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

I'll bet.....

You all thought I wouldn't have time to blog today!  Surprise, surprise!  It's after hours and the opening went fabulously!  To all of you who came by to say hello and pick up a couple of items - THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I love the new space and I'm getting the impression that you are all pretty happy with it too!  Including our new addition - the Cuckoo Cluck!!!!

I'll bring you up to date a little....  Yesterday was also a very busy day at the "Doodle".  About 6 weeks ago, at the old store, one of our fellow customers came in and fell in love with a quilt I had designed and had not yet written the pattern for - Trip Back In Time - an on-point Trip Around the World made from reporduction fabrics.  I basically said, take it home and use it as a template - she did!  Below is my quilt!

SB brought my quilt back to me - which by the way has the borders almost finished on it - and she showed off her gorgeous quilt from the fabrics we had chosen on that fateful day back in October.....isn't it gorgeous - and she added a row around the outside to complete the point!!!  I love it!  Guess I'd better get to work on the actual written pattern and the kits so everyone else can enjoy this quilt too!  I'll keep you all posted!

 Last night was - Don't Dare Bring Your Machine Night (alternatively know as Applecake Club) and we were hopping!  Very busy doing embroidery, applique, knitting, binding, felting, and unstitching!  The unstitching was me!  I had brought in my Lithia Park quilt to show off the top when Cathie pointed out my mistake (again - second time)!  So Luckily I had not yet put the borders on and was able to unstitch easily!!!

 Today was busy, busy, busy but I had to stop to take a picture of KH's quilt because it was truly a joint effort.  She had come in and picked a "few" fat quarters in pinks and golds one day and said they need to be a quilt.  We worked together and fooled with a bunch of fabrics until we came up with the ones in the quilt below - outstanding!

But my absolute favourite part of this quilt is the quilting!!!!  KH used #8 Pearl Cotton, which we sell of course, and did the big stitch in circles and squares - I just love it, absolutely love it and it's so easy to do!  If you would like to have a quick lesson - just drop by and I'll show you how it goes!!!!

In order to celebrate the 2nd Grand Opening of Cock-A-Doodle Quilts at the 2nd (NEW) location I am going out for dinner with two very good (crazy) quilters whom I've come to love over the past 6 years.  We're off to have a lovely meal at Me-Va-Me up at Bathurst and Steeles which have the best Middle Eastern food in the city......then I'm going home to relax and maybe finish up the rest of my Urban Pods....

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

I'm thrilled!

First, because we've made a few changes at the store!  We have moved the patterns off those "unmanageable" turning racks (I think that's what Barb called them today - or maybe she used a "stronger" adjective!  ...and yes she has been urging me to do this for a few years now!) and put them on THE WALL!

 The second thing that is thrilling me, is that I have been working on revamping my Beginner Machine Piecing and Quilting class and I have developed 3 quilt tops for my students to make.  By the time they finish this class they will be advanced!!! It's designed to give them a thorough overall look at traditional quilting, so my first project for the class is a Rail Fence Table Topper.  I dipped into my stash and came up with this.

This second one is my absolute favourite quilt!  This version is called Amish Shadow and is done in solids.  I can't wait to quilt it - I'm already planning the designs.....

 Neither of these two quilts take long as one is a Table Topper and the other finishes at 42.5" square.  The third quilt is a Sampler and also a wall hanging but it'll be awhile before I can show the prototype as it's still in the works.  I finished the other two tops this week so I have to get back to some other stuff real soon.

STASHBUSTERS CLUB

Gillian's quilt (lower left) is definitely a "stashbuster" and is loosely based on the book Liberated Quiltmaking II by Gwen Marston -

 On the upper right is Linda V.'s blocks for O Tannenbaum, her Christmas Club quilt - she's got them all done!!!!  Lots of hard work here....for a Christmas Club update on the blocks already done check out Elaine's blog - www.crazyquilteronabike.blogspot.com (or click on blogs we follow at the side of this page) - she's pretty current!

 This is what Karen was doing - along with knitting a lace shawl!  I guess you can "stashbust" your yarn stash too!

 ....and I was really working hard, lying down on the job again!!!!!

Missy joined us Thursday night (Gillian's dog) and she thought lying down on the job was a great idea.  Needless to say we had a great time!

You should join us - it's the second Thursday of the month - 6:30 P.M. - 10:00 P.M. - bring your dinner (we've got snacks) and your scraps, strips, fat quarters, etc. and we'll get busy making some great scrap quilts.....we've got some great ideas and some great free patterns.....It's alot of fun!

Just give us a call to book your spot...in the meantime!

