This quilt and bag are made with the Hannah Wallace Collection from Wyndham Fabrics in conjunction with the Daughters of the American Revolution.

This is a quilt made by Helen Wykstra from fabrics she bought a few years ago.

This is a quilt shown at our recent quilt camp - pattern created and made from looking at a photo -  by Jean Goad!

Some of our shy campers modeling their PURSES. 

Jennifer (last name not provided to protect the innocent) is a normal person and has not been drinking.

This is me (Mary) in the shop.  Notice I am not wearing a purse on my head.

Both of these quilts are in the book "Hop To It" by Edyta Sytar.  Kits available!!!!

June Newsletter

218-254-1700
Hours:M,T,W,F 10am-6pm
Thursday 10am-8pm
Saturday 9am-4pm
Sundays Closed


BLOCK OF THE MONTH PICKUPS:

Patriots and Petticoats - 2nd Saturday of the month (June 11 & July 9)
Monthly Minis - 2nd Tuesday of the month (June 14 & July 12)
Wool Applique - 3rd Thursday of the month (June 16 & July 21)
Tonga Rhapsody - 3rd Saturday of the month (June 18 & July16)

Usually these are ready before the scheduled date if you want to call to check and you can pick them up early.

CLASSES:

PIGS - Old Stash Pot Pie will resume in September, the 2nd Thursday, 4pm-8pm (or whenever you can get here.) We will now be known as PIGS (projects in grocery sacks.) This class is full and you know who you are, PIGS.

NEW STASH POT PIE class will start in September! This class will be the 1st Thursday of the month, and it will be up to you if you want it to be in the afternoon or the evening. In other words, you can come at 1pm and leave at 4pm or come at 4pm and leave at 8pm. Or come at 1pm and leave at 8pm! We will go by the original Stash Pot Pie patterns and make some beautiful quilts using your stash. $10.00 per month. Begins September 1st! If this class fills up as fast as the current one, you better sign up early! Limited to 9 people.

SURVEY ABOUT CLASSES: I can schedule classes all month long, but I need to know what classes ya’ll want! Do you want classes on table runners, bags, bed runners, purses, pillowcases, new techniques, free motion quilting?? Answer me by email and phone. OR come in and TELL ME AND YOU WILL GET A FREE FAT QUARTER!

BEGINNERS: If you know of someone who wants to begin quilting refer her to me, you will get a little “bonus” from me if she signs up and attends beginner classes. The “bonus” will have at least a $20 value. I will custom this bonus to each of you individually, based on what I know about you and your quilting habits! So now is the time to get those beginners started.

DID YOU KNOW that I have 2 Baby Lock shop machines? If you want to come in and sew or if your beginner friends have no machine and still want to learn, these machines can be used for the incredible value of $7.50 per class or day! If you reserve one in advance for class, think how nice it would be not to have to haul your machine in.

Starting tomorrow, May 26, we will be having:
SHAMELESS PROMOTION THRIFTY THURSDAYS!!!
Every Thursday, since we are open until 8pm, we will have a special for THAT DAY ONLY. It will be my choice; a percent or dollar off amount of specific fabrics or notions, etc. It will be different every Thursday and it will be a SURPRISE. We will not tell you over the phone what it is. (Do you see the theme here? I want to GET YOU IN THE SHOP!!! )

QUILT MINNESOTA SHOP HOP FABRICS should be shipping to us right now so we’ll have them in the shop next week. Pre-orders must be paid for as they will be cut and put away for you to pick up when the shop hop begins!

