December 10, 2010

An Interview with Trudy from Nutmeg Hare Designs

I'm always so excited to discover a new-to-me pattern company. 



Trudy, from Nutmeg Hare contacted me a while ago to see if we might be interested in carrying her patterns.  I knew at first glance that our customers would love them.  The amount of detail that Trudy puts into her designs is nothing short of amazing.  



But even more amazing then her designs is just how nice she is in person.  I've so enjoyed getting to know Trudy a little bit through our e-mails back and forth.  I knew that you just had to meet Trudy and her designs too.  Trudy was gracious enough to share a little info in the following interview with us.

So without further ado . . .. . .   I'd like you to meet Trudy



As many of us who enjoy handwork, stitching, and beautiful woolens, we can often recall our childhood memories and remember when this love began. I was a young girl in Washington, growing up with five brothers and sisters...Lucky me... because this gave me the opportunity to make handstitched gifts for many family members.

I can't remember a time when threads, fabrics, patterns, and any and all crafty things weren't a part of my daily life. I organized and made raggedies, santas, snowmen, and stitcheries for our annual gift show which was held at our home for 15 years and had become somewhat of a family tradition. I know I will never give up the love of "Needle and Thread".

Nutmeg Hare was on my mind during those years, but came into existence a bit over two years ago, when I took the plunge and had my website put together. I began with six stitchery patterns and knew that I wanted to keep adding to my collection. At the same time, wool applique was always something I planned to add into my pattern designs and now has become the main focus of my "Fun".




My family sometimes looks at me strangely as I get overly excited in bringing my wool appliques to life, and find myself staying up until the wee hours of the morning happily stitching. This is my most productive time as the quiet and peaceful hours tick on by.




I am a stay at home mom, married for 21 years, and the lucky mother of six kids ranging from ages 19 to age 4. They are all such different personalities... but I do believe my 10 year old daughter, Fallon, will soon be a big part of Nutmeg Hare as she takes great interest in watching and offering ideas to me as I work on my designs.



I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I love. I hope to be able to make patterns for many years to come...I am also excited to be hand dyeing wool as my new collection of "Nutmeg Hare" woolens will be ready soon. It is so much fun to see and experiment with the different colors as I dye wool pieces 1/2 yard at a time. I thoroughly enjoy choosing a name for each new wool color that I finish. I said to my family that it was like naming children...That was always one of the most fun parts of having a new baby....choosing the name. Perhaps that is why I wanted six:)





I would like to thank Julie for inviting me to share a bit of myself and my " Nutmeg Hare " beginning. If any of you are at all wondering where the name comes from...Well, as a child I always loved bunnies, hence the name "Hare" and because baking was also a big part of my childhood (I always wanted to be the youngest Pillsbury bakeoff winner), I thought "Nutmeg" fit well with it. I suppose that doesn't make a lot of sense, but perhaps the name will stand out in your mind as you shop at Prairie Point Junction and decide which "Nutmeg Hare" stitching project will be your next.

December 9, 2010

Deal of the Week, December 10th-16th


December 10th -16th, 2010
All regular priced Charm Packs
Buy 3, get the 4th FREE

Valid in-store (124 East 8th, Cozad,  NE)
 and by phone (308-784-2010)

We have nearly 30 styles of charm packs for you to choose from. 
There's something for every style.
Perfect for stocking stuffers for you or your favorite quilting friend!
Shop early for the best selection.



*Cannot be combined with any other offers.  Limited to stock on hand.

December 2, 2010

Snowflake Stocking Ornament Tutorial



Here's a little tutorial for quick and easy Snowflake Stocking ornaments to help jump-start your holiday decorating. 

I choose to use a super easy running stitch, rather than a blanket stitch for these ornaments so that they would be easy enough for even the most novice crafter to create.  Have a girl scout troop or other kids group?  These are even easy enough for elementary school aged kids to make.

Supplies Needed:  (Makes one ornament:  Approximate finished size:  3 1/2" x 4")
Directions.

1.  Print the ornament pattern.  The size of the box around the ornament should be 4" x 5".  You may have to adjust the size of the image when you print depending upon your printer settings. 



2.  Trace the ornament and cuff shape separately onto the paper side of freezer paper.


3.  Cut loosely around the traced shapes, leaving about 1/4" of paper extending around the traced line.



4.  Iron the waxed side of the freezer paper to the wool blend felt.


5.  Cut out stocking shape on traced line.



6.  Repeat for cuff shape.
7.  Position cuff on top of stocking.  You can either use a couple drops of Roxanne's Glue Baste It to temporarily hold in place, pin, or simply hold in place while you stitch.


