Spring Fling

Yay! It’s spring time. Weather is warming up. The sun is shining. Ah- hem. The sun is shining. California, really! We’ve webbed toes already. The sun is shining between rain bursts, but we’re not going to let that dampen our mood. Lora and I have been clearing, cleaning, and organizing. Which is good news for you, because that means…. we’re having a SALE!

Material Girlfriends SALE

I created a special sale section on our web store for this fun Spring Fling Sale. Snatch up select quilt kits and patterns with up to 50% off. You’ll find some fabulous deals! One week only! Sale ends April 22, 2024.

Etsy Storewide SALE

Not to be out done! The entire Material Girlfriends Etsy store is 30% off. No way. Yes, way. Every digital download pattern is now 30% off. Sale ends April 22, 2024.

What’s Better than a Sale?

FREE! Yep, that’s right. The FREE 3 Yard pattern for April is now available. Download your copy until April 30, 2024. If you haven’t heard of our 2024 3YD pattern Series Sew Along, you’re missing out! download a free pattern from the 15th to the end of the month, every month for the year. This is our community quilt challenge. We are encouraging everyone to make community quilts and donate, or give, as they see fit.

The Misadventures of the Material Girlfriends

Lora and I belong to a lovely guild, the Delta Quilters of Brentwood, CA. One of the guild fund raisers is a Sewing Room Tour, held every other year. This year was that year! Lora was asked to be a part of this fun tour and she was happy to participate. There were 5 homes on the tour, with the tour ending at a 6th home for a reception. All the homes were located in the Brentwood / Oakley area.

Plans Go Awry

We had planned to have a Material Girlfriend Pop-up store in Lora’s backyard during the Sewing Room tour. Alas, the forecast was rain, rain, rain. We went to plan B. The day before the tour, we planned to set up the MG booth in the living room. There was a Preview Sewing Room Tour for the hostesses and volunteers that afternoon at 4:45pm. We had lots to do to set up. Puppy pen, one recliner sofa, one recliner loveseat, two wingback recliner chairs, coffee table, end tables, lamps, and assorted decor were all schlepped to the long hall and to the back bedrooms. Now to unload and set-up the booth.

Disaster Strikes

When we moved the puppy pen to the long hall, Lora had pulled apart the puppy pen to wash the mat. She put the mat in the laundry room sink and turned on the water to soak it. I continued to move things into the back rooms. My son, Joshua, was helping us unload our little MG trailer. We unloaded the poles, drapes, suitcases of quilts, bins, and more bins of quilt kits and patterns.

I told Lora and Josh that I needed a quick bathroom break before more lifting. As soon as I walked into the bathroom, I noticed the floor was flooded! I thought there was a leak at the base of the toilet. I yelled for Lora. As I’m leaving the bathroom to find her (doing the pee-pee dance now), I hear the water running in the laundry room. I dash around the corner into the laundry room and the floor is flooded with water! Oh, no!!! The sink had been overflowing (full blast) for at least 20 minutes! I turned off the tap.

On the other side of the wall of the laundry room was the hall bathroom and Lora’s sewing room. The laundry room water flowed under the wall to the bathroom and into Lora’s sewing room. The carpet was soaked about 18″ from the baseboard into the room under her sewing desk and cabinets. We pulled all her sewing room furniture from the wall and used a shop vac and every towel in the house to soak up the water. The Pre-view Sewing Room Tour, 30+ volunteers and hostesses were arriving in just 4 1/2 hours!

Never Let Them See You Sweat

We were sweating! Clean up, set up. I was so grateful Kelly (Lora’s husband), and Josh were able to help us. The show must go on! We rolled up our sleeves and worked hard.

The Pre-view party went great. My hair was still wet from sweat on the back of my neck, but the front looked good. Carpet was a little damp but preview peeps didn’t mind one bit.

Check out Lora’s video. Do you think we pulled it off?

After we cleaned up, Lora noticed my mini Red Star quilt that we had hung in a flower pot by her front door, had bled in the rain. This misadventure was full of blood, sweat, and tears.

What a bummer! Lora thought the bleed was from the red binding and it ran along the quilt lines. Time to use some Shout Color Catchers. “Can I soak this in your laundry room sink for a little while?” I said with a smirk. Lora let out a short, loud laughed. “OH! It is just too soon for that to be funny,” she tried to say seriously.

Happy Sewing! We will see you the next time.

Lisa W. Norton and Lora W. Zmak