Stitchin’ Heaven Howdy

Featured Designer : Ellen Medlock!

February 27th, 2009

This one is for all you bag fanatics and Ellen Medlock fans! We are huge fans of Ellen here at the shop and although, we love her, we still didn’t know too much about her….Nichole had the chance to meet Ellen at 2008 Quilt Market in Houston this year and got to take pictures and chat and we have developed a friendship on Facebook. So, we were excited when she accepted our invitation to blog!

The Cheri Bag by Ellen will be our featured project for our Perse Anality Club in July! So, if you’re not signed up for Perse, hurry up!! We’ve had a lot of fun with Perse so far and everyone seems to love their projects.

Anywho, if you aren’t familiar with Ellen’s patterns or merchandise, she has got something for everyone, from Patterns, already made purses, one of a kind art, plates & serving trays and these cute little bangle bracelets, too! Oh! And she is a featured designer in Quilter’s Home Magazine , March 2009 issue.

Who the heck am I??
Howdy! I am sure my name may be new to many.. I am Ellen Medlock, a designer not too far up the road in Tulsa Oklahoma, and like Nichole, I love bags! My background was in interior design & art, and I have never been afraid of my sewing machine- so it all came together with my current product line of handbag related patterns and bag accessories.

How it started:
I can remember sitting with a grade school friend showing her how to make a little paper purses by folding and stapling! Ha! I can still see some of the purses I had growing up.. nothing fancy… but I just loved carrying them, and looking back, they all seemed so special… so it all started early!

Who inspired me to begin:
Several years ago, my then teenage daughter, Kathryn asked me to try to make her a Bag! (she is also a bag addict ) anyway… it began a whole challenge to myself (that is what drives me!). The logic of it all interested me greatly. After seeing what I was making with their fabric- the owner of a local quilt shop suggested I write a “pattern”! This was totally new territory, so I tried to write as I would like someone to write for me… in detail!

What keeps the inspiration coming?
In a word FABRIC! Like all fabric lovers, I just can’t wait to see how a certain pattern will look on a bag style, or I think I just have to do something with that color!
My favorite bag :
My favorite bag at the moment is my new “Coquette” style. I could sit and make these all day! They are quick, use a small amount of fabric, have few pieces to cut, and look so professional when you are finished. I also like the fact that I can pinch off the handle and use it as a clutch, or attach a chain!
A sentimental story to me:
The first time I exhibited at International Quilt Market in 2005, I had no idea what to expect! After driving to Houston, finding my way through downtown, collapsing in the hotel, resurrecting myself, unloading, and setting up my booth…I was a basket case- and it had not even started yet!
On the first day, they had barely opened the doors, when I saw a group of ladies hurrying around the corner of my aisle.. and I was elated to recognize them. They announced that they wanted to place an order with me, and I felt like all the eyes of vendors near me were watching. Later the gentleman across the aisle, from a large established firm, came over to me and said, he had “a bone to pick with me!” I was shaking in my boots! My mind was racing to figure out what I had done wrong??!
He said he always wrote the first order of Market, and this year I had taken the honor away from him, and he was not happy! Then he grinned big, and offered his hand, and said, “Congratulations I think that honor went to you this year!” I will never forget the support of the ladies from the OKC quiltshop, or the kind remark to a newbie from across the aisle- it still means a lot to me.
Something new to share:
I have been dusting off my art skills and playing with graphics recently, and hope to have something to show for it soon. I am thinking of making a special bag kit that would feature my own designs on the fabric… kind of a limited edition thing….

-ellen

Posted by Niki | Comments (5)

Wanted: Male Quilters!

February 26th, 2009

Yes,that’s right, we want them all! We have a really good reason, though, and these men must meet certain requirements….They must be quilters!

We’ve designated March to be our Tribute to Male Quilters month!! All month long we will randomly post a blog about a different male quilter! We’ve got some good ones so far!

Most people assume that quilting is a feminine hobby, but did you know that men have been quilting since the civil war era? Men are becoming more and more involved and known for their quilting!I’m sure you can think of a few that you are familiar with right now! So we did our best to get them and also dug deep and found some hidden, drug ‘em out (not really) and got their story & pictures, too!

