good afternoon! hopefully you have had a chance to enjoy the last of the fall leaves…these windy days are sure doing a number on the trees. i do love the sound of the dried leaves underfoot, as they slide across the street, or land on the windshield.
we have a couple new things…first off…last Thursday Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen’s House arrived. i am loving this new grouping of prints.
About Sense & Sensibility…
“The Sense & Sensibility collection for Riley Blake Designs is great for quilting, apparel and home decor. Starting with Sense & Sensibility, Riley Blake Designs is releasing new prints that correspond with each of Jane Austen’s six novels. Our new and special edition prints were taken directly from the original Jane Austen quilt.”
this bundle contains some rereleases from the At Home collection…and then 14 new prints…each one is a fussycutter’s dream…stripes, geometrics, and flowers. absolutely lovely…
i think the dashwood print is my favorite!
sense & sensibility dashwood
sense & sensibility devonshire
i also love this green…take a look at all the prints here.
good afternoon! thought i would drop with a little Sister Bay…3 Sisters’ newest collection.
Sister Bay is described as follows…
“Life is better on the bay…
The 3 Sisters love spending time by the water, for the beauty of it, and for the moments of serenity and grace it brings them. Inspired by the charm of Sister Bay, Wisconsin, this collection of favorite florals and paisleys is colored in shades of water, clouds, and driftwood. Journal entries record memories of days spent on the water, accompanied by drawings of cottages, sailing ships and wildlife. Wherever you are, share the tranquility of a life well-lived, a life spent by the water…on the bay.”
take a trip to the Bay with these gorgeous prints and the lovely palette of blue, teal, and cream. our precuts haven’t arrived yet…later this week or early next week…but i’ve decided to whip up some color bundles…we have Harbor (navy), Sky (teal), Cloud and Driftwood Tonals, and Cloud and Driftwood Toiles (i realize these aren’t exactly toiles but they remind me of toiles). plus…we got in the 8 coordinating linens…so you can whip up some pillows, bags, re-upholster your favorite chair or foot stool–or set on a shelf and look at it. (which i do a lot of.) Sister Bay bundles can be snagged here. Yardage can be found here.
sister bay bundles
now for a gabby update before i head home. many of you know, gabby tore her right ACL over the summer. it was a minor tear that with therapy and rest healed up just fine. then the sunday before Christmas, we were gone all day and when we got home she was running around outside (like a crazy lady) and when she came in she wouldn’t put any weight on it. mom took her to see dr. Wendy on the following tuesday after zero improvement on monday. it turns out she tore her ACL in her left leg. So…she has now had surgery (January 10th) and came home the next day. recovery will be between 4-6 months depending…lots of walking, relaxing, ice packs, heat compresses, i’m sure you know the drill… she still tries to jump in and out of the car and at 89lbs you can’t just scoop her up. she will be coming to work but only on days that mom and i are both here…(Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday). we hope you have a chance to stop and by and say hi!
first off…my niece has arrived…Pennelope Quinn was born on October 5th at 1:49pm weighing 7lbs and was 19 inches long.
Pennelope Quinn
now for some different bundles…
Market Fresh Figs…I’ve tracked down any and all previous Fig Tree collections…think pre-Figs & Shirtings…so lots of out-of-print and hard-to-find prints from Scarlet & Sage, Hazel & Plum, Tapestry, Aloha Girl, California Girl, Chantilly, and Somerset to name a few. the perfect bundle for stashbuilding.
we hope you had a wonderful weekend…it rained here…FINALLY, it was the perfect father’s day present for dad. it was also gabby’s birthday…she turned 2! as you can tell…she had a long day…playing in the rain, going for a car ride, then more playing.
gabby-goo turned 2!
