show. I was so humbled to have our quilt hanging with the spectacular works of art on display! I hope you enjoy the show, too.

I have learned that it is best to just rent a van when we vend at shows; it makes things much easier on those of us loading and unloading our stuff for the booth. We have to take everything from product to props so it is always a LOT of stuff! Just like packing for any other trip, I always take far more than we need, but I don’t want to take a chance on needing something and not having it.

Booth set up in progress. I try to have a plan on paper before we get there so I don’t have to “think on the fly” about where things need to hang or be displayed in the booth. Even so, after getting everything unloaded out of the van it still takes about 4 or 5 hours to get the booth set up.

Here’s Pam doing the final tweaking Thursday afternoon.

I realized belatedly that I never got a really good photo of the booth once it was all put together – drats! These are left and right shots of the booth, though. We had a number of new samples displayed that were totally new, not even seen in the shop. I’ll share details of those over the next few days as we get everything restored at the shop.

I didn’t get any photos of the tear down process either. By Sunday afternoon, we were all exhausted and just ready to snatch the booth down and get it loaded for the trip home. We were trying to beat the impending storms, too, so we didn’t have to load stuff in the rain! It always amazes me that it takes 4 to 5 hours to put the booth together, and then only about an hour to take it down!

At this venue, the vendors are all on the second floor so we have a terrific bird’s eye view of the quilts displayed.

As a show sponsor, Sweet Home Quilt Co. is allowed to select a quilt to honor with a Sponsor’s Award. I admit to selecting the quilt primarily based on what appeals to me, but I also am conscious of the association with the type of traditional quilt shop we are known to be. Pam and I browsed the show Thursday afternoon after finishing the booth set up, and I made notes on the quilts I liked. There were a lot that I liked, but I was waiting for that “WOW” factor to kick in before I made my final selection. When I spotted this quilt, I knew it would be my choice for our Sponsor’s Award:

Imagine my delight when I learned that this quilt, entitled The Pleasures of Pomegranates & Poinsettias, was made by Sandy Gilreath, one of our customers from Macon, GA and that some of the fabrics were purchased at SHQC!  Sandy does exquisite needleturn applique and machine quilting. Sandy also received the Judges’ Recognition Award for this quilt, as well as a first place ribbon for another quilt she had in the show (I’ll share that one later.) Congratulations, Sandy!

This post has gotten too long, so I will save the other quilt pictures for another post tomorrow. Prepare to be awed and inspired!  I’ll leave you with a shot of the SHQC 2009 Shop Hop Quilt hanging in the show, entitled “Everything’s Not Always Black and White!”

…and checking it twice, three times, four times! I’m feeling a little like Santa Claus tonight!  I ‘think’ we’ve got everything ready to head out tomorrow for set-up at the East Cobb Quilt Guild show, which starts Friday.  Mellie, Pam and I have worked ourselves to death today, finishing kits, packing, and all the hundred other tasks that go into vending a quilt show – all in between customers. I felt really bad that the shop was in such disarray for those who came to visit, but it couldn’t be helped.  Someone said it looked as if there had been a burglary, with the walls bare of samples and shelves not quite as full as usual. The term “raped and pillaged” comes to my mind when I look around tonight. Here are a few scenes of the carnage . . .

Boxes and boxes of goodies for the booth!

Samples piled high on the work table ready to be packed.

Stacks and bins of props for the booth. I like to arrange things similarly to what I do in the shop, so all this is necessary “fluff” – that’s Mellie’s word!

More fluff – yes, that’s a Christmas tree! You can’t have a Christmas display without a Christmas tree, can you?

Here’s a sneak peek of one new sample, sans binding. I still have to finish whipping that down tonight – I think I’ll do that while I soak my aching feet and have a nice glass of wine!

We’re in Booth #13 at the show this weekend – come see us!

Forgive the picture-less post, please!  The last couple of weeks have been focused on preparations for our booth at the East Cobb Quilt Guild Show, and now we’re really down to the wire. Set-up for vendors is Thursday, and the show begins Friday. We love vending at this show, and I always try to have new, never-before-seen models and kits to premier at this event. We’ve all been madly making samples and cutting kits, along with what seems to be a gazillion other details – I’ve got lists of lists in play, but somehow it all seems to come together when it really matters! I can’t share what we’ve been working on because it is for the show – come see us in Booth #13 and you’ll be the first to see the new stuff.

I managed to finish 4 small projects earlier today – by finish, I mean pieced – still have to quilt and bind all of them! Made a mad dash up to Walnut Grove to pick up the last six samples from my quilter, Leisa,  and then spent a couple of hours at the shop catching up on some seriously neglected paperwork. I was feeling a bit guilty about neglecting Mike (although he’s been immersed in football games on tv all day!) so I stopped long enough to make dinner! I tried a couple of new recipes – Zucchini Pie and Cheesy Corn, along with a favorite standby, Roasted Asparagus. I’ll try to remember to post the recipes for the pie and corn – they were quick and yummy, definately keepers! I’ll have to try to remember where I found the recipes, too.

I’ve just finished sewing the hanging sleeve and label on the quilt I’ve entered in the show, and will drop it off tomorrow. Not sure if I’m up to beginning the quilting on today’s projects this late (early???), but I think I’ll try to get a couple of bindings done before I head off to bed.

OK, Mr. Brown was VERY good to us today – it’s like Christmas morning when he rolls in the big MODA boxes! So many of you have been asking about some of these, I thought I’d better get the word out right away – and don’t start calling me ‘Bad Melisa’ – I’m just doing what you asked!  There were lots of goodies in those boxes! Take a look – -

Rouenneries from French General is here, finally! Well, the pre-cuts are here at least – the fabric won’t be here for about another month. We have fat quarter bundles, layer cakes and jelly rolls.

