Stitchin’ Heaven Howdy

As we continue with our tribute to amazing quilters and customers, I am excited to introduce to you all a talented and big hearted quilter, Kathy Kuykendall.  Kathy is involved in many quilt related ventures. She used to host embriodery club here at the store, she hosts Kamp Kathy at our Bunkhouse, you will see her in just about every class we offer and every First Saturday!  I also enjoy my late night Facebook quiz-a-thons where I take meaningless quiz after quiz and Kathy is a faithful follower, doing them right along with me or politely, letting me know that it’s getting late and I need to go to bed…. Thanks for that, Kathy !

Kathy lives in both Garland, TX and out here on Lake Fork with her husband Tom, whom she’s been married to for 19 years!  They try to spend most of their time at the lake but every now and then they go back to the city for work, even though the majority of it can be done from home…Which is so perfect, because then it allows her to sew more often .

Although, she took textile marketing in college and had sewn garments and handbags, she missed the quilt revolution. Being preretired from JCPenny, Kathy first began quilting in 1999, when she moved to Lake Fork needing a hobby and was  introduced to and taught by our very own Dotti, one of our class teachers.  (Dotti too, is an amazing person & quilter, whom I hope to introduce you to very soon.) 

With not specifically a favorite type of quilting to do, she loves anything using Marti Michell templates and will quilt for donation, family and herself.

We asked Kathy if she has a “quilt story for us and she told us : “I started out an avid quilter, you know, 2 of every BOM or one each of every color way.  I finished 48 quilts in the first 4 years, quilted and bound.  One quilter at First Saturday said if I didn’t slow down they were going to take a contract out on me because I made them look bad.  I purchased an embroidery machine and the number of quilts I produced, slowed down to a trickle. After 5 years with the embroidery machine I gravitated back to the quilts and especially quilts with machine embroidery blocks in them.  Stitchin’ Heaven has always been my home and Debby has always kept up with me, or a little ahead of me and my “next project”. ”

Kathy’s advice to all is to “Try everything once. Always help your neighbors in class and never let first opinions of classmates be your final opinion.”

A few more fun facts that Kathy is known for:
1- Machine embroidery blocks in quilts
2- My first WOW camp was overflowed to the newly opened Bunkhouse – Marti Mitchel was here and I had been quilting 3 months – I thought I had to sign up for all 3 of her classes at the shop – boy was I in over my head.
3- My second WOW camp I made 8 ragtime quilts
4- My third WOW camp I made enough Marti Mitchel blocks for 2 queen size quilts/ 24 – From the Shop Around Houston Quilt Show in 2001. This was a lot like Patchwork Party except you went to 12 booths in the show and collected blocks and then bought a finishing kit.  Marti was back in town and stopped to see the crazy lady who had stitched 24 blocks in 3 days. Now Dotti and Nancy do that every time a new Patchwork Party is being created.
5- My favorite celebrity quilter is MaryAnn Fons.  She was at the Bunkhouse with 12 of us and we did the Fons and Porter Row quilt in 3 days.
  

Kathy just passed her 10 years of quilting anniversary and said she would do it all over again with pleasure. As of today, I believe Kathy has made her goal of 10 projects to qualify for Stichin’ Heaven University. Woo hoo, Kathy!  Congratulations!

Hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit about Kathy. Please show her some quilting love and leave her a comment.

Ever wonder if there are any peeves or just general rules you should abide by when  you drop off your quilt to the longarm quilter? Well, we hope that this list of commandments will help you understand your longarm quilte.   By following these commandments your longarm quilter will be sure to appreciate you even more.
1. Thou shall not safety pin, baste, or fuse the quilt top, batting, and backing together.  On a longarm machine, the layers are on rollers so they must be kept separate.

2. Thou shall not tell the quilter to do anything she wants and then complain that the quilt doesn’t look like you expected. 

Communication is key.  Be sure and let your quilter know what you like and dislike about quilting.  Do you want the thread to contrast or blend.  Do you like meandering/stippling?  How heavy do you want it quilted?  How much will this cost?  By the way, carefully consider your backing choice when deciding on thread choices for the quilting.  Do you want the thread to show or not?  Will there be lots of thread color changes?  Multi colored florals are great!

