Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Hems and Ruffles
Had such fun today perfecting my rolled hems and ruffles. Suddenly using the rolled hem foot isn't so difficult and Pfaff's ruffler foot makes ruffles a breeze!! See..............
Now I need to design a new pattern to use with my new ruffles and rolled hems!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Shopping
Just back from a shopping trip (for the store) in Las Vegas! (Got stuff for ME too, of course) Spruced up my feet and hands at a fabulous spa, aaahhh so relaxing ... avoided the sea of slot machines ... decided I didn't want to lose any money, maybe next time ... got to see an old friend, what fun.
The trip began on an interesting note with an eventful walk through security. Got a body scan PLUS a pat down PLUS they swabbed my hands! Like I look like a terrorist. It must have been the salt on the bottom of my pants. I had shoveled and salted the sidewalks at the store on my way to the airport and forgot to wipe the salt away. Oh well, makes life interesting. Thankfully, that was as dramatic as the trip got.
I hadn't been to Vegas since ...... I'm not telling how long its been except to say that I was in college and me and a few friends drove there for a long weekend once. It is completely different from what I remember. For one, I can't remember so many tall buildings and they are all so close together now.
Flying into Nevada was so beautiful! The colors were AMAZING and the flight was PERFECT! No turbulence. Unbelievable how close the airport is to the strip. Nice to have such a short drive to the hotel and the hotel was great. Stayed at the Venetian. LOVED it!
The floor tiles were enough to make my head spin.
Found some fun new things for the store, including some great embroidery patterns. One that I am very excited about is the Old Glory flag embroidery by Hoopsisters. It is brand new and we will have it soon!
But then it was time to leave and come home. Much too short of a trip but nice to get away for a bit.
The trip began on an interesting note with an eventful walk through security. Got a body scan PLUS a pat down PLUS they swabbed my hands! Like I look like a terrorist. It must have been the salt on the bottom of my pants. I had shoveled and salted the sidewalks at the store on my way to the airport and forgot to wipe the salt away. Oh well, makes life interesting. Thankfully, that was as dramatic as the trip got.
I hadn't been to Vegas since ...... I'm not telling how long its been except to say that I was in college and me and a few friends drove there for a long weekend once. It is completely different from what I remember. For one, I can't remember so many tall buildings and they are all so close together now.
Flying into Nevada was so beautiful! The colors were AMAZING and the flight was PERFECT! No turbulence. Unbelievable how close the airport is to the strip. Nice to have such a short drive to the hotel and the hotel was great. Stayed at the Venetian. LOVED it!
The floor tiles were enough to make my head spin.
Found some fun new things for the store, including some great embroidery patterns. One that I am very excited about is the Old Glory flag embroidery by Hoopsisters. It is brand new and we will have it soon!
But then it was time to leave and come home. Much too short of a trip but nice to get away for a bit.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Blizzard
BLIZZARD.
The word brings up connotations of bitterly cold windy white out conditions. A great time to be stuck inside at home - sewing, quilting, and embroidering, of course. Not a good time to be in a car unless that car is inside a heated garage. Through all my years, I don't remember the weather service ever calling a snow storm a blizzard before. I've heard them talk about blizzard like winds and blizzard like snow but never an actual blizzard.
So, I went home early last Tuesday after the wind picked up and closed the store so the employees could make it home safely. We stayed closed on Wednesday because - well - anyone would have been nuts to try to navigate the streets before the snow removal crews had a chance to clear them. It was after all our 4th biggest snow storm ever.
The snow was beautiful to watch and made some awesome looking snow drifts. I loved the way it left an empty space at the base of trees and poles.
Yes, the store's sidewalk is in there somewhere between the blue reflector and the top of the mostly buried urn.
It left a huge snow drift on my front sidewalk and buried my neighbors car. I don't think my neighbor thought it was beautiful.
But, then came the hard part...... finding and shoveling the sidewalks at the store! It took about 2-1/2 hours to make a small path to the front and back doors and more time the next day to widen the path. It would have gone faster but I forgot to put on long johns under my jeans! So, about every five minutes I had to go inside to warm up my legs. At five degrees below zero, actual temp not including wind chill, it was c-c-c-c-c-cold. I remembered several pair of socks, hats, shirts, even brought extra pairs of boots and gloves but forgot about my legs. :-( I won't do that again. My top half was burning hot while my bottom half was burning cold from the bitterly cold temps.
