Is it just me, or does it seem like this year has disappeared at the snap of your fingers ?? 😳 I don’t know where the time goes. I’m constantly reminded of the Fiddler on the Roof song about how fast time flies. It’s down right scary !!

But life marches on and it’s November, my favorite month ☺️. It’s Fall, the fullness of the summer harvest come to an end. We celebrate it with Thanksgiving, a time to be grateful for all we have. Family, friends and food !! Glorious food. Did I mention that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday? I love having my family around, laughing and sharing memories of their escapades. And yes, the occasional fight too. LOL But it’s all woven into the fabric of our loves. It’s what makes us unique and binds us together.

     These two panels say it all. I love them. Panels are such fun and have great versatility. They can be used as they are and bordered or cut apart and used as blocks in a design. I have used them many different ways and still find new ideas for the use them. I’ve even had customers buy them and frame them as a picture. You should try them!  Pick your favorites and have fun.

    This year we have decided to close the shop the week of Thanksgiving for a little vacation. Please be sure to stock up on your supplies before that week.  Please make note of it in your calendar. I would feel terrible if you came to the shop and it was closed.

November Grab Bag

What could be more fun than cute fabric pumpkins on your Thanksgiving table or around the house. These little beauties can be made any size for any look. Just adjust the size of the strips and the fabric to get exactly  what fits your décor.  It’s a fun break from the ordinary. (My 15 yr old granddaughter fell in love with them and went crazy making them for her room.)

Warriors Heart Quilt Challenge

The kits are bagged and ready to go. Here are few quick & easy pattern ideas if you don’t already have one in mind.

Purchase a packet containing 3 yards of fabric for $18.99. The fabrics will be in various size cuts, but coordinated within the packet. You can add to it from your own stash or purchase additional coordinating fabrics if you desire. You may choose any pattern you wish. These lap quilts must be no smaller than 44” X 58” or larger than 60” X 72”. Each quilt must be finished completely, (quilted, bound & preferably have a label about the person who made it) and returned to Little Cottage Quilt Shop before February 1, 2019. I realize this is a short time frame. Each finished quilt returned to Little Cottage Quilt Shop will be entered into a drawing for $100 gift card as well as receive a 30% discount coupon for backing and batting for your next quilt. All finished quilts will be donated to Warriors Heart in February.

(a full instruction sheet will be in each packet)

You can check Warriors Heart out on their website.  www.WarriorsHeart.com 

Lots of NEW and different fabrics have arrived, gearing up for the Christmas sewing frenzy. Including this gorgeous 60” wide table cloth fabrics and companion prints. The fun “Sew Sassy” sewing blocks and more Christmas fabrics and panels than I have room for in the newsletter.

Be sure to drop in when you are in our area, check out what’s new and say “Hi”. We love to see and visit with you.

Keep on sewing and see you soon,

Donette

We will be closed for Thanksgiving

Tues Nov 20 thru Sat Nov 24

Back OPEN Tues Nov 27

Valuable Info

How to Prepare Your Quilt for Quilting

1. Pre-wash your fabric. Recently, one of our shipments of new fabrics had a little note recommending Prewashing tucked into every bolt.

        “Prewashing all new fabrics (yard goods or precuts) before using       them in a quilt ensures that there will be no uneven shrinkage and no   transfer of colors when the quilt is laundered.” a direct quote from RJR Fabrics

        I know that this is a divisive subject. And I have written about it before, but prewashing solves a lot of problems before you start. If you like the “crisp” feeling of the sizing in the new fabrics, just starch and press before you begin cutting.

It starts at the very beginning of construction. Accurate cutting and seams allowances are critical for a great outcome.

2. Pressing is your friend. Press as you go. You want your seams and joints to lay as smooth as flat as possible. Starch or starch substitute is essential to keep your seams and joints flat. (I like Best Press cut with water half & half) And when a really stubborn joint won’t lay flat, I get the hammer. Literally! Steam the joint, quickly place it on a sturdy, firm surface and pound it a few times from the back side with a big hammer. Then turn it over and steam the right side again and presto, flat and smooth. (I also press all my seams open to help reduce bulk)
3. Don’t stretch borders when you are piecing ! Allow the machine to “feed” the fabric through as you guide it. Pulling on the fabric as you sew will cause “wavy” borders that can pucker when quilted. Avoid cutting borders and corner block cut on the bias. Fabrics are more easily stretched out when they are cut on the bias.
4. Do a final press of the entire quilt top before you take it to be quilted or before you lay it out to quilt yourself. It will make the job easier and have a better final outcome.
5. VERY IMPORTANT: if you are having your quilt top quilted on a long arm quilting machine, you will need to make sure your backing and batting are at least 5 inches bigger than the quilt top on ALL SIDES. (a total of 10” longer & 10” wider) This allows for the backing and batting to be wound onto the machine’s wrapping rails. The quilt top is then accessible to the machine to quilt the quilt top at the edges.
6. If you are quilting your quilt top on a domestic sewing machine: lay out your “sandwich” and pin in all directions with gaps between pins no bigger than the width of your hand. Sewing in a diagonal direction across the bias of the fabric allows you to keep tucks and puckers out of the backing and the top. When I am doing a quilt this way, I use a diagonal grid or “diamond” pattern in the center of the quilt and then free motion quilting around the outside. I pin my sandwiches close together, even if I am free motion quilting the quilt. That helps prevent the layers from slipping.