Carol just finished this Dash of Summer quilt. she used mostly Need'l Love's Stone Cottage. I've always loved pink and brown together.

Nadine and Karen spent the day in the annex cutting fat quarters for our Fat Quarter Frenzy August 22 nd. Be sure to mark your calendar.

We just received some vinyl coated fabrics from Michael Miller.

Here are a couple of them. I've been trying my hand today at designing a bag to use them for. Needless to say, I didn't like what I came up with or I would be showing it to you. Now I know why Amy Butler's purse pattern cost $12.95! I'm not going to give up yet. I think I have a good idea. I just need to implement it. Of course after that I'll have to figure out how to write the pattern. Wish me luck.

Mardell finished another flannel lap quilt that will be great for the men in your life - besides, it's in a color range that will look good in your home.

Today was a book work day for me. I was also working on an ad for the next Country Register. Since it's for the September/October edition I needed to include Pumpkin Gathering (September 11 & 12) and also the week of the AQS show in Des Moines. We're not going to vend at the show and will instead extend shop hours and have special sales here in Elk Horn. If you're making plans to attend the show, why not plan to visit Prairie Star Quilts on your way there or home? We'll open the shop early or late if you let us know when you are coming. Of course, buses are welcome!

Couldn't resist taking this photo in my garden this evening. It's hard to believe how quickly Summer is passing

Today we started making plans for the days of the AQS show in Des Moines at the end of October. We have decided not to vend at the show and will instead extend our hours and do some special things at the shop those days. Details later.

Wednesday Charlie and I left for Wisconsin to attend a tractor show. It was a beautiful drive - the weather is so great this Summer. I think our crops look better in Iowa. We talked to some farmers from Indiana who said their crops were really suffering from lack of rain.

I took the latest doll quilt along fo hand quilt on the way. I really like to hand quilt them if I can find the time. This evening I worked on it some more while I sat out on the deck. I also finished putting the binding on my nieces wedding quilt. It's a simple quilt - just ten inch squares of black and white toiles- but king sized so it took a while.

We're starting to make a variety of flannel PSQ Easy Lap Quilt kits as the new Fall and Winter flannels come in. this one is from a Christmas line. We're also making quite a few based on wildlife themes.

Everyone loves to receive these as gifts - you can piece one in an evening. With all the fannels we have you are sure to find one to fit anyone's interests

Here are three of the 11 quilts I just placed in the online store of our website. These are from the left, Margaritaville, Color My World and Dinosaur Parade. all are in great colos to spice up your Summer.

Tomorow our Moda fabric rep will be here. I love looking at new fabric - it's a tough job, but someone has to do it!

Nadine just completed a new sample for our Simple Star $10 kit. We've literally sold thousands of these kits in the last 7 or 8 years. I designed it to use for my Beginning Quilt Class and stays very popular. We do the kit in all sorts of fabric combinations.

County Fair

We spent a little time today at the Shelby County Fair. These local fairs are almost a thing of the past and that's a shame.
It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed antique tractors, quilts and needlework displays and cattle judging.
When we got home I helped Charlie with a few outdoor things.

When we got done with Crazy Dane Dayz today we still had a couple of half price kits so I'm going to put them in the Outlet Store on our website.

The bright one is Snapshots and the pastel one is Water's Edge.

Shar finished two new samples. On the left is Margaritaville (made from Turning Twenty again) shown with Key LIme Pie (from Slash a Stash). They both seem to shout SUMMER.

We're all set up for our Crazy Dane Dayz sale tomorrow in the Retreat Center.

I've spent quite a bit of time today getting ready for the filming Monday of our first quilting program on our local access channel. Not sure yet when it will air, but I will keep you posted.

Garden Tour photos

For some great photos of our Quilts in the Garden Tour 2009 visti the Omaha Quilter's Guild website http://www.omahaquiltersguild.org/

Today I finished piecing the doll quilt for August. I think I'll name this one Atlanta. There will only be two more after this one.

It was also a good day for yard work. I ususally trim while Charlie mows. Did some weeding, too. I have hardly had to do any watering this year. The rain always seems to come just in time.

After supper, I think I'll set on the deck and finish binding a few samples.

Here are the next two blocks in our Abraham Lincoln block of the month. Only two more months to go after this one. I've always been an admirer of LIncoln and I've enjoyed doing the history portion every month.

Tomorrow We'll work some more on gettign ready for our Crazy Dane Days sale the 17th and 18th.

It's County Fair time in Iowa. I grew up in Des Moines home of the Iowa State Fair. Being a city girl I didn't pay any attention to county fairs. Then I married a farmer. Out here in the country county fairs were a big deal. It's good that even though they are down in size the tradition goes on.

