Tomorrow’s February! That means it’s time to start thinking about our next Practical Guide to Patchwork project, Snapshots. This quilt may seem daunting with all of those tiny squares, but by using the tricksy strip piecing method you will learn that many strips make light work!

We have made this design multiple times here in the shop. Last winter, we made one in Jay McCarroll’s Habitat fabric (shown above), although on a much bigger scale; ours measures 80″ x 80″! For the contrast fabric, we used my favorite Freespirit Solid, Citrine, to match the mid-value in Jay’s collection. This way all the darks and lights really pop and I get to see plenty of my favorite yellowy-green!

This version was made with a 45 fabric design-roll of Joel Dewberry’s Deer Valley collection nearly 2 years ago! I chose to go with a classic cream for the contrast fabric, as the Deer Valley prints are so formal. I really didn’t think I would be able to incorporate all 3 colorways into one final quilt, but the combination of the neutral cream color and a totally random strip selection really mixed it up & smoothed it out! This quilt is one of my most favorite projects we’ve completed at Spool- so much so that I see it every morning on my bed when I wake up!

Our February Snapshots workshop will start with fabric selection and move into rotary cutting practice, and give you tips on matching up those corners! Then, take the opportunity to work at your own pace and get some dedicated sewing time for your new gorgeous quilt project!

If you’d like to join us, please call the shop to register! You will need a copy of The Practical Guide to Patchwork, and when you sign up for the class you’ll receive 20% off the book! Check out some photos of author Elizabeth Hartman’s variations here.

Here’s the details:

Snapshots
$45 plus materials
Sundays, February 12, 19 & 26: 11:30AM-1:30PM

Quilt Top Materials: The Practical Guide to Patchwork, ¼ yard each of 18 different prints (or any combination adding up to 4.5 yards), 2.75 yards of solid for contrast, thread. Finished size: 48” x 60”.

Bespoken is the latest lovely collection from Art Gallery Fabrics! These fresh lime, turquoise and lilac shades are really warming up the shelves at Spool! The vintage inspired florals look amazing with the graphic stripe-within-a-stripe print and formal damask designs. I’m definitely thinking about mixing these up with some Shot Cottons for next month’s Small Plates quilt class. I’ll let you know how it works out!

Fat quarter bundles in two colorways are available in both our online and South St. shops!

Our first project of 2012 is all cut out and ready to sew! This year we will be working our way through the quilts from The Practical Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman. We’re starting at the beginning and holding a class each month for each quilt. This month it’s Fenced In, a contemporary take on the traditional Rail Fence block.

Here’s Elizabeth’s photo of her original quilt from the book. I love a complementary color story, and orange and blue are my favorite opposites!

I asked Olan to pick out 9 prints to be used for the main blocks. I have a feeling that the recent cold snap increased his longing for his native southern climate and inspired this warm, summery color palette! I think we can all relate!

Once the blocks are pieced, we’ll decide on a color for the sashing (the blue fabric in Elizabeth’s quilt). I’m thinking maybe a bright royal blue or perhaps a violet to stay in keeping with the original complementary color scheme. No matter which fabric we choose, trying out all the options is my favorite part!

If this quilt looks like fun to you too, join us for the first class in our series! This is a great way to start a new project for the new year!

Fenced In
$45 plus materials
Sundays, January 15, 22 & 29: 11:30AM-1:30PM

The first session of each class will be devoted to fabric selection and learning how to create the chosen block. From there, you will work at your own pace while creating your quilt top.

You will need a copy of The Practical Guide to Patchwork so when you sign up for any class in this series, take 20% off the cost of your book! Please call the shop at 215-545-0755 to register.

Our holiday classes are coming up fast! Join us and learn to create your own holiday decor and thoughtful gifts for your family and friends!

For all the details on these classes and to see our full course schedule, visit our class page! Be sure to call the shop at 215-545-0755 to register!

Christmas Stockings
$30 plus materials
Saturday, December 3: 11AM- 1PM
Sunday, December 11: 11AM- 1PM

Santa’s coming to town, so make sure you have something cute hanging by the fireplace! Learn to make this simple stocking using a template, batting and great fabrics.

Christmas Tree Skirt
$50 plus materials
Saturday, December 10: 11AM-3PM

Give your presents a pretty place to nestle under the tree! This ribbon tied tree skirt will totally complete your holiday decor. Embellish with ric rac or bias tape, or just keep it clean and simple! the choice is yours!

Wine Bags
$30 plus materials
Sunday, December 18: 11-1PM

Don’t head to your holiday empty handed! Everyone loves a bottle wine, so why not dress it up for the season! Learn to make this simple drawstring wine bag and be the hostess’s favorite guest!

