Oct 2010

Mon-Fri  10-5 Sat: 10-2  or until the last customer leaves!
We are also open by appointment anytime - not a problem to open earlier or stay later - just call and let me know what day and time.

October …the leaves are falling and turning brilliant colors.  I’ll be taking my mom for a little ride this weekend to witness those gorgeous colors.  All the colors make me think of the gorgeous fabrics we have for fall and beyond.  Now is the perfect time to make that fall table runner for your home with the golds, oranges, rust, browns, and greens.  I think of apple cider (have you tried it with cinnamon schnapps?), apple pie and pumpkin bars—yummy!  You can now follow me on Facebook or my blog.  You follow me as a fan on Facebook where I will tell you what it is like from a shop owner’s view and my blog will talk about new things in shop, etc.  Join Me!

Directions to the Country School House Quilt Shop 

My shop is at the corner of 21^st Ave. E. and East 5^th Street.  I’m in the DeSmet Agency building.  They have a big sign in parking lot and my little sign is on building next to door.

Directions to the shop: (I am only 3 blocks from the Lake, so when you get to the lake, drive 3 blocks away from it and that is E. 5^th St.)   (1) Driving N on Hwy 2/53.  When you see McDonald’s on the right & Culver’s on the left, turn left and go 3 blocks to stop sign,  is  E. 5^th St.  The DeSmet Agency building is diagonally across the street.  (2) From Mn – take Blatnik Bridge and follow the Hwy 53 S. signs which will take you under the bridge and along the lake, past Perkins and Fairlawn Museum.  At Culver’s, turn right and  go 3 blocks to stop sign which is E. 5^th St.  The DeSmet Agency building is diagonally across the street.  (3) Coming from the 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 onto E. 5^th St.  Go 3 blocks to 21^st Ave E. The DeSmet Agency building is on the right. 

Important News: 

The Hot Mama’s have started and are they HOT!  Saturday’s group is full but we have a few spots left for Thurs. afternoon—it is the 2^nd Thurs of the month.  We will be starting on Oct. 14^th so just call me if you want to be on the list.  Unfortunately our evening one did not have enough interest to form a club. 

Christmas will be creeping up on us soon and I have a great idea for a wonderful gift from Santa to you or one of your family – a new Baby Lock sewing machine that has all those wonderful extras for quilting and even embroidery if you’d like that.  We have them from the light weight Audrey for camps and classes to the new Symphony which is the top of the line or try one of the “middle of the roads” with our new Melody and you must meet Jane…All of these new names are just Baby Lock’s way of designing a new line with all the tried and true we’ve had.  So if you have the Espire it is now called the Symphony and they added a circular piece.  If you have the Quilter’s Choice it is now the Melody and is exactly the same and Jane is the Quilter’s Choice Professional which is also the same.  Come on in and meet the Ladies…I’m trying to get acquainted with all the new names myself!  We give you the best quality machine with the best price and the best service after you buy.  We don’t do sales, we keep our prices low all the time.

Speaking of Christmas….Starting with the week of Oct. 18^th we will introduce a quick gift pattern to you each week until the week of  Dec. 15^th.  There will be a sample of it made up and then a free pattern on how to do it will be included in kits that you may purchase during that week.  These will all be quick, easy and fun to make.  Think of all those cute gifts you can give to co-workers, secret santas, teachers, neighbors and for hostess gifts…so many uses.  Don’t miss a single week of these patterns.

New Samples and Fabrics

Lots of new fabrics…it just keeps coming and coming.  New charms include Origins (also have layer cakes and jelly rolls along with 6 coordinating bolts….see our samples).  We also have Punctuation, Arnold’s Attic, and Summer’s End.  Domestic Diva has arrived and it looks like my mom in the 50’s.  It will make just great aprons, bags, and a nostalgic quilt.  See the darling raincoat Mary made from the laminate we have for a little girl—looks just like the one on the Amy Butler pattern!  We got more batiks that came in so that section is quite full now and are waiting for the signature pieces for our flannel line that has mittens and snowmen – it is so cute!  Have you checked out our wool corner yet?

We are so busy sewing samples right now….Sandy has been quilting like mad for me so they get hung up quickly…we have a batik one on the hanger now that uses 14 fat quarters to make a lap and can also be made larger using more fat quarter bundles up to a queen size.  We also have done Sweet Pea which is a new pattern from Anka’s Treasures.  This is done with about 3 different lines and has a geometric look to it.  So cute and fun with lots of color….I’m just doing the hand sewing on the binding now.  Sandy just took my very sophisticated holiday one to do that is in all brown, gold, black with metallics—very striking.  That should be back toward the end of the week.  We also have 2 easy tree skirts—a smaller one and a larger one….both are done with a quick panel you sew together, quilt and then put the binding on after you cut the seam and the circle.  These would make great gifts for those kids of yours!  How about a neat wedding gift?  We are almost done (inner and outer border left to go) with a fun and sassy quilt made from a pattern we haven’t used before and it goes together so great and fast with a main print and then you pull all the colors from that to do your other 4-patch blocks in various ways.  I should be done with that by Mon. and have it off being quilted too.  I will then be working on a quilt from Northern Botanicals and a panel quilt for winter with pictures of kids having fun in the snow.  Of course, my Twister is gearing  up for a new quilt with a couple new twists to it too.  Have I got your creative juices flowing yet???

More and More new fabrics are still coming….I have a darling flannel line that has mittens, snowmen, trees and more on a wonderful black background with cream, green and red coordinates….even a darling stripe.  This is also the time when I start ordering new notions and other things for you to put on your Christmas Wish List…let me know if there is something special you want to see.  I want to have them all here by the beginning of November so we can have a Preview of Christmas Gifts for you those first couple weeks…I want you to have long enough to give lots of hints to those people who are somewhat dense about what you “really” want for Christmas and it ain’t any of those new pots and pans!

Classes

We are still making up our classes to offer this month but right now we are working on a mitten class, chenille scarf class and a twister class making a wall hanging featuring a Christmas wreath.   I would also like to do an introductory 1 evening beginner quilt class to give you a taste of quilting and see if this is something you’d like to do, but I need 3 or 4 people and lately I only have had 1 sign up….so if this is something you’d like to do call right away so we can set it up for you.  We’ll have the samples of the classes up soon and when dates are set I will send an updated newsletter alert.