Back Just in the Nick (play on words) of time!!

I went to Washington DC to do some baby adoring. August is 13 months old and the greatest thing since sliced bread. August and her Mom were home from Bangkok for two weeks, August needed someone to spend her days with whilst her Mom went to a special education opportunity. It was magical, well as magical as it could be, considering we were stuck in a hotel with record breaking low temps. I got to catch up on my Sponge Bob and Dora the Explorer episodes. It was a great way to spend two weeks.

I am back and ready for a fun new year with new classes and fun events planned for Liberty Bell Quilts. I will go out on a limb here and say 2011 is going to be a great year.

Don't forget to make it out for our end of the year sale. (50% off sale fabric, BOGO patterns, 40% off Christmas Fabrics and kits) Check out our holiday hours at Libertybellquilts.com.

Have a great Holiday!!!

Back From Houston Quilt Market....

Author Debra G. Henninger showing her Hobo Quilts (55+ Original Blocks based on the secret language of riding the rails.), has inspired a new club starting in January 2011.

Doll quilts seem to be the rage for Fall Market. Aren't these dresses cute? They used the cutest little clothes pins and pastels.

Moda had a Minick & Simpson booth showing the new line Charlevoix. The colors remind you of summer and the beach. We have this collection coming in January. Talk about the feeling of summer come early.

We got to catch up with Amy Barickman, Vintage Notions author, at the market. She has a picture in her Fall 2010 Indygo Junction newsletter of the Liberty Bell Quilts gang. Thanks Amy!!!

There was so much to see and do at Fall Market, however, I love when I get back to our home base here in Downtown Cedar.

I am off again...

leaving for quilt market in Houston tomorrow. Hope the wind dies down before 8 am tomorrow. Diane Speas is going with me so watch out Houston here we come.

We Are Having A Party at Liberty Bell Quilts

We're Having a Party!

It's Plain As Can Be

So Hurry On Over And don't Be Late

To Enjoy A fun Filled Date.

The Cat Will Be There Along With The Fish

Horton & Sam, The 2 Things And

We Wish That You would come Too

Get In Your Who-Train Saturday, October 23rd

Start Making tracks 3 - 5 In The Afternoon

Food, Games, Discounts And Prizes galore

We Promise You It Won't Be A Bore.

From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere!

Oh the Places we will go...

Well September went flying by. Here is a synopsis of what has happened in September. Judy and I attended a benefit for Paige Bugai on Labor Day weekend. It seemed the whole town of Cedar came out. I am so proud that I live a community that cares. Paige is an 8 year old child that is wheelchair bound. Her mother could pick her up and put her in the car without any aid in the past. Paige is growing and needs a lift to get into the car. The benefit was to raise the money needed for the lift.

I am a freak when it comes to auctions and I bought my fair share of donated items. The only thing I did not get (hubby was against me even bidding) was 8 yards of gravel. I just thought I could put gravel everywhere ( I have a very small parking area so 8 yards of gravel would have buried my car). I still keep dreaming about gravel and where I could use it. Ahhhhh Dreams!!!!!!

The other exciting thing I did was to visit Washington DC and the Grand peanut (August Jade).The kids were packing up and moving to Bangkok, Thailand. It was their last week in the States. We took August to the museums again (she loves the Hope Diamond, Ruby Slippers and First Ladies dresses). I also rode with her on her first Carousel ride. We choose the blue horse. She waved at Opa (Ted) every time we went around. It was a tearful goodbye and my husband accepted the fact that we will have to go visit Bangkok (which was never on our bucket list). Until then I am pretty sure I can still spoil her even if she is half way around the world.

Now I am looking forward to fall and winter. New classes, more sewing time, holidays, Houston Market and we are planning a Special Secret Event Oct 23. Food , Fun, prizes and a special presentation. Save the date. I will keep you posted. Remember to enjoy the moments!!!!

Well time I get back to work. I have a party to help plan.

I'm back from my STAYCATION!

I am glad to be back at work. When you are on a "Stay"cation (a vacation only you stay at home) you feel every kind of guilt just laying around. Add in that your daughter had surgery and calls every morning with her pain report, now you have real guilt.

My dear sweet child (34 year old) is doing better. She had no early morning pain report today, she is healing nicely and will be back to her funny self soon.

Now on to new things at the store. New magazines are in (I am a magazine addict) MaryJanes Farm, Piecework, Needle Pulling Thread, Designs in Machine Embroidery, and Fall/Winter 2010 Quilt Sampler. We are also expecting the Farmer's Wife CD (not to be confused with the CD in the back of the book) today. Enjoy the weekend in the sun reading about your favorite hobbies. See you soon!

