Karen Says Sew

The Quilt Company is on vacation this week. We made the decision years ago to annually close the shop for the week closest to the beginning of August each year. Our regular customers are use to it. Out of town visitors plan around it. We tell everyone on our website, we publish it in our newsletter, we remind everyone in Email Updates, but there are always one or two people that are absolutely shocked when they find out we are closed. My apologies, but the truth is, we need the break.

So what does a quilt shop owner do with a whole week off? I SEW!

I couldn't show you my design wall last week because I was on double secret probation. I was working on a snowflake quilt for my favorite quilting magazine. The project will be featured in their winter issue. Naturally I will let you know as soon as it hits the newsstands later this fall. Meanwhile this is a sneak peek of the prototype flakes I was busy stitching all week. I used some beautiful paisley prints from Timeless Treasures for the quilt. The quilting was finished in record time by the wonderful Mary Thomas, binding has been applied and hand stitched. It goes in the mail tomorrow. Whew!

That doesn't mean that the design wall is empty! Having a whole week to get caught up on projects I planned to work on the log cabin blocks on the right. Then I got news from the Creative Grids team that after about 2 years of listening to me whine they are finally going to produce the rulers that I have been asking for! That means that the zillion ideas I have on paper to use those rulers can become quilts!

There is nothing like a new project to spur me into action! Those whopping big stars in the center of the design wall are made with half square rectangles. I use to dread half square rectangles, but like our shop tag line says, "It is all in having the right tools!" This new ruler isn't the first half square rectangle tool on the market, but I wanted a bigger one - a MUCH bigger one. I have a king size bed and making a quilt for it requires a thousand pieces, unless you can find a large block pattern that uses large pieces and still looks like you put some effort into it. I think this pattern hits the mark!

Further down the wall in the corner are a few Magic Lantern blocks that will use both new rulers. Once again, larger pieces means less work and better proportion on a large queen or king size bed. I am loving these "new" rulers even though they don't really exist yet (I'm playing with a prototype). Experimenting allows me the opportunity to work out the placement of lines on the ruler, see how they work with different fabric cuts and make sure we have included everything you will need so that you will love them too. Once I am finished experimenting they will go into production and be ready for fall Quilt Market. I can hardly wait to get my hands on the real thing!