Delphine's Quilt Shop

Apologetics

2012-01-18T17:03:00.002-05:00

So, in that last post, I mentioned that we were in Colorado. Well, Mom and Dad are back in Michigan now, but I'm still in CO. In fact, I'll be here for quite some time. See, I just moved to Denver to go to Denver Seminary (no, I'm NOT going to be a pastor). I'll be getting a Master of Arts in Christian Apologetics and Ethics.

What is apologetics, you ask? Good question. The word comes from the Greek word "apologia", which generally referred to a defense given in court. Thus, apologetics is giving a well-reasoned defense of something.

Now, why on earth am I studying Christian apologetics? Because I think it's vital to Christianity. I feel that it's absolutely essential to know what I believe and why. I believe that one of the biggest problems in the Christian church today is the lack of education. Granted, some churches do a phenomenal job of teaching. In others, however, it seems the actual education is a little sparse. Christians are supposed to "go into all the world and preach the good news" (Mark 16:15), but how can we do that if we hardly know what the good news is, or why it's so important for others to hear it? If people don't know exactly what Christianity is, what it teaches, and why it's true, then they have no reason to try to live according to it, to teach others about it, or even to believe in it at all. Then, when they're faced with questions, attacks, doubts, or whatever, they have nothing to fall back on. Basically, a lack of education can produce a very weak faith. And I don't just mean education about Christianity; I think we should be educated on every worldview. We should know the different viewpoints and their strengths and weaknesses. Then we'll be able to understand where others are coming from, we'll be able to see which worldview is true, and we'll be able to communicate effectively.

Also, we Christians are instructed to be apologists. The verse of Christian apologetics is typically 1 Peter 3:15-16, which states, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer (apologia) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."

Therefore, I am going to school to be trained as an apologist: to know how to defend Christianity and teach others why it is rational. And yes, I can get a job in this. There are numerous apologetics organizations. For example, there's Ratio Christi, which places apologetics clubs at universities, and there are many others. I don't really know exactly what I plan on doing with my degree, but I will be an apologist of some sort, whether I have an official job as one or not. Wherever I go, and whatever I do, I am a Christian, so that means I always represent Christ. I am an ambassador for him ("We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." - 2 Corinthians 5:20). For more on what it means to be an ambassador, go here: http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=9585 and here: http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5188.

...and that is why you won't be seeing me in the quilt shop anymore (or not for a while), and I probably won't be posting on here as much, either ... it's been fun :) (and I'll still be posting some, I'm sure)

It runs in the family...

2012-01-17T19:57:00.000-05:00

I just thought I'd point out that Mom and I are not the only artists in the family. We've been in Colorado this week, staying with my brother and sister-in-law, and my brother makes some pretty amazing WWII dioramas. This is his latest one. Granted, this is a slightly different subject matter than you normally see on quilting blogs, but it's pretty impressive. The detail is amazing; the people in this are only about an inch and a half or two inches tall (I didn't actually measure them).

My sister-in-law also likes sewing and crocheting (and she's been on here before for her lunchbags: http://delphinesquiltshop.blogspot.com/2011/08/lunch-bags.html). She just made some little birds :) The big one is made from a couple of fabrics in a Robert Kaufman jelly roll we have.

Dr. Seuss and a Tiger

2012-01-11T23:01:00.005-05:00

If you remember the Bigfork Bay Cotton Company trunk show we had, with all the amazing fusible appliqué of animals and flowers, well, I finally finished another of their patterns! That is, it's almost finished...Mom's quilting it for me :)

Also, we got in a new shipment of Dr. Seuss fabric! I only have pictures of the Lorax fabrics, but we have some general/multiple character prints as well.

T-Shirt Quilt

2011-12-29T10:24:00.000-05:00

I finally finished my t-shirt quilt! I think I started this around Christmas last year, got it mostly done this summer, and finally got it completely done last week! (Mom did the majority of the quilting)

Also, just a reminder, the shop will be CLOSED tomorrow and Saturday.

Ellie the Elephant

2011-12-28T10:24:00.000-05:00

Just another sample I made of a stuffed animal pattern we have :) (the pattern is Eloise and Elmore by Indygo Junction)

Sale Area

2011-12-26T16:23:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to point out that our sale area is pretty full of great fabrics right now! Better yet, everything in the sale area is 50% off the original price all this week! We're closed on Friday and Saturday for inventory, so that means the sale runs from today until Thursday. Also, if you finish a bolt of non-sale fabric this week, it's 25% off, instead of our normal 20% off.

Our sale fat quarters are just about overflowing!

More New Fabrics!

2011-12-22T11:30:00.001-05:00

Just thought I'd put up some more new fabric for you to enjoy looking at :)

Christmas!

2011-12-19T14:26:00.001-05:00

Just for fun, here are some pictures of various Christmasy things around the store.

This is a nativity set that Mom made years ago.

Mom decorated the wreath with spools of thread.

Mom made this sample of some wool trees we have kits for.

We have several trees made out of fat quarters. Wouldn't they be perfect for a gift exchange?

And this is the Christmas puppy I made.

