Buy one/Get one Free and new Sophie!

We can't believe it's October 1st and there are just 84 stitching days left until Christmas! (Of course, that assumes that you will be stitching up to the last minute--like I usually am!) Jeanne and I have been busy looking for bargains that will allow us to spread our gift-giving farther and decided that everyone loves a free pattern.

So check out our website for your favorite pattern AND, when you place your order, add a comment telling us the pattern you'd like for free. We hope this will give you a chance to try something a new pattern and save a little for the holidays. We have also pulled to our frontpage one of our classic St. Nick patterns (Kris Kringle) as well as have featured our Pie Mat pattern using yo yo's which is great with Thanksgiving just around the corner. Sometimes it's easy to forget all the different types of patterns that a design company creates. We're usually associated with our redwork designs, but we've been stretching our wings in 2009. Take a look around our site-you might see something you missed before.

And, not to skip our Block of the Month stitchers, get your free download of the next 2 little motifs for the Sophie wall-hanging. Who doesn't love a bouquet of flowers AND a cupcake on a sweet stand? I'll be posting both the redwork version and the colored version mid month.

We hope October brings you sunshine as the leaves turn colors here in Wisconsin. We're excited to be planning for the holidays although we may need a couple more stitching days along the way to get everything done.

Christmas Projects!

Well-it has begun. The mad dash to make sure that we have started the Christmas projects that just HAVE to be finished before Santa arrives. We went through our pile of Christmas designs and old favorites and are starting to throw Christmas fabrics around the studio. In honor of this madness, Jeanne updated our web site with some of our favorite patterns. Be sure to take a look-there is something for everyone.

And, don't forget to get the great FREE pattern design at the same time. It's perfect for a quick Fall or Thanksgiving gift.

Free Pattern up on web site

Check out our web site for the August free pattern. You should really like it-it's a fun one to stitch!

I got home today and found a huge box of fabric by the door! How lucky are we??? It's a bunch of new fabric lines by Quilting Treasures. I will take a photo tomorrow and upload it. Right now I am just slowly taking each piece of fabric out of the box and spreading them all out on the table. Maybe I'll let Jeanne touch them tomorrow!

Free Pattern up on web site!

Take a quick jump over to our web site to download a great vintage redwork design. We found this kitty with a goldfish bowl on an antique redwork quilt that we bought about 10 years ago. This quilt has been the original source for several of our patterns over the years. We think the work on the quilt is exquisite and this kitty is the perfect design to do if you love redwork.

I've been busy embellishing the fabric we are using for our Care Quilt tote bag. So far I've used the tiniest buttons I've ever seen in tropical colors. Next I have been trying to figure out how to string some beads together in hot pink! It's harder than I thought-perhaps this is a job for Jeanne???

End of June-where did it go??

I can't believe June ends today. What happened to it??? We will be posting our free July redwork pattern on our web site tomorrow. Be sure to check over there and take advantage of it. We are going back and forth between embroidery patterns and variations of our Care Quilt. It's hard to work on a full size quilt during summer-just too hot I think--but we're trying!

It's been great to have my sewing machine back. I stitched up the front of a new bag and am busy working on embellishments now. I was having some real problems with it but over coffee this morning, Jeanne helped me think more clearly! I was thinking too much about the whole front of the bag-she suggested that I just break it down and focus on one block at a time. Just hearing that made me feel more free to let my imagination flow. We'll see what I get done tonight.

Take a peek at the beatiful photo I added of some pink and white lillies I spied at the Paine Art Musuem and Gardens yesterday. It was a gorgeous, slightly overcast day for walking through gardens and snapping pictures. What fun and how inspiring!