Donna's Blog

Meet the Teacher Event - May 2011

Sun, 15 May 2011 23:51:00 -0400

It was raining today so it was a perfect day to visit Tiger Lily for our Meet The Teachers Spring Fling Event and many of you did. Those that came were treated to some stunning quilts created by Kathy Gouger, one of our talented teachers. Here are the images from today to inlcuded the quilts in Kathy's the trunk show. Enjoy.

Show and Tell at March 2010 Block of the Month

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:46:00 -0400

We always encourage everyone to bring in and share the projects they create from taking one of our classes. Here are the "Show and Tell" projects from this month BOM session.

Back to Reality

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 22:24:00 -0400

Well, vacation was great, as being with family is always very special. We celebrated Sophia's 4th Birthday and yes I did buy her a real sewing machine. We made pillows and a small bag for her to carry her little books. Milwaukee weather was beautiful, sunny every day we were there except the day we left to come home and then it was raining. Boy when I got back I was amazed at the snow we had gotten here. I think we are all ready for spring. So when I got back there were so many boxes of new fabric, surely the Andy, our UPS man, was playing a joke on me. However that was not the case, it was real! Meant to add them up but I know we received between 40 and 50 new bolts of fabric. Gone for 12 days and boy so much can happen in such a short time. The day I got back Ann told me she is leaving just as one new employee, Rita Hoffman, is starting. However, I was extremely fortunate when I learned Flo Wynn may be interested in a job and sure enough she was, so we do have two new associates! Ann, you will be missed by all! It's that time again, I have to start thinking about the newsletter and we are getting ready for our Thruway Trail Shop Hop, which will be May 20th - 22nd. We are teaming up with Cottons Etc. and Mission Rose Quiltery for a great Spring event. Hope you all join us. We are also gearing up for QFL, the Quilter's Football League, which starts April 1st and runs through August 1st. A great event which truly has nothing to do with football, but it's a national event that allows participants to have fun while scoring points to win big prizes. Stop in and we will explain it to you. Tomorrow we are having a Tea for our Block Swappers who took part inthe Bow Tie Swap. Our new Swap is for a flannel Adirondack Quilt and will be a great gift for any gentleman in your life. Still not too late to join in this swap, so come on in, you will truly have a great time and the party at the end will be fabulous!! Well, think spring everyone and stop by to see us and to welcome our newest associates.

Piecemakers Quilts for Wounded Soldiers Workshop

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 23:15:00 -0400

The Piecemakers Quilt Guild recently met at our shop to piece together quilts that will be used by wounded soldiers when they are in transport on medical airlift. We salute the ladies and the guild for supporting our troops with this workshop.

Great Things Happening AT Tiger Lily

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:43:00 -0400

I know, it has been about a month since I last posted and what that means is, I have been very busy with all that is coming up but that is a good thing! So what is coming up: The Thruway Trail Shop Hop, which is going to be very easy for one and all to complete. It's 3 Days, 3 Stops, 3 Shops! The Three shops participating are Tiger Lily, Cottons Etc. and Mission Rose. Easily done all in one day, but we are giving you 3 to complete it. May 20th, 21st and 22nd, so mark your calendars and prepare to join us.Tickets will go on sale March 1st and the cost is $10. For that $10 you will receive a pattern for a Quilter's Travel Case, Batik fat quarter at each shop to complete that case and when you finish the hop you will be awarded a great Thruway Trail Shop Hop travel mug. There will be lots of prizes and fun for all! Tiger Lily has also joined the National QFL (Quilter's Football League) and this is sure to be a great time for all who choose to join. The membership fee is $20 and members will gain access to the QFL website where there will be free patterns, recipes and games posted on a weekly basis. Discounts to all members by all participating shops and most of our local shops are participating, so that in itself is worth the membership fee. You will receive points for many different activities and Tiger Lily plans several events for members only, our first will be Membership Draft Night, which will be on March 26th at 6:00. Oh, by the way, all who become members will receive points for participating in the Thruway Trail Shop Hop. Your points will add up and you become eligible for many national prizes. Members of our team will also become eligible for win 100 fat quarters. This is going to be so much fun!!!! Teachers are now working on the new class schedule and funny as it may seem, many are already asking what classes will be offered for the spring/summer session. Tomorrow is Valentines Day and what will we all be doing??? Well, I will be at the Piecemakers Quilt Guild Meeting showing the Block A Month quilt pattern I designed for the group. They will receive their first block and apparently we have many who plan to participate. (So that's a large group who will not be celebrating Valentines Day in the traditional way) My husband has become quite use to things like this, but he is very cool with it! I will be leaving for Milwaukee next week, to spend time with my granddaughter. Her birthday is the 25th and when you're 4 you certainly are excited about birthdays. We try to get to see her every 2 - 3 months, they just grow up soooo fast! Family has to remain the number one priority in our lives. I know, most people go where it's warm in the winter, but Milwaukee is such a great city and Sophia is my sunshine!! Well ladies, get quilting, come in and join our QFL team and don't forget our spring shop hop. Lots of new things coming and there is something for everyone.

