Your Invited - December 3rd - Book Signing

We've got a special event coming up and we want you to be part of it. Please join us on December 3, 2011 from 2:30pm - 4:30pm at Aurora Quilts located at 9100 Church Street, Suite 101, Manassas, Virginia . We will be hosting local quilter and author Karen Seivert. Karen will be signing her new book "Prairie Point Pizzazz" and demonstrating her prairie point technique.

Book Signing November 16th from 2:30pm - 4:30pm

Local quilter and author, Karen Sievert new book "Prairie Point Pizzazz" will be released on November 8th. Karen will be at Aurora Quilts on November 16 from 2:30pm - 4:30pm for a book signing event and demonstrating her Prairie Point technique.

You can pre-view Karen's technique at her YouTube Video

Join us on November 16 between 2:30pm - 4:30pm at

Aurora Quilts
9100 Chuch Street, Suite 101
Manassas, Va 20110

phone 703.330.9111

website http://www.auroraquilts.com/

I went to to the grocery store last night. When I was leaving there were two small boys playing with balloons while their mother was talking to a sales person. I over heard the one boy say to the other, "Let's go over here, because there is an old lady!" The other boy said "Where?" The first boy pointed to me! 

hmm... I think the old lady had already left the store.

 

Chantilly Sew and Quilt Expo

Aurora Quilts will be a vendor at the Chantilly Original Sew and Quilt Expo starting on September 29 - October 1st at the Chantilly Expo Center.  The Original Sewing & Quilt Expo is now located in the South Hall of the Dulles Expo Center. Click here for a map which is different from previous years. Class are held in both the Expo building and the Holiday Inn.

I am taking a class from Dusty Farrell - When Good Feathers go bad! on Friday evening. Sounds like fun.

We will be in booth 421 stop by and say hello!

Aurora Quits will be a vendor at two Quilt shows this weekend.

September 24 - 25, 2011 We will be a vendor at the Madison County Quilt show September 24 - 25, 2011 at the Madison County High School. Additional information is available at the Madison County Quilters' Guild website.

September 24 - 25 2011 We will be a vendor at the Friendship and Eternal Quilt Guilds quilt show: "A Quilter's Harvest on September 24 - 25, 2011 at the
Brooklyn Park Middle School, 200 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park, MD 21225. Additional information is available at the  Friendship Quilters Of Linthicum website.


The shop in Manassas will be closed on September 24th - 25th so that we can staff both quilt shows. We apologize for an inconvenience.

Annual Sully Quilt & Textile Show & Sale Rescheduled

The Sully Quilt and Textile Show has been rescheduled to Sunday, September 25, 2011 from 10:00am to 4:30pm and will be held at the Sully Historic Site on route 28 in Chantilly Virginia. Hopefully, the ground has dried out and the rain will hold off this week as this is an out doors event.

Sully Quilt Show Cancelled for Sept 11, 2011

The Sully Quilt Show has been cancelled for Sunday, September 11, 2011! We have had rain all week with flooding! This is an outdoors show, with parking on the grass and the vendors set up in a big field, the ground is beyond saturated it would have been a mess.

I was looking forward to being a vendor at this event! Today the sun is shining. What a nice change from last week!

Our next quilt show will be in Madison and Baltimore over the weekend of September 24th.

Sully Quilt and Textile Show - September 11th

We will be at the 38th  Annual Sully Quilt and Textile Show and Sale as a vendor located at the Sully Historic Site on Route 28. from 10:00am - 4:30pm on Sunday, Sept 11, 2011.  Additional information can be found at the Fairfax County Government website.

If your attending the show stop by and say Hello! This is an outdoor event, I'm hoping the rain will finish up today and move out of the area.

We are also, vendors this month at a couple of other Quilt Shows.

September 24 - 25, 2011We will be a vendor at the Madison County Quilt show September 24 - 25, 2011 at the Madison County High School. Additional information is available at the Madison County Quilters' Guild website.

September 24 - 25 2011We will be a vendor at the Friendship and Eternal Quilt Guilds quilt show: "A Quilter's Harvest on September 24 - 25, 2011 at the
Brooklyn Park Middle School, 200 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park, MD 21225. Additional information is available at the  Friendship Quilters Of Linthicum website.


September 29 - October 1, 2011We will be a vendor at the Chantilly Original Sewing and Quilt Expo! Additional information is available on their website.


 Shop Closed for the weekend of September 24 - 25:
The shop will be closed over the weekend of September 24 - 25 so that we can staff both quilt shows.

New Block of the Month Club starting January 2012 - Amaretto Cottage features Giselle frabric

We will have a new Block of the Month (BOM) Club starting January 2012.

