Stunning beauty...

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed that you could make a wedding dress with the long arm quilting machine! Carissa Zanella of Hillbrook Studio, designed this pattern for the Statler Stitcher (our computerized quilting machine). Her award winning gown is truly breathtaking! If I started beading now, do you think I could make one for Halle by the year 2030? I've got 20 years, I better get started!

Classes are wrapping up today in Columbia, Missouri, where I've spent the last 3 days learning how to design and digitize quilting patterns, and tips and tricks to make your quilts even more beautiful with my Statler. I can hardly wait to get home and start "playing"!

A new chapter...

I can't believe Logan graduated from High School this weekend! Whether I'm ready or not, here comes a new phase of life for Doug & I. It's so odd to think that he'll be off to school soon and starting a new chapter in his own life. How will he ever make it without me micromanaging his decisions? ;-) Who am I joking? He cut the apron strings a long time ago and he can hardly wait to enter "the real world" where responsibilities are minimal and freedom abounds! I asked my sister how long it takes after they go off to college that they begin to realize how good they had it at home. She said, "About 2 weeks, when they run out of underwear and get tired of ramen noodles." Since Logan has been doing his own laundry for years, and is an impressive sous chef, I may not hear from him for months! :-O

New from Primitive Gatherings...

Primitive Gatherings has a new book out that is absolutley delicious! From wool penny rugs and pin cushions, to quilts that make you drool, "Summer Gatherings" is packed with so many projects, you won't know where to start! Couple it with JoAnn Mullaly's new book, "Wool Crazy", and you'll be in project heaven. If you like primitive and/or crazy quilts, this is a must have. Take a peek at her blog http://woolcrazy-jam.blogspot.com/. How amazing is that??? Both books are now available at the Quilt Barn!

Lucky Jelly Roll Winner!

Blog Follower "cheriewmeservy" has been drawn as the lucky winner of a Moda Jelly Roll! Congratulations and keep following the Quilt Barn as we award winners on June 1st and 15th!

Sale Fabric List...

I promised I would post a list of all the Fabric Collections that just hit the sale wall, so here goes... I hope I get them all! $4.50/yd Min. 1 yd cut, finish the bolt and get it for $4/yd.

MODA: Arcadia, Objects of Desire, Miss Jump's Scrap Bag, Tranquility, American Primer, Mary Engelbreit's Recipe for Friendship, Heritage Collections for a Cause, Portobello Market, Recess

Christmas & Halloween Fabric by multiple manufacturers, Windham Basics, Hoffman Meadow Dance, Serenity, Michael Miller children's prints, Red Rooster Retro Children's Prints, among others!

Flannel: Moda Cuddle Cloth Flannel and Alpine Flannel prints are all just $2.99/yd

May 15 - May 22nd only!

A Modern Flair

Denise Schmidt is one of my favorite designers and I just love her new pattern, Stacking the Odds. Great for beginners and experts alike, this pattern has templates for each shape to make piecing a breeze. You can make it any size - we chose queen and were thrilled with the results. Using the new Big E Group fabric by Michael Miller, the quilting has big psychadelic swirls and screams modern!

Good job lil' sis!

My little sister, who is more commonly referred to as "Coach Hansen", completed her very first quilt! Her team couldn't believe that she went to a quilting retreat, but little do they know that her big sister (yours truly) has reeled her in and she is hooked on this fun, new creative outlet. This quilt is a new pattern and fabric by Sweetwater for Moda. The fabric is called "Make Life" and the pattern is "Make Life Sweet". What a great graduation gift - get the kit online or in the store for $79.00 and let us quilt it for you for just $35!

Merging my hobbies

Before my life at the Quilt Barn, I used to love to make greeting cards. I wanted to send some thank you notes to the good people at Moda who provided such an amazing retreat for me last weekend. I used some Steam A Seam lite and ironed it to the back of my charm pack squares, then went to town with my scissors. After playing with almost every decorative stitch my machine can muster, TA-DA... here are the results. I had "sew" much fun making these cards from a new charm pack by Fig Tree called "Fresh Cotton". I met Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts at the retreat and she is just as sweet as can be. The Quilt Barn is so excited to introduce Fig Tree Club this summer!

needs and wants...

Halle loves the new Freebird fabric by Moda and she tells me she "needs" a new skirt. She's obviously using the word "need" VERY loosely, because I make her a skirt from every other fabric line that hits the store! How can you not when Pink Fig gives you such a piece of cake pattern (The Girly Skirt) that wastes no fabric? With this skirt, it is less expensive to sew one than buy it in the store. And how fun is it to have an original!

It was a beautiful day in Dallas, Texas, and I spent the day learning from Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts, Roseann Kermes of Rosebud's Cottage, and Susan Fuquay of American Quilt Retailer. Let me tell you, their creative talent was inpiring! Doug played a sympathy card to win a new "Slice" - a cutting machine that is AMAZING! He wrote on his entry card, "I deserve to win the Slice because... since my wife won't let me use her scissors with the flowers on the handle, I am left with no way to cut my applique shapes." So, as if Doug doesn't get enough opportunities to get in touch with his feminine side by simply working at a Quilt Shop, he now owns a pink cutting machine! One of my favorite things about visiting Moda is their "lab", or their version of the perfect Quilt Shop. It is always decked out in adorable quilts, projects, and displays and inspires me to make my shop more beautiful. As soon as I get somewhere with a faster internet connection (this hotel internet is almost as fast as Morse Code), I will post a slide show for you to drool over!