Get Ready to Hop!

Moda Designer's Size Matters Blog Hop

September 4th is the first day of Moda's Size Matters Blog Hop. Start with Laundry Basket Quilts, French General, and Zen Chic tomorrow, then hop on over to Bunny Hill, Basic Grey, and Sweetwater on Thursday, Sept. 5th. Friday features more awesome Moda designers - Jan Patek, Pat Sloan and Pieces From My Heart.  Take a break over the weekend, then come on hoppin' back to another week of designers blocks, new fabric collections and patterns and great prizes! Watch for KTQ on Sat. Sept. 14th.

Another Wednesday Blog Blowout!

Thanks to everyone who took advantage of our first ever Blog Blowout special last week - Red Hots. Congrats to Deb from CO (comment #2) - you're the winner of the red/tan scraps. Comment before Wed. Sept. 11th to win this pile of leftover squares from Icicle Kisses - there's a ton!

Cattails Runner

This week's special pattern will have you wishing for cooler weather and ready for fall - Cattail Runner. I love it through Thanksgiving as a backdrop for bouquets of sunflowers, gourds and mini pumpkins. Order before Wed. Sept 11th. The pattern is only $1.85 + $3.15 postage for a total of only $5.00!!! Now's the time to order that KT pattern you've had your eye on - the shipping is paid for up to 3 patterns.
See you at the Hop!

It's a Red Hot August!

Welcome to KT's first ever Blog Blowout!

Stop by our blog site monthly - or more often if the mood strikes - for once-in-a-blue-moon blowout specials on KT books, patterns & more! To celebrate the end of a long, hot summer, our Red Hots pattern is the perfect choice. My layered patchwork technique makes a traditional quilt block fast & easy in any color combo you choose.

We simply layer a small red triangle on each large tan triangle, and a small tan triangle on each large red triangle, then stitch 1/8" away from the bias edge. Sew a red and tan layered triangle together to create a basic half square triangle unit, then piece 4 units together to create the pinwheel block. Easy peasy!

Go to Red Hots to purchase this pattern for only $1.85 plus $3.15 shipping for a total of $5.00! Today thru Monday, September 2 at 10pm. Comment here by Wednesday, Sept. 4th to win a scrap bag of KT reds & tans to get you started.

Don't forget Moda's Designer Blog Hop Sept. 4 thru 16! Check out KTQ on Sept. 14th for a look at the new Sweet Pea collection coming to your favorite quilt shop soon.

KT Winner

Congratulations to knitnoid - you're the winner of the Sweet Pea fabric scraps. Robert is pretty sure he can stuff it all into a priority envelope, so send us your address and be on the lookout! Thanks to everyone who commented about their grankids. Glad I'm not the only one out there who feels like a "bad" gramma revelling in the quiet after they leave. We'll have a couple of them for Labor Day weekend, then miss'em like crazy until the holidays.

Trip to Texas

I spent last weekend in the lovely town of Fredericksburg, TX, a couple hours west of Austin. Their downtown is delightful with shops, restaurants, beer gardens and more fun for tourists. There are loads of winerys -32, if that's your drink -and peaches galore. What a yummy stop! The ladies of the Veriens Quilt Guild were so welcoming - we had a great time at the Icicle Stars class.

My historic accommodations - an 1800's log cabin. So cool! The local quilt shop, One Quilt Place, has moved right down the road from Bev's stone house (across the driveway) and their lovely guest log home. Thanks so much for the most comfortable night's sleep ever on the road!

The original structure housed the bedroom/sitting room with stairs to a loft bedroom.
A small kitchen and spa-like bathroom were added for 21st century comfort. 

On Monday, I travelled down the road to Kerrville, Tx for the Hill Country Quilt Guild program and a Mini Table Treats workshop. (The only picture I took didn't come out well, so unfortunately, no proof that I was working.) The ladies there are represented grandly in Houston this year by several outstanding quilting groups and individuals that have been juried into the show. Congratulations to all of you! I loved seeing the quilts. 

KT Bernina Quilt Shop

Seems Robert is rearranging and expanding the store every time I go in. I think he's got it the way he wants it for now - otherwise, all of my good junk will be shoved right out the back door! I'll have him post a picture soon. 

Check back on Wednesday for our first super special deal!

Just a Lil' Sweet Pea

Sweet Pea is Coming!

The grankids have returned to their respective homes after a hectic week-before-school-and-all-the-summer-day-camps-are-closed play date with Gramma and Grampa. Always fun to see them and hear what's new, always great to see them go and have my quiet, simple life back. Anyway, I was able to do some sorting with Aleece while she was here scrounging through my piles of scraps leftover from various projects. She has learned to hand stitch and can't get enough of it - clipped & snipped doll clothes designed without a pattern, buttons and beads for embellishment, snaps (a new skill) sewn on with care and ribbon ties for belts and apron strings. Pretty cool stuff even if I am the Gramma. But I digress. Lois, my dear piecer, bags and tags most of the scraps she brings back, but there are always a few piles that grow as we sew. To announce the impending delivery of Sweet Pea next month, I've assembled a bundle of scraps for one lucky quilter. Comment here by next Wednesday to win!

