Great Prices on Cotton Blossom Yardage

Cotton Blossom: Circles

Cotton Blossom: Flower

Cotton Blossom: Checker Print

These three beautiful coordinates from the Cotton Blossom line designed by Bonnie and Camille of Thimble Blossom and Cotton Way fame (they also have a new line coming out soon called Bliss) are available at a wonderful discounted price both on our webstore AND our Etsy store! You can get a 1 yard or 1/2 yard bundle of these three PLUS some other coordinates but if you just want to grab a yard, why not stop by the Etsy shop and get one? Their listings are almost expired and I'd love to see these fly off the bolts before the end of the day. I think these would make up into some adorable tote bags and aprons for your home. Of course, there are always the many, many patterns we have listed on the webstore. I encourage you to go and CHECK IT OUT! We have five yards listed of each of these three and that means that on Etsy you can get up to 5 yards without having to request a separate listing! I hope you'll go check it out before this chance expires! Order before 3:00pm CST and your order will go out today!

Happy Stitches,

Anna

Yeah for Monday!

I can honestly say this is the first time in about three weeks that I've been happy it's Monday! That is because due to the Memorial Day holiday, I have today off!! I do have a little quilting I plan to do, specifically a very cute and fast quilt I've gotten all ready to quilt. I call it the Love U Charm quilt but this pattern could be used with any charm pack and about 1 yard of fabric. I'm probably going to take better pictures of the process for the next one I make and then write it into a tutorial. I use this pattern/design at my last Crafty Girls Workshop meet up at my house as a quick pattern for the participants to make for charity quilts. I had two lovely ladies decide to make the quilts and they picked the absolutely cutest charm packs! First, Ms. M chose the Tweet Tweet charms which have the cutest birdies printed on them and would work for either a little boy or girl! She also chose a yard of the green brick road stripe from the Oz collection as the sashing, which is a wild choice but really ended up coordinating really well! And Ms. P chose a Boutique charm pack and the green dots from the Oz collection for the sashing. I think they are very cute together, what do you think?

Well, I'd better get my lunch finished up so I can get to quilting! I hope to get it finished so I can post the final picture tomorrow! Since tomorrow is the first day of June, I'm going to have a special post too. Something that I need help with from all you fabulous crafty peeps out there! Stay tuned!

Happy Stitches,

Anna

Do you do this?

image source

You've probably figured out by now that Regina and I really love to sew. Lately I've made myself stop using the computer around 12 noon and go into my sewing room to actually work on some projects. Yesterday I finished TWO really cute tote bags, one for my mom and the other for a dear friend (pictures of those in a couple of weeks.) I also realized I have a TON of fabrics cut and divided into little baggies that are ready to be made into quilts! That's because I went through a kit buying phase and after I had done that, I went through a "I'll just cut these and make them ready to sew" phase. Now I'm going through the "I really want to make these things" phase. Maybe it's the spring weather or something.

Do you ever do that? Go through certain phases and then get super productive and make a lot of stuff?

Here's the other thing. I have a mini laptop (since main computer is in another room) and I've set it up so I can actually WATCH stuff on it while I'm sewing! I love to have music playing or my new favorite is either a show on hulu or Netflix. Hulu is a neat website I found where I can watch previous episodes of fairly new TV shows. My recent favorite has been Fringe, which was written by the same people who wrote the Lost series. I've just gotten caught up on the last five episodes of the second season over the last few days. Also, Netflix, if you have an account with them, will allow you to stream movies or TV shows on your computer for no additional cost! I was able to watch all of Seasons 1 and 2 of the BBC TV show Robin Hood (so sad that was only a three season series!) And soon I'm going to hook up an external drive so I can watch DVDs on my mini laptop too. My latest discovery is books on CD. This was sort of one of those V8 moments. I LOVE to read. I have NO problem listening to books on tape or imagining what's going on, I've done this several times when I used to have a LOOONG commute to my previous job. So why not listen to books while I sew? While I was at a thrift store yesterday, I found a copy of John Grisham's The Brethren on CD for $2.99. Gee, for that little how could I go wrong? Well, I found out, it's not just a 4 CD set, it must have more than that but all that was in the case was 4 CDs! I just finished listening to the 4th CD and now I'm hanging!! I plan to take it back to the store tomorrow. But wait, I'm not finished!! I just stopped by my local library today and picked out THREE more books on CD today! And one of them is even about a quilter who solves mysteries (my other favorite sort of novel is mysteries). So I can listen to a book on CD about a quilter while I work on a quilt! I also checked out three books but those will be hard to read while I sew. :-)

Does this sound familiar? Do you like to listen to books on tape or watch TV or movies while you work on a quilt? Or do you prefer to listen to music or have complete quiet?

