Hello to all of you,

After being out of my home state for 6 + months I am back in Montana for the spring and summer.
I have many winners to annouce as I packed the slips from Road to CA and couldn't find them until I unpacked here in MT.
So I look at it as a Spring Surprise!! We will contact all the winners via their email addresses.
Hope all you winners enjoy the kits, and the rest of you make sure you always sign-up at our Booth at the shows.

We have lots of fun things to share, I attended a 3 day "Retreat" in St. George, UT put on by Superior Threads. It was the School of Threadology, I now have a Ph.D in Threadology! I learned so much and now will be able to share that with all of you. I also will be adding it to my presentations, the high points that everyone would be interested in.
     

We will be writing 3 new patterns this summer and they will be ready in the fall if not before! You will be happy to hear that 2 of them aren't quilts! Didn't think I would step out of my quilt patterns but the requests were too great, so here it comes.

Thank you to all of you for your purchases and interest in our company.
I love my job and am blessed by meeting so many of you. All the kind words are music to my heart.
Thank you
Lisa

Winners:
Road to California
Grace Rogers--Tablerunner
Pat Burgess--Table Topper
Mary Dettmers--Dress Scarf

Glendale Quilt Show
Becca Gore--Dresser Scarf
Kim Crawford--Dresser Scarf
Elizabeth Moherman--Dresser Scarf

Chicago Quilt Festival
Barb Murphy--Dresser  Scarf
Laura Chiomiento--Dresser Scarf
Linda Ray---Dresser Scarf

Here are the winners for the drawings at International Quilt Festival...
We have contacted them through their email addresses.

Letha Baze
Magdalena Van Hook    
Carol Watson

Thank you all for signing up  and we will have a newletter out soon.

I am sending a warm and happy thank you to all of you for visiting our booth in Houston at the International Quilt Festival.
We had a very successful and fun filled time there. For the 57 of you that participated in the Make It and Take It right there in our booth I thank you for helping do MY JOB! You all do such a great job behind the demo table!

The new pattern "A Simple Point"  has been a home run for that quick gift-giving project. Its never too late to whip up one of those great looking simple dresser scarfs or wall hangings.

I am just finishing up a Full/ Double size quilt and I did have some of the pieces fall off the grid before I got them all sewn. So a quick tip.... iron over the entire quilt top once all the fabric is on the grid without the applique pressing sheet and light steam. Also if you flip the quilt  top over and iron once from the backside of the Pellon can really help. Just remember to turn down the iron so you don't melt the Pellon, but don't use the applique pressing sheet. You will get the heat directed through the glue on the backside, not having to go through the fabric piece.

We have had a wonderful response to the PBS show "America Sews with Sue Hausmann" showing the "Memories to a T" T-shirt quilt. She told me that there was a great need for it and now I believe her!!
Episode 2902. Set your DVR!!

Watch the class schedule and presentations as I will be showing up in places I haven't been before...
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
Lisa

We had a great time returning to Long Beach this summer.  Thank you to everyone who stopped by the booth.  We would like to congratulate our winners from the email newsletter sign-up.
Linda Kramer has won a Table Topper Kit, Julie Hahn has won a Table Runner Kit, and Dorothy ? has won a Dresser Scarf Kit.
The winners have been notified by email.  We hope to hear from you soon!

It has been a wild and crazy summer.  I have been everywhere from Denver to Long Beach and many places in between.  Driving through Death Valley is not something I would recommend.  Especially when you are alone and it is 114 degrees.  It seemed like everywhere we went it was HOT, HOT, HOT!

While I have been touring the country so has my TV debut.  Last winter I taped an episode of America Sews with Sue Hausemann. This summer it has started to air, so check your local listing.  Look for Series 2800, episode 2812.
I had such a good time that I have already taped a second show.  Look for Series 2900 to air this fall.

This summer we decided to try Make It and Take It right in our booth.  We had a great time helping over 75 women and children experience success in less than an hour.  If you have been to our booth in the past you know that Lisa has always done the demos, but now you can see a new face.  As students work on their project they give the demo.  They do a wonderful job of explaining the technique.  It is very enjoyable for us to see the excitement they show.  Thank you to everyone who has participated.  As you can see from the smiles, everyone leaves happy! 

    

My fall schedule starts in Bozeman, MT and takes me to Texas, Arizona, and California.  Be sure to check out the schedule posted on the website.  If you belong to any quilting group or quilt guild I am always looking for an excited group of women to give my presentation to or hold a workshop with. If this fits you and your quilting friends call to discuss my schedule and yours. 

I will again be spending the winter in Arizona. In the past I have enjoyed the response from the quilt groups at retirement / RV parks.  I am looking forward to working with these quilters again.  Feel free to call and see if your group's schedule works with mine.

I hope everyone enjoys the last days of summer.  I look forward to seeing everyone at a quilt show soon!
~Lisa

Paducah
May started off with a trip to Paducah, for the annual American's Quilter's Society Quilt Show and Contest. It was beautiful once again with the dogwoods blooming and summer surely on its way. See my "Dogwood" kits that were inspired by the amazing beauty of Kentucky's state flower (tree).

We,myself,Marge and Mary as always had loads of fun in the booth. Marge and Mary working the sales floor and my demos inspiring new Crooked Nickel fans.

We introduced two new patterns in Paducah, "A Simple Point" an adorable dresser scarf that only takes one hour to complete and "Points of Interest", a bed scarf and pillows that is perfect for warm climates where a full bed quilt isn't necessary.

The kits we put together for "A Simple Point" were a smash, we had 17 different kits available!

