Stitchin’ Heaven Howdy

New Year’s Day is always exciting and full of tradition. Of course, you’re supposed to do what you would like to be doing all year long, right? So, there’s quilting, of course, but then, your day should be filled with wonderful things like good food (don’t forget the black-eyed peas!), family, and the ever-present New Year’s Day football games.

So, to help out a little, here’s our idea of the perfect Southern New Year’s day brunch. It includes a wonderful, spiral cut ham, sausage gravy and biscuits, and black-eyed peas.  Have your ham ready so that you simply throw it into the oven at 350F and warm it for 1 to 1 1/2 hours before your brunch. Fresh fruits are always a great addition to any table, so if you’ve got them, by all means, make them pretty, and put them out!

Once the ham is ready, it’s time to get going! Increase the heat in your oven, and put in your biscuits. Mrs. B’s frozen biscuits are wonderful! And totally worth the time saved. Just put the biscuits on a cookie sheet, and bake them according to the package directions.

Now it’s time to heat the black-eyed peas in a saucepan over medium heat, and make the sausage gravy. Sausage gravy is a favorite at our house, it’s not only simple, but everyone eats it, even my pickiest one.

Put all these delicious foods together buffet-style!  Slice the ham and put the biscuits in a covered basket to keep warm.  It’s always nice to have some fresh fruits around to add a little sweetness and color, and you can never leave out the cinnamon rolls … just because they’re so good!  Set it all out, and invite everyone in. It’s the perfect beginning to the year, and a great combination to begin the day.  The ham and peas can be warmed, and snacked on throughout the day. Or add chips, and make sandwiches! The perfect football snacks.

SAUSAGE GRAVY

1/3 tube of Owens pork sausage
1 (2.75-ounce) package Pioneer country gravy mix
1 cup chicken broth
7/8 cup water
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Red pepper flakes

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the sausage until fully cooked, breaking large chunks into small pieces. Drain excess grease, add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a simmer.

Combine the country gravy mix with water and stir to dissolve. Slowly add to the hot skillet, stirring constantly until thickened. Add the milk or cream, parsley and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thickness of the gravy can be altered by the amount of cream or milk added.   Makes about 3 cups of gravy.

Oh yes! I was thinking about biscuits and gravy, and almost forgot!  We want to know about your New Year’s Day traditions.  Send us a comment, and tell us about what you do to celebrate the New Year, and on Monday, January 4th, when we return to our workday, we’ll randomly choose a comment to win a Fat Quarter Pack of Benartex’s Victoria fabric line!  So, send in those comments, and good luck! You may just be the first winner of 2010!

Happy New Year, everyone!

I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Pat, first through Facebook, where I joined in on her OP Challenge in February.� It was so much fun and it was my first time to do an online class/challenge type event like that!� Did anyone else join Pat for that�challenge? Anywho,��she was so gracious in my endeavers to blog that weekend!! I really learned a lot from her! She’s such an awesome coach!� We keep in touch on Facebook and Twitter and I make it a point to check out her blog often! You’ll have to check it out : Pat Sloan’s Place.�

Did you know Pat used to be a computer programmer? Yeah! From programmer to quilter extraordinare!�That’s probably how writing patterns comes�so easy for�her. �Pat is known throughout the quilting world as a designer of patterns & fabrics, a lecturer, teacher, you can find her in several magazines and in several online quilting groups, on YouTube…hmmm…what else? I know you can find her just about anywhere on the internet and when you google her there’s page after page of links on where you can find her or read about her. She recently posted to her blog about where you can find her.� So, check her out!

Pat’s style is mostly of the folk art style and is inspired by anything from fabrics to flowers! Pat usually has a theme in mind when designing like with ‘Ma Ma’s Garden” wanting the feel of her great grandmother’s gardens and ‘Cottage Rose’ that began from one�of her favorite traditional quilt blocks!

I found this neat video from Pat on YouTube. There are many more where this came from! Hope you enjoy!�

Don’t forget about the Drawing for the Scottie Turns 20 Quilt! All comments made during the month of April will be entered in for our drawing of this totally adorable quilt!

