About Me

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Bigfork, Montana, USA
Bigfork Bay Cotton Company is a full service, brick and mortar quilt shop, as well as a retail/wholesale pattern business. You can view our pattern line on our website, but on a more personal level, we'd like to invite you into our shop and share with you the joy of quilting in our corner of the world!

Friday, July 24, 2009

"SAFARI PARADE" KIT NOW AVAILABLE


This is my new favorite shop quilt! The pattern is called "Licorice & Latte" by Pam Curo, and was in the Spring/Summer 2008 issue of Quilt Sampler Magazine. Karri Schaper did a wonderful job selecting fabrics from the "Antique Africa" line by Henry Glass, and adapting them to this pattern. Unfortunately, we only have six kits available for sale. The quilt measures approximately 70 1/2" X 70 1/2" and the kit, including fabric for top & binding, magazine, and the revisions we made, costs only $80. I'm going to hold off putting this one on the website since we are so limited in the number of kits we can offer. Give us a call as soon as possible if you would like to purchase one of these. (406-837-2399)

Saturday, July 11, 2009

PIECING TIPS FOR MYSTERY QUILTERS

This month's step of our ongoing mystery quilt involves piecing our first blocks together! Finally!! However, this piecing will need a little extra effort on your part to match up. Here are the steps I use to insure a good intersection....

First I "eyeball" my quarter inch on the back side of the piece with the triangle corners and drop a pin in.....
I check on the right side to make sure the pin is exiting right where the triangle corner meets the large square.....

Then I drop that pin right into the flying geese unit, exactly at the point where I want the seams to meet......

Snug that pin all the way down until the head is against the fabric, making sure it is straight....this will keep things from shifting......

Holding that pin straight and tight against the fabric, I drop two more pins in, one on either side of the first pin.
Now I withdraw the first pin, making a small dot where that pin went in....

When sewing, I will aim for the dot....my goal is to hit it exactly!

You can watch the dot as it nears the needle and make any adjustments you need....just hit it!

Voila!! Open it up and you will find you've matched things up perfectly!!

NOW, this is what works for me. But it is by no means the only way of doing this. PLEASE, share what works for you. Comment here or email me and let me know what works for you....I'll pass all your hints along. We all have our own styles, and we all can learn from each other!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

UPCOMING CLASSES

STAR ILLUSIONS CLASS Saturday, July 11th

This quilt is the second in Clara's Two Color Quilt Odyssey. The focus in this class will be precise piecing. Did you notice that there are two different types of stars, each in two different colorations?



SPEEDY SPIRAL TREE SKIRT CLASS Wednesday, July 15th



Isn't this tree skirt fun? Using Cheryl Phillips' book, Quilts Without Corners, learn how quickly this tree skirt goes together! And don't you just love the prairie points?




SUMMER GARDEN TABLERUNNER CLASS Friday, July 17th
This is the latest in Becky's monthly, seasonal tablerunner classes. In this class you will foundation piece some fun flowers, and then set them in this cheery tablerunner!


For more information, or to register for a class, please give us a call, 406-837-2399.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

THE EAGLE HAS BEEN NAMED "SPIRIT" !!

Toni has chosen the name "SPIRIT" for her beautiful eagle quilt! Congratulations to Pat Richie, the first person to submit this name. We have decided to award a second prize to Kat Norman, of Quilter's Combo in Alabama, as she was the first of our wholesale customers to submit this name. We are still awaiting the arrival of a few key fabrics, but as soon as they arrive, we will send kits to Pat and Kat. Congratulations!! Thank you to everyone who submitted names....it was a fun contest with a GREAT response from all of you!

Monday, July 6, 2009

STUMPTOWN QUILT SHOW IN WHITEFISH



For those who didn't get to attend the wonderful quilt show in Whitefish last weekend (or those who want another look!) click on the slideshow to the right to view some of the quilts that were exhibited. We were so happy to see that several of our patterns were made up and displayed in the show! If you double-click on a picture, larger images in the slideshow will pop up.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

NEW TREESKIRT PANEL ARRIVES IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS IN JULY


This treeskirt panel arrived on Monday, just in time for Christmas in July! I wish you could see it close up...it's wonderful! We're thinking of adding some beading and threadwork in addition to quilting.....

We are celebrating Christmas all month in the shop. All Christmas fabrics, patterns, books, and kits are 25% off until July 31st.

This should give you plenty of time to plan your holiday projects! Hope to see you in the shop soon!