Quilt Room Tours

Written on March 8, 2012 at 5:54 pm, by Jackie

The Prairie Quilt Guild of Wichita, Kansas hosts a quilt room tour every other year. The guild members visit five sewing rooms of individuals who quilt so that we can gather ideas for our own creative spaces and be more efficient and productive. It’s a fun time for my friends and I to make a day of checking out sewing rooms. Sheri, the driver of our group, went over and above in decorating her vehicle with quilts, pillows, reading materials and treat bags.

Sheri’s van

Wanda Hiebert, a long-arm quilter

Lisa Johnson, owner of Picket Fence Quilt Co.

Sheri Schoenebeck, our driver and sewing machine educator whose quilt was accepted to the Paducah Quilt Show

The Complete Shopping Experience

Written on March 8, 2012 at 5:04 pm, by Jackie

I have a theory that I call “The Complete Shopping Experience” that is an unforgettable retail experience at quilt stores. The quilt shop owner should think of it as a vacation for her customer from the curb to the cash register. Guiding the consumer through the perfect shopping trip requires signage that is easy to read, eye contact and a welcoming smiling, fresh and clean displays, the feeling of home and an invitation to return.

Here are some photos that I’ve taken on my shopping journeys that encompass the complete shopping experience:

Golden Quilt Company in Golden, Colorado: Friendly shop owner, finished binded quilt models on display, quilt model hanging low enough to touch

The Quilt Shoppe in Stewartsville, Missouri: Halloween-themed bed display, bright red wall, various sizes of project ideas, enticing and welcoming exterior

Harper’s Fabric and Quilt Co. in Overland Park, Kansas: Fresh fabrics, quilts and patterns, friendly and knowledgeable staff

Junk Bag Class

Written on February 15, 2012 at 6:13 pm, by Jackie

Announcing a Junk Bag class!

It will be on Friday, March 23rd from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Picket Fence Quilt Company, 7130 W. Maple in Wichita, Kansas.

The cost is $25 and you can call (316) 558-8899 to reserve your spot. Start gathering fabrics, trims, charms and crochet pieces. See you there!

Upcoming Quilt Guild Programs

Written on February 15, 2012 at 5:11 pm, by Jackie

I wanted to share some exciting upcoming events where I’ll be talking about my adventures in all things sewing.

You can find me at the Heart of Kansas Quilters meeting on Monday, March 26th at the Delos Smith Senior Center in Hutchinson, Kansas. Their quilt guild meeting will start at 9:30 a.m. and I’ll take the stage at 10:30. My topic will be “For the Love of Sewing” and I’ll touch on how that brought me to where I am today - designing fabric and patterns. I will bring a wonderful assortment of quilts and sewing projects to share with the group. I’d love to see what you’ve made with my patterns!

I’ll repeat the program again that day for the Evening Star Quilt Guild, who will also meet at the Delos Smith Senior Center in Hutchinson on Monday, March 26th at 7:00 p.m.

Exciting News Part 2

Written on October 14, 2011 at 12:14 pm, by Jackie

I just wanted to let you all know that Interweave’s Magazine;

“Stitch” has published my patterns for

pajama bottoms and robe. If you are interested in purchasing the magazine (or they even have a digital version of it on the web). I found my hard copy at Barnes and Noble on Rock Road.

I like the way my advertisement for my pattern called “On the Go Trio” turned out too.

Another Junk Bag Update

Written on August 31, 2011 at 7:34 am, by Jackie

I wanted to share with all of you a comment that I received from Tracy on July 26^th. She said that she had made a Junk Bag from my pattern and wanted to show me how she had embellished her bag. You can go to her blog here and see how she decorated her bag. I love the way she crocheted a doily just to go on her Junk Bag. It’s fun seeing all the ways that different people make their bags.

I also wanted to let you know that Charlotte’s Sew Natural is having a contest to give away the Junk Bag that she has at her store in Newton. Please go to Charlotte’s website here and check out the current Newsletter and read how you can get in on the contest to win the cute bag she has at her store and it sounds like it will be stuffed with lots of goodies. I’ll have a monthly update real soon, so stay tuned for more of what’s happening here at Jackie Clark’s Designs.

July 2011 Update (Children, Grandchildren, Day Trips, and Friends)

Written on August 1, 2011 at 8:28 pm, by Jackie

First of all I’m not sure where July has gone; but I do know that I have been very busy and have had a good time. This is what’s been happening in my world this month.

Jarred is my oldest child and he has always loved to fish. So when he found out there were some flathead fish that were dying in a dried up lake bed; Jarred went to their rescue. He kayaked through mud and then when he got to shore he carried them on his shoulders a long way to the truck then put them in a private lake and revived them. As far as we know they have survived.

Then there’s Angie my middle child; who is the Mother of both of my grandchildren. She has been keeping busy just being a Mother and a wife. I have been so thankful that I was able to help her out by taking Ava home with me several times just to let Angie rest. Both of my Grandbabies are so much fun and I enjoy every minute that I get to spend with them.



Emilee is my youngest and she is kept busy by working two jobs. My husband and I have enjoyed visiting Emilee at Tanya’s Soup Kitchen, and here she is behind the register.

We were invited to attend a beer tasting party at Emilee’s friend’s house.

I could hold Truman like this all day.

Then I’ve also been able to take my parents to their doctors’ appointments and also take them on a couple of day trips. One day we went to Zenda, Kansas and I didn’t even mind when we got lost along the way.

Another day we went to Greensburg, Kansas and learned a lot about how the town is rebuilding “green” from the EF5 Tornado that ripped through their town in May of 2007. This was the storm shelter that is made from an old propane bottle. It’s been fun spending some quality time with both of them as I know that their time is limited.
Another day I took a short trip to Newton with my sister and we stopped by Charlotte’s Sew Natural to pick up some fabric for a Cute-as-a-Button baby jacket. Charlotte has the sweetest young lady working for her and her name is Brecken. We even got to take her with us to see Melinda Hutton’s studio, you can check out Melinda’s fun projects here.

I always love seeing all the neat things that Melinda is working on. 

I couldn’t resist taking a picture with Brecken and her Volkswagen.

I even was able to spend the day with my small quilting group and catch up on all the projects that they were working on.
There are some new projects on the table here at JCD too and I’ll be able to share them with all of you real soon, so stay tuned. I hope you had a fun July like me.

Junk Bags and Junk Bag Models

Written on July 11, 2011 at 3:49 am, by Jackie

From the time I made my first model to introduce my new pattern, “The Junk Bag” back in October 2009 until now; I feel very blessed to see and know that people are still making their own Junk Bags.  It’s even fun seeing my bags made up on other people’s blogs and here are links to 3 blogs that talk about “The Junk Bag” pattern:
It’s Sew Shannon
Cookie’s Creek
Chik With Yarn
As I have been taking little day trips in and around Wichita this summer I thought it would be fun to see how many of The Junk Bags I could find in the Quilt Shops that I’ve visited, I took some pictures of a few of the bags in 3 of the local shops; and wanted to share them with you.

Here’s one from Material Girls Quilt shoppe,

This is the front of a bag.

here’s the back of the same bag,
and the bag can be found at Picket Fence Quilt Shop,

and this one is from Charlotte’s Sew Natural Quilt Shop in Newton, Kansas. All of these quilt shop owners know that in order to sell patterns and fabric you have to make a model. It’s a win/win situation and it’s always fun seeing all the different fabrics that everyone chooses for their own bags. I love how each one is unique and made to fit each persons’ personality. I hope everyone is staying cool and having a wonderful summer.

My Dear Mother’s 80th Birthday Party

Written on June 8, 2011 at 4:07 am, by Jackie

I am happy to announce that my dear Mother’s birthday party went off without a glitch. I hope the pictures will tell the story. It was a wonderful day for my Mom to be able to be the one that got the attention; as she has always been the one who stands in the background and lets everyone else shine. My Mother was a star for a day.

I loved being able to use some of my old antique china for the reception table.

The drink counter.

My Mom and my sister Tamara. (you can see more pictures on her blog here)

My dear friend Rayma and my sister.

My Childhood friend Debbie.

Bev and Steph.

My son, Jarred and my sister-in-law Linda.
I
My beautiful daughters; Angie and Emilee.

My granddaughter Ava and her Momma. Ava didn’t know what to do in such a big crowd.

My Grandson Truman slept right through all of it.

My cousin Brenda and me.

My Mom and her sister; Aunt Marthie and her sister-in-law; Aunt Martha Ann

My Mom’s brother Uncle Wayne, Aunt Martha Ann, and their son Mark.

My dear friend Rayma and my Mom.
It was a good day and everyone seemed to have a good time. My niece Carrie Ann made a Power Point slide presentation and it was beautiful. Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated my dear Mother’s birthday with us.

Exciting News Part 1

Written on May 23, 2011 at 8:16 am, by Jackie

There are some really exciting things happening here at Jackie Clark Designs. Some of you may have heard about SQE Professional the B2B magazine for the Sewing, Quilting, and Embroidery Professional. It’s a publication that’s mailed monthly to independent shops worldwide. The really cool thing is that it is a free publication (their phone number is 1-800-367-5651) and you can read about them here. Anyway SQE contacted me and asked if they could do a story on me and of course I said yes. Here’s the article that will go to print next week:

I am so honored and humbled at the same time. Stay tuned for Exciting News Part 2.