JWD Publishing Blog

As I sit here listening dreamily to Ricky Tims’s Christmas in a Small Town, I realize I would be remiss if I did not let you know about this album. If you do not have Christmas in a Small Town, you’re missing the most beautiful Christmas album created in this decade.  Ricky’s musical talent offers us a refreshing blend of old traditional favorites, rarely-heard ancient carols, and a wonderful new Christmas  song by Ricky. You will want to listen to this album over and over again. Accompanied by other vocalists and musicians, Ricky’s beautifully arranged musical renditions simply make one’s soul sing.  Ricky Tims has given us a truly beautiful Christmas gift―the sharing of his stunning musical brilliance. Listen and enjoy! Merry Christmas.

You may listen to Christmas In a Small Town at www.christmasinasmalltown.com. On this website you can see beautiful winter photos, listen to music, learn about the music, download the music, and purchase a CD.  Treat yourself to this wonderful Christmas album. You’ll find yourself humming and singing with it, as you prepare for your Christmas celebration.

Are you hankering to make a charming traditional Christmas quilt this season? I think you’ll love this small 43” square wall quilt from Chris Porter’s pattern Deck the Halls with Nine-patch & Holly.  This small quilt has 9 nine-patch blocks, 4 holly leaf blocks, and a holly leaf and berry border.  It’s cute, cute, cute!  (Sorry, no photo of this little quilt yet.)  This quilt is fairly quick to make and beautiful in traditional Christmas fabrics. We used red buttons for the berries to great effect.

Chris’s pattern features a much larger cover quilt (61” x 84”), which is pictured here. We have also designed a Christmas table runner. Our favorite quilt, the small wall quilt, has not been photographed, as it is being exhibited in a trunk show.            

Shop Owners:  Deck the Halls in Nine-patch & Holly  is a great quilt to kit. You may purchase this pattern from your distributor or directly from us. Suggested retail price is $ 9.98. 

Quilters:  You may purchase this pattern from your local quilt shop. Please contact us if you are unable to locate this pattern.  

It’s hard to believe it’s almost time for the Jingle Bell (Shop) Hop in Northern California. Those of you in the East Bay/San Francisco should get your running shoes by the door, the car gassed up, and be ready for a spirited long weekend (Thursday, November 19 – Sunday, November 22). There are 14 shops excitedly getting ready for all of you California quilters.

Enjoy wandering through each of the stores, checking out what they have to offer. Participating stores are Always Quilting, Color Me Quilts & More, In Between Stitches, Ladybug’s Quilts, Quilter’s Cabin, Quilter’s Studio, Quilts & Things, Sew Central Quiltworks, Sew Ewe Quilt, Sew Many Quilts, Sisters ‘N Stitches, The Laurel Leaf, The Quilter’s Inn, and Thimble Creek.

Wow! The Jingle Bell Hop Grand Prize is fabulous. Check it out! The winner will receive a $100 gift certificate from each of the participating stores, bringing the grand total to a $ 1400 shopping spree. The second and third prizes are great too. Those winners receive a total of $750 and $370 (respectively) worth of gift certificates. To win, you must visit all of the stores.  Don’t just rush in, get stamped, and leave. That’s missing the point of having a shop hop. Pace yourself so that you can enjoy visiting 3-4 shops each day (it’s a hard job, but someone has to do it). Check out the fabrics each offers, the different patterns and books, and the different types of notions featured at each. In addition, each shop has a special goodie basket to be won. These prizes are superb quilter-friendly shop-hop gifts that any quilter would love to have.   Hopefully, you’ll be one of the lucky winners. 

We are pleased to support your local quilting shops in the Northern California area. We have sent each store a packet of complimentary patterns to give out as quilters’ prizes.  If you are one of our recipients, we’d love to hear from you. Have a great time at the Jimgle Bell Hop.

For more information and names and addresses of each store, go to http://www.jinglebellhop.com/shops.html

If you are just now getting your head wrapped around the idea that Christmas is around the corner, it’s time for that special Christmas project―If you have always wanted to make a Christmas wall quilt, consider Holiday Lights, Alex Anderson’s popular Christmas classic.  It is one of our best selling patterns.  What can be cuter than these adorable Christmas trees surrounded by old-fashioned tree lights (with plug!)? 

If you’re a quilt shop owner, you can purchase Holiday Lights through your distributor or directly from us. If you are a quilter, please contact your local quilt store. They, too, can order it for you.  The suggested retail price is $10.96. (Directions include twin-bed size too.)