What s Happening at Top Shelf Quilts?

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1 January - March, 2017 Volume 2, No Elwood Street Frankfort, IL (815) topshelfquilts@yahoo.com Ron s Corner 1 Spring Retreat and Block of the Months Operational Care Package/ Ryan s Case for Smiles January Activities February Activities March Activities Hours Sunday 12:00-4:00 Monday Tuesday 10:00-5:00 Wednesday 10:00-7:00 Thursday 10:00-5:00 Friday 10:00-5:00 Saturday 10:00-4:00 We will be Open January 1st from 12:00-4:00 Inside this Issue Scrap Bag Challenge Block 2 3 3, 6 4, 7 5, 8 Sew Together BOM Dates Other Important Dates What s Happening at Top Shelf Quilts? Ron s Corner 2016 has been a great year for Top Shelf Quilts. We are thankful for all the support from our customers, staff, friends and family. You all have made this past year so wonderful looks to be even more exciting as we look for new opportunities to provide you with the best service and products possible. We will be sharing more details in We are excited to continue the Spring Quilt Retreat which is scheduled for March 10-12, 2017, at the Matteson Holiday Inn. Sign up soon and join us for food, fun and some quality sewing time. (See page two for more details.) We will also be looking to do more with Facebook in If you haven t already liked Top Shelf Quilts on Facebook, please do. We will be updating the page routinely with new items, specials, events, tips and much more. We are looking forward to sharing more of what s happening at TSQ in the next year. Other Items of Note: January 4th, our day to stay open late is changing from Thursdays to Wednesdays. The store will now be open 10 am to 7 pm on Wednesdays, and 10 am to 5 pm on Thursdays. This will eliminate the parking challenges from May thru September with the Frankfort Car Club shows. In January, the cost for the Quilters Dream Batting (used for longarm quilting) is changing from $7.00/yard to $8.25/ yard. Increasing prices and shipping costs necessitate the change. On December 11th the drawing for our shop hop raffle quilt was held. The winner of the quilt was Dan Salmon. We sold 423 raffle tickets with proceeds of $ going to P.A.W.S. in Tinley Park. In January we will be inviting all of you to participate in our Scrap Bag Block Challenge by creating a 1/2 quilt block from OUR fabric scraps. The blocks will be pieced into a quilt(s) which will be raffled with all of the proceeds going to Children s Heart Foundation. (See page nine for additional details.) Ron 1

2 TSQ Spring 2017 Retreat March 10-12, 2017 Retreat Location: Matteson Holiday Inn Conference Center 500 Holiday Plaza Drive, Matteson, IL ( ) Meals Included: Lunch on Friday and Saturday Continental Breakfast on Sunday Retreat Cost: The full cost of the 3-day retreat is $ This is the cost of the sewing room and meals as above. Overnight accommodations are on your own as below. The cost is the same no matter whether you are sewing for all three days or only 1 or 2. If you are unable to sew all 3 days, you may find someone else to share the days with. For example you come Friday, you find someone else to come Saturday and Sunday. Payments are non-refundable unless there is a waiting list. Overnight Accommodations: Stay at the hotel 1 or 2 nights. Participants are to make their own arrangements with the hotel. The room rate for TSQ is $8 per night plus taxes. Just tell the hotel you are with the Top Shelf Quilts group. Go home for the night All machines and materials may be left in the sewing room which is locked at 10pm and opened again at 7am. (Yes you can stay up and sew later than 10pm.) Midnight Clear Block of the Month Start collecting fabric now for a different twist on a Block of the Month class! Starting in January, we will meet for an hour each month for six months to learn about stars. Tips, tricks and tools, too! The quilt will be based on the Midnight Clear BOM quilt in Sherri Falls book, Holiday Wishes. In case you want to have a new Christmas quilt done by Christmas in July next year, collect some holiday fabrics now, or think about a different take on stars...how about patriotic red, white and blue...or sweet pastels for the little princess in your life? Maybe some more masculine colors for the star of your heart? Pick up your copy of this popular book now and start collecting fabrics. There will be a lecture/ help session the third Saturday of each month to give you hints on making that month s blocks. Meetings begin in January (January 21st, February 18th, March 18th) from :00-10:00. Additional dates will follow. Your Choice 5-Yard Quilt! Have you taken a beginning patchwork class and are excited for more? Do you consider yourself a beginning quilter because you still need a little direction? Are you an experienced quilter and need a fast and easy project for a gift? Here is the next step, with a little help, and a quick fun class for you! You will make a choice of one pattern from the selection of 5-yard quilt patterns at the right. Each will make up into a large throw size quilt. It is perfect as a graduation gift, a gift for the guys on your list, your mother-in-law or your favorite cousin! It s a great idea to use some of the new flannels, Christmas prints, or something for the kids. Come and join the fun! Saturdays, March 25, 2017 and April 8, 2017, 2:00-4:00 Cost: $

