Back from vacation!

I took a summer vacation for the 1st time in a long time.  I was very fortunate to have Karen Neary mind the shop while I was away.  I came home to an order all priced and set out- which was fabulous!

This line by Moda was in the order- 'The Boathouse' by Sweetwater for Moda.  It's a nautical themed fabric line and makes you think of sailing rather than beachcombing. You can almost feel the saltiness of the sea as you imagine racing along our Atlantic coast.   It's evokes the feelings of cool evenings and warm days.  Days spent enjoying the breezes off the ocean...you can hear the boats rubbing on the docks and tugging on their moorings inviting you to one more sail...

There was a special surprise in the order- the mini charm or candy square of 2&1/2 inches. It is small & full of the same charm as it's bigger siblings- just on a much smaller scale.  

I couldn't resist,...

42 squares of 'The Boathouse' laid out...Finished it would be 12 inches across the top and 14 inches long...or maybe they will be rearranged into something else....

The above pitcure shows, 10x10 layer cake, a jelly roll, 5x5 charm squares and the cute 2.5x2.5 mini charm or candy laid out on the mini charm squares.  These precuts are now currently available at Mrs Pugsley's Emporium Inc.  

You may wish to visit the Moda Bake Shop web site to see what their designers have done with the mini charms...

Mrs P's blogs again! ...

Wow, a lot happens in a short space of time and yet I still did not make time to blog.  I'm sorry about that.  

The 7th annual Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival is coming Oct 14 to Oct 18, 2014.  Mrs P's has scored a box of brochures so feel free to come in and pick one up and if there an event you may need a few for, we can let you have those too!

Each post, I'll try to pick out a quilt related or fun project being offered....( No rythme or reason- I'm closing my eyes and picking off the brochure)

On Tuesday, Oct 14th- Vera McInnis is offering her popular Crazy Quilt course.  It will be held from 9am to 4pm at the Amherst Fire Hall.  {As a side note- you may be wondering why not the Baptist Church?- because they are doing a basement renovation and the space may not be available so alternative spaces were found.}. Contact info for Vera if you want to register or ask for more info is...

902-667-8935 or email at c.v.mcinnis@seasidehighspeed.com

Here's the disorganized part....sigh.... There should be a picture of a crazy quilt block I made in Vera's class a couple of years back!  I've looked- I had it last week but for some unknown reason- it has disappeared.  

An add in.... Someone heard of my plight of not having the block to show you and promptly sent me a picture of the the 2 crazy quilters!  Joan Beswick was an awesome 'partner in crime' that day.  I'd be the one on the right.   I had a great time in Vera's class and as a non-quilter, I was very nervous about going to 'class'. What if I made a mistake, what if I couldn't do it- lots of self doubt. 

I am so glad I went!  I learned a lot about myself and the day was for me- but the best part-I met a lot of nice people that day and I had fun!    If you are saying to yourself,'I'd like to try that'- go for it.  Give yourself permission to play.  You learn about yourself and  meet new people that are also enjoying themselves.    

A crazy quilt allows you to use bits and bobbles that you have in your sewing room. Fabrics do not need to be cotton, they can be be cottons, velvets, silk scarves and so on.  The idea is to use scraps to make these beautiful quilts.  Then they are embellished with hand work.  Vera's are exquisite and she uses ribbons to show how to make flowers and other ideas she has used.  Buttons are a great addition too.  

Vera has graciously donated a prize for the NS Fibre Arts Festival Pin-It Draw... a Crazy Quilt pillow that is absolutely beautiful. 

Remember, Mrs P's has tickets for the Pin-It Draw available  for sale.  To celebrate Karen Neary's release of her her new book on New York Beauty Quilts- named- 'Quilting Beauties Come in all Shapes & Sizes'- in the fall, Mrs P's has donated in conjunction with Showcase Tours of Amherst- a trip for 2 to New York City ( leaving in Nov- staying at the Muse Hotel) as a prize on the NS Fibre Arts Festival Pin-It Draw. There are 12 prizes to be won.   All fabulous on their own, but how awesome for the Festival to have them all on 1 ticket to help raise money to keep the festival fun and fresh!  

I'm off to spend more time looking for the lost...

Shop Hours are Changing...

Brrr- it's still a cool day here, in Amherst.  It's supposed to get to a modest 12*C today and  by the weekend, warm days should be here under sunny skies!  

This is more of a housekeeping post....

