Quilting Adventures ~ The Friendly Store for Everyone Who Creates With Fabric!

I’m sorry – I meant to post this long before now, but somehow time just got away from me….  Anyway, thank you again to all of you who entered our 5th Anniversary contest!  The winners of the mini quilt competition (selected by votes by our customers) are:

First place, Cathy E -

Second place, Cathy T -

Third place, Penny S -

Staff entry, Karen N -

We didn’t get any entries as fabric postcards, so instead I gave two special prizes to beginners, Kim R and Chantea G.  Kim’s house and Chantea’s piece with flaps and hidden surprises are below:

Congratulations and thank you to all!

~Joyce

It’s been a little while since we did a post of just the new stuff, so I thought I’d write one today to show off some of the fun new fabrics (and books!) that we’ve gotten.

First up are some home dec fabrics.  We had the white owls before, but we re-ordered it and now have another bolt in.  We also got it on brown this time around!

These are the newest Flower Fairies from Michael Miller.  There are also two panels with this print:

Nutmeg is a cute fall line…

Castle Peeps!  This is by Lizzy House for Andover, and we’ve been waiting for it for a couple of months.  I took some home on Monday night and started these pants from the new Anna Maria Horner book Handmade Beginnings at 9:30 (yes, PM).  About three hours later, they were done!  They’re fully reversible, and totally cute!

Here’s the back…

These were the 6-9 month size, but if I remember correctly, they go all the way up to 18 months!  (I just checked, it’s actually 24 months)

Some more owls, this time with a slightly more Halloween-y twist.

Holiday Flourish 2 from Robert Kaufman.  Many of you remember this from last year.  It is so beautiful and elegant, the colors just sing!  We have some new prints, as well as one or two favorites from last year.

This is another one from Robert Kaufman, called Sparkle All The Way.  Everyone who works here wants to make samples out of this because it’s SO CUTE!  I called first dibs on it though, because I needed some samples for the window display (which will change next week, the day before the anniversary celebration).

And here’s something Mary Terry made for that window out of these fabrics…

If you look in the background, you can see a stack of fat quarters that are from one of our Christmas lines that ships next month.  It’s done by Mimi Dietrich in the style of Baltimore Album fabrics.

In the spirit of Christmas stuff, I had Amy bring her embroidered Advent Calendar back in.  We have this pattern in the shop, and I love seeing it year after year.  Here’s a closeup of two of the pockets.

While I was writing this blog entry, we got a shipment of new books.  I haven’t even checked them in yet, but I thought I’d show you a picture..

Last, but not least, I have some reminders and sneak peaks.  First up is a sneak peak of one of our new clubs starting in September.  This is a teensy piece of the quilt I made for the first month.  We’ll officially debut the club next week at the anniversary celebration, along with (hopefully) another quilt, too.

We’re also planning some other block-of-the-months, as well.  We’ll have another one starting in September, and we’re planning an embroidery one which will start in January.

Don’t forget about our 5th Anniversary Contest.  The deadline is this weekend, so you still have a chance to get yours in!  They are just mini-quilt size, so you could whip one out today!  The 1st prize is a $50 gift card.  If you need some inspiration check out our two new books on mini-quilts, Whip Up Mini Quilts or Pretty Little Mini Quilts.

I would say have a wonderful day, but it’s pretty nasty outside, so why not make the best of it and SEW! 

~Phoebe

If you’ve been in the shop recently, you may have noticed our new hanging “system” on the walls.  DH and I have been working on it for a few months (okay, he did most of the real work and I did all the nagging), and it’s DONE now.  I think it looks so awesome – I find the whole feel of the shop to be calmer.  I do so like order. 

In the weeks in between putting up the slatwall and hanging quilts (with some time out for Quilt Market etc), some of our samples were pulled down and not hung up again.  And I just realized the other day that one of those samples is for a class that is THIS SATURDAY (June 18), and I didn’t have the sample hanging at all for the last two weeks!

