Happy National Quilting Day

One of the coolest things about quilting......is seeing the same pattern and how different it cann look in different colorways and settings.
Just a few of the great quilts we saw  at the 2011 2^nd Saturday Sampler party. As usual, many of you came up with your own setting ideas and we loved all the creativity.

Stained Glass in fabric.

Samples from our Stained Glass with Fabric class. The girls finished their block in class – great job. Watch for the class again in the summer schedule.

Pink and Brown - a favorite color combination

Marshall just finished this pink and brown beauty.

Why You Should Come to Second Saturday Sampler - It is happenin' today!

We were really impressed with Susan’s original setting design for her 2^nd Saturday Sampler blocks. She used her own fabrics for the blocks, made a few extra blocks (32 total), framed each block, and then used a beautiful William Morris fabric for the sashings and setting triangles. She was in for more fabric for a beautiful pieced outer border she has planned which will make this a king-size quilt when she’s finished. Love the elegant look she achieved with her fabric choices!

Designer and Quilt Shop Owner(s)

We were so thrilled when Lisa and Nick Bongean of Primitive Gatherings showed up in the shop! Nick was a little camera shy, but we got a great picture of Lisa, Mary Ellen and Wanda. Primitive Gatherings has a booth at the Sewing Expo and we were glad they had a few minutes to stop by for a visit.

Heart Stringsd - A pattern Favorite - Great Quilts

Julie and Melanie both brought in “Heart Strings” quilt tops this week. Melanie’s son who is serving in Afghanistan just got engaged on Valentine’s Day and this quilt is going to Melanie’s future daughter-in-law. Julie used the same pattern but added sashing between the hearts and was looking for border fabric to make it queen-bed size. Love this pattern.

 

When owning a longarm comes in handy

Dena made the Civil War Journal BOM here each month last year but ‘tested the pattern’ each month before sewing with the kit fabric. She had this contemporary version out of a line called “London Lawn” from Moda.

She’ll have 2 king size quilts.   Way to go Dena.

New Sewer Impress

This is Angie’s second quilt top and she was looking for border fabrics. We think she’s off to a very good start in her quilting career.

Postcards

One of our customers brought in these beautifully framed antique postcards – originals of the screen printed antique postcards we have available in the shop! Her father has collected the post cards for many years and has framed many of his favorites. They were framed with matting on the back so you can also see the reverse side of the postcard. We love the screen prints and it was fun to see the originals. It was also great to see the colors on the screen prints so closely matched the originals!

Sewing Love from Mom

Kathy stopped by to show us the wedding dress she made for her daughter. Sewing all those buttons down the back took until two in the morning! Absolutely gorgeous.

Doodling for Quilters

Mary Ellen attended a Creative Hands workshop this week and learned Zen Tangle. She’s promising to give demos soon!

Have a Heart

Congratulations to Barbara Korey who won the door prize for shopping with us on Valentine’s Day! We were able to send $275 to the American Heart Association for women’s heart health thanks to all of you who shopped with us that day!

Hand Piecing is NOT dead!

Mary drew the center of this quilt from a picture on the internet then proceeded to hand piece the whole thing. Good job, Mary!

Wool Applique show and tell

Helen came in to get fabric for the border of this wool project from a pattern by the Olde Green Cupboard. She did a great job machine appliquéing with an invisible stitch.

Blogville

News Flash! Just heard from one of our customers, Alycia, that Bonnie Hunter - the Scrap Quilt Queen -  posted Alycia’s picture of her scrap collection! Alycia is featured on Dec 24 – “Truly and Wonderfully Blessed” and on Dec 29^th under “Fabric Herding” on her blog at www.quiltville.com

Alycia did one of Bonnie’s mysteries and finished the quilt and has entered into Paducah. We’re all crossing our fingers for her!

Red and White - a popular combination and stunning show and tell

Elinor needed more fabric to finish her red and white quilt with all paper cut designs so she brought in the quilt for us all to see. Elinor is in the Baltimore Album class and does excellent work. She saw this quilt in a magazine and decided to duplicate it and is doing a marvelous job. Red and white sure makes a striking quilt!  If you like this then you should stop in to see our mini red and white quilt show, too.  The show will hang until the end of the week.

Star within a Star within a Circle

We love stars and red/white/blue here at Little Quilts so we loved seeing Melanie’s quilt top. She used the Bonnie Blue pattern “Sarah Emma” and her Wing Clipper ruler for this king-size beauty.



SO FINE sampler quilt from alternate 2011 Second Saturday Sampler blocks

Here is an example of what you can look forward to by participating in the LQ Second Saturday Sampler.  This is a picture of Linda Wirtz's  2011 version using the 12" AND 6" alternate blocks in the reproduction
The 2012 version will be called Reproduction Magic. We have three alternates, batik, contemporary and blues and browns.  Don't fret if you missed yesterday's kick off.  Everyone pays for the first block so you can still get started by stopping in to LQ between now and March 9th.  You just need time to sew the block before you come to the next Second Saturday event so you can get the next one FREE.

Second Saturday Sampler Parking lot Show and Tell from January

The 2012 Second Saturday Sampler starts this Saturday.  The Show and Tell is one of the reasons to come.  Here are some selections from last month.

Jean purchased the kit to make “Christmas Baskets” here at Little Quilts. The quilt is a reproduction of a quilt Mary Ellen made using four antique basket blocks. Just a little appliqué and a few yo-yos make it the perfect wall hanging for the holidays.

Nicole used Dick and Jane fabric to make this bright and cheery pineapple quilt. Pattern is by Gylene Fitzgerald

New Soft Book

Kids are going to love this new addition to the soft book library. It’s a rhyme book of silly suggestions for kids who love animals. Perfect for early readers.