So next week its back to the regular grind, barring any future snow storms - like the so called dusting that left a few inches on my driveway early today.......
The word brings up connotations of bitterly cold windy white out conditions. A great time to be stuck inside at home - sewing, quilting, and embroidering, of course. Not a good time to be in a car unless that car is inside a heated garage. Through all my years, I don't remember the weather service ever calling a snow storm a blizzard before. I've heard them talk about blizzard like winds and blizzard like snow but never an actual blizzard.
So, I went home early last Tuesday after the wind picked up and closed the store so the employees could make it home safely. We stayed closed on Wednesday because - well - anyone would have been nuts to try to navigate the streets before the snow removal crews had a chance to clear them. It was after all our 4th biggest snow storm ever.
The snow was beautiful to watch and made some awesome looking snow drifts. I loved the way it left an empty space at the base of trees and poles.
It left a huge snow drift on my front sidewalk and buried my neighbors car. I don't think my neighbor thought it was beautiful.
But, then came the hard part...... finding and shoveling the sidewalks at the store! It took about 2-1/2 hours to make a small path to the front and back doors and more time the next day to widen the path. It would have gone faster but I forgot to put on long johns under my jeans! So, about every five minutes I had to go inside to warm up my legs. At five degrees below zero, actual temp not including wind chill, it was c-c-c-c-c-cold. I remembered several pair of socks, hats, shirts, even brought extra pairs of boots and gloves but forgot about my legs. :-( I won't do that again. My top half was burning hot while my bottom half was burning cold from the bitterly cold temps.
So next week its back to the regular grind, barring any future snow storms - like the so called dusting that left a few inches on my driveway early today.......
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Honk Honk honk
Honk, Honk, Honk!
Watch out for those geese when you walk into our store. They are everywhere. Well, I haven't seen an actual goose. But their tracks are everywhere! That's Goosetracks - as in the embroid-a-block-of-the-month quilt pattern! It is spectacular! See the pic below.
This pattern is so much fun to make. If you have an embroidery machine you must take this class! If you don't have an embroidery machine - maybe you should start thinking about getting one. You'll get perfect piecing, applique, embroidery, and quilting - all in the hoop.
Classes starts in February and we will have lots of fun honking around.
Everyone at the store has had a blast making up the sample quilts. It really is such fun to make! This is the first quilt I've had Bev make that she said she would LOVE making again! That speaks volumes about the pattern. And - the designers have done a great job with the instructions.
We've had so many people ask about this class that I've added another class on Saturday afternoon with open embroidery time in between the classes for anyone who wishes to bring a machine to make some blocks. You will be able to go to whichever class you like even switching between the afternoon and morning sessions as you see fit, although machine space will be first come first served. If you miss a class we will not punish you by charging you more. You'll just miss out on the live instruction but you will still receive the written instructions just like everyone else. Also, if you miss a class you will need to pick up your pattern at the store as we are not allowed to email or mail them to you. See our web site for exact days and times.
Watch out for those geese when you walk into our store. They are everywhere. Well, I haven't seen an actual goose. But their tracks are everywhere! That's Goosetracks - as in the embroid-a-block-of-the-month quilt pattern! It is spectacular! See the pic below.
This pattern is so much fun to make. If you have an embroidery machine you must take this class! If you don't have an embroidery machine - maybe you should start thinking about getting one. You'll get perfect piecing, applique, embroidery, and quilting - all in the hoop.
Classes starts in February and we will have lots of fun honking around.
Everyone at the store has had a blast making up the sample quilts. It really is such fun to make! This is the first quilt I've had Bev make that she said she would LOVE making again! That speaks volumes about the pattern. And - the designers have done a great job with the instructions.
We've had so many people ask about this class that I've added another class on Saturday afternoon with open embroidery time in between the classes for anyone who wishes to bring a machine to make some blocks. You will be able to go to whichever class you like even switching between the afternoon and morning sessions as you see fit, although machine space will be first come first served. If you miss a class we will not punish you by charging you more. You'll just miss out on the live instruction but you will still receive the written instructions just like everyone else. Also, if you miss a class you will need to pick up your pattern at the store as we are not allowed to email or mail them to you. See our web site for exact days and times.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Tsukineko Class
Our Tsukineko class last Saturday was a BLAST!!!!!
Just check out some of the fabulous things the participants created by painting, rubbing, marbling, dyeing, mono-printing and so much more!
