Row by Row Experience Has Begun!!

The Row by Row Experience began yesterday.  With over 2500 shops participating in the US and Canada, you are definitely going to have fun this summer!! It's like a shop hop, but it's not... no fees, no cards to stamp, and all summer to play! Simply visit any of the participating shops and ask for your free pattern for a row in a quilt. Most shops will also have fabric kits available for purchase to make it easier for you to make the row.  Combine your rows in any way to create a unique quilt that represents the fun you had traveling throughout the summer. Travel with friends, discover new quilt shops and have fun collecting rows! Click here to go the Row by Row website and see all the shops that are participating.

The Row by Row 2015 theme is "Water." Here is a photo of the Fabrics Unlimited row.  It's called "Floatin' Down the River", designed by Ann Creek of Lake Havasu City, and constructed, quilted, and embellished by yours truly here at Fabrics Unlimited.  I love the Kokopelli floating down the river on an inner tube holding his tropical drink. Complete with the Arizona cactus and signature AZ pink and purple mountains!

The actual row (without borders) measures approximately 36" x 9"...same as all of the other rows from the other shops.  The borders are not included in the fabric kit because you'll probably want to add your own sashing between rows and larger borders around the entire quilt,  but we have the fabric available for sale at Fabrics Unlimited!

You will also want to participate in the Row by Row Contest.  Create a quilt using at least 8 different 2015 rows from 8 different 2015 participating RxR shops and be the first to bring it into a participating shop to win a stack of 25 fat quarters (6-1/4 yards of fabric!). Use that shop’s row in your quilt and win a bonus prize!

At Fabrics Unlimited, we'll also have the fabric license plates and logo pins available for you to purchase when you come to visit us.(However, supplies are limited on these items!)

This event will run through the summer until September 8 and is available only when you go into the participating shops. No online, phone, or mail order sales allowed until November 1, at which time Fabrics Unlimited will have our row pattern and kit available both in the store and online.

Fabrics Unlimited is centrally located a little more than an hour from Las Vegas/Henderson area, Kingman, and Lake Havasu City.  Only about 2 hours from the Barstow/Victorville area, and about 3-1/2 hours from the Phoenix area.  We are just south of Bullhead City and just across the Colorado River from Laughlin, NV. 

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Sheri Lilienthal

Fabrics Unlimited

5039 S. Hwy 95 Suite F

Fort Mohave, AZ 86426

(928)768-1888

www.FabricsUnlimited.net

Hours: Tues-Sat 10am-4pm

 

PERFECTION IS HIGHLY OVERRATED

One of my customers recently showed me her pinwheel block, which she referred to as her "F" block in anticipation of the grade she felt she would receive from her friend who is teaching her to quilt.  She pointed to the center of the pinwheel where her points didn't match perfectly.

When I looked at the block I told her I thought it was an "A" block.  The initial look of shock on her face gave way to a smile as I pointed out the perfect points on her flying geese that made up the pinwheel.

So rather than look at what she did well, she focused on an imperfection in her block.  How often do we as quilters do that?  How many times have we shared one of our quilts with a fellow quilter and said "just don't look too closely" or "I had to rip that block apart 8 times."  How often do we say "Look at how well I finished the binding" or "I'm pleased with how the quilt turned out"?   Why are we so concerned with perfection?

Quilting is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby.  We often refer to it as "therapy."  However, we are quick to apologize for an imperfect seam when we share our work.  Do we really think the recipient of our lovingly made quilt cares if we have perfect points when he or she is wrapped up in it on a cold winter night?

For 2013 I challenge quilters (including myself) to not be so hard on ourselves and only point out the "good stuff" in our quilts.  Let's also be supportive of each other by pointing out only the "good stuff" in everyone else's quilts, too!   

Happy Quilting!

Sheri 

Fabrics Unlimited

155 Shady Lane

Stateline, NV 89449

Sierra2Sage Quilt Shop Hop 2012

The Shop Hop is over, and we're finally getting things put away and back to normal.  For those who weren't able to attend, it ran from Thursday, September 6 thru Sunday, September 9.  Twelve shops from Northern NV and Northern CA participated.  This year's theme was "Celebrations thru the Year" and each shop celebrated one month of the year.  Fabrics Unlimited's month was July, so of course we had some red, white, and blue going on!  Every shop gave away a cookie cutter (to coincide with the month they were celebrating) as well as a favorite recipe. Our cookie cutter was a flag, and our recipe was for my grandmother's Shortbread Cookies.  I can remember decorating those cookies for Christmas when I was a little girl.

Fabrics Unlimited served free BBQ hot dogs and bottled water...nothing new there, as we do that with all of our big events. We were able to set up our welcome tent, product demos, and some products for sale outside in our parking lot.  We also had picnic tables and chairs set up outside so people could relax with their hotdogs and friends. Everyone seemed to have a pretty good time. I think I heard more laughing and joking this year than in past years. 

The Fabrics Unlimited Shop Hop Quilt was an original design consisting of only 3 fabrics (you guessed it...red, white, and blue...) with stars and banners.  I called it "Celebrations".  I actually finished writing the pattern just before the Shop Hop, but ran out of time to make kits.  People who have purchased our Shop Hop Quilt Kit in the past are used to waiting until Christmas to get it because I never have enough time to write the pattern and get them kitted prior to the Shop Hop.  Since I've already finished the pattern, nobody has to wait as long as usual to get the kits this year.  Yay!!!

Our Shop Hop had a bus this year for the first time.  Forty people paid only $99 each to ride the bus to all of the stores...half of the shops on Thursday and the other half on Friday.  With the price of gas these days, that was a great deal!  Since the bus riders only had 45 minutes of shopping time per shop, our Fabrics Unlimited Staff took great pains to be ready to help get them cut and checked out on time.  However, we didn't count on our computer crashing the minute the bus pulled up!!! So I wrote up orders fast while Jerry tried to get the computer going. We set up a backup cash register for cash and check orders, and with everyone's help and patience, we were able to get everyone taken care of.  (Of course, Jerry got the computer running again as soon as the bus left!)

I am posting some of the photos from the Shop Hop for you to enjoy.  If you were able to attend, be sure to let us know how to improve the Hop.  If you weren't able to attend, we hope you will be able to come next year in September. 

I would also like to take a minute to thank everyone who helped us at Fabrics Unlimited.  We couldn't have done it without you.  Jerry and I are blessed to have such good friends!  Thank you to Julie Roberts, Janet Roberts, Mickey Madden, Nelly Peterson, Andee Wetenkamp, Margaret James, Jo Graden, Bobbi Rosenberger, Roxie Upton, Paula Thompson, and Bobbi Cole.

Until next time...

Sheri Lilienthal
Fabrics Unlimited
155 Shady Lane
Stateline, NV 89449
www.FabricsUnlimited.net

Fabrics Unlimited Outdoor Quilt Show

We held our annual Outdoor Quilt Show on Saturday, July 21.  Our 1-day show was a big success again this year with 246 projects on display. (Not quite as big as the Sisters, OR show, but even they had to start somewhere!) In addition to the quilts, we served free hot dogs and water, had product demonstrations, and gave away many doorprizes.  Award winning free motion quilter Jill Schumacher was here demonstrating her free motion quilting technique on her sewing machine.  She will be back at Fabrics Unlimited to teach her beginning class on Wednesday, August 15.  Click here for more information and to register for her class. Sandy Weber demonstrated clothesline bowls on her sewing machine.  The fact that she had so many samples is evidence of how addicting this technique is! No special machine necessary...just use your sewing machine.

Also joining us were the very talented Fiber Art Chix all the way from Florida.  Cynthia, Paula, and Roxie brought several of their creative pieces for display and for sale. Click here to visit their website. Be sure to check out their gallery pages.  

 Jerry and I would like to thank everyone who volunteered to work at the Quilt Show and also those who displayed  projects.  You are the reason the Show was a success!

Following are pictures from the Quilt Show. Enjoy!

Happy Quilting!

Sheri and Jerry Lilienthal
Fabrics Unlimited
155 Shady Lane
Stateline, NV 89449
775-588-3211
www.FabricsUnlimited.net