I'm just curious because I felt so much better when I asked around and found out I'm not the only one who sews without shoes on (the better to feel the pedal, right?) Can't wait to hear your replies.

Happy Stitches!

Anna

P.S. Don't forget to join the CGW Sew and Show group on flickr! I'm anxiously waiting to see what creations you've all come up with!

Love for Haiti, a Quilt Auction

Anita K. If you are out there, please e-mail me anna@craftygirlsworkshop.com You had the highest bid for the Haiti Quilt! Thanks!

The Crafty Girls were, of course, very touched by the tragedy in Haiti. We both reacted in our own ways. I, being the techy-girl that I am reached out to people through this blog and by commenting on other blogs and found out about Craft Hope for Haiti. Then, after talking to Regina we decided to donate a tote bag to the Craft Hope for Haiti shop and amazingly, it sold within one day! Regina, being the wonderful, sweet person that she is, decided to make a quilt so that we could try auctioning it off here on our blog, and send all the money to Doctors Without Borders. She made the sweetest, softest, cutest quilt and if I had a baby girl, I'd snatch it up before she could blink. Or at least make her make another one for me. As it turns out, she used a pattern we have in our shop and fabrics we have in our shop!! Here is a picture of the quilt:




Isn't this quilt just adorable? Regina used the Bundle Up Baby Girl quilt pattern from Cotton Way and she told me over and over how incredibly easy this pattern was! She said it was her first time doing the quilt-as-you-go method and it's very clever. The best part about this quilt, besides the soft, feminine colors of the Mill House Inn fabrics, is that it has raw edges which fray when washed so it comes out even softer and cuddly-er.

Here you can see the detail of the fraying, how cute!

This is the back, not only is the fabric very cute, but the quilting is great!

Regina and I would like to offer this 41" x 42" baby quilt up for auction, here on our blog. I've never hosted an auction on a blog before but I've seen it done around blogland. I think the way it will work is this: I'd like to start the bidding at $75 (USD). If you'd like to bid $75, please leave a comment. Each person who'd like to bid higher to bid on this quilt, please leave another comment. You should be able to see a progression of the bidding going up throughout the comments (or that's our hope at least). And if you REALLY can't live without this quilt, please feel free to bid again. Remember that the money will be donated to Doctors Without Borders toward the relief effort in Haiti. The bidding will remain open until Valentine's Day, February 14th at 12:00noon CST. At that point, I'll close bidding/comments and notify the highest bidder. We'll send you a Pay Pal invoice and then pass the money (minus shipping costs) on to DWB. If you are unable to bid, please just pass on the word about this auction and help us spread the Love for Haiti around the blogosphere and twitterland and facebookworld. I've even created a little badge you can add to your posts or even to your sidebar to help spread the word! Here it is, just copy and paste the code below the image into an HTML gadget on your sidebar and you should be able to share the Love for Haiti.

<a href=" http://blog.craftygirlsworkshop.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Love for Haiti button" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4331056649_35ca615ffd_m.jpg" /></a>

Thanks so much, and I'm sure that the Doctors without Borders and people in Haiti thank you as well!
Happy Bidding,

Anna and Regina
The Crafty Girls

Pattern for Sale

I'd like to try something. Would you like to purchase a pattern I've written that I can e-mail you in PDF format? No shipping fees, no processing fees. Just click the buy now button and I'll e-mail you the PDF of my pattern. It's for a quilt I've created called Fit to be Tied because it's easy and you just tie the corners! Here's a picture:

The pattern is $5.50, thanks for reminding me to put the price!

Thanks for your support!

Happy Stitches,
Anna

Brrrr...It's COLD!

Yes, I know it's a cliche but baby, it's COLD outside!! I live in San Antonio, TX a rather southern part of Texas. We aren't used to temperatures in the 30s and we've had multiple days in the 30s! It's sort of crazy because this last summer we had multiple days where the temperature went above 100. Wow, what a contrast to now! So, when the weather gets cold like this, it makes me glad I have a quilt made of chenille and flannel for my couch to snuggle under, and some warm quilts to keep me toasty. It also makes me think of making...PJs!! We have a couple of great patterns for making PJs so I thought I'd feature them today.