Shar is a judge at several area fairs and we have lots of kids who come here to purchase fabric and find ideas for their fair projects.

Batik sample by Karen

Karen just completed this batik sample. The quilt has real depth. Doesn't it feel likw you're looking out a window?

Busy, busy day at the shop. People really seemed to be out and about.

We're really starting to notice interest in the Christmas and Fall fabric. It's really not too early.

January Snowman Runner

Mardell just finished this really cute runner. We put the kits together to day. I had a request to put the price of kits on this blog. Sometimes I can't do that because they aren't finished yet, but I will try to do it whenever I can. This one is $24.95.

We're making lots of new samples, which means new kits, which means some older ones will have to go to make room. I think we'll be able to have several half price kits for Crazy Dane Days July 17 & 18.

My sister (A Piece of Work) just sent us two new wool felt samples. A Merry Christmas To All is embroidered on fabric and then placed on wool felt. It's meant to be for a shelf or a mantle. We're displaying the Faith runner on our shelf, but I'd love it on a harvest table or it's even big enough to cover both pillows on a bed. Both will be kits really soon

I helped Pam in her garden this am. We got in a couple of hours before it started pouring rain. We got about 2 inches in an hour.

Snow Wonderland Flannel

Carol just completed this sample. If you remember Whimsical's very popular Snow Wonderland from last year, this one is very similar, but in flannel!

We already know this fabric is not being reprinted, so our kits will be very limited.

Pam's garden will be part of Atlantic's Garden Tour on Saturday, so tomorrow I'm going down to help her get ready. You can call David's Garden Center (712-243-4682) for details of the tour.

Pam and I spent most of the day trying to create an area for our Christmas fabric, samples, patterns and kits. Every year this is a problem because as you probably know, we're usually full up. One of the ways we always make room is to pull fabric that's been around for a time and put it in the half price bins. This time, we also decided to eliminate all of our punch needle patterns. We don't have very many customers interested in it now so we can use space for something else. If you like to do punch needle embroidery (as I still do) now would be a good chance for you to get a deal on our remaining supplies.

Speaking of good deals, July 17 & 18 will be our Crazy Dane Days in Elk Horn. We always have lots of bargains in our retreat center. This year Elk Horn and Kimballton will also be having city wide garage sales.

On Friday we received these Buffalo Bill fabrics from Windham. I think they are very interesting and will make great men's gifts. They are amazingly detailed, too.

We were out for a ride today and happened on a sweet corn stand. The first sweet corn of the Summer is always a treat.

On this day before July 4th we had a lot of visitors who brought a lot of show 'n tell. Audrey has just completed this Gathering Baskets top. She used the pattern from Primitive Pieces by Linda. Audrey has extensive collection of Kansas Troubles' fabric and used many of them here.

The little Monkey Wrench blocks were 19th century blocks which she put together for her daughter and son-in-law. They are a treasure of chest of fabrics and I had asked to be able to study it.

Deb designed and made this art quilt for a niece. It contains many different textured fabrics ie. burlap, linen upholstery etc. She has such a great sense of color.

Holiday Weekend Hours

We will be open tomorrow
(Friday July 3 10am -5pm)
closed Saturday & Sunday
(July 4 & 5).

We'll also be open Monday
(July6 10am-5pm).

New fabrics at PSQ 7/1/09

Here are some fun new fabrics. The Toile is extra wide (108") and meant for backing, but wouldn't it be a great comforter or duvet cover? Speaking of extra wide backings, we are getting a better selection all the time. We even have batiks. I'm really excited to have found a source for printed, extra wide fannel backing,too. These have not arrived yet, but I'll let you know as soon as they do.

I really love the lime green collection. Doesn't it look like Summer? I have been amazing myself lately at how much I like some of the contemporary fabrics. Even thought 19th century repros are still my real love, this stuff is starting to grow on me.

Wednesday at Prairie Star Quilts

A customer was in the shop today to purchase fabrics for a grandson's quilt. She had a contemporary pattern and he had requested the colors of fire. She and I worked for a while choosing, rejecting and selecting fabric. How do you think we did? She said she had expected to have to visit several quilts shops to find everything she wanted as she needed 12 fabrics that blended from black to yellow. She was very happy to find it all in one place.

It made me glad to hear it. When I purchased this shop in 1992 one of the things I promised myself we would do ws to have enough of a fabric selection so tht quilters could put together the quilts they wanted in one place. I myself had had the experience of going from shop to shop gathering fabrics. It was not a pleasant experience.