Changing things up

KT Winner

Carol C - Congratulations! You're the winner of last week's Clara's Garden fat 1/8 bundle. Enjoy and share with us what you create!

KT Bernina - Shaking things up

Over our week long Christmas break, Jamie & her 2 sons (Colton & Sheldon) were the muscle to help Robert & I move displays around and freshen up the store for the new year. Robert built a HUGE ladder to display most of our Christmas quilts in the off season. At 3' x 9' it holds a ton of quilts.  I think I need at least one more - and maybe one for myself! Next to Christmas are bins and bins of hand-dyed wool. We're ordering more all the time and making samples for inspiration. I love to work with wool in the winter.

 

A ladder full of Christmas goodies.

Clara's Garden was moved up front & center with kits and precuts.

We hung a couple more quilt racks to display even more lap quilts. KT Barn Raising looks great on the wall with KT Dugout on the bench. An old red ladder found in Dad's barn holds A Day at the Park charm quilt, Pheasant Feathers and Plum Perfect with a pair of pillows resting below.

If you've been thinking about ordering the Rustic Stars kit from the October issue of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine, now is the time. We're down to just a few left with the original paisley border, so don't delay! Call Jamie today!

 

This week's giveaway is the new Clara's Garden booklet & KT Wedge Template. Comment on whatever strikes your fancy this week to win! See ya next week. 

 

Clara's Garden is Here!

KT Winner

Congratulations to gyates625@bellsouth.net - you're the winner of the trio of pillow sleeve patterns. Please reply to lynne@ktquilts.com and Jamie will send them right out.

Thanks to all of you that commented this week. I always enjoy reading your thoughts, but this week was especially helpful to see what you want to hear/see from me in the new year. It may seem that the life of a designer is terribly interesting and exciting, but believe me, just like you, I go to work each day and have to take care of piles of paperwork, emails and organizing what other people are going to do before I ever get a chance to sew - if at all! One of my plans for the new year is to sew a little every day, even if it's just a couple of seams in a block. I'm one of those quilters that feels like if I don't have time to make several blocks - or a whole quilt - it's not worth it. No more. Just the feel of fabric in my hands and the hum of the sewing machine is such therapy for me. I'm sure Robert will be relieved to hear it since I'm usually in a better mood after I've had a chance to stitch on something - anything - for a bit each day. In fact, once our mess of construction is done and the dust settles, he's suggested we piece together! Over the years, Robert has learned alot about quilting just being in the business with me and watching me teach classes. He's very knowledgeable about my methods and KT products, but has become more interested in a variety of quilting notions and techniques in the past year. And, since opening our KT Bernina Quilt Shop & Emporium, he's learned that he has a whole lot more to learn in order to answer our customers' questions like a "real quilter". Stay tuned to see if our marriage can survive quilting together!

Clara's Garden Has Arrived!

UPS dropped off the last of Clara's Garden precuts and bolts of fabric this week. We just love those guys! After Jamie & Joy open the boxes, remove the plastic, check inventory and fold the ends just so, it's time for me to admire all the fat new bolts lined up on the shelf. The ladies coming to our retreat this weekend are already calling to see if Clara arrived. I'm sure it won't stay this way for long!

Clara's Garden on the top shelf; KT Favorites on the bottom. Don't they look great together???

Clara's Garden captures the beauty of spring in a large floral print, small scale dots, buds & swirls and a petite stripe  in yummy KT reds, greens, blacks, navys, golds, plum & tans. This collection includes several wonderful tan prints and tone-on-tones for backgrounds, so stock up now while the selection is good!

I'll show you how our new wedge & melon templates make piecing circles with layered patchwork so much easier in the coming weeks. For now, I'd like to share a fat 1/8 bundle of Clara's Garden with you. Comment here for a chance to win!

KT Favorite Quilt Contest Winner

KT Favorite Quilt Contest 2014

Thank you to everyone who submitted quilts, and to those of you who voted thru your comments. Without further delay - drum roll please - the winners are:
                1st Place - Connie Lanier - Five & Dime
                2nd Place -  Jane Licata - Aleece's Charming Stars
                3rd Place - Leanne Hopper - Spare Change

Congratulations, Ladies! Please contact Jamie at 785-488-2120 to claim your gift certificates. 

I was delighted to see so many of you chose to submit quilts using my layered patchwork method (more than 80%). I receive emails from quilters everyday who were hesitant in the beginning, fearing the raw edges would unravel or the layering would add too much bulk to their quilts. In the end, there are smiling faces all around when the quilt is completed with flatter blocks with fewer seams and easier piecing, more perfectly square quilts and fun frayed edges for a primitive look and cozy feel. Thank you to all the brave souls who've believed in my technique, tried it for yourselves and are sharing it with your friends. Welcome to the club! 

In addition to the contest winners, the winner of the Loose Change book is Tonia Young. And just for fun, a Layers of Love book goes to Vicki H. Thanks to all of you who commented.

Blog Ideas for the New Year

It's a new year and a fresh start so I'd like to get some input on what you'd like to see in this blog - do you have questions for me? Do you want to see more quilts, more in progress, more of what? I would love to have an ongoing dialog here with your comments/questions leading me to write blog posts about what your interests. My goal for this year is to take more pictures to share as I'm designing. Any other suggestions? Believe me, there are days when the blank screen is a huge challenge.

Pillow Pals

Today's giveaway is a trio of pillow sleeve patterns to freshen up your home throughout the year. Make or cover a pillow, then simply swap out the pillow sleeve for the seasons. Please leave a comment on the above blog ideas to win. See you next week!

Cruisin'

Jenny Doan/Lynne Hagmeier Quilting Cruise to the Caribbean

Jenny and I are so excited to be sailing and quilting with Flash Sew and Quilt in Naples, FL next January and April. The January cruise sold out in a flash (pun intended) so we're gearing up for another cruise in April. If you missed the January 2016 voyage, jump into the water with us for another spectacular trip in April 2016. We'll be teaching the same projects under the same sun, so let's make it happen ladies! Grab a girlfriend - or husband, if you must - and come quilt with us while we sail, learning some new tricks and techniques and just giggling our way through the week. I'm up for any trip that includes Jenny and her husband, Ron. We so enjoy this delightful couple and Jenny's sense of quilting style. Her ability to see quilt blocks in a new way is always inspiring. I'll be sharing my layered patchwork technique that has been on Missouri Star's tutorials with Jenny. Check out the Zigzag Runner video from Layers of Love and sign up today!

Go to Jenny/Lynne Cruise for more information. And don't forget your sandals!

My Favorite KT Quilt Contest 2014

It's time to announce the three finalists in our My Favorite KT Quilt Contest 2014. The rules were simple - make a quilt from any Moda precut using a KT pattern. From several dozen entries, the ones that followed the rules and made our list are:

Five & Dime by Connie Lanier

 A quilt that is quickly becoming a KT classic! If you haven't tried our layered patchwork technique yet, make it a New Year's resolution. The quilt goes together quickly and looks great in any color combinations.

 Spare Change by Leeanne Hopper 

 Adorable mini version of Five & Dime from my book, Loose Change. Well done, Leeanne!

Aleece's Charming Stars by Jane Licata

 Jane Licata used Minnick & Simpsons precuts to create this wonderful patriotic tribute using the Aleece's Charming Stars pattern from my book, Layers of Love.

Please comment on your favorite here by midnight Saturday, January 10, 2015. First, second and third place winners will be announced Monday, Janurary 12th. In addition, since two of the three quilts are from my book Loose Change, we'll give away a book to one lucky winner!