Notes from the Patch

The past week in review

I've been quiet lately, I know. Here's what I've been up to.

Last week I:

1. Watched my car's odometer click over 100,000 miles. I've never driven a car this long. I really hope feel it's just getting broken in. #fingerscrossed

2. Made fifty two treats for Bernina Club.

3. Worked on the final design of our Shop Hop quilt. #challenging

4. Cooked a super healthy Sunday night dinner and threw it in the trash. (Sometimes you need a little fat in a recipe to make it edible). Had a fudge bar instead.

5. Stayed in my PJ's all day Saturday sewing and nesting. #myperfectday

6. Unpacked box after box of fabric and ended up moving half the store so I could put it all away. # ohmyachingback

7. Picked a winner to our Pillow Pop giveaway. Congratulations to Jan Richards from Washington! Thanks to everyone who entered!

8. Had my teeth cleaned, bladder scanned and roots colored. #goodnews #badnews #muchneededmaintenance

9. Ate oatmeal everyday for lunch. There's nothing better on a cold day!

10. Played with our pretty new felted wool balls.

11. Saw another Oscar nominated film for best picture (that makes five out of nine - we never see that many).

12. Stocked up on those cute little colored clothes pins - we finally got some in.

13. Easily found at least one thing to be grateful for everyday.

How about you?

Encourage one another,

 

 

Meet Terri & Violet and let's have a Give Away!

You know, I see a lot of books in this business and to be honest, I haven't been a huge fan of late because I rarely find books with more than one project in them that I think you all would want to make.  #runonsentence  It just seems rather expensive to have to buy a whole book for one stink'n project.

So when uber talented friend and customer Terri Harlan dropped off an advanced copy of Pillow POP I was anxious to have a look.

A bunch of us gathered around the cutting table

and flipped through the pages

oohing and awing over

pillow

after

pillow.

All delightfully modern

and all beautifully done.

This is the pillow Terri submitted for the book.

It's a modern twist on a Cathedral Window. She calls it Violet Cathedral.

I call it mine. I can't believe it but Terri GAVE Violet to me! #oneluckygirl

Just look how happy she looks in my house.

I totally recommend Pillow POP for anyone who wants fresh, modern pillow ideas and inspiration.

I promise you'll find lots of pillows you'll want to try. #suchadeal!

Which brings us to the give away.

If you'd like a chance to win this copy of Pillow Pop just leave me a comment. I'll select one lucky winner next Sunday. Good luck everyone!

Encourage one another,

Spark plugs, moustaches and free fabric

Customers are always asking us for more masculine prints. Really good ones are so hard to find. Until now.

This is Retro Biker by Windham Fabrics.

What is it with all the moustaches lately?

Aren't these fun? What a great fabric for a baby boy or maybe for dad on Father's Day.

Did you know Thursday, January 24th  is

Support Your Local Quilt Shop Day?

We're celebrating by giving everyone who visits us on Thursday a free fat quarter and everyone who makes a purchase will be entered in a drawing for one of four $25 gift certificates. Join us for cookies, free fabric and fun!

Encourage one another,

 

 

You've voted and I've declaired a winner

This is the day many of us have been looking forward to.

You've reviewed the candidates and you've made your selection.

No, I'm not talking politics here, I'm talking fabric.

Charm squares to be exact.

Thank you to everyone who voted for their favorite charm squares. I wish I had enough fabric for everyone who took the time to play along. It was such fun seeing your choices and reading your sweet comments. I'm the real winner here with such lovely readers (and generous sales reps)!

But sadly there can be but one winner and our lucky winner's name is...

Tina N!

I have emailed Tina and will be getting her five charm squares off to her.

Thanks again. It was fun. We'll be sure to do it again real soon so stay tuned.

Encourage one another,

 

Sharing the Moda Love

Today my Moda sales rep paid us a visit and he came with gifts!

Norbert knows how much I love my blog readers and he thought you guys might like to be the first to own some of Moda's hottest new collections. So here's the deal:

Tell me your favorite five collections shown here and I'll randomly select one lucky winner and send her the five charm square packs of her choice.

These collections won't even hit the quilt stores until Spring of 2013 so this is your chance to be the very first to see and own a 5" square of every piece of five full collections! Give them as Christmas gifts, make five quilts or just flaunt them. Come on, you know you want them.

Here they are:

1. Comma, by Brigitte Heitland for ZEN CHIC

2. Snowman Gatherings by Primitive Gatherings

3. Glamping by Mary Jane Butters

4. Spring House by Stephanie Ryan & MHS Licensing

5. Posy by Aneela Hoey

6. Avalon by Joanna Figueroa - Fig Tree & Co.

7. Pheasant Hill by Kansas Troubles

8. Lario by 3 Sisters

9. Collection for a Cause - Mill Book Series circa 1835

10. PB&J by Basic Grey

11. Boho by URBAN CHIKS

12. Paint Box by Laundry Basket Quilts

13. Simple Marks by Malka Dubrawsky

They all are so great and I know it's hard to choose, but list your favorite five charm square packs in the comment section and someone will win. Good luck!

