Here's a new twist on the Little Twister Tool!
You can create a cute Valentine wall hanging in just a few easy steps!
It takes 34 charm squares, arranged in the shape of a heart, (according to the graph in the pattern). Then use the Little Twister to cut pinwheel blocks and sew them together again.
Add two borders, quilt and bind, and you'll have this ADORABLE symbol of True Love!
Here is a link to the Pattern. http://store.suzannesquilts.com/stores_app/Browse_Item_Details.asp?Store_id=417&page_id=23&Item_ID=30021
Staff member Donna loved this project, we hope you do too!
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Those 4 words were spoken by a man that is also known as The King. You don't need to know his last name (although everyone knows). Born 1/8/1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, he influenced a generation, made grown women swoon, and made curling your lip the hip thing to do.
Bruce Springsteen said "It was like he came along and whispered some dream in everybody's ear, and somehow we all dreamed it." Very eloquent words about a poor Southern boy.
Globally, he was a sensation! Selling over 1 BILLION records, 14 Grammy Nominations - 3 wins, and the only person to be in all three Hall of Fames - Rock and Roll, Country and Gospel. He should be in the Blues Hall of Fame too (assuming there is one).
He was known for giving away Cadillacs and flashy jewelry. But quietly, in 1961, he did a benefit concert for building the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. In 1973, during the filming of Aloha from Hawaii Concerts, he didn't charge admission, but urges concert attendees to "give what you can" for the Kui Lee Cancer Center in Hawaii. Some report that he was one of the first "stars" to encourage donations in this way.
I'll never forget the day in August, 1977, when it was reported he had died at this home in Memphis - alone.
Years later, faithful fans still make the pilgramage to Graceland.
And of course, the man also known as the King, is
Elvis Presley.
We have just gotten in a line of fabrics (just a little sampling is to the left.) Elvis fans will love it!
Be thinking about what kind of tribute you want to make!
In the immortal words... "Thank ya, thank ya very much!"
"He was the firstest with the mostest."
__Roy Orbinson said about Elvis
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I'm a lover of celebrations! Celebrations don't have to be big, or fancy, and some celebrations are more for a memory. For instance, on my calendar today:
Thursday July 14 - Bastille Day!; William Hanna's Birthday (of Hanna-Barbera fame); M&M Argument Day (Which is better, Plain-Peanut or Almond?); and Rosey Greer's Birthday (Football player from neighboring Cuthbert, GA). And it's Courtney and Sam's Anniversary.
Some Celebrations are huge, and deserve special attention. And some are so important that they deserve a countdown (for preparation sake, or just to add to the excitement). On my phone, I have a Countdown App that tell me that it's 50 days until my college football team kicks off the 2011 season!
If you like Celebrations, love the countdowns, then I have a book for you! It's called Countdown Calendars - 24 Stitched Projects to Celebrate Any Date. There are projects for countdowns to Christmas, Back to School, Birthdays, Military Homecoming and so many more.
Go to this link to see the book! I think you'll love it!
http://youtu.be/-Zc6uK9xc5k
Happy Quilting!
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Lincoln's Logs Courthouse Step Quilt
We have so many wonderful prints in our Civil War department and wanted to make use of them in a simple traditional quilt. I have made many log cabin quilts but never the courthouse steps version. Our shop is accross the street from the county courthouse so it was meant to happen.
Shirley gathered up 63 fabrics and cut 2" strips with our Accu Quilt Studio die cutting machine. Using the directions in Log Cabin ABC's the strips were cut into logs using her Michell's Log Cabin Ruler. We thought my little Featherweight Singer would be perfect for piecing this quilt. I stitched all the squares and assembled the top in one day with help from Shirley, Dallas and Jennifer who pinned and pressed while waiting on customers. Wow! We were impressd how fast this went.
Next step was to load it on the Handi quilter with Pro Stitcher computerized machine quilting. Dallas quilted a beautiful Fall leaf and acorn design in one day. You are probalbly wondering why we did not hand quilt this. We wanted this quilt to look old but to be useful. This looks so great on the antique bed in the store.
When we were cutting out 2" strips we made kits for our customers. This will saves you a lot of time. You can purchase Lincoln's Logs and make one too. Click Here Lincoln's Log Cabin kit contains precut strips to make a 66" x 72" center. Choose additional fabric for your borders and backing according to the size you want. On our quilt we added a 1" finished first border and a 6" finished second border. The finished size on our quilt is 80" x 96". We would be happy to calculate borders and colors to complete your quilt in the size you want. Give us a call 1-888-798-034 or email suzqu@windstream.net and lets talk quilts.
