Thank You, Marine...

I enjoy the privilege to quilt other people's ("OP") quilt tops a lot as part of my job...it's wonderful! All of them are special, but sometimes I feel particularly honored to work on a special project for someone.  This lovely patriotic quilt was made by a grandmother for her grandson who has given the last few years of his life serving us in the United States Marine Corp.

I won't show his name here as I don't know him personally, but what I thought was so very special about this quilt is that Grandmother wanted me to quilt in the names of his duty stations while he was a Marine.  

So in the red stripes of this patriotic quilt, I stitched in words (click on the photos to make them larger if you need to, my phone-photography is not great)...

 Of groups that he served with...

 Bases where he was stationed...

 Ships that he manned...

 ...Far away lands where he was deployed, and risked his life to protect and preserve our nation.

It was an honor and a privilege...Thank You for your Service and Sacrifice Marine!

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day.   Join us at the shop for our Free Veteran's Day Quilts of Valor Sew-In! Come for the whole day, or stop by on your lunch break to help us sew together blocks to be put into quilts for Quilts of Valor.

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Are you taking Part in the Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt This Year?

Have you taken part in the annual Bonnie Hunter Winter Mystery Quilt before?  If you're looking for some pure sewing fun this winter, check out Bonnie's Blog Quiltville's Quips & Snips!  Every year Bonnie runs a Free Mystery Quilt project starting with the first clue the Friday after Thanksgiving, and releasing another clue each week for about six weeks until it's finished!  If you sew along each week making the clues, you end up with a wonderful quilt at the end :)

Bonnie has given the color clues out ahead of time, using paint chips as reference to what she is referring to, so you can go through your stash and start gathering up your fabrics.  It's meant to be scrappy ~ the more fabrics the better!  You can visit Bonnie's blog post to get full description of the colors and how this all works...and then check back there on Friday, November 25th for Clue #1!

Just like year, we've gathered some fabrics in our shop that coordinate with Bonnie's paint chips, and have a display of a sampling of fabrics that coordinate with it :)

So if you need to supplement your stash (and I have spied some people in the shop with paint chips lately), come in and pick up a few cuts to go with your fabrics...and we have little colorway bundles too :)

This year, you can also see (and purchase too!) some of the fabrics we've pulled together Here on our Website 

I'm in the process of collecting the grouping for my quilt now too.  I'll work on the Mystery as an ongoing side project (The real mystery is when I'll ever get it finished), but it's always fun to play along!

I won't put any pressure on myself to keep up with all the clues, but I'll touch base with all of them along the way, and download them each month, so I have them for when I can work on it throughout the year as my "Leader & Ender" project for a while.

If you'd like to work on Mystery Clue #1 with like-minded friends, join us on Friday, November 25th for a Free Sew-In Day at the shop!  Clue #1 comes out that day, so you can work on cutting it out and sewing on it.  Come and go as you want all day between 10:00 - 6:00.  (It's also Black Friday, so I know there will be a pretty darn good Sale going on that day too!)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Too Cute to Resist...

So the Moda Be My Neighbor Sew Along is just too stinkin' cute to resist, so in typical quilter fashion, I'm starting yet another project :)

Here is a peek at my Blocks 1 and 2.  I'm making mine scrappy, but basing my colors off some of the Hyde Park fabric collection designed by Blackbird Designs :)

You can get all the patterns available on Our Free Patterns Page at our website (currently blocks 1 thru 7 are up, and more blocks will be released one each week for a total of 16 blocks).  I'm picking out my fabrics for blocks 3 and 4 today.

If you're building your Moda Neighborhood, share photos over on our Facebook Page ~ we'd love to see yours shaping up too!  You can scroll down to This Post to get more details on the Sew Along, or search Be My Neighbor Quilt Along in Labels :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Building a Moda Neighborhood

Ashley is building her Moda Neighborhood one block at a time :)  Here is her block number 1 for the Be My Neighbor Blog Sew Along...

And here is a peek at her block number 2 ~ How cute is this striped silo!

Block number 4 is available for download from the Free Pattern Page of our website.

We can't wait to see some or your neighborhood blocks ~ and check back here and on Facebook to see more our our neighborhood grow :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Moda Be My Neighbor Quilt Along!

