Sometimes.....

It just gets too busy for words.....and I can't keep up with what's happening in the store.  The past two weeks have been pretty much a whirlwind of activity.  This of course, is a good thing.....so I will start with Friday Night Sit & Sew which happened last Friday night and we were packed to capacity.....

Here's what everyone is working on or showing off!!!!

 Liz made this awesome quilt for her daughter and you will notice the argyle right away.

 She took it to a retreat to do the couching of the yarn and spent most of the retreat working on it but this labour of love looks absolutely awesome.......

 This is Rita's Valentine Bargello from the class with Carolyn.  It is so fresh looking and she was auditioning borders Friday night so she could finish it.

 This picture loaded backwards  - it's Linda's version of Bonnie Hunters Mystery quilt which she was working on in the photo below - it is going to be stunning.

 Linda working on the blocks

 Cathie is doing a quilt with Bali pops (which by the way, she says were not cut exactly to 2-1/2").  This is going to be gorgeous and is for her son.

Here's another one of Linda's projects, another Bonnie Hunter - I think this pattern is from Adventures with Leaders and Enders?!

 Here's the quilt Teresa is working on - what a great kids quilt!

Saturday was Christmas Club - nothing to show yet as this was their first meeting - here's a picture of what they are working on.  There's still time to join the club -  I think this month's homework has something to do with the background......

Monday is Sit & Sew and was another busy day but our "quasi" boss showed up and kept us on our toes - Missy's favourite spot is definitely the couch where she rules supreme.

I had an extremely productive Sunday for the first time in weeks.  Usually I spend the day reading, cleaning, relaxing (sleeping) or just plain old vegging out but this Sunday I was motivated and finally completed my Lithia Park top. You should come in and see how gorgeous it is - this picture does not do it justice and it will be in the store for the next few weeks until it jumps the queue for being quilted (I have a pile at home that are on hold)....

FYI - we have all the Paper Pieces sizes to make these flowers and if I am not mistaken the pattern is still free on the McCall's Quilting website.

 I also managed to get a little work done on my Urban Pods on Sunday but ultimately completed the top sans the two borders on Monday night - just in time to teach the class Tuesday afternoon.  There's another class on Saturday afternoon if you'd like to learn this technique - I do have to caution you though - once you get the hang of it, it is highly addictive.  If you check out my blog Jo-Ann's Creations, Trials & Tribulations! at www.creationsbyjoann.blogspot.com you will see the block I made for the Urban Nine Patch - gorgeous!

Finally - there's the new stuff!

Quilt Album 

Only I would jump at something like this but I just had to see what it was all about.  I am a huge advocate for documenting your quilts as well as labeling them.  This product is stand alone software that gives you all the tools to type in detailed information and print out formatted pages for your albums and slide in photos of your quilts and the quilting process.  You can also design greeting cards and labels and the front cover says - It's easy and it's fun!  I sure hope so, because from everything it professes to be, it is just what I've been looking for.....

I'm wondering what my great-great grandchildren will think of all the quilts I've made.....???? 

 $39.95 (and worth every penny)

Sensational Small Quilts

This is one of those books that has it all and from a number of quilters.  I'm always looking for a book that will harvest more than one quilt.  There isn't one quilt that I don't want to do here - and the beauty is that even though they are touted as "small" quilts, they are easily modified into larger ones if needed.  I know, we are always "collecting" those books but this one is definitely a motivator. 

 $24.99

Red Heart - Heart & Sole Sock Yarn

I bring this in regularly for Barb's Sock Class and it sells out quickly.  This time I added all kinds of great colours to our usual repetoire of Faded Jeans, Razzle Dazzle, Berry Bliss and Green Envy.  We now have Spring Stripe, Antique Rose, Toasted Almond, Tequila Sunrise and Rustica.  I have to tell you, I am tempted to grab two of each for myself but in all honesty I have not even finished my first sock yet and since I have no where to store this stuff I'm keeping my hands off.....

Paton's Classic 100% Wool

This is for the new knitting class we added - Lace Scarf that Barb will be teaching on February 11th.  Gorgeous colours again, Magenta, Lemongrass and Orchid.  They are all hard to resist.

Red Heart $6.59                Paton's $9.49

Kona Fat Quarter Bundles

This is one of those times when I hate owning the store!  I just want to grab one of each of these and hide it somewhere rather than share it with you all.  These fat quarter bundles are great for applique or a monchromatic quilt - the new rage of course!  It is really all I can do to keep my hands to myself!  I can already see the quilt......

