SEW RED

Luxurious silk dupioni in sixteen luscious colors of red makes this quilt irresistible. You must come in to see our sample. I used my Bernina 1300MDC to serge the seams which prevented raveling. Wool batting gives a small amount of loft to the quilt and Rainbows varigated thread gives additional interest. Kit includes 16 silk Dupioni fat quarters and will make 56" x 56" quilt top. Pattern used - "In and Out" by Blue Underground. Kit cost - $87.99 (For every Kit sold, a donation will be made to the American Heart Association.)

Wendy Fedie, Bernina Manager

Out with the old and in with the new

Here at the Sampler we are making room for the new fabrics we bought at fall market. Take a look at these wonderful new Kaffe Fassett fabrics that came in the other day. I can't wait to see what we do with them. The colors and textures are wonderful. Karol has a great idea for one of the prints, so stay tuned.

I had to try out a new tool from market called the Puff Quilting Clip set. Many of you may remember these quilts from years past. This tools make it easier and also gives you other options for dimensional folded squares. Here's what I did. Everyone wants it for a seat cushion. I think they are too much fun.

We have also been busy putting new 2 1/2" bundles togethers. Look at these great colors. These bundles are just looking for the right quilt and would make great gifts.

Be on the lookout for our new newsletter. We are in the process of putting new classes together, along with the old favorites. The Amazing Sewing Race is back. It starts in January and we are traveling throughout North America. We have lots of fun new events planned for 2009, be sure to check it out.

To make room for all the new things we have added additional markdowns to our sale fabrics and Christmas items. Its a great time to stock up on those quilt backings. If you have any questions about anything here call us at (952) 934-5307 or send an email to sampler@qwestoffice.net. Check out our website for all the lastest fabrics, kits, patterns and classes, http://www.the-sampler.com/ Happy stitching, Mary

Good Morning on this cold, cloudy Wednesday morning. Yesterday here at The Sampler was a fun work day for me as I learned a brand new technique, quick, easy and done in a short time. We carry Birch Creek Quilts patterns from Deb Madir in Edina and she has a new pattern called "Door Knobbers". They are little 8" pillows with ribbon hanging to put on your door knob, picture hangers, etc. Well, one slow evening I decided to put one together, you trace and fuse the design on wonder under, iron to the right side of your fabric do a little machine stitching and you are done. I only spent a little time at home to make my own little pillow for the stuffing. Just a small amount of time for stitching, ironing and then the best part came yesterday. I learned how to use the Swarovski Crystal applicator and the hotfix swarovski rhinestuds and crystal. As you can see by the pictures I have made two. Hmmm, what else can I "Glitz" for the holiday season.

This fall, I tried a new teaching experience. Mary Deeney was out of town with our shop owner Karol to Houston, so I did the fall "Mystery Strip Club". I chose a pattern called "Kitty, Kitty", using 2 1/2 inch strips, Mary and I chose a beautiful blue and cream fabric from the Elm Creek line. Then I made another one in my scrap fabrics from home in a different colorway. (My goal and I know yours also is to use up that stash so I can buy more the the new and beautiful fabrics). Well, here is a picture, it was quilted by Kars Quilting in Chanhassen, my quilt will be donated to Quilts of Valor, and the shop will keep one here for a year with the patterns. We have two kits left at $69.99 and the quilt size is 72 x 84. Come in to the shop and see the great buys for the holidays. Happy Thanksgiving, Cathy S.

New fabrics, new travels, new patterns!

We have been having a great time unpacking the much anticipated new Amy Butler fabrics. We are so excited about it and can hardly wait to come up with some new projects. We have all 42 pieces in the line, along with three solid fabrics. Come in and see all these beautiful fabrics. Karol is on the move again. She will be leaving for the American Quilters Society show in Des Moines, Iowa on Monday. The show starts on Wednesday, Oct. 8th and runs through Saturday Oct. 11. We'd love to have you stop by our booth. We have lots of new patterns in the shop. A fun one we came up with uses yo yo's. They are fun table accessories that come together in no time. All you need is a beautiful focus fabric and some coordinating fabrics. There is a cute little table mat that goes alone with this table scarf. The pattern is $8.59. Call us at 952-934-5307 or email us at sampler@qwestoffice.net Keep on stitching, Mary

