Pieces

Batting Report

In the last post (scroll down if you missed it) I introduced a bamboo/silk/tencel/cotton blend Dream Orient batting that is new to the shop.  The test quilt is finished and has been washed and dried.  The quilt seems a little lighter than the cotton batting I usually use and is really soft and drapey (is that a word?).  The overall shrinkage from washing is drying gives the perfect amount of  scrunchiness  (is that a word?) as seen in the 2nd picture below of the quilt back.  You'll have to come in and check it out for yourself - if I don't take it home to get cozy with on movie nights this fall...

 

Oh, by the way - in case you missed it the first time I talked about this pattern, it is called Gimme Diamonds and includes directions for multiple sizes (yea). 

Warning, warning, warning...

Major cuteness alert!

Below are some super cute little jacket/pants sets we made at the shop from Jackie Clark patterns.  An added bonus - the jackets are reversible!  They are so sweet it almost makes your teeth hurt, don't you think?  Just couldn't help ourselves, had to do it.

I warned you.  If you have room for more sweetness, you might enjoy the new collection from Moda called Little Apples.

Hmmm... these prints would be great for the jacket and top too.  (Somebody stop me...)

On another note, I'm looking for part-time help at the shop.  Interested?  Send me an email. 

Dreamy

 

Many of you are already familiar with the Quilter's Dream battings that we have at the shop.  There is the high quality 100% cotton batting with no glue, scrim or binders.  The wool batting is lofty and light, while the earth-friendly dream green batting is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.  And now - we introduce Dream Orient ....

East Meets West in this Luxurious Blend
of Silk, Bamboo, Botanic Tencel® and Cotton

Quilters Dream Orient Batting is a luxurious blend of velvety Bamboo, luscious silk, strong silky Tencel® and soft stable Cotton.  Dream Orient's natural environmentally friendly fibers are carded, crosslapped and finely needlepunched to bring you the most desirable qualities of softness, strength, warmth and breathability.  The elegant silky soft drape makes Dream Orient a batting beyond compare!  Machine wash and dry with cool water/cool dryer - shrinkage approximately 3%.  You can stitch up to 8" apart. 

• 
  Bamboo - is a velvety soft, absorbent fiber with unique antibacterial qualities.  Bamboo is warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
• Silk - the strongest natural fiber in existence has always stood for quality and elegance.  Dream Orient contains high quality Tussah 'Peace' silk, which is stronger and more resilient than white silk..
• Botanic Tencel® - is made from environmentally friendly eucalyptus wood pulp derived from sustainable tree farms.  Tenciel® is exceptionally strong, resilient and resistant to wrinkles, yet so soft it is often referred to as imitation silk.
• Cotton - is a natural fully renewable fiber that is soft, breathable and a traditional fiber used throughout generations.  Dream Orient uses only the high grade cleaned upland USA cotton for durability and quality for the most discriminating quilters.

One of the shop samples is in Cyndy's hands to be machine quilted with this new batting.  Can't wait to get it back and see how it feels before and after washing.  Stay tuned....

Batting is not the only thing that has been dreamy around here lately.  Last week I went to the coast for a few days with the husband and dogs.  It was beautiful - there is nothing like the Oregon Coast on a sunny windless day - absolutely nothing!  But apparently, sea air makes me sleep...during the day.  I slept in the car, on the couch, in a chair on the deck, on the beach and yes - on a bench. 

While I was sleeping my days away, fun new stuff was arriving at the shop. Garden-inspired fabrics from Alexander Henry came...

and a coordinating home dec weight... (Do I need a tablecloth from this?)

Also from Alexander Henry came these stunners...

Gotta love the newest Far Far Away line from Heather Ross - in the same linen/cotton blend as her last line...

 

Jessica brought her quilt in to pin on our big tables this week.  I think it is pretty special.  I love the scrappy-ness combined with the consistent use of the black squares and the way the colors move in waves up the quilt.  And this is only her 2nd quilt - ever, which she plans to quilt herself.  Good for you!

If you live here in Eugene, you likely are aware that the Ducks have their first football game of the season today.  I am not the biggest football fan in the world - but I live with a pretty big fan and I think that the way the community gets into it is fun.  I can't seem to stay attentive to a whole game, so if I want to be a part of the "party" I have to have something to do during a game.  I'm plotting my projects for the season...  Perhaps the applique project I started last year (or was it the year before?) during football season or maybe hexies? 

