Baby Lock Tech 2011

Thank you, St. Louis!

We had a great time at Baby Lock Tech 2011!

Johanna and Shirley have returned from the 2011 Baby Lock Tech, the annual convention for all things Baby Lock and affiliated businesses.  It was a blast!  Being the newest dealers there, we think, we just soaked up the excitement and knowledge from everyone participating.  Saturday night kicked off the weekend  - themed Go for the Gold!  Being our first time there, we enjoyed the speakers telling us the history of this family owned and operated (3rd generation) company.  From the people we met, we could feel the family atmosphere.

We took many classes and attended many seminars.  We both attended the Serger Line-up workshop, where we used all of the sergers.  Must say we are in LOVE!  Couldn't contain my excitement when I used the ruffle foot and thought how much easier it would have been than using a gathering stitch and gently pulling (and pulling) for our Maggie bag.  

While Johanna attended the seminar introducing the Ellisimo Gold and the amazing embroidery capabilities, Shirley did some heirloom sewing on a beautiful shirt.

We attended some Sashiko workshops, including this mini quilt workshop.  Did you know you can mimic hand embroidery with the Sashiko?  In addition to the tradition stitch that looks like hand sewing and quilting, you can get the look of a stem stitch, cross stitch, seed stitch and feather stitch.  

We met a lot of WONDERFUL people, and Barbara Randle was one of them.  She is a talented artist who teaches bobbin work.  Shirley switched into her class so she could learn some of her techniques.  The results, using a special bobbin case, are stunning!

Her bags are gorgeous (she also does super cool lampshades!!).  We can't wait to have her at our shop!!!

The trip was inspiring!  We came home with heads filled with ideas for classes, techniques, much more sewing and quilting knowledge, and lots of new friends.  And we will share them all with  you!!

New Floor for the New Store

Now if only we had the permit we could do the walls!

And the Winner Is....

Three Crafty Quilters is proud to announce the winners of the very first Crafty Challenge.

(The challenge was so popular we had to have a second fabric and so we have two winners - one for each fabric!)

Congratulations to Sue Wiggins, winner of the check fabric challenge.  The judge was impressed with Sue's design an hand applique skills.  

Congratulations to Charlotte Noll (not pictured - yet) and her beautiful mosaic wall hanging using the lavender fabric.  It was a beautiful, original, design.  

Special thanks to our special judge, Becky Sanders, who is the director of the Art School at the Boca Raton Museum of Art .  Not only has Becky quilted, but she is surrounded by all mediums of art and fine craft at all times.  We thought that made her a perfect choice to judge a craft challenge using fabric!  She was so impressed with the wide variety of projects and skills of our talented participants.    We all agree!  

There is still time to vote on Viewers Choice, so stop by the shop, see the projects, and vote for your favorite!

Construction Update!

Bye Bye walls!

More to come!!

Three Crafty Quilter's First Annual Crafty Challenge

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Vote for your Viewer's Choice!!

Let the Construction Begin!

So, my crafty quilting peeps, if you are interested in watching a boring old office become a happy little quilting and sewing shop, look no further.  I will be photographing the process  along the way.

The staff is out.  The used furniture dealer came today to haul away the old pieces.  This is what it looked like at 9:30 this morning.

My husband says this build in has to stay.  So his former office will be cut in half to make a little office and room for a long arm!

The future class room (will be wider when we move the wall!)

Say goodbye to some of these walls!  This bright corner will make a nice sitting space out side of the classroom, don't your think?

More photos tomorrow when the walls come tumbling down (singing John Cougar Mellencamp in my head :) )

Quilters Take Manhattan

That is what Johanna and Tammie did this past weekend.  It was also the title to the festivities held by the Alliance for American Quilts.  We flew up to NYC on Friday and first paid a visit to our favorite New York quilt shop, City Quilters.  they are a lovely group of ladies in that shop and a must see when in the big apple.  Don't miss their exclusive New York City fabrics.   Being in a fabric and design state of mind, we enjoyed the Broadway show Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and it's most amazing costumes.

Saturday was the day of AAQ events, the first being speakers and a 'Save our Stories' interview at the Fashion Institute of Technology.  Like minded quilty individuals gathered to hear Marianne Fons and her daughter Mary Fons talk about their stories, as well as AAQ board members talking about the programs and mission of the organization.  Mark Lipinski,  who wears many hats in the quilt world, did an interview with Jay McCarroll, winner of the first Project Runway and fabric designer for Free Spirit.  Jay had some of his fashion designs modeled by Alliance board members.

We had the opportunity to mix and mingle with Mark and Jay as well as New York Times best selling author Marie Bostwick and quilter extraordinaire Paula Nadelstern.

shown:  Meg Cox, Alliance for American Quilts director, Tammie, Victoria Findlay Wolfe, AAQ board member, Paula Nadelstern, Jay McCarroll, Johanna

Johanna and Tammie had a lot of laughs with Mark Lipinski and Marie Bostwick.

Talking thread with Alex Veronelli from Aurifil Threads.

Saturday evening found us back at City Quilter for a reception with all of the guests from the day event.  It gave us an opportunity to talk more with some of the very nice peeps from the world of quilting, like the lovely Fons ladies.  It was the final night for the Noriko Endo gallery show (the gallery is the first of it's kind to focus solely on showing quilts).  The highlight of the evening?....

Tammie won the door prize!  A quilt from City Quilter!!  Good weekend - good times!

For more information on the Alliance for American Quilts, visit their website.  We will also have a member from the AAQ visit us in Florida some time this year.  

Charming!! New Charm Packs from Kaffe Fassett!

Can we say "it's about time?"  For all of you Kaffe Fassett fans, we have just received charm packs from Kaffe Fassett!  They are in color ways of blue, red or green (for those of you who quilt with his fabric, wish you did, or just admire and collect it, you know it can be a task to collect a wide variety of patterns in the same tones!)   Still waiting for the jelly rolls! (should 'roll' in any time now.)  The log cabin quilt you have been admiring that was created with  Kaffe fabrics -you will be able to quilt your own!

Delicious!!