So Men, if you want to be featured or Ladies, if you know a male quilter who has a story or a quilt to share, please comment us and email with your contact information so we can feature your male quilter in March!!

We can accept entries through March 17th and still be able to feature your man in March!

Can’t wait to hear back from everyone! Post your comments today!

Please send emails to nichole@stitchinheaven.com

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Debby: In a word….

February 25th, 2009

Well, it’s not her birthday, it’s not her anniversary and it’s not National Boss’ day, we just felt like blogging about Deb…..So, this blog is from us (everyone else at Stitchin’ Heaven). Most sites have an “about us” page or a place on their site where you can read the shop’s “story”. We really don’t have one of those, so ….Here’s an interview with Deb. You’ll see the text in red, is my(Nichole) response to her answers.

This is our “formal” questionnaire, by the way…lol

When did you first begin quilting? I was working at a major corporation in the DFW in a very high-stress job. I found a local quilt shop and bought fabric to make an Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day Log Cabin.

Who taught you? I took classes at my LQS. (Local Quilt Shop)

Did you have a certain inspiration or need to start quilting? When I got pregnant with Clay I became interested in quilting and decided to make a baby quilt for him. I bought a very simple panel and decided I would quilt it – no instruction. I became frustrated and could not do it and ended up having someone else make it for me. It was not until years later that I realized a few lessons were in order.

Is quilting something that has been a family tradition/hobby? My Mamaw always had utility quilts on the bed but there was never a “tradition” of quilting in my family. My aunt was always an inspiration to me – she started quilting when she was 65 years old.

Who do you quilt for? Yourself, friends or family? How ‘bout “The store?”. I quilt for family and friends mostly. I occasionally will do something purely for myself but it is not often that I do that. ( She does quilt for the store too, well, maybe more of designing. Several of our Quiltflix patterns are her design, White Chocolate is a timeless quilt that we have sold 590 of to date (woo hoo) and several that are featured in magazines (seems like monthly issues)….Ice Castles featured in McCall’s Quilting Feb. 2009 issue, American Cowboys & Walk on the Beach both featured in Quilt Feb./Mar. issue, Boy Scout Quillow featured McCall’s Quilting May 2009, Gumballs and the list goes on! Oh wait…not to mention she is responsible for the leadership in Patchwork Party that starts again March 15, 2009!)

What is your favorite type of quilt block to make? I don’t have a favorite – I love all of them but get bored easily so I want to do different things. ( I can vouch for the “bored easily”, Deb is constantly coming up with something new/different and often changes her mind…:o) She claims that her best ideas come to her in the shower and in the car, so we dread road trips and the fact that she remains “clean”. LOL Um, not really, we are often reminded of job security! That we are so grateful for )

Do you have any “quilt stories”, funny, sentimental etc…? One of the best stories is the guy that called me because his wife was about to turn 50 and he wanted to give her a fat quarter a day and double it every day until her b’day starting 2 months before. It came up to 2250 fat quarter all together! He was a neat man and you could tell that truly loved his wife. They came into the shop after her b’day and I got to meet her. Most people would find it funny that I only made and completed one quilt before I opened my shop. (No, I had not finished my log cabin quilt yet). I did an appliquéd heart quilt from Quilts, Quilts, Quilts. I hand appliquéd the hearts and hand quilted it. That quilt was/is the only hand quilted quilt I have ever done. Been there. Done that. But, I am truly the poster child for proving that we can do anything we set our minds out to do. We don’t have to know everything about it or even be good at it for that matter. I have learned a lot since opening my shop – so much it is scary. (Yes, it is scary! I can’t boast enough about how talented, motivated and driven, Deb is!! There is seriously nothing Deb can’t do, and dare not tell her, she will prove you wrong! I had to share some of these funny pics of her too. Her personality is priceless)

Is there anything that you would like to share with other quilters? Something interesting? Something quirky? Pet peeves? Anything! Quilters are amazing people. I am always encouraged by their generosity and their passion. My best friends are quilters. They are people that have come to me through a common interest of this creative hobby. I would say that if you love being creative and you want a hobby that you can share with others then do quilting. Are you known for anything or any style of quilting? I don’t think so.(Um, yes she is! She’s just trying to be modest) I think I am known for making up designs (a ton that I have mentioned and even more that I haven’t) and putting fabrics together for them (Yes, her expertise is actually sought out). I like designing on Electric Quilt because it adds another dimension to the craft. I think I am known for putting together interesting programs and events for my quilting friends. Keeps me hoppin’.



