Country Sampler Quilts

Just in...

I thought I'd drop you a quick note and let you know we've got two new magazines in the shops.  I love magazines and these are two of the best!

First, the special first anniversary issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects is in the house!

It's one of the few (if any) publications for all the primitive lovers out there.  It got wool applique projects, rug hooking, quilting -- 15 projects in all!  Heck, you're bound to fall in love with sumpthing!  (I especially like the little quilt on the front, don't you??  Soooo sweet.)

Then yesterday, we recieved the spring issue of the Quilt Sampler magazine...

We always look forward to this magazine.  Not only do you get to tour 10 great shops, but each shop has designed a quilt for the magazine - complete with all the instructions... very cool!  

Country Sampler was in the Quilt Sampler magazine in 2001 (the first in the state!), and it was sooo fun!!  I still have the photos that were in the magazine framed in my sewing room and another copy of 'em at the West Center shop in the office.

Anyway, have a great week end and if you've got a little time -- stop in and peruse the new magazines... you'll want to take a couple home for a little inspiration!

Oops...

My last post talked about this quilt that's on display at the West Center store....

 

 

I forgot to mention that three kits went out the door without the binding included in the kit.  I think is was during the weekend of the bus trip (April 21st).  So if you bought a kit, you might want to take a little look to see if you've got a 1/2  yard of blue for the binding.

It doesn't happen too often, thank goodness - but when it does we want to make it right.

 

A Good Month...

As far as getting things done, April has been a pretty good month for me.  You don't always get those good getting-things-done months, so ya got to appreciate 'em when they come around.

First, I got this rug finished....

Yup, only five years in the hooking.  Truth is, I had the interior part done a long time ago, but I just hated hooking that border.  Plus this pattern was printed on burlap, so I had to use the "man-eater" frame to hold it in place while I hooked.  The teeth on that frame were so sharp, they just chewed up my arms everytime I hooked with it.  Ah well, it's done and I'm happy with it.

 

I also finished this quilt, aptly named, "Remember Whooo Loves You...", and it's on display in the kid's area, at the West Center Store.  Oh, and I got the kit and pattern on our webstore too, just click here if you're interested.  I backed it with white minky and it really makes it quite yummy!

See the embroidery beneath the owl?  That could have been a real pain, but I used Transfer-Eze and it made it soooo easy!  Have you ever used it?  Not only did I use it on this project, but I used it last Christmas on this little pillow....

It saved me a ton of time tracing the design onto the fabric and some of the lines were so small and thin, that I was able to get a much clearer line to embroidery on.

For those of you who have never used this product, it looks like this on the notions wall....

 

You get ten sheets in the pack and it may seem a little pricey at first, but the beauty is that you can start stitching in just minutes with NO tracing and NO lightbox!!  Just photocopy your designs onto the "film" side of the product using the light(vs. dark) setting on printer/copier. Then peel the freezer paper backing away and stick the sheet directly onto your project. I cut off all unnecesary Transfer-Eze before I smoothed it on my fabric and it really does stay.  Stitch as usual following your printed design. When finished cut away excess, then soak your project in cool water to melt the remainder away. 

Here's what it looked like on my snowman pillow...

 

 I really like this product... you do have to use a sharp needle though or it kind of drags when you stitch.

I also got my second block pieced and fused for the Merry Merry Snowman BOM...

 

The picture's a little fuzzy, but the important thing is I'm on schedule!!  The plan is to do the embroidery work this week - we'll see how that goes!

Yup, April has been a very good month!

Arrghh .... and Yippee!

First, the arrghh.  

I have to tell you... my stupidity with computers constantly ... and still... amazes me.  Last week end I couldn't get my scanner to work.  I finally had to abort my family photo scanning marathon I had planned for Sunday. A few days after the scanner debacle, I couldn't get my IPhone to download pictures onto my computer.  That was the first... arrghh.

Now, my first thought was that North Korea had finally figured out how to scramble all internet and communication devices (I've secretly been expecting this for sometime now) ... but it didn't take me long to figure out that it was only my stuff that wasn't working - everybody else in my house didn't seem to be having a problem.  I decided that North Korea would probably start with bigger fish that my electronics... so that meant I would have to trouble shoot the glitch myself.  

Yesterday morning, I went to work on the problem.  I pushed every button and file imaginable on my computer.  It was then that I had another ephipmy... I don't have the slightest idea what I'm doing.  So off I went to the Apple Store to talk with the genius guys.

Long story short (well, I guess NOT that short), when I turned off the computer it had rebooted itself.  That was the second aarggh!  The darn IPhone dumped everything in to my IPhoto slicker than snot; and the genius guy looked at me like I was pathetic.... senile AND pathetic.  Truth is ... I probably am when it comes to computers, I just don't like some twenty-something reminding me of it.

Anyway, I think all is well now. 

So, now for the yippie part!  Some of you many already know this, but for those of you of missed the news ... HomeGoods is coming to Omaha in October!!  Yup, it's gonna to be in the old Sports Authority space at 132nd and Center.

 I'm soooooooo excited!!  I love HomeGoods!   It you've never been to Home Goods, they've got furniture, accent furniture, children's furniture, lighting, rugs, bedding, seasonal decor, wall decor and kitchen and dining room items.  At HomeGoods you can find unique stuff for prices that are reasonable. It's like a T.J. Maxx or Marshalls on steroids.  And it's gonna to be huge -- 30,000 square feet!

AND, if that's not enough.... I just heard Ikea is coming to Kansas City!! Double yippee!!  

I didn't hear WHEN they'll be there, but KC is a whole lot closer that Minneapolis or Chicago, so I'm excited.  