The Amazing Quilt Race of 2010 was AMAZING!

The Amazing Quilt Race of 2010 in Northern Michigan has come to an end. The participants were eager quilters and seamstress' with a passion for fiber. We met many new people from close and far even a group who shop hopped in a limo (talk about going in style).

We had a great looking cashier (Judy is good looking too!!!!). I was not allowed to boss Ted (my hubby) around (according to Judy) for which I tried not to (vain effort).

Now we are on to our fall schedule of classes and events. Keep tabs on us, we will be having plenty of fun activities planned. This next week we are just going to rest and enjoy being Liberty Bell Quilt Shop in Cedar, Michigan.

Wow talk about an event !!!

What a night we had. We had food galore (cheese cake need I say more), Shirley Temple's (which are naturally non-alcoholic) , some wonderful cheese spreads, cheese, crackers, bread and rum cake (which did have alcohol in it). A special thank you to all our fabulous friends for suppling such a feast and helping to make this event the success it was.

Amy Barickman brought us some samples made from her new book Vintage Notions. If that wasn't enough inspiration she talked about why she wrote the book and how Mary Brooks Picken's inspired generations of women in the "Domestic Arts and Sciences". Amy's new book is not set to be released until September but we were lucky to have them first (we have five signed copies left). Amy was a wonderful guest and a joy to talk to.

Did any of you happen to catch Liberty Bell Quilts owner, Judy Bell on TV 7 & 4? She was fantastic and looked great in Indigo Junction's (Amy Barickman founded this pattern company)

Bell Sleeve Blouse.

Well that is about all for today, back to putting the store back in order and getting ready for the shop hop in a week. Yikes!!!!

The Summer is flying by....

and we are busy planning upcoming events. In fact these are the kind of events you need to write on your calendar. Liberty Bell Quilts is hosting Amy Barickman trunk show and book signing on Thursday, August 5 from 6 - 9 in the evening.
Don't forget the shop hop August 14 - 21st, we still have passports with pins. We will be having demos, sales, and refreshments. A free pattern for a fabulous quilt will be available in each shop. Prize drawings for cool sewing items will take place daily, in addition to the grand prize drawing for $50.00 gift certificates in each shop! So pack those address labels in your purse and get ready for the Amazing Quilt Race 2010. We are planning some special activities for our anniversary week August 8th.

Oh My!!! now that I see what is coming up and un-packing the new fabrics I had better get going I have work to do!!!

Blue Angels are gone ....

and sadly my O-Ma baby (grand-baby) is gone too. I am back to work and the kids are heading home to Washington D.C. We had a fun packed week here in the Leelanau peninsula; wine tasting, dune climbing, polka festing, sitting in the pool and just enjoying our beautiful area. O-Pa (my husband) and I got to babysit everyday. O-Pa was much better at feeding August (O-Ma baby's name) but I knew how to put the baby to sleep (your thinking I bored her to sleep- perhaps!). She is quite the cuddler (not really a word according to spell check) and kisser(apparently kisser is a word in spell check).

Enough with all that baby stuff. The store has been receiving new fabric, patterns and notions. So many new Batiks that some of the older batiks have been moved to the sale room (Oh yea!!! you read that right BATIKS ON SALE)
.

I have mastered posting the "Block of the Week" BOW on the Liberty Bell Quilts website. The blocks are desserts and finish at 12 inches . Every week a new block. Join us for some fun and HEA! it's free.



I think I just saw the UPS truck, guess it's back to work for me. Holiday is over. Stop in the air conditioning is on!

What do husbands do while their spouses pick out fabric?

June has nearly come and gone.

Judy and I made it back from quilt market. We had a great time hob - knobbing with the quilt royalty such as; Alex Anderson, Ricky Tims, Pat Sloan, Nancy Zeiman, Amy Butler, Patty Young and Eleanor Burns (I love to name drop). We've did a few fun things here at the shop. We had a sewing area put into the back room. We have a larger cutting area now in the front (the better to serve you!!)

Come in a see all the new and fab finds.

Spring means Spring Quilt Market

Judy and I are off to Minneapolis for Spring Quilt Market this week. We are hoping to bring back fresh ideas and new techniques to share.

The Bop Around The Bay shop hop was a success. One of the charity quilts has been put together it just needs some quilting and a nice porch seat to cuddle up on. Shop hops are a fun way to join your quilting buddies and see all the areas great quilt shops. Join us in August for the Amazing Quilt Race.



