Eldreth Pottery Pendant Winner

Congrats to BizyStitches - you're the winner of the pottery pendant. Pick your preference - red basket block or blue bee skep - and let me know along with your mailing address. Thanks to everyone who commented on their favorite collectibles. Just a note - not everything in the cubby was purchased on my trip. The cubby was the find so I could load it up with junk I already had.

Icicle Kisses is Here!

I can't believe it's time to think about Christmas quilting already! We both know if we don't make a plan now, it won't be done before the holidays. So now is the time to pick up the new Icicle Kisses fabric and precuts for a a couple of great new projects, both easy enough to make several for gifts and one for yourself! Icicle Stars simplifies a classic star block with our signature layered patchwork technique, making more perfect blocks with less work. By layering different sizes of triangles on squares and rectangles, star points and trees are created with a fun texture and primitive appeal. For a scrappy look, start with a Jelly Roll; for blocks with a consistent background fabric, choose fat 1/8's and 1/4's.

This 72" square lap quilt pattern also includes instructions for a 3-star runner. If you love the ease of charm quilts, check out our Starry Kisses quilt. I actually used a template (although I'm sometimes allergic to the "T" word) to make a 4 pointed star that's as easy as sewing a quarter square triangle block. An Icicle Kisses charm pack and 2 fabrics is all you need for this 32" sq. wall quilt. Perfect for gift-giving!

Ready for a Christmas giveaway? Share what kinds of projects you like to make for family & friends. Win an Starry Kisses pattern & charm to start you on the way to holiday stitching.

A Few More Finds

Here are a couple more finds from our trip. I had two of these number stencils, but found the alphabet/number one in Brimfield. Don't ya know you have to have three for it to be a collection? Now, where to hang them.

This treasure is a housewife. Women made them for their husband's going off to battle during the Civil War so they would have all the neccessities they needed to mend their uniforms and replace buttons. The round, stuffed pincushion at the bottom rolls up into a neat roll for easy carrying. Pam Buda has several very old ones and explained the history behind it. We agreed I needed this one since I'm a July 5th baby. I love the flag and color scheme.

The quilt in the background will be arriving in August as part of our KT Stash Society series - Red Hots. Our simple layered patchwork technique makes it as easy as sewing quarter square triangles together in shades of red for a summer or Christmas addition to your home decor.  Don't forget to comment on your fav sewing collectibles for a chance to win an Eldreth Pottery pendant (see previous post). Laters, ladies.

Dodged a Twister

Severe Weather Season is Upon Us
Thanks to everyone for their emails and concerns over the tornado Tuesday night here in Bennington. Robert and I watched it on the ground about 3-4 miles west of our building for over an hour before the storm spotters determined it had broken up. This is the RR crossing right behind the KT Store. All we got was some heavy rain and a little hail. Dodged that one, but more storms are in the forecast for the remainder of the week. Our heavy duty brick building has survived 2 tornadoes in the past, so I think we're good. I'll keep you all posted. Thanks again for your concern.

A Few Treasures from Brimfield

I finally got completely unpacked over the weekend, savoring all my little treasures from the Brimfield, MA Antique Show all over again. I have my drafting table set up in my design studio and love the versatility of having the top slant for sketching.

I found this old hotel or boarding house key cubby in Seville, OH on the way home. It looked like the perfect place to display some of my favorite sewing needfuls.

My very favorit-ist (grankid speak) sewing items are those that are shaped like acorns. The wooden and bone ones were Brimfield finds and hold a thimble. The green glass with gold top acorn is a perfume pendant. The ones with the actual acorn tops are tiny wool pincushions filled with crushed walnut shells. My travel buddy bought me one (Thanks, Pam!) but I had to have a couple more to fill the bowl.

I even found two large wool acorns at The Old Country Store Museum Shop. What a treasure trove of handmade gifts! Can't wait to go back in July!

While in Lancaster Co, PA, we stopped by Eldreth Pottery. I have a collection of their Santas and recently fell in love with their darker glaze.

