Zig Zaggety

August Already!! 
Time sure flies when you are having fun!

Have you been in the store lately?

Come in and check out this lovely quilt pieced and quilted by Natilie Thompson 
of Nestled long arm quilting company:





We have mentioned Natilie Thompson before, as she does such a great job quilting with fast turnaround. She is in the store every Friday from 10-12 to consult with people about their quilts to make sure that they turn out just the way you want them :)

The quilt is called Zig Zaggety from Kari Ramsay's book 'Tidbits from Triangles'. I must say it is adorable and looks perfect for a beginner or a weekend project. My Sister's quilts even have kits available for this beauty featuring the 'Two to Tango' fabric line from Exclusively Quilters.







Kari's book is available at the store for only $6 and features 10 projects made from mostly half square triangles. Check out more about Kari or follow here on her blog Here

Since August is here it is also time to think about getting all those projects for Christmas finished! Come on into the store and you are sure to find the perfect project for your loved one, and someone to help you get it done in time too! 

Drum-roll Please.....!!!

Its time.

Time for our Fun, Exciting, Awesome news!

I have been waiting months to make this announcement, and now I can not contain my joy :)

Are you ready?

My Sister's Quilts is going to be part of a Shop Hop this year!!!!!

Formerly the 'Scenic Byway' shop hop, the BEEHIVE Shop Hop consists of 18 stores up and down the Wasatch front, and we are so excited to be a part of it! 

So when is it? June 13-16, the same days as the Wasatch Shop Hop so there will be twice as much fun to go around. Each store will have a quilt block design, so try to collect all 18 :)

On Friday the ladies at the store will be demonstrating how to use Deb Tucker's rulers, and of course all four days will be full of fun, games, treats, and of course giveaways! You don't need a passport for this shop hop, but you will have a chance to win $100 Gift Certificate! Sounds like fun to me ;-)

If you want to read up on some of the quilt shops participating this year, hop on over to the shop hop blog here. The store will also be open for extended hours on Friday (10-9) and Saturday (9-6) so you have some extra time if you will be trying to hit all the shops (like me)! 

This really is big news for us, and we hope that it will be a great success :)

 Tell all your friends.

 Carpool and share chocolate and maybe even a Diet Coke.

 Find a pattern you love at the first shop and then get a piece of fabric at each subsequent shop to make an awesome quilt for yourself.

 Make some memories and share quilt stories with the new friends that you meet. 

Goodness this is going to be so much fun!!

You can pick up a list of participating shops and addresses at My Sister's Quilts, but here are the names of the shops: Bennion Crafts- Kaysville & Ogden, Brooks Fabrics, Cotton Shops- Murray, Sandy, Provo, Fabric Center, Fabric Mill, Floyd and Lizzie's Quilting Palace, Gracie Lou's, Just Sew, Morganson Custom Frame and Sew Forth, My Heritage Fabrics, My Sister's Quilts, The Quilting Cottage, The Material Girls Quilts, Sew 'n Save, and Sew Right Fabrics. 

Spring Open House!!!

****Oops! In the original post we stated that Marcea from Abbey Lane would be signing their "Simple Choices" Book, but she will actually be signing copies of her Baby Times book. Sorry for the mix up!!!*****




It's that time again!! Time for the Spring Open House!

 New classes, new friends, and new projects are waiting for you at My Sister's Quilts!! 

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week the store will be open later than usual so you can come in a preview the new classes, decide which new projects you want to start, and learn a little something new. 

And... (drum-roll please)....

As our special guest on Saturday, Marcea from Abbey Lane Quilts will be here for a trunk show and to sign copies of thier new book "Baby Times"!! I for one can't wait. Are you familiar with Abby Lane Quilts?? If not, you should be! Beautiful and simple designs for just about everyone, but especially for the modern quilter. 

Its the perfect time to pick up their book and get some new fabric too, because you know what open house means right?? 

SALE TIME!!

For the open house from Thursday through Saturday, everything in the store is 15% off (excluding sale/clearance items, classes, and BOMs).

Also all this week (like right now!) precut fat quarters are only $2, Fat eight bundles (4 precuts) are only $4.15 each, and 1/3 yard precuts are only $2.65, and all books are 20% off! 

Remember too that Mother's day is coming up soon, so why not get yourself an early present?!?! Hope to see you there!

Giving Back

Have you ever noticed how nice and giving most quilters are? We all have so many plans for quilts for others. We rarely make a quilt that we don't plan to give away. If you are one of those giving quilters that just love to piece new blocks but don't always have a plan for them then we have a great opportunity for you. 

'My Sisters Quilts' is currently accepting donations to make quilts for "Home of the Brave", an organization that honors the families of fallen soldiers. A group of Utah Quilters lead by Pat Moseman would like to give memorial quilts to the families of Utah soldiers who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Sounds like a worthy cause to me. If you want to help there are three different things you can do:

1) Pick up a kit for just $1 at My Sisters Quilts to make a 12 1/2 in block and return it to the shop

2) Create your own 12 1/2 in block from red, white, and blue or civil war reproduction fabrics and drop it off at the shop.