now…on to fabric goodness… Kitty Corn as arrived and it is one of the cutest collections! the colors are lovely…definitely more our palette…black, soft almost lavender, peachy-coral, soft yellow, and soft teal. A retro yet updated Halloween vibe…complete with an adorable Kitty (which we’ve named after our barn kitty, Salem). Mom is cutting up the Moda boxed kit right this minute and then will set to work on the 9-patches…i am so excited to see this project come together.
kitty corn
Kitty Corn was designed by Urban Chiks who is the designer behind, Swell and Sweet and Deer Christmas…i am so glad she has branched out into Halloween…it was a welcomed change! I love seeing her updated retro vibe for the holidays!
you can grab some Kitty Corn here. we have the full collection in yardage along with ALL the precuts.
arriving later this week…The Deco Dance collection of Liberty Quilting Cottons (soft and sweet pastels…i can hardly wait) and the remainder of our Sweet Beginnings collection.
Quilt Minnesota 2021 has also arrived in store and we are sorting our projects and getting ready to dive in. be sure to pop in and get your order cut and paid for so during the hop you can just grab and go!
good evening! i’m sure you are very tired of hearing about all the news-stuff…
well…i have some good news! we are working from home…we’ve set up a desk in the sewing room…right next to a window that’s been open all day long. i get a little fresh air, the sound of the wind chimes, and even a little pandora streaming nature sounds.
i whipped up a new bundle today. i have been meaning to put together bundles of the Passport collection from 3 Sisters and today sounded like the best time to do that.
This bundle features 6 Passport prints from 3 Sisters’ Passport collection. Featuring sailboats, blueprints, and world maps…this collection speaks to the traveler in all of us. Especially now, when travelling has been put on the back burner…what better way to travel to distant lands while staying in your own home.
Passport bundle…featuring 6–half yards
we are currently working on some quilts at home since time at the shop is spent packaging up order, machine quilting, and cutting bundles and kits to bring home to fold and tie.
we’ve added some of the Passport prints to our Memoirs prints and are working on a new smaller version of Lace (pattern is from about 10 years ago.)Â i’ll be laying that out sometime tonight…it is so elegant and classic…almost a rich cottage feel.
look at how well they blend together…love how the Passport prints bring a little more movement to our Memoirs project. once that gets finished it’ll be added to the machine quilting pile.
your can grab a memoirs bundle here. passport bundle here. shop our online shop here.
a few thing you need to know…
* the storefront will be closed until further notice (at least through Easter as of right now)…
*we will still be shipping regularly…possibly not everyday, but at least every other day.
*if you would like to drop of a quilt to be machine quilted…it would be best if you email us sweetwatercottonshoppe(@)yahoo(.)com or text or call me (april) at 320.241.8336 and we can set up a time for you to drop it off. you can always call the shop and leave a message and i will try and remember to check it on days we will be in the shop.
*curbside pick up…send us an order via our email sweetwatercottonshoppe(@)yahoo(.)com and i’ll send you a paypal invoice. once it has been paid i will pull and package up your order, and we can set up a time for you to pick it up.
*stay home…please…stay home…wash your hands…grab an extra frozen pizza, or box of cereal or bag of marshmallows to stave off going to the store for a day.
it looks like this is that snowstorm we’ve all been waiting for to get some of the projects finished up.
i’ll try and keep you updated with pictures of the shop as new goodies come in…Tilda’s Bon Voyage is in the warehouse and should be shipping out on Thursday…i’m looking for a little Tilda pick-me-up!
Mom is working diligently on our Bella Blossoms featuring Old Rose and we have our new project strippy quilt ready to layout featuring Happy Camper…(hint: this strippy project will be a super-quick project…and probably called something like “Staying Home” or “Happy at Home”…something like that…but more on that later.)
also…i’m sure you’ve heard this at least once in the last hour, but i want you to know that we are in this together even though we are apart. what is happening is affecting everyone, everywhere and honestly is a little scary. however, we have our fabric therapy, our cotton candy to help us get through this. we have new projects, old projects, favorite projects, family time, messy closets, puppies and kittens and old dogs, true crime binges, and recipes that can fill the time.
speaking of recipes…i have an orange creamsicle cake in the oven and 15 minutes before Columbo starts to get settled in for the evening.
happy healthy stitching!
