You know what they say about

fishing.... A good day at fishing is more fun than...???

Exclusive American Valor Quilt Kit: Nice Patch Star

The pattern Nine Patch Star is from Planted Seed Designs.

Sue, our sample quilt maker used the fabrics  

American Banner Rose from Moda by Minick and Simpson.

She said it was fun and easy to make -  made with half / square triangles and **flying geese!

These are the fabrics we used to make our beautiful quilt top!

Included in kit:
Pattern: 9 Patch Star
25 fat quarters 18" x 22" (enough prints for a really scrappy look)
2 yards background
1 3/4 yards for pieced inner border
 2 1/2  yards outer border your choice red or blue

 There is enough fabric left for a scrappy binding and backing.

Purchase your kit here for $99.95 + shipping:
Nine Patch Star

**Sue had fun using her new Quilt in a Day flying geese ruler!

Make Flying Geese Patches quickly and accurately every time with no measuring necessary! Just line up the triangle lines on the ruler with the 45 degree sewn lines and trim the patch the size of the ruler!
Makes 2" x 4" as well as 4" x 8" geese patches. Fully illustrated and detailed instructions are included. Made of heavy gauge acrylic and is laser precise.
Purchase your here for $9.95: Large Flying Geese Ruler

Yum yum! Grandmothers Cake

GRANDMOTHER'S CAKE

Mix together:

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

Add 2 eggs & a can of crushed pineapple, including juice.

Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan.

Spread over top a mixture of 3/4 c. brown sugar & 1/2 c. walnuts

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.( You can tell when it's done when the cake starts leaving the side of the pan)

About 10 minutes before cake is done bring to a boil:

1 can Pet milk

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 stick margarine

Pour this mixture over the cake after you take the cake out of the oven. Let it stand for awhile before serving with Cool Whip.

High Definition Fabrics Overdyed & Embellished Pillow

from Marcus Brothers - High Definition Fabrics

Faye Burgos designs a great assortment of black-white prints for contemporary stitchers and traditionalists alike.
Create with these as they are, or make them the basis for fun overdyeing and custom colorizing techniques. Read about this here: Marcus Brothers

Happy Mothers Day!

Spread the word - Quilts of Valor Project

Posted on May 11, 2012 in Quilt Shops

Help get the word out about “Quilts of Valor,” a compelling 73-minute television documentary starring Eleanor Burns, Alex Anderson, and Mark Lipinski, and hosted by Marianne Fons. Quilts of Valor is a nonprofit organization that supports making quilts for wounded service members. Martingale is a proud sponsor of Quilts of Valor.
The “Quilts of Valor” television program has just been made available to all public television stations nationwide by its producer, Iowa Public Television. The show can air on May 22, 2012, or later, so help make sure this unique program is aired on your local station. Contact your local PBS station’s programming department and ask it to schedule the show. Need help finding your local station? Go to pbs.org.

In Stock now! Garden Whimsy

From Paintbrush Studios by Judy Hansen

Click here to see the prints and free pattern: Garden Whimsy

Yum yum!

Bacon-Egg Breakfast Bites

Yield:	12
Active Time:	20 Minutes
Total Time:	40 Minutes
Cooks In:	20 Minutes

12 slices precooked bacon (from 2.1-oz package)
1 can Pillsbury® Place 'n Bake® refrigerated crescent rounds
24 frozen potato nuggets (from 2-lb bag)
5 LAND O LAKES® Eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Black Pepper
Chopped fresh parsley, if desired

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spray 24 mini muffin cups with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise. Unroll one crescent round; cut into thirds, forming strips of dough. Place half slice of bacon on 1 dough strip; top with potato nugget and roll up, stretching dough and pinching ends to seal. Place in mini muffin cup, spiral side up. Repeat with remaining crescent rounds, bacon and potato nuggets.
2. In medium bowl, beat eggs, salt and pepper until well blended. Very carefully spoon scant tablespoon egg mixture around each dough-wrapped potato nugget.
3. Bake 13 to 20 minutes or until light brown on top and egg mixture is set. Remove from muffin cups to serving platter. Garnish with parsley. Serve warm.

