Stitchin’ Heaven Howdy

Ok, so this week, I have been getting ready for Houston Quilt Market (which is getting closer and closer).  I’ve been asked to speak, so, I’m getting lots of super cool information together to share.  One of the reports I’ve run that was pretty exciting was the 10 most popular items that we have sold here at the store over the past couple of months. I found it interesting, especially since some of them I quite enjoy myself.  Here they are from #10 down to the #1 item sold! Enjoy.

#10 Happy Hauntings Block-of-the-Month

#9 Lost Masterpieces 16-month Calendar

#8 Dill Rubber Thimbles

#7 Thread Kits

#6 White Chocolate Kit

#5 The Little Gripper

#4 Thangles

No more confusing math….no more 7/8″ and cutting of odd sizes of fabric. Thangles make half square triangle construction EASY, FAST and ACCURATE. These paper template strips take fabrics strips, and turn them into half square triangles. If you want a 2″ finished HST, you just cut 2 1/2″ strips of your two fabrics and use Thangles. It’s really easy. There’s even a demo that you can watch!

#3 Stripper Templates

#2 Gumballs Kits

#1 Westcott Bloom 2.5″ scissors

So, there you have it! Who would’ve thought the most popular item in a huge quilt store was a tiny pair of scissors, but there it is! I must admit, I like these scissors, too. Be sure to stop by the webstore at www.stitchinheaven.com, we’ve always got something fun going on.

Until we meet again, may your days be pieceful!

Deb

Back in 2006, I gave birth to this great idea called Patchwork Party. I never dreamed it would become so big, but, here we are five parties later, and we’re still going!

Just in case you aren’t familiar with Patchwork Party, let me tell you a little about it. Once I had the idea, I needed the patterns. Well, Marti Michell, of course! Who else? I love her templates, I love how they make everything so easy, and so fun. Then, I needed 12 shops, but not just any 12 shops – they had to be special. The fabrics? That’s always the fun part, we find something new and fresh, something exciting. Once we have all this, we’re ready to put it all together.

Putting it together takes some teamwork, but we jump in, full steam ahead, and get it done! Marti Michell designs a block for each of the 12 shops, then, I put together my star team of quilt piecers, and we get to work sewing them together! Each shop gets a set so that they can design their own quilt using the 12 blocks. So, in the end each shop has their own finishing kit for all the shop hoppers to pick from.  Last, but certainly not least, Gail Bean does a great job designing our Patchwork Party web page, and putting it all together to make it fun for all the hoppers. Whew! It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot more fun!

Our latest, Patchwork Party 2008 Winter Edition, began this past week. We have 2 new shops this time, and we’re excited about that! We also added logo charms with this one, just to give it a fresh new twist. So, when you order the block from each shop, you get a charm for your charm bracelet with the shop’s logo. They’re sooo cute! Then, when you order a finishing kit, you get a Patchwork Party 2008 Winter Edition logo charm. As usual, the blocks are all $7 including domestic shipping inside the United States. Shop hoppers get to visit each shop’s website to order their block, then pick their favorite finishing kit, all of which are beautifully displayed at the Patchwork Party 2008 Winter Edition website, www.patchworkparty2008.com.

If you haven’t participated in a Patchwork Party yet, you need to! There’s enough fun to go around, and we always enjoy having new people. Of course, it’s online, but, hey, you can have a fun party online, too. My goal is to bring a personal touch to the internet, and this is a great way to broaden our internet community. Stop in and visit the Stitchin’ Heaven website, be sure to check out our finishing kit while you’re here.

Until we meet again, may your days be pieceful!

Aloha from Kauai!  I am having a great vacation with my Mom and son, Clay, in Kauai.  I have been here since August 27 and will be returning to Texas on September 27.  I am doing many fun things but lots of working is also being done

I would love to share some of my vacation pictures with you and tell you a bit about what we have done since we have been here.  One of the main things my son and I wanted to do was to be certified to dive.  We finished our PADI online training and completed our confined and open water work once we arrived in Kauai.  Diving is wonderful!

Actually, we have done quite a few things since we have arrived here.  Besides diving Clay and I also went on the zipline trip at Princeville Ranch.  This is a 2500 acre working ranch where there are 8 ziplines placed throughout the property.  The “Big Kahuna” is a zip that is over a canyon and is over 175 feet off the ground.  It was great fun!

