“Fruitcake” ~ Contemporary Holiday Prints

I’m searching for the perfect brown leather sofa. 

We’ve been to countless furniture stores, looking, looking, looking…

The perfect quilt for my new sofa?  No problem.

Consider the new “Fruitcake” collection designed by Basic Grey for Moda.

Consider Rose’s new geometric Fruitcake quilt top, with a brown velvet quilt back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imagine some simple throw pillows made from my favorite prints in the collection.

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Imagine me snuggling up on the sofa, under the quilt, with a mug of Hot Cocoa splashed with Bailey’s, watching “It’s a Wonderful Life”

Consider me happy.  Really, really happy.

Now… I just have to find that darn sofa!

Click here to check-out the new “Fruitcake” category.

A “Slice” for the Quilting Life

Coming soon to DCQ: the “Slice” Cordless Digital Design Cutter by Making Memories

One of our favorite “finds” at Spring Market was the “Slice”  digital cutter… this useful gadget opened our eyes to a whole new world of quilting & applique possibilities!

A natural evolution from the Scrapbooking world to the Quilting world… this digital cutter is a wonderful answer for all of the quilters who love the look and creativity of  fusible applique, but aren’t so crazy about the tracing and cutting process.

From garments, to home decor, to memory quilts and more… this handheld digital design cutter can easily cut fabric shapes for fusible applique.

Plus, if you are a scrapbooker, you’ll be able to use the cutter for paper too!

I think it would be great for teachers, or anyone involved in designs for bulletin boards or poster boards.  Click here for project ideas….

Hmmm… looks like the quilting projects haven’t been added yet… but I’m sure those will soon follow… “Slice” was just introduced to the quilting world this past weekend.  We watched a demo and it cut fabric (adhered to fusible web) effortlessly!

In my mind, the “Slice” will be perfect for making letters and floral applique motifs, and I plan to test it on a T-shirt quilt for my nephew’s high school graduation gift.

We’ve ordered our own unit for in-store/at-home use, and my scrapbooking sister-in-laws are itching to get their hands on it.

Click here  for a video showing how to cut fabric dye-cuts with the “Slice”.

Click here for a video showing the useful hands-free accessory kit, and a little more about how the unit works.

Here’s a photo album showing assorted design cards:

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My favorite features:

• can be used with fabric adhered to fusible web OR paper
• a wide variety of motifs are available, with the starter set including two design cards (Basic Elements & Basic Elements Pink), plus many additional design cards currently available, with more to come
• designs can be adjusted to a variety of sizes, or mirror image, increasing versatility
• Making Memories will donate a portion of the proceeds from each sale of the Pink SLICE™ to help aid in the fight against breast cancer.

Our distributor is currently showing a delivery date in mid-June, and I’ve added the starter set (shown above), and a number of useful accessories to the website (Click here).

You’ll notice the “Slice” unit & all of the accessories are currently marked below MRSP.  However for a limited time, use this coupon code: dcqslice

And receive free shipping on all orders that include the Slice: "Think Pink" Cordless Digital Design Starter Set (MRSP $220, DCQ price $174.00).   As long as the starter set is in your cart, you’ll receive free shipping on your entire order.

Please note: Coupon code expires  Monday, June 7th.

Due to popular demand, we cannot promise an exact delivery date. We will allocate units first come, first serve.  Everyone who orders will eventually receive a unit, but exact delivery date cannot be guaranteed.

One last thing… consider DCQ’s “Slice” Bundle (click here). 

This combination is bundled at special pricing, and includes the items I think would be especially useful.

• MRSP for the items is $383.20.
  
• DCQ price for the items (purchased separately) is $320.88.
  
• Bundle price is $295.00... nearly $90 off the MRSP! Plus, free shipping!
  
• Bundle includes:
  (1) Slice starter set, (1) Hands-free accessory set, (1) Think Pink Bag, (1) Think Pink Tool Kit, plus two packages of  Slice fusible web.

