Happy 2020

So many sweet, local birds!

This month begins the end of the second decade in this challenging century... let's celebrate having made it this far by making something with these pretty new fabrics that were supposed to arrive in September but finally made it this week.  "First Frost" is the name of the deer and bird fabrics ... the blender firs are meant to enhance those. How the Jungle Animals joined this group is a mystery, but they will delight the young ones in your gift list.

One quilter commented that these would be great in a Three Yard Quilt.
I have a book of patterns in the shop, titled
EASY PEASY 3 YARD QUILTS!
See the video for 3 yard quilts at this link.

We have been seeing more deer in our neighborhoods, as their natural habitats are being encroached upon by human development. This fabric is part of a new line that features wild animals decorated with multicolor embellishments ...

This is a bolt of small and large blocks

And this accompanying bolt  has a 15" repeat.

Here are the two bolts of wild animals in technicolor that came in a few months ago; they remind me of the new deer bolts:

Technicolor elephant shares a panel bolt with the zebra.

And both the Zebra block and the Elephant block are enhanced
by the shabby-chic, multi-color bolt.

And here is the sixth bolt ... the stowaway print of jungle animals! 

Asia and Africa, both!

All of these beautiful fabrics share nature's beauty, and all are from Quilting Treasures. The standard retail price is $11.60 per  yard, but everyone who shops at Quilters' Quarters gets at least a 20% discount, and sometimes more. 

Thank you for following Quilters' Quarters ... Please share this email or home page link with your quilting friends ... I look forward to seeing you again!

~ Terry, at Quilters' Quarters

Holiday Wishes

I want to take this entry as a chance to thank all of my customers and friends for helping me continue the dream Rick and I shared.  I'll start by sharing a Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and a Joyous New Year to all.

Christmas was always Rick's favorite holiday, and he was one of Santa's best helpers. He loved making simple toys of wood, without batteries or plastic parts that would break off. I enjoyed painting the Christmas ornaments he cut, first with an old scroll saw and later with a new model, complete with dust collectors and a belt sander alongside it on his work table. When we finally were able to finish the second floor of the barn and he moved his work benches and small tools into that space, he felt he had achieved his dream ... a full woodworking shop ... and enough time to make the best use of it.

The fall of 2016 was exhausting ... we saw the roof of the barn finished, the skylights installed, all according to the careful plans Rick drew. Our son was married on a beautiful foliage-filled day. We joined five other small shops for a "Humble Beginnings" shop hop the weekend after the wedding, and worked that with the help of many of our friends.  And just a week after that,  the driveway for our shops was widened and paved, to make it easier clearing it in the winter with Rick's new snowblower. It was larger and more powerful than the one he had bought when we sold his pickup and plow five years earlier to save money when I retired ... we needed to cut back to one vehicle with my retirement  ... but the new snowblower was so large that I couldn't manage it's size and heft as Rick could... until he had shoulder surgery. 

He knew it would take all of the winter and most of the spring to regain the use of that shoulder, and that thought concerned him ... he wondered if he ought to have waited until spring for the surgery. But he was reminded every day that pain-filled fall that the weakness in his dislocated rotator cuff would prevent him from using the new snowblower, and even limit what he could do with his beloved woodworking tools. So he went ahead with the surgery in December, determined that we would be able to clear enough snow with shovels and the help from friends, now and then. 

Neither he nor I had any idea that he would pass away so unexpectedly, long before recovery, just two weeks after that surgery. Minutes after midnight on Christmas morning of 2016, he took his last breath quietly, with his head on my shoulder and a first responder trying to measure his vitals after my hurried call for help. Rick was concerned because he had a dull pain high in his leg ... he asked me to "call the guys" and I did. He was suddenly gone shortly after they arrived. 

Many thought I would sell the house and the shop and move into an easier place to maintain on my own ... a place to begin over on my own ... as I had never been on my own before Rick's death.  But leaving our dream ... no, I couldn't think of that.  Leaving our home ... no, I didn't want to do that.  And so I stayed here.

The first year was harder than anything I'd ever experienced, and I nearly didn't make it. I can't say it has become easier as time went on, as challenges continue to arise with each passing season, but I continue to find ways to deal with those issues. It is hard to believe it has been three years since his death ... it still feels like just yesterday ... fresh, raw, and endlessly unbelievable.  His shop sign that reads "Buy them all, we can make more," remains above the quilt shop window, and I take heart each time I look up and read it. I believe he is here in spirit with me ... children believe in Santa, and Rick was my Santa ... and I believe that one day those tools will again be lovingly used to make beautiful things for beautiful little people.  Someone like Rick will find a way to use them. Maybe someone in the family, or among our friends ... or maybe a stranger that will be sent to find them.