Fractured Stars is one of those “stack and slash” quilts, where you create a scrappy look that is actually pretty coordinated and controlled, but still has that happy scrappy look.  I think this quilt would be totally AMAZING in some of the new holiday prints we’ve gotten in – and it’s all from fat quarters:

So, to make up for not having the sample hanging for the last few weeks, I’m going to give away a free seat in this Saturday’s class to one lucky winner.  Please leave a comment below, and Thursday morning I’ll use random.org to pick a lucky winner!

~Joyce

How did it happen, that it’s June already?  That means that our HUGE Anniversary Celebration is just over three weeks away (which means that I need to get to WORK!).  I’ll be doing demos on some of the cool toys we picked up at Market as well as some old favorites.  I’ll be posting the full demo schedule later this week, so stay tuned. 

In the meantime, we’ve got some great summer classes planned!  Thursday  evening, June 3, is one that seems especially suited for working on in the summer.  It’s Circular Patchwork, and it’s one of those techniques that when you’re finished sewing the pieces all together, it’s done (like, it’s already quilted and bound and ready to go!).  In class you’ll learn the basics, not make a whole quilt – so the supply list is minimal, and you’ll finish a set of blocks you could make into a cute pillow:

Friday we’re starting the weekend with a bang with our I Can’t Believe It’s a Sweatshirt class.  Yes, I know you don’t need a sweatshirt *now*, but if you make it now you’ll have it when you need it again!  This class starts at 2PM and runs until 8PM, so those of you who have “normal” jobs could maybe just leave work a little early and still make it to class!

The class that was scheduled for Sunday has been canceled, so that’s a good opportunity if you need to use our big tables, design wall, one of our machines, or die cutter – just call to reserve a time!  Wait, what’s that you say?  You didn’t know we rent out our die cutter?  Follow this link to read all about our Die-ing to Cut Club.  You can cut strips, charms, all kinds of things – including triangles for One Block Wonder:

We have just ONE SPACE left in the Birdie Sling class that starts Monday evening, June 7:

This link will take you to the June calendar where you can check out the full schedule.

Are you working on your contest entry yet?  It’s not too late to get started! 

~Joyce

It’s our anniversary, which means a party and contest!  On Saturday, June 26, 2010, QA will be celebrating its  Fifth Anniversary.  We hope to have the walls of the shop lined with your entries. 

Theme:
What QA Means to YOU!  This could be a technique you learned at QA, a fabric, pattern, or book you purchased here that inspired you, the feeling you get when you walk through the door – just about anything!

Categories:
Mini quilts – larger than 5” x 7” and smaller than 12” square
Fabric postcards – approx 4” x 6”

Deadline for Entries:
All entries must be in the shop by the end of business on Sunday, June 20, 2010 (5PM).

More details:
- Be sure to include your name, address, phone and/or email address on the back of your entry.
- Fabric postcards may be mailed to the shop or delivered in person.  If they are mailed, they still need to arrive before Sunday, June 20, so be sure to allow plenty of time!
- Only one entry per person, please.
- Staff may enter; there will be a separate category for staff entries.
- Quilts will be returned after July 20, 2010.

Prizes:
EVERYONE who enters the contest will receive a free QA water bottle!

Winners will be decided by viewer’s choice.  One vote per person, daily from June 26 through July 3.
1st place Mini Quilt:              $50 QA Gift Card
2nd place Mini Quilt:            $25 QA Gift Card
3rd place Mini Quilt:             $15 QA Gift Card
1st place Postcard:                $40 QA Gift Card
2nd place Postcard:              $20 QA Gift Card
3rd place Postcard:               $10 QA Gift Card
Staff Viewer’s Choice:           $25 QA Gift Card

Time for another free class giveaway.  This time it’s a free seat in the Wild and Woven Bitty Bag class on Wednesday evening, May 5, at 6PM.  If you’ve never taken a class with Catherine Etter, this is your perfect opportunity – she is So Much FUN!   Here’s what you’ll be making in class:

So, to enter, just leave a comment below.  I’ll pick the winner with the help of random.org on Tuesday morning, so please leave a comment before 8AM Tuesday in order to enter the drawing.