8.  Use one strand of white embroidery floss to tack the bottom and top of the cuff to the stocking.  You don't need to tack the sides, as they will be caught when you sew the back of the stocking in place.




9.  Add heel and toe details by sewing a running stitch with two strands of white floss.  You can either draw a line with a marking pencil, or can just free hand stitch the line.  It doesn't need to be real accurate.




10.  Add snowflake detail.  Use two strands of embroidery floss, stitch an X on the upper stocking.  Then stitch another X to form the snowflake.




11.  Add two small crosshatches to alternating spokes of the X.  Add a french knot to the remaining spokes.


12.  Place stocking right sides up on another piece of felt.  Cut around stocking to create the backing.  You could also use your freezer paper template to cut the backing.  I prefer to cut around my completed shape, however, as sometimes the stitching process can slightly alter the size of your shape.



13.  Cut a strip of felt 3/8" x 4 1/2" long.  Fold in half lengthwise to form hanging loop.  Attach to the top corner of the wrong side of the stocking back using a small X stitch.  The X will be visible on the outside of the stocking.



14.  Layer stocking back and front wrong sides together.  Stitch around sides and bottom of stocking using a run stitch to attach the backing.  Leave the top of the stocking open.  This way you can use it as a money holder, or can tuck other little treats inside.




15.  Enjoy!





November 24, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.  We hope you are able to take a moment to enjoy all the blessings that are bountiful in your lives.

I'm blessed to have such a fabulous staff to work with!  Thanks Terri, Barb, Deb, Misty, Jolene, Pam and Connie.   A special thanks goes out to our sampler sewer, Peg and our machine quilter Janet who work behind-the-scences to help keep you inspired.



Thanks as well to my super-patient family who graciously puts up with all my crazy work hours and my border-line-unhealthy-attachment to my laptop computer.


Enjoy some turkey, but don't get too stuffed.  If you are looking for a fun craft for after the big meal (or to keep the kiddos busy and out of the kitchen . . .)  take some inspiration from the November issue of Family Fun magazine. 

Set out a scrap bag of wool felt and let the creativity begin.  Visit http://familyfun.go.com/thanksgiving/ for more ideas too.


Have a Blessed Thanksgiving.




Gym Dandy Bag on the Moda Bake Shop

What a fantasic early Thanksgiving Day Blessing!  I'm thrilled to have my fourth Moda Bake Shop pattern post today.


Check out my tutorial for the Gym Dandy Bag. 

This handy little bag is lined with PUL That's fancy for polyurethane laminated fabric.  In just plain old terms, that means it is a water resistant fabric that keeps the rest of your bag (or your car seat, etc) from getting wet and disgusting. 

The bag is perfect for taking your clothes to and from the gym.  Got a swim class?  Just toss your wet suit in the bag and everything else will stay nice and dry. 

Got diapers?  You can also use the PUL to make a wet bag for transporting used diapies home to wash.




Like the fabrics I used?  That is the fantastic Fandango line by Kate Spain for Moda.  We've got charm packs, layer cakes and yardage of our favorite prints in stock now.   Check it out on our site here.





As a Thanksgiving-Thank-You to our blog readers . . . .

Use code GYMDANDY to take 20% off a regular priced order on our site at http://www.prairiepointjunction.com/ from November 24th-December 1st, 2010.

November 23, 2010

Kansas Troubles Favorites Pre-Order at 20% Off

Do you love Kansas Troubles fabrics as much as we do?




Did you know that the new Kansas Troubles Favorites collection marks 10 years of fabric designing by Lynne Hagmeier?





Did you know that Prairie Point Junction is offering a special opportunity to pre-order any and all the fabrics in this collection at   20% off   from now until December 2nd?

Hop on over to our site to check them out now.

November 17, 2010

Hands Around the World Wallhanging

We love it when our customers share pictures of projects they have created with our wool felt.  It's just a like a virtual show-and-tell session.  Remember how fun that was in Kindergarten?  I don't think we ever loose that sense of pride in sharing our accomplishments.  And what fun to be inspired by all the creative people out there.

Tina over at Squirrel Acorns shared this amazing banner that she made with a friend for their Montessori school’s annual auction fundraiser. 



Be sure to visit Tina's blog here to see more photos and details about their project.

Tina has several links to some great tutorials on her blog too.  Just in time to think about hand-crafting some gifts for the holidays. 

Thanks for sharing your project, Tina.

Would you like to see your creations posted here?  Just drop me a quick e-mail at http://www.prairiepointjunction.com/ and we'll post as many ideas as we can.

November 10, 2010

Wee Folk Art Garland Give-Away

Did you get a chance to check out the Wee Folk Art site this week? 

We're so proud to be one of their sponsors.  Kimara very generously posted an interview about me and my shop earlier this week. 

Now we're teaming up to host a give-away for the supplies to make this gorgeous garland.  Head on over to http://www.weefolkart.com/ to download the instructions for this project.

Simply follow the instructions in their blog post from November 11th-14th, 2010, to enter to win one of two kits to make this project.












Doesn't that just make you want to grab a cup of cocoa, put some Christmas carols on, and prop your feet up in front of the fire? 

O.K., so I'm a little dramatic  -  but it is the simple things in life that get me all excited.  My seven year old son's teacher should spend more time with me and she would see exactly where he gets all his personality, creativity, and energy from.  Really, its a good thing.

Don't worry, if you weren't the lucky winner, you can certainly order the necessary supplies from our website too.  Visit our site or give us a call at 308-784-2010 to order our Mini Kit or coordinating fabrics.



Garland Mini Kit:


Coordinating Fabric Selections:


Thanks for taking time to stop by.  If you can't find me for the rest of the afternoon, I'm digging around in my boxes of Christmas decorations . . .


November 9, 2010

Quiet Book Pattern

We just love this new pattern that is hot off the presses from Ribbon Candy Quilt Company.  I'm sure there are several little kiddos on your holiday gift giving list that would be delighted to receive this project.  Just a word of caution, though, the book has several tiny embellishements so you might want to skip the buttons, etc for very small children.

What a clever way to recycle an old pair of jeans and some of those little trinkets you just might have laying around in your craft stash. 

We've made it even easier for you with a little coordinated Bitty Bundle of felt, available for $5.00.   Visit our website at http://www.prairiepointjunction.com/ or give us a call at 308-784-2010 to order the felt or pattern.  Our store hours are Monday-Friday 10:00-5:00 and Saturday 10:00-4:00, Central Time.



November 8, 2010

Extra, Extra, Read All About It: Wee Folk Art Interview

Goodness, Gracious.

I feel like a movie star today. 

The talented gals over at Wee Folk Art have an interview posted about me and my shop.  It actually was a lot of fun to think back on where we've come over the past 12 years and spend a little time pondering my thoughts on wool felt trends.

Head on over to http://www.weefolkart.com/ to read all about it.  And while you're at it, be sure to add Wee Folk Art to your Favorites list.  If you're not already familiar with this site, I promise you'll love it.  Right now they have a fabulous Handmade Holidays directory that links to a wealth of sites that either sell supplies or handmade finished products.



Their blog posts are filled with more crafting, cooking, creating, and fun than you could ever imagine.  I'm always so impressed by the innovative ways they engage their children in learning.  I guarantee, you'll be inspired too.

Hint, Hint, Hint . . ..   Be sure to check back on our blog and also over at Wee Folk Art from November 11th-14th.  We have a few surprises up our sleeves.

November 7, 2010

Thanksgiving Project Ideas

Turkey Day is just around the corner here in the US.  We' ve had such unseasonably warm weather this fall that it is been fun to actually decorate for the season.  We've had snow already by this time the past few years, so seeing the leaves and grass is such a treat.

Here are some ideas to inspire you for a few more fall projects.  You can order any of the patterns below on our website at http://www.prairiepointjunction.com/ or give us a call at 308-784-2010.  Our store hours are Monday-Friday 10-5 and Saturday 10-4, Central Time. 


Autumn Wraps and Mats by Bareroots.




Pumpkin Harvest by The Woolen Needle



Autumn Leaves by Cotton Tales




Fall Harvest Pins by Meeting House Hill




Gobble Gobble by Bunny Hugs.




Pumpkin Candle Mat by Farmhouse Threads.



Pumpkin Stitchery by Welling
ton House Designs




Saltbox Harvest fabrics by Deb Strain for Moda



Enjoy a little bit more fall this week before the cold weather hits.