Sewing Circle II

2011-12-15T16:36:00.001-05:00

I just thought I would put up a couple pictures of some quilts that the ladies brought to the Prairie Women's Sewing Circle II meeting last Saturday. They were all great. I love show-and-tell.

This is the project they were all to work on after the last meeting:

And this quilt was made by Margie, and we all liked it a lot:

New Fabrics!

2011-12-12T11:26:00.000-05:00

Once again, we have lots of great new fabrics! First up is one I liked so much that I immediately made a wallhanging out of it.

I also really like this line:

We also got in some great batiks.

This is just pretty:

...and I like these snowflakes:

Demo Daze!

2011-11-28T15:51:00.002-05:00

On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of this week, we will be participating in Demo Daze!

Cousin's Quilt Shop of Bellaire and Hearts to Holly Quilt Shop of Charlevoix are also participating, and the hours are as follows:

Thursday, December 1; 10 am – 6 pm

Friday, December 2; 10 am – 6 pm

Saturday, December3; 10 am - 4 pm

At all three shops, there will be demos, special sales, treats, and give-aways! We are selling "gift tags" for $1. Visit all 3 shops, get your tag stamped at each one and you’ll be eligible for a Bernina give-away! A BERNINA 215 Sewing Machine, valued at $1099, will be given to one DAZED shopper!

Here at Delphine's I know that one of the specials will be "buy one get one 50% off" for pillowcase, 10-minute table runner, and easy striped table runner kits. I've been having fun making a lot of those kits, and I thought I'd put up pictures of a few of them.

First are the 10-minute table runners, which become 15-minute table runners when you add the accent strip:

...and these are some of the pillowcases:

Houses

2011-11-21T12:14:00.000-05:00

Remember, if you bring in a fun quilt/project, chances are good that Mom will ask if we can take a picture of it and put it on our blog ;)

This is a block of the month that Cheri Clum, a quilter from Alpena, did from another shop. She also has some cute gingerbread patterns that we should have a sample of and be selling later.

New Fabrics!

2011-11-14T16:26:00.000-05:00

Once again, we have lots of new fabrics!

First, I love this one. We have a great book panel that goes with it.

We also have some new farm stuff:

This panel makes an apron:

New orientals...

This is Moda's Cattails & Clover line:

...and these are some neat blenders:

Puppies!

2011-11-09T14:59:00.000-05:00

This is my latest project. I got the fun job of making a sample of a new toy pattern! I couldn't decide which fabrics to use, so I made three, then I made a Christmas one.

I changed the pattern a little to give him curled toes, and I gave him jingle bells.

New Fabrics!

2011-11-07T16:58:00.000-05:00

We just got in a whole bunch of spectacular fabrics! I really like these a lot :)

Samples

2011-11-02T12:04:00.001-04:00

I just thought I'd share some pictures from around the store. Most of these aren't quite "new" anymore, but they're still fun, and I don't think I've put them up before.

First is this fun quilt designed by Shelly Stallard:

This is a kit that we have out of some Asian fabrics. The sample is a smaller version of what the kit will make.

This is Jerri's sample for the Radiant Star class, along with some baskets from Aunt Grace's Garden Party.

I was straightening up the batiks, and I discovered some really neat ones. We have a selection of one-yard cuts that we ordered, and there are some really great pieces in there. We don't have them on the bolt, just in the one-yard cuts, and they're a lot of fun to look through.

Judy Niemeyer Retreat

2011-10-31T16:51:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures from the retreat at The Alpine Lodge this weekend. Catherine Erickson taught a Judy Niemeyer class during the retreat.

This is a Bali Wedding Star in progress, done with one of the kits we made:

This is Catherine's Bali Wedding Star, which was hanging at our store for a little while:

And this is a Christmas tree skirt or table topper:

William Morris in Appliqué

2011-10-29T14:18:00.001-04:00

This amazing quilt is currently hanging behind our cash register at the store. Marge Iscaro made it, and it's one of the quilts in the new Quilt Art 2012 Engagement Calendar! It uses a pattern in the William Morris in Appliqué book, which we have, and we have the calendar too!

Australia, Soccer, and Pumpkins

2011-10-26T14:26:00.000-04:00

We have some brand-new Australian fabrics!

We also have some new soccer fabric:

And, just for fun, I was carving pumpkins with my Bible study last night, and I thought I'd share some pictures of my pumpkins.

pumpkin pi

Samples

2011-10-19T14:49:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd share some pictures of our latest samples :)

First, this is the Bali Wedding Star, a Judy Niemeyer pattern. This is one of the options for the Judy Niemeyer workshop during the retreat on October 28, 29, and 30 (for more information, see our latest newsletter here: http://www.quilterslittlehelper.com/newsletter.pdf). This sample was done by Catherine Erickson, who will be teaching the class.

Next, we have some very nice table toppers that we have kits for now:

...and this last one is mine :) I finally quilted it, so this is my first, full-size, pieced quilt that I've done entirely by myself, start to finish (well, almost. Mom quilted the border). It's a sample of a pattern out the book Red, White, and Sometimes Blue.

New Fabric!