Bird Ornament
$30 includes materials
Saturday, December 3: 1-3PM
Sunday, December 11: 1-3PM

Learn to make our popular bird softie pattern, just in time for the holidays! Our feathered friend makes a charming ornament, gift topper, or baby gift!

We have some truly exciting classes on the roster in the coming weeks! Whether you’re interested in quilting, garment construction, home decorating, or bag making, there’s a little something for everyone!

Visit our class page for all the details and to see our full schedule! Please be sure to call the shop at 215-545-0755 to reserve your space!

Beginning Quilting
$175 includes materials
selection of organic fabric is an additional $30
Tuesdays, October 18, 25, November 1, 8 & 15

Quilting is the best way to use all of your favorite fabrics together in one gorgeous project! Make your very first quilt from start to finish in this 5 week course. In the first class, you will select your fabrics and then move on to learn rotary cutting, strip piecing techniques, machine quilting and binding. Your finished piece is perfect for a baby quilt or wall hanging!

Violet Blouse
$90 plus materials
Thursdays, October 20, 27, November 3 & 10:6-8PM

This is a class for you confident beginner garment seamstresses! With a gentle, loose fit, & peter pan collar, this button front blouse looks super cute dressed up or down. The pattern also offers 2 sleeve options- short gathered, or mid-length sleeves gathered with elastic. You will learn how create bust darts, yoke gathers, and set-in sleeves.

Box & Gathered Pillow
$40 plus materials
Saturday, October 22: 11:30-2:30PM

Pillows are the ideal skill building project and a simple way to change up your home decor. Add to your pillowscape by learning to create a pillow with either boxed or gathered edges and zipper back!

Laptop Case
$50 plus materials, pattern included
Tuesdays, November 1 & 8: 6-8PM

Everyone can use one, so they make sweet gifts for all those with ipads, kindles, and just plain ol’ laptops! Use our beautiful quilting cottons or try out our laminated prints to keep your baby warm AND dry!

As the weather gets cooler, my thoughts always turn to cozying up at home. I pull out the quilts and my cozy sweaters and straighten up the house. This is a familiar autumn ritual that I always enjoy. Every once in awhile, though, something unusual happens this at this time of year that is completely absent for the other 3 seasons- I want to bake!

Cooking is one of the only crafts that I haven’t taken to, and I am very fortunate that my sweetie likes to cook and feeds us very well! Imagine his surprise when, for a few weeks each fall, I want to make pumpkin breads, cookies and cakes! Hmmm, I must be preparing us for the long, hard winter ahead, I guess!

As any good hobbyist knows, all the accessories for your favorite activity are just as fun as the activity itself! That’s where this pretty Scalloped Hem Apron comes in. I feel much more the part of the pastry chef when I am wearing the necessary tools of the trade! Our sewing instructor, Deb, came up with this cool design for fall using Erin McMorris’s groovy retro flower print. Who doesn’t love a little kitsch in the kitchen?

Deb will be teaching a class on this apron starting next week! You will learn how to gather fabric and how to create that awesome scalloped hem. Once you know how, you can apply this technique to skirts, curtains and tablecloths. Get yourself geared up for your own fall baking or sew a handmade, holiday gift for your favorite chef!

Here’s the details! Please call the shop at 215-545-0755 to reserve your space!

Scalloped Hem Apron
$50 plus materials, pattern included
Tuesdays, October 18 & 25: 6-8PM

You should be comfortable with sewing machine basics to enroll. Please come to class with your fabric selected.

Materials: ¾ yard of main fabric, ½ yard of contrast fabric, thread.

There’s nothing quite like the style and comfort of a shirt dress, and Amy Butler’s Liverpool Dress pattern delivers! We made ours using Loulouthi’s Hugs & Kisses print- see all those little x’s and o’s? Aww, so sweet!

Classic and sharp, this shape always looks polished and put together, yet so easy to wear. I love it when mornings go like this: Slip on dress, add tights and boots, choose my favorite scarf and go! As the weather turns chillier, the structure of a shirt dress provides an excellent foil for this season’s big slouchy cardigans and vests- giving you a nice shape while enjoying the coziness of your oversized knits!

Aside from being a fashionista, as a budding garment seamstress, you will learn so much from sewing this dress! Ms. Butler walks you through the steps to set in sleeves, create a tab collar with collar stand and make a button placket. You know you’ve been looking to use that button hole attachment on your machine- here’s your chance!

The pattern calls for a thin belt that is sewn into the side seams, which is very cute and makes the belt much less likely to be lost! We opted to make a wider belt, however, and use our colorful new D-rings as hardware. You could also view this an opportunity to accessorize and reach into your awesome belt collection to personalize your ensemble! Wouldn’t a wide, tan braided leather belt look super with this fabric? I think so!

