If I could hear myself think!???!

This has really been a week!  The unit next door to ours has finally been rented out and they have started renovations!  The noise, along with all of the other issues that go with renovating has been deafening - really hard to think!  I know that Kathy, Sharon, Nancy and I have been counting the minutes some days to quitting time just to get away from it!  Hopefully it will be over sooner rather than later......they say only a few weeks!?!?!

At any rate, we are still carrying on as usual and with that Nancy has chosen her colors for Block 2 of Aunt Millie's Garden - they are gorgeous as usual!

 Here's the block she's going to teach in month 2!  Another stunner.......

 I also wanted to share this quilt with you!  If you remember, in the fall we had the reveal for the Border Creek Mystery quilt - this was Gail's!  She took it to Sandy Lindal to have it quilted and picked it up yesterday!  She came right over to show us and to pick out some binding.......

 Sandy did the most fabulous quilting job - feathers in those gorgeous gold blocks.......

.....then piano keys on the borders, it's really stunning!  And Gail's choice of fabrics is so beautiful!

 One more look with Gail (the shorter side) and Nancy holding it up.....truly a masterpiece!

FYI - Sandy is taking in quilts for March so book now!  With her fabulous quilting she will fill up really fast and I have one I've got to finish piecing for her too!

Last night was Applique Club - so a little Bruschetta, some cheese and crackers and of course grapes - the only thing missing was the wine, and we fuelled up to work on our hand work.......

It was a full table and the Baltimore Albums and Aunt Millie's Gardens seemed to be the work of the evening.  I was working on my Farmer's Wife.....

Probably the last quilting I'll get to do until after I move....

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

Do you know Murphy?????

I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with Mr. Murphy but lately I have become quite intimate with this man......

Mr. Murphy has a law - If it can go wrong, it will!

I was home packing, quietly minding my own business when I get a call from Kathy at the store......there was a "small" fire next door and she thought she should let me know!  Everything seems to be fine, so not to worry!

Hmmm, well I was going to be teaching a class at 7:30 P.M. (private lessons) so I guess maybe I should head over a little earlier and make sure all is in order......

I walk in the door and amconfronted with 4 hunky fireman moving my furniture around and Kathy running from the back with buckets......we've sprung a leak!  From the roof, etc.....and it's travelling along the beam in the center of the store....

The insurance adjuster and Cleanol were there within two hours and although it is still leaking at least I can sleep tonight becuase they have set up all the necessary contraptions to make sure there won't be much more, if any damage, but I thought I'd share the photos.....

Hope they put down enough buckets.....

I think it's safe to go home now!?!?!  I'm sure Mr. Murphy will let me know if anything else can go wrong!

Happy Quilting! (maybe I'll get some done tonight to calm the nerves!)

Jo-Ann

What's happening at the "Doodle"!?!?!

Let's begin with what's been going on this week - Sit & Sew on Monday and Thursday....I started my Beginner Machine Quilting Class on Monday night - Baltimore Album Block of the Month met Wednesday night and then Thursday night was Art Quilt Club...........

This is not a painting class - it is Still Life in fabric.....Mary pulled out a Katie Mausopest Pasquini book and led the girls in a study of still life.....it was awesome....

These women get together once a month to try out new techniques, critique their own works and just do some really cool stuff!  If you are on the verge of breaking out of the "traditional" mode into art quilting - this is really a fun club!  Just reserve a spot and come join them....there's always something new going on.....

Friday night was our monthly evening Sit & Sew and as is usually the case - we were full to bursting!  12 women spent the evening working on numerous projects and of course, schmoozing and we all had a great time.  Dinner was Chicken Al Fredo with Salad and Mississipi Mud Cake for dessert......

Everyone was busy working hard, shopping and signing up for classes - lots of Aunt Millie's Garden sign ups - Nancy's quilt has totally inspired them!  There's always room for one more and the first class is Sunday at 12:30 P.M......there are also kits available, fabrics chosen by Nancy!  You'll love them! 

Today was a "make-up" day for Healing Heroes/Quilts of Valour!  In case you've already forgotten, January 8th was a bad weather day so I opened up some time for them today and let me tell you, these girls just keep producing those quilts!  The one below is one of Andi's who just churns out quilts!  A year ago she had never made a quilt!  I'm not sure how many she's completed now but if you check back to about November of last year you will see her quilts appearing numerous times in the blog.......(we all "hate" her with a passion as we struggle to complete our projects - but honestly we love her dearly!) 

 Here's another Heroes quilt ready to go.......

This is another one of Andi's masterpieces........I love this, it's from the book Country Comforts by Cheryl Wall (I also love that book!)....... 

...and another Heroes quilt....... 

 ......one more for Heroes...............

 ...and finally another....ready to go!  These gals have made well over a hundred quilts!  Pat is going to get me the exact figure and I'll let you know!  It's wonderful to be able to play even a small part in this project!  One of these days I hope to do more than just donate a classroom and the odd bolt of batting.......

That's Andi holding up one of our customers' quilts (it's not hers for a change!)

While I made coffee, Andi was helping this customer chose a border for this work of art.....

