Utah Shop Hop ~ For Shelto and Stitch

Me and my posse made the trek to the Wasatch Front (Salt Lake City Utah area) for a day of shop hopping. This post really is for Shelto and Stitch who didn't make it this year. No one else will appreciate it. We missed you, we talked about you and we spent money without you.

Bloggers, if you would like to enjoy a really beautiful rendition of the experience with lovely pictures of quilts and classic shots of things we quilters love to touch and talk about, then this is NOT the post for you. Check out Nanette over at Freda's and Kim over at Bitty Bits.

THAT is what a shop hop is all about.

I tried. This coconut tree was just needing a little love. And I think Karebear and Leela are giving it up. Although, Leela thinks she's doing a Verizon commercial. I'm not paying for this picture.

The sweet little helper bee at Elaine's could not figure out why we were taking a picture like this. Don't you want to be somewhere else? Uh, no. She just doesn't know us very well, does she? Notice, Karebear's eyes. She was tired and it was only 11am.

Here's a pretty picture of quilts. I guess I did okay. Leela and I really fell in love with these quilts in frames.We ooohhhed and aaahhed. We discussed all the things we were going to do and where we would put OUR frames in our homes. We carried the patterns around with us the whole time and just before we left we looked at each other and said, "Who are we kidding?" and promptly left the patterns somewhere in the Malibu Monkey area. Yeah, we're THOSE kind of shoppers. Sorry Elaine's. They're by the striped beach balls.

I love this picture, Bets. You're so happy to be parting with your money in such a cute store. (Material Girls)

Okay, the girls insisted on this photo in front of the lollipops. Okay, alright already. It goes south from here.

Karebear just couldn't help herself. Modern Art IS her passion. :)

D-Rae is thoroughly disgusted to be putting her hand IN the boot. "You never know where these boots have been". This isn't a bowling alley, for heaven's sake. They are here for SHOW. I'm sure they've never been worn! Leela, I said I wanted your hand IN the boot. She never follows the rules. Again, she thinks she's doing a commercial for Acme Cowboy Boots.

I know that you think all quilters are part of the Red Hat Society but we donned these lovely princess crowns for about 30 seconds, just enough time to look really foolish. They're trying to be faerie sprites hiding in the books. Is it working for you? Again, notice Karebear's eyes. Looking for Tom Cruise. We didn't find him,

but I'm pretty sure that they hired D-Rae on the spot.

I just was enjoying this sign. I thought the setting was inspiring.

Sign at Piper's Parking Lot. You have to love this if you're a quilter.

Parking for Quilters Only.

Everyone else will be basted and fat quartered.

ba-dum-bump

B&B ~ Bets and Batman

Last picture, last store, last step. The ONLY one in the picture who has her eyes fairly open is KAREBEAR. When she shines, she really shines! This picture brings me so much joy I cannot even tell you. Whenever I am sad I will come here and be instantly cheered up!!!!!

Why, oh why, these women put up with me is beyond my comprehension. But I am soooo very thankful you do. No one else will play password and Celebrity Name Game for 3 hours with me. And before you think I'm a horrible, horrible friend, remember I'm laughing at you with you.

Shelto & Stitch I have video, too!! I'll be posting that shortly.

I know, you can't wait. Neither can I!

Denyse Schmidt is in the HOUSE!

We're so excited about this new line of Home Dec Fabric from Denyse Schmidt. We're throwing a 20% off sale for County Fair today only until 8pm tonight (Mountain Standard Time). It's not advertised in the store. If you want in on the One Day Sale only, write to Corrie at quilttaffy@fiberpipe.net . Do Not Buy it out of the store if you want it on sale. :)

Oh, you wanted to know more about it?? Well, let me tell you! County Fair is perfect for all of your quilting, accessory, home decorating, and apparel projects. Vintage-inspired patterns and hues evoke blue-ribbon pies, parlour dances, and fiddle music on the front porch. It features favorite Denyse Schmidt prints in sunny new colors printed on 54"-wide, home decorative- weight cotton canvas. Can you see Pillows, Totes, Jackets and Chair Coverings???? Oh, I can. I can even see some Alphabet Friends out of that cute dot!

I need a quilt for a friend for her birthday. QUICK. It's in July. She has always wanted a nice levi quilt for all the football and baseball games we sit through in the Idaho weather. I've always wanted to make her one and now I'm thinking I just found my ticket out of THAT project!! I'm thinking of the cheater panel in the middle. (it's 54" wide, perfect!) And then throw on some borders, maybe fussy cut one of these 'blocks' for corner posts and I. AM. GOOD.TO.GO!! Throw some flannel on the back and it's WAY better than a levi quilt!! Still has the heavier weight that you get from a levi quilt in about 100 LESS hours. Happy Birthday Friend! STILL made with love. Lots of love! ~ Des

To-Do's & Blakely's a Winner!

