Stitchin’ Heaven Howdy

This past Saturday was a day full of demos! We had so much fun, we thought we’d share with you what we could via online demos.

X-Blocks Templates & Patterns

We found these wonderful templates and patterns at Houston Market, and fell in love! They’re so much fun to twist and turn, and get all these wonderful patterns! They come in several different sizes, and there’s a great collection of patterns, too! Check out the templates and patterns here.

With the X-Blocks ™ rotary cutting tool, you can create dozens of spectacular designs that look complex but are incredibly quick & easy!   They can be created from strips or easy-to-piece blocks and the fabulous borders are created as you make your X-Blocks ™ so there is virtually no waste!

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a demo online for X-Blocks, but we’ll try to get one since these are some really great templates! Wonderful! And we’ll post it online as soon as we get it.

Flying Geese x4 No Math Ruler

This ruler has been around a while, but not everyone has discovered it’s wonders. We have, though, and it just happens to be one of our favorites. It is great for flying geese, half-square triangles, and quarter-square triangles, and there’s no math, so it’s a no-brainer, and a must-have! Check it out.

This fantastic flying geese ruler is wonderful for creating Flying Geese blocks without any math! The ruler makes 4 Flying Geese units from sizes 3/4″ x 1 1/2″ thru 3 1/2″ x 7″ with each repeat of this very easy technique. No triangles to cut or sew. All ruler marking are finished sizes. Block possibilities unlimited.

Watch a demo here!

Strip Tube Ruler from Cozy Quilts!

Very cool! This simple little ruler will make those jelly rolls oh, so much fun! We found this one at market, too, and couldn’t wait to get our hands on it once we got back! Get yours here.

This ruler makes half square triangles a breeze by combining brilliant engineering with “the tube technique.”It’s perfect to use with strips and even includes directions to make our favorite block from 2½” strips: The Daniela Block. With this great gadget, you can easily make accurate half square triangles from 1″ to 9½”!

Watch a demo here!

Perfect Binding Miter Tool

If you are anything like us, those mitered bindings really give us a hard time. So, when we found this great little tool, we were amazed to find that something so small and simple could be such a huge help. Trust us, this little tool is one you will definitely want! Order it here.

Place this tool on the corner, mark with pencil or chalk and sew on the line! This tool allows you to make perfect mitered corners on your binding every time!

Watch a demo here!

QuiltCut2

Cutting is our least favorite part of quilting , but this fabric cutting system makes cutting out your quilts just as much fun as sewing them back together. No more fighting with your fabric as it falls off the table, or twisting and turning to get just that right cut. It’s all here, and at your fingertips. Order yours here.

The QuiltCut2 fabric cutting system makes it possible to cut many layers of fabric for multiple strips, squares, rectangles, triangles, diamonds, hexagons, pentagons and more… with amazing speed and precision!  Comes complete with Cutting Mat, Pivoting Cutting Guide, thorough instructions and instructional video. Suitable for right or left handers!

Watch a demo here!

Ok, well, I guess that’s most of it, but, never fear, we’ve got more great new items coming in soon, and we’ll do this again.  Meanwhile, be sure to check out the store at www.stitchinheaven.com. Our November to Remember is still going on, and we’ve got some super-sized sales this week, and thru Cyber Monday that will help jump-start your holiday shopping.  See you soon!

~Until we meet again, may your days be pieceful.

deb

Well, ladies, Sew ‘n Spa has come and gone, but the memories are forever! This was our 2nd Sew ‘n Spa Retreat, and definately, not our last. The ladies had sooo much fun, we’re going to have to do it again (next April, as a matter of fact!).

I came up with the idea that quilters need a little pampering, too, and thought “Hmmmm….what can we do to give our ladies a little rest and relaxation while they sew?” I know what I would enjoy, and tried to bring it all together. Well, as close as we get here in East Texas, anyway.  We don’t have a big, luxurious spa, but we do have a beautiful Christian summer camp/conference center called Brookhaven Christian Retreat (pictured here). A rustic, but gorgeous oasis in the heart of the Piney Woods, a perfect setting to do what we quilters love best … sewing.

