hamilton | Missouri Star Blog

February 29, 2016March 11, 2016

Slumber Party Quilting Retreat Recap February 2016

Here in Hamilton, MO, where you can find 12 Missouri Star Quilt Shops, we host at least one themed Quilting Retreat each month! February brought us the “Slumber Party” Retreat.

Jenny gave one of her famous Trunk Shows that had the audience laughing, crying, Ooo-ing and Aah-ing. Mr. Jenny (Ron) has the strongest arms in the quilting industry, as he serves as Jenny’s quilt holder and assistant in each of her trunk shows! Talk about a loving husband! 🙂

This particular retreat is a favorite because those who attend don elastic waists and slippers for the entire weekend (and don’t we all like to be comfy when we’re engrossed in a new quilting project??). Even some of our shop gals and guys dressed in their PJs so that our retreaters could feel comfortable shopping in their favorite PJs. And of course, we quilt.

We had some organized quilting projects as well as some impromptu little projects, which everyone loved.

We had a great group from around the states, from New York to California and many states in between! It is so much fun to meet ladies from all over the United States and sometimes the world. Quilting is what stitches us all tighter and no matter where we are from we all speak the same language, “Quilt”.

If you would like to attend a future retreat, you can find them here: Missouri Star Quilt Company Retreats and Events Page.

February 22, 2016February 22, 2016

Introducing Man’s Land in Hamilton, MO!

Behind every woman in a quilt shop is a man carrying 15+ bolts of fabric and begging her to stop buying more! It’s a classic tale that’s been around for years. But it’s about to change if we have a say in the matter! Amid our eleven quilt shops here in Hamilton you’ll now find Man’s Land, a lounge and billiards area for the men to enjoy! (Find a list of all our shops HERE.)

Take a a nice long look at these comfy recliners, but watch out! Sit down for “just a minute” and you’ll never want to get back up! They’re all facing two big screen TV’s. It’s the perfect setup for watching the big game or getting some shut-eye. Go ahead, take a load off!

Man’s Land is warm, rustic and inviting so you’ll feel right at home… and maybe forget about how much money your wife is spending on fabric 😉

Ahh, so peaceful and relaxing! There’s even a section dedicated to our favorite manly quilter, Rob Appell of Man Sewing! Check out his YouTube Channel HERE!

The name Man’s Land was around a long time in Hamilton before Missouri Star even existed and that’s where we got our inspiration for a manly hangout. We love our small town and we love restoring the buildings to bring them new life. We hope this little haven will give you the opportunity to stay a little longer and feel rested and refreshed by the time you have to go!

November 16, 2015November 16, 2015

Rob Appell’s Man Sewing Surf’s Up Retreat!

We had so much fun last week because Rob Appell from Man Sewing was here filming tutorials, followed by the first ever Surf’s Up Retreat at Missouri Star Quilt Company! The retreat started with Rob’s Trunk Show, which was so amazing! There is something special about a trunk show. Each one is so unique to that specific quilter and even though we’ve been working with Rob for about a year now, we were reminded of Rob’s good heart and the journey that has led him to where he is today! Thank you, Rob for not only teaching us about quilting, but about overcoming obstacles, gratitude, hard work, and love for family. Your honest, vulnerable storytelling was such a treat and we’re so glad that you’ve decided to be a part of the Missouri Star family.

Rob rolls up his quilts, so they won’t get fold creases. Isn’t that so smart? Let’s take a look at some of the other quilts Rob shared.

I always knew I loved his work, but the stories behind them make them even more beautiful! It was so exciting to see them in person… sometimes photos just can’t do a quilt justice. This next one is the Color Strata quilt, featured in Rob’s new Color Strata Book! The tutorial is coming very soon!

You have to take a step back from this one to fully appreciate it…

If you’ve never seen Rob’s Endangered Species Quilt series, they are even more incredible in real life! Rob teamed up with Michael Miller Fabrics and their Fairy Frost fabrics to create a series of quilts to raise awareness for endangered species and donates a portion of pattern sales to help support these animals and those who care for them.

So amazing! Here’s the whole group! Jenny Doan attended the trunk show and we even put Ron (Mr. Jenny) to work holding up the quilts for Rob! 🙂

During the retreat, Rob taught his ever popular 3 Dudes Quilt with a twist and had fun making ‘stained glass’ when it caught the sun! 🙂

With Rob’s quilts on the wall, it feels like everyone is working in an art gallery! So beautiful!

We’re so glad that all of you retreaters could be here and Rob as well! Here’s to the next one! If you’re interested in attending a retreat at Missouri Star Quilt Company, visit Missouri Star Quilt Company Retreats & Events!