Let's Get Quilting

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:22:00 -0400

I just love the month of January. Love looking out seeing snow, sitting in my studio and quilting up a storm..notliterally I hope! It's a relaxing time of year, Christmas hussle & bussle is over, newsletter is out and classes all organized! I just finished my first miniature quilt, which is 10" square! Those little things sure go faster than a King Size! I just finished making chicken soup and chilli, some comfort food for a cold week ahead. It makes my hubby happy...that's two days he won't have to cook dinner! We just received a huge shipment at the shop and we're adding some fun new things for all of you. There are fun new Moda Candy Bars and if you haven't tried them you really must! There are 0 calories in these glorious bars, which consist of 2.5 x 5" bundles of 4 different collections of Moda's recent collections and there is a great pattern booklet tucked inside too. A little bonus could be tucked in your candy bar...a golden ticket which will get you a Moda gift bag valued at $150 and a chance to win an all expense paid trip to Dallas where you will be taken on a tour of Moda's facility. Stop by and get your candybar! Have you seen the Gypsy Gizmo? Well, if not you must it if you are a chain piecer. It's a must for my sewing studio!! We have our big annual Charity Event coming up from noon - 4:00 on Super Bowl Sunday. We will be making tote bags for children in our domestic abuse shelters and filling them with goodies, like coloring books, story books, crayons etc. These kids need a little joy in their lives and we want to help. So if you can help, please sign up. There will also be a sale and that day, prizes and a chance to win a gift certificate and of course refreshments, so stop by and have a little fun, you will still be home in time for the game! Our Spring Sampler is up and it is a beautiful quilt. We will have a 1 hour class each month, to piece together the block of the month You can bring your machine and get it done there or take it home and do it on your own. You will receive a block pattern each month and in the end the directions for the setting. In all there will be 14 classes and you will have a beautiful spring quilt in the end. It is a must see!! Our new Saturday Sampler will start the 29th, so if you haven't signed up please do so. The 10:00 spots are full and only a few left in the 11:00 and some for noon. Luanne is the star of the show and it is always a fun time!!

Christmas is Upon Us

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:04:00 -0400

Okay, today is the 21st, that doesn't leave much time for all the shopping, baking & finishing up those projects. Are you having fun yet? I am looking forward to having my son home, he will be here tomorrow night but no I am not done with those last minute details, still more gifts to buy, wrapping and Cooking!! Two quilts are done and ready, Oops not quite, I still have to put labels on them. I figure we can all relax and start having fun in just a few more days. I cleaned my sewing studio and am now ready to be more productive come the New Year. I always make this amazing resolution that I will only work on one project at a time and usually don't break that until about Jan. 10th, so that's not bad. That gives me 10 days of working on one project and staying totally organized. I also make a resolution each year to be done with all my Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving and I truly do start in January! I buy at least one gift in Jan. put it away and forget about it --- truly do forget about it! (Sometimes don't find it for a couple years) That is usually the only gift I buy until after Thanksgiving and then I find myself in the same state of mind just before Christmas. My husband tells me not to stress and don't worry about it, "Everything always gets done!" I have told him, one of these days I am going to sit back and watch it all get done. We have some really great things coming up in the new year and our newsletter will be mailed shortly. (Probably the Monday after Christmas). It is ready, our new samples are hung on the walls with care and we are preparing for a great winter. Our "Meet The Teachers Event" will be Sunday, Jan. 9th from noon until 2:00. We have a great trunk show scheduled for that day too. We here at Tiger Lily wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

Your donations to local domestic abuse programs.

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 01:01:00 -0400

Thanks to all of you who donated to our drive to collect personal items and pillowcases for the domestic abuse shelters in our area. Last week represenatives from our local YMCA and the Emmaus House stopped by Tiger Lily to collect the bags of items and pillowcases that you donated to this very worthy cause. As you can see from the below images all of you were very generous. You made this a Merry Christmas for many people.

Customer Appreciation

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:12:00 -0400

Well, it has been a long time since I posted but I have a mountain of excuses! We won't go there though. I just want to remind everyone, this Saturday, Dec. 11th, is our Customer Appreciation Day. To show you how much we appreciate you, everyone will get a 15% off their total purchase, (excluding sale items, classes, machines and gift certificate.) You will also receive a gift with purchase and we will have refreshments. Without you we wouldn't be here and we truly appreciate each and every one of you. Our newsletter is at the printer but you won't see it in your mailbox until after Christmas. I will tell you our Meet the Teachers Winter Bash will be on Sunday, January 9th, so mark your calendars. That will be from noon until 2:00. Okay, that's just a teaser you will read more in the newsletter. I am not ready for Christmas, haven't finished shopping, wrapping or even started baking. I was hoping Santa would send an elf to do it all for me but so far no luck. Next Saturday is our Saturday Sampler, already! Where does the time go. Well ladies, this month you get two blocks, so hope you all show up. How exciting the end of the 2010 series and voila we unveil the new 2011 quilt. We certainly hope you all have a wonderful holiday. Thank you all for a great 2010 and we look forward to seeing all of you real soon.

