Sunday, January 27, 2008

Cynthia writes...

My father is a member of the Kiwanis Club. He never does anything halfway, and apparently neither do any of his cohorts. When he said that the club was going to run a miniature golf course at the Comfort Suites and asked whether we wanted to sponsor a hole, I couldn't turn him down--but I admit I didn't know just how cool the course was going to be. I've grown up with this man. I should have had it figured out from the beginning.

I'm not going to tell all, because it's much more fun to be surprised, and the Kiwanis Club is planning to do this next year again. But I'll give you a few glimpses of what these people built.

After the first hole in the elevator, everyone came into a suite that I decorated for the second hole. I created the obstacles, too. There's nothing like fat-quarter packs and a couple of skeins of yarn to intimidate people:


When I was done with my decorating, a few friends joined me, and we got to play the course.

Now, I actually like miniature golf. (The cheesier the better; I still need to get to a course somewhere with giant dinosaurs.) I don't win at many games, but this is one where I have a fighting chance. And today, I was the champion among our group of four. Look. You can see the fire in my eyes as I calculate my angles:

My friend Alice claims that most champions do not play golf with a purse around their shoulders. But she said that early on, before she had fully grasped the level of my skills.

Some of the holes we played were incredibly creative. I particularly liked this one from a realtor:


And someone apparently likes flamingos:


(As do I.)

The coolest hole of all was across a swimming pool:


Who can resist such a challenge? So I recommend that next year at this time, you go out and play some golf.

And if you don't want to wait, there's always the pancake breakfast in April. See you there, dad!

Monday, January 14, 2008

Seasonal Snapshots
2008 Block of the Month

We are excited--Saturday and today mark the beginning of our 2008 Block of the Month. We call it Seasonal Snapshots and Kim has drawn her inspiration from poetry and the subtle color shifts in nature's palette over the changing year.

Here is the first block, January Glow, and the snippet of poetry that inspired it.

January is here, with eyes that keenly glow,
A frost-mailed warrior
striding a shadowy steed of snow.
--Edgar Fawcett


The winter sky at dusk reveals a palette of purples and plums, silvers and grays, and teals and blues. January's block celebrates the subtle beauty of winter's chill. The colors of each block will blend and wash from one month to the next, just as nature's palette changes over the course of the year.

So come on in from the cold and sign up for a slot. We'll be happy to catch you up and take you through 11 more months of nature's glory.

Thursday, January 03, 2008

We Have a 2007 Block of the Month Winner! WOOO!

We just finished 2007's Block of the Month and are gearing up for a GREAT 2008!

As we transition to our new class, we are thrilled to announce that Pat Lysak is last year's winner! Congratulations, Pat!

As the winner, Pat will receive a complete finishing kit for the quilt: Everything from the center Mariner's Compass kit, to the background for the blocks, to the batting, to the backing, to the binding--and even for the longarm quilting from Stone Valley Quilting.

We will offer the same opportunity for the 2008 Block of the Month. All you have to do to enter is bring in your finished block from the month before to the meeting time that you signed up for, and we'll enter your name in a drawing for next year!

The theme for 2008's Block of the Month is Seasonal Snapshots. Kim has selected a beautiful and soft palette for this quilt that echoes the changing landscape of the four seasons. You can stop by the shop to see the palette for this year.

The colors for each month's block will blend into the next, representing the subtle color transitions that mark the changing year. Colorwash borders at top and bottom further celebrate the changing light and landscape of our Pennsylvania year. And twelve all-new beautiful blocks will surround four Tree of Life blocks in the center.

We're really excited about this quilt and would love for you to sign up and join in the fun.