In the meantime, I'll keep the fabric and notions in stock at Quilters' Quarters to help quilters buy quality goods at reasonable prices.  I'll continue to make the emergency comfort quilts for the police and firefighters to carry in their vehicles, in Rick's spirit of kindness. With friends, I'll keep making military service appreciation quilts for our town veterans. I'll happily help young and old learn to use today's special  tools for quilting. And I'll try hard to continue believing that one day, when my work here is finally finished, it will be my chance to rejoin Rick in the hereafter so we can resume our happily ever after.

The shop is now closed for inventory, but will optimistically reopen on the Thursday January 9th.  Happy New Year, all. I'll work to make the best of it, again.

~Terry

Holiday on Main Street, Georgetown MA

This Saturday, December 7th, local small businesses in Georgetown are pooling our resources to participate in a shopping event. Lisa Scala, of Scala Art Center on West Main Street, is the proprietor of this event, and Quilters' Quarters, though not on East or West Main Streets, is offering door prizes, free fat quarters and friendly company to all those who venture 1/4 mile from the square where East and West meet North Street.

Come in and see what you'll find ... a bin full of FREE donated fleece fabrics (dark, solid colors.) Zippers at VERY low prices, Skeins of embroidery floss at half price, tins-full of old buttons at a penny apiece, fabric cut from the bolt with a 20 to 40% discount .... notions, rulers, cutting mats, rotary cutters and blades ... all at the same discounted rate... and no single use plastic bags!

I look forward to seeing you this weekend ... If you begin at my shop and then work your way to the library around the corner and then on toEast Main, and then West Main, I will give you the event card to have punched by shops you stop into along the way, and then you can drop your card off at Scala's to be entered for the raffle basket ... And to make that easier, you can pick up your punch card and a MAP showing the shops in this event at the start of the day. Quilters' Quarters, just two doors north of the red brick Perley School building, will be opening two hours earlier at 10 am for this December 7th event. Park in the driveway or in the street. (You can ignore the no parking signs ... they only apply Monday through Friday!) Or, as it is a weekend, you can park right at Perley and walk in the clean fresh air from Quilters' Quarters to the library and then on to the Main Street shops!

Please plan on spending a few hours right here in town, visiting your local small businesses and supporting our efforts in keeping Georgetown's downtown a vibrant commercial area where your shopping needs can be comfortably met.

See you soon!

Terry

ps: bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots to Quilters' Quarters, and receive an additional free fat quarter!

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY 11/30/2019

I have good news and bad ... let's start with the good news!
Every Quilters' Quarters customer will receive a free fat quarter with their purchase today, in celebration of Small Business Saturday. Your choice of any fabric in the shop for this promotion!

 This promotion will be repeated on Georgetown's "Holiday on Main Street" event Saturday December  7th, from 10 am to 5 pm.

Click on this Facebook link to this event for more details!

The bad news is that my credit card tablet stopped working earlier in November, and though I have purchased a newer device, I remain, despite numerous efforts, unsuccessful in uploading the credit card reader site on the new device,.  Until this is resolved, I can only accept cash or checks, or put your purchases on a TAB, and ask you to send or bring a check later. i will not charge any interest, and trust your honesty in doing this. Please and thank you for your patience. I apologize for this inconvenience.

Five New Bolts from Quilting Treasures

Beautiful fabrics that have that soft 'hand' that quilters love and search for ... now printed digitally allowing greater depth of color.  My first reaction to the rep's news that QT was going digital was hesitation ... would printing the artwork in that way enhance the detail but lose the quality feel? I am so relieved that this employee-owned company has lived up to its reputation. And, in a few weeks, pre-cut strips of more Quilting Treasures' fabrics will be arriving.

Labradors!

With Blenders of Paw Prints and Wood Planks.

Why put a flamingo on your neighbor's lawn, when you could
offer a lap quilt or toss pillow  instead?

This is a green ombre square print that brings that
popular game to mind...

Here's a close-up of the paw prints and planks of wood that enhance the Labrador print:

Our Dalmatian of years ago did leave paw prints on my heart!

