Expo Excitement and More

We're less than a month away from the Northwest Quilting Expo so things are getting exciting! As the Pine Needle Quilt Shop is one of the drop off points for the quilts to be displayed at Expo our pile of entries grows daily. If you have registered a quilt to be displayed, hurry and bring it in to the shop any time before September 6th.

Check out our two workshops at the Expo as well:

This adorable Iron Caddy which is lined with heat resistant fabric so you can use it to carry your iron to classes and retreats and have your own personally ironing space as well (plus be able to pack up a still-warm iron when the day is done). Check out the Expo class listing for time and date and to sign up.

And, this sewing machine caddy organizer. The quilted pad includes handy pockets for thread snips, bobbins, marking pencils, etc. There's also a pin cushion so you always have a place to put you pins. Check out the Expo class listing for time and date and to sign up.

We had our Westside Modern Quilt Club reveal party Wednesday night. It was convivial as usual, and the quilts for our Transitions challenge are just spectacular. We can't wait for everyone else to see the exhibit at Expo. Club members were asked to reinterpret a vintage quilt (maybe a family heirloom) in a modern way. The variety both of starting points and interpretations is inspiring.

Our Fall catalog is just about ready to be mailed. We've got lots of new quilts and kits to entice our customers. Our new samples are already hanging in the shop and we're busily making kits to go with them.

Mark your calendars for Open House on September 15th and 16th! We'll have demos, our teachers will talk about their upcoming classes, and fabric designer Marcia Derse will be on hand Saturday to tell us about her fabulous new line of fabric, Treasure Hunt.

We can't wait to share a super September with everyone!

Seen At The Quilt Show (Part 3)

Probably the best part of attending any quilt show is knowing that there will be wonderful colors, fabrics, patterns, and craftsmanship that will grab your attention and draw you in. The following are some of the beautiful quilts which simply begged us to stop and take notice.

Kristin liked the way "Annie's Birds" by Mary Reynolds showed off a special fabric. Mary had several quilts on display which used a focus fabric in the middle, flanked by strips that draw your eye inward:

"Eccentric Circles" by instructor Tonye B Phillips had it all! There's rich, sophisticated, colors; tiny bias strip appliqué, wool felt circles (don't they make an exuberant border?), and a mix of hand and machine quilting.

"Hang 10 Ombre Style" by Natalie Barnes of Beyond The Reef Patterns has a lot of visual texture. Ombre in many guises has been hot for a while and this is an exciting variation:

Pam Raby, a favorite at The Pine Needle, displayed "Crosscut Blues" in the Teacher's Tent. I hope we get to see more of this one! The limited color palette allows for a broad range of fabrics so it's really fun to look at up close:

Another familiar face, Pinecone Kristin had her quilt, "Me Plus Alison," in the Portland Modern Quilt Guild special exhibit. Kristin made this guild Row by Row challenge out of the last little bits of two fabric lines which she'd been collecting at the shop: 

One of the popular special exhibits was ab*strakt*ed featuring quilts by Maren Johnston, Patty Six, Lou Ann Smith, and Debra Blake. We particularly liked the scale and shapes in this one by Patty Six titled, "New Directions."

"Starfall" by Sally Rogers, quilted and submitted by Corni Quinlivan strikes a lovely balance between the traditional and modern aesthetics. The light but not too sweet colors are refreshing too:

In the more is more category, Sarah Fielke never disappoints. "Night Garden," seen in the Teacher's Tent, is richly scrappy. There were several floral themed quilts with twilight colored backgrounds -- a trend we can fully appreciate!

 

"Desert Bloom" by Sally Frey caught our eye for it's quirky colors and design simplicity with big impact:

And finally, "Rattled" by Tula Pink is just charming. Who knew Drunkard's Path blocks could be so cute? Tula did:

Seen At The Quilt Show (Part 1)

It's been a busy week plus around here. We are blessed to get lots of visitors to our shop as quilters stop in on their way to and from the annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show and A Quilter's Affair classes. We're always looking for trends and listening to our customers to find out what's hot. Like last year, our Pinecone Kristin went to the show and brought back lots of ideas and inspiration to share.

Overall, the quilts were wonderfully varied, possibly leaning more towards the Modern and the innovative as opposed to strictly traditional designs. There was definitely something for everyone though.

Maybe it's just Kristin, but house themed quilts kept popping up, and what's not to like about that! Some favorites were this large version of Fierce Ladies by one of The Stitchin' Post's employees (that's a part of the iconic collection of employee quilts always displayed on the side of the store's building):

Another quilt on the side of the building was this one by Laura Simmons:

Kristin loved the whimsy of House Party Revival by Tonye B Phillips in the Teacher's Tent:

Also in the Teacher's Tent, and equally charming was Hunderwasser Takes a Walk by June Jaeger.

More bright houses on view in El Vecindario (The Neighborhood) by Hilde Morin:

Shop Hops

It's that time of year again! The Sunshine and Stitches Shop Hop is underway, and The Row by Row Experience is just around the corner. Make your plans to discover new shops and revisit old favorites.

Sunshine and Stitches runs now until July 1, 2017. Download your passport or pick one up at participating shops, such as The Pine Needle. Each shop has a free block kit, plus fun project kits for purchase. There's also drawings at each shop.

Share your shop hopping on social media: https://www.facebook.com/stitchesshophops/

Our July Fourth block can be incorporated into a sampler quilt, or used as a pocket on our fabric basket project.

Row By Row Experience

Row by Row runs June 21st through September 5th, 2017 (you have until October 31st to bring your completed quilt to a participating shop for potential prizes). Simply visit any of the participating shops and receive a free pattern for a row in a quilt. Combine your rows in any way to create a unique quilt that represents the fun you had traveling throughout the summer. Meet up with friends, discover new quilt shops, and have fun collecting rows! Check out the Row by Row website for prize information and all the pertinent details.

The Row by Row theme this year is On The Go! and we're going by trolley in honor of the trolley which connects Lake Oswego to Portland.

Mary Fons is Coming to The Pine Needle!

Mary Fons is Coming to The Pine Needle 

September 18!

We have two exclusive and fabulous events scheduled with the energetic and highly creative Mary Fons! Sign up now as space is limited! Call us or click on the register buttons below to sign up online.

Sunday, 9:30 am to 11:30 am

The Mary Fons "Meet & Greet" is a mini trunk show, book signing, and autograph party. Also, it is the 18th of the month (sale day, so the attendees that come to this event will get the first opportunity to get the sale discount! Included in this event is a light Continental Breakfast.  $35 per person

REGISTER FOR MEET & GREET!

Sunday, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm

Mary Fons' afternoon lecture: 10 Things I know About Quilting (and Life) NEW!

Mary is all grown up. For the past 8 years, Mary has been learning, teaching, failing/succeeding, creating video, designing fabric, recording TV shows, creating podcasts, lecturing, traveling, and of course, making quilts. She has learned a few things about making patchwork and teaching it - and she has learned about life too. Full of quilt-making tips and inspiration, this funny/touching lecture is a favorite. 

$35 per person

REGISTER FOR LECTURE!