Yep, that’s right! Debby Maddy prefers no diamonds or “Y” seams, that is…You didn’t really think she didn’t like diamonds, did you? )� What girl doesn’t like diamonds?….Well, I guess that all just depends…..When it comes to quilting, I prefer Debby’s technique. Her patterns make it too easy to do “faux” diamonds using 1/2 square triangles….For beginners or for a quick gorgeous projects her patterns are perfect!

Like many quilters, I have always loved fabric! I learned to sew when I was nine years old and began doing hand embroidery and needlework as a teenager. In 1982, I learned to quilt and it quickly became one of my favorite hobbies. Classes from nationally known teachers followed, and in 1993, I decided to share my enthusiasm for quilting with others through teaching. My greatest satisfaction comes from introducing new people to quilting. Soon I was designing my own patterns for quilts that look difficult to make but are really easy for beginners. In 2002, I named my business Calico Carriage Quilt Designs and began presenting lectures and workshops for quilt guilds and shops. I hope I have the opportunity to meet many of you in my travels. I’m a designer and a teacher, but I’m always a quilter first! I was absolutely thrilled when two of my quilts were juried into the 2004 International Quilt Association show at Quilt Festival in Houston. That same year, another of my quilts was accepted into the Hoffman Challenge, an annual traveling exhibit sponsored by Hoffman California Fabric. In 2005, I was invited to California to tape an episode of Simply Quilts for HGTV, and later that year, quilting became my full-time passion when I retired from a long career as a dental hygienist. It’s been a dream come true ever since.

You can visit Debby at her online quilt shop , Calico Carriage!

Not sure if you guys already knew, but we’re going on a cuise in February 2010 and you’re invited!! Yes, you’re invited!! You’ll have to check out the details on the website….Anywho,

Debby is going to be one of our guest teachers alondg with Trish Stuart whose new book Undercover Strip book has been a sensation here at the shop and online, and Sara Moe is a fiber and quilt artist, fabric designer, and the author of Spinning Pinwheels Quilts. It’s going to be a lot of fun and seriously, quilting and a cruise…to the Carribean….how can you pass that up!?

Don’t forget the giveaway! All comments placed on any of the posts for the month of April will be entered to win our Scottie Turns 20 Quilt!� So, go ahead and comment while you’re here!

Scottie Turns 20 Quilt!

April Giveaway!

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Today, I thought I would share with you just a few of my favorite notions that I have found. I prefer to keep it simple when I quilt, and I am always looking for any tool that helps make my favorite hobby a little simpler.

Sometimes I believe that I am actually too spoiled. Oh, well! We got in Clover’s Needle Threader, and I just had to check iout. I mean…really? A needle threader? So, I tried it here on First Saturday, and demoed it. Wow! I was addicted! It was too easy, no squinting, no “Darn! I missed!” Right then and there, I decided I had to have one, but I just about missed out. Everyone had to try, we all got to play with it, and then…everyone had to have it!

Clover’s Magnetic Pin Caddy

I love the way that Clover re-invents the mousetrap over and over again. And, their Magnetic Pin Caddy is the perfect example. It’s simplicity is genius! They just incorporated a groove into the foundation and placed magnets in the base. The pins automatically cross the groove so you will never be jabbed by a pin again! Just drop your pins on the base, and they will fall perpendicular to the groove every time! It even includes a lid for traveling!

Clover’s Flower Head Pins

These Flowerhead Pins are my absolute favorite! They are long, sharp, and thin – who could ask for anything more. All pins are NOT created equal. You will be able to tell the difference in quality instantly. The flat head, which is made of resin makes them great for sewing, and wonderful for ironing! I’ve also learned that they are great for keeping all your quilt pieces labeled! Just pick up a Sharpie, and have at it! Label away. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest!

