In Grandmas Attic

Primitive Quilts Magazine

2012-01-16T10:54:00.001-08:00

Have you discovered this magazine yet? Although the magazine has only been in production a short while, the contents are amazing. If you like primitive quilts, rug hooking and stitchery, you will love perusing these magazines.

As a Quilt Historian, I am attracted to "old-timey" traditional quilts. Each issue is chock full of quilt and stitching projects inspired by traditional quilts. The Winter edition includes a pattern called Chocolate Mousse, a quilt featuring old autograph blocks in brown and beige. There's also an churn dash quilt made from plaids. Tons of other patterns for bags, pincushions and mug rugs can also be found. I thought the sewing bird pincushion was delightful.

The Fall 2011 edition of this magazine includes 15 different projects, including a quilt called Country Spools made from the old spools block. A penny rug, a stitchery pillow, and a quilt pattern called Goldenrod are featured. Goldenrod is a small version of an old applique quilt and I liked it very much.

We can't wait for the Spring Edition 2012 of this magazine to be published. But in the mean time, if you are interested in purchasing either of these two issues, we carry them at Grandma's Attic. To order Primitive Quilts, Winter 2011 click here. To order Primitive Quilts, Fall 2011 click here.

New Block of the Month Club!

2011-12-14T12:49:00.001-08:00

Beginning January 1st, we're going To Grandma's House! You know, as in "over the river and through the wood." It's going to be a grand adventure packed with fun-filled facts, quilt blocks, and stories.

Set in the 1920s, this program is organized around the lives of 12 children—six boys and six girls. Each child has a favorite classic children’s book, one that has been popular since the late 19th and early 20th century. You learn about the child and the book, including why that child likes a particular story. With books like Little Women and Treasure Island, this program has already become a tremendous hit with our in-store quilt club members.

Each month during the program, you receive a themed block pattern and fabrics in your choice of four color schemes: 1930s, 19th Century, Batiks or Red/White/Black—you know, as in what is black and white and read all over?

You also receive a newly designed magazine booklet featuring a different children’s book and author each month. The booklet is filled with tips and hints, a recipe, an overview of the featured book, notes about each author, and two patterns from a popular 1920s era crib quilt.

A $10 start-up fee gets you registered. Club cost is $12.99 per month for 12 months, which includes all shipping and handling charges. If you're ready to join in on the fun, click here.

International Paper Dolls

2011-11-26T10:35:00.001-08:00

Do you remember the paper dolls that used to be included in the McCalls Magazine? Each little doll would be carefully cut out and glued to cardboard; then her clothing would be cut out for hours and hours of enjoyment dressing up the dolls and playing with them. I used to love finding the dolls in the magazines and cutting them out.

Newcastle Fabrics has just released an adorable set of eight international paper dolls designed by Sibling Arts Studios that remind me of those old McCalls paper dolls. The Sibling Arts designers say that they got the idea for their dolls from a collection of paper dolls they found when they were going through the estate of their Aunt Lindy.

Each doll in this fabric panel comes with her own ethnic style clothing. Plus, there is also a coordinating bolt of fabric that includes more dress options. (One-half yard gives you all the other options you need.) What you can do is fuse the dolls to cardboard; then use fusible fleece on the back of the clothes so that they attach to the dolls. Make a fabric pouch to put the dolls and clothing in. It's guaranteed to be hours and hours of entertainment for the little ones in your life.

Order the panel by clicking here. Order the half yard panel by clicking here. Order fusible fleece by clicking here.

Halloween at Grandma's Attic

2011-11-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

Because Halloween fell on a "Open Sew with Tammy" day, she encouraged everyone to dress up for Halloween. Our photographer caught up with both Cheryl and Tammy that afternoon. Cheryl came as Woody Woodpecker, complete with sound effects. Tammy decided to be an angel. With wings and a halo, she floated around the tables as the Angel of Quilting, helping everyone get their projects done.

The lady in the middle is "Josephine" our larger than life mannequin. She's wearing a colonial style costume and a pumpkin for a head because we had just finished a quilt club session talking about The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. What might that have to do with quilting, you ask? When you join our newest Block of the Month Club, "To Grandma's House We Go," beginning this January, you'll be amazed at the connection. Stay tuned for details! Sign-ups start very soon.

We never can seem to catch our photographer on camera. He's always behind one rather than in front. So when he began to horse around, we snuck up and took this photo of him in his Halloween get-up. (Or is that giddy-up?) It was his first "photo finish." What a hoot that was! We wanted to take more pictures, but he said he had to hoof it to a Halloween party after work.

And as for me? I won the award for "least imagination in putting together a costume." I came as a harried quilt shop owner in a dress of many patches! Oh well. I figure that someone at least had to be around to hand out the "goodies." I suppose there's always next time. I've got a whole year to dream up something better.

Grandmother's Garden Quilt

2011-10-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a spectacular version of Grandmother's Garden Quilt sewn by Lynne Hawk of Salem, Oregon. The quilt is currently on display in the classroom at Grandma's Attic. That's Lynne in the picture with me in front of her beautiful quilt. If you're near the shop, you'll want to come in and see it!

Lynne says that she started this quilt back in 1999 using the fusible applique method outlined in Eleanor Burns' book Grandmother's Garden Quilt by Quilt in a Day. In Eleanor's version, easy applique methods help update this classic quilt pattern.

The patterns for Garden Bouquet originated in 1928 and 1929 as a series of newspaper patterns by Florence LaGanke Harris writing under the name of The Nancy Page Quilt Club. Each week, LaGanke presented one flower pattern for constructing the quilt. The original series included 17 different flower designs, with the rose repeated in all four corners. A basket pattern for the base and a quilting diagram were also included.

Lynne says that she worked on her quilt off and on for several years, putting it away when she moved, then picking it back up again. We're totally thrilled that she was able to complete it, and even more thrilled that she has allowed us to hang it on the wall for all to see. Isn't it beautiful? We sure think so. A big thanks to Lynne for allowing us to show it off.

Patchwork Party 2011

2011-10-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

Gather your friends for a festive, fun-filled sewing party featuring Autumn in all its splendor! Patchwork Party 2011 has begun. Designed by Marti Michell using Set L of her Perfect Patchwork Templates, the fabrics are from Nancy Halvorsen's Bittersweet collection by Benartex.

This is our exclusive quilt block. Marti calls it "Turley's Inn" in honor of her husband Richard who is a descendant of the Turleys of Britain. And guess what? I actually found a Pub in Britain called Turley's. How interesting is that?

What I like about our block is its 9-Patch center and ease of construction. I think it turned out rather nicely, don't you? Using Marti's templates made construction of this block a breeze. Paper templates come with the pattern that is included in the kit but the acrylic templates of Set L are fabulous to work with and that's what we used.

This is our Finishing Kit. I named it Bittersweet Memories because I took my inspiration from those mid-19th Century quilts with their on-point applique blocks. Bittersweet is obviously because we used the Bittersweet fabric collection. Memories because of this quilt's 19th Century roots. Tammy Keith, our class coordinator and instructor, constructed the quilt and Linda Perry of Artistically Quilted by Linda machine quilted it for me. Tammy and Linda made my idea for the quilt come to life! It's beautiful! Thank you both very much!

This block is called Grandma's Peonies. It can be appliqued using traditional methods, needle turn methods or (my favorite) fusible web and button-hole stitch embroidery. Whichever way you decide to put it together, the block is beautiful. The block reminds me of those 19th Century red and green quilts that I love so much.

In addition to these Patchwork Party items, you can view others at our website. Then go to the official Patchwork Party 2911 website to view the other blocks you'll need to complete the finishing kit. That should inspire you to create a beautiful quilt too!

New Sidewalks!

2011-09-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

As part of Dallas, Oregon's urban renewal district program, the city has decided that we will receive new sidewalks. These sidewalks will include areas for park benches, trees and flower baskets. It's going to be beautiful when it's all done, but look at what's taking up the parking in front of the store today!

The construction crew has been very accommodating about the whole process, including providing us a way to get into the store while they work. Having watched these guys in action from inside the store, I can tell you that they work very hard at what they do.

That's a lot of old sidewalk they're tearing out in giant slabs of concrete. We're also getting a new sewer. You wouldn't imagine that would be too exciting, until you think about the fact that our store was on one of the oldest systems within the city. They never tell you about these things when you open a business. You only discover this after a few problems are encountered. All in all, we're thrilled to be on a new sewer line.

We named this piece of equipment "jaws" because of the way it can get right in there and tear up things.

The whole operation has been very efficient because these guys are serious about what they do. They're using the right equipment to get the job done...in a timely fashion...while looking all nice and tidy when they're finished. And that concept got me to thinking about quilting.

Are you using the right equipment for the project you're trying to create? Or are you trying to get by with whatever you happen to have on hand? Is your seam ripper sharp, or are you using the one you got in high school over 25 years ago? Are your rotary cutters and rulers in good shape? Has your sewing machine been serviced sometime this century? Believe me, if these guys were trying to get at this concrete with a pick-axe and manual labor, they'd be here for weeks. With the right equipment, their work is going really fast.

So now I'm off to treat myself to a new seam ripper and rotary cutter blade. I'm working on nine patch blocks from the 1890s that I acquired recently. I'm sure I have better equipment than the lady who originally put them together. I'll think about how different her life was than mine while I sew on them.

Quilt Challenge Winners!

2011-08-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

1st Place Award for the Color of Compassion Quilt Challenge goes to Kristine Olson of Monmouth, Oregon, for her entry "Feigned Compassion Feeds the Cat." Kristine, who says that this small wall quilt is her first attempt at hand applique and hand quilting, wins a $100 gift certificate from Grandma's Attic.

2nd Place goes to Brenda Lopez of Auburn, California, for her quilt, "Kindheartedness." Measuring 41" x 36-1/2", the flowers on this one are absolutely gorgeous. Their three-dimensional effect is quite stunning. Brenda wins a $50 gift certificate from Grandma's Attic.

Third Place goes to Chris Schmitke of Salem, Oregon for her quilt, "When You Wish Upon a Star." Measuring 41" x 41", this quilt was also chosen by viewers as the winner of Best Use of Color category. Chris wins a $25 gift certificate from Grandma's Attic for 3rd Place, and a Gift Basket of Color Tools for Best Use of Color.

Mia Mohr, of Lyons, Oregon, won Best Interpretation of the Theme for her quilt, "The Touch of Compassion." She wins a 5 yard fabric bundle from Grandma's Attic in her choice of fabrics.

The Color of Compassion Quilt Challenge is a charitable event designed to raise funds for Sable House, a Polk County, Oregon agency assisting survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Earlier this year, Grandma's Attic provided applicants with entry packets consisting of five fabrics, then challenged entrants to creatively incorporate these fabrics into a final quilt design. All proceeds benefited Sable House.

Voting took place July 21 through August 7. The general public was invited to view the quilts at Grandma's Attic; then vote for their favorites, plus the categories of Best Use of Color and Best Interpretation of Theme. Winners were selected on August 8. All of the quilts were then displayed at the Polk County Fairgrounds in Rickreall, Oregon, from August 11-14, 2011.

Grandma's Attic is strongly committed to the health and safety of women and children in Polk County and supports various local resources who share these goals. In addition, Grandma's Attic is dedicated to raising awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault issues through the arts and crafts.

Quilt Club Winners!

2011-08-15T12:49:00.003-07:00

Look how excited Kathryn Mabey is! She just won a Sew Fun Elna Sewing Machine! Provided by Corvallis Sewing and Vacuum Center, Kathryn won Grandma's Quilt Club raffle for those having perfect attendance at last year's Quilt club.

Everyone who attended at least 11 classes last year was entered into a drawing for three amazing prizes: a sewing machine, a $200 gift certificate, and a chance to have your Quilt Club quilt professionally quilted. Kathryn won the sewing machine. Sarah Miller won the gift certificate, and Leona Wilson won the opportunity to have her quilt professionally quilted.

Our next club begins September 8, 9 and 10. We're going To Grandma's House! You know, "over the river and through the wood." But wait a minute: what are we going to do when we get there? Turns out, Grandma's are an endless source of fun-filled activities. They tell stories of adventure, growth and wonder--and those delicious treats aren't bad either. This year's Quilt Club, To Grandma's House is organized around 12 classic children's stories that have been popular since the late 19th and early 20th century.

Themed block patterns, a newly designed newsletter, and stories from Grandma Rachel are only part of the fun. This year, we're also offering discounts with club-only specials, a complimentary coupon book, additional chances to win door prizes, extra demos and tons more fun.

Quilt block kits are available in four color schemes: 1930s, 19th Century, Batiks, and Red/White/Black--you know, as in what is black and white and read all over? A newspaper or book! Pick as many colorways as you like. If you come to class, blocks are $5.00 per month per colorway. Sessions include door prize drawings, demonstrations, show and tell, and fun, fun, fun!

Special Door Prizes: Attend at least 11 sessions this year and you will be entered into a drawing to win one of three fabulous prizes: 1) a sewing machine; 2) your quilt top professionally quilted; and 3) $200 gift card to Grandma's Attic.

Grandma's Quilt Club is a fun way to learn about new products, participate in door prize drawings, be with friends and collect quilt blocks. You must pre-register for this class. For details on how you can participate, click here.

Vote for Your Favorite Challenge Quilt!

2011-07-22T13:34:00.001-07:00

If you live anywhere close to our Grandma's Attic brick and mortar store, you'll want to come vote for your favorite Color of Compassion Challenge Quilt. The entries this year are absolutely gorgeous! And since these quilts are judged by the general public, this is your opportunity to tell us which one you think should win!

Earlier this year, we created the The Color of Compassion Quilt Challenge entry packet using five pieces of fabric in shades of pink and brown; then challenged entrants to use them as the basis for a quilt. Entrants could include any other fabrics as long as they also used the packet fabrics. The only rule was that quilts had to measure 120 inches or less when the length of each side was added together.

Now that the quilts are back, it's your turn to tell us which one is your favorite. Prizes awarded are: 1st Place - $100 Gift Certificate; 2nd Place - $50 Gift Certificate; 3rd Place - $25 Gift Certificate. We also have awards for the best interpretation of the theme, and best use of color.

Voting takes place now through August 6. The Color of Compassion Quilt Challenge is a charitable event designed to raise awareness and funds for Sable House, a Polk County, Oregon agency assisting survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Grandma's Attic is strongly committed to the health and safety of women and children in Polk County and supports various local resources who share these goals. In addition, Grandma's Attic remains dedicated to raising awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault issues through the arts and crafts.

This photo shows the information board we've developed for Sable House. The red silhouettes in the photos are part of the Silent Witness National Initiative and represent victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. After you've finished voting for your favorite quilts, you'll want to take a look at our display to see how you can help as well.

July's Flower of the Month - Water Lily

2011-07-04T08:08:00.001-07:00

Did you know that the water lily is July's Flower of the Month? Symbolizing rebirth and purification, the water lily is a member of the Nymphaeaccae family. There are approximately 70 different species of this plant. They like to live in temperate or tropical climates. Water lilies are rooted in soil in bodies of water, with leaves and flowers floating on the surface.

The portrait above appeared in Curtis's Botanical Magazine in 1801. Begun in 1787, by William Curtis, a botanist at Kew Gardens, each issue was filled with artist renderings of plants, plus information and descriptions about their properties. The magazine continues to this day, and is published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew near London, England. Kew Gardens currently houses the world's largest collection of living plants.

The French Painter, Claude Monet, liked water lilies so much that he painted them for the last 30 years of his life. He developed a series of paintings inspired by the plants in his own garden. Of them, he wrote, "It took me time to understand my water lilies. I had planted them for the pleasure of it; I grew them without ever thinking of painting them." Monet created 250 different paintings of water lilies, many of them currently residing in museums around the world. In 2008, one of Monet's original water lily paintings sold at auction for $80 million.

Quilters are also inspired by water lilies. In the 1930s, the Chicago Tribune published a quilt pattern column under the name of Nancy Cabot, pen name of Loretta Leitner Rising. With each quilt block illustration, Rising included a description or background about the block and how to purchase the pattern.

The description written under the Water Lily pattern is as follows: "The water lily design is a delicately realistic block with its soft coloring of cream, green and touches of light blue on a gold grown, with alternate blocks of white. The simple, clear cut lines in this floral pattern make it one that is particularly easy to applique. The quilted veins in the green leaves afford a pleasant variation from the less unusual quilt pattern."

Clothesline Club 2011 - Sweet Pickins

2011-06-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

In the 1940s, bright and cheery colors and fruit motifs were all the rage for decorating American kitchens. One popular trend during this time period was the use of red and white, blue and white, or green and yellow color palettes, with checkered or geometric patterns. Fruit designs included cherries, apples, strawberries, pears and grapes. Darlene Zimmerman has captured this look perfectly with her newest Clothesline Club fabric group, Sweet Pickins. Produced by Robert Kaufman, there are a total of 28 fun reproduction prints in green, red, yellow and blue. Fruit motifs, geometrics and checks are scattered throughout this collection.

These fabrics make fun projects, including aprons, curtains, hot pads, casserole covers, tea towels, oven mitts, bags, and many other fun sewing and quilting projects. In Darlene's Clothesline Club she has included patterns for aprons, a market bag and a tablecloth using this fabric line.

I'm pretty sure that these fabrics won't stay in the store for long. Last I checked, some of them have already been discontinued by the manufacturer. To view more of these prints or to order, click here.

American Flag Wall Quilt for Flag Day - June 14

2011-06-14T08:01:00.001-07:00

Efforts to dedicate a day each year to the American Flag date all the way back to 1861, yet it wasn't until August 3, 1949, that an official Act of Congress, signed by President Harry S. Truman, officially declared June 14 to be Flag Day. During the 88 years between 1861 and 1949, Americans celebrated the American flag at different times of the year.

In an age before the telephone, sending postcards to celebrate special occasions was an inexpensive means of communicating with loved ones. During the Golden Age of Postcards (1898-1915), fine artwork in bright colors was featured on these postcards, many of which celebrated the American Flag. Today, these same postcards are very collectible and highly sought after. In fact, they're so popular that finding original postcards has become an intense hobby.

With no vintage postcards of our own to display, we discovered American Flags Set 1 by Olde America Antiques. We decided that these authentic images of vintage postcards, pre-printed on fabric, were just right for creating a small wall quilt. Olde America Antiques must have thought so too because, to our delight, a wall quilt pattern was included in the fabric packet.