Well leave it to Cheryl to ask what my to-do list was. (You asked for Corrie's...we'll see if she chimes in) I NEVER do to-do lists. They depress me. Plus, I'm too stubborn to do what is on the list. I don't like anyone, even ME, telling me what to do. I know, stubborn. Here is a conglomerate of MY tasks for the day. The cute things are up front. And no, I did not have the raw chicken by my fabric. I finished up my blocks for the Summer Stash Challenge. Exciting!! Worked on the pattern I'm going to do with those.......Binding a quilt for a wedding while watching Bourne Identity. It's amazing how fast I can go when I'm watching that.......Marinated some Chicken for dinner tonight in my new Island Soyaki from Trader Joe's.......Karen inspired me to make a few Alphabet Friends. Darling!....Check out Karen's, she even has a video!.....IF I had a real to-d0 list.....these would have been on it: MOVE shoes from doorway, sweep and mop....do something with the bread dough creation that is growing in the fridge....and clean off the counter that son uses as his personal landing spot. But those last 3 weren't fun so I just stuck to the fun things for today.

I absolutely LOVED reading what you were doing today. Especially, for those of you who don't have blogs, it's kinda fun finding out what you're doing. Don't you think you need a blog?? Then you could spend hours of each day photographing and writing about your every move. I would love it! I would read it! We would get NOTHING done but at least we'd be together......no more to-do lists. Just thinking about that next post......

Oh, the winner.....it's #8 Blakely. Blakely, let Corrie know what line you choose and a mailing address and you'll receive your goodies in the mail! (Check the contact info. in the upper right hand corner) Thank you, Thank you everyone for commenting. It was truly fun to hear what you're up to. Hope Friday is as productive!

See you Next Thursday!~Des

Fat Quarter Giveaway!

Choices, Choices.....Today's winner will be able to pick from the 4 lines above for 4 fat quarters. (Some of the pictures show charm squares, but you'll be receiving FAT Quarters) You've heard of Sophie's Choice, well this one will be Corrie's Choice. You choose the line, Wee Play, Fresh Squeezed, Freshcut or Posh and Corrie will choose the fat quarters. So it will be like a little surprise for you when you get it. We love a good surprise.

Leave me a comment telling me what's on your to-do list today. That should be easy enough, right? I'm not making this too hard, right? Anonymous commenters are fine, but I do need a name and an email. I guess that you wouldn't be anonymous anymore, right? Lots of Rightness going on here. Random Drawing will be later tonight.(Mountain Standard Time :)

Check back tomorrow for a 20% off sale on some new goodies just in!!

Speedy Baby 2~Free Pattern

If you're visiting us from Quilting Gallery, FreePatterns or the Golden Thimble, be sure to check out our other freebies and tutorials! Thanks for visiting us! There's nothing speedy about HAVING a baby, but keeping it warm, cozy and loved should never take too long. Here's Number 2 in what I guess is the Speedy Baby series. :)

It's hard to take a cute picture of a flat quilt, so you'll just have to use your imagination with these other graphics to get a sense of it. Are you feeling it, yet? Speedy, huh?

I made this one out of the sweet and soft Giggles line of flannels. I've said this before and I'll say it again, these are SOFT flannels. We are minkee fans but this flannel is definitely in the running for 2nd place.

Click on the pattern here to download this free pattern! I made up another coloring, if you aren't quite into the bright and bold of Ginger Blossom. Here's a nice mellow Wee Play combo. Also, we have some great Wovens that would be perfect for a baby boy!!

Join us at one of our Quilt Retreats!! 

 

Fresh Squeezed Table Runner

Citrus is in the air! Sip up some of this fun summery Fresh Squeezed line by Sandy Gervais. We've got a new table runner kit & pattern in from our good buddy, Marlene of Yo-Yo Mama. Using cute Rick Rack to accent the border, and a sprinkling of french knots, you have a fresh idea for summer.

So so soft Michael Miller Flannels

All that talk about Christmas, makes me want to get cozy...I don't know about your sister's house, but I'm always freezing when I go to Des' -- good thing she has flannel on the back of all of her quilts.

Ginger Blossom FLANNEL is here! Just one bolt, not sure where the others are, but we'll take it. Super soft. More pink & green Ginger Blossom charm packs are listed.

Other new arrivals - more Michael Miller flannels: Vintage Dots, Rocket Rascals, Transportation,and the ever popular Goth Baby. Wanted to have a few more options for boys. Would make a fast & easy receiving blanket or burp cloths with jumbo rick rack going around the edge. ~Corrie

Quiltersal, You're the gal!

I really love it when you win AND I can have a title that rhymes with your name. Quiltersal, it was meant to be. I asked Mike for a number and then just to be sure, I did the random generator and it was still 13. These charms were meant for you. Your memories were warming our hearts. Pretty funny and if I was giving it away for creativeness, Luanne was a shoe-in! We loved the tune. I also appreciated the many hidden begs and pleads to 'pick me'. I love a good whine. To close out our happy thoughts of Christmas, and they were lovely weren't they??? , let's finish with Luanne's tribute:

Oh the weather outside is frightful

( I just got back from Iowa..)

