Country Quilts and Bears

Pumpkins and Haystacks Boxed Quilt Kit with Autumn from Riley Blake was just delivered. It is a wonderful kit in a keepsake pumpkin shaped box. Come get yours today, before they are gone!

We will be on vacation June 25th through June 29th, and thus the store will be closed. We will open back up on Tuesday, July 2nd and Wednesday, July 3rd. July 4th through July 6th we will be closed to observe Independence Day. We will resume regular business hours of Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00-4:00 on July 9th.

Look who stopped in to visit us today… Heather Briggs from My Sew Quilty Life! She designs for Moda and is as delightful as the fabric she designs. Heather even signed our layer cakes!

In observance of Memorial Day we will be closed on Saturday, May 25th, for the long weekend. We will resume regular business hours on Tuesday, May 28th.

The Autumn line by Lori Holtz is in the building… All 26 bolts, layer cakes and charm packs are here! Come and get it before it’s gone!

Jen surprised us yesterday and stopped in for a short visit with Marilyn and John! From here she is heading for Sarasota. Thanks for hopping by Jen, and have a great trip south! All Florida Shop Hop visitors are the best!

We had something special happen during the All Florida Shop Hop at the shop yesterday… About a year ago, we found a quilt left on a counter in the store after some shoppers made purchases and left. We knew from chatting with them that it was this quilters first quilt, and we knew it was a gift that she intended to give to her friend. Knowing what we did, we were certain she would come back and get it, but because we didn’t know her last name, we couldn’t find her to let her know that we had it. As it turned out, she didn’t know where she left it. Yesterday she came shopping with her mom, and her mom asked us if anyone had ever found a sunflower quilt? We squealed with delight, reached under the counter and pulled out her quilt. And here is the quilt and its maker, Joyce Bates!
(Joyce, I tried to tag you in this post, and it won’t let me. If you know how to do it, please feel free to tag yourself)

Tracey Finch - look who found your Bug at our shop today! Gayle Packard Russell

Are you looking for inspiration and ideas for how to use your Store Collectible Quilt Blocks? We turned ours into a handy tote bag! We’re open today, so come on by! All Florida Shop Hop!

Flat Wendy has arrived at Country Quilts and we couldn’t be happier! Thank you to Sue, Mary, Carol, and Sandy who brought her in from Rainbows End. The Stitching Crew hopped in from Fort Meade, Florida!

Our first All Florida Shop Hopper has arrived! Let the fun begin! Thank you, Sue Hartley, for coming in!

Folded Star Hot Pad Class with Nicole
Saturday, February 17th from 10:00-3:00 $20.00
Add a beautiful twist to your kitchen décor. There will be several samples available in the shop for inspiration and once you make the hot pad, the sky's the limit. Wait until you see Nicole's table Topper! This pattern is perfect for using up scraps in your stash or for making themed hot pads for friends and family as gifts.
And remember, it's never too early to start sewing for Christmas....
This sample was made with Moda's Bountiful Blooms by Sherri and Chelsi, of which we have the whole line.
Call today to reserve your seat.

New Year’s Hours
Closed Saturday, December 30th
Closed Sunday, December 31st
Closed Monday, January 1st
Happy New Year!

Christmas Hours:
Closed Saturday, December 23rd
Sunday, December 24th
Monday, December 25th
Tuesday, December 26th

Marilyn and John would like to take this opportunity to wish you, our loyal customers, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The 22nd Annual Christmas Mystery is in the books. Thank you to all who participated! What a fun weekend! December 2023
UPDATE: Everyone keeps asking about the pattern and fabric line. The pattern is Christmas Trio by Lavender Lime, and the fabric used is Great News, Great Joy by Fancy That Design House for Moda

THANKFUL SALE on Small Business Saturday!

Saturday, November 25th from 10:00 - 4:00

To show our appreciation to you, our customers, we have decided that we will extend to you a Thanksgiving Sale. Everything in our store will be 20% off, except for sale merchandise and kits.

Yes, you read that correctly. EVERYTHING is 20% off! This will be on Saturday, November 25th, 10:00 to 4:00.

22nd Annual Christmas Mystery 2023

It's that time of year, again!
Santa's checking his list....and so are we!!
It's time to sign up for our 22nd Annual Christmas Mystery Class. Every year is a fun, new experience. This year's quilt is sure to please. It is best described as a cozy Christmas quilt and one you and your family will love!

The pre cut kit is $86.42, the class fee is $32.00 and with sales tax, it comes to a total cost of $124.47. Call today to reserve your seat!
Payment can be made anytime between now and November 25th. You can pay in person anyway you wish or you can mail us a check if you can't stop in beforehand. We can not take credit cards over the phone.

