Helen just finished her first quilt in our Beginning Quilting class. Isn’t it lovely? I like how she chose a floral theme and mixed it up with varying scales of prints. She did a great job coordinating her fabrics. That fuschia solid works so well against the cool greens and blues in the rest of the quilt. Not only did she do an outstanding job making each of the sampler blocks, but she handquilted and bound the whole thing. Fantastic! Helen says she very much enjoyed the class.

If you like to try your hand at quilting, our next Beginning Quilting class starts July 17. Thanks so much for sharing this photo with us, Helen. I look forward to seeing more of your beautiful work!

I wanted to make a new quilt top to hang in our front window to bring a little summer inside the shop. Alex Anderson’s new booklet, Super Simple Quilts had just arrived and fit the bill perfectly. This booklet features 3 quilts in 3 different sizes, with detailed directions for each one. I really like how she shows a swatch of the fabric from her original photo next to each yardage requirement so you know exactly where your own fabric choice will fall in the final design. I chose the aptly named for summer Hopscotch Quilt.

The beginning fabric for this top was the brand new mango Shot Cotton. Next, I knew I wanted to use my favorite hot pink Zazu chandelier fabric. Amy Butler’s oxford stripe tied them together beautifully, and gave me ideas for coordinating the remaining fabrics. Since Amy’s fabrics go so well together no matter what collection they’re from, I brought in the lime green rose and blue grey dots. My final choice was the yellow from the Sweet Escape line. This fabric has a very light yellow background with a tiny light green honeycomb printed over it. I think it gives the quilt top depth without being overly patterned.

This quilt was easy to cut and a cinch to sew. When it’s time for a window change, I will have the pleasure of deciding just how to quilt it! Happy Summer!

This fun carry-all is one of Amy Butler’s brand new patterns, the Birdie Sling. Since the new Park Slope line just arrived with it’s very cute birdie fabric, I thought they would make the perfect pair. Michael did a great job stitching up this pretty purse. The shape of this bag is stylish and it gives you plenty of room for your totables. There’s good sized pockets and a nice strudy construction. My favorite details are the wide shoulder strap and the sweet pleats. This is a great all around bag that you will use everday. Just think of all fabrics you could combine to make it your own!

Amy Butler’s directions are clear and specific, which helps make for a more professional finish. Amy likes to use the right tools and interfacing to give your project polish. Since there are a few pieces to cut out and interface, I would recommend cutting and preparing the fabric on one afternoon and sewing it on another. This will allow you to come at the project fresh and ready to sew. You will be happier while sewing and your Birdie Sling will turn out beautifully. Have fun!

I am pleased to introduce you to Park Slope by FreeSpirit designer Erin McMorris. I remember being excited about these when we ordered them, and I fell in love all over again when they arrived. The cheerful colors and playful, retro designs make me want to sew immediately!

I like the fact that these could be used for a child’s dress or a pretty handbag. A quilt made in these fabrics would be amazing too. You would smile every time you made the bed! Personally, I have to put the bird fabric to good use. Now, I just have to decide on a project!

This Sunday we are holding a class on the Anna Tunic from Amy Butler. This versatile pattern can be a camisole, tunic (as shown), mini-dress, or knee length dress. The tunic looks great over jeans, and the full-length dress would be great for work. You can cinch it at the waist, or lose the belt and keep the simple A-line shape. So pretty!

Cathy is our special teacher for this class. She has worked at the Philadelphia Museum of Art as the museum seamstress and currently works there in the Costume and Textile Department. She is a font of sewing information and an incredibly fun person! This class would be perfect for anyone that has taken our other garment classes or has completed simple clothing projects on their own. If you would like to join us, please call the shop or check out the class page for details.

As soon as the weather gets warm, I start thinking about new skirts. When the new Kaffe fabrics start to arrive I think about lots of new skirts! The 70’s retro feel of some these designs got me thinking about wrap skirts. They are so simple and attractive, and there’s no putting in of zippers. I looked around the internet for a pattern and stumbled across this great tutorial on how to make your OWN pattern. I chose the new Star Flower pattern (my favorite) and a pretty lavender Shot Cotton, 2 yards each, and got to work. I used some big drawing paper for the pattern, and my trusty calculator made sure my math worked out properly. Since I wanted the skirt to be lined, I pieced together two skirts, one from each fabric. Then, I put them right sides together and sewed around the sides and bottom. I flipped them right sides out and applied my long strip of bias tape along the top for the waistband and ties. Voila, la wrap skirt! I love it! This project took me about two hours from start to finish, not including laundering the fabrics. I will be making another or maybe ten of these skirts for summer! Now, I just need my platform sandals and giant sunglasses and I am ready to roll!

In case you needed an excuse to make a new summer bag, we sampled two of our current favorites in bright Kaffe designs. The first is Betsy Ross Patterns Tote Bag. Aimee stitched this up in Kaffe’s Paper Fans print lined with tangerine Shot Cotton. Teal and orange get me every time, so I am loving this versatile purse. It fits easily over your shoulder, and has a good depth to store all of your essentials. Betsy Ross Patterns are always a pleasure to make, with clear instructions and well labeled pattern pieces. If you have been wanting to use a pattern and learn to apply bias binding, this is a great project to try. Plus, it’s just so pretty!

The second purse is a smaller handbag from June’s Sew Simple magazine. Using Kaffe’s Paisley Jungle print and a denim Shot Cotton for the lining, Michael sewed this up in no time. The sling bag style and paisley print make for a groovy retro combination. The unique construction of this bag could be a bit challenging for a beginner, but we are always here to help you with any sewing questions.

Accessories are a great way to bring fun colors and interesting prints into your wardrobe. A cute purse is just the thing to showcase your favorite fabrics!

Aimee usually sews clothes for Spool, so we decided to change it up and get her making a quilt. We looked through our favorite learn to quilt book Start Quilting with Alex Anderson, and picked out the Nine Patch Variation quilt. Starting out with 2 peppermint and wintergreen shades of Kona Cotton Solids and one Amy Butler fabric, this quilt was dubbed Mintyfresh. Minty goodness is lovely, but when this quilt top was done it needed a little something extra. Kaffe to the rescue! The new Asian Circles print arrived just as we were looking for a border fabric. It works well with the cool greens, but brightens with vibrant purples and gives a more organic feel to the design. As if that weren’t excitement enough, Aimee chose Kaffe’s Big Blooms for the backing. This fabric is wild! It adds a spicy complement to the fresh flavor of the quilt top. Nice job!

When Kaffe’s new Clouds fabric arrived, Michael immediately wanted to make something for a baby, and I can see why! The palette is lighter than usual for Kaffe, but without losing the saturation of color. Cheerful and bright, it lends itself perfectly to baby clothes. We chose the Oliver + S Swingset Tunic to highlight this dreamy design. Simple in shape and easy to wear, this tunic would work well over a skirt or pants and could easily become essential to baby’s summer uniform.

The best part of this little top, though, is the cloud applique! The green cloud looks so sweet against the fantastic yellow Shot Cotton. Michael loves applique and is always looking for an opportunity to “apply” it. This detail makes the dress even more charming and special- just like your little cutie!

New Kaffe Fassett fabrics have arrived! Kaffe is one of our favorite quilt and fabric designers, and these new pieces do not disappoint. The color palette is lighter, and he has revamped some of his old favorites in new colors and scales. Some of these positively vibrate!

This week, I’ll be posting on all things Kaffe. We have been working on some beautiful projects sampling some of our favorite patterns. We hope you’ll find as much fun and creativity in these fabrics as we do!