3. Thou shall not covet your friends quilt.  Get busy, make yours, and get the name and number of the quilter.

4. Thou shall not use the quilters name in vain if an unsquare quilt top comes back not square!  If you send something that is not square, it will either come back not square or it may have tucks quilted into it.  (Show how to see if a top is square).

5. Remember your quilters name and phone number and keep it handy.

6. Honor the quilter by giving her credit whenever possible.  This is very important when entering quilt shows or putting photographs on the internet.

7. Thou shall not commit the quilters sin of buying cheap fabric – especially for the backs!!  No Sheets!!  No selvedges – not even in seam allowances!!  (Explain why). 

8. Thou shall not make your backing and top the same size.  Most longarm quilters require the backing and batting to be a minimum of 6” wider and 6” longer than the quilt top.  Your backing fabric must also be square!!!  (Explain how to do this).

9. Thou shall not use yucky, funky batting.  Most quilters prefer to use the batting that they stock.  It comes on a 30 yard roll and therefore is flat and easier to work with than batting that has been folded many times and rolled up and put in a bag.

10. Thou shall pay close attention to pressing while constructing the quilt top.  Pressing the seams open is an option rather that the blob of fabric that can occur when several seams are coming together.  Be consistent in pressing (recommend the Press for Success book).

Hope these 10 commandments are helpful for you.  Do you have any other commandments that were not listed, but on a “must know” status? Please let us know.

We wish you all a great weekend and don’t forget to stop by and say “Hi”.

Like picking the right fabric isn’t enough when making a handbag or tote.  Chosing the hardware and accessories is like a science almost… Ok, not really, it’s not that serious, but there are a ton of options out there. Not only that, but when you do decide, how does it work?  Or how do you incorporate it into your project?

We really do well with our Perse Anality Club as with any of our handbag patterns.  So many to do with so little time!  With that, we sell a lot of hardware and are often approached on what to use with what pattern and how to use it, etc.   So, I’ve come up with our top 10 best selling purse accessories and even included a couple of nifty tutorials.  Please check them out and let us know what you think!

Here’s our list:

1. Grommets

2. Silver Purse Feet from Ellen Medlock (see tutorial here)

3. Silvertone Purse Hardware by Exclusively You

4. Texture Magic

5. Silver Chain from Ellen Medlock

6. Shape ‘N Create Bag & Tote Stabilizer from Nancy’s Notions

7. Fringe

8. Magnetic Snaps

9. Purse handles (you just cant have a bag without a handle!)

10. Yo-Yo’s (click here for a another great tutorial from Lazy Girl Designs )

Wow, maybe I should have done 20 best. I got down to ten and could still keep going.

Is there an accessory that you “must have” that you didn’t see on our list?  We would love to know about what you love and hate! Or better yet, is there something that you just love and we don’t carry it? Please let us know!

Please check us out ont he social mediasphere!

Voting is officially over.  Da da da da…Drum roll please…. And the winner (with a very close win) of Stitchin’ Heaven’s quest for the best project idea using Paula Nedelstern’s Nuance fabric is Jan Graziano, whose idea for using the fabrics as an art quilt using metallic threads, beads & applique received the most votes! Woo Hoo! Congratulations, Jan G. and thank you all for submitting your ideas and casting your votes! This was a fun contest.  Please stay tuned, we have a couple more fat quarter bundles to give away in the next couple of months,  so if haven’t subscribed to our blog, be sure you do that!

We are so pleased to have the Nuance fabric line in store. It is truly a magnificent line of fabric, and to see it up close and personal is such a treat.  The colors are vibrant and rich and the designs are just so detailed.  If you haven’t seen them yet, please check them out in our store. We will also be offering the Kaleidoscope Cache quilt kit using Nuance fabrics, you can look for it in the next couple of weeks.  We will feature it on the Hotflash, our weekly newsletter, that is emailed out each Thursday. Please sign up!  Just a reminder, if you purchase the backing with any quilt kit purchase, you get FREE shipping! That is with all kits!

So, our Quilting Treasures rep came out to visit us last week, and boy did we find some new and totally great fabric lines.  Deb wasn’t here that day, so her words were “Order what you can’t live without”, I beleive that was what she said, or at least, that’s what I heard. Anyway, there were roughly 10 lines of fabric we ordered including, Alice In Wonderland, Angels Among us (Jim Shore), Animal Alphabet, Poky Little Puppy, remember him from the Little Golden Books?, Sew Fabulous by Loralie and a few others.. Most of these will be released between September and December. So, be looking for them!!

