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Re: Looking Forward to the Move: Part One
My husband will be looking forward to the certification class on the longarm. He can't wait to get
--Dragonlily
i went thru west concord last week and thought i saw a 'moving sale' sign... rechecked it today and
--sandy
Re: I never finish anythi...
A couple of years ago, my daughter gave me a pattern and a tote bag all cut out.i never finished it.
--Marsew
I'm definitely NOT the Queen, maybe a minor princess or duchess in UFO's. A few weeks ago, I was loo
--Linda
This pillow made me laugh out loud! I am happy to hear about your move... no worries about parking
--Cynthia
Loved your blog entry, reminded me that I am not alone! In the UFO category. Congrats on your weddi
--Lee
I'd probably be in the running for Queen of the Unfinished Projects (though that's not saying I'd ac
--Deb
Re: Laminate Allows You to Get Messy!
Oh, and also, we do not have an exact move-in date yet. The new space requires a build-out, which re
--Valerie
Patty, I'm going to email you about the colored bar. And thank you! We're excited, though, I'm sorry
I was wondering why there is a colred strip in the middle of each page.. On a psoitive note I love t
--Patty
In case you do not receive our newsletter (you really should! You can sign up for it on the home page), below is all of the information you could possibly need to know about our upcoming move.
Our last day in West Concord will be August 17th. We will re-open in Acton on August 23rd. We are closed August 18-22.
Our new address is 340 Great Road, Acton, MA 01720, which is at the corner of Rt. 27 and Rt. 2A. The phone number at the new location will be 978-635-1177.
We will be closed the following Mondays: July 30, August 6, 13, and September 3 (for Labor Day).
The hours at the new location will be:
We continue to bargain away--the more you buy, the less we have to move! Come on in and see what we have on sale this week!
When customers come in and pick out fabrics for a quilt or talk about a project they are working on, we always tell them, "Be sure to come back and show it to us when you finish!" Those who do get showered with "Ooooo"s and "Ahhhhh"s, and a photo of their project on our Flickr page and potentially the blog! So, always bring your finished projects in--they are the highlights of our day!
Each month's Saturday Sampler session begins with show and tell. Quilters bring in projects at all different stages to show off, get accolades, and also get encouragement. Below are the Saturday Sampler quilts shown off at June's session. Three of them are completed versions of Skies over Paris, the 2011-2012 Saturday Sampler series. The first is the Spring quilt from the Four Seasons series. Aren't they stunning?
Other projects shown off at June's Saturday Sampler.
We often get sneak peeks of quilts in their many different stages. The quilts below are just about completed; all they need is the binding! We hope the quilters bring them back for complete photographing and storytelling when they are all done, because they need to be fully shared!
We have a running joke at the shop. Donna, who manages our inventory, insists on a two-week turn-around policy on samples for the shop. Jane (the owner) and I are not so good about following that policy. As a matter of fact, Donna likes to say (to everyone) that we never finish anything. At Christmas time, Jane made this gorgeous topiary and left it at the register to be a constant reminder to Donna that she does, in fact, finish things.
December must be as good as January for resolution because I decided that I needed to assert my ability to finish things. In keeping with our "never finish anything" squabble, I found a pillow embroidered with "I never finish anythi." Perfect!
I quickly managed to finish the embroidery portion of the work. As soon as I finished it, I set it down on a table at my friend Sandra's house and left it behind. She let me know she had it, and mused that maybe this is why I never finish anything. I picked it up the next month, and set it aside to finish.
By this point, I was knee-deep in preparation for my April wedding. So, it continued to be set aside--probably 10 different places. With the wedding joyfully complete, I finally felt like working on something creative. Actually, what I felt like doing was finishing something. The "I never finish anythi" pillow popped into my head. It was sooo ready for finishing.
I set up the ironing board, cleared off my sewing table and went looking for the pillow stitchery. I checked where I thought I'd left it. It wasn't there. I checked another pile. It wasn't there either. I ripped apart my sewing room and my guest room looking for it. 45 minutes later I gave up, laughing that yet again this may explain why I never finish anything.
I was determined, though. I was going to finish this pillow. So, I printed out the design again, and went to re-trace. I had set some Kona Snow on the ironing board when I was setting up, so I grabbed that to cut it into the right size. Guess what was mixed in with the fabric? Yup, I found the finished stitchery.
With my determination re-energized, I added borders and the back to the stitchery. I stood up to turn it inside out, only to realize that I had sewn the stitchery on inside-out. Part of me really wanted to leave it that way. I mean, it would have been perfect. But, I knew it wouldn't last. So, I took my trusty best friend, and ripped those seams right out.
More determined than ever, I re-pinned back and front -- double-checking to make sure that I had RIGHT sides together. When it was complete, I actually said, "Ta-da!" to my dog, Toto. He didn't seem that impressed, but, some days all you really need is to actually finish something, and I did! Now it will live at the shop to be a source of laughter and inspiration to all who can relate.
Have you ever had a project like this? That just seemed to not want to be completed? What was it? We'd love to hear about it! Did you ever finish it, or did you give up and move on to something else?
We've been getting great, positive feedback about our move to Acton Woods Plaza, so we thought we'd wet your palette a bit more.
Below is a photo of Acton Woods Plaza, noting our new location.
Our classroom space will be larger AND expandable. This means more opportunities for our community, including inviting guest teachers from out-of-town to come for lectures, trunk shows, and classes. Stay tuned, because we'll be announcing our first guest teachers soon. They are quilters you won't want to miss!
We'll also be introducing a longarm rental program, complete with a certification process where you can learn to quilt your own quilts on a longarm! The store will feature a Gammill 30" longarm, as well as the Statler Stitcher (see an example below)--the computer-operated quilter. Further details about certification classes and rental will be posted shortly on the website. Having the Gammill (she's going to need a name! Interchanging Gammill, longarm, and Gammill Longarm is getting boring!) will open so many possibilities for the quilters in our community. You may have thought you'd never get the opportunity to quilt your own quilts on a longarm, since you'd never have the funds or the space for your own. We can't wait to see all of the beautiful quilts that are finished in our new space!
We're also looking forward to the new friends we'll make at the shops in the plaza. So many possibilities all the way around!
The last week was dark and gloomy with lots of rain. It's times like these where a working in a quilt shop is quite a joy--there is no lack of color surrounding you! In the middle of all that grey and rain, we pulled out some past Batik Club packages and spread them out for a full color fix.
Each fan consists of 10 fat quarters that you could be receiving on a monthly basis! This club is ideal for all of our batik lovers who want to increase their stash (and let's be honest, who doesn't?!).
Want to learn more about Batik Club? See the Batik Club product page and sign up today!
Wondering what you could do with your Batik Club collections? See the quilt below, which was made by Mary. The only fabric she purchased outside of Batik Club was the brown. Isn't it fabulous?
Some of you may have noticed that we have expanded the sale area at the shop. This is because we've been preparing for a big announcement--we're moving!
We are so excited to announce that after ten years at our current home in West Concord, we're moving. We've loved our corner spot, right across from the train (and Teacakes!), but we've outgrown it. It's time to move so we can offer our customers more fabric, services, classes, and space. While we'll be moving our location and updating our look, though, don't worry; we'll still be the friendly, helpful Quilter's Way you've come to know and trust. And the best part? We'll have free parking!
We are moving the the Acton Woods Plaza at the corner of Rt. 2A and Rt. 27 in Acton, MA. We will be two doors down from The Woolpack, so you can consolidate all of your crafty shopping in one great swoop. Our exact move date is still to be determined, as the landlord has to do a build-out in the space. But, as soon as we have a date, we will let you know.
You will also want to stay tuned for information on sales as we prepare for the move. It'll be time to clean shop, so we can make room for more great stuff (and have to move less!). Check the blog, Facebook, and your email newsletters frequently to be sure you have the most up-to-date information on what is happening.
We hope you are excited about this opportunity as we are. It has been hard to contain ourselves since we finalized the details.
Our moving sale will start tomorrow, Wednesday, May 2, 2012. Select fabric will be discounted from 10-50% off. It's going to rain all week, so come on in and help us clean shop!
On my first day as director of an after-school program, one of the kindergarteners was making an absolute mess during snack. I looked at her and told her that she should only make as much of a mess as she's willing to clean up. She looked right back at me, and without skipping a beat said, "My mom says, 'If you didn't get messy, you didn't have fun." In the last five years, or so, I have completely embraced that phrase as a life philosophy.
In order to embrace that kind of philosophy, though, you have to be willing to make certain changes in your life. The first and probably most obvious is that you have to be willing to clean UP the mess. I tend to know just how much fun we've had in an activity at the shop, or in life, by how long it takes me to clean up. My best dinner parties aren't fully cleaned up for days. If I have no clean-up, people must have been bored out of their minds.
I have also, though, learned to love certain products that make my messy life easier and slightly faster to clean up. One of those is laminated fabric. Last week we showed you some great bags that you can make out of laminated cotton. This week, though, we're going to talk getting messy. Laminated fabric protects you, your children, your furniture, your car, and so much more! It's also easy to clean. It can be wiped clean, or it can be thrown in the washing machine. Laminated fabric couldn't possibly make your life any easier unless it grew legs to walk itself to the washing machine.
When people see the rolls of laminate, they often think of making little rain jackets. But, what about something even simpler? Mary has whipped up a couple of rain poncho samples for the shop, one for the kiddos, and one for the adults--because why should only the kiddos get to jump in the rain puddles?
Our young friend Rin is modeling Fig Tree Quilts' Raindrops Rain Cape made in Wildflower laminated fabric by Dear Stella. Aren't the cape (and Rin) darling?
And don't you wish you had your very own rain poncho, modeled here by Jeanne? It's made using the Partly Cloudy Poncho pattern by Indygo Junction and Kaffe Fassett's Plink laminated fabric.
We also have a sample laminate table cloth (made with Teardrops laminated fabric by Dear Stella) in the shop right now. These are so easy to stitch up for both indoor and outdoor use, and they really brighten up any table. And for quick spills? Just wipe them up! No need to throw in the wash each time!
Be sure to check out all of the messy-repellent laminate tutorials we found. Now the tough part: which project should you start with?
As we have been overwhelmed with new fabric the last several weeks, we have been lax in mentioning the new laminates that have also arrived. These new laminates are soft, very wearable, and fun to work with. We currently have four new laminates in the shop:
We have gotten the impression, though, that many people can be a little fearful of working with laminate. We're here today to assure you that it's not all that scary to work with. As a matter of fact, Mary discovered, while making some samples that you'll get to see next week, that even the serger can be used! There are a few tips we give to people in the shop when they are considering laminate.
Amy Butler has written a wonderful tip sheet for working with laminate (click to see). Check it out for much more information, including care info, suggested notions and tools, and sewing tips.
For those who like face-to-face instruction and assistance, Jane is offering a laminate class on Tuesday, May 29 (click to go register!). You'll make a fabulous and fun beach bag that will be the talk of the boardwalk this summer!
Quilter's Way's owner, Jane, has a standard tote bag pattern in her head that she always uses when she makes bags. She also shares it with customers when they come into the shop. She walked me through it, so I can share this easy and versatile pattern with our extended community. You got a sneak-peek at the bag last week:
What You Will Need:
Cut your fabric:
1. Decide the size you would like your bag. You've purchases 1/2 yard of fabric, so the widest your bag will be is 18". Your height should not be more than your width. Also, remember that you will have a bottom in your bag, so that will take about 3". For this bag, we assumed a 15" height. So, we cut a piece of canvas that measured 18" x 30".
2. Cut your main fabric. Be sure to set aside your remaining fabric to make the handles.
3. Cut your coordinating fabric. Your coordinating fabric is both your lining and lip, so it needs to be longer than your main fabric. We added 7", which added 3.5" to each side.
4. Cut a piece of DecorBond to match the size of each piece of fabric you just cut.
Affix DecorBond to your fabrics:
1. Line up the sticky side of your piece of DecorBond to the back of your fabric.
2. With your iron on a high steam setting, press the DecorBond to the fabric.
Construct the bag:
1. Sew the two width ends (shorter sides) together, wrong sides together. Leave a 6" opening on one side.
See the opening that was left:
2. Line up your seams in the middle, and pin. Butt the seams together so that they are snug.
4. Now that you're all centered, pinned and lined up, sew together your side seams.
Construct the bag bottom:
1. Grab one of the four corners, and position it so that the side seam is positioned in the center on the top layer. Pin it in place..
2. Lay the corner flat on your cutting table, and take your cutting ruler to mark where your corner will be. To get a 4" bottom, as we did, you'll want to mark 2.5" from the edge of the corner, as shown below.
3. Repeat this, and mark your remaining three corners. Be sure to be consistent!
4. Stitch all four corners, along the marked lines.
Finish Bag:
1. Turn your bag inside out. Pull your fabric through the opening you left while constructing the bag.
2. Now that your fabric is all out, fit the lining into the canvas. You should have a 3", or so, lip.
3. Once the lining is fit well into the bag, press the top edge of the bag.
4. Top stitch around the top edge of the bag.
5. Top stitch around the top edge seam of the canvas (or main fabric), which will also secure your opening.
You're almost done!
Make the Handles:
1. Cut 2 6"x18" strips from the remaining canvas fabric.
2. Press the outer edges in 1/4" of each strip.
3. Fold the strip in half, then quarters and press, as seen below.
4. Topstitch around all four edges the handles.
5. Stitch the handles to the outside of the bag.
6. Hand stitch decorative buttons over the handle edges on the lip.
TaDa! You are done! Wasn't that easy and fun?
Now we have a challenge for you. Create your own bag, using this tutorial, and post a photo of it to our Timeline on Facebook. The first five people to do this before April 30, 2012 will receive a Dear Stella fat quarter pack! So, be inspired! Make a bag! Get fat quarters!
With all of the new fabric that has come in, we've had our working bees making fabulous samples and wanted to share some of them with you. Today, we'll showcase the Dear Stella fabrics.
Sew Liberated's Schoolhouse Tunic in Dear Stella's Orange Stained Glass.
Izzy and Ivy Design's Macy Giggles Dress in Pink Sunburst Stripe and Peony Basketweave by Dear Stella.
Laminated Teardrop tablecloth, Peacock canvas tote bag, and blue and white polka dot and Sunburst Stripe with white linen miter-bordered napkins.