In October, we had 50 women join us for 5 days of fun, relaxation, and quilting. They arrived Tuesday evening by the carload, truckload, and even a UHaul! Yes, these ladies came prepared, sewing machines loaded and ready to roll. They stayed up late into the night sewing and having fun, ate some wonderful food, and enjoyed some jaw-dropping, East Texas mornings. You’ll see in the picture, the Nazareth Conference room, the largest of the two conference rooms we filled up, where the gals got to spread out, and really get into their work.

Each Sew ‘n Spa, we have an Orphan Block Challenge. This time, we sent out leftovers from the Thimbleberries 2007 block of the month program, and let them be creative. Wow! It’s amazing what quilters can do! We filled up the classroom with beautiful quilts, and unfortunately had to pick a favorite. Pictured here is the winner. It was by Paula Y from Durant, OK. Very beautiful, Paula! Congratulations!

Each night, we offered something different at the shop. Lots of sales, giveaways, and informational sessions on topics like the Easy Elegant Lone Star Quilt by Sandra and Anti-aging by Krista, a local esthetician, (a skin specialist). On Thursday, along with Krista, we even had a Death by Chocolate night. All the Stitchin’ Heaven employees put their chocolate-loving skills to good use. We had all the chocolate you could imagine, and the tummy-ache to go with it. 

During the day, there was always something going on. Krista came by to do facials and a massage therapist stoped in for those who wanted a little extra pampering. All the while, ladies were steadily sewing on their Mystery Quilt (pictured). Whew! That was a big one! Lots of pieces, but totally worth it. We even had a visit from “The Bra Lady” who showed us how to size ourselves for the perfect-fitting bra. Very interesting, and boy, did we ever learn a lot! Some of us even went home a little perkier than we arrived.

The ladies had lots of time to sew, and catch up on some UFOs. They had some beautiful projects … many of which got finished! And we got to enjoy them all. Unfortunately, we can’t show them all here, but you’ll just have to attend the next retreat to see more. In the picture, you will find Suzie from Tulsa, OK, who took time out of her busy quilting schedule to smile for the camera.

We’ve found that some of our best friends are our quilting buddies. During Sew ‘n Spa, some life-long friends were cultivated, and some were enriched. There’s no better way to make a new friend than to share your sewing and sleeping space with someone for 5 days. (pictured are Pat V. of Kilgore, TX; Marsha W. of Henderson, TX; and Sharon T. of New London, TX) Most of our ladies had never met before, but we did have a few who had been either long-time friends, or mothers and daughters. Whatever the situation, this was a wonderful time to be enjoyed by all. We had several mother and daughter quilters attend. What a great way to share some quality time! (pictured are daughter, Teri B., and mother, Billye O., both of Ft. Worth, TX)

Though many weren’t ready, everyone packed up and headed back home on Saturday afternoon. It was sad, but we all needed a little rest after the excitement. Sewing is hard work, you know! Hopefully, we’ll be rested and ready to go by April 2009, when we do it all again! Maybe we’ll even see you there. It’s always fun to see the new faces, and heart-warming to see the familiar ones. If you are interested in attending our 2009 Sew ‘n Spa on April 21st – 25th, you can visit our Sew ‘n Spa web page where we have details, and a link to sign up.

If you have any questions, please give us a call toll free at 800-841-3901, or e-mail info@stitchinheaven.com. We will be glad to help. As always, stop by the webstore at www.stitchinheaven.com, and check out our deals. It’s a November to Remember, and we promise to help you cultivate those quilting memories!

By the way, thanks to Pat in Kilgore, TX for these wonderful pictures.

Until we meet again, may your days be pieceful!

Deb

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Don’t worry, this isn’t Deb writing, we all know she’s a seasoned Market-teer. This week you’ll be hearing from Deb’s little helpers, Niki, Lucy, Mandy, and Trish.

It all began while Deb was at Spring Market this year, when we decided that we have been here at Stitchin’ Heaven way too long to never have attended a Quilt Market. We put together an inspiring proposal, gave it to her when she got back, and yippy hooray! Houston Quilt Market, here we come!

