I have closed the shop early this afternoon due to the weather conditions. I will make the decision on Saturday’s opening tomorrow morning when I see the weather conditions. If you planned to visit us on Saturday, Feb. 13, please call before you make the trip.
Now, I’m going home to play in the snow with my grandies! If it is snowing where you are, GO PLAY!
I’ve got loads and loads of customer show and tell to share with you, but I just had to share this amazing baby quilt that Nicole brought in to share with us!
No way does my photography do this quilt justice (I think if you click the picture it will enlarge). Nicole is so creative, and this baby quilt features alphabet blocks that have all been signed by family and friends. She used my absolute favorite little boys’ fabric line, Animal Party from Kaufman. Notice how she enlarged the animals from the border fabric and appliqued them onto the quilt – the hippo, giraffe, monkey, etc. – just makes me smile!
Melisa
A new shipment of books arrived from Kansas City Star Quilts today, with some really good possibilities whether you’re in the mood for handwork, piecing, whimsy, or just a little reading.
A Bird in Hand: Folk Art Projects Inspired by Our Feathered Friends by Renee Plains
Feathered friends take fanciful flight in this diverse collection of 21 projects inspired by the timeless charm of folk art. Whether you love hand appliqué, rug hooking, piecework, or cross stitch, Liberty Star designer Renée Plains offers something for every quilter in this book. Included are 6 avian-embellished appliqué quilts and 3 pieced quilts with bird-themed blocks.
For those who enjoy making smaller scale projects such as pincushions, the book also features 8 vintage-style sewing accessories ranging from pinkeeps to sewing pockets—perfect for your sewing room or gifts for fellow sewers. And Renée has also designed four additional whimsical accents—a pillow and hooked rug for the home as well as a casual tote and notebook cover to take along when you’re on the go. $29.99
Feedsack Secrets: Fashion from Hard Times by Gloria Nixon
The poverty of the Depression and fabric shortages during World War II made feedsacks highly important to the quilter during the 1930s and 1940s. In Feedsack Secrets, quilt historian Gloria Nixon shares her research through tens of thousands of pages of old farm periodicals, magazines and newspapers as she explains the story of the patterned feedsack.
There are fascinating tidbits along the way: Women met for sack-and-snack-club fabric swaps. There were restrictions on jacket lengths, hem depths and the sweep of a skirt. Feedsack prints and bags played a part in political contests, even accurately predicting that Truman would win the 1948 presidential election. One feed-company promotion was a contest for the best-dressed chicken. Nixon’s Feedsack Secrets is a colorful, fun and fascinating ride through a great period of American fabric history. $21.99
Adventures with Leaders & Enders: Make More Quilts in Less Time! by Bonnie Hunter
What if you could piece quilts even faster, work on more than one quilt simultaneously and save money, fabric and thread all at the same time? Bonnie K. Hunter will show you how to put the concept of Leaders & Enders to work quickly and easily, expanding your creativity, and upping your productivity all at the same time. If you have ever found yourself paralyzed by your stash, overwhelmed by scraps you just can’t bear to toss out, arm yourself with a new rotary blade for your cutter, make yourself a cup of tea and start reading. This book is not only full of beautiful scrap quilts that can be made in between the lines of other sewing, but also contains many ideas for getting your ever burgeoning scrap stash under control, into useable sized pieces that work well with one another, and ready to be sewn into quilts you’ve always wanted to make. $27.99
Greetings from Tucsadelphia: Travel Inspired Projects from Lizzie B Cre8tive by Liz & Beth Hawkins
Greetings from TUCSADELPHIA! A place where inspiration flows freely and music floats on the breeze. The air is filled with the scent of freshly baked goodies and laughter rings throughout the land. That’s how Lizzie B sees it! In essence, Tucsadelphia IS wherever Liz and Beth ARE.
Let Lizzie B Cre8ive take you on a tour through some of their favorite places. “Greetings from TUCSADELPHIA” is a collection of some of Liz and Beth’s favorite travel-inspired projects. Like all quilters who travel, Liz and Beth collect FABRIC! They gather fabric from the places they visit and take those bits and weave them into a quilt; like Beth’s “Happy Hawaii” quilt. They make us smile and feel warm and fuzzy inside as memories of our travels flood back to us. Join them on a sun-drenched beach in “Happy Hawaii” or the bustling streets of “New York’s Got Soul”. Stitch up the quick and “Easy-Breezy Backsack”, then take a jaunt through Pennsylvania Amish country. Or pick your own favorite places for the “Wish You Were Here” quilt and adorn it with postcards and memories.
Don’t forget to bake some “Be Cre8ive Cookies” for your travels, and escape with the Lizzie B playlist. Whether you find time to stitch a little, “Kick Back and Relax” or do some “Peaceful Dreamin’” on your own travel pillow, remember that “All Roads Lead to Home”. And when it comes to the Lizzie B Girls…all roads lead to Tucsadelphia! We hope you enjoy the journey. Dream big, go far, and always Be Cre8ive!
Oh, and if you’re wondering where the heck Tucsadelphia is, it’s the official city of Lizzie B Cre8ive! Beth lives in Tucson and Liz lives in Philadelphia, hence Tucsadelphia! $29.99
If you’re in the mood to start a new project, these books are filled with lots of eye candy and inspiration designed to jump start your creativity!
Melisa
We were happy to host this talented group of Girl Scouts and the Gwinnett Quilt Guild’s “Just 4 You” Committee on Saturday as they made donation quilts for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta-Scottish Rite Hospital. This is the second year this group has helped make quilts for this effort, and it is fun to watch their quilting skills evolve. Robin, the troop leader, is a friend through Batty Babes, and she does a terrific job mentoring these girls. The girls were tasked to use their teamwork skills as they paired off to complete their quilt tops. The group worked hard to finish their quilts, and were rightfully proud of them! They turned out great!
Debbie Frey (pictured here helping one of the girls pin her quilt rows together) is the committee chair of the guild’s “Just 4 You” program, and was the impetus for starting the community service project in 2001. The guild has made and donated hundreds of quilts to this effort over the years, and the three quilts made by this group will be added to the hundreds that will be donated again this year.
Debbie also brought along a surprise visitor on Saturday…someone we’ve never had the pleasure of seeing at SHQC.
Can you see him? It’s FLAT STANLEY! Debbie’s niece from Ohio sent him on his journey as part of a 1st grade class project. Flat Stanley has had quite an interesting visit with Debbie – he’s been to tennis matches, the dentist, shopping at Calvin Klein, the Cheesecake Factory (yum!), and to a guild meeting. Debbie’s husband took Flat Stanley to Italy and NYC, too! And now, he can add a visit to SHQC to his travel adventures! What fun!
Our thanks to Debbie for inviting us to host this event, and to the girls for their participation. It was a fun day for everyone, all for a great cause!
Melisa
