THE QUILTER'S ALLEY

and I don’t mean fish!   Learning a new technique, translating an unfamiliar pattern, socializing with great people are all ways to stimulate brain cell growth.  The Quilter’s Alley offers folks the chance to stay smart by hosting lots of interesting classes.  They happen all year, but really kick into gear when school starts.  There’s a bit more time for pursuing our own passions.  Cooler weather invites warm projects. Holidays around the corner, inspire gift making.  New lines of fabric start arriving. Yea!

I’m busy all year making samples and creating kits that will tempt our customers into creative endeavors.
“It all looks so delicious.” is said often by visitors.  That’s the idea. 

We will begin a Sunday Brunch Club this season.  Customers can sign up to have brunch with friends, learn a new technique and get the pattern for a quilt project.  They will spend the remainder of Sunday sewing their quilt top and are invited back for brunch and finishing another Sunday.  The patterns are versatile enough to use for smaller gift items – like placemats and table runners.  I will also demonstrate what a bonus a Serger is to your sewing room.  Matching napkins take no time at all with a three-thread rolled edge.

This quilt was made by a student of Simpler Sampler.
More wool dying this week. And quilters return from Summer Hiatus.

Double-Sided

We have a regular group of sewists who bring their projects to the shop to work on, with Mona’s help – if they need it.  There’s always coffee and cake, a lot of chatter and life in the shop.  They have been or become friends, have lunch together, always offer to bring me something back (yummy c.c. cookie!) and generally represent one artery of our growing business.

A couple of them stayed a bit longer yesterday to quilt for a children’s charity.  With smaller pieces, they make adorable “lovies” with the same precision as they demand of their own quilt projects.  So I got a few shots in.

Last week, there was a surge of finishing projects (and mostly wearables) and the makers came to visit us at The Quilter’s Alley. The store is in the background in a lot of the shots.

Audrey

A Birthday Skirt

Barcelona Skirt

Lounge Pants

New Kaffe Fassett

I made this one. Sew easy!!!

And then the quilters…

Cheer Leader Extraordinaire!

Runner Extraordinaire!

That’s Christian Lane Quilters  Berlin, CT  and The Quilter’s Alley  Ridgefield, CT

Would you believe that no one had a camera, but we still had a great time catching up over omelets.  We met at a show in New Milford, CT over a year ago (feels like we know them forever.  Actually they visited our very new shop three years ago for a minute.) and chose the town again for our second reunion.   It is charming on a gorgeous summer morning and after we finished eating, we walked and talked and joked (a lot- thanks, Jim.  Stu may have met his match.)

There are a few things, like meeting great people with similar interests, that really stand out about among the hard work of owning a business and doing shows.  When all the goods are finally lugged in, and you can sit for a minute, you may end up finding your new best friends behind the quilt in the booth next door.  

Wilma is an award-winning long arm quilter, and well known in these parts and elsewhere.  I’m a humble shop owner who loves art and fabric.  Jim and Stu have found their niches as comic relief. (Jim is an amazing long-arm quilter as well and Stu brings Viking Sewing Machines to their full potential.)

I am most excited to have left my 1930’s quilt top with her for quilting.  I can close my eyes and imaging how beautiful it will be with Wilma’s lines of thread. What a great collaboration!

So  much has been going on here that I realize  I have lots to report.

First the illustrations are complete and better, I have found my painting muse again, to the point that I am observing the world as subject matter.  After the last painting, I cleaned my palette which has been with me for many years.  I notice how rusted-ish it has gotten, but it is such a momento of past work and I will just keep refilling its little pockets with color.  I ordered myself a copy of Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff Catalog which was my primary resource when I painted constantly.  So many of the tubes have dried up from years of dormancy and now I need to replenish some of my favorites.

Looks like gouache, but mostly watercolors.

With that, the season of dyed wool is upon us and I have cooked up my first batch.  I’m quite pleased.

Start sewing series  had a successful second session. The patchwork table runner was completed in one session, although it was a bit hectic.  Everyone agreed that they could handle finishing a project in two sessions if necessary.

Our fastest skirt making customer came by to get more fabric.  She’s really on a roll, but I also think she’s 
“hooked” as in “bitten by the sewing-your-own-clothes bug.”  (See Primary School)

Finally, I’ve made the decision to tediously restart my Lollypop Tree block, by pulling the first one apart. But now I can.

 I am always pleased when a new sewist has such success on the first try. Last Saturday’s class was hard work but the results are worth it.  These two new students completed their table runners in four hours down to the BINDING.  That’s a big deal on your first or second time sewing.  And they’re hungry for more.  The results speak for themselves.

Chain Piecing with Rosemary.

My version of the project with Art Gallery Quilts Fabrics. 

Laura is a trooper.  Sews while injured (see bandage: presumably NOT a sewing injury).