Madison County Covered Bridge Quilters Show

Here's our booth. The show runs again tomorrow, 10 am to 4 pm at the Winterset Elementary School on south 4th Street. It's a nice little show with about 100 quilts and 9 vendors.

Bring your husbands for the large vintage car show just outside the building.

This is our newest sample in the booth. Jenny O. made this shop sample for us. It is lined with Decor Bond, giving it great stability.

The inside has zipper pockets and elastic top pockets. 

On the outside, there is a zipper pocket plus deep pockets on each side with elastic tops as well. Jenny tells me the pattern is very thorough and has great pictures. This is one well made bag. Thanks, Jenny.
This is a booth I enjoyed. These gals, from Storm Lake, do a lot of their own patterns.

This is one of their runner/wall hangings. I thought this was cute and ordered a dozen for our shop.

Here is another of their patterns with small folded stars.

Here is a close up. The choice of colors in batiks was very attractive.

This booth, from Northern Missouri, was doing demos on the Accuquilt Go Cutter.

Take a drive tomorrow (Sunday) and end in Winterset! The trees are perfect and the weather beautiful. Of course the Covered Bridge Festival is just a couple blocks away as well.

A few new pieces - -

From Riley Blake, "Olivia"

- - - and herringbone prints in several nice fall colors.

Ladies of the Lake Quilt Retreat

Today, I sent email attachments to those registered for our two Ladies of the Lake Quilt Retreats, Oct 27 through Nov 1. 

If you are registered and did not receive an email today, you may need to send me an updated email address.

As a follow-up, our first retreat is full but the Thursday, Friday and Saturday retreat still has 2 openings. Get all the details at our website here.

Bette's Flower Box Medley

Remember our Flower Box Medley block of the month? This is a close up of the center panel. Below is Bette D's. She used our fabric choices for the blocks each month but she put it on a tan-ish background. She also used the same turquoise blue for the block frames but thought it was too bright to match her bedroom so turned it over and used the backside of the fabric as the right side.

Isn't this fun? I just love it when customers put their own twist on a quilt. Bette plans to add two more pieced borders to make this fit her bed.

Cowboy Jack

Jackson was so excited to go to the rodeo, he got himself dressed. This was his version of cowboy gear.

This is his mama's version of cowboy gear. Guess which outfit he got to wear to the rodeo?

It's OOPPPEEEEEN SEEEWWWWWW WEEEEEKKK!!!!!

For the past several months, for one reason or another, I have had to miss Open Sew but I do believe the sewing gods are with me this month -- - for at least one day of stitchin and chattin anyway.

Open Sew is this week, Thursday and Friday from 9:30 am until you just can't take another stitch!  Join us.

A thank you from Jennifer Buttolph of Conkerr Cancer.

I am happy to say we had a total of 1,520 pillowcases dropped off in my area.

The Eastern Iowa coordinator had a total of 1,121 pillowcases
dropped off at her sites.  That makes a total of 2,641 pillowcases
made in Iowa.

Our goal nationally was 44,000 pillowcases for the month of September
since September is Children Cancer Awareness month.  That is roughly
how many children are being treated for life threatening or life changing
illnesses. 

Conkerr has some guide lines that they would like us to follow. 

1.  All pillowcases have to be made of 100% cotton.  No flannel.
 
2.  No glitter fabric.

3.  All pillowcases have to be made using the hot dog method and French
     seams.  If anyone needs help learning how to do this method I am 
     more than happy to teach them.  I also have written instructions if I 
     have a snail mail address.

 I'd also like to thank Adel Quilting and Dry Goods in Adel and Woodside
Quilting in Des Moines for hosting events for Conkerr Cancer in September.

Footnote:
Adel Quilting continues to be a drop off site for Conkerr Cancer pillow cases.

New Stuff

Another selvage quilt, made by Janet V. Isn't this a fun fall table runner/wall hanging?

We have a new Little Snapper. This little quilt measures 6" x 12 1/2". Kit includes fabric for the front, back and binding as well as the Rag Spun leaves, Owl Button and the leaf wire hanger.

Here's a close up of the little owl. Isn't he cute?

It's on!!!!!!!

The American Quilt Society International Quilt Show in 

Des Moines, today through Saturday.

We have special show hours in Adel - through Saturday, we are opened from 9 am to 8 pm. Bring in your show book and receive 15% off your puchase.

While at the show, give a nod to this quilt, hanging in the jouried portion of the AQS show.

This is our Afternoon Delight block of the month. Pieced by Judy Williams and machine quilted by Michele Pettorini. 

New Stuff

In anticipation of lots of fun traffic coming through this week with the AQS show in Des Moines, we have been very busy sprucing things up, beefing up the stock and adding new shop samples.

We have several items around the shop marked "AQS". Below are a few of our new samples and we have even more coming - - -

This cute cat, made from selvages, is reaching for the birdies in the border. Diana W. made this fun quilt for us.

Diana W also made this selvage ornaments. Adorbs!

Here's Lonnie's Night Sky hanging on the wall. It's a 100% WOW quilt. This quilt is made from solid fat quarters. During AQS, these solid fat quarters are just $2 each.

New blog page - - -

I added a page to the blog this evening for retreat updates. If you are one of our Ladies of the Lake retreaters, check this page for updates. 

In the left column here, see "Pages" and select "Retreat" to view.

