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Showing posts with label Sew Sweet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sew Sweet. Show all posts
Sunday, June 20, 2010

Shop Hop Fun

11:00 PM | Posted by Mel
Be Aware, Be Thankful
1. Playing with all the Shop Hoppers
2. Meeting Bonnie - a blog friend
3. Visiting with family
* * *

The 2010 Wasatch Front Shop Hop's theme was Celebrate.  Sew Sweet had the holiday May Day.  Kind of an odd one, but we doused the shop with flower quilts and it looked quite charming!

There were soooo many positive comments on Marta's compilation of this year's Shop Hop blocks.  I love the rich colors she used.

Marta also put together a bright version.  Very fun, I think!


Shoppers would try frolicking around the May Pole for prizes - it was soooo funny to see!  It's harder than it looks!


It was a fun week, getting ready and hanging out at the shop!  I even got to meet a blog friend, Bonnie! I was too excited to remember that I should have taken a pic!!

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Preparing for Shop Hop

11:43 PM | Posted by Mel
Be Aware, Be Thankful
1. Utah quilting friends
2. Quilting parties
3. Rain
* * *


Tuesday was our last day of shop prep for the Wasatch Front (Utah) Shop Hop.  





It's always amazing what a mess we make before we pull it all together!


Marta does some last minute quilting on some shop samples.



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Sunday, June 13, 2010

Shop Hop Preview!!

12:37 AM | Posted by Mel
Be Aware, Be Thankful
1. Hometown {Tooele}
2. Hometown friends
3. Hometown walks
* * * 
I'm in my hometown of Tooele, Utah helping the quilt shop I used to co-own, Sew Sweet, get ready for Shop Hop!  Unlike many of the shop owners, I always LOVED getting ready for shop hop and all the hype and energy it brought!



I love this quilt!  So fun and busy with delightful prints!  

The pictures don't do it justice!
The pattern is by Sew Sweet.  The cute Bloom pillow is from Cider Mill Road by Art to Heart.



Many more days of preparation before the Hop!  Hope to have more previews for you!


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Friday, June 19, 2009

Shop Hop at Sew Sweet

10:14 PM | Posted by Mel
Sew Sweet's block for the "Around the Town" theme was a school house. We had kits for our block as shown below as well as fabric kits and instruction to make the large quilt with all the blocks as we did.
We gave our pattern out rolled up and tied with a ribbon like a diploma. We had yummy apples and I had gathered teacher appreciation ideas for a handout.
We made kits for the individual block as shown above and kits to make the large quilt, below.
A close up of the scallop border's quilting
Inevitably, I ran out of time to do all that I wanted with the quilt. My intention was to embroider the names of the buildings on each one so they were identifiable and to add small quilts to most of the buildings, like an out door quilt show.
Here are some close ups of the blocks.
Below: Bakery, Toy Shop and Pet Shop

Above: Rail Station, Ice Cream Parlor, and a General Store
Above: Quilt Shop Sew Sweet's School
Below: Diner and a Bridal Shop
Below: Cinema and an Antique Shop
Below: Barn and a Church
Here are a couple shots of the shop.
This is one of the quilts in our shop that I thought was amazing.
I was disappointed to see that my picture of this amazing quilt turned out blurry, but the close up shot turned out better. It is a quilt from the book, Affairs of the Heart by Aie Rossmann. Sew Sweet did a 2 year BOM of this project.
Kim has more pictures of this year's Shop Hop at her place, Bitty Bits & Pieces. She wasn't able to make it to our shop, or the one in Logan, but all the other quilt shops are featured on her blog. Kim is also having a giveaway with the Shop Hop theme so make sure you sign up there too!
Don't forget about my GIVEAWAY, this Sunday!
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Saturday, June 13, 2009

