Notes from Nancy

Here I am at Spring Quilt Market with some of my favorite friends and
designers. It is always good to see them and be around such creative
people. Somewhere we had a picture with Jennifer Gaston from Primitive
Quilts and Other Projects but it was missing from my phone.

Nancy with Stacy West and the girls from Blackberry Primitives (Tonja and Cindi) at Market.
 

 From Market I do have a new Scrap Crazy 6″ ruler that has 5 pieces and
will make a variety of quilt blocks. I especially like the crazy quilt
block and I can see some wonderful stitches from the #8 and #5 over-dyed
Valdani Pearl Cotton that was ordered! The ruler is in stock and the
thread should be here soon.
 

There are new Red Button patterns from Market and Elise and Carolyn have them into kits already.

We have new patterns from Blueberry Back Roads and while at Market, I
set up a Fall Trunk Show with some of her new Fall patterns. This will
take place the week after Labor Day and her samples will be available
for viewing for two weeks and the patterns for sale. I am sure we will
also kit some of them in Hen House fabrics.

Debby will be starting a Sampler Quilt in her Stitched by Hand class. If
you have been wanting to do some hand stitching, this is your
opportunity to join the group. The girls have a great time, lots of fun,
and you will not find a more helpful and knowledgeable teacher. In
fact, I think I just might join the Sampler class.

Enjoy this wonderful weather and come check out all the new items and all the clubs we have to offer on our calender.

May your hearts be big and your stitches small.
Nancy
 

Notes from Nancy

Oh My, where have the last 12 days gone as this Newsletter certainly did
not get out the first of May! I actually was at Blackwater Falls State
Park having a wonderful time at the Primitive Quilts and Other Projects
Retreat. This Thursday I will be off to Pittsburgh for Quilt Market.
Then my travels are over except for day trips.

Elise was gone last week so when all the new books and fabrics arrived,
we had to wait for her to come back and start posting. It all is not
done but she has a lot of the new patterns, fabric, and books on the
website.

 I am working on the third block for “The Journey Continues” Shop Hop,
which will be the first week-end in August. We will keep you posted.  I
want to thank all the participants of the April Road Trip. Marie
McDonald  was the luck winner of the $50.00 gift certificate.

We are participating in the Row by Row Experience for 2014 with many
other Michigan shops. Elise has a link at the bottom for you to check
out all the information.

Many new homespun fabrics came today so keep checking out the website. I
know quilters are also gardeners and you are at the markets buying your
seeds and flowers but take time to see us, learn what is new, and get a
little stitching done.

May your hearts be big and your stitches small.        Nancy

P.S. Just a note to mention that the Saturday Crankers are not meeting
on the 24th since it is Memorial Day weekend. We will meet on the 31st
instead!

Notes from Nancy

I do hope Spring is right around the corner as I am ready for grass, sunshine, and at least 50 degree temperatures.

I have spent the last six days in Indiana to be with my dad as he prepares for his final journey.

As soon as I am back home, I will get my July sand pail mini quilt
project underway for the April Road Trip. There are twelve shops and
each shop is making a mini hanging and you will be able to purchase the
kits and change your little frame each month. Later, I will have
pictures of each project. (We all have to finish them first.) We will be
selling the punch cards for $5.00 and you can shop all the shops on the
card once for special discounts.

Our Primitive Place magazines have just arrived! The first shipment, it
seems, got lost with all of the bad weather the country has been having.

As you may know, March is national craft month! On March 15th we will be
celebrating National Quilt Day and everyone that comes in may choose a
free fat quarter!

The Band Boxes with Downton Abbey fabric are in the shop. We will be
selling them individually or as sets. They will make your sewing room
look spectacular! Plus, if you order a set during the month of March you
will receive free shipping!
 

 

Don’t forget to check out the newsletter for all our sew-in’s and special clubs. Please join us as we have a lot of fun.

Keep Stitching, Nancy

Notes from Nancy

Well, here we are–dumped on again with more snow! My bags are packed
for a trip to Indiana this afternoon but I probably won’t be able to
make it again. I thought third time would be charm…

Elise is back and I am so thankful. If I screwed up any orders that were
sent while she was gone, please let me know so corrections can be made.