New from Minick & Simpson – Wiscasset. Hey, Pat, are you listening??? I am wishing I had ordered more of this line – it is soooo gorgeous!

We have fat quarter bundles, layer cakes, jelly rolls and charm packs of this yumminess!

Here’s another one that surprised me – Aster Manor from 3 Sisters. Soft, soothing colors in pinks, browns and creams with a POP of red.

We got the full Monte here – fat quarter bundles, jelly rolls, honey buns and charm packs are available.

The latest in Moda’s Collection for a Cause series – Alliance, supporting The Alliance for American Quilts. This collection is a reproduction of an antique quilt dated 1830-1840.

Again, the whole shebang arrived – fat quarter bundles, honey buns, jelly rolls and charm packs.

Wonder of wonders, I have already uploaded all of these to the website, too. Check under New Arrivals-Moda. Now you all know how it is with Moda, I can’t re-order and I probably should have ordered more than I did. Nonetheless, when they’re gone, they’re gone – at least at Sweet Home. WOW, that rhymes! Can you tell it’s been a loooonnnggg day?!?!?

Ordinarily, this is me – I am a world-class procrastinator, and I often say that I work best under pressure. That is because it is a survival skill! I have always been one to wait until the last minute – it used to drive my parents crazy when I’d wait until the night before a project was due to get started, but I always got the job done and done well, too!  How weird is it that on National Fight Procrastination Day I hit the ground running this morning and have been hard at work all day long?!? (I didn’t know it was National Fight Procrastination Day until tonite!) Maybe it was because I had planned the day in advance, and knew exactly what I wanted to get done and in what sequence. I stuck pretty much to plan except that I added an unexpected project to the list, and had to suspend one project until I can run to JoAnn’s tomorrow for a doll needle – not something I’ve got in stock at the shop!

I thought I’d share a few glimpses of what I’ve been working on. Only one project was completely finished today, but I made good progress on several others, all of which I plan to finish tomorrow along with a couple of other WIPs.

I managed to get a few blocks done for the mystery quilt I’m doing with the Batty Babes. My version will be done in civil war reproduction prints and there are several dozen more blocks to be done – this is just the very tip of the iceberg! Considering that I’m the one who initiated the challenge to the Babes to do this mystery, I’m glad to at least have a start on getting it done!

BTW, this mystery quilt was designed by my friend, Candace Hassen. The first part of the series was published in the June 2009 issue of McCall’s Quilting – I think Part 3 is already out so I’m really, really behind!

This is the project that got stalled today for lack of a doll needle! Looks like a pumpkin, doesn’t it? It will be, sort of … I’ll share the finished project tomorrow. (not sure what’s up with this weird picture???)

I finally finished the Petit Fours pincushion and it is BIG! About six inches across and four inches tall BIG!  This is the project I began a couple of weeks ago that got me hooked on English Paper Piecing – the pattern is included in Moda’s new Petite Fours Bake Shop box, which we have in the shop. The pattern calls for the hexagons to be pieced by machine, but I chose to do it by hand, thus the reason it has taken me so long to finish!  I really like how this turned out, especially the prairie points around the top. I filled it with crushed walnut shells about 3/4 full and then finished stuffing it with 100% cotton stuffing from Quilter’s Dream – love that stuff! I used it to stuff the pumpkin form, too. Anyway, the Petite Fours Bake Shop box has enough 2 1/2 inch squares to make three of these pincushions, but since I only needed one, I used some of the other 2 1/2 inch squares to make the “unplanned” project on today’s agenda:

Maybe I’ll get to finish this tomorrow, and if I do I’ll share a picture.

I hope you’re doing some quilty “labor” over this holiday weekend. I’ll be back in the sweat shop tomorrow (except for a little housecleaning, laundry and grocery shopping that has to be done – now that’s LABOR!)

Our UPS guy has been on a TWO-WEEK vacation, and today was his first day back. Look what he brought us (I wonder if his sub saved all this up for him to deliver???)

The new Quilt Sampler magazine actually arrived a couple of days ago, and I haven’t had time to do more than just thumb through it! Can’t wait for a couple of hours to savor all the shops included. If you want one, better hurry, they are flying out the door, as always!

New today from Michael Miller:  A few bolts of Whimsy by Pillow & Maxwell (above left). Several pieces of this line are on backorder so there will be more of it soon. I’ve already got a cute sample picked out to make! Also, six bolts of Mezzanine by Patty Young (above right). I am so enamored with her fabric collections, and the reds/lime greens from her last collection, Andalucia, actually coordinate quite well with this new line. I’m thinking a new bag sample out of this yumminess!

Fourteen bolts of Diamond Brights Tonga Batiks from Timeless Treasures arrived, too. The addition of these few bolts really brightened up our batik section! Love, love, love the red design on the right!

I saved the cutest for last – Animal Party from Robert Kaufman. This fabric will make the most adorable kids’ quilts and pillowcases ever! It has everything from turtles to lions to monkeys to funky little dogs in fun, non-traditional colors. This line is designed by Amy Schimler, who lives locally I believe.

We also received a couple of kits for this line (which I failed to take pictures of, duh!!!) with the cutest names – Monkeys on the Bed, Dog Days of Summer and Bark Park! More samples to make – oh man, I need another 24 hours in every day! I’ll have all of these new yummies added to the website by tomorrow, but I couldn’t wait to show you!

I guess that will teach our UPS guy to take a TWO WEEK vacation, huh?!?!

I spotted this bright patch of color on my morning walk through Olde Town, and with the temperature a cool 65°, can Fall be far behind?