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

Congratulations to our kit winners from Road To California!!
Cindy Word has won a Latte' Lap Quilt Kit, Elizabeth Van Eyck has won an Ivory by Blank Table-runner kit, and Patti Cook has won a Willowberry Winter Whites Table-topper kit.
We can't wait to hear from you and get your prizes in the mail.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth! It was great to meet all of you.

Ontario ,California was another successful show hosting the Road to California Quilt Show. Thank you all for visiting the booth and attending the lecture. My worker bees certainly earned their keep. Once again it was one of our favorite shows.
We will be adding kits to the website as we go through the inventory from the show.
I will be having rotator cuff surgery on the 26th to repair an old injury that has been aggravated by folding all these quilts that I haul around. I have been told by many "Follow directions from the doctor", so that will be my plan.




Therefore my schedule will be sticking close to home and teaching classes with the help of Amanda.
I also will be doing a fundraiser for the PBS Transmitter Tower for my hometown of Great Falls, MT. The fundraiser will include a quilt show with 50 of my finished quilts and a raffle of the queen size quilt, Point Taken in Willowberry Winter Whites. The event will take place at the Ursuline Retreat and Conference Centre on February 14th.

Photos will be posted.

Thank you for visiting.
Lisa

This is the update on the taping of America Sews and Quilts with Sue Hausmann. Sue has the show down to a science and everything runs very smoothly. We did only one take and I had all my project samples ready for the t.v. magic as they call it on the set.
It was great fun and I'm anixous for the show to air in April. You will need to check your local PBS stations as to when they air the quilt shows. I know in my area they air every weekday at 1:30pm. America Sews and Quilts airs on Tuesdays at 1:30, check your PBS station guide. Our weather here in Montana has been very cold and we certainly will have a white Christmas.
Hope all your Holiday wishes come true and my wish to you is a happy, healthy and safe New Year.
Lisa

From Florida to Montana I find the same wonderful students in all my classes.  I have been in both states this week.  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I was in Florida where I gave a Quilt Guild Presentation and then taught classes for the next two days.  I had students who had been long time quilters and very experienced to brand new quilters who had just bought sewing machines.  In both cases it warmed my heart to see all the success. Attending the Winter Haven Quilt Guild Christmas Party was a pleasure, and I appreciated their acceptance of my nontraditional technique. Thank You ladies for the wonderful afternoon. I also want to thank the students who attended the classes.  It was great to see women of all ages open to trying new ideas. I hope you all had as much fun as I did.  Classes like yours are what keep me up beat and excited to teach at all levels.

I was lucky to be able to teach a class in my hometown today!  I had 5 wonderful ladies, most of who bought their kits at my booth at the local "What Women Want Expo". They came eager to learn something new.  It was great to work with them and see all their success as well.  We will be having another Great Falls class in January.  Some of the ladies had so much fun they said they would be back in January.

More good news, I leave in the morning for Cleveland to tape America Sews and Quilts with Sue Hausmann.  I'll be sure to let you know how it went when I get back to Montana.

Keep up the sewing...
Lisa

Hello and Thank You for visiting our new website.
I'm so excited to have this new venue to share my personal thoughts with you.

I only hope that you will find it enjoyable to hear about my experiences and to share your experiences with me.

First and foremost I would like to apologize to you if you have sent me an email from the last website.  We had technical problems with the contact page and the send button has been stuck since December. A problem that is out of your control is hard to fix and hard to find someone to fix the problem. Now that has been taken care of and we can only go forward and enjoy what we have now working and fabulous. Thank you for your patience.

I am amazed when I'm at a show or going to a presentation and there are always remarks from the attendees that they had already checked me out on the website. You are all so well versed and such little techees.

So let's get down to business.
Whenever I sell a pattern, a kit or even a yard of Pellon® Quilter's Grid On Point, I want that person to be successful and proud of the project they are doing with my technique. I have tried to make the patterns clear and easy to follow. However, I have learned a lot, and I take it personal when someone is having a problem with the technique.
That is the reason why I'm doing this page on the website.
I will be giving advice that I think is worthwhile.
I also will answer questions that are common in the classroom, and at my demo table. I will share the bloopers in class and the wonderful and delightful experiences I receive from the students and of course the customers.

First and most important: Purchase a pattern.
If you have watched me at a show or presentation I can show the technique in about 3 minutes, however remembering and understanding what you saw once you leave the demo table is very difficult and I don't give it all away during the demo. I always say; "If it was that simple, someone would have written a pattern long before I did." Please respect the copyright laws, time and efforts to have them published.

Second most important:
Make sure that you have purchased Pellon® #821 Quilter's Grid On Point™. You should make sure that the piece of Pellon® does not have a stretch in the interfacing base product. You can do the stretch test by just giving a light pull in both directions, if the Pellon® stretches you need to replace it with a piece from us. Two years ago the Pellon® Company printed the fusible grid products on a stretch base. It was pulled from the warehouse as a mistake however; some of the product did get on the open market.  What happens when you use that product is when it is heated it will stretch and then the fusible glue bleeds through to the other side. This causes all kinds of problems. All is corrected now. Very important to check.

Now the rest is all fun.
Choosing your fabrics, enjoying the thought of who this gift is going to be given to, and starting a technique that you have never used before are the adventure in your future. You will experience instant gratification with your first seam and continue that feeling as the technique proceeds.
Fast, Simple and Perfect is what we are all about.

Welcome to our new site and new blog! Thanks for visiting.