More sneak peeking - Over the Rainbow Batiks!

from Moda by Laundry Basket Quits and Edyta Sitar

Over the Rainbow Batiks 20 each colorway.

Horizon Blues

 

Sunrise Reds

Happy May Day!

Make a pretty May Day Basket out of 8 1/2" x 11" scrapbooking paper or use plain paper and decorate.

Pillowcase Challenge Update

 

 

April 2012 One Million

Pillowcase Challenge Update

Dear Abbi Mays Fabric Shop,

The pillowcase count continues to climb; currently the counter is at 408,000 pillowcases donated to charities!  Remember, every pillowcase counts and can make a difference to someone in need.

 

We have pillowcase kits in stock: Pillowcase

 

New Quilt Patterns from Black Cat Creations!

Four new patterns all fun and very different!

Acappella

Finished size: 84" x 95"

This quilt may not come with music, but it defnitely sings. You'll love how easy this stunning quilt is to make. Start with fat quarters in your favorite color way and end with a gorgeous quilt. 

Blue Me Away

  Finished size - 71 1/2" x 80"

Scrappy is the name of the game. This quilt would look great in just about any color way and all you need is a handful of fat quarters! With our easy instructions, we know you'll be making more than one.

Fat Quarter Stir Fry

 Finished size 75" x 96"

This quilt is a great stash buster. Marblehead  fabrics from Paintbrush Studios by Ro Gregg would make a great quilt. Fat Quarter friendly.

I used to be a Layer Cake!

  Finished size - approximately 41" x 57"

That's right! One layer cake (a pack of pre-cut 10" squares) will make any one of these gorgeous bargello quilts. Want to make it larger? Simply make 2 or 4 identical quilts and stitch them together. Pattern includes instructions for all 3 versions shown.

See all our pattern here from: Black Cat Creations

All patterns can be made into kits! Email linda@abbimays.com if your are interested.

Another "As Seen In" from Easy Quilts - Heartstrings

Fons & Porters Easy Quilts Summer 2012 pg 42 - 49.

Heartstrings
Designed by June Pease

Size: 41" × 47"
Blocks: 9 (7" × 9") blocks

 Skill level: easy piecing and appliquing

This warm throw is traditional, yet freshly stylish at the same time. Asymmetrical hearts are machine appliquéd on Shoo Fly blocks, combining two favorite designs from yesterday and today.

Fabrics used in this quilt are from Heartstrings from Red Rooster by Terri Degenkolb.


Included in this complete kit are all fabrics for this quilt:

• 4 yards of fabrics for top, border and binding (fabric used in this kit are as pictured -no substitutions were made). 
• 2 3/4 yards fabric for backing - from Heartstrings fabric collection (our choice).
• Magazine not included (available it needed for $4.99)

Quilt kits are available here for $69.95 + shipping : As Seen In Heartstrings

As Seen In Easy Quilts - Key Lime Pie

Fons & Porters Summer 2012 pg 38 - 41.

Key Lime Pie uses refreshing colors of Key West inspired this super-easy small quilt!
Use it inside or outside to brighten your décor.

Finished size: 30" x 30"

Fabrics used are from Marblehead from Red Rooster by Ro Gregg.

Included in kit are fabrics pictured in quilt:
4 3/4 yards fabric for top, borders, binding and backing!

Purchase your kits here for $49.95 + shipping: Key Lime Pie

The Loons are back - and interesting facts!

These were on the lake last night! I had to use my best camera lens to capture this picture because they were about 100 yards away.

Loon Facts:
Loons, like ducks, geese, cormorants and grebes, are waterbirds, but they are classified separately by scientists.  Their closest living relatives are penguins and a group of birds called the “tube-nosed swimmers” (including albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters).
North America is home to five species of loons, including the Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata), Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica), Arctic Loon (Gavia arctica), Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii) and Common Loon (Gavia immer).  The Common Loon is the most widespread and well-known species, and the only one that breeds as far south as New Hampshire.

Perhaps one of the most fascinating things about loons is their haunting and variable voice.  Loons are most vocal from mid-May to mid-June.  They have four distinct calls which they use to communicate with their families and other loons; these are the tremolo, wail, yodel and hoot.

Until recently, loons were thought to mate for life. However, banding loons to allow the identification of individuals has shown that loons will sometimes switch mates after a failed nesting attempt, sometimes even in the same breeding season. Courtship and mating are a quiet time, with the pair swimming and making short dives together. Eventually, the male leads the female to a suitable spot on land to mate. Nest building then begins. 


Read more about Loons here: Loon.org

He's out!

Grandson Kyle getting the out!

Book Review: Just Spooling Around

Just Spooling Around  pattern book by Terri Degenkolb for Whimsicals. Four quilt patterns, wall hanging pattern, table runner pattern, pillow pattern, project bag pattern, and more.

Soft sided, 40 pages, 9 projects

This book is full of easy to follow instructions, with lots of pictures and tips!

Most quilts are shown in two colorways for different looks.
Projects include both piecing and/or appliqueing.

Most of the quilts in this book used fabrics from the 
Heartstrings collection designed by Whimsicals for Red Rooster.

The following show some of the projects in this book.

This is the quilt that inspired the name of the book.....

Just Spooling Around

Finished size: 34" x 40"

Skill level: confident beginner

She used lots of different fabrics for the spools, but they are all from her more recent fabric lines, as well as fabrics from her newest line Heartstrings. 

Terri said: "I must have been tired and in a slap-happy mood when I was working on it because this little play on words, "just spooling around", popped into my head.... Get it?  Just spooling around instead of just fooling around?!  I had myself a little chuckle and decided that it would be a great name not only for the quilt, but for the book too!"

Three Bags Full

Finished size: 58" x 76"
Skill level: confident beginner

She used basic the cutting and piecing instructions to making a large quantity of half square triangles that require nothing more than a rotary cutter, ruler and marking pencil.

String of Stars

Finished size: 62"x 80"

Skill level: intermediate

This pattern provides a template for making star points.

 Terri says the stars are tricky at first, but found that making a few "test units" helped to improve her accuracy in cutting and piecing.

Three Ring Circus

Finished size: 15" x 45"

Skill level: Intermediate

 Learn a new method for making half square triangles!

 Perched on a spool!

Finished size: 12" x 16"

Skill level: advanced beginner - applique templates used

Some pretty Spring Flowers!

New at Abbi Mays Fabrics Shop: Quilt and Fabrics Designer Terri Degenkolb - Whimsicals

Terri, though her company, Whimsical Inc. designs fabrics for Red Rooster .  Heartstrings is her newest collection.

She also publishes quilt books and patterns:

Coming this summer

Sneak Peek at new patterns coming in May!

Over the Rainbow Batiks from Moda by Laundry Basket Quilts coming in May.
Edyta Sytar has designed lots of new patterns wtha will be using her new batiks:

 This pattern uses her new precut/prefusable batiks!

My new quilt!

Hoppy Easter!

Spring begins now - the first pitch of the 2012 Tiger Baseball Season!

Yippie - I love baseball and quilting!

Exclusive Quilt Kit using our Free Quickie Pattern!

Quilt sampler Barb used our exclusive Free Quickie Pattern Bars & Squares
to make these two quilts with two different looks!

This is a quilt that goes together quickly, a great project for when you want to
make a fun fast quilt for someone special.

Finished quilt size: 56" x 80" (twin size)

Skill level: Very Easy and FAST!

Kit includes:
Free Pattern: Bars & Squares Quickie Pattern

Fabric 5 YARD BUNDLE: 5 different fabrics @ 1 yard each
(enough for top and scrappy binding)

The fabrics she choose for her girl quilt were from
Summer House from Moda by Lily Ashbury:

 For the boy quilt she chose
Hometown from Moda by Sweetwater:

You can purchase either quilt kit as pictured here for $52.00 + shipping:
Bars & Squares

Hint: This kit can be easily turned into two baby quilts instead of one large quilt.
The pattern makes one quilt 56" x 80" (10 rows of 7 blocks) or divide your rows into sections of (5 rows of 7 blocks) and make two 40" x 56" quilts.  Perfect for babies, kids, lap quilts or charities.