Achaia’s Etsy shop!

I’m SO excited to announce the opening of my very own Etsy Shop!!

In my shop you’ll find pillow covers hand written and hand embroidered by me! They also feature a variety of pretty backing fabrics, full lining, sturdy zippers on the bottom of the covers for easy taking on and off, and handmade tassels on the zipper pulls.

I had a lot of fun choosing sayings for each pillow, stitching on them, and putting them together. I hope you’ll find something you’ll love that puts a smile on your face, and a little extra beauty on your bed or couch!

xxx Achaia

PS The listings do not include pillow forms, but if you would like to have one of those included as well, be sure to send me a convo for pricing and a custom listing!

say Hello to our NEW website!!

We are SO excited to announce to you the launch of our brand new website!!! We are just thrilled with it, and hope you are too. Now, let’s gush over for just a bit….

~The site is there exclusively to showcase our patterns! So there’s lots of pictures and info all about them. Of course, if you don’t see an answer to your questions, just shoot us an email.

~Easy to navigate!

~Mobile friendly!

~Free shipping on orders of $50 or more!

~We are also now offering Pattern Collections! This option allows you to purchase multiple patterns together at a discounted price.

~An updated About Us page allows you to learn a little more about each of us. Simply click on individual names and read about each of our specialties and personal pursuits (more going on there that we hope to share soon!). You can contact us individually or read about some of the things we love, which includes everything from country music to Mexican food to cold sheets.

~We will still continue to have our Etsy shop, and don’t forget to keep an eye on it. If we have any fabric bundles, boutique clothing, or specialty things for sale, you’ll find them there.

~And, don’t forget you can connect with us via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’!

Enough from us… go check it out!!

xoxo~

Kristie, Apphia, Achaia, Abigail, and Abiah

New plans for a New Year.

Hello friends!

We said goodbye to 2014 just a few days ago. And while we welcomed the New Year with open arms, we were a little sad, too, because we'll be making some HUGE changes here in our little studio. Good changes, but changes nonetheless!!

We will no longer be selling fabric. This isn't to say that we'll never ever carry any of our favorite fabric collections again, but for now everything must go. (Which is where the sale comes in, of course.) So if there's anything in stock that you've had your eye on, please snatch it up before it's gone! All first-come orders will receive a free quilting project pattern, too.

Shop ALL FABRIC for $8 a yard!!!

….And all previous $6-a-yard fabrics are now $5!!

Along with the fabric, all custom sewing will be coming to an end. You'll notice on our website that no custom-sewn items are available any longer… but the boutique is full of lovely garments that need a new home! If you have your heart set on something custom sewn, please contact us and we'll see if we can work things out.

*We've had some express concern that they won't be able to purchase happy scrappy quilts any longer. We are glad to report that we are still MORE than happy to take custom orders on quilts!! As of right now, they will not show up as available on our website, but please don't let that stop you! Feel free to contact us directly via email, and we will work with you from there.*

All boutique and sale room items are 25% off!

SEWING PATTERNS WILL STAY!!! They aren't going anywhere! So no worries. You'll still hear from us. And you'll still see new patterns and exciting stuff.

We want to thank you all from the very bottom of our hearts for your support and enthusiasm over the years. It's hard to believe we opened our fabric store way back in 2008! And you all have loved us and been so kind ever since. We are SO thankful for you.

If you have any concerns or questions, please, please let us know!

With love from our home to yours~

XOXO

Kristie, Apphia, Achaia, Abigail, & Abiah

Come see Abigail (& us) in Rogers, Arkansas! (And get your copy of Modern Prairie Sewing signed!!)

HI!!!!

So sorry for the silence around here. Apphia and I just got back from a wonderful week vacation in Austin, Texas visiting friends and family. You can see some of the fun stuff we did on our Instagram…. the trip went by so fast!

This Saturday (from 10:00am to 2:00pm) Abigail will be in Rogers, Arkansas at The Rabbit's Lair selling, signing, and showing off Modern Prairie Sewing!!! Us other three girls plan on tagging along and modeling some made goodies. So come see us!

As you can see, Abi's been sewing up a storm….

Hope you can join us!

xox Achaia

Modern Prairie Sewing now available!!