I think this pattern for Jack & Jill Jammies by Idygo Junction is just adorable! It's great for both boys and girls and has several options. This would be a fast project to put together using some of our flannel/woven fabrics. We managed to pick a few bundles of wovens up at the Moda warehouse last year and I think they would be perfect and snuggly for your young one made into these jammies. Or, if you're like me and don't have any little ones running around (or at least none that don't already have fur coats) then you might be interested in putting together some jammies for yourself or your spouse. That's why the Sleep Well PJs pattern by Favorite Things would be perfect for you.Another economical option because it has both men's and women's patterns included! Think of all the variety you can get from one pattern! So with cold weather, you'll probably want to stay inside and yet still be productive and you can be by making PJs to keep you warm! If you order this weekend, they'll go out on Monday and you can probably get the pattern/fabric and maybe even get the entire thing finished by next weekend! I don't expect this arctic blast to last here in South Texas, but I think it's going to hit the rest of the country for at least a couple more weeks. Oh, and if you haven't ever really ventured into the world of garment making (because you prefer quilting) this would be a perfect time to try it. PJs are relatively straightforward in construction and if you make a goof, it won't matter as much because no one will really see it! If you do buy this and make them, we'd really love to see the finished product. I hope you'll take pictures and share them with us by commenting with your blog post link. Thanks for stopping by tonight and I hope you're keeping warm!

Happy Stitches to You,

Anna

New Year's Resolutions

Yes, it's almost that time again. Time to say goodbye to 2009 and ring in the new year of 2010. I just finally got used to writing 2009 and now it's going to change! Personally, my main quilting resolution for the new year is to actually QUILT some of my quilt tops. I've managed to get several quilt tops done this year, but I always put the quilting off until later. So, even if it means biting the bullet and taking my quilt tops to a long arm shop and renting the machine, I really want to get them quilted, maybe in 2011, I'll work on the bindings. :-) I want to improve my machine quilting skills and there is a fabulous blog that I've been following that is super inspiring. Leah Day is working to design and post 365 different quilting designs to her blog! I've signed up to get a once-a-week update to my e-mail about the designs she's posted on the blog. It's a great reminder that I can go and see the new designs. I'd encourage anyone interested in any sort of machine quilting to check it out. She posts great short videos showing how to complete each design. I have some other resolutions for this blog and the Crafty Girls Shop but you'll have to wait to see those in the new year. So, anyone else out there thinking of quilting resolutions for the new year? Or are you still working hard on preparations for Christmas and the holidays? I guess I'm not as wrapped up (no pun intended) in the activities because I'm not hosting any family this year and we don't have any kids so we don't quite get into the spirit as much as some do. It is fun to read about what other people do to prepare though. I'd love to hear about your holidays and if you have any resolutions for 2010. Until next time.

Happy Stitches to You,
Anna

Quilt Market is Approaching!

On Thursday Regina and I will be leaving to go to the Fall Quilt Market. Do I realy need to say it? We are SO excited! To share our excitement about the new products, patterns, ideas, fabrics, and fabrics and MORE fabrics we'll be seeing, I'll be posting a NEW secret item EVERY DAY, or sooner if that item sells. So help us clean out some of our inventory and get READY FOR QUILT MARKET!! Oh, and I think we'll be getting some awesome preview goodies at Sample Spree, which I think we might be willing to share with our fabulous quilting friends, that's YOU! So be sure to check back. I'm taking my new, PINK, mini laptop and my camera so that I can post pictures of the behind the scenes. I am totally excited to meet some quilting celebrities, maybe even Amy Butler or Joanna Figueroa! Or maybe even Bonnie and Camille who designed Simple Abundance and Cotton Blossom! Wow, that would be awesome! I wonder if they would look at me funny if I asked for their autograph! Hey, look------------->
I just posted a NEW secret item right now! Remember, if you purchase the secret item, you'll receive FREE shipping, (and if you order more than just item, we'll cover your shipping up to $5!) If you live outside of the US, you could be saving a bundle! Back tomorrow with some more Christmas gift ideas.

Happy Stitches,
(and happy shopping)

Anna

It's Raining!

Rain rain, I hope you stay,
I really want to sew today.
If you stay I don't have to mow,
Rain, rain, please don't go!

How's that for a great poem!!!!

It's raining and grey and yucky outside, but that's fine with me! I'm going to play with several different sewing/quilt related things I've been brainstorming (haha, no pun intended) about all week while I was "stuck" at work! Lots of ideas rattling around up there! Anyone else doing some fun sewing today?

Happy Stitches,
Anna

What's Cookin' at the Moda Bakeshop

Well, ahem, it looks like we are in tune with the universe here at Crafty Girls Workshop. A sweet and ADORABLE baby quilt tutorial was JUST posted on the Moda Bakeshop! (Sorry I tried to add a picture but Blogger is not cooperating this morning!) Well, it just so happens that we have this SAME exact fabric available in our shop! (I think this would be super cute using any of our Snippets bundles too.) Granted, it's not precut into cute little charm packs but charm packs of Sweet are pretty difficult to find now so might as well just buy it in the 1/4 yard bundles. You might notice that this pattern calls for an additional 1/2 yard for the binding and 2 2/3 yd for the backing which you can also find on our Etsy shop, OR you can always stop by our website to shop our OTHER shop and get more yardage if you need it. We have an awesome cherry red that would work great as a backing and a precious red with tiny pindots that would work well for the binding too. Oh, well of course I would just love this tutorial, it's from one of my favorite blogs, Crazy Mom Quilts, or Amanda Jean. She's just awesome in all ways possible. Again, sorry about the picture thing, I really tried to add some pictures, but blogger seems to have other plans today.