April Newsletter

April 2011 Newsletter

Quilt Shop of Chisholm
116 W Lake St
Chisholm, MN 55719
218-254-1700
www.quiltshopofchisholm.blogspot.com

Hours: MTWF 10am-6pm, The 10am-8pm, Sat 9am-4pm

April Classes:

UFO - Thursday, April 7, ?-8pm
Patriots and Petticoats Block of the Month - Saturday, April 9, 10am-11am
Monthly Mini’s B.O.M. - Tuesday, April 12, 4-6pm (or until you need us)
Stash Pot Pie - Thursday, April 14, ?-8pm
Tonga Rhapsody - Saturday, April 16, 10-11am
Geometric Gems - Wednesday, April 20th and May 4th, 1pm-4pm or 5pm-8pm
Wool Appliqué B.O.M. - Thursday, April 21, 6pm-8pm

Quilt Camp!!!!! - Thursday, April 28 till Sunday, May 1

*********************************************************************
Remember, if your name is mentioned in the newsletter, no matter how inappropriately, you will get a FREE FQ when you come in and tell me!
*********************************************************************

We still have openings in the Patriots, Tonga Rhapsody and Wool Blocks of the Month if you didn’t sign up and want to start them! I have finished the top of the Patriots quilt and it is unbelievably beautiful. The blocks all came out the right size - even the ribbon border fit and was a no-brainer! I have to give Bev credit for sewing the blocks together and making a few of the blocks. (No - really - I HAVE to give her credit or she will make my life miserable. She says the only time I give her credit for sewing something is when I’ve messed it up and she has to finish it and it’s too far gone to fix correctly.)

UFO and STASH POT PIE will both have pie (or cake) this month due to the fact that Nancy K. wanted her sister to attend Stash Pot Pie on the 2nd Thursday and her sister went ahead and booked her plane ticket so that she will be here the 1st Thursday. So we are pretending that UFO is Stash Pot Pie for Nancy (she is making a Wacky Cake!) and her sister. Sisters are a piece of work, aren’t they? Who else can be your best friend and worst enemy all within a 24 hour period? Except for my sisters, of course. We are all united in making our only brother’s life a Living Hell. It’s okay, his wife and daughters are united with us. We don’t even have to try, it just comes naturally! Anyway, come to UFO and we’ll pretend it’s Stash Pot Pie.

Stash Pot Pie will still be Stash Pot Pie and Karl will be baking for us! Come and join us, even if you aren’t going to sew -- you will be amazed at the things you learn and the surveys you are asked to participate in. No subject is taboo. No Subject. My husband will not come to the shop during Stash Pot Pie because he doesn’t want to overhear any of the conversations. And at any given time, there are at least three conversations going strong.

Geometric Gems -- This is a technique class that will be taught by Karen Skraba. It will help you control your scrappy strip techniques, teach you bias techniques while creating diamonds, assist you with pieced borders and talk about finishing (quilting) techniques. All in only two sessions! The sample will be in the shop by April 1, so you can see what you’ll be making, and the book and ruler you will need will be available for purchase. Also, I’ll help you pick out your fabrics before class. Class will be April 20 and May 4, 1pm to 4pm (Wednesday afternoon.) If you can’t make afternoon classes, Karen says she will also do a class the same days from 5pm to 8pm if there is enough interest! Class fee $15 per class, so $30 total plus book and supplies.

QUILT CAMP at Chicagami -- Thursday to Sunday, $160.00. Friday to Sunday, $130.00. So far we still have space available!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mary

February Newsletter

Quilt Shop of Chisholm


116 W Lake St

Chisholm, MN 55719

(218)254-1700

Hrs: M T W F 10am-6pm,Th 10am-8pm, Sat 9am-4pm



FEBRUARY CLASS SCHEDULE:



UFO - Thursday, February 3, whenever until 8pm

Monthly Mini BOM - Tuesday, Feb. 8, 4-6pm or later

Farmer’s Wife - Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2-6pm

Stash Pot Pie - Thursday, Feb. 10, whenever until 8pm

Patriots in Petticoats - Saturday, Feb. 12, 10am-11am

Aunt Grace Circle of Friends - Saturday, Feb. 12, 12-1pm

Wool Block of the Month - Thursday, Feb. 17, 6-8pm



*********************************************************************

If your name is mentioned in this newsletter, no matter how inappropriately, you will receive a FREE FAT QUARTER!!!