Just check out some of the fabulous things the participants created by painting, rubbing, marbling, dyeing, mono-printing and so much more!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
International Quilt Festival Went Out With a Bang
What a week it was!
First, I had to dump all of our stuff in the booth at Rosemont and then race back to the store for the bus group which was set to arrive at 1:45 that afternoon. I figured set up would go much better, if everything was at least in the booth. And it proved to be worth it because for the first time ever we got to Rosemont early enough for them to let us drive right up to our booth to unload! How much easier could it get? No carts needed.
Then, back to the store to wait for the bus group. It was the first time we had hosted a bus group and it went really well! In fact the organizer told me that my store was the most prepared and organized out of the three they had visited that day! And, now I know that my store will fit a bus load full of people! I was wondering how they would all fit.
Then, In between all of this TWO new lines of fabric arrived which we quickly cut and folded while waiting for the bus to arrive so we could take the latest and greatest fabric to the show.
Next, we had to race back to Rosemont to set up the booth the next morning so it would be ready for the preview that night. And we got it done in time! See?
Preview night was OK. Bev and I were both exhausted but we got through it. And, Friday was so good that it made this show OUR BEST SHOW TO DATE! Way to go to everyone who attended the show! I've never seen such a crowd at a show before. And, a huge THANK YOU to my sister, Donna for helping me checkout people on Friday! I know it could not have been so good without her help. And sewing is not exactly her cup of tea! Needles and thread are foreign objects to her! But, she is good with a computer and that's all that mattered on Friday!
It is sad to think that this was the last Rosemont show as it is moving to Ohio! I wish they would have chosen a closer venue! The show will be missed! Maybe I'll try Paducah again???? I took this pic from my booth this morning before the show opened. It is a strange feeling to be there before the crowd arrives and an even stranger feeling to think that it will be no more!
Farewell International Quilt Festival Chicago! It was good to have it so close to home and it will be missed!
First, I had to dump all of our stuff in the booth at Rosemont and then race back to the store for the bus group which was set to arrive at 1:45 that afternoon. I figured set up would go much better, if everything was at least in the booth. And it proved to be worth it because for the first time ever we got to Rosemont early enough for them to let us drive right up to our booth to unload! How much easier could it get? No carts needed.
Then, back to the store to wait for the bus group. It was the first time we had hosted a bus group and it went really well! In fact the organizer told me that my store was the most prepared and organized out of the three they had visited that day! And, now I know that my store will fit a bus load full of people! I was wondering how they would all fit.
Then, In between all of this TWO new lines of fabric arrived which we quickly cut and folded while waiting for the bus to arrive so we could take the latest and greatest fabric to the show.
Next, we had to race back to Rosemont to set up the booth the next morning so it would be ready for the preview that night. And we got it done in time! See?
Preview night was OK. Bev and I were both exhausted but we got through it. And, Friday was so good that it made this show OUR BEST SHOW TO DATE! Way to go to everyone who attended the show! I've never seen such a crowd at a show before. And, a huge THANK YOU to my sister, Donna for helping me checkout people on Friday! I know it could not have been so good without her help. And sewing is not exactly her cup of tea! Needles and thread are foreign objects to her! But, she is good with a computer and that's all that mattered on Friday!
It is sad to think that this was the last Rosemont show as it is moving to Ohio! I wish they would have chosen a closer venue! The show will be missed! Maybe I'll try Paducah again???? I took this pic from my booth this morning before the show opened. It is a strange feeling to be there before the crowd arrives and an even stranger feeling to think that it will be no more!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Spring Is In The Air
What a beautiful March 1st! .... and March usually comes in like a lion .... not this year .... it is definitely a lamb kind of day today with Spring in the air, the bright sun shining, and the days getting longer. I love this time of year. I have so much more energy at the end of the day. I even spotted these spring flowers peaking up through the snow this morning.
Even better is that they are predicting mild temps all week - maybe even as high as 50 at the end of the week! I wonder if there will be any snow left on Friday? The downfall - time to schedule spring clean up and I have a feeling we'll have a few more cold days before spring really comes so I'm not putting away my winter coat just yet.
Even better is that they are predicting mild temps all week - maybe even as high as 50 at the end of the week! I wonder if there will be any snow left on Friday? The downfall - time to schedule spring clean up and I have a feeling we'll have a few more cold days before spring really comes so I'm not putting away my winter coat just yet.
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