Shop for Slice at DCQ by clicking here.

Questions?  Visit the product website by clicking here.

Just In: Birds & Berries by Barb Tourtillotte

 

I think you’ll see why we’re so excited about the arrival of the new “Birds & Berries” collection by Clothworks. 

It has everything we look for in a Christmas collection:  stunning artwork, beautiful colors, and a nice combination of backgrounds, small scale accent pieces, and pretty focus fabric for borders and eye-catching blocks.

Most importantly, when I look at these prints, I can easily imagine them on my dining table, under my holiday tree, or in my front foyer.  These prints belong in a home.

 

A slideshow of the fabrics:

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A close-up of the panel:

A photo of the quilt kit:

And a link to the category on the website: click here.

~Top images courtesy of Wikipedia.

Hop on the DCQ Bus!

 

An open invitation~

Dakota Cabin Quilts invites you to join our eastern ND quilt shop tour!

To: Interested Quilters in our Region

From: The friendly staff at DCQ, and participating ND shop hop stores

What: A three day, two night bus tour of eastern North Dakota, featuring all participating shops in the eastern shop hop territory.  Tour hostess Cindy Olson will travel on the bus, available to answer questions, problem solve, and assist travelers.

Where: Scheduled stops at

• Hazen: Quilts from the Heart
• Beulah: Dakota Sew & Sew
• Bismarck: Quilt Haus
• Minot: Bernina Plus
• Jamestown: Comforts of Home
• Mayville: Faye’s Hen House
• Grand Forks: Heavenly Stitches
• Devil’s Lake: Quilting Essential
• Valley City: Quilted Ceiling
• Rutland: Rutland General Store
• Bottineau: Simple Threads
• Fargo: Stitch It Quilts
• Velva: The Quilted Bean

How: Dakota Cabin Quilts has arranged for luxurious, air-conditioned comfort coach travel, transportation & tour arrangements  provided by Magical  Memories Tours.

When: Bus will leave Hettinger early morning Friday, June 18, and return the evening of Sunday, June 20th. Arrangements can be made for you to be picked up “on the way”.  For example, bus could stop in Mott & Richardton to collect travelers.

Why: Participate in the ND State Wide Quilt Shop hop in comfort & style.  Enjoy the fun of shopping and quilting fellowship without worrying about travel arrangements.  Collect passport stamps from each shop to be eligible for the prize drawings.

Who: Everyone is welcome.  However, limited spots are available.  We need to fill our bus by June 4th.   Seating is limited to the first fifty people who sign up.   The first thirty people to sign up will receive a $10.00 gift certificate from Dakota Cabin Quilts. All travelers will also receive a goody bag courtesy of DCQ.

Click here to register!

Questions?  E-mail dakotacabinquilts@ndsupernet.com

Cabin Award Winner: May 9, 2010

Congratulations to gusher999!

You are the lucky winner of this week’s cabin award.  You will receive a copy of the new Summer 2010 Quilts & More Magazine (retail value: $6.99), and a Freebird layer cake (Retail Value: $35.00).   Total award: $41.99.

Please send an e-mail to Laurie-Ann at promotions@dakotacabinquilts.com  with your mailing address, and she’ll help you redeem your award.

I won’t have much time for blogging in the next few weeks, due to a couple of business trips.  So, the next cabin award winner will be announced Sunday, May 30th.  But, don’t worry, I’ll make up for the absence, with three awards that day.

Each winner will receive a Moda Citrus Jelly Roll, and a copy of the pattern “Fractions on a Roll” by Mountainpeek Creations.  Retail Value of each winner’s prize: $43.00

 

Combine your jelly roll with 2.5” strips of  black or white solid, for a dramatic & colorful effect.  We preferred black.

 

Click here for quilt kit shown above, made with just two jellyrolls; one “Citrus”, one “Oreo”.