2011-10-13T12:30:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've put up pictures of new fabrics. I was gone last week, and we've been busy! I still haven't quite caught up with everything we got in last week, but here's some of what we've gotten over the last couple of weeks:

First is this spectacular fabric that we had a lot of fun coming with ideas for. This could make a table cloth, table runner, pillowcases...

Then there's this panel, which looks like an oil painting:

We finally got in our last bolt of Grinch flannel!

Some fun, alphabet prints:

This line is really pretty:

I really like this panel:

...and then we have some tea and cookie fabrics:

Judy Niemeyer

2011-09-24T12:58:00.006-04:00

We just got in two amazing samples of a Judy Niemeyer pattern! This is the "Christmas Tree Skirt", though it's been made with non-Christmasy fabrics, and the hole in the middle has been left out, so now it can be a wallhanging or table topper.

You can make this wonderful quilt during a class/retreat with Catherine Erickson, a certified Judy Niemeyer instructor. This is the description of the class/retreat from our latest newsletter:

October 28, 29 and 30
Retreat + Workshop option
Catherine Erickson, a certified instructor for Judy Niemeyer Quilting, will be holding a 3 day workshop during this retreat. Students can either choose the Christmas Tree Skirt (makes a great wall hanging for any time of the year) or the Bali Wedding Star. Want to get a sneak peek? Take a look at www.quiltworx.com. The fee for the workshop is $130.00, separate from the lodging fee of $145.00. Students wanting to "sleep at home" will be charged a meals and conference room use fee of $85.00 each instead of the lodging fee. Please contact Delphine's @ 989.732.1252 to register for the Workshop.

If you don't want to take the class, but want to see a Judy Niemeyer trunk show, there's this option:

At 7 pm on Thursday, October 27th at the Alpine Lodge, in Gaylord, Catherine Erickson, a certified instructor for Judy Niemeyer Quilting will be holding a Trunk Show with a Punch and Cookies Reception! Catherine will show several fabulous quilts that were made using Judy Niemeyer patterns, including Bali Wedding Star, the Christmas Celebration tree skirt or table topper, Summer Solstice and more. Prepare for lots of eye candy as these paper pieced quilts are colorful and contain many pieces. If that's not enough, TWO lucky quilters will win a Quiltworx pattern, provided by Delphine's Quilt Shop. It's just $5 to attend, which you can pay in advance at the shop.

There are two other retreats, without the workshop, that you can also participate in:

November 11, 12 & 13 or 14, 15 & 16 - Retreat ONLY
The cost of lodging and meals for all retreats is $145.00 per person based on a double occupancy. Price includes 2 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners and one ice cream social, plus coffee, tea and water in the conference room. There will be door prizes provided by Delphine's. Please contact the Alpine Lodge 989.732.2431 or alpinelodge@live.net to register for the retreat of your choice.

If you want to read our full newsletter, you can find it here: http://www.quilterslittlehelper.com/newsletter.pdf

Crescendo

2011-09-22T15:45:00.001-04:00

This is one of the latest kits we've made up. It's a bargello made with gradated fabric, so all you have to do is sew strips together. It's super simple and looks great! I pieced the top, and it was quilted by Judy Ettema of Torch Lake Quilting Co., and she did a great job!

New Stuff!

2011-09-19T16:28:00.001-04:00

I was gone all last week, and it seems that a lot of new things came in while I was gone, and the store got rearranged, too. First, we have now have a full selection of Leanin' Tree Christmas cards. I love Leanin' Tree cards. They have some spectacular artwork.

Also new for Christmas, we have some little gift boxes that we thought would be perfect for fat quarters. Wouldn't these be great for a quilting gift exchange?

Just for fun, some quilting wine glasses:

Now, on to the new fabrics.

This is a beautiful new line of Japanese prints:

These are some great homespun flannels:

Some new Judie Rothermal background prints:

I think these mice are adorable:

From Marcus Brothers, this is the "Cocheco Mills Collection" (or the chocolate strawberry collection, as I keep wanting to call it).

We got in more gorgeous batiks! To try to cut down on the amount of scrolling you need to do, I've put them all together in a collage:

This is another beautiful, new line, also in a collage:

And now, just some fun prints:

Woodland Butterfly

2011-09-12T12:49:00.002-04:00

Jan Bonarski made us a wonderful new sample of a butterfly, which we have kits for. It's made using a special "wedge ruler" that allows you to make all kinds of cool, circular quilts (as well as the "Spicy Spiral Table Runner"). The butterfly pattern is in the Quilts Without Corners book, which we have. We also have Quilts Without Corners: Encore, which shows you how to make flowers, an eagle, a phoenix, and several other neat quilts.

Samples

2011-09-09T16:45:00.000-04:00

We have some new samples of table runners and wallhangings, and I thought I'd put up some pictures of them.

Kathy Williams made some great placemats and a table runner out of our Wintersburg fabrics.

Mom made some more striped table runners out of a butterfly print we have.

This is a panel that was just backed, quilted, and bound, and it's gorgeous:

Linda Pyke made this beautiful wreath out of some great fabrics we have:

And Diane made another "Spicy Spiral" table runner out of Christmas fabrics:

Stars & Bars

2011-09-07T17:11:00.001-04:00

Judy Hart made up a quilt using Minick & Simpson's "Stars and Bars" pattern, and brought it in to show us! It looks great!

