Happy Pi Day ... 3.14 etc. etc. etc....

The March block of the month is ready and available at Quilters' Quarters ... I could have used a delicious pie for the pattern, but went with the traditional shamrock instead.

This month I'll include a four-inch strip of Heat 'n Bond double sided fusible in the kit. It is a very easy-to-use, non-messy affordable 'tool' that makes machine applique simple and smooth.

Patterns and kits for the January and February blocks of the month are also still available in the shop ... I'm looking forward to less icy roads and sidewalks, and seeing more quilters.  Bring a friend with you!

Another Schedule Change

As February draws to a close this week, March appears to be coming in like a lion ... and that does bode well for April and the potential of lamb-like gentleness... I'm remembering that last year, having been closed for the full winter due to lack of heat, our spring reopening was rescheduled at least three times due to ongoing snowy weather ... right up to April Fool's Day!  But this year there is heat in the shop, and Quilters' Quarters is planning a happy spring sale of light spring colors ...

In the first full week of March, Quilters' Quarters will be opening late on Saturday March 9th as we'll be celebrating Ian's first birthday! The shop will open at 3 pm, rather than at noon.  I thank you for your patient understanding...

The March 2019 block of the month will feature, of course, a shamrock ... stay tuned for photos next week. 

********** SCHEDULE CHANGE ***********

A Foot From the Past

Your great-grandmother's generation had fabulous sewing machines ... some were hand cranks, some were treadle powered,  and some were limited to a single thread chain stitch...

What was most amazing, though, were the presser feet made to expand the power of these simply geared machines ... Each time I open one of those old green cardboard boxes that hold Simanco (Singer Manufacturing Company) feet I am immediately set to wondering whether anyone ever used all of these feet.

The same type feet were as carefully crafted by the Geist company and sold with non-Singer machines such as the White, the Standard, the New Home machines ... all crafted with the same mechanical ingenuity. My goal this year is to use each one of those mechanical wonders while designing the Quilters' Quarters Block of the Month set of patterns.

Last month, the pattern used only the standard 'comes with' presser foot all machines have when purchased. The January Snowflake applique is made with all straight seams, and is still available at the shop. This can be machine or hand appliqued to a ten inch block, and the size can easily be changed for other size blocks.


This month, the February Valentine block continues to use all straight seams, but makes use of one of the simplest of the old presser feet: the shirring foot. It looks like an ordinary, single hole straight stitch foot, but it has a curious little rise in it just in back of the needle hole ... and that makes all the difference. This little foot will gather the material passing under the foot as it sews ... and if the bobbin thread is elastic, the entire row of gathered material will be stretchy! But we're
not using elastic thread in the February Valentine block, and to prevent the shirred material from twisting once it has been 'shirred', the shirring foot is removed and replaced with the standard 'comes with' foot for a single row of what Simplicity, Butterick, Vogue and other clothing patterns would call 'stay stitching.' And then the shirred fabric is ready to be top stitched in place with that same ordinary foot.

Come in to Quilters' Quarters for your free copy of the February Valentine block of the month. I'll be happy to let you use one of the machines with a shirring foot, and will have a few of those feet on hand to sell, first come first serve. They are also available on eBay and at other online sites.

If you are reading this in your email, thank you for following the blog. Please share the page with your friends and quilting groups. And thank you for shopping at Quilters' Quarters in Georgetown, Massachusetts.

Schedule Notification

I am sorry, Quilters' Quarters will not be open this weekend, January 31-February 2 ... the proprietor is not feeling well and will be remaining in the house. 

Members willing to come to the door for the key and able to find and cut their own fabric purchases are welcome to call ahead.  

The shop will reopen at noon on Thursday, February 7th, 2019.  

And ... coming next week: the Quilters' Quarters 2019 February Block of the Month free pattern and kit ... with another skill for you to learn or remember .... featuring the low shank side clamp Shirring Foot ... Stay tuned!

Mid-month Update ... Notions In Stock at Quilters' Quarters

While the shop is primarily a fabric-oriented place, filled with eye candy of all colors and textures that meet the criteria of having a good hand (see an explanation of this term here,) Quilters' Quarters also stocks notions that quilters find useful and often necessary. 

Here's some of what you'll find at the shop:
Cutting mats in three sizes, rulers long and short, Creative Grid square templates on the 1/2" measure, butterfly head pins, sewing machine oil dispenser pens (that release that one single drop at a time,) Schmetz machine quilting needles, embroidery scissors, sizes 15 and 66 plastic bobbins, inexpensive thread snips,  threads from Coats and Clark, Gutterman, Mettler and Superior in solid and variegated colors, spools and cones. Hand and machine needles, thimbles of different sizes and styles, and even a few shoe horns and bra strap extenders! There are still a few antique sewing machines available for consideration, and bins full of donated fabric available free to quilters who will make good use of it!

Omnigrid and Olfa mats in different sizes

Havel sliding rotary cutter

Creative Grid rulers and square templatesin many sizes

Plastic bobbins to fit many generic
Singer and Brother machines

Sweet little butterfly straight pins

This pen comes with an inner and outer cover to avoid leakage
(unfortunately not shown in the illustration.)

Olfa blades and cutters of various sizes

Plastic shoe horns!
Who knew?

omnigrid rulers and mats

Quality needles in various
sizes and styles

Inexpensive, simple thread snips 
Retail price $1.99,
but LESS with your discount!

I almost forgot to mention the books and magazines that can be found and BORROWED FOREVER at Quilters' Quarters!  You just never know what you'll find in the nooks and crannies of the shop ... come visit ... you won't be disappointed.  All customers receive a 20% discount off manufacturers suggested retail prices, frequent flyer (members) receive 40% discounts, and all charity projects qualify for wholesale pricing (that's 50% off the sticker price.)

Share this email update with your friends and fellow quilters ... purchase for them a gift certificate to celebrate a special event in their lives (birthdays, grandchildren, anniversaries, get well, etc. etc.) I look forward to seeing you soon at Quilters' Quarters.

~ Terry

Happy New Year!

To welcome the new year, I'm offering a free copy and hands-on lesson for my snowflake machine applique quilt block. Quilters who visit this first week of the year will receive the pattern and a sample kit of winter fabrics to make one snowflake block. 

January 2019 QQ BOM
(Quilters' Quarters Block of the Month)

Quilters' Quarters will offer a new block with an original pattern and kit each month for 2019.  Patterns will be given free during the first week of each month, and can be purchased after that week with an accompanying kit containing enough fabric to make two blocks.   

At the end of the year, quilters will have collected enough patterns and fabric kits to make twenty-four quilt blocks, (enough to make a 4 by 6 block lap quilt.)

 This is my first attempt at designing a block of the month group, and I promise that each original pattern will offer you a new skill to learn and practice. 

I look forward to sharing these patterns and fabrics with you! 

Here is a photo of a child size lap quilt I made five years ago using my new (then) snowflake design.

A "Frozen-ish" lap quilt, made of
nine inch blocks with two inch sashings.

Thanks for signing up to follow this blog. Please feel free to share the email with your quilting friends.  Fabric discounts begun in 2018 will continue in 2019 ... all customers will receive a 20% discount; friends who become frequent customers will receive a member discount of 40% on fabrics cut from the bolt. Quilters who are working on charity projects can purchase fabrics for those fabrics at 50% off.

Wishing all a healthy and peaceful 2019.

~ Terry