As we have always said, we just love it when our great customers come into our shop to share something special with us. Just the other day we had the rare opportunity to see a quilt that was made in the late 1800's. Our customer, Pat Major, purchased this treasure in Kohler, WI. You would not believe the detail that was in this quilt.

There were pieces as small as 1/4" finished! Of course everything was pieced and sewn by hand.

The quilt had a note with it that said:

"Pieced in Manchester, New Hampshire. Made by Mrs. Sarah Caldwell Rice who died May 19, 1889 when she was 92 years old. She was born in 1796 so she was probably around 92 years old when this quilt top was made."

Remember if you have something special like this, we'd love to see it! It's always amazing to see antiques and to realize how much work must have gone into antique quilts. It is truely a work of art!

*UPDATE*

Pat Major, the owner of the quilt, had it hand quilted and finished by Kathy Shaffer.  The hand quilting is just amazing.

Moda just came out with this BEAUTIFUL fabric line by Sanae.

The prints and coordinating fabrics are stunning. So many vibrant colors and floral prints.

We have Layer Cakes and Charm Packs available as well as many bolts of fabric.

We always love it when our customers come in to show us their completed projects and quilts. It's expecially fun to see items that were made from attending one of our classes. Lori Dishbine came in to show us her "Buggy Barn" quilt.

Lori took the class here at Quilted Works that was taught by Nedra of Cactus Needle Quilts.

Thank you so much to Lori for coming in to share her quilt with us!

We thought it would be fun to spotlight our favorite notions here on our blog! There are so many great notions and sewing supplies out there, it's nearly impossible to know about them all. Then when you find something you love, you wonder how you ever lived without it! That's how we feel about the Gypsy Gripper! If you've been into the shop, you've probably noticed those funny looking handles that we have attached to our cutting rulers...that's a Gypsy Gripper! They sure make cutting fabric a whole lot easier.

Sometimes it can be a real challenge to hold your plastic ruler in just the right spot while cutting fabric.  And if you happen to slip with the blade, you could end up cutting yourself.  Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark!  But now, there is a great new way to hold your rulers in place, and it makes using them easier and safer than ever before.

The Gypsy Gripper has a comfortable grip handle, and two large round suction cups with handy lock & release levers.  Just press the suction cups to any plastic ruler with a smooth solid surface, and then flip the levers to lock The Gypsy Gripper in place.  Now you can move the ruler quickly, and easily hold it on the exact position with gentle downward pressure.  Your ruler hand will be up and away from the fabric, and out of harm's way if you slip with the cutter.  When you need to switch to another ruler, just flip the locking levers to release The Gypsy Gripper.

The Gypsy Gripper is available in three different sizes!

• The Original

• The In-Between

• The Little Gripper

Gypsy Grippers are a must-have tool for quilting!

One customer came in to visit us the other day and brought with her an amazing quilt to share! She had inherited this wonderful quilt from a family member and said that is probably over 100 years old.

The quilt was called "Grandmother's Flower Garden." It was handpieced, hand quilted, and the hexagon pattern even matched up to the pattern on the back!

We just love it when our customers bring in such great treasures!