It's another barn quilt block!

Here is cousin Gloria's barn quilt block. She went a step farther and finished her's with a clear sealant spray. Very nice.

Road Trip!

Thanks to friend Diana for getting me out of town for a few hours. We made the road trip down to Missouri Star Quilts. This was one of my favorite things - a mural on the side of one of the buildings.

Sunday Sewday!

I finished up this little number in the cool of my sewing room today, the 60 degree runner made from barn border print fabric.

Lonnie taught me a little trick. I trimmed the border print so 1/4"
of the green would be left around the outer edge after stitching. Then, I faced the runner with the backing and batting, stitched and turned it inside out.

After a good pressing, I did some straight line machine quilting but the trick is stitching 1/4" from the outer edge. It makes the green look like binding.

 

Then I laid out our Grunge Sampler block of the month and started stitching it together. I got it half done and decided to go play on the long arm for a while.

Our Library Fund Raiser

Paula James, our Adel Librarian, stopped by our Quilt Circle of Friends meeting this month where we presented her with a check for $1,000.

This is money we raised in our Orphan Block sale. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the sale as well as everyone that bought!

We love our local library and especially their large Conference/Sewing room!

Kathys barn quilt sign - -

The Eight Pointed Star.  Love it!!

Another barn quilt sign is finished!

This one by Jodee Karrman. Block pattern is called Shooting Star. Love it!

Painting fun!

Last Saturday afternoon, we hosted Suzi Parron at the Adel Library to lead us through painting 2' x 2' Barn Quilt Signs. It was great fun.

A few finished their sign in class. Other's took home the last paint to put on later. Here is Carol Piziali with her block.

A significant amount of time was spent taping off areas to paint different colors.

Lots of intense concentration going on. Jenny Osler created her own design.

Lorna Christenson finished here's at home and sent me this picture. Isn't this striking?

I brought mine home and finished it up at about 10:30 that night. Now looking forward to hanging it on our little red barn in the back yard.

For those of you that took this class, send me a picture of your finished block to post and thank you for spending a fun afternoon with me.

Sneak Peak!

Our hand applique whiz, Judy Williams, is quickly working up blocks for our next applique Block of the Month, My Whimsical Garden. Aren't these fun?

These are just the first 9 blocks and these are the fabrics we will be using for our BOM. The background is a soft sage color. We'd like to get the quilt put together before we start so it will likely be January. You like?

Quilt shop seekers

These gals, from SE Iowa, stopped by. They were just out checking out quilt shops they have not visited before. We were happy they chose to stop in Adel. So were they!

Ankeny Area Quilt Guild Show!

If you are out and about, be sure to check out the Ankeny Area Quilt Guild Show, today and tomorrow, 9 am to 4 pm, FFA Enrichment Center at the Ankeny DMACC campus.

While there, pick up our newsletter and coupon and head on out to Adel.

This stunner is their raffle quilt. At 101" x 101", it could be yours for the price of a raffle ticket, available at the door.

Moda Block Shuffle

Here are the next 3 blocks. Be sure to check back the 15th of each month for 3 more blocks.

You've got to go check out this site!

Do you like modern quilts? Do you like free downloads? Do you like tutorials and great pattern designs? How about participating in the Orlando MQG quilt drive? Go spend a minute at:

Threaded Quilting!

Introducing------Rainbow Connection

This will be the quilt we feature at our Fall 2016 Ladies of the Lake Retreat. 

The fabric just arrived and we are ready to cut kits. From today through August 1, we are taking orders only from quilters registered for our Ladies of the Lake Quilt Retreat. That allows us time before retreat to order more fabric if needed.

August 1, we will hang the quilt in the shop and sell kits to all.

Here are the stats. This quilt requires 6 1/2 yards of fabric plus the pattern. The kits include binding plus a large strip for piecing the back.

• 1 kit makes a quilt 48" x 60" and cost $76 
• 2 kits makes a quilt 69" x 80" and costs $136
• 3 kits makes a quilt 80" x 92" and costs $194

Notice - there is a 15% discount for purchasing additional kits.

This is a close up. Jenny Osler pieced this stunning quilt and Jessie Zeigler of Threaded Quilting did her magic on the machine quilting.

