New Holiday Panel

New from Hoffman, this panel is so pretty. It's wider than most panels making it about 42" square. We are considering some borders to add for a very nice size holiday throw quilt.

Sunday Sewday

Last Sunday was spent in Sac City but I have been doing some serious Friday evening sewing while I listen to the live stream of son Gabe's football games. Wish he was still young enough to be a high school player but, at age 37, he is a coach.

You've seen this wallet. Now it has a matching coin purse. Seriously, these are so easy to make! See the inside below.

As you can see, the flag quilt is coming right along. This will be one of the projects we teach at our fall Ladies of the Lake Quilt Retreat. It's a lot of sewing but easy and really quite fun. Plus, when it's done, it's done! No quilting, no batting and no binding.

Some of you have shared your Sunday Sewdays as well. Thank you for that!

Jenny O just finished this counted cross stitch for a wedding gift. Very nice!

And Penny W. sent me this pic. I love the quilting and I love the little tassel. Cute, isn't it? This was a mystery challenge from Penny's Gone Quiltin' group. They each picked a color name from a basket and had to make something fall flavored, using that color. Her color reminded her of apple green and apple picking is a fall activity so, that's her story.

Sac City Quilt A Fair

Sunday was a very nice day in Sac City!

My sister Dawn and I drove to Sac City last Sunday to visit our niece Lisa H and her family. After a little tour of the Hurd farm near Nemaha, we picked a selection of pumpkins and gourds to bring home.

Lisa shared a new trick she learned. Carve lightly into a pumpkin and leave it to heal over. Here is one she personalized for daughter Sydney.

and one for son Chase - - - 

and one for son Will and his girlfriend. So sweet.

Lisa thinks if she had carved into these pumpkins when they were younger and fresher, the scar would be a little more pronounced.

Then the girls all took off for the Quilt A Fair in Sac City, a very fun annual quilt show.

I apologize that I tend to look at quilts and not pay a lot of attention to who made them. Isn't this spectacular!

It was super fun to see several quilts hanging in this show that originated from Adel Quilting. Above and below are quilts made at our fall retreat 2016, one with black background and one with white.

 Made with ombre fabrics, we do still have a couple of these patterns left.

From our Sisters of Cloth class, made by Barbara Knight.

From our fall retreat - 2015

Fall retreat 2014? I think this was made by Kay Christian.

And many of you remember this beauty - Afternoon Delight - a block of the month we sponsored, this one by LaRue Shady.

This was a panel we saw in a vendor booth. It really spoke to the farm girl in Lisa so, one of these panels came home with me. 

This quilt is always featured, front and center, at this show. Sac County has a huge tourism program of barn quilts. This quilt features an 8" block of every barn quilt in Sac County and is labeled with the name of the farm. Such a special quilt. The block just above and 1 block to the left of Lisa's head (Turkey Tracks) is the block hanging on her barn.

This show includes other community activities like a tractor ride, a car show and great food vendors. We ate Pulled Pork Sundaes. That's a cup layered with pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw, more pulled pork and topped with barbecue sauce. Yum!

They also have great speakers and Sunday afternoon, they presented several very special Quilts of Valor, each just beautiful. I spotted on of our quilt kits in that line up as well.

It was such a fun day, we already look forward to next year. Thank you to the quilters of Sac City for all the work they do to put on this great show.

Holiday Quilt

Jenny O just finished this version of Lovers Lane in Christmas fabrics. Very nice! Thank you, Jenny. This quilt uses 3, 1 yard cuts. 

Close up of these elegant metallic fabrics.

We have put together several kits using a variety of fabrics for just $30 - includes 3 yards and the pattern. Pick a holiday bundle, baby quilt bundle or just a fun contemporary bundle to toss on the couch at a great value.

We're back!

The blog has been down for a couple days but we are back now with lots to share!

Let's start with this fun group of quilters from Minnesota, making the rounds while they have their own private retreat at the Exira quilt shop.

September Sisters of the Cloth

It's always a fun day meeting with our Sisters of the Cloth. This quilt history loving group meets three times a year on the third Saturday of July, September and November.

Marti Klatt was our speaker for the September class. She shared a very interesting trunk show of her large collection of novelty and naughty linens.