Our knitting neighbor, Inish Knits, is doing some remolding. So we thought hey! let's do some remolding ourselves. Judy has decided to put the sewing center in the back room. We are having new sewing tables made and a new ironing station. This will open up space in the front for the large cutting table. As most of you know I live to move things around So Yippee Skippee!


Well I am off to finish packing for Quilt Market. I love to travel and traveling for the quilt shop is even more fun!

May Day has come and gone

We started this month out with pleasant weather but goodness, it is quite cold out there (especially if you are like me and don't wear a coat). That is the bonus of living down the alley from the quilt shop. I never have to warm up the car, scrape windows and I only have a 2 minute commute.

Enough about the weather let's discuss what I got in the mail on Monday.



My husband said and I quote " Another sewing machine?". I reply that it is a Hello Kitty Machine. He will never understand. My friend Diane found this Janome on the internet and decided to buy it. I admired (envied) it and ordered my own. Now we are ready for any quilting road trip. Our next project is to make a travel bag for our Hello Kitty's.

Now if I could just focus and do some sewing....ahhhh that would be great!

Aren't we in April Shower season?????

Where are those April Showers? I love to fall asleep to the sound of thunder storms and rain. We have had a short supply of rain here in Leelanau Pennisula. The tulips and daffodils are blooming in the most vibrant of colors.
Along with the spring flowers the new spring fabrics are arriving from Moda, 3 Sister's Martinique and French General's Rural Jardin.
Check out the web page Libertybellquilts.com and sign up for the newsletter and receive a free pattern. Hoping to see you real soon.

I'm going to make something new -- I love quilting!

Kathy

March is on!!!!

February ends with Judy doing paperwork and with Kathy taking a nap (see second picture where I actually look dead not asleep).

March is here and Spring is around the corner. We are getting new fabric in daily, Brannock & Patek- Looking Back is here and the new Susan Winget - Noel (yes the first of 2010 holiday fabric). We received a great fabric from Benertex called Folklorika designed by Julie Paschkis, it has a Eastern European flair to it come check it out.

Just a reminder we will be closed Wednesday, March 10th - 23rd for a spring sample making trip to Georgia. We will back on Wednesday the 24th opening at 11:00 am.

Hope you are enjoying the melt down. See you soon!
Kathy

Just in the nick of time

I felt myself slide to my old self (you know the procrastination thing).

We had a busy week here at Liberty Bell Quilts, there is a great sale going on. Sale you say!?!?!?!? Yupper Doodles, I say ( if you are on our email list Judy sent out an email with a great coupon). Being slightly psychic (not psycho) I knew you are wondering how to get on that great email list. Just go to our website libertybellquilts.com and click on sign up for newsletter. Not only will you get news of what is going in Cedar but you automatically get a free pattern. WOW (this does not stand for white on white but rather makes a comment on getting free things.)

See everyone next week. It's Mckenna Ryan Club Friday night and Dear Jane on Saturday (26th and 27th of February).

Keep in touch....

Kathy

Snowmageddon 2010 in D.C.

Because I am a native of Michigan (where it has never been necessary to title a snow storm) I never experienced the total panic a snow storm could cause. There were lines around the block to get into Whole Foods. People were buying up all the toilet paper they could manage to get into their carts (really how much toilet paper does a person stock up?) I managed to survive and get a flight out of Reagan International (even though the airports were closed for 2 days). I had a great visit with my daughter, niece, nephew in law, and Grand niece (the true reason for visiting). Snow days ahhhhhhh!!!!!! now that is what we need here in Michigan.

While I was gone Liberty Bell Quilts was getting the best new fabric (I truly hate being gone when the boxes come in) The picture shows the new American Jane fabric line called A Breath of Avignon. If you want to see up close and web-personal go to the Moda site www.unitednotions.com, look down in what's new for February. Better yet why not come on out for a visit. We have other new arrivals Amy Butler's Love Home Dec fabric and Benetex sent us a beautiful Tuscan inspired fabric line called Ravello

New Year - same procrastination tendencies

Well we are well into 2010. I know I know last post was Thanksgiving. Really I must have a serious chat with myself. Melissa our yarn neighbor next door said she would help me by telling me it is Monday and time to blog. Not so bad really, it is Tuesday and I am blogging. Baby Steps....procrastination is a long word.

What's new? you ask. Well we have Lakehouse's new line by Holly Holderman, Tea Time Floral III. Do you enjoy soft florals? Does the color of blue in the lightest shade rock your boat? This collection is for you.

I am heading to our nation's capital for a week. I hope to take in the American History Museum. I'll take lots of pics and share with you.

Don't forget to sign up as a follower (it makes me feel good to see my friends).

Off to D.C.