Saturday, December 23, 2017

Happy Holidays

As the year comes to a close, we wanted to update everyone on the shop.
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We will very soon be switching to a new system at the shop that will allow our customers to see our products online. We understand that shopping online makes decision making at the shop easier when project planning. We hope that this encourages you to stop in more and that it is a helpful tool in your quilting.

With this new system comes a brand new look for our website, we are very excited to have a more professional look. It comes with handy extras like the ability to sign up for classes online, text reminders and more.
Printable Coupon

We will still offer our rewards program and a guild discount (for those who present a guild membership card), but the new system will also give us freedom to offer a birthday club, coupons and more. We ask for a little patience as we make the transition but think it will be well worth it!
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Our winter open house will be on Saturday, Feb 3rd 2018 from 10am-4pm. 
Fingers crossed that no hurricanes or other natural disasters occur to prevent our event from happening (again!). 

As we get closer to Open House we will be revealing new classes and new dates.

Holiday Hours:
We will be closed December 24 through the 26 and will reopen at 10am on December 27!
We will be closed December 31st and January 1st. We will see you in the New Year on January 2nd at 10am!

Wishing you all a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year! 
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Saturday, April 15, 2017

Panel Palooza: The Voting Begins!

Below are all of the Panel Palooza Entries! We were delighted to get a total of 21 of you to participate!  We hope it inspired you!
The pictures will appear here and they will also appear on Facebook. To vote on here you may post a comment at the bottom with your favorite entry numbers. You may vote for as many as you'd like but you may only vote once here and once on Facebook. 
Please remember when you vote on Facebook to click the album to open it and vote on EACH picture not the whole album. Only the votes for each individual picture will be counted not the votes for the whole album!
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Without further ado and in no particular order:

Entry 100: Wolf Panel used. Stars, sky and snow quilted with glow-in-the-dark thread. Paper Pieced stars from Carol Doak "Massachusetts" block. Tree border is gems template


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Entry 101:
With lots of sparkly bling added! What girl doesn't love sparkle?? 
A Janet Wecker-Frisch Panel used.
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Entry 102: Texas Panel Potholders, Technique used: Chenille
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Entry 103: Small "Thicket" panel used with a "Thicket" Jellyroll. Walking foot quilted plus stippling around the critters. Original design.
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Entry 104: Used the Supernova Rainbow panel. A Ricky Timms Convergence technique for the colored portion. The pattern was something I dreamed up! Note the word "Spectrum"bottom right of the quilt done in the quilting only.
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Entry 105: Original Design that came to her as she went along! Stag Panel used.







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Entry 106: Loose interpretation of " Love is a Rose" of L+L Studios. Janet Wecker Frisch Panel used. As always - a challenge to make squares- square using a panel! Embellished with Shell and Octopus Buttons, and dimensional Scallops
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Entry 107: Ceramic Tiles Decoupaged with Music Panel and a Canvas wrapped in a panel. Home decore! Original Design
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Entry 108:Original Design, Custom Quilted using a Janet Wecker Frisch panel
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Entry 109:Original Design. I had collected a lot of train prints and when I found this panel, it gave me the inspiration to start!
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Entry 110: Pattern used: Simplicity #1363. This creation took 4 panels of the Northcott Shimmer Line
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Entry 111:The center is from a pattern but the rest I made up as I went along!Northcott Artisan Shimmer panels used.
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Entry 112: Scrap Therapy Purse Pattern using Texture Magic technique on a Northcott Shimmer panel.
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Entry 113: Uses the Bear Panel. Custom Quilted with bright fall colored fabric and bear claw blocks in the corners.
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Entry 114: Used the Artisan Shimmer panels to construct the "Sew Together Bag" Techniques: Lots of zippers!!! 
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Entry #115: Original Design. I call it "Lilly's Fish" - my granddaughter is crazy about fish!
******************************************************Entry #116: Design inspired by Janet Wecker Frisch Pennant Panel I made this pennant banner to hang above my sewing area. I love Janet Wecker Frisch fabric lines especially the Quilting B's Fabric. She combines funky with vintage!


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Entry #117 This is an altered apron pattern based on Simplicity 1971. She used the Moda Bee Creative panel
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Entry 118: She used the Rainbow Supernova Pattern and created her own design!Custom Quilted, piping detail in binding!
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Entry 119:She used a Janet Wecker Frisch panel for a cute little kitchen set! There is a hot pad, mini wallhanging and bowl cozy!

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And last but not least!
Entry 120:She used one of our Paris Panels to make this cute embellished purse. She even dressed it up with a cute hat to model for us!
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Remember you may encourage your friends and family to vote for your entry! Winners will be awarded on April 29th! Remember one drawing from all the entries for a $50 gift card to the shop for the participation award and one for Viewer's choice for $100!