Saturday was my birthday so I chose “Roy’s” for my birthday dinner.  Roy Yamaguchi is a well known chef in the Hawaiian islands.  He has opened restaurants throughout the US and his cooking is referred to as “Hawaiian Fusion”.  Roy is also host on “Hawaii Cooks” on the Food Network and appeared as Iron Chef Asian on the popular television show “Iron Chefs”.  Our dinner was superb and for my birthday dessert I was served his signature “Chocolate Decatence Cake”.  Boy oh boy was it good!

There are 2 fabric shops on Kauai.  In Lihue there is Kapaia Stitchery and in Kapaa there is Vicky’s Fabrics.  Both shops are very nice with a good selection of batik and cottons.  I have been a bit disappointed that I have not been able to see the fine Hawaiian quilting since I have been here.  The musuem in Kapaa hosts a collection of quilts but they are showing contemporary quilts at this time.

I have done many more things including jumping off the top of a waterfall into a pool of water and then mounting a swing rope and swinging out over the pool and letting go.  We made the amazing drive to KoKee Lodge throught Waimea Canyon which is about 4000 feet above sea level.  Clay and I went tubing on the sugar cane irrigation canals in and out of caves through amazing scenery.

However, by far the most amazing thing we have done is the 8-mile hike along the Kalalau Trail.  The trek was 4 miles to the Hanakapi’ai Falls and the totelevation gain to the falls is 760 feet.  The trail was rough in spots, it rained on us, but the 300-ft waterfall at the end was worth the trek.  There were small bamboo forests and the trail crisscrossed a stream several times and several times we wondered if we lost the trail completely.  The most difficult part was the 7th mile of the 8-mile trip.  A killer but I am so glad I did it.

I’ll be home in a couple of weeks.  I am so fortunate to have such a great staff that I can leave the store in good hands for a month.  If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call on them.  They are really good at what they do!

Until we meet again, may your days be pieceful!

Deb

Visit the Stitchin Heaven website

I’m so excited about a couple of new BOM programs that we’ve got coming up for 2009!  I have always been a fan of Lynette Jensen and Thimbleberries, and we just recently got the information on their 2009 program.  Wow! I have to admit, I really like this one.  About a month ago, a lady came in the store with a beautiful Texas themed quilt.  Her mother had designed the embroidery blocks, and she had put it together with beautiful quilt blocks.  A truly gorgeous story to go with a truly gorgeous quilt.  I just have to tell you about these two programs.

2008 marks the celebration of 20 years for designer Lynette Jensen and Thimbleberries!  Year after year she has continued to awe us with her traditional designs and will do so again in 2009!  Thimbleberries is offering an amazing quilt club, 3’s Company, beginning  in January.  The new club is offering three different color ways; traditional, light and bright. The quilt will be a queen size measuring 80” X 98” and is a 12 month program.

Each month you can expect the following:
• Use three fabrics in each block
• Make three six-inch blocks, and one twelve-inch block each month
• Enjoy three extra quilt project patterns!

How fun is this going to be?!  Did you know that with the creation of her Thimbleberries Quilt Club,  numbers are more than 900 retail shop members and over 50,000 consumer members?  In addition to designing fabrics, Lynette operates a successful patterns company, Thimbleberries, which was first launched in 1989 when she introduced eight projects at International Quilt Market in Denver.  She found inspiration for the name of her pattern company from the thimble berry, a wild berry that grows in the northern Great Lakes and produces a tiny red fruit shaped like a thimble. Thimbleberries has since grown to be one of the most successful quilt pattern companies in the United States.
With her proven success, I am convinced that once a Thimbleberries fan, always a thimbleberries fan.
Sign up for 3’s Company on the website! There is a $25 non-refundable start-up fee, then only $19.95 per month plus shipping and handling for each kit. Mention code : TB2009 and receive free registration for this awesome new block of the month program.

Sign up for Thimbleberries 2009 here.

This quilt will bring out the Texan in you, wherever you are!  You’ll be saying things like “Ya’ll come back, now, ya hear!” and “Bless your pea-pickin’ little heart.” in no time.  Designed by Jan Holder & Joan Orear, a local Texan, Luv ’n Texas, pays a beautiful homage to our great state with its’ elegant hand embroidered pictorials, including the Alamo, a beautiful yellow rose, a windmill, and many of the Texas icons we have come to recognize, and love.  It also features many classic sampler blocks like the pinwheel, the log cabin, churn dash, and flying geese bringing together this stunning quilt that’s full of southern charm.

