Just a little bit modern!

Our Scrap Tamers 2013-2014 Club has ended for the year.  We always include a mystery quilt as part of the club and have club members show their quilt tops at the last session.  This year we named the quilt "Just a Little Bit Modern".  Being a fairly traditional shop, this was a fun stretch for us. What a variety of fabric choices!  So fun to see how these turned out.  So enjoy the slide show.

We had a great group of members this year and are looking forward to a new club starting in September.  Watch for more information about it this summer.

Make a photo slideshow

Mystery Weekend #50 Show & Tell at Glad Creations

Wow! We've finished our 4th session of Mystery Weekend #50 here at the shop. We had about 75 participants in 4 sessions. We saw loads of fun show & tell - always a highlight of the weekend!  It's so fun to see all the wonderful designs and fabric selections. We snapped some photos so we can share it with you!

We saw quite a few quilts that were started in previous Mystery Weekends. I've labeled the names of quilts that were made using Glad Creations patterns. We also saw several versions of Glacier Star, a quilt designed by Judy Niemeyer, that were started in a class at the shop with instructor Julie Arrowood. We saw a couple Bali Wedding Star quilts too, also from a Judy Niemeyer design, started in class with Julie this past year.

So, sit back and enjoy the show!

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Fall Classes--What's new?

Now that the summer sale is over, it' s time to plan for our fall classes.  We're now in the midst of planning the fall class schedule. (this is hard when it's 100 degrees outside). Watch for it in your mailbox or on the website early in August.  We've got some fun new classes in the making.  Of course, we'll have the basic hand and machine classes offered as always but it's always fun to add some new ones.  Julie is coming up with a couple new Judy Neimeyer classes.  Dee is planning a handwork club and will again offer her Electric Quilt class.  Cheri will be teaching handquilting along with her color clubs.  Pat and Annemarie can get you started with good basic quilting classes.  Nancy and I are planning the next mystery weekend--and mystery by mail.  This will be number 50!  Can you believe it?  I'll also be teaching the North Star Quilt using the Spotlight tool.  Have you seen the sample at the shop?  First day to signup for classes will be Thursday, August 16.

We'll also be starting a new year of our Scrap Tamers Plus From Marti and Me Club.  This club will run for 9 months, once a month, and has been very popular.  Last year for the 1st time, we combined our Scrap Tamers with the From Marti and Me club.  Each month we focused on a different tool and members received a pattern using that tool.  Members learned a lot about using the Marti Michell tools and rulers.  We learned a lot too so we'll be combining the clubs again!

One of the favorite features of our club has been the scrappy mystery quilt. Each month, members received instructions to make a section of the quilt.  Many of the club members showed their finished tops at the last class.  It's always great fun to see the same quilt pattern in different fabric and color combinations.  We've included some photos from the last class.  Watch for this quilt to turn into a pattern!  We named it Hopscotch.  We're planning the next Scrap Tamers mystery quilt now and it's going to be fun. 
And of course we always show you all the new things that have arrived at the shop so you are among the first to know. First day to sign up for Scrap Tamers Plus From Marti and Me is Saturday, August 25. 

 Mark the dates for class signup and Scrap Tamers signup on your calendars!  And don't forget the Quilt Minnesota Shop hop runs from August 3 to August 19.  We're getting some samples made using the fun new fabrics designed especially for the hop.  Hope to see you then.

A Quilting Retreat

Would you believe that Nancy and I have never gone on a quilt retreat? I know that many of you go on retreats--we've heard all of the fun stories. We know you go again and again, so it must be fun. Well, this is our first. We won't be teaching, just participating. Will we bring enough projects? What if we forget something important? I've been trying to organize my projects today. Of course that was after I finished my mystery quilt which I can't bring with me! I'm bringing parts to make a 7 sisters quilt using the Marti Michell templates, the next project for Scrap Tamers and some parts for the Scrap Tamers mystery quilt. I might get together some half-square triangle paper piecing for a quilt I've always wanted to make--one by From My Heart to Your Hands. Don't quite have it pulled together, but might get some of it organized. Is that enough? I might spend some time on a nature walk--I've heard that the Lanesborough area is beautiful. I've also heard you can get a massage. Now that would be fun. And I've got a new book I'm reading. Oh, and handwork on the binding for the Twin Cities Shop Hop Quilt--may pass it around for anyone wishing to put their feet up and do some handwork. Am I ready????? Did I forget anything???? I'll let you know how it went. Please respond with any tips you have.