—april&mickey&gabby
ps…we have BritBox and Acorn and i LOVE the murder mystery shows…The Coroner, Miss Fisher’s, Vera, Shakespeare & Hathaway, Midsomer Murders, Father Brown, Murdoch Mysteries, and Detective Linley, Broadchurch, and Agatha Raisin (to name a few) plus anything True Crime. looking forward to a couple weeks of at-home working to binge a few (or all!)
mom and i would like to wish you a merry christmas, a happy new year, and a 2020 filled with stitching, laughter, friendship, pretty fabric, conversation, and at least one finished project.
we have big plans for 2020…lots of quilt shows, a couple shop hops, lots of new fabrics and bundles and precuts, a list of great new projects we want to get started on…spring (new year’s) cleaning, rearranging, adding in some Yarn, and lots of other great new things!
after a year full of ups and downs…
Kandii passed away in May…Milissa and Nick (my cousin) married just a couple weeks before Braxton arrived in June…Mom and Dad were in a fender bender in Yellowstone which resulted in Mom and I taking a trip out in July to pick up the car…Gabby picked Mom in August
Dad getting back to work after the accident and getting back in the swing of things.
Kittens coming and going…
Max and Brutus getting sick right at the end of the year…with Max having to hit up the vet yesterday…THANK GOD we started 2020 with a win…just old dog stuff which can be taken care of with a little Prednisone. He is on the mend. Brutus doesn’t let much faze him…he was back at it within a couple days.
Then Mel and Ty had a gas leak on New Year’s Eve Eve so they spent the night.
New Year’s Eve was spent at home…watching Netflix…excited for a new year to start.
our Inventory Reduction sale runs through midnight tonight…so if there is anything you’d like…be sure to pop over to the website and check it out.
sale includes brand new yarn, brand new fabric, books, yardage, precuts, notions, thread, and kits. there are some exclusions…
today at a few minutes before 5:30 it will be the one year anniversary of the accident that caused the amputation of dad’s right leg…above the knee. many of you have asked while in the shop or in our booth, commented, or direct messaged us asking for an update as he gets back to work.
first off…we wish to thank you…every single one of you for your support over that last year. it has been tremendous and no words could ever sum up our appreciation.
it has been a year that has seen definite ups and downs.
i promise i will keep this as clear cut as possible.
November 2, 2018 … a little before 5:30pm the accident …you can read about the accident here. Also on November 2nd, Melany decided to quit her job at about 5pm and the Capital Quiltfest in Bismark, ND which was our final show of 2018, started about 5.
(Melany had told everyone about 2 weeks before the accident that her and ty were going to have a baby)
Needless to say…Mom drove back that Friday…i stayed behind and worked the show…(honestly the longest evening of my entire life…) then lots and lots of phone calls and feeling helpless, but knowing that dad would want me to stay out in Bismark…cause you gotta make hay when the sun shines.
–it got around the quilt show that weekend and everyone was so wonderful and helpful
November 2nd-14th…Melany and Tyler (her boyfriend) went to the hospital every day while Mom did paperwork, insurance, etc. Tina worked and went to the hospital when she could. everyday after work…i would go home, mom would be there watering calves and feeding dogs. then we’d go back to the hospital until abut 10.
November 14th…dad came home from the rehab facility
We had Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year’s.
We played a lot of 500.
Dad got his leg the last week of December.
2019
We played more 500.
Jan-May 1st Dad bagged papers, retro-fit the tractor with steps, worked the skid loader, moved/fed/watered the calves, ground feed, and did his PT.
May 2nd Dad went back to work
May 6th…Kandii, our 14 year old chocolate lab (Brutus and Max’s mom) passed away at home.