What a weekend it was...

When summer finally arrives here, it is not for the weak.  There is so much going on, it is hard to choose and hard to fit it all in. Over the long weekend we dined and wined at Art in the Vinyard, we took the grandboy to the Ems game where the fireworks...

were spectacular. We cleaned the garage and I re-aquainted myself with a friend I had been out of touch with - POWERWASHER. 

 

Powerwashers rock! I'm a little bit embarrassed to admit it but I enjoy powerwashing.  It is so satisfying to blast away the moss firmly attached to the shady part of the driveway.  Summer is just fun all the way around.

Meanwhile.... at the shop, I'm expecting a lot of the new market orders to arrive in July.  Already here are fabrics from Valori Wells new line, Wrenly.

How about this happy farm scene?

 

If you want to get a jump on your Halloween decorating...

A little more cuteness from Olive Ann Designs.  By the way, we are planning a trunk show of Olive Ann designs in September with the pattern designer who will be demonstrating the "easy curve" technique in this little number...

We also made the dress, doll, and doll dress from an Olive Ann pattern shown here...

My sister and I had a fun time doing the dolly's hair.  We used a mohair yarn which gave dolly some pretty "big" hair. 

Hope everyone had a great holiday and is enjoying these wonderfully sunny days...

 

 

 

February Freeze

There has been a lot of talk about the big snow that is coming to our area tonight - a lot of talk!  On the one hand I hope it happens as predicted because so much energy has been put into predicting and preparing for it.  It would be a shame if it was all for nothing.  On the other hand, it is sure to be inconvenient and interrupt the flow of things.  Maybe that is not a bad thing and we need to have the flow interrupted from time to time to help us keep a perspective and to "roll with it".  To those of you in today to get supplies to spend your "snow day" sewing, I hope you get to have that lovely day you planned for.

Ha Ha - this critter is amusing, don't you think? This is the "softie" that Kelly made for the Modern Quilt Guild swap.  I think it needs a name.

We received a big shipment of fabric this last week, the shelves are full as are the racks in the clearance area.  Among this week's highlights are:

Finally... the rest of Tula Pink's Parisville fabrics.  Yes, the lady does have a ship on her head and a squirrel and lion as well.

From Michael Miller, Patty Young's Sanctuary (Yum!)

Gypsy Bandana

And some new knits. 

This month we had a class to learn to make a stand-up zip bag that Tracy developed.  It was a big success and we will have the class again.  In addition to completing these charming bags, the participants conquered their fear of installing zippers - check out how great these look!

 

  

Let it snow...

 

Tick-Tock...

Vrooooom - the sewing machines are at full speed while folks finish up their gifts.  Good for you for making something special for your friends and/or family!  If you still need a gift for a sewing friend or need to drop a hint of what YOU might want for the holidays - we have GIFT CERTIFICATES that can be used for anything in the shop. 

I do it every year - play this game of procrastination that ends in a frenzy of activity in the week before Christmas and every year I say I'm not doing it again next year, but I know I will.  I admire those of you who pace yourself through this season... maybe next year...

Let's take a break from the "to do" list and appreciate the new lovelies that have arrived. First up - Amy Butler's new line, Soul Blossoms, is in the shop.  It is pretty delicious...

Feast your eyes on the colors of Presencia Perle Cotton.  We will be carrying this dreamy stuff in 8 ply for all your "big stitched" quilts and other hand work.  Yum!

Moda sent "Le Petit Ecole" from their French General Line.  I'm thinking placemats and napkins...

I tried out a pattern from a new little company at market this year, La Todera - cute, cute, cute.  It was easy and the directions were clear so I'll pick up some of their other flower patterns.  Mine even came out like the one on the pattern (mostly).  These will be fun embellishments for bags, clothes, pins - whatever needs a little lift.

Below are some samples of blocks made during Kelly's recent Modern Log Cabin class.  You can see that a fun time was had by all.  This class is offered twice during the winter quarter - join us!

 

See, wasn't that a nice break?  Now, back to sewing, baking, cooking, shopping, etc. etc. etc.

Random Interests

Fall is my favorite season and these past few days of crisp mornings and sunny afternoons are my idea of weather heaven.  I love my view from the shop window...

