Amazingly, it’s the middle of August already! At Spool, that means it’s time for summer vacation. I have some fun things planned, but I am hoping to do a little sofa loungin’ as well. Although my sofa does not come equipped with birdies like the one pictured in this new Tufted Tweets fabric, I think it will do just fine!

If you need a fabric fix, do stop in this weekend before we hit the beach! We have fun new fabrics, and some wonderful end-of-the-summer projects. Please take note of our special vacation hours; we’d hate to miss you!

We will be closed August 23rd – September 3rd.

We will be open Labor Day Weekend, September 4 from 11AM-6PM and September 5th from 11AM-4PM.

We will resume our regular hours of Wednesday-Sunday: 11AM – 6PM, starting September 8th.

Happy Summer! See you in September!

What is that cool breeze I feel coming through my window this morning? Can it be a reprieve from this Summer’s crazy heat? I can actually believe that Autumn is coming! It’s a good thing, since I’m so excited to share our new, fun Fall class schedule! We are offering new projects, like the Windmills Quilt shown above, as well as more sessions of our most popular workshops.

Make a new dress or handbag for a new season. Try quilting on for size and decorate your home. Meet new friends and work with new fabrics. Most importantly, make time for your crafting this Fall!

Be sure to call the shop to reserve your space! See you soon!

This past weekend I visited the Barnes Foundation, a unique gallery just outside of Philadelphia. Founded by Dr. Albert Barnes in 1922, the gallery is home to a remarkable sampling of impressionist & modern paintings. In addition this fantastic collection, the grounds contain a lovely arboretum, tended to over the years by Mrs. Barnes. As a city dweller, it was wonderful to stroll amongst giant trees from around the world, check out the koi pond, and even get a few mosquito bites! Who knew I could be so outdoorsy (wink!)?

Inspired by my nature walk and some new arrivals at the shop, I put together my Arboretum fabric bundle. New prints from Art Gallery Fabrics Naturella collection are on the left, paired with my favorite fabrics from Erin McMorris’ Wildwood line on the right. These summery hues would make perfect placemats and napkins for outdoor dining, or a pretty patchwork cover for your sketchbook. Can’t you just see yourself touring the grounds, taking notes in your botanical journal, wearing a big straw hat? I thought so!

This weekend we are having a class to make this pretty tank. Using Kwik Sew 2498, you can mix and match 4 different versions of this versatile top. You will work with a pattern, make facings and buttonholes, depending on which style you choose. This class is great for beginners and a fun project to stitch up for more experienced sewers.

We love the spaghetti strap version paired with a sweet skirt or layered under a cardi when the AC is turned on too strong! The curved neckline and wider strapped version ( shown here in stripes) looks great with jeans, and can have a plain or buttoned up back. Whichever version you make, you will be grateful for this cool top in this hot summer!

If you’d like to join us, please call the shop to reserve your space! Here’s the details:

Simple Tank
$45 plus materials

Saturday, August 7: 12-4PM

Materials: Pattern, thread, .75- 1.5 yards of fabric depending on size. All materials are available for purchase at Spool. Use of our sewing machines, rotary cutters, scissors, mats, and rulers are included for class sessions.
$45 plus materials

See you soon!

I am looking for quilting instructors for our Fall class schedule! I would love to meet experienced, outgoing quilters, who are confident with fabric selection, rotary cutting, machine piecing and quilting. Teaching experience is preferred, but is not necessary. Our classes take place weekday evenings and weekend days, so your schedule should be open during either of those times. Most of all, you should love to be with people and want to share your quilting knowledge. Our customers are fun, enthusiastic, and ready to learn!

Does this sound like you or someone you know? Please email me at stitch(AT)spoolsewing(DOT)com, with a description of your sewing experience, and at least 3 photos of your completed quilts. Thanks so much!

I am thrilled to share that Philadelphia Magazine gave Spool and our sister store Loop the Best of Philly 2010 Award for Best Way to Get Crafty! I have lived in Philadelphia for 10 years now, and have looked to the Best of Philly as a way to get to know my adopted city. I never thought when I moved here that I would be honored this way, and I couldn’t be more proud! Thanks so much, Philadelphia Magazine!

The biggest thanks, however, goes to YOU, our wonderful customers! Thank you so much for your shopping at Spool and Loop, telling your friends about us, and bringing family and friends to meet us. Thanks for sharing your crafting, creativity, and enthusiasm with us. You inspire us to always be better and allow us to do the work we love. Thank you!

What a fun tour we had! It was great getting to know more about Cherri, and getting to know so many new bloggers. Thanks to everyone who stopped in and left a comment. I hope you enjoyed the tour!

Now for the winners!

The winner of of copy of City Quilts is Megan! She says:

“Every time I see a new quilt from this book I want to make it! As a relatively new quilter who is just now venturing more into solids I have to say that this is the most inspiring collection of contemporary quilts I’ve seen. Fingers crossed for one of the lovely prizes!”

Have fun, Megan!

The winner of a killer stack of Kona Cotton fat quarters is Dayna! She says

“This tour is great! Who knew solids could be so interesting!”

Sounds like you’ll be learning more about it!

Ok, now it’s time to get started on your quilts!

While the City Quilt love is making it’s way around the internet, I’d thought I’d take this opportunity to show off my new quilt! I am smitten by the book’s new City Shops quilt, and started one almost immediately upon the book’s arrival! The Gee’s Bend look of this quilt struck me right way, and am always happy when when quilt instructions are clear, easy to follow, but do allow for some random fabric placement! There’s something about it that feels more like an adventure!

Inspired by bar codes & shopping (who doesn’t love shopping!), Cherri used black, white and blue fabrics for her City Shops quilt. Loving the look, but wanting to make it my own, I chose a palette of green, yellow and white Kona cottons, which is what Cherri uses in all of her quilts. Then, I reversed the dark to light ratio, creating a more light and summery version.