Good luck!
~Joyce

I love cloth dolls.  They are so much fun!  It’s been a long time since I’ve made a doll, but I still think about making them, and I’m always sure to check them out when I visit a show.  It’s a different thing than quilting – a bit more forgiving, a bit more wild and crazy and freeing.  It’s always fun to get part way into it and then the doll starts to take on a personality and talk to you and tell you who she wants to be!    They don’t take much in the way of supplies, and they’re a good excuse to buy cool ribbons and fibers and beads and buttons, stuff you might not want to put on your quilt, but your dolls will love it! (in case you need an excuse)

Our beginning dollmaking class is coming up on Saturday, March 27, and I want to give some lucky blog reader a free seat in the class.  If you don’t finish the doll in class, you’ll come pretty darn close!  And it’s so much fun to see how different everyone’s dolls are, even starting from the same pattern.

So leave a comment below before 8AM Wednesday, and I’ll use random.org to pick the winner Wednesday morning.  And as a bonus, here are links to some of my favorite doll websites and blogs:

Art Dolls

Meadow Bug Studio

Patti Culea

Shelley Thornton

Julie McCullough

Happy surfing!

~Joyce

Want a free class?  We’re giving away one spot in Friday’s Window Treatments 101 class with Jonathan.  The class is this Friday, February 19, 1-4 PM.  If you’re interested, please leave a comment.  I’ll pick the winner at random on Wednesday morning, so please leave your comment before 8AM.  Good luck!

If this class doesn’t call your name, pop on over to the February calendar and check out all the other fun classes we have coming up!

~Joyce

Hi Everyone – I just wanted to call your attention to some of the great classes we have coming up, many of them new this year!  This is by no means all of them, so if you want to check out the rest, you can go to the calendar page.

We are seeing more and more interest in Hand Embroidery, and we’ve got the perfect class to get you going coming up on Sunday, January 31, 1-4.  You’ve got lots of different patterns to choose from, and you’ll learn all the basic stitches to get going.  Here’s the class sample:

Tuesday, February 2, we have a NEW class on the Disappearing Nine Patch.  This quilt looks *so* complicated, but it’s honestly just a humble nine patch, cut and reassembled:]

Another new class that is perfect as  a next-step for garment sewing and a great introduction to sewing for kids is the Once Upon a Time skirt from Bananafana.  It is so CUTE! and you’ll learn so many awesome garment sewing techniques along the way:

We also have a special event planned for Sunday, February 14 – a Hand Stitching Mini-Retreat!  Plan to spend the day at QA – your registration fee includes lunch, drinks and snacks – and get away from the world for a while in the company of other folks who enjoy handwork.  This is a bring-your-own-project event, and we don’t discriminate – it can be hand piecing, quilting, embroidery, applique, even locker hooking!  There will be teachers on hand to offer advice and support and even a few demos thrown in for good measure.  This is going to be a fun and relaxing day; don’t wait too long to sign up to join us!

And that is just a small taste of what’s coming up!  Several of them are already full (or almost there), so if you had a class in mind, you might not want to wait much longer. 

Oh, the giveaway.  Leave a comment below to win a free Hand Embroidery class on January 31.  I’ll pick a winner using random.org on Tuesday morning, January 26 – so leave your comment before Tuesday at 8AM to enter.  Good luck!

~Joyce

It’s time for another blog giveaway.    We have an AWESOME class coming up next Saturday (one that I so desperately wish I could take myself, but my mean boss is making me work!) – Catherine Etter will teach you MANY techniques for jazzing up the Flower Fairy panels!  Silk ribbon, beading, embroidery, SO much more – here’s a photo of the Fall Fairy sample (all done) and the Christmas Fairy that Catherine just brought us today, a work in progress that she’ll be using as her demo piece in next Saturday’s class:

I am giving away ONE seat in Catherine’s class, by random drawing, to someone who leaves a comment on this post before Wednesday, November 25, 9AM EST.  The class is Saturday, November 28, 1-4PM.  So, leave your comment and maybe you’ll be the lucky one!  Just one comment per person, please. 

~Joyce