Quilting

  Our quilters are busy, busy, busy like Santa's elves getting everything ready for Christmas.  Today was their day off so Christopher and I stepped in.  We spent the day long arm quilting to make sure that everyone's quilt is finished on time.  It is always fun to see what others have made.  The variety that our customers create is great.  We are not to the bottom of the list but just a little closer.
  Today's block is Windblown Square.

Windblown Square

Cutting

  Light fabric
    one  4 1/4" sq. cut diagonally twice
    two   2 3/8" sq.  cut diagonally once
    one  2 7/8" sq. for center

  Medium fabric
    one  4 1/4" sq.  cut diagonally twice, use 2
    two  2 3/8" sq.  cut one diagonally once, other one use in HST

  Dark fabric
    one  4 1/4" sq. cut diagonally twice, use 2
    two  2 3/8" sq. cut one diagonally once, other one use in HST

Have fun.
  Terry

     

Post Thanksgiving

  It is after Thanksgiving and I need to get back into a routine.  I have been very busy this week finishing other people's projects for Christmas.  This has caused me to neglect the things that I want to get done such as blogging and my own Christmas.  It is time to get organized.
  To the more important thing--another block.  To ease back into it, the block is Contrary Wife, a simple block with squares and HST.

Contrary Wife

Cutting

  Light and Dark fabric
    two  2 7/8" sq.  use to make HST

  Medium fabric
    five  2 1/2" sq.

  Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.
  Terry

One More

  I can't believe that November is half over.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming fast.  My Grandmother always told me that as you get older, the years seem to go faster so enjoy every moment.  I feel that she may be right.  

  Buckwheat is the next block.  To sew this one, I did the four-patch in the center first.  Then, cut the large squares twice to make the HST.  Lastly, matching the triangle in the corners.  I sewed this block in 3 sections at an angle.  Normally, we sew in horizontal rows.

Buckwheat

  

Cutting

  Light fabric

    two  3 1/4" sq. cut diagonally twice for HST

    two  1 7/8" sq. for center 4-patch

  Medium fabric

    three  3 1/4" sq. cut diagonally twice for HST

  Dark fabric

    two  3 1/4" sq.  cut diagonally twice for HST

    two  1 7/8" sq. for center 4-patch

Terry       

November Days

  As the days get colder, the more I enjoy sewing.  I can sit at my sewing machine and look out the window watching as winter comes this way.  The leaves have fallen, the nights are colder and frost is on the windshield of my car but I am warm and safe at my sewing machine.  Have you ever noticed how time goes quickly when you are busy working on that new project or finishing an old one?  I lose track of time all of the time.  
  Time for the next block--Card Basket.  I don't understand why it is called Card Basket for it doesn't look like cards or a basket.  There are 3 great types of squares in Card Basket.  HST are in the corners, hour glass units on the sides and a square in a square in the center.

Cutting

Light fabric
  two  3 1/4" sq.  cut diagonally twice then sew or sew then cut (pick you favorite method for making the hour glass)
  one  1 7/8" sq. for the center

Light Medium fabric
  two  2 7/8" sq. for HST

Dark Medium fabric
  one  3 1/4" sq. for hour glass
  two  1 7/8" sq. for sq. in a sq.

Dark fabric
  one 3 1/4" sq. for hour glass
  two  2 7/8" sq. for HST

Stay warm,
  Terry  

Planning Ahead

I might be a planner.  I really don't like to fly by the seat of my pants.  I don't accomplish much and I usually get a hole in my pants.  Having children has altered my plan making abilities a little, but it still makes me uncomfortable.  

Terry is the same way.  She loves to plan ahead.  And she loves to help you plan ahead.  If you're that kinda person.  That's why she has taken on our new Block of the Month.  In November, it's hard to think about summer.  Or at least next summer.  I'm still thinking about last summer. <sigh>  But by getting this BOM started now, you will have a beautiful, patriotic quilt done just in time for the 4th of July.

To help you out, Terry has started her YouTube video tutorials for this project.  The first month is right here:

You are welcome to join us every month.  We can ship right to your door so that you can follow along.  Here's the sign-up:

Marcus Fabrics Star Spangled Liberty Sign-Up

Our holiday sale is getting better and better.  Don't forget to look at our sale page for cute fabrics and panels.  Or sophisticated.  Whichever side you lean towards.  We have fabrics for everything from quilts to wall hangings to table runners to placemats.  And we have the videos to help you make them.  If you make a mistake, we have tools to help you with that, too.  We just got in new scissors, snips and tweezers by Famore Cutlery.  Take a look on our Notions page.  We're hoping you might want some.  If not, maybe a sewer in your family needs a stocking stuffer.

