Check back in a few days for a sneak peek!!  

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Sorry I didn't post this sooner... but the evening I intended to list them all ended up being when my chicken coop fire happened... so I never got to it.  Then I had a surprise party to host and recover from... too many teenagers!!

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I was away from the computer all day today... so I didn't get my blog post for today's Studio Spotlight posted... and now it is almost tomorrow.

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Today we are exploring the studio of Wendt Quilting...

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Facebook Pinterest Website Email Instagram Bloglovin Blog Studio Spotlight 2015   Monday the 12th -     The Fat Quarter Gypsy Welcome!   It is finally Monday (isn't that a weird thing to say?)!     Today I am your featured designer sharing my studio... good or bad! My studio is located in Pine City, MN above my husband's shop. The building we share is actually several building on half a city block all joined together through the years. The portion that I occupy is above the original dairy creamery from a long time ago. I am quite spoiled! My studio consists of 4 rooms, a storage closet, 2 bathrooms and a roof top that I can go out on during the summer months and get a tan! Across the rooftop is the old dance hall from 1925. It is haunted by a friendly ghost.  I call him Ed. Last summer he turned the lights on in the dance hall when my mother in-law and I were exploring over there. I was going to give you a tour of that, but it is winter, unheated and I would have had to go alone... I was okay with everything but going alone. Ed doesn't visit my studio... but he has been known to move things around in the areas below the dance floor during the night. We don't use the upper portions of the dance hall anymore except to store old cabinets and other odds and ends. But the area below was occupied by a renter for years and he has lots of odd stories to tell...   But that is another story... time to tell you about the area I use.   For years no one really used this space. It was a dirty set of rooms filled with old furniture and junk. When I decided to start The Fat Quarter Gypsy almost 2 years ago, it was the perfect location for me to use! Plus it had the added benefit of moving all of my sewing paraphernalia out of our home. One tidbit before we begin... I hung quilts all over the place to hide ugly walls... some might look a little goofy... but it was better than what is behind them.  :)      When you reach the top of the stairs, you are immediately in my teeny, tiny, itsy-bitsy quilt shop. It isn't really a quilt shop... I don't have business hours or am open to the public. The only customers I have are quilters who visit for long arm services. The fabric selection is poor, at best, but that's okay.  Once in awhile I have just what someone needs and it gives me a place to sell my sister's extra fabric. Blondie, that's what I call my sister Diane, owns Whoopsa Daisy Farm. Right now the farm is being cleared and planned. One day she will have a farm animals, an orchard, pick your own veggies, fruit and herbs and a barn where she will teach classes on the "old" ways. Quilting, canning, soap making and more will be on the list of offerings... but until the farm is a reality, she has a teeny tiny online store.  So, that is the long story about why I have a quilt shop in my studio that no one shops at!     This main room also has a future classroom area where I hope to teach some beginning quilt classes.     The next room is my long arm Edith's home. She is an computer guided long arm that just purrs along while I design. I am relatively new in the business.  I have had a long arm for quite a few years, but I only just started taking in customer quilts.     Ok, the next room is NOT PHOTOGRAPHED!!!  It is my office.  I just didn't have time to clean that area up. I will describe it for your mind's eye to envision... here goes:   As she entered the room, there was a slight chill in the air. The abundance of drafty windows was most likely the cause... but she wasn't sure. Rumor was a ghost occupied the old dance hall across the rooftop. Ruby (that will be my heroine for this story) looked to the left and saw an old drafting table lowered until it was flat and overflowing with shipping supplies and half folded quilt patterns. Messy, but not exceptional... she continued her perusal stopping to admire the college dorm fridge and grimy old microwave that had seen better days.  Next, a retro desk in a pale yellow was piled high with graph paper notes and drawings, a massive computer monitor and 2 empty Starbucks cups. Obviously the designer in this office has a hankering for expensive coffee and furniture from the 1970s. Further scanning proved her suspicion... a horrendously ugly gold and maroon couch (University of MN Golden Gopher colors to be exact). The back couldn't have stood 2' high... and wow was it UGLY! Ruby was feeling chilled again, so she sat down on the couch, regardless of the germs that must lurk on the surface, only to discover it was remarkably comfortable and soon fell asleep under an adorable quilt.   The End   So, that is my office. And the couch is real and it is horribly ugly, short and comfortable!  My husband's Great Uncle Clarence purchased it brand new in 1972.   Next is my design space... yes, now we are getting to the good stuff! I warned many of you via Facebook that I thrive in clutter. This is VERY true! I try to be organized, but when I have a project in the designing stages, all bets are off about what you will find tossed here or there!     You are greeted by a lovely, old alteration table from a long ago department store in Downtown Duluth, MN.  My parents saved this beauty from the garbage heap over 25 years ago! The top was added, but still has the original drawers for thread, needles, etc and 3 sewing machine stations. It works wonderfully well as my cutting table.  Apparently I forgot to take a picture of it... oops!  You can see the corner of it in the picture above.   My machine sits on a long desktop with my ironing station just to the right. My two boys made me the pressing station for Christmas at least 5 years ago. I love it!      I have a lot of fabric, so the shelves are filled up with fat quarters in those fun colorful bins.  The shelving unit was here in the room when I converted it to my studio.  It works... and is probably from the 70s as well.      Along the next wall is my kid's old toy sorting cubes. Now that they are 15 and 17.99 year old (my eldest turns 18 on Friday), I took all the cubes as a way to organize all my scraps by color.  The owl has prints in it. This works fantastic and was a terrific use for the cubes.     My rulers are hung on the wall on a piece of pegboard and jazzed up with a little paint, then the door to my private bathroom.  It is vintage 1940s or 50s. The tile work is pretty retro and I love it... however, it is old and not something you would love to admire... LOL.     Last thing on this tour is my design wall. Again, my boys were the ones building this for me. I have 4 panels, but only 3 fit nicely on this wall. I can easily have 2 lap sized quilts in the works at any one time. Once in awhile they come falling down from the walls during the night (probably Ed the ghost).   So, that is the studio/long arm room/quilt shop. I hope you enjoyed the tour. Time for a little harmless fun... I have hidden a number of things that are not quite right in the pictures... How many can you find? I think there are between 8 and 10... but I can't remember exactly and my notes are in my studio and I'm at home. Whoops!  I'm sure you will all have fun commenting on what you think is wrong... some things might just be that way because this is an old building. Happy hunting! I have 2 new patterns coming out in January/February. The first is a fun table runner/placemat/bed runner pattern using a 30 degree triangle template called Tumbling Trees (FQG115). If you need a quick gift and have some fat quarters or larger scraps lying around... this table runner is a great option! Available very soon!   Add some embellishments for a holiday theme! The second is called Sunset Stroll and it features the Horizon fabric collection by Kate Spain for Moda.   Expected release: February 2015. Now for the really, really good stuff!!! I have 2 prizes, if you comment on this blog before Midnight, CST on Monday, January 12, 2015... you will be entered to win a Tabitha pattern and a fun FQ bundle! I will need a way to get in touch with you after the blog, so you will need to post your email address or send it to me in an email (using my contact page).  Make sure you paste in your comment so I can match it all up! Let me know if you would like to receive my newsletter... if so, I will add you to the list! The 2nd prize involves Facebook.  If you like my post of this exact blog and share it, I will enter you in a drawing to win a Granny Dot pattern and a special custom ruler.  But wait... it gets better!  If my FB page reaches 1,000 likes by Midnight on January 23, 2015 (my birthday), then I will increase the prize to a lap size kit to make Granny Dot from batiks!  I will list which post to like and share so it is easy to find... Thanks so much for visiting! Jo   Computer Guided Longarm Services by The Fat Quarter Gypsy Stacy, North Branch and Pine City, MN Area Call for an appointment today! 612-965-4396 --More Info--

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Where to buy... Retail: Whoopsa Daisy Farm Wholesale: Checker Distributors, Brewer Sewing &  E. E. Schenck

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