Hope you’re all having a great Monday, so far. Don’t forget to congratulate Jan on her win!

Dear Deb,

I’m thinking of joining a quilt swap but I’m a bit nervous about it. I haven’t been quilting for very long and I’m worried my work won’t be good enough.

June

Hi June,

Oh, June, you are in for such a treat! I felt just like you the first time I joined a swap, and my first swap was just a swap for fabric!

The fabric and block swaps, the round robins and the challenges (where you use specific fabrics to create something original) are part of what makes quilting such a vibrant hobby that continues to grow rapidly world wide! These different types of swaps are the very activities that push us and challenge us and keep us growing as quilters.

Why not just join a fabric swap to start with? It’s a fun way to grow your stash! The first swap in which I participated was to swap 10 inch blocks of fabric representative of one’s state. FUN! Another fabric swap I did was with some Australian quilters, again with fabric representative of our respective countries.

Just type “fabric swaps” or “quilt block swaps” into your search engine (e.g. Google) and you’ll find loads of swaps going on – just check the date on the site or post about the swap to make sure it is current.

You can also join some of the quilting groups on Yahoo Groups which is where I found some swaps to join. Google Groups is another place to look as is About.com. I think you will find most of these swaps and round robins are hosted by experienced quilters and hostesses.

Another place to find a swap is to ask at your local quilt shop or at your quilt guild. If there is not a current swap organized among local quilters, someone may suggest an online group to which they personally belong.

This link at About.com discusses some of the inner workings of a swap. It gets a bit detailed and technical for my tastes. My advice is to just jump in and have fun! http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltingcommunity/a/quilt_swaps.htm

If you join some of the groups, just say, “I’m new to this group, and I’ve never joined a quiting swap…and I’m a bit nervous about it. Could you direct me to some good fabric or block swaps for a beginner like me?” Trust me, June, you will be pleasantly surprised at the warm response you get.

I’ve noticed over the years that many swaps, round robins and challenges start at the first of the year, but the summer is also another time of fresh starts.

June, you are going to find that quilters are, on the whole, generous and happy to share sources and information. Don’t worry about your stitching not being “good enough”. The differences in our stitching is what gives charm to a quilt! Every quilter looks back on her earlier work and notices the progress in her stitching…so we have all been where you are right now!

Please write back and let me know what you decided to join and how it turned out. You are going to wonder why you were ever nervous about joining the world of quilting swaps!

Happy Quilting

Deb

I’m so excited about the purse organizer that I chose for you this month! I’m making them already for Christmas presents!

This month, I chose the Encore Purse Insert or organizer for all of my club members to make. We are using Heather Bailey’s Freshcut line of fabrics printed by Free Spirit Fabrics. You may know that this was Heather’s debut line of fabrics in 2006/2007, and it has proved to be so popular that it is still being printed. It is one of those fabrics that I think should be considered “collectible”!

But back to this exciting purse organizer or purse insert. You already know the concept. Keep your stuff organized in one place and pull the insert out and put it in a different purse. This lets you change purses in a moment each morning. For purse-a-holics like me, it is a no-brainer!

You can also use these as sewing table organizers or car organizers, a makeup organizer in the bathroom, a place in your office drawer for girly stuff. The possible uses are endless!

What is new about this Encore purse insert is the zippered coin purse with a gusset and a zippered pouch that runs the entire length of the insert. You can look at the pictures to see just how much stuff you can organize with this!

Where am I this month?  Cour d’Alene, Idaho! I have so many fond memories of spending summers in Idaho with my cousins! Thankfully, I have many relatives in Idaho, and since I have lived in France for so many years, I’m trying to get in all the family visits I can squeeze in.

Watch out quilt shops in Idaho! Since I am making these purse inserts for Christmas presents this year, I will be needing fabrics!  Thankfully, Idaho is rich in quilters and great fabric shops!

So far this month, I’ve taken in the Idaho Piecemaker’s Quilt Show. I’ll be visiting as many quilt shows and guild meetings and fabric shops in Idaho as I can this month. Thankfully, my Idaho relatives have many quilters among them, so it will be a big family affair! 

Since this month’s Encore Purse Insert is an “inside job”, you won’t be able to recognize me by my purse, bag or tote. I will be the gal with several totes stuffed with fabric, in the company of my relatives, each also carrying several totes stuffed with fabric! We will be hard to miss, so stop me and say, Howdy!