Sweet Pea scraps

This collection is anchored with a delightful floral print in warm fall tones (it even has pea pods!), smaller prints with leaves and flowers, a geometric dotted dot I adore, and a tone-on-tone that works with absolutely everything! Love, love, love it! Watch over the next couple weeks for the new projects featuring Sweet Pea fabrics & precuts.

Stop by each week on Wednesdays, beginning August 28th, for my blog post and our new weekly special. Our newest employee, Linda Van Ness, is cleaning out the storage room and wants to move patterns, books and fabric. Each week, we'll feature a KT product at drastically discounted prices on our website to share the overflow and make Linda happy. :) 

And don't forget about the Moda Designer Blog Hop to see all the latest designer's collections for fall. 

News from The Old Country Store & Museum in PA

The Old Country Store in Intercourse, PA

I'm delighted to report that the KT event at The Old Country Store & Museum was a huge hit among attendees. So wish I could have been there to meet everyone. New KT fabrics were unveiled and treats inspired by my Butterfly Garden quilt were enjoyed by all.

Jan Mast shared with me that the KT Quilt Contest is still open to anyone wishing to participate. Do you have a quilt made exclusively of KT fabrics or a stash full of KT fabrics just begging to be stitched into a quilt? Now is the time to cash in!

The deadline for entering is October 15, 2013, so there’s still time!

The entry must be made exclusively of KT goods (from their stash, from their local fabric store, from us…any KT collection or mix of KT goods is fine!)

        
Entries may NOT exceed 60” x 60” (think small wall quilts, not bed-size quilts!)

       
Entries must be submitted online at www.KansasTroubles.com (contest rules can also be found there).

       
There are two terrific prizes!  ($500 cash, 50-yard Moda shopping spree, autographed KT books)  Prizes are awarded to the People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice winners.  (Smaller prizes for the ten finalists.)

 The two winning quilts (People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice) will hang in the 2014 Quilt Museum exhibit! How cool is that!?!

I can't wait to see all the quilts submitted! Best of luck to all of you!

In honor of The Old Country Store & Museum's display of KT quilts this year, we're giving away a selection of some of the patterns - 

Butterfly Garden

Snow

Hearts to You

Comment here by Monday, Aug. 12th for a chance to win all 3! 


Mark your calendar now for Moda's Designer Blog Hop beginning Sept. 4.

Catching Up

KT Winner

Congrats to Karen in Breezy Point - you're the winner of the Just For You gift bag pattern. Hope you're staying cool up there in Minnesota!

A Long Week

Right after the last blog post, Robert's Dad was transfered to Hospice for his final days. After a very long struggle with heart disease and kidney failure, he passed last weekend. The days following were full of family decisions for Robert. I took over the store so he could focus on what he needed to do. Today, everyone has gone back to work and their normal lives and we're trying to catch up with the business at hand. It's always sad to lose a loved one, but also a relief that he's no longer suffering. Keep Robert in your prayers. Thanks.

The Old Country Store & Museum

Because of all the uncertainty of the past couple weeks, I felt I needed to cancel my trip to The Old Country Store Quilt Museum on Tuesday, July 30th. I hope all of you still attend this fabulous event and enjoy it for me. Jan Mast and her staff have put together a day of fun and surprises that are worth the drive to Intercourse, PA. There's still time to enter their Kansas Troubles quilt contest. Send pictures!

Material Rewards

The other half of my trip east was to Material Rewards Quilt Shop in Danville, NY. Marty & Teri agreed to move my program and workshops to September 26-28th. I'll be teaching Icicle Stars, Pheasant Feathers and a couple of projects out of Loose Change. I understand there's a waiting list for the workshops, but I'd love for you to join us Friday night for a trunk show of all the latest KT quilts and yummy desserts!

See you all on Monday for another KT giveaway!

Great Girlfriend Getaway to Florida

St. Augustine Florida Retreat

It's hot, hot, hot here in Kansas and I'm already looking forward to the cooler days to come this winter. Partly because this January will bring another opportunity for my buddy, Pam Buda, Heartspun Quilts, and I to spend a week together, sharing our love of quilts with fellow quilters. Join us as we experience a bit of fun in the sun this winter in historic St. Augustine, Florida. In addition to a lovely motel on the beach and workshops with Pam and me, St. Augustine is a delightful destination for shopping and sight-seeing. Bring your girlfriends and have a quilting party with us!