Yellow - 22 pces. $62.00  Green - 23 pces. $65.00

There are a few new bolts of fabric that have arrived over the past two weeks as well - some much coveted Kona in Navy, Brick and Spice and a gorgeous Red & White Polka Dot which you can get a look at in my blog - it's in my Urban Nine Patch block.  The Kona is priced at $8.95 and the Polka Dot is $12.95.

I think that's about all the news for today (for the last two weeks actually!)  There are always new things coming in and if you need anything special - don't hesitate to call, we can usually get a special order in within 7 days.

I'm going to go see if I can do some more damage to my long list of things to do!

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

OMG!!!

First I must report that the design wall went up - YEAH!!!!! and the first official usage was on Sunday December 9th during our once a month Sunday Stitch & Bitch with the girls, when Cathie D. shared her gorgeous Chirstmas project with us.

I think it's possibly taller and maybe not quite as wide as the Design Wall in the old store but it sure works just as well as you will all soon see.....

CHRISTMAS  CLUB 2012

Let me explain the Christmas Club to you - It begins in January and the cost is $10.00 (our answer to the $10.00 quilt).  The pattern(s) have been chosen in advance and are available at the January meeting.  Homework is assigned and meetings are the third Saturday of every month at 10:30 a.m..  If you come without your homework done or if you don't come at all you are penalized an additional $10.00.  This year was a record year for no shows and homework not done and it went towards this years Reveal Party.  At the end of the year it has become customary to have a reveal party and that includes a Cock A Doodle Brunch.....there was so much food we had to use the ironing board for serving as well.

It has taken me 3 days to sort through all of the photos so sit back with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy the show!  First of all this year's Christmas Club was unusual as there were two options offered.  The first was the adorable Critter Christmas by Brandywine Designs....

Many took on the challenge of this quilt and the following photos will give you an idea of how fabulous they did and how creative they all are.....

 Virginia made numerous contributions to the "brunch fund" this year but in her defense she is doing the quilt by hand and all those plastic baggies are prepped applique so we must bear with her - So far she has not signed up for next year's Club which will give her more than enough time to finish this year's quilt!

  This is Raili's and aside from misplacing that centre block for an undetermined time period she managed to get her homework done each month.

 Now Karen is our resident non-conformist, if a pattern can be changed - she will change it.  Her critters are amazing - racoon, moose, cat - take a closer look - not quite like the original quilt - but similar......and note - no pieced blocks.....

 This one belongs to Tony and since he is a Long Arm Quilter it was custom quilted beautifully although some take umbrage at the two Santa's - top and bottom.  I have explained this phenomenom as mirror image in order to calm the masses.

 Here is Beth's which also came out beautifully - very creatively Beth used the blue fabric at the top left hand corner of the quilt as the background - however, she turned it over and used the wrong side as the right side was too bright!!!

Finally there is Mary's which is absolutely adorable!  Part o f me wishes I had done this quilt but you have to understand I could not have met the homework deadlines under any circumstances. 

Linda P. also did this quilt and possibly there are pictures on last month's blog but she decided to leave everything at home this month so there is no pic here.

Now we move on to pattern # 2 - everyone had the choice of doing one or the other - or both?!?!  Some of these "keeners" did both!  Pattern #2 was O' Tannanbaum by Quakertown Quilts, Inc.....this was a very demanding quilt, homework wise and so there were numerous contributions to the "brunch fund" but many still managed to get it done.....

The fact that some did both quilts still blows me away....

 This quilt belongs to Linda T. and it's really hard to see how absolutely stunning it is.  Tony quilted this one (although not custom like his Critters Christmas), beautiful.  I marvel at this quilt being completed.

 This one belongs to Raila - one of the keeners who did both quilts!!!  She's still got a bit to do on this one and I note the borders aren't done - have to check with Elaine to see if that was homework!?!

This is Marlene's and it came out beautiful.  Her tree is three dimensional as were some of the other quilts and it really gives the quilt a whole different look. 

This one belongs to Helen Anne and is completed with help from the "pre-made" poinsettas of course which work really fabulously to complete this quilt......

Helen Anne also embellished her quilt with some cute litel buttons and up close you can see the detail of her quilting.

 This is where someone should take away my camera - Nancy's quilt is spectacular - two of the houses are her own design based on a trip she made to Europe years ago.  Her fabric choices are also great.  She added a touch of gold in the border and it would have been great if my camera skills were better so this photo wasn't so blurry but alas the next one also suffered from the lousy photographer......