Till you hear from me again, start thinking Christmas presents because we all know that ANY woman can never have too many purses, bags and totes!

So, since most schools start back in August, we thought we would designate this month for Back to School! Our promotions this month are being fashioned around the school theme and we are featuring our Stitchin’ Heaven University students.  What’s Stitchin’ Heaven University, you ask? Well, Stitchin’ Heaven University is designed with the education of quilting enthusiasts as priority. We strive to offer fun but educational classes to inspire and stimulate creativity and the academic plan designed to encourage our students to complete their class projects, and not only get them posted in the gallery for all to see and be inspired, but also to reward them for their good work throughout their dedication to learning the beautiful art of quilting. (This also helps decrease your potential UFO’s). Seriously, admit it, if you’re a quilter you have some UFO’s and if you don’t, well….

So, we thought we would recognize some of our students and celebrate their achievements!  We’re going to begin with Jane Hasslinger. Jane has been a customer of ours for a couple of years now. We have grown pretty close to her and it feels like she’s more than a customer and student, she is our friend. Her talent and commitment to quilting is one that inspires and is a true inspiration to all of us. I asked Jane if we could feature her and although, she was trying to be modest, I think she was pretty excited. So, I gave her our trusty questionnaire to tell us a little more about her.

When did you first begin quilting?  Who taught you?   About 20 years ago from a friend I bowled with in Milwaukee, WI.

Did you have a certain inspiration or need to start quilting?   I thought it would be an interesting hobby, little did I know it would become addicting!

Is quilting something that has been a family tradition/hobby?   No, I am the first.

Who do you quilt for? Yourself, friends or family?  Friends & family and donate to charities.

What is your favorite type of quilt block to make?  I love them ALL!

Is there anything that you would like to share with other quilters?  Something interesting?  Something quirky? Pet peeves? Anything!  Pet peeves, mistakes in pattern books!

Are you known for anything or any style of quilting? My weird sense of humor.

I wouldn’t say Jane has a weird sense of humor, but maybe it’s ’cause I’m weird too?  No matter what, though, we love Jane and are privileged to know her and have her as a part of our quilting lives.

Thank you, Jane!

Do you have any Stitchin’ Heaven projects that you have finished and would like to share. We want to devote November as our “Thanks Giving” month, (so appropriate) we’re we want to invite you all to send in pictures of finished projects you have done through our store, whether it be your progress in a block of the month program or a kit you have purchased from our store or even projects from Quiltflix, Charm School or Perse Anality! We want to share with you and thank you for your loyalty. We wouldn’t be Stitchin’ Heaven without all of you!

Like Jane’s story and achievements? Please show her some love and leave a comment for her!

Until next time……may your days be pieceful!

Ok, please let me start off by saying how incredibly difficult it was for me to chose just 10 ideas. With over 50 responses, so many of you had some great ideas. Thank you all!  So, with much consideration and contemplation, we’ve come up with just 10.  I’ve listed the 10 below and ask for you to submit your vote via comment, just list the # you vote for (ex. “I vote for #3″). We will hold voting until midnight August 16th and post our winner with the most votes August17th!

1.  Dish or Bath Towels trimmed with Nuance & a shower curtain to match – Julie B.

2.  Quilted for a runner & matching pillows – Bonnie J.

3.  Applique using pattern Magical Medallions by Karen Kay Buckley - Deb

4.  “Sweetheart” crown pattern by Details By Diane – TheaM

5.  Covers for the Miche Bag – Connie H.

6.  Grand Quilted Coat embroidered with glittery thread & embellished with Beads – Debbie S.

7.  Fussy cut to make the Hexagon Block bag by Scrap-Bags – Jamie K.

8.  Twirly Skirts for a little girl – Carol

9. Art Quilt with metallic threads , beading & applique – Jan G.

10.  Fabric Picture Quilts – “I can see any of the swatches as pretty “cats” sitting on overstuffed “chair”‘ - Beth M.

Again, these are only 10 of the wonderful ideas submitted. Please take time to look through the other ideas posted on the original blog entry. Ok, so what are you waiting for, already!? Get to voting! You can vote for as many as you wish, but please just one vote per choice, meaning please don’t vote 500 times for one idea. )

Thanks, again! This was a lot of fun! I think we should do this more often, don’t you?