 (Quilt photo courtesy of Moda and made by Alison Dale)

Moda is hosting a Quilt Along to celebrate our community of quilters ~ Have you heard about it?

As a participating shop, we will provide a series of 16 free downloadable “blueprints” – block patterns each week and will run through December 19, 2016. All new blocks will be posted on our Free Patterns Page of our website every Monday (Blocks 1 - 3 are available there now). 

The blueprints will be rendered in gray-scale to allow everyone to color their neighborhood using a wide variety of fabric and color choices. Setting instructions will be distributed with the final block.

If you think you want to build a neighborhood with us, here’s what you need to know:
General Information:

• The finished quilt will measure 68″ x 84 1/2″.
• There are 16 blocks in the quilt top.  The rows are separated by horizontal sashing strips.
• These are very scrappy blocks so exact yardage for a set number of fabrics has not been calculated. Just mix your favorite fabrics to create your very own quilt-hood.

Fabric Requirements:
16 House Blocks: Assorted Prints & Solids
Background and Sashing: 4 -1/2 yards
Borders: 1 – 1/4 yards
Binding: 2/3 yard
Backing: 4 – 3/4 yards
For a quilt using the same background for blocks, sashing and borders, you will need 5 – 3/4 yards total.  For scrappy backgrounds, sashing and borders, allow for just a little bit more fabric.
So come on, won’t you be our neighbor?

Share your progress on social media using the following hashtags:
#ModaBeMyNeighbor! #SpringWaterDesigns

It's Tuffet Time at SWD

Have you seen the Tuffets that are all the craze now?  We'll we've been having Tuffet Classes at Spring Water Designs and they're very popular, whimsical, and just a little bit addictive :)
These Red Tuffets were made by Mary and Carrie.  They were made with Essential Gems strip packs, but any strips or scraps can be used.

Here are a few "sights and sounds" from some of our recent Tuffet Classes where some unique little gems have been created...

Every one is so different and special ~ we're having so much fun seeing all the different creations come alive :)

We have one more Tuffet Class scheduled for this summer on Tuesdays, July 26th & August 9th.  Carrie will help you sew your Tuffet cover at the first session, and then put it all together in the second.  We also have the Tuffet Pattern, Foundations to make additional Tuffets, and we'll put together a Hardware Kit for you.  Contact us if you have any questions, and come spend some time in our studio creating some Whimsy of your own...
After all... as Willy Wonka quoted ..."A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men" :) 

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Are You Row by Row Hopping this Year?

Row by Row Experience starts today and runs through September 6th ~ You have all summer to collect Free Patterns, and make a Row Quilt...And if you enjoy a challenge, there's a contest too!  You can go to the Row by Row Experience website for all the details and to get a list of all the participating shops all over the country and Canada too :)
There are many State and regional Facebook pages too.  You can visit the Maryland/Delaware/New Jersey page for lots of Row Photos :)

The theme this year is Home Sweet Home, so since I'm born and raised in Maryland (I can walk to the house I grew up in both from my home and my shop ~ the nut here literally did not fall far from the tree), of course I had to do a Maryland themed row.  The row shown above is called "Across the Old Line" from the mountains of Western Maryland, to the farms, to Baltimore, to Annapolis, to across the Bay...
We have the free pattern available in the shop, kits with the pattern and all the fabrics to make it, and packs of pre-fused Die cut shapes for the houses.  But you have to come to the shop to get them ~ Row by Row Rules!

Our little bee made a return appearance too for the third year :)

Then I made up a second Row to choose from this year using our License Plate from last year that said "Needle Workin" and this year's plate, "Pieceful Home".  Added a little, and have a nice banner for your sewing room (and eventually mine) called "Needleworkin in my Pieceful Home".  Or it can be a nice vertical row to add into your quilt :)

Again we have kits, or the Free pattern available, and loose License Plates.  Only one Free pattern per person/per shop though so you have to choose which one you want for your Freebie ~ but can buy a kit that includes the pattern if you want both of our Rows...or buy a kit for each!