Go Red for Women

For American Heart Month we’re participating in the Go Red For Women Campaign and we’re reminding you that Friday is National Wear Red Day. SO stop in tomorrow wearing red and receive a free fat 1/4^th from our special basket and a pattern for a red/white quilt or redwork stitchery design.

Wanda & Jackie prepare for our red and white quilt show the week of Feb 13-18. We’ll have large and small quilts hanging around the store and 10% of our sales on Tuesday the 14^th, will be donated to the American Heart Association for research on Women’s health. We’ll have free patterns for quilt and stitchery that day too, along with information on heart health. Check out www.heart.org and www.goredforwomen.org for info and tips

for everyone.

Wool Lovers! Check this out....

We have much coveted Mary Flannigan 100% wool in 5" square charm packs in assorted  colors. Each pack has ten different shades of a color. The packets are $14.00 each. 

Auction Quilt = You can win if you enter.

In Mary Ellen’s ‘spare time’ she’s been working on a quilt to be auctioned off at St Joseph Catholic School in Marietta, where her grandsons are in Kindergarten and 3^rd grade. It all starts with an organized collection of fabrics shown here which includes school uniforms and other blue and gold fabrics in the school colors.

With the help of the rotary cutter, and the book “Turning Twenty Again”, she whipped out this quilt with 20 fat 1/4ths and school uniforms.

Two 16” pillows will be made with more of the leftovers. The theme for the auction this year is Mardi Gras “Beads & Jeans”. Always use the leftovers...from leftover strips 2 pillows were also made

You can buy tickets by clicking on this link.
http://www.stjosephschool.org/SJCS_V2/Auction.htm

New line of fabric from Jo Morton

It's here and gorgeous as usual.  Bridgeport from Jo Morton.  28 bolts of deep rich tones.  Jo has a knack for designing fabrics that go with everything!  Every style of quilting and every decor. Come and get it!  ME first. 28 fat quarter Megabundle $84.50 available.  We take phone orders and ship.

Log Cabin

These two ladies, Kathy and Kristina, are sisters and stopped by on Friday to pick fabric for a log cabin quilt for their friend's nephew. It is to be a wedding gift. Today is Tuesday and they brought this quilt back finished.  How awesome is that! You ladies are super women! Congratulations on a job
well done!

Projects in a Project. Impressive

Jeanette came in with all her projects in this cute basket that she made. The wool appliqués around the outside were so cute and the basket was large enough to hold several projects. We loved it!

Conclusion of 2011 Second Saturday Sampler Quilt

I hope these quilts inspire you to look forward to/participate in..the 2012 Second Saturday Sampler.  Mark your calendars for Feb. 11th for a brand new kickoff.  A Patterns set for this quilt is available for $15.

12" inch blocks

                                                                                6" blocks
                                                                          ALTERNATES
Patterns available for $2 for the settings.  $15 for the blocks.

Shhhh! Silent Auction...

This fabulous quilt, with fabric donated by Little Quilts, was made by the East Cobb Quilters’ Guild for the silent auction to benefit the Center For Children and Young Adults. We know it’s going to bring in lots of $$$ for a very worthy charity.

1862 Battle Hymn fabric line from Moda

The “1862 Battle Hymn” fabric line by Barbara Brackman for Moda is in! This line remembers Julia Ward Howe, who in 1862, published the Battle Hymn of the Republic, a moving anthem still sung 150 years later. Many of the prints were drawn from an 1860’s mill sample book and the muted colors recall the mood of mourning. Kits for the quilt are available, $109.95.  A bundle of fatquartes of each fabric is $65.95 

Quilt from Karen Mowery's Book is HERE!!!

A Bountiful Life book by Karen Mowery is not here yet BUT THE QUILT IS!!!! Once you see it, if you don't have a copy already reserved for you, you will want to.  A picture may be worth a thousand words but the REAL deal is worth a zillion bucks.  Run, don't walk, in here to see it.



Quilts in History

Tina was so happy to receive this box of blocks that were made by her great grandmother. The box they are stored in is starting to show its age, and you can see how yellow and brittle the newspaper pattern has become! The blocks are done in 30’s fabrics and are so charming. Even her great grandfather got involved with this quilt – he made a set of metal templates that are also stored in the box. What a treasure! The newspaper pattern appeared in the Sun Telegraph in Pittsburg, but we couldn’t find a date.

Take Up Hooking in your retirement...

Millie recently retired from the shop and has been busy traveling and playing with her new grand-daughter, but she also has managed a little time for rug hooking. She came in for rug binding to finish the pineapple runner and is almost finished hooking the lighthouse rug. You can see from the close-up what beautiful work Millie does. We miss Millie at the shop, but we’re glad to see she’s making such good use of her time!

A project to LOVE

This charming wool and embroidered heart pocket would be a treasured offering of love for someone special in your life. Fill the pocket with a special message or treat! Buy the kit and all you will need to finish the project is embroidery floss. Only $11.95 and perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Advance Order for a Fantastic Quilt book

A Bountiful Life: An Adaptation of the Bird of Paradise Quilt Top in the American Folk Art Museum



This book will become available in a few short weeks and we cannot wait.  It is a love offering from Karen Mowery (you may have met her when she works at LQ or noticed other patterns we have available, by her company - Folk Art Children) to a wonderful antique quilt.  I have seen pictures of the quilt many times with a longing heart to be able to make it but, alas, I cannot draw a stick figure.  Karen has made that possible with the Kansas City Star Book Company.  Several of the blocks were stitched by LQ staff members.  It is not to be missed.  We are taking advance orders now. Full size patterns included.  Yippee!.  $27.95.