I love the colors of the drive home from work...

And I love the leaves... on the ground...

... and on the trees!

 
Three new books arrived at the shop in the last week that I think are worthy of a look. 

The first is the newest book by Kaffe Fassett, Quilts en Provence, which is a study of geometry and color set in the south of France.  Typical in Kaffe books are jaw dropping photos of quilts "on location" and this one includes some stunning shots...

And my personal favorite quilt in this book is...

For all you bag people, the anticipated Bag Making Bible by Lisa Lam arrived.  Lisa is the founder and owner of U-Handbag which is a dedicated on line store and blog for bag makers.  She has a reputation for the quality of her construction.  This book covers the steps from start to finish in bag making. If you like to make bags you might want to take a look at this book as your go-to reference for construction tips.

Another comprehensive new reference book is The Sewing Bible by Ruth Singer, which is a modern manual of practical and decorative sewing techniques.  It is organized into sections that describe practical and decorative techniques with projects using the various techniques. There is an impressive amount of information in this one book as well as photographs to illustrate and demonstrate sewing techniques from soup to nuts.  This would make a great gift for a new sewer - or for anyone fabric-inclined.

The fun doesn't stop there.  New today is a french inspired cotton/linen fabric that would make interesting quilt block centers, pillows, placemats and well - whatever you can imagine.  There is also a deep brown linen/cotton solid that looks yummy with this print.

Ooh-la-la

A  customer came in today with the quilt below that she made for her 15 year old grandson.  Didn't she do a great job with this City Park pattern from Cherry House quilts?  Sometimes it is hard to figure out what a boy that age would like - I think she nailed it. Check out the guitar back fabric...

Remember last week I posted about the new City Weekend fabrics from Moda and patterns from Oliver & S?  I couldn't help myself...

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Is it possible to have too much of a good thing?  You know - too much entertainment, inspiration and happy activity?  These past weeks have been a blur of good times ending with a very special and rare event this weekend - both sons home at the same time!  Given one lives and plays so far away it has been years, seriously, since we were all in the same place. It was just one night sandwiched in between everyone's conflicting schedules, but it was a delightful evening.  They are just a bunch of fun to be around, I'll savor the moments for some time.  Now though, I want to sleep for a long long time.

While quilting is my main passion, I am re-discovering a fascination with sewing "other stuff".  When I was younger (much much younger) I used to sew most of my clothes but drifted away from it as styles changed to more fitted looks and my body shape changed to where more adjustmenst were needed.  I wasn't skilled enough to work through those fitting obstacles.  The wonderful variety of fabrics on the market today has me rediscovering the itch to sew other stuff.  I have already had a good time with bags, curtains and pillows and such - and I wonder, is their clothes sewing in my future again? 

A while back I introduced a few knits to the shop with a promise to follow up with more information.  Below are some pictures of a few things we have made with them and some links to tutorials about sewing with them.  If you haven't sewn with knits before, the take home message is - you do not have to have a serger.  Sure, a serger is ideal but your regular sewing machine probably has a knit stitch or two on it and will work just fine. 

Click here for a tutorial on making these yoga skirts. 

Cute, huh?  The one on the left has a woven cotton skirt and the one on the right has a cotton knit skirt.  And by the way - the instructions are for any size.  We also made a knit children's blanket that is especially soft and cuddly.

 
And with the leftovers, the poor doll in the shop who had no clothes received a new dress.

If you are tempted to try some knit sewing take a look here for Patty Young's tips.  We have ball-point pins and needles in the shop if you need some to get started.  For further inspiration you might peek at her blog  - she has video tutorials about hemming knits.

Nice quilt show this past weekend - congratulations Emerald Valley Quilters! 

 

Baked Potato?

I've heard there is a way to use batting to cook potatoes in the microwave so that they really come out liked baked potatoes, not steamed.  I thought it might be an urban myth as I also heard from people who tried it and started little fires in their microwaves, or made a mess of melted goo out of their potato cozies.  But now - I know it to be true.  New to the shop is Warm Tater - a resin-free, scrim-free batting to use in the microwave for potatoes, corn and more. 

Lisa took it upon herself to give it a try.  She whipped up a "potato bag" and tried it out.  She reports that the 2 russets below were nicely baked in about 6 minutes and were delicious - like baked potatoes.  I will have to make one of my own - and one to give to the boys for Christmas...