Thanks for following along.  We really appreciate everyone who reads our blog, views our YouTube channel, and surfs our website.  Feel free to comment, call or email us if you have any questions, need some supplies, or want to provide feedback.  Have a great week!

A Nation....Tired.

I'm not one to comment on the political process.  I believe both sides have some ideas worth value and some that should be tossed in the trash.  God in heaven rules and nothing is a surprise to him.  But wow, am I tired!  Are any of you taking a huge breath of relief that it's all over?  What will we ever fill our time with now?  

I know!  Let's fill it with quilting.

How cute is this?!

A customer of ours from Virginia sent us this picture.  She used our panels to make an adorable baby gift.  I love these Northcott Connector Playmat panels.  The kiddos can even run their cars and planes and boats on them.  It's like a soft, portable train table!   

Need some ideas for home decor for the holidays?  Come look at our Thanksgiving and Christmas items.  Currently on sale.  Saving money on gifts just means you can make more gifts, right?  I'll also let you in on a little secret.  We still have a few Halloween items in stock.  They are 50% off.  Want to plan ahead?  Or just like Halloween?  Pick up a few things before they are sold out.

Terry has posted a brand new YouTube tutorial.  If you have a bunch of scraps laying around, this might be your ticket to de-cluttering.  You can watch this quick, 7 minute video here:

I hope that this week brings you interesting things to create, a friend or family member that loves your work, and the energy to get it all done!

November has Begun

I am a fan of the Farmer's Almanac.  They are so smart and insightful.

Usually.

This year, they said that winter would start early, be colder, but end early.

I got ready.

I put away my summer clothes and hung up my winter ones.  I had the dog groomed in October so she would be nice and wooly (and warm) by December.  I found our winter hats, gloves and scarves and made them accessible to the kids.

Then I waited.  

I waited for the cold, cloudy days and the small hard snowflakes that would attack our cheeks in the turbulent South Dakota wind.  I waited with furrowed brow and a cranky attitude.
And this is what happened:

The leaves started turning.  The temperature dropped a few degrees.  The sun set earlier.  And my eyebrows became unfurrowed.  At least temporarily.  It was, after all, only October.

A few days ago, the US National Weather Service forecasted November to be above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation.  So now I feel really, really, over prepared.  And a little silly.

Regardless of the weather, November is a time to be thankful.  And a time to think of our loved ones and what they mean to us.  And darn it, what are we going to get them for Christmas?!  We have tried to help you out be discounting our Thanksgiving and Christmas fabrics 30%.  You can look here to see if anything catches your eye.  So much to choose from!  And if you need any patterns, don't forget to check out our Free Pattern page.


In other news, Chris and Terry just got back from the Quilt Market in Houston yesterday.  It is an amazing 3 day trade show dedicated to the sewing and soft craft industry.  They have come back with some exciting ideas and new fabrics ordered.  I can't wait to show them to you when we get them in.

In the meantime, don't forget to check our YouTube channel for our free tutorials.  These tutorials can really help you visualize how your finished project could look.  If you have any suggestions for what you would like to see, just let us know!

Pumpkins and Turkeys and Trees, Oh My!

Normally, I balk at the idea of Christmas sales before the first snow.  

But seeing as how this is a quilt shop, and you need time to finish your gifts, I think it's perfectly appropriate to be having a sale now.

So, as some of you know, our holiday sale is in full swing!  This week, Halloween is 30% off with panels starting at $5.75 and yardage at $7.55.

Thanksgiving is 20% off, with panels starting at $6.55 and yardage at $8.35.

Christmas is 20% off, with panels starting at $6.55 and yardage at $9.15.

Click here to go to the sales page.

Check back every week throughout the season to see how low we can go.
                                                                                                            

Tis the season for falling leaves and football.  
Just three short years ago this area went through a little something called Atlas.  On October 3-5, 2013, Winter Storm Atlas swirled through the area with gusts of 70 mph.  Within a 30 mile radius, snow accumulations ranged from 14-58 inches.  Here in Sturgis, we received 29 inches in roughly 24 hours.  And rough it was.  Residents of the areas impacted reported more than $1.7 billion in damage, including lost livestock, downed trees, and structural damage.  A week later, it rained.
Was there a positive to all the chaos?  Most definitely.  The agricultural community immediately banded together to help their brothers and sisters.  People donated time, dollars, and even cattle from their herd to families in need.  And the people that donated weren't just from South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming.  Local charities set up donation sites so that national and international residents could give.  

Every year about this time, we are reminded of the extreme weather that can occur in these parts.  We also remember the extreme care that our community gives to each other.  We are proud to be part of a community that withstands blizzards without complaint, provides for each other, and rises again.