And the winner is....

And, the winner is...... Kirsten Whitehouse. Our latest raffle quilt was won by Kirsten. Some of you may recognize her, she used to work here. She just bought a new house and was thrilled as she has the perfect place to hang it and she loved that it was made by us. And, just to let you know, the drawing is totally random and usually the name is drawn by a customer, so don't alert the FBI.
We collected $63 for the Children's Hospital Burn Unit. I have decided that I'm going to match the amount collected to make it better! But, I know we can do better, too. So, come and purchase your raffle ticket for our next quilt. The proceeds go to the Dublin Community Church Food Pantry and the drawing will be held on 7/1/08. Mention that you read the blog about the raffle quilt and buy 1 ticket and get one free! Buy 6 tickets for $5 and get 2 free!

The 10th time was just as good as the 1st

The Billy Joel concert was awesome! We had ok seats so this picture was NOT taken by me. I counted.. I have seen Billy Joel in concert 10 times and I've seen his broadway musical Movin' Out twice! When's he coming back to Columbus? I don't know but I know I'll be there!

Ok, so back to the real world. We have received about 200 bolts of new fabric in the last few weeks. We have Amy Butler's newest fabrics, we have Noah's Ark by Jim Shore, we have the wildly popular Prairie Paisley by Moda and Roman Holiday and Malibu Monkey all by Moda. But wait..... there's more. We have Snow Wonderland (shown here) by Whimsicals and some of the line Fresh Squeezed by Moda. We've been busy with the sample making so stop by soon to see what's new!

The 5 step program

Don't have time for quilting? Here are 5 easy steps to get more quilting time with ease.

5. Carry a quilting magazine with you where ever you go. It's easy to pull it out when you have a few spare minutes. It's an fun way to de-stress since you're thinking about your favorite past time and get your creative juices flowing when you do get to your sewing space. And, if there's nothing in the magazine you want to keep, consider leaving it at the doctor's office and maybe you'll inspire a new quilter. Plus, wouldn't it be more fun to sit down at the doctor's office and see a quilting magazine rather than another article about Britney Spears!

4. Clean your sewing space. Ok, now I know this doesn't sound like fun.... but, if you take just a little time to be organized the next time you step into your space, you'll be ready to finish your latest project.

3. Make a list. Once your space is clean and organized, make a list of the most pressing projects to finish or supplies you need for your next project. Cross them off your list as you finish the projects and you'll feel a sense of accomplishment and you'll be ready to tackle the next project on you list.

2. Carry hand work with you. Have a little bag by the door or even in your car so when you find time on your hands, you'll have that little applique project or punchneedle ready to occupy that precious free time and make you smile!

1. Get up early. Try getting up one hour early one day per week. For me, this is my primary sewing time. I usually get up around 5:30 and sew for an hour each morning. I get a lot done and I don't feel like I've taken time out of my busy day. Plus, it's a happy way to start my day with my most favorite hobby .... QUILTING!

Here are some swatches from our newest fabric collection. It's called Posh by Moda. There are about 25 bolts of fun, I'll call bright pastels, that would make great purses, jackets and quilts. These pretty fabrics will make you feel like spring really is just around the corner. I'm going to make a backpack.

Blizzard '08

Since we're all snowed in this weekend, I thought I'd share a FREE charm pattern with you. You can do this with just about any charm pack but you need two. Enjoy ~

Carpenter’s Star Charm Quilt
Exclusive pattern for the Red Rooster Quilts Charm Club
November, 2007
32” Square
Materials Needed:2 – Oak Leaves & Reel Charm Packs by Moda
1/3 yard for binding
1 1/8 yard for backing
36” square of batting
4 ½” square ruler

Cutting Instructions: 12 – 4 ½” squares of light fabric
8 – light 5” squares cut in half once diagonally to yield 16
triangles
4 – light-medium 4 ½” squares
8 – light-medium 5” squares cut in half once diagonally to yield
16 triangles
32 – dark 5” squares cut in half once diagonally to yield 64
triangles

Lay out your pieces as shown in the diagram/photo. Sew the half square triangle blocks together first. Sew using a scant ¼” seam allowance and then trim block to be 4 ½” square.

Sew the blocks together into rows. Sew the rows together.

Cut 4 strips 2 1/4" for binding.

Quilt as desired and bind.

Red Rooster Quilts
48 Corbins Mill Dr.
Dublin, OH 43017
614-734-9007
http://www.redroosterquilts.com/
©2007. All rights reserved.


Oh, and, in case you're keepting track..... 43 days to BJ concert!

Don't be lackadaisical....

Here's a good laugh for the day. This is from Sandy Brawner of Quilt Country.

"I thought we could use this little laugh. It is about sewing so hopefully it will be OK. The first paragraph is from an excerpt of the 1949 Singer sewing manual and the response in the second paragraph is from a good friend of mine.

Advice from a Singer Sewing Manual from 1949: Prepare yourself mentally for sewing. Think about what you are going to do. . . never approach sewing with a sigh or lackadaisically. Good results are difficult when indifference predominates. Never try to sew with a sink full of dirty dishes or beds unmade. When there are urgent housekeeping chores, do these first so your mind is free to enjoy your sewing. . .When you sew, make yourself as attractive as possible. Put on a clean dress. Keep a little bag full of French chalk near your sewing machine to dust your fingers at intervals. Have your hair in order, powder and lipstick put on . . .[If] you are constantly fearful that a visitor will drop in or your husband will come home and you will not look neatly put together, you will not enjoy your sewing as you should. . .

Oh, yeah? Well, how about this instead:
Prepare yourself mentally for sewing. Turn the radio to a classic rockstation and set the volume at a level so that you will not be distracted by the phone, doorbell, smoke alarm, barking dogs or sirens. Throw a dishtowel over the dirty dishes and close the bedroom door if the bed is unmade so that you don't have to look at it. Put on some sweats and flip-flops and pin your hair back so that it won't get in your way. Get a coaster for your Shiner Bock or Diet Dr. Pepper and a bowl for your M&Ms. Sew until it is time to order pizza, and then sew some more."

Win Me!

Each month or two, I choose a quilt to be raffled off for a local charity. All of the proceeds go to that charity. Last month's quilt was won by Margaret Paloney. She was gracious enough to pose for this picture. So, when you win..... be ready to say cheese! Oh, and we raised $123 for the American Heart Association.

And, the countdown to BJ is 50....