Happy Shopping!
Anna

P.S. There is still time to enter the giveaway, just comment on the Giveaway post (back a few days) I'll draw the winner at midnight (or before I go to sleep). Also, please add your response to the poll over there on the right ---------->

Destash Sale

I hope you all had a fabulous July 4th weekend. I had Friday off from my full time job and was able to spend most of the day scanning in some NEW items for the shop, almost 100 new items in fact. After spending a few months madly sewing like crazy (Thanks Regina for your lovely creations) the Crafty Girls have come to a conclusion, the people who read our blog and visit our shop already know how to sew! And all you wonderful visitors probably would rather purchase fabric and patterns instead of pre-made items for gifts. SEW, that is the new direction we are taking in our shop. To start off, since we don't quite have the capital to just run out to the Moda warehouse and buy bolts of fabric (although it is very tempting, let me tell ya) we've decided to DESTASH our own fabric. Now, there are several advantages to this, first of all, Regina and I are pre-washers. Meaning we pretty much always wash any new fabric we bring home. This is an advantage for you because when you purchase fabric from us, it is a particular length AFTER being washed/pre-shrunk! I don't know about you, but I've been very frustrated lately when I have purchased fat quarters (18"x22") and gone home, washed them and then found out they were actually closer to 17"x21" after washing! If we sell a fat quarter in this destash, it's AFTER washing, so you're getting a better deal. We've also gone through our sewing and quilting patterns and found several that we've never used, and no longer need to keep around, so we want to make them available to anyone who would like to make good use of them, and the price reflects that. This is a DESTASH sale, so the prices are very good, we didn't even mark any of our fabric over $8 a yard, now that's a steal! Some of this fabric is still out on the market but difficult to find, so you might want to check us out and snatch it up while you can! Oh, and did I mention that we have several charm packs for sale? I still have a few more to get listed today, but I've posted the ones I thought would be relevant, including a couple of Christmas/Holiday packs. Remember, it's time to start thinking of making gifts for your loved ones for the holidays. Our charm packs are a steal for only $7! OK, the down side, shipping. Yes, the cost of shipping is going up and it may seem pricey to spend $4 on a pattern and have to pay $2 for shipping, but we are willing to combine shipping. We'll even set up a custom listing for you on Etsy if you want to purchase multiple patterns (and fabric, and charms). This will make it easier to get a specific cost for the shipping. With the new flat rate postage boxes, it is a little easier to figure shipping costs, but it's to your advantage to purchase multiple items so that you actually save on shipping costs. So, go take a look at the new items in our shop. We still have more to destash, these items are really only the beginning, plus we will have some BRAND new patterns to list very soon! Thanks for visiting!

Anna
The Techy Crafty Girl
P.S. Tell your friends too, the sooner we sell this stuff, the faster we can get new items ordered to offer to you all.

Giveaway on Heather's Blog

Heather over at Quiltin' Like Crazy is celebrating her first sale and 100 followers on her blog with a double giveaway! Go visit her and please tell her that Anna from the Crafty Girls Workshop sent you. And have fun reading her blog because it is super inspiring and amazing how much she gets done!

Anna

Open for Business!

Well, here we are. And who are we? Anna and Regina, two crafty ladies who love to sew and quilt. We decided to try turning our passion for crafting into a mini business. Our online store has officially been open one week today! So far we've listed items we've made with care to brighten up your home. Eventually, we plan to list collections of fabric with a pattern included, called a kit, so that if you feel confident in your sewing skills, you can make your own crafty creation! We want our store to be dynamic so that it will ebb and flow with our customers' needs. That is why we have this blog. We need to know what you need in order to be able to supply it to you. If you need baby items such as blankets, burp cloths, bibs, diaper bags, and baby clothes, we can do that. If you want a quick project to make for a friend, check our store. We are also going to post some great tote bags soon, since it's getting close to beach going weather. I bet that several of you would rather buy a kit with the fabrics already selected so that you can just open it up and start sewing. In fact, I've created a little poll over on the sidebar to the right so that you can let me know exactly that. I am curious to see how many people would prefer a kit over selecting the fabrics on their own or buying premade. Remember, Crafty Girls Workshop is a great option when you want to get a gift for a friend's birthday or shower. So, keep us in mind for all your gift giving needs! More coming soon, so check back tomorrow! Oh, and by the way, if you scroll down to the bottom of the screen, you can see exactly what we have in our store. See something you like? Just click on it to go directly to that item in our store!

Happy Crafting,
The Crafty Girls