I Love Heart Quilts

I know that today isn’t Valentine’s Day but I could tell you many wonderful stories about this holiday. February is a big month in my family. My dad’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day, and many of my cousins and a couple of aunts have birthdays around the 14th. So, it always seemed as if we were celebrating all month long.

When I was pregnant with my son, my OB told me that since his birthday was on Valentine’s Day, that he was planning on taking that day off. Therefore, I could choose to deliver my son on either the 13th or the 15th. Well, after a very long pregnancy, which date do you think I chose?

My son was born on the 13th.

Maybe this is why I love the Vintage Valentine quilt so much. It always reminds me of all of the people who I love and who mean so much to me.

We have done so many sessions of the Vintage Valentine Block of the Month that each time we start a new session, I say, “This is it! It’s the last one!”. Then someone sees the quilt and wants to do it so we start it all over again.

We’ve had many quilts from our VV Sessions that have been entered into shows. Currently we are showing a quilt made by Tina Stinson that won a blue ribbon. It is absolutely gorgeous and you must drop by just to see it. You’ll surely be inspired to sign up for Session 8.
Looking forward to seeing you!

Happy Stitching!
Judy

Rug Fever

My grandmothers were very busy women. They always had some form of sewing, crocheting, quilting or mending in their hands. I remember spending hours watching as their hands moved with quick precision. Over the years, I learned how to knit, crochet, tat, sew, needlepoint, cross stitch, crewel, embroidery, and of course, quilt from my grandmothers.

Once, when our children were small, I took everything I had learned from them and opened a stitchery shop in Mississippi. Now, some thirty years later, I find myself owning a quilt shop where now I teach women how to do these very things.

I enjoy the various things that can be done with cotton fabric. I like finding a good use for fabric. (Fabric that I bought because I loved it and now wonder to myself, “How am I going to put this to good use?”). Well, my latest adventure in putting fabric to good use is making rugs.

Yes, simple rugs! I am talking about Toothbrush Rugs that date back to Bohemian and Swedish origin. This Rug Making Technique has been passed down for many generations. Some have said that these rugs will last longer than us! Many of our customers have take up this hobby and are making lots of rugs. We even have a group that meets sometimes to work on their rugs.

Rug Fever has hit Rockwall and it is going strong!

One of our favorite students bought the Toothbrush Rug Kit and Pattern a couple of years ago. She wanted to try to learn it on her own. Well, a few weeks ago she came in and asked me to teach her. She had given up on trying to teach herself and she didn’t believe that she would be able to learn the technique. I told her, “I haven’t lost a student yet!”

Last week she finished her first rug and has now begun her second. After taking our class, many of our students have made dozens of rugs.

Come to Texas Quiltworks and learn how to create your own Toothbrush Rug.

This Saturday, February 28, we will have a morning (10am-12pm)) and afternoon (2-4pm) class and would love for you to join us. We will have these classes on the fourth Saturday of each month.

Simply buy your toothbrush, pattern and some of our sale fabric at the shop and you will be ready to start. You will need to buy your fabric in advance so that you can prepare it at home the night before class. (No, we do not wash the fabric.)

I am looking forward to seeing you all here!

Judy