Yes I can!!!!

Who knew to own a quilt store you had a to be a techno geek too!  Okay maybe not quite that but seriously, when you do your own blog - you do have to know something and half the time I just give up with the old excuse, "I'm too old for this stuff!"

Today I perservered and you will now see, to your right - Cock A Doodle Tips with our first Tutorial for Precision Piecing which came about due to the 9 Patch Exchange we are hosting in the store. 

Keep checking the side bar - I'm sure we will be adding all kinds of little "tips of the trade" often.  I certainly enjoy sharing what I learn and listing my favourite products....

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

10 days later!

I was definitely busy for the last 10 days with the newsletter and the Open House this past weekend.  Classes are filling up fast so if you want to sign up for something, now's the time....

Speaking of classes, Pat dropped by and dropped off "Miranda", who is going to be a resident at the "Doodle" for awhile.  Her and Elisabeth are announcing our Dollmaking Workshop which will take place September 22 and 23, 2012.  You can definitely reserve your spot now.  We're very excited to be offering this class so come by and visit with the "ladies"........

Friday night was was our monthly evening Sit & Sew and the girls wanted me to mention that we miss you all there!  They also wanted to gloat as I made my famous Zuchinni Quiche, actually I made two - there were 10 of us and there wasn't a morsel left....... 

Of course I added a mixed salad with that, which was scrumptious!  With cheesecake for dessert - well, let's just say they had a great time, and even managed to get some quilting done.....

 I have also been busy cleaning out a storage unit which has uncovered all kinds of goodies!  This antique spool holder was one of them.  Unfortunately I have no place to keep it in the apartment so I put it up for sale on Friday night.  Liz spoke quickly and the gavel went down - it was SOLD!  However, she didn't pick it up until Saturday morning at Christmas Club.  It appears I should have waited, seems I could have auctioned it off to the highest bidder!!!!  Oh well, actually I am very happy that it is going to a loving home and Liz will cherish it! 

 Speaking of Christmas Club - here are a few of the Critters which arrived Saturday morning.  We seem to be a few short - you all know who you are, and of course one of the Mitten Blocks turned into a beaver...oh my, who's could that be!  I won't say - we don't want to encourage her!!!!

 ...and then there is O'Tannenbaum.  They had to do two star blocks.....of course there's always one over achiever in the group and I have to say that she did a fabulous job!  The center of her quilt is basically done.......One more month and then they are off for the summer (July and August) with loads of homework......

 Klara dropped by on Saturday to show off this fabulous quilt top which is a version of Log Cabin.  I think it's awesome - with hits of colour randomly dispersed amongst the logs.......

 Of course, it was the long weekend this weekend and even I had two days off, in which I did absolutely nothing!  I mean really - nothing - not even one stitch done.....even I can't believe it but I did get some rest.  So when Andi popped by to show me yet another project finished, I was blown away - not to mention feeling guilty.

Check this one out - from the book Prairie Point Pizazz (you remember that black and pink quilt she did)!  This baby quilt is adorable........the pinwheels are all prairie points......

Which means they open to reveal lady bugs and butterflies........ 

 Or Care Bears......

 Or a doggy and his bowl of food.......

All the little motifs are fussy cut, fused and stitched down.....Andi made this for her son-in-law's brother's baby but her grandson (fluff) was over this weekend and had a ball with this quilt.

Needless to say that book (Prairie Point Pizazz) will be on my next order.  If you want a copy - give me a call and I'll order some extras.....

I guess I'm going home to get some quilting done tonight - for a change!  It appears I find myself sorely behind in my projects...she's just to fast for me!

The August Mystery quilt is designed and ready to go - have you signed up yet????

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

Da-da-da-da-da-da!

....drumroll!  The newsletter is done and should be on it's way to you shortly!  Now you know what I've been up to, but wait until you see what everyone else has been up to.....

Healing Heroes - May 5th, we had a wonderful guest PN who brought the ladies a fabulous pattern he designed.....

It's the perfect size for a Heroes quilt and what a fabulous design.....

May 6th - The Girls from Barrie, a show and share by GU only!

First up a wallhanging!

I love daffodils!
Then the Beach (snow) Ball Quilt....

Click for a closer look at those beach inspired prints.....

Next a beautiful jewel toned batik quilt.....

and last but not least this gorgeous floral quilt......

She's been pretty darn busy but really productive.....

Last Friday night I was busy working on the newsletter and some other pressing book work when a new customer came in.  I always love looking at fabrics through other people's eyes and this was definitely the case here.  She's a teenager and her choices absolutely "rocked" - I can't wait to see the finished product....hope she brings it in, but in the meantime I'll show you 3 of the 4 fabrics she chose......

One of the things I love about the store is when my customers come to share their projects.....