Working for Deb the past 3 years has been such an experience…..I have learned things about myself I thought I’d never know (and I think I am speaking for more than just myself), including the desire to sew! She is truly an inspiration to me! I went around and asked the staff here to tell me how they would describe Deb in “a word”. I got several responses that included more than one word, such as: ahead of her time, enthusiastically positive, and then smart,creative, gifted, classy ( you should see her closet), savvy (aka quilt smart), generous, outgoing and compassionate. Those all fit so well with her, as she is constantly inventing the latest trends in marketing and design, always encouraging us that we can do anything by setting goals for us and then rewarding us. Again, she is always on top of her fashion! There wouldn’t be a shoe in the world without a home, if she can help it! Deb is also, very generous in her contributions and sponsorships, like donations we collected for Cents for Sophie, sponsoring Trish’s (she’s our website specialist) son Waymon for his trip to Washington for World Leadership Forum and so many more!



I could go on and on and on….but I won’t. I’ll leave that for a “Part 2”!

All I can really say to sum up our relationship with Deb is “Good Times”. So many who know her would agree.

Do you know Deb or “of” her outside of our shop or blog? Please share your one word…. or two! She would be thrilled to know what ya’ll think! (us,too)

Until next time!

Posted by Niki | Comments (5)

As Promised!!

February 24th, 2009

Hello Ladies & Gents! For those of you who joined us for Pat Sloan’s OP Retreat this weekend, I promised that who ever didn’t win the How Much is the Doggie? quilt I had a suprise I would post for you, because you are ALL winners!!

Well, here it is! The pattern for the quilt! Just click on the image to retrieve your pattern!

We still have the panels and some of the coordinates for Doggie Delights by Loralie!

This pattern is very versitile, especially with Loralie fabrics. You can do just about anything with a panel and this pattern! Hope you enjoy!! If any of you make your version of this pattern, please share your pics. It would be a fun blog to do with your version of it! Again, I had so much fun this you guys and can’t wait until the next time!!

Thank you all so much for such a good time and those who missed it, we look forward to you participating in the next fun thing!

Don’t forget to bookmark us, add us to your favorites, Facebook & Myspace!

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The Dear Jane Blues

February 23rd, 2009

As most of you know, we have had a Dear Jane Block of the Month for several years now, and it has been very popular. So, when Deb found this beautiful Blue Dear Jane online, naturally, we had to try it. We are now offering it as a block of the month program, but we also thought you might enjoy hearing about the lady who made this quilt. Her name is Tutu Haynes-Smart, and she lives in Cape Town, South Africa. We contacted her and asked if we could use her quilt as a reference for our latest program and a little about herself. She has obliged, and sent us the following short story about herself. Thanks, Ms. Tutu!

Tutu wrote:

I started quilting just as I was turning 50 – I decided that I wanted to do something with my hands, rather than just with my brain. I tried making clothes, but that was a disaster and then stumbled across quilting. I knew an awful lot more about computers than I did about sewing, so I cranked up the Internet search engine (in the early days of WWW) and sought out everything I could find on techniques. I was absolutely hooked. And everything was so new and exciting as I came from a knowledge base of zero! No family background in sewing or handwork of any kind.

In those early days, I met so many wonderful quilter friends on the Internet – this was in the run-up to the Millennium when charm square swaps were all the rage. I swapped with nearly 150 people from all over the world (and have three quilts to prove it!). Many of the friendships forged then are still going strong.

Being a total beginner, I got the idea into my head that a sampler quilt was the way to learn – and came across the Dear Jane website. Now there was a sampler! Fools, of course, rush in where angels fear to tread. I ordered the book from the USA and waited impatiently until it arrived. I opened the book and panicked. No instructions!