3) Donate batting or civil war reproduction fabrics to go toward the finished quilts. 

Pat Moseman will pick up the finished blocks (it takes 15 blocks per quilt) and any fabric or batting donations and turn them into beautiful quilts for these amazing families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. 

This is for a national organization and if you want to learn more or download the pattern and instructions for the blocks, visit the website www.homeofthebravequilt.com . The pattern download is under the quilts tab. And if you know of a family that deserves one of these quilts, you can also nominate them to receive one on the website. 

We hope that as many of you that are willing and able will help with this project! We believe it to be a worthy cause and would love any help that you can give us!

Meet the 3 Dudes

How many of you have been to Phoenix AZ and had the pleasure to visit 3 Dudes Quilting?? 

Linda recently had the chance to visit them and had a whole lot of fun. She chatted with Jeff (one of the 3 dudes) while she was visiting the shop and came across an incredible, and simple, quilt she wanted to share with you all. Ray (another of the 3 dudes) came up with a beautiful way to use strips to make an endless variety of very interesting quilts. Check out their web site for a download of the pattern for "Lets Strip It Majestic Mountain Quilt" by Ray Steeves (its the first on this list). 

Here is a video from the Missouri Star Quilt Company demonstrating this great quilt block. It is so easy!

While your at it, check out some of the other tutorials from the Missouri Star. They have some really great, not to mention easy, tricks to help you make some gorgeous quilts. When you fall in love with one (which is inevitable) come on into the shop and we can help you pick the perfect fabric for your new project!

Linda is making the Majestic Mountain Quilt out of the Scoot fabrics from Riley Blake. 

She will display it in the shop when it is done. Can you imagine how cute that is going to be?? 

I for one can not wait!!! 

What are some of your favorite online quilt tutorials?

Sugar Cookies and the BEST frosting ever!

Greetings!

One of the things that my mother in law mentioned she loved about going into the store is the recipes the ladies share. She happened to get a recipe for clam chowder and then made it the following day for the whole family. (YUM)

So while I was pondering what to put on the blog today, I thought I might share with you one of my most favorite family recipes for sugar cookies!

Now these are the type of sugar cookies that you can roll out and decorate, not the kind you roll in sugar and come out chewy. The best part of this recipe is that there is no refrigeration required. So if you are like me and forget to prepare things in advance, this is perfect.

A word about the frosting. It really is the BEST. Its just a simple buttercream that goes well on everything, but honestly, I am not usually one who enjoys frosting, and this has me licking the beaters. So good. 

Here you go, my family's secret for awesome sugar cookies and buttercream frosting!

Sugar Cookies

8oz package cream cheese, softened

3/4 c butter, softened (the real stuff)

1 c sugar

2 ts vanilla

2 1/4 c flour

1/2 ts baking soda

Method: 

Beat butter and cream cheese together in a standing mixer (or with a hand mixer) with the paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 1-2 min. Add sugar and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add flour and baking soda and mix thoroughly. Roll out on a clean lightly floured surface to 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Cut out as desired with cookie cutters and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min. Do not over bake~if they look done, they are overdone. Makes about 3 dozen

Buttercream Frosting (adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

10 Tb unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), softened

2 ts vanilla

1 1/4 C (5 oz) confectioners' sugar

pinch table salt

1 Tb heavy cream

Method: 

In a standing mixer with the whip attachment, cream the butter on medium high until smooth (20 sec). Add sugar and salt and beat on medium-low until combined (1 min). Scrape down the side of the bowl as necessary. Add heavy cream and vanilla and beat until incorporated on medium. Then increase the speed to medium high and whip for at least 4 min until light and fluffy. Makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes or one Sugar Cookie recipe. 

ENJOY!!

Did You Know??

Did you know that there are a variety of services available to you at My Sisters Quilts?? 

For example, though the store itself does not house a long arm quilter, there are THREE fabulous ladies that have regular hours at the shop so you can drop off you quilt tops to be quilted!

Nifty right?

On Thursday nights from 5:00-7:00pm you can drop off your quilt and choose a design for it to be quilted with Paula Everill. She has many designs for you to choose from (over 1000!) starting at $.015 per square inch and up. Look at some examples of her work HERE.

On Friday mornings from 11:00-12:30 Natalie Thompson of Nestled Long Arm Quilting Company is at My Sisters Quilts for drop off and consultations. Natalie specializes in edge to edge quilting and her designs start at just $.01 per square inch. She also has a fast turnaround, so if you are in a time crunch, she is your gal!

Then on Saturdays from 10:00-12:00 Dona Marie will be at the shop for drop offs. She also has a quick turn around (about one week), 1000s of designs starting at $.01 per square inch, and she also does custom work. Visit her website HERE to view her FAQ and gallery of work. 

You can also call the shop and ask for their contact info and call them for a private consultation :) 

So now that you know, there is no excuse to have a pile of un-quilted quilt tops! Bring them in and one of these three fine ladies will help you make that quilt a family treasure!