Inspiration from Marcia Derse's Fabrics.

I have loved all of the fabrics that Marcia Derse has designed and finally got my act together to create a table runner that features some of my favorite pieces. Her first group was Gerta ,the second group was named Streamline and the current group is called Third in Line. http://www.marciaderse.com/

I just posted a kit for the Tribal table runner pictured over at our Etsy store http://www.etsy.com/shop/calico52

Also one of our favorite designers, Jaybird quilts has a great new pattern Chop sticks up on her blog http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/ I am so excited to see her booth at quilt market in a couple of weeks. We have several of her patterns in stock now at the store. This will be her first booth at market , but I bet it's not her last.

How to make buttons from vintage spools

We saw a great idea over at http://punkproject.blogspot.com today for using vintage wooden spools to make cute buttons. Scroll down to her April I8th Make it Monday post and check it out. Let me know what you think. Its a great way to reuse some vintage items. Tell her we sent you by leaving a comment.

Wanted to give you a little eye candy on some new fabrics that are arriving at the shop .

I havent met a polka dot I didn't like yet.

I have a winner for our Sherbet Pips give away.

Joy M from Waterford Michigan. Congratulations !!! Drop me a e-mail with your address and I will get them in the mail.

New Anthology Fabrics by Khristian A Howell

It is always exciting to find a new company offering great design and quality. These fabrics from Anthology have just arrived and are gorgeous . ( well worth checking out. )
We found them at quilt market where they have been showing fabrics for just a few seasons.

Notice the touches of grey, a color we have been seeing more and more of.

Several of our fabric reps have been stopping in lately and tempting us with way to many great choices.I will try to list some of the exciting groups we have ordered in the next week.

On another note an important point came up at the store today about how often to change your needle when machine sewing. If you can't remember when you last have ,thats not a good sign. I believe it is after every 8 hours. Food for thought

Little boys shirt made from fat quarters

We love it when a plan comes together and this cute little shirt we planned uses just 4 fat quarters. Don't you love the cute new fabrics. Janet did such a good job on this model. This shirt features some of the new helicopter fabric that is part of a series of cute planes and other transportation fabrics. There are way to many really cute fabrics for little boys right now. When was the last time you heard that.

On another exciting note we now have an Etsy shop for our kits and other fun things. We posted our Cruise around Nebraska quilt kit today and if you click on the picture of it on the right side of our blog you will go right to the Etsy shop. We will be adding more kits soon.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sherbet Pips Give Away

Okay ! We are excited to be having our first give away for this wonderful bundle of Sherbet Pips fabrics designed by Aneela Hoey for Moda.( Pictured above.) Leave a comment on why you love these fabrics and we will draw a winner next Saturday. One comment per person. I know I am trying to settle on a design to use with these adorable fabrics and its hard to pick just one.

Several new models are almost ready for the store and we will post pictures as they are finished . We have big ones and little ones. Stay Tuned. (kits will be available.)

More copies of the new book " Home on the Plains " have arrived. It is selling well, so let us know if we can reserve one for you. We are so happy for Kathy and Stephanie, the authors both from Nebraska .

New Spring fabrics from Moda

This cute quilt by Momo was in the Moda booth at quilt market last fall, such happy cheerful colors. The bolts arrived a few days ago and this group has some twill weight fabrics also. Just Wing It is the name of the group and there are some butterflies among the flowers. If you need a little something for your stash as a little pick me up stop in or contact us. Precuts are in stock to.

Sherbet Pips has arrived

It's here! Sherbet Pips from Moda!

We're new to this online game (but not to quilting—our store has been in business for over 30 years), so... to get to know us, we are offering the first 10 orders of Sherbet Pips Prints 1/2 yard Sets (entire collection—27 cuts) for $140.95 which includes shipping USPS Priority to the contiguous United States (Nebraska orders add 7% sales tax).

Every effort will be made to have same day shipping on orders placed before 2 p.m. CST. We accept: MasterCard, Visa & Discover. Order by phone or fax at 402-489-1067, M–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. CST, Sun. 1-4 p.m. CST. Orders placed on weekends or holidays will be shipped the next business day.

If interested in different yardage please contact us at 402-489-1067. The white Bella solid that Aneela Hoey uses is in stock. Sets and yardage subject to availability. After 1st 10 sales, set prices are $135.00 plus $10.95 USPS Priority Shipping in the contiguous US and $1.50 handling fee.

International Orders:

We are happy to sell Internationally for actual shipping costs.

Return Policy:

All cut fabric is considered a final sale.

If any questions don't hesitate to call 402-489-1067 or email calicohouse@neb.rr.com

Aneela Hoey's fabric Sherbet Pips is shipping

I took this picture on the right at quilt market last fall in the Moda booth . I hope you like it because there is a free pattern for it over at comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk from Aneela Hoey the designer of the fabric and thats her blog also. She really has some wonderful embroidery designs that will have you smiling. The fabric will be arriving next week. We will post as soon as it arrives , the precuts are already in stock and available. The colors are very retro greys , aquas, pinks and red. That word retro seems to be popping up a lot lately and the style is very popular with all ages. We love it!

Jaybird Quilt Patterns

Its so fun to discover new quilt designers and these 2 patterns are in stock and from one of our favorites: Jaybird Quilts. She has several patterns available and we just found out she will have her own booth at quilt market next month. For more information go to jaybirdquilts.com We also see that our Sherbet Pips from Moda has been shipped and should arrive next week. We will let you know as soon as the UPS man drops them off. We ordered the whole group including the solids. We will have 1/2 yard bundles available to ship.

Important questions to think about when selecting batting

Batting is such an important part of our projects and can cause a lot of problems if the wrong choice is made. I suggest checking the packaging and or asking for the following information:

1. Fiber content: cotton , polyester, cotton/ poly, silk, wool , bamboo and others. (Consider allergies)

2. Is the batting recommended for hand or machine quilting. The later should be broken down into long arm and short arm machines. Some will be marked on the packaging some won't.

3. Shrinkage: most are labeled 1% or 3% etc. In a 108" quilt 3% shrinkage would make your quilt 104.75" Does it make a difference if they are air dried versus heat dried in a dryer.It pays to check this information out ahead of time.

4. How far apart can you quilt . Most will give this information in a maximum # of inches .

5. Does the manufacturer recommend preshrinking?

6. Is your project made of all dark colored fabrics. Do you want a dark colored batting? I know they can be harder to find , but they do exist.

There are questions about thickness and the end result you want . Such as do you want the look of an antique quilt ?

This is just food for thought. Don't be afraid to ask. If you like a project you see , ask about what product they used. As you can see there is more to batting that you thought. Hopefully this will help a little and let me know what else you think is important.

101 Patchwork Magazine now available.

New Stitch Magazine in stock now.

This great magazine gives you a lot of bang for the buck and has been so successful they keep increasing the # of issues available per year. Let us know and we will save one for you, they always go quickly.

Are you are looking for solid colors in 100% cotton. We have been increasing are selection and carry Bella solids from Moda and Free Spirit. We just received a shipment of all of the new colors released by Moda for Spring . It is amazing how many shades of grey we have, and a good selection of neutrals.

Lots of Dots with ALexander Henry Fabrics

This is such an inspiring fabric, it just makes those creative juices start flowing. Alexander Henry Fabrics provide us with fresh ideas in color and design each season. And if you are looking for the unusual their fabrics are a great place to start.

Just when we thought there couldn't be another cute bird themed fabric , darn this is just that different from all the others out there. We would be happy to cut some just for you. Call, e-mail or stop by soon.

Baby Love Oh Baby Love

Alexander Henry always has the most clever , unusual fabrics and these new baby fabrics are some of the best. If you are lucky enough to have a wee one arriving soon these are perfect for quilts and all things baby. Crib sheets take 2 yards and they make quick easy gifts ,and you can never have to many.

New Girly Girl Flannels

We hope you love these new flannels that just arrived at Calico House as much as we do. They are guaranteed to give you a severe case of spring fever, and its hard to pick your favorite. I sold them today to several different people who just fell in love with them. Well worth the stop, so come in soon. The really cute ones always go quickly. Remember to always allow 4 inches a yard for shrinkage with flannels and they can shrink in width to 38 inches. Better to be safe than sorry. It is so important to always unfold the fabrics before you wash them so you don't get a light streak down the fold also.