The American Flags wall quilt, shown above, was constructed from a four pack set of images that were printed on 4"x6" panels of soft cotton sateen fabric. Because the company utilizes a new printing process called 8-color giclee, the panels are colorfast when hand washed in cold water. Making this 21" square wall quilt was easy to do, and we soon had our little quilt hanging up in the shop.

If you'd like to make your own American Flags wall quilt from these pre-printed fabric panels, click here. If you'd like to view our other pre-printed fabric panel selections, click here.

June - The Month of Roses

2011-06-02T15:57:00.003-07:00

New to Grandma's Attic are beautiful fabric panels (4" x 6") of gorgeous flowers, printed on soft cotton sateen fabric, ready to sew and showcase on your wall. The panels come four to set and include a pattern for a small wall quilt. One of my favorites from our newest group is Flowers Set 3 - Roses by Olde America Antiques. The images are of the actual covers of vintage seed catalogs from 1893-1909.

During the Golden Age of Illustration (1880s until after WWI), seed catalogs featured covers of beautiful flowers that could be grown in one's garden. Catalogs from companies such as the Iowa Seed Company, Lippincott Seeds, John A. Salzer and John Lewis Childs were so bright and cheerful, people kept them on their parlor tables. And since roses have been cultivated for thousands of years, many of these covers featured paintings of roses.

Throughout history, many poets and authors have written about the rose. The Italian poet, Dante (1265-1321), writing in the 13th Century, declared, "The rose, wherein the word divine makes itself flesh."

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) refers to roses more than 50 times in his works. In Romeo and Juliet, he wrote, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet."

And the English Poet Robert Herrick (1591-1674) penned, "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying, And this same flower that smiles today, Tomorrow will be dying."

Since Victorian times, roses have been associated with deep love, passion, beauty and everlasting love. They have been grown and cultivated both for their foliage and their perfume. Even today, companies like Jackson & Perkins in Medford, Oregon offer a seemingly endless variety of roses for gardening enthusiasts. Their catalog showcases "the newest and most exciting roses available" and provides practically everything you need to grow gorgeous roses.

You can bring the beauty of the garden into your home with these gorgeous flower images. To view our entire pre-printed fabric panel collection, click here.

The World's Largest Piece of Cake

2011-05-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Quilt Market in Salt Lake City. Quilt Market is a three day show where shop owners like me have an opportunity to place orders for fabric, books and patterns that we will be carrying in the shop as they become available. And while it sounds like it would be amazingly fun to see all these fabric companies and visit all these booths filled with every imaginable quilting goody, you cannot believe how stressful and tiring this can be. For one thing, if you only have a cup full of money to spend, and the stuff you are looking at requires a gallon jug, you have to pick and choose from among everything offered--which would be okay if you're only choosing for yourself, but stressful if you're trying to magically know what your customers are going to enjoy.

Anyway, after a really long day of walking up and down aisles and calculating out what we needed to order, Amber and I decided that what we really "needed" was a nice steak dinner at a sit-down restaurant where we could relax and let our brains recover. So Amber goes up to this information kiosk in the Salt Palace Convention Center and says to the woman, "Where can we go for a nice steak dinner?" The lady behind the counter says that she knows just the place to go, Christopher's Prime Steak House and Grill. She tells us it's only one block from where we are, and hands us a coupon for a free dessert! "Doesn't that sound wonderful?" I say to Amber. And off we go to this little restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City where we did, indeed, have one of the nicest steak dinners I've ever eaten.

See the dessert at the top of this post? That's the totally reasonable dessert that came with my steak dinner. It's a little bit of ice cream with some berries on top. VERY nice. But remember, we also have this coupon for a free dessert. I say to Amber, "You know, I'd really like something chocolate." She says, "Okay, well, I'm not into chocolate like you are. You order something chocolate and I'll eat the dessert that came with your dinner."

It sounded like such a reasonable plan! I showed the waiter our coupon and innocently said, "Do you have anything chocolate?" He tells me that he's got the best chocolate cake in Utah. "That sounds great!" says I. In a little while, he comes back with what I can only tell you is the largest piece of chocolate cake I have ever seen in my life! It was several layers tall and looked like someone had just cut one of my grandmother's hand-made chocolate layer cakes into four slices and put one of them on a plate. Honestly, it was the biggest piece of cake I have ever seen in my life. Had I eaten the whole thing, I would have immediately gone into a sugar coma and Amber would have had to drag me out to the car. Instead, I nibbled on one small corner of it.

Don't believe how big that thing was? Here's a photo of me that Amber took with her cell phone. What's even more amazing is that I did NOT eat the whole thing! Some things in life are just too much to have all at once. And in case you're wondering, that's a big glass of iced tea in front of me, not anything stronger. I was in Salt Lake City, remember?

Color of Compassion Quilt Challenge

2011-05-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year when Grandma's Attic hosts a Quilt Challenge to support Sable House, our local domestic violence shelter. Our theme for the past few years has revolved around "The Color of" concept. So far, we've hosted the Color of Peace, the Color of Love, the Color of Courage, the Color of Healing, and the Color of Hope.

Entry packets for this year's theme, The Color of Compassion, include five theme fabrics, challenge rules, and an entry form. All proceeds from the sale of the packets go directly to Sable House. The maximum quilt size for quilts entered into the challenge should not exceed 180 total inches when all sides are added together; however, there is no minimum size requirement. Each quilt must incorporate all theme fabrics, although the amount used is up to you. The remainder of the fabric used can be quilter's choice.

Quilts are due in to Grandma's Attic by July 20, 2011 where they will be displayed from July 21-31, 2011. The general public will be invited to vote for their favorites. Winners will be selected by customer ballot (one vote per viewer) based on Best Interpretation of Theme and Best Use of Color. (Remember, this is the general public, not professional quilt judges, so don't be afraid to enter.) First Place prize is $100 gift certificate to Grandma's Attic; Second Place prize is $50 gift certificate; Third Place is a $25 gift certificate. In addition, Best Interpretation of Theme will win a five yard fabric bundle and Best Use of Color will receive a Gift Baskets filled with color tools.

Quilts will also be displayed at the Polk County Fair in Rickreall, Oregon held in August, and on display at other locations as well. All quilts will be returned to their owners by the end of August, 2011.

If you'd like to participate in this quilt challenge, you can purchase a packet either at the shop or on the web.

Heat Press Batting Together

2011-05-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you know how frustrating it can be when the pieces of batting that you happen to have on hand are all just a smidge too small for the project you want to complete. I know that there have been times when I've gone through all my batting scraps only to discover that there's not a single one the size I need. Now, thanks to a new product by Jeanne Harwood Designs, I can fuse my batting pieces together to get the size I need!

This new product is totally easy to use. What you do is lay the two pieces of batting right next to each other, snuggled up all nice and cozy, then press the tape over the two edges. By heat pressing the batting together with this fusible, you can create any size you desire. The name says it all. It's called Heat Press Batting Together. This fusible comes in a 10 yard roll of 1-1/2" wide cloth tape. If you'd like to try it and see for yourself how easy it is to use, click here.

New Block of the Month Catalog

2011-04-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

We just got our 2011 Block of the Month catalog back from the printer and is it ever pretty to look at!

The catalog is stuffed with photos and information about our Block of the Month Clubs and how they work. Seeing all the clubs together, I was amazed at the number of programs that we do here at Grandma's Attic. I also noticed that we have many different embroidery available, including our new one Sweethearts Redwork Sampler Club. I've been embroidering blocks for this club and also for Flower of the Month Club. That one is currently being revamped with a new setting that will make it twice as gorgeous as before.

One of my favorite clubs is the Bobby Sox Sisters. Each month, you follow Apple Betty, Patti Poundcake and Jenny Jello as they explore the changes of the 1950s. There's quilt blocks to create and 1950s-era appliances to embroider, as well as a special newsletter for reading about what was popular during those years.

If you'd like a copy of our latest catalog, send us an e-mail at grandmasattic1@gmail.com with your snail mail address and we'll get one in the mail to you right away!

Jewels of the Valley Quilt Show

2011-04-20T08:36:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite quilt shows takes place right in my own back yard. Held every other year, the 2011 Quilt Show is put on by the Mid-Valley Quilt Guild of the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

This year, the theme is Jewels of the Valley. It starts tomorrow, April 21, and continues through Saturday, April 23. Held at the Polk County Fairgrounds in Rickreall, Oregon, it's only four miles from Grandma's Attic. Come see us once you've been inspired by the show. The quilt you see here is called "Gem Stars." Made by quilt guild members, it is going to be raffled off Sunday afternoon and one lucky person will be taking it home.

In addition to the quilt raffle, this show features judged and non-judged quilts, a silent auction, a vendor mall, a boutique full of quilty things made by Guild members, and a bed turning. The bed turning is one of my favorite parts of this show. And just like it says, what will happen is that they will tell you all about the quilts that have been laid out on a big old bed. One of the Guild members will discuss each quilt in detail--how old it is, where it came from, etc. Then they will turn it back to reveal another quilt.

Admission for non guild members is $5 and well worth the price. Allow yourself plenty of time to be able to see all the quilts, visit the boutique and vendor mall, bid on silent auction items and even have a little something to eat. Remember, this show is held every other year so if you miss this one, you'll have to wait two whole years before you can see it again!

Stephen's Chickens and an Egg Recipe

2011-03-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

April 2nd is "Chick Day" at our house. That's when Stephen will go to the Feed Store and bring home six to ten new baby chicks to add to his small barnyard brood. We didn't get any babies last year. This year, he says that the 13 chickens he has are not getting any younger. And since those "old ladies" are getting up there in years, he says it's time to bring in some new little chicks.

When he brings the babies home, he sets up a special box that he built for them. Then he adjusts a heat lamp, and provides food and water so they will be well fed, warm, and ready to grow. And when they get old enough, they will start laying eggs.

Stephen's chickens lay an average of six to eight eggs per day, which means that when they're laying, he's got as many eggs as the Easter Bunny. The chickens come to him when he calls them. They know he's going to feed them and follow him anywhere he goes!

We have a hen house for them with a fenced-in outdoor area for keeping them safe. On most days, though, he opens up the coop and let's them wander around the farm for a while. No matter how far they wander, they always manage to put themselves to bed when the sun goes down. Then Stephen goes out and shuts the door to the hen house and locks them in all nice and safe from predators.

We have different types of chickens on the farm. Right now we've got buff orphingtons, bantam cochins with feathers on their feet, Rhode Island reds, and Plymouth Rocks (the ones that look like they're on a prison gang in their black and white feathers). I'm sure we've got other types as well, but I must admit that I don't keep up with them as much as Stephen does.

The eggs they lay are absolutely fabulous. Nice big eggs with brilliant yellow yolks that look just perfect when poached and sitting on the breakfast table. And speaking of breakfast, here's a fabulous breakfast casserole recipe. You make it ahead; then refrigerate until morning when you pop it into the oven for a yummy start to your day.

Breakfast Casserole

1 pound ground pork sausage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
6 slices bread, toasted and cut into cubes
8 ounces mild cheddar cheese, shredded

Night Before: Crumble the sausage in a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly browned; then drain. In a medium sized bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese. Stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.

Next Morning: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover casserole dish and bake 45-60 minutes. Uncover, reduced temperature to 325 degrees F and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until set.

Serves: 8 (377 calories per serving)

National Quilting Day - March 19, 2011

2011-03-19T08:47:00.001-07:00

Did you know that there was an entire day devoted solely to quilting?

National Quilting Day began with a resolution passed by members of the National Quilting Association at their 22nd Annual Show in Lincoln, Nebraska, in June 1991. The 3rd Saturday in March was officially designated as National Quilting Day. It all began in 1989, when the Kentucky Heritage Quilt Society organized "Quilter's Day Out" to celebrate the rich tradition of quilt making in Kentucky. The first National Quilting Day was observed in 1992.

For 2011, the theme is Build Your Own Log Cabin. They have a free quilt pattern available at their website. It is based on the log cabin block and is 64" square. Click here to get that free quilt pattern. This would make a great donation for your favorite cause--or make one for yourself to honor family and friends.

There are countless ways to celebrate National Quilting Day. Here are a few ideas: 1) Make it a service day and work on a quilt for your favorite cause; 2) Organize an exhibit at your local library or historical society; 3) Work on a quilt with a school, 4-H, scout troop or simply sew with a grandchild; 4) Sponsor a sewing day making lap quilts for seniors. Turn it into an oral history project capturing stories of the community; 5) Give a baby quilt to the first baby born on National Quilting Day each year.

I'm going to spend this day teaching classes at Grandma's Attic. I'm teaching the Clothesline Club exploring 1930s-era quilting at 10:00 am, followed by Quilt Red where we will explore embroidery and heart health at 11:00. Then I'm planning to work on a couple of quilt projects I've been dreaming up to present to you all in April. How will you spend the day? I hope it will be filled with quilts, quilting and good thoughts.

African Adventures with Tammy

2011-03-15T11:27:00.001-07:00

Tammy just sent me another small note from South Africa, along with a few pictures. This one of Anne (on the left) and Tammy (on the right) definitely shows that they're having a great time. I'm thinking that the weather and the good company are very restorative for Tammy's health and that's a good thing. Both of them look great! Here's Tammy's note:

"Anne and I have been on many adventures in the last weeks with little computer access to share in a timely manner. I do miss my friends back home, but I am happy to say I have much to share with you. I have seen so many animals and beautiful countrysides. The people are so kind and friendly, you all would be impressed to see how people treat each other despite what little they may have. I have learned to humble down some. Talk to you soon!"

Here's a face only a mother could love! The Warthog, also called "African Lens-Pig," is a wild member of the pig family in Africa. Those wart-like protrusions on the head serve as a defense when males are fighting.

Like camels, warthogs are able to conserve moisture inside their bodies to stay cool. They are tough, sturdy animals with large heads and two sets of tusks. The upper tusks form a semicircle. The lower ones have a sharp cutting edge. When they run, they carry their tail upright so that it looks like a little flag. Believe it or not, even though they look tough, they would rather flee than fight.

Warthogs are grazers of grass and plants. They are approximately 30 inches tall at the shoulder, weigh between 120 and 150 pounds, and can live up to 15 years in the wild.

When I think of Africa, I always think of elephants. Those majestic animals are the largest land animals on earth and have a life span of up to 70 years. Their ears sort of look like the continent of Africa itself and can radiate heat to help them cool down.

An elephant's trunk contains approximately 100,000 different muscles and can be used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking and grabbing things. Trunks also come in handy for taking a nice shower. African elephants use their tusks to dig for food and water. Males also use them for battle. Because their tusks are made of ivory, they attract poachers, even though this is completely illegal. As a result, some African elephant populations are endangered.

Elephants are herbivores and can eat up to 300 pounds of food a day. How's that for a big food budget? They roam great distances foraging for food with female elephants living in herds. The females give birth to one calf every two to four years and, if you can imagine it, are pregnant for 22 months. (And you thought nine was tough!) At birth, a baby elephant is approximately three feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds. In contrast, fully grown elephants are 8-13 feet tall measured at the shoulder and can weigh anywhere from 5,000 to 14,000 pounds.

Seeing Tammy's photos of warthogs and elephants reminds me that the 11th annual Quilter's Safari shop hop is just around the corner. From April 22 to May 1, you can be on your own wild adventure checking out Mid-Willamette Valley quilt shops and hunting down all those fabulous fabric deals! Click here for more details.

South African Adventures with Tammy and Anne

2011-03-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

As many of you may know, our class coordinator, Tammy Keith, and her friend Anne are currently visiting South Africa. Here's Tammy's latest letter:

"We are here at Lorna's farm at Noordhoek. Its on Chapmans Peak Rd, and Chapman's Peak Drive is very close as a cross road. We are doing very well and are having a great time. I finally feel relaxed and the heat is starting to make a difference. As before, everyone we meet is gracious beyond belief. We have met many new people who are instant friends. Two days ago, we had a very nice lunch at a quilter's house and two other quilting friends came to meet us and share their projects with us. This all came about because of a woman we met at Louisa's home. She wanted to share us with her friends. I find this country amazing. This has been a wonderful trip so far!"

After spending the night in Plettenberg Bay, Tammy and Anne are on to Grahamstown, South Africa, between Elizabethtown and East London.

Starry Night Block of the Month Club

2011-02-24T08:18:00.001-08:00

Star Light...Star Bright...First Star I see Tonight... Do you remember wishing upon a star when you where young?

Here's a wish that can definitely come true: a brand new block of the month program at Grandma's Attic using Laurel Burch's Celestial Dreams fabric. Starry Night is filled with bright stars that twinkle in a night sky. Using a deep black background fabric, the prints sparkle with life.

Each month, you will receive the pattern, rotary cutting instructions, and all the fabric you need to complete a 12" quilt block. Finished quilt measures approximately 57" x 72". Click here for more details on this delightful block of the month program.

Tammy and Anne in Capetown

2011-02-15T14:15:00.001-08:00

Many of you know that our Class Coordinator, Tammy Keith, and her pal Anne, are currently on a vacation to South Africa. Tammy promised to keep in touch and we've just heard from her about her journey to date. Here's what she had to say:

"Hi Rachel: Anne and I having a great time right on the coast overlooking the Indian Ocean and huge kelp beds. We are right on the bluff on the most southern part of the peninsula in Hangklip. We are staying with a wonderful woman named Louisa. She took us to a couple of fabric stores, one of which was a very nice quilt shop located in an old house where they served us tea! The people here are very gracious. The house we are staying at is right at the point and the ocean shows from all their windows. This is pure peace with all of the scenery and wildlife thrown in. We have visited many people and no one is ever a stranger.

"I've seen baboons draped all over the barriers along the road and hope to see more of them. They are on the main road to town also.

"I have also seen Dassies on the rocks at sunset getting the last rays of the sun.

"Today we went to a penguin refuge. They were cute, but smelly. We saw some of the males sitting on eggs in the nursery area. They are amazing to see up close and they walk right by us to go down to the ocean. I could have touched them and can't wait to show photos to my grandkids.

"We've had fresh from the sea crayfish two nights in a row and lovely fresh fruit. The lady we're staying with took us to a couple of fabric stores, one of which was a very nice quilt shop located in an old house. They even served us tea! On Wednesday, we are going to the Breede River where bull sharps swim up river from the sea. I doubt we will swim though!

"The country is truly beautiful and the climate is perfect for me. I miss all of you back home but I am truly having a wonderful time while I am here. Your Friend, Tammy."

