Free-Standing Lace Pumpkin - Wow!

What a beautiful project!  Kit and I saw these at the recent Janome Institute in San Antonio at the OESD booth, and we both loved them!  My favorite is the one that says "Give Thanks".  Of course we ordered them right away, and have just scheduled a class!  Click here if you'd like to find out more about these beautiful designs.  There are two different design collections; the picture above shows the newest collection (with some fun color ideas), and the picture below shows pumpkins from the first collection.  Click here for information on the first collection. 

The class will be on October 9th.  If you don't have an embroidery machine, you will be able to use our machine for the class - just let us know.  We will have the supply list and more details for the class soon.  Click here if you'd like to register now to reserve your place in the class!

We've also found a great tool, the Alligator Clamps / Forceps, that is extremely helpful for this project, as well as other machine embroidery projects.  You can find out more about those here.

And here is a picture of the Alligator Clamps in use....and yes, that is the corner of a Gingerbread House that you are seeing.....that may be our next project that we'll do in time for the holidays! 

We hope you can join us for class, and we'd love to see the pumpkins you make! 

Coming Soon - Latimer Farms Block of the Month

 

This beautiful quilt was designed by Red Crinoline Quilts. Based on motifs from antique fabric prints, Paula Barnes' LATIMER FARMS collection highlights navy and leathery brown prints accented with gold, faded denim blue, olive, black and a touch of rusty red. The prints are beautifully anchored by one of Paula's favorite border stripes. The quilt features 36 6" blocks, framed with a border which creates the illusion of an Irish chain. The quilt finishes at 101" x 101".

This program includes the pattern and the fabric for the quilt top and binding. Coordinating wide backing fabric (above) is also available separately.  Shown below are some of the fabrics from the project. 

The block of the month will begin in January 2016 and will run for 12 months.  Register here if you would like to pre-order this Latimer Farms project - you will not be charged until the fabrics are here and the project is ready to ship, but we will reserve the project for you!

We also still have a limited number of Hampton Ridge kits (or block of the month) available.  This is also a Red Crinoline Quilts project with beautiful reproduction fabrics from the 1800's designed by Paula Barnes for Marcus Brothers.  Paula and Mary Ellen Robison of Red Crinoline Quilt designed this stunning quilt featuring forty one 7 1/2"blocks.  The simple layout of this quilt shows off the variety of the prints and the colors create sampler-style blocks that are varied and cohesive. And a beautiful border stripe is featured on the border.

And along a similar line, we have also have a limited number of Mill Girls kits (or block of the month) available.  This beautiful quilt was designed by Nancy Rink for Marcus Brothers and features "The Mill Girls" fabric collection designed by Judie Rothermel. Judie worked with the archivist from Old Sturbridge Village to create a collection authentic of the time period. The fabrics provide a historically accurate palette of tans and browns blended with burgundy, blue, and green taken from the period of the mid 1800s. Each of the ten block patterns in the Mill Girls quilt is named after a young girl who worked in the textile mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, and each is accompanied by excerpts from a letter she has written.  This is truly a beautiful quilt.  Here is a close up picture of the border fabric:

Click here if you would like more info about Hampton Ridge, and click here if you'd like more info about Mill Girls.  Both are stunning quilts, as is the new Latimer Farms quilt! 

Handi Quilter Back to School Special!

 

Tradition • Warmth • Confidence

Handi Quilter understands what quilters need -  a reliable, low-maintenance quilting machine that not only makes it easy for you to finish more quilts, but also looks great in your studio. Whether you quilt for fun, charity, or for profit, Handi Quilter’s innovative technology and quality engineering provide the functionality that quilters demand along with the smoothest stitch in the industry.

All of the Handi Quilter machines are backed by the trusted HQ warranty, more than 300 trained HQ local retailers, and HQ customer service, education, and technical support. With Handi Quilter, you’ll be able to finish more quilts to your own or your customers’ exacting standards.

Have you been thinking about purchasing a Handi Quilter machine?  Whether you are interested in the Sweet 16 sit-down machine or one of the long-arm machines, we have a deal for you! 

We are offering $0 down and 0% interest, PLUS FREE Shipping** (with approved credit for 48 month terms) on select Handi Quilter machine packages!  Note that terms and conditions apply. 48 month terms available.  Financing by Synchrony Bank.  The Sweet 16 can be had for $117/month*, and the Avante could be in your home for only $220/month*!  And with FREE shipping! 

