Square dancers really have to know their stuff! When the caller shouts out, “See saw the taw!” or “Allemande thar!”, they weave in and out of intricate formations with ease. Experienced dancers have up to 2,000 different moves memorized and ready to perform at a moment’s notice. And when they form the Grand Square, it’s quite a sight to behold!
This week Jenny is working on The Grand Square Quilt, but don’t worry! This block is quick, simple, and oh, so pretty! Click HERE to watch the tutorial. (And keep an eye out for a bonus Do Si Do Quilt tutorial at the end!)
Jenny not only created the Grand Square Quilt but also, this darling Do-Si-Do Quilt just by cutting the block from Grand Square!
The Houndstooth is such a fun, classic pattern, but what makes it even more great is that we have mastered the simple way to create it! By using a couple 5″ squares and some background fabric you are sure to have a gorgeous quilt in no time at all!
There’s no party like a quilting party and our Ninth Birthday Bash was no exception! What better way to celebrate 9 years in business than with fun, games and fabric and a game show theme to keep the show rolling throughout the celebration?
The best way to start a Birthday Bash is with a Dinner with the Doans! The Doans, plus 200 of our quilting family, joined us for dinner, dessert, and of course, a little friendly family competition. This year the Girl Doans squared off against the Boys for an entertaining version of Family Feud. The Boys earned the victory on this night, but we know the Girls will be ready for a rematch!
Before birthday festivities officially kicked off, we snapped our traditional all-employee family photo in front of our newest mural in Hamilton. We think the gang looked absolutely electric in the lime green t-shirts!
The gang’s all here for our traditional employee photo before the start of Birthday Bash 2017!
All three days were bursting at the seams with games and activities for the entire family! Our “Win, Lose or Dance” on the patio was a happening spot, where participants could show off their finest moves for a chance to win some fabric!
Guests from around the globe boogied around the patio for a chance to win fabric prizes!
We busted out some Couch to Quilt “suitcases” for our Sew Case Showdown game on Friday morning! It was a huge hit!
Friday night featured our first ever BINGO night hosted by Man Sewing’s Rob Appell! Rob donned his referee uniform and called numbers, up and down, across and “on the bias”
We know a good quilty party wouldn’t be complete without some trunk shows! Jenny and Man Sewing’s Rob Appell shared their quilting journeys in memorable presentations throughout Birthday Bash.
Giving back to our community and those in need is very important to us, and this year we hosted a Charity Quilt “Bake Off” with help from the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild to create 32 full-size quilts! These quilts were designed, pieced, quilted and bound by some amazing volunteers over a two-day period, and best of all, 16 quilts will be donated for disaster relief and 16 will be given to local Kansas City charities.
Through some of our “ticketed” events, we were able to collect hundreds of paper products and dozens of peanut butter and jelly packages for our local Caldwell County Food Pantry! Money raised during our daily quilt raffles went to support this organization as well.
One of our favorite parts of Birthday Bash is the Sew-lebrity Sew-off, where Jenny and Rob go head-to-head for a 45-minute sewing competition! This year Jenny created a shiny lamé championship belt and cape, while Rob whipped up a batik seascape! With almost an hour of sewing, stories, and entertainment, it’s clear that the true winners of this friendly competition are the audience who watched Jenny and Rob’s sewing skills in action!
With our Ninth Birthday Bash in the books, we want to take a moment and express our sincerest thanks to all of those who came together to make this celebration possible. Our amazing guests, those who visited us in Hamilton and online, fantastic employees, and wonderful vendors and sponsors all deserve a round of applause for helping us make our birthday the best one yet!
On August 14, 2010, a massive traffic jammed formed on the China National Highway. The tangle of cars was so gridlocked, drivers were inching forward at a pace of just over a half mile per day. It took a week and a half for traffic to pick up again, and some folks were stuck on that road for five whole days!
Today’s new quilt, Two Way Street, may resemble a traffic jam with cars facing every which way, but this block is so quick and easy, you’ll breeze through at full-speed! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
Click the diagram above for the printable/downloadable PDF for this quilt!
Grab your stapler, glue stick, and sandpaper, friends! We have a project to make!
I know, I know, those aren’t traditional quilting supplies, but we’re working on something extra special today. Leonie Bateman is the queen of wool applique, and she’s here to demonstrate a quick and easy way to transform Riley Blake’s wool precuts into beautiful masterpieces. Her “glue and staple” technique is so simple and fun, you’ll be stitching wool for days! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
Click the button below to watch the full tutorial and shop Leonie Bateman’s collection!