I spent last week working on a small covered box made of Pentagons. It
was a lot of fun. We have two sizes in the shop if you want to try your
hand at this project.
 

Another new sample in the shop is Peony Wreath from Nine Patch Gathering using Lisa’s fast way of piecing nine patches. Elise’s mom had fun making this sample for us.
 

The Alphabet Sampler (from Maggie’s latest book) was so much fun to do and I consider that my New Years Quilt. We have the kits for the wool letters. You just need to find the old heavy feed sacks.
 

In cleaning out old patterns that have not sold, I came across a
wonderful pattern of Linda Brannock’s that I have wanted to do since
2004 when it was written! (where has the time gone) and it has pieced
hexi’s and circles with stars of which I will do in wool. I am going to
pick those fabrics today while it is snowing and blowing.

I was so excited to get the new quilt of wool and velvets with hexie’s
incorporated in the design. This is on loan from Blackberry Primitives
for  awhile so be sure and get to the shop and see it. Details for
making this will come at a later date.

Notes from Nancy

Happy New Year to all you wonderful people. I am thawing out today as
yesterday the actual temperature in Charlotte was -16 degrees. I pulled
out my Artic Handknitted 100% Qiviut made in Alaska from a trip 10 years
ago and my Lands End coat and stayed toasty while out running errands. I
visited my Dad after Christmas and stopped to spend several nights with
friends in northern Indiana and managed to get nicely snowed in an
extra day. I have never been able to stitch and watch old movies all day
long. It was so much fun, thank you Jackie.
 
We are anxiously waiting for the Downton Abby boxes to come through the
door and Jo’s new “Woodlands” to arrive. I have been stitching the
alphabet in wool on an old stained feed sack from Maggie’s book “Another
Time, Another Place. I am very happy with the results. When it is all
done, Elise will post a picture on Facebook. I can’t believe all the
people who check that site as we certainly get results when something
new comes in!
 
Check out the January schedule for all our little clubs, get-togethers,
and Debby’s hand piecing classes. If you want to learn to tat or rug
hook please let us know. I hope to be putting some simple rug hooking
kits together this month.  I have Jo’s block of the month fabric and the
patterns. We have had a little glitch in how we are going to pursue
this but we will overcome and by February will be ready to roll somehow!
 
Keep Stitching and keep warm.         Nancy
 

Notes from Nancy

I felt bad when I read everyone’s newsletters last week with how they
appreciate our business and I never even wrote a pre-Thanksgiving note.
So–you all know that I really do appreciate your business and those who
participated in my Black Friday Sales and Small Business Saturday were
able to take advantage of the appreciation sales. I also thought how
nice it was to get two Saturday’s of Hand Cranking in November. Check
out these cool battery operated mini lights that come with a timer, on
sale at the shop for $10!

I am knee deep in trying to get my home-made gifts done and while trying
to get a few new items for the shop done too. I was able to get a
sample of Pam Buda’s American Gothic fabric line into the top for a
small table topper. Now, Elise thinks it needs some wool and I agree so
we will get our creative juices flowing! Here is a picture of what is
done.

The other top I have done is from the “Spell It With Fabric” booklet. I
see all kinds of possibilities with letters from this $8.00 item.
Speaking of books, Sue Spargo’s Creative Stitching is on back-order as
the printer is taking their sweet time on getting them re-printed. How
nice for Sue that the book is selling so well. Soon as we get more, the
orders will be shipped.

Small Quilts will meet on this Wednesday at 10:00 so if you are working
on a small project, bring your machine and your project and join us.
Needle Punch Club will meet the 13th and 27th at 1:00. Wednesday Woolies
will meet the 18th at 10:00 and Hexie Holics on the 19th also at 10:00.
Stitched by Hand is meeting the 10th and 17th at 9:30.

Keep in mind I will be closing at 1:00 on the 24th, and be closed of
course, on Christmas AND the day after Christmas. Watch for a follow up
newsletter later this month for the Specials on the 27th through the
31st. Check out the new items below (and make out your Christmas list if
you haven’t) and in the meantime, keep stitching.

                                             Nancy

Notes from Nancy

The BIG Party is over and the best part was that my ENTIRE family was
there so my cousins and classmates could meet the whole gang! The
weather was wonderful and Dad even sang the birthday Thank You song.