Call us or stop by today if you'd like to try out the machine or find out more about this great deal!  This deal starts August 28th and goes to September 10th.  Don't miss out on this great opportunity to have your very own Handi Quilter!

Here is all of the fine print (we have to include this): 

*FINANCING: Payment terms offer is through Synchrony Bank upon approved credit. Amount approved may not fund entire cost of machine purchase. Synchrony Bank Terms and
Conditions for 48-month program applies. Valid only for single-order consumer purchases of Handi Quilter machines between August 28 - September 10, 2015, only. Orders must
ship by September 14, 2015. Financing offer valid for U.S. customers only. No interest charges will be assessed if the promotional purchase balance is paid in full within the promotion
duration (promo period) stated. If the promotional purchase balance is not paid in full by the end of the promo period or if monthly required payments are not received when due,
interest will be imposed from the date of purchase at the Purchase APR. Monthly payments are required. Making only the minimum payments required by your monthly statement
may not pay off the promotion within the promo period. Regular account terms apply to non-promotional purchases and, after promotion ends, to promotional purchase. Not all
promotions are available at all stores. Offers are subject to credit approval by Synchrony Bank. Please visit www.mysynchrony.com to view details, terms, account information, or
make payments. Promotion may not be combined with other offers. Promotion valid at participating Handi Quilter retailers only.
**SHIPPING: Free shipping on select machine packages for the 48 contiguous states only. Sweet Sixteen packages with HideAway Table receive a $190 shipping credit towards total
freight cost. Shipping to Alaska and Hawaii receive a discount towards the total cost of freight charges: discounts of $70 towards an HQ Pro-Stitcher, $190 towards an HQ Sweet
Sixteen package, $345 towards an HQ Avanté package, $395 towards an HQ Fusion package, and $450 towards an HQ Infinity package will be applied toward the total freight cost.

Stitchin' in the Kitchen - Machine Embroidery this Weekend!

Join us for one of the Anita Goodesign machine embroidery workshops this weekend.  Choose from Friday or Saturday - whatever works best for you!  Here are the projects we will be making:

 

The full collection is wonderful!  What a great way to get started on holiday gifts, and to give your kitchen a nice make-over! There are over 160 unique designs including 12 projects. With this Collection you can make pot holders, towel toppers, magnets, mason jar covers, and so much more! You won’t find yourself in a pickle when making these designs, because they come with step-by-step color tutorials and ingredient lists to ensure that making these designs is as easy as pie. These fun designs are sure to add a sprinkle of homemade love to your kitchen. We know you’re itchin’ to get stitchin’! Eat, drink, sew, and be merry!

With this Premium Plus collection you'll receive a full-color tutorial book, with 175 pages of tutorials and beautiful photographs of these projects in use in a real kitchen. Because each and every project comes with step-by-step instructions and ingredient lists, you can be sure that making these designs is as easy as pie.

With over 40 isolated designs, and 18 appliques included, you can embroider on anything from chef hats, to linen napkins, to reusable shopping bags! And you can create these gorgeous designs completely in the hoop:
- Towel tips and toppers
- Sun catchers
- Refrigerator magnets
- Coupon Holders
- Mason Jar Lid Covers

There are instructions for 7 different projects made with quilt blocks - over 40 different quilt blocks are included. Create these projects with finished quilt blocks in just a few easy sewing steps:

- Waist apron
- Kitchen caddy
- Plant cozy
- Casserole holder
- Casserole grabber
- Potholder
- Trivet

You can order the collection here, and let us know if you have any questions.  We hope you can come by to join us for one of the workshops this weekend (Friday or Saturday)!

2015 Kaleidoscope of Quilts Show on Sunday, Sept 13

We are excited to announce that Material Girls & Michael from Half Moon Bay will be presenting their 2015 Kaleidoscope of Quilts Show on Sunday, September 13, 2015 from 12 noon to 5 pm.  The show will be held at Lesley Gardens, 701 Arnold Way @ Main Street in Half Moon Bay, CA. 

There will be over 100+ beautiful quilts on display, a craft boutique, a 20% discount coupon from Always Quilting, and admission is FREE!  So mark your calendars now and plan on a fun day to view some gorgeous quilts on Sunday September 13th!  

Here is a small view of the map; please give us a call if you need more information about the show or the location, and we'll have someone get back to you and make sure all of your questions are answered! 

Here Are Two of the New Janome Machines!!!

