Amy's Memories



714 Main Street, Nov 1997

Amy's memories of opening Quilting Bits & Pieces–

Dave the UPS man

The best memory I have of opening a quilt store was that every night after I came home from work and after supper, Christy and I would head down to quilt store.  There we would open the boxes that Dave the UPS man had brought that day.   Those were the days when we hand wrote an inventory number and price on top of the bolts which would fade off.  That was before we got fancy and got the pricing gun that was originally fun to use.  We would turn on KUDL and listen to “Deliah” and I know you will find it hard to believe – but there was singing and silliness going on.  Christy’s husband, Bill, built the cabinets for us and we debated the exact construction of them.  We looked through every Quilt Sampler magazines saved over four or five years to see what other people were doing and tried to remember what we liked about all of those quilt stores Christy mentioned in her memories that I took her to.  We decided we had to have the little cubby holes for fat quarters and I think that was one of our better decisions to this date.  Although I don’t think cutting fat quarters is anyone’s favorite job.




1st day open
November 1, 1997

The quilt store has literally changed my life and has brought many godly women into my life for me to learn from.  We decided our business cards would have Bible verses on the back and we debated those special verses also.  We wanted to be a witness for Christ while we did something we loved.  I started going to the Baldwin quilt guild and this lady there asked if I ever went on blind dates because she knew this nice young farmer.  I said yes because that is usually the easiest way to never hear about it again.  Turns out the lady was his Aunt Mary.  She had come into the quilt store with her sister from Texas and the young farmer’s mother to check me out – was I friendly, have a nice quilt store, etc.   I must have passed the mother and two aunts test as the nice young farmer called me and we started dating in September 1998.   I was teaching a Conway Album class at the time to about 10 to 15 woman and they wanted to know all about how the dating was going every class and gave me advice.  Many of those same women attended the wedding also – and some the baby shower 21 months later.



Amy's baby shower
 October 2001

I love the quilt store and that it brought my husband and consequently my children into my life.  It was great getting to do something I loved with my sister.  Unfortunately, I also needed to return to the real work world with paid benefits – such as health insurance, so I went back to the world of banking and left the everyday running of the store to my sister and some wonderful partners that God brought into our lives (that Baldwin quilt guild is responsible for meeting Eula and me telling Christy that there was this amazing lady that we needed to come teach at the quilt store and the rest is history).  They occasionally let me crash trips to quilt market, do a block of the month quilt, and always find room for me at late night or quilt camp when I make it at the last minute (along with my daughter Katie).  I remember wanting to drop out of college at the end of my freshman year and going back to talk to a teacher from high school.  She convinced me to stay in school and just transfer into accounting at KU.  It wasn’t my burning desire to be an accountant, but God knows his plans for you.  I took the job in Minnesota being a bank examiner because it was where Christy lived and sounded fun.  All I really wanted was to get married, have kids, and stay at home with my kids.  I couldn’t figure out why it was taking God so long to bring that special man into my life.  However, he was still building the life skills in me that I would need to open a quilt store and then be able to work at home in a challenging, fulfilling career while taking care of my kids.  I don’t get to be in the quilt store every day, but I get to visit frequently and enjoy the life God made for me with my husband and children, Jacob and Katie. 

Amy Deay

Christina's Comments

While growing up, I never dreamed of owning a quilt shop or even quilting.  I was a tomboy and never cooked or sewed until after I was married.  I did have sisters who liked to do these “domestic things”.  I met my husband while attending the University of Kansas and got married after my sophomore year.   My sister Amy made us a double wedding ring quilt for our wedding, however, I was too busy to appreciate the work she was putting into it.  She decided she liked it a lot more than I did (which was correct), so she purchased a very nice bedspread for us for a wedding gift and kept the quilt for herself.    

Christina  and kids in 1997
Back row, niece Megan & Brianne
Front row, Mark, Christina & Timothy

    After my husband graduated, we moved to Minnesota where we ending up living for sixteen years.  While living there, I took some quilting classes from the local community education program and fell in love with quilting.  Amy would visit (and even lived with us for a couple of years) and we would go visit quilt shops.  She moved back to Kansas after a few years when she decided it was tooooooo cold for her in Minnesota.  Everytime I came home to visit, we immediately went to visit quilt shops and even our vacations turned into quilt shop excursions.  It was always Amy’s dream for us to open a quilt shop and she said multiple times, “When you move back to Kansas, we are going to open a quilt shop”.   Well, the Lord did lead my family back to Kansas to live in August of 1997 and we decided to open our own quilt shop.  Amy quit her full time job and we started talking to sales representatives from various fabric companies to order fabric for our new quilt shop.  We found a vacant building on Main St across from the post office and opened Quilting Bits & Pieces on Nov 1, 1997.  We had several sales reps try to talk us out of opening a quilt shop.  They said Eudora was too small to support one and we would never make it.  Well, I think they were wrong.  The Lord has truly blessed us and we have witnessed many miracles as we watched Him work in our lives and in the lives of many of our customers. 

Christina

P.S.  -  Amy has since made many quilts I love.  A few years ago she gave me a hand appliquéd Hawaiian style pineapple quilt for Christmas.  It is coral colored which is my favorite color and I cherish it. 

 

QB&P at 714 Main Street

Perfect Flying Geese

 

Kathleen works Thursdays 5-7 PM

Just like you, I'm a busy gal. There just isn't enough time in the day to focus on all the fun quilting projects I have in the works.

Just like you, I have tons of projects just floating around in my head, waiting to hit the top of my priority list.

I learned a long time ago that "it's all about having the right tool" to make a tough job easier.

I love traditional, scrappy quilts and could happily spend the rest of my life making reproduction quilts. The only problem is that they are usually made with a lot, and I mean a lot of small pieces that require a great deal of repetitious assembly. For instance, a long time ago I fell in love with a traditional scrappy flying geese quilt. After collecting Thirties fabrics, this quilt made it from daydream status to the production queue.

The patten called for 768 flying geese units 1 ½ " x  3". Pretty small and a lot of them. Plus, I wanted them to go together perfectly so the long strips would be even. This was no small job. 
 

Because I am so busy, just like you, it's important for me to find ways to streamline big jobs into a more efficient process. This is where having the right tool makes a huge difference. For this particular quilt I relied on the "Quilt in a Day Flying Geese Ruler". For a few dollars, it did the trick: I was able to create my 768 units in an assembly line fashion then trim them to perfection.

The flying geese ruler comes with easy to follow instructions but I thought I might include some photos here to show you what it’s all about.  

1. Instructions include two square sizes. The large square is the goose and the smaller square is the sky.

2. I love to use the hera tool to make a faint line rather than a pen or pencil. Stack the two squares on top of each other and draw a diagonal line down the center.



3. Sew 1/4" on either side of the line and then cut the block in half along the diagonal line.   

 

4. Press the seams open to the dark side and then stack them back on top with the bottom left corners lined up – yes, the seams with not be lined up.

  

5. Draw another diagonal line across the seams from corner to corner, sew again on either side of the hera line and do a final diagonal cut.

6. Snip a little cut in the center of the unit just up to the seam line. The center snip allows you to press to the dark on either end of the unit to produce two units.

 7. Here’s is where the flying geese ruler finishes the job. Line up the lines on the flying geese ruler with one side of a single unit and trim across the top and one side of the flying geese.

 8. Flip the ruler and line it up to trim the bottom and second side. Repeat this for the second geese in the first unit, then twice again for the second unit. The finished product is 4 perfect flying geese with only a little bit of waste.

To me, the waste was worth the tradeoff for perfect geese that made a fast stack of flying geese units that assembled beautifully into my strippy quilt .

I worked on these geese as "leaders and enders" (a strategy promoted by Bonnie K. Hunter ) while creating other quilts. From start to finish, it took about 6 months to make all the geese. As my stacks grew, I assembled them in units of 10 and then bundled them into groups of 50 to make for easier counting.  

As quilters, we aren’t supposed to admit our mistakes, but we do it anyways. Remember I said that I love traditional quilts. When I cut out all my squares, it wasn’t until I assembled my first unit that I had reversed my squares. My flying geese were reversed, where the goose was dark on a light sky. Oh, the horror! Go against tradition? Thank you Eula for calming my spirit and reminding me that traditional can have its variation. Besides, there was no turning back. So…deep breath…accept…and move on. Check out my traditional, flying geese quilt named, “Night Flight”.

My next favorite tool..."Triangle Trimmer by Quilt in a Day".


Until then, Happy Quilting,
Kathleen

Batting....

Hi!  This is Eula and though I am at the shop on Wednesdays I spend most of my work time at home quilting for many of you on my Gammill Longarm machine.  I thought I would talk a little today about batting.  Quilting Bits & Pieces carries mainly Quilters Dream products, we have been happy with the selection, quality and service this "Made in the USA" company provides.  They have a wide variety of batting options, let me tell you about a few of my personal favorites.

Dream Orient--This is a blend of cotton, bamboo and silk and has become one of my very favorite battings.  It has a wonderful soft hand and good drape.  But my favorite feature of Dream Orient is the appearance it gives to a machine quilted quilt.  Your quilt remains soft, flat and drapes nicely but the quilting really shows up with this batting, if you plan on fancy quilting this is my choice as the best batt to show it off.  It is a bit more expensive than cotton but for a special prized quilt this is worth considering!

Dream Angel--This a a fire retardant fiber, not a fire retardant coating that can wash away like many sleepwear fabrics have.  When this batt came out several years ago I was excited about the possibility of using it, especially for crib quilts and for those who are wheelchair bound.  I took a piece of it out to the alley behind the store and proceeded to try to set it on fire.  When I held the flame directly to it, it charrred just a bit and EXTINGUISHED the flame.  I was impressed! (and I don't impress easily!)

Dream Blend--70% cotton and 30% polyester.  Now I must tell you I am really a natural fiber fan so in most cases I prefer 100% cotton but I have found that the addition of the poly in this batt makes it very stable.  The good part of that you ask?  If your quilt is going to be hanging or is all on the bias and really needs to be stabilized, this batt is a great choice.

Dream Wool--Soft, strong, gives more of a "puffy" look to your quilt while still using a natural fiber, this batt makes a very warm quilt.  My favorite part of this batt is that though I am allergic to wool (it makes me itch and sneeze)  this is the one brand of wool batting that doesn't require me to take allergy pills followed by a shower when quilting with it!

Dream Cotton--we stock two weights--request and select--heavier weights are available by special order.  These batts have been my standard for years.  The Request weight is thinnest and my recommendation for hand quilting or for a very lightweight quilt.  Select is a bit heavier and I prefer it for machine quilting.  Both weights come in both white and natural.  I recommend using white for white or very light pastel quilts or bright colors, it keeps your colors their sharpest.

I hope these thoughts help you out as you select batting for future quilts.

Eula

Quilt Camp!

On April 29 & 30 we held Quilt Camp at QB&P.  Approximately thirty-five ladies  came with machines in tow to sew for two days!  We just can't resist sharing photos of this great event.  We had so much fun and made lots of progress on our various projects, that we plan to do it again. 

Crusin’ Kansas Bus Trip

On Sat April 16^th QB&P participated in a 5 shop bus trip. Bright and early a group of 29 customers joined bus hostesses Kaye and Barb at the Eudora store where they had a chance to shop at their “home” store before our 8:30 am departure. As the ladies boarded the bus their wallets were already a bit lighter and their shopping bags a bit heavier. Spirits were lively as our passengers looked forward to day of quilt shops, spending time with a special friend or family member and crusin’ across Kansas. So, let’s go!

First stop, a half hour or so away, was Overbrook Quilt Connection in Overbrook, KS. Shop owner, Roxane met us at the bus to welcome us to her shop. Snacks, drinks and demos were provided as well as lots of inspiration and shopping enjoyment! Efficient check out by Roxane and her staff had us loaded and ready for an on-time departure – destination: Severy, KS.

A Saturday drive through the Kansas countryside in early spring is not complete without an estate sale or two. Hostess intervention was required to keep the bus from stopping – after all, it was not on our agenda and we had a schedule to keep! As we drove past the farm we overheard someone say, “Surely we have room on this bus for that kitchen table!”

Quilters are in the know when it comes to the whereabouts of quilt shops so it was no surprise when we heard someone wonder out loud why we weren’t stopping at such and such shop. It is true that we drove right by with a great view out the big bus windows of a shop just longing for us to stop. Ev

en the hostesses wondered for a moment what might be inside …. But a deal is a deal so we stayed on task and saved that shop for another day.

Two hours of crossing gorgeous Kansas spring prairie finally brought us to Severy, KS home of Needle in the Haystack Quilt Shop. Shop owner Cynthia met the bus and let us know lunch would be served soon (deli sandwiches, giant chocolate chip cookies, fruit and chips). We unloaded to find much more than a quilt shop. Inside was a mini antique shop, (the shop owner’s husband is allowed one wall to display his antiques), crafts, baskets, completed quilts for sale plus the usual array of fabrics, patterns and inspiration. Porch benches provided comfy seating for the quick shopper to wait – the sun had broken out, the wind had died down and the day was turning out to be mighty fine in more ways than one.

By the time we departed Needle in the Haystack overhead bins on the bus were beginning to bulge as the serious shoppers settled in to business at hand – Note: this writer is not about to name names!

Bellies were full, new project ideas were swimming in heads and shopping check lists were updated as we pulled out and headed for Newton, KS. The bus was unusually quiet for the first time of the day. Hostesses Kaye and Barb wondered if the fun was running out but then it occurred to us that maybe the gals

were just doing math in their heads to see if they had enough money remaining or if an ATM stop was needed.

Was it a coincidence that the bus seemed to slow a little as we passed another farm sale or were our passengers chatting with the bus driver on the side? Laughter abound as bus driver, Dennis, receives hostess instructions to drive on. There is an agenda, ladies and sorry but this estate sale is not on it!

Curiosity as to how our home shop was fairing prompted text messages and brief phone calls home. Through the quick replies back we learned that the other shop’s buses were arriving, shopping and departing in the same timely fashion we were experiencing. The classroom was converted to a cafeteria where visiting buses were served either lunch or dinner of Cutter’s BBQ on a bun, potato salad, and baked beans with homemade pie for dessert. “Pie? Really? Oh, bye, we’ve gotta go, we are in Newton!”

Charlotte’s Sew Natural in Newton, KS compiled of several interconnected rooms and filled to the brim with goodies presents an environment that might cause us to lose passengers. Owner, Charlotte, and her staff help us with fabric, patterns, kits and a bottle of cold water. The ladies had plenty of time to shop and relax which made for another great stop. As we boarded the bus and asked if everyone had their bus buddy we noticed two empty seats. Darn. Oh wait, there they are! Giggling like school girls, they board last and we head off once again with another on-time departure!

Late in the day the bus cruised through the historic downtown district in Emporia. Quaint shops and restaurants line the street but are meaningless to this crowd! They have eyes for only one store in downtown Emporia! Prairie Pieces Quilt Shop! Owner, Sue, greets the bus and welcomes us with the wonderful news that supper is served. Fried chicken, ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans and chocolate or peanut butter cake with ice cream! Sue’s friendly helpers and delicious meal just seems to sum up the day perfectly for most. We do note that a few shoppers are showing sign of separation anxiety as realization sinks in that this is the final stop and it is nearly over. As we prepare to board the bus the hostesses make one last round through the store – oh dear, there are three ladies just beginning to eat! We are about to instruct them to ask for a to-go box when we realize it is the staff! Opps! They certainly earned their meal so we leave them to their supper! We corral our last few reluctant passengers aboard and have our first delayed departure of the day.

The sun sets behind us as our adventure wanes and we begin our trek home. The bus chatter softens to a low hum, a passenger here or there dozes off. As we near Eudora suddenly the chatter brightens as the passengers realize there IS one more chance to shop – after all their cars are parked at Quilting Bit’s & Pieces, right?

Kaye and Barb would like to thank all of the delightful ladies who joined us for our Cruisin’ Kansas Bus Trip. We had a great day and hope you did too!

Retreats and Lots of Show 'n Tell

We’ve been busy!  First we had a great mini-retreat at Quilting Bits & Pieces. Danetta came bringing two of her quilts that she has finished.  She took the pineapple Littlefoot class some time ago and this is her finished quilt top!  She also brought her finished Sashing Stars top that she started in a class using the Marti Michelle templates.  Way to Go Danetta!

That same week, Ellen stopped in to show us her completed North Country quilt.  Her husband spied this little quilt while we were still assembling it and it went home with them that day.  I think he was pretty happy with Ellen’s quick quilting!  (we still have kits - $35.00)

Last Thursday 16 of us traveled to Cedar Crest Lodge in Pleasanton, Ks for a retreat.  With Laura’s great cooking and Evelyn, Shannon & Karla taking care of all of our needs, we interrupted our sewing only for snacks and meals!

Laura Cunningham of Cedar Crest B&B

Evelyn getting ready to serve lunch

Yummmmmm

 We experienced many “Ta-Da’s” throughout the weekend.  Here are a few :

Myrna, from Colorado Springs finished all three of these quilt tops – she had the prettiest scraps!  

Breezy shows off her quilt top, but guess what, it wasn't in the final state – she finished it up after retreat using the Lil' Twister template and the look at the final result!

Step 1

Step 2 Ta-Da!

Jennifer came all the way from Georgia to sew and she finished two quilt tops!

Jennifer's version of Fire Escape

Jean spent many hours on this little miniature.

Christina shows off her Happy Daze quilt top.

 Kaye finally got the borders on her Over the River quilt

Jeni worked on several Christmas projects

 Daunita’s Park Lane quilt using the Lilly & Will fabric and she machine quilted a train quilt too

Barb probably finished more projects than anyone else.  Here is a mystery quilt she finished putting together. She also learned how to knit so made a bag to hold her knitting projects

Kirsten also came from Colorado Springs for the retreat. This is her finished Colorado Quilt. 

JoAnn made some progress her paper piecing  -- Looks like  she is auditioning for Lion King!

These soft pastel Bali Pops are just Deanna’s preference!

We hardly had any laughter at all with these two sitting together! 



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