ABC’S OF QUILTING
JUNE & JULY 2007
Susan and I had a discussion recently about all of the changes in our lives over the years — guess that might be a sign of old age — and while some are difficult to handle, most are an opportunity for growth and a chance to keep up with the ‘younger’ crowd!
While at Market in Salt Lake City, we spent many hours searching for not only the newest products but also for the best quality products we can offer to you.
One of our goals is to make you proud to have ABC’s of Quilting in Grand Rapids. We want to give you a great selection of fabrics, books, and notions and also provide you with the quality needed for making heirloom projects.
Quilting is a HUGE industry and quilters are finally receiving the attention needed to have specifically designed notions, threads, batting, patterns and, of course, fabric that appeals to quilters of all levels and ages!
With this in mind, we attended several workshops to learn about new products, fabric lines, talk to other quilters, and pick up new techniques that we can pass along to you.
Last year we spent most of our time with the fabric reps. This year, we spent a limited amount of time with them and the majority of our time at the booths—discussing new ideas for clubs, and block swaps.
Then we split up and Susan spent time with the long-arm quilters while I spent time with the web designers and point-of-sale people.
Now that I have written all of this, the bottom line is that we went to market to gain more knowledge about something we love — Quilting!!
And, we also determined that walking around the convention center from 8 am until 5 pm for four days, while interesting, makes a very LONG day!
We had a blast, though, and look forward to going to Portland next year!!
Linda
PS. Yippee!
The Accu—Cut System arrived just before I took this to print! Come in and see it!!
w 070707—Come in and check out our specials!!
w ABC’s will be participating in QuiltPink for 2008—details in the August Newsletter!
w There will be a Poker Run in September—this will be great fun!
w
Headwaters Quilt Guild will host their Bi-Annual
Show in Bemidji on July 13th and 14th.
We have the details at the shop!!
· Clover’s Yo-Yo makers—large & small
· Crystal heat gun and crystals
· Rulers—curves, circles, waves and scallops
· Mount Redoubt patterns and matching crystal sets
· Padding the Walls Patterns by Barb and Shirl
· Books — too many to list!
· JUMBO spools of Gutermann thread
· Quilt in a box—these are just too cute!
· Steam a Seam Lite Sheets
· Maril Art Stencils—work great with the Pouncer
· Baby Genius by Benertex we have the entire line.
· Harvest by Timeless Treasures
· Tamarack Grove—Moda
· Lilac Blossoms by Debbie Beaves
· Ocean Songs by Laura Birch
· Folklorique by Moda
· Shades of Summer by Jinny Beyer
· Harmony by Red Rooster
· Quilt Theme note cards
·
Quilt Theme magnetic pads—for the fridge!
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June 17th—FATHER’S DAY |
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June 21st &
23rd THIMBLEBERRIES Club |
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July 4th ABC’s is closed! INDEPENDANCE DAY!! |
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July 13th & 14th Headwaters Quilt Show in Bemidji |
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July 19th and 21st Thimbleberries Club |
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Aug 3rd—Aug 19thMinnesota Shop Hop!! |
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SUMMER SCHOOL
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The Class Schedule for Summer School is now ready. Our main reasons for having the classes is to give us all a chance to share, bond with other quilters and just have some fun!
The Classes are:
· June 19th — Going In Circles
· June 21st— Old Glory Flag
· June 28th—Chenille Hot Pads
· June 30th — Bricks Around the World
· July 10th—Stained Glass Wall Hanging
· July 12th—Pillow Talk (This is more than just making a pillow. We are going to talk about colors, etc.)
· July 17th—Christmas In July
· July 24th—The Ol’ Bag
· July 26th—Folded Star Pin Cushion
· August 7th—Table Scraps
These projects are for all levels of quilters—you can do them even if you DON’T quilt!
Give us a call or stop in and we can ‘chat’ about the projects!
Oh yes, I almost forgot the most important info! The classes are scheduled for 10 AM until 2 PM (yup, you get a little lunch break) EXCEPT for the Bricks Around the World —that one is 9 AM until 1 PM.
See you soon!!!
One of our policies is to make our fabric available to you as soon as it arrives in the shop. This includes our Christmas fabric. Most of the Holiday fabric will be in the shop during the month of July—some of it will arrive in June!!
Don’t be left out — start planning those Christmas projects NOW! We don’t mean to be pushy, but we also want you to have the opportunity to make your selections early.
Some of the lines we will have available are:
· Winterlude by Northcott
· Christmas Street by Thimbleberries — the window wreath kit and some of the flannels.
· Santa’s Got the Goods by Clothworks
· Quilter’s Spirit by Stof (a German company —new for us and a VERY nice line!!)
