BEE HAPPY SEW ALONG

I am so excited about our upcoming Bee Happy Sew Along with Lori Holt from Riley Blake!

Many of you know I got to go to Utah last month to a shop owners quilt retreat with Lori. 

I had the best time making friends with other quilters from all over the USA! 

I got to see a lot of Lori's quilts and learn her techniques which I am really excited about teaching to EllaKate's Quilters!

Beginning Monday, August 28th, you will be able to download the FREE PATTERN each week and Lori will be teaching each block on her blog. 

On Tuesday, the following evening, from 6:00 till 8:00 pm, EllaKate's will be hosting a Bee Happy Sew Along for local quilters. We will sew along with Lori each week on Tuesday evenings. This will give us a time to share any questions anyone might have and work together as we create our own Bee Happy Quilts. This is going to be so much fun!!!

It is important for you to get your Bee Happy Quilt Kit BEFORE the first Sew Along on August 28th so you will be prepared for this great adventure to begin! 

When you purchase your kit ($189.99) from EllaKate's, I will share preparatory information so you can get started now! All of the fabrics are in stock at EllaKate's so once we hear from you, we can get your quilt kit cut immediately. The colors are so "Happy"!!!

If you have any questions about the Sew Along on Tuesday nights beginning August 29th, just let me know! 731-514-4379

Until next time...

Happy Stitching!

Rise and Shine...It's Quilt Market Time!

Ok, the cat is out of the bag! Guess where I have been this past weekend...

That's right the International Spring Quilt Market! This year the Spring Market was held in St. Louis, Mo. so how could I resist! I had an absolute blast and I got so many ideas for EllaKate's Quilt Shoppe! I can hardly wait to share them all with you in the coming months. Here are a few pics from market...

This is Jo Morton telling her about her new book, Jo's Little Favorite's II. She had all the little quilts there and we got to see them. You know EllaKate's has this book already on the way for you to see! By the way Jo is such a sweet person. She gave me a big hug after we met.

This is another class with Jo Morton. She has another new book, "Simple Friendships" that she did with Kim Diehl. Kim could not be at market so they had her face on a puppet stick and held it up for all to see. If you look closely you will see it in the Martingale Book Representatives' hand. It was pretty funny! "Simple Friendships" is beautiful! How can it not be...Jo Morton and Kim Diehl! You can check it out at EllaKate's.

I know, I know, all of you who love brights are wondering if I forgot you. Well never fear, here is "Me and My Sister" from Moda showing us their new Dresden Plate Ruler and numerous quilts that can be made from it. 

I will post more later. For now mark your calendar for FUN & FABULOUS FRIDAY, June 9th. or give me a shout if you would like to come on over before then!

Until next time...

Keep Stitching!

Linda at EllaKates' Quilt Shoppe

Rise N Shine, It's Quilting Time!

The Block of the Month Quilt Along by Katja Marek is so much fun!!! We have made it easy for you to join us if you would like! 

Here is how it works:

First you need the "Perpetual Calendar". This calendar includes the directions for English Paper Piecing and a hexagon pattern for each day of the year.

You will not be making a block each day but you have all these patterns to use for other projects if you like. To complete the Perpetual Calendar Quilt, you actually make six of the same block from only one specific day in each of the twelve months.

 If you do not want to draw off your patterns then you can get the paper pieces from EllaKate's each month. Christie and I love them because we get to jump ahead to using fabrics instead of cutting out the paper patterns and they are all exact! Whew! Thank you Paper Pieces!

This is the first block for January. We love the bright reds in our January kit!

Notice that the January block is made up of six exact hexies (January 13th) that are joined together to form a wreath that is appliqued to the background. Then the wreath is surrounded by appliqued "jewels". 

The original quilt has a gray background but we decided to make ours light. The background is pieced triangles. We used the triangle template and cut our background from 11" strips. We are using  different Moda fabrics to make our scrappy background.

“Perpetually Hexie” is a FREE on-line Quilt Along that has a very active FaceBook page to keep you excited and engaged. Check it out to see what others are doing! 

So far we have three local quilters who are quilting along with us! Let me know if you have any questions but I'm warning you, IT IS ADDICTING! One of the best things is that it is so portable!

The Perpetual Calendar February Block is a striking orange! We will keep you posted!

I am also working on a new quilt for my bed. I absolutely love the colors! I started with the pattern "Plush Sampler" by Sandy Jarvis but it is not large enough for a bed quilt. So I am figuring it out as I go. Brave soul, right!?! So far this is how it looks.

Guess I better stop writing and get back to my quilt! I just wanted to let you all know what I have been up to lately. I hope you all are enjoying stitching up something special too! Until next time...

Happy Stitching!

Baby, it's Cold Outside!

Brrrrrrr. Baby it's cold outside in Martin, Tennessee!!!

I looked outside this morning to find the lake frozen and a few ducks seeking warmth up next to my house. I think I scared the ducks when I opened the back door so off they flew!

I'm really looking forward to our upcoming Quilt Retreat scheduled for Friday and Saturday, February 3-4, 2017. We will meet on Friday evening 6 till 9 and all day Saturday 8 till 5. Get your kit for the retreat and the schedule for the weekend at Fun & Fabulous Friday on January 13th! This is going to be soooooo much fun!!!

This is the fat eighth bundle we will be working with.

These are the border fabrics and the fat eighth bundle before unpackaged.

This quilt reminds me of stained glass windows. The colors are so pretty!

Be sure to check it out at Fun & Fabulous Friday in January!!!

Until Next Time,

Happy Stitching!

"Stuff My Stocking"

Whoo Hoo!!! Hello there! It's Linda from EllaKate's Quilt Shoppe...

Have you heard that greeting lately on our Facebook Live Posts? Christie and I are teaming up to bring daily Facebook live posts to let everyone know about our "Stuff My Stocking" Event running December 1st through 12th!

You don't want to miss this email party!

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter and you will receive the daily emails advertising a special discount for items to stuff your stocking. So much fun!

Have you got your Christmas decorations up and started

 your shopping yet? I was determined to get my decorating done early so I could enjoy the holidays more! We had a ball at EllaKate's Quilt Shoppe last Saturday for our Open House! And new fabric continues to arrive this week.

Did you see "Poppy Mae"? It is a beautiful shade of red and green with some spunk in the design. I love the new pattern, " Poppy Garden". And we even have a striking table runner kit too? You can find it all in the fabric section under Moda and "Poppy Mae"!

Gotta run for now... Meeting family in Jackson for lunch and to kick off the Christmas Season! I'll post some pictures later.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow! It's the day before Thanksgiving! What a wonderful time of the year!

This year I am especially grateful for family and friends. As many of you know, our son-in-love, Randall Ricketts, was diagnosed with glioblastoma (brain cancer) in late August this year. He underwent surgery, completed 30 treatments of radiation, and continues to take chemotherapy. We are most grateful he never experienced any seizures or nausea, enjoyed mowing his yard the day he took his last radiation treatment, and returned to work at Bethel University on November 16th, the day after his last radiation treatment. We are most most grateful for the outpouring of love we have received from friends and family who continue to pray for Randall daily. God is good all the time!

I hope your Thanksgiving Day is filled with happiness and joy as you celebrate the bountiful blessings we are privileged to enjoy in this great nation we call home! I am so thankful for the men and women who stand ready to protect us by serving in our armed forces. My hat is off to each and every one of you!

I'll be making the dressing this year for our traditional family Thanksgiving Dinner. I wonder what all of my quilting friends will be making. Whatever you are doing I hope it is just exactly what you enjoy!

Here at EllaKate's we are preparing for our First Annual Christmas Open House! You are invited to come on over and join us! There will be door prizes every hour, refreshments for all, demos to see, the latest in fabrics and books, what's in store for 2017, "Stuff Your Stocking", "Wrapped & Ready", and more! Make this your special day as you get inspired and ready for the Christmas Season! See you Saturday, November 26th, 9 till 5:00!

Home from Quilt Market

Oh my goodness! Quilt Market was awesome this year! I have some great fabrics and tools coming to EllaKates in the coming months!

This month, November, we are doing the FabShop Hop. Be sure to shop and register to win prizes with the Fab Shop Hop. Click on the FabShop Bunny on our website for more information then be sure to visit EllaKates Website and give us your email address for a free fat quarter of your choice with your first order!

EllaKates will be stocking the NEW Rotary Cutter, rulers, and mats by RNK with Alex Anderson! You have got to see and feel this rotary cutter! It is top of the line! Call us for more information or if you want to order. More details to come soon!

Hop, Skip, & a Jump is scheduled to arrive at EllaKates today! I will get those fabrics uploaded to our site ASAP for all of you online shoppers. Locals be sure to check them out on FUN & FABULOUS FRIDAY, November 11th or call me if you would like a sneak preview this weekend.

Be sure to take some time for yourself today and stitch a little!

Check out this awesome sunrise from this morning! Now there is a color palet for stunning quilt!

Happy Stitching!

Well look what I have been up to lately!!!

This quilt is on the front cover of the October 2015 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. When I first saw it I knew I wanted to make it for Fall. Well things got crazy busy and I did not get to start it as soon as I had hoped but I stayed determined that I would get this one made before  Thanksgiving. I am right on track and I love how it is coming together!

The fabrics are named "Candy Corn" by Renee Nanneman from Andover. They just scream pumpkins and fall leaves!

I really got excited when the first blocks came together!

The name of this quilt is "Midnight Hour". 

You can get all the fabrics at EllaKates if you want to join me in stitching this one up! 

Until next time,

Happy Stitching!

Just had to share an update on the progress of my husband painting the deck! It's looking great and guess what the color of the paint is named...Gray Flannel Suit. Herman said I even pick out paint that has the name of fabric!

I thought that was pretty funny since I spent most of the day quilting on a customer's flannel quilt! I'm telling you her quilt is so stunning with rich manly colors! It is going to be a show stopper. Here are some of the flannels in her quilt from EllaKates! They are so soft!

So I'm all excited about our Mini Retreat in November! Two people have already registered! There's room for three more! This is the pattern in the kit...

OK, I've gotta run and head to the rodeo to help Christie. She is taking pics. I snapped this picture last night myself after I looked up and spotted him looking at me. LOL

OK, gotta run. Hope you got to stitch today. I've sure enjoyed stitching on the flannel quilt!

"Saturday Morning"

Mini Quilt Retreat
November 18 & 19, 2016

What a lovely Saturday Morning! I am so glad to be home this morning to play in my Quilting Studio  while my dear husband gives our deck in the back a new coat of paint!

I'll keep you posted on how it looks when he's finished!

So I could stand it no longer! I just had to get my hands on this fat eighth bundle that we are going to use at our Fall Mini Retreat scheduled for Friday & Saturday, November 18th and 19th.

They are so pretty I can't decided which ones I like the best! And there are several Grunge fabrics that just pop with the other bright colors!

We will be making "Saturday Morning" which will finish at 65x85 inches, a nice size throw. It reminds me of a stained glass window. By the way our mini retreat will be limited to five people due to the fat eighths bundle being such a hit it is no longer available for me to order more. I have five bundles on hand. The Kit Cost is $138 and classes are always free at EllaKates. We will get started at 6:00 on Friday evening so grab your dinner before you come and then on Saturday morning beginning at 8:00 we will have a light breakfast and lunch will be provided. We are going to have so much fun! Secure your spot by purchasing your kit or letting me know to put one back for you!

Enjoy your Saturday and make some time for STITCHING! 

A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do! And this girl needed to make good use of some down time in the doctor's waiting room. So...
I moved the end table around in front of me and "taa daa" instant cutting table with the help of my little cutting mat and rotary cutter.
I will admit I did some fast furniture rearranging when they called us back for our appointment with the oncologist!

And then yesterday we were pleased to meet a new quilter who was in Martin with her daughter at UTM! Christie snapped a pic while we were visiting at the cutting table in the studio. One of the best things about quilting is meeting new quilters and making new friendships!

Look at all my half square triangles! Spinning Star triangle paper made them a breeze! The "Martin Place" Quilt is one step closer to coming together!

All those little blocks inspire me to get this one done. I hope you are inspired today to work on your latest project.

Gotta Run, I have some stitching to do!
Until next time, HAPPY STITCHING!

Time for Quilting

I absolutely love the art of quilting!

Most recently, I find myself preparing steps that can be done when I am away from my quilting studio.

Let me explain...

On August 26, 2016, we traveled to Nashville with my son-in-love, Randall Ricketts, who was diagnosed at our local emergency room with a large brain tumor. This was followed with surgery and 12 days in the hospital. Tomorrow we will return to Nashville to begin the process of receiving chemo and radiation. This is uncharted waters for all of us.

In the midst of trouble, I still find the time to break away and work on a quilt.  Working with my hands allows me the time to reflect on God's goodness. So today, I am grateful for the art of quilting and the gift of being able to create beautiful quilts! Trimming up theses little 1" squares will be a snap with my little mat and rotary cutter. Then they are ready to have all the paper torn away as we travel.

When we return home, I'll be ready to move forward in creating the "Martin Place" Quilt!

Time to call in a night and hit the sack! I hope you too are finding the time to stitch a little! Until next time, 

Happy Stitching!

"Madame Rouge" by French General from MODA

Look what just arrived at EllaKates! It's "Madame Rouge" by French General from MODA! Oh my goodness! These are beautiful reds and golds. My favorite!

 I can hardly wait to make something with them!

But for today I am going to  cut out "Martin Place" and get to stitching! "Martin Place" is made with "Grand Traverse Bay" by Minick & Simpson from MODA fabrics! They are simply beautiful! I will keep you posted on this one as it comes together!

Hope you are as excited as I am about your current project(s)! There is just nothing like creating a quilt!! HAPPY STITCHING!

Good Morning Sunshine!

This morning is filled with sunshine and hardly a breeze is stirring. These last hot days of summer will soon be replaced with crisp Autumn mornings! Hmmm, my favorite time of the year is just around the corner!
Yesterday I finished my Wool Nativity Project. What do you think?

We have the kits and the wools are gorgeous!

 Hope you have a Happy Monday! Remember to find the time to do a little stitching!

There is nothing like the feel of fine fabric!

We all love working with cotton and truth be known we are guilty of gently rubbing our hands over more than a bolt or two when looking for our latest find. However, sometimes I need to broaden my horizons and get my hands on some wool!

I encourage you to give it a try. You can start out simple by finding a kit you really like. If you are like me, once your project is completed you will be looking for the next one.

That is one thing that makes quilting so enjoyable. While it is addicting I must admit, it is also most rewarding! Don't you agree?

Speaking of addicting. I woke up this morning with an urge to get back to this little wool project.

I can hardly wait to finish it. It will be mounted on a beautiful piece of dark gold matka.

Christmas will be here before we know it and this will make a nice heirloom addition to our decorations. I love Christmas!

Paper Pieced Christmas Tree with Ornaments

Christmas Tree is quilted and bound! This is sure to be an eye catcher this Christmas at our house!

I just love the little flying geese in the tree skirt.

And I added a rick rack trim around the second border to give it a little punch of color!

The left over scraps went to good use in making the paper pieced Christmas ornaments.

The neat thing about this tree is that you just take it down, roll it up and put it away for the next year! Easy Peasy!

Now on to my next project...

I need to finish up a customer's quilt and then I think I will get started on "Midnight Hour". This is going to be a great Autumn Quilt with beautiful colors! I'll get a picture up soon so you can see. Until next time, remember, take a few minutes for yourself every day and stitch a little!
Happy Stitching!

Good Morning LORD!

Good Morning LORD!

What a beautiful way to start the week! The LORD painted the sky with an awesome sunrise this morning and I couldn't help but try to capture the beauty with my iphone. Around our house we often say the most beautiful skies are over the lake in our own backyard!

 

I was able to slip into my quilting studio shortly after admiring the beauty and finish up a customer's quilt, Butterscotch Road.  This quilt is still available if you would like to have your own. It is a classic, with all Jo Morton fabrics! You can find it in the "Kits" category of EllaKate's website.

(Two kits left.)

Once Butterscotch Road was finished I just had to load my paper pieced "Tall Trim the Tree" from our Super Saturday Workshop on to my longarm. Oh have I told you her name is "Millie"? You know how that is, we have to name those objects closest to us. Haven't you named a car or two in your past? Anyway, Millie and I got the Christmas Tree loaded and ready to begin quilting this evening. I'll keep you posted on our progress. 

Gotta run for now. It's gonna be a busy Monday! 

Until next time, find some stitching time for yourself and enjoy your day!

Happy Stitching!