3 January Happenings UFO Sew Day at TSQ Do you have unfinished projects at home that you started in a class here? Maybe one of the following BOM s - Storytellers, Holloweenies, Asteria, Christmas Wool BOM? How about other UnFinished Objects that you ve been meaning to get around to working on. Pick out two or three UFO s and join us for some sewing fun, show and tell, and a prize or two. Wednesday, January 11, 2017, 10:00-7:00 Cost: Free (Please Call to Reserve your Space) Ryan s Case for Smiles Ryan s Case for Smiles is one of the few volunteer organizations dedicated to Help Kids Feel Better to Heal Better. Please come and join us to find that joy by donating just a little bit of time to sew a few pillowcases for kids in the hospital!! Bring your sewing machine and sewing supplies; we will have pillowcase kits here for you to sew into pillowcases. Thursday, January 1, 2017, 10:00 5:00 Cost: Free (Please call to reserve your space) All Hearts Wall Hanging w/chris W Tools & Techniques of the Month (T&T): Hex n More Ruler Demonstration w/pam S Explore the Hex N More Rulers by Jaybird Quilts. Create 4 shapes (Hexagons, 60 degree Triangles, Half Hexagons and Jewels) in 4 sizes All shapes piece together for a variety of patterns. The Hex N More Rulers and Sidekick Rulers combine together for even more variety. Watch the demonstration and try it yourself. Receive a $5.00 gift card for attending the demonstration. Wednesday, January 18, :00 2:00 Or Sunday, January 22, 2017, 1:00 2:00 Cost: $5.00 Sweetheart Table Topper w/pam S We will create hearts with the Hex N More Ruler (NO Y- seams!). Choose fabrics for Valentines or use a few scrapes in your favorite colors. This is a quick fun project which makes a 20 x 23 table topper! Pattern included with class. Wednesday, January 25, 2017, 1:00 3:00 Cost: $20.00 How about an All Hearts project to expand your quilting techniques and give you something pretty to hang for Valentine s Day or any day? Come and learn some simple techniques for appliqueing hearts: needle-turn, machine stitched fusible and pressed edge. Practice your skills and see what freedom applique can bring to your creativity! Sunday, January 2, 2017, 11:00-3:00 Cost: $40.00 TSQ Quilters Donate to Operation Care Package During 2016 the quilters and sewers from Top Shelf Quilts have contributed the following to Operation Care Package: Ryan s Case for Smiles Pillowcases As of last count, TSQ quilters and sewers have completed 26 pillowcases for Ryan s Case for Smiles. These pillowcases will be distributed to Advocate Children s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House in Oak Lawn. 1,027 Christmas Stockings 560 Shower Bags 685 Gift Bags 41 Neck Coolers Thank you to all who helped both here at the store and/ by making items at home and dropping them off and to Pam Swyndro for coordinating everything. 3

4 February Happenings Quilting: A Simple Sampler w/chris W Always wanted to learn to quilt? How about starting with a simple or 12 block sampler? Come and learn the basics of machine piecing, quilting lingo, and basic machine quilting to make a wall quilt or quilted throwsize patchwork sampler. Lots of basic information will be discussed in class and you will have homework! Be sure your sewing machine is in good working order. Come and join the fun. After this 5 session workshop you will have a finished quilt, as well as the skills to complete any patchwork quilt you have been dreaming about making! Saturdays, February 4, 18, March 4, 25, and April 8, 2017, 10:00-1:00 Cost: $ Disappearing Pinwheel Quilt w/gloria H Who s ready to learn a new trick? We are offering a Missouri Star class called the Disappearing Pinwheel This technique is so much fun and has many different outcomes. It all depends on how you place your squares back together. The sky is the limit with this block. We will teach you a unique way to make a large pinwheel, then we will cut it up and move the squares around until we find the block that you want to complete. It is loads of fun and goes together quickly. Thursday, February, 2017, 1:00-4:00 Tools & Techniques of the Month (T&T): Stripology Ruler/Turbo 4-Patch Template Demonstration w/ Pam S Explore 2 new Creative Grid Rulers! Stripology Squared has all the features of the original Stripology ruler - PLUS easy-to-read markings for 1 & 2 cuts No Math required! It makes squaring up and fussy cuts a breeze! The smaller size is easier to manipulate and more portable. The demonstration will also include the Turbo 4-Patch Template. Create 4-patch blocks in 16 sizes. The blocks are trimmed after cutting, sewing and pressing, any distortion is corrected and each 4-patch is perfect! This ruler is a super stash buster. It works well with 2 ½ strips and 5 charm squares. Watch the demonstration and try it yourself. Receive a $5.00 gift card for attending the demonstration. Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 1:00 2:00 OR Sunday, February 1, 2017, 1:00 2:00 Reverse Applique w/sharon R Learn an easy way to applique with batiks by just laying the applique fabric on top of the background fabric and cutting away the parts of the applique exposing the background. There are no templates and no small pieces. We will then either machine stitch, raw edge or hand applique the applique to the background. Wednesdays, February 8 and 22, 2017, 6:00-8:00 Cost: $40.00 Lotus Quilt w/barb H This is another JayBird pattern that features the Hex N More ruler (or the template included with the pattern). You will be able to create a beautiful Hexagon block with depth and detail using just one shape. This beautiful quilt contains only one block, but can easily be made in four different sizes. Sunday, February 12, 2017, 12:00-3:00 Operation Care Package (OCP): Shower/ Gift Bags/Christmas Stockings w/pam S Join Top Shelf Quilts in helping Operation Care Package by sewing draw string Shower and Gift Bags and Christmas Stockings for our troops. Operation Care Package will then fill them with personal care items which will be shipped to our deployed troops. Complete kits are ready for you at the shop. Kits will include instructions and materials to make two bags or stockings. Kits can be completed on your own OR you are invited to a Shower & Gift Bag/Stocking Sew Day at TSQ. Bring your machine and sewing tools, stay a couple of hours or stay all day. We will have kits, mats and irons, etc. for your use those days. We will be serving snacks, lunch and Chocolate! Join us as we have fun together and say Thank You to all those serving our country. Thursday, February 16, 2017, 10:00-5:00 OR Thursday, March 16, 2017, 10:00-5:00 Cost: Free (Please call to reserve your space). Cost: $5.00 4

5 March Happenings Spring Fling Pillow Top or Table Topper w/pam S Create these 24 x 24 floating 4-patch blocks with the Stripology Ruler & Turbo 4-patch Template to add a burst of Spring to your home or use scraps in your favorite colors. This is a yardage, charm pack or jelly roll friendly pattern. Pattern included with class. Wednesday, March 1, 2017, 1:00-3:00 Cost: $20.00 Rock Candy Table Runner w/barb H How about a nice table runner for the spring months - the time after Christmas before Easter. It s called Rock Candy but it looks like six spring flowers. The runner comes from the book, Trendy Table Runners and is very easy to make. Wednesday, March 8, 2017, 10:30-1:30 Operation Care Package (Thursday, March 16, 2017, See Page 4) Your Choice 5-Yard Quilt (Saturdays, March 25 & April 8, 2017, See Page 2) Sprinkles Quilt w/pam S This 37 x 44 quilt is created with 2 ½ strips and the Sidekick or Super Sidekick Ruler (or 6 x 6 piece of template plastic). It is a terrific pattern for small baby prints or for those charming 30 s prints we all love. Make the whole quilt or a few blocks for a pillow, table topper or wall hanging. Sunday, March 26, 2017, 1:00 4:00 Paper Pieced Feathered Star Wall Quilt w/joanne Smith Have you always wanted to make a Feather Star but afraid to tackle it? This Medallion Style Feathered Star wall hanging will showcase your precision piecing with paper piecing. You can add the flying geese border that is sure to impress. This is a Little Bits pattern which is one of the better patterns for paper piecing for beginners. Wednesdays, March 1 and March 22, 2017, 6:00-8:00 Cost: $40.00 Stargazing Quilt w/barb H This is Cozy Quilt Designs latest pattern for strip clubbing or using 2 1/2 strips of fabric. It features one simple quilt block that comes together beautifully. This design is out of this world. The pattern can make any size from a table runner to a king size quilt. You may use jelly rolls, jelly Bali poppies, candies, etc. or cut 2 1/2 strips from fabric. Wednesday, March 15, 2017, 10:30-1:00 Tools & Techniques of the Month (T&T): Sidekick/Super Sidekick Ruler Demonstration w/ Pam S The sidekick rulers create 3 shapes (Diamonds, Triangles and Half-Triangles) in 8 sizes from strips. There is no waste from cut to cut. All Sidekick and Hex N More rulers work together. Watch the demonstration and try it yourself. Receive a $5.00 gift card for attending the demonstration. Sunday, March 1, 2017, 1:00 2:00 OR Wednesday, March 22, 2017, 1:00 2:00 Cost: $5.00 5

6 January 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 New Year s Day Sale 12:00-4: New Hours: 10:00-7:00 5 New Hours: 10:00-5: Sunday Sew 11:00-5: UFO Sew Day 10:00-7: Asteria BOM Saturday Sew 10:00-4:00 15 Scrap Bag Challenge Blocks Begins T&T: Hex n More Ruler 1 Ryan s Case for Smiles 10:00-5:00 20 Friday Madness 4:00-10:30 21 Midnight Clear BOM 22 T&T: Hex n More Ruler Sweetheart Table Topper 1:00-3: All Hearts Wall Hanging 11:00-3:

