Missouri Star Shop Feature: Mercantile

As a woman in the modern world, my femininity sometimes craves the more elegant, lady-like ways of the past. I would love to enjoy a Friday night dinner in a nice evening gown or stroll into my local grocery store in a long Victorian dress without being given strange looks.

However, there are things I wouldn’t want to endure from those times like wearing cages to keep my dress looking fluffed and tight corsets that crush my ribs. No, thank you.

So I don’t want to live in the past ALL the time, but when I do, I go to the Missouri Star Mercantile.

Missouri Star Mercantile

Missouri Star’s Mercantile shop is filled with 1800’s reproduction and 1930’s textiles. Reproduction fabrics represent the colors and prints popular during the Civil War and end of the fur trade eras. Our 1930’s fabric recreates the sacks in which flour and potatoes were sold during the Great Depression. These food sacks became decorative with playful images of flowers, sunshine, and polka dots once companies realized that women had started recycling the gunny sacks to use as dresses, undergarments, and towels.

Place these antique designs into the quilts of today and keep history alive.

As you wander the walls of Mercantile, you can expect to find fabric by the yard, precuts, tea towels, and vintage-inspired patterns and panels!

Missouri Star Mercantile

Not only will the fabrics of this shop take you on a time traveling adventure, but the designs and decor will have you considering a home remodel inspired by a vintage farmhouse from the past!

Go to VisitMSQC to start planning your trip to Missouri Star and make your way into our Mercantile shop!

Missouri Star Mercantile

To learn more about local antique quilts check out this blog post on Edie McGinnis, The Keeper of Kansas City Star Quilts.

Do you have a favorite designer of 1800’s or 30’s reproductions fabrics? Let us know in the comments!

Playing with scraps…

ctjhvjhg1I am sure that you all have a few thousand pounds of scraps in your stash.  Those beloved bits of your favorite fabric….you know what I am talking about, right!?   (We used Riley Blake, April Cornell, American Jane, Tula Pink and other various scraps.)

Well, we decided to make some cute little clips with the fabric covered buttons.  We made ponytail holders and snap clips (barrettes) and we just love them!  They are perfect to brighten any outfit! And perfect for those small pieces of your favorite fabric,  you just can’t throw away!

It was a lovely weekend.  How was yours?

FYI:  this is a very addictive project.  You will not be able to stop.  I swear.  But, since Christmas is right around the corner…..You’ll have the perfect excuse.    How cute would they be all wrapped up as gifts!??!  Oh my.  Now I am in real trouble.

********************UPDATE***********************

We have now uploaded a video tutorial for you all to enjoy!  Learn how to make a fabric covered button and a pony tail holder!!  Go here!

When Snippets Collide

Check out the little “Snippet” of joy I’ve been working on at my house!

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As seems to be the case for me it looks nothing like the pattern I started with but I think I like it 🙂

Can you see the pattern in there?  It started out with blocks like these,

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And it turned into this little thing 🙂

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Quite the happy little mix of a quilt, I think!

With a few borders to accent those little polka dot pathways we’ll be in business!

One Moda turnover….

That’s all it took!  I am a HUGE fan of Sandy Klopp, (the designer of American Jane fabric) and when we got the Snippets line in the shop I couldn’t wait to try something out.

Since I haven’t played around much with the turnovers I got all excited and (with Mom’s help) we whipped this little baby blanket up in an afternoon!!

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We used one turnover, and a yard and a half of the blue dot (moda) and BOOM it was done!  Then to top off the whole thing we scalloped the edges, using this scallop edge tool.  Mom quilted it and now all that’s left is the binding.  (which is happening even as I type this!!)

Seriously, easy and fun!  If you haven’t tried the new turnovers yet, you are missing out!!  Don’t be afraid.  It is easier than you might think.