This pear pot will keep my sunflower jug company all year. Comment here on your fav sewing collectible and win your choice of the square red basket block or blue beeskep pottery pendants from Eldreth (I've got dibs on the green house one, sorry :). See you next week.

Brimming Over in Brimfield, MA

Oh My! I had no idea how many vendors would be here - over 3000! We haven't hit half of them and are soooo delighted with the cool finds. Pam Buda, Heartspun Quilts, and I are tickled with the selection of vintage fabrics and quilts along with the wonderful early American antiques. We've hauled wooden advertising boxes, divided grain bins and a nail bin for displays in the shop, a couple of marshmellow and pretzel tins for display in my kitchen, and some awesome old sewing needfuls shaped like acorns. Pictured below are a couple items that I wish I'd gone back for- a really good red cupboard (but where to put it?) and a graphic old dart board. Guess you can't buy everything you see. There's so much to choose from and so much of everything. Including people & traffic. It took 2 hours to go 15 miles last night, parking is as rare as hen's teeth and porta potties and my feet feel like they're 80 years old, but I'd do it all again in  a heartbeat. Great trip, great company, great finds.

 

Vintage Fabulous

 Congrats to Cricket-bug Corner! You're the winner of the new Icicle Stars pattern. We'll send it out next week after I return home.


Heading East
Pam and I embarked on our most excellent adventure on Friday, making our way to Massachusetts via Lancaster Co.,Pennsylvania. First stop, The Old Country Store Quilt Shop & Museum. I am honored to have been asked to share some of my quilts for display at the museum throughout this year. Never thought I'd ever make it into a museum! What a great job Jan Mast and her staff did showcasing Kansas Troubles.

 The museum shop is superb - lots of local and handcrafted items. We did not walk away empty-handed! Stay tuned for updates throughout the week. And follow Pam Buda and I on Facebook for up-to-the-minute action.

Spring has finally sprung, Christmas is near

KT Winner

Congratulations to AnnieO - you're the winner of the Primitive Quilts magazine featuring Friendship Garden by Pam Buda and I. Thanks to all the quilters who commented on the pictures of the shop. It made my day!

Icicle Kisses Fabric/Giveaway

It's only May, but Christmas is just around the corner - Christmas fabric, that is. KT's new Icicle Kisses will ship in June, but precuts may be hitting your local quilt shop any day. Grab a Jelly Roll  and some fat 1/8's or a fat quarter bundle to make our lovely lap quilt, Icicle Stars (70"sq.). A JR creates a scrappy background for the stars. If you prefer the star backgrounds all one print, you'll need a little more fabric for each - a fat quarter bundle is perfect.

Our easy layered patchwork technique makes quick work of the star points and tree units by simply laying triangles on top of the strips, stitch 1/8" from bias edge of triangle and piece blocks together. No lost points, no set-in seams, no fuss! Lois made a smaller version of this project as a prototype to test the "ravel factor". She washed and dryed the quilt in her regular washer/dryer as she would regular laundry - no special care. After 2 rounds thru, the stitched edges were softly frayed and curled but no ravelling in sight, no trimming needed. It gave the quilt a dimensional, casual feel without looking messy. The secret is to make sure all the cut edges are on the bias or have a precut pinked edge. You can also use a pinking rotary blade if you don't have the required precuts. I enjoy adapting traditional blocks to our layered patchwork method to see how easy they can become. I'd love to see pictures of your creations using this technique. Win an Icicle Stars booklet by commenting here this week.

Blog Readers' Quilts

Speaking of which, here are a few blog followers projects I thought you might enjoy.
Jacki Ryba worked with ladies from our church to create a beautiful quilt for the soup supper raffle - with KT fabrics, of course. Great job, ladies. Thanks to Jacki for all her time organizing and teaching the classes.

David Lamb pieced an intricate pineapple quilt in KT gold & brown - stunning!

Brenda Anderson found a delightful way to display a pile of quilts (many with KT fabrics) in a little bit of space - awesome!

Thanks for sharing your quilts. I'll see ya next week!