Here are a couple of her adorable but just a bit naughty linens

This gal seems innocent enough until the breeze blows up her skirt.

 

Other show and tell included this Texas Star quilt top Trish S. picked up when she was out antiquing.  

Diana W shared the same pattern that she is hand piecing.

Kathy B shared this hobo quilt she is finishing up. The background is:  Kathy's daughter in law had a father who, among many other things, was a hobo for a bit of his life. Kathy made this quilt from his wool suits and wool shirts. She researched hobo signs and embroidered those on to the wool blocks. Isn't this special? 

Linda K. shared this old Broken Dishes quilt. Isn't this a beauty?

Fun Fall Samples

Still a few patterns left of these fun Jack O Lanterns. Our sample is done with wool applique and we do have this in stock. However, it can just as easily be done in cotton or even wool felt.

However, this adorable little 12" x 12" quilt is all about the fabric. Lonnie K. made this shop sample for us, featuring our new green-eyed cat fabric from Hoffman. The cats are a metallic gold silhouette.

New Stuff!

As Fall approaches, so does holiday gift stitching. Here are a few theme related fabrics that just came in.

Coffee friends - - - 

Quilting friends - - - 

and companion pieces.

Wine friends - - - 

and something for baby. We plan to feature this adorable bear fabric in the Villa Rosa pattern, Ginger Snap.

Attention Purple Bag Quilters!

Time for a new Purple Bag Pop-Up Special!

Now through November 1, our bike appliques are offered to you for half price, while supplies last.

Shown here are both the right and wrong side. This is black Kona Cotton that is fused on to Steam A Seam II and then cut in the the bicycle shape with a laser. Regular price is $4.50 each. The Purple Bag special makes them just $2.25 each.

PLUS:
For those Purple Bag holders interested in a fun challenge, use one or more of these appliques to make a small quilt and bring it in for display by November 15.

These small quilts will be displayed in the shop through Jan 15 for customers to vote on their favorite. One vote per customer.

The top vote-getting quilt wins:

• $50 gift certificate if all of the fabrics in the small quilt came from Adel Quilting.
• $25 gift certificate if they did not.

Challenge Rules:

1. Quilt must finish 20" x 20" or smaller.
2. It can be a square or a rectangle but must be submitted by a Purple Bag quilter.
3. It must be finished.

We have a few purple bags in stock so, it's not too late to join the fun. Bags are $4.95 each. Purchase a bag and you are a member. Members sign up for our monthly drawings each time they come in to shop plus they are eligible for these pop-up specials.

Sunday Sewday

I had a touch of quilter A. D. D. this weekend as I worked on several different things in my sewing room.  I stitched and cut pieces for my Quick Curve quilt, I loaded the long arm with a Christmas quilt shop sample, I made a few demos for Sisters of the Cloth and worked on the below projects.

I finished up this little clutch. It was much easier than I thought it was going to be. Below see the inside. I may make a coin purse to match and give this as a gift.

There is one pocket on the inside. The pattern is very well written and has great pictures. It comes with 1 frame for $19.99. Really easy.

And I worked some more on my flag quilt. Watching it come to life is the fun part!

A glance at Open Sew

Here are a few of the quilts that were coming together at Open Sew last week. Always a fun gathering.

First we have several quilts by Janet V. She probably sews more than any of us. Above is a quilt she made from Quilt Circle exchange  of snowball blocks.

After sewing with us all day on Thursday, Janet went home and made this little block and brought it back to show us on Friday.

Another quilt top finished by Janet since our last Open Sew.

And a little block of the month quilt she just got back from her quilter.

This is a Lover's Lane quilt Janet worked on during this Open Sew. It grew considerably by the end of Friday. It will go to a grandson that loves orange, brown, turquoise and lime green.

Becky S added borders to this quilt. This was a "found and finished" quilt top.

The gals we lovingly call "The Des Moines Girls" are all set up and ready to stitch.

Nancy J was putting together her blocks from our Quilt Circle bom. Each side will have a half block as shown here. Isn't it cute the way she built it around a section of barn fabric?

Sheryl O was working on this stack of beautiful blue blocks.