7 February 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Quilting #1 5 Sunday Sew 11:00-5: Reverse Applique (#1) 6:00-8:00 Disappearing Pinwheel Quilt 1:00-4: Asteria BOM Saturday Sew 10:00-4:00 12 Lotus Quilt 12:00-3:00 1 T&T: Stripology Ruler/4 Patch Template Last Day to Turn in Scrap Bag Challenge Blocks T&T: Stripology Ruler/4 Patch Template 22 Reverse Applique (#2) 6:00-8:00 16 Operation Care Package (OCP) Shower/Gift Bags/Christmas Stockings 10::00-5:00 23 Anniversary Sale Voting Begins for Best Challenge Block 17 Friday Madness 4:00-10:30 24 Anniversary Sale 18 Midnight Clear BOM Quilting #2 25 Anniversary Sale 26 Anniversary Sale Last Day for Block Challenge Voting 7

8 March 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 String Fling Pillow Topper/ Table Topper 1:00-3:00 Paper Pieced Feathered Star Wall Quilt 6:00-8: Quilting #3 5 Sunday Sew 11:00-5: Rock Candy Table Runner 10:30-1:30 10 Retreat 11 Asteria BOM Retreat 12 Retreat Stargazing Quilt 10:30-1:00 16 Operation Care Package (OCP) Shower/Gift Bags/Christmas Stockings 10:00-5: Midnight Clear BOM Saturday Sew 10:00-4:00 1 T&T: Sidekick/ Super Sidekick Rulers T&T: Sidekick/ Super Sidekick Rulers Paper Pieced Feathered Star Wall Quilt 6:00-8: Friday Madness 4:00-10:30 25 Quilting #4 Your Choice 5- Yard Quilt 2:00-4:00 26 Sprinkles Quilt 1:00-4: April 8 Quilting #5 Your Choice 5- Yard Quilt 2:00-4:00 8

9 Sew Together Dates Sunday Sew, Saturday Sew, and Friday Madness will cost participants $5.00. Call ahead to reserve your space. (There is a door prize and all purchases are 15% off.) Sunday Sew (11:00-5:00) - January 8th, February 5th, March 5th Saturday Sew (10:00-4:00) - January 14th, February 11th, March 18th Friday Madness (4:00 10:30) - January 20th, February 17th, March 24th Every Tuesday (10:00 5:00) No fees, discounts, food or prizes provided just the fun of sewing and socializing together. Everyone welcome! Scrap Bag Challenge Block Show off your talents participate in creating a charity quilt explore your creativity! Top Shelf Quilts is having a scrap bag block challenge, made with our scraps, to be then pieced into a quilt by our staff which will be raffled off to a lucky winner with the proceeds going to Children s Heart Foundation. Here s How it Will Work: Purchase a $3 scrap bag from Top Shelf Quilts beginning January 15th. Make a ½ inch (unfinished) block. You can use your favorite patchwork pattern, appliqué - or create your own design. You can supplement with a little or a lot of your own stash, if desired. When you bring in your completed block, it will entitle you to one ticket for a chance to win the completed quilt. Completed blocks will be displayed and prizes will be given for the People s Choice(s) Voting for People s Choice(s) will begin February 23rd and go until February 26th. Additional raffle tickets will be sold once the quilt is completed by the TSQ staff. Support a worthy cause and join the fun at Top Shelf Quilts. Block of the Month Dates Asteria January 14th, February 11th, March 11th, :00-10:00 Midnight Clear January 21st, February 18th, March 18th, Other Important Dates New Year s Day Sale January 1, 2017, 12:00-4:00 Watch for More Information UFO Sew Day January 11, 2017, 10:00-7:00 Scrap Bag Challenge Block January 15th - Begin Purchasing Scrap Bags February 1th - Blocks Due February 23rd - 26th - Voting for Peoples Choice(s) Blocks Ryan s Case for Smiles Pillowcases January 1, 2017, 10:00-5:00 Operation Care Package Sew Days February 16, 2017, 10:00-5:00 March 16, 2017, 10:00-5:00 Anniversary Sale February 23, 24, 25, 26, 2017 Watch for More Information TSQ Spring Retreat March 10, 11, 12, 2017 To Our Customers Taking Classes Classes with less than three participants may have to be canceled. It is also imperative that you have: a sewing machine in good working order, a 1/4 foot for your machine or very accurate marking for the 1/4, a good working knowledge of how your machine operates and a copy of your machine s manual, if possible.