Now, the fun begins. Plans were to take off at 4pm on Thursday (after work of course), drive down to Houston that night, and get plenty of rest so we could be ready for Friday morning Schoolhouse. BUT being the overachievers that we are, we were in Market-mode and ready to go by 9:00, which means we hurried through our work, got everything done, and were loaded up and in the Green Hornet (Mandy’s car) by 3:15, and on the road.  So, after a little planning, a little packing, and a lot of giddy schoolgirl giggling, we’re off!

Ok, so skip to Friday morning. Up at 6:00am, there by 8:30, a quick detour to McDonalds, and back to Market by 9:00 … Whew! We’re good! Schoolhouse began at 10am, and we were ready with our booklets filled out, schedules full, a bottle of water and a snack in our bags. Let me just say thank goodness we detoured to McDonalds, because our 6pm dinner at Ninfa’s (courtesy of Deb) was a long time away. But who could think of food at a time like this! We were surrounded with cool, new ideas, exciting new products, all our quilting heroes (Hi, Amy Butler!) … and freebies! It was almost too much to handle. I’m pretty sure we all looked like small-town tourists in Paris, France, but, hey … “when in Rome” … because we weren’t the only ones. You will find our illustrious Deb in the picture up above. Unlike us, she’s been to many Markets, and has it all together. Go figure! Just imagine how funky WE looked after 8 hours of Schoolhouse!

To Market we go! Up by 7:30am (what’d you expect? It was a long night packed full of “Good times”), another quick detour to McDonalds, and at Market by 9:30am. Not too shabby. Now, if you’ve never been, there is real no way to explain this exuberant joy, this overwhelming excitement that takes over your whole body when you walk through those 2 huge, red doors and into what is Quilt Market. (insert angelic chorus here) It’s … exhilarating! You just to take off running, you want to see it all RIGHT NOW. There were 23 rows filled full of the latest in, well, everything quilting. If you can imagine it, it’s here with extra gadgets.  Once again, we’re picking our chins up off the floor, wiping off the dirt, and moving on to the next booth. There were more goodies than we could ever tell about, and the people were wonderful. We were like mini-celebrities! It seemed everyone had heard of Deb or attended her seminar on Friday morning. Which meant they had probably heard all about us, her little dwarfs.

By the way, the picture there? That was us, Mandy, Trish, Lucy, Anita Shackelford??, Sandra & Niki at Market on Friday standing in front of the Gammill booth. We never met Anita, and certainly never knew she was in the picture with us, but pretty cool, huh? We thought it was quite funny when we got home and were checking out our pictures. Apparently, Anita Shackelford is an award-winning quilt maker, and is on Gammill’s poster behind us.  Thanks, Ms. Linda! You’re a talented photographer!

Back at Market, there were lots of great new things to gawk at. We found some awesome new Block of the Month programs, super cool new patterns and templates, and gorgeous fabrics. Of course, you’ll have to wait just a few more days, we’ll be getting all these great new things online for you to enjoy, too, but for now, you’ll just have to trust us on this one. I have to say one of the most memorable booths was the Stone Creek Creations booth. They handed out totally adorable headgear, and featured an entertaining “little girl”, Kenzie Liegh, who got lost (he he), and needed escorted back. Of course, like a good mom, and missing her own little girls (all 4 of them!), Niki walked with her, and got her back to her booth safely. Whew! That was a close one, and too cute to forget.

Ok, we’ll wrap this up and get on with your surfing, but just know that Market Is Fun! We had a blast. We stayed for Moda’s dinner on Saturday night and had a lot of fun dancing the Macarena, the YMCA, disco and other really cool dances? FYI, when hundreds of quilters meet and the shoes come off, get ready, it’s gonna be a fun night. Drug ourselves out of bed Sunday about 8:00am, and made it home safe and sound, just tired. It was worth all the ‘work’ and all the walking, and we’d do it again … but not too soon.

Must-Have List for Market:  Bibs-for the drool, Chin Sling-keeps your chin off the floor, Tote on Wheels-those bags full of freebies get heavy & finally, energy bars-lots of them

No, Ms. Deb, we didn’t forget about you. Thank you, Thank you! We had a wonderful time. You’re the greatest!

Until we meet again, may your days be pieceful!
~ Niki, Lucy, Mandy & Trisha

Visit www.stitchinheaven.com and check out our webstore for some exciting new items from Market, and great deals each week.