2011 Color of the Year

Each year Pantone announces the color of the year. The big reveal was today and the new color of the year is......wait for it......did you guess right......Yes, it's Honeysuckle!!! Declared the color for all seasons, Honeysuckle is a bright and bold pink color.

"Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It's a color for everyday - with nothing 'everyday' about it, " Pantone declares.

Other colors to watch for.....Bamboo, Emberglow, Phlox, Cedar, Deep Teal, Coffee Liquer, Nougat, Orchid Hush and Quarry. Watch for these colors this fall in the new fabric lines!

Birthday Bash

Thank you to everyone who made our Birthday night a great one! We had a great time and hope you did too.

Moda Fabric designer Karla Eisenach of Sweetwater treated us to a trunk show featuring quilts, bags and more made from her Moda fabric collections.And we treated everyone to 'button' cake. No birthday would be complete without cake! Mmmmm!

Birthday Bash

Celebrate and SAVE at our 2nd Anniversary Celebration this Friday, Saturday & Sunday, February 4, 5 & 6! Pick a 'Sweet Treat' for a 10%, 15% or 20% discount. Purchase fabric for a complete quilt top and receive a coupon for 20% off on Edge-2-Edge machine quilting on the project.

Don't forget to join us for our Trunk Show on Friday evening at 7 p.m. featuring Moda designer Karla Eisenbach of Sweetwater. And sign up for Karla's bag class on Saturday - featuring Karla's newest fabric collection "Sunkissed" and new vinyl coated fabrics!

Hours: Friday 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.: Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Sunday 1 - 5 p.m.

Central Park

Spring is just around the corner? Well, the latest arrival from Moda makes us all anticipate spring's arrival, even if the weatherman is forecasting subzero temps! Central Park by Kate Spain for Moda evokes those thoughts of spring with this blooming collection of florals and coordinating geometrics. Perfect for a new spring tote or apron!

Come Celebrate Our 2nd Anniversary

You're invited to help us celebrate our 2nd Anniversary on Friday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Senior Center in Leoti with a trunk show featuring Moda fabric designer Karla Eisenbach of Sweetwater Designs. Cost is $5 per person. Karla will share her design story through her trunk show. Sweetwater is a spinoff of its parent company Farmyard Creations, which began as a quilt company in 1985, providing quilt patterns and designing fabrics for quilt stores throughout the U.S., Canada and overseas.

We hope you'll join us for a fun evening!

Happy Birthday Janet!

This week we celebrated Janet's 'Big' Birthday with a surprise soup luncheon at the shop. Of course it had a button theme!

Future Quilter

One of Prairie Flower Quilt Co.'s future quilters - Belinda's granddaughter Taegan.

Sneak Peek

On this chilly day, we just wanted to warm you up with a sneak peek of some of the quilt blocks for our 2011 Prairie Stars Shop Hop slated for April 7-16. The quilt features the 'Wildflower Rhapsody" collection by Kansas designers 'A Wing and A Prayer' for Timeless Treasures. The quilt features a baskets and flowers row quilt theme. These fresh spring colors remind us that warmer weather is just around the corner!

Totes on Bolts

There's been a little dry spell at the shop with no new fabric deliveries --- until today! Three huge boxes arrived full of fabric. Included in the shipment was three bolts of fabric that features an assortment of coordinated fabric prints all printed into fabric panels to make the Veranda Tote Bag - how cool and convenient! We'll be working on kitting these up for an easy 'grab and go' project. Stop by and grab yours before they're all gone!

Happy Birthday.....

to US! Two years ago today, Prairie Flower Quilt Co. opened its doors. We've shared laughter and tears, made a few mistakes and learned a lot along the way.....but best of all, we got to share this experience with lots of old and new friends! We hope you've enjoyed being a part of Prairie Flower Quilt Co. as much as we've enjoyed you! Looking forward to 2011 and all the quilting fun to be had.

Wishing everyone a.....

