There will be two great chances for you to experience Christmas at Prairie Star Quilts in the next few weeks.

Julefest in the Danish Villages is Friday and Saturday November 25 and 26. The Boutique which I started in 1978, Prairie Christmas, will be held at the Immanual Lutheran Church in Kimballton this year. I sold the boutique to Cheryl Rosenbeck in 2000 and she has done a great job maintaining its primitive uniqueness. There is also a boutique at the Elk Horn Town Hall. At Prairie Star Quilts we will have a surprise Julefest Sale and lots of Christmas ideas. Our annual Show and Sale of Samples will begin in the Retreat Center. It's your chance to purchase completed quilts.

For many years we've held a Christmas Open House. This year it will be on Monday December 5. In addition to a sale and refreshments, we'll have a take 'n teach class at 2 pm. We always have a fun project. You must pre register (712-764-7012) so we'll know how many kits to make. Cost for the class is $7 or an in kind donation to the food bank.

Remember the Shy Little Kitten from Golden Books? Carol just made a sweet baby quilt using the fabric.

Julefest in the Danish Villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton is less than two weeks away. It starts the day after Thanksgiving and is the kick off of the Christmas Season in our two towns. We'll have craft fairs and great food and shopping. Here at Priaire Star Quilts we have our annual show and sale of samples in the Retreat Center. It will continue until Christmas, but of course the best selection is early.

One of our newer kits is Square Dance Garden by Jan Patek. I love it for Fall, but it could also be a Christmas quilt - I can see leaving it up all Winter.

The shop is full of new kits just waiting for you to turn them into the perfect gift. Come see them soon.

The first Triple Play Day Shop Hop is Saturday October 22 9am-6pm

just three shops:

Log Cabin Quilts, Exira

Prairie Star Quilts, Elk Horn

Stitchin' Tree Quilts, Harlan

by visiting all three shops you'll be eligible

for our Grand Prize Drawing

Julie Larsen has designed a Fall Runner

Pick up a free block pattern in each shop and

completion instructions at your final stop.
There will also be special demonstrations in

each shop at 10, 2 and 4.

participate in the hourly Pumpkin Hunt to win

free fat quarters.

This is a truly unique shop hop! How often can you complete a shop hop in a single day and actually have time to spend in each shop? Save money on gas, too - all shops are within 25 miles of each other. Load up your friends for a fun day!

Are you going to the big show in Des Moines next week? If you are anywhere west of Elk Horn, why not stop by Prairie Star Quilts on your way coming or going? We are only 7 miles off Interstate 80 at exit 54.
We've been working on lots of new samples (and of course they have kits). We'll also havea free pattern for everyone who stops by.
If you plan to be here early or late, let us know ( call us 712-764-7012 during regular business hours) and we'll open up for you.

I thought you might enjoy seeing how some of the blocks turned out last weekend at Pumpkin Gathering. The quilt we all made was Alternating Four Patch from Five Yard Quilts.

We had a great time. As usual, there was plenty of good food. Irene brought Chocolate Fritos to share. Everyone wanted the recipe, so I promised to share it when she sent it to me.

Chocolate Fritos

1 C white corn syrup 1 regular bag Fritos

1 C sugar 2 C chocolate chips

1 C peanut butter

Boil syrup and sugar rapidly for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and boil for 1 more minute. Put Fritos in sprayed 9X13 pan. Pour boiling mixture over the top. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and let them melt. Spread to cover Frito misture evenly. Let cool and cut into squares.

When Moda's new Sock Monkey Christmas fabric came in, Carol and I decided we needed a kid sized quilt. We call this one Sock Monkey Stars. It's not really that Christmasy - just fun. We even put flannel on the back.

I've been using most of my extra time the last week helping Charlie get rid of all the large limbs that came down after last Friday night's wind storm. It also did a lot of damage to our roof. Some of the corn around here looks more like it was hit by a tornado. Others in our neihborhood were hit with really large hail the week before.

Along with all the new Christmas samples we've been making, we've been doing some Fall and halloween, too. This one is called Jolly Jack.

Tonight I sat on the porch and finished the binding on my latest applique project. I used a pattern that was meant for wool but did it in traditional needle turn. What a beautiful day and evening!

Pumpkin Gathering Retreat is just around the corner (Friday evening Sept. 9 and all day Saturday Sept. 10). If you'd like to see the quilt we'll be doing, get more details and find a printable registration form, visit the Events Page of our website www.prairiestarquilts.com

Sorry, I haven't done much with the blog lately. I've been making a big decision. It's time for me to retire. I'd like to devote more time to Charlie and the farm and also my quilting.

So, as of this past week Prairie Star Quilts is for sale. If you or someone you know has ever wanted to own a quilt shop, here is your chance to own a well established award winning shop. I would be happy to discuss it with anyone who is seriously interested. I want the shop to go on - afterall, I need a place to buy fabric, too.

In the meantime we are going ahead and planning our Fall events. In the next few days I'll be showing you a photo of our Pumpkin Gathering quilt for 2011 (Sept. 9 & 10).

