Customer Show and Tell

 Sue R. stopped in recently to share these cute blocks her elementary school kids made.

They read the books and then each child made their own nine patch block using scrap fabric Sue provided. Some kids were more into the project than others, but they all did fabulous!

On a personal note, I'd like to wish a happy birthday to this guy.

This is the most recent good photo I have of him. He is posing with his high school graduation quilt from April 2020. Those of you with teenage boys will understand how hard it can be to get them to take a serious photo! He turns 20 today. Happy Birthday son!

Beading Class Fun

 Last week we had a beading class at my shop. The ladies were learning to bead while making mitten ornaments. We had two kits - a snowflake mitten and a pine branch mitten.

One of these ladies had never beaded before while the other one has done a little beading in the past. Can you guess which one is the newbie? I know, but I won't tell. And I bet you can't guess based on their workmanship because they both did great!

In Progress :: Samples

 Here is what we are working on at my shop.

This is the center of the quilt. We still need to sew the blocks together then figure out borders and such. This quilt uses the new Woodland Winter collection we just received recently. We want to incorporate the side borders from the panel somehow, but haven't quite figured out exactly what we want to do with them.

Next is a new pattern I just ordered called Starlets. It is a great pattern from Modernly Morgan, but I decided to make it up in traditional style fabrics instead of my usual bright, modern style fabrics.

Most of the fabrics I am using are from the new collection by Julie Letvin from Robert Kaufman called 6th Street Cottons. I also pulled one or two fabrics from her previous collection, Homestead Harvest.

This is a really great pattern! There are diagrams for how to cut out your pieces and clear photos in the piecing section. The pattern has information for 4 sizes of quilt from Baby size (which is the size I am making) up to Queen size. If you follow the pattern then you need yardage for the stars because those are all the same fabrics, but you could easily make scrappy stars instead. All of the rest of the fabrics are fat quarters so it's a perfect pattern for that fat quarter bundle you bought without a plan.

Summer Song made with Favorite Things

 I just pulled this quilt out last week to display in the shop.

Check out the great quilting pattern my long arm quilter used.

The fabrics I used are from a collection called Favorite Things and the binding fabric is my current favorite binding fabric, Magic Stripe in Black and White.

I have a few kits available for this fun quilt and enough fabric left to make a few more, Summer Song Kit.

Customer Show and Tell

 I took this photo a few months ago when I taught at Monarch Quilters in Poncha Springs, CO.

Laurie purchased the pattern, Family Tradition, and the fabrics from my shop. You can view the pattern and the fabrics we have left from this collection by clicking the following link: Home Sweet Holidays.

The next one is also a photo I took a while ago, but it is just too awesome not to share. This was made by one of my customers, Michele S.

Michele stopped into the shop for advise on this project. She had the wools she planned to use for the dog but needed a background fabric and finishing ideas. We found this awesome white print and Michele added the hand embroidery right over the top of the printing on the fabric. I suggested that she frame it and should found this shadowbox frame at a big box store.

This is the best part of my job! Getting to help customers make incredible creations like this one.

Another Chunky Wee Zippy Pouch

 I finished up my "kanwandiko" sample and have turned it into a Chunky Wee Zippy Pouch. Unfortunately, I am currently out of the patterns, but more have been ordered. It was more popular than I expected!

This is the last photo I took of my piece before turning it into a bag.

Here it is finished. It measures about 5" by 5" by 5". This is the "storage cube" size from the pattern.

For the inside I used a scrap of backing fabric from a previous quilt.

Developing a New Class

 I made this notebook cover several months ago. I thought I had shared it with you but I can't find the post so I guess I forgot!

The notebook cover above is my first attempt. For it I used some Essex Linen Denim color, scraps and size 8 pearl cotton in four variegated colors. I just laid the scraps on the linen and left the edges raw. A running stitch holds everything in place. The scraps are not fused or appliqued to the linen, just sewn on with the running stitches. I like working with the pearl cotton but don't really care for the raw edges on the fabric scraps.

Below is the start of my second attempt. I am using a mix of techniques: Sashiko, Kantha and Kawandi stitching. I'm trying to come up with a name for this technique. My current favorite is "Kanwandiko".

For this one I am using a base of a Moda Bella Solid. The color doesn't matter as it will be completely covered by scraps. I am using six stranded floss for this one (Aurifloss) in a neutral color and a sashiko needle. I am turning the exposed edges of the fabric scraps and tucking raw edges underneath other pieces. I am building it as I go. Nothing is really planned. The only thing holding everything together is the stitching. I am going to turn this one into a Chunky Wee Zippy Pouch. 

You will be seeing more of this in the next few months as I try various methods and perfect my technique before adding this to my class calendar.