Are you smiling??  If you live around my neck of the world, you should be doing the happy girl dance now...

Okay, maybe it's the happy beagle dance, but it's all pretty dang happy!

Summer Classes...

It's only April, but we're already planning for summer classes.  The next newsletter comes out the first of June, so we've got to start planning and stitching now.  So... here's a little sneak peak at one of the new classes coming to Country Sampler this summer!

Yeah!  It's a new block of the month and we'll be starting in August!  It's called Rotogravure, by ThimbleCreek Quilts. (We may have to come up with a more pronounceable name for it though!)  I think it's the perfect autumn quilt for a quilter, don't you? 

 

 

 Now, as always... we've done this quilt a little differently than the pattern front.  The cover quilt looks very "Halloweeny", whereas our quilt looks a lot more "fallish" - yummy browns, greens, burnt oranges, soft golds.  Our quilt is also done from all those great batiks we've got in the stores and, trust me, Edith.... it's fabulous!  

So.. why don't I show you the dang finished quilt, huh? Well, the Quilt Club members are going to get the first look and the chance to sign up for classes.  (Just a little perk of being in the Country Sampler Quilt Club.)  But once we've shown it to all five clubs... I'm going to get you a picture - promise.  

And the other good new?  It's going to be at both stores! Sandy's going to teach it at the Papillion shop and Carla's going to be the teacher for the West Center gals.  YAHOO!

Google Reader

This is NOT my post... I've copied and pasted it from Angela Yost over at the Moda... the Cutting Table Blog -- I just wanted to get that said up front. But Angela did such a great job explaining Google Reader, that for me to try and re-explain this handy way to keep track of your various blogs, would never be as good.  

If you're not using Google Reader, you really should, Edith.  I think I'd go crazy if I didn't use it to keep track of the dozens of blogs that I read -- and IT"S FREE!   

So... here's Angela...

 

Web Tips: Google Reader

Just like many of us, you may love to read and learn new things from your favorite websites in blogland. The only problem is that it can take hours to literally visit all your favorite blogs and try to remember all the wonderful places you like to visit. That is why we love Google Reader. It allows you to store all your favorite blogs and websites into one single place. You can organize, read, share, and much more all from this one location. Best of all... it is FREE!
 
All the websites and blogs you add to your Google Reader account are instantly updated through RSS feeds. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS feeds are a way for websites to distribute new content as it becomes available. As you read a post it is automatically marked that you have read it so you can spend more time reading the articles you have not read yet.



Google also has many videos and online tutorials on Using Google Reader andHow to get Started. 

You can also check out the tips and tricks Google Reader has to offer on theirblog.

 

It's only April, but.....

I just have a few minutes this morning before I have to get ready for work, but I thought I'd show you a few pics of some Halloween and Christmas fabric that going to be winging its way to the shop.

 

I loved it all, and we bought it ALL!

 

 

Wouldn't a pillowcase or two be really fun with this fabric??  Cool border, too!

 

 

 

Here's an idea or two of what you could do with this fun fabric. (I love when the fabric company does this!)

 

 

And, here's a little Christmas (Are you ready for Christmas yet??)...

 

 

 

 

And another big, cool border!!

 

 

And another pattern to show you what you can do with this great fabric! Isn't this a cute pattern??  We'll definately stitch this up for Christmas in July!

 

 

Love it, love it, LOVE IT!!!  I can't wait to get my hands on all of it!

Happy Easter!

Hopefully, the Easter Bunny was good to you this year. We went out for Easter Brunch, but that's been about it for Easter festivities around here.

My main activity this weekend has been scanning in thousands,  hundreds, well.. at least several dozen... old family pictures onto my computer. Although we don't have very many Easter photos; I did find this one of my youngest, Andrea... with a very BIG Easter bunny.

 

 

Doesn't she look precious??  This is Andrea now though (she's the one of the right) ....

 

This is one of the photos she sent me from her trip to Vietnam a couple of weeks ago.  She was visiting her friend, Michelle (the one on the left), who used to live next door to us.  Michelle has been working in Vietnam, soon to go to South Africa with an NCO.  Andrea is getting college credit for teaching in Japan this semester.  She's been there since January, so this was "a really needed break from work" for her.  Are you making little gagging noises here??  I know I am. 

Remember when getting a little break from work, meant staying home and not going to work??  

Cosmos Thread ....

It's at the West Center store and it's beautiful.... the Cosmos thread has arrived!!

 

Doesn't it just take your breath away??  Sooo much beautiful embroidery thread!!

If you're not familiar with Cosmos six strand cotton embroidery floss, it is fade-resistant, washable and color fast. This floss is incredibly soft and feels like silk and it embroiders like butter!  And the colors are to-die-for!!

Now... some designers like  Meg, from Crabapple Hill and Anne, from Bunny Hill; have gone almost exclusively to Cosmos thread, but if your designer hasn't and is still using DMC, we've got a conversion chart -- or you can download one here...  color conversion charts available for Cosmo to DMC .

 

Block #2....

We handed out block #2 of our Merry Merry Snowman block of the month last Friday.  I know you remember this wonderful BOM that we're offering at Country Sampler...

 

 

Here's block #2....

 

 

My goal is to get this done THIS WEEK.  I have promised myself that I'm going to try and keep up with this block of the month, so that I don't have a tote full of unfinished BOM kits.  Wish me luck, it's never happened before, but I do REALLY love this quilt ... so cross your fingers.

My second goal is to get on the web site, under BOMs, so more of our out of town people can sign up too.  So far I've just told people to call one of the stores to sign up... and that works too; but it would be better to have it on the shopping cart.  Cross your fingers again ... some days I'm lucky if I can find my e-mail.  big sigh.