2011 Hoffman Challege

2011-02-10T07:42:00.001-08:00

This year's Hoffman Challenge fabric and coordinating pieces have arrived! The challenge piece is a gorgeous turquoise and gold. The coordinates are equally as beautiful. You can view them at Grandma's Attic.

The curator of 2011's Hoffman Challenge is Julie Breidt who began as curator in 2010. Prior to that time, Kelly Gallagher-Abbott was curator for eight years. Margrit Hall managed the Challenge between 1998 and 2001, and before that, the curators and founders of the Challenge were Betty Boyink and Holice Turnbow.

Every year a team from Hoffman Fabrics chooses an upcoming fabric design and then issues a challenge to quilt, clothing, doll and accessory makers to create an original item using the fabric. The challenge curator and a group of assistants jury the entries and then a select team of judges chooses the award winners and cash prizes are given.

The juried collections then travel to be exhibited by quilt and other fiber guilds, shops, museums and textile shows. The exhibits are displayed and enjoyed in several hundred locations across the United States and Canada.

Since it's beginning in 1988, the Hoffman Challenge has grown to be a premiere traveling quilt, clothing and doll collection. The quality of entries and a growing number of exhibit requests have led Hoffman to establish additional traveling collections. Currently, twelve collections travel coast-to-coast within the United States and Canada.

In 2011, the Hoffman Challenge celebrates its 23rd anniversary. In 1987, the Challenge began with 94 enthusiastic quilters. Some years the number of entries have been more than 700. In addition to the three quilt categories (pieced, applique and mixed technique), new categories include clothing/wearable art, accessories and dolls. While the majority of the entries come from the United States, many international entries are also received.

Deadline for entries in this year's Hoffman Challenge is July 15, 2011. Click here for more information on how you can join the fun. To purchase this year's Hoffman Challenge fabric, go to Grandma's Attic

Sweethearts Redwork Sampler Quilt

2011-01-29T10:54:00.000-08:00

We're going red for women's heart health this month! February is Heart Health Awareness Month, so it's the perfect time to introduce our newest Block of the Month program Sweethearts Redwork Sampler Quilt Club. As part of the national Go Red For Women campaign and the American Heart Association, we're committed to helping build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke for women.

You can say I Love You over and over again with Sweethearts Redwork Sampler Quilt Club. The club features embroidered hearts that I designed and/or adapted from vintage redwork patterns. In choosing patterns to include in the club, I looked at literally hundreds of different heart motifs that have appeared in quilts and needlework through the years. It was interesting to note that in the 1800s, hearts were only included wedding quilts, yet by the middle of the 20th century, hearts appeared on all types of textiles.

After the research phase, I designed and/or adapted 13 different hearts to showcase designs representing different eras in textiles. Designs chosen for the sampler quilt include those found in the penny square redwork quilts of the late 1800s, plus heart designs like those used in the 1930s, 1980s and today. I even included an adaptation from the late 1700s called Love in Bloom.

All of the heart designs in this program are easy to stitch using simple redwork embroidery techniques. They're also fun to do. And since embroidery can be a relaxing way to unwind after a hectic and crazy day, some take more time to complete than others. Each packet in the program includes the fabric and floss needed to create an embroidered heart block. I've also included information from FabShopNet's Quilt Red program with tips for keeping your own heart healthy and strong. So the program is a win-win: interesting, fun, informational, relaxing, and good for your health!

We've kept the cost of the Sweethearts Redwork Sampler Quilt Club low at $9.99 per month, including shipping and handling. A Finishing Kit for setting your blocks into a beautiful red, white and black quilt measuring 95" x 95" is also available.

Sign up today so we can get that first packet in your mailbox right away!

We're 17 Years Old!

2011-01-25T07:29:00.001-08:00

"Where does the time go?" People say this all the time, yet this is my most honest reaction about Grandma's Attic celebrating its 17th birthday. One minute we're opening up a tiny little shop with approximately 400 bolts of fabric, and the next thing you know, we've grown into this great big shop with over 4,000 bolts on the shelves!

One thing I can say is that the first year we were open, is that I actually had a little quilting frame set up in the back and I did a little hand quilting every afternoon. This last year I've scarcely looked at a quilt frame, much less put in a stitch or two! Instead, I've been busy working on both the brick and mortar and the web stores. It's been fun; I'm having a great time; and I'm not anywhere near a stopping point! The shop is a blessing in my life and I am very grateful.

We're taking an entire week to celebrate this milestone. All fabric in the shop is 17% off this week (in honor of 17 years). Plus, if you bring cans of soup into the brick and mortar store for the local food bank, we'll give you an additional 7% discount for being so generous to others in need.

Everyone who purchases at least $100 either on the web or in the store itself, will receive a gift from us--a beautiful scissors set (two pair!). In additional, we are still holding our book close-out sale of 50% off with plenty great titles to take home with you.

As for me, I am trying to work a little more hand work into my life this year. Whether hand quilting or embroidery work, I am looking forward to the relaxation needle arts can bring.

Remodeling Again!

2011-01-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

As you probably know, we're always changing things around here at Grandma's Attic. Whether it's redecorating our front windows after the holidays, or featuring the latest and greatest products received from suppliers, we really keep hopping. What with trying to figure out where to put the product and how best to display it so that you have room to shop, it's a fact that I get my daily exercise. And as long as I am not absolutely killing my knees trying to do too much, I enjoy the opportunity to get up close and personal with the merchandise.

From the picture above, you can see that we totally remodeled the Books and Notions area of the shop. We've made it easier for you to browse through the books, find the Leanin' Tree cards, and purchase notions. Seana helpfully posed with a book to show off our new arrangement. Not only is there more room to look through our selections, but to be honest with you, the real reason I decided that this had to be done was that it is going to be a lot easier to set up for registration check-in during Quilt Club sessions. I move one Deacon's bench, haul in a table, and we're there. (Okay, so I don't actually move it myself, but I sure am good at directing someone else to do it.) The upside of this new arrangement for you is that there's more space to move around and there's better lighting.

When we revamped, the batting rack migrated over to the hall area between the front of the shop and the classroom. It's easier to see everything there too. Not to worry about those empty spots on the rack. They'll be full in no time because I just placed a big batting order now that I can see what we're missing!

In order to make more room, I had to get real about the number of books that we are carrying in the shop. I know for a fact that even after we purge some of the books by putting them on sale to you at fabulous prices, we will continue to have more books in the shop than you can imagine. (Don't forget, the book area is just one place we have our books. There's books in Batiks, 1930s, Redwork, 19th Century, Baby, Kitchen items, and the top of all the shelves. It's crazy. What can I say? There's so many good ones out there. It's a win-win situation for you though. I put over 125 book titles on sale 50% off and I moved them all to the classroom area so that you could shop them easily.

This is the book close-out area. Everything is 50% off. And yes, I know there's a gigantic pole in the middle of that space. It's not very attractive, but it's holding up one of those gigantic satellite dishes. My landlord used to own Oregon Cable TV and this was part of the office. The dish is still there and so is the pole which is just fine with me. I have the best landlord on the face of the earth and a little pole in the middle of a display is nothing I can't work around.

Come see our changes for yourself. And while you're at it, bring some of these books home with you. You'll love learning new techniques and discovering new ideas.

Bonnie Leman of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine

2011-01-05T15:57:00.001-08:00

Somewhere in the hubbub of the holiday season, I missed hearing the sad news that Bonnie Leman, founder of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine, passed away on September 4, 2010.

According to The Denver Post, Bonnie "found her calling in the publishing business, when, in 1969, she founded Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. Through her magazine she helped revive and foster an appreciation of quilts as a great American art form that continues to this day. Bonnie grew her magazine readership to more than 200,000 subscribers in over 100 countries, as well as writing and publishing numerous books and other publications on quiltmaking. She traveled much of the world in the course of her career, made hundreds of friends, and contributed to the growth of the quiltmaking art in many countries."

When Bonnie began publishing her magazine, it was the only magazine on the market devoted solely to quilting. Before very long at all, Quilter's Newsletter Magazine was the magazine you had to have if you were to consider yourself a "real" quilter. And, indeed, I have managed over the years to collect every single issue from that first one in 1969, until the present day. My favorites are the ones in the 100 series (the 1970s and early 1980s). There is so much good information packed into the pages of those issues that they are hard to put down once picked up. Here's a copy of what the very first magazine looked like:

Bonnie typed those first magazine issues at the kitchen table using a manual typewriter. And, on the day that very first issue was published, she was at the hospital giving birth to her seventh child. Her staff back then consisted of her children. There is no way she could have fathomed the tremendous impact she would have on quilters all over the world. From that tiny seed, she grew a giant oak of a publication. Forty-two years later, here is a copy of what the latest issue looks like:

Clearly, both the magazine and the quilting industry have come a very long way since Bonnie pounded out that first issue at her kitchen table. Quilt Historian Barbara Brackman has composed a lovely tribute to Bonnie, whom she credits as giving her a start as a published author. You can read it by visiting her blog, Material Culture. Bonnie was inducted into the Quilter's Hall of Fame in 1982. You can read their tribute to Bonnie on the Quilter's Hall of Fame blog.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T07:07:00.001-08:00

It's now 2011! That's 1-1-11 to be exact and, it seems to me, a great time for new beginnings. I'm sharing with you a few of my favorite quotes in the hope that they will inspire you to new projects, new dreams, and new beginnings.

"Whatever you do or dream you can do--begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832 --

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." -- Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962 --

"Never lose an opportunity of urging a practical beginning, however small, for it is wonderful how often in such matters the mustard-seed germinates and roots itself." -- Florence Nightingale, 1820-1910 --

"You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream." -- C.S. Lewis, 1898-1963 --

"Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true."
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850

We Can Do It!

2010-12-31T10:59:00.000-08:00

I was saddened to learn that the woman who inspired this famous World War II poster died yesterday at the age of 86. Her name was Geraldine Hoff Doyle. She was 17 when a United Press Photographer took a picture of her working at a Michigan metal factory in 1942.

Artist J. Howard Miller, who had been commissioned by the government to create a series of motivational posters for factory workers, saw the photo and created this poster. While the face in the poster is Geraldine's, her daughter says she did not have those muscular arms. According to her daughter, Geraldine was 5'10" tall and very slender.

Over time, the poster has become an icon of women's empowerment. "We CAN do it" and we do. During World War II, women further demonstrated their rightful place in the American workforce. They contributed to this nation's infrastructure and help shape the course of American history. They served their country at a time of great need and demonstrated to the nation that they were and are equal to the task.

As for Geraldine, she didn't last very long at the factory, taking a job instead at a soda fountain because she was worried factory work would keep her from playing the cello. As fate would have it, her future husband walked up to that soda fountain. Geraldine was married to Leo Doyle, a dentist, for 66 years. They had six children, 18 grandchildren, and 25 great-grandchildren. She didn't recognize herself in this poster until 1984, when she saw it in Modern Maturity magazine.

Read more about Geraldine here.

Cookie Time At Grandma's! - Day 5

2010-12-21T16:33:00.001-08:00

Every year at Christmas, my grandmother made Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls. She'd divide them up and then send them home with various family members. It was a ritual we all looked forward to, and dearly missed after she passed in 1998.

A few days ago, a package arrived in the mail from daughter Dannielle. Opening the box, there were several little bags of peanut butter balls! Believe me, they taste EXACTLY like the ones my grandmother used to make. Then it dawned on me that she had taught Dannielle how to cook.

I don't know the exact recipe that Grandmother and Dannielle used, but I found a fun recipe in Christmas Cookie Jar by Gooseberry Patch that I think you will enjoy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

1/2 cup butter
18 ounce jar creamy peanut butter
16 ounce package powdered sugar
3-1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
18 ounce package milk chocolate bar, chopped

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Blend in peanut butter. Stir in powdered sugar and cereal. Form into one-inch balls and place on wax paper. Melt chocolate on top of double boiler. Dip balls in chocolate to coat. Arrange on baking sheets to cool and set.

Makes about 5 dozen.

Cookie Time At Grandma's! - Day 4

2010-12-19T09:44:00.001-08:00

Our extended family doesn't get together as often as we should, yet we always find time to celebrate Christmas together either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. We each bring a dish to share. Dad and sister Dannielle can be found in the kitchen baking up delicious Christmas treats.

In years past, we've toyed with the idea of making a gingerbread house. Some years we've made the pieces by hand. Other years, frankly, we "cheated" and bought a kit at the local grocery store. What we've basically decided is that making gingerbread cookies is the safest way to go. They're just as fun to decorate, and there are no catastrophic roof cave-ins to contend with. The recipe we use for Gingerbread cookies was given to me by my friend Mary Ross. It's exactly like the one my grandmother used to make:

Mary's Gingerbread Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup light and dark molasses
2-1/4 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Cream butter and sugar. Blend in butter and molasses. Sift together dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Chill dough for two hours. Roll out 1/3 inch thick on lightly floured board.

Cut out shapes using a six inch cookie cutter. Draw dress details with toothpick and decorate with currants, red hots, or the candies of your choice. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F. Makes approximately 15.

Alternatively, the dough may be rolled thin (1/4") and cut with standard sized cookie cutters. Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Makes 5 dozen.

Cookie Time At Grandma's! - Day 3

2010-12-17T08:25:00.001-08:00

Unforgettable is one of my favorite little cookbooks. Combining American history with favorite recipes from the decades of the 20th Century, this book is packed with interesting information and mouth-watering recipes. It details how cocktail parties emerged for the first time during Prohibition. Meatloaf, chili and casseroles helped stretch food budgets in the 1930s, and food using vegetables from Victory Gardens sprung up in the 1940s.

Tucked in and among the recipes for Eggs Benedict, Meatless Meatloaf and Tuna Noodle Casserole, Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow topping, Zucchini Bread and Quiche Lorraine, there is only one cookie recipe. Toll House Cookies are definitely a cookie you'll want to include in your holiday baking.

According to the book, Ruth Wakefield of Whitman, Massachusetts created the recipe in 1933. She thought she could save time by adding in bits of semi-sweet chocolate to her cookie batter but they didn't melt as she had hoped. She named them after the Toll House Inn she and her husband owned. The Nestle Corporation, which began selling chocolate chips in 1939, purchased the rights to the Toll House name. The rest, as they say, is history.

Did you know that chocolate chip cookies account for more than half of all the cookies baked in the United States? I know I've sure baked a lot of them. Haven't you?

Toll House Cookies

2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine,
softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 package (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine flour, soda and salt. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture, mixing just until combined. By hand, stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees F for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Cookie Time At Grandma's! - Day 2

2010-12-15T09:34:00.001-08:00

Does your family or friends have the tradition of swapping cookies at the holidays? The way it works is that each person bakes enough cookies to share a dozen or so with other participants. You bake the cookies; then get together to swap them out for others. That way, you have a bigger selection of cookies for holiday get-togethers.

Today's recipe is from The Great Christmas Cookie Swap Cookbook. By the folks at Good Housekeeping, this little book has contains 60 large-batch recipes to bake and share with others. Recipes include Lemon Cranberry Shortbread, Raspberry Linzer Thumbprints, Chocolate Crinkles and Coconut Macaroons, just to name a few. Like our other featured cookbooks, it is available at Grandma's Attic.

The Great Christmas Cookie Swap Cookbook is a small hard cover book with inside spiral bind for ease of page turning. As an added bonus, it also includes tips for hosting a swap and festive blank cards for sharing recipes.

Classic Sugar Cookies

6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups butter (4 sticks), softened
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until blended. In separate large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs and vanilla until mixed, then beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.

Divide dough in half, then divided each half into 4 equal pieces; flatten each into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece of dough until slightly less than 1/4 inch thick; keep remaining dough refrigerated. With floured 3- to 4-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible; reserve trimmings. Place cookies 1 inch apart, on two ungreased large cookie sheets.

Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. With wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings.

Cookie Time at Grandma's!

2010-12-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year when the smell of freshly baked cookies wafts out of the kitchen straight into our hearts. It's cookie time at Grandma's!

If you like baking cookies, you will love the recipes we'll share from now until December 25th, each one from a different book available at Grandma's Attic. Today's cookie recipe comes from Christmas Cookies by Gooseberry Patch. This fun book contains cookie after cookie after cookie. There are quick-to-fix recipes like the one below that start with store-bought mixes, and others that you make from scratch. Recipes for candy and mixes are also included.

Since I couldn't decide which recipe I wanted to use, I had Melissa close her eyes, and randomly open up the book. Super Simple Snickerdoodles is the recipe that she landed on. Outlined below, it sounds totally yummy!. To order the book, just click on this Christmas Cookies link.

Super Simple Snickerdoodles

18-1/2 ounce package Yellow Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Garnish: cinnamon-sugar

Combine cake mix, eggs, oil and cinnamon in a large bowl; mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. While still warm, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Let cool for two minutes on baking sheets; transfer to wire racks to finishing cooling.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

The Art of Charlot Byj

2010-11-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

Rediscovering the artwork of Charlot Byj was like visiting an old friend. Remembering these images from childhood, I was delighted to find that reproductions of these 1950s-style coloring books were available. One of the ladies who shops at Grandma's Attic told me that she recently cleaned out her aunt's estate and discovered three of the Blue Bonnet coloring books shown here. They were dated 1949, 1950 and 1951. She said that the originals are much larger than the reproductions we carry.

The inside of each of these coloring books, including Beginners Coloring Book, looks exactly like a coloring book you would recall from childhood. There are 32 pages of black and white drawings. The artwork on the cover is what caught my attention, and I began to wonder about the artist.

Fortunately, Charlot Byj signed her name on these paintings, although at first I thought it was spelled Charlot Byi. (Either way, her name is pronounced "Bye".) She began her art career by drawing greeting cards, posters, and other types of advertising in the 1940s. The story goes that one day, after art school in New York City where she lived, she ducked into the doorway of a greeting card shop to escape the rain. Admiring the card line in the window, she noted the name of the publisher and called for an interview. The publisher hired her and she began creating greeting cards that featured redheaded children. Shabby O'Hair, his sister Raggy Muffin, and their plump mother M'Lady O'Hair were among the redheads that became her trademark.

Franz Goebel of the W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik company, noticed her work and invited her to his German production facility. Working alongside master sculptor Arthur Moeller, Charlot began designing Hummel figurines. The first one, called "Strike," was produced in 1957. She also helped create "The Roving Eye," "Oops," and "Little Miss Coy".