This beautiful wood print would have been a favorite of Rick's ...
and will add such depth and warmth to your projects

 These new bolts have arrived with 2019 retail prices, but remember that at Quilters' Quarters, you will always receive your shopper's discount~ $11.60 per yard at 20% discount is $9.25,  and our frequent customers or those making charity projects receive even larger discounts. Share this email with your friends and neighbors, and let them know that they will receive discounts, too.*

Thank you for reading this post, and enjoy a warm, loving Thanksgiving with those who matter most in your life!

~ Terry

* Here is a reminder of Quilters' Quarters discount pricing: 

All quilters will receive a minimum of 20% reduction in price. Those who become 'frequent flyers' and share their ideas will be considered members and will receive 40% discounts on all fabric cut from bolts. (Wow ~ $11.60 per bolt minus a 40% discount will cost only $6.96 per yard!)  And people doing charity work (for hospitals, first responders, veterans, nursing homes etc.) will be able to purchase fabrics at cost, which is 50% of the current retail pricing. Even fabrics that I buy online or at the warehouse which already have lower retail prices are discounted at these special rates ... So come see them all!

Feels like Fall ~

It's getting chilly out in the evenings, but I'm back in the house by five pm, so the cooler evenings are not a problem for the shop.  The new heater is working well when I do turn it on, which hasn't been too often yet.

It dawned on me that putting the Sweet Sixteen in the room that had been Rick's toy shop meant either starting up the wood stove, or using the portable electric heaters... guess which won? 

There is still a lot of stored pine lumber in the far end of the back of the barn, but a friend's grandson / woodworker is coming tomorrow to see if he can use any of it.  And in time, I will contact the Vo-Tech schools to see if any of the specialty wood Rick had collected would be appreciated by their students. Step by step, inch by inch, I'll make progress in converting his wonderful workshop into a classroom for quilters.

I squeezed in a trip to the Pembroke New England Quilt Supply this past week, and gathered some new batiks and prints and blenders ... not too many, as I still have outstanding orders with Quilting Treasures that ought to arrive sometime this month or next. 

Some beautiful new Batiks , some soft cotton prints and blenders, all at warehouse prices... come and see what's been added recently.

There are only sixty more days until Christmas, and though that day doesn't hold the joy that it once did when Rick and I celebrated it together with our children and grandchildren, I will look forward to seeing friends and family as time allows.  The shop will keep the new regular hours, three days of five hours per week, and the discounts will continue as established.  So bring a friend and enjoy the colors~ and thanks for following this blog.

~ Terry

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Out with the Old, and In with the New...

Many who have visited the shop have noted the old treadle machines that Rick and I collected and restored, and passed on to new 'caretakers.' Other than the Featherweights which we sold for a church benefit, many of our Foster Machines were given away to young students and older enthusiasts ... one was a shop hop first prize, and one was a quilt show raffle item ... others just came and went as we had time to find missing parts and spend elbow grease cleaning and restoring these old treasures.

It's time now for me to let go of that passion; not only do I miss Rick's company, enthusiasm and talent in restoring these beauties; I also lost the source of my machines' missing parts ... Cindy Peters passed away not too long after Rick, and without Rick and Cindy, my interest in restoration has waned ... so I am in the process now of finding new homes for those machines that we did NOT have time together to fix, clean and restore. There are only a few left in the shop, and a few more in the house.

In their space, I will be bringing a new adventure to life ... I am purchasing a "Sweet Sixteen" sit down long arm quilting machine.  Unlike a full size long arm, with which the quilter moves the machine across the span of the quilt, this sit down model uses Free Motion quilting skills, so I and a few of my friends are boning up on teaching our muscles to remember the motions of making feathers, curves, arcs, swirls and such... One of us has read a book that calls it 'train the brain' to facilitate muscle memory. Who said we can't teach old dogs new tricks?

While it is sad to say goodbye to old treasures, it is a wonderful blessing to be able to replace them with new opportunities. I trust that our 'fosters' will have happy landings in their new settings...

Stay tuned for more information ahead ... I'll also be adding our Bernina 180 Embroidery Machine to the shop ... we're turning the back room into a place for individual lessons! Now, I just have to learn how to make that embroidery machine module sew where I want it to sew! Rick had mastered it, and he could make it do wonderful things ... I have a few new coaches that are trying to help me learn new things... it's not a new model, so we ought to get along... and maybe my coaches will offer classes for others, too. 

As always, thanks for following the Quilters' Quarters' blog. Please feel free to invite your friends to sign up at the top of the page to follow with you. Remind them that ALL quilters get 20% off fabric and notions, and that some who visit often get more. All charity project materials are sold at 50% off, as well.