Maple Leaf

  The snow has melted or maybe the wind has blown it away.  I forget how windy the fall can be.  The leaves have all moved to the next state.  So how appropriate that today's block is Ozark Maple Leaf.  Once again a great block of squares and HST.

Ozark Maple Leaf

Cutting

  Light fabric

    two  2 1/2" sq.

    four  1 7/8" sq. cut diagonally once for HST

    six  1 1/2" sq.

  Medium fabric

    one  2 12" sq.

    two  1 7/8" sq. cut diagonally once for HST

    three  1 1/2" sq. 

  Dark fabric

    one  2 1/2" sq.

    two  1 7/8" sq. cut diagonally once for HST

    three  1 1/2" sq.

Enjoy the block,

  Terry 

Quilting Hacks

You know all those life hacks you see on Facebook?  

Like how to freshen stale potato chips or 

How to remember a stranger's name? 

Or 101 ways to use a lemon?  

You get the idea...

Terry wanted to provide a quilting hack, so she made a tutorial called "How to Square Your Quilt Blocks."  For all the times, you know, you want to square up your quilt blocks.

Let's face it, as much as some of us quilt, we all still need a little help sometimes.  Terry has so many tools to square up blocks, along with some really great advice.  Take a look.  Let us know what you think.

This nine minute video is a great time investment to help you with your quilting project.  Beginner or professional, we're here to help.  If you like this video, we have more.  There are over 80 tutorials to help you with anything from Disappearing 9 Patches to mesh bags to doll blankets to Simple Pineapples.  Our YouTube channel is easy to find and easy to follow.

Thanks and if you see a life hack that works, drop us a line!

Judie

This is Judie.  

Judie is our newest employee.  Judie should really be named Jack (Of-All-Trades), because she can do just about anything we ask her to do.

Judie has extensive sewing experience, along with a retail and teaching background.  She is patient and knowledgeable, and she will be educating many people in the coming months.  We will be offering a sewing class soon and Judie will be the teacher.  Judie is also becoming the expert in our Baby Lock machines.  If you have any questions, or need a new machine, Judie would be happy to help!

Judie has lived in the Black Hills area for the last 30 years.  Her hobbies include quilting, writing, and enjoying her grandchildren.  Judie is excited to meet everyone when they come into the store.  Please make sure to ask for her when you come in!

July 6th.

     My oldest daughter's favorite holiday is the fourth of July.  I'm not sure why.  It could be the city fireworks display, the late bedtime, the middle of summer freedom from school, the buying and prep time of lighting our own fireworks with her Dad. 

    This year in Sturgis, there was a ban on fireworks because of our extremely dry weather.  We've already had two fires in the last month that decimated over 14,000 acres of beautiful forest and ranch land.  So my Patriotic Beauty had to be content with a short program the city put on, complete with the full attention of the fire department.  To add insult to injury, the city decided to have their program on the 2nd. 

    Now, I didn't think much of it, but my girls were thoroughly confused.  

     We decided to distract them on the 4th with a movie in Rapid City.  We figured a little bit of screen time would heal our daughters' wounded souls.  We could have gone to Lead, SD  to see their fireworks display.  And we seriously considered it.  But we knew there would be a huge crowd to see the explosions being lit from the bottom of the Open Cut Gold Mine.

Credit:  Chris Huber via AP

     The movie was great.  The girls were appeased.  They were also delighted to see some sparkling fireworks going off on our way home, as the 25 miles between Rapid City and Sturgis often provides striking weather differences.  There were no bans in the area we drove through because of some rain that had kept that area wetter.  It felt like a win-win situation.  And it was.  

 

     And then I saw some beautiful pictures from the City of Lead's program.  And it made me rethink the crowds...

For as long as I have lived here, I never get tired of the beauty of Western South Dakota.  And this July 4th, I have to agree with my daughter-this holiday is one of the best.