The main objective of a good quilt is to keep you warm in bed. Some quilts celebrate life events – weddings, births or special remembrances. But so many of us have beautiful quilts packed away. Do you have quilts hidden in a closet, under a bed, folded in a cupboard?
Now is the time to get ‘em out and show them off!
Quilts are easy to change out, by season, or just because it’s Tuesday.
I just wonder how many ways a quilt can be displayed… Table covering, table topper, shower curtain, folded in woven baskets, draped over dining room chairs, hung over banisters or loft railings, on the back of a bench in the foyer, as a headboard…
When I moved to my new house, one of the first things that was unpacked was a quilt made by my Great-Grandmother. That quilt followed me from my elementary and high school days, through college, through becoming a Mom, and was now there to make my new house feel like "Home".
We might not all have rooms like the above picture- taken at the Quilt Show (Don't Look Now!), but quilts were made to be appreciated.
If you have individual blocks that you haven’t made into a quilt, you might want to mount them on mat board and frame (using non-glare glass). A grouping of several squares is stunning!
Quilts can complete a room and tell your story all at once... And make a house feel like Home!
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On Saturday, February 5, 2011 we hosted a class to raise support for our local food bank. It was the weekend of the Super Bowl. Participants had to bring in 10 cans of food to get the class for FREE plus FREE Lunch. They needed to purchase a Hoffman Bali Pop or a Timeless Treasures Tonga Treat. These are pre-packaged 2 1/2" strips of batik fabrics color coordinated in luscious combinations (Berry Bliss, Mango Margarita, Chocolate Mint, Zinfandel, Sugar Plum, etc.) In addition they needed 1 extra quarter yard of batik to blend and 3 extra quarter yards of batiks for accents. They also needed to purchase the pattern but could not see it because it was a mystery.
Students cut and sewed and cut and sewed some more. Finally after lunch someone was ready to got to the design floor for color arranging. The mystery pattern is by Karen Montgomery of the Quilt Company, in PA. The our sample quilt was revealed to Ohhs and Ahhs! By mid afternoon the students were ready to go more and plan thier color placement on their design space. Can't wait to see them come back in the shop for a final picture.
Check out our wide selection of Bali Pops and Tonga Treats and the Migration pattern. Creative Grid Quick Trim Ruler is needed for this project.
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Suzanne's Qult Shop Fall Retreat was held November 5-7, 2010 at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Norman Park Georgia. The retreat theme was "Dance to the Music". Participants chose their fabric kit by a musical theme. Choices were: Country (1930's) Oldies (Civil War), Rhythm and Blues (Blue and White) and Rock and Roll (Brights on Black) Suzanne and the staff designed the Record Spin quilt as a mystery project for this retreat. Pattern and kits are now available to regular customers.
Retreaters participated in a challenge block competition with a music theme. Everyone voted for their most creative, most unusual, best technique, and favorite, Prizes were awarded for each category. Three names were chosen from the group of participants to win a set of blocks.
Special entertainment was provided by staff member McKenna her husband Russ. Everyone enjoyed the folk music retreat and even sang along at times. Plus there was dancing to the music as well as quilting to the music. There were plenty of goodies left by the Fabric Fairy. Grace from Canada shared with us the 15 Minute Tablerunner. Suzanne demoed the Little Twister ruler and the Striped Tablerunner. Of course there were trips to the quilt shop 15 minutes away to make extra purchases to make these items. A good time was had by all and old friendships and new were cherished.
Spring Retreat 2011 will be held March 18-20. Come join us! http://www.suzannesquilts.com/suzannes_events.asp
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The Colquitt County Arts Center located in Moultrie, is hosting a quilt exhibit from September 10 - November 6. The arts center is open Monday-Friday 10-5:30 p.m. and Saurdays 10-2 p.m. McKenna Linn is the featured quilt artist. In addition a wide variety of quilts are on exhibit from local quilters. The exhibit is FREE to the public. The arts center is located at 401 Seventh Avenue S.W.in Moultrie, Ga. On Saturday, October 9 at 11 a.m. there will be a luncheon and lecture with featured artis Mckenna Linn. Tickets are available for $10.00.
Blue Rhapsody Donation Quilt - Blocks made by Suzanne Leimer, assembled by Creative Quilters and quilted by Lisa Smith of Artistic Threads. This beautiful blue and white quilt measures 86" x 100". Tickets are available to purchase at the Colquitt County Arts Center or Suzanne's Quilt Shop in Moultrie or www.suzannesquilts.com Proceeds from tickets sales go to the Colquitt County Arts Center which is a non-profit organiztion.
Here are some photos from the show.
Log Cabin Quilt by Jimmy Gainey. He made his first quilt a year ago.
Bargello by Terri Schuler
Nancy Coleman made this Packer Quilt for son's graduation.
Fall Saturday Sampler by Joy Ann Thompson.
Wheels of Whimsy by Donna Hembree
Balitmore Ablum Style by Linda Heirs
Featured quilt artist and new Moultrie resident McKenna Linn
http://www.mckennalinn.com/
1930's Circle of Stars by Suzanne Leimer
There is more to see. Come to the exhibit.
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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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The Colquitt County Arts Center in Moultrie, Ga is hosting a quilt exhibit from September 8 to November 6. The quilter's in our area have been busy getting the finishing touches on their quilts and filling out the paper work. Ms. Joyann stopped by this afternoon for some assistance in completing her paper work. Here is one of her beautiful quilts that will be showcased at the exhibit.