Here's the funny part of the story - she (the customer) brought the quilt in to choose a border, she doesn't like Batiks and she hates greens.....look very closely,  this quilt is made with Batiks only and is primarily green!  And it is stunning!  We need to teach this one in the store, it's done with a triangle ruler and goes together relatively easily.......

This is always the highlight of my day!  Helping customers choose something to go with their masterpieces or helping them choose fabrics to begin a new masterpiece......it took a lot of years but I finally found a "job" that I love.....

One of the eight ladies who came for Heroes today also enlightened me about a new book that's coming out which I plan on getting in as soon as it's printed!  I'll keep you all in suspense and let you know when it comes in!  We may even schedule a demo session - it's a really neat idea!  I'll keep you posted.....

In the meantime I'm off to do my personal blog (http://www.creationsbyjoann.blogspot.com/) and then to bed....

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

I have proof!

Quilting is an addiction!  On Saturday January 15th I awoke to a raging blizzard!  I looked outside and contmeplated whether to open the store!  If it wasn't for the fact that I own the store and I was the one opening up that morning - I would have turned around and either gone back to bed or downstairs to my studio to quilt - aha!

Driving up the Castlefield hill at 2 mph (because I have no tread on my front tires - another story!) I wondered if anyone would show up for Christmas Club, scheduled for 10:30 A.M.!  I thought - who, besides me, would be crazy enough to go out in this weather?!?!

They came - from near, from far, by car, walking!  They came!  I was blown away!  There were 6 of them!  More crazy quilters.....and to top it off, before the storm abated there were customers coming in?!?! 

It was alot of fun and we pretty much had the store to ourselves for the first hour but the phone kept ringing and everyone was gung-ho to get started on the first block of Welcome to the North Pole!  (The books are in!)

I was really glad I got dressed, cleaned off the car and struggled up that hill on Saturday.  However, I also found out that this addiction is incurable!  I'm seriously thinking of writing a 12 step plan here!

On the other hand, what could be better than getting snowed in at a quilt store with thousands of metres of fabrics and all the patterns to go with it, not to mention a few sewing machines and rotary cutters!  It's a quilters' dream!

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

I am blown away........

Nancy brought back Aunt Millie's - quilted - IT IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!
The quilter is Karen Power.  I absolutely love her work but she has really outdone herself here - the quilt is phenomenal!

I have included a full size picture as well as some close ups of the quilting but you really have to see this close up and in person to appreciate it.  It is currently hanging on our design board in the classroom and will be there until Monday (here for the Open House) then Nancy will be taking it home to finish putting on the binding, which by the way was cut on the bias and looks fabulous......it will then be hung in the store!  So don't put it off - come and see it......

The Quilt......

A shot of the quilting on the border..... 

One of the blocks quilted....... 

 A block and the border...........................

 The bottom border, flower centers are yo yo's.............................

It took Nancy about a year to complete and now we're offering it as a Block of the Month - with Nancy's expertise of course!  I'm so glad she took her time with it, it shows!  I am just blown away by this quilt!

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

Wanted to share.....

Another fabulous customer quilt!  Dorothy had admired a quilt I had made and had hanging in the store for quite awhile, she really wanted the same fabrics I used but they were sold out long ago -so she chose her own and made a fabulous quilt top herself!

The pattern is from 9 Patch Pizazz, it's a great book and it really does highlight fabrics that are just too gorgeous to cut into small pieces!  This came out fabulous!

For those of you who attended the Sample Club last night (Dear Hannah, Dear Jane, The Farmer's Wife is Nearly Insane!) you will know that I lost my Farmer's Wife book and the blocks that I had already made - well I finally found them and you can read all about that at http://www.creationsbyjoann.blogspot.com/ which is my personal blog!

For anyone who's interested we got a shipment of notions in and the Patchwork Pins I rave about are back in stock!  Along with loads of other stuff......

Don't forget our Open House is this weekend - Friday, Saturday and Sunday.....hope to see you there!

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

"I taut I saw a puddy cat?"

What can I say - it's the first thing that came to mind when I saw this fabric line!  They just came in yesterday and already two panels and the co-ordinates to make the quilt are gone.........

So before they all disappear - here's what's new!

The Panel

 The co-ordinates.......

 The FREE Quilt Pattern......

I know quilters love cats and these are just too adorable to pass up......

On another note, it was a very stormy morning to say the least (not sure why I ventured out - oh yeah, to open the store!) and so the ladies pretty much cancelled the Healing Heroes Day so we are aiming for the 22nd of January if anyone is interested.  (We'll call it a snow day!)! 

As I arrived this morning (at 10:20 A.M.) I was surprised to see that there was a customer waiting for me!?!?!  But not just any customer, a visitor from Ottawa with her husband on their way back home!  It was so cool, to hear that she really wanted to see the store before she drove back home!  I hope they made it to the Kingston and Belleville stores too, which was their plan!  Well, seriously, isn't that the only way to plan a road trip, map out the quilt stores and time your stops!

Turned out she was not the only quilter who ventured out today!  I have to admit though, I will be very happy to go home tonight and hibernate until tomorrow......or quilt, whichever feels better!

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

Not so nice out.....

