National Quilting Day Events - #NQDSI

It's that time of year again! Yes, March 16 is National Quilting Day, and there are events all month to celebrate.

The National Quilting Association has chosen the 2013 theme - "Celebrate America" - and the free pattern to go with it is suitable for donation to Quilts of Valor.

Of course, we should have a National Quilting Day Sew In on March 16.  Who's with me?

If you haven't joined us for a sew in before, it's easy!  If you do not have a Twitter account, just sign up.  It's free.  Once you have an account, join us in the #NQDSI room on Tweet Chat.

I have not had great luck accessing Tweet Chat on my phone (if you know how, please let us know) but I simply go to my Twitter feed and click on one of the tweets that says #NQDSI.  If I don't see one, I can go to the search feature and type in #NQDSI.  It will then bring up all the tweets with that hashtag.  Just refresh frequently to see the conversation.

Other National Quilting Day/Month Events:

• The Venice (FL) Area Quilter's Guild celebrates on March 3.
• Quilter's Day Out takes place in Louisville, Kentucky on March 9. 
• The Eastern Long Island Quilters Guild offers workshops on March 9-10.
• In Georgia we have the Greater Atlanta Shop Hop from March 14-17.  
• The International Quilt Study Center and Museum hosts a day of lectures, demonstrations, and tours on March 16.
• CAMEO Quilters Guild in Michigan celebrates a belated NQD on April 20.  

[Edited to add:  please feel free to share this image and link to the TweetChat room or back here. Spread the word!  Also, if you will be doing a giveaway for the sew in, you can send me an email at QuiltinJenny AT GMail DOT com and I will link to your blog on my post that day.]

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Greater Atlanta Shop Hop 2011 - Georgia Sewing and Quilting

Ready? Set? GO!

Today is the official start of the Greater Atlanta Shop Hop!  I hope to see some of you along the way.  Please send me updates and pics if you want to share - or tweet me!

Our final shop of our review is Georgia Sewing and Quilting in Buford, GA.  This is a shop I've been close to numerous times, but never managed to go inside because we were always on the way to or from a football game.

For the Quilter's Tour of Homes theme, they chose a birdhouse.  So sweet!  Don't you think that one of the best things about quilting is how quilts "feather our nests" in a way?  They make everything soft and cozy for our families to flourish. 

 

At Georgia Sewing and Quilting, you can also test drive a HandiQuilter.  They can help you determine which model is right for your needs and let you try it out without having to wait for the next show or expo. 

For all the news about the Shop Hop, follow their blog.

Greater Atlanta Shop Hop 2011 - Stitch'n Quilt

There's only one day left before the Greater Atlanta Shop Hop! Are you ready?

Today we're checking out a fairly new shop, and another one I haven't made it to yet, Stitch'n Quilt in Mableton, Georgia.

For the Quilter's Tour of Homes theme, they chose a firehouse.  Your local quilt shop is the place to go when you have a quilting emergency and need real, helpful advice from someone who actually quilts!  I can't wait to see the hot deals they've got waiting.  (I wonder if there will be any cute firemen to help me carry my stash to the car?  Hey!  A girl can dream, can't she?)

For all the news about the Shop Hop, follow their blog.

Greater Atlanta Shop Hop 2011 - Patchwork Cottage

It's Hop minus 2 days and we're covering more uncharted territory today on the Shop Hop Review as we hop on over the Patchwork Cottage.

Although I've somehow missed this shop, I was touched to see that the charity they support is one I'm familiar with:  the Zoe Rose Foundation.  This foundation offers support and information for parents of micro-preemies (babies born before 32 weeks of pregnancy), and was started by a friend of a friend after the birth of her triplet daughters at 25 weeks.  Among the many services they provide is the "Wrap Them in Roses" isolette quilt project, which provides quilts to cover a baby's isolette and offers a keepsake from that unique time in the baby's life.  Patchwork Cottage has a special place in my heart for this generosity!

This bunch obviously loves children, and what more fun theme for kids than a Haunted House?  You can see that Pam Kosiba is in the spirit and just waiting to offer up lots of quilting treats!

I wonder what tricks they have up their sleeves for this week.

For all the news about the Shop Hop, follow their blog.

Greater Atlanta Shop Hop 2011 - A Scarlet Thread

We're breaking new ground on the Shop Hop Review today with a shop I haven't visited (yet).  A Scarlet Thread is in McDonough, GA, another shop close to my friend, Pam.  It just goes to show how long it's been since we've Shop Hopped together that I first heard of this store from my HUSBAND!  It turns out that he has a client in the same shopping center.  Pam is really falling down on the job when I have to hear about a new shop in that way.  I keep saying that I'm going to ride along with him next time he has to call on them, but something keeps interfering (laundry, kids, work...) with my plans.

For the Quilter's Tour of Homes theme, they chose a greenhouse.   It reminds me of the rich soil where my creativity is nurtured - classes, fabric, and other quilters - that can be found in a good shop.

Here's hoping that I'll finally get to visit this shop in person during the hop!

For all the news about the Shop Hop, follow their blog.

Greater Atlanta Shop Hop 2011 - Little Quilts

Let's go to Little Quilts for our next Shop Hop Review!

The WannaBees went there the same day we went to the Red Hen.  That was where I finally found that Clover pen that works so well for marking dark fabrics. 

For the Quilter's Tour of Homes theme, they chose a beehive.  What a fun choice!  I'll bet there are lots of bee groups who will buzz by to get their passports stamped. 

It's also a good metaphor for this particular shop.  They stay busy as can bee writing patterns and books, designing fabric, hosting all sorts of classes and online groups, and keeping up with all the fabric and notions you want.    

For all the news about the Shop Hop, follow their blog.

Greater Atlanta Shop Hop 2011 - Red Hen Fabrics

We're half way through the Shop Hop Review!

Today we're hopping on over to Red Hen Fabrics.  Remember when we went there with the WannaBees last February?    This is the fantastic shop that has longarm quilting machines that you can rent by the hour if you'd like to quilt your own quilt that is too big for a DSM. 

For the Quilter's Tour of Homes theme, they chose a gingerbread house.   I'll bet you'll find lots of sweet deals on fabric, patterns, and notions during the shop!

If you had to pick a house for the theme, which one would you choose?

For all the news about the Shop Hop, follow their blog.

Greater Atlanta Shop Hop 2011 - Patrick's

One more stop on the Shop Hop Review...and apt for March 17...Patrick's.  This is another great shop we've visited together!

For the Quilter's Tour of Homes, they chose a lighthouse.  So many of my favorite quilts have a nautical theme.  Quilting for me is a light in the darkness during stressful times, so I appreciate the metaphor as well.

Remember those free quilt blocks I told you about?  You could put them all together with this fantastic fabric by Timeless Treasures (you can pre-order now).

Isn't it cute?  I can think of so many projects that this would be a fun addition to!

For all the news about the Shop Hop, follow their blog.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Greater Atlanta Shop Hop 2011 - Quilts & Fixin's

All aboard the Shop Hop Express!  Today we're going to Jonesboro to a wonderful shop called Quilts & Fixin's. 

Although I have been to this shop numerous times, they were all P.B. (pre blog) and I can't find any pictures.  This is the shop closest to my BQF, Pam.  I got her hooked on quilting years ago, and we used to go on weekend retreats and meet up on the Shop Hop.  But Pam went to the dark side.  Pam left me.  Pam got a J-O-B.

Don't get me wrong.  Pam loves her job.  But the job seriously cuts into our quilting time.

As payback, I'm going to show you one of my favorite pictures of Pam.  One she's probably forgotten I have.  This is Pam doing the "Walk Like an Egyptian" dance across the finish line at the March of Dimes WalkAmerica in Centennial Olympic Park.

Sorry...I got a little sidetracked there.  Anyway, it's a great shop and very convenient off I-75 south of Atlanta, so if you can't make the Shop Hop but maybe you're driving south over Spring Break, you can probably convince your hubby to swing by.   For the Quilter's Tour of Homes theme, they chose a farmhouse.  So come by and sit a spell, meet up with an old friend and talk quilts.  Say hi to Pam if you see her!

Oh!  One more thing.  I mentioned the charms for the bracelet, but at each shop along the hop you will also get a free quilt block pattern.  Tomorrow I'll show you another surprise that will make you really look forward to picking up each pattern!

For all the news about the Shop Hop, follow their blog.

Greater Atlanta Shop Hop 2011 - Sweet Home Quilt Co.

It's our third stop on the Shop Hop Review. Today we're going back to Sweet Home Quilt Co. Remember when we visited there on my way home from the Bear's school trip?

For the Quilter's Tour of Homes theme, they chose a schoolhouse.   I love this choice, because I think quilting teaches us so much about math, art, and life. What have you learned from quilting?

I also want to point out that this is a blogger friendly shop.  They give an extra 5% to bloggers who link to their website.  Let's encourage that trend!

The giveaways on the hop are always fun.  With each $10 purchase, you get that shop's charm for free.  If you somehow manage to leave a shop without finding $10 of quilty goodness that you just have to have, you can also buy the charms for $3 each.

For all the news about the Shop Hop, follow their blog.

Greater Atlanta Shop Hop 2011 - Tiny Stitches

Tiny Stitches is our next shop on the Shop Hop Review.

Remember I told you that this year's theme is "A Quilter's Tour of Homes". Each shop picked a different kind of house for decorating and giveaways.

The fabulous prizes are the real incentive to hit every single shop on the hop! The Grand Prize is $100 at each shop - a total of $1100 in quilty goodness! You can also win a sewing machine or a basket of fat quarters and notions worth over $200.

Even if you can't make it all the way around, you can still win.  There will be an additional drawing for each shop worth about $100.

You've been with Mom and me to Tiny Stitches just a little over a month ago.  If I had to pick one quilt shop, this would be "my" store.  It's probably the closest one to my house, and my go-to shop when I need a specific thing in a hurry.  I know how it's laid out, know I can get good help and advice, and my car could go there on auto pilot.  Okay, my husband really doesn't need to know that last part. 

Tiny Stitches chose a castle as their theme.  I can only imagine the royalty who will greet us as we enter the shop!

You can follow the owner Maetha's blog and twitter feed so you don't miss a single minute of the fairytale!

For all the news about the Shop Hop, follow their blog.

Greater Atlanta Shop Hop 2011 - Intown Quilter

Who's hopping this year?

For those of you who aren't familiar with the concept, eleven quilt shops in and around the metro Atlanta area will host a Shop Hop March 24-27. There's a different theme every year, and each shop decorates according to the theme.

I thought I'd share a little about the hop and the stores that are participating over the next week or so.  

This year's theme is "A Quilter's Tour of Homes". Each shop picked a different kind of house for decorating and giveaways.

The first shop on the list is Intown Quilters.  Remember when the WannaBees went on a field trip there?   That's where we found our fabric for WannaBee at the Ocean. 

Anyway, so you've virtually been there with us, and now it's time to visit in person.  They chose the "Coffee House" to go with the theme.

How cute is that?

For all the news about the Shop Hop, follow their blog.  I'll have the next shop up in a few days so you can plan your route!