Her quilt design comes from the Cake Walk pattern by Quilt Country. The pattern features 12 hand embroidery designs and instructions for putting the quilt together. Everyone in the shop ooohed and aaahed over it and wanted one just like it. The quilt was hand quilted by one of Ms Joyann's daughters.
If you are in the South West Georgia area this Fall make a stop at the Colquitt Country Arts Center for this exhibit that is open to the public and FREE! Teddy Pruitt will be appraising quilts on Saturday, September 11. Featured quilt artist for the show is new Moultrie resident, McKenna Linn. More into on these talented ladies later.
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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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We start our journey with this shining Lumiere de Noel quilt kit. In French, Lumiere de Noel means "light of Christmas". The light radiates from the rows of eight-pointed stars, like the Star that shone over Bethlehem on that holiest of nights. Most French families celebrate the light of Christmas by putting up an elaborate Nativity scene called a creche.
Lumiere de Noel is the first Christmas fabric made by French General. It has the look of antique 18th century fabric, in authentic period colors, with lush prints and elegant toiles.
In France, children don't hang their stockings on Christmas Eve. Instead, they leave their shoes out, with hay and carrots for Pere Noel's donkey. If the children have been good, Pere Noel accepts their offerings and fills their shoes with candy and presents. If you want to leave a snack for Pere Noel, we suggest this easy French recipe from glamorous Hollywood star Marlene Dietrich.
Caviar d'Aubergine
Bake an eggplant in the oven until the skin is black. Let cool. Chop half of a medium-sized onion very fine. Fry it golden brown in 4 tablespoons oil. Peel eggplant and cut in small pieces. Add to the onions and fry for a few minutes while mixing constantly with a wooden spoon. Add one small can of tomato sauce and keep on mixing. Transfer to chopping board and chop very fine. (Marlene didn't say so, but you could probably put it in your blender or food processor.) Serve cold as an appetizer. Pere Noel would probably like this with plenty of whole wheat crackers and some sparkling water.
For our Trip Around the World, Suzanne has designed an original tree skirt in bright Hoffman fabrics. It will look beautiful under your tree this year and it's easy to make. It's just one of the tree skirts featured in our class that starts November 2.
We hope you've enjoyed our trip to France. Joyeux Noel!
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Even Santa likes to get away from the snow and work on his tan. He brought his favorite reindeer with him to enjoy the escape from the North Pole.
Nine different scenes in this fabric. Would make a great Christmas shirt or quilt for those who live in a Florida or Hawaii.
Click Here #37579
It also makes a great pillowcase! Click Here
Click Here #38426
12 Gifts Quilt Kit measures 45" x 50". The Santa in the center and 12 blocks depicting the 12 days of Christmas are from a panel print. Fussy cut the panel and add frames around the blocks and sashing. Easy to do. Don't you love the look on Santa's face?
Click Here 38414
This would be a great backing for the 12 Gifts Quilt. It features all the bird symbols in the 12 Days of Christmas song (partridge, French hens, geese, swans, turtle doves, and calling birds.)
Santa's Holiday Punch
1 bottle white wine
32 oz. bottle of cranberry juice cocktail
12 oz can of frozen pineapple juice concentrate
12 oz can frozen pink lemonade concentrate.
Mix together in a large container and chill.
When ready to serve add 6 cups (48 ounces) chilled lemon-lime soda.
48 ounces is equal to 1 1/2 liter bottles of soda
Yields twelve - 6 ounce servings
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Six Spirited Snowmen
Back in February of this year, Moultrie got some unusual weather. We had an inch of honest-to-goodness snow that stuck to the ground and hung around for most of the day. Even though it very, very rarely snows in South Georgia, snowmen are still a popular Christmas icon at Suzanne's Quilt Shop. Our Saturday Sampler group has been enjoying working on Shivery Snowmen. Another popular Christmas kit featuring snow people has been our wonderful Holiday Spirit Placemats.
Bring plenty of Holiday Spirit to your Christmas gatherings with these festive placemats! Each of them features a different scene of snowmen celebrating the season with their families - just like you do! Kit includes directions and fabric, including backing fabric, for making 6 place mats. Fabric on the reverse side is pretty too so these placemats are reversible. Finished place mats are 14" x 18". What a wonderful gift for your favorite hostess - or for yourself!
If you are a snowman collector, you won't want to miss our Holly Jolly Snowman Quilt Kit. It features some of the jolliest snowmen you've ever seen, hanging out with their best buds, the snow birds. The kit comes in a really cool little black felt tote bag that's as charming as the snowmen.
You can't have snowmen without Snowballs, and this gives you about five dozen rich crunchy cookies covered in powdered sugar snow. This old Southern recipe more than makes up for the absence of the cold, wet stuff!
Snowballs
2 sticks of butter (not margarine, not shortening)
6 tablespoons of powdered sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Cream the butter and the sugar until it is smooth and fluffy. Sift the flour and the salt together and add the mixture a half cup at a time to the butter/sugar. Add the vanilla and the pecans. Roll the dough into bite-sized balls, place on a baking sheet and bake at 250 degrees for around thirty minutes or until they are light brown and the pecans are nicely toasted. Let them cool and dust them with more powdered sugar so they look like little snowballs. These cookies have a rich buttery, nutty taste that makes it impossible to eat just one. They are especially good with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
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