Encourage one another,

Thank you for playing along - we have a winner, Tina N. Comments are now closed

Quilt Market wrap up and a giveaway

Are you sick of us yet?

Wow. Kara did such a fantastic job of covering Quilt Market that it really was like having you all right there with us. We loved hearing about the things you liked as we went along. Thank you for tagging along!

If you missed Kara's photos and commentary you can check it out on Strawberry Patches' Facebook page.

Here are just a few more photos that I took throughout the three days. Hope you can stand just a few more...

Miss Pam Kitty and her daughter Frankie send you all their love.

I totally freaked over these pink and red fans. Love them! Do you see those pot holders and oven mit tucked in among the hearts? They're all made from Pam's current line and what I love is that they work wonderfully with her next line, Pam Kitty Love. She's added black which makes everything pop. We'll be doing a block of the month next year using this exciting new collection.

Here's Camille and her mom Bonnie with their new line for Moda, Marmalade. (Yes, we bought it all and

will be kitting this big block quilt).

This stunning block of the month quilt is from Laundry Basket Quilts. The cool thing is that all of the fusible shapes are precut with a laser so all you have to do is iron them down and away you go. We'll have these kits available in September.

Here's Anna Maria Horner with her cute hubby. I think we should make a new rule that you can't be young, cute and talented. So not fair.

I always look forward to seeing Alexander Henry's booth. This pile of chairs features fabrics from their new lines.  LOVED it!

Amy Butler's booth. We saw lots of those stacking floor cushions this time.

A Nancy Halvorsen quilt from her new book, Christmas Favorites. Annette is kitting this quilt as I type. Let us know if you want one since we can only do a limited number. Our kits are identical to Nancy's samples by the way.

This vignette is from Nancy's book Curiosities and Mischief. I love that it features projects for both boys and girls.

French General

Fig Tree

Me and My Sister for Moda

All three of us loved this quilt! It's a wonderful combination of flannel and wool and will be a block of the month this fall. Here's a close up...

Every time I walked by this Scottie Dog quilt in the Maywood booth

I felt myself falling in love with it just a little more. It's machine appliqued using Maywood's super soft Woolie Flannel. So precious!

Sarah Jane won the Creativity Award for this booth design. We bought most of the pieces in this boy or girl pirate group. Love the little lighted bunks

and this pillow...

This rug was so clever.

Does anyone know what that plastic stuff is that they knotted the fabric too? I so want to copy this!

Now that you've made it through my photos I want to reward one lucky reader with a little goody bag.

Robert Kaufman was so kind to give us a copy of We Love Color by Susanne Woods so I thought it would be fun to share it along with a few other goodies. I've included a bundle of two inch squares of each of the twenty eight new Kona solids along with Moda's forty two piece collection of Bonnie and Camille's Marmalade. I've added a big box of assorted Mettler sewing threads and three charm packs of Java Batiks from Galaxy and put them all in a fun tote by Moda. If you'd like to win just tell me what you liked best of the things Kara shared on Facebook.

Hopefully I can pick a winner sometime next week from Spain!

Bill and I leave for an overnight stay in Los Angeles Wednesday after work then fly out bright and early on Thursday to Miami then on to Barcelona. I've packed my camera and computer so I can take you all along with us.

I sure hope you all like tapas and sangria! 

Encourage one another,

 

 

Living La Vida Loca

It was such a crazy, fun, exhausting weekend! Every time I looked up someone was rocking out to the latin music - all day long - for three days! 

                                                This lady was literally bopping as she shopped

It was a party for sure!

Our Heart of the Valley Shop Hop* was beyond fabulous. One of the favorite parts for me was working with the eight other shop owners. Three years ago I viewed them as competition, but now after working with them and planning these hops they have become allies in making our hop the best around.  They all have worked so hard to give you a wonderful experience. I loved hearing how much you loved the special touches each brought to their shops. Such creative, giving, special people!

Monday morning bright and early we all drug our tired bodies to Quilter's Paradise in Clovis for our follow-up meeting where, just like after any good party we rehashed the whole event. We  talked about the food and the goodie bags and the crazy quilters who dressed alike and partied (and shopped) like there was no tomorrow. We read your thoughtful comments and talked about how we could be better next year - because you must know, we want to be known as THE BEST shop hop around and there is always room for improvement.

Then, before we adjourned, we did what we had really gathered to do. We drew the names for the three big prizes.

Drum roll please......

1st place winner of $1350 in gift certificates is Susan Gill from Fresno

2nd place winner of $675 in gift certificates is Marcia Burg from Clovis

3rd place winner of $360 in gift certificates is Carol Terry-Nickol of Clovis

Congratulations to our three lucky winners!

