Bring on Summer...

After yesterday's cold spell, I was ready for today's sunshine and warmth...

I have mentioned to many of you the website: http://www.modabakeshop.com

It is a great site for using all of the pre-cut fabric products that are on the market currently. There are lots of free patterns; everything from table runners and baby quilts to skirts, aprons and journal covers. Check it out when you have the chance.

We have created our own little "bake shop" area here at the shop. On this shelf you will find current charm packs, jelly rolls, honey buns, layer cakes and more.

One of the newest "pre-cut" items offered by Moda is the "Scrap Bag." This is approx. 40 selvage strips of coordinated fabrics (1/2 pound of fabric) for $9.99. Many of the strips are 2 1/2" or wider. Great for scrappy projects.

Upcoming Events:

4th Anniversary Sale
Saturday, June 6th 9am to 4pm
Join us for door prizes, refreshments, and specials:
10% off all kits
15% off all books and patterns
The Great Potty Stop Hop
Visit these three exciting quilt shops any time during the week of the Minnesota Quilters Show & Conference in Duluth (or on your way to/from Duluth).
While at each store register to win one of their five (5) $10 store gift certificates. Fifteen gift certificates to be given away in all.
Valid Monday, June 8th thru June 13th, 2009 at:
Seams Like Home Quilt Shop/Sturgeon Lake
Fabric Fashions & More /Rush City
Silver Lane Quilting/Forest Lake.

And 15% off your total purchase. Limit one coupon per customer, valid only during week of June 8th-13th.

We’ve gone to great lengths to specially decorate our bathrooms just for your visit!

Easy Layer Cake Quilt:

A pattern by Quilt in a Day. Use the convenient pre-cut 10” layer cake squares and jelly rolls to create this quick quilt. Approx. finished size is 58”x85”
Instructor: Melissa Johnson
Fee: $6 plus materials and supplies (pattern $9.00 by Quilt in a Day)
Class meeting dates/time: 10-1pm May 30th
Level: Beginner and up
Kitchen Charm Apron:
A pattern by Indygo Junction. A full or half apron created with pre-cut 5” charm pack fabrics or with fabrics from your stash.
Instructor: Melissa Johnson
Fee: $6 plus materials and supplies (pattern $9.99 by Indygo Junction)
Class meeting dates/time: 5:30-8:30pm June 9th
Level: Beginner and up
Barb’s Little Shop Hop Bag:
A pattern by B.H. Quilting. Perfect little purse for hands free shopping. Purse has zippered money pocket, quilt card/ credit card pockets, outside cell phone pocket and room for a small digital camera.
Instructor: Barb Howell
Fee: $10 plus materials and supplies (pattern $9.00 by B.H. Quilting)
Class meeting dates/time: 5:30-8:30pm June 16th
Level: Beginner and up

Call or stop in to register for a class. See you soon!

Trip to Boise part 2...

We all have "Team Breeg" forest service green shirts from when we ran Grandma's Half Marathon in honor of Mike. Now we use the shirts for other events too. Each December we have a fun run called the Mike Breeggemann Memorial Denham Dash, with all proceeds benefiting the Sturgeon Lake Fire Department. (More details in November. It's a open to anyone to join the fun!)

Smokey Bear visited the Family Fire Weekend and Nolan and Dad got acquainted with him.

Mike's memorial marker. His marker was placed in a beautiful spot in the memorial garden. The garden has a waterfall and bronze statues of wildland firefighters. It is a very peaceful place and Mike would be honored to be a part of it all. We will forever love and miss him.

Our Trip to Boise...

Back from Boise and the Wildland Firefighter Foundation Memorial. It was an incredible trip, very emotional, but very special. The way they honored Mike and the other firefighters was exceptional.

Nolan "busy" at the airport! It was his first trip on an airplane and he did great!One of the activities for the family fire weekend was the "Lucky Peak Challenge." This is a run/walk/slog to the top of Lucky Peak in Boise. It is a 3000 foot climb winding around 6 miles of trails. At the top is a toast to our fallen firefighter friends and family and then back down the 6 miles of mountain trails. It was quite the challenge, but so worth it. The picture above is a shot from the top of the peak. The challenge was started to honor the firefighters lost in the Storm King Fire of 1994. One of the fallen firefighters brother is one of the founders of the race. All proceeds benefit the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.
It was amazing what kind of refreshments people pulled out of their backpacks at the top. This is Chad (one of the race organizers) and he brought all the fixings for martinis, including stuffed olives!

I was lucky enough to be able to do the race with firefighter friends of my brother, Mike. We are pictured above with Mike's favorite "Champange of Beer" for the toast. From left to right is: Brenda, Ana, me, and Sam.

See next post for a few more pictures!

Kindergarten Graduation

Just returned from the Willow River kindergarten graduation program. Pictured above is our little graduate in the family, my niece Monica.Laura, Monica's younger sister, was a diligent photographer during the entire program.

Christmas fabrics started to arrive yesterday. Above is a grouping by Moda called Holly Jolly Snowmen. We have the panel, charm packs and three other coordinating prints. One is a really rich red that I just love.

Three new fabrics from the new Valori Wells line, Del Hi came in yesterday too.

Another new Christmas line by Moda, Majestic Yule. These fabrics have a delicate touch of gold metallic to them. The cardinals are an intense red.

Next week, we still have openings for the X bag purse class on Tuesday 10-1pm and Thursday 5:30-8:30pm. Also, daytime open sewing on Tuesday. Call or stop in to register.

Well, this will be my last post until next week, after the Idaho trip. Have a great weekend!

Start of a busy week...

Well, I hope everyone had a great weekend and a nice Mother's Day! Shawn and I went golfing with his mom yesterday. It was a great day for golf, now I just need to learn how to actually hit the ball! My mom is traveling so I only spoke to her on the phone. She and Dad were in the Badlands of South Dakota, on a mission to see a herd of buffalo. Sounded like they were enjoying great weather and a good trip. Some of the rest of us will be joining them in Idaho this next weekend. Boise is the home of the Wildland Firefighter Memorial. This next weekend is family weekend when they place new memorial markers to honor wildland firefighters. Saturday there will be demonstrations of forest service activities and Sunday is the memorial ceremony. This year a marker will be placed in honor of my brother, Mike. I am really looking forward to the trip. I know it will be very emotional, but I am and always was so proud of Mike and his firefighting career. It just feels right that there is a way to honor him.

In the meantime, I need to get a few samples done this week and get the shop ready to be without me for a few days. I just received an email confirming the shipment of some of this year's Christmas fabrics. They should arrive by Wednesday already! Tomorrow (Tuesday) is daytime open sewing. Join us if you can. Thursday is our first apron class. We are doing the jelly roll friendly Four Corners apron at 5:30pm. Call the shop to sign up.
Have a great day!

Photos

My Son, Mike

The crew "buggy"

Melissa and her running partner Jen.

Moose Run 2009

Heidi the Happy Owner

of

The Happy Scizzor

Everything goin'on at once!

This past Saturday was busy! Melissa ran the "10K Moose Run" in Moose Lake. The weather was great and it is good to have this race back in action after one year off. Lots of runners, lots of volunteers and from what I could see a successful day. As a former participant in this race for many years, I send a big high five to the planning commitee. Good Job! Melissa is an effortless runner and has embraced running with enthusiasm. She will be the first to say that her brother Mike is her running inspiration, Mike ran daily for fitness, a Wildland Firefighter can owe his life to being in shape and being fast when needed. No one would be prouder of Melissa's racing and running than Mike.

After the race it was run home and head to the newest family business "The Happy Scizzor". The relatives were all here from the Metro area to "check out" the new shop and get glammed up in the process.

Today I am at "work". Looks as tho the Quilt Shop was very busy over the weekend too. Wendy and Jane were working and Melissa and I so appreciate this capable duo who come in and pinch hit when the two of us both need to be gone. Along with Deb who also fills in for us we occasionally get to go to the same events. Many Thanks!

This will be a busy week. Kicked off with Block of the Month, then on to Thimbleberries Club, pillowcase class on Wednesday and Saturday. Don't forget class sign-up day on Saturday, discount for earlybird sign-up. Our "Mother's Day Sale" is Saturday also. 15% off all in-stock patterns and books, 10% off all fabric cuts of one or more yards. Shop for your Mom, daughter, daughters-in-law or yourself!

Well I better get sewing, before I go I wanted to tell you. I went to the mailbox last week and when I opened it I had recieved a handwritten letter. I cannot tell you how much pleasure this gave me. In this world of e-mail, texting and cell phones, hand written correspondence has fallen by the wayside. I myself am a letter writer. I started writing letters seriously in the 80's after the death of my Grandpa. I would write long letters to my Grandma hoping that something I had to say would for a short time help her deep sadness. As I look back I think what I was really doing was writing to help my deep sadness. Whatever the reason it started me writing. I challenge you all, today, pick up a pen and write someone a letter. The paper doesn't matter, the length doesn't matter, what matters is this. Say the words you hear in your head when you think of this person. Tell them that story, the words from your head, that you can feel in your heart. Do it. You will always be glad you did.

And this: My Son Mike is going to be recognized and honored in Boise, Idaho this Spring. The "Wildland Firefighters Monument" is located there on the grounds of the Interagency Dispatch Center. A marker will be placed for Mike with his name, the designation that he is from Minnesota and the name of his crew, "Black Mountain Hotshots". Mike's family will stand as the representatives for Mike when his name is called among the names of the other men and women of fire that will be honored for the year 2009. I cannot even tell you how much he is missed.

Till next time.

Happy Friday!

Well, I am back and well rested. Shawn and I went with a group of family and friends to Chula Vista Resort in the Wisconsin Dells. Great place and a great deal this time of year! Thank you, again to Mom for taking such great care of the shop!

I can see why adding pictures is hard for Mom. I had great plans to add pictures today from her camera and I can't figure it out; need a different cord, I guess. Today is my sister, Heidi's, grand opening of her very own salon in Denham. It is an adorable place. I hope to post the pics sometime this weekend yet. If you have time today, take the drive. Her open house is until 6pm. Go west of Sturgeon Lake on Farm to Market Road about 6 miles. Turn left on Denham Road and continue for about 2 miles. Cross over the bridge and you will see her cute yellow cottage on the left, The Happy Scissor Beauty Shoppe.

In the meantime, below are some pictures of fabrics that arrived this week...

Photo 1: Two fabrics from Timeless Treasures. One is fabulous high heels, the other is dress forms and mannequins.

Photo 2: This is a great new line called "About Town" by Robert Kaufman. I think it is calling for a great tote bag to be made from it!

Photo 3: These adorable fabrics are from Robert Kaufman's "Forest Fun" line. I ordered it mostly for the goofy moose.