Finally........

.....a minute to sit down and rest after a whirlwind week (and catch up on the blog!).  Monday was Sit & Sew and although I was there, I was buried under an avalanche of paperwork.

Tuesday and Wednesday I was lucky enough to take a workshop from a very talented quilter/fibre artist, Anna Hergert.  York Heritage Quilters' Guild invited Anna as their speaker for the March meeting and she absolutely blew us away with her amazing works of art.  The workshop was Mystical Molas - which are unfortunately still a mystery to me......although Anna is a fabulous teacher.  So much so, I plan on inviting her to teach at the store!  We won't be doing Molas though - check out her website at http://www.annahergert.com/.  You will see what I mean......

While I was out having fun Elaine was teaching her Self-Portrait class and Kelly came by today with her (almost) finished piece......just too adorable!

Of course whenever it rains, it pours!  We received a huge order of new stuff which needed to be priced and put out ......  we got in the most gorgeous baby flannels!  I had almost forgotten that I had ordered them back in October but they arrived this week....

We also got in the most gorgeous Michael Miller - Krystal fat quarter bundles and the price is amazing......

We also got some new books in - speaking of which I have ordered more Fun with Bundles!  We got it in and they are gone already!  I took one for the store and for the record the projects will make up great lap quilts (I'm using some of the patterns to make up charity quilts for our York Heritage group).  came home and cut one out tonight - may even get something sewn after I finish the blog!  I digress - the new books also have some great projects in them....and one is a quilting book!

Last night was Sit & Sew and boy was it packed.........we were spread out into the store - it was great!  I even got to work on my teacup blocks for the borders on the Sweet Tea quilt!  (There's a waiting list for these Friday night Sit & Sew's - we may have to start another one!)

Okay, I have to share these pics!  Talk about organized (I am so jealous!)  - Julia brought in her tool kit!  Check this out - a place for everything and everything in it's place!  I love it!

....and she's marked everything with labels so everything goes back where it belongs!

It really doesn't  get better than this - I'm seriously thinking of getting myself a fishing tackle box like this!  It would be great to keep the store supplies in one too - what a great idea!

So - there was actually some work getting done as well!  Laurissa has completed the third Postcard from Japan quilt and I'm not sure if you can see but she has matched the binding to the quilt background - it is stunning........

(Picture looks weird because the quilt was hanging over the chair so I took it upside down!)  Lisa is working on a quilt she saw at the Mississauga Quilt Show which was originally shown in Mark Lipinski's magazine - Quilter's Home - it is going to be stunning!

We all managed to get alot done - I didn't get home until 1:30 a.m. and had a hard time getting to sleep because all I really wanted to do was quilt......  On that note I think that is exactly what I am going to do!

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

Making progress......

We are getting ready for Spring at the store.  I let Nancy loose on the windows this week and she decided that the Roosters have been sitting around the store idle for far to long.  She has put them to work - and the theme of our window this Spring is "Spring Cleaning"!

They are ironing (pressing) with Best Pressed!  A fabulous relatively "new" product from Eleanor Burns which takes the place of starch and our resident appliquer, Nancy, says it works great for prepping applique.  Good to know.

They are sweeping, doing windows and hanging out the wash!  ....and I imagine going through their fabric stashes to see what they can make into great Stashbuster quilts......there are new fabrics on their way yet again which I'm sure will enhance everyones' stashes or just compliment works in progress!

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the rolls of fabrics we got from Westminster - well Libby bought one and she made a fabulous quilt - the picture does not do it justice - using the pattern Stars & Strips by Terry Atkinson - an old favourite!  You really have to come in and admire this quilt -

I let Nancy and Kathy loose in the store and the next thing I knew they were making up some fabulous Quilt Kits.  What actually happened was, I found all these great containers in the back while "Spring cleaning" and told them to use them - Look what they came up with -

Yellow Brick Road Kits!

...and this great pattern from a store in Pennsylvania - Elnora Kits - I almost took one home to do - they picked some gorgeous fabric combos!

Yesterday was the Saturday meeting of Healing Heroes and wait until you see what these ladies have been up to........Healing Heroes has now hooked up with Quilts of Valour and the quilts completed up until now will be going to the Armed Services to be given out to our men and women who have been wounded serving our country.

Take a look at some of these beautiful quilts!

These women are amazing and these are quilts donated by guilds and individuals made for Healing Heroes and dropped off at the store.

Now that I've lost yet another hour in my life - (we set the clocks forward) it was quite the struggle to get my act together this morning!  As it is I am a night owl so staying up until 2:00 A.M. quilting suddenly became 3:00 A.M. and I'm not getting that hour back any time soon.......

Barb (a fellow night owl) manned the store today while I taught a class so she got to see this quilt first hand, brought in by a "newbie" quilter Jennifer!  Sorry I missed the actual quilt - I would have loved to have seen it.....

And Debra stopped by to get some Soft Fuse for a block exchange she's doing which sounds awesome (check out Debra's blog on the side of our page - Patchwork Sanity).  The girls are using Soft Fuse in my class today to do their applique.  Nancy swears by it and I won't use anything else now that I found it for any thing requiring fusing........

However I digress, the reason I am telling you that Debra stopped by is because she shared a quilt with us - a KING SIZE awesome, unbelievalby awesome star quilt - I couldn't fit the whole quilt into the picture but it is absolutely stunning!

