Moda Block Shuffle

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

What's next? All Iowa Shop Hop!

This is the cover of the 2016 AISH Book. In addition to the passport, map, directions and color ads of each shop there are also 5 patterns from Williamingham Designs. This guide to the Iowa quilt shops sells for $6 and will be available between May  15-20

New this year - - - Sew Great Tours is providing a bus trip to each district. Buses leave from either Ames, Cedar Rapids or Carroll. Great way to make the rounds with friends!

Save the date!

Little Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

June 18, 2016 - 10 am to 4 pm

Come view the quilts hanging around the shop yard and vote for your favorites. There will also be a special exhibition of challenge quilts from Quilt Circle of Friends.

As always, there will be lots of shop samples and  hand made items by Quilt Circle that we will have out to sell for our annual library fund raiser.

Additionally, the Dallas Co. quilt many of you contributed blocks to will be on display

Couple new samples

Diana W. just finished up these two little shop samples. They measure 12" x 18", perfect for hanging and switching out. We have a whole line of these on display in the shop, one for every season and holiday. Thanks Diana.

Just home - - -

Just home from a great birthday adventure with this crew to the Minneapolis Mega Mall and the St Paul Children's Museum. Below is kind of a before and after of our trip.

Remember all you Purple Baggers - Come in this week and use MY birthday discount - 20% off one item.

Now I've got some catching up to do! I'll post the Chocolate Walk prize winners soon!

A gift ---

Jenny o. made this for her daughter in law's birthday gift. She used our panel, Family Rules, added a border and then traced and appliqued the hands of her daughter in law, son and their two children  in each corner. So sweet.

Purple Bag Quilter Special!

Are you a Purple Bag Quilter? Then come in this week - May 9 through May through May 14, and use MY birthday discount - 20% off one regularly priced item.

And - if you are not a Purple Bag Quilter, this is a great time to join. Our Purple Shopping bag is just $4.95. Bring it in when you shop and each time, enter our monthly drawing. Plus you will be eligible for these surprise pop-up specials!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Happy Mother's Day!

My sister and I share the same birthday, twins 2 years apart. Sometimes it falls on Mother's Day as it did the year this picture was taken.

Based on my height (girl in white) you might guess I am the older one but, you would be wrong!

This is a favorite memory of mine as the crosages we are wearing were from my father. You can tell he picked them out himself as mom would not have ordered flowers for us two girls that were almost as big as our heads.  I'll never forget how special I felt that day.

Mom did, however make all three of the dresses in this picture. I miss her.

Comfort Quilt

As many of you know, we collect 9-patch blocks by color to have on hand for comfort quilts. Lorna C. recently requested blocks for a friend at work with pancreatic cancer. I had these pink blocks on hand so she added the heart blocks and made this comfort quilt. Comfort quilts are a comfort to everyone involved, aren't they?

Thank you to all who contribute these blocks. May the recipient feel the love and caring thoughts stitched in  as she snuggles under it. Nice job, Lorna.

It's here!

The spring 2016 Quilt Sampler!! Hurry in to get your copy. They go quickly.

Crisis Intervention Center request - -

Dear Supporters:

Crisis Intervention & Advocacy Center (CIAC) responds to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and homelessness in Adair, Adams, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Guthrie, Madison, Ringgold, Taylor and Union counties. The Center offers a safe, supportive, non-judgmental environment in which victim/survivors can receive support, explore options, set priorities, and make decisions as they begin their healing journey. The Center’s philosophy is to empower victim/survivors to claim or take back their right to make their own decisions. 

All of our services are free, voluntary and confidential.  As a 501c3 non-profit organization, we rely on federal and state grants, fundraising and community contributions only.  We hold an annual garage/bake sale fundraiser in Dallas County each summer to raise money so we may continue to serve victims/survivors in your community.  Our sale will be held on June 9^th, 10^th and 11^th at the Dallas County Fairgrounds in Adel, Iowa.

We are asking you to contribute baked goods to our bake sale.  Items we have found that customers enjoy the most are homemade pies, cookies, cupcakes, bars and breads.  You may commit to donating as many items as you wish on the enclosed flyer.  Please return the flyer in the envelope enclosed.  All baked goods may be delivered to the Dallas County Fairgrounds in Adel, Iowa on Wednesday, June 8^th or the morning of either June 9^th or 10^th.  All donations are tax deductible.

 

If you have questions, please contact me at 515-993-4095 ext. 201 or megan@ciac91.org.  Thank you.

Together we can make a difference,

Megan Hockemeier

Volunteer Coordinator

Crisis Intervention & Advocacy Center

P.O. Box 40, Adel, Iowa 50003

Office: 515-993-4095 Ext. 201

Spring Quilt Retreat Day 3

One of the most fun parts of retreat is helping each other. Several weighed on the arrangement of Nancy S's blocks in this Turning Twenty quilt.

Nancy S has also been making wallets and she brought these to show. She will be teaching this class in West Des Moines. We will post more details when we have them. Perfect little graduation gift to hold a check for the graduate. The inside boasts credit card pockets, zipper pocket and a large pocket for dollar bills as well as a pen holder.

