Eight Years

Today is September 22 and that means that Scottie Dog Quilts has entered it's 9th year of business.

Eight years....on September 17, 2001 we opened our doors. That's just a week after 9/11. You know, THE 9/11.

I had never worked in retail, didn't know much about owning a store, but I knew the quilting world pretty well having been a full-time quilting instructor for about 10 years. I had taught quilting to children in schools. I had taught in other people's shops and at guilds and had held 3 pretty successful quilting retreats. With the encouragement of my family (especially Mr. Scottie Dog) and not nearly enough capital we opened our doors and were welcomed by the Quilters of Humboldt County.

The first year or so was pretty tough. I was the main one working in the store and when I got home I still had paperwork and computer work to do. More than once I told Mr. Dog that I felt as if I was trying to run through jello. My family helped out as much as possible and then Liz came on board full-time. Ah, ha! A college trained gal with a head for business! Together we make a good team. She helped get us on track and more professional, I knew the quilting world. I taught her how to order fabric, she taught me how to write an Employee Handbook. Together, with daughter Sarah helping out at retreats and Beka working on the website and Mr. Scottie Dog doing the financial paperwork we have grown from a small shop to a world-wide presence in the Quilting World. We have a wonderful staff that helps us out. Without them we couldn't do it at all! Many, many thanks to Judy, Margie, Geri, Katie,Lori, Laura and Stephanie! Life has it's ups and downs and the Scottie Dog Family has lost a couple members and gained some new ones as the grandbabies continue to come

All of you have become our family too! With your support and friendship you have supported us in good times and in painful ones. Liz and I agree that the best part of this business are the wonderful people who have become our customers...no, friends & family!

We've met many of the famous people in the quilting world....but none of them compares to you!

Thanks again for eight wonderful years.

She Sews, She Knows.....

I have wonderful daughters. I loved them as babies, enjoyed them as children and it is so much fun to know them as adults. I have the privilege of working with Liz, the older one. Today Liz started her blog. You might want to check it out. Obviously, you'll get a younger prospective there since, DUH! she younger than I am. The name of the blog is

Isn't that just too cute? I know her friend, Larissa, helped to design it. BRAVO!

Our newest pattern

Humboldt County: Where the Redwoods meet the Sea


That's the name of our newest pattern. It is a BOM (Block of the Month) for our store's Scottie Dog Quilt Club. Without borders it measures 48" X 60". We've used patterns from many sources over the years...Thimbleberries, Marti Michele, Quilt Country and more. The local group decided that this year they wanted to do a Row Quilt. After looking together at several options we decided Liz & I would design a star Row Quilt. We were up to the task and about a week before our January meeting (the first Tuesday evening of each month) I showed Liz the star block we should start with.

Liz said she had a germ of an idea and would sketch it out. We should have saved that rough sketch...it was soooo rough. I took it home and spent a few hours on EQ6 and voila! Our first draft was born, not much different from the quilt you see here. I showed it to Liz the next day and we tweaked a few things. I must admit that the Light house is still not perfect and there will be curved flying geese (sea gulls!) flying across the now-empty sky, but we are so proud of this quilt. One of the interesting things about our design team is that often Liz and I cannot tell where her design begins and mine ends, it is truly a collaborative effort.

The SDQ Club LOVED the quilt. I don't think one person was sorry we'd not done the star row quilt. We have had several inquiries from out-of-towners wanting to get the patterns. You can join the Scottie Dog Quilt Club by mail! Patterns will be sold for a monthly fee of $5 and 50 cents for shipping . Let me know if you are interested. We will be offering kits sometime in the future, but for now, just the patterns are being offered. The patterns are in color and each month you will receive directions for a portion of the quilt.

Aprons & Cinnamon Rolls

At work we now wear aprons. Most of us use Mary Mulari's Church Ladies Apron pattern. Liz has this pink & orange hot number and Sydney wanted one "just like Mama's." So finally yesterday Liz whipped up this cutie pie. One side is the pink & orange stripe and the other is pink with red and orange blossoms. Sydney was proud to show that her hands fit into the pockets, "just right!"



Today we hosted one of my favorite events. We do it every year. A group of us made some quilts for our local Dialysis Patients. We do this in memory of Michele. She thought everyone should have a quilt to warm them during dialysis treatments just like the one her loving mom made for her. So a bunch of us honor Michele (and her mom, Carolyn) by making these quilts on a regular basis.


I brought a crock pot of taco soup, others brought the bread, cookies and Liz made cinnamon rolls....that's twice in one week (she also made them for the Scottie Dog Quilt Club meeting on Tues. night). I can tell you, she's got the touch. My Grandma, Nellie Belle would be proud! Mr. Scottie Dog has been happy to take any left-overs!

The Civil War Diary Quilts

I think I've blogged about The Civil War Diary Quilt book and the block exchange I am participating in with several friends. Years ago I made a Dear Jane quilt: my interpertation of a quilt made by Jane A. Stickle during the Civil War. I love quilts....pastel baby quilts, striking two color quilts, art quilts, worn-out-soft-as-can-be-I've-had-it-since-I-was-small quilts, scrap quilts, brightly colored quilts, applique quilts, pieced quilts and even art quilts. But my favorite quilts are ones that evoke days long past, earlier times, Civil War era quilts.
Yesterday I sent out the notice reminding my group that blocks are due on Thursday. We haven't gotten together since early September and it's all my fault. I've been gone way too much. But Thursday is the day.....so guess what a lot of us have been doing this past weekend? Right, we've been sewing our blocks! I was no different than the rest of the Greatful Threads, I sewed way into the night--well, early morning to finish them up. There are 9 of us and so that means we make one block 9 times. The blocks don't have to be of identical fabrics, the only rules are Civil War (read---19th Century reproductions) fabrics and a particular muslin sold at Scottie Dog Quilts. Each block uses muslin somewhere.

I was going for a Brown & Pink combination often referred to in the 19th Century as Peppermint & Sassafras. I also used several fabrics in some to mimic the "she did the best she could with what she had" look to older quilts. OK, I'll admit it, I ran out of fabrics. Just like my quilting sister from the Civil War era.
So here is a look at some of my blocks so far. I've got a ton of them. They are all 6" finished. I can't wait to put them together. I hand quilted my queen sized Dear Jane, but that isn't going to happen with this quilt. My poor hands won't let me. But I'll turn it over to my daughter Liz and her HQ16 and she'll work her magic.

We made the newspaper!

Last Saturday the Times Standard newspaper of Eureka, CA published a little blurb about the Humboldt Accordionaires. We made the picture! You can see Liz and I on either side of Sydney on the far wall. We were doing the Chicken Dance and I'm glad they didn't get me wiggling my bum.

Our Anniversary Quilt

I told you yesterday I'd tell you about the wonderful gift Liz & Beka made for us for our Anniversary. It's a quilt....and a family history all rolled into one! It has pictures of us as children, with our siblings, our kids, our parents and our grandchildren. I didn't get a photo of the whole thing, but here are four shots. Some didn't photograph very well, but you'll get the idea. I'm still pretty speechless...hard to believe. Pictured are the girls at various ages, a picture of Bill and I 10 days after we met and 3 days AFTER we were engaged! I was 3 weeks out of High School and Bill was barely 21. Two years later we married and the kids just kept us busy. Now we are enjoying the next generation. Thanks are not enough, Liz & Beka. Your Dad and I love it. We shed quite a few tears over it. Love to you.

Young Designers

As a Quilt Shop Owner we are bombarded in our industry with many voices telling us that we need to grab the Youth Market. We need to "make" new, young quilters. There are many avenues to travel, a myriad of of directions screamed at us. Do we abandon the experienced quilters who are the bulk of our customers? Of course not! Sometimes we hear that our industry will be dying out in just a few years as the Baby Boomer Quilter will age and there will be no one to take their place.
Well I say, the Young Designers are already here....I mean right here in Humboldt county...right here at Scottie Dog Quilts. Our newest pattern: The Market Tote is available for purchase. Designed by our own Liz Scott Adams, she has done everything from conceptualizing the bag, to trial & error sewing prototypes. She did all the computer work for the written pattern, designed the cover and took the awesome cover picture of Molly and Ella. The pattern is beginning to make the rounds on the wholesale circuit and you can get your own from Scottie Dog Quilts. Just come in the store or email us for details

Sandy Gervais had designed this whimsical Christmas fabric with Moda. Laura Meglemre, one of our own Scottie Dog Quilts staff has designed the fabulous quilt at the left using Sandy's Christmas panel (quilt center & 6 Christmas corner blocks) and just 3 other fabrics. Thanks, Laura, for being inspired. If you come to our store, we'll give you the yardage requirements so you can make one too.

Congratulations Liz & Laura! I'm proud of you both. You are imaginative and so inspiring. I say to the "powers that be" who are so negative in our business.....I'm not afraid of the future....The young quilters are extremely creative and they will keep the passion for quilting and fibre arts burning for years and years to come.