JustJust after Summer vacation started, Grace came in with her mom. She spent a lot of time choosing just the right flannels for her project. She did all the work herself. Yesterday they came in to show us the results. We think her rag quilt turned out just perfect, and she was really happy with the results, too.

Ragbrai is coming through Elk Horn and Kimballton on Monday. We will open early (at least by nine - earlier if I can get through traffic). There will be about 10,000 bicycles in town at least through the morning. It's so much fun seeing them all.
If you'd like to come to the shop that day, I suggest that you avoid highway 173 (that's exit 54 from theI-80). Instead, from the West take exit 46. Go North on M47 about 5 miles, then east on F58 right into Elk Horn. Park in the Retreat Center lot and use our back door.
From the East take exit 60. Go North about 5 miles then westt on F58 to Elk Horn. You might have to park somewhere on the East side of Main Street and walk to the shop.
You might as well join the party!

I have a new favorite notion. It's called Lapel Stick - a funny name for a really useful (and kind of funky) glue stick. I think it was named Lapel Stick becausde people used it to make fabric repairs. The comapany sent me a sample to try and I love it. My favorite use right now is to hold my pieces in place while I do needle turn applique - no more pins. I really like it better than any other applique glue I've tried. We just got in our first shipment. I think you will like it, too. Stop in for a demo.

I've been changing the shop samples around a little and I just put up these two new pheasant projects. I try to buy any pheasant fabric I see and this line from Wild Wings might be the best we've ever had.

The photo on top is a single panel quilted and bound. It couldn't be easier and looks so great on the wall. We call it Pheasants Forever.

The bottom photo is Pheasant Run. It take a little more piecing, but is equally striking.

We don't often find such great "guy" gifts.

We had a pretty good turnout for Crazy Dane Day Saturday -especially considering the weather. Thank goodness the days are over when we used to set out all the bargains on the sidewalk. The fabric and us and the cutsomers would have been roasted by noon.

I brought the half price kits that we still have over to the main building from the retreat center. If you didn't get a chance to visit on Saturday, you could still get in on a few bargains.

I spent the entire day in the Retreat Center yesterday getting ready for our Crazy Dane Day Sale on Saturday (of course most observers think every day Is "Crazy" Dane Day!).

I've been marking down selected fabric to $1,2,3 and 4 per yard. We've got half price kits and our famous $5 scrapbags, $1 magazines and patterns and special deals on notions. You can get some hot deals inside our cool retreat center.

While you're here, you can preview lots of the new Christmas fabric and all the samples we've been making from them.

I just finished designing and making this small wall quilt Chickadee Winter . I fell in love with the bird fabric and wanted to do something to showcase it. The kits are ready to go.

We've been so wrapped up in making Christmas samples, it's easy to forget that it is the middle of Summer and next Saturday (July 16) is Crazy Dane Day in Elk Horn. We'll hold our big Summer sale in our Retreat Center from 10 am - 4 pm. We always have great bargain fabric along with half price kits and a patterna and book sale. You won't want to miss it.

We all hope you will have a great Fourth of July

Prairie Star Quilts will be closed Monday July 4th

Almost evey day new Christmas fabric is coming in. We're all stitching like crazy to get samples done. We have at least three different snowman panels this year - each one cuter than the next. As always, we've added our own special touches so that you can choose from easy, but unique, kits.
While they can be used in many ways, all will fit on a door. Several years ago I heard a great idea for those of you who have someone in a nursing home or assisted living. A customer made a series of small seasonal quilts for her father. Instead of hanging them in his room, she put them on the door - staff and other visitors sould stop in to talk with him about the changing quilts.

Linda's nephew Luke just completed this Iowa sports quilt. He used Hawkeye and Cyclone fabric and the gold and purple is for the Panthers. He really did a great job. I guess the talent runs in the family. You've see some of Linda's fabulous quilts on this blog before.

Elaine came to pick up the quilt we quilted for her. She used a pattern froom the cover of American Patchwork and quilting and did a great job. Wouldn't you know the battery was dead on my camera? Thanks for Mary Lou for sending this photo to me.
Fabric for Christmas 2011 is starting to arrive. If you'd like to see it and we haven't gotten it on the floor yet, just ask.

A few weeks ago, Carol and I decided we needed a new flannel sample and kit. We came up with Rock Star - perfect, we thought, for a dorm room.

When Karen saw it, she decided we also needed something for a girl's dorm and used our pattern for Nest, using mostle Valerie Wells' fabric.

It's alsways fun to see the same pattern in different interpretations.

Here's Janets second block for her crazy quilt. I told her we'll want to see them all.

Because Ragbrai will come through Elk Horn in July, we worked hard to find some bicycle fabrics. These three have recently come in. The aqua one is even flannel - how about pajama bottoms! The others would make good pillow cases or tote bags.

This year's Tivoli Fest Quilt Show was well attended. Winners are chosen by viewers' choice. Third Place this year went to Marie Meyers (Treynor) for her Scrap/Strippy Sampler. Japanese Fans by Sue Wagner (Oakland) was Second. Eleanor Greenwall (Atlantic) won First Place for her hand embroidered Victorian Ladies. There were 71 entries - some very nice quilts. I'll put more photos on our website's photos of interest page.

I've been busy the last few days getting ready for the Tivolli Fest Quilt Show to be held in our Retreat Center Saturday May 28. The photo above is from last year, and this year's entries look great, too. The show will be from 10 am - 5pm. In the shop we'll have some half price fabrics so check them out.
Tivoli Fest is our annual celebration of Danish heritage held every Memorial Day Weekend. Here is a link to a complete schedule of events.

Our friend Janet has become interested in crazy quilts. She has several very nice antique ones in her collections. She's decided she wants to make her own crazy quilt and brought her first block to show us. If this is any indecation, it's going to be some quilt. That's not a piece of bird fabric, it's a bird she embroidered.

Carol's been working hard to get new baby quilt samples done for us. This one, also in flannel, is called Sweet Baby Zoo. People seem to be liking brighter colors.

We're working hard to get lots of new kits done in time for our Oh Baby, Baby workshop June 11. Carol just finished this African Safari baby quilt in flannel. It's easy but lots of fun in good bright colors.

We had another thought for the workshop. A sewer and non sewer could sign up together and work on one quilt. The non sewer could do the pressing, etc. - and maybe even learn womething along the way.

If you have someone special in your family who is "expecting" this diaper bag would be the perfect congratulatory gift. It's Mama Mia by Favorite Things and includes a changing pad. I enjoyed making it so much, I think I'll make another for me just to use as a tote.

We've really been busy trying to come up with all kinds of special "baby" ideas for our Oh Baby, Baby workshop June 11. The day in our Retreat Center will be free if you purchase a baby quilt kit. This can be any baby kit we have, or if you sign up early enough, you can even choose the fabric for your kit. We'll give guidance to help get your quilt done. Throughout the day we'll be demonstrating all the ideas for baby we've come up with - some patterns will even be free.

Anyone is invited to the workshop - Moms, Grandmas, sisters or friends. It might be fun for two or three to work together. The workshop will be from 10am to 4pm and you will need to pre register.

Just thought I'd show you a quilt from last year's Tivoli Fest Quilt Show. We are in charge of the show each year. It's pretty casual with no judging except by viewer's choice. Top three quiltmakers receive aPrairie Star gift certificate. This is a fun show to enter with no pressure. The actual show is in our Retreat Center on Saturday May 28. Just be sure to bring your quilts to us by May 25. We'll keep them for you until you can pick them up sometime after Memorial Day.

I've been working on some of the embroidery for Snow Days by Crabapple Hill. I'm using a variegated thread so I can use one thread throughout. Not sure if you can tell from the photo, but it is really effective.

We are now carrying Cosmos Seasons Variegated embroidery floss. It is really a quality thread from Lecien of Japan. The photo just shows a few of the available colors.

I can't believe how many quilters are finding that they love embroidery. It's something that many of us learned from our grandmothers (remember the dish towels?) but it's really gone upscale. I find it very relaxing.

One of the new samples I hung Monday was this new York's Freedom. It is Shar's design but the sample was made by Mardell. I love it's graphic look. I spent most of yesterday outside cleaning flower beds and raking the lawn. Many of my hostas are up, some on the southside of the house are 10 inches tall. But, this evening when I came home from the shop, it suddenly turned cold. There's even a chance for snow this weekend - so much for Spring

Karen has just completed this embroidered sample. It is Friendship Blooms Over Garden Fences from Crabapple Hill. If you like to embroider you'll love this one. Of course we have kits. Speaking of Crabapple Hill, we have also made a few kits for their new Snow Days. We have not made a sample yet (I'm working on it) but itwill be great, too. We made very few kits for it, because it is pricey (the designers required a lot of fabric). At any rate, we will not have them very long as several are already spoken for.

Tuesday was my Mom's birthday. After lunch with friends my sister and I took her to see the Crazy Quilts at teh Iowa Historical building. They were fantastic. Here are just a few of the closeups I took. Both my Mom and my sister Jan love making crazy quilts so they got lots of ideas.

The first picture is Mom with her newest great grand daughter Kali Mae (Mae is Mom's middle name, too).

Here's a fun new sample called Decadence. It would make a nice little table topper.

Charlie and I drove out to Blair Nebraska this afternoon. We both graduated from Dana College which closed recently due to financial difficulties. We spent some happy years there (we were married the Summer after my Sophmore year) and wanted to see it again. It makes us both sad that it is closed.

Even though it was cold, the sun shone most of the time and we enjoyed the drive. On the way home we stopped at Desoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge hoping to see some eagles. I've gotten hooked on watching the Eagle Cam at Decorah. The first egg is supposed to hatch on April 1st. You can check it out at www.raptorresource.org/falcon_cams/ .