It's true, it's finally here!!! Abigail's book, Modern Prairie Sewing, is now available for purchase! Here are some places where you can get your book fix….

Amazon (By the way, Abi has three 5-star reviews on Amazon! She about died.)

Barnes & Noble

C & T Publishing

And, if you'd like to carry Abi's book in your shop check out your wholesalers (this is the only one we know of so far that is carrying it, but be sure to ask!)….

Checker Distributors

Of course, if you are a NOOK fan, you can get it that way too!

We are so proud of our girl! She really has done a fantastic job on this beauty. (And we definitely aren't saying this because we got to land on the cover.)

Enjoy your day!

xox

New items in Boutique + Bundle sale coming!

We have exciting news for those of you who are looking for some darling little girls clothes!! We have just filled up the boutique section on our website with some brand new goodies, most of them made with the wildly popular Jennifer Paganelli Circa and Lucky Girl fabrics. You last saw them in our Quilt Market post last October. Let me tell you, these were hard to part with…

Also, we are getting together another bundle sale, and hope to have it up this week so keep your eyes peeled! You'll find it right here on the blog!

Back again soon….

xxx

Hello, May.

May has us happy for warmer weather! Spring here in MO is crazy. We were just talking about it the other day when we were driving to Church. It starts warming up and flowers start blooming. Then it gets freezing cold again (we aren't exaggerating either. Seriously, during the last cold snap we were wearing fleece again. Ugh.) and all the flowers die. Finally, it gets warm to stay. We think it's here now… yay!

We girls went and spent the weekend (most of the day Sunday, Sunday night, and Monday morning) with Joe. As usual, we had lots of fun, and got to spend Sunday with some friends of his. We sat in their front yard eating hamburgers and hot dogs off the grill and popsicles, and playing Signs. Then after Joe left for school Monday morning we cleaned his house, did his laundry, and ate pizza. It really turned out to be a perfect, relaxing weekend. We needed one of those.

Today has been busy, busy! So busy that we opted for peanut butter and jelly for dinner. As you might guess from the pictures above, we got two brand new collections in yesterday! Meet Beauty Queen by Jennifer Paganelli and Pretty Potent by Anna Maria Horner! We are loving these and can't wait to sew up something cute with them.

We're still filling orders from the Bundle Event, and now have a STACK of custom orders to get sewing on. We are working on them and will get them to everyone as soon as we can!

How has your May been so far??? xo

A dash of reality (+ a sale!)

We came home to lots of sewing, Easter choir practices, three happy dogs, and warmer weather. We've been trying to catch up with all of them. When we are in the midst of filling custom orders, reorganizing the fabric shelves, inventory-ing fabrics, and getting new fabrics in our studio looks something like the picture above (uh-huh. Some days it's worse.)

Easter will be here before you know it, and we have spent the last two nights practicing for our program. We have one program already planned for Sunday night to perform at a local retirement home, and we'll do it again at our home Church on Easter Sunday. We've had such a great time practicing!

Working on our fabrics means that there's loads of new fabrics in the $6-a-yard section on our website so go check it out! We are also having a 25% off sale on ALL Tanya Whelan fabrics — Valentine Rose, Sunshine Rose, Rosey, and the brand spanking new Slipper Roses! Sale ends April 19th, so grab anything you want while you can.

Back again soon,

xoKAAAA

Seams Unlikely winner

Thanks so much to everyone who entered our Seams Unlikely giveaway!! The winner is….

Melanie Kennedy

Congratulations, Melanie! Please shoot us an email with your mailing address, and we'll get your book out to you as soon as possible so you can start reading!

For those of you who didn't win, please be sure to head over to Nancy's website, and pick up your own copy of the book…. you definitely want to read it!

xxxxx

Seams Unlikely Blog Tour!!

Everyone in the sewing industry has heard of Nancy Zieman, right? Of course. Maybe you've seen her on TV, ordered from her website, or perhaps just seen her picture. Nancy Zieman just released her autobiography, Seams Unlikely. And, she's hosting a blog tour to celebrate!

All five of us read the book from cover to cover in a matter of days. We couldn't put it down! We all wanted to take a moment to give you a glimpse into what we came away with….

Kristie says-

I just LOVED Nancy’s book about her life. I think that even more than her business side, I enjoyed getting to know the little girl Nancy and the young lady Nancy. Even though some of my daughters have met Nancy I have not had that pleasure, but I did feel like I “met” her while reading this book.

Most of all I loved how Nancy weaves her faith and family into every part of her business and her life. The love she has for her family is just wonderful! You just have to read Seams Unlikely…especially the part about “Gotcha” Day!!

Apphia says-

All I can say is… I LOVED Nancy’s book!! I couldn’t bring myself to put it down, as a matter of fact. Reading about Nancy’s life was so inspiring. Seams Unlikely is an all-around great book. I laughed, I cried, and I now have a nice number of lines from Nancy that I like to insert into everyday conversation with my sisters! What stuck out most to me about Nancy was Nancy herself. She is a woman with remarkable abilities, strong faith in God, and true humbleness. She is just the kind of person you want to have as a friend. Reading about her struggles with health issues, balancing family and business, and staying true to herself was really an encouragement to me. As soon as I finished Nancy’s book, I mailed it to my best sewing friend so she could enjoy it too! (And she read it as fast as I did!)

Achaia says-

We were happy to hear about Nancy Zieman’s autobiography, and were even more excited at the opportunity to get a copy. But, really, I was blown away by it as soon as I started reading…. I couldn’t put the thing down. I loved reading about Nancy’s trials and triumphs, because they are such a part of our lives. It made Nancy all the more real to me. Not just as a fabulous, incredibly talented sewing icon, but also as a normal person who has had a normal life in so many ways. There were so many times I just wanted to jump into the pages and hug her! Mom and us girls talked and talked about what we’d been reading (there was a scream of “don’t tell me!” if someone talked about a part someone else hadn’t gotten to yet…), and decided that every sewist we know needs a copy!

Abigail says-

What a fascinating read! I couldn’t put it down. I laughed, I cried, I felt like a close friend. What an inspiring story about a lady who puts God and family first, and knows how to work hard. At the end, I loved Nancy more. Not just for her fabulous business of notions and more that I’ve been able to enjoy, but for who she is as a person. You have to read it too! She's beautiful inside and out!

Abiah says-

What an awesome book! My sisters couldn’t believe how I carried it around with me wherever I went! Anytime I had a few spare minutes, I’d pick it up to read a few more lines. What an amazing lady! Nancy really came alive for me in the pages of this, her autobiography. I’ve heard of her for years, and even seen her picture, but I never really knew her. Reading about her life was truly inspirational to me. She’s had so many struggles, yet trusted in God to bring her through. Nancy is sweet, kind, humble, and so funny, too!! I can’t imagine not being inspired by her life story…not just for a seamstress, but for anyone.

Nancy (she has officially just become "Nancy" after reading her book!) has some peeks into why she wrote Seams Unlikely on her blog (plus, some adorable pictures!). And, be sure to stop by all the other wonderful blogs that are joining in the tour!

February 4 Nancy Zieman http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/blog-tour/seams-unlikely-book/

February 5 Eileen Roche http://dzgns.com/blog/

February 5 Pat Sloan http://patsloan.typepad.com/

February 6 Melissa Stramel http://melissaslilaclane.blogspot.com

February 6 The Long Ladies http://www.mariemadelinestudio.typepad.com/

February 6 Tori Thompson http://totallystitchin.net

February 7 Amy Barickman http://www.indygojunction.com/blog/

February 7 Melissa Mora http://mellysews.com

February 8 Shari Butler http://www.doohikeydesignstudio.com/blog/

February 8 Vicki Christensen http://www.sewinspiredblog.com/

February 9 Carolina Moore http://alwaysexpectmoore.com

February 9 Kate Mclvor https://theconfidentstitch.squarespace.com

February 10 Amy Ellis http://amyscreativeside.com/

February 10 Melissa Mortenson http://www.polkadotchair.com

February 11 Ilene Miller http://happyvalleyprimitives.blogspot.com/

February 11 Liz Hicks http://blogerisms.blogspot.com/

February 11 Rachael Pannepacker http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

February 12 Bill Gardner http://www.quiltersnewsletter.com/blogs/insideqn/

February 12 Elizabeth Evans http://www.simplesimonandco.com

February 13 Amy Webb http://www.amylouwhosews.com/

February 13 Lindsay Wilkes http://thecottagehome.blogspot.com

February 14 Gertie Hirsch http://www.blogforbettersewing.com

February 14 Veronica Philips http://cloverusa.wordpress.com/

February 15 Jenny Gabriel http://www.sewvacoutletblog.com

February 15 Laura Wasilowski http://artfabrik.com

February 16 Frieda Anderson http://www.friestyle.com

February 16 Rita Farro http://ritassewfun.blogspot.com

February 17 Cindy Cloward http://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/blog/

February 17 Joan Hawley http://www.lazygirldesigns.com/blog/

February 17 Patty Young http://modkidboutique.blogspot.com

February 18 Nancy Zieman http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/

You all want a copy, right??! Well, we are happy to announce that we have one copy to give away here at marie-madeline! Just leave us a comment on this post and you'll be entered! Be sure to go over to Nancy's blog and comment for more winning opportunities (they are giving away 20 books total!). Of course, Seams Unlikely is also available for purchase on Nancy's website.

We want to leave off with a quote we just love from Nancy. It reminds us of how WE should look at life's difficulties.

"Each of us faces challenges. Some are larger than others. But what happens to us does not define us, unless we let it." ~Nancy Zieman

We love you, Nancy, and are inspired by your story!

xox Kristie, Apphia, Achaia, Abigail, and Abiah

2014!

2014. Wow.

2013 was a difficult year for us in lots of ways, but there were so many unexpected blessings poured out on us. We think we grew and learned a little bit, too. We don't want to think of the year 2013 as a wasted one, because of all the hard things, but more as a year for growing and learning. It's always exciting to see what God has in store for us in a New Year, and we always know He will provide just what we need when we need it. We're sitting back and waiting, and can't help but wonder what God has planned for us in 2014.

In the brand new year, we've added a brand new category to our site …. boutique. That's where you'll find all the fancy good stuff that we've showcased in our Market booth, or made a special sample just because. We hope you like it!

So, welcome 2014!

xox Kristie, Apphia, Achaia, Abigail, and Abiah

Our Booth!!

We are so happy to be able to share pictures of the booth we had at International Quilt Market last weekend! Of course, Abiah was so sweet and shared some pictures with you all last week too.

Our past two booths (here and here) both had the white beadboard walls, but this time we decided to go with curtains. We hemmed drop cloths (that was fun) for our curtains, and went with a more poppy color-theme than our two previous booths.

We just can't thank FreeSpirit Fabrics and the ever-lovely Jennifer for sending us yardage of Jennifer's brand new Lucky Girl collection for our booth samples!! We had the best time sewing with them (the colors are just perfect!). And, since we received our bolts just a few days later the three of us that attended were able to have outfits to match too!

We also used some of Jennifer's Circa fabrics, as they mix perfectly with Lucky Girl.

We were delighted to introduce our brand new patterns, angelica and charlotta, at Quilt Market!

Our trips to Indiana always require some booth talk (our brothers get so bored, just ask them). So, naturally, last time was no exception. After seeing the awesome ladder our Nan and Aunt Ginger hung from our aunt's beauty shop ceiling, we knew it was the thing for our booth. We bought one while we were up in IN, and Paps and Nan brought it down when they came (aren't they the best??). We purchased burlap and lace, and intwined it across the top of our curtains and through the ladder. We loved it. Of course the ladder needed to be sawed some, which reguired a bit more work, but definitely was worth the effort.

Apphia made some darling ever-popular posies to display on a three-tiered cake stand near the front of the booth. And of course, we can't sign off without thanking our bestest friend, Jenny, for bringing us some GORGEOUS flowers to put in three blue Ball jars. We loved them!

We have loads of pictures on our Instagram page, so go there to see what we did every.single.day! It's always so much fun to get to chat with old friends, and make new ones too! (Just ask Lindsay… we stood in her book line three different times so everyone could get a signed copy…)

It goes without saying we girls had a marvelous time with Nanny and Paps, and we can never thank them enough for all they do for us! We love you two!!!

But, of course, we did leave part of our hearts at home with Mom and Abiah. We just can't wait for the next time we can all attend Quilt Market together!!!

xoxoxoApphia, Achaia, & Abigail

PS… We did buy some fabric too! We can't wait to show you!