Never mind – I flipped through until I found the simplest block in the book, drafted it into EQ4 and sewed it up. I then repeated the process 169 times before moving on to the triangles and kites. I do not recommend this method as it leaves all the real stinkers till the end – but on the other hand, by that time, I had learnt a little bit more than when I started. The support I received by email from members of the DJ list was unbelievable.

My fabric choice for my first Dear Jane was simple. Firstly, I was terrified of making colour choices (so that’s why it was a two-colour quilt) and secondly da Gama indigos are manufactured locally and so were about 20% of the price of imported material. Decision made!! I did, however, try and get as many different designs of blue indigo into the quilt as possible (over 100 in the end).

My second Dear Jane was the fault of my husband, Eddie. When the blue one was finished, he said “That’s nice, but it would be great if you did another one in brown indigos!”. Well, it was either divorce (which after so many years seemed a bit of a waste) or make another quilt. So I made the second DJ quilt, and called it Dear Eddie.

I don’t have so much time to sew these days as I have gone back to work – but still spend as much time as possible making quilts for family and friends. But it is the camaraderie of quilters all over the world that makes me smile every time I think about quilts and the symbolism behind the tradition.

Cheers for now
Tutu
Cape Town, South Africa

What do you ladies think? Dear Jane is definatley for the brave! I still can’t beleive Tutu did one for her first quilt, and then made two , at that! Most Janiacs are still working on theirs years later….How many of you have made a Dear Jane, are making a Dear Jane or want to? We would love to hear your story and please send tons of pictures…We love pictures! Please send them to nichole@stitchinheaven.com

Thanks, girls & guys~

As always, Stop by the website at www.stitchinheaven.com to find the latest Block of the Month programs, items and sales, and be sure to sign up for our weekly Hot Flashes to stay up to date on everything happening!

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And the winner is……..(drum roll)

February 21st, 2009

Margi Borck! (rah rah, the crowds going nuts)

Congratulations, Margi!! You are our winner for the How Much is the Doggie in the Window quilt giveway in the Pat Sloan OP Virtual Retreat & Blog Hop!!

This is Margie with her daughter!

For all of you did not win the quilt, you are all still winners…..Please add us to your favorites, signup for the RSS feed, add us as a friend on Myspace or Facebook because in just a few days I will have something special for all of you, too!! You’ll be excited!! I wanna tell you now, but I won’t I’ll try to hold it in!!

Thank you all for your wonderful comments all day…Please don’t be strangers….come back and see what else we’re getting into!!

You’re all the best!! **Big Hugs***

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OP Challenge: Sew much fun!!

February 21st, 2009

Wow! It’s been such a fun day so far! Don’tcha think!?? I got two blocks done today…being that I’m “Manager on duty” today, I couldn’t make too many, but here they are and I even got the tote put together enough to where you guys can tell what it is! What do you think?

I’m loving all of the comments from everyone! I can’t wait to reveal the winner! Everyone seems to have a “need” for this quilt and cute stories about their doggies! I love this, big thanks to Pat Sloan! I am so having the best time with this!!

So, here’s each side of my tote bag that I made with my OP blocks and then a nice pic of me!! I couldn’t figure out how to make myself “appear” thinner, oh well!

Scroll down the blog to see the Giveaway quilt!!

Happy hopping, gals!

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OP Virtual Retreat

February 21st, 2009

Alright, Ladies!! The rush is on! We’re here! Today’s our day for the OP Orange Challenge and we’re hosting one of the giveways! We are giving away Deb’s own, How Much is the Doggie in the Window Quilt! It measures 54″ x 74″ and is made from Loralie’s Doggie fabric! It’s not orange, but I’ll wrap it up in an orange bow for ya! So be sure to comment! We will announce the winner at the end of the retreat. Please get your comments in by 8pm PST.