*********************************************************************



My niece Jodie, who does not quilt, reads my blog and made a comment: “What is with you quilters and fat quarters? That is discrimination. You should call them ’boundry-challenged quarters’.” I don’t know if you remember me writing about her in a previous newsletter, but to sum it up, when she was pregnant with her second child and it was a BOY, I told her that her life was OVER. I was right. I haven’t seen her in a while. If you think it’s bad now, Jodie, wait until you discover that he’s raising chickens in his bedroom closet when he’s 17. Just a little something for you to look forward to.



NEW IN MARCH - Tonga Rhapsody 2011 Block of the Month! These are beautiful batiks that we received recently and we have a sign up sheet! It will be $22.00 per month and includes pattern, fabrics for top binding AND WIDE BATIK BACKING. Such a deal!!!!



SHOP HOP! SHOP HOP! SHOP HOP! SHOP HOP! SHOP HOP! SHOP HOP!



5th Annual Stars of the North Shop Hop February 23-26. Saturday the 26th we will have a bus (LUXURY COACH with a bathroom) leaving from the Quilt Shop of Chisholm at 8am. We are over half full and need to fill up so CALL ME TO SIGN YOU UP!!!!!!!!!! The cost is $35.00. We will have muffins and coffee for you when you get here from 7:30-8:00, a goodie bag to take on the bus and a hostess to entertain you on the bus!!! If you don’t know Carol Lee, you will by the time you get off the bus. She is very nice, very pretty and I’m not sure but I think she’s a little bit naughty, Sharon Beaver. That must be why I like her! We will have dinner ready for you when you get back from your tour of the other 6 shops: Terri’s Treasures in Iron, Aitkin Quilts and Fabrics, Timeless Treasures in McGregor, Elaine’s Corner in Hill City, Tiger Textiles in Grand Rapids, and Quilts Around the Corner in Hibbing.



QUILT CAMP is coming and I have about 10 people signed up so far - April 28-May 1, Thursday-Sunday. Is it Spring yet??????!!!!!!!



If you signed up for UFO, Pat Young, or if you didn’t sign up, come anyway! I have a feeling the numbers will be low this month because the 1st Thursday “snuck up” on us. Is “snuck” a word? Which brings me to another subject - the UFO class started out as a time for you to finish “unfinished objects” while I demonstrated a technique or new tool for your education. I know it’s hard to believe, but I slacked off a little. Remember the first class where I talked about

A Triangle Block Exchange

And you all looked at me with glassy eyes? The book “Friendship Triangles” by Edyta Sitar has BEAUTIFUL quilts and projects made from half square triangles using her 2” half square triangle paper. We bundle these up using a dark strip of fabric or batik and a light strip along with a sheet of triangle paper that makes 28 half square triangles and sell them for $2.50. They are by the cash register and we call them “Cinnamon Sticks” (NOT “Cigars”, Mary Jo.) We now have a sign up sheet if you want to make up HST (half square triangles) and exchange them in the shop. Come check it out, and come check out the 2 quilts we have in the shop made from these HST’s: “Tree of Life” and “Southern Exposure”. Of course, kits are available if you want to purchase them, and the kits include the cigars -- I mean cinnamon sticks, Bev Cherro.



Monthly Mini’s - there is still 1 opening for the Monthly Minis Block of the Month. The stand (which those of you who picked up already know) is $20.00. Each month you get the pattern, fabrics and any buttons if needed along with your stand topper for $25.00. Very cute.



Farmer’s Wife - I’m back to cranking out blocks again! This is fun. This class is very loosely formed - you can copy square and triangle sizes from my book if you don’t want to use templates (who does?) or you can cut your fabrics or sew your blocks or browse the fat quarters (boundry challenged quarters) or just sit and stare into space and drink coffee. No class fee.



Stash Pot Pie - If you need a copy of the cutting directions for the February class, we have them. This month is FRENCH SILK CHOCOLATE PIE and KEY LIME PIE. God bless you, Karl.



Patriots in Petticoats Block of the Month - THE FABRICS ARE HERE and we can finally start. Month 1 is 2 different 10” finished blocks and they are beautiful and go together like a dream. Come see my blocks. Yours are ready to pick up! There are still some openings for this Block of the Month. $21.50 per month, Julie Lange.