This 13-month Block-of-the-Month program, will include the patterns, full-size embroidery patterns (at least one each month), and fabrics needed to make the quilt top including borders and binding. The finished quilt measures 69″ x 82″.  There is a $25 non-refundable start-up fee, then only $19.95 per month plus shipping and handling for each kit. Mention code : LUVTX and receive free registration for this great new block of the month program.

Sign up for Luv ‘n Texas here.

I hope you enjoyed these programs as much as I do.  I am always a stickler for something traditional and yet, original.  I think both of these fit that description with their sampler blocks, but they each have a little something that makes them special … and beautiful.  By the way, if you’re ever in the area, stop by the webstore at www.stitchinheaven.com, and check it out.  We’re always offering something great!

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

Hello, everyone!  The talk around the shop lately has been about how close Christmas is getting.  This year has gone by so fast! Wow!  So, in the spirit of the season, I went looking for some great gift ideas that you can just throw in a gift bag, and … voila!  Done.

If you are anything like me, I would way rather be quilting than shopping … except for shoes, of course! You can never have too many shoes!  Just remember that quilts always make the best gift.  The love you put into making a quilt is always passed on to the person receiving it.  But anyway, I digress!  Here are a few of the items I found that I know I would enjoy receiving.

The Little Box of Quilter’s Chocolate Desserts

The box may be little, but, boy is it packed with some great stuff!  Not only do you get to drool over the beautiful, chocolaty desserts, but it also has some great quilt block patterns.  I know for a fact that these are some wonderfully delectable desserts.  We at Stitchin’ Heaven love our chocolate, and love to host our Death by Chocolate buffet.  We used these recipes once and made almost all of them – Wow!  The recipes and block instructions are printed on laminated cards, and are easily wiped (or licked) clean.  With 20 different blocks and recipes, you’ll never tire of this little box.

Galaxy Foaming Bath Salts

There’s no better way to relax after a day of relaxing day of sewing than a good, hot bath.  These vitamin enriched bath salts make ‘oh so soothing’ bubbles for you to slip into and soak your achy muscles while your skin gets the nutrients and vitamins that the salts offer. They come in several relaxing scents; Sassy Peach, Lemon Verbena, Anjou Pear, and Cucumber Melon.

Quilters’ Puzzles

I just love these puzzles that I found at Spring Market this year.  These beautiful quilt blocks are brought to life in the form of jigsaw puzzles.  I’ve found that puzzles, just like quilting, are more fun when you can share them with a friend.  They’re a great gift for any time of the year, and they are always a welcomed break when you are quilting with friends.

The “Lost Quilt Masterpieces” A Silly Calendar for 2009-2010

This is the most adorable quilt calendar ever!  I just love it!  Barbara Brackman has taken 16 famous masterpieces from different artistist, and added something to do with quiltmaking to each one.  The introduction states: Few art historians realize the importance of patchwork quilts to the great painters of the past. Kansas City Star Books presents this calendar, to amuse quilters and art lovers alike.  Everyone needs a calendar … why not make it a fun one.  You have to look at it all year!

…and finally, one for the husbands…

Help! I married a Quilter!
a book by Mark Hyland

A great gift idea for the husbands of your friends – and your husband, too.  It’s a joy to read, and even funny for us quilters as you take a  comedic look at life in the quilting world. With little warning, Mark’s journey with “The Quilter” began as soon as he said the words, “I do.” After 17 years of marriage, he could remain silent no longer. Mark exposes the idiosyncrasies and jargon of quilting from a non-quilting perspective, recognizing the love and dedication quilters have for their art.  A must read!

Ok, well, it’s off to quilting now, but don’t worry, because I have already begun to stash these great gifts in the closet.  I don’t know just who they’re for (maybe me!) but I’m sure I will figure it out before Christmas.  And, hey! My birthday is coming up soon.  Hint, Hint!  In the meantime, stop in at www.stitchinheaven.com, we’ve got a great sale this week, The Quarterback Sale, with all our Christmas items at 25% off.  You can’t beat that one!

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