Bad News & Good News

The Bad News:
I am closing the Cross Country Quilt Barn's doors very soon. The current global recession we are in has affected my business greatly. Customers who were once budgeted for quilting projects are no longer able to purchase like they used to, which in turn has effected my ability to offer "the latest and the greatest" products to my customers. As most of you already know, this website was started as a way to not only provide my customers with quality products at competitive prices, but also to provide a means for me to continue to be able to stay home to care for my five children and to possibly allow my husband to be home more. My husband owns a paint contracting business that allows me to stay home and care for our five children but the responsibility and stress of working 80+ hours a week is a heavy burden.

The Good News:
We started a home-based, recession-proof, global business 6 months ago. Our company offers the newest cutting-edge technology, video communications, which is the next trend in technology. My company helps people make money and also helps people save money on essential services. It made sense to my husband and I to move in this direction, developing a residual income, which is providing us the time freedom that traditional small business ownership could never allow. We just couldn’t afford to let this opportunity to pass us by. This business also allows us to help other people interested in freedom, to build a business of their own. I would urge you to take a few minutes to browse our new website to learn more about this exceptional business opportunity: www.spottsfamily.acnrep.com.

I would like to thank all of my wonderful customers, vendors, and friends. This adventure has been so much fun and has taught me so much about business ownership, partnership, and friendship. God has always taken care of things and this transition is proof of his provision.

Thank you so much for your support and God bless,

Carmen Spotts

Back In Business!

Thank you to all my wonderful customers for your support, encouragement, and patience while I prepared for and welcomed the newest addition to my family...Ellianna Faith Spotts. She was born on February 10, 2010 weighing in at 5 pounds 15 ounces and was 18.25 inches in length! She is such a blessing to my family. Now that I have mostly adjusted to life with 5 children, I have gotten back to work in the quilt shop and have a few things to share with you...

...A New Fabric Collection...

Kansas Winter is a new fabric collection to the quilt shop. It was actually released last summer but is just now making its debut here at Cross Country Quilt Barn. It is on sale and moving fast!

...40% Off Kits...
All kits on Clearance for a limited time!
I consider kits the perfect "retirement plan" or "rainy day project". I stock up on all the kits I love and then bring them out one at a time. They are so much fun to collect!




...And A Blow Out Sale!
All merchandise on sale for a limited time at prices that will knock your socks off!

Lynne Hagmeier Bio - Kansas Troubles Quilters' Designer

I began quilting in 1977 after hanging out in a quilt shop so much they gave me a job - it was instant addiction! Three of us were soon sewing together making mini quilts and selling them at craft fairs. After 3 years, one of our partners left to have time to quilt for herself; the other two of us continued with our new pattern company, Kansas Troubles Quilters. Armed with 18 patterns and a fearless attitude, we went to our first Quilt Market in 1996. By 2000, my other partner left KTQ to "have a life" and I forged on alone, designing my first fabric line for Moda. With fabric, books and patterns taking over our home, my husband, Robert, and I decided to move our business into a separate building. We landed in my hometown of Bennington, Kansas, in an 85-year-old 2-story building that was home to the town's pool hall for most of it's life. Besides providing ample space for a design studio, publishing and storage, and living quarters for us, KTQ's new home also had space upstairs available for weekend quilting retreats. For seven years, we hosted over 100 retreats with more than 800 quilters from all over the U.S. We retired from the retreat business at the end of this year to concentrate on our wholesale business and teaching opportunites.

As KTQ, I design 3 lines of fabric for Moda each year, publish over a dozen patterns, create unique designs and write a newsletter monthly for our new KT Stash Society program which is distributed thru quilt shops, and teach at quilt guilds and shops around the midwest and beyond. If I'm not quilting, I'm antique shopping or creating unique home decor accessories from old junk. Robert and I try to spend as much time with our grandkids as we can - 6 kids and 8 grandkids from 10 months to 10 years old between us. We've just completed a small cabin by a pond a few miles from our KTQ building to get away from work and unwind. It's been so much fun - and a challenge - to find the perfect cupboard, bench or quilt to decorate our compact space.

This year, we're looking forward to Spring Market in Pittsburgh, a quilting cruise to the Bahamas and several quilt shop weekends of workshops and a trunk show. Watch for my next fabric collections - Wildflower Serenade II coming out next month, Kansas Winter in May and Vine Creek next fall. Check our website @ ktquilts.com for all the latest patterns available at your local shop.

-Lynne Hagmeier

Candy Kisses

I know it is probably a bit early to start thinking about Valentines Day but i just had to share with you Sandy Gervais' new line of fabric coming out later this month called "Candy Kisses" made especially for the Valentine's Day holiday. See what she has to say about her new collection and the inspiration behind it's creation:

Candy Kisses

As a child Valentine’s Day was always a favorite holiday of mine. Not because I received valentines with a stick of gum inside, but because I loved making the valentines and
“The Box”. This was typically made from an old shoe box. I would first cover it with construction paper. I would then cut out as many construction paper hearts, of all shapes and sizes, as I could possibly fit on the box. Lastly, a slit was made on the top of the box for receiving the Valentines.

Back in my day we did not have “scrapbooking” stores that had endless amounts of papers, doodads, glitters, stamps, markers, punches etc. We were pretty much limited to red, pink and white construction paper a pair of scissors and that awful Elmer’s school paste. Remember this? It came in a jar with a stiff plastic wand, for spreading the pasty white stuff. Remember how you usually ended up just spreading it around with your fingers.

Every year I also made Valentine people. They too were cut from construction paper with their head/body (it was all one) being a big heart and their legs and arms skinny strips of construction paper accordion folded and attached to the head/body with gold brads. Eyes and a big smile where added with crayons. I usually added a big construction paper bow at the “imaginary” neck. Do you suppose kids these days even make these characters? – I’m sure not. Can they even take Valentines to school anymore? – Probably not.

My Valentine’s line of fabric is always a relatively easy line for me to design. The colors and motifs are pretty much predetermined – mostly hearts of reds, pinks, and creams. Although this line has plenty of hearts it also features some great no nothing prints, dots and stripes that can be used any time of the year.

The popularity of Moda’s pre-cuts, aka Jelly Rolls™, Layer Cakes™, Honey Buns™ and Turnovers™ make me think of cakes and cupcakes. Large heart shaped boxes filled with candy are also a big part of Valentine’s Day as well. With these ingredients I had the beginnings of the panel, which is the first part of the fabric line that I paint, followed by the painting of the companion prints and stripes.

I have designed a pattern for the panel and one for each of the pre-cuts. Using the pre-cuts you can whip up all of these projects in very little time. (Almost like using a cake mix.) My favorite is the pattern using the Charm Pack™ called This Takes the Cake. This pattern features a cake with rick rack for the filling. The rick rack is included in the pattern.

I hope you enjoy making the projects using this fabric as much as I enjoyed designing the fabric.

I must go. I suddenly have a craving for cake!

From My Heart,
Sandy Gervais

P.S. Moda will be introducing a new pre-cut this coming spring. They will be called Dessert Rolls™. These will consist of ten 5” X width of fabric strips. Look for these in my Christmas line Crazy Eight due out in May 2009.

Thank you Sandy for sharing with us a little about you and the inspiration behind your creations! You can learn more about Sandy and all the beautiful patterns and fabrics that she has created at her website.

If you would like further information regarding this line of fabric, feel free to email me or visit my website to see the fabrics from this collection that are available at my shop now!

Sincerely,

Carmen

Welcome!

Yes, I have decided to step into the world of blogging! I created this blog to keep you informed on what is new and exciting in my shop, in the world of quilting, and even a peek into the busy life of a stay-at-home/work-at-home: wife of 1 amazing husband and mom of 4 great kids!

I will post monthly the winner of my gift certificate drawing, so be sure to subscribe to my feed to receive automatic updates to the blog. This blog will likely be replacing most of my email newsletters that you receive. Also, share this blog with all of your quilting friends so they have a chance to win too! I will be having guest speakers on quilting topics, yummy recipes, and you will have the opportunity to get to know a lot of very fun and exciting fabric designers and quilting experts!

Please let me know if there is something specific that you are looking for, wondering about, or want to learn more about, and I will be glad to help in any way I can. I can't wait to hear all the ideas and/or feedback you have to share!

Sincerely,
Carmen