My Sunday Sewday

This really wasn't even sewing. These are part of the Pine Fresh panel from Moda. I fused them to Decor Bond and cut with a pinking rotary blade. Won't these make a gift extra special?

I made this little 12 1/2" x 18 1/2" quilt Sunday as well. Nicely written little pattern and, of course, available in kit. I added the big gold buttons. What do you think? Leave them on or no?

Done in just three minutes - - - -- !

Watch this link for a fun video by long arm quilter, Angela Walters. Below is our shop sample of the same quilt. Lonnie K. pieced this one and Jessie of Threaded Quilting Studio did the machine quilting.

Night Stars from Jaybird Designs - Available in kit and pattern. Uses ruler, Sidekick. Visit us during QuiltWeek and see a demo.

Featuring Kansas Troubles fabrics

Here are several new pieces from Moda designed by Kansas Troubles, Paisley Park.

And here is the results of my most recent Sunday Sewday. On the left is Grandma's Favorite featuring the new Kansas Troubles fabric in the border.

On the right is a new penny candle mat I am currently working on. We have several from this Buttermilk Basin series of little quilts.

My trip north

I had the pleasure of babysitting these three last week for a couple days. 

Calvin is in constant motion so forgive the blurry picture but, his big adventure was learning he could climb inside the toy box - - 

and open cupboard doors then look at Memaw to see if it was going to be OK to proceed.

Looks like little Livie found Memaw's phone. That explains the new ring tone. Her shirt says, "My Heart is Made of Gold". True.

While the babies napped, Jackson and I checked out Willow's beautiful garden. The sun was in his eyes so this picture cost me a cookie bribe.

The harvest is pretty much done so, I let Jackson do a little re-arranging with the tomato cages. He is so helpful!

Open Sew

Jackie O was at Open Sew last week and sent me these pictures. 

I had to miss as I was babysitting the Grands.

Nancy got a lot of cutting done and worked on her Ladies of the Lake Quilt Retreat Quilt - "Cheers to Ten More!" This quilt commemorated our 10th retreat using 10 half yards of 10 different colors. Nancy chose to do hers in fall colors. Beautiful!

Deb and Janet compared their pieces from our on-going Mystery Quilt BOM. I can tell both of them, their quilts are going to be very pretty!

Marty and Bonnie have a confab while Marty machine stitches and Bonnie hand stitches.

Looks like Celia is working on her snowball blocks for Quilt Circle.

There is always show and share when any group of quilters gather. Rozetta is showing her chevron quilt made using ombre fabrics. Love it!

And Deb, known for donating her sewing time to charity, has a special guest. Her mother came and helped sort fabrics for future comfort quilts. I am sorry I was not there to meet her!

October Open Sew dates are Oct 17 & 18
November Open Sew dates are Nov 12 & 13
note: If you are marking your calendar, please be sure to mark a 4 pm end time on Friday, Nov 13. We have been asked to share the room with a wedding party that evening.

Half Yorkie - Half Bear

Another little  bear - -  Max

Three Little Bears

This is such a telling photo. Jackson (age 3) and Livie (age 1) are partners in crime. Cal (age 1) is the big sweetie.

Last Call for Afternoon Delight!

Nan shared these pictures of her first 6 applique blocks from our Afternoon Delight BOM and a comment that this is "one fun project!" We always love that kind of feedback!

We have had a fabulous response to this bom. It just started in August and we have one extra set cut at this time so, if you have been pondering this project, now is the time.

Are you saving your selvages?

I recently ran across this designer and love her selvage patterns. We have these in stock now and will start working on shop samples soon.

Open Sew Week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week, Thursday and Friday is Open Sew at the Adel Library - 9:30 am until the last stitch is sewn.  Bring your sewing and join us. Stay for a couple hours or leave your machine overnight in the locked room and get in two days of stitching and chatting.

Jenny's Chenille Quilt

Jenny O tried this technique for making chenille.

She started with a fabric that had a chevron print she could follow for stitching. She layered up the chevron, wrong side up with three more layers of flannel, right side up. Then she stitched all layers together, following the chevron design in the fabric.

Because she used pink flannel for the top layer, the quilt has a real pink cast. 

Here is the back. Jenny said it was a lot of stitching but, she also bought fabric to make another so, it must have been fun! The next one she is making has a diagonal stripe rather than the chevrons.

Sunday Sewday!

It was a good one! I started with a deadline - 20 snowball blocks for exchange at Quilt Circle tonight. Nothing like a deadline to motivate.

Then something fun - I already had this cut out so it didn't take long to whip it up, my favorite kind of project. This is a new kit, Open House, 15" x 30". Colleen E. is cutting kits today.

Then a little chore - I quilted these three table toppers, made by Carol P. This pattern, from Jaybird Designs, is called Rock Candy. Carol said they are really fun to make - - Must be as she made three!

The other pattern shown above, Night Sky, is a quilt from the same designer. Lonnie K has made us a stunning shop sample of this quilt and Jess has it now for machine quilting.

Both patterns use a specialty ruler called Sidekick. We will be presenting demos in the shop using this ruler soon. Patterns and rulers are in stock now.

I took a break from sewing to work outside for a couple hours on a gorgeous Sunday evening. Then it was back to the sewing room to put the binding on Open House and on our Snow Time shop sample quilt. I did not wonder why I was so weary by bedtime, though.