The Liverpool has plenty of options for customization! It can be a shirt, a tunic, a mini dress, or a long dress. Darts at the bust and double darts at the waist make for a better fit and pretty, feminine detailing. Sleeves can also be 4 lengths, taking you from warmer to cooler weather all in one pattern. Once you get the fit right, your wardrobe will widen with the endless combinations you’ll create!

If you’ve been wanting to step up from skirt making, this dress is your next move. Of course, we wouldn’t leave you on your own, so if you’d like some guidance along the way, come join us in class! Visit our class page for all the details, and be sure to call the shop to register!

Liverpool Dress
$90 plus materials
Sundays, October 9, 16, 23 & 30: 1:30-3:30PM

Check out our Violet Blouse! Violet is a new design from Colette Patterns, designed specifically for beginning garment sewers. Isn’t she pretty? Our sewing instructor, Heather Reddy, stitched up this beauty using the Variegated Butterfly print from Cloud 9′s new Across the Pond collection. She did an amazing job and her pattern matching is fantastic!

Colette Patterns has a true love for vintage patterns and dresses, which I happen share. I am so impressed with their ability to update vintage details and make them feel modern and fresh. Unlike most vintage patterns, where sewing directions are minimal, Colette has some of the most clear instructions, diagrams and hints that I’ve seen in today’s garment patterns. Plus, the sizing is expanded from 0-18, all in one pattern!

The 1960′s inspired Violet Blouse has a 7 button placket and an adorable peter pan collar. The set-in sleeves come in 2 options: short sleeved, like in our version, or mid length that gather at the hem with elastic. The easy fit is shaped with bust darts and a gather at the back yoke. It looks swell (and very Mad Men!) under a cardigan and tucked in to the Ginger Skirt for work, or loose with jeans for the weekend!

If you like the looks of Violet as much as we do, join us for class! Please visit our class page for all the details, and be sure to call the shop to reserve your space. See you soon!

Violet Blouse
$90 plus materials
Thursdays, October 20, 27, November 3 & 10:6-8PM

All the new fabrics arriving plus the faint hint of chilliness in the morning air can only equal one thing- quilt season! Quilting is relaxing, meditative, and a fantastic way to use all your favorite prints together in one piece!

This fall we have 4 quilting classes to help you get cozy! 2 are full five week courses and 2 are one day workshops, so there’s a little something to fit everyone’s schedule!

To see our full quilting & sewing class schedule, visit our class page. Please be sure to call the shop to register and reserve your space!

Clockwise from top left:

Beginning Quilting
$175 includes materials
selection of organic fabric is an additional $30

Tuesdays, September 13, 20, 27, October 4 & 11: 6-8PM

Make your very first quilt from start to finish in this 5 week course! In the first class you will select your fabrics and then move on to learn rotary cutting, strip piecing techniques, machine quilting and binding. Your finished piece is perfect for a baby quilt or wall hanging.

Magic Quilt
$200 includes materials

Thursdays, October 6, 13, 20, 27 & November 3: 6-8PM

This quilt has a trick up it’s sleeve – it can make nine patch blocks disappear! You will be using using pre-cut charm packs ( 5” squares) to create amazing Disappearing Nine Patch blocks! In class you will also learn how to add quilt borders, machine quilt, and bind as you make the Magic Quilt from start to finish.

Please come to the shop to select your fabric at least one week prior to class, as we will be pre-cutting your fabric squares for you!

Quilted Baby Blanket
$50 plus materials

Saturday, September 17: 11AM-3PM

This simple baby quilt will show you the basics of basting, machine quilting and binding. This a great intro to quilting, and a perfect way to learn how to finish up those quilt tops you’ve been accumulating. Your finished quilt will be 36” x 44” and makes a thoughtful baby gift!

Log Cabin Quilt Top
$50 plus materials

Saturday, October 29: 11AM-3PM

Log Cabin quilts are where it’s at! This simple style can be made so many ways, creating a unique look every time. Learn this classic block, while exploring your color creativity to make beautiful quilt top!You will work on the quilt top in the class and take home the necessary instructions to finish the quilt at home.

Our new fall class schedule is up! I just can’t shake that school year calendar and, for me, September is truly the start of a new year! It means a blank slate full of back to school potential. Nowadays, of course, “school” is all about sewing! I love the seeing the project possibilities in every person that comes to class and the sense of accomplishment each student feels from learning new things!

We have new skirt, blouse and dress classes, as well as an exciting variety of quilt, home decor, and holiday projects! Classes are a fantastic way to meet like minded crafters and expand your sewing skills. What class will you take this fall?