We added new shades to our Color Wall

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 01:25:00 -0400

Do you need that special color to finish your project or do you have a favorite focus fabric that you want to complement with splashes of color? Our color wall continues to grow. Come on in for a close up look.

Ugly Quilt

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 23:47:00 -0400

Has anyone ever made a quilt they felt was really ugly? It's really hard to work on a quilt you can't get excited about however, we plug on as we don't want to waste the fabric, afterall it's all cut hmmm is it worth it. I will let you know when I'm done with it. haha It's getting to be that time of year when our snowbirds begin talking about going to Florida, others hoping for snow so they can have a good excuse to just stay cozy in front of the fire curl up with a nice warm quilt and work on their newest project. I personally love the change of seasons and enjoy winter because I don't have to feel guilty about sewing all evening and staying cozy on the weekends making homemade soup and drinking a glass of wine by the fire, as I work on my quilts. (Yes, I can do it all at the same time!) Yes, winter is a very productive time of year for me. Right now I am very excited about my next quilt (not the ugly one), I just brought home the fabric...it will be a surprise for our Dec. Sew Sweet Shop. I am very sad as Marilou had decided to leave us after four years and she is going to be working full time for the print shop, where she was working part time. She will now have every evening off and no working on Saturdays, so her kids will love that. She has been a huge asset to the shop and will be missed greatly. Wow, now we must find someone new to put up with us. Have to admit there is no better job...we get to see the fabric before anyone else, we make lots of friends, everyone is happy when they walk through the door and we have the BEST customers ever!!! Oh yeah, we even get to sew sometimes:) Well, have to go and work on that UGLY quilt!

Colors of Autumn Quilt Show

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 15:40:00 -0400

Shop Hop Stats

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 23:40:00 -0400

Shop Hop is over for 2010 and we have already begun planning for next year!! Hundreds of you picked up a passport and hit the road to adventure and had a blast. We also had fun seeing so many of you. Looks like the Moose will remain in the shop, by popular request and Waldo, our eagle who stands guard will also remain. Hope you will all think about the Shop Hop for next year, we always try to out do the previous year so next year maybe we will end up having a real moose. (just kidding) Our flannel room looks awesome and it is selling fast! I have flannel quilts on all our beds in the winter and my kids just love the quilts I made for them. They are soft and cozy and perfect for those cold winter nights. We just received Moda's "Remembrance" line today and it is beautiful. The Greens, reds and tans are spectacular. Oh yeah, for all of you waiting for Lisa Bongean's Little Nine Patch book, sorry I talked to Nick yesterday and he said it isn't ready yet, in fact won't come out until Market, which is Halloween time. I ordered several, so if you want one reserved you should give me a call to get on the list. Ahh, should be relaxing since I just got home from work and it is 9:45 but I must add a sleever to a quilt which goes into a show Columbus Day weekend. Have to have it in by the 5th. Well I hear keeping busy keeps us young and our brain sharp. So I plan to be forever young:)

Shop Hop Day 1

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:01:00 -0400

Day 1 is over but the memories will live on for a very long time. Check out our facebook page for pictures, they are sure to make you smile. Lots of hoppers through today and we have three days to go. I must say quilter's have a lot of stamina, they start hopping early in the morning and cover many miles. The hopper that came the farthest was from Hawaii, pretty amazing huh! Actually, she came to the shop to do a little shopping and didn't know anything about the Shop Hop, after explainng it to her she thought it would be fun, got a passport and began to hop. Our decorations were all made by my husband, who should have opted to be a starving artist rather than a starving computer anyalst, but a little late for a career change. You really need to check facebook..decorations were amazing! We couldn't survive these long days if it weren't for our dear friend Donna Sperling who brings us a shop hop survival kit each year. Lots of goodies, all homemade and they are all delicious. Funny thing, she takes out the calories too! What a miracle worker you are Donna! We actually look forward to shop hop each year, always alot of great people, lots of laughs and fun. We don't think of it as work, I guess we all consider it a big party! It's not too late to join in the fun, three more days to go!!!!

Shop Hop

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 01:07:00 -0400

Shop Hop starts Thursday, that means you need to stop by and join the fun. This years theme, Stars across America and when you come to Tiger Lily, you will be in Alaska. Long hours but lots of fun. Oh yeah, we will be open from 9:00 - 7:00 Thurs. & Fri., 9:00 - 6:00 on Sat. and 11:00 - 4:00 on Sunday.