Between 1957 and 1988, when the series was discontinued, more than 100 different Hummel figurines were created. The figurines featured both red- and blonde-haired children. The redheads were known as mischievous characters. The blondes were portrayed as more serene. Today, Hummel figurines are sought after by collectors all over the world. In addition to figurines, Charlot's characters were also produced as annual baby and Christmas ornaments; a series of decorative plates, art prints, dolls in different sizes, and music boxes with figurines as the center piece. From the 1950s to the 1970s, Charlot Byj images were very popular. If they look familiar to you, you probably remember them from this time period.

Little Miss Christmas and Santa is the name of this coloring book. Popular in the 1960s, Little Miss Christmas is obviously a blonde. I suppose that means she was more serene and not so mischievous. (After all, every one knows you have to be a "good girl" at Christmas time.) And just as a matter of confession, my own dear Grandmother was a carrot-top redhead. Believe me, she was mighty mischievous for the times in which she lived! This coloring book consists of 32 pages of Christmas-related scenes.

All three of these coloring books are for sale at Grandma's Attic. In case you think I've lost my mind in all this nostalgia and wonder why we carry coloring books at the shop, I'll tell you coloring books of all kinds can be a great source of inspiration for quilters, crafters, scrapbookers, and grandmothers. You can use them as stencils, for embroidery work, and to create vignettes for scrapbooks. Then again, they're also perfect for keeping children busy and happy. Think of all the "artwork" you can display on the refrigerator!

In addition to Hummel figurines, Charlot Byi illustrated books and created art prints. The Shiniest Star, a reproduction pop-up book illustrated by Charlot Byj, is currently available at Grandma's Attic.

According to the information I have on Charlot Byj, she lived in New York City. She was considered by those who knew her as a "caring and sincere" person. After Charlot became ill in the 1980s, she cut back on her design work. On August 7, 1983, she passed away.

That's pretty much everything I know about Charlot Byj. If you have more information related to her, I hope you will share it with us.

Quilt Market and the Houston Zoo

2010-11-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

After spending four days at International Quilt Market in Houston, I felt like I had been to a zoo. Quilts and fabric were everywhere. Tons to look at, loads of walking, and lots of information to try to absorb. Before heading back to Oregon, Amber and I decided to take a little break and visit a different kind of zoo--The Houston Zoo. And what do you know? Even this sweet little orangutan was holding a quilt!

Speaking of orangutans, did you know that the experts believe that orangutans are so endangered, they will become extinct in the wild over the next ten years? Orangutans are our closest relatives. We share about 97 percent of our DNA with them. Originally, it is estimated that 300,000 orangutans lived throughout Southeast Asia. Today, there are only small pockets of them in the wild on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. But as the rainforest is destroyed through logging and palm oil production, their numbers are dwindling fast. In the past 20 years, over 80% of their habitat has been destroyed. With information like that, I'd be hugging a quilt too!

Other highlights at this zoo included a brand new baby Asian elephant named Tupelo, a couple of bears named Boomer and Bailey, some Opaki, a lion named Jonathan, and an amazing assortment of all kinds of other animals including a giraffe, an assortment of primates, sea lions, birds, aquarium animals, reptiles, amphibians--you name it. The weather was 88 degrees with 90% humidity. It was an amazingly wonderful diversion from all the strategic planning we're up to for 2011.

One Million Pillowcase Challenge Update

2010-10-19T08:26:00.001-07:00

We just checked in with the Counter for the One Million Pillowcase Challenge and added even more pillowcases that have been generously donated by our customers! To date, we have added 583 pillowcases to the national total. We are hoping to have donated 1,000 pillowcases by December 31, 2010 and we need your help to achieve this goal.

I noticed when I went to the website that there have been a total of 167,942 pillowcases donated nationwide. Click here to see the current national pillowcase count. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the donors who are helping us give pillowcases to the non-profit organizations in Polk County. We are definitely doing our part to help in this worthwhile effort.

Throughout 2010, Grandma's Attic is asking you to make pillowcases and bring them to the shop where they will be donated to Polk County Area non-profit organizations. Each pillowcase is counted; then sent to the agencies.

If you'd like to get ideas for pillowcases that you can make, American Patchwork & Quilting has free pillowcase patterns available. Patterns are updated quarterly so there's bound to be something that catches your interest. You can make your pillowcases from any 100% cotton fabrics that you have or purchase. I think the only requirement is that they be standard size, clean, and something that you yourself would be proud to use!

Thank you for considering this worthwhile cause. Seana picked out a nice Asian style fabric to make a pillowcase for this project. You can order a kit just like it at our pillowcase kits page! Isn't it beautiful? The best part is that right now, our pillowcase kits are on sale--buy one kit, get the second half price. The sale price will not show up in our webstore. All you have to do is enter the phrase pillowcase kit sale in the comments section of your web order and we'll take care of the discount on our end when your order is received.

Let's Have Patchwork Party

2010-10-04T17:32:00.001-07:00

Time to celebrate! Patchwork Party 2010 has begun!

Fall Edition 2010 brings you twelve shops with twelve beautiful blocks, all designed by Marti Michell using her beautiful fabric collection Wild Rose by Maywood. This line of fabric is absolutely gorgeous with its old-fashioned roses and charming coordinates.

Our block is called Ladies Sashay, a reference to square dancing. And since this block sort of looks like a traditional Hole in the Barn Door quilt block, the reference to an old-fashioned barn dance seemed appropriate.

The way it works is simple. You visit each of the 12 quilt shops in the party to collect that shops' exclusive quilt block. Each shop has also designed a Finishing Kit that uses all 12 of the blocks. You decide which Finishing Kit you want to make and then you have a fabulously good time making your quilt.

Our Finishing Kit is called Meet Me in the Meadow. If you're a fan of the Twilight book and movie series, then you know that the meadow is where Edward and Bella fell in love. The fabrics in this quilt are so romantic, we couldn't resist the idea of having a beautiful quilt in the meadow. My daughter Melissa designed it; my daughter Seana pieced it; and Linda Perry of Artistically Quilted by Linda machine quilted it. Measuring 83" x 83", this queen-sized quilt is quite eye-catching and attractive, don't you think?

This Patchwork Party uses Marti Michell Templates Set M and Set S. The paper templates you need are included with each quilt block pattern; however, acrylic templates are also available. For added convenience, Marti has put together a combination template set consisting of the templates in both Set M and Set S. Set S is totally new on the market, making its debut at the same time as Patchwork Party Fall Edition 2010.

In addition to the quilt, we have created matching coordinates, including a wall quilt and matching pillowcases.

If you like to sew, you will love working with the fabric, blocks and templates in this year's Patchwork Party.

Shop Remodel

2010-09-22T15:59:00.001-07:00

This is what the classroom looked like before we remodeled this summer. Not very inviting, is it?

This is what the back of the shop looked like before the same remodel. This is where we process our mail order and work on block of the month kits. Can you imagine how we got anything done?

This is what the classroom looks like now. It's more organized and inviting than before. Don't you think?

This is how we've organized our fabric for the block of the month clubs and mail order department. It's amazing! We can actually find what we're looking for.

This is what our Block of the Month kit storage area looks like now. It's such an improvement that people don't believe me when I tell them it's only half done.

So this is what we did during the month of August and part of September. My daughter Melissa, who is studying interior design, got together with Amber and I to come up with a solution to our disorganization problem.

In my humble opinion, Melissa did a GREAT job with this. It's totally organized now and so much more efficient moving around and getting mail out the door for customers. It was almost worth all the agony we went through getting it done. I totally LOVE all the room we have. As lovely as the after pictures are, I don't think that the transformation for those of us who work in this space can be adequately captured in a few photographs. Just know that we love our new environment and enjoy working in this completely organized and totally functional workplace as we serve our online customers!

Our Baby Bailey

2010-09-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

Our little dachshund, Bailey, went to sleep in his favorite bed last night and never woke up. At 16 years old, the vet says that in dog years he was between 108-112 years old. He had a very full life and died peacefully, yet it's still sad when a treasured member of the family passes on.

This picture was taken 16 years ago by the breeder who gave Bailey to us. Bailey is the little guy at the top right in the photo. The way he came to us is pretty interesting. You see, Bailey was the treasured pet of our daughter Dannielle. At 10 years old, Dannielle was a dog person trapped in a cat family. And believe me, with seven cats on the property, these felines were in no mood to be entertaining a dog!

One day, a customer came into the shop with a basket full of puppies! Cute little things, really, but dogs nonetheless. For Bailey and Dannielle, it was love at first sight. Dannielle really, really, really, REALLY wanted to take Bailey home, but pure bred dachshunds can be very expensive and we just couldn't afford him. Reluctantly, Dannielle put Bailey back in the basket and he eventually went home with someone else.

A few short weeks later, the breeder knocked on our door. In her arms was little Bailey. It turns out that the man who originally purchased Bailey abused him terribly. The breeder found out about it, snatched the dog away from him, and brought the little guy to Dannielle. She told Dannielle she was giving her the dog because she knew that Dannielle loved him dearly and would take good care of him.

So that's how Bailey came to live at our house. The cat people in the family (and the cats) eventually adapted to him being there and decided to trust him. He eventually stopped having nightmares and decided to trust us.

Dannielle and Bailey were constant companions and good buddies. When she went off to college, he missed her terribly. The reunions at school break were always something to see. Yet, when she moved to California, we decided that Bailey should stay with us. We said it was best because this was the only home he had ever known. Secretly, it was because confirmed cat people let a dog into their heart and couldn't let him go.

Color of Peace Challenge Winners Announced

2010-08-25T09:56:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to our Color of Peace Quilt Challenge Winners! Beth Shier took first place for her Peace or Piece? quilt and wins a $100 gift certificate to Grandma's Attic. Our second place winner is Brenda Lopez who wins a $50 gift certificate to Grandma's Attic for her quilt A Sign from Above. Deb Sorem won third place with her quilt Flying to Freedom. She will receive a $25 gift certificate to Grandma's Attic. If you're looking the picture, Beth's quilt is the small one with the turquoise border on the left. Brenda's is the water color quilt on the top, and Deb's quilt is the round one at the bottom right.

The Color of Peace Quilt Challenge is a charitable event designed to raise funds for Sable House, a Polk County, Oregon agency assisting survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Earlier this year, Grandma's Attic provided applicants with entry packets consisting of five fabrics, then challenged entrants to creatively incorporate these fabrics into a final quilt design. All proceeds benefited Sable House.

Voting took place July 20 through August 7. The general public was invited to view the quilts at Grandma's Attic; then vote for their favorites, plus the categories of Best Use of Color and Best Interpretation of Theme. The winners were selected on August 8. In addition to the top three prizes, Best Use of Color Award went to Deb Sorem. Best Interpretation of Theme went to Beth Shier. They will both receive a gift basket of merchandise.

Grandma's Attic is strongly committed to the health and safety of women and children in Polk County and supports various local resources who share these goals. In addition, Grandma's Attic is dedicated to raising awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault issues through the arts and crafts.

The Grand Cats

2010-08-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

From time to time, our daughter Melissa asks us to babysit her "babies," two of the largest cats in all of pampered captivity. Here's a picture of Carly Kitty. Carly Kitty is about eight years old and has been with Melissa since the day she was born. Carly is a very sweet cat who loves to play with her toys and eat.

Here's a picture of Michael with Boo Boo. Michael says this is the latest in fashion accessories--the cat purse. Boo Boo had a rough beginning. One snowy afternoon some years back, the girls mentioned to me that they thought they had heard a cat crying from the side of the road near our house. This road has a series of "S" curves on it and is on a hill outside of town. Someone, thinking that they were "way out in the country," tossed a cat out of their car and drove off.

The girls decided to investigate so they drove slowly down the road calling for kitty. Sure enough, there was a little gray striped kitten. Melissa opened the passsenger door and Boo Boo quickly jumped in. It must have taken all of his energy because when they got back to the house, Boo Boo was so emaciated he could not even lift his little tail. He just dragged it behind him for the rest of the evening.

Boo Boo has grown to be a very large cat. He is a treasured member of the family and loves to hide in bags. He also enjoys chewing on flip flops if they are left out where he can find them.

When Michael and Melissa are on vacation, Stephen and I have cat duty. We go over to their house to feed the "grand cats" and play with them. Both of these kitties are happy and healthy. And bless his heart, Boo Boo never gets very far away from the food dish.

26th Wedding Anniversary

2010-07-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 13, was our 26th anniversary. We decided to drive over to the Oregon Coast for the day. The drive is beautiful; it's not that far away from where we live; and the cell phone reception isn't very good in the Van Duzer Corridor. The Corridor is a highway that has tall, Douglas Fir trees on either side. Ah, the peace and quiet! We had a wonderful drive all the way to Lincoln City.

Once we got over to Highway 101, we traveled south to Boiler Bay and stopped at the wayside there. This is an excellent place to watch the ocean-going birds. There are shearwaters, jaegers, albatrosses, grebes, pelicans, loons, oystercatchers and murrelets. It's also a great place to watch the waves come crashing up onto the rocks, and to see gray whales. The bay got it's name in 1910 when an explosion sank the J. Marhoffer. At low-tide you can see this ship's boiler. Visiting here is always relaxing. The weather and the wind seemed just right. Stephen walked around the area taking photos. I watched the birds and the waves, but I didn't see any whales.

Afterward, we drove to a Chinese restaurant for a lovely lunch. Like every other wedding anniversary, Stephen and I talked about what we've managed to accomplish in our lives over the past year, five years, 10 years, etc., and shared our hopes and dreams for the years to come. Looking back helps us plan for the future. We concluded that we are both grateful for our friends and family, and are looking forward to a bright and shining future both at the Quilt Shop and the farm.

Shop Tour for Home Schoolers

2010-07-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I gave a few of the home schooled kids who attend our Quilt Club a tour of the shop and a sneak peek of next year's session. These kids have worked hard all year making quilt blocks and learning about the 1950s along with the rest of us. In this photo, I am showing them how we put a club together and explaining what goes into preparing for each session.

Then I took them on a tour of the back side of the shop. I showed the web store desks, the mail order area, the cutting station in the back with all the fabric that is getting ready to go out in the mail, and then took them on an explanatory tour of the brick and mortar store.

While I was talking, Georgeann set up a table so she could teach them how to embroider. She found a cross-stitch pattern by Jack Dempsey that was pre-stamped on fabric. Each student got to pick out their own animal pattern, then choose a color of floss to work with. Then Georgeann gave them an embroidery lesson. She showed them how many strands of floss to use, how to make a knot, and how to do the stitches. It looked like fun!

One of the students was left handed, just like me. To make it easier for the student, I showed her how to make left handed stitches. And since you all know that I love to embroider, and do a whole bunch of it with my Grandma Rachel's Redwork Club, I was glad for the excuse to join them!

Next year, I've got some special things in mind for the Homeschoolers who attend the Quilt Club. Sewing and needle skills are an American tradition and I am glad that to see students learning about them as they stitch their blocks.

Mini-Vacation in California

2010-07-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

In June, Stephen and I left the Quilt Shop in the capable hands of our employees and headed down to California to visit our daughter and son-in-law, Dannielle and Isaac Stahly. It was really close to their 2nd wedding anniversary, they had moved to a new apartment, and we hadn't seen them for a while. So we packed up the car and off we went.

As we got closer to California, we realized that it wasn't raining! If you live here in Oregon, you know that it rained 19 out of 30 days in June. Everything was green, green, green--and wet! Was summer ever going to get here? As you can see from the photo, though, it was sunny in California. We are both sporting sunglasses. (My children HATE my sunglasses, by the way, but they keep the sun out of my eyes quite nicely.) In fact, in Redding, it was HOT by mid-morning.

We weren't in Redding very long before we decided that we should visit the Golden Gate Bridge down in San Francisco. I had never been there before and, for some reason, I actually had it in my head that the bridge would be painted gold. And, of course, it isn't. When construction was originally proposed, the United States Navy wanted the bridge to be painted black with yellow stripes so it would be highly visible to ships. Instead, it was painted with red lead primer and a lead-based topcoat called orange vermillion, or international orange. The paint protects the bridge from the high salt content in the air, which rusts and corrodes the steel components.

Isaac totally knew his way around San Francisco. We were very thankful for that. Where Stephen and I live, three cars stopped at a traffic light can be considered a traffic jam. (And that's assuming there is a traffic light!) Driving in all that California traffic seemed to me like it could be very nerve-wracking. Hey, check it out. Isaac and Dannielle are also wearing sunglasses! They are standing at a viewpoint above the bridge. It was absolutely beautiful there.

So here's what I learned about the Golden Gate Bridge. Work on the bridge began on January 5, 1933, and was completed in April of 1937. Although every safety precaution was taken, eleven men actually died during construction. The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge that has two main cables which pass over the tops of the two main towers and are secured at either end in giant anchorages. The main cables rest on top of the 746-foot main towers in huge steel castings that are called saddles. Each main cable has 61 bundles of galvanized steel wire. The total length of the bridge, including all of its approaches from abutment to abutment is an amazing 1.7 miles! The bridge itself is 90 feet wide and 4,200 feet long from tower to tower. Each of those anchorages weighs 60,000 tons.

I also discovered that at the time it was built, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world; however, when the Verrazano-Narrows bridge in New York City was completed in 1964, the Golden Gate Bridge lost this distinction. Today, the longest suspension bridge in the world is the Akashi-Kaikyo in Japan.

We had other adventures while we were in California. I'll write about them soon!

Sew Oregon Shop Hop Starts Tomorrow!

2010-06-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

Sew Oregon, Oregon's State-wide quilt shop hop begins July 24, 2010. In its fourth year, this hop just keeps getting better and better. The theme this year is "Shades of Fall." Featured fabric was designed by Jo Morton. It is from her Ravenwood Collection by Andover.

The way the hop works is simple. Visit any participating quilt shop (including us!) to pick up a Sew Oregon passport. Each store you visit during the hop will stamp that passport to help you become eligible to win fabulous merchandise prizes. The more shops you visit, the more chances you have to win a prize!

In addition to stamping your passport, each shop will give you a quilt block kit for a 9" quilt block. (That's the pattern AND the fabric!) The block kit for Grandma's Attic is the Milky Way. We chose this block so you can remember what good friends you have at Grandma's Attic. (Can you see the friendship star in the block?) Putting nine of these blocks together and adding a small border gives you a nice little wall quilt measuring 30" square. You can also purchase a Sew Oregon shop hop bag for carrying your blocks as you collect them, and a shop hop pin to commemorate the occasion.

Grand prize is a Koala Treasure Chest Plus IV with Outback Leaf Extension and a Sew Comfort Adjustable Height Chair. There are also three sewing machines as prizes plus 12 additional gift baskets. These are absolutely wonderful prizes--and to think that you are eligible to win them simply by doing a little "shopping therapy" at your favorite quilt shops!

Flag Day - June 14

2010-06-12T09:17:00.001-07:00

On August 3, 1949, President Harry S. Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day. This was the culmination of efforts dating as far back as 1861 to have an annual day dedicated to celebrating the American Flag.

Over the years, there have been 27 official variations of the American Flag. Each modification occurred when additional states were added to the Union. The Flag as it flies today was adopted in 1959 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It includes 50 stars for the 50 states, with the last one added for Hawaii.

Although the colors on the American flag were not given any meanings at the time the flag was created, meanings were given for the colors of the Seal of the United States, which is also red, white and blue. Red stands for hardiness and valor. Blue stands for purity and innocence. Blue is for vigilance, perseverance and justice. The House of Representatives issued a book in 1977 which stated that the stars and stripes had further meaning. According to this book, the stars represent the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immortal, and the stripes are symbolic of the rays of light that emanate from the sun.

Each star on the flag has five points. Legend has it that Betsy Ross showed George Washington how to make a five pointed star with one snip of her scissors. Whether this is true or not, it's an enchanting story, and one that I discussed in our blog post about Betsy Ross on July 1, 2007.

You can make a five-pointed star just like the one Betsy Ross did. Click on the words five pointed star above and it will take you right to a page of instructions for making these stars.

If you are inspired to make your own patriotic project this summer, you'll find some fun patterns by clicking the link for Patriotic Patterns. You can also find American fabrics by clicking this link for Americana Fabric.

To learn more about flag etiquette and the proper way to fly a flag, go to the website of the U.S. Flag.

2010-06-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

I just went to the official website and added our donations to the total for the One Million Pillowcase Challenge!

I am very pleased to report that we have had a total of 365 pillowcases donated as of June 6, 2010. This week I will be taking them to our three non-profits that we've chosen to receive them. I will post photos as soon as I have them. Thank you very very much for making this project possible. I know that it brings a ton of joy to the recipients!

The three area non-profits chosen to receive pillowcases returned to Grandma's Attic are Sable House, the local domestic violence shelter, the Ron Wilson Center for Effective Living and Partnerships in Community Living (PCL). We will definitely be adding to the list of non-profits that we donate pillowcases to, based on your generosity and willingness to participate.

I noticed when I went to the website that there have been a total of 93,078 pillowcases donated nationwide. Click here to see the current national pillowcase count. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the donors who are helping us give pillowcases to the non-profit organizations in Polk County.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with our Pillowcase Challenge, throughout 2010, Grandma's Attic is asking you to make pillowcases and bring them to the shop where they will be donated to Polk County Area non-profit organizations. Each pillowcase is counted; then sent to the agencies. I'll put photos of the pillowcases donated to date on the blog this weekend--just as soon as I can get Stephen or Kyle to stop in with a camera to take photos.

If you'd like to get ideas for pillowcases that you can make, American Patchwork & Quilting has free pillowcase patterns available. Patterns are updated quarterly so there's bound to be something that catches your interest. You can make your pillowcases from any 100% cotton fabrics that you have or purchase. I think the only requirement is that they be standard size, clean, and something that you yourself would be proud to use!

Amelia Comes For a Visit

2010-05-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

Meet Amelia, an exotic shorthair that my daughter Leah adopted at the Humane Society. Being a cat person, I think Amelia is just the sweetest thing. She's inquisitive but polite, and I swear to you that when you ask her to do something, she totally understands what you want. If she feels like it, she'll cooperate--move off your quilts, come say hello, let you pet her. If she doesn't, she will hop over to a comfy chair and dare you to ask again.

Because Leah was having major repair work done to her apartment, Amelia needed a place to stay where she wouldn't be in the way or freak out over loud noises. We didn't want to take her up to our house at the farm because Amelia is shy and we were concerned that the "cat politics" there might be too much for her--especially since our Edward is a little brat. We didn't want him beating up on her or calling her names because her face looks a little "pushed in." Being an exotic shorthair, Amelia is a cross between a Persian and an American Shorthair. She is very dainty and has a gentle personality. Edward, on the other hand, is a spoiled rotten gray tabby who thinks he's the omnipotent ruler of anywhere he happens to be.

So while the old heating system was torn out and a new heating and air conditioning system was installed, Amelia stayed in the back office of the shop. Within no time, she was "helping" me. If I was working at the computer, Amelia wanted to play with the mouse. If I was sorting quilts, Amelia wanted to take a nap. If I talked on the telephone, Amelia wanted to join the conversation. And because she's so darned cute, all of us had to stop and play with her. This proved to be quite distracting when there's a lot of work to be done!

Here's a photo of Amelia attempting to process the mail order. Her version of processing is to sit on the orders. Amelia and Leah are both back home now. If it ever quits raining here in Oregon, I know they're both going to love that new air conditioning unit.

Block of the Month Club 1/2 Price Special!

2010-05-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

Joining a Block of the Month Club is a fun, creative way to try new skills or practice old ones. You can use them to make an entire quilt one block at a time, or for quick wall hangings, pillows, or gifts for family and friends.

The best part of joining a Block of the Month Club from Grandma's Attic is that we get to visit you one a month right at your mailbox! The postman brings you the package; and you get to open it up and see all the goodies you just got from Grandma--a Block of the Month Kit, the Grandma Gazette, and a Free Quilt Pattern. Fun, fun, and more fun! And because we know our customers enjoy working on our Block of the Month programs, we've decided to offer a Summer Special. Purchase any one of our other Block of the Month programs and you can also receive Nifty Novelties or Flirty '30s at the special rate of Half Price!

Who would know that these two quilts are made from exactly the same blocks using different fabric colorways and settings? Nifty Novelties uses bright, bold colors in a double sashing of blue and green. Flirty '30s is made from 1930s-style reproduction fabrics with lavender and yellow borders. Both of these quilts are easy to make and look gorgeous when completed.

Each month of our 12 month program, you receive rotary cutting instructions, plus the fabric you need to complete a 12" quilt block. After you've collected all 12 blocks, we send the Finishing Kit consisting of the sashing, posts, and border fabrics. The finished quilts measure approximately 57" x 72".

You get to decide which of these quilts you want to make at Half Price! As an added bonus, if you can't decide which one of these quilts you like the best, you can always sign up for two other Block of the Month Clubs and get them both!

Like the rest of our Block of the Month Clubs, you can start or stop at any time. Take a look at what we have to offer. Your clubs can be in your mailbox before you know it!

What I Got for Mother's Day

2010-05-17T11:25:00.001-07:00

Traditionally, on Mother's Day, a mom can expect her older children to show up with flowers, and cards, and maybe even get taken out to lunch or dinner. And while the kids really did do all those lovely things for me for this Mother's Day, they also made the mistake of asking me what I would like to have.

Silly kids! They should have known I would come up with something that would require them to do just a wee bit more than purchase flowers, and cards, and take me to dinner. What I asked for (and received) was a remodel of parts of the quilt shop! And to take it even a step farther, I asked Amber and her children to help us out. Stephen helped out too.

It was total chaos at first! I wanted peg board hung up on a wall that was solid concrete. (Don't bore me with the details--I just wanted it done!) I also thought it would be nice to add a wall over near the books and blenders--something that would show off our patterns a little better. By that evening, the pegboard and walls were in place; the furniture had been rearranged; and the fabric was ready to be moved back into place.

Autumn painted pegboard and cupboards and a little bit of the back of one leg. Seana and Leah hauled fabric around until we got it put back "just right." Michael, Melissa, Kyle and Jeremy showed up to help out too. Amber sorted, and stacked, and lifted, and climbed up on the ladder. And then she climbed back on it again when I changed my mind.

I spent most of Monday making everything look pretty again. Kyle has promised to take some photos so we can add them to the blog next time. But for now, if you can possibly make it in, you should come and see what all we managed to accomplish in two short days.

I love the way the shop turned out. It's brighter and more open, and generally more "user-friendly." One thing is for sure. Next year, no one will ask me what I want for Mother's Day. I'll go back to receiving flowers, and cards, and dinner out, and I will love that too!

Grandma's Quilt Club

2010-05-13T10:35:00.001-07:00

We had a lot of fun at Grandma's Quilt Club this past weekend, even if that joke I told was kind of "lame!" The Bobby Sox Sisters is our theme. The year was 1955, and Jenny Jello was having a bit of a break-down. It's a totally fun club. If you haven't joined it yet, it can be as close your own mailbox. Just click the link above to get started. We also heard stories from class attendees about their experiences with the TV show Queen for a Day. One lady in class had actually been a contestant on the show. She said she didn't win but she was the "runner-up." Her grand prize was a giant carton of cigarettes! If you can remember when they advertised cigarettes on TV, then you're probably close in age to Grandma!

Here's a picture of one of my favorite class members. Gladys is 97 years old and still sewing quilts. See? You really will get all those quilts made from your stash. You just have to stay healthy!

And here's that silly joke I told: A woman brought a very limp duck to a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head and sadly said, "I'm sorry, but your pet duck, Cuddles, has passed away."

"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean, you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.

The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room. A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly, and then strolled out of the room. The vet looked at the woman again and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."

The vet then turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys, and produced a bill which he handed to the owner. The duck's owner, still in shock, looked at the bill. "$150!" she cried. "$150 just to tell me that my duck is dead?"

The vet shrugged. "I'm sorry," he said. "If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20. But with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it's now $150."

Quilter's Safari Shop Hop Begins Today!

2010-04-23T08:39:00.001-07:00

It's Back to Africa for Eunice P. Fogbottom and her cohorts! Quilter's Safari Shop Hop begins today and continues through May 1st. If you are a quilter/sewing enthusiast and live anywhere near the Mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon, you will want to participate in this "Off the Beaten Path" shop hop.

For one thing, there are some really fun shops participating in this Hop. Some of them maybe you don't get to very often, but you should, if only to see what's new and what they have to offer. For another, more door prizes are awarded during this Hop than any other you will ever go on. Your chances of winning a door prize are HUGE. All you have to do is gather up a bunch of your friends, find the car keys, and hit the road. Don't forget to bring Grandma or others who don't get out too often. Each shop has fabulous samples of quilts and other projects hanging on the walls so it will be like a miniature Quilt Show every time you get out of the car. Your Grandma (or Mom, or Aunt, or neighbor) would love that! Your husband might even agree to tag along if you bribe him with some special treat along the way. (Then again, maybe he's better left at home! You decide.)

Grandma's Attic is the northern most shop participating in the hop. If you live north of Dallas, Oregon, you can start at our shop and work your way South. Or you could choose to start in the South and work your way home. Either way, it's going to be a fun day filled with quilt shops and fabric. You can start at any of the shops along the way.

Our Hop continues through May 1st. Click here for additional details!

One Million Pillowcases Challenge Update

2010-04-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

We just checked in with the Counter for the One Million Pillowcase Challenge and added 14 pillowcases that have been generously donated by our customers!

I noticed when I went to the website that there have been a total of 59,245 pillowcases donated nationwide. Click here to see the current national pillowcase count. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the donors who are helping us give pillowcases to the non-profit organizations in Polk County.

Throughout 2010, Grandma's Attic is asking you to make pillowcases and bring them to the shop where they will be donated to Polk County Area non-profit organizations. Each pillowcase is counted; then sent to the agencies. I'll put photos of the pillowcases donated to date on the blog this weekend--just as soon as I can get Stephen or Kyle to stop in with a camera to take photos.

If you'd like to get ideas for pillowcases that you can make, American Patchwork & Quilting has free pillowcase patterns available. Patterns are updated quarterly so there's bound to be something that catches your interest. You can make your pillowcases from any 100% cotton fabrics that you have or purchase. I think the only requirement is that they be standard size, clean, and something that you yourself would be proud to use!

Thank you for considering this worthwhile cause. I picked out a bright red fabric with puppies on it to make a pillowcase for this project. You can order a kit just like it at our pillowcase kits page! Isn't it cute?

Color of Peace Quilt Challenge

2010-04-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

For some time now, Grandma's Attic has been holding Quilt Challenges to support Sable House, our local domestic violence shelter. The themes have all revolved around "The Color of" concept. We skipped the challenge last year, but the year before that we held The Color of Love. We've also done the Color of Courage, The Color of Healing and the Color of Hope.

Entry packets for this year's theme, The Color of Peace, include five theme fabrics, challenge rules, and an entry form. All proceeds from the sale of the packets go directly to Sable House. The maximum quilt size for quilts entered into the challenge should not exceed 180 total inches when all sides are added together; however, there is no minimum size requirement. Each quilt must incorporate all theme fabrics, although the amount used is up to you. The remainder of the fabric used can be quilter's choice.

Quilts are due in to Grandma's Attic by July 15, 2010 where they will be displayed from July 17-31, 2010. The general public will be invited to vote for their favorites. Winners will be selected by customer ballot (one vote per viewer) based on Best Interpretation of Theme and Best Use of Color. (Remember, this is the general public, not professional quilt judges, so don't be afraid to enter.) First Place prize is $100 gift certificate to Grandma's Attic; Second Place prize is $50 gift certificate; Third Place is a $25 gift certificate. In addition, Best Interpretation of Theme will win a five yard fabric bundle and Best Use of Color will receive a Gift Baskets filled with color tools.

Quilts will also be displayed at the Polk County Fair in Rickreall, Oregon August 12-15, 2010 , and on display at other locations as well. All quilts will be returned to their owners by September of 2010.

If you'd like to participate in this quilt challenge, you can purchase a packet either at the shop or on the web.

One Million Pillowcase Challenge

2010-03-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

Make a Pillowcase--Make a Difference! A pillowcase can provide comfort for a cancer patient, hope for a foster child, encouragement for a battered woman, or beauty for a nursing home resident. Grandma's Attic is participating in American Patchwork and Quilting's One Million Pillowcase Challenge! AP&Q is challenging quilters, sewers and crafters nationwide to make pillowcases that can make a difference within local communities.

Throughout 2010, Grandma's Attic is asking you to make pillowcases and bring them to the shop where they will be donated to Polk County Area non-profit organizations. Each pillowcase will be counted and the numbers made sent to the pillowcase counter at AP&Q. The counter will keep track of nationwide progress toward the goal of making one million pillowcases in all. This is an opportunity for us to really make a difference within our community. It's a simple thing for us to do but it can have a BIG impact!

Three area non-profits have been chosen to receive pillowcases returned to Grandma's Attic. Sable House, the local domestic violence shelter, will receive pillowcases. In addition, Leah, our daughter who has a brain injury, has chosen the Ron Wilson Center for Effective Living and Partnerships in Community Living (PCL) to receive pillowcases. Both of these organizations are dedicated to serving the needs of the disabled in Polk County. Depending on the number of pillowcases received, Grandma's Attic may be able to donate them to other area charities as well.

Joining American Patchwork & Quilting magazine in support of the One Million Pillowcase challenge are 2010 sponsors: AccuQuilt, BERNINA, Clothworks, The Fabric Shop Network's Independents Unite Campaign, Handi-Quilter, Moda, Paintbrush Studios, Presencia,Red Rooster Fabrics, RJR Fabrics, Robert Kaufman Fabrics, and Timeless Treasures.

We hope you will consider joining our efforts as we make pillowcases for others in our community. In addition to Grandma's pillowcase pattern pillowcase pattern and pillowcase club of the month, Grandma's Attic also has pillowcase kits. Each kit contains the fabric and pattern you need to make one standard size pillowcase.

Our Pillowcase Challenge runs through 2010. Please join us in making a difference by providing pillowcases to non-profit organizations in Polk County.

National Quilting Day - March 20

2010-03-19T09:45:00.001-07:00

Did you know that there was an entire day devoted solely to quilting?

National Quilting Day began with a resolution passed by members of the National Quilting Association at their 22nd Annual Show in Lincoln, Nebraska, in June 1991. The 3rd Saturday in March was officially designated as National Quilting Day. It all began in 1989 when the Kentucky Heritage Quilt Society organized "Quilter's Day Out" to celebrate the rich tradition of quilt making in Kentucky. The first National Quilting Day was observed in 1992.

For 2010, the theme is Tie One On ... For the Troops. They have a free quilt pattern available at their website. It's a Tree with a yellow ribbon at its base. The pattern is composed of 3" squares and half-square triangles so it's not hard to make at all. Click here to get their free quilt pattern. If you know a Veteran or a Veteran's family, this might be a great little gift for them.

There are countless ways to celebrate National Quilting Day. Here are a few ideas: 1) Make it a service day and work on a quilt for your favorite cause; 2) Organize an exhibit at your local library or historical society; 3) Work on a quilt with a school, 4-H, scout troop or simply sew with a grandchild; 4) Sponsor a sewing day making lap quilts for seniors. Turn it into an oral history project capturing stories of the community; 5) Give a baby quilt to the first baby born on National Quilting Day each year.

I'm going to spend this day working at Grandma's Attic. First, I will conduct the last class of the 2009 Clothesline Club, and then I'll work on a couple of quilt projects I've been dreaming up to present to you all in April. How will you spend the day? I hope it will be filled with many happy quilting thoughts.

St. Patrick's Day Recipe and Blessings

2010-03-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

To celebrate the occasion, I am posting a tasty recipe and some Irish blessings that you might find uplifting. The recipe is for Corned Beef and Cabbage. I can't remember when the last time was that I actually prepared Corned Beef and Cabbage. Just typing in the ingredients was pretty inspiring though. I wonder how far back in the cupboard I've buried that Dutch Oven!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice pack
10 small red potatoes
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges

Place the corned beef brisket into a large pot or Dutch Oven and cover with water. Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Simmer approximately 50 minutes per pound or until tender. Add in whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are nearly tender. Add the cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove meat and let rest for another 15 minutes. Place vegetables in a bowl and cover. Add as much of the cooking liquid as you have reserved in the large pot or Dutch Oven as desired. To serve, slice meat across the grain.

Irish Blessings to Brighten Your Day

May you live as long as you want,
and never want as long as you live.

Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
the blessings that come each day.

May the saddest day of your future be no worse
than the happiest day of your past.

May the Lord keep you in His hand
And never close His fist too tight.

May your neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
and heaven accept you.

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.

May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill all the way to your door.

Webstore Postage Charges

2010-03-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

From time to time we hear those stories about how mail that never got delivered was found in the attic of an overworked postal worker, and of packages that sat in a truck on a loading dock during a busy holiday season. It's enough to drive you crazy when you operate a webstore that relies on mailing services! (And believe me, I don't need any help in the crazy department.)

I think everyone would agree that postal rates are high, yet how else does one receive merchandise when ordering on line? Clearly, you want your items as quickly as possible, in good shape, and at the lowest possible price. Right? At least that's what I want when I'm ordering on line.

After carefully studying all the mailing options available, we decided to mail as many packages as possible using the United States Post Office's priority mail system. We believe this method is the safest and quickest means of delivery available. These packages come in sturdy priority mailing boxes that are insured and sent with confirmation of receipt numbers. That way, should something go wrong, we have a hope of being able to resolve the problem. If your package is not received, we can track down where it landed using the confirmation numbers. If, heaven forbid, it is damaged, postage insurance can protect you. In our opinion, using USPS priority mail means that you have the highest probability of receiving your packages in a safe, secure, timely and convenient method.

And then there's our web store shopping cart. It's a great shopping cart that is totally secure when it comes to keeping your information private and protected. It's not so great when it comes to calculating postage. And that's because the United States postal system has decided to use "zones" to figure out how much postage to charge. Depending on where you live, postage can cost more or less than what it says on the order at check-out time. So what to do?

Our shopping cart postage charts are an "estimate" by the computer of what it will cost to mail a package to you based on price. It's the way the software in the web store is set up--an automatic thing but not necessarily what we will actually charge on smaller orders. If it costs more to send your order to where you live in the United States than you are charged, we do not charge extra postage. If we can get it to you at a lesser rate because of the zone you live in, we adjust the postage price down to reflect a lower amount. And clearly, we are not going to charge you $4.95 to send a package of needles your way, or a single pattern or block club packet. For those things, we do use first class mail whenever possible. (And if you think delivery to the United States is complicated, it's even crazier when shipping overseas!)

Bottom line is that every time postal rates go up, we are driven a little farther around the bend to insanity. We work hard to ensure that postal rates charged to you are fair and comprehensive. Hopefully, with this explanation of how the system works and why we use USPS priority mail for shipping the majority of our packages, you will have a better understanding of why we charge what we charge to get your goods to you as quickly and safely as possible!

The Hoffman Challenge

2010-02-26T14:17:00.001-08:00

This year's Hoffman Challenge fabric and coordinating pieces has arrived! The challenge piece is a gorgeous turquoise and gold. The coordinates are equally as beautiful.

For the 2010, the Hoffman Challenge has a new curator, Julie Breidt. In addition, Hoffman Fabrics will be donating $1 for every entry received to breast cancer research. New curator Julie Breidt is matching that dollar, so breast cancer research will actually receive $2 for every entry received.

Every year a team from Hoffman Fabrics chooses an upcoming fabric design and then issues a challenge to quilt, clothing, doll and accessory makers to create an original item using the fabric. The challenge curator and a group of assistants jury the entries and then a select team of judges chooses the award winners and cash prizes are given.

The juried collections then travel to be exhibited by quilt and other fiber guilds, shops, museums and textile shows. The exhibits are displayed and enjoyed in several hundred locations across the United States and Canada.

Started in 1988, the Hoffman Challenge has grown to be a premiere traveling quilt, clothing and doll collection. The quality of entries and a growing number of exhibit requests have led Hoffman to establish additional traveling collections. Currently, twelve collections travel coast-to-coast within the United States and Canada.

In 2010, the Hoffman Challenge celebrates its 22nd anniversary. In 1987, the Challenge began with 94 enthusiastic quilters. Some years the number of entries have been more than 700. In addition to the three quilt categories (pieced, applique and mixed technique), new categories include clothing/wearable art, accessories and dolls. While the majority of the entries come from the United States, many international entries are also received.

Deadline for entries in this year's Hoffman Challenge is July 23, 2010. Click here for more information on how you can join the fun.

My Summer Vacation

2010-02-20T17:03:00.000-08:00

If this doesn't get you in the mood to spend a day at the beach in Oregon, nothing will. Judy Hillman has created a fabulous wall quilt depicting some of her favorite beach scenes.

My Summer Vacation is easy to construct and fun to make! A center panel shows a seal basking on the rocks. Ten other blocks depict common summer beach themes. The quilt is constructed using primarily batik fabrics, fusible web and blanket stitch applique. Finished Size is: 52" x 55"

The weather was so beautiful in Oregon today, I really wanted to be at the beach myself! Instead, we opened the back door and let a little of that sunshine in.

Here's a closer photo of the blocks in this quilt. It's bright, it's happy, and it makes me smile!

"SOUPER" BOWL SUNDAY

2010-02-06T15:31:00.003-08:00

This will be our sixteenth year hosting a "Souper" Bowl Sunday sale. What we do is invite our in-store customers to bring in cans of soup for the local food bank in exchange for a discount on fabric purchases. Believe me, our great customers have generously donated food for the local food bank even in the tough times. It is always so reassuring to me to know that quilters are good people who care about others!

My own grandmother was a professional cook for several years. The very thought that someone might go hungry was very distressing to her. If there was something she could do to feed a hungry person, you can bet she would. My son, Kyle, says that his own memories of his great-grandmother mostly revolve around food: her big white apron, eating the plums off of her prized plum-tree, or her asking him to try yet another piece of pie after one of her big Thanksgiving dinner feasts.

With hunger still a big problem in today's world, we are glad to be able to help out in our community. Our customers help us meet this tremendous challenge with their terrific generosity.

That's my daughter, Leah, in the photo above, posing with just a few of the cans of food we're donating to the food bank.

New Quilt Club - Bobby Sox Sisters

2010-01-24T06:40:00.000-08:00

Now the club our in-store customers enjoy is available by mail--as close as your mailbox and just as fun! The Bobby Sox Sisters Quilt Club meets once a month at Grandma's Attic. Apple Betty, Patti Poundcake and Jenny Jello are three young girls at the end of World War II. We're following these members of the Silent Generation as they grow up, sharing their stories and learning about the 1940s&50s. Each month club members receive a pattern for a pieced quilt block, plus the fabric needed to create it. Members also receive an exclusive newsletter filled with information from the time period, including recipes, tips, hints and redwork patterns. Available in both 1930s and 19th Century colorways, you'll want to join the fun!

That Dreaded Inventory

2010-01-13T15:50:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again when we take a day to conduct a complete inventory at Grandma's Attic. That means we have to count every single thing that is in the shop--a feat that could take forever if we didn't ask our family, employees and friends to participate. This year, Georgeann served as our team leader. She broke us up into teams of two and sent us to various areas in the shop to get the job done. This first photo is a picture of Georgeann at the front counter. She stays available so that when we find an item without a price, or have a question about something, she can remedy the situation.

I also asked Michael and Jeremy to help me in the back room organizing and counting all of the Calico Hills Farm patterns and putting them into new storage containers. This is a picture of Michael with his clipboard and sheets for counting all the patterns. He's still smiling so the job must not have been too bad!

Out front, each team was given an area of the shop to count. Charlotte and Cheryl got the task of counting all the skeins of DMC Floss and spools of thread. Tiffany and Kelly were over in the notions department counting buttons and rotary cutters and other notions.
Teams that worked with fabrics, including Melissa and Carly, had to count all of the wraps on each bolt. This photo is a photo of Melissa recording fabric while Carly counts it. The best way for a team to count fabric is for one person to count and the other to record the results. When you are counting fabric wraps, it is always a good idea to use a knitting needle to help separate each wrap. Every two wraps is a yard of fabric. This is also good information if you are purchasing fabric and want to know if there will be enough fabric on the bolt for your project.

Here's Michael and Jeremy counting the Calico Hills Farm patterns. In all, there were 22 of us taking inventory. We got it all done in just one day, even though we stopped mid-way through to enjoy six large pizzas from the local pizza parlor. Yummy!

Now, all that's left to do is to count up the inventory sheets that were created and do a little straightening of shelves. We're good to go for another year!

Dancing Horses Fabric Collection

2009-12-29T07:47:00.000-08:00

This beautiful fabric collection was designed by Laurel Burch for Clothworks. Although Laurel died in September of 2007, her artistry in fabric lives on as a testament to her talents as an artist.

Here's what Laurel had to say about her work: "Art is a universal language, and through imagery that is understood and recognized by all people everywhere, I believe that we can share the grace of birds in flight, feel the warmth of friendships, explore the exquisite beauty and mysteries of the earth and savor the preciousness of life. When I design and paint, I remember that it is you, my friends and kindred spirits all over the world, who have inspired me to speak in a common language. I wish to express my deepest gratitude for your appreciation of my art and for the opportunity this has provided me to live my life with courage, purpose, and joy. Thank you for all you are and for all we are to each other."

Our collection of Dancing Horses allows you to enter Laurel Burch’s wonderful world of whimsy with 15 prints featuring horses, bright colors, fun geometrics, and glamorous gold accents that are sure to stimulate your imagination. What will you dream up to create with them?

12 Days of Christmas - Day Twelve

2009-12-24T11:00:00.001-08:00

Day 12
12 Days of Christmas
12 Lords a Leaping
December 24, 2009

Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with Grandma's Attic. Every day from now until Christmas, we will have great gift giving items for sale. You'll want to check each day from now through the 24th to see what Grandma has for you this holiday season!

PILLOWCASE CLUB. With all that leaping, and dancing, and piping, and drumming, you're sure to need a break and a pillowcase to cover a pillow where you can rest your head just might do the trick. Our Pillowcase Club is a fast and fun way to treat yourself or those you love. Each month we send you the fabric and pattern to make one standard sized pillowcase. Colors, mood, and theme will change with the seasons. Grandmas can give this gift to grandchildren; these are also great gift-giving projects. You'll appreciate how quickly these fun and whimsical projects go together.

12 Days of Christmas Fun Fact: Now that we've completed our own 12 Days of Christmas, perhaps you'd be surprised to now that the actual 12 Days of Christmas begin on the day after Christmas, December 26, also considered to be St. Stephen's Day. The 12th night is January 5th, the last day of the Christmas Season before Epiphany (January 6th). Traditionally, Epiphany is considered to be the day when the Magi came bearing gifts for the Christ child. Although the Bible never specifically says how many magi appeared, many cultures observe the day as Three Kings Day or the Day of Kings.

If you're keeping track of how much everything costs, 12 Lords a Leaping will cost you $367.80 each or $4,413.61 for the dozen of them. Total cost for the 12th day of giving, if you were give one of each of the gifts is $21,465.56. What a gift! Now if only you knew what to do with all those birds, musicians and dancers!

Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Quote: "Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart...filled it, too, with melody that would last forever." < Bess Streeter Aldrich, American Author, 1881-1954 >

Our 12 Days of Christmas Quilt block was hand embroidered by Grandma Rachel using Aunt Martha's 12 Days of Christmas Pattern for Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Block of the Month Club. You can also order the pattern by itself.

12 Days of Christmas - Day Eleven

2009-12-23T13:36:00.001-08:00

Day 11
12 Days of Christmas
Eleven Ladies Dancing
December 23, 2009

Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with Grandma's Attic. Every day from now until Christmas, we will have great gift giving items for sale. You'll want to check each day from now through the 24th to see what Grandma has for you this holiday season!

SALT WATER TAFFY QUILT KIT. Maybe you won't exactly be dancing, but perhaps you'll jump for joy when you see this fun quilt kit. It was created by Amy Walsh of Blue Underground Studios for Timeless Treasures using brightly colored Tonga Batiks. You can make your own version of this delightful quilt using our Salt Water Taffy Quilt Kit. The kit contains thirty (30) 10" x 10" squares of Tonga Batiks from the Salt Water Taffy line. One package of 30 squares will make a quilt top measuring 35" x 40-1/2".

12 Days of Christmas Fun Fact: Ladies dancing will cost you $497.56. Eleven of them total $5,473.07. One way to interpret the lyrics of this song is that on each new day, all the gifts are given again. That would mean that by the last day, the recipient would have 12 partridges, 22 turtle doves, etc. This would be a total of 376 gifts, 184 of which are birds. Now that's a LOT of birds!

Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Quote: "At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year." < Thomas Tusser, 1515-1580 >

Our 12 Days of Christmas Quilt block was hand embroidered by Grandma Rachel using Aunt Martha's 12 Days of Christmas Pattern for Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Block of the Month Club. You can also order the pattern by itself.

12 Days of Christmas - Day Ten

2009-12-22T07:47:00.000-08:00

Day 10
12 Days of Christmas
10 Pipers Piping
December 22, 2009

Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with Grandma's Attic. Every day from now until Christmas, we will have great gift giving items for sale. You'll want to check each day from now through the 24th to see what Grandma has for you this holiday season!

SUNBONNET SUE. We know that what really makes your heart sing isn't pipers--it's sewing! You can follow Sunbonnet Sue as she goes about her chores in this creative interpretation of a quilt lover's classic that will have you sewing to your heart's content. Originally designed by Pat Smith as a Block of the Month program for Grandma's Attic, all 12 blocks are included in one convenient package. Easy-to-follow instructions for both traditional and fusible web applique methods are included.

12 Days of Christmas Fun Fact: In the Middle Ages, the 12 Days of Christmas was a period of continuous feasting and merrymaking. Traditional roles were relaxed so that masters waited on their servants, men were allowed to dress as women, and women were allowed to dress as men. Ten pipers piping will cost you $228.48 each for a total of $2,284.80. We want to know why it's only $58 for an hour of maids milking, yet drummers and pipers cost you so much more!

Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Quote: "Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall." < Larry Wild, Current Day Motivational Humorist >

Our 12 Days of Christmas Quilt block was hand embroidered by Grandma Rachel using Aunt Martha's 12 Days of Christmas Pattern for Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Block of the Month Club. You can also order the pattern by itself.

12 Days of Christmas - Day Nine

2009-12-21T08:47:00.001-08:00

Day 9
12 Days of Christmas
Nine Drummers Drumming
December 21, 2009

Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with Grandma's Attic. Every day from now until Christmas, we will have great gift giving items for sale. You'll want to check each day from now through the 24th to see what Grandma has for you this holiday season!

BATIK BUTTERFLIES. If the nine drummers drumming are giving you a headache, you can relax while visions of butterflies flutter around your head. This is the book version of our popular Block of the Month program! Designed by Roxy Burgard, each butterfly is set on point and surrounded by four colorful batik fabrics. There are 12 different butterfly blocks, named after real butterflies. Instructions are given for creating 12 different quilt blocks set into a beautiful 48" x 60" wall quilt. Bonus materials about butterflies and batik fabrics are also included.

12 Days of Christmas Fun Fact: There are many variations of this song in which the objects are arranged in a different order. (For example--twelve lords a-leaping, eleven ladies dancing, ten pipers piping, nine drummers drumming). This is the version that Aunt Martha patterns created in their version and the one that we are using. And this is also why you sometimes see the last part of the song in a different order. See, you're really not confused! There are different orders for items! Cost of nine drummers drumming: $275.03 each for a total of $2,475.20.

Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Quote: "Mankind is a great, an immense family... This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas." < Pope John XXIII, 1881-1863 >

Our 12 Days of Christmas Quilt block was hand embroidered by Grandma Rachel using Aunt Martha's 12 Days of Christmas Pattern for Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Block of the Month Club. You can also order the pattern by itself.

12 Days of Christmas - Day Eight

2009-12-20T07:53:00.001-08:00

Day 8
12 Days of Christmas
Eight Maids a-Milking
December 20, 2009

Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with Grandma's Attic. Every day from now until Christmas, we will have great gift giving items for sale. You'll want to check each day from now through the 24th to see what Grandma has for you this holiday season!

GRANDPA'S FARM. The maids are missing and there's only one cow on our Grandpa's Farm Block of the Month quilt, but we think you'll enjoy it all the same. Grandpa's Farm takes a delightful look back to boyhood summers on the farm. Created by Roxy Burgard, the qulit contains 14 individual 12" blocks depicting a variety of farm scenes surrounding a large center panel featuring the barn. Each kit contains all the fabric you need to make a block or panel. If you join this club today, we'll give you the third month of the program FREE! Just write "12 Days Special" in the comments section of your web order.

12 Days of Christmas Fun Fact: The Twelve Days of Christmas was originally a memory and forfeit game. To play, a circle of players were gathered and each person took it in turns to say the first line of the rhyme. When it is the first players turn again, he says the second line of the verse and on it goes. Assuming that you're only using the cows, not purchasing them, and hiring the maids to milk for one hour at the wage of $7.25, the 8th Day of Christmas will cost you $58.

Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Quote: "Christmas, my child, is love in action ... Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas." < Dale Evans Rogers, Actor, 1912-2001 >

Our 12 Days of Christmas Quilt block was hand embroidered by Grandma Rachel using Aunt Martha's 12 Days of Christmas Pattern for Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Block of the Month Club. You can also order the pattern by itself.

12 Days of Christmas - Day Seven

2009-12-19T12:33:00.001-08:00

Day 7
12 Days of Christmas
Seven Swans a-Swimming
December 19, 2009

Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with Grandma's Attic. Every day from now until Christmas, we will have great gift giving items for sale. You'll want to check each day from now through the 24th to see what Grandma has for you this holiday season!

FLOUR SACK DISHTOWELS. Swans may not swimming in the kitchen sink, but you can be mopping up the mess with these big and thirsty flour sack towels. In fact, you can have a towel for every day of the week! These old-fashioned flour sack towels are NEW and IMPROVED. They are pre-washed, bleached, hemmed on all four sides, and made from 130 thread count 100% cotton. Perfect for embroidering or applique, they are just like the ones Grandma used to "get the job done" whether it was drying the dishes, proofing the bread dough, burping the baby, or mopping up spills. These lint-free, fast drying towels are approximately 30" square. Each bundle contains seven towels.

12 Days of Christmas Fun Fact: Over the years there have been many parodies of the 12 Days of Christmas. Some are funny, some are naughty, and some are completely in bad taste. We think that the parodies are the result of the massive popularity of the song, and a reflection of how many people throughout the world know this song. Among the parodies that we know about are those sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks, Jeff Foxworthy's "Redneck", the Muppets, and Allen Sherman. Seven swans cost $750 each, for a total of $5,250.00. If you're counting, the total cost for each item listed for the 7th Day of Christmas is $6,760.88.

Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Quote: "Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart." < Washington Irving, Writer, 1783-1859 >

Our 12 Days of Christmas Quilt block was hand embroidered by Grandma Rachel using Aunt Martha's 12 Days of Christmas Pattern for Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Block of the Month Club. You can also order the pattern by itself.

