Our Customers are so Talented!

Sarah, a high school student, came into the store a few months back looking for a mentor for her senior project. She was so enthusiastic and excited about the prospect of making her first quilt! I watched as this very talented young lady turned out this beautiful quilt! It's an A+++!

Have you seen the pattern for the Birthday Runner in the store? It's adorable. Anne C. added her own touches to the pattern, notice the cute fabrics of the presents, and the extra border she added to the end to make it a bit longer. Also, she zigzagged around the presents and the cake, which made them stand out more, and also was the quilting!

Thanks Anne for bringing it in and sharing with us!

International Quilt Festival - Houston 2009

We had a great time at Festival last year! A group of us went together and shopped, ate and gawked at all the beautiful quilts! Here's a link to Sue's pictures of it all. We'll be putting another trip to the Festival together! Watch for more news!

Atlanta Shop Hop

Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe.

We are the focus of their love and faith and trust.
They serve us in return for scraps.
It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.
Roger Caras

This weekend our shop is full of dogs and people! The popcorn is popping, the fabric is flying off the shelves and everybody is smiling and wagging their tails. It's a dog gone good party!


Our shop hop quilt was inspired by this small piece.


The quilt is hanging by the door, twinkling lights, yards and yards of tulle and heavenly dogs with angel wings hang from the ceiling throughout the shop.





We all don doggy-themed aprons and dog bone name tags.


Sue and Brenda all gussied up!


And our resident angel, Allie handed out popcorn, treats and smiles to the customers.

Tucked under a table is this lovely angel, Evelyn who, until now, has been patietly playing and waiting for mom to finish shopping. Is there room for me under there? I might need a nap at the end of this weekend!

Beautiful new fabrics arrive!!

Sitting right by the front door are two new fabric lines that just arrived!
Come in and check them out. They are simply stunning.

Dancing Horses collection by Laurel Burch - 15 gorgeous bolts of horses and coordinates in bright colors!

Marabella by Henry Glass - 10 bolts of sweet florals, paisleys and stripes in pink and bright green! A little piece of spring for those who just can't wait for it to get here!

Another fun technique!

You all have heard me talking about our First Thursday Quilters. It's a fun bunch and we learn something new each time! Everyone is welcome, so come join us the first Thursday every month from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

This month, Lana shared this technique for using up our stash.



Magic!

Pictures for February classes

A picture's worth a 1000 words! Here are the pictures from some upcoming classes:

The top one is for the paper piecing class, Feb. 17, 10-2. $25 Learn the techniques to make it fun!

The elephant is for the Animal Applique class, Feb. 16, 10-2, $25. You learn the method to create realistic animals, and there are a variety of patterns to choose form.

Machine Quilting Tips

Is that quilt too big to wrestle through your home machine? We offer machine quilting services. Quilting stitches are done using the HandiQuilter Fusion longarm quilting machine. Our experienced team will take great care of your quilt in our non-smoking shop and treat it like it is the most important quilt in the world!

Whether you tackle that quilt at home, quilt it at a machine here at our shop or have Alta or Jan quilt it for you the following tips are essential for the prettiest quilt possible.

Tips for Better Quilting

• Choose good quality 100% cotton fabric. Polyester blends can cause slipped or skipped stitches.
• Choose a print cotton fabric for the backing that will blend with the top thread color. A different color thread for the bobbin will usually show on the top.
• Backing fabric must be at least three inches larger on all sides (total 6” wider and 6” longer) than the pieced top. Queen size and larger, add a couple more extra inches, especially if using a polyester batting. If your pieced backing is larger than needed, do not trim it down and please be sure that the ends are straight.
• Remove selvages from backing seams. Press backing seams closed and to one side. Clip all stray threads from pieced top and back. Stray threads will show through (shadow), especially on light backgrounds.
• The batting needs to be at least two inches larger on all sides. Prepackaged batting does not need to be trimmed. We sell both prepackaged and by-the-yard batting. No mid- or high-loft battings please. Cheap batting may have thick and thin spots and can effect the end result of the quilting.
• Ensure that all seams are fully sewn. An open seam could catch the foot of the machine.
• Bring the quilt top and backing pressed and neatly folded on a hanger.

If you have any questions or want more advice, just give us a call. We're always eager to help!