Inspire. Empower. Create.
The periwinkle is an easygoing flower. It doesn’t require a lot of fuss. Those waxy green leaves and kite-shaped petals just spread and bloom all on their own, filling the garden with low-maintenance beauty.
This week, learn how to stitch your own pretty periwinkles into a beautiful new quilt. Periwinkle on Point is made easy with our kite-shaped Wacky Web template and precut charms.
Local businesses are vital for small towns like Hamilton! They each have so much to offer, not only in terms of the services they provide, but their history as well!
Welcome to Hy-Klas, the local grocery store ran and owned by Mark and Vicki Ward!
Hy-Klas opened in 1938, a business that Vicki was later born into. Whereas Mark began working at Hy-Klas as a bag boy in the 70’s. Soon after Hy-Klas brought them together, they were married and had three daughters, all of whom have been involved in the family business. The couple then took over the company in 2006 from Vicki’s parents. After 41 years of marriage, Mark and Vicki successfully run two Hy-Klas grocery stores, one in Hamilton and the other in Polo.
Hy-Klas is an inviting store full of delicious foods, fresh produce, and friendly employees! The environment radiates that small-town, cozy feel and if you get hungry while shopping, make your way over to their deli and grab a tasty sandwich!
Plus, Blue Bell ice cream is finally back in stock! Come get it while the shelves are still full!
A lot has changed over the years, but something that hasn’t changed is the company’s belief in giving back to the community. They contribute regularly to the local churches, schools, fire department, and even us! Hy-Klas have played a huge part in our events and retreats by going out of their way to make sure we always have what we need when you come to visit!
Next time you are in town, make sure to stop in and say hello to all of the friendly faces at our local grocery store!
Multiply your fun with half the effort!
Any way you slice it, a half-square triangle is a thing of beauty. For such a simple quilt block, so many incredible designs can be created! Half-square triangles are in about 80% of the quilts we sew here at Missouri Star, so we wanted to give you a few handy tips and tricks to make stitching them together easier than ever.
Here’s how 1 typical half-square triangle is made:
Take two precut fabric squares, stack them right sides together, and draw a line down the center on a diagonal from corner to corner. Sew on the line and trim away a quarter inch away from your seam line. That will give you a half square triangle that is the same size as the squares you started with. It leaves two smaller triangles as scraps. But we can do better than that!
Here are Jenny’s favorite methods of sewing half-square triangles, just for you:
2 at a Time
Take two 5” or 10” precut fabric squares, stack them right sides together, and draw a line down the center on a diagonal from corner to corner. Sew ¼ inch out on both sides of the drawn line, then cut down the line in the center, and press open. That gives you two easy half-square triangles!
4 at a Time
Take two 5” or 10” precut fabric squares and stack them right sides together. Sew ¼ inch all the way around the perimeter of the squares. Then cut twice diagonally, from corner to corner, and press open to make four half-square triangle units! But wait … it gets even better.
8 at a Time
Take two 5” or 10” precut fabric squares, stack them right sides together, and draw an x from corner to corner. Stitch ¼ inch out on both sides of the lines, cut diagonally on each drawn line, and press open to get eight beautiful half-square triangles!
Try using the Clearly Perfect Slotter Trimmers to make squaring up your quilt blocks simple. It’s a nifty quilt template that not only cuts your half-square triangles to the right size but trims the seam down perfectly as well! It’s a neat little invention, click HERE to get yours now!
Be creative with the handy half-square triangle and have a blast! Try playing around with quilt layout possibilities for just fifteen minutes and make something new today. When you turn and flip these versatile quilt blocks the design possibilities are absolutely endless! Click HERE to see some of the tutorials Jenny used HST to create her pattern.
Not quite pink, not quite gold, just a beautiful mixture of metallic rosy-amber. This week we are admiring one of the most fun colors there are… Rose Gold!
Rose Gold has been trending for a while now, but it’s here to stay and ready to make its appearance in your next project! Update your desk-top, sewing area, or make any room pop with a few touches of rose gold!
Do you remember being a little girl and feeling giddy over objects that were shiny, pink, or floral? These adorable prints in Riley Blake’s new collection, Bliss, will make you feel just that with all the flowers, rosebuds, and rose gold swirls and stripes! This Bliss Simply Sparkle kit makes a full size quilt that will make any room sparkle! It would make a pretty accent to a reading nook, or thrown over your favorite chair!
Make a Rose Garden Quilt or Slanted Half-Hex to really show off those vibrant prints. Imagine lying in bed, wrapped in a quilt of romantic florals and luxurious rose golds, snuggled up to a matching Dresden pillow . It’s no wonder they named this collection, Bliss!
Mix rose golds with navy or grey cuddle fabrics!
Spice up your sewing area with rose gold notions!
How perfect would a wine carrier made for a sweet bottle of Rosé look in rose gold?! Or shine bright wherever you go with a gorgeous rose gold coin purse!
What are you hoping to create with your new treasure trove of rose gold fabrics? Let us know in the comments! Don’t forget to post a photo of your creation to Instagram using #msqcshowandtell. Happy shopping!
It the unwritten law of the sewing room. All sewists must have a 2-year supply of precuts, a jar of random buttons, a drawerful of thread, and a shoebox filled with adorable waves of rickrack and other fun trims.
Rickrack is a vintage classic. It’s takes me back to favorite rag dolls, homemade aprons, and grandma’s kitchen curtains. Jenny’s new Rickrack Quilt has all that sentimental charm, and it’s a cinch to make, too! Click HERE to learn how to transform your favorite 2.5 inch strips into a zig-zaggy masterpiece!