12 Days of Christmas - Day Six

2009-12-18T08:36:00.000-08:00

Day 6
12 Days of Christmas
Six Geese a-Laying
December 18, 2009

Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with Grandma's Attic. Every day from now until Christmas, we will have great gift giving items for sale. You'll want to check each day from now through the 24th to see what Grandma has for you this holiday season!

FABULOUS FABRIC PACK. Six geese would probably ruin your back yard in no time flat. Instead, we've got bundles of six fun fat quarters at Super Savings! We've cleaned out our cupboards to bring you sensational fabrics for you to play with and build your stash. Available in an array of colorways, these are assorted colors and patterns of the highest quality 100% cotton fabrics. Order more than one packet of the same colorway and we'll make sure that you get different packets. These are a fun treat for yourself or to use as a gift to others.

12 Days of Christmas Fun Fact: One way to interpret the lyrics of this song is that on each new day, all the gifts are given. This makes the total number of gifts given (counting 12 partridges, 22 turtle doves...) equal to 364, one fewer than the number of days in a year. There are 376 gifts if you count the pear tree as a separate gift from the partridge that resides in it. Of the 364 total items, 184 of them are birds. Six geese a-laying, according to the 2009 Consumer Price Index, will cost you $25 each for a total of $150.00.

Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Quote: "My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?" < Bob Hope, Comedian/Actor, 1903-2003 >

Our 12 Days of Christmas Quilt block was hand embroidered by Grandma Rachel using Aunt Martha's 12 Days of Christmas Pattern for Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Block of the Month Club. You can also order the pattern by itself

12 Days of Christmas - Day Five

2009-12-17T08:19:00.000-08:00

Day 5
12 Days of Christmas
Five Golden Rings
December 17, 2009

Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with Grandma's Attic. Every day from now until Christmas, we will have great gift giving items for sale. You'll want to check each day from now through the 24th to see what Grandma has for you this holiday season!

GOOSEBERRY PATCH COOKBOOKS. Okay, so you won't exactly want to wear these around your finger, but you could create some really fabulous dishes with the recipes in our Gooseberry Patch cookbook collection. You'll find tasty recipes for every occasion this holiday season. Each Gooseberry Patch book features yummy recipes with tips and hints for making your time in the kitchen filling and fun. Grab an apron--it's almost dinnertime!

12 Days of Christmas Fun Fact: In the 16th century, European and Scandinavian cultures combined the 12 Days of Christmas with other festivals celebrating the changing of the year. These festivals were usually associated with driving away evil spirits for the start of a new year. It was during this time that the song itself is believed to have originated. Five gold rings can set your budget back quite a bit. If you purchase a plain band at $99.99, you will be out $499.95. If you're totalling it up, the 5th day of Christmas will cost you $1,360.88.

Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Quote: "Christmas waves a magic wand over the world and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." < Norman Vincent Peale, 1898-1993 >

Our 12 Days of Christmas Quilt block was hand embroidered by Grandma Rachel using Aunt Martha's 12 Days of Christmas Pattern for Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Block of the Month Club. You can also order the pattern by itself

12 Days of Christmas - Day Four

2009-12-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

Day 4
12 Days of Christmas
Four Colly Birds
December 16, 2009

Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with Grandma's Attic. Every day from now until Christmas, we will have great gift giving items for sale. You'll want to check each day from now through the 24th to see what Grandma has for you this holiday season!

BABY STEPS BABY QUILT. No colly birds here, but we do have a fabulously fun quilt kit to stitch up! This adorable baby quilt kit was created by Darlene Zimmerman as part of her Clothesline Club 2009. Using the Story Time fabric collection by Robert Kaufman, this sweet quilt measures 53" x 53" when completed. All the fabrics you need to make the quilt top plus the full-color pattern are included.

12 Days of Christmas Fun Fact: We bet you've been singing the words to this verse as "Four Calling Birds" ever since you first learned the song. Most people do. Everyone seems to assume that there were four calling birds; however, the original words to the song back in 1780 are "Four Colly Birds." What's a colly bird, you ask? A colly bird (or colle) is a blackbird. They were generally baked into pies (but that's another song--"four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie"). Blackbirds are going to cost you almost $150 per bird, so you're looking at $599.96 for the flock of four.

Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Quote: "It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air." < W.T. Ellis, Author, 1826-1913 >

Our 12 Days of Christmas Quilt block was hand embroidered by Grandma Rachel using Aunt Martha's 12 Days of Christmas Pattern for Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Block of the Month Club. You can also order the pattern by itself.

12 Days of Christmas - Day Three

2009-12-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

Day 3
12 Days of Christmas
Three French Hens
December 15, 2009

Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with Grandma's Attic. Every day from now until Christmas, we will have great gift giving items for sale. You'll want to check each day from now through the 24th to see what Grandma has for you this holiday season!

COOKIE CUTTERS. The closest we can get to Three French Hens is the chicken in our cookie cutter department. And since there's nothing better than a big batch of grandma's freshly baked cookies, these hand crafted tin cookie cutters are perfect for enjoying the holiday season. Each cookie cutter comes with a colorful card that includes recipes for cookies and frosting. You'll also love the large array of designs. As quilters know, cookie cutters are perfect to use as stencils for quilting, applique and scrapbooking.

12 Days of Christmas Fun Fact: According to the 2009 Economic Price Index, so far you're paying $159.99 for the partridge in the pear tree and $55.98 for the Two Turtle Doves. The three French Hens will cost you $45 ($15) each.

Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Quote: "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year." < Charles Dickens, English Author, 1812-1870. >

Our 12 Days of Christmas Quilt block was hand embroidered by Grandma Rachel using Aunt Martha's 12 Days of Christmas Pattern for Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Block of the Month Club. You can also order the pattern by itself.

12 Days of Christmas - Day Two

2009-12-14T08:54:00.001-08:00

Day 2
12 Days of Christmas
Two Turtle Doves
December 14, 2009

Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with Grandma's Attic. Every day from now until Christmas, we will have great gift giving items for sale. You'll want to check each day from now through the 24th to see what Grandma has for you this holiday season!

TEA SAMPLES. There are no turtle doves in this packet, but you can pretend that you see them outside your door. If you've longed to try a sampling of our gourmet teas, this is your opportunity to relax, sit back and enjoy a refreshing cup of tea! Each packet contains 17 flavor-sealed, foil wrapped tea bags--one of each of the delicious flavors we carry at Grandma's Attic. Teabags included are: Blueberry, Camomile, Canadian Icewine, Cranberry, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Green, Mango, Maple, Monk's Blend, Orange Pekoe, Peach Apricot, Pure Peppermint, Rooibos, Strawberry and Vanilla.

12 Days of Christmas Fun Fact: According to the 2009 Economic Price Index, one partridge in a pear tree costs $159.99 ($10 for the partridge, and $149.99 for the tree). Two Turtle Doves cost $55.98 ($27.99 each). Total cost of gift for Day 2: $215.97.

Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Quote: "Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all of the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white.'" < Bing Crosby, American singer and film actor, 1904-1977 >

Our 12 Days of Christmas Quilt block was hand embroidered by Grandma Rachel using Aunt Martha's 12 Days of Christmas Pattern for Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Block of the Month Club. You can also order the pattern by itself.

12 Days of Christmas - Day One

2009-12-13T13:59:00.001-08:00

Day 1
12 Days of
Christmas
Partridge in a
Pear Tree
December 13, 2009

Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with Grandma's Attic. Every day from now until Christmas we will have a great gift giving item on sale. You'll want to check the posts each day from now through the 24th to see what Grandma has for you this holiday season!

SEASONS REMEMBERED . Okay, so there's no partridges in this pattern, but there are some pretty fabulous quilt block patterns in the traditional red and green colors of the 1840s-1860s that will have you humming along to your favorite holiday tunes.

Seasons Remembered, designed by Jane Davis, features the fine buttonhole stitch applique that 19th Century women used to showcase their needle skills. There are 12 stunning, traditional applique designs (suitable for 18" blocks) in this spectacular series, plus a stunning leaf border adapted from a beautiful Civil War era quilt. Full-sized patterns, plus instructions for both traditional and fusible applique are included.

Our 12 Days of Christmas Quilt block was hand embroidered by Grandma Rachel using Aunt Martha's 12 Days of Christmas Pattern for Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Block of the Month Club. You can also order the pattern by itself.

12 Days of Christmas Fun Fact: The origin of the song "The 12 Days of Christmas" is believed to have originated in the 16th Century in European and Scandinavian culture; however, the song itself first showed up in English written form in the children's book "Mirth without Mischief," in 1780 A.D.

Grandma's 12 Days of Christmas Quote:"Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, you heart; to a customer, service; to all, charity. To every child, a good example; to yourself, respect." < Oren Arnold, Novelist and Journalist, 1900-1980 >

Frances E. Willard Fabric Sale

2009-09-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

Every year, Grandma's Attic holds a Frances E. Willard Founder's Day fabric sale at or about the time of her birthday (September 28). This year is no exception. At the bottom of this post I've included the information regarding that sale and you'll definitely want to take advantage of it!

So who is Frances E. Willard and what does she have to do with our store? Well, Frances E. Willard was an American educator, temperance reformer, and women's suffragist. She was also President of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). She founded a magazine, wrote many books, and was the first woman represented with a statue in the Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. In short, she dedicated her entire life to the empowerment of women.

When I first opened Grandma's Attic, way back in 1994, I went looking for a few period pieces I could use to decorate the shop. I felt we needed a photograph of a grandma type to hang on the wall behind the cutting counter. To my delight, I found the perfect grandmother in an old-fashioned oval frame at an antique shop in Albany, Oregon. At that time, I didn't know who she was. Her portrait, shown above, has been hanging in our shop ever since.

Approximately three weeks after Grandma's Attic opened for business, a lady came into the shop, saw this portrait, and asked, "Where did you get that fabulous portrait of Frances E. Willard?" "Ahh! That's who she is," I said to myself. Massive amounts of research later, I discovered that Frances was never married, certainly never had any children, and most definitely was NOT a grandmother. I decided she could be our "spiritual" grandma because of all the causes she believed in and the work she did for the empowerment of women and women's education. I also learned that while she herself was not a quilter, both her mother and her sister made quilts.

Each year, we honor Frances E. Willard by having a big sale to celebrate her birthday. That sale begins today and extends through Sunday, September 27th. You can take 25% off your fabric purchases by mentioning this blog in the store, or by writing FRANCES E. WILLARD SALE in the comments section of your webstore order. The discount will not appear on your invoice. We will take it off on our end. Please note that this offer does NOT extend to the Samara Fabric Collection used in Patchwork Party Fall Edition 2009.

This offer is filled with the potential for so much fun you'll want to share it with your friends. Feel free to let them know so they too can enjoy the savings!

Quilt Club Joke

2009-09-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

Stephen has posted another youtube video to our blog. This one was done last Friday, September 4th during one of the Quilt club meetings. It's a silly joke that I told to warm up the crowd. I hope you'll think its as funny as the class did!

Stephen Posts a Shop Tour Video

2009-08-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

Stephen bought himself a new video camera so that he could take videos around our quilt shop. He's been having a lot of fun with it. The first thing he did was take himself on a little tour of the shop. Then he uploaded it to youtube so he could share it with everyone. It's so fun I thought you'd like to see it. Some of the scenes are shaky but it's really cute. You gotta love Georgeann. She's the one giggling in the background--something she does quite a lot! She's been working for us for 15 years.

Wedding Anniversary

2009-08-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

Stephen and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary on July 13 with a trip down the Oregon Coast to Eureka, California. The weather had been so hot here in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. It was a welcomed relief to go over to Highway 101 and drive down the Coast in sea mist and cooler weather.

We made various stops along the way to view the sites. One was at the Cape Blanco Light Station, near Port Orford, Oregon. This light station, built around 1870, houses the oldest continuously operating light in Oregon. At 256 feet above sea level, it is also the most westerly lighthouse in all of Oregon. We learned that Oregon's first woman light keeper, Mabel E. Bretherton, signed on in March of 1903. While Stephen climbed the 63 steps up to the top of the lighthouse, I chose to stay on solid ground enjoying the stillness of the air that day and the spectacular view.

Cape Blanco Light Station near Port Orford, Oregon

We continued driving south and stopped at Crescent City, California. The Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park is near Crescent City and we decided we wanted to take a closer look at some of the world's largest trees. Believe me, I have been around trees all of my life. I thought I had seen tall trees before; however, redwood trees are so magnificent it just takes your breath away. These ancient trees, native to the northern California coast, are the tallest trees on earth and can grow up to 367 feet tall. They can live up to 2,200 years and are resistant to insects and fire.

Trees in Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park

There is no way to adequately show you what the Redwood Forests look like because the camera simply does not catch their enormity or the feeling that you get when you walk among them. If you are anywhere near these trees, you owe it to yourself to see for yourself.

After spending a few days in California, we drove back up the Oregon Coast to Newport where we spent another day or two relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Ocean environment. Then it was back to work for both of us. The vacation was the perfect respite from the hurry of every day life and we both enjoyed it very much.

Highway 101 Bridge at Newport, Oregon

Now that we are back home, I am busy working on this next year's Grandma's Quilt Club and the Fall 2009 Patchwork Party and Stephen is working on a new sun deck for the chickens. We saw a giant coyote lounging in the lower field by our house so Stephen wants to make sure that the deck keeps his "girls" safe from predators.

Rainbow Batiks

2009-06-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

Your fabric creations will be incredibly beautiful when you use batik fabrics. This month, Grandma's Scrapbasket Newsletter features batiks in a rainbow of colors by Hoffman and Princess Mirah.

Originating in Java, the ancient craft of printing on fabric with hot wax is extremely popular today. There are over 3,000 different patterns on record, mostly composed of flower motifs, twining plants, leaves, buds, birds, butterflies, fish, geometric forms, small animals and insects.

Our blended bundle of feature fabrics ranges across the color wheel in a variety of prints and styles that allow you to create a rainbow of fabulous quilting and sewing projects. What will you dream up?

Update on Virginia Tech Memorial Project

2009-04-16T07:53:00.001-07:00

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech. We thought you would like to have an update on the Virginia Tech Quilt Block Project that we began immediately after this tragedy in 2007.

We received a tremendous response to our Virginia Tech Memorial Block Project--with nearly 600 quilt blocks donated to this project from quilters all around the world. We put many of these blocks on display in the classroom area of Grandma's Attic last year. These individual blocks are a living testament to the power of quilts and the fiber arts to help people heal after a national tragedy.

The second stage of the project began shortly after the display. We documented and photographed every block received. We believe it is appropriate to honor and acknowledge each block submission by preserving the names of the block creators and the images of the blocks created. We compiled a large database containing the name of the block and the person who created it. Each block was assigned a number so that it can be easily referenced in the database when necessary. In addition to this compilation of information, we collected a large binder filled with the completed block submission forms and any other accompanying correspondence. We then took the intensive step of photographing the individual blocks. We are now in the process of reviewing these digital images, ensuring that they are in good condition, and preparing them for display. All photography work on this stage of the project was done by Kyle Baker.

The third phase of the project is now in full swing. Noted Quilt Historian and Pattern Designer Roxy Burgard spent hours (days) sorting through these quilt blocks. She developed and organized a method for turning blocks into quilt tops. The organization and creative eye she brought to this project has been nothing short of awe-inspiring and stands as a testament to her considerable quilt making skills. Working with 160 blocks, she selected 20 blocks per quilt based on pre-determined themes. She even created names for each quilt based on block content. Once that herculean task was accomplished, Roxy and I selected appropriate sashings for these eight quilts. They are now ready to be sewn into quilt tops. With the help of volunteers, we now hope to get these quilt tops made and sent to machine quilters for completion.

Believe me, while it is easy to write about the work that has been done to date, it is more difficult to explain how many volunteer hours have been involved in the work, let alone try to explain the emotional toll it takes when viewing and working with these blocks. The whole process has been very moving for everyone involved. Every volunteer has been committed to giving proper and appropriate respect to each block on its way to final inclusion in quilts to be presented to Virginia Tech.

The Clothesline Club - 1930s Era

2009-04-08T16:17:00.001-07:00

If you love 1930s style fabrics, you’re going to love the Clothesline Club. Created by Darlene Zimmerman, and published by the Robert Kaufman fabric company, this club features 1930s-Era patterns and fabric. As an official shop participant, Grandma's Attic will carry all of the fabric lines, patterns, and notions showcased throughout the year.

Four different fabric collections, all designed by Darlene Zimmerman, are used during the 12 month Club, with each of the fabric lines featured for three months. The first fabric line is Home Sweet Home. There are 20 pieces of fabric in this line plus five bonus fabrics. Included in the collection are a variety of prints with motifs such as clothespins, irons, kitchen utensils, daisies and checks in cheery 1930s-era colors.

Fabrics from Darlene's Home Sweet Home Collection, the first fabric line used in the 2009 Clothesline Club

Each month for the next 12 months, Grandma's Attic will put together a special packet utilizing Clothesline Club products. You choose only the packets you want to purchase. We’ll add a new one to our website each month. The first, Packet #1, is currently available. It contains a full-color pattern for Darlene’s Sunday Best Apron, a second full-color Bonus pattern called Washday Sweeties, plus a special newsletter from Darlene Zimmerman herself with information on the history of aprons and an apple pie recipe. The packet also contains twenty 5”x5” squares of fabric from Darlene’s Home Sweet Home collection so that you can see and feel the fabric used. Added bonuses include a full-color newsletter about the year 1930 written by Grandma Rachel of Grandma’s Attic, a full-color cover sheet to use as a cover for your own notebook that you'll fill with project pages, and a Grandma pin from Grandma’s Attic. We've made every effort to make this club affordable and fun. Price for the packet includes all shipping and handling.

Next month, Packet #2, will contain even more fabric squares and patterns from Darlene Zimmerman, plus additional bonus materials from Grandma's Attic. Believe me, if you like 1930s-era quilts and patterns, you won't want to miss a single packet!
Sunday Best Apron--the first project in the 2009 Clothesline Club. The pattern comes with Packet #1. Fabric in both colorways is also available.

Patchwork Party 2009 Spring Edition

2009-03-17T10:29:00.001-07:00

You're going to love this Patchwork Party. For our sixth party, the fabrics are absolutely gorgeous! This season's quilt blocks were created by Marti Michell using her Perfect Patchwork Templates, Set B and Set D. The fabric was designed by Faye Burgos for Marcus Brothers. It is called Sachet Potpourri. It features beautiful roses, paisleys and romantic designs in muted shades of rich brown, pink and blue.