Shop Hours will be changing from June 1st on until mid to late September.  Mrs P's will start being open on Tuesdays from 1pm to 4 pm!  Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays remain the same, 10 am to 4 pm. Saturdays will now be by chance!   

As always, by chance means, if I can be here, I will be.  If Saturday is the only day you can come for a visit, by all means reach me at the shop during working hours, or send an email or find me wandering on the streets of Amherst and I can meet you here for a time that is convenient for both of us.  I am not available every Saturday, so please make contact and make sure to get a reply so that you are not disappointed by Mrs Pugsley's Emporium Inc being closed when you come. 

The phone number at the shop- let it ring, I can be pretty slow- 902-661-4260

To further muddy the waters....

Mrs P's is open this Sat from 10 til 2pm- the last scheduled Saturday for now. 

And is open on a rare ...Monday, June 2nd, 2014 from 2 pm to 5pm...

The local quild, Cumberland Quilters Guild, is having a dinner featuring the Singing Quilter, Cathy Miller at 6 pm that night.  http://www.singingquilter.com

Totally for fun...

Sometimes, we want to decorate, quickly and easily.  Using fabric can be a way to add colour and a nostalgic feel to a celebration.  People who do not sew are amazed at some of things that can be made from fabric.  

Recently in Halifax, a store had a banner made of pennants with a pinked circle sewen on it with a letter markered inside. It was beautiful !  Together, it read 'Happy Birthday' but it would be limited only by your imagination.  

There are all kinds of ways to make pennants and to string them up. 

Recently, I found a way to make a pennant from a 10 inch square.  Don't despair if you do not have access to a package of 10 inch squares- you can cut  a 10 inch width of fabric that you like & get 4 squares or use a fat quarter.  Mrs P's will cut any width that you need, so feel free to mix and match what you like.  

I was intrigued by this oriental pattern that has come in by Red Rooster, Tadashi.  There is a lovely panel and this is one of the 4 complimentary fabric to the panel.

First, the 4 ...10 inch squares were cut out.  

Next, the square is folded in 1/2 diagonally and one side is sewn.  It doesn't matter which side.

Now, turn the sewn square inside out.  Centre the seam in the middle of the back of the pennant and press.  Careful poking the tip- we really don't want a hole, but if that happens- sew the seam shut again.  

You would make more than one!  For this example, I used a piece of ribbon that was handy, but you could use ribbon, binding tape, twill tape, or any string.  This works best for a flat 'stringer' as the flap will be sewn done over the ribbon.  If it's a round 'stringer, a casing  could be made but to prevent the pennants from sliding on the string, they will need a few stitches though the 'stringer' and the pennant. 

Above, the back of the pennant.  Note, I did not stitch the raw edges down.  Depending how you will be using the finished project, back of a chair, hung from the rafters, or in a window... You can sew a quick stitch to hold the flap down.  The square can be any size, so experiment! 

Ta Da!  A finished pennant.  Mrs Pugsley's Emporium Inc has a lot of oriental fabrics in stock and I think this would be an awesome way to showcase them.  The elegant fabric is enhanced by having a finished edged rather than a raw edged look - but a pinked edge would be a lovely finish on some other more 'rustic' fabric and be totally fun.   I can see trying some of those too!  

Using a fusible web ( Wonder-Under, for example) you could fuse on letters or numbers or animals or...

A piece of batting could be put inside and then you could practice quilting on a small project to gain confidence.  The possibilities are truly endless!  

Let you imagination run free and enjoy! 

Bazinga !! ...

Yes it's true!  Mrs Pugsley's Emporium Inc has 'the Big Bang Theory' fabric in stock!  

There are 3 different patterns & colours to pick from.  The blue <Bazinga Glow> has atomic symbols and Bazinga!.  The white <Heroes in Space> has the characters posing in their favorite super hero costumes  and the black <Cast and Elements> has the characters and their names.  The fabric is printed under license by David Textiles, Inc.

There's a lot of vibrancy and fun in the fabric.  A pillowcase was in order, but I really liked the white fabric as the big piece and that meant the 2 darker colours would be together...

So, I  went with a Michael Miller print ( also in stock) as a band.  This picture shows the beginning of a French seam.  It looks so odd- starting to sew the pillowcase together- right side out- but is necessary so the product can be turned inside out and thus seam is then enclosed by putting a seam line on the inside.  

So, when we turn this right side out....

It's the finished product!

Pillowcases are fun to make and don't be afraid to play with their creations.

