Friday, December 28, 2018

A New Year, A New Look

KT Quilt Shop Expansion

We started something new this year with our Winter Hours - open Thursday & Friday, 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm from Thanksgiving to March 1st. It would have been more accurate to say "Closed Sundays thru Wednesdays to allow Robert to make a mess and and have time to clean up". Have you ever started a new construction project that resulted in several other smaller renovations, much like a row of dominoes falling, one after the other? Well, we're in the middle of that here at KTQ.

The wonderful news is, I'm finally building my dream studio out in the country where we live so I'll have everything in one space - computer, sewing machine, fabric, design supplies, antique quilts and so much more that is now spread over three areas. That means, I can clean out the office and studio at the store to make room for other things, like a larger space to display quilts in the KT Quilt Shop.

The dominoes don't always fall in any specific order, though, as shown with this project. Now is the when Robert has the time to remodel the store, but I don't have a studio to move everything into, so we're making do.

 Over Thanksgiving weekend, a couple of grankids, Aleece and Rowan, carried all the boxes and piles of quilts upstairs (37 trips up 26 steps - not that they were keeping track or anything) from my old office to my old studio, which is now overflowing with piles and more piles. In a couple months, I'll sort through it all and decide what goes into the new space and what might be giveaways. You won't want to miss that!



Here's a look at the wall that was the outside my small office (10'x12') right inside the front door of the quilt shop. (You can see just a sliver of the door frame to the office on the far left.)



This is how it looked the next weekend when Robert quit after spending two days tearing off all the sheetrock. A little helper came in that evening and cleared the rest for us. Thanks again, Rowan.


Demo complete. Now it's time to clean up and make it pretty.


Here we are for now. We still have some finishing to do - moving lights/wires and painting the ceiling - and I'm sure we'll rearrange again at least a few times before I'm totally satisfied, but it's all coming together nicely. I'm delighted with the big impact this small change has made to create a sense of openness throughout the entire store.


I hope you'll stop in and see our progress this winter. I can't wait to fill up the extra space with lots of goodies for you!

Giveaway

Let's start the New Year with a giveaway! I'm sure I can a box of flannel scraps in the piles upstairs. Anyone interested?

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Moda Blockheads II

Block #37 - Dreamy by Sherri McConnell

Sherri's large 18x18 block certainly makes a statement and is totally dreamy in any color combination. I love the red/tan/navy version for my quilt, done in my new KT Favorites III fabric collection (more on that soon) with a bit of On Meadowlark Pond thrown in for good measure. Find Sherri's blog and block instructions HERE. Do you follow Sherri's blog? I love her Saturday Seven posts with lots of links to informative and cool stuff happening on the internet.



KT Giveaway

Amid the whirl of holiday activities that we're all obligated to host, attend, visit and plan, take some time for yourself to finish an older project and start something new. I'd like to help inspire you with a Mystery Box of scraps. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm working slowly, but surely to sort and purge scraps from finished projects. The contractor is fighting the early winter weather but making progress on my new studio addition. So many boxes to pack and move from my sewing area at the building. I'm not taking it all with me. Comment here about your best organizing tip to help me out. I'll select a winner randomly next week.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Moda Blockheads II

Block #36 - Rolling Stone by Jo Morton

This week's block is a classic that creates an interesting secondary pattern and lots of movement in a quilt. I have an antique quilt in blues and white with this block and love it! Find Jo's blog and block instructions HERE.





Be sure to check in on all the Moda Blockhead II designers this week.

KT Winter/Christmas Hours

We're in the middle of some major remodeling at the store, tearing down a couple walls to expand the shop space. Dirty business, but Robert loves it! It's already making a huge difference. I can't wait to share some pictures. To give him time to make a mess and clean up, we're limiting our store hours from now until March 5th to Thursday-Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm.  In addition, we'll be closed the week of Christmas to enjoy time with family near and far. See you with a whole new look in the New Year!

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Moda Blockheads II

Block #35 - Gibby by Laurie Simpson

Laurie offers a great filler block today with unlimited possibilities. My first instinct was to use a different color/print for every dark rectangle, but with my red/tan/navy theme, it was simpler to pick just a few fabrics. I don't know about you, but I'm anxious to read her blog just to find out what the inspiration was for the name of the block! Find Laurie's blog and her block instructions HERE.


Gift Certificate Christmas Offer

With just a a little over a week left to finish up your Christmas shopping, how about grabbing a KTQ Gift Certificate for a quilting friend? Or for your own stocking? From now until Dec 21st, call the KT Quilt Shop for a $25 gift certificate for only $20, or a $50 gift certificate for only $40. It's the perfect gift for the KT fan on your list. 785-488-2120. Robert will email it to you for instant gratification!



Tuesday, December 11, 2018

KT December Special

Sorry for the delay. I just realized this didn't auto-post on December 1st when it was scheduled. User error - again - no doubt. You still have time to take advantage of our KT December Special (see below). Don't miss it!

Nature's Glory Fat 1/4 Bundle

My latest fabric collection, Nature's Glory, is flying out the door!  I love the rich, autumn tones and fall prints that fill out this assortment of classic KT fabrics. We're delighted with the response to our projects featuring this line over the past couple months.

The Pumpkins Seeds quilt...


Stars on a Roll...


and our charm project for Nature's Glory, Barn Star. Create this delightful version of a traditional barn star with a charm pack and only 3 additional fabrics. Kit and pattern available HERE.



My goal with each fabric collection (more than 60 to date) is to design simple, but interesting quilts and projects that can be made quickly for seasonal accents for your home, gifts for friends & family, or just snuggling. These are quilts that we're not afraid to use everyday.

Do you have a scrappy quilt in mind? A pattern you've bookmarked that uses fat quarters? Here's your opportunity to pick up a fat quarter bundle of Nature's Glory - 40 prints - for only $110 plus FREE SHIPPING! (Retail $136.00)