Aunt Grace Circle of Friends Block of the Month - Block number 6 - the applique! We will be including “Doris’s Tips” with this month’s pattern. Next month (month 7) includes your borders and binding to finish!



Wool Applique - BY POPULAR DEMAND, I’VE GOTTEN IN MORE KITS FOR THE WOOL BLOCK OF THE MONTH, SO YOU CAN STILL JOIN! $15.00 PER MONTH, PLUS THREAD. The blocks are BEAUTIFUL. Jackie has 3 done (she’s in the Cities with a new grandchild and took her stuff with her, so I’m sure she’ll come back with a few more!)



Who wants to do a One Block Wonder quilt like the one Kay DelGreco made hanging behind the cash register? I have broken out my MAGIC MIRROR and found some really great fabrics that will work. Let’s do a class in March. Let me know if you are interested!!!!!!!



Carol and I work very hard to keep the e-mail list for the newsletter as accurate as possible. Last month there were a number of e-mail addresses returned to us as undeliverable. Most of these were part of the Paul Bunyan network. It appears that our e-mails were blocked due to a filter named “barracuda reputation.” Others were rejected due to a variety of reasons such as: user unknown and mailbox unavailable. So why are we telling you when you obviously are getting the newsletter by email? Because maybe you have a friend who says, “I don’t get the newsletter anymore” and you can tell her that it may be because of this problem and to check with us. Ditto if you are reading this on the blog.



Last but not least: A big thank you to Barb Henry and all the women who made pillow cases for the 1 million pillow case challenge. We have provided 250 pillowcases to The U of MN Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit and the local United Way. The local United Way will distribute these pillow cases to local shelters in St Louis County. Both places were VERY grateful to receive these pillow cases. Barb Henry (who begs for an Employee of the Month award “like Spongebob Squarepants gets” every month) deserves a big pat on the back for organizing this - she suggested it, organized it and made it happen. Good Job, Barb! As a token of my appreciation, I gave her an employee of the month certificate for January 2011. The last time I saw her she was leaving the shop muttering something under her breath about “this is the thanks I get------a pat on the back is free------thankless, good for nothing----see how many Mondays I work from now on------”. I think she must have been on the way to the printer to have her certificate framed!!!!!!


My sisters donate to this charity and asked me to include the link on my blog.   http://www.pillowsforpatriots.org/


Mary

January 2011 Class Schedule and Newsletter

 

Class Schedule and Newsletter

Class Schedule:



MILLION PILLOWCASE CHALLENGE CLASS - SUNDAY, JAN. 9, 1PM-??????????



UFO class - Thursday, January 6, whenever you get here until 8pm



Aunt Grace Circle of Friends BOM (Month #5) - Saturday, Jan. 8, 12-1pm



Patriots in Petticoats NEW Block of the Month!!!!!! - Saturday, Jan. 8, 10-11am



Monthly Mini NEW Block of the Month!!!!! - Tuesday, Jan 11, 4-6pm (or later)



Hand Quilting??????? - Tuesday, Jan. 11, during the day??? A prize to anyone who can tell me why I have this written on my calender? Did I tell someone we’re doing a class??????



Farmer’s Wife 12-step program support group (My Name is _______, and I am a blockaholic) - Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2-6pm



Stash Pot Pie - Thursday, Jan. 13, whenever til 8pm



Back Home BOM - (last month! You better be caught up!) - Saturday, Jan. 15, 12-2pm



Wool Applique NEW Block of the Month!!!!! - Thursday, Jan. 20, 6-8pm



*********************************************************************************

If your name is mentioned in this newsletter (no matter how inappropriately) you will receive a free FAT QUARTER!!!

*********************************************************************************



I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - today the kids are back in school. My son Austin is the perfect example that, for children, “hope springs eternal”. Even though my husband works for the school and Austin knows he was out plowing snow two days over the weekend with the other guys who work at the school, he said to me last night, “Maybe Mr. Varichak will cancel school tomorrow because of all the snow we’ve gotten. Maybe it will be too slippery to walk on. Maybe it will be too cold.” I wanted to say “And maybe pigs will fly” but I didn’t because that would have gotten me an eye roll and a possible arm crossing. My kids do not think I’m funny, they do not think I’m cool, and in some cases they don’t seem to even think I’m presentable. I know when I lost the respect of my older boys. It was when they were in elementary school and we were coming out of a Target store in the rain. I told them to wait under the shelter while I went and got the car. Then I made the fatal mistake of putting an empty plastic bag over my hair to keep it dry. They were humiliated and traumatized. I guess Charlotte and Austin just picked up the attitude through osmosis. But that’s part of being a mother, I guess. Learning that your kids do not want you to carry on a conversation with their friends or show up at a public school function unless they have pre-approved your clothing choices. Or, as my son David said to me once, “Seriously, Mom. Are you really going out like that?”



The Million Pillowcase Challenge is a national challenge to make pillowcases for donation to charities of our choice. This Sunday we will meet to have a pillowcase marathon! Bring your machine and any fabric that you wish to use for pillowcases. We also happen to have fabric here (surprise) that you may purchase for a VERY reduced price to make pillowcases.



UFO class - Karen Copeman, there is no pie served at this class. I repeat, no pie.



The Patriots in Petticoats new block of the month still has a few openings, Bonnie Keith. This is using fabric circa 1840 designed by Windham Fabrics in conjunction with the Daughters of the American Revolution. Each pattern has two blocks to make for the month and a commentary on a particular female patriot. Some of these stories are unbelievable - when you think of the time these women lived. Those of you who were in the Civil War Tribute block of the month class -- these blocks are a JOY to make - AND - they come out the right size!!!! Believe me, it took both Bev and I to figure out how to do the Civil War block 10 (and then I had to pry it from her hands while telling her it was as good as it was going to get and it would all quilt out. I have very low standards and Bev has very high standards.) If you are signed up for the Patriots in Petticoats class, you will enjoy it very much. If you want to sign up, call me.



The Monthly Mini new block of the month will start on Tuesday, Jan. 11. (Still a few places open.) The time is 4-6pm, but we will stay later if you can’t get here from work and want instruction on the applique, Maggie Manion. Most of you are familiar with the fusible applique technique, but if you need instruction and want to stay past 6pm, I’ll stay with you. The first month you will receive your 12” x 14” stand and the pattern, fabric, buttons and stand topper for February. Instructor: Bev. Cost: $25.00 per month and $20.00 sign up (for the stand).

Call me if you want to sign up!



Farmer’s Wife - What is not to love about the Farmer’s Wife book? You can come to this class and copy the template sizes from my book so that you can rotary cut them. You can use your scraps to make the blocks. There is no class fee. All you need is the book! Come join us……………………….



Stash Pot Pie - You guys are SO lucky that Bev is here. When I overheard some of you saying you wanted to do a SCRAP quilt, possibly a crazy quilt, my evil side came out and I found the perfect pattern. It is so horrendous and I thought to myself “I’ll fix their little red wagon. If they want scrap crazy quilting, THIS will shut them up.” I showed it to Bev (not on purpose) and she told me I could NOT do that to my Stash Pot Pie class and that I’ve always said that Stash Pot Pie was my favorite class and it was MEAN to give them a pattern like that. So I withdraw the pattern I showed you last month, Karen Weber, but you can still do it, if you want to! I’ll come up with a more user friendly scrap quilt pattern.



Back Home Block of the Month - this is our last month - Block 9 and we’ll be ready to put on borders.



Wool Applique NEW Block of the Month! - Jackie has brought in the first block sample - it is very pretty. Last year’s quilt had only red, green, gold and brown wool - but this year’s has gorgeous colors! $15.00 per month, plus threads.


