A Piece In Time - Sampler Quilts

New Monthly Mini's
Decorate for the seasons one little quilt at a time. These mini quilts will add a festive touch to your home and heart. They make great gifts, too! Each month you will work on a simple, but adorable fusible appliqué mini quilt that is easily completed. Decorative wire hangers and button packs are included occasionally to give your design some extra pop! We’ve taken the total cost of all the kits and hangers and divided by 12 (one kit per month). So each month you pay $22. Class meets at 10 AM on the first Saturday of each month through January, 2009. We’ll keep your credit card on file so you don’t even have to stop at the register! Each Monthly Mini measures approximately 6" x 20-24"

Our $5 Samplers begin again this February. We are very excited about this year’s samplers. We know you will have a very hard time choosing just one. Each quilt project is simply wonderful. This program is a fun way to work on one quilt or several quilts, pacing yourself one block at a time!

For 2008, try the darling Homespun Angels in quick fusible appliqué. They are folksy and cute as can be in Homespun fabrics. They are 12” blocks selling for just $5 each. Add some simple embroidery here and there, or just fake it with a Pigma pen. You provide the background fabric of your choice.

Another sweet quilt is Chris’ original design of Penguins Through the Year. Appropriately, the colorway is Black, White and Bright! These fusible appliqués are quick and easy, and are sure to make you smile each month. The 12” blocks are $5 each and you provide the background fabric.

As part of our “$5 or Free” program, choose the colorways for the 12” Chains & Squares Blocks in either the Homespuns or Black, White and Bright colorways to coordinate with the Angels or Penguins mentioned above. All the fabrics are included in the $5 Patchwork kits.

We are also offering a stunning grouping of 12” Flower Crossing appliqué blocks. Some of these are reproductions and/or reinterpretations of antique quilt blocks. Again, you provide the backgrounds for these appliqué blocks. The two colorways for these will be in softer Spring colors or warmer tones of Fall colors. These appliqués are colored to match up with the Mosaic blocks described below.

The Mosaics blocks for this series are soft, gentle Spring or Fall prints. Join these Mosaics blocks with the Flower Crossing appliqué blocks for a larger 24 or 25 block quilt. ( If you prefer just a 12 block quilt, later we will offer you some sensational settings.) These patchwork block kits are $5 each and are eligible for our “$5 or Free” program.

How do I earn my blocks for free??”
Appliqué blocks (Angels, Penguins and Flower Crossing) are always $5 each, and include the pattern and appliqué fabric, while you provide your own background fabric for the appliqué blocks.

We give you the opportunity to earn your Patchwork blocks (Mosaics and Chains & Squares) for free when you complete your prior month’s block, come to class on time and listen to the infomercial of new products, upcoming classes and construction techniques.

After purchasing the first patchwork block, return with the completed block to the following month’s class to earn a ticket for a free patchwork block for that month. You may purchase as many blocks as you want simply by registering for them. Previous blocks are just $5 each. While you may purchase all you want, only one Patchwork block is free for each day you attend. Come on both Saturday morning AND Wednesday night to earn two blocks free (one per day).

At the end of the program, we will offer several setting options, similar to those below, to combine appliques and patchwork blocks, as well as designs for each block series to stand alone, so feel free to color coordinate or mix and match!

New this year: If you miss class for whatever reason, we will hold your block so you can pick it up before the next class and you'll have a chance to complete it!

BONUS FOR 2008-2009 SAMPLER: We are giving ONE FREEBIE PASS with your first paid block. If you need to miss a class due to illness or schedule conflict, or can't get your block done, you can redeem your ONE FREEBIE PASS and you don't have to pay your $5! You only get one FREEBIE PASS, so use it wisely!

2008 Saturday $5 Sampler Dates
meeting at 9 AM and 10 AM: Feb 9, Mar 8, Apr 12,
May 10, June 14, July 12, Aug 9, Sept 13, Oct 11,
Nov 8, Dec 13 and Jan 10, 2009

2008 Wednesday $5 Sampler Dates
meeting at 6 and 7 PM: Feb 20, Mar 19, Apr 16,
May 21, June 18, July 16, Aug 20, Sept 17, Oct 15,
Nov 19, Dec 17 and Jan 21, 2009

11 O'clock Sampler

OPEN TO ANYONE. You can start or stop at any time. Just register for the monthly for the session you want to attend so we have enough handouts! You'll learn so much and sew much better!

Our 11 O’clock Sampler focuses on the special construction techniques you don’t generally see in $5 Sampler or Buck-a-Block programs. These techniques are the real foundation for historic quiltmaking: curved piecing, Y-seams, eight-pointed stars and more. Learning traditional piecing techniques will provide you with an excellent base for machine piecing and will even help you in designing your own projects.

After our regular $5 sampler classes on Saturdays, we are offering a two hour class in basic blockmaking techniques. For $5 per class, you will receive the pattern and the class. You will also be able to purchase fat quarters to construct each block project for just $1.25 each during that two hour session. Bring your scissors and basic sewing supplies kit and we will dig in and get started on a new block each month. Some of the blocks will definitely be easier by hand, but you are welcome to work by machine whenever it fits your style. Five bucks for a two hour session, a free pattern AND a discount on the fabrics you choose. What a deal!

Class meets 11 AM - 1 PM: Feb 9, Mar 8, April 12, May 10, June 14, July 12, Aug 9, Sept 13, Oct 11, Nov 8, Dec 13 and Jan 10, 2009

Color Blocks

Ahhhh color. It’s such a mystery for most of us. Take this opportunity to learn how to choose more than just the right colors for your quilt. Learn about tints, tones and shades and how they need to influence your choices in your next quilt. Then learn how to add even more wonderful fabric selections to the 3-fabric project you are working on. If three fabrics are safe, how about using six fabrics? What about shifting that value just a bit?

Sandy decided that the best approach to color is to ease into it and spend a little time immersed in it. So this color class will run for two hours one Sunday afternoon, once a month for 12 months. She will introduce you to a new concept every month and will continually review what you’ve already learned so it becomes ingrained in your color selection process.

To make it even easier and more fun, we will have you choose your fabrics (we will help) to make a 12” block or blocks of the concept we are covering (complementary, analogous, split complementary etc.) Then you can use our die cutter to precut the patches You will construct the blocks and will save them to be put into a color quilt as the months roll by. You can also put any extra blocks you may want to do into smaller projects such as table runners, wall quilts, etc.

Not only will you learn from Sandy, you will learn from each other. Everyone brings in their projects from the previous month and we all participate in the show -- and tell! -- process. You will be so impressed with your work. Not just in what you are doing, but what you are learning. The most fun is telling each other what we learned after we left class.

Intrigued? Class is only $5 each month plus the discounted purchase of any fat quarters you want to use that month. Die cutting our fat quarters in class is free. When it comes to color, there is no beginning and no end. So jump in now and see what you still have to learn!

Sundays, 1-3 PM: Jan 6, Feb 3, Mar 2, Apr 6,
May 4, June 1, July 13, Aug 3, and Sept 14