Announcing our 2010 Summer Challenge and Our EXCLUSIVE Batik!

Isn't it gorgeous???  This is our exclusive batik done with Hoffman Fabrics for our 14th birthday celebration!  I'm so excited about the whole thing, I can hardly stand it!

Last fall market I was at the Hoffman booth chatting with my Hoffman rep Barry.  (Yes Barry, I stole your picture off Facebook!)  He reminded me that Hoffman does exclusive prints for shops and I mumbled something to the effect of "Yes, I've been thinking about it".  And I really had, I just hadn't done anything more than give it a passing thought of something I'd like to do "someday". 

Turns out, that was the day.  Jane, the head designer at Hoffman, happened to be at the booth right then and Barry called her over.  A short time later, she walked away with my ideas of what I wanted.  Turns out I'd been giving it more thought that I'd thought!

I knew I wanted a batik.  I knew I wanted a lighthouse batik and I wanted it to be only NJ lighthouses.  I also had colors in mind but beyond that, I was clueless.  Jane rode to the rescue and sent a black and white copy of a "cap" (pronounced chop) about a month later.  A chop is a picture of what will be printed on the fabric.  I loved it but wanted the shells a bit further apart,  Once that was ok'd, they sent 5 strikeoffs - large rectangles of the printed fabrics - for me to choose colors.  Of course I wanted them all!  Well, until I sat down and figured out how much it would all cost - reality check!  I really wanted two colors but storing 1,000 yards of fabric was not practical so I chose one and sent my choice off to Hoffman in April.

Click here to read how batiks are made.

Barry, being the great rep that he is, kept on top of the whole process.  First emails kept going off into cyberspace somewhere and that caused delays.  Then the rainy season came to Bali - no printing of fabrics then.  We didn't think we'd get it in time for the birthday celebration, did I still want it?  YES!  YES! YES!
After being out of phone range in South Dakota for awhile, we picked up our messages one day last week and one was from Barry, the batik had arrived and SHIPPPED last week!  YAY!  It's here and I'm sure Barry is thrilled he doesn't have to think about it anymore.

I'm ABSOLUTELY thrilled to see something that was in my head printed on fabric! 

We're doing a challenge this summer using the NJ Lighthouse Batik!  Here's the details:

1. Challenges are due into the shop by August 29th.
2. One yard minimum purchase of the NJ Batik fabric is required to participate
3. Quilt entries must be a minimum of 24" x 24".  Wearables and purses/totes are also welcomed.
4. Entries must be finished.
5. The NJ Batik fabric must be recognizable on the front of the challenge entry.
6. Entries will hang in QP for viewer voting from September 4th - 26th.
7. Three viewer choice prizes will be awarded - first prize will be a $100 QP gift card, second prize will be a $50 QP gift card and third will be a $25 QP gift card.  We'll also have a special prize given out by a special judge - Barry Spingarn!

The fine print: - we will do our utmost to ensure your entry is taken care of but QP cannot be responsible for any theft or damage.  All prize decisions are final.  Prizes have no cash value.  Entries must be picked up by Oct 1st.

I'm hoping that you will all take part in our 2010 Challenge and I'm looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!  Click here to purchase that batik online.

Till next time.

Nine Patch Project

Join us in our Nine Patch Project!  A group of friends who own shops are getting together and doing a Nine Patch Project - basically Karen Montgomery is doing all the work and so far the rest of us are just coasting along on her coattails!  LOL 

This is what's going on.  Starting today, everyday you make a Nine Patch Block from your stash.  Just one block.  WE CAN DO THIS!  At the end of the summer, we'll post patterns for you to put your blocks together.  You can do your blocks totally scrappy, with a color theme, kind of controlled scrappy - your quilt, your stash, your blocks.  The goal is to use up some of your stash, no rules, no one will be checking up on you to see if you made your block today and you can do it the way you want.  What could be easier???

Here's directions from Karen:
If you want to make the 6 inch finished size you will be making your blocks using nine squares that are cut 2 1/2 inches. Stitch those squares together using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, in three rows of three. Press the seams in the top and bottom rows toward the center block. Press the seams in the center row away from the center block. Stitch the rows together, your seams should nest. Your finished block should measure 6 1/2 inches including the seam allowance. That's it. Sleep and repeat, every day until mid August.