Sunday, March 19, 2017

2017 Shop Hop Block Tutorial

If you have participated in the 2017 Shop Hop ( March 29- April 1st 2017) then you received a free pattern from us to complete this block. Here is some additional pattern support!

Supplies:
Pair up your largest (5.375")yellow square with one of the same sized pink ones and draw a diagonal line from corner to corner:
Sew on both sides of the drawn diagonal line with a 1/4" seam:
Cut your squares apart on the drawn diagonal line to reveal 2 Half Square Triangles (HST) these are your set AB HST's. Press seam towards the pink
 Repeat this process the second large pink square and a square of the focal fabric. 
Draw your diagonal, sew on both sides of the line, cut apart, press towards the pink and  reveal your second set of HST AC:
Top set AC/Bottom set AB

Next you will take one square from each set, pair them right sides together keeping sewn lines together and since you pressed towards the pink you can "nest the seams" in this arrangement:
 Note you draw the diagonal line perpendicular to the previously sewn line and when you peek at it from the side a pink will appear on each side forming and X or a quarter square triangle (QST)
 Sew on both sides of your drawn diagonal again right across your seam from the previous steps! Then cut them apart on the drawn line to reveal:
 Your multicolor Quarter Square rectangle pieces! I press this seam open to ease the bulk and you can trim your dog ears at this point if you wish. These pieces should measure 4.5" at this point

Next we will illustrate how to construct the corner pieces:

Pair your smaller (5" ) squares of yellow and a focal fabric, draw your diagonal as before and sew as before on either side of the line, cut on the line and repeat with the second set. 
 You should now have 4 HST with the yellow and focal print:
 Press towards the focal print:
 Now you will place a 2" yellow square on each focal corner fabric as shown and draw a diagonal line parallel to the sewn line:
 NOTE this time you will SEW ON THE DRAWN LINE!! and then fold back the triangle flap to reveal your corner pieces, you may trim the corner focal fabric away if you wish , just be careful not to cut your yellow! 
These completed pieces should measure 4.5".
Assemble your elements as shown in one of these arrangements:
It gives the block a slightly different look depending on which way you choose to place the corners.
Sew the three rows together and if you press the outside column seams outward and the middle column inward the seams will nest with reduced bulk.
Sew these last two seams to reveal your completed block!
 Two different looks! 

And here is our completed quilt! Kits are available if you would like to make all your shop hop blocks and put them in this arrangement!

(Furry friend and helpful teenage son are not included :-)



Saturday, February 18, 2017

Houston Shop Hop 2017


We are a little over a month away from the annual Houston Quilt Shop Hop! This year there are once again 9 shops participating:

Cactus Quilts
Calico Cats
Fabrics Etcetera
Katy Quilt 'n Sew
Pinwheels and Posies
Quilts Emporium
Quilters Cottage
Quilters Crossing
Quilters Quarters


The Shop Hop Dates are Wed, March 29 through Sat. April 1st.
The hours each day are from 9:00 am-6pm 
except for Friday where we extend the hours to 9am-7pm.

You will pick up your passport at the first shop you visit and get it stamped to prove you visited. At each shop you will receive a free pattern for a star block. You may choose to purchase a kit to make this block for $9. Each block is unique to that store. Each store will also have a quilt displayed that uses all 9 blocks to make a quilt. You have the option of purchasing a finishing kit so that you may put your blocks together in the way that best pleases you! These options will be displayed on the website shophophouston.com. This way you can plan ahead and be prepared to purchase your finishing kit when you arrive at that store.
Quilters Crossing Block

Shop Hop bonuses: If you make any purchase at a store on the hop you will receive a free gift! 

When you have visited all 9 shops (within the dates of the hop!) and gotten stamped at each shop you will turn in your passport at the last shop you visit and receive a coupon page. The coupon page is good for a 20% off discount on one item at each shop on one return visit and is redeemable through December 31st 2017! 

Great job you have finished the hop!

Now all of these completed passports will be put into a drawing. The GRAND PRIZE is a Quilting Cruise out of Galveston Texas for one lucky winner and his or her very best quilting friend or spouse! 
Second prize is a GO BIG accu-cutter and third prize is a Tutto sewing machine carrier!

More chances to win: Each shop on the hop will draw 2 names of hoppers who have visited that day and give them each a $25 gift card! 

If you are as excited about the quilting cruise as we are, don't wait to win, you can sign up with Al Magee.
Should you be the lucky winner your down payment will be refunded to you!  
So if you win the shop hop or not, we'd love you to cruise with us! 

And let me tell you! There are many, many prizes to be won on the cruise! Many quilting activities are in the works, classes, show and tell, pajama party, and even some possible seminars not to mention all the fabulous amenities the ship and ports of call have to offer!