Sandi Henderson’s Farmer’s Market is one of the best new collections this Fall. This line has a lovely vintage feel so, with that in mind, we made this fun retro-style apron in super cute apple fabric! Aprons are a great way to use wild fabrics that you might not wear everyday, and make great gifts. In our apron class, starting next weekend, you will learn your way around gathering, making pockets and applying binding. Plus, it will put a smile on your face every time you wear it!

This Brick Path quilt from Amy Butler has been quite popular around the shop! We chose 2 fat quarter bundles with our favorite oranges and and a touch of teal; it positively glows! This quilt is 55″ x 65″, a great size for a picnic blanket or for snuggling up on the sofa. It’s machine quilted with the simple “stitch in the ditch” technique. We are offering this class over the course of 4 Thursday evenings in September. This is a great intro to rotary cutting, strip piecing, and machine quilting.

This our Beginning Quilting Sampler Quilt. Beginning Quilting is starting up again the second Saturday in September, and running for a total of 5 Saturdays. In class, you will learn to rotary cut and piece 6 different blocks, using 5 coordinating fabrics. After you have pieced the top, you will learn to quilt by hand, and how to do the binding. The finished quilt measures 45″ x 36″. If learning to hand quilt and making different types of blocks sounds fun, this is the class for you! You can see some our past students’ beautiful quilts here.

Please call the shop to reserve your space. See you soon!

This is our third ( but I’m sure not final!) project using Modern Flora fabrics. Michael was especially taken with this graphic blue fabric, so he made up an extra sturdy version of his Grocery Tote. He adapted this pattern from a vintage one, and it is has become one of our favorites. You only need 2 half-yard pieces of fabric; one for the outside and one for the inside. It’s a great size for fitting in all your snacks, and has a nice wide strap for a comfortable walk home. Perfect!

This is the same tote we make in our Learn to Sew Class. If you’ve been thinking of starting to sew, you can get a little inspiration from the fun fabric combinations our students have put together here. If you already sew, you can download the free pattern pdf from our left sidebar. Enjoy!

I made a new skirt! I knew I wanted to use the tiny leaf print for a skirt as soon as I saw it. I grabbed the Barcelona Skirt pattern and got to work on my second Modern Flora project. The simple A-line version of this skirt comes together so quickly; I was done in a flash. But it needed something a little extra - applique, of course! Using the leftover fabric from my tote bag, I cut out a nice big leafy green for embellishment! Michael is amazing at machine applique, and he patiently instructed me in this endeavor. It was a bit trickier than I thought, but I LOVE the end result. It gives the skirt something special, and I learned something new in the process.

Since I was so jazzed about machine applique, I thought it would be fun to have a class. Michael will be helping you make this cute drawstring bag, with the initial of your choice appliqued on the front. Class will be held Thursdays, August 21 & 28 from 6-8 PM, and the cost is $32 plus materials. This is an introductory class, but you should be familiar with sewing basics to participate. Please call the shop to reserve your space. I hope to see you there!

The summer is a busy time for everyone, with weddings, parties, and vacations - not to mention that whole pesky work thing! We have new, one session classes for weekends in the month of August. Classes are great way to improve your skills and meet other crafters. We hope you’ll join us!

Starting from the upper left and moving clockwise:

Zipper Pouch
$24 plus materials
Saturday, 2 to 5 PM: August 16

Baby Bibs
$24 plus materials
Saturday, 2 to 5 PM: August 9

Brick Path Quilt
$64 plus materials
Thursdays, 6 to 8 PM: August 7, 14, 21, 28

Okay, this one isn’t one afternoon but it’s so great I had to put it in. You will make a lovely lap sized quilt in 4 evenings, with some homework. Cool!

Whole Cloth Baby Quilt
$24 plus materials
Saturday, 2 to 5 PM: August 23

Please visit our class page for more details and to see our full schedule. If you see something you like, be sure to call the shop to reserve your space.

My boyfriend’s mom, Shirley, fell in love with the Birdie Sling when she came to visit the shop. She chose a Kaffe Fassett print for the handles and Park Slope birdies for the body of the bag. She did a beautiful job! Speaking of beautiful, check out the quilt the purse is sitting on. Amazing! Shirley is an expert seamstress and quilter, and I asked for her opinion of bag pattern. She reports that the instructions were clear and thorough. Most of all, it was fun! Thanks, Shirley!

So many of you have been excited about the Birdie Sling, we’ve added a new session to our schedule. Class will be held Thursdays, July 24 & 31, from 6-8PM. The cost is $32 plus pattern and materials. If you’d like to join us, please call the shop to reserve your space.

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!

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.

Father’s Day is right around the corner and we have the perfect project for your poppa. Michael came up with this chef’s apron that is simple to make and will look great on your favorite grill-master. Since the apron is reversible, you can have fun constrasting your fabrics, and Dad can choose his favorite side to show off. He will love that you made him something yourself, and he can sport it year round as he serves up his culinary specialities.

In honor of dear old dad, we are offering this pattern as a free pdf in our sidebar. Not sure you can make this on your own? Never fear, we will be holding 2 classes on how to make this handsome apron. You can choose from either June 7 or June 8 from 2-4. The class is $24, plus materials. Please call to reserve your space.

Happy Father’s Day!

Michael really outdid himself with this beautiful mobile. He had come up with the pattern for these little birdies when he used to frequent the craft show circuit, and shared it with us when he started here at Spool. We had been toying with the idea of a mobile project and these birds seemed the perfect fit. I knew it would be adorable! What I hadn’t expected, though, is how some tree branches and a few carefully placed eye-hooks would transform this project into a work of art!

This would be a welcome addition to a baby’s room or a great project for a baby shower. A single bird would be a whimsical way to highlight favorite prints around your home. Since all this birdie takes is two pieces of fabric and a needle & thread, it makes a great travel project. There are many possibilites, plus they’re just so darn cute!

Let us help you get started on your flock! Handsewing is relaxing and rewarding and a small project like this is a great way to learn. This a free pattern from Spool, and we will be offering demonstrations on how to stitch these little guys throughout the summer. Enjoy!

P.S. You can now download a pdf of this pattern from our sidebar. If you’d like to share your finished birds, we’d love to see them! You can join our flickr group here. Have fun!