Here is a photo of our Row by Row display in the shop.  It'll change as the Summer progresses and we have more fun with it :)

In the meantime, enjoy your Row hopping and enjoy my Maryland Home Sweet Home :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Meet the Milltown Quilters Guild

Part of our mission at Spring Water Designs Quilting, along with introducing the art of quilting to the next generation, is to support and promote our Local Quilt Guilds and highlight all the good work that you all do.  With that in mind we will be featuring a Local Guild each month this year in our Newsletter and on our Blog.  
 

We are so appreciative of all the support we’ve received from the guilds in our area since we’ve opened our doors in our Brick & Mortar shop, that we’d like to give back and have a special Appreciation Month for each of our Local Guilds - For the month of June we are featuring Milltown Quilters!  So…during June, any member who comes in any day during the month and shows their current membership card to Milltown Guild will received 15% off regularly priced items they purchase!  

Remember, Every Monday is always our Guild Appreciation Day at our shop, and members of Any Guild receive 10% off of regularly priced items.  (Just let us know on a Monday that you are a member of a quilt guild).  

Here is a little bit of information about the Milltown Quilt Guild:

Milltown Quilters Celebrates 19 Years in 2016! Milltown Quilters became a member of the National Quilting Association, Inc. (NQA) in 1983 and was chartered as Chapter 214.  Initially, Milltown Quilters met at St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church in Ellicott City.
In March, 1997, a group of women, including some of the original members, founded Milltown Quilters as it exists today.  The mission of Milltown Quilters is to provide fellowship and inspiration; to share the appreciation, enjoyment, and knowledge of quilting with members and the community; and to support the community through charitable efforts.

The members of Milltown are invited to participate in all activities.  In addition to educational workshops and lectures, by both nationally recognized teachers and their own talented members, Milltown sponsors bus trips to local quilting events, an annual quilt retreat, and two luncheons each year.  Milltown publishes a monthly newsletter, Milltown News, which highlights their many activities and provides updated information to members, and they maintain a website which contains relevant information:  www.milltownquilters.com.

Milltown supports the community by sponsoring a yearly Silent Auction to financially assist the outreach efforts of First Presbyterian Church during the holiday season.  The Friendship Quilts Committee organizes the construction of quilts and other items to be donated to various charitable organizations within Howard County and neighboring counties.  At the biannual Quilt Show, a Raffle Quilt is featured designed and made entirely by members to help raise funds to ensure the continuation of all our activities.

Milltown Quilters meets weekly on Mondays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the First Presbyterian Church, located at 9325 Presbyterian Circle, Columbia, MD 21045, near the corner of Route 108 and Route 29.  Bring a lunch and spend Monday mornings quilting while making new friends.  

During the summer months (June, July, and August) members meet informally.  The first official meeting will be on August 29th, 2016 and many special events are already on the calendar - Friendship Quilts work days, a bus trip to the Hershey Quilt Show on July 22, a lecture and workshop by Gyleen Fitzgerald on August 19th, "Boo Bingo" in October, a Quilt Retreat scheduled on November 1, 2, and 3, and so much more.  Contact Milltown Quilters for more information if you want to join in on the fun!

 

Thank you again to our Local Guilds for all you do in promoting and keeping alive the art of quilting that means so much to so many!

Enjoy the day!

~ Dawn

Our Dahlia Panel Challenge Winners!

Three amazing entries came back into the shop from our Dahlia Panel Challenge, but they were all lovely and brightened up our shop as they hung in our classroom this month for all to vote on :)  This entry was from Margaret Pipp!

Every participant used the panel in a different way, and each entry was so creative!  Margaret stitched up a large Dresden Plate center piece, and added some adorable little nests and insects from some cool fibers. Here are some close up shots of some of the little details on Margaret's project :) 

This one was made by Barbara Lanore.  She used English Paper pieced hexis to border her large dahlia photo.

This entry is from Betty Enselein.  She used several of the techniques and products she learned about in Amalia's Make it Fun from A to Z Class art series :)

They were each amazing, and the voting was very close.  But the Viewer's choice winner was Betty with her Texture Magic Dahlia!   Betty won a thread assortment worth over $100.00, and Barbara and Margaret were the runners up and received a smaller thread gift for join in on the fun :)

Thanks to everyone who shared their creativity, and all who cast a vote for their favorite, we had a fun time with this project :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn