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