Mystery Weekend 48

All four sessions of Mystery Weekend 48 are done. We can't show the Mystery Quilts yet because some folks are still working on the quilt via Mystery by Mail. But, we can share all the fun "show & tell" that we saw during the Mystery Weekend sessions. We saw lots of quilts from past Mystery Weekends and many other fun projects that participants have been working on recently.
We snapped some photos during "show & tell" so we could share all the fun in a slide show. We've labeled quilts that use Glad Creations patterns plus some that were made in other classes at Glad Creations. It's so fun to see our Glad Creations designs come back made up in so many different color combinations! You'll also see a preview of some of the quilts that are in the works for our Sylvia's Bridal Sampler show that we'll be hanging in January.

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Fall Fun

The next session of quilting classes will be starting this month. We have some fun ones in the lineup. Whether you want a traditional quilting class taught by Pat Cox, a beginning machine piecing class taught by Annemarie Yohnk, a Lone Star class taught by Cheri Merritt or a once a month club we have something for you. Check out the class schedule on our website to see the complete list of fall classes.
Cheri teaches our Lone Star Class. She has made many Lone Star Quilts. She won a ribbon on one of them at the Minnesota Quilt show in June. You can see a photo of that quilt and another one that she has in progress on her blog. And don't let the Lone Star Quilt scare you! The small quilt you make in the class will teach you the techniques needed for perfectly matched points, perfect set-in corners and a star with a flat center. Your friends will really be impressed!
And if you want a monthly club, there are still a few openings in the 1:00 session of Scrap Tamers Plus From Marti and Me Club. We're excited to get a new year going.

Don't forget to enter our September Anniversary Drawing. Enter you name every time you come into the shop during September. We're giving away a really fun quilt called Northwoods.

Class Signup

Thursday, August 11, is the first day to sign up for Fall classes. There are some great ones coming up. We have some new ones in the plan so be sure to check on the website to see what looks like fun. Cheri will be teaching a color class. Dee has scheduled a machine quilting refresher class if you'd like a little more hands on help with planning or quilting. I'll be teaching a Lemoyne Star class using the new Rapid Fire Ruler by Deb Tucker. Nancy and I are working on the next Mystery Weekend quilt. And of course, all the basics are also in the schedule.

We'll be starting a new Scrap Tamers this fall. We're calling it Scrap Tamers Plus From Marti & Me Club. (What a long name). After some input from last year's group, we decided to combine the 2 clubs into one club. Signup for Scrap Tamers Plus Club is on Saturday August 27. We have the signup sheets ready and you can pick them up early if you'd like. We will be doing a mystery quilt like we've done in Scrap Tamers before, but also doing projects each month from the Marti & Me Club. We put together some sample bundles for both the mystery quilt and the September Marti & Me project for those of you who do not want to choose your own fabrics. There is also a poster of the Sept. project at the shop. After reading the Marti & Me pattern, I feel like I've already learned some new techniques. This should be fun!

Be sure and ask if you have any questions about upcoming classes.

Our busy neighborhood

This weekend is the Powderhorn Art Fair. It runs on Saturday from 10:00 - 6:00 and on Sunday from 10:00 - 5:00 and is just down the street from us. It's a great art fair with 184 artists this year. It runs in conjunction with the Uptown Art Fair and the Loring Park Art Festival. It's a nice venue for the art fair, with all the artist's tents surrounding Powderhorn lake. It does make our parking situation a little tough. If you are coming for class, you'll want to drop off your machine at the door and then go to park. We'll be there to help however we can. If you are shop hopping, hopefully you might be lucky and find a spot that another hopper or art fair lover has just left. The art fair crowds usually thin out later in the day. Keep in mind that we will be open until 8:30 on both Monday and Tuesday of the coming week. The parking will be super easy both of those days. Or come and enjoy the Powderhorn Art Fair while you're in the neighborhood!

