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March 25, 2020April 27, 2020

“Home is Where the Quilts Are” – Behind the scenes of BLOCK Magazine Volume 7 Issue 2

Writing to you from the comfort of home is a privilege in this fast-paced world. I often find myself between places, driving long distances or flying to far-off locations to visit quilters around the world. It can be hard to feel comfortable in such circumstances, but I’ve found out something incredible about the quilting world. No matter where I go, as long as I can find a quilt shop, I feel right at home. After all, home is where the quilts are!

Home is such a lovely place to be. I recently dug into my sewing studio for some spring cleaning and unearthed some truly vintage finds! It’s been a pleasure to sort through my treasured fabric stash and remember what I really love about quilting…

…the feel of the fabric, the joy of selecting a stack of prints and sewing them together without a pattern. Cutting, stitching, pressing, and repeating the process over and over. There’s something very comforting about it and I look forward to spending time with these simple creative pursuits whenever I get a spare moment.

This spring, let’s dig into quilting with renewed vitality! Do what is necessary to start fresh, whether it’s a bit of light cleaning and dusting or a major fabric stash overhaul, and you’ll be amazed to find yourself itching to get back behind a sewing machine again. Celebrate the art of quilting by treating your machine, your fabrics, and your space with gratitude and you’ll be rewarded every time.

Love,
Jenny

“Home is such a lovely place to be!” This message from Jenny is truly comforting as many of us prepare to stay indoors. As we watch the bustling world around us wind down, we notice the incredible way people have worked together to keep one another safe, educated, and inspired during these trying times.

Here at Missouri Star, community is something very close to our hearts and BLOCK Magazine is a big part of that. This “idea book” is a way for us to share with you how quilting has impacted our little part of the world. When you open an issue of BLOCK, you become apart of our community as we connect with you through authentic stories and photos and the sharing of ideas.

Missouri Star BLOCK Magazine Volume 7 Issue 2 Cover

We recently redesigned BLOCK Magazine into something we feel is a better visual representation of who we are and what we value: YOU and our ability to educate and inspire you to create. We still have all the same content you love, but we’ve added more for you to truly experience and feel the joy that creativity brings to us all!

Things like…

The Ruby Sensation Sew-Along which comes in FIVE parts! A new sew-along block will be featured in each issue that comes out this year. (If you’re not subscribed, you’ll want to do so now so you won’t miss a step!)
A mix and match of patterns and prints (Unique, modern patterns meet traditional prints, and vice versa)
Educational articles with helpful tips and tricks and even, fun articles like celebrating local history!
10 step by step quilt patterns, bonus mini projects, and gift ideas!
Jenny’s Journal (See what Jenny’s working on. You may see something you’d like to try!)
And as always, there are NO ads and your subscription ships free!

Take a look behind the scenes and get a sneak peek of
what’s inside our upcoming issue:

Missouri Star BLOCK Magazine Volume 7 Issue 2 Road Trip

In the next issue, you’ll discover how to turn your adventures into a quilt filled with your favorite appliquéd states with the Road Trip pattern. Choose your own or embellish them for a customized quilt (or pillow!)

BLOCK’S photo-stylist, Jennifer Dowling, and sister, Maggie proudly display their favorite appliquéd states next to the Christopher S. Bond Bridge in Kansas City, MO.

Missouri Star BLOCK Magazine Volume 7 Issue 2 Luminary

BLOCK Magazine’s creative director, Christine Ricks, stands atop the National WWI Museum and Memorial displaying patriotic colors in the Luminary quilt. This is a great spot to take a good look at Kansas City’s gorgeous architecture and Union Station!

Missouri Star BLOCK Magazine Volume 7 Issue 2 Wonder

Alongside the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Christine cozies up with the Wonder quilt, a design by Katie Larson.

This center, located in Kansas City, MO, only 60 miles from Missouri Star, is a place where people from all over come to discover culture and community through theater, art, music, and history.

Over $50 worth of information is packed into each bi-monthly issue of BLOCK Magazine for just $7.99! ($9.99 bi-monthly for Canadian subscriptions.)

SUBSCRIBE TO BLOCK MAGAZINE TODAY

What inspires you to create? Let us know in the comments!

June 27, 2018July 17, 2018

We Quilt This City!

Every summer we host thousands of visitors from near and far in our happy little town of Hamilton. Many of these visitors come to us as their end destination or as part of a detour on their road trip. No matter how our visitors get to us, we do all we can to make sure that they have the best experience in Hamilton.

If you needed another excuse to come visit Hamilton this Summer, starting June 21st we are participating in the Row by Row Experience again this year!

The Row by Row Experience is a wonderful program started in 2011 by Janet Lutz to help quilt shops get more visitors in what might otherwise be slow summer months. All the quilt shops participating in Row by Row have their very own free pattern to help you make a quilt block, and if you are the first to complete a quilt using at least 8 different rows from 8 different 2018 participating shops, you win a stash of 25 fat quarters and you win a bonus prize if you use our block and bring it in to our store!