After making the full quilt, she made some wallhangings:

New Fabrics

2011-08-31T17:13:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted anything. We've been pretty busy, and I've kind of gotten behind on this. Part of what we've been busy with is putting in new fabrics! We have lots of new fabrics again!

First, we have this fun, woodland panel and some coordinates:

...and we have some "Wildflower Fairies" to go with some other fabrics we already had from the line:

Also just in, a line of Dear Jane:

We got lots of Bali Pops in today. I just love the name "Bali Pop".

New batiks:

Some new border prints that would make great striped table runners:

This is Moda's "Together" line. We also have charm packs.

...and we have charm packs, jelly rolls, and layer cakes of "American Banner Rose" by Moda.

We also have this beautiful angel panel and several of its coordinates (which I don't seem to have taken pictures of, oddly enough). This is also being made into kits.

These houses go with a spectacular Christmas line we already have:

...and this last line is called "Indigo".

More Marbling!

2011-08-23T14:47:00.000-04:00

We taught another marbling class last week! It was great. Unfortunately, these first two pictures are the only two fabrics I know for sure were made by students. Everyone did a great job! Helen made these:

I think Mom made these:

...and these are mine:

New Fabric!

2011-08-19T10:18:00.001-04:00

I'm a bit behind on posting all the new fabrics we've been getting in, so this will have a lot of pictures because we've gotten a lot in!

First is Robert Kaufman's "Holiday Flourish" line. We also have layer cakes to go with this.

There's even an extra-wide backing that goes with the line:

We already had this fabric with a white background, but now we also have it in black:

We also have some great new batiks!

...and some new fairies:

We got several pieces of construction material and other novelty prints:

These bears go with a panel we already have:

These next three panels are all flannel. We'll also be getting in some coordinates.

This one goes with the above panel, but it's plain cotton, not flannel:

P&B's "Tribute", their Quilts of Valor line:

"Railroad Ties" by Marcus:

...and, finally, a panel by Mary Engelbreit!

Crazy Quilting

2011-08-15T17:39:00.000-04:00

We just keep having all these talented kids come in the shop. It's great! Today, Dez (9 years old) came in to show us the blocks he's made so far for his crazy quilt. He is doing a great job!

Dolls and the County Fair

2011-08-14T15:00:00.001-04:00

Remember Alicyn and her county fair quilt (http://delphinesquiltshop.blogspot.com/2011/07/county-fair.html)? She finished it! They sent us a picture of it all done.

Also, Alicyn's little sister Carley has been wanted to make doll clothes for quite a while, so she bought a pattern while they were here, and they sent us a picture of the finished project. She did a great job!

Marbling Gallery

2011-08-11T20:38:00.002-04:00

Here are some of my favorite pieces that Mom and I made while marbling over the last couple of days. We taught a class downstate, then did some more marbling at home :) Generally, I tend to do pictorial pieces, and she does more traditional ones, so we get a nice assortment of fun stuff.

I figured out how to make dragons! This one is my favorite:

Lost your marbles?

How to Marble

2011-08-11T20:32:00.000-04:00

Mom and I taught another class on marbling! Well, actually, Mom taught it, I was just there to help. Then, we came home and used up the supplies we didn't use in classs. It was great. Marbling's always fun.

So, how exactly does one marble fabric? Well, first, you start with a carageean base. It's basically a super liquidy gel.

Then, you take some special acrylic paints and splatter/float them on the surface of the carageean.

...add more colors...

At this point, you have a "stone" pattern. You can stop here, or you can use a skewer or a rake to pull the paints around.

When you're done raking, you can stop there, or you can add specific drops of paint and turn them into flowers.

There we go, design's all done. Now, you lay a piece of fabric on it...

...and then you pull the fabric off!

Lunch Bags

2011-08-10T12:36:00.002-04:00

My brother and sister-in-law came back to MI for a little bit, and Allyson went home with some regular fabric, some waterproof fabric, and a lunchbag book. So far, she's made some really fun sandwich wraps and placemats!

Samples!

2011-08-10T12:24:00.002-04:00

Here we have some fun samples of various things :)

First, here's one I made. It's just a simple, cute strip quilt. We already have one like this with jungle animals, and then we got farm fabric in! This is the very first quilt I've machine quilted.

The back is fun, too :)

This is Jerri's sample for the Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star. It's not hanging at the store right now, but it was here while she was teaching the class a few days ago.

...and this is Judy's new sample for the beginning quilting class. Mom used to teach it, and Judy's taking over.

This is the "Chubby Charmer". Jerri's teaching this class on Wednesday, September 21, 10-4.

Remember that Quilt of Valor quilt I posted earlier? (http://delphinesquiltshop.blogspot.com/2011/06/quilts-of-valor.html) It's finally done! Kathy Hughes of Brandywine Design quilted it on her longarm. She did a great job! In the store, we have business cards and quilting samples from several longarmers in the area. They all do great work.

Lots of New Fabrics!

