Welcome to Ma's Got'a Notion
Here at Ma's, we've got your back...quilt back, that is!!!

I always said when my kids were still at home and in school, it always seemed like summer came to a close way too fast the day after the 4th of July celebration. I always felt it was time to get them new shoes and clothes, register for the school year, and, of course, pay the book fees! Oh, how I miss the days that were then! Many of you may not know this, but I have worn many hats throughout my career. When the kids were young, we always had a pool; we started off with an above-ground, and then I became a pool installer and erected many above-ground pools and dug several inground pools over the years, including the one in the backyard of the home we raised our family. Never a dull moment when the kids were still home; our whole family always loved the water, and still do. All are swimmers; my kids were all swimming instructors and lifeguards. My girls and I taught water aerobics. So far, this summer has been full of days made for lounging in a pool...I no longer have one, but if you do, I hope you are taking advantage of it!

Well, since we are experiencing all this hot weather, I am thinking that if the old wives' tale is true (it always gets just as cold as it has been hot), then we just may be in for a mighty cold winter!

With that in mind, I thought maybe I should help you all prepare for winter by offering a 15% discount on all things flannel here at Ma's. Nothing keeps us warmer than a flannel quilt when the temps dip into the lower teens and subzero! If you know my shop, then you know I have an awesome flannel selection, both regular widths and 108"wide backing.

So, beginning Wednesday, July 8th, through July 31st, all flannels on the bolt in the shop will be 15% off! This will include all 42"wide and 108" wide. Fat quarters, single and bundled. It does not include any kits, sorry!

If you have not worked with flannel, you will love it. This is an "in-shop only sale". Below, I will share a few tips that work well for me when piecing with flannel. 

I do not wash my flannels before I piece...I do not wash any fabrics before I piece (that does not mean you should not); it only means I do not. There are no cardinal rules; I am just sharing what I do. P.S. The quilt police are a figment of our imagination, truly! OK, on to what I personally do when I work with flannel. BUT, you do what you do; it's OK!!! Whatever works for you is OK!!!

I spray the back side of my flannel with "Mary Ellen's Best Press" or "Quilty Spray Starch". When I say I spray, I mean I saturate the back side of the fabric. I then hang them on my drying rack to dry. Honestly, if they are going to shrink, they will through this process. Most of the time, I see a little shrinkage, but some brands do shrink more than others. Once they are dry, I steam iron the back of the fabric. I then cut my pieces.

PLEASE NOTE: I never ever spray or steam my fabric once it has been cut and pieced. ONLY before the cutting, never after. Again, this is just the way I like to do it; it is not a rule written in stone.

I use my walking foot when piecing flannel. I still do a scant 1/4" seam. If I plan on big-stitch hand quilting it OR doing a longarm E2E quilting on it (ONLY IF), I will press my seams open.

(IF) I am going to custom quilt it. I will press my seams to one side so I can quilt in the ditch.

 When I get ready to choose my wide backing (I do not wash it either), but if you do want to wash yours, I tell quilters to be on the safe side and purchase an extra 1/2 yard to allow for any shrinkage (because I do not know which one will shrink more or less). 

I personally like the way all quilts look after they are quilted, bound, and washed; there is just something about the "crinkle" that appeals to me.

I also like to use wool batting in my flannel quilts. It not only lightens them up (weight-wise), but I personally prefer to sleep under wool batting. Wool allows water to wick away from our bodies (we all sweat at night, no matter the season)! SO... wool is a great batting for year-round use.

We have been busy making kits here at the shop: several Fall and Halloween placemats, runners, and throw quilts. Here are a couple of them. 

Please note that the runner that matches the quilt is a leftover from the kit!

I have a great quilt kit made up that is so dang pretty, and the secret to it is a cheater center in two choices: either the star center as I show here, or a log cabin center. I will be getting the 108" wide backing that matches the star cheater fabric in the center of the sample.

We are now working on some Christmas kits that I am sure will appeal to you too.

A quick update on the hubs: they ended up not placing another stent; once they got in there, it wasn't as clogged as originally thought. The cause of his shortness of breath is still a mystery they are working to resolve. He is getting an MRI in a few weeks, and we are waiting to hear from the pulmonary doc. He has stage 4 kidney disease too (which we already knew), so there have been a couple of changes in his meds for that. 

Please remember that my shop hours have changed; I hope it will be temporary, just until I can get through the knee replacement and PT. My replacement surgery date is July 29th.

I am looking for some part-time help starting in/around October when I hope to resume my regular hours. So if you, or someone you know, would like some part-time work with an hourly wage and a shop discount, send them my way. They must know how to piece (or be willing to learn) and understand yardage, and of course, offer advice when asked for by a customer. If they are computer-savvy, that would be a real plus, as what I do know comes hard to me; I have learned on the job, so to speak! If I could find part-time help who knows their way around one, that would be such a bonus!

I hope you follow my Facebook page for updates; the email server I use does not allow me to add many photos, so I usually add only a few, if any.  Having another/newer email service is too complicated for me to learn at this time; as I like to say, I have learned the little I know by hook/crook and happenstance!

Online orders will continue to ship while I am off; there may be a 1-day delay for weekend orders, as the shop will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. But they will ship; I have been teaching Deb how to do the online orders, so things will still ship in a timely fashion.

I hope you all are enjoying your summer and have had time for some vacation days, too.

Yes, there are gardens, yards, and flowers to tend to all summer, but don't forget to tend to YOU TOO! Wishing you many enjoyable summer days ahead. Be safe, wear your sunscreen, and ENJOY these precious days!