I will be a vendor at the Hook In in Bridgeman, MI. on the 12th of
October. I will be taking a lot of needle-punch, wool, and many
patterns. This is a one day event and then I will visit my Dad on
Sunday.

We have started a Needle Punch Club bi-monthly event at the shop so join
us on Friday afternoons the first and third Fridays at 1:00 in the
afternoon. If this is something you have never done, you may take a
class ($10.00 fee.)  If you already know how to punch, the club is free.
Any purchases you make on club days will be a 10% discount.

Since time flies by so quickly, I want to mention the Third Thursday
October evening event. Several of the shops in Charlotte including The
Hen House will be open till 8:00. From 5:00 to 8:00 I will discount all
books at 25% from the retail price. THIS IS ONLY THE THIRD THURSDAY FROM
5:00-8:00 P.M.
 
Be sure and check out Debby’s STITCHED BY HAND club. She has such a
wealth of knowledge to share about many techniques and tricks to make
your stitching easier when doing a project.

If you want to learn the lost art of tatting, Carolyn is the person to contact and she works on Thursdays. Give us a call.

If you haven’t joined the Hexie craze, come and let Elise inspire you!

Don’t forget our Rug Hooking every Friday evening and the second Monday
of the month. We also have our Wednesday Woollies the last Wednesday of
the month.

I am continuing to work on the new Block of the Month starting (for me)
in January called Hampton Ridge. You do four 5″ blocks per month. I love
this quilt because, again, it does not look like a Block of the Month.
Cost will be $24.00 per month.

We are loving Pam Buda’s new line called American Gothic. We have fat
quarter bundles, fat 1/8 bundles and yardage in the whole line.

Maggie’s new book is here along with about 5 other great books so make a trip to the shop and check everything out.

Looking forward to the Saturday Crankers meet on the 26th this month. If
you are interested in seeing hand crank sewing machines, stop in on
this date. I also have several lovely machines for sale.

 

Enjoy this beautiful October as it is my favorite month of the year and keep stitching.   Nancy

Notes from Nancy

Well I bet all of you just cannot wait for this newsletter to find out
what all I bought on my four day antiquing trip! We had a wonderful time
and I think all of us came home with treasures and empty money bags. I
bought some really nice crocks (Ohio is the best state to find a good
variety of them.) I also found wood mallets for paper towel holders-a
great one is in the bathroom at the shop as well as at the lake. And–do
you know a hog scraper works great to hold an extra roll of toilet
paper? We ended the trip at Sauder Village for the Rug Hooking show.
Life is good!

This week-end will be a relaxing one at the lake and then on Monday I
will walk the 5 miles across the Mackinac Bridge. This has become a
yearly event with friends. We drag ourselves out of bed at 2:30 A.M. and
get to Lansing by 3:00 to get a good seat on the bus. When the bus
takes off all the lights go off and we sleep for a couple of hours and
wake up as the sun is just coming up. It is a great opportunity to walk
this amazing suspension bridge.
 

I am trying to get the blocks together for Hampton Ridge. We have
pictures of the first four which will be the blocks for January. They
really were fun to put together.

Next weekend, Sept. 7th and 8th, I will be a vendor at the quilt show in
Marshall. It is always a wonderful show and I am excited to be a part
of it. I will have treasures in my booth!

The weekend of the 14th my family will all be in Winamac, Indiana to
celebrate my Dad’s 100th birthday party. (He will turn 100 on the 17th.)
We are all excited to see family and friends for this event. My Dad was
a farmer for many years and has always lived in the area. He is the
oldest man in Winamac.

Check out the schedule for our little events we have going in the shop.
Join us for Debby’s Stitched by Hand, day time or evening Rug Hooking,
Wednesday Woolies, or stitching Hexie’s . Carolyn will teach you how to
Tat which is becoming a lost art.

If you have been away for awhile, come and check out all the new fabrics
that have arrived durring the summer. You just can’t wait till November
to buy Christmas fabric anymore!

It is always fun to see Fall arrive as I love all the decorating that
can be done with pumpkins, gourds, and berries. I have been doing some
new samples of needle punch and it has been a nice change from making
hexie’s which I still do!

Keep Stitching, Nancy