2011-08-04T17:02:00.001-04:00

Once again, we have lots of new fabrics! First, we have an absolutely gorgeous Christmas tree:

...and then some stunning, outdoor picture fabric:

Here are a couple close-ups of part of the panel:

We also now have some corn, perfect for making a microwave corn steamer.

Then we have some "floursack" materials!

...some teddy bears...

...and some Princess Mirah batiks!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

2011-08-03T10:26:00.003-04:00

You know that Grinch fabric we got in? I made a sample of pajama pants out of it. I had some left over, so I made some pajamas for my doll to model at the store!

Such an educated little doll...she can read Latin. Leave it to me to only have a copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas in Latin. Actually, we have it in English, but it's in a big book, Six by Seuss, and that wouldn't have worked as well for pictures.

I'm seeing a great, themed Christmas present idea here. Pajama pants, a pillowcase, matching pajamas for a doll, a book (though I'd recommend the English version)...

Doll Clothes

2011-08-02T11:27:00.000-04:00

We have some great patterns for making clothes for 18" dolls (and some matching patterns for girls), and I got the fun job of making some more samples of them! These really are just about the best patterns I have ever worked with. They are so easy to understand, and they go together really quickly and look great!

This is Mom's old doll. I really thought I had a "before" picture of her, but I can't find it. She looked downright scary with her shaved head and missing eyelashes... Debbie looks much better now that she has a new wig :) She even got new shoes and tights! A friend of a friend of ours makes dolls and she had a lot of fun fixing Debbie up.

Win a drawing!

2011-08-01T11:57:00.001-04:00

We had some adorable animal alphabet panels, and we made them into flashcards. They sold so well, we tried to order more panels. Alas, they are all out and we could not order any more. That could work out in your favor, however. We have some fabrics that coordinate with the flashcards, and we have kits for making a matching quilt. Now, if you buy the kit, you'll be entered in a drawing to win our set of flashcards! There are only 5 kits, so you have a one-in-five chance of winning! The drawing will be held on October 1st.

Classes and Block of the Month Programs

2011-08-01T11:34:00.002-04:00

The design wall in the classroom has now become a "class sample display wall". Just walk to the back, into the classroom, to see samples and descriptions of all our upcoming classes! We also have information on the upcoming block of the month programs back here! To read a full listing of all our upcoming classes, you can download our latest newsletter here: http://www.quilterslittlehelper.com/newsletter.pdf Also, we have another teacher! Judy Stone is going to join Jerri as one of our regular teachers! You can learn a little about her in the newsletter, and she has her own blog here: http://quiltinginthebirds.blogspot.com/

Here we have the shop's block of the month kits, plus a Judy Niemeyer pattern that will be taught in a class:

This is a sample of the Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star that Jerri will be teaching. It's in the front of the store, above the Aurifil display.

Look what else we have! New fabrics for Marti Michell's American Beauty block of the month! This is a program we did before, and the finished quilt, hanging on the back wall, has gotten so many comments that we've decided to do this program again.

County Fair

2011-07-28T10:19:00.001-04:00

A few years ago, Judy Stone designed a "County Fair" pattern. Yesterday, Alicyn (14) came in to find a border for her "County Fair" quilt! She made a couple changes and really made the quilt her own. Great job Alicyn!

Play Ball!

2011-07-28T10:14:00.001-04:00

We now have some great fabrics for the sports fan(s) in your life! We have hockey, football, baseball, and basketball. Each one has a playing field panel and some coordinates.

The football field fabric is still on the bolt, since we haven't yet decided whether to cut it into panels or sell it by the yard.

Scissors, Fabrics, and Featherweight Tables

2011-07-27T17:50:00.001-04:00

Once again, we've had all kinds of fun, new stuff come in! First, we have some adorable, kitty scissors. We sold eight of these the day they came in!

We also have some nice featherweight tables. They look white, but they're actually clear. The white is just there to protect the table until you buy it, then it gets peeled off.

Now this I am excited for. I knew we were getting this in, and I've been waiting for it. It FINALLY came in yesterday! We now have Grinch flannel :)

Also, some other new fabrics that came in:

Fun with Australian Fabrics

2011-07-23T14:57:00.000-04:00

Be warned: if you come into our shop wearing something that we think looks cool, we may ask to take your picture. A lady came in today wearing a "Kerry's Big Shirt" made out of Australian fabrics, and it looked great!

She also had a really neat purse made out of batiks and Australian prints. This is her own design.

Christmas (and other fabrics)

2011-07-22T14:04:00.003-04:00

We just got in some great fabric from South Sea Imports. Really, the detail in this is exquisite! We're pretty excited to make some projects out of this.

Also just in, some cute barnyard animals:

...some more flannel:

...some batiks:

...and some Fusions:

Also, we've had Moda's "What's Cookin'?" line for awhile. We've sold out of everything on the bolt, but still have some fat quarter bundles. Those bundles just got broken up, so now you can pick and choose which fat quarters you might want!

This is a sampling of just a few of the fabrics in the basket:

More New Fabric!

2011-07-20T15:07:00.000-04:00

Another shipment of fabric came in today :) First, we have some great snowman flannel:

Next, "Wilderness Trails" flannel:

Finally, some more Christmas:

Alpenfest!