All those who visited the booth could enter a drawing for three different kits. I am pleased to announce the winners from Paducah are:

"A Simple Point" dresser scarf: Janet Burns

"A Few Pointers" octagon table topper: Rowena Hillock

"Point Setta" table runner: Sandy Moutray
We will contact you through the email address you signed in the drawing with.

Pittsburgh
Then it was off to Pittsburgh for International Quilt Market. It was a beautiful week and fun to show off my things to the East Coast shop owners. The food was outstanding on the Strip District and Teresa and I  had lots of fun. I picked out some great fabrics from Benartex, Blank Quilting and Michael Miller for upcoming kits. Pellon® had a booth at Market introducing their new brand name Legacy® which will be on the #821 label as well as new products in the batting division. I am excited for all the new changes and look that you will now see with the Pellon® and Legacy® brand.

Reno
Now across the country to Reno, NV for the Creative Girlfriends Expo at the Grand Sierra Resort.      

We tried something new in the booth at this show. We had a "Make It and Take It" right in the booth. Two students at a time for a hour finished their dresser scarf kits. The only cost was to buy the kit, $15.95. We had 27 successful students and it was so much fun to see their excitement and take my place at the demo table. They were asked lots of questions and it wasn't long and they all could have worked in the booth. The experience will certainly make me look into continuing this at the other shows when possible. Inter action with the customer was a hit to say the least.

  
Sue Hausmann was the guest speaker, sponsored by Sierra Sewing Center. We went to her presentation on Friday night and if you have the opportunity to attend one of her talks you will be entertained and feel as though she is speaking directly to you. She energized the room with her spirit and smile.

She is very supportive of Crooked Nickel Quilt Designs and sees the need for innovated and creative ideas that will make quilting more accessible to new generations. To have someone of her status and creditability is a feather in our hats.

For all of you that signed up for our E- Newsletter you were put in the drawing for 3 Quilt Kits and these are the winners.

A Simple Point –Dresser Scarf Kit—Carol Spoelstra
A Few Pointers- Tabletopper Kit- Tamara Knight
Point Setta- Table Runner Kit- Sandy Weber

We will contact the winners through their email address.

Thank you all for signing up for the newsletter.

Watch the website info for the next show we will be attending and stop and say hi.

Have a great summer and safe travels.
Lisa

We have our new fabrics in and making kits like crazy.
Flower Mart 2 by Benartex, Lovely Lilac by Michael Miller and Dogwood Bliss by Blank Quilting.

The NEW pattern "A Simple Point" just came off the press and will be for sale on the website asap.
This is a small project with 7-5" squares. A Beautiful Dresser Scarf or wall hanging 8"x 36".
You can't make just one...
A perfect price point also, $6.50. Detailed instructions and once again "No Experience Required"

We will look for you in Paducah.........
Happy Spring

We are still having winter here in Montana, but we are working with all of our new spring fabrics in the studio. Be sure to check out the store page were we have added lots of kits and there will be more to come! We are working on two new patterns. You will be the first to know when they come out. I had the first spring class last weekend and it was exciting for all the ladies.  They had a good time and were all successful.  I have four more classes before I head for Paducah.

Stay warm and think Spring!

The first Crooked Nickel Designs quilt show was a success! We had 48 lap and queen quilts hanging and about 50 small items displayed as well. I hope you were able to stop by. But if you didn't make it, here is a sample of what you missed.

  
  
  

We hope to see you next time!

Give yourself a treat this week even if you need to buy your own box of favorite chocolates!
Whenever we discuss the day at the end of a quilt show or class we are always refering to our customers as "Sweethearts", so if you are ever in doubt if you are one...and you were visiting with us at Crooked Nickel Quilts, we called you a sweetheart!
What a wonderful network of quilters we surround ourselves with! Thank You

I am sponsoring my first quilt show this weekend and it just happens to be on Valentine's Day. It is being held at the Ursuline Retreat and Conference Centre in Great Falls, MT, 11am-4pm. I am also donating one of my Queen Size quilts "Point Taken" done in Willowberry Winter Whites. Raffle tickets are $5.00 ea, or 5 for $20.00. All the money will go to the fundraiser for the PBS Transmitter Tower for Great Falls so that PBS will be a local channel, not just for cable purchase.

I also just had shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and a frayed biscep muscle. All went very well and will start PT this next week. Therefore I have decided to teach here in MT this winter and spring. I will give you the answer now to all the questions that lead up to the decisions as to whether or not to take the class and what is involved.

Class Sign-up questions::
How much does it cost?
$45.00
How long is the class?
Usually 9am-4pm, I ask you to bring a sack lunch.
What supplies do I need to bring?
You need to bring an iron, if yours is 1400 watts that is the best, your sewing machine and general sewing supplies,(thread, pins, needles, tape measure, etc.)
What do I need to purchase?
Must have: Crooked Nickel Quilt Pattern, ($10.00) I allow any pattern at class except the queen size quilts.
                    On Point fusible grid according to yardage on the pattern($4.50 yard)
                     Applique Pressing Sheet  ($21.00),flexible sheet of teflon for ironing on the fusible grid
Project Fabric:
                    The fabric for your  project must be pre-cut to move the class schedule moving at a good pace.
Bonus:
             If you purchase one of our quilt kits, you will get the pattern, fusible grid and pre-cut fabrics. The only extra purchase will be the applique pressing sheet and you are ready for class.
Check out the shopping page to see what kits we have available to make your life simple.

I certainly hope that if you are in the neighborhood you sign up for a class, you  will have a very good time and finish or get very close to finishing your project.

Thank you to all you Sweethearts.
Lisa