June 16th…Braxton Xavier was born. First grandchild and first great-grandchild on dad’s side which has 10 granddaughters and now 1 great-grandson)
June…Mom and Dad took a road trip out to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Badlands National Parks. They were in an accident…which left them stranded overnight. They rented a car and drove back.
June…after they got back Dad was fitted for a new socket and started back driving semi.
Mid-July…mom and i take a week and drive out to drop off the rental car and pick up her car. i had never been to yellowstone, grand tetons, or the badlands…breathtaking…the badlands were magnificent. as always though…i really like coming home.
August 8th…mom had been thinking about getting a puppy and dad had come across a listing online for yellow lab puppies by farming. mom wanted a little girl. so she stops out there after work on the 8th. while talking to the dog parents, the husband thought mom looked familiar and asked what her name was…she told him. he proceeds to tell mom that he was one of the paramedics that was out last fall that helped disconnect the PTO. gabby came home with mom this evening.
October 6th…Dad climbs over a fence…i’ll post this to instagram. (Dad has also climbed a ladder which they said he would not be able to do…he had to check the feeder)
november 2, 2019…if you are reading this about 5:30 we are heading to st. cloud. this time, we won’t be going to the hospital but to dinner. 3 generations…Dad, Mom, Tina, Melany, Tyler, Braxton, and I will be celebrating…making November 2nd a happy day. unlike last year…i’m sure this november 2nd will slip by so much faster.
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and cuz if you are a quilter…i’m sure you’d like a quilty picture…am i right?
Sweet Christmas…frosty welcomes you. (frosty kits are available on the website)
we getting ready for our Hometown Holiday Road Trip that will be starting this Thursday…November 7-9. we’ll be getting out the trees…Christmas is coming to Sweetwater…and this year we are bringing it!!! New projects, fabrics, food shelf donation for a fat quarter, a complementary project sheet with kits available.
good afternoon! morning thunderstorms and a muggy afternoon…we’ve been inside cutting and bundling and reorganizing after our last 2 shows, pulling out pastel pumpkins, pulling out the autumn music and trying to get all the autumn feels. a couple of collections have arrived with more on the way.
Today we have Wonder by katie & birdie paper co…the brown really adds a lot and the combination is scrumptious when paired with some white pumpkins…or spring for an heirloom pumpkin to really complete the autumn pastel look.
Wonder features the prettiest mixture of oatmeal, bubblegum, linen, and breeze with a soft white background. We have cherry-picked our 2 favorite prints…the all-over small leaf and the sort-of dot and mixed them with the coordinating Bella Solids. Packs of 10 prints are available…both fat quarters and half yards along with yardage…check out the wonder collection here.
wonder by Katie & Birdie Paper Co.
And…My Redwork Garden…i don’t think there is a shirting print i don’t like. i fell in love with these delightful red-on-cream shirtings when i spied them in the moda book and i knew we needed a few to add to our civil war collection. these are so versatile though they would work with almost any bunny hill collection…or mix in with Christmas prints, French General, 3 Sisters, or your low volume collection. i’m thinking it’s about time i put together a couple more low volume bundles…for sure a Low Volume Christmas.
My Redwork Garden is a collection of red, white, and cream designed by Bunny Hill for Moda. I chose just 4 prints to add to the shop. 4 shirting prints…red on cream. i’ve packaged them up into Pantry Packs: Red Velvet Blondies. We have the pantry packs along with yardage available here.
Red Velvet Blondies…pantry pack of 4—1/2 yards
oh…and a picture of gabby goo who can now get on the furniture all by herself…this is her on the daybed in the living room.
Lastly…we have a new employee…i’d like to introduce Gabby…she is 7 weeks and a very light yellow lab. She’ll be at the shop with Mom and I …so it has been tons of fun keeping her entertained and she’s been meeting lots of hoppers and taking LOTS of naps! She does a lot of sleeping on the job!
i’d better get back to the Golden Girls and little Molly.
sweetwater cotton shoppe 