Just a reminder that tomorrow (Thursday, Dec. 30) is the last day for our End of the Bolt Sale and Fat Quarter Sale! Buy the whole bolt and get 25% off. All pre-cut fat quarters are $2 each.

We will be closed Friday, Dec. 31 and Saturday, Jan. 1 for inventory. See you in 2011!!!

End of Year Sale

Don't miss our End of the Year Sale

Monday, Dec. 27 thru Thursday, Dec. 30.

All precut Fat Quarters just $2.00!

Stock your stash before the prices go up!!!

After January 1st, all Fat Quarters will be $2.75

End of the Bolt Sale

We're getting ready to inventory and don't want to count all those short bolts, so we're pulling them off the shelves and stacking them up in the classroom so you can find them easier and SAVE!!!

Buy the entire bolt and get 25% off

(Great for quilt backs!)

(PS. There may be other specials - who knows what we may end up with!)

Where Has December Gone?

Oh my, the month has flown by and we haven't posted lately. Even though it's been quiet on our blog, it hasn't been at the shop! We've been busy quilting, plotting year-end activities (yes, the "I" word - Inventory), and helping with those last minute Christmas gift ideas.

Need a quick gift for the quilter on your list (or a gift for yourself!), check out our new "A Morris Tapestry" quilt kits featuring a layer cake pattern called "Morris Dance Nine Patch". English inspired prints in dusty pinks, lavendars, blues and golds come together to create a beautiful traditional nine-patch quilt.

Cuddly Soft

Hi...I'm a Cuddle Hug, a quick and easy to sew cuddle baby blanket. Inside my roll you will find one 29" x 36" double sided piece of cuddle and one 7" x 58" piece of cuddle for the binding along with a free baby blanket pattern. My finished size is approximately 29" x 36" and I come in four different colors - brown with blue and brown dots, lime green with pink, brown and green dots, baby blue with brown giraffe print, and pink with brown giraffe print. We've made our temporary home at Prairie Flower Quilt Co., but hope you'll take us home soon!

Giving Thanks

We at Prairie Flower Quilt Co. are thankful for our families, good health, a great country, and wonderful quilting friends like you! Wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.P.S. We will be open Friday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Beautifully Romantic

The latest collection from Robin Pandolph arrived in the shop and it is absolutely lovely. "Rue Saint Germain" exudes romance with its soft color palette and floral prints. Perfect for all sorts of home dec projects - what a great way to beat those upcoming winter blues!

Santa Surprise

Just wanted to share a photo of our little 'Santa Surprises' that we gave to our Thimbleberries Club members. These santas were little ornaments made from vintage crazy quilt pieces and were quick to make.

New Arrival

Haven't stopped by the shop lately? You are really missing out! New fabric is arriving - both from the fall lines and from our market orders - just in time to create a special handmade gift for the special people on your Christmas list. The latest to arrive is "Wild Rose" by Blackbird Designs for Moda. The soft palette of this collection just oozes romance!

Cute, Cute, Cute

These kitties are just too cute for words. Two kitty friends frolic in the garden on a beautiful day without a care in the world in this charming collection - "A Tale of Two Kitties" - by Jacqueline Paton for Red Rooster Fabrics. The collection uses delicate, muted shades of slate blue, leaf green, terracotta brown and other natural hues. Perfect not only for clothing and bags, but also for quilts like the project pattern we are featuring at the shop.

BABs, BOMs & Mysteries

We're busy working on lots of fun programs for 2011 and now is the time to get signed up for the fun! At market, we signed up for Marti Michell's "The Romance Continues" Block of the Month program. We're offering it in two colorways - the yellow and blue of Marti's newest collection of fabric, Wild Roses II, and in pink and black of Marti's first Wild Roses collection. Belinda will be the instructor.

We're also starting a Mystery Quilt Club in 2011. The mystery quilt is called "A Quilter's Journey" and you can 'Travel by Day' which features a light background or 'Travel by Night' which features a dark background. Participants will get to select their own fabrics, so we'll kick off the program with a 'Pickin' Party' in January where we'll help everyone select their 4 fabrics for their quilt. Then at each monthly meeting, you'll receive the 'clues' (pattern instructions) to assemble your quilt and solve the mystery of what it will look like. At the end of the 8 months of 'clues', we'll end with a Mystery Reveal where everyone will show their completed quilt tops. Price for the program is dependent on the fabric selected and the size of quilt made, plus $25 for the monthly clues. Sharla will be the instructor for this club.

Last but not least, our Buck A Block program kicked off in November, but it's not too late to join. We've added more colorways because we've sold out of most of the original ones, so stop in and see our new colorways and sign up for one or two! Cost of the program is $1 per month ($3 per month for additional colorways) when you bring in your finished block from the previous month, plus the finishing kits. This program does not have a meeting, so you can stop in anytime during the month to pick up your block kit. Janet and Deb are managing this program.

Stop in and check out all of our 2011 programs!

A Simpler Time

Holly Taylor's new fabric collection for Moda evokes 'A Simpler Time' with a woodsy tone of fabrics in soft tans, chocolate browns, brick reds and misty blues that feature leaves, berries, cabins and geometric designs. Just makes you want to cuddle up in a warm, cozy quilt created from this fabric collection and sit by a crackling fire. Stop by the shop to run your hands across this beautiful collection of fabric today!

Our Annual Trek

Well, we made it to our first stop on our way to Quilt Market in Houston - Dallas, TX - and we're poised for our annual trek to Moda! It's like kids in a candy shop - way too much fun!

To Market, To Market

We're off to Houston for the International Quilt Market! We hope to find lots of new tools, techniques, patterns, fabrics and more to bring back to you. Is there something you wish we'd look for to carry in the shop? Let us know at prairieflowerquilts@yahoo.com by Friday and we'll see if we can find it.

Maison de Garance

New layer cakes and charm packs arrived today from Moda called Maison de Garance. A beautiful assortment of reds and browns - don't you just love that color combination! And they blend great with French General's other collections - Rouenneries and Lumiere de Noel. Stop in and pick some up before they're gone!

Time for Treats

No, not Halloween treats......Tonga Treats from Timeless Treasures! Tonga Treats are packages of either 2 1/2" strips or 10" squares of an assortment of Tonga batiks. They come in two colorways - 'Hard Candy' pops with bright tropical colors while 'Coffee Cake' exudes warmth in earthy blues and browns. The Coffee Cake colorway features a free pattern that uses a package of 10" squares and a package 2 1/2" strips to make this 68" x 85" quilt called "Intersections". Stop by the shop for a treat or two soon!

It's a Mystery!

Don't you just love a mystery? And a quilt mystery is even better! Join our 2011 Mystery Club and enjoy solving the "Quilter's Journey" mystery. You'll be able to "Travel by Day" (using a light background fabric) or "Travel by Night" (using a dark background fabric) during this 8 month club. We'll start in January when we'll spend a fun-filled evening where everyone will get to pick out their four fabrics for their mystery quilt. Then each month we'll meet where you'll get your next clues (instructions) to the mystery. We'll wrap up in September with a mystery reveal party where everyone will reveal their own unique quilt. Sound like fun? Cost for the program is $25 plus your fabric and supplies. Stop by the shop to sign up and pick up your first mystery clues to help you select your fabrics.

Come see us @ KQO!

We're busy at the shop putting together new kits and goodies for the vendor's show at the Kansas Quilters Organization's fall meeting in Colby this weekend. We'll have lots of quick and easy quilt kits perfect for handmade Christmas gifts, plus lots more. Come see us on Friday evening, Oct. 15 from 6 - 9 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct. 16 from 9 - 4 p.m. at the Comfort Inn in Colby. Hope to see you there!

Restoring old quilts & blocks

Here's a hint shared on the Kansas Quilters Organization website for restoring old blocks or quilts. Try the following recipe.....

• 1 gallon water
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Soak quilt or blocks in mixture, then wash in mild detergent. They say your colors will return to their original brilliance.

Missing our friendly delivery man

Lunch time is always a much anticipated time as that's when our UPS man makes deliveries. It's been quiet for the last couple of weeks as we have been waiting for the new fall collections to start arriving. Yesterday our first shipment came in! Sweet Divinity by Riley Blake Designs is a just that.....sweet. This youthful collection features light and cheery flowers and complimentary patterns in pinks, aquas and greens. Perfect for so many accessories for yourself and your home!

A Quilting Tip - Preventing 'Waviness" in Borders

One of the most often 'issues' we encounter when doing machine quilting is the "Wavy Border Syndrome". To prevent waviness or fullness in your quilt borders, follow this tip. When measuring for the borders of your quilt, always measure from the center of your quilt across from side-t0-side and from top-to-bottom, not along the outside edges. Cut your border pieces this measurement and then ease any difference into the quilt when sewing on the borders.

It's Here.....The Sashiko

The much awaited Babylock Sashiko machine has arrived at the shop! This machine was introduced a year ago, but was immediately sooooo popular that orders far exceeded production and has been on backorder until now. There is no other machine on the market like the Sashiko - it creates the look of traditional hand-work stitching. Add a hand-stitched touch to any project with this one-of-a-kind machine! Stop by the shop to take a test drive.

School Spirit

We've got spirit, yes we do. We've got spirit, how about you? We're showing our pride with some new KSU and KU fabrics. Perfect for that college student in your family.

We also have new red and black flannels with coordinating bieges and tans. Great to make a warm and cozy rag quilt for your Leoti Braves or Indians student.

Come play with Kate & Nate

We love to play with fabric, don't you? And we think you'll love to play with the latest collection to arrive at the shop - Child's Play with Kate and Nate by Sherri Berry for Northcott Fabrics. These fun prints coordinate with a couple of panels that feature alphabet blocks and center panel with 'baby firsts' blocks that you can fill in with your baby's information. Coordinating solid corduroy fabrics will add another dimension to your quilt projects. This collection would be perfect for not only quilts, but diaper bags, nursury decor and more.

Make It & Take It Mondays & More

Can you believe summer is over? Before we know it, Christmas will be here with all the shopping, cooking and parties. Let us help you prepare for a "Homemade Holiday" with a wide array of Make It & Take It Classes throughout the fall. Classes will be held on Mondays (unless otherwise noted) beginning at 5:30 p.m. Each class is $10 plus supplies. Sign up for three different classes for $25. Class fees must be paid at the time of registration. Classes are limited to 8 people.

• Tea Towel Aprons - Monday, Sept. 20, Instructor Deb Case. Sew up several of these quick, and easy aprons - paired with a cookbook, a cooking utensil or by themselves, it's a perfect gift for the chef on your list.
• Lounge Pants - Monday, Sept. 27, Instructor Sharla Krenzel. Lounge pants are all the rage for any age. Both youth and adult patterns available. Great for the hard-to-buy-for on your shopping list!
• 30-Minute Tablerunner - Monday, Oct. 4, Instructor Janet Droste. Need a last minute give? This quick - only 30 minutes from start to finish - tablerunner is the perfect gift when you're in a pinch. Make them for every occassion! We've paired it with another quick and easy project - Christmas tree napkins!
• Casserole Cover - Monday, Oct. 18, Instructor Deb Case. Easy casserole tote perfect for those carry-in dinners. Pair it with a new baking dish for another great gift!
• Spiral Tree Skirt - Saturday, Oct. 23, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Instructor Belinda Oldham. Use the 9 degree ruler to create a beautiful tree skirt to grace the base of your Christmas tree this year. This ruler is also used in the Spiral Tablerunner class on Nov. 6.
• Bah Humbug? - Monday, Oct. 25, Instructor Sharla Krenzel. Make either the Snap Happy bag or the Humbug Bag - either one is perfect to carry all those little girlie things! Both come in three sizes and is fat quarter friendly!
• Spiral Tablerunner - Saturday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Instructor Janet Droste. You've seen our sample in the shop - now make your own! The spiral in this tablerunner is created using the 9 degree ruler and is definitely that cool. Use this ruler for the Spiral Tree Skirt class on Oct. 25 too.
• T-Shirt Quilts - Monday, Nov. 8, Instructor Belinda Oldham. Dig out all those sports t-shirts and make a keepsake quilt - perfect for the athlete in your family. It'll be a gift they treasure forever!
• Let's Play Twister! - Monday, Nov. 22, Instructor Sharla Krenzel. The Twister or 'Lil Twister rulers create a 'new twist' to the traditional 4-patch block. You determine the size of project - from a small table runner to a full-size quilt - made from either charm packs or layer cakes.
• Tea Towel Pillows - Monday, Nov. 29, Instructor Deb Case. Tea towels are the secret behind these quick and cute decorative pillows - a perfect accent for any holiday or everyday decor!
• Grommet Wallet - Monday, Dec. 6, Instructor Deb Case. Grommets are the hot new fashion embellishment. Make this fashion-forward wallet for all the hip girls on your Christmas list!
• Just for Baby - Monday, Dec. 20, Instructor Janet Droste. Make a cute baby sleeper from a Onesie, or a Tag-A-Long mini blanket with a variety of trims to tickle a baby's senses! These are great baby gifts to have on hand anytime.

Nottingham Village

While we were busy with harvest, Christmas in July Shop Hop and fair preparations, we had a fabric collection that arrived and slipped by unnoticed.....how can that be! Nottingham Village by Marcus Fabrics is a beautiful civil war era collection in lush blue and brown hues. Although it has a civil war past, it can easily be paired with many of our modern handbag patterns for a hip new winter fashion accessory. Stop in the shop and check it out!

Look For It

We just sent out our latest newsletter that features a full schedule of Make It and Take It Monday classes. To get on our e-newsletter list, send your email address to us at prairieflowerquilts@yahoo.com.

Memories from childhood

Remember the Little Golden Books from your childhood? We do, and the latest fabric to arrive at the shop has that touch of nostalgia straight from the pages of those great little children's books. We have two new tossed prints from this line that mix great with any line of 30's prints. Great for baby quilts!

We're lovin' Lizzie

Daisies, hearts and zigzags grace the latest line from Anna Griffin for Windham Fabrics called the Lizzie Collection. Cheery floral daisies dance with colorful swirls that pair perfectly with silly stripes and decorative dots. A playful bouquet of happy prints in doll pink, leaping lizard green and true blue, with a burst of sunshine yellow thrown in. This collection is perfect for that special girl in your life! Stop in the shop and pick up some today.

New Arrival

The weatherman is predicting a cool front moving through today, and hopefully, that means fall is not far behind. And with the arrival of autumn, a host of new fall fabric collections will begin to arrive too. The first one to arrive at the shop is Sentimental Studios newest collection for Moda called Kashmir V. Wonderful paisley prints mixed with complimentary patterns in a rich array of russet reds, dusty blues and greens, and warm browns. Run your hands across these bolts of lush fabrics, layer cakes, jelly rolls and charm packs, and let your mind wander through all the wonderful projects you can make with this collection!

Save the Date.....Sewing Machine Repair Day

Our sewing machine repairman will be at the shop on August 23rd. Need a machine repaired, cleaned, etc.? Then give us a call and reserve your spot today! A limited number of spots are available.

"Garage" Sale

Leoti's Annual City-Wide Garage Sale is this Saturday and we're ready to clear the sale shelves at the shop. One day only, select sale fabric will be $4/yd. Buy 10 or more yards and pay only $3/yd. Minimum 1 yard cuts. Also, select fat quarters wil be $1. Get it while the gettin's good! 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Purse-onality Plus!

Congratulations to Carmen Selzer and Marilyn Luebbers, the first and second place winners in our 'Show Us Your Purse-onality' Fair Fabric Challenge. Thank you to everyone who entered and we encourage everyone to stop by the Wichita County Fair to check them all out!

Car Tag Bingo

Do you remember playing car tag bingo as a kid while traveling on your summer vacation? Checking the stats on this website is much like playing the car tag game. It's always fun to see where visitors to this site are from. In the last 48 hours we've had visitors from 32 states and 13 countries. There really are quilters in every corner of the world!

Are you interested in stats too? Here's a list of where are visitors from the last 48 hours are located.....

Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Michigan, South Carolina, Washington, Ohio, Nebraska, Florida, New Jersey, Nevada, Utah, Minnesota, California, Vermont, Massachusetts, Idaho, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Dakota, Indiana, Arizona, Kentucky, and, of course, Kansas.

Phillipines, Ireland, Turkey, Poland, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, Taiwan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Columbia, and Malaysia.

Hmmmm, I really need to work on getting an online store up and running!

A Straggler

One more Christmas fabric group arrived today - only a month late. But we're glad it's here because its so beautiful, it sparkles - literally! A Dicken's Christmas by Sentimental Studios for Moda is overlayed with gold sparkles, perfect to add some dazzle to your holiday home decor. We can picture tree skirts, table runners, candle mats, stockings, wall hangings and more made from this fabric. Of course, pictures don't do this collection justice - so you'll just have to come visit us and see for yourself! :)

Double Diamonds = Double Delight!

Several new rulers were introduced at quilt market this spring and we demonstrated some of them at our Christmas in July Shop Hop on Saturday. One of our favorites is the Double Diamond ruler. This ruler creates a lattice work in fabric that's just beautiful. Just imagine all the project possibilities with this ruler. Add decoration to bags, tablerunners, sweatshirts, jackets and more! There are three patterns currently available for this ruler and we have all three, so stop by the shop and pick up yours today!

Shop Hop Winners

Thank you to everyone who helped make our Christmas in July Shop Hop a success. And congratulations to the following drawing winners.....

-Joyce Henderson, Lakin - $50 gift certificate

-Leslie Morgan, Lakin - Quilter's recipe book

-Alvera Chvilicek, Marienthal - Christmas fabric

-Jean Ayers, Syracuse - The Blessed Home Quilt book

If you didn't get a chance to stop by during the shop hop, come in and see our new holiday fabrics and projects. We're combining the remaining shop hop kits with Syracuse and will have complete kits to sell, so get yours before they're gone!

Unwrapped

What fun we had this morning unwrapping all of our Christmas fabric, samples and patterns! There were lots of things to oogle over..... a cozy flannel quilt in bright and cheery winter prints, santa wallhanging quilt in traditional reds and greens, red work Christmas stocking, advent calendar quilt, winter and holiday fabrics, jelly rolls, layer cakes, charm packs, and lots of Christmas kits. Feeling left out of the fun? Well, stop in tomorrow for day 2 of our Christmas in July Mini Shop Hop and join the fun!

Christmas In July Mini Shop Hop

Don't miss this Friday & Saturday, July 9 & 10 for our Christmas In July Mini Shop Hop with Quilter's Stash in Syracuse. Join us on Friday morning at 10 a.m. for a "Christmas Brunch & Unwrapping Party" and see our new Christmas arrivals. We're so excited, just like little kids on Christmas Eve! Here's a sneak peek......

Then join us again on Saturday at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. for our "Rulers Rule" demos. There's lots of new rulers that were introduced this spring at quilt market and we'll share a few of them.

There's no 'mystery' this year about our Shop Hop Quilt because, frankly, we just love it and couldn't keep it a secret! It's a Kansas Troubles quilt featuring packages & ornaments using Lynne's latest collection - Wrapped in Paisley.

We'll have lots of fun, goodies & prizes, so make plans to attend!