KC came in this week to pick a border for a wall hanging she is working on but she also brought her Valentine Bargello, the one she did with Carolyn on April 14th - and it's completed.

A close up so you can see the fabulous fabrics she used......

It came out fabulous - I just love it when you share your projects, especially the ones that are classes at the store.

Speaking of which FT came in this morning and shared a few of her projects too - the first one is absolutely fantastic!  It's from Fiona's class - Photo Extensions..... 

Can you tell where the photo ends?????

The second project is from Carolyn's Hanging Gardens class which was held in February.  This is not her first one - she just keeps making more....there great - so much imagination!

 This pillow which she made up is for someone in Europe and I thought it was so adorable I had to have a picture - this would be the front.......

....and this is the back - actually you could have it either way!

After the last couple of weeks and after having put the newsletter "to bed" I too feel inspired so, I am off to do some quilting!

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

Another Mystery!

I know - three days in a row!  I'm on a roll!

LV was in today and she was working on her Mystery Quilt that she started in the Saturday night class so I wanted to show you how different they can look, depending on fabric choices.....

This is hers so far....she used these really colourful and bright peppers with a great yellow and black and it's great!

 However, LV is never content to just do a pattern, she loves to experiment so she came up with this version!  I am now going home to design borders for this version of the quilt.....LOL

The secondary pattern shows up completely differently here.  I can't wait to see everyone else's.  Had a late customer tonight so I'm a little behind but I am off home to work on the newsletter and do some quilting if I can fit it all in......time!!!!!

Happy Quilting!


Jo-Ann

Tip and a Teaser!

Two days in a row!  That hasn't happened in a long while!!!!  So which do you want first - the tip or the teaser!  I get to choose so I will go for the teaser.....

Many of you have admired this little wallhanging when you've been to the store and back in September we offered a class - well here it is again!

 Pop Up - Adding the 3rd Dimension 

The class will be offered as a two-day workshop, Saturday May 26th and Sunday May 27th.  This may be your last chance to take this class with Pam (Woodward) as she is leaving town!!!  Moving away and I'm not sure when we will have the opportunity to host a class with her at the store again. 

If you've ever wanted to add pizzazz to any of your quilts - this is the workshop you DON'T want to miss.  I personally would love to sit in on this one but I will be very busy making your lunches for those two days.  If you are interested and want to get a jump on the newsletter announcement, call the store and sign up now.....

Now the tip!

On Sunday I got a call from one of our 9 Patch exchangers - she was calling from the emergency at Sunnybrook!  She's okay - not to worry but, her index finger is missing a bit of flesh.....why you ask?  She cut the tip of her index finger off with a rotary cutter!!!!  She was using a small ruler, presumably to square up her blocks and a 45mm(usual size we use)rotary cutter.

I've had a couple of days to think about this little "accident" and I believe after testing the theory myself, I've come up with a solution.  When using "small" rulers - i.e. 6-1/2" squares and smaller, use a smaller Rotary Cutter, like a 28mm or an 18mm.  Checking it out with my 3-1/2" ruler (I'm also doing the 9 Patch Exchange) I found the 18mm was just the right size not to go over the side of the small ruler.......the chances of having an accident are greatly reduced!!!!

On that note - I will get back to working on the newsletter which I am sure you are all waiting for......

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

Resolutions! (...and Mystery Quilts!)

I know today is May 1st not January 1st but there's no law, written or unwritten that says you have to make all your Resolutions on January 1st.  Besides this one is probably a "repeat resolution" anyway!!!!  I resolve to blog more often!  Okay,  I resolve to try to blog more often.

I really just have to "make" the time and sometimes that is easier said than done.  Hope you all had a great time at the Creative Festival - it was nice seeing many of you after the fact....and I hope that it helped to get those creative juices flowing because we have some great classes planned for the upcoming months and I am just putting together the Spring/Summer Newsletter which should be in your "In Boxes" next week.....or maybe even by the end of this week!  Woohoo!

In the meantime Cock A Doodle hosted one of its great Mystery Quilt Nights on Saturday night - the pattern, which is copyrighted, was one of my own and I am happy to say I had them all stumped right up to the end......

Here's a very bad picture (I really need to take a photography class!) of the prototype - my quilt!  The main fabric is lilacs which came from my stash along with the lighter pink.  The hot pink (and boy was it hot!) was one I had to purchase in order to finish the quilt!  Originally the fabrics were destined for a quilt I wanted to make for my mother, she has since passed away, however I have titled it "A quilt for my mother."

Here's a bigger, still bad picture of the quilt.........

Of course there will be an upcoming Mystery Quilt in the newsletter so take the chance - try it!  I honestly believe there were ten people Saturday night who were glad that they did......As they complete their quilt tops I will post some of the fabulous photos of what they made.....

In the meantime - get ready to sign up for some great classes!

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann