Sept. & Oct. Class Schedule

Okay, we're off and running with our new list of classes for September and October!

Once again, I think you will find a splendid selection to choose from, old favorites and new products, from beginners to veterans.
 The class coupon is the best buy in town so if you haven't taken advantage of this yet, come in and get yours. 6 months of classes for the unbeatable price of $60.00. As many as you can take.

We only ask that if you sign up, you make it and if you have to cancel, please tell us in advance in order to allow someone on stand-by to take your place.

Print the last page with the calendar for easy reference and give us a call at 985-845-9554.


 

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The Learning Never Ends

With Shop Hop behind us and our 10th Anniversary looming, Bright Hopes Quilting staff took a Saturday day off to make a mini retreat!

As you who receive our weekly newsletter know by now, we have been stocking this interesting ruler, the Quick Curve Ruler for about 6 months now

and Celeste has offered a number of classes that use the ruler to make very cool quilts, such as the Urban Abacus.

Well, some of us have been casting a wistful eye on the ruler ourselves and decided to get in on the action together on Saturday and make Metro Rings.

Metro Rings is a pattern that totally takes the stress out of creating the traditional Double Wedding Rings quilt design and makes it a manageable and, dare I say enjoyable, experience. It's true!!!

We got our cutting instructions ahead of the class from Celeste and met at 9 am. After a quick overview, we started whacking away at our pre-sewn strip sets and moved on to the background pieces. By 10:00, sewing machines were humming up a storm.

You can see in the photos that we all use a wide selection of machines, from Featherweights to full Berninas and our fabric selections could not have been more varied if we had auditioned them prior to coming to class......

It isn't often that we get a chance for a play-day and everyone showed up for this one.....

Here, Mary is bringing together the concave and convex shapes of Japanese indigoes in a smooth sewing line.

Mona uses her stiletto to control the curve with Aunt Grace fabrics.

After a quick break for pizza (gotta keep the energy up!) we began putting the blocks together and look who is very pleased with the results!

Here you see 6 of the 8... from top left to lower right, 

Mona, Linda Kay

Jayne, Mary Green

Georgia, Mary Gerardi

So, now when you come into the shop with questions about the Quick Curved Ruler, we can all with great confidence explain how easy this ruler is to make fabulous blocks in a wide variety of patterns. 

We really love it when one tool creates many choices. It is especially gratifying to know that curved piecing is NOT difficult, when you know how to do it!

Next month is our 10th Anniversary and the start of another two month schedule of great classes. I'll be posting the new class calendar shortly. Stay tuned for more information on both of these......

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler! Shop Hop 2013

This is the first weekend of the 2013 South Louisiana Shop Hop and the fun begins in less than 24 hours.

We have 10 participating shop this year and we are happy, happy, happy to welcome Angie and The Quilted Owl into the group!

We have all been working hard to bring the 'Hoppers' the best and newest out there in the Quilting Universe and hope that everyone who is taking part in the festivities has a good time. After all, that is our theme every year!

 As we do each year, we design quilts in each shop and sell 'kits' to make the block that is specific to each store.  Each shop will have a different kit for sale for $5.00. The kit includes the fabric and instruction for that particular block. If you make it to each shop, in addition to getting your passport stamped, you will have a chance to buy your kit and see how each shop put them all together in their unique design. Finishing kits will be available for purchase at each shop as well so you can choose the one like and have everything you need to make a quilt top by the time you hit the last shop.

Only participating shops in the area will have these kits available.

 

Here again are the participating shops taking part in the Shop Hop for 2013.

Bright Hopes Quilting in Mandeville, LA

Sew This! in Abita Springs, LA

Mama's Quilt Shop in Independence, LA

Mes Amis in New Orleans, LA

The Quilted Owl in Jefferson, LA (on Jefferson Hwy near the Huey P. Long Bridge)

Cottage Creations in St. Gabriel, LA

Fabric Krazy in Baton Rouge, LA

The Quilt Niche in Houma, LA

The Quilt Cupboard in Morgan City, LA
The Borne Quilter, Lafayette, LA

 

Needless to say, dropping your name in the box for a chance to win any one of our fantastic baskets and getting your passport stamped at each shop is of high priority so make sure you come to our cutting table as you enter the store. If you bring those preprinted return address labels with you, you will save a little time there for looking around.

Remember that each passport includes $5.00 off coupons for regularly priced items totaling $25.00 and you will have a coupon for this at every store in the Shop Hop.

We also have a memory pin available for purchase if you have a passport, available only at participating stores and it is really pretty! $5.50

So, that brings us to the Prize Baskets!! Each store has a Big Prize Basket that will go to a lucky winner and all the passports that have been stamped by every shop will go into the box for the Super Big Prizes including the Grand Prize Tower.

(Notions & fabrics shown not included; For display purposes only)



 

The fun begins Friday, August 9 and we have extended

our hours to 9:00am to 6:00pm on Friday and Saturday and then again next Thursday- Saturday.

 

Come pass a good time with the participating shops in the

2013 South Louisiana Shop Hop!

We'll see you here!

 

Hoffman Challenge 2013 Results

I am so excited to announce that the Hoffman Challenge has posted the results and 5 quilts from Bright Hopes Quilting have been accepted into the traveling trunk shows.

At this writing, all the 'travelers' are being assembled at Loveland, Co at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Show and this is the only time all the quilts will be shown together.

After that, they are separated into trunks and sent off in various directions. You should know that Mary Gerardi's quilt will be at the Houston International Quilt Show in Oct-Nov. so look for it when you get to the George Brown Convention Center.

If any of the other quilts find their way to shows in the immediate area (East Texas - Pensacola, FL) I will let you know. I will also be on the road to go see them!

We are so excited and what a fantastic way to end our 10th year in business and spring-board into our 11th!

Shop Hop 2013 is NEXT MONTH!!!

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler, Y'all! 

We are now selling Shop Hop Passports!

Passports are $5.00 and include a $5.00 coupon for each participating Shop Hop store.

  

The coupon can be used for regularly-priced merchandise with a $25.00 purchase. Customers purchasing a passport are eligible to buy a 2013 Shop Hop Pin, (which are beautiful!), for $5.50.

   

Each participating shop will be selling their "quilt block" kit for $5.00. In addition, each shop will sell finishing kits for their individual quilt setting. As you hop, don't forget to look at each quilt. This year, all the block fabrics are identical and each setting is unique to each store.

  

 Here is the Bright Hopes Quilting Quilt for 2013

   

   

Every shop has their own prize basket as well; this is ours!! 

You won't believe the goodies we packed inside, valued at $250.00!

  

And when you drop your name in the tray, you will be in the running to win it. If you get your passport stamped in every shop, you are entered to win the Grand Prize,  a rotating Tower to hold books, fabrics, notions, rulers, threads and has a dry-erase board and bulletin board. It's really cool!!
  

  

Here is a run-down of all the participating shops:

Bright Hopes Quilting in Mandeville, LA

Sew This! in Abita Springs, LA

Mama's Quilt Shop in Independence, LA

Mes Amis in New Orleans, LA

The Quilted Owl in Jefferson, LA (under the Huey P. Long Bridge)

Cottage Creations in St. Gabriel, LA

Fabric Krazy in Baton Rouge, LA

The Quilt Niche in Houma, LA

The Quilt Cupboard in Morgan City, LA

The Borne Quilter, Lafayette, LA

10 SHOPS, YA'LL!!!!

Shop Hop 2013 takes place over 2 weekends this year for the first time,

 Friday and Saturday, August 9-10 and again, 

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, August 15, 16 and 17.

So, if you have never done a SHOP HOP, here are a few tips!

1. Bring a Friend. It's always more fun in pairs. Or teams!

2. Pace yourself. You have 5 days to hit every store so don't even THINK about getting to each one in a single day.

3. Have a plan. You can break down the distance by grouping the shops by location. 

4. Stop for lunch somewhere fun and make it memorable.

5. Bring those adhesive return address labels you have thousands of and save time filling out the drawing cards. You get a chance to win the basket at every shop!! But only if your name is IN THE HAT!

6. Chocolate. Bring chocolate. If you don't eat them, you can always feed the shop staff!

7. Bring a camera...... you never know. 

8. If you have a project that has hit a hard wall, this is the time to look for inspiration so bring swatches and a photo of it with you because you just might see something that will kick-start it again.

There's probably many many more hints and tips our there that I don't recall just now so if you have any, please leave us a comment!

Saturday with Cherry Guidry

I hope you had the opportunity to join us welcoming Cherry Guidry to Bright Hopes on Saturday. We had a wonderful time hearing her journey into the world of pattern-making. For those who unable to attend, I have a few photographs to share.

Here is Celeste, who has made a number of Cherry Blossom Quilting samples for the shop and Pearl with Cherry, standing in front of her newest pattern offering, Sunday Ride (one of two Cherry brought for the show!!!!)

Earlier this year, Cherry loaned us this sample of her Christmas wreath and I had a chance to shoot a close-up so you can see the lovely machine quilting . Cherry does her own quoting as well as piecing. SHe gave us tips on creating the tranpunto appearance you see below. This is one of the reasons Trunk Shows and Meet-Ups are so exciting; you never know what you will learn!

Here are two close-ups of the blocks from Sunday Ride, to give you and idea of her quilting and fabric choices. This sample used batiks. Notice the attention to detail!!!

I want to make this block as a stand-alone!

Here is a good shot of the second sample of Sunday Ride, using a more muted palette and gives you a better idea of the final size of the quilt itself. Her quilting on this one was fabulous and inventive!

Here is a close-up.

And another. Fantastic work!

In addition to the machine applique designs, Cherry has a new pieced pattern for your viewing pleasure. The center of each block has an appliqué but the rest of the design is pieced.

We have complete collection of Cherry's pattern in stock and several shop samples. 

I hope you enjoyed a short review of the Cherry Blossoms Quilting Studio trunk show, THANK YOU THANK YOU to Cherry Guidry for her time and enthusiasm, 

 and remember, 

next Saturday, July 20 is Mary Green's presentation of Modern Quilts and a review of QuiltCon. This is a free meeting and open to anyone who would like to learn more about this new direction in the world of quilt-making.

As seating is somewhat limited, we ask that you give us a call to reserve a chair and give us a more accurate idea of space requirements.

985-845-9554

See You Saturday!!

Hoffman Challenge 2013

Good morning, everyone! After a long wait, I am revealing the six entries into the Hoffman Challenge by various coworkers here at Bright Hopes Quilting.

 These are made by Mary Gerardi, Mona Lowe, Pearl Squires, Celeste Chabert, Georgia Farnet and Chris Teague.

 When Hoffman released the fabrics this year, we were so inspired that we grabbed our stash and whipped these out. They have been received by the committee and we now await the viewing and judging.

 I'll let you know what the results are when they are announced.

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