Oh my gosh…please get this thing off me!

We have a very thin dog.  She is an adorable, loving, sweet Jack Russell Terrier cross. 

We actually had her DNA checked (couldn’t resist- hey, I don’t have kids OK?).  They said she was a mix of Chihuahua and Italian greyhound.  The greyhound I see, the Chihuahua???  Not so much.

 

She’s actually pretty sick with liver failure and she’s only 4 years old.  She was born with a liver shunt.  She’s the best dog ever so it doesn’t seem fair…but we love every day we have with her.

 

Because she’s so thin and it’s so cold here, she has to wear something when she goes outside.  I made her a fleece coat but she and one of our other dogs destroyed it. 

 

So, I tried again.  I bought her some homemade “jammies” from Tails Me All About It. 

 

I’ve never tried to fit a dog into “feeties” before.  Turns out, she’s not too big on them.  It’s comical to see her try to walk in them! 

 

 

I actually bought them a little too short for her body so I added a fleece stripe down the center.

 

 

 

The workmanship is great, high quality.  I just wish she liked them better!

 

 

Love you Pearl!

Sierra Sewing Center in Reno and Carson City!

As formerly promised in an earlier post it is time to discuss another Reno Quilt Shop-Sierra Sewing Center!

Sierra Sewing Center

Reno, NV

Hours:

Mon-Sat: 10-5:30 pm

Sunday: Closed

Sierra Sewing Center has two locations in Nevada.  Their largest store is located in Reno and a slightly smaller version can be found in Carson City.  (In fact, it is currently the ONLY quilt shop in Carson City!) 

In the Reno store, you will find the employees hard at work.  Owner, Linda Lakso and manager, Lori Whitworth, devote countless hours to keeping their shop ever evolving and exciting! 

This is one of several aprons on display in the store showcasing the hot, new apron patterns!

Lori has a famous way of greeting each and every customer and wants to make sure that every customer leaves the store having had a truly enjoyable shopping experience!  As a matter of fact, I think you could say that customer satisfaction is one of their highest goals.

They say that one of the most rewarding aspects of their business is to match the right person to the right sewing machine.  A good functioning sewing machine makes the quilting experience SO much more enjoyable. 

I've heard people say that they sew on their mother's/grandmother's/aunt's old machine from 19...(fill in the blank).  I'm sure that they're functioning fine but there really is nothing to compare with a new sewing machine.  The technology of the new machines will take your breath away.

And...it's very affordable with Sierra Sewing Center since they even offer Lay Away!! 

If you're at all in the market for a new machine consider buying from Sierra Sewing Center at the upcoming Quilt, Sewing and Craft Expo coming to Reno at the end of June, 2010.  

Sierra Sewing Center will be supplying ALL of the sewing machines for the Expo and will be offering some "dynamite prices" (as Lori says) on all of the machines.  They will be offering Pfaff Express 4.0's and Viking Sapphire 875's.  Each machine will come with a full warranty and free instruction in the store!!  If you need a machine, now could be the time!!

What is unique about Sierra Sewing Center?

I LOVE their Moda Bake Shop!  They always have a great selection of charm squares, layer cakes and jelly rolls.  They carry the newest fabrics not to mention those that you might have missed the first time around.  When I'm looking for Moda Bake Shop, I always try them first.  (And pssst....their prices are great!)

Also according to Lori, they just got in 100 BOLTS of blenders from Moda.  They have the full spectrum of colors!!  Whoo-Hoo!!!!  I know I'll be checking this out soon!

I love their new patriotic display.  Who doesn't LOVE red, white and blue!!

When I asked Lori and Linda what sets them apart as an independent quilt shop from the other chain stores they were quick to respond.  They pointed out that in their store you will always get Personal Attention.  Whatever you may need, they are there to help.  Not to mention, they know what they have in terms of merchandise and they can (drum roll please) FIND it!!

Linda said she is pleased to know that her customers think they have a great selection of fabric and a nice variety.  It is a compliment she often gets.  Their goal is to appeal to as many people as possible, she says.

Below is a quilt that can be taken as a class as part of the monthly "Scrap Therapy" program. 

Come September, Sierra Sewing Center will be participating in the Sierra to Sage Shop Hop as it prepares to celebrate its 3rd year this September 23rd-26th.  This year's theme is the Pony Express.  Their block will be featuring Applique and they will have a store sample representing their block.