If you been to our previous patchwork parties, you may already know how this fun program works, but if you're a newcomer, you might need a party introduction! The way it operates is simple: you collect all 12 of these beautiful blocks by visiting the 12 online stores participating in the program. Each store hosts one of the particular blocks necessary for the beautiful quilt you'll be making. This season, our exclusive block is called Ta-Dah. Like a beautiful diamond ring, this block adds sparkle to any setting.

In addition to our exclusive block kit, we've created a way for you to turn your blocks into a stunning quilt titled Down the Garden Path. Our finishing kit includes the pattern and all of the fabric you need to create a lovely queen-sized quilt using the blocks you collected during the party and 13 additional ones that are super easy to make. We also put together a matching pillowcase kit to go with our quilt.

You can see all our Patchwork Party products at our website. To view all of the blocks and finishing kits, you'll want to visit www.patchworkparty2009.com.

The Hoffman Challenge

2009-01-27T15:51:00.001-08:00

The Hoffman Challenge fabric has arrived and it is totally gorgeous! The main piece is a beautiful paisley print in green, gold and brown, with pearlized edges that makes it sparkle. The largest paisley is approximately 1-1/2" wide.

Every year, a team from Hoffman fabrics chooses a fabric design and then issues a challenge to quilt, clothing, doll and accessory makers to create an original item using that fabric. Upon completion, the items travel around the country to different shows, galleries, museums, Guilds, and shops. Cash prizes are awarded. It is very fun and inspirational. To participate, you must use a recognizable amount of the challenge fabric as an integral part of your project or body of work.

You can purchase this beautiful Hoffman Challenge fabric at Grandma's Attic. Click here for more information on rules and prizes for the Hoffman Challenge contest.

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-02T08:21:00.001-08:00

Just before Christmas, we received 20 inches of snow and then an ice storm came through. It coated the trees with thick ice causing many of our oak tree branches to snap completely off. The Douglas Fir trees seemed to fare pretty well, but the sound of trees cracking and breaking apart at night is heart wrenching, to say the least. Fortunately, nothing landed on the house or outbuildings. As a result of all the trees falling, our road was closed for several days. We also lost electricity.

On Christmas Eve, the hard working crews of the power company managed to turn our electricity back on and we had power again. What a wonderful Christmas gift that was! Believe me, there is something totally eerie about being without electricity living on a road that is closed and nearly impassable.

I had planned to work on Block of the Month and other quilt projects at my sewing machine. Instead, I alternated between doing hand embroidery work and trying to keep myself and the dachsunds warm. We huddled together in the recliner under warm quilts. And believe me, you know it's cold when the cat climbed under a quilt to join us.

Now that the ice has melted, the electricity has come back on, and the roads are passable again, I've been busy working on those same quilt projects I intended to get to earlier. There's a Block of the Month quilt, a shop hop quilt, and several other smaller samples in various stages of development in the sewing room at home, plus calendars and other end of the year items to attend to at work.

On New Year's Eve, my husband and I were so tired from all of the outside clean-up projects that needed to be done, we decided against staying up late. Instead, we turned on the television, and watched Anderson Cooper usher in 2009 with the crystal ball drop in New York City. When it's midnight in the Big Apple, it's 9:00 pm in Oregon. We called it a night and decided the New Year could get here without us. I spent New Year's Day filling mail orders at the shop; then retreated to the sewing room again. Sewing is a great way to begin the New Year, don't you think?

I'm looking forward to 2009 as a year filled with beautiful quilts and fun projects. How has your New Year begun?

Making Quilt Club Blocks

2008-11-26T14:14:00.000-08:00

Every month I make the five blocks we use in Grandma's Quilt Club. I choose simple, 16 grid blocks, because I want to make sure that the over 600 participants in our club can complete these blocks regardless of skill level.

Recently, club members have asked me to tell them about the tools I use when I am constructing the blocks. Here's a run-down of what I use in order to make these blocks.

The sewing machine I use is a Husqvarna Viking Sapphire that I got from Whitlocks Vacuum and Sewing Center in Salem, Oregon. My grandmother would call it a "new fangled" machine. I like it because it has a built-in 1/4" stitch and is easy to use. (Easy is good when it comes to making quilt blocks--why make yourself crazy when sewing is supposed to be relaxing??) I thread the machine with Swiss-Mettler Art. 104 thread in a neutral color.

I like to use a the small Olfa 28mm Rotary Cutter and a 1" x 12" omnigrid ruler to make the first cuts from the fabric that is provided in the quilt kits. (If I was cutting from the bolt, I would use a larger Omnigrip Ruler.)

Most of the quilt club block patterns call for making a half square triangle. In order to do that, I start with two 4" squares of fabric that have been placed right sides together. I then draw a line down the middle (for cutting) with lines on either side 1/4" away from the cutting line (for sewing lines). This can be done very easily with the Quick Quarter II marking tool. I like to use this little tool because it helps with accuracy.

Once I have all the squares cut and marked, I start sewing my half square triangles together. I square them up (from 4") using the little rotary cutter and the 6-1/2" square Omnigrip Ruler to 3-1/2". When I have all 16 units sewn, squared and pressed, I lay the squares out to look like the picture on the pattern, then sew them together. My favorite pins are the red and white pins by Clover. They glide through the fabric like butter and are very nice to use. If you don't have a box of these pins, I recommend you purchase a box or two. I love them! You will too.

For clipping threads and cutting in general, I use a pair of Mundial Titanium Scissors--5-1/2" hobby/craft size. I like these scissors because they are smaller than the knife edge. I don't know why, but I seem to use smaller tools when constructing quilt blocks than I do when putting the quilt blocks together into a quilt top.

Of course, there are times when things don't go exactly as planned making these blocks. That's when I get out the Clover White Handled seam ripper and start "frog stitching"--you know, ripp-it, ripp-it! If you're still using the seam ripper that you got for your high school sewing class, it's time for a new one! My personal rule on seam ripping is that it's part of the process and can happen from time to time; however, if you've ripped out the same seam three times already, you clearly need to relax a bit and start over. (Ever have one of those days when you feel like you should be locked out of your sewing room because everything you touch is going to go badly? I've had a few of those myself.)

Once my block is sewn up and looking beautiful, I press it with my iron (I buy inexpensive ones that I don't mind replacing from time to time), and then I square it up with another Omnigrip ruler--the 12-1/2" square.

And that's all there is to it! Sewing simple quilt blocks is fun. I like being able to put different fabric combinations together to see what the blocks will look like. Sewing easy blocks is also great practice for perfecting those 1/4" seams. Sewing also helps ease any tension you might be feeling from all the other "stuff" going on in your life. Just cut, sew, press and square. A little of your favorite music in the background and you have the makings for your own special retreat.

My family knows they can find me in the sewing room, sewing up quilt blocks after a busy day at the shop. I've already sewn up the blocks I need for next month's club sessions. Guess it's time to start working on the other block projects I'm dreaming up! What will you be sewing this week?

Leah's Brain Surgery

2008-11-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

Leah had her brain surgery October 22 at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Oregon. This surgery was to remove a portion of her brain (right hippocampus, amygdala, and surrounding area). This is the part of her brain which was severely damaged in her car accident 11 years ago. It was also the part that was responsible for her subsequent seizure disorder. The seizure disorder was getting worse and her doctors said if she continued to have uncontrolled seizures she would deteriorate to the point where her quality of life would be severely affected.

As scary as the thought of surgery was, Leah decided that she wanted to go through with it because she was so tired of having seizures. Her surgery lasted a little over five hours. The team of doctors said that they were able to remove almost all of the affected area. They said they were “very aggressive” and took out an area of the brain approximately the size of a small kiwi fruit. (They weren’t expecting to take out this much.) Since Leah has already been functioning almost exclusively with the left side of her brain, they were certain that there would be very minimal deficits. They did say that she might lose some peripheral vision in her left eye and might have trouble “finding her words” for a while.

It's been about two weeks since Leah's surgery and I am happy to report that she is doing just great. The home health care nurse said Leah's recovery is "a miracle" and we are totally thrilled to report that she is herself, knows who everyone is, and is oriented and cognizant of her surroundings. She's getting a lot of sleep these days but otherwise recovering well.

I’ll keep you posted on how she is doing. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, concerns and good thoughts. I know that she is very encouraged by them all. Leah has made many friends here at Grandma's Attic and enjoys talking to our mail order customers on the phone. Hopefully, she'll be back at work at the beginning of the year, only this time she'll be seizure free!

New Class Schedule

2008-08-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

We've just added Fall Class Listings to our website. We think it's another great line-up of classes, offered by some of your favorite teachers: Denise Clausen, Marge McCanse, Donna Wetter, Peggy Gelbrich, Arlene Kovash, Tracy Byers, Judy Hillman, Lindy Perry, Terrie Kygar and Michele Byrum.

In addition, the new session of the $5 Quilt Club begins Sept. 4-6. Denise is bringing back her lettering class. Michele has a fabulous fall leaves project planned. Marge is presenting her scrap quilt techniques with a variety of classes. Peggy Gelbrich is teaching a fun way to combine Jacob's Ladder and Snails Trail blocks and a pineapple quilt. Donna has some new beginner projects. Arlene is busy showing you how to make triangles without ever having to sew more than a square. Tracy Byers is offering her machine quilting class again. There are new classes by Linda Perry and Terrie Kygar, and Judy Hillman will be entertaining you with the Clothesline Club, a new club by Darlene Zimmerman of 1930s reproduction fabric fame.

If you live anywhere near the shop, you should definitely treat yourself to a class or two. It's amazing what you can learn in a few short hours that will help you gain skills and make fantastic projects. So come on in and enjoy the fun!

Dream Green

2008-07-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

What does drinking soda and quilting have in common? Batting! Hard to believe, but the new Dream Green batting by Quilters Dream is made 100% out of recycled plastic bottles. In fact, every pound of this batting keeps 10 plastic bottles out of landfills.

Seems hard to imagine that you could get a nice soft batting out of a soda bottle; however, it's entirely true. The recycled bottles are cut into chips, washed, melted and extruded into fine polyester fibers. These fibers are completely indistinguisable from virgin polyester fibers, yet they are made without depleting precious natural resources. And even though the batting has a sort of green cast from green colored plastic bottles, the batting itself is color fast. Needles glide through this batting with ease.

Quilters Dream says their new product is wrinkle free, can be machine washed and dried with little shrinkage, and can be machine or hand quilted up to 12" apart. It has been carded, crosslapped and needlepunched for uniformity, strength, and resiliency, with no scrim or resins.

Available in select loft, I'm using a twin sized batt for the quilt I'm currently sending off to be machine quilted. According to the package, that means I'm saving 13 plastic bottles from a landfill. And get this, all the left overs are completely recyclable too! I can tell you that this batting feels just as soft as Dream Poly batting, with the added benefit of being earth-friendly. I'll keep you posted as to how the quilt turns out.

Vintage Butterflies

2008-06-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

While I was at Quilt Market in May (a wholesale show for shop owners), I ran into Connie Cerdena of Jenny Creek Designs. We carry many of her patterns and I was anxious to see her newest quilt, Vintage Butterflies, which she had on display in her booth.

She told me that she had been in an antique shop one day and came across 30 butterflies that had been cut from 1930s-era fabric. After purchasing them, she said she appliqued and button-hole stitched the butterflies, then combined with them a striking strip-pieced scalloped border in blue. When I saw this quilt at Market, I was also impressed with Connie's exquisite quilting. The cool thing is that Connie let us borrow it and we currently have this totally gorgeous quilt on display in our shop. Come see it if you are in the area!

This really is one beautiful quilt. We carry the pattern, Vintage Butterflies, so that you can make one of your own! I'm going to start gathering some fabrics to make one myself! If you like 1930s style quilts and butterflies, you will really enjoy putting this quilt together. The blocks will show off your 1930s reproduction fabric collection, and you will also like learning how to put the border together. This spectacular quilt measures 73-1/2" x 84-1/2". I personally can't wait to start making the butterfly blocks!

Patriotic All-Stars Two! Block of the Month

2008-06-18T17:49:00.001-07:00

Hurray for the Red, White and Blue! Summer is nearly here and we're getting excited about picnics in the park, vacation days, and of course, the upcoming celebration of America's Independence Day! We thought to ourselves, "what could be more appropriate for the summer than combining our popular First Ladies of America series with our Patriotic All-Stars Block of the Month Club to bring you our new (and improved) Block of the Month Club!" Therefore, we're proud to announce our new Block of the Month program: Patriotic All-Stars Two!

Each month, you receive all the fabric you need to construct a 12" star block, plus a redwork embroidery pattern of a featured First Lady, and a brief biography about her. As you stitch your block and embroider the redwork pattern, you can read about the trials and triumphs of each First Lady's residency in the White House, and how she influenced her country and the lives of female citizens. You're sure to be impressed and interested by each First Lady's life as she played her part helping to steer all Americans along the broad and diverse path of this nation.

When you've assembled all of your month's blocks and embroidered these influential ladies, you'll be sent a finishing kit detailing how to assemble all your blocks together into a final quilt. The final quilt is finished with beautiful flag fabric and will ultimately measure approximately 57" x 72". What a great fabric piece to add to your home's decor! It is the perfect project for the summer months and, of course, the upcoming election season. You're sure to love making it and owning a storied creation of your own handiwork.

Where Does the Time Go?

2008-06-13T16:58:00.000-07:00

It's been AGES since we posted a message; however, we've had a very busy spring and wanted to tell you all about it. First, as you can see from the photo, our daughter Dannielle got married on June 7th. We haven't received the proofs back from the official photographer yet; however, here is a picture that Michael took of Dannielle and her husband Isaac with famiy members. We'll put "official" pictures up for everyone to see as soon as the proofs are back and we have more to share.

The wedding took place at a Lavender Farm near Mt. Shasta, California. The setting was breathtakingly beautiful and so were girls--as you can see in this picture that Michael took of Melissa and Dannielle just before the wedding.

After we got back from the wedding, we had time to work on our new shop remodel and to review all the items we picked up at Quilt Market in May. If you live close enough to visit Grandma's Attic, you'll want to come in and our shop make-over. We closed over Memorial Day weekend and took the shop apart--right down to the walls--then put it all back together again. The brick and mortar store seems so much more roomy now. We moved the cutting area up closer to the front and arranged things in a little more logical manner. We kept all the contemporary fabrics and items on one side of the shop, and the reproduction fabrics and goodies on the other side. You'll have to come and take a peek. And yes, pictures of the remodel will be posted soon too!

So now you know why we were silent for so long--Quilt Market, a shop remodel, and a wedding all in the space of a few weeks. It kept us more than busy. We'll start posting items from Quilt Market really soon!

The Party is Starting

2008-03-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Patchwork Party begins in just a few hours! (Patchwork Party Summer Edition 2008 officially begins on midnight tonight, April 1.) Our Summer Edition 2008 blocks are absolutely gorgeous and you are going to love collecting and working with them.

This season's quilt blocks were created by Marti Michell using her Template Sets A and C, and the fabric is from Moda's "Prairie Paisley" collection by Minick & Simpson. It features beautiful paisleys and floral motifs exemplifying a timeless rural sophistication. Victorian ornamentation gives way to clean prairie lines, creating a wide open landscape full of rich textures and patriotic hues.

If you been to our previous patchwork parties, you may already know how the fun works, but if you're a newcomer, you might need a party introduction! The way the party operates is simple: you collect all 12 of these beautiful blocks by visiting the 12 online stores participating in the program. Each store hosts one of the particular blocks necessary for the beautiful quilt you'll be making. This season, our exclusive block is "Hudson Station." In addition to our exclusive block kit, we've created a way for you to turn your blocks into a stunning quilt titled "Glory." Our finishing kit includes the pattern and all of the fabric you need to create a lovely 93" x 117" quilt using the blocks you collected during the party. We even created a coordinating wall-hanging and a set matching pillowcases to accent your finished quilt perfectly.

To see all of the beautiful quilts done by each of the twelve participating shops, click on the patchwork party logo on April 1st (or later) on the front page of our store. That link will take you to the official patchwork party site where you can get a planning guide, as well as tips on quilting and sewing your blocks.

We've been so busy behind the scenes these past few weeks getting everything in order to have a fabulous party this season, and we're very excited that it will finally launching tonight at midnight. No need to RSVP to this party because everyone is invited! We hope to see you soon.

Everything from Soup to Nuts

2008-03-16T15:34:00.001-07:00

Things just keep hopping around here, and it is sometimes hard to simply stop, catch our breath, and write a new post on our blog to all our friends on the web. Thankfully, in between classes and our quilt club, we've found a few moments to update everyone on how things are going.

At the beginning of February, we had one of charity events--Souper Bowl Sunday. Our great customers generously brought in a can or two of food for the local food bank and received a discount on fabric. My own grandmother was a cook for several years, and the thought of anyone going hungry was very distressing to her. If there was something she could do about feeding a hungry person, you can bet she would. (My son reports that his own memories of his great-grandmother mostly revolve around food: his eating the plums off of her prized plum-tree, or her asking him to try yet another piece of pie after Thanksgiving dinner.) With hunger still a big problem in today's world, we knew that we had to do something for our community. Our customers helped us meet a tremendous challenge with their terrific generosity. (Leah, in the photo above, poses with just some of the donated food we had received that day.)

On another note, our door is finally fixed! You may remember how someone drove their car or truck into the back our store on New Year's Eve. The temporary patches have been replaced with new cinder blocks and sturdy door that we hope no one will crash into this time! We know people just have to have their fabric sometimes, but we hope they'll remember we're open 24 hours on the web and that our door can't take too many vehicles hitting it! :)

St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow. Since both Stephen and I have some Irish heritage, we thought it would be nice to share some Irish Blessings and Quotes to help get into the festive spirit. Here are some of our favorites:

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His Hand.

May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live.

Always remember to forget the things that made you sad,
But never forget to remember the things that made you glad.

May you live to be a hundred year,
With one extra year to repent!

May your neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
and heaven accept you.

We hope that everyone has a fun and safe holiday. As always, we'll be busy at the shop working on projects behind the scenes. About that, let's just say that we're really looking forward to the start of a new Patchwork Party program in a week or so, and we're getting more and more excited as we draw closer to that date. (Be sure to leave some room in your own fabric collections and time to work on what promises to be a fantastic event this year!)