Mary

Quilt Shop of Chisholm

November/December Newsletter



Class Schedule for November:



UFO class - Thursday, November 4, 5-8pm

Farmer’s Wife - Wednesday, November 10, 2-6pm

Beginner Class - Wednesday, November 10 and 17, 5-8pm

Stash Pot Pie - Thursday, November 11, 4 or 5 til 8pm

Aunt Grace Circle of Friends B.O.M. - Sat., Nov 13, 12-1pm

Civil War Tribute B.O.M. - Sat, Nov 13, 10am-11am

Wool Applique B.O.M. - Thursday, November 18, 6pm-8pm

Back Home B.O.M. - Saturday, November 20, 12-2pm



Class Schedule for December:



UFO class - Thursday, December 2, 5-8pm

Farmer’s Wife - Tuesday, December 8, 2-6pm

Beginner Class - Wednesday, December 8 and 15, 5-8pm

Stash Pot Pie - Thursday, December 9, 4 or 5 til 8pm

Aunt Grace Circle of Friends B.O.M. - Saturday, December 11, 12-1pm

Civil War Tribute B.O.M. - Sat. December 11, 10-11am

Wool Applique B.O.M. - Thursday, December 16, 6pm-8pm

Back Home B.O.M. - Saturday, Dec. 18, 12-2pm



(B.O.M. means ongoing Block of the Month)



******************************************************************

Remember, if your name is mentioned in the newsletter, no matter how inappropriately, you will get a free fat quarter next time you come in the shop. (Of course, you will have to remind me!)

******************************************************************



SHOP HOP! SHOP HOP! SHOP HOP! - February 23-26, Wed. - Sat. The shop will be open 9-6 Wednesday-Friday (yes we’ll still be open until 8pm on that Thursday) and 8am-8pm Saturday, Anita Provenzino. Saturday the 26th there will be a bus leaving from the shop and making the circle to Terri’s Treasures, the new shop in Aitkin, Timeless Treasures in McGregor, Hill City, Tiger Textiles in Grand Rapids, Hibbing, and of course back home to Chisholm! If you did not go last year on the bus, you missed a great time. This year we will have more room on the bus AND Carol Lee will be your tour guide! How lucky can you get!? But WAIT, there’s more! The price will be the same as last year - $35.00!!!!!!!!!! WOW! Like I said, Linda Carlon, you’ll have more room on the bus, Kathy Young, (to stow your purchases while you’re out running all over the country cheating on me) and the seats are more comfortable (think First Class), and THEN you get to return to the shop and have a gourmet dinner served to you! Okay, it won’t be gourmet and you’ll probably have to serve yourself, but it will be GOOD!

You can call the shop (254-1700) or Chisholm Community Education (254-1431) to reserve your spot on the bus. $35.00 will be due January 26. More about this in January newsletter………………..



QUILT CAMP - Camp Chicagami Thursday, April 28 - Sunday, May 1. This is a UFO (unfinished objects) camp. Sign up in the shop!



Coming up in January, we will be doing a Patchabilities block of the month. In January you will get a 12” x 14” stand and a pattern and fabric to make a little 12” square wall hanging to go on it, Margaret Morgan. Each month thereafter, you will get the pattern and fabric to make another block for the stand AND a little seasonal stand topper that attaches to the stand! All this for a pittance of $22.50 per month! AND there will be a sample made for display in a TIMELY fashion (because Bev will be doing it, not me.) Please come in and sign up so I’ll know how many stands to order!



Also in January we will be starting a NEW Block of the month, Jeannie Quirk, “Patriots in Petticoats”. This is Windham Fabrics in Association with the Daughters of the American Revolution project. It is a beautiful quilt and - if you are in the current Civil War Tribute b.o.m. then you will appreciate the simplicity of the blocks. The pattern has a monthly tribute to women who lived during the time of the American Revolution and the early years of our country.