There's no end to the creativity as you can see from the adorable quilted figures above.  It's not just about quilts! 

Lastly, don't forget that SSC offers a Fabric Punch Card.  Each yard of regular priced fabric is worth a $1 punch.  The first Saturday of the month is usually Double Punch Day (this day is subject to change so be sure and ask before you line up for your double punches)!!  On these days you'll earn $2 in punches for every yard of fabric.

Filling up your card means you've earned $20 in free fabric!  I don't know about you but I'm a fan of earning free fabric just from purchasing more fabric.  (Oh- the sacrifices I must make!  :)

Below is another adorable project from their Scrap Therapy classes.  They also offer monthly purse classes in the "Bag Ladies Club".  Too fun!

Their class schedule comes out quarterly so consider taking one in their comfortable classroom.  Here's a peek of their room...

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you've been inspired to stop by Sierra Sewing Center soon!  If we're going to keep our local quilt shops alive, we've got to give them our business!  

Take care!

Heather

The Uncommon Thread Quilt Shop- Fallon, NV

On a recent Saturday morning I sat down with Julie Lamb, owner of the Uncommon Thread Quilt Shop in Fallon, NV. 

Fallon, NV

Fallon, located approximately 60 miles east of Reno, is home to the infamous "Top Gun" Naval Base. It is a relatively rural town, home to ranchers and farmers alike, many with families having owned and worked the land for multiple generations.  

Five years ago, Julie, a chemist by trade, moved to Fallon when her husband relocated  to a new job.  At that time, Julie owned a quilt shop in Enterprise, OR.  After exploring her new town, Julie realized that a quilt shop would fit in perfectly and as she says, "she brought the quilt shop with her"!

Fallon is the only large town in Churchill county and thus serves a large population of people living in smaller communities.  People travel from Austin, Lovelock, Winnemucca and Hawthorne to buy their quilting supplies.  In addition, she also captures the attention of traveling quilters as her store is easily accessed from the main highway.

Shop Favorites

Julie's favorite designers include: "In the Beginning", "Red Rooster", "Kona Bay", "Michael Miller" and "Alexander Henry".  She admits that she enjoys fabric that is a little wild and bright.  She tries to carry contemporary fabrics and says that this seems an obvious choice in contrast to the brown Nevada desert!

Her store is delicious!  A true treat as you can see from some of the pictures.

Patterns

The Uncommon Thread has a website and it's own line of patterns.  The website is just getting started and can be found at: http://www.uncommonthreadonline.com/. Julie's patterns can be found in the shop along with samples of her work. 

This is an ADORABLE pillowcase pattern and, yes, I couldn't resist, I took this one home!

"Crazy Patch Pillowcases"

Placemats and Tablerunners...

 

Panels have become a popular element to her shop and she has a terrific stock as you can see here.  The panels are packaged individually and usually come with a finishing suggestion on how to turn the panel into a quilt!

Short Arm Quilting

While the shop itself doesn't offer quilting services, they do offer classes on their "Short Arm" quilting machine.  The working width is 6-7" but it can easily accomodate up to a King size quilt.  The cost is only $30/day once you learn how to use the machine. 

An interesting bit of trivia is that Julie brought the idea of a Shop Hop with her from Oregon.  Once here, she asked around at various shops in the area to see if anyone was interested in participating in a Shop Hop and eventually partnered with a shop in Reno.  All of the local shop owners were invited to a meeting and the Sierra 2 Sage Shop Hop was born.

Sierra 2 Sage Shop Hop, Sept 2010

This year's Sierra to Sage Shop Hop will be held on September 23rd-26th, 2010 and the theme is The Pony Express.  Every shop will design a unique block using a different technique.  The Uncommon Thread has designed their block to feature Seminole Patchwork.  Other shops are inlcuding themes such as Prarie Points, Applique or Crazy Quilting.  To see all of the stores involved and to get more information go to: www.Sierra2SageShopHop.com

There is a bit more to this year's blocks which I haven't yet revealed that make them exciting and unique.  Check back soon to hear about these details in our upcoming post on Fallon's other quilt shop, Workman's Farms.

One last look at Julie's wonderful store...

Visit The Uncommon Thread and support your local, independent quilt shops!

"Colorful Cats"