2011-07-16T11:19:00.000-04:00

Gaylord celebrated its 47th Alpenfest this week! In honor of the festival, we got to wear costumes all week. Mom found a great dirndl pattern, and she's looking into being able to sell the pattern next year. I told her she should offer a class in how to make a dirndl. I think ours turned out quite well :)

This is the "Dirndle Dress Shoppe" quilt that we have at the store. The blocks were made by the ladies who work at the store and some of our friends.

I even made an outfit for little Christina, so she could dress up too :)

Babysitting Available

2011-07-16T11:03:00.001-04:00

...provided that those needing to be babysat are furry and have four legs. ;) We wound up babysitting a couple of Welsh Corgis for a lady a couple days ago, so she could shop without worrying about them. They were such good boys :)

Robert Kaufman

2011-07-15T17:35:00.002-04:00

We just got in a biiiiiig shipment from Robert Kaufman. Be prepared for lots of pictures of great fabrics.

I would like to point this one out first. It has puppies, bikes, snowmen, sleds, Christmas...what more could one want?

Then we got lots of fun metallics.

...and then some metallic batiks...

...and a plain batik...

...some blueberries...

...fun "blenders"...

...and "Snowy Eve" by Moda:

New Fabric!

2011-07-13T15:42:00.000-04:00

I was on a trip for a few days, and I came back to all kinds of new fabrics!

First, we have a sewing room panel and some coordinates:

Lots of great new Fusions:

And some new Christmas!

Mom also got an advent calendar sample done while I was gone:

Happy Fourth!

2011-07-04T13:21:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July! In honor of Independence Day, here are some pictures of patriotic quilts and fabrics.

Dianne made this one. It's one of the Quilts of Valor kits we have. I think it turned out great!

And here's a fun sample of some patterns that use Texture Magic:

This quilt is a sample of one in the book "Red, White, and Sometimes Blue." I wanted to get it quilted and bound this weekend, but, well, that didn't happen. I got the top done, though! When I get it done, it'll be my first pieced quilt done entirely by me (quilting and everything).

This is our collection of Quilts of Valor/patriotic fabrics:

Just for fun, here are some pictures of the fireworks I got to see this weekend:

Rings

2011-06-30T16:48:00.001-04:00

We have some really pretty rings in from Ajuda Bajuda (http://ajudabajuda.com/Ajuda_Bajuda/welcome.html). As their website says, "Ajuda Bajuda is a Christian initiative in West Africa with a two fold purpose: to train women to develop their creative skills in order to bless their families financially, and to disciple them to be godly women, godly wives, and godly mothers."
They've had quite an impact thus far, and they have helped a lot of women begin their own businesses. One thing they do is make beaded rings, which we have. The rings are beaded of Swarovski crystals, and they are really pretty.

Northern Cardinals

2011-06-29T16:23:00.000-04:00

This is a new line from Moda that just came in today:

Double Fudge Brownies?

2011-06-28T12:32:00.000-04:00

Another shipment came in today, and I was a little confused when I looked at the box. Did we get something that the kitchen store next door was supposed to get? Did we order a case of brownie mix for some odd reason? Or is someone recycling used boxes? Turns out it was a box of wool batting.

Along with that, some more Christmas and fall fabrics came in!

These next three are flannels. I think they need to be made into pajama pants.

Selvage

2011-06-27T10:10:00.004-04:00

For those who aren't always confident how to pick coordinating colors, here's a tip:

If you're familiar with the selvage edge of fabric, you know how it has those little dots of color with numbers in them. You can use those to pick out coordinating colors. Pick a fabric, then look at the colors on the selvage, and those will be all the colors used in that fabric. You can use those as a guide for matching up fabrics.

Now, I think this is fun, Moda has started using little pictures instead of circles.

Just for fun, if you come into the store (or call us) between today and July 2 and can identify which fabric line this one on the very bottom comes from, you can have 20% off a cut of any fabric in the line (if you buy at least a yard). If you can identify exactly which fabric in the line this comes from, you can have 25% off a cut of that specific fabric (1 yard minimum). No guessing in the comments section, please, you might give the answer away! You can click on the picture for a larger image (and we might give you some hints when you come in or call).

Teddy Bears!

2011-06-25T19:48:00.001-04:00

Okay, I'm borrowing Mom's blog for the day to advertise my own artwork. I think most of you know that I used to make miniature teddy bears. Well, I still do that, and I'm working on getting back into it, now that I have some time for it again! I just thought I would let you know that I have my own blog (http://katrinasartisticadventures.blogspot.com/), AND I just opened up a shop on etsy! I'm hoping that will work out well. Here's the link to my shop, if you want to check it out: http://www.etsy.com/shop/katrinasminiatures.

And now, just for fun, a couple pictures of my bears:

This one is one inch tall

and this one is two inches tall.

What came in today?

2011-06-24T13:03:00.001-04:00

More Christmas!

Generally, I don't particularly care for fabric books, but I have a special thing for Christmas books. I really like this one. I'm making it to add to our collection of Christmas books.

Also just in: a new selection of fingernail files. Here are a few of them:

All of them look like this on the back:

Even More New Fabrics!