Cabin Award Winners  are randomly chosen from our list of blog followers. To become a follower, click on the colorful “FOLLOW” icon on the left side of this page, and proceed with the instructions.

New this week: “Bread & Butter” by Whimsicals

In an earlier blog entry, I confidently explained that we could make custom kits for most any of the “Whimsicals” patterns by Terri Degenkolb. 

Many of you took advantage of the offer, and ordered kits from her previous books.

We quickly realized that we needed a few more “Whimsicals” prints  to revise her scrappy projects, and open up our world to all that her pattern books have to offer.

We lucked out, and were able to order a complete collection of “Bread & Butter”, designed by Terri to coordinate with past & future collections.  Click here.

Here’s the Red Rooster marketing info:

“Terri’s Mom, who taught her to sew and quilt, always called small prints in neutral tones “bread and butters.”

Terri says, “They're the kind of prints that go with anything (kind of like bread and butter), because of the small prints and neutral shades.” She designed her Bread and Butter collection to do just that for her current and her up and coming lines.

The six small designs in the muted golds, tans, beiges, browns, and grays she loves help to tone down other prints and provide a nice foundation for appliqué. These are definitely must-have neutrals for all of our stashes!”

I think you’ll agree…

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A perfect group of neutrals… warm, inviting, and versatile.

My favorite book featuring neutral quilts:

With this book, you’ll find the perfect quilt for all your scraps of left-over background fabric.  Mix in an assortment of “Bread & Butter” prints, and you’ll be well on your way to making a beautiful heirloom quilt, timeless & elegant. Click here.

Or, check out this pretty new kit featuring the “Bread & Butter” fabric collection. Click here.

Simply beautiful.

Snow on May Day

Good morning.

We're celebrating May Day in fine Dakota style.

Unfortunately, the little girls in town are not dancing around a maypole, wearing pretty gauzy white dresses. Our kids are wearing snow-pants and mittens.

I truly couldn't believe it yesterday morning, when Matthew excitedly looked out the window and announced it was snowing. I hoped he was joking. He wasn't.

There's really no accumulation, but a fine crystalline powder coats the earth. It's a good weekend to stay inside, make soup, and snuggle up under a cozy quilt with a good book.

That's what we did yesterday, and it was wonderful. Wesley made French Canadian split pea soup, using our Easter ham-bone, and we toasted home-made croutons for a hearty supper. Simple, but delicious.

I took responsibility for snuggling up under a cozy quilt with a good book, and by evening I was relaxed, energized, and excited about quilting. As a result, the blog has been updated, dozens of new items have been added to the website, and we're looking forward to another good week at the shop.

I've been faithfully following the blogs written by my favorite pattern & fabric designers, hoping for a hint of what we'll be seeing at quilt market. Spring Market is in Minneapolis this year, so we can drive, rather that fly. Without luggage limits or shipping to worry about, I'm sure we'll come home with our SUV packed with fun new merchandise.

Market is closely followed by the Rapid City Quilt show, June 11-13th, our biggest quilt show of the year. We'll come home, unpack, and open the doors wide for shoppers from the ND State Quilt Shop Hop, June 16-30. We're already getting ready for these events, and as soon as details are finalized, we'll be sure to let you know.

We're entering uncharted waters with the Statewide Shop Hop, as it will be our first time participating in such an event. But, it promises to be great fun, and we're so excited to meet shoppers from across the state. The Big Picture:

The State will be divided into two parts, approximately split by HWY 83: "East" and "West"

Shoppers are invited to hop from store to store with passports in hand, collecting stamps at each location.

At the conclusion of the event, completed passports will be collected, and drawings will occur.

Five $200 certificates available for visiting every shop in the state.

Four $100 certificates for visiting every "East" shop.

Four $100 certificates for visiting every "West" shop.

Participating shops will offer special projects, welcome packets, and more.