Beginner class - This is a new ongoing class on Wednesday nights as noted on the class schedule. If you know anyone who needs a beginner class, they can start on any of the dates on the schedule - I just need to know at least a day before they start coming! This seems to work best when we have people come in and want a beginner class. We always have scheduling problems and by the time we get a full class they may have lost interest. Wednesday nights I will be here to get you started, and help you progress each step of the way. The shop is closed at 6pm, so there will be minimal interruptions. When you can’t make the following class, then you just let me know. That way, it takes the pressure off you and you will eventually have a quilt! If you cannot make it on Wednesday nights, ask me about Tuesday mornings! If you can’t make Tuesday mornings, either, then God help you. No, just kidding. We will work out a schedule. I’m willing to work one on one. $15.00 class fee per session.



Wool Applique - Thanks to Carol, the November, December and finishing kits are ready to be picked up whenever you want them. The finishing kit is $15.00.



Arlene Huset came in the shop today with ALL 113 Farmer’s Wife blocks done! I am going to get back to making my blocks one-per-day if it kills me (it might).



Mary

Quilt Shop of Chisholm

September 2010

Class Schedule:



****UFO Night - Thursday, Sept. 2, 4pm-8pm



****Farmer’s Wife - Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2pm-6pm



Stash Pot Pie - Thursday, Sept. 9, 5pm-8pm



Civil War Tribute Block of the Month - Saturday, Sept. 11, 10am-11am



****Aunt Grace Circle of Friends B.O.M. - Saturday, Sept. 11, 12pm-1pm



****Beginner Quilting Class - Tuesdays, 5pm-8pm, Sept 14 & 28, Oct 12 & 26



Wool Applique - Thursday, Sept. 16, 6pm-8pm



Back Home B.O.M. - Saturday, Sept. 18, 12pm-2pm



(**** denotes new classes starting in September)





*******************************************************************

If your name is mentioned in this newsletter (no matter how inappropriately)

You will receive a Free FAT QUARTER!

*******************************************************************



I put the above statement about the free fq in all my newsletters. A few months ago my sister Jenny (who is NOT a quilter and reads the newsletter on the blog) emailed me and said “I want a free fat quarter! What is it?” !!

QUILT CAMP! QUILT CAMP! QUILT CAMP!

Camp Chicagami - Fall Into Quilting - September 9-12. Thursday-Sunday $170, Friday-Sunday $160. If you have signed up with Charlotte Nelson’s group, great! If you sign up with the QSOC group, you can still participate in Charlotte’s classes if you want to, OR just work on your UFO’s. You may arrive anytime Thursday and our first meal will be on Thursday evening. We will have 2 meals each day. Day campers: Thursday or Sunday $35.00, Friday or Saturday $40.00, includes one meal.

Household tip: If you head up the stairs with windex, paper towels, and trash bags, and look down pointedly at the people you live with who are stretched out watching Nascar on Sunday afternoon, tell them you are going “upstairs to clean”, then put your nose in the air, you can get a nice long Sunday afternoon rest and no one will come upstairs to bother you. I tried this several weeks ago. I really had intentions of cleaning - and I did, for about 15 minutes. Then I saw my bed - so inviting - and someone had left the TV on, so I lay down for a few minutes to read. Unfortunately, who ever had been watching TV in my room had left the tv on the Animal Planet Channel, and this show called “The Monster In Me” was on. If you have never watched this show, DON’T DO IT! Forget “Nightmare on Elm Street” or “Silence of the Lambs” or any of those movies - this show is about parasites that invade our bodies. (Are you itching yet?) The episode that was on was about bed bugs, lung flukes and some parasite that can get in your eyes and the cure is a drug that has some chemical pool cleaner in it. I am not making this up. After I checked the sheets for telltale signs of bed bugs and determined that since I wasn’t going to eat any raw crustaceans then I wasn’t going to get lung flukes, I called my 19 year old daughter because she wears contacts. I informed her that she was NEVER to use old or dirty lenses and she needed to keep her contact cleaner somewhere where it wouldn’t get contaminated. She replied “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?”. To which I replied that parasites might be invading her eyes at this very moment and she thanked me for telling her and hung up. Then I started thinking about how quilting gets a hold on us like a parasite. But it’s a GOOD parasite. It can completely take over your thought process. Your husband is talking about something that happened at work that day and you are saying the appropriate things in response like “really? Uh huh? Are you serious?” and all the time you’re thinking “if I used triangle papers and made the half square triangles 3” instead of 2”, then I would only have to make 413 of them instead of 2,687. I wonder if I have enough of the brown material for the sashing?” or “the flannel quilt in our bedroom is so old and falling apart - but do I really want to make another queen size and how am I going to afford the flannel for that size and the backing - I know, I’ll buy the fabric for the blocks first, then when I finish that I’ll get the borders. Then I’ll get the backing later. What pattern do I want to use?” And he’s continuing “blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah, so how was your day?” And you suddenly realize that he’s stopped talking and is looking at you like he’s waiting for a response. And if you’ve been married long enough, you know that he’s either asked 1. What’s for dinner or 2. Can we have a quick romp in the hay before the kids come in or 3. How was your day. This is very important that you answer correctly. He doesn’t LOOK hungry. He looks too tired for a romp in the hay. So you say “just great, honey, just great.” and he looks happy.