Val and Carolyn came together and are standing here by some of the equipment that was spread throughout the room

By Day 3, quilt tops are really starting to come together. This was a really interesting project that Janet D. was working on. In each star, half of the units are covered with black tulle. This effect is called shading. You don't really see the tulle but it adds a lot of color dimension to the quilt.

This is a quilt Valerie M. started many moons ago. It has been a very good teaching quilt for Val. By the end of retreat, she had all of the Seminole borders pieced and ready to stitch to this Double Irish Chain quilt. It will be a beauty when she finishes up.

This is not the first retreat that Lois has brought this batik beauty out to work on and it won't be the last. So fun to watch it grow and worth the wait!

Lonnie is packed and ready to head out. Some of the gals brought enough equipment and supplies with them to require a small moving van. We love our tools!

We had a great time and I want to thank all the folks at the Lake Panorama Clover Ridge Conference Center, Gayla Wasson for the great massages she delivered and all of our retreat guests for a very nice weekend of stitching. Shall we do this again next spring?

Spring Retreat - T Shirt quilts

There was a lot of T-Shirt quilts coming together at this retreat. Tis the season. 

We are considering doing a retreat next spring including a lecture on T-Shirt quilts. Send me an email if you might be interested.

Here are two t-shirt quilt Abbie A. has just finished up. Nice, right?

Another by Abbie for a granddaughter that loves Monster High. This is not a t-shirt quilt because no t-shirts were cut up for the making of this quilt. It has the same feel, though. Abbie couldn't find Monster High fabric so she bought sheets and cut them up. Good job! One lucky little girl will get this quilt.The striped flange in the binding is really a nice touch as well.

Sue R. got this one put together at retreat featuring camo fabric and bright orange, a special request. Looks great.

Nancy J. worked on these two quilts for twin graduating sisters. Cute.

More fun things to do in Adel this weekend!

While you are in Adel for the Chocolate Walk on Saturday, check out this great plant sale!

Spring Retreat Day 1

Carolyn S. finished this Thimbleberries quilt top. Really nice and she was so happy to call it done!

These two quilts that Carolyn is making for her sons and sons-in-law. She will be making a total of 5. Won't they love these?

This is a mystery quilt put together by Janet D. You never know how a mystery quilt will turn out but Janet really liked this one! Cute.

 Valerie M. brought a couple of quilts to show, made at post retreats (above) and in a series of classes in the shop (below).

Very nice.

We have a couple winners!

Jennifer Buttolph is the winner of our Block Stock basket. Jennifer wins a basket full of goodies valued at $75.

Also, our monthly drawing for the Purple Bag Quilters goes to Kimberly Scott!  Kimberly wins a Dream Quilter's Batt.

Congratulations, gals!

Spring Ladies of the Lake Quilt Retreat

It was another great gathering of quilters and friends. Here is the first post. There will be more coming!

Given our retreat theme, "Holy Scrap!" JoAnne S. offered to do a presentation about organizing our scraps. She shared how she cuts and organizes by size and then uses these pieces to put together donation scrap quilts.

This is a series of lap quilt tops JoAnne has put together from her scrap collection. These will be finished and donated to a variety of charitable organizations.

JoAnne completed her presentation by teaching us this block, Scrappy Trips by Bonnie Hunter. This block is made from 6,
2 1/2" x 15 1/2" strips, sew together in a tube and then un-sewn to stagger and arrange into this block.

Our retreats always include a charitable quilt project. We ask each to bring a variety of 2 1/2" x 15 1/2" strips of red, white and blues. Then we all shared and each made a few Scrappy Trips blocks.

As blocks were made, they were laid down. It was fun to watch our quilt grow.

I brought these blocks home and we plan to put it together for a Quilt of Valor. The work of many hands - - - - 

Our out-of-state kids

Gabe flew in from Texas and I drove over to Chicago to meet up with Brook for a weekend. Here we are at the Chicago Cubs, my first trip to Wrigley. It was fun, even the beer spilled by the not-so-sober girl behind us. Part of the whole event, right?

More new stuff

These two bolts are just in from Dear Stella, one of our favorite designers.

 Here are the critters clothes. We ironed fusible fleece to the wrong side of this fabric and then cut the little clothing items out, just like paper doll clothes.

Here is a closeup of the little critters. We quilted a rectangle of this for a childs floor mat. See below.

Here is a close up of a couple of the critters, dressed in their new clothes. Hours of fun for the little ones.

New Shop Sample

Lonnie made this "guys quilt" just in time for Father's Day! This is a quick and inexpensive kit because the brown rectangles are all cut from a layer cake packet (pre-cut 10" squares). We added a few green rectangles to match the border.

This close-up shows the flannel backing. I bet you know a guy that needs this quilt!

Sunday Sewday

This past Sunday was a beautiful day for some yard day but I also finished up the last two blocks for our Grunge Sampler Block of the Month.

I hope to have the finished quilt ready to show you in the next couple of weeks.