Beat the Winter Blues....

Ohh, the winter blues... here at Seams Like Home Quilt Shop, we celebrate Christmas in July, so this year why not celebrate

Summer (or July) in January/ February?

After all, coundn't we use a little summer warmth this time of year?

So stop in and stock up for some great projects to keep your spirits up as the temperature continues to dip.

Saturday, January 30th : 9am-2pm

Monday, February 2nd: noon-5pm

Tuesday, February 3rd: 10am-5pm

Savings on:

20% off all juvenile and baby panels and prints

($4.80 for panels and $6..79-$7.59 per yard on prints) Why not make a few extra baby quilts this winter to have on hand for upcoming baby showers?

Over 50 new bolts added to the $5/yard clearance area

Quality fabrics, marked down. What a great way to save on backings!

With a $50 minimum purchase receive a 20% off coupon for long arm quiliting at Backwoods Quilting. A great way to get a few quilt tops completed this winter.

Baby it's COLD outside!

It's back to business today and Melissa and I would like to take this time to send you wishes for a peaceful and productive New Year. It was so good to unlock the shop doors this morning and see the "new look". Although Melissa was here most everyday over the holidays, I wasn't. So...I spent about a half an hour walking around, seeing what's new, eyeing up the samples and feeling a renewed sense of "let's get sewing".

Most of us have retreats planned for late winter and early spring and with the Christmas projects sent out to their new owners, the field is wide open for inspiration.

By now I hope all of you have received the new newsletter. I read through it myself this morning and frankly I plan to take every class. I think Melissa has gone above and beyond and found projects to make the winter fun. Love the t-shirt scarf, the re-cycled sweater mittens, all the handbags, the "It's a wrap! Bowls and Baskets(I'm making the sample for this one) and well you get the picture. We are offering again the class for Photo Quilt Labels, Thursday March 4. I simply cannot urge you strongly enough to take this class. Don't tell your story on the front of the quilt and leave off the ending. If for some reason the newsletter did not make it to your inbox, please call the shop. We don't want you to miss a thing.

New lines here at the shop include "American Vintage" by Windham Fabrics, also from Windham "Botanical", "Marrakesh"from Blank Quilting also from Blank "Winter Wonderland" and "Evening Mist" by Sentimental Studios for Moda. The sweet valentine's table runner featured in the photos is from "L'Amour" by Sandy Gervais for Moda and sells for $20.99 and includes everything for the project. The featured quilt is "Dot to Dot" it measures 48x72 and would make a sweet quilt for some little gal in your life.

Open sewing every Tuesday. Block of the months are 4 months strong and starting to visualize the finished project. "Quilters Book Club" starts next Thursday. There is still time to read the book and join us for sewing, discussion and of course, food. We'll meet on the 14Th, the first book is "The Quilter's Apprentice" by Jennifer Chiaverini and we are sewing blocks from "Sylvia's Bridal Sampler".

And then there's this:

Today before work I was running errands, feeling distracted and running late. I stopped at a stop sign and crossing the road in front of me was an elderly gentleman, maybe 80 wearing bright red tennis shoes. It's going to keep me smiling for the rest of the day.

till next time!

Hustling and Bustling!

"Hustling and Bustling" are the words of this season I remember hearing as a child. That is exactly what everyone is doing!

Here at Seams Like Home we invite you to stop in and see the entry's in the "Dancing with the stars" contest. I have posted the photos but as we all know, photos never do the real thing justice. Voting is ongoing and will continue until the 19th of December. Winners will be announced Monday the 21st.

On Saturday December 19th, Seams Like Home is hosting our annual "End of the Year Inventory Reduction Sale". Sale is from 9am-2pm, all fabric cuts of one yard or more are 15% off. Also,15% off all kits and 10% off all other In-stock merchandise. A great time to treat yourself to that project you've been eyeing up.

We have new hours for the Winter Season. The shop will be open 12-5 on Mondays, 10-5 Tu-Fri and Sat. 9-2. Please make note and we will let you know in the Spring when we return to Summer Hours. Also FYI the shop will close at 1pm on December 24 and will re-open Saturday January 2,2010. OK I think that takes care of the business news.

Like everyone I am sewing for Christmas. There was a point in late October that I thought I may not get it all together. I am happy to report that other than 2 labels, I am done except for the wrapping. We have seen many lovely projects and creative designs that are going to make someone happy over the holidays.

Quilt retreat in Febuary will be here before we know it. If you are joining us, December is the month deposits are due. Maybe pick up something at the sale on the 19th for Feb. sewing.

The predictions for snow are in the forcast. I see flakes flying in the air. This Saturday, the 12th, is the 3rd running of the "Mike Breeggemann Memorial Denham Dash". We hold this event the 2nd weekend of each December to raise money for the local fire department in Mike's name. It is always "cold!" yet everyone still comes and joins in. The race is a fun walk/run from Mike's driveway to Mikey's bar. Call the shop for more info., we'd be pleased to have you join us.