Want to join the fun?  We'll be providing simple setting directions for your blocks at the end of the summer.  You can do this.  I can do this. 

Ok, it's the first day and my first block is not going to get made - what a start!  However, tomorrow I'll make two blocks and the quilt police will NOT be coming to call.  You can make 7 blocks every Saturday!  The goal is one block a day till mid August - how you get there is up to you BUT DIG INTO YOUR STASH AND JOIN US!

Join us on Facebook and post your progress and pictures!  ://www.facebook.com/pages/9-Patch-Project/116885848345468?v=wall&ref=ts

Till next time.

Quilt Market Teasers

Here are some teasers from Quilt Market.  Look for more details as soon as I finish unpacking!

Winsome Wreaths is a new block of the month we will be starting in July.  As soon as I get two minutes to myself, I'll figure out the details and post them online and in the shop but for now here is a picture and the general gist of how it will work.   

There are 12 wreath patterns to make a 35" x 45" quilt.  In addition, each month you will be given a fun companion project!  July is a hanging banner for Independence Day.  Each pattern has a 4" x 6" watercolor print on the back side, ready to frame.

This is a rough picture of McKenna Ryan's newest block of the month and I don't even think she's named it yet but I'm calling it Sand In My Shoes after the line of fabric she designed for it.  Patterns aren't ready, the top literally had the pieces pinned to the background (a woman after my own heart!) and the fabric won't be available until August.  McKenna was gracious enough to come over and show me what fabrics to order extras of.  She was funny, saying over and over "I think I'm going to use this one a lot, you'll need more of this one because I'm thinking about doing more braided borders".  It's really still evolving!

About five years ago I spoke with McKenna at a market somewhere and asked when she would do a more east coast one and now she has!  Look for details at the end of June when she plans to have the patterns available.  For now, here's a couple close ups.

The top

The middle

the bottom

I brought back a BUNCH of new patterns, a new Hunter's Star ruler & other things I can't even remember!  Coming soon will be a new Snap Tool that will make adding snaps to your purses, totes, baby bibs, jackets etc well, A SNAP!, soft minkee-like fabrics in new textures, a new club to join from Terry Atkinson called Gadget Girls and more! 

And here's the biggest hint of all!  QP will unveil it's own batik at the Birthday Celebration the first week in June!  I'm SO excited!  Look for a challenge announcement during our birthday weekend!  WOOOOEEEEEEE!!!!!! 

Till next time!

The Shower Is Over

It was a surprise but I think Sara snooped - even though she swears she didn't.  Sara's baby shower was Sunday.  We had them pick up the food for a "class" and in reality, they brought the food for their shower. 

I went with a rubber duck theme.  Sara didn't give me an ideas of what she was thinking, so the rubber ducks seemed safe!  And I like rubber ducks - who doesn't?

So I was sewing like crazy last week, we work best under pressure!  I did have both quilts done early but kept putting off doing the small stuff thinking I had plenty of time.  So on Thurs I decided I needed to get the receiving blankets actually started . . . .  and I did the bibs on Friday and the hats & burp cloths on Sat.  Plenty of  time!

I did two layettes, one for Sara and I went with rubber ducks there too .

And cars for Brian of course.  I told him this was gear for the baby to wear to car shows.

Check out these hats - are they too cute or what???  And EASY, EASY, EASY!

A good time was had by all.  We missed Sara's grandmother & all the Minnesota, Massachusetts and Florida aunts. 

Till next time!

Debbie

Typing is a challenge!

EEEEOOOWWW!  I had surgery on my middle finger knuckle of my right hand last week and as you can see, my middle finger is mostly useless.  You don't realize how much you use your middle finger - ok, except for the obvious reason! - until it's wrapped up in a huge bandage & immobilized.

• Try tying your shoes . . .
• Typing - yes, your typing teacher was right, you really need that finger on the keys to type correctly!
• Sewing can be done if it's simple, but quilting with a regular machine?  Nope.
• Washing your hair - one hand is in a baggie . .
• Putting on foundation
• Writing somewhat coherently
• Buttoning your pants - what a pain in the neck!

The list goes on.  Believe me, you use your middle finger for far more than we ever think about! 

Let's Bring Back Recess!

Seems like just yesterday I was in CT at the HandiQuilter training but since then I've done the 5 day NJ Shop Hop and been to FL for an Elna training and a day at Epcot Center and here it is the end of April already.  Jeez!  And you know what?  May is going to disappear just as fast. 

Have you thought about how quickly time seems to pass by?  Like a warp speed?  I look at the shop calendar and May is chock full of classes, clubs, meetings,  - YIKES!  Before I know it, it will be June and the birthday celebration, I'll turn FIFTY THREE! and the shop will turn 14, we'll have a new grandbaby and life will just churn along at breakneck speed.

STOP THE WORLD!  I WANT A RECESS!  Yes, recess.  Remember recess in school?  It was a time to run around, yell like crazy and let off some steam.  The biggest concern during recess was to go on the monkey bars without letting anyone look up your dress - hey this was the 60's, no pants in school for girls!

I want a sewing recess - time to sew again that isn't stolen from something else I should be doing or needs to have been finished yesterday.  I remember when sewing was relaxing, hmmm when did it become a marathon to "git er done"?

Medical studies have been done proving that sewing reduces blood pressure and I'm sure it does but not the type of sewing I've been doing lately.  So I'm making a goal - to find time to quilt, relaxing quilting. 

I'm taking a quilting recess.  How about you?

HQ in CT!

Huh?  HQ in CT?  HandiQuilter in Conneticut.  I attended the first ever, experimental "Train The Trainer" training in CT this week.  The lovely gals at Sew Inspired Quilt shop in Simsbury CT hosted 20 of us from all over the northeast and as far as Ohio!  Thanks ladies!

Here's the truck that all the Avantes arrived in.  The driver, Chuck, had a great story about being on the NJ Turnpike and two different women going by in cars while beeping & giving him the thumbs up!  He said he thought the truck was on fire or something the first time it happened!  (He also mentioned that we need better signs on the GSP saying that trucks aren't allowed . . . .LOL).

This is Gina my HQ territory manager who is also a really good longarmer.  Here are a couple of her show & tells done on the HQ.  She's holding a notebook cover that she embellished the heck out of. Here's a closeup. 

This feather pattern with microstitching is also by Gina.  GORGEOUS.  (In the interest of full disclosure, there's probably more quilting in this one piece than about 4 or 5 of my good sized quilts - I am a stippling QUEEN!)

Harriet is an HQ educator (and for those of you interested in that position, one of them swears you'll have to kill one of them for a position to open up!)  Harriet is originally from Lakewood NJ!  She had some really great projects & this one caught my eye.  You really can't see the detail in this picture but look at the next one to see the quilting.  VERY neat!  She did this on the ProStitcher.

Those of you who have been to HQ events at QP recognize HQ Educator, Debby Brown (who figured out that 16% of us in the classroom were named Debbie).  Debby and my friend Sandy Brawner are lime green aficionados, Debby did this one to show off the feather groovy board and because she loved the lime green fabrics.  Sandy, how about this one????

Debby is also a very talented longarmer and excels in ruler work and MicroHandles.  Those of you who know me, know that I have the attention span of a gnat and while I find ruler work and microstitching gorgeous, I don't have the patience to do it myself.  Here's Debby demoing her microstitching technique - doesn't it look like she's just checking to make sure I'm paying attention???  LOL  Just kidding! 

Debby will be at QP this coming September - stay tuned for class details!

Doing ruler work & microstitching in class just proved to me how much I LOVE my ProStitcher!

We learned some great things, got some great ideas and generally enjoyed ourselves immensely working with the Avante 18" machine.  I came home not only with a sample I won't show anyone but with knowledge I'll share in our soon to be started HQ Club.

We have the HQ Fusion AND the Avante in the shop for you to try.  Stop in and try one out!



Till next time - keep quilting!