Quilt Shows and More

Karol and I just returned from the Quilt Expo in Madison, WI. This is a wonderful show and should be on everyone's list of quilt shows to attend. We debuted two new quilts at the show. "Fan Dance" was made by Polly North. This is a beautiful quilt with a black background and fans made from Kaffe Fassest fabrics. The other new quilt is designed by Lori Allison called "Fruit Cake". It is a personal favorite of mine. I love the combination of reds and greens. The addition of the prairie points gives this quilt a special finish. Both patterns can be found at the shop. You can call us at 952) 934-5307 or email us at sampler@qwestoffice.net. Be sure to visit our website http://www.the-sampler.com/ for all the latest fabrics, patterns and kits. You can also find information on all the upcoming classes for fall. I am especially looking forward to the new Amazing Sewing Race-North America starting in January 2009. Happy stitching, Mary

SWITZERLAND TRIP

We returned home last night after a wonderful week in Switzerland. Karol and I were fortunate to be among 150 dealers from the United States to earn a trip to Switzerland to see the Bernina factory and the new 830 sewing machine. We saw first hand the quality and pride that goes into the design and manufacturing of every Bernina sewing machine. We spent a full day in the Bernina Creative Sewing Center working on the incredible, new, HUGE Bernina 830. We can't wait to show it to you. Please join us for "A Date with 8" on September 8, from 6:08 to 8:08, so we can share with you everything we have learned about the new Bernina 8 Series machines - the 830 and 820. We will have Swiss chocolate (of coarse), travel photos, a presentation on how the 8 Series machines were conceived and designed and then we will demostrate the machine features. Call the store to reserve your place (952-934-5307.) We also learned that because we earned the Swiss trip, we would receive our floor model demo machine in late September rather than November like the rest of the US dealers.
Wendy Fedie, Bernina Manager

The Great Minnesota State Fair

We want to invite you to come and see us at the Minnesota State Fair. As you know the fair serves up everything on a stick and we couldn't be left out. Create your own "Bernina Breeze" on a stick while trying out the Bernina 730, 440 and one of the sergers. We are also giving demos of the yo yo makers (there's a new jumbo size that I love) and Quiltsmarts cell phone bags and Smart bags. We have many fun panels, patterns and kits including the popular "Jingle banner". We are located in the Creative Activities Annex. Hope to see you there. Live from the fair, Mary

Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop

We're having a wonderful time meeting quilters from around the state of Minnesota. Everyone loves the Quilt Minnesota fabrics and many are planning great quilts. We have designed a quilt called "Among the Pines" with the Quilt Minnesota fabrics. The pattern is available for $8.99 at the shop. We also put together our version of the Twin City area pattern using Kaffe Fassett fabrics. We have kits available, so call the Sampler at 952-934-5307 if you are interested in these quilts. You can email us at sampler@qwestoffice.net.
Keep on stitching, Mary

SIZE MATTERS

I can't get the country western song, "Size Matters", by Joe Nichols out of my head after seeing the new Bernina 830 at Bernina University in Kansas City last Wednesday. I can't get the machine out of my head either. The BIG sewing area (12" from needle to head), and FAST speed (1100 stitches per minute for sewing and 1000 stitches per minute for embroidery) along with the HUGE bobbin (which holds 40-60% more thread than a standard bobbin) were enough for me to make a buying decision. But, there is so much more to love. You really need to check it out by going to the website devoted to this machine - - - http://www.bernina8series.com/. If you were unable to watch the global internet launch of the machine on July 21, you can still see the webcast on the website above. Or, come into the store and play with the Bernina 830 simulator that we have on our laptop. We have a sewing and embroidery sample for the machine as well as a bobbin. Here's what one of our customers said about the machine after watching the webcast - - - WOW!!!!! Is there anything they didn't think of? What grabbed my attention first - size of the sewing space, size of the embroidery field, better hoops, larger bobbin, auto threading. I love the idea of the not having to slide the mega hoop! Dual feed sounds like it might be a great feature for getting those quilting points to match exactly. After that it becomes a blur of wonderful features. Bernina wasn't kidding when they said it was a whole new sewing experience! And, of course, Bernina does it all with "THE" standard of excellence.

Wendy Fedie, Bernina Manager

Fun at the Amazing Sewing Race

The Amazing Sewing Race started last February and is going strong. Our sewers/quilters have traveled to China, Canada, Egypt, Sweden and France. We are looking forward to traveling to more interesting destinations in the future. This month we were in France. We had show and tell from last months trip to Sweden. The colors were blue and yellow and the pattern was log cabin. We had some amazing variations. It's always fun to see what everyone comes up with. We were also lucky enough to have Pam Plocek bring in her quilt "Story Brooke Farm". She won the viewer choice ribbon and prize at the Sampler's annual 4th of July outdoor quilt show. Congratulations! We still have some of our France quilt kits available. It's beautiful and and makes you feel like you are walking through the french countryside. You can find this quilt and all the Amazing Race quilts at the Sampler. Call 952-937-5307 or email us at sampler@qwestoffice.net Keep on stitching, Mary