· Very Berry Christmas by Moda
· Let It Snow—Moda
· Snow Village—Moda
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Tamarack Grove—Moda (this line is already
here in its entirety).
Mark
your calendars for the Statewide Shop Hop!!
It will begin on August 3rd and end on August 19th. That will give you THREE full weekends to
visit the shops!!
Here is the latest scoop!
A couple of our quilters have expressed the desire for a BUS to take to some of the shops on the ‘hop’. While we are not opposed to the idea, we have had very limited interest — so if you want us to arrange a bus, PLEASE let us know and we will make the arrangements. Our thoughts are that the bus would go to the shops the greatest distance from Grand Rapids.
The Minnesota Moda Fabric will be in the shop in JUNE. We are NOT allowed to cut or sell the fabric until the ‘hop’ begins BUT we will take PRE-ORDERS for it.
You can either mention it when you are in the shop—yes we have the photos of the fabric now — or call and let us know the color numbers you want.
We are also hard at work designing the ABC’s Quilt Block that will be given out to each participant.
And, we already have our
special little gift packages ready. This
is going to be soooo much fun!!!!
So, the quilt is finally pieced, quilted and bound. Before you put it on the bed, back of the sofa, or chair, you need to step back a make certain that you have finished the room!
What does that mean??? How about using some of the scraps to make a little pillow?
Did you know that you can make a few extra blocks and use them in a valance???
Many of us know that pillow shams are a nice finishing touch, but have you ever made a few throw pillows for the bed? What about a “dresser’ topper????
We love to decorate (Linda’s husband fears the word when she says it because that means BIG changes for their house…) and there are many ways to incorporate the colors of your project —large or small — into your rooms.
With this in mind, we now have More-Splash-Than-Cash-Patterns by Donna Babylon available in the shop.
These patterns are creative ideas for window treatments, bed skirts, and pillows.
We hope to have some of the valances on the windows in the shop soon— just give us a moment to catch our breath, okay???
Each year we try to select a book that depicts Northern Minnesota and will also give our quilters the chance to use their imagination with color schemes.
This year we found (at Market, of course) a new book called Welcome to my Cabin by Nancy Smith & Lynda Milligan (Possibilities).
Welcome to my Cabin features a beautiful quilt plus thirteen other projects that use elements taken from the main pattern.
Autumn Leaves, Into the Forest, Lakefront Property, Frosty Morn, Mountain Crossing and New England Splendor are sure to bring warmth and coziness into your home.
The book also contains full color instructions & cutting charts and color options to suit any décor.
This is a beautiful addition to your ‘Quilt Book Library”!
We recognized during the Holidays that we needed a better gift selection for you and your friends!
This was one of the items on our list for Market and we now have a more diverse selection of gifts and cards.
When we selected the items, we remembered that some of these will be from ‘secret pals’ and that cost is a factor. Come in and check them out—they are GREAT!!
· Note cards —Blank inside and all have a quilt theme.
· Quilt Thank You Notes
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Magnetic list pad and coordinating
magnet—two different designs
· Quilt in a Box— Charming little quilts that are easy to make and fun to give.
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Quilt Journals, Book nameplates, and lots
of other items!
We have THREE clubs this year and here is the latest update for all of them:
1. Thimbleberries—June marks the half-way point in the large quilt project and the completion of the first two quarter projects. Linda Thiel is now assisting Diane Anthony with the group and together they have some great ideas for the monthly bonus projects. Linda usually gives us a sign-up sheet for the next project BEFORE the meeting, so just ask about it the next time you are in the shop. AND, in June we will be celebrating birthdays and anniversaries that occurred during the first half of 2007—see you at the meetings!!
2. Monster Club—Each member of the club now has all of the monsters blocks. The next meeting will be on September 5th at 6 pm. The quilt should be assembled and ready for show and tell! If you have trouble with the lettering or borders, be sure to stop in and Susan will be happy to help!
3. Mystery Club — June will provide the final ‘clue’ to the mystery!! After you pick it up, you will be able to assemble your quilt, have it quilted (or do it yourself) and then bring it in during the month of September. The same rules apply as last year. Prizes will be awarded for the first quilt brought into the shop and for Viewer’s Choice. Remember: your quilt needs to be TOTALLY completed—that means quilted and bound. The date for our TEA will be announced in the next Newsletter!!
“When selecting fabrics for a quilt, take a couple of
steps back so you can look at your choices from a distance. We seldom just see the quilt from a mere
18-inches!”
Congratulations to all of the Graduates!! Enjoy your summer!!
The trees have leaves, the birds are singing and the
MOSQUITOES are out in full force!!!
A jug of wine, a loaf of bread and a quilt — makes for a perfect afternoon!!
ABC’s of quilting
10 NW 5th Street Grand Rapids,
MN 55744
218 326-9661
www.abcsofquilting.com