Happy Quilting,
Suzanne
P.S. We think the quilt needs special pillowcases. Any suggestions?
Lincoln's Log Cabin
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For the Twelfth Day of Christmas in July, we bring you Good Tidings of Great Joy with Nancy Halvorsen's Tidings Advent Calendar Kit!
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You and your child can count down the December days with this clever calendar designed by Nancy Halvorsen. Each day add something new until, on December 24th, you complete the Nativity scene! The panel gives instructions to make the ornaments backed with felt, or you can use the kit instructions for the ornaments but will have to purchase the Tidings Great Joy Gold Panel to back them.
Tidings is the newest line of fabric from Nancy Halvorsen and it features all the rich colors and patterns she is known for.
We hope you've enjoyed our Twelve Days of Christmas in July and we'd like to leave you with this dear old Southern recipe that's been passed down. It's traditionally made at Christmas because that was when oranges were available. Now you can make it as a healthful dessert any time, but to us, it tastes best at Christmas.
Ambrosia
3 navel oranges
1/2 of a fresh coconut, peeled and grated
1 small bottle of Marischino cherries without stems
1 small can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup mini marshmallows
Peel oranges and remove pulp from skin. Add remaining ingredients, including pineapple and cherry juice. Mix well and serve with whipped cream on top.
Merry Christmas in July, and to all a good night.
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It's a Cool Yule!
Put some cool in your Yuletide festivities with Hip Holiday Quilt Kit. This ultra stylish quilt that mixes traditional motifs with modern colors features ten tremendous Christmas trees and presents with pretty paper pieced bows. The star shining on top of the tree is also paper pieced. This hip quilt kit and the fab fabric that goes into it are both designed by Quilt Soup for Henry Glass Fabrics. Get hep with Hip Holidays!
For a cool new look for your Yuletide table, we offer this Fresh & Fun Table Runner. We also offer a class called "Top That Table!" The Fresh & Fun Table Runner is just one of the easy and beautiful table toppers covered in this class. Mark your calendars for Monday, November 8 & 15 at 6-8:30 p.m. or for Thursday, November 11 & 18 from 9:30 to Noon.
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With your Fresh & Fun Table Runner topping your buffet, you need something fresh and fun to serve with it. Your guests will love this tasty twist on that cheesy old cheese ball that's been hanging around as long as the fruitcake.
Fresh & Fun Apple Cheese Ball
8 oz. white Vermont cheddar cheese, finely grated
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
paprika
stem of mint or basil with leaves
Cream the cheddar, cream cheese, garlic powder and red pepper together. Form into a ball and make an indention in the top. Roll the ball in bright red paprika to coat it heavily. Stick the mint or basil leaves in the indentation to put the stem on the apple. Serve with apple and pear slices or with crackers.
Y'all have a Cool Yule!
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Majestic Splendor
Make one, two or all three of these stunningly beautiful wall hangings designed by Mount Redoubt Designs. Fabrics are beautiful Hoffman batiks.
Machine applique with a straight stitch. Which is your favorite?
Christmas Carol Kit
Quilt measures 18" x 46". Kit includes batik fabric for top and binding. Need to purchase your choice of backing separately. Click Here
Winter Frolic Kit
Quilt measures 21" x 26". Kit includes batik fabric for top and binding. Need to purchase your backing fabric separately. Click Here
Peaceful Enchantment Kit
Quilt measures 20" x 26". Kit includes batik fabric for top and binding. Need to purchase backing fabric separately. Click Here
Three Ingredient Christmas Pretzels
1 tablespoon each of red, green and white coarse decorating sugars
18 oz. vanilla or chocolate candy coating, cut into pieces
10 oz. package of Bavarian-style pretzels
In a small bowl, combine red, green and white sugars. Melt candy coating in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and, working with 6 at a time, dip each pretzel into candy coating. Transfer dipped pretzels to wax paper and sprinkle with sugars. Let coating harden and store in an air tight container. Makes 24 pretzels.
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The second day of Christmas in July brings two cardinals in a pine tree. With rich jewel toned fabrics of ruby and garnet, emerald and peridot set off by warm gold and obsidian black, Holidays at Home will be an heirloom quilt you and your family will treasure for many Christmases yet to come. Click Here to see this collection and enjoy your Holidays at Home. This is a 6 month Block of the Month but we decided to sell it as a whole quilt kit so you can speed along and get it made for Christmas 2010. You also save on shipping cost purchasing as a whole kit.
Cut rectangles and half-square triangles units from the Strip-It Border and cut down on piecing!
Quilt measures 62" x 62" Click Here
Each mealtime my husband and I have the joy of seeing several pairs of cardinals enjoying the bird feeders. My husband loves birds. Of course I had to make this quilt. The quilt top is done and there will be a class at the shop this Fall in September and October.
