February 2012

It's been a long time since I've posted on my blog and a lot has happened.  I am now working on my 3rd book called "Let's Twist....One More Time!"  I'm working on quilts now that you cut your own 5" and they can also be used with the Twister if you cut 10" squares and they turn out much larger.  I am also adding a new group of designs using my disappearing pinwheel technique....I'm doing some holiday ones and even showing some alphabet designs.  My goal is to get these done in the next 6 weeks.  I have a lot of sketches down and 2 quilt designs done and 2 patterns for disappearing pinwheels done.  Let me know if you have any ideas you want me to try.....

Let's Twist Again

I am so far behind in everything right now!  I'm sure you can tell that from the date of the last blog I did.  I'm working on the patterns for my new book and not having a lot of luck with it as I keep getting interrupted by things like big orders to get out for the Twisters and trying to run the Quilt Shop along with the needs of my 90 year old mother.  I am going to a Quilt Retreat this weekend and am hopeful that I will be inspired to create and get done some samples and patterns as when I return home, my grandsons will be here for spring break along with their parents.  I can hardly wait to see them!  Now you understand why I need to have these patterns well under way.  They also need to be done and ready for the publisher by the 2nd week in April.  I think this will really be close....I'll try to keep you up to date on this.  As you may also have noticed I have no video done yet either or pictures.  I will try to keep you up to date as best I can.....wish me luck! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

It's been a while since I updated this, but my resolution is to stay caught up and expand the blog to include pictures and videos - I even bought a video camera to do this but haven't learned how to use it yet.  Did I mention how "un-techy" I am?  Twisters are still going strong - for 2 weeks we actually had some inventory and I could help out a couple quilt shops who couldn't get them.  Now we are rapidly getting orders out to distributors again, but we are hopeful to build some inventory too.  I have a distributor in Canada who I would like to help out if I can for our neighbors to the north.  I have also started my 2nd book.  I brought my box of samples from Moda down to KS with me while we were there having a late Christmas with our 4 grandsons, daughter and son-in-law.  The boys slept in one morning and parents were off to work, so I had about 2 uninterrupted hours that I really started to plot out some of my ideas with fabrics.  Now, I have to get these going by sewing samples and see if the ideas will actually work.  Other pattern makers are also putting out some patterns for the twister now and I find that very exciting.  So just "Keep Twisting"

Twister Mania

I thought the twister mania would slow down some, but it hasn't.  We are still behind in orders to our 2 distributors, but hope to be caught up by first week in Nov. if all goes well.  Of course that will be when market finishes and we don't know how many orders will come out of there.  I do want to update the web and this blog with pictures and video of using the twister and some variations.  My husband went out and bought a camera for me that is suppose to be easy to use to do that....we'll see as I'm not great with going from camera to computer.  If I could just have that talent, you would really be entertained.  Keep your fingers crossed and the next entry should have pictures and show you a video as should my web site also.  I have ideas for my new book and want to get started on that in Dec.  If you have any things you would like to see me create to put in a book, just let me know.  Happy Twisting...

Oct. came too fast

This month has a lot packed into it....trying to decide on the patterns I am going to offer free each week in a small kit starting the 18th.  They are ones that can be done quick and easy and don't cost much at all.  We all need some of those types of gifts to have on hand.  I will be doing 10 of these.  The hard part is deciding how many kits to make up.  I know some people will know how to do some of these, but some of the newer sewers and quilters have not seen them yet.  We are also working on new Christmas lap quilts and table runners and have several kitted and displayed.  One is up but not yet kitted - will be by end of week.  I also got a new video camera last weekend and if we can learn how to use it and get it into the computer I am hoping to get some videos on my website and also in my blog.  One will be on how to cut using the "twister" and the other will be a video on how the twister is made from the cutting and honing of the acrylic to the printing to seeing us putting on feet and packaging it for shipping.  I hope you will find this interesting and that it will shed some light on why they do take a while to make and ship.  Last month we shipped about 6,000 of them to our 2 distributors.  I also ship everyday from my web site.  I want to start working on my next book but haven't had time to do that yet.  I hope to have it out by Spring.  I've heard from some people about the creative ways they have used the twister and come up with some neat patterns!  Let me hear from you if you've got some patterns.  I'd like to show pictures too...hopefully I will get the hang of this so I can make this blog really interesting for all.  Happy Quilting and Sewing.  Marsha

Time Is Flying by Too Fast!

I can't believe that we are on the way out of Sept.  We are still making the twisters like mad...seems everyone wants them at once.  I'm trying to create some new patterns for another book and I'm thinking this book will have a lot to do with color.  I want to find some time that I can just "fiddle" around with some layer cakes and borders and some plain pieces also.  I'd like to do a cute bag with these -- wouldn't that be fun!  We have a cute new one that Mo did hanging on our wall with the middle has a length of pie fabric and the borders are done in coordinating fabrics and then twisted so it really picks up all the colors of the main fabric.  That for sure will be in the book and we will do a couple versions showing how we used various colors from focus fabrics.  Have any of you been doing some of your own patterns with this?  If you have please share them with all of us.  Happy Twisting!  Marsha

Country Schoolhouse Quilt Shop Blog - welcome

Welcome to my new blog....this is my first attempt at these various means to keep people up to date with what is going on at the quilt shop and with my twister tools.  Please bear with me as I go through these growing pains with learning how to do this as computers are not my thing. 
We are coming into fall which means that the quilt shop is loaded with new fabrics and patterns.  We are offering a few classes in September to help you get started in on some small projects.  We also have a new machine from Baby Lock called "Symphony" which replaces the Espire.  It has more decorative stitches and also has a unit that allows you to stitch or quilt in circles!  I have not had the chance to try that yet, but will as soon as I come back from the North Shore where I will be for next week trying to work on samples for fall and come up with some creative ideas.  That is my favorite place to go to restart the creative juices flowing.  I will also be with a few good friends who help with that process too.  My goal with this blog is to involve you in the activities of a quilt shop, ask for ideas and suggestions from you, and to share with pictures and words some of the new things we find out there.  Happy Quilting and most of all....have Fun with it....Marsha