Be on the lookout for Rob’s own post about the retreat, coming soon at mansewing.com!

October 28, 2015November 6, 2015

Victoria Findlay Wolfe and Sizzix Retreat Recap – 2015

We just loved having Victoria Findlay Wolfe here along with Linda Nitzen from Sizzix for our retreat! It was such a blast and such a wonderful learning experience for all. Jenny even sat down with the retreaters and followed along with Victoria’s class she was so enthralled in it!

Laid out on the floor is Victoria’s Large Melon Double Wedding Ring Quilt, isn’t it stunning? The colors and fabrics are marvelous together giving this scrappy quilt so much character.

Did you know you could have so much fun with a Sizzix Machine? Check out these fun little guys below… All you have to do is let your imagination run wild and adorable creations will come!

Linda, the Sizzix Quilting Manager, presented a quilt challenge to the MSQC employees to create a quilt/ quilted item 50×50 or smaller for a chance to win a Big Shot Pro and several dies! Here is our first place winning team!

It’s a sore subject with the rest of the staff, (we are a very competitive group) but these lucky winners sure were happy and are enjoying their prize and their win was well deserving! They created an Interactive Children’s Playmat! All of the pieces were cut from Sizzix Dies and can be removed and rearranged on the mat for a super fun time! How fun and clever is that? 🙂

We were so glad to have these amazing ladies here with us in Hamilton and hope they get to come again soon! Have you ever been to a quilting retreat? Find out about all of our upcoming retreats and events HERE.

October 2, 2015October 2, 2015

Missouri Star’s 7th Birthday Bash & J.C. Penney Days!

Missouri Star Quilt Co. hit a big milestone, turning 7 years old as a company this year! It’s all thanks to our fans for helping us make it this far, and that’s why we planned a big celebration for you all! A lot has changed since day one, but family and friends is still at the center of everything we do, and that’s why we were thrilled to see so many of you visit us in Hamilton this past weekend to help celebrate, not to mention all the love and support that we had online from those of you who were unable to attend. Here’s a little recap for you!

Wednesday Night: We kicked off our Birthday Bash with an intimate dinner at Blue Sage with the Doan Family and guests. It was a wonderful night of laughing, storytelling and incredible food! Check out the awesome photo booth that Ron (A.K.A. Mr. Jenny) made us!

Did we mention laughing? So much laughing!!

At the end of the night, there was a slideshow of the first 7 years of MSQC focusing on family and growth. It brought everyone to tears and was such a beautiful end to the night. Here’s a group photo of those in attendance!

Thursday is when the party really started here in town! We had tons of giveaway contests, including a “Layer Cake” walk, and the Traveling Riley Blake Quilt Show was set up in the patio are as well!

Meet Sue! She was the big winner at the Quilter’s Cash Grab Machine! (You know those machines where the wind blows the cash up everywhere and you have to grab as much as you can? Yep, we had one!) She can buy a lot of fabric with that! 🙂

All of the MSQC employees got a 7th Birthday T-Shirt to sport throughout the event. Here’s the customer service team showing it off with Josh Doan, Jenny’s son, from the Wholesale team! (Is it really work if you’re having fun?) 😉

As part of our 7th Birthday Bash we had $0.77 Fat Quarters in the local shops! It was a Fat Quarter Frenzy!

We held a quilt raffle each day of the Bash and all proceeds went to the local Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. Jenny wrapped up in one as we were drawing the winning ticket, even though it was 80 degrees outside!

Friday evening the Penney Hornets football game was projected on the big screen in the park for all to enjoy! Go Hornets! And look at the beautiful view of the patio all lit up at nighttime! Ah, we love this small town life!

The Birthday Bash continued into Saturday, and J.C. Penney Days was celebrated in the town as well with tons of fun for the whole family!There were blow ups for the kids, a flea market area for the adults and much more. The kids got to take a swing at our “7” pinata full of Auriful Thread! That’s better than candy, right? At least if you’re a quilter! 😉 (We did throw some candy out for the kids as well, so everyone was happy!!)

This celebration wouldn’t have been what it was without our amazing Local Events Cruise Director, Meg (on the right) and our excellent DJ for the event, BJ Scott (left)! Here they are with Sarah, Jenny’s daughter, after a LONG, tiring, wonderful weekend of fun! 😀

Lastly, Saturday evening a couple of live bands played for J.C. Penney Days, and there was a J.C. Penney Look-alike contest! This little cutie was the only contestant, and won a $100 Gift Card to the J.C. Penney’s Store!

We thank you all for making these past 7 years so wonderful and for celebrating our 7th Birthday with us! Here’s to many more! 😀