Marilyn and John provide the class with Greek Salad and fresh baked rolls from Mano's for lunch. We ask that everyone bring finger food to share, so we can munch throughout the day. You will also need to bring your sewing machine (especially your foot pedal and machine cord! Yes, people have left that home!), bobbins wound in light gray or cream thread, and any sewing notions you would normally bring to a quilt class. The kits are done, all cut and bagged, and we can't wait for the festivities to begin!
Class dates:
Thursday, November 30 or
Friday, December 1 or
Saturday, December 2
9:00 - 4:00 each day

Kit $86.42
Class $32.00
Sales Tax $6.05
Total $124.47

We are excited about the new lines of fabric we just received here at the store! New on the shelf is French Mill by Andover Fabrics, Wild Blossoms by Robin Pickens for Moda, Bountiful Blooms by Sherri & Chelsi for Moda, and Marilyn's favorite, Desert Oasis by The Create Joy Project for Moda.

We are very excited to be participating in the upcoming All Florida Shop Hop in the spring of 2024! Hop right in, and we will see you then!

Summer’s nearly over, and it’s time to start thinking about the fall… And Halloween! Erin Murray-Hause has kindly let us display her latest BOOtiful quilt completion and we are taking names for pattern orders. The patterns will be restocked on September 8th, so call, message or stop by to reserve your Hocus Pocus quilt pattern. Beautifully quilted by Quilting in the Harbor.

While we await the arrival of Idalia, we have decided to be open this morning only until noon, to allow you to come grab some last minute hurricane sewing supplies. Be safe and we'll see you all Thursday, when the skies clear!

Doris Drown has kindly allowed us to display her booootifal Mystery of the Salem Witches Quilt Guild quilt. It is hand embroidered and beautifully pieced and is a must see in person! She meticulously colored and shaded the panels, then hand embroidered them using Cosmos embroidery floss. We have everything you need to duplicate this beauty! It was magnificently quilted by Lucky Sew and Sew, Marlene Hooten, here in Clearwater.

Be Kind Wall Hanging done with Sketch Applique Technique

Machine sketch appliqué is a creative and innovative sewing technique that combines raw edge appliqué with modern technology and style. The process involves tracing your applique pattern pieces onto a paper backed fusible web, ironing that onto a background fabric and then stitching the fabric shapes onto the background fabric in a manner that resembles freehand sketching. This results in a unique and artistic look, with the machine's stitches mimicking the appearance of hand-drawn lines. This class will focus primarily on the sketch applique skill. You will be applying the pieced borders after class, as the shape cutting, fusing and sketch sewing will take much of the day.

Machine sketch appliqué opens up a world of possibilities for creating intricate and detailed designs on fabric, allowing for precision and complexity. In contrast to the more traditional appliqué methods, whether they be hand needle turned or the older style of machine satin stitch applique, using this method is a bit more freestyle . It can be used to embellish quilts, garments, home decor items, and various other fabric-based projects. This technique offers a blend of traditional craftsmanship and personal style, making it an exciting choice for sewers and crafters looking to explore new artistic avenues. It is especially useful to sewers that haven’t mastered or don’t enjoy the needle turn applique process.

Nicole and Susan will be team teaching this class and will both be giving a hands on demonstration of the method. Nicole created the wall hanging that you all will be making, and she is very excited to be teaching her first class. We are also excited to have our talented and energetic new member of our staff showing off her design and sewing skills. We will provide the supply list when you sign up for the class. The class fee includes the required pattern and will be given out in class.

We will take a short lunch break so bring your own brown bag or run next door to Mano’s for take out.

Class Fee: $30.00 (includes $10 pattern)
Date: Saturday, August 19th
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Call today to reserve your seat!

It's Time for a Sale!!!
All Notions, Books and Patterns are 25% off!
Thursday, June 29th and
Friday, June 30th
We are in the mood for another sale. Come by and stock up on rotary blades, rulers, needles, and any other notions you may need. We have a large selection of patterns and books that are also all on sale. It's the time to buy! Thursday, June 29th and and Friday, June 30th.
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4th of July Weekend Hours
We will be closed
Saturday, July 1st
Sunday, July 2nd
Monday, July 3rd
and Tuesday July, 4th

That will give us plenty of time to eat an All-American Hot Dog, a Hamburger, some Apple Pie and then some ice cream! We wish you all a happy, happy, happy holiday weekend!

Don't forget to enjoy the fireworks at Clearwater's newly redesigned Coachman Park.

Calling all quilters! Help us find the owner of this quilt, please. She forgot it here a few months ago while she was shopping and never came back for it. We don't know her last name, but as you can see in the photo, it was made by Joyce... please help us find her as we believe this was Joyce's first quilt. Please share it far and wide, and let's hope we can find her!

UPDATE: Joyce has found her quilt! She hopped in yesterday, April 5th, 2024, with her Mom for the All Florida Shop Hop and inquired if we had ever found a sunflower quilt …. we squealed with delight! Thank you for such a fun reunion!