Time Off

1:03 AM | Posted by Mel
June is a fun time if you are a quilter in northern Utah.  Every year, usually the third weekend in June is the Wasatch Front's Shop Hop.  I have been a part of this fun event since the first one that was held in 2001.  The first 4 years I was a quilt shop owner and helped plan the event along with the other shop owners.  Not a small task!
The past few years I've participated as an employee of the shop (Sew Sweet) I used to own by cutting fabric, assisting quilters, stamping passports, or ringing up all the fun finds each person 'has to have'!
This year I am again heavily involved by helping Sew Sweet prepare for the four day event.  I got to design the layout of our quilt and sew it all together.  I'm pleased with my efforts and can't wait to show you how it turned out, but I can't until after the shop hop has started next week on June 17th. 
The theme is "All Around Town".  Each of the 16 shops in the Wasatch area designs quilt block of a building you would find in a town.  Our shop chose to do a school.  There is an antique shop, cinema, bridal shop, pet store a train station and more!!
Yesterday while at work I got a 'wild hair' and started moving fabric, shelves, samples around trying to freshen up the shop.  My sister helped me all day.  We finished just after midnight.  I am soooooo sore today from all the pushing and shoving!  The owners like the results and so do I. Wheew!
Anyway, because of these preparations, I will continue to be sporadic in my postings for a bit.
After Shop Hop, I am going to have a 
GIVEAWAY!!  
I made a personal goal to get 73 followers.  I was born in 1973 so that's why I chose 73.  I reached that milestone a couple of days ago with two to spare!  
It's fun to think that there are others out there who wander around the world via our blogs! 
Everyone who is a follower of my blog (right hand side bar) will be elegable to win one of several items.  I will pick random followers sometime on June 21st.
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Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Three dimensional quilting

12:30 AM | Posted by Mel
Sew Sweet, where I work every Thursday, is famous for their three dimensional quilts.  Almost all of their Shop Hop quilts have been 3-D.  Marta, the owner, has designed over a dozen patterns that are 3-D including the shop's current Block of the Month.  
I help Marta put her ideas into pattern form and wasn't familiar with making a square (the center medallion in the pictures above) 3-D so I made a block of my own so I would know how to write instructions.
I thought it would be fun to use fabrics that I don't normally use.  These fabs have metallic outlinings and are absolutely gorgeous, they just aren't what I usually pick when selecting fabrics.  I was hunting all over the shop for a background when I got the idea to use black.  I like the contrast and I think it showcases the fabrics real well. 
I'm quite frustrated that the pictures DO NOT show the 3-D elements of the block!!  Every edge (the longest) is folded in half diagonally and raw edges are sewn in the seams, creating a 'pocket' or a three dimensional look.
Here are some of Sew Sweet's other dimensional quilt designs that I've shown previously, but are a better representation of the technique.
Every half square triangle in every star block is three dimensional as are the small rose buds that border the quilt.
The geese are all made using the folded 3-D technique.
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Thursday, March 19, 2009

More Generous and Beautiful Donations!

8:36 PM | Posted by Mel
This post refers to my original post about an Autism Awareness Day Fundraiser Event on April 2, 2009 that I am going to hold here, on my blog!
Kaaren's donation is a beautiful pencil or sewing box. It is her own design and was painted in 2005. It was featured in the decorative painting magazine of the same name, "Painting". Tina gave a very kind donation for Walk Now for Autism, an even that I will be participating in on May 2nd, 2009. Jane is also donating a prize for Autism Awareness Day. $15 for her online fabric shop! Remember to go read the designated post, leave a comment and your are entered into the drawing for one of 3 prizes! Thanks for all the donations and for reading about how to spread awareness for Autism!!
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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Yikes!

1:32 AM | Posted by Mel
It's been a whole week since I've posted!! Yes I've been busy sewing! I'm working on at least 4 table runners at the moment, two to have on hand and two as swaps. One of the projects for me is the FREE shamrock table topper by Kim that I mentioned on this post. I'm making the large size and almost have the top done, just in time for St. Paddy's Day! I've also been needle turning by hand some applique flowers on a runner for my Easter Runner Swap partner, Carmen in Georgia. I made a mini hexie stuffed flower and forgot to take a picture before sending it off! (Darn!) I'm making some fun book marks that I need to take photos of. I will have a tutorial AND am going to try to sell some as a fundraiser for Autism. My nephew Brock is autistic and we are trying to raise money for further research. See the top button on the right hand side of my blog. More on that later. Urban and I spent two, yes two hours at D.I. last night (a thrift type shop). I purchased several wool clothing items that I'm going to felt for projects, some items I'm going to recycle into mixed media art, and some games. Urban, Nathan and I have played a 3 year old version of Monopoly several times within the last 24 hours! It's fun, but the rules keep changing!
My parents landed safely on Argentina land early this morning which was a great relief to me, you would think I was the parent, I almost called their mission president to see if they arrived ok!
Tomorrow I work at the quilt shop then Urban and I are going to a live performance of Thomas the Tank Engine! Highlight of the week!
Sorry this post doesn't have pictures, I'll throw in another random one from my files.
OK, this is somewhere in Oregon last year. We took a couple of weeks and drove the west coast beginning at the top of Oregon (Hwy 101) and ending in San Francisco. (Hwy 1) Then we cut over to Tahoe then back up home.
It was GREAT!
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Saturday, February 7, 2009

Whimsy and More!