Today was the first class of our NEW Block of the Month - Sweet Tea (the quilt I have been working on the past few weeks).  I have the center of the quilt put together and now have to add the borders of which one is pieced teacups!  They look like alot of fun to do but we shall see.......

Here's the first block!

....and this one is my favourite block!  I love the 3-dimensional tea bag!

So as you can see - progress has been made!  After I do a little book work in the office I am going home to fondle my Farmer's Wife - taking the night off from Sweet Tea and the Mystery Quilt I am working on for the end of April.  Not sure if I'll do any stitching but my plan is to fondle fabric at least......

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

A little more......

The past few days have been a whirlwind of activity at the store.  Tuesday evening was the Underground Railroad meeting and everyone was busy working on some fabulous projects (not necessarily Underground Railroad related - but there are no rules...)

Nancy is busy making this fabulous piece....

Which turns out to be alot bigger than I thought!

Cheryl is hand-piecing this gorgeous quilt -building as she goes.......

Fiona is busy working on 2 pieces - a Ricky Tim medallion which is stunning...

.....and a neutral quilt - she made up blocks in all different sizes and is now connecting them.......it's really cool to watch the process!  Wish I had the time to try something like that!  Maybe - someday soon!

Wednesday was busy too!  We had the Threadpainting class taught by Carolyn Flood.  Unfortunately I didn't get photos of all the students work but there were some really great pieces nonetheless......Here's Libby's masterpiece.....

and Lisa's masterpiece......

Lisa also made this fabulous flower........

Carolyn brought in some great projects to show the ladies, great ideas as to how to use these creations....handbags!

and check out this amazing flower for embellishment - this is a class I really have to take one of these days (because we all know I need more projects to work on!)

Last night I taught the Beginner Quilting Class and these girls are really coming along - they won't all show off their work yet but I did manage to get a photo of Sara's work in progress and they are all doing great - maybe next class I will coerce them into showing off their great work!

They actually did some machine applique last night which was alot of fun....and I finally gave them homework so we'll see what they come back with.......

On that note (homework) I am off to continue working on my Sweet Tea blocks - Sunday is fast approaching and I really want to have that top ready to show off by then........we'll have to see if I can do it.......still quite a bit to go.....

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

I'm stealing......

I have found a way to get two things done at once - stealing time!  Right now I am teaching my beginner class - they are perfecting one of the many new blocks they are learning so I snuck out to start writing the blog! 

My intentions are always good - carrying the camera home every night and bringing it back in the morning - only to find that Jonathan is using the computer and the blog will go another day without getting posted!  So now I think I've found the secret - just grab a few minutes when I have them to quickly get something posted!

On Monday - at Sit & Sew - Sandy Lindal came by with Leeann's finished quilt top - it is just sensational!  This was our Buck A Block for 2009 in the 30's colourway!

Then Andy stopped by with yet another quilt finished - she has never taken a class, she's just a natural and this is her 5th(???!!!) quilt since September!  She really just pumps them out!  These are 1/2 inch strips for anyone who noticed how small this looks....... 

I had to run out in the afternoon to get some Quilter's Flannel - one of the students in Sandy Lindal's Pineapple class has decided to increase the size of her quilt to a King Size (I think) or maybe it was a Queen Size and needed more flannel which we seemed to be out of!

So when do I ever come back with just what I went for - aside from finding a few bolts of fabric for the colour wall I also found some other great stuff!  Like this "one of a kind" - meaning we have only one - Quilt Kit!  There is fabric in this gorgeous container to make a whole quilt designed by Kaye England (fabric is her design too!).

Then I found a "Bundle" of which I have a few - the bundle comes with 3 of these great panels, one red, one blue, one pink along with 26 co-ordinating fat quarters.......

I also picked up this great pattern from one of our great Canadian pattern designers........

Now I also just finished pricing the new fabrics that came in last week - a bunch of great shirting fabrics......

....and some fabulous Tone on Tones in creams and beiges.........

Then there are all the books that have been waiting to be priced - all done!  On the shelves now!  The first one is It's a Wrap II - working with fabric and clothesline (something we're definitely thinking about teaching and stocking the clothesline)!

The next one is Better Together - complimentary 2 block quilts and how the blocks work together.......

Then - yet another great Fat Quarter book - Bundles of Fun........some great ideas and quilts!

More of a history book and a book of inspiration - The Quilters" Guild Collection is really a beautiful book (Nancy already took one home so I'm not sure how many are left!?).....

Sew and Quilt Japanese Decor is  great book by Trice Boerens with some really great contemporary ideas and patterns.......

Only one left of the next one -  The Farmyard in Patchwork and Applique - a really great book for those of you who like "primitive" applique.......

(Just gave them another block to work on and some homework so I've got another few minutes - wow, this really works!)

The next book is Applique at Play - this book is great for all those sports themed quilts and has 19 sports blocks - I'm gonna try a few one of these days (still diligently working on Sweet Tea! - the classes start on Sunday!).

Last - but not least  is Variations on a Theme by Terry Martin - another one of those books with great ideas!

That's about it for the new stuff and ....class is over so I'm off to work on my Sweet Tea!  (The two things at once concept works great!)

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann