This has been a very popular pattern and fabric line.  I absolutely fell in love with this line of fabric from the Riverwoods Collection called Whispers,  I really wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but I just had to have it!  Then I came across a quilt at a quilt show and I just knew that the pattern used for that quilt would be perfect for this fabric!  And what do you know....I had this pattern at the shop!  The pattern is called Googly and it is a Fat Quarter Friendly pattern.  The quilt pictured here is  lap size (60" x 72") and uses 30 Fat Quarters for the body of the quilt and 5/8 yard for the binding!!

If you are interested in this quilt or the pattern, go to www.quiltessentialsonline.com/riverwoods-collections-by-troy-corporation.html and place your order.  

It has been a very BUSY fall season so far!  The Quilting on the Bayfront Quilt Show was awesome!  I really loved the new venue.  Here is a picture of my booth from that show.  I had a great time and it was wonderful to see old friends and make new ones!

Once I got back from the show, I decided that it was time to close my retail shop.  I have decided to only sell online now.  It was a tough decision, but it was the right decision!  The last day at the Pittsfield location was October 9th.  Now I am in the process of taking a final inventory and moving things to the website!  www.quiltessentialsonline.com

I went to International Quilt Market in Houston last week and I had a spectacular time!  I got to spend time with friends that I only get to see at Market!  Here are a couple of pictures from the week. I will post more in the upcoming days!!!
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Thank you to those of you that let me know about the problem with the mobile website!  The problem has been fixed so now you can view all the quilts that I have available for sale.  You can view them on the Blog Page or go to the Products Page under Quilts for Sale.

These quilts will make great Christmas gifts or Birthday gifts.  Some of you may think they are a little pricey, but they are all made by me and quilted by me or a professional long arm quilter right here in the good ole USA!  They are made from quilt shop quality fabric (which is a higher grade fabric than is sold in the big box stores) and they should last for a very, very long time!

I am changing the format a little for the quilts I show you here.  In the blog, I will only show you a picture of the quilt.  If you want more detail or you want to actually purchase one of these quilts, you will need to go to the Products Page under "Quilts for Sale" and add it to your basket.  The products page will have a complete description of the quilt with additional pictures showing details of the quilt.

Thanks for looking at the quilts and sharing the page with your friends!  I love all these quilts, I just am running out of wall space to hang them.  I hope that they will get into the hands of someone who will love them as much as I do!

Holiday Happenings - Poinsettias are the focal point of this table runner.  Your holiday table will look beautiful with this runner on it.  If you prefer, you could place it at the bottom of the bed to give your bedroom some Christmas cheer!

Dutch Treat - A patriot quilt in reds, blues and tans.  There are stars and loops quilted onto this quilt.  Perfect for your 4th of July festivities!

I am still waiting to hear from some of the pattern designers of the quilts I have made to get their approval for selling samples made from those patterns.  As the approvals trickle in, I will post more pictures.  In the meantime, here a few more quilts that are available.

Adoring - this is a wallhanging size quilt that measure 39" x 45".  It is made using the Adoring collection by Sandy Gervais for Moda Fabrics.   The pattern is a Sandy Gervais creation.  The quilting is a custom job (swirls, cross-hatching and McTavishing) and it is absolutely beautiful.  It is very detailed and I have included some close ups of the work. The batting used is a 100% cotton batting.  This is an awesome keepsake that will hang every Christmas for years and years!

Regular Price: $207.99
Sale Price - $185.00

Slide Show - this is a lap size quilt that measure 52" x 62".  It is perfect for the little girl in your life! It is made primarily using the Love U collection by Moda Fabrics.   The pattern is an Atkinson Designs creation.  The quilting is an edge to edge design featuring swirls and loops.  The batting used is a 100% cotton batting.

Regular Price: $282.00
Sale Price - $185.00

Still working on taking pictures and cataloging all the quilts that I have at the shop.  These quilts are all made with quilt shop quality fabric and machine pieced and quilted.  They have only been used as store samples and come from a pet free/smoke free environment.  If you would like more details on any of the quilts that are for sale, please call the shop (814)563-9798. Here are a few more that are available:

Simply Spice - this is a lap size quilt that measure 62" x 69".  It is made using the Arabella collection by Pat Sloan for P & B Fabrics and a Moda Marble from Moda Fabrics.   The pattern is a Burning the Midnight Oil creation.  The quilting is done using a edge to edge floral design.  The batting used is a 100% cotton batting.  

Regular Price: $252.99
Sale Price: $195.00

Halloween Twister - this is a table topper/wallhanging size quilt that measure 21" x 21".  It is made using a Halloween collection by Deb Strain for Moda and a few other select Moda Halloween fabrics.   The pattern is a Lil' Twister pattern.  The quilting is a simple echo of the twister shapes.  The batting used is a 100% cotton batting. 

Regular Price - $88.37
Sale Price - $35.00

Icicle Kisses Charm Squared - this is a table runner quilt that measure 11" x 46".  It is made using the Icicle Kisses collection by Kansas Troubles for Moda Fabrics.   The pattern is "Charm Squared" by Creek Side Stitches.  The quilting is a cross hatch pattern.  The batting used is a 100% cotton batting.  

Retail Price - $79.99
Sale Price - $35.00

Need a quilt to give as a gift and you don't have enough time to put one together?  Well I have a solution for you!!  I have lots of quilts at the shop that were made for store samples that I no longer need.  I will be posting pictures of them here on my website and on Facebook.  If you are interested or you know someone that may be interested, please pass along my website/Facebook page information to them.  Because these are store samples, I only have 1 of each available. They also come from a smoke free/pet free environment. So don't hesitate, ORDER NOW!

Midnight Blue - this is a lap size quilt that measure 54" x 68".  It is made using the Cabana Batik collection by Moda and the pattern is a Villa Rosa Designs creation.  The quilting is done using a swirly edge to edge design.  The batting used is a 100% cotton batting by Warm and Natural.  

Regular Price - $289.99
Sale Price - $179.99

Has anyone ever done a Block of the Month Quilt and actually completed it in the time allotment?  Before I actually owned a shop I would only finish them on time if I was part of a class that was meeting and had to show the completed blocks from the month before.  That was my motivator!!  Now since owning a shop, I have to get the sample done so that I can sell these programs to my customers.  So, I cram an entire year of block making into 2-3 weeks.  I can tell you that this is not a fun way to do a Block of the Month!  It is CRAZY!!!!  I have brought this completely on myself, of course, because I have had the shop kit since February.  I just had too many other quilts that I had to get done for the shop and I didn't have the fabric in the shop yet to sell, so onto the back burner it went.  Well it's here now and it really is a pretty quilt for the Fall and if you start now you will have it done by Fall 2015.  If you don't want to make a big quilt, this is a perfect program to make each block as a separate little quilt to keep or give as a gift.  Here are a couple of the blocks (not quilted of course):

You can see a full picture of the quilt at www.quiltessentialsonline.com and you can order your All at Once Quilt also.

I can already see in my busy schedule that I will have some days where I will not get my 15 minutes of sewing time on this project.  That does not mean that I am not sewing at all, in fact, I have so many projects that I absolutely need to get done for the shop or a show that I just don't have an extra 15 minutes to spare on playing around.  I also know that I will be missing a few days of sewing time because I will be traveling out of town.  But when I am in town I will try and set aside this 15 minutes for this one project.  It is hard to put it down once I get started and the 15 minutes turns into 30 minutes.  Anyway…here is what I got done last night!

Two 4" string pieced squares.  Yep, that's it!  That's all I could get done in 15 minutes.  I did not use muslin to piece these blocks.  Instead, I used pages from a telephone book.  It is absolutely awesome to use!  Not only is it a great way to recycle those old phone books that we have, but the paper is much thinner than regular copy paper or newsprint so it is much easier to remove!

Well we are into the third month of 2014 and I have been busy trying to stay on top of my New Years Challenge!  What is that challenge?  I deemed 2014 the year to Trim the Fat.  I don't mean this in a weight loss sense, but in a complete cleansing of every facet of my life.  Clutter is a huge issue.  So I have been going through my house one room at a time to get rid of all the excess things that are crowding my life.  Now, I don't actually have a single room completed, but I have been addressing certain areas of the rooms.  Many articles on organization state that you only need to spend 15 minutes a day to go through things and you will be amazed at how much you can accomplish!  Are you serious?  It would take me about 5 years at that rate!!  And who wants to spend 15 minutes on cleaning when they can spend 15 minutes on QUILTING!!!  So, I combined the two.  While I was going through my closet I came across a very outdated prairie skirt made from homespun fabrics.  Well instead of just throwing that away, I decided to cut it up and use it to make a quilt.  I wish I would have remembered to take a picture of the skirt before I started cutting, but here is what remains!

So I spent a couple of days just cutting out the squares.  Then spent a couple days trimming the fabric into 6" squares.  Here is what remains:

What will I make?  Not sure yet, but stay tuned and see what today's 15 minutes of time will produce.  

LaviShea Lotion Bars

LaviShea Lotion Bars are made with the finest natural ingredients. The lotion bars integrate the moisturizing and healing properties of unrefined shea butter and 100% natural soy, complimented with premium botanical oils, essential oils, and/or skin-safe fragrance. The bars melt with your body heat and absorb quickly and completely without leaving a greasy residue, penetrating deep into the skin to re-hydrate and moisturize.

Lavishea Lotion Bars may look like soap, but no water is necessary.  Simply rub the bar on your skin, and the heat of your body will melt the lotion. It is quickly absorbed for a non-greasy finish. This trait makes it the perfect bar for quilting, cross stitching, or other needle arts. It is a perfect way to moisturize dry hands and avoid snagging delicate work without leaving a residue on treasured projects. 

The portable bar is also perfect for people who travel often since it will pass through security if packed in airport carry-on luggage.  The solid lotion is spill-proof, and comes in a convenient tin that fits well in a wide range of bags or purses. High temperatures can melt the bars, however, so keeping them out of direct sun or extreme temperatures is advised.

All Lavishea Lotion Bar varieties are completely Gluten Free, and for those who have sensitivities to all perfumes and dyes, there is an unscented version with no dyes and no perfumes.

If you live in the area and you would like to pick up your purchases in the shop, please call (814) 779-3617 to place your order so that shipping charges will not be applied.  Otherwise you can place your order online (note that shipping charges will apply to online orders).