But the fabric is so delightful

And if we've no place to go....

Let us sew, let us sew, let us sew!

Jolly Giveaway

Too early to be seeing this Jolly fellow?? Well we don't think so. It's NEVER too early to start thinking of all the goodies we want to make for our loved ones. To start you off, today's giveaway is a charm pack of Mary Engelbreit's newest fabric line, Isn't Christmas Jolly? 31 - 5" squares. You get a little peek and a little piece of each fabric in the line. This one is my favorite. I'm thinking cute table runners!! I might need a little more than a 5" piece.

Leave a Christmas-y comment. Let's get in the mood for chestnuts roasting,mistletoe and warm fires. Heck, we had snow last week in Idaho. This isn't that far fetched for us! Drawing will be tonight!

C is for Charlotte

C is for Claudia, Connie and Caliopy, my family's name for this elephant but I was a bit partial to Charlotte. That was MY choice. :) I over rule all. A tutorial that is probably over done yet, not done enough, can be found here. I can find no happy medium. I dedicate it to Vanessa. You probably won't even have time to READ all the instructions let alone make one! :) But it's the thought that counts. Love your little girls first, make elephants second. I'm on to the letter D......I think it should be boy. But what shape?

Yea, Rebecca, Michael Ann and Karen!

I'm just feeling extra love for you today, so you're all THREE winners. I'm sending you this pdf pattern. Wish it was my brilliant creation but alas it's not. It's from a cute little Etsy store Bit Of Whimsy Prims. Cute stuff. Check her out! Contact me at my email address in the upper right hand corner for more information. I've got a cute little elephant tutorial and pattern coming up any minute now. <p>Here's to making lots of friends for charity! It's never too late to join!

AlphaBet FriEnd AdvenTurE

Are you feeling adventurous?

Want to enjoy working with patterns, fabric and trims

all why making the world a better place?

Join us for the Alphabet Friend Adventure.

Since I only have 2 children and just a couple of pets, I haven’t gotten the whole ‘naming’ thing out of my system yet. As I was naming Abby and Bettina, I had the thought that I should just keep going through the alphabet! And thus the Alphabet Friend Adventure was born.

Guidelines to go by:

• These friends are to be for charity. (Children/Grandchildren/Neighbors are not charity:) Find a cause, any cause and create a toy for a child in need. I currently give my friends to my church and they are shipped all over the world to children. You might check with local churches, Police/Fire Departments, hospitals, homeless shelters, and domestic violence centers for opportunities to give.
  
• There should be 26 friends made by the end of the adventure. One named for each letter of the alphabet, Abby....Bettina.....C I know, won’t "X" be fun!! Friends can be sewn, crocheted, knitted, needle-felted. The medium doesn’t matter as long as it is something a child could play with, preferably soft and cuddly. :) You can make a whole army of friends or one of every kind. There are no particulars on what you can create, dolls/animals/space men/robots/etc. They can be super simple, or all dressed up. Mine will always be pretty simple. But give them a name and take a picture!
  
• Pick a button, any button (see below )and place on your blog side bar linking back to this post. If you need help doing that, just ask. Also, if your copy of the button isn’t very clear, write me for a better copy. Non-Bloggers: I’d love to see your efforts as well. To be entered into the drawing at the end, just send me pictures of your creations and your plans for them. See Contact us: Des.
  
• Leave a comment here letting me know you are on board and I’ll set up a blogroll.
  
• Create a label/category of your posts about the Alphabet Friend Adventure, that way I can go directly to your efforts! I’ll be sure to peek around the rest of the place as well. :)
  
• Adventure ends September 15th. To be entered into the drawing I’ll be visiting everyone on the blogroll on Sept. 15th and checking out your good works. Prize will be fabric goodies for sure! But don’t do this out of greed! Do it for children! You’ll surely be disappointed if you make 26 animals for a fat quarter! ! :)

  Some thoughts on Friends
  Toys provide social development, fine and gross motor skills, stimulate learning and imagination and help children find joy.

Remember who this is for and what organization you are choosing. The toys I donate go to children all over the world, so I stay away from American culture, religious, military, violent or scary images of any kind.

Be aware of buttons and trims and that most do not do well on a child’s toy because of the hazard of items that might be pulled off and put in a child’s mouth.

Quality, Quality, Quality! On my toys , when sewing, I use a smaller stitch on my machine. I also close up the openings, left for stuffing, with a heavy thread, like quilting thread.

If you’re still here reading after all of THAT, then you deserve a prize! Anyone who adds the button AND leaves a comment here, (sorry, non-bloggers) will be entered to win this cute pdf/email pattern! It’s a great way to get you started! By the way, her stuff is ADORABLE!! I will draw Tuesday Morning, June 17th.

Buttons to add to your sidebar: I went a little crazy and just couldn't do ONE. This might be overkill. I'm usually not this in to giving people so many choices, but I.Just.Couldn't.Help.Myself. Right Click on a button and save to your computer. Then add to your sidebar. Blogger automatically resizes it for you. If you have a problem, let me know.