Everyone at the shop LOVES the result, so much so that we quickly quilted and bound it, forgetting to add the border! If I were to go back I would have added one in the minty green Kona cotton, but I think it looks wonderful just the same!

If you’d like to try your hand at our version of this quilt, kits are available in both shops. We’re also down to the last 2 days to enter our City Quilts blog tour giveaway! Be sure to leave a comment by tomorrow at midnight. Enjoy!

Welcome, City Quilts fans! I am so pleased to be hosting this stop on the City Quilts blog tour. I am a city girl through and through, so it’s refreshing to see a quilt book inspired by an urban environment. The clean, simple lines and enthusiastic use of color fit so well into the modern home, no matter where you live. Currently, I am wondering just how many of these quilts I can fit into MY home!

Cherri kindly answered some questions about her book, design process and personal style. Let’s see what she has to say!

Congratulations on your first book! How does designing a book compare with designing a quilt?

Though every quilt is different, you know before starting what each step and process will require. With the book, there was so much more involved that I was completely unaware of…formatting, illustrations, samples, so much goes into a book that is a complete mystery until you are actually involved in the process.

What’s your most & least favorite part of the design process?

I’m not sure if I could describe it as my least favorite, but I might say the most frustrating part for me is having incredible fabric, and not knowing the best way to utilize it – waiting for some illusive inspiration that seems just out of reach. This doesn’t happen too often, but when it does it kind of freaks me out, and gives me a little panic. I then have to stop forcing the issue, and try to be more patient. I have to live with the fabric for awhile, and figure out what it wants, and needs to be. It’s pretty magical when the inspiration comes, and the 1/2 dozen ideas I have rejected get recycled and refined for another project. The best part is when a quilt is finished, and it is EXACTLY what I had envisioned, or better.

Looking at your quilts, I see that you are someone that loves color play. What is it about working with solid colors that you find so attractive?

The timelessness of solids! I love printed fabric, but it becomes so dated so quickly. It’s heartbreaking to make a quilt, then somewhere down the road, you look at it and say, “that is so 2007″. Also, I love the painterly quality of solids, creating contemporary works of art is achievable with solids.

You obviously have a wonderful color sense! Do you have formal art training or have you always been so attuned to color?

No formal art training for me, sadly. I have always loved color, and have been drawn to it my whole life. Anything with color pulls me in like a magnet – from flowers to fabric, to nature; I just can’t get enough of it. I was a florist for many years, and it greatly influences how I design my quilts.

Does this love of solids carry over into your home & wardrobe? For example, do you have whole closet full of gradations of your favorite colors & pillows on the sofa to match?

Yes, walk into my home, and the first thing you will notice is that I have no fear of color…navy carpet, solid red couches, yellow living room walls, orange dining room, purple guest bath, black slate floors – an explosion of color. My wardrobe is 95% solids as well…at least I’m consistent!

Thanks, Cherri! That was fun!

Now, I know you all want to know about the giveaway. Here’s what you have a chance to win!

A copy of City Quilts from C&T Publishing & a gorgeous fat quarter bundle of Kona cotton solids from Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. Be sure to enter by Saturday, July 24th at midnight. I will announce the winners on Sunday, July 25th, so stay tuned!

Check out Cherri at her other tour stops, and enter to win more prizes!

July 12th – http://naptimequilter.blogspot.com/

July 13th -http://mrsschmenkmanquilts.wordpress.com/

July 14th – http://littleladypatchwork.blogspot.com/

July 15th – http://patsloan.typepad.com/

July 16th – Here you are! Welcome!

July 17th – http://www.swatchandstitch.com/

July 18th – http://blog.fatquarterly.com/

July 19th – http://carolinapatchworks.com/blog/

July 20th – http://www.sewer-sewist.com/

July 21st – http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

July 22nd – http://www.spunsugarquilt.com/

July 23rd – http://juicy-bits.typepad.com/

July 24th – http://www.trueup.net/

Unfortunately, Philly has entered the rainy portion of our Summer. Fortunately, new patterns from Amy Butler have arrived just in time! The Rainy Days and Little Splashes Jackets are just what I’ve been wanting! Using the new cotton laminates, Amy Butler gives us patterns for two cute coats- one for ladies and one for girls. Mother/daughter ensembles, anyone? The fun colors & prints of our laminates are perfect for brightening a gloomy day.

Both styles of jacket are fully lined with either quilting cotton or, for a heavier jacket, home dec weight fabric. This is quite a nice feature if you remember wearing unlined raincoats as kid – sticky! chilly! Wouldn’t this be great lined in flannel for the rainy Fall days? Cozy!

If you haven’t worked with the laminated fabrics before, don’t be scared! The fabric is actually quite lightweight and easy to work with. There are three things to remember when stitching with this fun fabric.

First and foremost, don’t touch the laminated side with a hot iron! It will melt! Try to finger press whenever possible, but when you do need to press, use a dry iron on a low setting and press on the unlaminated side of the fabric only.

Second, pin holes will not disappear, so only pin in the seam allowances or use paper clips!

Lastly, sewing on the wrong side of this fabric is a cinch, but sewing on the laminated side can be a little trickier & stickier! We have had great success using walking foot for topstitching. The walking foot has feed dogs that work in conjunction with the feed dogs on your machine to move the fabric through at an even rate. No slipping & sliding! This is a super helpful attachment to have for a variety of projects, especially if you want to machine quilt at home. A teflon foot will work beautifully as well. If you’re in a pinch, masking tape on the under side of your regular presser foot will do.

If you keep these three things in mind, your sewing experience will be much easier! Now, it’s time to pick out the fabric for your new raincoat!