Individual quilt shops are organizing bus tours to facilitate travel. We heard Friday that at least two buses will be coming our direction from the East, and this prompted us to get busy. With help from our friend Cindy, we're planning a bus trip to head East, June 18-20, 2010. In the weeks to come, we'll finalize the schedule, cost, and route. In the meantime, mark the date on your calendar, and prepare to go hopping!

I'll be updating the blog with more specifics about the shop hop and bus trip as details are finalized. In the meantime, please e-mail us with questions.

Photo Credits: ~"Maypoles", courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, photo credit Mike Goren. ~"Snowflake", courtesy of Wikipedia, Michael, "Small microscope kept outdoors. Snapshot camera held to eyepiece focus set to infinity."

Heather Mulder Peterson ~ At Home for the Holidays

It’s only natural that one of my favorite pattern designers, Heather Mulder Peterson, has designed my favorite holiday fabric collection for 2010. 

Heather’s pattern company, Anka’s Treasures, has captivated my imagination for quite some time now.  One of her books, “Favorite Quilts from Anka’s Treasures,” sits beside my sewing machine, and I reach for it whenever I’m in need of inspiration.

Last year, Heather was the featured teacher at the SDQG retreat in Huron, SD.   Not only were the classes amazing, but her trunk show was excellent.  We enjoyed meeting both Heather & Joel, and learning about her quilting story.

I’m also a frequent visitor on her website & blog.  Both are simply excellent… beautiful quilts, tempting fabrics, and an obvious gift for decorating her home with a style I can only dream of. 

I’m so excited about her new fabric collection, “At Home for the Holidays”, that I can’t wait one minute longer to tell you about it.  And, we’ve decided to open it up for pre-orders.  Click here to place orders, and we won’t bill until the date of shipment.

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Although the individual prints caught my eye immediately, I was also captivated by her initial quilt design, shown here:

Oh, so wonderful!

Kits for this pretty quilt can be reserved now, by clicking here. 

I have a feeling I’m not the only one who will love these fabrics… they are uniquely beautiful, with a fresh & contemporary appeal.  I can’t wait to see what else Heather comes up with for her collection, and it appears she’s hard at work…  (check this out)

And, it appears she’s not the only one… look at this!

Our current selection of Heather’s patterns and books can be found by clicking here.

In her blog, Heather mentions a fabric delivery date of the end of May…  Just a few more weeks.  Hooray!

Cabin Award Winners: May 2, 2010

Congratulations to Pam Peterson & dkwilk!

Each recipient will receive the eagerly anticipated new book from Miss Rosie: Schnibbles Times Two. Recommended price: $27.00.  DCQ everyday low price 10% off MRSP: $24.30. 

Please send an e-mail to Laurie-Ann at promotions@dakotacabinquilts.com  with your mailing address, and she’ll help you redeem your award.

Click here to check out this amazing new book from Carrie Nelson.

The next cabin award winner will be chosen Sunday, May 9th.  The award will receive a copy of the new Summer 2010 Quilts & More Magazine (retail value: $6.99), and a Freebird layer cake (Retail Value: $35.00).   Total award: $41.99.

Notice the fun & contemporary quilt on the cover of the magazine…. all you need is any colorful Moda “Layer Cake” (or a stack of your favorite 10” squares),  4.75 yards of simple white background fabric,  5/8 yards of binding, and the urge to try the easy raw edge applique technique.  Before you know it, you’ll have a quilt that any teenager or college student would love to snuggle up under.

The cover quilt used the “Freebird” fabric collection, designed by Momo for Moda.

 

 

Click here for the “Freebird” collection.

Click here for our current assortment of layer cakes.

Click here to buy the magazine.

Click here for the Moda Bella Solids… my favorite quilting solids, available in every color of the rainbow.

Cabin Award Winners  are randomly chosen from our list of blog followers. To become a follower, click on the colorful “FOLLOW” icon on the left side of this page, and proceed with the instructions.