It's Time for Colour!...

This is the name of a travelling quilt show by the Canadian Quilters Association/Association canadienne de la courtepointe (CQA/ACC).

This is the 1st time they have done a travelling show and Mrs P's will be hosting the show on Wednesday, April 29th during normal business hours, 10 am to 4pm.  

If you check the CQA/ACC website or blog, there is info on the award winning quilters (Master Quilters)  and some photos of the quilts.  You may purchase a quilt via that link and any proceeds will go to the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada that are raised by this event. http://www.canadianquilter.com/news-events.php?ID=60

The quilts are 12 x16 inches in size.  There are 2 shows travelling so you may not see them all, but there are 18 or 19 planned to be shown in Amherst at Mrs Pugsley's Emporium Inc.

If the quilt you wish to purchase is not available, they have made greeting cards and those will be available at the travelling show for $4 each or 10 for $35.  You can also order them off their website as well.  

Up to thirty six (36) quilts in total will travel throughout Canada and are shown together, one last time at the national Quilt Canada Show, held this year in Lethbridge, Alberta from June 4 to 6, 2015. Then the quilts go to their new owners!   The travelling show, showcases, about 18 of the 36 quilts at any given time!

This is a National event that has been brought to Amherst, NS.  I thank the CQA/ACC for having this bold idea and bringing it to life.   I'm very excited to see the 18 quilts that will travel to Mrs P's! (One of the quilts will be coming back to Amherst after national show! ) 

Remember to mark your calendars for April 29th- next week-and drop in to see It's Time for Colour! 

Something new in time for Spring!...

Thread.  Do you ever think about your thread?  As most who have been in the shop learn, Mrs P's displays her cotton threads by Wonderfil in Spongeform Pans or Cheesecake Pans or Buckle Pans.  What ever you want to call them- they work!  The sides are flat, so the spools sit in there and you can see all the colours at the ends.  Below is the Tutti line- a 50 weight variegated cotton thread.

The pans are bolted to the sides of the fabric cupboards.  The spools come wrapped in plastic from the factory, so they do not get all tangled up.  Wonderfil makes great thread but there's no convenient top catch to hook the thread on, if the spool is open and not on your sewing machine.  I tend to put my thread in a drawer, pick up another colour and just cut off the tangled and ensnarled ends to get the spool I wish if I'm in a hurry.  

Imagine my delight, when they said they had WonderGuards for their thread.  I quizzed them up on this and because I still could not understand what they were, I asked them to send me a few. Turns out, WonderGuards by Wonderfil- are like a piece of clear vinyl that you wrap around your opened spool- so you are not always getting the ends tangled up! 

The white spool is a new spool, with its plastic wrap, the red/pink is open and the pink spool has its' WonderGuard on it.  Pretty nifty.  It took a day but then the lightbulb went on....

Introducing, something new in time for spring....

Mrs P's very own thread guards or thread clings!  Printed locally by Carter's Sports Cresting, they are pretty awesome!  

You peel the vinyl cling away from the white backing paper and roll it around your thread spool.  It is that simple and should work on the 2500m spools of Invisafil too.  

I couldn't resist playing with the thread today! Note the pink inner spool- that signifies a variegated thread.   Wonderfil have Konfetti- their 50 weight cotton thread in 1000 metre spools.  If you empty a spool of their thread- you have used 1 kilometre of thread.  Here in Canada, distances are measured in metres and kilometres.  A metre is a bit bigger than a yard and a kilometre is 0.6 of a mile.  

If you empy a spool- you have sewed a kilometre of thread into your projects.  Wow! 

Mrs P's now has ALL the colours in the Wonderfi's Invisafil line but on a smaller 400 metre spool.  It's an attractive display...

Invisafil 400m spools sell for $3.95 + tax.  It's a 100 weight thread- half the weight of a 50 weight thread.  Think of it as a string that is 'pulled' end to end 100 times is thinner than if the same string was only 'pulled' 50 times.  This is a cotton/poly thread as the cotton would have very poor strength by itself.  It is good for hand or machine appliqué because of the fineness of the thread.  It also can be used in machine quilting.  

Check out thread information and some video tutorials at  http://www.wonderfil.net/

A spring comes, we should be able to get out more.  Challenge yourself; pick a spool of thread up and walk the distance that was originally wound on the spool.  A little activity is better than sitting all day at your sewing machine and computers.  Fresh spring air can be inspiring too! 

Remember, buy a new spool of thread and receive a thread guard/cling emblazoned with Mrs P's! :)

Mrs P's will be closed this Saturday.  

Time for Colour! & More...

Mark April 11th on your calendars!  Karen Neary will be having a workshop at Mrs P's for her newest pattern Felicity!  

The pattern is for a runner and placemat.  Karen used Spring Hare by Lewis & Irene for the pattern.