Call 703.330.9111 or stop by the shop at 9100 Church Street, Suite 101, Manassas,Va 20110 to sign up.

Amaretto Cottage features Giselle frabric by Marianne Elizabth

Below are some of the fabrics that will be featured in the quilt:

New Quilt Shows

We will be vendors at four local quilt shows in September:

September 11, 2011We will be a vendor at the 38th annual Sully Quilt and Textile Show and Sale on Sunday, September 11, 2011. The show includes an exhibit of antique quilts inside the 1794 house. Additional information can be found at the Fairfax County Goverenment website.
September 24 - 25, 2011We will be a vendor at the Madison County Quilt show September 24 - 25, 2011 at the Madison County High School, Madison, Va 22727. Additional information is available at the Madison County Quilters' Guild website.

September 24 - 25, 2011We will be a vendor at the Friendship and Eternal Quilt Guilds quilt show: "A Quilter's Harvest on September 24 - 25, 2011 at the Brooklyn Park Middle School, 200 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park, MD 21225. Additional information is available at the  Friendship Quilters Of Linthicum website.

September 29 - October 1, 2011We will be a vendor at the Chantilly Original Sewing and Quilt Expo! Additional information is available on their website.

QR Code Uses

Have you seen these in store windows, in magazines and on historical monuments? These are QR codes which originated in Japan. QR stands for Quick Response as they can be quickly read by a smart cell phone and will take you to a website that is embedded in the QR code. The reason that they are more useful than a standard bar code is that QR codes can store more information, including urls,  geo coordinates, and text.

We have a QR code on the shop window, so you could be standing outside the shop and scan the code to see what our shop hours or additional information about us.

I've doing some additional research on some quilting related uses for the QR code and have found these ideas:

• A quilt that looks like your QR Code
• Using a QR code as part of your quilt label

Both fun ideas.

Check out the following blogs:

2d QR Code Quilt  to see a QR code quilt by Rubi McGory

Seems to Be You and Me to see how Cindi Allen used the QR code on her label.

Bug Jar Quilt - Shop Sample

 Ginny, Amanda and I are working on a Bug Jar quilt with fabric from Blank Quilting. We found some quilt patterns of different kinds of bugs that will fit into the jars and carrying cases. This one has frogs on it another jar has spiders!

Amanda is busy making up kits for this quilt. The kits should be available later this week both on line and at the shop.

The pattern is free and available on Blank Quilting's website.

In case the Bug Jar Quilt is just too cute for you I've included a picture of a quilt I've finished for my son Matthew. The pattern is called Sidelights and the picture on the packaging shows some beautifully restful floral fabric. I thought what a great pattern to show off this scary motorcycle rider and psychedelic fabric on the sides.

Crab Quilt for Ginny K

These are pictures of the custom quilting we recently finished for a customer. We used the same thread on the back of the quilt and switched between black and a variegated blue/green thread. The hardest part was remembering that we were using the same thread on the back, when we went to do the black areas, I put black thread in the bobbin. (un-sewing for me, fortunately it was only about an inch.)

In the middle of the quilt is a tiny crab motif. I think if you squint you can see it. Ginny was so happy and excited that she gave Amanda a big hug!

Endless Feathers

This is a picture of the endless feather detail on a customers quilt that Amanda just finished quilting.

Quilt of Valor Longarm Quilter Volunteers

Amanda and I have volunteer to quilt tops for the Quilts of Valor Organization. We've completed 10 tops to date. We received this email message back from the guild in Naples Florida:

"We received all of our mail yesterday afternoon including the package from you. The quilt is fabulous. I cannot get over the quilting on it. It is so perfect. Thank you, thank you, thank you - that is so inadequate. You are amazing. I just can not stop looking at it. Rick and I had a blast finding all the designs and the "thank yous: written in the quilting. I will take it to our guild meeting this Thursday so everyone can share in the joy of seeing the finished project. I will have the label on by then."

Gammill Working while I'm napping.

 "Look Ma, no hands!" The Gammill Statler Sticher working away without me on Kathy M's quilt. This is a row by row quilt that Kathy made with the Cabin Branch Quilters Guild.

Chantilly Orginal Sewing and Quilt Expo

September 29 - October 1, 2011 We will be a vendor at the Chantilly Orginal Sewing and Quilt Expo at the Dulles Expo Center.

Heartland Quilting Guild - Shop Hop Comes to Us

Amanda and I are packing her car for the trip to Denton, Maryland. What a good idea she had to trade in her Ford Mustang for a KIA Sol. Amanda said it is better to haul two children in. I say, "Pack more fabric into the corners."

