New Fabrics!

I've had a busy week finishing up customer quilts for Christmas---and my own!  I've also been busy trying to find places in the shop to show off the new fabric that's arriving. 

I love the new Americana collection called "The People's House" from Robert Kaufman.  It was inspired by the designer's first visit to the White House.  The colors are so vibrant and all the fabrics are highlighted with gold accents.  I love that the flag motif has "God Bless America" written below it in gold.  There is also a stripe with the words "Let Freedom Ring" and "America the Beautiful".  I can't wait to start something with it.

Also new are Fabrications Strips from Blank Quilting.  Like a jelly roll, there are forty 2 1/2" strips in each package.  These are currently available in red and blue.  What a great selection of fabrics there are in these!  The ever-popular black and white strip collection is also on order.

I spent Friday morning with one of my great fabric reps and am excited that he is now representing Windham Fabrics, along with RJR, Anthology, Anna Griffin, and In The Beginning fabrics.  I loved the new fabrics from Windham, which has retained some of the more traditional styles a lot of us are used to. Suffice to say, I ordered several great collections.  And, believe it or not, I even ordered some Halloween and Christmas fabrics for next year!  Those won't arrive until the heat of next summer, but there will be plenty more arriving in the meantime.

Lastly, I finished the basket of pansies I started a while back.  I thought you might like to see it if you haven't visited the shop lately.  Come by and see all the new things!  I know Christmas is keeping us all busy, but you might want to start thinking about a new project to get yourself through the cold, snowy months we know are coming. 

Happy quilting!

Fun Pinwheels

Have you  made a Twister quilt yet?  If not, you'll want to!  They're so easy and fun.  I do have a couple of suggestions if a Twister quilt is in your future.  A rotating rotary mat is SO helpful when cutting the twister squares. (If you don't have one, you might want to put it on your Christmas list.)  Also, a design wall is nearly a must unless you "sew as you go".  I was cutting away, then had to hurry and put my blocks away---BIG mistake.  Trying to put them back together correctly is a bit like working a jigsaw puzzle!  If you follow these two suggestions though, you'll find using the ruler and putting the blocks together very, very easy. 

I have the Let's Twist pattern book in stock and both the Twister and the Lil Twister rulers.  Come in for a demonstration---I might still be trying to get my blocks in line.  I love a challenge, though!

Sewing Time!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We enjoyed having our daughter Jennifer and our granddog Lucy here for several days.  Of course, we ate way too much, but it was nice to do some baking and cooking after spending the last year letting that little enjoyment take a backseat to sewing and quilting.  I have so very much to be thankful for---and I never forget it.  It's hard to believe that it's been nearly a year since the shop opened.  I've learned so much, met so many people, and made so many new friendships.  I'm very, very appreciative of my customers and those who have been so supportive of me and the shop.  THANK YOU.

Since Jim has gone to watch his favorite college basketball team, I thought I'd sneak in a little "piece time" on a cold, rainy evening.  What better to cut into than a pretty print that makes me think of spring!  This collection by Robert Kaufman is called Pretty as a Pansy and it really IS gorgeous.  With its great basketweave plaids in two greens and two purples, I'm thinking of baskets of pansies.

I've already put together one of the pansy prints with a cream print background and made half square triangles using Edyta Sitar's Laundry Basket Quilts triangle paper, which I haven't had a chance to try until now.  I can see why it's so popular.  After using only one sheet, I'm excited about participating in the exchange our guild is doing using this paper.  Because each sheet makes 28 half square triangles (all the same), an exchange is really the best way to go if you want a large variety of prints. 

I need to get busy!  As always, if anyone has a special pattern or book request, just let me know.  I'll be happy to order it for you.

Christmas Parade/Merchant Open House Cancelled

Due to the strong chance of rain, the Christmas Parade and Open House at all the local merchants has been cancelled.  Because of that, the shop will close as usual at 4:00 p.m. today.  I apologize if anyone made plans to visit after that time.  The good news is that it's all been rescheduled for Friday, December 2.  Hopefully, the weather will cooperate then!

Welcome!

Welcome to Piece Time Quilt Shop's new blog!  I hope you'll visit often to check out what's new and what's going on at the shop.  I'll do my best to keep things up to date.

I hope you had a chance to attend the English Prairie Quilt Guild's Show on November 12th.  It was wonderful---so many beautiful quilts on display!  Congratulations to the Guild for a very successful show.  The members did a great job and were especially helpful to the vendors like me.

On Monday morning, I spent several hours with my Robert Kaufman Fabrics sales rep to see all the new collections they introduced at Quilt Market in Houston.  It was SOOOOO hard to choose and I wanted everything, but restrained myself somewhat since I have reps from two more companies coming in the next two weeks.  There will be plenty of new fabrics arrriving after the first of the year!

A number of new collections have arrived in the last couple of weeks, so if you haven't been in lately, stop by to see them.  I also have some great gifts for quilters.  The miniature (1 1/4" and 1 1/2") paper pieced pins and pendants are beautiful!  New pendants will be arriving shortly, but they go fast. 

And every quilter needs a quilt-related ornament for the Christmas tree---check out the wood laser-cut ornaments.

There is still plenty of time for holiday decorating and stitching up a penny rug is so much fun!  Everything but a needle and scissors is included in these kits and they're perfect for the holidays.

Christmas fabric is still available and it's all 20% off!  Even if you think it's too late to finish another project this year, the savings make it worth stocking up.  Several other collections, including Thimbleberries' Moonflower collection and Kaufman's Swiss Chocolate, are also marked at 20% off.  More fabrics have been added to the 25% off shelf to make room for the new things coming in. 

The shop will be open on "Black Friday" from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and open until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday for the Grayville Merchants' Open House.  Visit the shop, then stay for the lighted Christmas Parade at 6:00 p.m.!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!