We are excited to share our new class schedule!  With a new year comes the opportunity to learn new things, and we have several new classes scheduled for the upcoming months. Come learn a new technique with our paper-piecing classes, applique classes, knitting and crochet classes.

Our 2012 Saturday Sampler begins tomorrow and we are looking forward to seeing all of you who signed up!

We are already planning some exciting classes for the second quarter and will be offering new knitting classes to include Fair Isle and a shawl class.

We just ordered some fabulous new yarn and fabrics, and can’t wait to get our hands on them!

Malabrigo has been a huge hit here at the shop and we are looking forward to getting a second shipment!

We are so thankful to be back at the shop!

For those who may not know, Sew Bee It was destroyed on April 27 after an EF4 tornado ripped through our small town.  Only 98 days later, we were able to reopen in our new building!

Our Grand Opening will be on Saturday, September 3.  We will have a special sale as well as door prizes throughout the day.  We have missed you, so come see our beautiful new shop and visit us soon!

a little hint...

We are beyond thrilled to announce that Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably will be coming to Sew Bee It the week of October 15!

They will have a book signing, slide slow and lecture, and workshops that will be held at our shop.

Please stay tuned for more details on how you can sign up for classes, and for specific dates and times.

What is a Modern Quilt Guild?  I’ll let you read a little excerpt taken from the Modern Quilt Guild Website about modern quilting:

“What is Modern Quilting?

Modern quilting is a new twist on the traditional art of quilting. This may mean something as simple as using a traditional quilt block and updating it in a fresh fun new way. That includes using modern fabrics, modifying the block arrangement or even the scale of the block.   The piecing could be improvisational and wonky, or it could be very exact and measured, following a pattern or creating your own. The quilting could be traditional stippling, clean straight lines or a very “free” have fun, quilt as you go style. Fabrics could be upcycled vintage sheets, custom digital printed fabric, a yummy selection from one of the new modern fabric designers, or an old fabric from an ever growing stash.

Modern quilting is sometimes difficult to define because in many ways the definition is as individual as the quilter – changing from quilter to quilter. In addition to reflecting the individual personality and personal style of the quilter it also reflects the current aesthetic of the day.

Modern quilting is also about the attitude and the approach that modern quilters take. It respects the amazing artistry and talent of the tradition of quilting, while allowing the quilter to challenge the “rules”. In fact, if there were one rule in modern quilting it would be that there are no rules.

The concept of modern quilting is not meant to divide or segregate. It is meant to welcome new quilters, of all ages, to the world of quilting in a style that they can relate to. In many ways, modern quilting takes us back to the basics of the early quilters, when women of the day used the colors and styles of their time to express themselves creatively.”

We are pleased to host the Chattanooga Modern Quilt Guild here at Sew Bee It.  They have already met twice and are growing, so if you’re interested, come out to the shop on the second Saturday of each month at 10am to see what they are all about.  They are a fun and very creative group of quilters and you just won’t believe how talented they are!

Judy Wurm brought in this gorgeous paper-pieced vegetable wall hanging and we knew we just had to offer it to you as a class!  This class will be taught as a 3-part series beginning on April 5.  Give us a call to register.

Martha has two upcoming classes scheduled for her wildly popular “It’s a Wrap.”  The first is on April 2nd and the next one is on May 7.  Both are Saturday classes, so if you’ve been waiting for a weekend class, now is the time to sign up.  We promise you will have a great time and create a unique project all while learning something new.   This is another fun way to use up scraps!

Martha has two new Zippy Strippy classes coming up on April 2 and May 7.  So if you’ve seen the bags around the shop and are interested in learning to make them, give us a call to sign up!   It is a great way to use some of those scraps you can’t part with and also to practice your machine quilting.    Learn an easy way to install a zipper and get a cute bag in the process.  You will be able to leave the class with a completed project and it is easy enough even for a beginner.   These bags also make wonderful quick gifts.

You just have to come in and see this beautiful quilt hanging in the classroom.   Sylvia Davis made this masterpiece and will be teaching a class here at the shop on Friday, April 29.  Class space is limited, so give us a call at 706-937-9142 to sign up.  If you register early enough, Sylvia will even cut your quilt pieces for a small fee.

If you have been wanting to learn how to piece curves, now is a great time to do that with this class!

Join Grael for this two-part class and learn to make a beautiful winter wrap.  Basic knitting is a prerequisite.  You will learn to increase, decrease and pick up stitches to make a ruffle around this pretty wrap.

Classes are Wednesday, November 10 and Tuesday, November 30.  Give us a call at 706-937-9142 to sign up.

This adorable quilt has all the things you love about Halloween:  bats, cats, witches, and owls!  The center block is a 20″ medallion with 12 – 10″ blocks surrounding it.    It is finished with a cute scalloped bat border.  Space is limited, so sign up as soon as possible!