What a good idea - have the shop hop come to you! The Hearland Quilt Guild is sponsoring a "Shop Hop Comes to Us" on August 4, 2011 at the Denton Volunteer Fire Hall.
Amanda and I  will be a vendor at the Heartland Quilting Guild "Shop Hop Comes to Us" show on August 4, 2011. at the Denton Volunteer Fire Hall. This will be their 3rd annual "Shop Hop Comes to Us" from 4:00PM to 8:00pm.

During the day they will have several quilt displays though out the town of Denton (Library, Art Gallery and Museum)

Additional information available on their website: Heartland Quilt Guild.

Calling all Wantobe Quilters

Calling all Wantobe Quilters? 

"Hello friends and followers, I would love to welcome you

to a Wantobe Quilters Campaign over here. ( http://stashmanicure.blogspot.com)

 They are having quilting supplies to giveaway 5 x a week for 12 weeks. 

Supplies that will have you quilting

before you know it...From sewing machines to irons, to die cutters,

to mats, to rotary cutters, sewing baskets, scissors, batting, needles,

rolled sewing machine bags, patterns, books, magazines...everything

you could imagine to assist you in being a NEW Quilter. 

Even if you are already part of this community you can win

quilting stuff too...Tuesday and Thursday are days for us..

All you have to do is give me your name and phone number 

and email sew I can submit this to the organizer, because if you win

anything I can win something too. 

All you have to do is be my follower at Aurora Quilts and a follower

over at Sew We Quilt @ Stash Manicure....

That is all! There are over 49 Sponsors involved.

I am pretty excited to be part of this, sew should you.

I love being a QUILTER! 

( p.s you will not be eligible to win anything if you do not register

with a blogger where you see this message)

Quintin - Born July 13th - 5 pounds 14 oz. 20 inches long

Happy Birthday - Quintin - Born July 13th - 5 pounds 14 oz, 20 inches long. Quintin was born on his Mothers birthday! Mom and baby are doing well and will be coming home on Saturday.

Longarm Quilting Services

Longarm Services

We provide full services longarm quilting utillizing a Gammill Optimium Longarm plus a Statler Stitcher System. We will quilt your tops utilizing a variety of stitches which includes a basic meander, a Pantograph (edge-to-edge) design or a complete custom quilt design to fit your quilt.
Quilting Options (per square inch)

Loose Edge-to-Edge Meander	$0.020
Medium Density Edge-to-Edge Meander	$0.035
Edge-to-Edge Pantograph	$0.025   to $0.045
Custom Design: Planned design including separate designs for blocks, ditiching, sashing, and special fill effects. Prices vary upon the complexity of the work to be done.  Starting at $.05 per square inch.

Additional Services

Squaring up the back	$10.00
Pressing	$10.00
Piecing Back (per seam)	$10.00
Basting for hand quilters (per square inch) Basting will be done 2 to 3 inches apart.	$0.040

Binding: based on straight edge binding and per linear inch.

Full binding: make, attach, hand whip down	$0.35
Make, attach binding	$0.19
Attach binding only	$0.11

$15.00 setup fee

10% discount on batting if purchased from us other wise there is a $4.00 handling charge.

Backing and batting should be 4 inches larger on all four sides of your quilt.

For best results: Quilt top must be flat, square and well-pressed. Loose thread should be clipped.

To avoid delays, when sending your quilt project to us, complete all the prep work ahead of time. If we have to stop to piece, trim or square, it can cause delays and additional charges.

Come by the shop to discuss in person how you would  like your quilt top completed or call (703) 330-9111.

Allow for a 2 - 3 week turn around time for non-custom quilting. Custom Quilting turn around will depend on design and will be discussed when you bring the quilt top to the shop.

We require a $15.00 deposit that will be applied toward the total cost of quilting your top.

Recieve a complementary quilt bag which will hold up to a king size quilt when you have a top quilted.

Ginny R's King Size Quilt in one of our complementary quilt bag.

Ginny R's completed top.

Gamill Statler Stitcher with The Very Series Shop Sample Quilt.

Store Manager - Amanda Schachner's new baby due July 13th!

Store Manager - Amanda Schachner's new baby boy due July 13th!

Kirsten Michelle will be a big sister.

Just One Star - 100 Quilts in 100 Day Challenge Update

Moda has just updated their blog with the total blocks collected as 15,000+ and that the goal of 100 quilts in 100 days was achieved! Wow, that is a terrific accomplishment. Read more about it and see pictures on how the quilts were put together on their blog.

We sent in 65 blogs that we had collected from quilters in Manassas which made 3.6 quilts.
We have a kit available for the quilt displayed above on our website.

 Receive a free quilt bag when you have your quilt top quilted at Aurora Quilts. The bag will hold up to a king size quilt.  Read more about our longarm quilting services.



This is Ginny R's quilt in the bag! Very photogenic! I can not wait to see the quilt with the binding on it.

We had to use Sovle Stablizer on Ginny's top to help hold the raw edge applique circles down to keep the edges from folding back up on themselves as we quilted. Ginny and Amanda pulled all the Stablizer off after I had completed quilting the top.

QR Code - Quick Response Code

Have you seen these QR codes around town or in magazines? Ever wonder what they are? The look like futuristic bar codes. A QR code is a matrix barcode or two-dimensional code that is readable by QR barcode readers or smart phones. The information encoded may be text, or URL, or other data.

The QR code below is our website: AuroraQuilts.com. We've posted the QR code on our shop windows, so if we're not there you can scan it with your phone and go to our website.

Where have you seen this codes?

batiks Circles - Pieced by Ginny R - Quilted by Aurora Quilts

Ginny R. a member of the Cabin Branch Quilters in Woodbridge, Virginia made this batik circle quilt. There are three circles rough edge appliqued one on top of each other. A spectacular quilt all on its own.

Amanda and I quilted the top with a swirl pattern and lime green thread (Ginny's favorite color), which complimented the circles on the top.

The quilt reminded us of crop circles and the quilting helped to accentuate that image in our minds.

Read more about our Longarm Services.

 

100 Ways to hide your stash

100 Ways to hide your stash

song by Cathy Miller http://www.singingquilter.com/


How do you like to hide your stash?

Sale: Dargonfly Summer - 20% off June 1st - June 30th

Shop on line for Dragonfly Summer

Dragonfly Summer fabric 20% off at our on-line shop - Aurora Quilts.

Longarm Quilting Services Available

Longarm Quilting Services

Longarm Quilting Services Available.

Amanda and I have worked our way through all our un-quilted tops and a couple of charity quilts. Two Quilts of Valor are being shipped to us to complete from a guild in Naples, Florida and should arrive sometime this week. I'm looking forward to completing these quilts for the guild.

We are ready to quilt your tops.
We are taking reservations at the shop.
Additional information is available on the website under Longarm Services and blog under the Longarm Services page.

 

Sale Dates: May 22 - May 31st, 2011

Aurora Quilts is having an on line sale.

All the Dilly Dally fabrics are now 20% off.

If you are local you can place your order on line and pick the fabric up at the shop.

The Very Series

We have kits made up for "The Very Series" quilt which finishes at 57" x 67"  The fabric available separately.
The pattern is available for free at the Andover Fabrics website. A copy of the patten is included in the kit. Kits available on our website: Aurora Quilts

 "For fans of Eric Carle’s numerous children’s books, this new fabric collection will bring smiles of recognition. Children all over the world have read millions of copies of his books, written since the 1960s.  The novelty print fabrics contain images from some of his most beloved books– Very Hungry Caterpillar,  Very Busy Spider,  Very Quiet  Cricket, the Very Lonely Fire-y, and  Very Clumsy Click Beetle. Made with simple piecing, this quilt is just the right size for your little reader to snuggle under as he

or she enjoys some of the most popular children’s books of all time."

The Croughy Ladybug fabric will be available in June 2011

Shop Hop Comes to Us!

This sounds like fun and sure would cut down on the driving for a Shop Hop!

We will be a vendor at the Heartland Quilting Guild "Shop Hop Comes to Us" show on August 4, 2011. at the Denton Volunteer Fire Hall. This will be their 3rd annual "Shop Hop Comes to Us" from 4:00PM to 8:00pm. During the day they will have several quilt displays though out the town of Denton (Library, Art Gallery and Museum) Additional information available on their website: Heartland Quilt Guild.
We need one in Manassas - Shop Hop Comes to Us. What do you think?

Circus

Elephant painting a picture!

Yes, it does take 5 adults to watch 1 small baby at the circus! We went to Ringling Brothers and Barum & Bailey Circus at George Mason University's Patriot Center on April 20th.

Hop Around Old Town Manassas

Join us in Old Town Manassas from Monday, April 18th thru April 23rd to Hop Around Old Town ! For each purchase at a participating Old Town shop, you'll get to select an egg from the merchant’s basket. Inside you'll always find a sweet Easter treat, but some eggs will contain small prizes from Old Town businesses, two runner-up prizes - adorable, large stuffed bunnies- or a Grand Prize - a giant oversized stuffed bunny!! Look for the bunny pennant in participating shop windows, and come shop and hop around Old Town to win!

Please visit the following stores that are participating in this year's "Hop Around Old Town!"