It has been on my list for a long time to make a Birdie Sling by Amy Butler.  The pattern has been very popular and I finally moved it up on the list when the fabrics below came in.  I thought they would work nicely for the bag.

The pattern was well written and easy to follow.  I did experience a minor melt-down over interfacing.  Having had some interfacing mishaps before I decided to actually follow the instructions in the pattern and for the interfacing (something I don't always do...).  I pre-washed the fabric and the interfacing and fused it as instructed to the bag pieces. Note that many interfacings do not recommend pre-shrinking, but this one did.  It came out beautiful,  absolutely perfect - no funny wrinkles.  The next day, I sewed the bag pieces together and pressed the seams open.  That is where things went south.  I plugged in the iron, but didn't check what temperature it was set on.  It was hot - really hot.  It shrunk the interfacing which resulted in all kinds of buckles and bubbles in the bag fabric.  I deconstructed the bag and pulled the interfacing loose to reposition it flat, which worked fine.  Lesson learned - don't use a super hot iron to fuse interfacing!

Finally - have you noticed the chill in the mornings lately?  New flannel has started to arrive...

Hats and other fun stuff

Whew - it has been busy lately.   All of the summer fun is in full swing now - don't you just love these long warm evenings?  Last week, the fullness of summer had me dreaming of tomatoes and look at the fabric that arrived at the shop this week...

 How cool is that?  And if you wanted something to go with your tomatoes....

Last weekend we had a hat making class at PBP.  Celeste demonstrated....

Students cut, sewed and fit ...

 

... and viola - finished!

We were busy little sewists at the shop this past week.  We finished a number of shop projects.  The quilt below is the Urban Cabin Pattern by Atkinson Designs.  So cool, so fresh.

Nice job on the quilting, Cyndy!

 

We also made a new version of the grids and grommets bag by Indygo Junction with the Spa fabrics.

Just so you know, I don't have daughters, grand-daughters, nieces or friends with little girls.  My friends and family make boys.  So there is no reason other than "because I couldn't help myself" for making the skirt below.  I had been looking at the pattern from Pink Fig for a while and the other day started playing with a group of fabrics and before I knew it, this happened.

If I had a grand daughter, she would surely have a fleet of these...

Lisa decided to spruce up her sewing room in this manner. Is there no end to what you can do with a piece of gorgeous fabric?

Two new Michael Miller lines were delivered this week and they couldn't be more different.  The bold "Pretty Bird" line contrasts sharply with the stately "Antiquity" line.  The two main players in the Pretty Birds line are these...

Both colorways are bold and stunning.  And with their friends...

Mmmmm - luscious!

The other new line, Antiquity has some of my new favorite prints - script.  I think the loose linear flow of fabric with script on it adds unique interest to quilts (as well as other projects).

Love the pink fabric with the crowns! 

Finally, after a special birthday party for hubby G this friday night (a year that ends in 0) we'll be leaving bright and early Saturday on a ROAD TRIP!  We are headed to a family reunion in that vacation destination spot - North Dakota.  I can't wait - I love a good road trip!  We plan to listen to some good books on tape and picnic our way through the major national parks between here and there.  It will be interesting to see the scores of extended family members and family reunion crashers at the reunion site - an Abbey in Richardton ND where I'm sure we will thoroughly enjoy the Abbey's wine cellar. So - I may be absent for a while...

But for sure - the fall schedule of classes will be done by the end of the first week in August.  It is going to be a big one.

New today

New to the store today are more organic fabrics from Cloud 9's second line, Beyond the Sea.  This fabric company is one of the first to use 100% certified organic cotton in the manufacturing of their base cloths and eco-responsible dyes for printing and dying.  I really like their designs and colors and love that they keep their color palette consistent in their collections so that older designs work with newer designs.  The sandpiper print is very clever...

 

A few weeks ago, we received some fabrics from Kaufman that spoke to me - demanded my attention.  I tried to ignore it, thinking it was too fall-ish to play with right now.  But it kept finding it's way into my field of vision so I decided it was meant to be featured in a table runner - which as luck would have it, looks really great on my dining room table.  Go figure.    Check out the custom quilting - nice job Lisa

 

On to the next project.....