Spring is Here! ...Right?

The sun is starting to peek its way through the clouds and the flowers are starting to push their buds above the soil! As of March 21st, Spring is here! Well, it's supposed to be here. In my opinion, I think springtime should be warm and sunny, with occasional rain. But it's just my luck that I live in Northwestern Washington where it rains all the time!

But there is one perk to living in this area. And that is this wonderful quilt shop! We have some fun classes coming up that have a few seats available! 

This Friday, March 25th we have Quilt Til You Wilt! It only costs $10, so bring the project you're working on and your comfortable clothes, because you'll have six hours of non-stop quilting! 

And this Saturday, March 26th we have our "Thread Painting" and "Woven Quilts" class! This class costs $40 and will teach you the most beautiful techniques! From 10:30 am - 3:30 pm Judy Irish will guide you through the steps, tips, and tricks to creating these beautiful projects. 

And now for some exciting news! I am anxiously awaiting the birth of my niece! Okay, so my sister isn't due until late June, but I'm still very excited! So I looked through the bin of scraps I have at home and found some cute, bright, and PINK (yes, she's having a girl!) fabrics that I could use to create a burp cloth and matching blanket. Here are some pictures of the embroidery that I have accomplished so far:

They are naming their little girl Jayden. I am so excited to have my niece Jayden Carson here!

Fabric and Feedback!

Well, I'm back! It's been two weeks since my last post, and I apologize profusely for the absence. We were just so busy here at the shop with the Fat Tuesday sale that I was pulled upstairs to help out and didn't have time to write! The past few weeks have been both busy and fun. I would like to thank all of you that came out to visit us during the Fat Tuesday sale. We loved seeing you! It was fun to see the fat quarters you picked and hear about what they were destined to become! One customer walked out with quite a few bags full of fat quarters and as I was helping her to her car she said, "That was the most fun I've had all week!" So thank you to all that came, we always love seeing your smiling faces.

I have been busily working on something, and it is now up to date! We are selling fabric on the online store! Yay! You can now find not only kits, pre-cut fabrics, gift certificates, classes, and clubs online, but recent fabric lines as well! Click here to visit our online store and shop!

Okay ladies, that last part told you about the "fabric". Now, for the feedback! I was asked a few weeks ago to sing in a friend's wedding. I was very excited and instantly started preparing my piece. The reception was this last Saturday, and as I was introduced and handed the microphone I started walking to the piano. I had the microphone by my side and as I passed the speaker this BLARING noise shot out. Feedback. I was embarrassed, but quickly apologized and played my piece. While this story is slightly entertaining, I am going to tell you about a different kind of feedback.

YOUR FEEDBACK!

I am going to post a poll on the blog. When you visit The Parish Piece within the next two weeks you will see two questions in the upper right hand corner. If you will respond to them I would really appreciate it! I am always striving to make this a place for you to get some updates on the shop and to enjoy some fun writing. And, if we got over 100 responses on each question, then there might be a surprise in store so spread the word! Get all your friends to visit this blog and respond to the questions!
If the text on the options for the poll is too small to read, simply click on a blank spot on the web page, then hold down the "Ctrl" button and press the "+" until the text is big enough to read.

Thank you for being your wonderful selves! I hope this post finds you happy, well, and quilting.

May your bobbin always be full!

-Taylor

Peanut Butter Pie & Mardi Gras!

I hope you all had a marvelous month of February. I know I did! The month ended with a delicious Hershey's Peanut Butter and Chocolate pie. My sister gave me a Hershey's Dessert Book for my bridal shower, and this is one of the many desserts that caught my eye! It was a perfect way to end February.

And now, on to the marvelous month of March!

This month, we are having our

MARDI GRAS FAT TUESDAY EVENT!!

On Tuesday, March 8th come into the shop where all of our pre-cut fat quarters will be just ONE DOLLER A PIECE!

With our fat quarters regularly $3.00 a piece, this is a steal! Minimum purchase of 25 required.

In light of this event, I have been doing some research that I am going to share with you now!

Mardi Gras began long before the Europeans set foot in the New World. Back in Ancient Rome they used to celebrate in mid-February with a circus called Lupercalia. This was somewhat like a carnival, and is very similar to the Mardi Gras celebration later seen in New Orleans.

When the Romans embraced Christianity, the Carnival became a period of abandonment and merriment that preceded Lent.

In 1699 the French explorer Iberville brought Mardi Gras to America. Mardi Gras was celebrated in Paris since the Middle Ages and March 3rd was their day of celebration. On March 3rd 1699, Iberville set up camp along the banks of the Mississippi and named the site Point du Mardi Gras.

The celebrations we see today are filled with parades, masked marchers, and the colors purple, gold, and green. Those colors became the official colors of Mardi Gras in 1872, when The Krewe of Rex, an organization created to entertain the Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff of Russia, chose those colors in the Duke's honor. From that point on they have been the official colors of Mardi Gras.

I just thought I'd share with you some interesting information that I did not know until I did a little research. I think in life we all need a few periods of "abandonment and merriment." We can't always focus on our stresses and worries. If we did then life would be a drag. We need to take time to look around us and be grateful for all that we do have, and celebrate it!

I hope this finds you all happy, well and quilting.

May your bobbin always be full!

-Taylor