We're taking it on the road

Hello All!  Where has summer gone?  We can’t believe it’s the middle of August already.  We hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather.  Hopefully your family is getting geared up for all those fall activities and back to school preparations.  We have talked to many students both K-12 and college and amazingly they are excited for school to start.  That’s great.  My girls were always ready for school to start as well and I appreciated it too!

Well, many of you are hearing rumors of our shop closing.  We are excited to say that we are not going out of business, we are changing our business.  So yes – we will be closing our retail location.  August 31^st, 2012 we will be our last open day.  We will continue to attend quilt  shows, markets, retreats, guilds, etc.  We are busy working on our new pattern company – Kaelly Studio.  Our publishing company is getting excited to get our patterns out to the public so we need to get them done.  That is the main reason we need to close our retail location.  We simply need more time.  We have tried since the beginning of the year to allow more time but it hasn’t been working so well, so we made the decision that something had to go and sadly for you it was our every Wed-Sat shop hours that took the hit.  BUT we are going to be having previews and shopping experiences from time to time and we will keep you posted on those important dates.  Our Garfield building will be the new home for our studio, warehouse AND Holly’s own machine quilting business “Just Spoolin’Around”.  We will continue to remain a presence in the quilting world just in a different way.

For those of you who are getting antsy for our fall retreats, we will be sending out that information the end of this month.  We are waiting on the contract from the camp so as soon as that arrives – we will be ready to take registrations.  Sneak peak…..our retreat theme is not only “Finish Your Projects” BUT O.W.L. (Only With Love).  We have some fun things planned to make the weekends even more special.  Watch for information soon!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your encouraging words about our changes, our new pattern company and your continued support of our quilting endeavors whether it be attending a quilt show or retreat; scheduling a quilt for Holly’s Just Spoolin’ Around machine quilting business or shopping on our soon-to-be released new online  store.  None of these things could ever be possible with you so THANKS!

P.S. We will be starting a brand new blog for Kaelly Studio and a new website.   Also, Just Spoolin' Around will have a website.  More information coming soon!

E-Chatter - August 2012 (Halloween Spooktacular)

Thank you to everyone that came out for our "Park Your Brooms at the Door" event!  We had a blast dressing up as witches and sharing our tricks and treats.

Thursday's costume wearers

Our witchy winner!

Friday's costume wearers

Our winner, Ms. Piggy

Our Saturday winner!

We had some ladies come to do a little shopping, they heard about our spooktacular and couldn't resist dressing up!

As you can see, you really missed out if you didn't stop by this weekend.  Here are all the new things we showed at What's New.

We LOVE pillowcases around here...they are great as gifts and these Halloween ones are awesome as trick-or-treat bags for the little ones.  (The top one with the white ghosts has a glow-in-the-dark spider web cuff.)

Blooming Boots uses a layer cake to create this super cute table runner.  You will have left over pieces to make a small matching wall hanging.  (Please don't judge us, we didn't have time to quilt and bind this one.)

Happy Jacks looks like it is appliqued, but these little smiling pumpkins are just fussy cut out of fabric.  Framed by coordinating fabrics, this quilt makes a great Fall time throw.

We have some great new fabrics including the ones we used for pillowcases and Happy Jacks.  Like I mentioned earlier, the spider webs are glow-in-the dark.

The Ghastlies were so popular last year that they came out with a second version called Family Reunion.  We used it to make a pillowcase and a 10-minute table topper, featured on our Halloween table.

  

We also have an entire line called Nightmare Manor that includes a cute panel.  We love the use of colors other than just orange and black in this line.  A free pattern is included for a wall hanging and table cloth.

Not only did we have our big spooktacular this weekend, we also participated in the Garfield Days parade.  We covered Julie's little red Cabrio in quilts and threw fat quarters and candy.

Annual Sample Sale Craziness

Thanks to everyone who came out for our Annual Sample Sale....it was a huge success.  We've made tons of rooms for new stuff and hopefully helped you add to your stash.  :)  For those of you that didn't make it, I really wanted to post some photos.  Unfortunately it was a busiest and craziest Sample Sale we've ever had so I didn't get one free moment to take photos.  Just to give you an idea of how crazy it was:

Ok, so it wasn't as bad as Black Friday...but it felt like it.  :)  No one comes between quilters (and dare I say, women) and a 75% off sale.

Don't miss our "Park Your Brooms at the Door" event (a special themed What's New) August 9th, 10th, or, 11th at 10am to see all the new things in the store.  We are celebrating Halloween a few months early.  We invite you to wear a costume, we will be giving away fabulous prizes for those that dress up.

Congratulations to Leslie Woolery, who won our Quilters' Travel Companion drawing.

E-Chatter - July 2012

Events & Classes

Quilt Circle no longer offered
July 19, 20, 21 - Annual Sample Sale! - You don't want to miss this event.  Starting Thursday, July 19th we will have 40% off select merchandise, Friday 50% and Saturday 75% off!  We will also be selling some of our store samples.
August 9th, 10, 11th - Park Your Brooms at the Door (What's New) - We're celebrating Halloween a few months early.  We'll be showing you everything new in the shop (just like normal What's New) and sharing some tricks and treats.  We invite you to wear you Halloween costume - awesome prizes will be awarded!  You won't want to miss this terrifying time!
August 11th - Garfield Day - Come for "Park You Brooms at the Door" and stay for the parade starting at 11am.
August 17th, 18th, 19th - Summer/Fall Gathering - (only 4 spots left) Our Spring/Summer Gathering was such a hit we decided to do it again.  Bring your sewing machine and your unfinished projects, we'll provide the food.  You go home at the end of every night.  For more details or to sign up call Julie at 320-834-2563.
August 16th - Rangeley Stars Class - Using a new tool, The Tucker Trimmer, we will be creating a table runner or wall hanging.  For more details or to sign up call Julie at 320-834-2563.