The theme for Row by Row this year is “Sew Musical” and we have our very own pattern called “We Quilt This City.” The pattern features a beautiful appliqué town and music notes, hopefully not bringing just your quilts, but also your community in harmony.

To get your free Missouri Star Row by Row pattern all you need to do is come to Penney’s Quilt Shop and ask for our Row by Row pattern! Each customer is limited to one pattern. Sorry to all of our online customers, this pattern is only available in person!

The Row by Row experience will run from June 21st to September 4th, 2018, and you will have until October 31st, 2018 to submit your quilt for a prize.

April 13, 2018April 13, 2018

Hamilton Baking Company & Cafe

Something is cooking in Hamilton…the sweet smells of chocolate crinkle cookies and the savory aroma of brisket breakfast burritos are wafting through downtown, and we’ve discovered the source! The newest addition to the Hamilton foodie scene is the Hamilton Baking Company & Cafe!

Stop by for breakfast, lunch, a cup of coffee or a delightful snack any time Monday through Saturday, 8am to 5pm, and you won’t be disappointed. Chef and head baker Chad Rigby (who you may know from Blue Sage. Don’t worry, he’s still donning his chef’s hat down the street!), along with his bakery team are whipping up tasty treats (strawberry cake anyone?) and scrumptious sandwiches (you can’t go wrong with the Turkey Bacon Cranberry Panini) that will have your taste buds dancing.

Walk through the doors (just a few steps north of our Main Shop next to J’s Burger Dive) and you’ll instantly feel right at home. With white subway tiles, dark wood counters, deep blue and gold walls (a nod to the team colors of the Hamilton Penney Hornets), a photo wall and a selection of games to play, Hamilton Baking Co. is modern, warm and inviting.

“We want to build a sense of community throughout the cafe, which is also what inspired the name,” Chad explains.

Guests are encouraged to take a break from digital devices and unplug for a moment or two while playing a game, engaging in conversation or enjoying a delicious bite without any digital interference.

If you are wanting to try some of the Hamilton Baking Co.’s signature dishes, we recommend the Turkey Bacon Cranberry Panini and the Seasonal Berry Salad, but you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. The signature house recipe hot cocoa (seriously, try it!) is a decadent drink that is sure to warm you up even on the chilliest of days. Gluten-free options are also available.

Looking for an invigorating cup of joe to kickstart your morning? Hamilton Baking Co. is brewing local Mokaska coffee, roasted just down Highway 36 in St. Joseph. Click HERE to view the complete menu.

For the frequent flyers of baked goods and caffeinated beverages, be sure and grab a punch card so you can earn free treats and drinks, because if there’s one thing better than a cookie, it’s a free cookie.

“Come and enjoy the bakery. This is a place to get some eats and hang out and relax in a stress-free zone,” Chad explains.

Don’t forget to snap a photo and leave it on the board! If you would like to see what Chad and the bakery team are up to, follow along on their Instagram and Facebook pages.

September 22, 2016September 22, 2016

New Friday Tutorial: The Missouri Crossroads Quilt Tutorial

A crossroads is the meeting of four roads. It brings to mind some lovely deep thoughts about life choices and such, doesn’t it? (I’m a sucker for a good metaphor!) I can look back through the years and see how various decisions have changed the course of life forever: Who to marry. (Luckily, I chose well) What career to pursue. (When you love what you do, it never feels like work!) Whether to wash the laundry or spend the afternoon in the sewing room. (Always choose the sewing room!)

Today’s Missouri Crossroads Quilt is a gorgeous pattern made up of many small pieces (Don’t worry, they’re so, so quick to put together.) And just like all those little life decisions, they come together to create one beautiful whole.

Click on the button below to watch the tutorial and get all the supplies you need to make this stunning quilt!

September 8, 2016November 8, 2018

A Peek Inside the Machine Shed

Welcome to the Machine Shed at Missouri Star Quilt Company! You guessed it, the Machine Shed is our shop full of sewing machines! It’s also home to lots of thread, templates and other quilting notions.

Doesn’t it have such a great feel to it? You’ll be able to find all the Sizzix™ Machines and dies and you can even test them out. They make cutting small shapes a breeze!

We carry 6 models of Baby Lock™ sewing machines, including the Katherine, S ofia2, Rachel, Molly, Jane and BL9. They can all be found and taken for a test drive in the Machine Shed. (Baby Lock™ sewing machines are available in store only.)

Check out this wall of thread. Isn’t it beautiful?? There are hundreds of fantastic hues to choose from! You can shop thread online as well, HERE.

You’ll also find Jenny’s “Heritage” Thread Collection from Aurifil™ in the Machine Shed. Aren’t those colors gorgeous? Jenny handpicked each of them as a tribute to her Scandinavian heritage. Grab yours HERE.

We hope you’ll stop by the Machine Shed and take a look around next time you’re in Hamilton, MO. It’ll keep you in stitches! 🙂