And then there is this: Yesterday I set up the Christmas tree. The first time since 2006. It was hard. Mike and Christmas are very tied together in my mind. The last year Mike came home I had just finished setting up the tree. When he came over and saw it he said"you got the tree up, it looks great." That tree stood untouched for the next 18 months. It did not come down until Marty and I sold the house and I was forced to take it down. At one point I even thought about transporting it fully decorated to Mike's house where we now live. You see it wasn't just a tree anymore, it was the last tree. I set the tree up yesterday and then I stood back and said what I say every-year, "Isn't the tree beautiful", I could hear Mike saying "what took you so long".

And finally, last week Mike's friend Sam from the Hotshot Crew stopped in on his way across the country to visit his folks in Upstate New York. We were having coffee the morning he left, talking fire and Sam told me this. He said one of the most important lessons he learned from Mike when Mike was the Squad Boss of the crew was this. Mike said, "when you get to a fire, there will be alot of personnel there, Government and Private. Many people with differing opinions, skill levels and work ethic." He said "you look around and decide who your people are going to be, and then you go and fight the fire". In my mind the same holds true for all life. You look around and decide who your people will be and then you go and fight the fire.

On behalf of Seams Like Home Quilt Shop, Melissa and I would like to wish you and yours love and laughter this Holiday season, we thank-you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support both on a business level and on a personal level and at the end of everday we wish you the courage to "fight the fire".

till next time!

Did I say "later today"?

O.K. I know I said "later today" and yet somehow 2 weeks
managed to get by me. Nevertheless, I want to introduce
you to my newest grand-daughter Mallory. The proud Mom
in the photo is my daughter Katie. Both Mom and Mallory are
doing well and for that we are thank-full. Mallory joins
her two sisters, Monica and Laura and for Kevin and Katie, and all of our family, they are a "hat-trick" of the best kind.
Here at the shop it is busy, as usual. Although we didn't make it to Houston this fall, Melissa and I always take in Tri-State. The local trade show. We attend the meeting which this year featured a presentation of new and great from this years Market. It was then followed by an open forum discussion of business management techniques and marketing ideas. The "giveaways" are always great, the vendors really step up and donate from their product lines to entice the shop owners. We have been going often enough now that most faces are recognizable and names come much easier.
Back at the shop, we are cutting fat quarters until I could do it in my sleep. Make preparations for the "Fat Quarter Scramble" next tuesday. Arrive early, when they are gone, they are gone! New fabric arrives daily and although Fall fabric is still #1, we are seeing customers searching for last minute Christmas ideas. To help them out, Melissa has kitted table-runners in 3 different combinations. They are cute, fast and inexpensive. We've placed our Moda order from the new lines shown at Market. This fall we asked for help from the customers because it was all lovely and very hard to choose. We got some good advice and look forward to the new bolts arriving starting after the holidays. Open sewing is held all tuesdays, join us whenever you have the time. We have some modified hours our the long weekend of Thanksgiving. I will be working on Friday for any of you that don't participate mega-shopping craziness.
And then there is this:
After we leave Tri-State it has become tradition for us to go over to IKEA. We love that store and like to just follow the trail through the store gathering ideas and picking fun stuff up along the way. We reached the check-out area and the lines were long. Melissa was holding Nolan and very untypical for him he had fallen asleep in her arms. A woman waiting in the next line came over to Melissa and told her how she envied the fact that Melissa was able to hold that little boy and how you never forget how great that feels. She said her son is now eleven and no longer stands still for any affection, much less getting held. And then she said this. "I wish I knew when I was doing it, that it was the last time that my son would let me hold him like that. I wish I would have known it was the last time"
This is what I know. You never want to know the last time of anything good. You do not want to know.
Till next time

Let's hear it for Quilt Camp!

Our "Quilt Camp" group took some time off to pose for a quick photo.
Melissa is displaying an autograph sampler she was presented by the
group. What a great weekend! I am always amazed by just how much sewing and projects you can finish when sewing is your priority. Quilt camp has become a
gathering of friends. We get together twice a year and we are
now as comfortable with each other as a group can be. We share
inspiration, ideas, projects and plans. More importantly though
we share stories, laughter, support and wine. We look forward to February when the group will gather again.
In the shop we are in full Autumn swing. There is something about the fabrics of Fall that speak to all of us. Those rich reds, brillant oranges, multi-colored greens and deep golds. They are simply everyone's colors.
I hope you have marked your calenders for the "Fat Quarter Scramble" it is coming up November 17th. Call the shop for details. Also looking ahead: Our Thanksgiving weekend Sale, Friday the 27th and Saturday the 28th.
Again this year we support "National Tie-one On Day". November 21st. Make your favorite apron (we have many patterns in the shop for inspiration), bake a loaf of bread, wrap in the apron along with an inspirational poem handed out at the shop. Deliver to someone you know, thats needs a little support, understanding and love. If you have much to be thank-ful for, pass it along.
I must stop for now but will be back later today. I have a very important person to introduce to you. My new grand-daughter Mallory.
Till next time!