Beside the finished pillowcase is a kitted pillowcase by Mrs P's and it has stripes for the accent band...but they don't run parallel.  Another suggestion is the Glow in the Dark Fairy Frost by Micael Miller Fabrics....that would be fun too!  ( also in stock)

A quilt would be awesome too!  Sometimes though, a smaller project is needed for a gift and pillowcases are wonderful. ..

This pillowcase I have made with Hoffman's Bali Paradise line.  It is so crisp and summery looking.  Again there are 3 different prints to chose from- all in the Sea Breeze colour way.  I liked it best with this solid ( now carrying Michael Miller Cotton Couture- but more in a later post! ) called Candlelight.  It added a pop of colour without being too overbearing and Cotton Couture by Michael Miller is so soft to feel.  A perfect gift for a special Aunt! 

Fabric & Much More!

                        Yippee!!  Mrs Pugsley's Emporium Inc has some notions!  

At this point, they are not properly displayed but I can find things. There are Olfa blades, chenille cutters and a mix of seam rippers. Some thimbles and more. Let us know what you are looking for & we'll see if we can get them if they are not in this order. 

Organized chaos?  Maybe, but it's exciting to have straight pins, measuring tapes and more. 

Something else that came in...

... Joen Wolfram's Colour Tool, Wheel & a Ratio Tool. All tools to help quilters to interpret design choices and why some colours 'work' together better than others. 

And then there are some projects people have finished....

A hand tied small quilt made of assorted Mrs P's fabrics.  She tied on the back and looks lovely on the front and back.  An awesome job!

From a pattern by Karen Neary, also sold at Mrs P's...a collection of salvedges and yes- that orange on the left is a piece of Mrs P's ribbon.  That's so fun and exciting to think, she will carry the shop name along with her.  Another fabulous job.

As a tease, I'll show a piece of a hand quilted queen size quilt!  It was started during last years NS FibreFest- a hunter star workshop put on by the local guild.  This might not have been the original start project, as someone fell in love with the Florence line by Hoffman Fabric that was available at Mrs P's.  

Once she shows her project herself, I will show and tell a bit more. It is magnificent and a joy to behold.   

I really appreciate all those that have been bringing in your finished projects & allow me to take pictures and mention them in the blog.

Mark - Wed, April 9th on your calendar.  It's going to be project day!  I can hold up to 10 sewing machine and their 'operators'. I have 1 person confirmed of bringing in her machine and working the day away at Mrs P 's. If you would like to come and play- please let me know so I can have a table set up for you but if you want to play it by ear, by all means- drop in and see what's going on and stay to play if there is room.  I'll post more in a another blog to remind you. 

A Friendship Quilt for Marsha..

This past Saturday, Mrs Pugsley's Emporium Inc had a couple of very special guests. Marsha Cleveland, past editor of 'The Canadian Quilter', the newsletter/magazine of CQA/ACC and Dorinda McCully, CQA/ACC  NS's Regional Represenative.   

Dorinda and her husband came from Antigonish, NS with a very special quilt for Marsha on behalf of the Canadian Quilter's Association/ Association Canadienne de la Courtepointe to thank Marsha for being the Editor of The Canadian Quilter magazine for the past15 years.  (Marsha has just retired.) The Canadian Quilters Association is a National organization for quilters all across Canada with also members from some other countries.

The name of the quilt is 'Marsha's Friendship Quilt'.  The friendship star blocks were made by members of the CQA/ACC from all over Canada.  Dorinda McCully ( on the left) presents Marsha Cleveland with the quilt.  It is an amazing quilt and so are the thougts behind it.  ( photo by KA Neary)

The Amherst News very kindly came along for the presentation as well.  You may read their article here

http://www.cumberlandnewsnow.com/News/Local/2014-03-09/article-3642781/Fifteen-years-an-editor/1

For more information on the CQAACC, please visit their website at http://www.canadianquilter.com

You may sign up for an individual subscription which will allow you to receive the magazine on a quarterly basis. 

This is a great magazine for seeing what guilds are doing in other parts of Canada, reading profiles on quilters and staring in awe at pictures of some of the most spectacular quilts you have ever seen. 

Even Teddy, the hexie making bear, was amazed that they are discussing paper piecing hexies and showed some different layouts, in the 'Gizmos & Widgits' section by Daphne. There is also a great ad by Janome.  It's practically a blank page for you to design your 'dream quilt' on.  Totally brilliant! 

Not available in stores, means... non quilters, may never have seen this magazine.  It is only available with a subscription and contains Canadian content- which can be sadly lacking in the American magazines.  A great magazine and resource for Canadian Quilters and people interested in being quilters.