Happy November! I love this time of year when the leaves turn colors and cover the ground, it’s truly beautiful outside. There’s so much to be thankful for, including our wonderful quilting community! It can also be a hectic time of year in preparation for the upcoming holidays. Yikes! How are we going to get all of those gifts completed in time once again?
Don’t worry, this month’s Planning Printables will help keep you organized and on task during this busy month. Click the images below to download and print yours for free! 🙂
Don’t laugh! I have boiled an egg before. But sometimes the yolk is too soft, and sometimes it turns green. And the shell never, ever comes off nicely.  So I went seeking wisdom, and guess what? I actually learned a thing or two! (Add salt to the water; the eggs will peel like magic. True story.)
Today’s Super Simple Squares Quilt is as easy as boiling an egg – maybe easier- but you can count on Jenny to show you the slickest, most efficient way to make it.
I know you collect charm packs just waiting for the perfect easy project you could make with them… that is exactly where this tutorial comes in. It’s tried and true and requires very little thought/design ability. It’s quick, easy, and beautiful! That makes it especially perfect for those last minute holiday gifts or donation quilts!
Click on the button below to watch the tutorial and get all the supplies to make this quilt!
With a little creativity and a touch of courage, quilting can be a real “choose-your-own-adventure” experience. What happens if I rotate half my blocks? What if I switch out the white background for a bright solid? What if I use a 10-inch square instead of a 5-inch? Before you know it, you have created a totally unique quilt. You are an artist! You are an inventor! You are AMAZING!!!
Today Jenny will guide us through the Whimsical Shoofly Quilt, a simple variation of the shoofly or churn dash. You’ll be amazed to see what a difference a small change can make – and maybe you’ll be inspired to make a few changes of your own!
This tutorial features the Magic Collection by Sarah Jane for Michael Miller Fabrics, but it would look gorgeous in any fabric. Click on the button to watch the tutorial and get everything you need to make this quilt!
Don’t you love Flying Geese quilts? They are so beautiful that we just had  to look for some other fun ways to feature them in quilt patterns! This Tangled Geese quilt block is created by adding snowballed corners to 2.5″ strips. The result is so fun!
Watch the Tangled Geese Quilt Snips Video (as well as the full tutorial) by clicking HERE.
One year older and wiser too…. Happy Birthday to Missouri Star Quilt Co! This September, we hosted our 8th Birthday Bash, where we celebrate the anniversary of Missouri Star in Hamilton, Missouri. It’s amazing to see how much we’ve grown, learned and improved and we are so grateful to our customers/fans who’ve made this journey possible!
Wednesday Night: The Kickoff Dinner with the Doan Family
The night before everything begins, we kick off the event with a family dinner. We share stories, give out party favors, and just have a wonderful night together because you are our family!
When you get the Doan Family all in one room, there are bound to be stories! Al, Jenny’s son, is a wonderful story teller and had the whole room filled with laughter!
When the dinner was over, we moved over to the Retreat Center to watch a special video that Jenny’s son Jake had created for the special night. It brought such a wonderful, heartwarming energy to the room. We’re so glad that we get to work together as family and friends and do something we truly love!
I don’t know how you like to start off a party, but we start it with dancing, free fabric/prizes, and lots of music and energy! In the Retreat Center, we had a Quilt Show adorning the walls and a Jelly Roll Race Charity Sew for 40 participants who signed up in advance!
The result was 40 quilt tops to be finished by our Missouri Star Quilt Co Machine Quilting Team and donated to local Women’s Shelters! The Jelly Roll Race pattern is so quick and easy, that it’s perfect for donating for a good cause! If you’re looking for somewhere to donate quilts, check out this post HERE.
A photo posted by Missouri Star Quilt Co (@missouriquiltco) on
It’s so wonderful anytime we are able to give back to our community, so thank you to everyone involved who made it possible to do that!
Friday: Trunk Shows Galore!
Friday was filled with more fun, more games and prizes, a Homecoming Parade and TWO trunk shows! Have you ever been to Jenny Doan’s Trunk Show? Not only does she tell some wonderful stories through her quilting journey, but she teaches some mini tutorials along the way! You always leave feeling inspired to create something!
Not only did we have Jenny’s wonderful trunk show, but Rob Appell of Man Sewing was here as well! He tells his story through his quilts and it is a special experience!
Yes, he’s standing on the counter! Every seat in the house was a good one! 🙂
Right in the front row was a mother and her young son who is learning to sew and quilt. Rob was able to have a conversation with them afterward and give some tips on getting started!
Saturday: The Sewlebrity Sew-Off (Jenny Doan vs Rob Appell)
What do you get when you put two quilters/sewists in the same room with the same materials and limited time to create something completely unique? You get a lot of fun! Jenny and Rob were great sports and were both able to complete a project in the allotted time!
How do you compare a table runner + cape + head dress vs a duck with a zippered-on head? You call it a tie! This whole competition was a blast to watch and we can’t wait for the rematch next year!
I don’t know about you, but when I’m sewing, I love having some music playing! So, our lovely audience was able to provide that for the competition! 🙂
Aside from these special events throughout the celebration, we also had some fun that was going on the whole time! There was dancing for fabric and games on the patio, a Barn Block Painting Class, demos in the Main Shop by Windham Fabrics Designer Natalie Barnes, shopping for 88 cent Fat Quarters, a Quilter’s Walk of Fame, Quilt Show and so much more! We hope you’ll join us next September for our 9th Birthday Bash!