2011-06-23T15:00:00.000-04:00

A new line of Christmas just came in! Isn't it pretty?

This line just came in too:

And here are some new chicken and farm fabrics!

We also have a new "cheater" cloth now:

We have quite a few colors of these bubbles now. The ones on the far left make me think of root beer.

That star quilt with animals that I posted earlier (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qweuU0KlhpI/Tf-OXoJZQoI/AAAAAAAADiQ/fb88QFKULmM/s1600/007-1.JPG) has a panel that goes with it. It's supposed to be made into flashcards and a box, so I finally finished the sample of that. I think it could also be cute to use the panel squares as the centers of the stars in the quilt

Needleboxes, Pincushions, Table Runners...

2011-06-22T15:20:00.000-04:00

Just some fun samples of things we have in the store right now.

First, here's a sample of a needlebox we have kits for. I have not made one, but the kit includes the instructions and hardboard, and you just pick your fabric. I think it's put together mostly with glue. We have several different designs. We have barns, lighthouses, hexagons, hearts, outhouses...

And here's a sample Dianne just made of a table runner. Isn't it great? We're making kits of it, but we only have enough of one fabric (the dark blue with words) to make four kits, so act quickly if you want one!

And this is our 10-minute table runner, which we have in a variety of other fabric combinations as well:

Our friends from the Backstreet Quilt Shop pointed out that, with just a couple more seams, you can make the 10-minute table runner into a 20-minute tote! How fun is that?

Finally, here's a pincushion I just made out of some of our Kaffe Fassett fabrics:

New and Old Fun Stuff

2011-06-20T14:25:00.003-04:00

We have some new samples made out of the new Christmas fabrics. There's the 20-minute pillowcase, a 10-minute table runner, and some stockings and bird ornaments made out of a panel.

For the backing and lining of the stocking, I used 1/2 yard each of four coordinating fabrics, and probably had about a fat eight of each left. Some of the extra was used for the birds, and there's a matching advent calendar that goes with the stockings, we just haven't quite finished it yet.

This is a new sample I made of a new kit!

And I just rearranged some things, so now Mr. Fix-It and Mrs. Sew-and-Sew are together.

In there, there's a border print from "What's Cookin'?" and we have some fat quarter bundles of that line:

And, just for fun, here's our vegetable basket:

We're online!

2011-06-17T18:37:00.000-04:00

This is exciting! You can now shop our store online! You can check it out here: http://stores.homestead.com/DelphinesQuiltShopLC/StoreFront.bok Currently, you can buy thimbles, kits, and even classes! We're working on getting more up on the site, but I think we're off to a good start.

Since we're working on merging the new online store with the old information site, we have two websites for the shop right now. There's the one above (which is also what you'll go to if you type in www.delphinesquiltshop.com), and there's this site: http://www.quilterslittlehelper.com/home.htm, which is our old site with information about the store on it. Sorry for any confusion about websites. Go check out the online store, though!

More New Fabric!

2011-06-13T14:40:00.001-04:00

It's like Christmas here lately. We just keep getting new fabric. Today, we got some great new Christmas fabrics, a line called "Moonlight Sonata", and a wonderful collection of fairy princess fabric.

This would make a great, quick and easy quilt for a little girl.

Thread Sale!

2011-06-10T17:28:00.002-04:00

It's out with the old and in with the new here. Mom has decided to start carrying Aurifil thread, so we just got in a whole shipment of it and a new display for it. Since we don't have room for two big thread displays, the Mettler thread is now on sale; buy one get one free! If you want to stock up on Mettler thread, now's the time to do it! While I'm talking about sales, all fabric in the sale area is currently an extra 10% off the sale price!

All the new thread in boxes, waiting to be sorted and put out. My hands were blue by the time I was done...

The old Mettler thread, waiting for new homes...

Just for fun, we also just got in some new butterfly fabrics, and I thought I'd share pictures of those.

I really like this one.

Children's Books

2011-06-09T10:04:00.003-04:00

Some new panels for making books just came in! We have VeggieTales, The Pokey Little Puppy, and a new Benjamin Bunny book.

These panels are meant to be made into books, but I really like making panels like this into quilts. I made a sample with another book panel we have, and I think it turned out really cute. All we have to do now is get a pattern made and kits cut (and get the sample quilted and bound). I really like this panel. It reminds me of a book I used to check out of the library all the time in 2nd or 3rd grade.

New fabrics and new shelves!

2011-06-07T12:09:00.001-04:00

We've been getting in so much new fabric that we needed to put up new shelves just to hold it all! We've added the new shelving to the classroom area, so we've rearranged things a little bit. We moved the Australian, Kaffe, and metallic fabrics to the new shelves, and we're still rearranging a little and getting new things out!

These are some of the new fabrics:

We got a whole rainbow of hand-dyed-looking fabrics! I think I'm going to use some of these for something...

We also got in some new Christmas fabrics.

And we got in a great line of Egyptian style fabrics. The line is called "Valley of the Kings".