 Suzi's top is ready to be layered and quilted as well and even in the blurriness of this photo you can see how nice the quilt is.....again I apologize for the lousy photo -

 It appears I took one photo after the other here as Annadel's is also very blurry but as you can see she was one of our "brunch fund" contributers.  However, she does have quite a bit done - nothing a few Sit & Sew's won't take care of.  We' re hoping to see you back at Sit & Sew soon....

 Kristen took this on with the best of intentions, however, with a little one underfoot it is a little hard to find the time to get this one done.  She's also working full time so we'll have to give her a little slack here.  She should be able to make it to next year's reveal with this quilt done.....

 I am so impressed with Flo - she is almost done!  You will note she skipped the house blocks - taking creative license to do so and she has her poinsetta's all picked out - just fussy cut and go!  Seen that before and even her border should go on in a breeze - already striped.....and voila!

 Okay - you might ask what quilt is this!  Well it's the same one you've been seeing turned into a spiralling wreath.  Linda V. took creative license and with her engineer background has managed to completely change the pattern - her houses will appear in the 4 corners and I promise to follow this quilt for you until completion as I beleive it is going o be spectacular.....

I'll bet you are all thinking that these ladies had their plates full with meeting the monthly deadlines for their CHristmas Club homework but don't be fooled.  In addition to the beautiful Christmas Club quilts we were treated to a short Show & Share.

 This one belongs to Marlene and it's absolutely stunning - pieced, appliqued, quilted and bound - although I did not get the name of the pattern.

 Karen shared her Border Creek Mystery quilt - quilted by Tony T., I believe it is the quaintly queen version and it came out lovely - only binding to do on this one.

 Mary found these bird fabrics at home and decided to get creative with two absolutely gorgeous wall pieces which are stunningly threadpainted.

 She then found this free pattern on Jillily Designs and made a series of throw pillows for Christmas - I absolutely love this pattern - check it out on their website.

Helen Anne completed the top here of Lori Smith's Sampler Quilt and her choice of fabrics is beautiful in vibrant pinks, purples and greens......

Oh, did you think we were done - not by a longshot!  Some of these women are real gluttons for punishment!  They live for deadlines and so they also formed a Tinners Group - if you don't know what a Tinner is, let me give you a quick explanation.  You pick a theme, you do a block, you add some fabric and stick everything into a tin or box.  This tin or box gets passed around to all the participants who add blocks according to your theme.  This is done monthly and here's what happens......

 Nancy made it very easy for the others - she chose a pattern, provided her background fabric and asked the others to add leftover fabrics from quilts they had made - the result are Butterfly blocks which she can now make up into a quilt top.

 Karen's theme was Wine, women and Song and she provided the music fabric.  As you can see - everyone got creative here....it was wonderful!  She's still missing two blocks but the theme prevails.

 Randy the Rooster (lower center) provided Elaine with her theme and I believe her backgrounds were all black and whites - again there are two blocks missing but what creativity here.

 Marlene chose Blue and White as her theme and there appear to be alot of star blocks although I don't know that this was part of the theme.  I can't wait to see this one done up into a top......

 Suzi chose Houses as her theme and look at the array she received - I foresee another fabulous quilt here!

 I may be wrong - because I got side tracked here but I believe this was Rhonda's Tinner and the theme was penguins - a great group of blocks here.....

 Linda P. chose Autumn as her theme and the centre block is her inspiration - the others just continue to underline the creativity of the group.

 This is Kirsten's tinner and I believe the theme is Snow, snowflakes, snowmen!!!!  These will make a fabulous top.

 Liz, who couldn't make it to the Reveal Party had chosen the 12 Days of Christmas as her theme and provied the Partridge in a Pear Tree block.  Everyone did a fabulous job with this one and again the creativity was fabulous!

Check out this block from Liz's quilt - 10 Lord's a Leaping !  Note the sign - Lord's Leap - Elevation 10!!!!  Who would have thunk it!

Linda's theme was hearts and she really got a great array of them for her quilt top.....

I have to say that projects like these really challenge the imagination and our creativity but they can also be time consuming!!!  Kudos to all the participants in the tinners and I sure hope to see some finished quilts from these fabulous projects.....

The group has gone ahead and picked next year's pattern as well which will agian meet on the third Saturday of the month (excepting July and August).  Join us if you dare - only kidding, it's really a lot of fun.....

Here's the project for the 2013 Christmas Club...

Bringing Home the Tree

This quilt is pieced and appliqued and finishes approximately 39" x 40".  Once Elaine breaks it up into segments it's quite manageable.  If you are interested please give us a call and we can put your name down on the list - remember - there is homework!

This has to be one of my longest blogs - hope you all enjoyed the show and I will try to include all the finished quilts when they are done and as they are done - it's great to see these projects come to completion!

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann