Batiks By Design

We haven’t been blogging lately because we’ve been busy planning and moving to our new location at 1900 North 12th Street, Suite D in Murray KY.  I hope if you are in the area visiting Paducah or the Kentucky Lake area, that you’ll stop by and visit us.  We are planning some events for this Friday and Saturday to celebrate our move.  Even if you can’t come to the store, you can participate.  We are offering a $10 gift certificate FREE.  All you have to do is order on Friday or Saturday (only one per customer please) and place your order using the promotion code CELEBRATION.  That’s it!  Our gift to you.

We would also like to invite you to become a fan of Batiks by Design on facebook.  All you have to do is click on the link and click on the button to Become A Fan.  We’ll be drawing for some prizes since we just reached 500 fans over the next few days.

Well, Patti is off to Houston to attend Quilt Market and vend at Quilt Festival. The show is at the George R Brown Convention Center from Oct 15-18th, and she will not be back until the 20th.  While she is gone, Shirley and I have decided to have a big sale. You know what they say, “While the cat is away, the mice will play”, so we decided to have some FUN! Don’t miss out on a chance to save 15% on your order. Enter promotion code:   bossaway15% and save some money. Our ENTIRE inventory is available for this discount, but don’t tell Patti!  Just one catch…Patti has taken most of our inventory with her, so if what you order is out on the road, we promise to pack it up and ship it out as soon as she gets back. Your order may not get to you as fast as usual, but hey isn’t that worth the 15% savings? I think it is!

I have to get back to catching up on my administrative duties, now.  I got behind while preparing for Patti to head out to Houston.  Take care and if you are heading to Houston, be safe and have fun! Tell Patti Shirley and I have everything under control here at the store.

It’s that time of year when I need to start buying several new patterns for the store and get some samples made to show online and at the AQS Des Moines Quilt Show in October.  I’ve been looking around and I’ve found a few, but I was wondering if you have any ideas about what might work with my traditional batik fabrics.  I like to include at least one of those fabrics in most of the quilts we make and fill in with Bali fabrics.  Send me your ideas.  Remember, the patterns should show off the traditional batik designs.  I’m looking forward to your input.  Thanks!

My daughter’s birthday was on Wednesday, June 10th.  She just turned 15.  Today she is having her party with 3 of her friends.  I’m so glad she decided to have one, since I was afraid she might think she is too old for one – you do know that 15 is a wise old age!  They seem to be having fun.  So far they’ve had a water balloon fight, played Guitar Hero, opened presents, and ate a lot of pizza from a great place in Murray called Matt B’s Main Street Pizza.  He makes his pizza just like they do in New Jersey!  Yum!!  Anyway, I would like her to know that I love her very much and as frustrating as she is sometimes as she tries to grow up, I want her to always be herself.  She’s frustrating, cute, funny, outgoing at times and shy at others, loves with all of her heart and is also very soft hearted, brilliant when she thinks no one is looking, and the sweetest daughter a mother could ask for.  Happy Birthday!

Two more weeks and we’ll be setting up for the AQS Paducah Quilt Show! For those of you that are used to seeing me at the Kentucky Oaks Mall, I’ll be in a new location. I will be located at the Finkle Building, which is the “pink” building on 2nd and Kentucky, which is also where AQS sells their books. My booth number is 6211-13, but there aren’t a lot of vendors located there so I’m sure you’ll be able to find me. From the Quilt Museum, go through the parking lots to the alley that takes you to Kerchaf’s Bakery. After having a wonderful lunch at the bakery, keep going down the alley and you’ll run into Kentucky Ave. Turn left and you’ll see the Finkle Building on your right. If you haven’t been to my booth before or have seen Batiks by Design at other shows, be sure to look us up.   We’ve recently received more new Indonesian Batik motif fabrics and can’t wait to show them off at the quilt show.  We have made new samples (show here, but much better in person), have many new patterns, and hope that our shipment of Hoffman Bali Pops will come in in time.

I am working on a new pattern that I am going to offer for free on my blog . . . want to see what it looks like?  Take a look!  It uses 2 1/2 inch jelly rolls and should be fun and easy to make.

New pattern coming soon!

 

What do you think?  Comments?  What should I call it?  Comment with your suggestions!

We knew it was coming . . . they told us on the weater reports that it would be a major storm . . . and we prepared . . . kind of . . . it was worse than we thought it could be.  We were hit with phase 1 of the storm on Monday night, January 26th.  The temperature was just at the freezing point and it started to rain – really rain.  I couldn’t imagine that it would have time to freeze on the trees and cars at the rate it was coming down, but it did.  We woke up to an ice wonderland and no school.  Because of pre-salting and the fact that the road surface wasn’t very cold, the roads were ok.  But we didn’t have electricity.  I know it was on at 6:30 or so that morning, but when I woke up later at around 8:30 it was out.  Here are some pictures from the first day:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were able to get out that day and stocked up on kerosene and candles.  We were ok on food.  The second part of the storm was supposed to include more freezing rain that would turn into all snow.  We sat in the living room at night and just listened to the branches breaking on the trees one right after another.  It sounded horrible.  The next morning we looked out at ice and about an inch of snow and so many branches, both large and small, laying on the ground. 

We lost not only our electricity, but our water (the company didn’t have generators to pump the water), phone service, Internet, and cell phones.  We were without electric and Internet for 7 1/2 days.  The other utilities came back on before that.  I know that we have witnessed storms like this in other places and I’ve always felt horrible for the victims, but now I can sympathize.  And I know that I wasn’t as bad off as many others.  My step-son and his family were without power for 14 days and there were over 20 telephone poles that snapped within a mile or so of his home.  Lines crossed the roads and their driveway and many more trees were destroyed in their yard.  Others had trees land on their houses and cars.  Some I know have no insurance.  Thank God for the volunteers that manned warming shelters, prepared food, and offered hot showers.  We really appreciate the help that was sent from neighboring states to help with the process of fixing the electrical problems.  They left their homes and families to help.

I think I need to look for a gas powered sewing machine for the next time!  ROFL!!!

Check out Diane’s interview with me at the AQS Show in Des Moines on YouTube.   Diane is with Details by Diane and is such fun!  The picture is a bit grainy, but it’s so neat to see the interview she did.  Send me your comments.

We arrived home from The International Quilt Festival in Houston a little more than 2 weeks ago and I’ve been trying to get caught up both at home and with my website.  Being gone for 12 days for both Market (where we found some wonderful new Bali fabrics and some new patterns) and Festival, makes for a long trip.  We enjoyed it, but we were very glad to be home.  One of the things we enjoyed the most was meeting the people who stop by our booth!

Since Houston is such a BIG show, one of the fun things is to meet some of the designers of some of our favorite patterns.   In the picture on the left is the creative force behind The Creative Thimble and the designer of Carol’s Convertible Purse.  This is one of our customer’s favorite purses since it converts from a shoulder bag to a backpack, leaving your hands free to shop for more fabrics and patterns at the show.  Just imagine how many bolts of fabric you can pick up with your hands free!!

Lisa Moore from Quilts With a Twist is one of our favorite people, as well as a fantastic designer.  Lisa is a former engineer who has retired to Alaska and writes some of the best pattern instructions we’ve seen!  Thank you Lisa!!  You go girl!  One of her latest patterns is behind her and called Alaska Toss.  Our customers at all of our shows just love this pattern.  It’s our top seller!  Lisa also has designed Diamonds With a Twist, I Spy With a Twist, and Bear Claw. 

We met Colleen Granger last year at Quilt Market and have loved her book called Bodacious Quilts.  She was at Festival to teach.  Her book shows you how to make one easy block and then lay it out into various quilts – hoping you’ll come up with one of your own.  Our sample quilt is above her head in the picture in black, white, and pink.  I had so much fun making the quilt.  I hope to have time to make another one in the near future.  It was fast and allowed me to be creative with my fabrics and layout.  The book is $12.95 and very easy to follow.  Thanks for the great directions, Colleen!

 Toby Lischko from Gateway Quilts and Designs is one of my favorite designers and a wonderful person.  She was at Festival as a teacher, too.  She is standing in our booth next to our sample of Stairway to the Stars.  W also carry her pattern Royal Gems.  We’re adding the pattern Zen Garden to our site and think it will look fantastic in our blue and white traditional designs. 

We were also visited by 2 customers from last year – one that needed more fabric to complete her started quilt top and another one who had made a wonderful purse with lots of traditional batik designs.  Check out the pictures!

We had fun, ate lots of great food (and some not so great), and met a lot of great people.  If you stopped by, guess you were one of them!

Counting the days until Christmas!

Patti

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here, which means the holidays are here!  We have some ideas for holiday gifts to make for the loved ones in your life – or to give to your favorite quilting friends.

Purses are SO in this year!  We’ve gathered a number of patterns to help you make one for every occasion.  Our most popular pattern is the Zip ‘n Go Tote.  With 6 outside pockets and a zippered large pocket, this is one great purse.  The Charm Party Tote is another great option.  Grab a stack of 5 inch squares and a yard of a pretty matching fabric and you will have a bag in no time!   The Sophisticated Purse-O-Nality bag is a totally awesome purse that I can’t wait to try.  I just bought the pattern at Quilt Market in Houston.  Won’t it look fantastic in some of our traditional batik design fabrics?  Another great option is the Quilter’s Rucksack pattern from Bethany Reynolds.  I’ve been looking for a great backpack pattern and I think this is it!  It’s supposed to be comfortable, practical, and fun to make!  I hope so, because I’m hoping to try this one too.  Can I make all of these before the holidays?!  The Easy on the Back Bag is designed to help reduce stress on the back, shoulders, and neck. It works too! I love this design.  I’ve worn out at least 2 of these bags that I’ve purchased already made.  Won’t it be fun to be able to make it in fabrics that you just love instead of the plain colors available in store.  One last purse pattern I’m going to suggest is the Diva Essntial Designer Bag.  This bag is just cute!  And it looks easy to make too. 

There’s always some great seasonal patterns to buy.  We love Poinsettia.  This way you can give a poinsettia that won’t die within a few months of Christmas.  I’ve seen them growing in Bali on the sides of the mountains and they are 5 or 6 feet tall!  Snowmen (pictured above) is another easy and fun pattern that you can display throughout the winter season.  I made this recently and it was just as Diane says, addictive!  I can’t wait to try another one of her patterns.

Some favorite quilt patterns include Argyle Blues designed by my friend Rochelle Martin of Cottage Quilt Designs.  She designed it specifically for my fabric, but I know it will look fabulous in any fabrics.  It is quick and easy!  She’s revised the pattern to include sizes from throw to king.  For the man in your life, we suggest Stash Box.  More than one man has admired this quilt in our booth at quilt shows!  Soliah, a new pattern designed by Sheryl Mycroft, is just beautiful.  She suggests using acrylic templates for the Drunkard’s Path blocks and says her method is simple and easy.  I know we sold a lot of this pattern in Houston.

We have many more exciting and new things in our online store.  I’ve added all of the new traditional design batiks that we received earlier in the week and many new Balis and patterns.  Come by and check them out. 

Happy Quilting!

Patti

Batiks by Design