We are so excited about these new Janome machines, and now I can tell you about them!  We got to see and play with both machines at the Janome Institute last week.  The first machine, the Skyline S7, is the best machine value you will find anywhere!  It has so many top-of-the-line features at a fantastic price.  We have our demo machine coming any day now and will let you know when it arrives.  Of course you are invited to come in and try it out!

Here are some details about the new Skyline S7:  A brand new Skyline model was also introduced at Janome Institute - the Skyline S7. This wonderful sewing machine comes with 240 built-in stitches, including 11 one-step buttonholes and 7 alphabets. Quilters and designers will enjoy the AcuFeed Flex™ Layered Fabric Feeding System and the Automatic Presser Foot Lift. The 11 buttonholes can be customized for stitch width, stitch density and buttonhole opening. Along with that, the 7 alphabets also go up to a 9mm width with a revised letter size and shape for increased realism and balance. Navigation through all of these features has become easier with the Skyline S7's new LCD color touchscreen.

Janome Skyline S7 Sewing Machine

The second machine we can tell you about now is the Janome Memory Craft 500E.  It is an embroidery - only machine and will do the larger hoop projects!  For all of you quilters (or sewists) who don't want to tie your machines up with embroidery projects while you are sewing, this is a great machine to have side by side with your sewing machine and watch those embroidery projects get completed while you sew.  Kit and I were both extremely excited about this machine - it's one we've needed in the line....a full-featured embroidery machine at a really fabulous price! 

Janome Memory Craft 500E Embroidery Machine

We won't be getting this machine in for a bit, but we can tell you all about it, and you can test drive our other machines to get a feel for the inspiration and excellence of this new embroidery machine.  We are taking pre-orders at the introductory price, so let us know right away if you'd like us to reserve one for you!  We will also be using these in our upcoming monthly machine embroidery workshops so you can always join us for one of those and have fun on this new machine! 

Here are some details about the Memory Craft 500E:  Meet the new Memory Craft 500E - Janome's most advanced embroidery-only machine. Now designers can create projects to reflect their personal sense of style. It is easy to personalize, embellish and monogram home decor items, garments and accessories. With 160 built-in embroidery designs and 6 fonts for monogramming, the possibilities are endless. The MC500E has a maximum embroidery size of 7.9" x 11" and it comes with 4 embroidery hoops: RE28b 7.9" x 11"; SQ20b 7.9" x 7.9"; RE20b 5.5" x 7.9"; SQ14b 5.5" x 5.5" and an extra wide table for expansive workroom.

Designs are easily imported through a USB and edited through the machine's advanced on-screen editing functions. Navigation through all of these features has become easier with the MC500E's new LCD color touchscreen.

Of course, we have the full line of all of the Janome machines; whatever your budget is, Janome has a great machine with excellent value, and they are the most problem-free machines on the market today...as well as the most innovative!  Give us a call or stop by to try one out today - come have some fun with us! 

Nifty Notions Mesh Bag Class on Friday

Register today for Pat's Nifty Notions Mesh Bag class on Friday. Her sample is made out of Row by Row Experience fabric plates, but the bag would be so cute out of any fabric you choose!  This project is easy to make and you will have fun and finish the project if you join us!

Last Day at Janome Institute

Today we are coming home from San Antonio after a wonderful week at Janome Institute - where the whole week is focused on everything Janome!  We have learned so much this week, we don't even know where to start!  And we have so many great new ideas to bring back to the shop!  New machines, software, and accessory items will be arriving at the shop very soon.

Yesterday we spent most of the time working on the top of the line machine, the Janome 15000.  It is truly an amazing machine and will do just about everything, and then some!  Our class project was a tote bag that we can use to carry the machine embroidery hoops and we actually finished our projects in class!  Of course the point is to learn about the machine, so we used about five different feet, the cloth setter guide, and a variety of features in both sewing and embroidery mode - switching between the two multiple times during the project. We were very impressed that we were able to complete our project, especially in such short time. We will send pictures soon!

Last night was the closing ceremony and party, with a great meal, a fabulous Texas style country band, more time for networking, and a chance to recognize and thank the Janome staff for all they do to support us and you, our customers.

We expect new products to be coming to the shop soon, and we'll let you know when they are here so you can be the first to come see them!

More From Janome Institute

Today was another information packed day!  We had a great class on the Janome 9900, a great sewing / embroidery machine. We got to do a project that included both embroidery and sewing features!  This is a great machine and so much fun to work with. For those of you who attend our Anita Goodesign  machine embroidery workshops, this is the machine we use for those classes. We learned more fun new things about the machine and can't wait to share those things with you!