Add a Quarter Ruler

This ruler was originally designed to add the 1/4″ seam to the fabric while paper-piecing, but I use it to add a quarter of an inch to EVERYTHING. The raised lip allows you to add the seam allowance to templates too. Although the 6″ size is the most popular, I find I prefer the 12″ length because it is long enough to extend across the diagonal of a 6″ block.

Ok, well, that’s just a few of my favorites. I have many more, but we won’t go thru the full list today. I’ve had fun telling you about these, and I hope you enjoy them, and find them just as handy as I do. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out the store’s website at www.stitchinheaven.com. And, hey! We’ve got our Block of the Month BOGO July 24th – 31st, so stop in and sign up for your favorite Block of the Month programs before it ends!

Until we meet again, may your days be pieceful! -deb

I was pleasantly surprised to pick up the January issue of Texas Monthly to find a really nice article on quilting. More specifically, this was a really nice article about a specific quiltmaker, Jane Hall , written by her son, Michael Hall who is a contributing editor for the magazine. Michael made a video while he was with his mom at the International Quilt Festival in Houston and it is very interesting to hear the opinion of someone who is not a quilter. You can launch this video here to watch it.

Michael says: Quiltmaker Jane Hall—author of The Experts’ Guide to Foundation Piecing, teacher of classes such as Pineapples Plus and Log Cabins Revisited, and the woman from whose womb I emerged fifty years ago—stood in front of her quilt Galaxy and had her picture taken while a steady stream of women walked past, eyeing her and the sharp blue points of the dozen mariner’s compasses floating behind her. She was tired after spending the whole day teaching at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. Plus, her knee was killing her.

A woman approached. “Are you the artist?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“It’s just beautiful! Beautiful! How did you get the points so thin?”

“I used a foundation of freezer paper.” The mariner’s compass is a difficult pattern, and Mom was pleased to have the chance to teach a little more.

Until we meet again, may your days be pieceful!

deb
Stitchin’ Heaven is located in Quitman, TX populaiton 2030
Email: deb@stitchinheaven.com

Be sure and check out this article that appeared in the Dallas Morning News on Friday, October 19.
I knew this article was going to run but of course had NO IDEA what coverage they were going to give us! Nancy Myers (the special contributor) had contacted me several times with interview questions making sure she got all the facts just right. I thought originally the article was about the Patchwork Party but it turned into a really nice article also about Stitchin’ Heaven.

For those of you who have not yet joined the Patchwork Party for our fall session, it is not too late! You can get all the information you need at www.patchworkparty2007.com This is truly a fun project and the article describes it very well.

The article also mentions our Bunkhouse that we have to rent for small group retreats. If you are looking for a great place to meet with your friends, please consider us. I built this cabin in 2000 just for quilters. There are plenty of electrical outlets, work tables, and chairs. There is lower bed sleeping for 12 with 4 upper beds to total sleeping for 16. The cabin is 2200 square feet with over 1500 square feet dedicated to sewing. There are no big sofas you have to move around to make a place to sew. You can make your reservation on-line or feel free to call the shop.

If you need time away to sew and don’t have a group large enough to rent the Bunkhouse, please consider one of our retreats. These are held at Brookhaven Christian Center – a wonderful setting with incredible facilities. We have 3 scheduled for next year:

• Judy Niemeyer will be our guest for our retreat January 9 – 12. Judy will teach a one-day project as well as a two-day project. If you want to just come and sew you can do that as well without taking a project.
• Ruth B. McDowell will be our guest and teaching her “Designing from Nature” project February 24 – 29. You will spend 5 wonderful days with Ruth learning her techniques and you will have lots of sewing time.
• Our first annual Sew ‘n Spa will be held April 15 – 19. At this event we will be teaming up with the Copper Leaf Spa in Winnsboro to bring you plenty of sewing, plenty of sunshine, and plenty of spa treatments! This is a unique event and one that you will want to enjoy with a friend!

Let us know what you think about the article! And, as always, thank you for your continued patronage. We hope you will visit us soon whether it be at the Bunkhouse, at one of our retreats, in the shop, or on the Internet.