12:35 AM | Posted by Mel
Today's show and tell is Whimsy Cottage
I first met Nancy, owner of Whimsy, at a Utah Shop Hop - quilt shop owner's retreat. Most of the owners of the shops that were involved in the Utah Shop Hop came and spent the night sewing, talking and laughing. The next morning we drew names of those who had completed the Shop Hop tour and packaged up all the prizes.
She was located in Heber at the time (2002) and had a house next door to her quilt shop that she rented out for quilting retreats. I have pictures of that gathering somewhere, I'll have to dig them up and post them! Oh, at that time I was an owner of Sew Sweet, a quilt shop here in Tooele.
Anyway, Nancy was so fun and a gracious hostess and I seemed to really gravitate toward her eclectic, take it or leave it, artsy personality. A few years later she sold the business.
Now that her children are grown, she is once again amazing us with her vibrant fabric offerings - Yeah!!!
Upon entering the shop, you see the colorful batik fabrics and displays.
Looking to the right you see bright colors and inspirational samples.
Looking toward the front you can see the charming apron displays. Behind you (no picture) is a great selection of black and white fabrics. Do you remember the fun 'Undies' fabric I bought? I got it here!
Cutting area and check out
OK, so what did I buy?
I saw this ADORABLE box of note cards and thought it would be perfect for my secret sister Valentine Swap! The box looks like a shoe box and inside are 10 note cards in the shape of shoes!!
Gotta have ric-rak for a table runner I'm doing. (for my project of the month goal)
And this piece? It was a NR purchase! (No Reason!!) It just 'spoke' to me!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Here are some links to things I think you would enjoy:
Candace of Squash House Quilts is approaching her 100th post!! She is having a giveaway to celebrate! Go check it out!! I have enjoyed getting to know her through our blogs and swapping cottages!
Hey Jane and anyone else who is ready for spring! Take a look at the exquisite photography Carla has on her blog documenting a caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly! While you are there, look around, this lady's got a fun sense of humor!!
Here is a tutorial for a folded hexagon yo-yo. I think I might make up a few as 'bling' for some basket liners I've made.
OH, and to you Japanese novelty fabric fans who are in the Salt Lake area, Pine Needles at Gardner Village has about a dozen or more bolts of the irresistible stuff! And they have tea towels, the plain white cotton kind. I've been looking for these everywhere! How do I know this? Umm, yeah, I was there today. I hate to mention it because I forgot to take my camera! I'm kinda liking this 'Quilt Shop Reporter' gig! I will post my purchase sometime soon.
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Saturday, January 24, 2009

A Little Quilt Show

3:42 AM | Posted by Mel
One of my 2009 goals is to make at least 1 table runner or wall hanging per month.
This is my January project, it's a small wall hanging from the book Bits and Pieces. I used a fabric line by Buggy Barn.
This quilt was outside of my comfort zone in that it contained hearts. Yea, lots of them! I am not a mushy, lovey type of person, but I like the more primitive style of the hearts (elongated).
I hand appliqued the hearts then hand quilted the piece. I got it soaking wet and let it air dry to achieve the wrinkled look. I'm happy with the results.
Yesterday I worked at the shop (Sew Sweet). I took some pictures of original quilts they have designed for your viewing pleasure.
This was last year's (2008) Shop Hop Quilt. The theme for the hop was "Once Upon a Time". Sew Sweet chose Goose Girl. It's a young adult fantasy novel by a Utah author Shannon Hale. The story is based on a Brother's Grimm tale by the same name.
I tell you, the picture does not do it justice! There are three-dimensional elements in the quilt (for which Sew Sweet is known for). The little flower buds that surround the outer border are 3-D, as are the 'pinwheels'. The 'picots' have a small yellow piping trimming the 3-D triangles. Lakehouse fabrics were used.

This quilt is a companion piece to the Goose Girl quilt and is done in the popular pink and light greens. It is a throw size. The 'geese' are three-dimentional, the quilt is made mostly with Lakehouse fabrics.

This is a quilt made from the shop's quilt from two years ago's Shop Hop. The theme was "Everyone's A Star" in which the shops chose movies to represent and Sew Sweet chose A Field of Dreams. The original quilt was done in all shades of green, symbolising a green field. The next quilt was designed especially for an event in Delta, Utah. Every year they have a Snow Goose Festival and along with that there is a quilt show and classes. Marta will be teaching this quilt. It is crib sized, the flowers have a very small piping outlining the petals.
Well, that's my show! If you enjoyed the quilts, send off a note to Sew Sweet and tell them! They'll be tickled!
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