Staff member Rachel came up with this yummy cookie recipe for today. You don't have to wait till Christmas to try this out.
Merry Christmas, Suzanne
Chocolate Chip Sunshine Cookies
One 12 oz, package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 large navel orange
1 box white cake mix
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Dump the bag of chocolate chips into a small bowl. Wash the orange good and grate the peel into the bowl of chocolate chips. Squeeze the juice of the orange over the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside overnight. This is so the chocolate will absorb the orange flavor.
In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, brown sugar, egg and oil. Mix them by hand and then add the orange chocolate chips and the pecans. Stir them into the batter, but don’t over mix. Drop the dough by teaspoons onto a well greased cookie sheet, leaving a good two inches between them because they spread. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a 325 degree oven. Makes 3 dozen bright and happy cookies.
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These spectacular sunflowers are growing splendidly in Suzanne's own garden. Aren't they gorgeous? Sunflowers are so bright and cheerful, you can't help smiling when you see them. They're like miniature suns breaking through a cloudy day.
Sunflowers are one of our favorite flowers here at Suzanne's Quilt Shop, and our customers seem to agree. One of the hottest new quilt kits this summer is "Serenade to the Queen", by Wing and a Prayer Designs. It's bursting with beautiful blooms scattered profusely throughout the "Sunflower Serenade" fabric.
Once your eyes have adjusted to the grandeur, you may recognize "Serenade to the Queen" as a remake of the extremely popular "Queen and Her Court" quilt kit that featured "Marie Antoinette" fabric, also by Wing and a Prayer Designs. With the bold, earthy colors of navy, maroon, chocolate, sage and gold in the prints and textures of "Sunflower Serenade". we predict that "Serenade to the Queen" will be even more in demand. You can find both the kit and the fabric HERE.
Another quilt that features spectacular sunflowers is this one, fittingly called "Garden Splendor".
This colorful quilt has so many bright, blooming sunflowers, you may need your sunglasses to look at it! It features dazzling Sunshine Serenade fabric in brilliant garden shades and a profusion of wonderful wildflowers. You won't want to take this quilt outdoors -- your flowers may get jealous! To plant this beautiful Garden Splendor quilt in your home, go HERE.
Sunflowers not only lift your spirits, their seeds are a great source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. To enjoy a heathy snack, gather the sunflower seeds and soak them overnight in salt water, using 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salt to 2 quarts of water. (If you prefer unsalted seeds, skip this step.) The next morning, drain the water and pat the seeds dry on a paper towel. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees, spread the sunflower seeds evenly on a cookie sheet or in a shallow pan, and bake for 30 or 40 minutes until they are golden brown, stirring them occasionally to keep them from burning. Cool completely before eating and store the remainder in an airtight container.
Now that you've seen all the ways sunflowers enrich our lives, we hope you'll be inspired to try one of these splendid projects.
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I am excited to announce a special opportunity for you to learn from one of the best quilting teachers. Trudie Hughes has authored 14 quilting books, created numerous patterns and designed four quilting rulers. She owned a quilt shop in Elm Grove, WI for 36 before retiring in 2006. For many years she traveled the country teaching her techniques at quilt shops and quilting guilds. She taught in our Florida store twice and I have been to Quilt Camp at her store. She has had more influence in my quilting career that any other teacher. Trudie's rulers (Rotary Rule, Rotary Mate, Big Mama and Big Daddy) are my favorite rulers. They are the rulers I use all the time to cut many shapes. I have made quilts from all her books. Trudie taught me quilting math that has helped me write my own patterns. I use her methods in teaching my own classes.
Trudie has given up the traveling teacher circuit but she would still like to share her information to our online customers. She has put together a series of quilting lessons. You can sign up for a one time fee of $80.00 for a year. Each month you will receive a pdf file with lessons to view and patterns to print. The projects include wall quilts, lap quilts and tablerunners, designed by Trudie for practicing each month's technique. Patterns willl showcase color and layout options. Extra projects, such as a Mystery Quilt will be offered for the ambitious quilters, plus yummy recipes. For more details click here: http://www.suzannesquilts.com/documents/TrudiesOnlineClass.pdf
Sign up today at: http://webstore.quiltropolis.net/stores_app/Browse_Item_Details.asp?Shopper_id=1254522111591254&Store_id=417&page_id=23&Item_ID=25994
Class starts on August 15. Don't delay or you might forget. This class is only offered through our website. You can order Trudie's books, patterns and rulers are available in our store and on our website.
Happy Quilting,
Suzanne
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