We also had fun learning about the new digitizing software. They have added some incredible features and made it so much easier to use!  This software can be used for any machine and we can't wait until it is released, which will be in the near future. We'll plan a demo and let you know as soon as it is available.

One of the best parts of this event is to meet and network with other shop owners as well as the experts at Janome. Everyone has so much energy and there are so many great ideas shared by everyone. And today, I even met someone who went to the same college - Auguatana College in Rock Island, Illinois!  My husband and I met there so I have very fond memories of the school. It is a small liberal arts school so I don't often run into people who went there!

Tomorrow is the last class day and closing ceremonies - I can't believe how quickly theorem has gone by. I'm sure we'll have more to share after the classes tomorrow!

Janome Institute is so much fun!

No pictures yet, but we are having so much fun in San Antonio attending classes and learning all about the Janome products.  I am hoping to be allowed to send pictures soon!  So far, we have had a serger class where we made several shop samples, and also learned about a new Mid-line machine. This machine is so cool and it has features from the top of the line machine!  We can't wait to tell you all about it! Very Cool!

We also went to a class about the Artistic Edge cutter, which is very similar to the Silhouette or Zing cutters. These cutters are very cool and we are planning to have a class again in the near future. We are also getting ideas for some other classes as well. Of course there is lots of great food and drink too - we are stuffed!  And we are really enjoying the Mexican - Spanish flavor of the event. Last night we were treated to a mariachi band complete with beautiful dancers. What a fun event so far!  

Tomorrow we learn about long arm machines, the cloth setter, and diagnosing machines. It looks like we have a free evening, so we may be able to enjoy some of the sights in the city. Hope you are having a fun week, and we'll share more with you later!

Summer Sports Time

The summer is quickly winding down. Have you had a chance to make a quilt for your favorite baseball game?  The fabrics are perfect for great t-short sports quilt. Wouldn't that be fun?

Crazy Quilting FREE Open Studio

Join Robin today at noon for Crazy Quilting time!  Work on your current project, or start a new one. Learn new stitches and get ideas for your project. join us!

Machine Embroidery Workshop Coming Soon!

Join us on August 28th or 29th for "Stitchin' in the Kitchen", the next Anita Goodesign workshop! We will be making a kitchen magnet and a mason jar top. We can't wait - this will be so fun!  Call the shop today to reserve your place in the class!

Nifty Notions Mesh Bag Class

We are having so much fun with Pat's mesh bag classes.  Register today for the next fun class and make your very own Nifty Notions Mesh Bag. great for gifts and lots of fun to make!

Tomorrow We Leave for Janome Institute!

This is the Janome Magnolia, one of our favorite machines - great for taking to class!

Every other year, Janome holds in international convention called Janome Institute.  This event is full of classes, new products, great ideas, and lots of networking!  Kit and I are going to San Antonio for this event and we are really looking forward to it!  We will be blogging every day and letting you know what is the latest and greatest with Janome machines!  And if you have any questions you'd like us to ask, just let us know and we'll find out - all of the experts will be there! 

We Need a Row by Row Winner!

Have you finished your Row by Row Quilt yet?  We have 25 fat quarters waiting for our Row By Row winner - Will you be the one?  And we also have a special extra prize for the winner if the Always Quilting Row is used in the quilt!  We have two rows to choose from:

Here is our Cruising to the Beach Row

And here is our Watercolor Wave Row

 

We hope you are sewing away and will come in soon to win our prize!

Mesh Tote Class on Sunday - Join Us!

Pat will be teaching the mesh tote bag class on Sunday.  This is a fun and easy project, and great for gifts.  Some of the folks who took the class last month have already given their bags away, to significant Ooohs and Ahhhs!  Here is the bag Sandra made in the last class - what a fun way to collect all her Row by Row patterns and fabric plates!

Guest Blogger - Athena from Kids Camp

Kids Camp last week was a blast!  The kids make an entire quilt, starting with picking out their own fabrics, to long arm quilting and binding it by hand.  We'll be posting more pictures of the amazing quilts the kids did, but for today, we wanted to share Athena's quilt with you.  She also had a few words to add about the camp.

"Quilt camp is so much fun!  From piecing to binding my quilt while watching movies with my new friends, it was an amazing experience. I'm really looking forward to quilt camp next year!"

 

Here is Athena working on her quilt.

