Feb 2008

Winter Hours:
Mon-Fri  10-5
Sat: 10-2
or by appointment anytime – not a problem to open earlier or stay later-just call and let me know when.

It’s February—Will the groundhog see his shadow?  We figure we’re lucky if we only get 6 more weeks of winter around here….wasn’t that some cold we had?  My January Deep Freeze Sale sure hit the nail on the head!  A lot of you came out and braved the cold and hopefully got yourself some hot deals.  Char S. was the winner of the gift certificate given out to the Honor Roll Group that showed up for their early shopping time on that Sunday.

Directions to the Country School House Quilt Shop 
(1) Coming N or Hwy 2/53.  See McDonald’s & Culver’s—turn left, 3 blocks to stop sign.  That is E. 5^th St.  Look diagonally across street.  I’m in the DeSmet Insurance building—has a big insurance sign in the parking lot.  My sign is on the building next to the door. 
(2) From Mn—take Blatnik Bridge.  Follow the Hwy 53 South markers which goes under the bridge.  Going along the lake, past Perkins, Fairlawn Museum.  At Culver’s turn right.  Go 3 blocks to stop sign which is E. 5^th St.  Look diagonally across street.  I’m in the De Smet Insurance building – has a big insurance sign in the parking lot.  My sign is on building next to door.
(3) Coming N on Hwy 35 (Tower Ave).  Turn right on N. 28^th St (Mall Drive)—go past mall and over railroad tracks.  Turn right at the stop lights on E. 5th St.  Go 3 blocks and I am on the right side at 21^st Ave E in the DeSmet Insurance Building.  It has a big sign in the parking lot.  Remember, I am only 3 blocks from Lake Superior.  So if you find the lake, turn 3 blocks away from it and that is E. 5^th Street.  I am on the corner of 21^st Ave E and E. 5^th Street.

Club Notes: 
All of our clubs started in Oct. except for Thimbleberries 2008.

Nickel Club meets the 2^nd Monday of the month at 5 p.m and will meet for 6 months except for the month of Dec.  Moda Madness meets the 4^th Monday at 5:30 p.m. and will meet every other month starting in Jan.  Thangles Buck-A-Block started in Sept. and is in the 6th month.  Remember to pick up on time or you pay!  Thimbleberries 2008 –2^nd Thursday of month at 1:00 p.m.  

If there are people who didn’t get to sign up for Thimbleberries, but would like to purchase the quarterly kits—you can do that as I have both the Lake and the Lodge.  See me if you want to reserve a certain one ahead of time.

Spring Fling 2008 -  Reserve the dates of April 11 and 12 to attend the Quilt Show the “Northwoods Shop Hop Group” will be sponsoring at Marshall School for the 2^nd year.  This year we would like to feature quilts from our customers.  Each shop is allowed to bring 10 quilts.  I would love to have you volunteer one of your quilts that we could display—they will be hanging and we promise to take very good care of them and will have signs to not touch them.  People attending the show will be given a ballot to vote for their favorite quilt.  That person will win a nice prize from us.  Please see me for more details….I’d love to see one of my customers win!!!  I will need the quilt by April 8^th and will return it to you by the 14^th.   This should be a really fun show and the shops will have a special display of their own along with demos going on during the day.  The shops will also be set up to vendor (6 of them) and we will have coffee and donuts, etc. available during the day.  We won’t be having a lunch this year.  There will be lots of great door prizes with a drawing nearly every hour.  We will also have a little gift for each person when they register.  Cost is only $3.  If you are out of town, plan a little get away for you and your friends for that weekend.

Embroidery Thread - we now carry DMC embroidery thread—I will have more coming each month.  Right now I have black and some of the basic colors. 

New Fabric - The Wizard of Oz fabric is here in Serpia which is the browns and some red.  I also have some gorgeous new fabric with colors of yellow-gold, warm orange, little green—it is so pretty.  The quilt using the Polar Brigade will be ready next week and of course, most of my new Moda comes during February.  Bolts will be coming to go with all those jelly rolls and charm packs I got early.  Did you see my new Red, White and Bold quilt made from a jelly roll and just a little yardage?  It’s really cute and is great Americana. 

Come and visit us, we always have new fabrics, patterns, books and samples.  We also have revamped our 3^rd room to make some room for our new Baby Lock sewing machines.  Stop and see these…we were able to lower our price on a couple of them due to a lowering of prices from Baby Lock on them.  Here everyone else is raising prices and we got a small price cut and I always pass those on to you.

Classes:  You’ve been asking when we were going to have some classes and this is what we are offering so far.  You helped me very little on input of classes you would like to see…  We need minimum of 4 to offer class and maximum of 6.  If it is a different minimum, it will be listed in the class. 

Here are a few “quick” classes we are going to offer:  Come in and see the samples on our Bulletin Board.

Valentine Runner or Wallhanging Class – Make either of these patterns in class on Feb. 7^th (Thurs.) at 5:00 p.m.  Choose from Checkered Past which uses RJR valentine fabrics (10 ½” x 38”) or you can do the small wall hanging using a charm pack and pattern.  You will finish the top in class.  Both include kits.  Table Runner is $18 and wall hanging is $22.  Beginner with a little experience to advanced quilter.

Hot Dog Pillowcase Class – Come and make the fastest pillowcase there is---just buy your fabric to make the pillowcase or a precut kit and the class is free.  If you want to use your own fabric, it will cost $10 for the class.  We will do this class on Feb. 9 (Sat.) at 9:00 a.m.  That way if you want to do a pillowcase for Valentine’s Day you can.  Figure an hour at the most for class.  You will be sewing your pillowcase—this is not a demo.

Paperback Book Cover Tote – Mo will teach another class in her original pattern.  Kit will be precut for you and you will go home with the cutest little cover you can imagine and then you can make more for gifts!  $20  Feb. 19 (Tues.) 5:00 p.m. Need some sewing experience.

Quilted Vest for Kids – You will learn to make this darling vest and Mo will help you put in the metal snaps.  Skills needed are to be able to quilt a piece of fabric for your vest before class and be skilled at putting on binding.  This pattern goes together very quickly.  There is no kit for this class, but we can help you pick out fabric if you would like or bring your own from home.  Pattern and snaps are included and we will tell you what yardage is needed.  Sizes 1-6 can be made.  $22.  Feb. 21 (Thurs) 5:00 p.m.

Five and Dime Quilt – An easy beginner quilt—if you took a beginner quilt class, then you can do this!  We will make the lap size and you will get the top done in one class of about 3 hours.  The most economical way to take this class is if you have a friend that wants to do the same one for the focus fabric so you can cut it lengthwise and get 2 kits from that yardage or you can choose our Safari kids quilt kit which has the lengths precut for this.  $18.  No kit is included in this price, but we do have some available separately if you’d like one or we can help with picking out fabrics.  Feb. 26 (Tues) 5:00 p.m.

Beginning Quilting – This class is for someone who has sewing experience and would like to learn the basics of quilting and piecing.  We will be making a candle mat that will take you through piecing, layering, straight line quilting, and a mitered binding.  This will give you an idea if you like doing this and want to do more.  Feb. 28 (Thurs) 5:00 p.m.

Limited to 4.  If we have more than that, we will create another class.

Classes coming in March….an Apron (don’t know which one yet—have any special one you want to do?),  It’s A Wrap—learning the technique of making bowls with clothesline and fabric and your sewing machine,  learn to sew class, plus a couple other ideas we are toying with…..we’ll let you know.  Watch the board.