The winner of our Strawberry Patches basket is

CeCe Westerfield from Bakersfield. CeCe was thrilled as she peeked into her basket and discovered all the hidden treasures. Her friends were excited too with the hopes of some serious sharing.

Thank you all for coming and supporting us. All the party planning and decorating and cooking in the world means nothing without lots of happy party guests and you guys are the absolute BEST!

Muchas gracias!

Encourage one another,

Save the date: Next years hop will be May 3, 4, & 5, 2013

* You can go to the shop hop website to view all the winners

Oh, I almost forgot. There will be a drawing for those who show their finished quilt top to their local participating quilt shop. Just finish your nine blocks with your purchased setting kit by December 31st, 2012 and receive a chance to win one of three $75 gas cards! Cool huh?

Gifts that do not fit under a tree

Last week I was interviewed for an article about blogging and one of the questions was, what do you like best about writing a blog?

My answer, without hesitation was, the connection I feel with people I might never otherwise get to know in person. 

I have been encouraged and inspired by blogs I've read and my faith has been strengthened by the love and prayers extended to me and my family through my own blog. At the risk of sounding corny; my life has been incredibly blessed and forever changed because of blogging.

Monday morning when Pam pulled Annelies name from her red polka dot bowl and announced on her video that Annelies was the winner of the PamKittyMorning collectionof fabric I had not yet met Annelies. I was later to discover that she was a blog friend of my friend in real life, Beverly and through Beverly, had become a blog reader of mine.

Here is Annelies email to me when she learned she had won:

NO WAY NO WAY NO WAY....I am screaming and dancing up and down.  I can't believe this joyous gift!!!  OH MY OH MY OH MY!!!!  I won't sleep a wink tonight because I am just so EXCITED.  Suzanne and Pam...love you both.  We aren't doing Christmas presents this year (that darn recession thing) so this is my BIGGEST SURPRISE.  Bless you both  DID I MENTION THAT I AM JOYOUS and SEW very thankful ?!!!! 

At this point I felt so glad that Pam randomly picked Annelies name from that bowl and knew she was so deserving (and certainly appreciative and excited). But then a little later in the day I got this from Annelies: 

Oh, Suzanne…you have NO idea how happy this has made me!!!  I have kind of a sneaky plan, and I am wondering if you would help me accomplish it.  We both love Beverly SEW much.  I have never met her, but her joyous spirit and deep faith have inspired me many times.  May I add,  I wrote her and said the same thing about YOU!!! 

SEW here is my sneaky plan (if it is NOT to much trouble).  Would it be possible to take each of the fat 1/8s and cut it so each would be 9" by 11"? Then I would love for you to gift the other half to Beverly.  I know she would enjoy the fabric too, she is SOOO deserving and we could both put on our creative hats to figure out what we can make with our prizes.  

(Okay, at this point I'm crying as I continued to read)

 I do not mean to make a problem for you and of course if it is to much trouble I graciously and happily accept my prize as is.  I just thought that what is better than ONE over the top excited winner….I guess TWO (G)!!!! 

Your journey,  that I have followed on your blog, inspires me often.   By example (yours and Beverly's) I find strength and hope. 

 I pray for your Christmas to be blessed with peace and joy.  I send much love and look forward to visiting your shop (which looks tooooo lovely to imagine).

I am humbled by the gifts (that do not fit under a tree) that bless our Christmas season.  

Lots of hugs and love,

Annelies

The day I decided to do a give away for the PamKittyMorning fabric I asked one of my employees to cut a 9" x 11" piece from each bolt, but then suddenly changed my mind and increased them to 9" x 22" pieces. Now I realize that was so today I could cut each piece in half so two friends, that have never met, could share the prize. 

Encourage one another,

It's a Pam Kitty Morning winner!

As promised, here is the winner of our fabulous tower of Pam Kitty Morning fabric. You guys are the best and who could blame you for wanting to win. Many of you described Pam's fabric as happy and I would certainly agree.

Speaking of happy. I'm happy to introduce you to Miss Pam Kitty herself - here to announce the winner of our give away. Thank you Pam for being such a good sport!

Click on the link below and grab a second cup of coffee while it loads (I'm sure it is my ineptitude in creating the link, but it can take some time to load).

For one lucky reader it really is a Pam Kitty Morning!

...and the winner is...    ...wait for it...

Encourage one another.

It's a PamKittyMorning Giveaway!

To celebrate the arrival of Lakehouse's newest collection, PamKittyMorning

we decorated the store and

cut a fat eighth off of every bolt in the collection.

 

I'd say that's one beautiful stack of PamKitty goodness!

Wanna win a tower and be the envy of your friends and neighbors?

Um...thought so!

Just tell me what you would do with all that fabric and I will select one lucky winner on Sunday!

It just could be you!

Encourage one another,