Until we meet again, may your days be pieceful!

deb

Visit our site at www.stitchinheaven.com

I stumbled across this while I was surfing around You Tube and just had to share it with all my sewing friends. Click here to start video clip… It is wonderful! Lyrics:

Ohhh the sewing machine, the sewing machine
A girl’s best friend
If I didn’t have my sewing machine
I’d a come to no good end
But a bobbin a bobbin and peddle a peddle
And wheel the wheel by day
So by night I feel so weary that I never get out to play

Ohhh the sewing machine, the sewing machine
A friend in need
If I didn’t having my sewing machine
A wicked life I’d lead
But a bobbin a bobbin and peddle a peddle
And dream about romance
So by night I feel so weary that I never get out to dance

Ohhh the sewing machine, the sewing machine
Me pride and joy
If I didn’t having me sewing machine
I’d a married James McCoy
But a bobbin a bobbin and peddle a peddle
And that’s the end of Jim
‘Cause by night I get so weary I don’t even look good to him

This was the opening scene from a 40s musical starring Betty Hutton who passed away in March at the age of 86. She is most remembered in “Annie Get Your Gun” and “The Greatest Show on Earth”.

Until we meet again, may your dayz be pieceful!

deb

(more)

Stitchin’ Heaven has a wonderful staff. No, Stitchin’ Heaven has an incredible staff…the BEST in the business. Let me tell you about some of them:

This is Linda Vermillion, our store Manager. Linda has been with Stitchin’ Heaven almost from the beginning in one form or another. She started out in about 1997 teaching classes for us. Linda is tremendously talented. She sews and has a really good eye for color. In addition to making custom banners for churches, she handcrafts necklaces that are just beautiful! For more information on how to purchase her necklaces you can contact her at linda@stitchinheaven.com

Sandra Coffey is our Internet Manager – wow, is she ever good! Sandra organizes all of the Block of the Month programs we love so much and keeps everything running smoothly in our Internet Department. Sandra has worked at a quilt shop for a good many years. She came to work for Stitchin’ Heaven just a couple of years ago and we are so fortunate to have her expertise! She sews and enjoys life on the farm with her sweet hubby, Don.

These two crazy girls are our Internet Specialists, Trish and Nichole. Trish is responsible for the weekly Hot Flash. Yep, she’s the one that brings you Weekly Wowzies and “…on the lighter side” every week. She is self-taught when it comes to her Internet saavy and she is quite good at it. Nichole is the oil that keeps the Internet running around Stitchin’ Heaven. She is the one that pulls your orders every morning and makes sure they are packaged in a way sure to please you. Nichole puts together those special touches in your packages that make them so much fun to open.

Mandy processes payments for all our Block of the Month charges as well as Internet orders. Boy, oh boy…is she ever fast! You may not be aware of this but Stitchin’ Heaven processes over 1800 BOM packets each month! That does not incude all of the regular orders that have to be processed. Mandy pays attention to detail and takes great care to be sure your order is charged to your card correctly. And, she has a GREAT meatloaf recipe!

This is Gloria and Mrs. Rosa. They are responsible for packaging all the fabrics in the Block of the Month programs. Gloria also cleans the Bunkhouse for us. And, guess what…Gloria is Mrs. Rosa’s daughter-in-law. Mrs. Rosa does not speak English so she and Gloria have some interesting conversations. Mrs. Rosa is truly one of the mos delightful people you will ever want to meet and she loves Stitchin’ Heaven and takes her job very seriously.

We have others at Stitchin’ Heaven that are so important to our success. I’ll share their photos and details about them another time! Until we meet again, may your days be pieceful!

deb

As many of you already know, Stitchin’ Heaven is the proud sponsor of The Quilt Show, an on-line community hosted by Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson. The Quilt Show is like Simply Quilts with just one tiny difference: it is television on the Internet. Currently, you can join as a Basic Member (free) or there is a Gold Member ($24.95 per series) that will allow you to view the 1-hour movie. It is great fun and I encourage you to check it out and join! You’ll love it. 