Fabrics

Fly Away

Movie Monster & Christmas Hunks

Christmas Time

Lost & Found

Bountiful

Shadow Leave (free pattern with fabric purchase)

Floral Flannel (looks like wool)

Cabin Flannel

Patterns

Memories

Pretty n' Pink

Animal Alphabet

Alphabet Soup

Birdie Sling

Kits

Gone Camping - 57" x 65" - $89.99  A beautiful flannel kit that features Cabin Flannel fabric by Timeless Treasures.  Great for the man in your life or to accent a cabin or den.  We used the "Gone Camping" pattern from the "Simply Done" book by Gathering Friends.

Christmas Time (Peanuts) - 53" x 63" - $49.99  Using an easy strip piecing method, this quilt is quick and easy to put together.  Great for a first time quilter or for a quick gift.  Pattern included with kit.

Love City - 80 1/2" x 80 1/2" - $79.99  Romance is in the air with this black and white quilt kit.  We used the "Cozy Winter Nights" pattern from "Fast and Fun First Quilts" book with Lost & Found fabric by Riley Blake to inspire beating hearts with Love City.

Block of the Month

Spring Bouquet

Laundry Basket Quilts' new Spring Bouquet Quilt Kit is an amazing 72" square batik quilt. Reserve your quilt kit today, and your first block with Spring Bouquet pattern, charm pack, background, and binding fabrics will ship to you in September 2012. Blocks 2 – 12 will ship once a month until September 2013.  Our kits provide Silhouettes Laser Cut Fusible Shapes for fusible appliqué, which come with pre-applied Steam a Seam 2 fusible web which will be ready to arrange, fuse, and appliqué.  Spring Bouquet is our first online Block of the Month.  Every month a block will be mailed to you, no need to stop into the shop to pick it up. For more information or to sign up, please email common@gctel.net

Notions

I-top Button Maker and accessories - Quick and easy gifts for family and friends.  Cover brads, buttons, and snaps with your favorite snapshot, quilting fabric, and much more.  Make your own buttons to match pillows and your home decor.  For more a quilters demo, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDcCgBRBKkk&feature=player_embedded

June E-Chatter

It's the first day of summer today, but you could fool me, it feels more like Fall.  We've been getting some crazy storms here in West Central MN.  The crops are happy for the rain, but we want to be at the lake.  Of course it was beautiful during "What's New" weekend so we didn't get a lot of people stopping in...we understand.  Also, the Minnesota Quilt Show in Rochester was last weekend.  If you went, tell us how it was.

We didn't have a ton of new things to show for What's New because we too have been enjoying the outdoors as much as possible.  Here's What's New in the shop:

Books & Patterns

Big One-Star Quilts by Magic
Love Lone Star quilts? There are enough starry blocks, settings, and bonus patterns in this book to keep crafters quilting till the stars grow cold in the heavens. And these Lone Stars are so easy, because all fourteen of them are made from squares and rectangles, and each one comes with two quilting diagrams for hand or machine sewing. Twenty-eight quilt designs plus fourteen bonus wall hangings mean quilters everywhere will be seeing stars!


Rotary Cutting Revolution
Build your blocks the Make-It-Simpler-Way: stack; cut; and sew perfect blocks. Revolutionary cutting technique saves time without wasting fabric. Over 300 photographs guide you every step of the way with unique sewing and construction tips.


Crafty Carriers
These crafty carriers have handles, outside divided pleated pockets on front and back, and a single outside pocket on each side. The outside carrier is made from three different fabrics and the inside carrier is made from a fourth fabric choice. There is a firm heavy-weight interfacing between the outer and inner layers.


Festive Kitchen Trio
These adorable coordinating aprons and pot holders offer three sizes for Misses and Girls and one size for an 18" (45 cm) doll. The aprons are made using three fabric choices and are reversible. The aprons have patch pockets on one side, a pleated ruffle at the outer edge, and neck and waist ties. The waist ties wrap around the waist and tie in the front. The round pot holders have a pleated ruffle at the outer edge and a loop for hanging.


Crafty Cottage

Hours of imaginative play are vital in nurturing important life skills in the very young, and treasured memories of playing house can be made with this charming cottage which cleverly rests over a card table. The pattern includes a convenient storage box that not only holds the cottage when not in use, but when in use, it acts as a support for the peaked ruffled roof. The cottage has a door, windows with shutters, real curtains and even a mailbox. Embellish to your heart’s content with fabric, ribbon, felt, embroidery, and appliqués.


Sleep Pants, Shorts & Top
Pull-on pants and shorts have pockets in side seams and cuffs. Waist has elastic in casing, drawstring, and header forming ruffle. Casing, drawstring, and cuffs are from contrast fabric. Pull-over tank top has a scoop neckline, and armholes and neckline are finished with narrow hems.

Kits

We used Runnermania by Gathering Friends to create three different table runners/toppers.  Buy one book and create 13 different projects.


Optical Illusion and Cinnamon Sticks are pieced in a square and then cut down to their shapes.


Optical Illusions uses an interesting binding technique that creates an easy layered binding.


Making Ends Meet uses our popular Peacock Fabric.

Spanish Tiles was created using the Living Large 2 book. This summer quilt would be great as a wall hanging in a three season porch or as a picnic blanket on a warm summer day.  The finished quilt looks intricate but is simple to put together.

Fabric

Barcelona by Alexander Henry

Larkspur Meadow by Alexander Henry

We mentioned that a free bag pattern would be available on the blog this week, but it will not be available until next week.  Stay tuned because we may be having a contest along with the bag pattern.