Moda's Piece and Comfort Challenge

We are happy to have been a participating shop in Moda's Piece and Comfort Challenge.  Quilters were to use a Moda fabrics, with the majority being from their Because of the Brave or Red White and Free fabric collections.  Proceeds from these fabric sales benefit USA Cares, a program that supports military families.  

We are hanging the quilts in our shop and posting them online for YOU to vote on your favorite. Voting and display will be open from April 6th through the 18th.   The winning local quilt will be submitted to the Moda online contest.  Everyone really wins in this contest, as the finished quilts will go to deserving veterans of the quilters choice, whether a personal connection or through a national organization like Quilts of Valor.

We had four local quilters turn in quilts to StitchCraft for the challenge.  Their information and inspiration is featured below their quilt.  Leave a comment here on the blog, on our Facebook page or at the shop with your name favorite.

Grace O'Donnell

quilted by: Linda Wilson

name of quilt: Red, White and Free

I am inspired by all of the challenges faced by military families.  they work hard to make up for the missed events, the uncertainty of deployment, the challenges of not knowing where you will be moving to next.  I am a member of a

Quilt of Valor workshop and I sew to let service members and veterans know that they are appreciated for their service and sacrifice.  This quilt will be donated to the family of William VanHuss, my son in law and a member of the Air Force.

Karyn Dengler

quilted by: Linda Wilson

name of quilt:  Tribute

"To those who server, have served in the past, and to those that will serve in the future... Thank you!"

Kathy Louderback

quilted by: Linda Adamcik

name of quilt:  Remembrance

"My grandfather, father, husband and son have all been career military.  I also am a member of many military service organizations.  the fabric inspired me to honor all our military as 'stars'. "

Letty Covar

quilted by: Susan Freudenthal

name of quilt:  Chausette

" 'Chausette' was inspired by me dear husband Jim Kirkpatrick.  He was a proud soldier who was hit in Vietnam.  He was never quite the same.  We spent 3 years and 21 operations at Coatsville Vet hospital and Walter Reed Medical center.  Jim recovered from most of his physical injuries.  In the end, however, the long term effects of Agent Orange took him early.  He was never properly thanked for his valor.  So chausette is a small tribute to his service.  the hues and patterns of the Moda 'Because of the Brave' collection express what I feel when I think of Jim.  Cookie's Star pattern was the perfect format. 

Creative Grids Demo Day!

Back by popular demand, Marsha from Creative Grids USA will be at StitchCraft from 10-4 on Wednesday, March 25.  She will demo many of the useful, time saving and fun rulers that are in the Creative Grids lineup. 

The schedule will be a bit informal, as Marsha is happy to show other rulers of interest at any time. 

10 am  Quick Trim and Strip Smart Mini rulers
11 am  Spider Web and Non Slip Strip rulers
12 pm Curvy Log Cabin and Stripology rulers
2 pm   Quick Trim, Strip Smart Mini and Non Slip Strip rulers
3pm    Spider Web, Curvy Log Cabin and Stripology rulers.

All Creative Grids rulers will be 10% off during the day.  We will have refreshments and door prizes for all who attend. 

Stop by for all demos or just one - no reservations necessary and no cost to attend. 

Postcard Party Swap

From the organizers of this year's wildly successful Row by Row comes the Postcard Party!! It's a quilted postcard swap! This is a great way to try a new technique on a small project, or just have a quickie project that you can have fun with.

Want to play along? Pick up a template (or more!) at StitchCraft and make a quilted postcard. Bring us your completed postcard(s) by January 15, and we'll coordinate having them swapped with other postcards from all over the country. See more about the Postcard Party by clicking here!

On December 30 and January 3 we'll be having Postcard Parties at StitchCraft - join us any time from 1 - 4 pm to work on your postcard. We'll be set up to make some postcards and have a great time!

Each postcard template is $5. Quantities are limited, and the deadline to return your completed card to StitchCraft is 1/15/15.

We are CRAZY for WOOL!!

We have been bitten by the hand stitching bug - we love hand embroidery, cross stitch, hand piecing  - even hand quilting.  We have brought in wool stitchery kits for classes but now we have committed to our wool relationship.  Charms, chunks, rolls and large pieces of luscious hand dyed wool has started to arrive in our shop.  We have all been stitching up projects to show (and keep), ranging from scissor sheaths and needle keeps to adorable owls and pillows. 

We will have everything you need to stitch with wool - a perfect 'on the go' project.  Classes will be scheduled for after the new year so we can ALL fall in love with wool.

Modern Plaids

Many of you have come in to StitchCraft asking for more plaids - especially in brighter colors.  There would be plaids that were part of a collection but we were lacking a collection - until now.

Andover has introduced Modern Plaids - yard dyed fabrics in a brighter, more modern palette.  They can be mixed in with your favorite printed cottons or created into a rag quilt, as the homespun yarn dyed fabrics created the best fray on the exposed edges when cut and washed.

Available with yardage on the bolt or in a fabulous fat quarter bundle. See the collection online here!

NEWvember Batiks - Tonga Pacifica

We received the most Florida-perfect collection of batiks from Timeless Treasures  - turtles, crabs, whales and other iconic symbols of the coast.  Some additional watery blenders rounded out these beautiful new fabrics. Check out the collection HERE!

NEWvember - Blocks of the Month

Chickadee Window was one of the Block of the Month projects that we chose at Quilt Market in Houston last month.  [Actually, it is a BORDER of the Month - doesn't that sound like fun?!  Something different!]  The Benartex fabrics in the quilt are simply stunning. The quilt was hanging in their booth and stopped me in my tracks. 

Garden Tea Party was the other Block of the Month that called out to us at the market.  It is a combination of piecing and appliqué (fused and machined or hand stitched).  The details, such as a needle and spool on a teapot handle, are too adorable to resist.  

Both Blocks of the Month will be start in mid to late Spring 2015 (at this writing, according to the fabric companies from which I ordered the fabric.)  If you would like to be on the participant list, please give us a call or email.  Pricing and sign ups will be available soon.