Storybook Quilts Rocks! » snowman

SNOWMAN!

Nancy — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:07:28 +0000

Snow is a big deal here, in southeastern PA — or at least two feet of it is. Today, with just a bit of sun and near-freezing temperatures, it’s THE day to build a snowman! Growing up on the Tug Hill plateau, I’ve built more than I can count — of all sizes and shapes.

This had to be the largest snowman in my life. I helped a bit with the first ball, but after that was relegated to documenting his growth. He looked a bit like Charles DeGaulle when he was done!

What a great way to spend an afternoon! His eyes were margarine containers and his mouth was two bricks. We never did find a hat big enough! Rumor was that this snowman didn’t fully melt away until May.

I have to admit that my favorite snowman of all time is one that will never break my heart by melting away! Dapper Dan the Snowman offers a wonderful way to spend time with a snowman who always will keep you and at least one of your favorite children, or grandchildren, warm and entertained.

Dapper Dan Storybook Quilt Package

In the story that matches the quilt, Matt creates Dapper Dan with his Dad, but has a difficult time deciding on his face. The story, which is woven around the fabric in the quilt, tells the tale of Matt’s search for a face for Dapper Dan, including what he remembers as an exciting trip into a magical forest — or was that just a dream?!

In the storybook, we have included images that you and your child can use to decide what face Dan should have.

Learn more about Dan and our other heart-warming Storybook Quilts on our website.

On to Cyber Monday!

Nancy — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:05:19 +0000

The turkey has been picked clean, the parade floats are deflated and so are the losing football teams. Black Friday 2009 is a memory. On to Cyber Monday! Now, this a shopping frenzy I can manage — up late/early at a computer is more my style than Black Friday’s forays.

Who started Cyber Monday and when?
The National Retail Federation, a trade organization representing 1.6 million retailers, coined the term in 2005.

Is Cyber Monday the biggest online sales day of the year?
No. Consumers generally spend more online as the holiday draws nearer. The busiest time for online holiday shopping is December 5th through the 15th.

Are more retailers promoting Cyber Monday sales?
Yes. This year, 87% of retailers will have special Cyber Monday promotions, up from 84% last year and 72% in 2007.

Is Storybook Quilts having a Cyber Monday promotion?
Yes, we are, through our ArtFire shop. We just couldn’t resist being part of the fun! Dapper Dan the Snowman will delight your favorite child at a 20% discount; any Storybook Quilt package ordered that day also is eligible for a free year-occasion customized square. But shop early! Only two of each special are available at this discount.

Dapper Dan Storybook Quilt Package

Are Cyber Monday promotions listed together anywhere?
Yes, there is a growing number of websites for that. CyberMonday.com is one of those.

We hope you enjoy CyberMonday! Remember, of course, to buy only from reputable websites. Scammers are looking for a little extra holiday cash, too! For useful tips about being cautious, see this article.

Handmade in the USA

Nancy — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:46:19 +0000

“Handmade in the USA” has a nice sound to it, particularly as we plan for gift giving. It makes me think of a woodworker creating a beautiful table that will be an everyday joy, or a ceramics artist making a mug that feels really good in my hand with warm coffee or tea or, of course, one of our Storybook Quilts, enriching the quiet times that we spend with our children.

As someone in the handmade industry, I can testify to the care that goes into creating handmade items. Each of us is doing something we choose to do and like to do. That produces dedication to quality – and puts a bit of real love into every item we produce.

Buying handcrafted items not only directly supports American workers, but also enriches lives and often provides the stuff of heirlooms – passed on and loved for generations.

So, how do you find “handmade in the USA”? We’d love to hear your comments and know your sources. We’ll post them here.

A few of our thoughts follow.

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Online, www.stillmadeinusa.com/handcraft.htm is one good source. The owner of the site was one of the judges in our Name the Turtle Contest, held last summer. Her site is not an online store, but includes links to carefully screened sources for a range of goods, both handmade and not.

Online marketplaces include Artfire, where artisans from the USA and elsewhere offer their goods for sale (including us). Other such sites include Etsy, for example, and similar marketplaces appear fairly regularly. The advantages of these marketplaces for the customer is the ease of searching many shops at once and the fact that most require shop owners to abide by rules meant to protect the customer. (Note that not all goods on such sites are handmade and not all are made in the USA.)

Off the web, the possibilities are endless. Local crafts fairs, particularly those that are juried, are a great source of high-quality handmade goods. I almost always find some delightful new item or technique created by an imaginative artist; I also often find inspiration for my own work. Online listings of crafts fairs, and whether they are juried, include this one, for example: http://festivalnet.com/index.html

Church fairs offer another great hunting ground for locally handmade goods, from hand-knitted baby booties to gorgeous quilts, small woodcrafts and more. I always enter the quilt raffles and dream about winning, although I never have.

Most crafts and church fairs are the same weekend each year, so if you find one you like, mark it on next year’s calendar!

Around the country, craftspeople and artisans often concentrate in particular geographic areas – by design or by chance — sharing ideas and offering a number of shops easily visited in a day or so. Some of these are supported by far-sighted organizations, such as this one http://www.handmadeinamerica.org, which understand the important role of handmade in the economy and the culture of this (or any) country.

Remember us, please, as you shop for handmade. Storybook Quilts are entirely original and made entirely by hand in the USA with American-made materials and love.

A Storybook Quilt

In Honor of Grandparent’s Day: Their Special Role

Nancy — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:59:13 +0000

Maggie the Dog Storybook Quilt

One of the most wonderful things about today’s world is that people live longer. More children have a chance to fully enjoy their grandparents and more grandparents have a chance to enjoy and to guide their grandchildren. But no matter how determined we are to not fall behind on the latest technology, the latest vocabulary, the latest fashion or the latest animated film characters, we inevitably do. That’s not necessarily a bad thing!

Grandparents, I believe, have a special role in being living proof that one doesn’t have to always be involved in the latest latest to be valued or find satisfaction in life. Grandparents also provide a link to timeless traditions and activities that are both exciting and comforting.

It’s grandparents, often, who have the time that busy parents do not to dabble in such things with their granchildren — a little fingerpainting and papier mache creation, making (and “testing!”) a few cookies, helping fit together a puzzle, exploring the wondrous animals at the zoo, feeding the squirrels in the park, going fishing in the beaver pond, planting a garden and watching it grow, or reading stories together.

These are timeless pleasures that do much to restore one’s soul, at any age, and are the building blocks for a good set of coping skills that are invaluable throughout life.

At Storybook Quilts, the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren is one thing the spurs us on to create the quilts and write the matching stories. We imagine a grandparent cuddled with a grandchild under a quilt, reading a story that plays out in the fabrics in the quilt. The stories are adventures that keep one’s attention to the end; the quilts become companions that can help recollect that cozy, comforting feeling of being held and read to by grandma or grandpa. These are memories that always are precious; our unique quilts with matching stories help ensure that they remain strong for years to come.

We are continuously adding to our themes and now have eight available: DanZy the Rabbit, Amos the Bear, Maggie the Dog, Maurice the Cat, Dapper Dan the Snowman, Vroom Vroom the Red Sportscar, Winnie the Frog and the yet-to-be-named sea turtle. (The contest to name the turtle has just ended; the winners will be announced shortly.)

Happy Grandparent’s Day!

A Cool Snowman in the Heat of Summer

Nancy — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:58:25 +0000

What we all knew would happen has happened — summer arrived and it’s hot. In some places, such as the Northwest, it is unbelievably hot. Here in southeastern Pennsylvania, it’s “just” the usual August hot and muggy. Although I would miss summer, I admit to daydreaming this time of year about cooler places and snow, which doesn’t seem very real in the heat of an August day.

I have put Dapper Dan the Snowman up in the workshop as my companion this week. He’s a wonderfully cool guy!

Oh, you noticed he doesn’t have a face? Ah, well, that’s part of his adventure. Visit Dapper Dan’s page on the website to learn more about him.

Remember, you can win any of our Storybook Quilts, including Dapper Dan, in the the [Turtle] contest.

Dapper Dan the Snowman