New and Fresh From Quilt Market!

My mom and I made a whirlwind, less than 48 hour total, trip to the Fall Quilt Market in Houston the weekend before last. Even with very limited time, we managed to find some awesome new stuff to bring home! Here is a list of what you can watch for in the next week or two:

*2 new Garden Patch Cats! Get ready to grow an Eggplant and Gourd in your Kitty Garden, patterns will be posted online soon!
*New projects from Hillcreek Designs, featuring coordinated button packs and wire hangers. Great projects you can finish in an hour or two, perfect for gifts!
*A fantastic, beautiful new Block-of-the-Month for 2010! Featuring fabric from Timeless Treasures, "Back to Nature" is a one year feast for the eyes. Sign up begins now, and for the first time ever, I will be cutting sign up off (tentatively Jan. 5) so don't miss your chance! View the project HERE!
*We also came home with many new patterns, including quilts, bags, and aprons! Watch for them to be added to the "New Additions" catagory as the orders arrive in store. Some of them are already up!

We also ordered new fabric lines for early 2010 arrival, and I test drove 3 brands of quilting machine. All in all, it was a great trip!

Do I Have Time to Quilt?

I want to take a few minutes to reassure everyone that, Yes! I am still quilting. My mom is also quilting with me, so rest assured we can and will still quilt your quilts! Not only that, but my quilting prices have remained the same for over 4 years now, and I would like to believe that my quilting skills have improved.

Due to some big changes in my life this year, which I am not ready to get into here, I now hold a full time job outside of my Quilt Shop. I piece at home during the evening, and I quilt on the weekends. My mom quilts some during the week.

So, the short answer to the question everyone has been asking me is "YES."

I am still quilting, I have no plans to quit, and NO! The quilt shop is NOT FOR SALE.

If any of this changes, you'll read it here first.

And.......to address another comical rumor I've heard swirling around: No, I am not pregnant. But hey, I can always use a good laugh, so keep those rumors coming!

Montana Modern

The newest Love of Quilting magazine includes a quilt made using the new fabric line, "Montana Modern" from Benartex. What a great new wildlife fabric line! Take a peak at it, even pre-order it if you want!
Montana Modern

2009 Crazy 8 Shop Hop

This upcoming weekend, August 7th, 8th, and 9th, is the 2nd Annual Crazy 8 Shop Hop. All shops will be open Friday and Saturday 9am-6pm, and Sunday 12-5pm. Visit each shop for prizes, free patterns, snacks, and fun! Draw a poker card at each shop, choose to hold or draw a new card after you have 5, and may the best hand win!
Poker hands will be ranked according to traditional poker rules, and the highest hands will win fabulous prizes! Contact any of the participating shops for details.

Email me through www.crazyforquilting.com, or call the shop for more information, a list of participating shops, or a shop hop map.

Garden Patch Cats

Even if you're not particularily fond of cats, you can appreciate these fanciful felines! Garden Patch Cats are my latest offering for a block of the month style program. The wallhangings use the new Maywood Woolie Flannels I posted about below. They are fast, easy fusible applique projects, and can be easily finished on your home sewing machine. Avocato begins shipping the 20th of August, and all of the cats will be on display at the shop through September 20th.

New Woolies Flannels

I FINALLY finished uploading the new flannels that arrived this week. This is the first of 2 shipments of Woolies Flannels from Maywood. These fabrics are some of the best feeling flannels I've seen. They look like wool, but are soft like flannel. Fantastic for "guy quilts!" I have a fun new project of the month planned that uses these as well. Watch for more details on it in the next month, with samples in store for the Crazy 8 Shop Hop August 7-9.

Don't Mess With Me This Week

I haven't been writing on here lately, as I'm sure you have all noticed. I'm having a very hard time being cheerful these days, so I've been avoiding writing to spare you all. I will spare you all from my private life, which has become the mother of all country songs lately. Instead, here is what's going on at the shop as of late:

My quilting machine had the big one (again) last week, midway through a twin sized quilt, and had to be taken to emergency care. It is currently being resusitated by the closest dealer/mechanic, who happens to be a two hour drive away and slow to boot. I am not very patient to begin with, and looking at my mountain of quilts every day is not making me any more so. I haven't yelled at the repairman on the phone........yet.

Some of the new Roses de Noel line is starting to trickle into the store. I received the charm packs last week, but am waiting to upload them online until the fabrics arrive. With the month I'm having, they'd better not short me on my order or someone will definately hear about it!

I am continuing to work on the Sunflower Hill BOM sample. I finished all of the buildings last night, and am now buttonhole stitching the sunflower blocks that go in between. Then it's on to the rail fence border for the big finish! (hopefully soon)

My mom made a fantastic sample quilt from the new Flourish fabrics, which I'll try to upload a picture of later. It is from the new Anka's Treasure's book, Stop, Drop & Roll, and it was super fast. My mom pieced, quilted, and added binding in a week! Picture coming soon...