Creative Brush Studios

Echoes at the Manassas Museum

Ashby Jewelers

Whimsical Galerie

Manassas Clay

Prospero's Books

Aurora Quilts

Opera House Gift and Gourmet

Quilts of Valor

Quilts of Valor fabrics from Moda has arrived!

Fabric is available in the shop or on line at http://www.auroraquilts.com/. A kit to complete the quilt as shown above is also available.

Northern Shenandoah Valley Quilt Show

We will be a vendor at the Northern Shenandoah Valley Quilt Guild  Show on April 8th, 9th, and 10th.  The show is located at the Clarke County Parks and Recreation Center, 225 Al Smith, Berryville, Va 22611. Just off Business Route 7 near Winchester, Virginia.

Additional information about the show can be found on the Northern Shenandoah Valley Quilt Guild Show page.

Enjoy the show!

Gammill Statler Sticther Has Arrived!

Amanda and I went to Richmond, Virginia over the weekend of March 26th. We had fun, fun and more fun. We were at the Virgina Longarm shop, they are the Gammill Dealer in our area for training on our new Gammill Statler Sticher, which will be arriving the beginning of May! Amanda was able to quilt her Very Series quilt while we were there. 

 We are ready to finish your quilt tops at our quilt shop, Aurora Quilts. Additional information available on the website under Longarm Services.

INDOOR MARKET

Aurora Quilts will be at the

INDOOR MARKET

“CRAFTS, COLLECTIBLES, TREASURES, AND MORE”

SATURDAY

APRIL 2, 2011 - 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Sponsored by

Manassas Volunteer Rescue Squad Auxiliary

9322 Center Street (Route 28 South)

Manassas, VA  20110

just down the street from the shop at 9100 Church Street, Suite 101, Manassas, Va 20110  (703) 330-9111

Fabshop Hop!

We're going to be participating in the FabShop Hop starting April 1st. This is a virtual shop hop, where you visit online quilt shops starting April 1st - April 30th. By visiting the sites during this time you'll have an opportunity to explore your "soon to be favorite" fabric/quilt shops as you qualify for random prize drawings.

Register now!  You will have 30 days to get around to over 100 of the sites.

Have you participated in one the FabShop Hops berfore?

Where is that  little rabbit?

Hint: Hop back over to our "on-line" shop and visit with the WHITE ZEBRAS and his Jungle Buddies.

Thimbleberries Border Blast Fabrics - 2nd Quarter - Southern Skies

The fabrics for the 2nd quarter of the Thimbleberries Border Blast Fabrics are at the shop, waiting patiently for the next three months for blocks 4, 5 and 6.

Fabrics for 3rd and 4th quarter are on order!  

Civil War Reunion Fabrics - Have arrived!

Moda's Civil War Reunion fabrics have arrived in the shop. Amanda is busy entering the fabrics into the inventory, cutting fat quarters and Aurora Rainbows. Check out the Civil War Reunion fabrics out at the online shop at Auroa Quilts.

Ribbon Cutting at Aurora Quits on March 16th

Look... A sign! It must be all approved; the Mayor of Manassas, Mr. Parrish, is standing under the sign. Our ribbon cutting ceremony was March 16^th. We stopped traffic on the one way street so we could get this picture. What a fun time to have everyone over to the shop. We even had big red scissors to cut the red ribbon. We’re official!

Cabin Branch and Stone House Quilters' Guild Show

We had a good weekend at the Cabin Branch and Stone House Quilters' Guild Quilt show!

Our booth was set up and being inspected by Kirsten, who was doing some early shopping.

The hospitality room was terrific, we had home made breakfast and lunches provided by guild members.

See you next year!

Sign Approval

Last night was the architectural review meeting at the City of Manassas for our business signs, one sign that will be hanging on the street side of the business and a placard on the parking lot side. Good News! The signs have been approved. We'll be back at the Town Hall to obtain a permit to hang the signs today. Then over to the sign maker to deliver the permit.

Look for the signs soon (before March 16th - Ribbon Cutting day, crossed fingers)

We will be a vender at the Cabin Branch and Stone House Quilters' show this weekend, March 12 - 13th at the Prince William Fairgrounds. New fabrics have been arriving, Amanda, the inventory Queen, is busy entering the fabrics into the computer system, printing labels for the bolts, cutting fat quarters and my all time favorites cutting Aurora Rainbows (2 1/2 inch strips from all the fabrics to make up the rainbows).

I think we should answer the phone "Aurora Quilts - Home of the Fighting Rainbows!" Especially, this weekend as the St. Patricks Day parade will be Saturday, and the parade route will go past our front door.