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

A gorgeous day!!!!

It really was an exceptional day today and what a day for the St. Patrick's Day Parade!!!  We set a record it seems......absolutely glorious!
I was very busy teaching today - Beginner Machine Piecing and Quilting and I have to tell you, I am really excited about this class.  When I first started teaching this class I had designed a quilt to highlight certain techniques and blocks and it was an "okay" quilt and pattern but I just wasn't happy with it.  Since the last class in September I have completely "revamped" the class and am much, much happier.  Last night I spent 5 hours on EQ6 designing my "ultimate" beginner quilt and I am soooooo pleased.  You can get some excerpts from my personal blog - www.creationsbyjoann.blogspot.com.

Right now - I am bringing you up to date about what's happening at the store.  Thursday was Graduation Day for our Sock Knitters - and we have two completed socks to show off -

Linda V. finished her first sock -

Cathie finished her first sock -

- and there are 4 more "firsts' on their way to being finished.  We are very quickly running out of sock yarn at the store, I'll definitely have to get some more in - more colours too!  I just love the way these variegate......So we've made a pact with the sock knitters - they are allowed to come to Applique Club and work on their knitting!!!!  We may have to rename this monthly Friday nite group to - Just Don't Bring A Machine Night!!!!  Any kind of hand work goes!

Many of you ask me what Barb is up to these days, well aside from working in the store Sunday afternoons and helping me out in every way she can (especially with computer related stuff!) she's busy "beading"!!!  How does this affect us - well, take a look at these gorgeous Scissor FOBs we are now selling in the store -

 Personally I just want to grab them all and adorn all of my scissors but I am restraining myself so that you can all have your pick - I can't wait to see her new ones - she's working on MORE!!!!

Okay - I really have to get back to that Mystery Quilt so I can bring that gorgeous bolt of fabric back to the store......

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann

We've got it!

I have been a very busy "bee" the past two weeks!  At what you ask?!?!  Check it out!

Our new DMC tower is filled up!  Right next to

a great assortment of #8 Pearl Cotton

That's right, we now carry the full range of DMC Floss.  It took nearly two weeks to get it entered into the inventory and a lot of cursing (and help - thanks Barb!) to get it onto the carousel but it is ready to go.....I'm just thinking of all the projects I can use it on!!!!

We've had quite a few classes this week also which were really fun!  Fiona was in on Wednesday evening to teach Photo Expansion and wait until you see what her students came up with..... 

 Fabienne's bicyclette.....

 ..the extension is so amazing!

 Florals always work well with this extension.....

 Check out the cutest little sewing machine ever!!!!

 Kay also chose a floral photo.......

 Helen chose a beach scene......

..and used hand painted fabric, sometimes that's what works!

One of these days I am going to take advantage of this class - I already have something in mind and I know I can even use some of that floss I just showed you to do a little embellishment, make it 3 dimensional as well as extended.....As usual it is only time that is not on my side!!!!  Every once in a while I do treat myself to a class so maybe the next time.....

Today Laurissa was in to teach Rain Drops - everyone loves that quilt so at least once a year it ends up as a class....there is however, another Judy Neimeyer pattern that I adore and I really want her to teach that one...so first I have to get the fabrics in and then I can take the class!  Here's what came from today's class -

This is Cheryl's - done by hand....I might add!

This one belongs to Gail S....bright and beautiful!

Gail H. is working on something completely different!

Her Lucky Stars quilt - but check out her hand dyed fabric!

I think I may just get some of this into the store - it's gorgeous!

Jean has started with some blues and greens - awesome!

This one is Lucy's and I just love it - like sunshine!

I think everyone is pretty happy with their progress and the end result will be absolutely spectacular!  Whether you do this by hand or by machine this quilt is gorgeous!

Barb dropped by this week and she was wearing this spectacular necklace which she made.....I had to show it off again, in case you haven't seen it before....I really love these colours too!

I can't do this blog without mentioning that on Thursday Linda V. was able to show off one of her "house" blocks for the Christmas Club - I'm so proud of her - this is quite the achievement and an awesome block....

Now I can show off one of my "beginner" students.  Sharon has been working diligently for weeks on her Yellow Brick Road and here are her blocks, all ready to be sewn together.  Looks like her daughter will have her quilt pretty soon!  Way to go Sharon and next week we do borders!!!!

And lat but not least, our sock knitters are about to graduate this coming week!  Looks like we'll be knitting socks for a while to come so we've decided to keep a few choice sock yarns in the store....check these out!

It's been a busy week with another busy week to come - drop in and see us!  There's always something happening at the store, and the coffee or tea are always available....

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann