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What is local?

  • Posted on July 28, 2025 at 2:45 PM

True Story…
I was driving home from work (the shop) Sunday and thinking about a project I wanted to work on Monday and I knew I hadn’t brought home what I needed to work on it and as I headed into North Attleboro, the strangest thing happened to me… something that hadn’t happened in quite a long time… I said to myself… Self: if you need anything you can just run over to Quilters Stash and grab it…

WOW that blew my mind!

Not because I was thinking of shopping at another local quilt shop…

Not because I was thinking of going to a shop that hasn’t been open in several years…

The reason was because it was local or in other words it was closer to home…

So, what is local? Previous to this event… I had been recently thinking  ALOT about what local means, we hear it all the time …Support your “local” quilt shop. But what is local exactly? Many of you know I’m from North Attleboro and to me local was having a quilt shop in my own town (less than 2 miles away)! So on Saturday at 5:45, I could inevitably run over and pick up one or two last minute things before closing time.

Yeah that is nice, isn’t it! (says the folks reading this who live in Bellingham, Franklin or the bordering towns - or live in towns that have a shop or two in them)!

Now… the nearest quilt shops to me are - my own Dragonfly’s of course, in Bellingham & 2 in Franklin (all of which are only 10-15 miles from where I live),

That’s awesome! (says the folks reading this who don’t have a quilt shop in their town or area at all).

So, what does local mean to you?  How far do you travel to get to your “local” shop? What if it was no longer there, how far would you then have to travel?

If you live in a more rural area of the state or another state - local might be 40 minutes to an hour  or more…

In Row by Row land… local is all/most of MA, RI or even most of New England…

Continue reading What is local? »

KOM - June - Wine Glass Coozies/Coaster

  • Posted on May 31, 2026 at 9:08 PM

KOM - June

Wine Glass Coozies/Coaster

Supplies for 1 coozie (to make 4, 6 or 8-multiply qty’s below by 4, 6 or 8):

  • 2 - 5.5″ circles of fabric 1
  • 2 - 5.5″ circles of fabric 2
  • 1 - 5.5″ circle of batting

2 Coordinating Fabrics - One 5.5″ x WOF from each, subcut each strip into Four 5.25″ sections gives you 8 sq. for ea. fabric (16 total) - yields 1 set of 4 coozies (w/4 sq. of batting)

4 Coordinating Fabrics - One 5.5″ x WOF from each, subcut each strip into Four 5.25″ sections gives you 8 sq. for ea. fabric (32 total) - yields 1 Set of 8 coozies OR 2 Sets of 4 (w/8 sq. of batting)

To cut the kits, I used the accuquilt Go 5″ Circle cutter. (Layered Fabric 1 wrong side up, batting, second fabric 1 right side up and both of the fabric 2 squares right side up). You can use a 5″ (or alternate/similar traceable size that’s available to you) circle to trace when additional ones at home.

With your layered fabrics as noted above:

  • Fold and finger press (or iron) the two top circles (fabric 2) in half wrong sides together. This will be your “pocket” for the wine glass base to fit into once flipped/completed.
  • Place them back on your layered stack so that the folded edges are in the middle of the circle.
  • Pin all the way around to keep everything tight together. Remove pins as you go!
  • Sew all the way around the circle with a generous 1/4″-3/4″ (depending on size of your wine glass base). You will top stitch another 1/4″ so take this into account to leave enough room to get the glass inside the coozie/coaster.
  • Trim up close to the batting/stitch line.
  • Flip right side out and push out the seam so it is a smooth a circle all the way around.
  • Top stitch 1/4″ around and viola!

If you have a hard time sewing in a nice circle, 1- take your time, go slow and pivot around the circle. Also you can trace the bottom of your wine glass and use the left side of your presser foot as the guide to sew on the raw edge side of the circle. Keep in mind that you still need room for the final 1/4″ topstitch.

For the top stitching, use a nice decorative stitch and if your sewing on the circle gets slightly wonky, you won’t notice as much.

CAM00812 CAM00813 CAM00814 CAM00815-1

Flip and insert wine glass…

CAM00817

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can also find another very similar tutorial for this here…This one tells you to quilt the batting/fabric 1 sandwich prior to stitching up the coaster.

I don’t know who the original owner of this is, if anyone knows let me know. I know this one has been around a while and many people have different versions/tutorials.

Continue reading KOM - June - Wine Glass Coozies/Coaster »

Super cute fabric box tutorials

  • Posted on April 27, 2026 at 6:22 PM

Fabric Box Tutorials

We had fun demo’ing these super cute fabric boxes, today at the shop. As promised here are the links to the tutorials:

From Tina Craig over at Seaside Stitches and Connie’s version

 

 

 

Continue reading Super cute fabric box tutorials »

What came first the Bobbin Buddies or the Handi-Bobs?

  • Posted on April 27, 2026 at 2:08 AM
Most of us are either having or have had experiences with gnarly bobbin tails.
Some common at home remedies I have heard about: pipe cleaners, elastics, tape, twist ties, avoidance, you name it.
So for this little story board, I didn’t recreate that scene, I just wasn’t willing to go back there. However I will show & tell below why these two items are MUST haves in my sewing room!
Ok, so in my world the gnarly was present and in full force until I found the Bobbin Buddies (thumbs up for made in the USA!), so the answer to the question is the Bobbin Buddies came first for me.
Meet my little bobbin box with my bobbins and Bobbin Buddies

CAM00598-1

(these are not matched up to thread or in use at the moment - and theres a few stray wonder clips too)
Ok so now I’m thinking life is great, right? Put my feet up enjoy the good life, doesn’t get any better than conquering the gnarly …then along comes the Handi-Bob (now in the real world these have been around a while, but this is my story).

Bobbin Buddies meet Handi-Bobs…CAM00599

OK, for a few more Washingtons I’m living large now because not only do these Handi-Bobs hold my matching bobbins (to most of my thread “spools”) but the bobbins fit conveniently on top of the Handi-Bobs with the Bobbin Buddies on… yes, that’s right, they just fit into the little grooves! Jackpot baby!!!!

You can see the knobs on the Bobbin Buddies fit in the groove on the Handi-BobsCAM00603-1

Nice little grouping of my Handi-Bobs on my thread spools (a part of my collection of variegated Sulkys and a stray C&C)

Complete with the Handi-Bob, bobbin with matching thread, and the Bobbin Buddies… to keep out Mr. Gnarly!CAM00604

Now we’re talking, time to put my feet up and have a Sangria! Wait, wait, the story can’t end with me and a Sangria…

Ok, it ends with me storing the bobbin… but where else, right on the spool of thread of course!!!

CAM00606Yes, I sew with them on. Shocking, I know!

The combo of the two products is especially great for classes, I can just grab the color I want and the bobbin is wound and attached!

Having it attached to the thread when I sew, works best when I am FMQ with a different color on the bottom; so the fact that my matching spool being threaded on the machine is fine 😉

ha ha unless I need it, then I just take it off in advance so I can use it… come on, we can handle that.

Cheers. Thanks for coming on this little journey with me ~ Kathryn

P.S. You can get both of these at my shop (whiles supplies last…and after we run out, pre-order & pay and get a 10% discount)

Comments:

What came first the Bobbin Buddies or the Handi-Bobs?

Continue reading What came first the Bobbin Buddies or the Handi-Bobs? »

Early bird sign ups for the Rhode Island Modern Quilt Guild Members

  • Posted on April 7, 2026 at 6:44 AM

I am pleased to say the class schedule is posted on the website. We will have a few more dates to add soon…

Special this week only Monday April 7-Friday April 11th to all members of the RIMQG

Pre-register and pay for any class and receive a free gift. Just send me an email with your class choices to: [email protected] Once I receive your class choices I will enroll you and send you additional details. All checks should be made out to Dragonfly’s Quilt Shop and mailed to 799 S. Main Street Unit 17C, Bellingham, MA 02019.

Remember class sizes are limited, so they will fill up fast!!!

 

Continue reading Early bird sign ups for the Rhode Island Modern Quilt Guild Members »