A couple of months ago I was notified that the taping of the new series had been set. It was to be filmed in LeVeta, Colorado (pictured here) and I knew instantly that I wanted to go to see how all of this is done. So, I loaded up with the 3 managers in the shop (Linda, Sandra, and Carol) and we headed to LeVeta via Colorado Springs. We arrived Thursday evening and stayed in Pueblo – about an hour or so from LeVeta. This is a very small but beautiful town full of art and craft shops so it is no wonder that Ricky chose it for a place to live.

Seeing the taping of this very unusual show was educational and fun. The first segment was with a very special lady, Mary Fisher. She is an ambassador to Africa and works with women there. You may have seen the bracelets the women there make with Mary’s guidance featured on Oprah or in Macy’s. They are constructed of beads and this effort brings many jobs to the people there and helps with the economy.

One of the most amazing discoveries I made during this trip is: Ricky and Alex do not use a teleprompter! I was shocked because the dialog they have is so smooth and flawless. I really assumed they wrote out their script before the shows and had it available in front of them at all times. Not so! Alex told me she has an index card with a few cryptic notes on it. Throughout the day I noticed Ricky in the corner pouring over the material and reciting what he was going to say silently to himself.

The crew at The Quilt Show is wonderful as well – very professional with a director and all kinds of camera-type-people (they all have fancy titles but I cannot remember any of them). If you EVER have the opportunity to go to this, I encourage you to do so. Go to the Main Street Diner and have a salad at lunch…yummy!

One of the side trips we took while we were on our trip was to Cripple Creek – a gold mining town with fun, fun stuff to do.  When we drove into town there was this neat little antique shop with an old sewing machine in the window and a sign that said “Antiqued Photos Taken Here.” That was all I needed and we whooped into a parking space, I unloaded the gals and said “Come on…let’s have some fun!”.  We went into the shop and our real personalities came to life.  We had a ball and this was the result. 

Now…about the FREE fabric. The entire month of July we are celebrating the “Home of the Free” with…FREE fabric! If you purchase 3 yards of fabric from us, we will give you a 4th yard FREE. We ask you choose minimum 1 yard cuts but you can feel free to mix and match your purchase. Or, you might want to use this opportunity to stock up on large yardage cuts for your backings and borders. The free fabric won’t be reflected on your invoice when you check out – we will adjust it when we charge your card. This is a great deal so shop early to be sure and get the best fabrics we have available. There are over 125 different collections so we are sure you will find something you like! Visit us on-line today!

Let me start out here by saying I am not a gardener. My sister, Suzy, is the gardener in the family along with my wonderful Mom, Glendy. I have always enjoyed the opposite attractions from my sister: I quilt, she cooks. I was a cheerleader, she was a majorette. It works very nicely for us.

So you can imagine my amazement, excitement, unbelief when these flowers began to bloom in my garden this year. The Clematis is found on an iron trellis in my front flower bed. It has been absolutely stunning for about 4 weeks. I planted it last year when I moved into the home in July along with a Mandevilla that did not survive our winter. I was delighted when these wonderful purple blooms appeared to adorn the then very barren flowerbed. The iron structure here is something I picked up at Canton Trade Days that I call Western Willie. He’s just really too cute.

The other adventure I have been having since I moved into my new home is with water gardening. I have no experience whatsoever in this field and have had a great time learning how to build a pond and a waterfall as well as how to select and care for fish. My first batch of fish were doing great until I woke up one morning to find a beautiful Blue Heron standing on my patio! He had made a meal of my babies, unfortunately. So, I found a nice deterrent called The Scarecrow that has been successful in keeping him at bay!

In addition to learning about fish, I have been learning all about water gardening and what/when/how to plant in the water. It is great fun and exciting when your first lily decides to bloom! This is something I will do more of and post my results as I have them. In a future post I will show you photos of my waterfall and pond…and, oh yeah…my fish!

PLEASE let me know if you have any advice or suggestions! Love ya!

deb

www.stitchinheaven.com