Santa found a friend

I couldn't leave Santa without a friend. This cute snowman is from the same pattern as Santa (Indygo Junction $8.59) and uses the same size yo yo's. He is a lot of fun to make and makes a great companion for Santa. Polly created a wonderful Christmas sample that can be seen at the shop. She used the Be Colorful pattern Noel by Jacqueline de Jonge. Come in and see how it sparkles. The pattern can also be found on our website http://www.the-sampler.com/

On another note, we have received a truckload of new Kaffe Fassett fabrics and are getting inspired to come up with many new samples. I want one of each of them. All the fabrics can be found on our website or you can call us at 952-934-5307 or email us at sampler@qwestoffice.net Happy quilting. Mary

It's alway's time for the holidays!

It may be 88 degrees outside but my mind has been on santa lately. I couldn't resist this darling yo yo santa by Karen Kottke of Indygo Junction.Inc. The pattern is $8.59, and also includes a snowman and a reindeer. I had so much fun making him. The large and extra large yo yo makers make him a breeze to create. We have started to receive many wonderful new Christmas and holiday fabrics.

You will find Christmas fabrics from Hoffman (those beautiful cardinals are back), Moda, Benartex and Marcus Brothers. Come in and check out some great Christmas panels too. We would love to help you create that special holiday project. Call us at (952) 934-5307 or email us at sampler@qwestoffice.net for more information. Happy stitching, Mary Deeney

Stitchopoly

Stitch-opoly, a new board game that will keep you in stitches! 2-5 Players: fellow quilter's, kids, grandkids, everyone will enjoy it. Take a break from your machine and roll the dice. Have fun. $29.95 The Sampler: 551 W 78th St. Chanhassen, MN 55317, 952-934-5307 Barbara

Karol's on the road again!

The Sampler will be traveling to more quilt shows than ever before. Our first stop was the American Quilter's Society show in Paducah, KY. Karol and I had a great time. We met many new friends and quilters.
On June 15th we sent Karol off to Columbus, Ohio to the National Quilting Association show. Show dates are June 19-21. When Karol returns we will have a day to replenish supplies and get her ready for the Minnesota Quilter's show in Rochester, MN. Show dates are June 26-28. We will be sure to keep you up to date on the Sampler's whereabouts as the year goes on. But you can always find us at the shop in Chanhassen for all your quilting needs. Check out our website http://www.the-sampler.com/ for all the lastest news. Just a note: the quilt behind us is one of Lori Allison's newest creations called Big Star Flower. It is a beautiful quilt and we have made kits with all the great fabrics included. You can call 952-934-5307 for more information. Keep on quilting. Mary Deeney

Best Purchase I Made All Year

That's right! I picked up this instructional DVD in late winter and couldn't believe the value for the money. For a mere $29.95 (less than the cost of a class) I got a 2+ hour video that I can watch again and again (and I have watched it again and again.) Patsy gives great tips and she demonstrates (on a domestic sewing machine, not a long arm) how to stitch 29 different designs, which she divides into families. She explains things in a way that makes it easy to duplicate her designs, in most cases, without marking anything on the fabric. I chose Fast and Free! - Volume 2 because I already knew the basics of machine quilting and had mastered stippling and meandering. I was looking for more creative alternatives for overall and background quilting designs. My machine quilting on my Bernina Artista 730 has improved as a result of watching this DVD . If you are a beginner to machine quilting I would suggest Volume 1. I have also seen Free Motion Fun with Vines & Leaves! Equally good. My next purchase will be Free Motion Fun with Feathers! We carry all four of these DVDs in the store. They are only $29.95 each, so give us a call and we will gladly send one (or all) to you. Our phone number is 952-934-5307. Or, email us, sampler@qwestoffice.net.

Wendy Fedie, Bernina Department Manager

Funky Stripes

Funky Stripes by Allison Quilt Designs is not your grandmas quilt -- which makes it perfect for that teenager or young adult that you need to make a graduation or college dorm quilt for! It uses two or more "funky stripes" that you probably saw on the shelf and wondered "what's a quilter going to do with that?" and it uses some big prints. Start cutting and strip piecing a funky stripe to a big print, subcut into triangles, sew two triangles together, set on point and, in no time, you've got a spectacular quilt -- that doesn't look anything like grandma's quilts -- and your teen or young adult will go wacko over! You'll hear some original phrases like, "awesome"and my other favorite, "totally awesome."

Call any one of the ladies at The Sampler, tell them what size (lap or twin) and the colors you'd like in your Funky Stripes quilt and they will be happy to assemble a kit especially for you from the latest Kaffe Fassett fabrics. I might make mine red, orange & yellow!

Lori Allison, Pattern Designer