Quilts of Valor

2011-06-01T20:20:00.002-04:00

I wanted to post this on Memorial Day, but it took a little longer to make this quilt than I expected. Better late than never. We're participating in the Quilts of Valor program (http://www.qovf.org/index.html), which donates quilts to wounded war vets. We have three lines of official Quilts of Valor fabrics, and we have kits for all of them, as well as for another patriotic line. If you buy the materials to make a QOV quilt, we'll ring it up on a separate receipt. If you finish the quilt, bring it in to donate it, and bring your receipt, we will refund 40% of what you originally paid. This is one way to honor and thank our servicemen and women.

I made a sample of one of the kits, and it will be donated. I really, really like it. It's also my first ever quilt top with actual pieced blocks in it! Here it is:

And here is most of our QOV fabric:

This is one of the other kit options (I couldn't get good pictures of the others):

And this is one of the panels used in one of the kits; it has five flags in three sizes:

New Fabrics!

2011-05-28T00:10:00.002-04:00

We just got in some great new fabrics!

This panel just glows:

Fun, new fall fabric:

And we got in a fun set of baby/kids fabrics:

And this fun new floral line:

And what can you do with this line? Well, we have kits for log cabin quilts, in either the red or the blue colorway! I like these a lot.

This isn't actually new, but it was out by the cutting table while I was taking pictures, so I thought I'd take a picture of it too, while I was at it. I want to make a sample out of our Dr. Seuss Line.

Quilting Songs!

2011-05-26T15:08:00.001-04:00

Ann and Will Rowland (whom I know as Aunt Ann and Uncle Will) are making a CD of quilting songs! I'm pretty excited to hear the CD when it comes out; it's going to full of fun songs! As they say, "The songs are about quilts, the people who make them, the history of both, and the stories they have to tell. They have become favorites with our audiences, even the men, because they speak of home and family, theft, chocolate, and mischief. The time has come to get them recorded. Listeners have been asking. We've been trying. But the bottom line is that we need some help to get this thing done. Songs, quilts and people... they're all made up of lots of little parts. This is your opportunity to be part of our musical quilt. The songs are ready to go. The CD cover is almost finished... All we need is a Kickstart!"

To help them with the funds for producing the CD, they've started a fundraiser on Kickstarter. If you make a pledge, you get a gift! BUT they need to get enough pledges to cover $10,000 total by July 4. Otherwise, the project doesn't get funded and you don't get charged for your pledge.

Here's the link to their fundraiser: http://kck.st/jQjnEU

...and here's their video (which is on the link above):

Backstreet Quilt Shop and SandStorms Glass

2011-05-22T15:49:00.002-04:00

We happen to be friends with the owners of a quiltshop downstate, and a glass jewelry artist. They're here at the show with us too, so I thought I'd share some pictures from their booth. The quilt shop is the Backstreet Quilt Shop in Elkton (www.backstreetquiltshop.com). I don't think I've ever gotten to visit it, actually. If it's anything like their booth, though, I'm sure it's adorable! They're such great people, too.

If you've seen the handwoven baskets we have at our shop, they have some as well. We sometimes split our basket orders, and we sometimes split fabric orders, too. The baskets are made in Ghana as part of a fair trade group that helps women with employment and helps to alleviate poverty.

Jody makes beautiful glass jewelry! If you want to see some really great pictures, go to her website (http://sandstormsglass.com/). We also have some of her work at our shop.

I love the fish.

Hamburgers

2011-05-22T11:25:00.002-04:00

This is my big purchase for the weekend. We were wandering around and looking at all the different booths, and Mom and I both decided I needed to get this fabric. Hamburgers are probably my favorite food (homemade, not fast food). Mom even made me a birthday cake that looks like a hamburger once. I should see if I can find a picture of that later... I decided I'll make a pillowcase out of the fabric, so I got some french fries to match. I'm kind of excited about this.

Lansing Quilt Show

2011-05-20T21:55:00.001-04:00

We're vendoring at the quilt show in Lansing this weekend. The show starts tomorrow, so we got everything all set up today, and then we walked through the show and looked at all the quilts. Some of them are absolutely spectacular! Unfortunately, I think I'd need to get permission in order to post pictures of the quilts, so I sadly can't share them with you. I did take some pictures of our booth, though.

Kaleidoscopes!

2011-05-19T10:04:00.001-04:00

Mom was showing a customer how to use Marti Michell's "Magic Mirrors" to preview what a stack-and-whack or kaleidoscope block will look like, and, since it's so much fun, I then stole the mirror set and started playing with it. I took a few pictures, just to share some of the fun possibilities!

Australian Fabrics

2011-05-18T17:11:00.001-04:00

We've gotten several new Australian prints in since the last time I was home. I was cutting fat quarters of them and discovered a lot of ones that were new to me, so I thought I'd take pictures of a few of them.

This is why I was cutting fat quarters. The plan was to find some way to make bundles of fat quarters for the show we're vendoring at this weekend. I had no idea how I could creatively bundle these things up (in a way that I hadn't seen at other shops yet). This is what I finally came up with, after randomly folding a stack and deciding I liked it:

Looks kind of like a watermelon, doesn't it?

Leanin' Tree

2011-05-17T16:49:00.000-04:00

We just got in some new card sets from Leanin' Tree! I love these. The artwork on some of them is incredible.

These ones really had me cracking up the other day.