Calling all Thimbleberrie's Fans.....

Saturday, January 28th (or the fourth Saturday of every month) we will be participating in the Thimbleberries Pattern Party.  A different project or projects every month.  Brenda has the books that you will need to purchase and a wall of beautiful Thimbleberrie's fabrics for you choose from.  Brenda Pitre and I have already picked out this gorgeous floral to make our border out of for the first quilt.

I am really going to enjoy these Saturday mornings.  It is fun to work together on a project because it gives you so many options.  The quiet conversations, the excitement as you plan the next project, the laughter and the friendship make it so nice.  We always start the day with coffee and a quick biscuit or pastry and we break for lunch which we take turns bringing and of course a coffee break in the afternoon.  There is no pressure, you work at  your own pace.

We will be doing something different every Saturday....

lst Saturday.....New technique Saturday (tenative)

2nd Saturday.....Small project Saturday (totes, clutches, mug rugs, etc.)

3rd Saturday.....Quilt Red

4th Saturday.....Thimbleberrie's Pattern Party

And of course I will be taking pictures......so bring your projects you are working on and let me show them off on our blog.

We're seeing Red.......

Quilt red....that is!  Mama's Quilt Shop started a new monthly group Saturday, January 21st.  We will meet the 3rd Saturday of every month to work on the projects starting a 9 a.m. and working until we get tired....

You will get to choose from 12 pieced quilt projects, 12 redwork quilt projects or 3 pillow projects.  Choose one, two....or as many as you want.  Brenda is charging $5 per pattern to give you copies and of course she has an entire shelf or beautiful red fabrics to choose from, embroidery thread, hoops and needles.

There were 4 of us this past Saturday busily working on our Redwork project and of course some of us chose to do a Redwork project and a pieced quilt....it doesn't matter how experienced you are....it doesn't matter if you have no experience (that's what we are here for, to help you), just come on and join us every 3rd Saturday.  Don't want to wait for one Saturday morning a month....no problem...come every Saturday or any Saturday and we will be there to get you started or help you with any problems.

While some us were working hard...some of us just took a nap....

Angela chose to come and work on her small quilt blocks while Brenda Pitre was there to help her and answer her questions.  Brenda is doing the "Just Takes Two" block of the month program and she has talked me and Angela into doing it with her. 

And Mama was busy working on quilting a whole cloth quilt....it is so beautiful.

She's hooked, line and sinker....and we are so excited!

I don't know about you...but I love it when someone new joins our quilting community.  It makes me want to sing and dance when someone finishes their first quilt.  Our January quilter of the month is Stephanie Blades and she was kind enough to let me photograph her with her quilt and answer a few questions for me......

When did you start quilting?

I started quilting in November when I took the beginner class at Mama's Quilt Shop, at that time I had never sewed and had to borrow a machine from my mother to bring to class, and didn't even know how to thread a bobbin. Oh, what a patient teacher Ms. Annette was!! I now have my own machine and sew every night if I can!! I have always loved quilts and wanted to know how, but never thought it possible for me since I didn't know how to sew and the fact that I am not very crafty or creative. I have never had a hobby prior to quilting.

What do you do when you are not quilting?

I am a registered nurse, I work at Lallie Kemp (which is very convenient to stop by the quilt shop) in outpatient infusion, which means that mostly I administer chemotherapy. I love being a nurse and taking care of patients.

Can you tell us a little about you and your family?

I am married to my husband of almost 30 years we have 2 children and 2 little grandsons. My husband is the pastor at Mt. Nebo Baptist Church. Ministry keeps us very busy, but what a joy it is working for the Lord!! I really enjoy spending time with my family.


So...what new tool or technique would you like to learn next?

That would be hard to say, because I want to learn to do everything!! I hope to soon learn how to do that twister and maybe eventually learn to do some appliqué and whatever else anyone is willing to teach me!! I think I definitely have caught the quilting bug , and I love it!!!

Thank you Stephanie for sharing your beautiful quilt with us and a little bit about you.  It is truly a blessing when you visit the shop.

*Stephanie took Annette Chadwick's beginner's quilting class at Mama's Quilt Shop.  For more information contact Brenda at mamasquiltshop@yahoo.com.

We are going to do this.....

I don't make New Year Resolutions....however....I do try to make a few plans.  And one of my main plans this year is to keep this blog up and running.  Whether us "oldsters" like it or not, the internet is a big part of everyone's life.  We are all so busy it is hard to take the time to go visit friends, so we keep up with them on Twitter, Facebook, blogs and e-mail.  And whereas nothing can take the place of seeing someone in person, I really enjoy reading blogs and visiting people all of the world on the internet.

So for all of you that can't come by Mama's Quilt Shop on a daily or weekly basis to have a cup of coffee and check up on the latest fabric and notions coming in....get yourself a cup of coffee or tea and sit back and read all about it.   B2 (I call her that because Brenda One is the owner of the quilt shop) has agreed to help me keep this thing up to date and fun to read.

I also let her talk me into the "Take 2" quilt along...but that is another thing altogether.  It was a weak moment! 

We are excited about our new Saturday programs we are putting together.  The first Saturday of every month we will have an embroidery group.  We will have a small project that will be finished in 3 to 4 hours so that "newbies" can feel like they are accomplishing something and us "oldsters" can just have fun helping them.

We are going to have a special program on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Saturday of every month (we are working on those and will post as soon as we get all the details worked out), but we guarantee they will be fun and hopefully finished in 3 to 4 hours each time.  We are looking at a Thimbleberrie's Club (to try all the new projects in the new book, "Pattern Party"), a Cupcake Caper Club that works on a block featuring cupcakes and the recipe to bake them and a gift club that makes small and unique gifts in a few hours.

Brenda One is getting in new fabrics, making up new samples and she just finished up an inventory reduction sale to end the year (sorry if you missed out on that).  So watch for our updates here and come on by!

Henry says he was a very good boy!  Thanks Santa!