Here is just one block. A version of a log cabin block, easy to piece. 

And here we have the back. The small version (shown below) is 48" wide. That's an awkward width for backing. However, because the strips for this quilt are cut lengthwise from an ombre fabric, there is a big piece leftover, perfect to piece down the center of the back.

Rainbow Connection! Special thank you to Jenny O. and Jessie Z.

Call today with your Visa, Mastercard or Discover Card or stop by the shop to reserve your kit.

OOOOOOPen Sew!

Open Sew is this week, Thursday and Friday at the Adel Library, 10 am until the last stitch is made! Join us if you can.

Sunday Sewday

I finished this quilt top last Sunday. This is the Mystery Quilt we did in Quilt Circle of Friends 2 years ago. All the parts have been made and were apparently marinating, waiting for their turn to become a quilt!

The half square triangles I used are from a block exchange we did in Quilt Circle of Friends. Each month we exchanged half square triangles made from fabrics that were "mostly" black with the designated color of the month.

This is the 2nd quilt I've used my collection of half square units in and I have two more started.

New Stuff

Isn't this cool? Lonnie made this folded wreath, using patriotic prints. We now have the pattern and pre-cut interfacing in stock.

New fabric - Fun fireman prints above.

and cool school prints.

Let's get corny!

Time to get ready for another great Sweet Corn Festival in Adel! August 13.

A few years ago, we started a tradition of creating a new corn potholder each year for the festival. Above see our 2014, 2015 and the new 2016 version.

Our 2016 version (purple and bright green) will be available in kit with a quilted thermal backing.

And since we had a Sunday Sewday followed by a holiday, I found time to stitch up 6 commemorative towels. These are dated (2016) and sell for $8.99 each. There's only 6!

Sisters of the Cloth

Just a quick reminder – our 2016 series of Sisters of the Cloth starts soon.  This year looks to be one of the best yet.

• July 16- Suzi Parron, author of "Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement". Her presentation is both informative and entertaining as she explores the way in which our quilting heritage takes on new meaning.

• September 17 - Jeanette Harms will bring several quilts made in the 1800s and tell the story of how she found them in her grandmother's attic.

• November 19 -  Helen Lewis from the Iowa Speaker's Bureau will come dressed in period clothing and tell the story of Jane Addams, born in 1860, a pioneer, American settlement activist/reformer, social worker, public philosopher, author and leader in women's suffrage movement and world peace.

This year, our English Paper Piecing will be diamond shapes. I have also prepared journals for each student, including a pocket for lesson hand out and a monthly block pattern with more little surprises that follow.

If you have not registered, give us a call at 515-993-1170. Fee for all three classes is just $35

We have a Purple Bag winner!

Our purple bag winner for July is -- - - - - Juanita Coulter. Juanita gets to pick one of these baskets for her prize.

You can be a winner. Drop your name in our monthly drawing each time you come in and use your Purple Shopping Bag (just $4.95 each). We save all the names for a big drawing at the end of the year.

We also announce occasional pop up specials for Purple Bag members only.  I feel one coming up -- - - Get your Purple Bag and stay tuned!

Ladies! We did it!

Our quilt sold this evening at the Dallas County Fair Sponsor's dinner and auction for $2,000! That's Two Thousand Dollars! Can you tell I'm excited about that?  These folks, owners of King's Thrones, were the successful bidders. And yes, I know the quilt is on it's side. Space was limited and - - - it was hot! Once we got it up, we just left it up.

Just One Block Quilt

Tomorrow, we say good bye to our Just One Block quilt :( . The auction is Wednesday evening at the Dallas County Sponsors Dinner. Today, I decided I better get the label on it. 

Show and Share time

Done and - - - WOW!

How's this for fabulous? This is a paper pieced pattern by Judy Niemeyer.  

Show and Share

Valerie McCool brought in the quilt to show us. She worked on it at our Spring retreat and struggled with the directions but, she was determined and here it is! So pretty.

Colleen Smith brought in these two quilts. The quilt above, Shadow Box, is one she is actually going to keep for herself! This will hang in her entrance.

And this one, Apartment Nine, is for a great niece. Colleen is making a quilt for each of her great nieces and nephews, over 20 in all. Lovely!