So, even though quilting is a parasite, I still say it’s a good parasite.

If I haven’t lost you yet with my rambling: We will be having a new class on the first Thursday of the month starting this month: UFO NIGHT! You come on the first Thursday anytime in the afternoon or when you get home from work and bring your machine and whatever you want to work on. If you need help with something or advice (we LOVE to give advice), or if you just want to work on an unfinished project. Class fee is $5. BUT, there is a catch…………….(I know, there always is, right?). Think of it as a bonus - not a catch - since I will be demonstrating a new technique to you at each class! September will be a technique used in the book “10-Minute Blocks, 3-Seam Squares for Quicker Quilts”. This class will fill up very, very fast, as there is only room for 12 people. Call the shop to sign up!

Farmer’s Wife - if you have the book and want to come to work on your blocks, or if you want to cut your fabrics, or if you want to copy template measurements out of my book, this is the class for you. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, come in and see the book.

Aunt Grace Circle of Friends Block of the Month - this is a 7 month project with a cost of $27.50 per month and includes all fabrics for top and binding. These cute 1930’s prints are just charming. Come in and see the picture and the blocks that Doris Smith has done.

Beginner Quilting class - Karen Skraba will be teaching this class. Class fee will be $60 for all 4 sessions. You will be making a 52” x 68” lap size quilt and fabrics will run about $45.00. The supply list is available at the shop. Limited to 6 students, so sign up as soon as possible!

We will be starting a new wool applique block of the month in January and I have a picture of the new project and a sign up sheet in the shop. Jackie is almost done putting together her sample of this year’s wool block of the month and you will be jumping up and down to get yours finished when you see it!!!!!!!

Sometime in September I will be starting a “Triangle Exchange” - I will have information in the shop on that and other upcoming things.

Now, before I sign off, I have to tell you about the bat that came to visit. I don’t know how he (or she) got in, but I can tell you how he or she got out. Bev and I were alone in the shop and saw the movement of flight. He flew behind the quilt on the back wall. Bev looked at me and I said, “I’m going down to the basement to get my rubber gloves.” She looked at me harder and said, “What if he comes out from behind the quilt and builds a nest in my hair? That’s what my older sisters told me when I was little.” I told her that the bat was perfectly happy behind the dark quilt and I would be right back up. I went down stairs and almost immediately hear the pitter patter of little feet (running) and SQUEALING from up above. I grabbed my gloves and as I headed up the stairs I hear Bev sobbing: “Mary, you need to get up here right now!.” I opened the door and there was Bev, cowering under the cutting table, emitting a squeal every now and then, and the bat WAS kind of making a bee line for her. When he finally landed, I picked him up with a plastic bag in my rubber glove and turned the bag inside out and took him out in the alley. So I called Bev at home the next morning and told her I was sorry that she had had such a traumatic experience at the quilt shop and that I still respected her, even though she hid under the table and squealed. Sorry, Bev, I just had to tell it.

We have darling pillow case kits for the magic pillow case made up in the shop - this would be the perfect opportunity to make a pillow case for the pillow case challenge! See Barb for details.

Mary