It's around 7:00 P.M. and I think I am going to close up after I blog (excuse to go home and work on Molly's Meadow!), it's pretty nasty out thereand I really don't think anyone will be coming by tonight......

In any event, that doesn't mean we didn't have visitors today.  Erica and Kiyomi dropped by and Erica finished this great quilt top - done with one fabric - a striped batik!  Isn't it the coolest!  I gotta try this - it's all about the angle you cut it for sure......

The next photo belongs to Linda Van Lierde, who with Karen Wold does a really cool presentation on the classes they have taken together and is doing this tonight at the Mississauga Quilters Guild.  These are blocks from some of the classes she took this fall........

I would be remiss if I didn't show you Raili's gorgeous Circles of the Moon tablerunner done in a recent class at the store....it really is stunning.......

So our first Thursday Sit & Sew of the New Year took off and loads got done....Annadelle tells me she has organized all of her UFO's and thinks she hasmore than me (not possible!),  I don't just have the ones at home, I have all the ones at the store too! In any event, her plan is to get them done!!!!  Sound familiar?!?!  We're all going to try this year.....for sure!

Andie came in to share a quilt she finished over the holidays (literally over the holidays - this was not a UFO - she started it and finished the top in the past month!)  I'm drooling, it is all hand appliqued......it's from one of the Kim Diehl books - I think the new one but will have to find out from her.....

Nancy brought in a little piece she put together this past week (by the way, she says she updated her blog).  She says she found these discarded Dear Jane blocks in the trash (Barb gave them to her, I think because she didn't like the colourway) so she made a small wall hanging which we are lucky enough to have displayed in the store......it is very Civil War but I really love it.....

Okay it's 7:15 P.M. and the snow is still coming down and I have to clean the car - ugh!  But I really don't think there are going to be any quilting "emergencies" in the next 45 minutes so I am going to pack up and go home....seeing all this stuff has inspired me to work on Molly's Meadow....

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

A day off!?!?!

Well, although the store was technically closed.......the monthly meeting of the Stitch'n Bitch still had to go on!  So I only sort of had a day off!

As usual Show and Share with these girls is always a treat!  They really do produce so much - it's so much fun!  Christina has been really busy - she got her baby quilt back from Cathy Petrie and she did a phenomenal quilting job....check out the ice cream cones.......

Here's the front, Christina did a great job too!

She also finished the top of a Spiral Table Topper (Designs to Share) and will have it ready for next Christmas for sure......

Cathie finished one of her Christmas gifts for Nathan - a great BBQ apron.....I believe it's the 1 Yard Apron pattern and she added a pocket full of garlic!

We really had a full house so my choice of Red Pepper and Zuchinni Lasagna was a good one......

They definitely enjoyed lunch......

Nana Una finished her Easy Striped Table Runner (The Quilt Company) and it looks fabulous!  Cathie's new project is there next to it....

Donna is working on this one....with alot of help!

Christina has started something that look like it is going to be gorgeous!

Anne was busy working on her Border Creek Mystery clues, Rebecca was working on a Christmas Table Runner (for next year) and a really cute wall hanging (will have to get the name of that pattern too!)....didn't catch what the other three were doing.....mostly checking out books and socializing I think!

It was loads of fun and didn't really feel like work so maybe I did have the day off!

I know one thing, I couldn't wait to get home and get some of my own stuff done.....

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

Happy New Year!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!  The weather was pretty interesting, warm, rainy!?!?

The newslwtter is on it's way by snail mail and will be up on our website in the next couple of days.  We are really excited about this one - lots of new ideas and new classes!

Nancy and I had fun on Thursday and Friday, we were pretty busy with the sale on, not to mention having some wonderful visitors from Norfolk, England, Kingston, Ontario and Boston, Massachusetts!  Quilters travel and when they travel they look for quilt stores!  I know when I'm on the road I'm always looking for quilt stores.  What fun it is to meet all these wonderful people!

Nancy brought in one of her recent projects...check it out!  I love it and now of course I want to make my own!

We also picked out the fabrics for our new Block of the Month - Aunt Millie's Garden, there are 2 colourways - Brights and Classic!

Month 1 - Brights

Month 1 - Classic

Month 2 - Brights

Month 2 - Classic

How can you resist this quilt!?!?  If you love applique, this quilt will definitely be on your TO DO list.....

On another note, and in the spirit of "catching up", last Wednesday was the final meeting of the Patchwork Sampler Block of the Month.  It's truly amazing what these girls did with their scraps.....okay, there were a few fabrics purchased for this one but mostly they went to their stashes to do this quilt....

Here's Linda's.....in batiks!

Here's Barbara's on the right.....she's a new quilter!  Awesome!

Here's Kristin's......

Here's Rosemary's....with post it notes for numbering the blocks!

Here's Pat's - wait a minute, that's not Patchwork Sampler!  Oh, okay, she had guests this week and couldn't find her blocks (likely story) she's working on a book panel quilt.....

...and Jean's doesn't seem to be here either!  Well they've decided to make a date in the New Year to meet and show off their quilts....I can't wait!

I'm off to do some quilting myself!

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann