It’s that time of year to start thinking about the Matthews Alive Quilt Exhibit.This is an exhibit, quilts are not judged nor juried. Just a place to show off your quilts. Exhibit will be September 4-6, 2010.

Please mail your completed entry form with a photo to:

Megan Shein
4801 Hickory Lake Ln
Matthews, NC 28105

or email to:

sheinmm@gmail.com

Please send your information no later than August 17, 2010.

The Charlotte Quilters’ Guild hosted this year’s Quilt Symposium. Not only were there gorgeous quilts for show, but nationally known teachers were hired to teach. It was held at the Johnson and Wales School in Uptown Charlotte. As it works out each guild gets to host it every 10 years. Next year’s Symposium will be in Raleigh. Leah Day took Best of Show and wow, what a beauty! I’m planning a video interview with very soon!

The quilts were fabulous – from traditional needle turn to paper piecing and fabulous machine quilting. What an art.

Surrounding the quilts were the vendors. We were in tight, tight, tight quarters; the rooms filled with quilters. Did I mention tight quarters?

We debuted our Floral Fling Pattern collection and it was a hit! If you didn’t get a chance to see them, Marc’s going to be posting them on the site for online purchasing. Or stop in at the shop until June 30th.

The Monarch Butterfly was the first to sell out, with the Hydrangea coming in close second. We’ll be busy making more kits this week, and getting ready for the auction.

Speaking of the auction, don’t forget to come out this Saturday, June 12th from 2pm to 5pm to make your bids!

Thanks to all of you who have emailed, called and stopped in with words of encouragement and best wishes. I know many of you are sad, but this is really a great thing for us and you. Let me give you a clear view of what we’ll be bringing you in the future:

• Retreats – We are known for our entertaining, instructional retreats. I will be adding more retreats throughout the year. Wait till you see some of our new locations!

• Shows – We are already committed to be at the Cabarrus Quilt Show in September, Barnful of Quilts in October and the Quilting and Needle Art Extravaganza in Statesville in January. We plan on having kits, kits and more kits along with our beautiful, easy to read patterns. We’ll be looking into attending other shows as well.

• Videos – We’ll continue to bring you instructional videos on basic quilting techniques.

• Workshops – I’ll be scheduling workshops at various locations throughout the year.

• Patterns – I’ll be working hard to bring you new patterns, ideas and more inspiration.

• The Blog & Other Stuff – Oh yes, the blog. I’ll have time for that too … I’ll be a blogging fool! I will keep you updated on my happenings. I’ll also have the time to finish my Quilting 101 book, and start on “The Easy Way to Paper Piecing!”

During Symposium we will be debuting our new line of patterns, Floral Fling! This pattern line consists of 12 beautiful fused appliqué wall quilts. The patterns and kits will be available at the shop and in the vendor area.

In awe this weekend. Kami and I met Leah Day. Her booth was right across from us at the Quilting and Needle Craft expo this weekend. Her piece Release your Light is Spectacular. Her filler designs are wonderful, I can’t wait for you guys to see her work in person. She’s entered two of her pieces in the North Carolina Quilt Symposium.

Getting myself ready for Symposium, I didn’t enter a piece but I will be a vendor. We are releasing the Floral Fling patterns. I’ve ordered lots of batiks and the shop girls are oohing and aahing. What a job, touching fabric all day long, I call this a health benefit.

We will be closing early today, Friday April 30th to set up for the Quilting and Needle Craft Expo in Albermarle. We’ll be open regular hours this weekend. Be sure to come out and visit us at the Expo!

Passports are in, stop in at any participating shop and pick up your passport. Passports are $5 each and include a shop hop pin. All participating shops will be open from 10:00am to 7:00pm. Pick up your passports at participating shops starting on April 2nd.
11 shops, 5 days, a mystery and lots of demos. The first annual Mid Carolina Run Shop Hop will be from Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, 2010.
It is just $5 to participate! Simply pick up a passport at any of the 11 participating shops. Have your passport stamped at each shop you visit. Make sure to leave your passport at the final shop visited. Daily door prizes at each participating shop.
Find the missing Block! It’s a mystery quilt, pick up a block clue from each shop to find the missing 12th block! Don’t forget to get your passport stamped at each shop for a chance to be the grand prize winner of over $1100.

Come out and see us at the 4th Annual Carolina One Stop Shop Hop on Saturday, February 20th.

We’ll be one of 38 vendors participating in next year’s show. The show is on Friday & Saturday, January 29-30, 2010.

A Celebration of Quilting and Fiber Arts. The featured artist this year is Fletcher McNeil. This years’ event will be held Saturday, October 10, 2009 from 10:00am – 5:00pm.