With Karen's permission, Mrs P's has the pattern available in a kit with all the fabric needed to make the table runner for $ 42.95 .  You do not need to use the same fabric.  It's a great chance to learn paper piecing, y seams and more by using your stash.  The pattern is available alone for $12.95.  

This is also an ideal class for a person that knows how to sew, but not sure about beginning 'quilting'. A second kit is available with backing for the runner and silk batting for the runner for $59.95.  Below shows the fabric picked for the back. 

There are only 10 spaces available and you need to contact Karen directly for registration.  There is a registration fee for the class of  $55 besides the kit/pattern prices. She has a new email address : karen@karenneary.ca 

There is another date to mark on your calendar... a 'small' quilt show is coming Wednesday, April 29th to Mrs P's. It is entitled ' It's Time for Colour!'.  This Travelling Quilt Show is presented by the Canadian Quilters' Association/ Association de la courtepointe (CQA/ACC).  For now, you may find more info out here   http://cqacanadianquilting.blogspot.ca/p/blog-page.html 

Now if only the snow would stop! :) 

Open this Sat

Just a quick note to let you know Mrs P's will be open tomorrow, Sat March 14, 2015 from 

10am til 1pm. 

Cheers! 

'Felicity' is coming soon ....

Just a quick blog post to let you that Mrs P's will be closed  this Sat March 7th and reopening Tuesday at its normal time of 1pm to 4pm. 

As most are aware, Karen Neary from town is an amazing  quilt pattern designer, usually working with New York Beauty blocks.  She the artist that created that beautiful purple and orange quilt that graces one of the windows at Mrs P's.  She has also released a brand new book, 'Quilting Beauties In All Shapes and Sizes'.  She has been a true mentor to myself.  She also hates when I get over zealous in my praise of her!  :) 

So without further ado, I'll show what she has created in time for Spring .... Felicity...

...  table runner and placemat pattern!  These are made with fabric that Mrs P's has called Spring Hare by Lewis & Irene.  The pattern can be downloaded through Craftsy or bought from Mrs P's.  I am working on getting the fabric kitted up.

I'll also be posting some 'buttons' so you can order individually or as a kit  off the blog.   It will take a bit of time, but I am working on it!  In the meantime, please feel free to email orders to mrspamherst@gmail.com and we can work out what you are looking for.  

It's just a really sweet runner!  Like Spring, it is such a breath of fresh air! 

For more info,  check out sew karen-ly created at http://sewkarenlycreated.com/ Please note, pictures of Karen Neary's designs and quilting have been used with permission.  

Notions casting a spell...

I'm still finding things in the big notions box that arrived last week...

These are stencils!  There is a 5 1/2 inch Ice Crystal Blockand the smaller 3 1/2 inch Ice Crystal Block, the Scrolling Daisy Block at 4 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches and a 5 inch Dream Boat Block! See the stickers on the stencil? They show where to start stitching for a continuous line. 

The 2 inch Heart Vine Border also has a continuous stitch line suggested...the 9 inch Durham Fan stencil does not...making me think, it is more for hand quilting and could be used in the corners or as a medallion depending on repeats and placement.  

Just in case you were wondering, the gorgeous red material they are resting on, is from Stof and the flowers are poppies. 

I'm just beginning to explore stencils in quilting.  Next will be the things available to mark these patterns into your quilt.  There is a huge selection for marking on quilt tops from a regular pencil , chalk products to markers that disappear when heated!  

Meanwhile...

The basting pins will need to be removed, but what a possibility!  Not a queen size quilt, just a package of mini charms (2&1/2inch squares) sewn together. All in the name of, Learning to quilt! What a wonderful adventure! 

It snowed again! ...spring-y fabrics...

It's been another day, well half day, of snow here in Amherst, NS, so I thought you would like to see some spring fabric that has arrived!  

Drumroll, please!

Introducing....'Spring Hare' by Lewis & Irene....

Also by Lewis & Irene is the 'Make a Wish' line...

And the Hoffman Challenge Fabric - Mandalay ( hoffmanchallenge.com ) is still available....

If you are interested in any of these fabrics, please e-mail and they can be shipped out to you! I'll be showing more of the Lewis & Irene fabric in another post and you'll be able to see more of the individual fabrics.  

Mrs P's also has notions! I thought I might be able to show some fun things of those too!

So, do you know what this is?! 

Hint...the plyable plastic discs hold something that usually gets all tangled up...and sits one on top of the other or can be separated....

Hmmm,  yes! A Bobbin Holder! 

A Stack'nStore Bobbin Tower by Clover gives a place to store up to 30 bobbins and keeps them neat.  You are also able to see the colours at a glance and, if going to a class or sewing date, take just the disc that you need!  You can also order via e-mail, the Stack'nStore Bobbin Tower to ship to you.