For those who are just now joining and have no idea what I’m talking about, but want to know and join us for the fun, please check out Pat Sloan’s blog for all the details and goodies to get you caught up! Pat Sloan OP Virtual Retreat

How we know Pat Sloan…. Well, aside from her wonderful fabrics….We have actually begun building our friendship though facebook. She posted about this retreat she was hosting and we just had to find out how to participate….I emailed Pat and she was so awesome to insist that there is always room for more….So, this one is “Orange”…Orange you glad you joined….LOL he he….That was pretty dorky! I laughed, though! So anyway, I’ve been goiing nuts the past couple of days trying to figure out what i’m going to use that’s orange..I found some charm squares from Moda’s Nell’f Flower Shop!  It’s going to be fun working with orange, it’s not such a traditional color, so it gong to be interesting to see how you the blocks turn out.

I think my blocks will be used to make a couple fo totebags!!

Hope you guys are having just as much fun!

I had a change of direction with my fabrics….So here’s what i got!

Alrighty…..Here’s my 2nd OP Block!! I think I really like this one!! I’m now going to turn these into a tote bag and get it posted for you guys today!

I’m just eating up all of your wonderful comments….I want you all to be winners!!! Hmmmm……Ya know, I may be able to work something out!! (we’ll see what I can come up with)

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You’re invited!!

February 20th, 2009

Yes, we are inviting you to join us for Pat Sloan’s OP (for orange pile) Virtual Retreat! What is it? Well, in case you aren’t sure what it is, well, it starts today! (Sorry for the short notice!)

The OP Virtual Retreat begins Today, Friday, Feb. 20th and will end Sunday evening Feb. 22nd. The theme is orange, so as Pat says, be in the orange spirit for the day! You will want to chose some orange fabrics and some complimentary colors to go with! You’ll be amazed by how many colors really look complimentary with orange!

During the retreat Pat will post entries to her blog (click on the image below) about 4 times during the day, each day. Pat will post the blog patten first, then tips and show photos. As you (participants), make your blocks you will send photos to Pat and she will share them on her blog, send them to us too, so we can share them too!She will post to her blog about 4 times during the day, each day. Pat will post the blog patten first, then tips and show photos. As you (participants), make your blocks you will send photos to Pat and she will share them on her blog, send them to us too, so we can share them too!

The other fun part of this retreat is that she’s having a blog hop!! We get to be part of it all, too! Tomorrow, Saturday, is our participation day where we’ll post pics, fun stuff about us and what we’re doing. Each day, Pat will post the list of participating blogs for that day! So, be sure you hop to them all!!

Each blog will be having a “giveaway”, how fun, right?! To be eligible to win the prizes you need to leave comments on the participating blogs during the day. So, leave comments or answer questions! We’ll be here to answer them throughout the day, too! At the end of the day, Sunday, we’ll randomly chose a name from those who have commented on the blog, and annouce it through both our and Pat’s blog. We will also email the winner!

This is going to be so much and we are very excited to be a part of it and want you to let everyone you know, that they need to make the weekend avaialble for retreat!! I hope to see you guys there!!
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Perse Anality arrives in Philadelphia!

February 13th, 2009

Valentine’s Day gets here so fast after Christmas! The bag I chose this month is reversible, and it has plenty of room for all the little day trips my college roommate Lucy and I have planned for my trip to Philadelphia in February. Ya know, all around it’s an everything bag, we’ve even used it for groceries!

Lucy has planned for us to go to a Denise King jazz concert at the Philadelphia Museum of Art! They have one of the oldest and largest textile collection in the country, so I am really looking forward to spending some quality time at the museum during my visit.

We will spend more than a few days exploring the Pennsylvania Amish Country, and I just cannot wait to immerse myself in those beautiful, bold-colored quilts!

Hey, that gives me an idea! I’ll make one side of my Oversized Reversible Tote in reds and whites which will be fitting for Valentine. Then the other side I will make in some other bold solids, fitting for our jaunt through Amish Quilting Country!

If you are making this bag with me, live in Philly or have a story you wanna share, I’d love to hear it! Please be sure to share photos with me,too!

Never enough shoes, and Never enough purses and bags! That’s my motto!

Next month’s clue: This state is considered the southern most northern state and the northern most southern state.
See you there!

Perse

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