Rapid Fire LeMoyne Star

Most of the year I complain because my basement sewing room is so cold. Not the last few days. With the temperature at close to 100 degrees and the humidity just about as close, I've really been lucky to get to spend extra time in my "cold" sewing room. I just finished a sample of the Rapid Fire LeMoyne Star. It will be a new class in the soon to be coming Fall class schedule. It uses the square-up tool by Deb Tucker which makes all of those stars go together perfectly. We'll be demonstrating some of her square up rulers on Friday, July 29 and Saturday, July 30. That's the first weekend of the Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop. If you can't make it to the demos, we do have some demo boards set up at the shop so you can see how her tools work. They're pretty slick!

Hope you are planning on "hopping" during the Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop. Pick up a passport at your first shop to get yourself started. There are 10 shops in the Central East Section. Each will be giving away a pattern for a 9" block, a charm square of the shop hop fabric, a card listing a "Step toward better quilting" and a charm with a $10 purchase. If you get to all 10 shops, you will receive a bag pattern designed by Terri Atkinson especially for our section. I think it would be really cute with all of the charms sewn on it. We have made several small samples using the Shop Hop fabric. The ideas keep coming, but the time is getting close. The joint buses between the Central East and the Central Section will all be running, and there is still time to sign up for one.

So, what project can I work on next that takes me into my "cold" sewing room? Maybe I'll get started on the Scrap Tamers Mystery Quilt. That sounds like fun!

Lazy Days of Summer!

Whatever happened to the lazy days of summer? We are busier than ever at the shop! The Minnesota Quilters show in St. Paul was wonderful. It's always one of the highlights of the year. It's so much fun for us to reconnect with all of our quilting friends. And the quilt display was great.
But that's not all! Today Nancy and I are the speakers at the St. Cloud Heritage Quilters guild meeting. We'll be heading up to St. Cloud this afternoon with about 25 quilts, some older, some newer, some rarely seen from our own collections. It's always fun to show the quilts and talk about our shop history. Did you know we will have been in business for 35 years in August? Things have certainly changed in the quilting world.
The class schedule is in the works. New classes for the fall and a new plan for Scrap Tamers. Watch for it to come in the mail in early August. And you should be getting a postcard about our pre-inventory sale coming up July 14-16.
We are also busy getting ready for the Quilt Minnesota Shop hop which begins on July 29th. Our fabric has arrived, so we are busy getting some samples made. Shelly and Pat made a fun display of the fabrics so come in and get a sneak peek! I took a photo, but it is much better to see it in person! If you were thinking of taking one of the convenience buses, give us or one of the other shops a call. Sign ups have been a little slow--so decisions will be made soon on whether all of the buses will run.

Scrap Tamers Spring Surprise

Look at all the quilters that made the Spring Surprise Mystery Project in Scrap Tamers. They were all entered into a drawing for 1 of 4 gift certificates at Glad Creations. The table runners and toppers are great! Thanks to all of you for participating in Scrap Tamers this year. We will be working on the plans for next year soon. Signup day is August 27th with the first session starting on the 3rd Saturday of September. We've got some new ideas in our heads so watch for more information coming soon.
Susan

Suzi Purse Insert and More

I just finished making a couple Suzi Purse Inserts. The pattern is from Lazy Girl Designs and as always her pattern is well written and easy to put together. Use these anywhere you need some pockets. There are pockets on both the inside and outside. Move the inserts from purse to purse or use them to organize things at your desk or craft area. The pattern includes instructions for 2 sizes. She has planned the sizes to fit into many of the Lazy Girl Designs bags. Maybe next I'll make a Suzi Insert and a matching bag! I wonder which one to make?

Mystery Weekend

Just finished our first session of Mystery Weekend #47. What fun! The group loved the quilt and got lots and lots of sewing done. Wonderful show and tell, lots of chatting and plenty of goodies to munch on. Thanks, ladies! We have 2 more sessions scheduled for the end of this week--and a final session on March 26 and 27. If you are not coming to one of our mystery weekends, you can still have fun with this quilt by signing up for mystery by mail #47. Same quilt! Check out the 2 kit choices on our website at www.gladcreationsquilts.com. The members of the first mystery weekend are sworn to secrecy--so don't try to get any tips from them.