 

Athena ponders over her quilt layout as she is putting the columns together.

The layout is looking pretty good......

Long arm quilting is fun to do!

The quilt is coming along nicely - almost done!

And here is the finished quilt!

 

This was all done in one week!  Didn't she do a great job! 

New Batiks - Great for Backgrounds!

We have just gotten some beautiful new batiks in that are wonderful for backgrounds!  These would be great to compliment your next batik project.  They are from Island Batiks.  Here are two of them:

Click here for Crust:

Click here for Sugar:

And as a side note, we have also recently received new white-on-white fabrics, white-on-cream fabrics, and light pastels in both batiks and regular cottons, so we have a nice variety available for all of your projects needing a background! 

Binding Tool Star Quilt - Progress Has Started!

Pat's Binding Tool Star class is off to a great start!  This quilt uses a strip roll, background fabric, and of course, the Binding Tool (which you can also use for binding, by the way!). 

The pattern is from the Missouri Star Block magazine, which we have found to be a wonderful resource for many great projects!

 

Here is the sample that Pat made for the class.

Here is Anne's quilt so far.  She used a beautiful Jinny Beyer batik strip roll and a gorgeous maroon  background fabric.  Doesn't this look rich?

Here is Evelyn's quilt.  She is using a fabulous Fairy Frost strip roll in multiple shades of blue, along with a complimentary blue background.  This is looking very elegant!

There is one more class session for this quilt, and if you missed the first session you can still join us!  It will be Sunday, August 16th from 10 -4.  Just give us a call and let us know you'd like to join in the fun!

Additional Shop Hop Dates

While we are on the subject of shop hops, make sure you have two others marked on your calendar!  In November, we have the Jingke Bell Shop Hop coming up on Novermber  5th - 8th. Each shop will provide you with a FREE pattern for a holiday project - it could be a quilt, table runner, tote bag, stocking, and more!  Lots of prizes to win too!

And also mark your calendar now for Quilter's March Madness on March 17th - 20th.  Lots of prizes, FREE pattern and more for all who participate. We'll have more details on both events as things progress - and we'll look forward to seeing you there!

Shop Hop By the Bay Dates Announced!

Did you participate in Shop Hop by the Bay this year?  We had so much fun meeting everyone and we hope you did too!  And we thank you for joining us for this fun event.  We have just finalized the event for next year, and the dates are set! 

The Shop Hop will be June 22nd - June 26th.  And we are adding two new shops!  We are excited to have Not Just Quiltz and Color me Quilts, both from Fremont, participating in the event for next year.  We've already started working on prizes and a shop hop project, and we have some exciting things in store for you.

Maps will be available soon, but in the meantime, please mark your calendar for these dates and plan to join us for this fun event! 

All the King's Men Blocks are Looking Good!

Louise has been working ahead on the All the King's Men Applique Sampler project.  This is turning out to be a very fun project.  Here are the first two blocks:

And here are blocks 3 and 4. 

There is still availability to participate; click here if you'd like more information about this project, and click here if you'd like to register for the class.  If you can't join us for the class, you can always sign up for this project as a block of the month, and we will ship your block to you each month. 

Are you new to applique?  Just let us know ahead of time and Louise will work with you during the class to get you started!  We hope you'll join us for this fun project!

Fall Dates for Long-arm Class Are Set

Have you always wanted to try a long-arm quilting machine? Come and see our machines, and register for our long-arm certification class!  Once you've taken the class and have been certified, you will be eligible to rent the machine.

We have three machines available for rental - two Handi Quilter machines, the Avante and the Infinity, and a Gammil Premiere machine.  We offer a full array of pantographs and a wonderful variety of both solid and variegated threads for you to use when you rent the machines.  We also have pattern books with suggested ideas, and a white-board and markers to allow you to practice before you start your pattern on your quilt.  
 
 And don't worry, when you do rent the machine, we'll be here to help you every step of the way!  We provide a dedicated monitor, ready and willing to answer your questions and help you with any problems you may encounter.  And we only schedule one quilter per day on each machine, so you can relax and take your time and not worry about having to finish up on a tight time frame. 

Our Long-arm Classes are small so you'll have plenty of time to practice all aspects of long arm quilting. Our upcoming dates for the fall are:

Thursday, September 3rd
Thursday, October 1st
Thursday, October 29th
Thursday, November 19th

These classes will fill very quickly, so click here to register today and make sure you have a place in the class.  Don't miss out on this fun day!