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!

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/

City Quilts is a wonderful new quilting book from first time author, Cherri House. Besides having a great name, Cherri is an talented designer, with an eye for color and a love for all things quilty. This book is something I have been waiting for, and I know you guys will love it too!

Using Robert Kaufman’s Kona Cotton solids as her palette, Cherri uses cityscapes as her inspiration for 12 gorgeous, modern quilts. The patterns are beginner friendly, with simple piecing and clear instructions throughout. Even if quilt construction is a cinch for you, Cherri’s color play will keep you engaged and having fun! I am finishing up my first from the book right now and I am in love! I can tell it will be the first of many!

To celebrate the book’s release, Cherri is having a blog tour starting next week! I’ve never been involved in a blog tour before, and I am so pleased to be hosting a stop. Cherri will be interviewed by each host, 13 in all, which not only gives you chance to check out some fun new crafters, but also gives you 13 chances to WIN! At each stop on the tour, you will have a chance to win an copy of City Quilts and a fat quarter bundle of Kona Cotton Solids from Robert Kaufman. Wicked!

Here’s the schedule: Have fun & see you back here on the 16th!

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 – http://www.spoolsewing.com/blog/

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/

This week we received an adorable trunk show from Oliver + S. It’s so fun seeing the garments they’ve made alongside the ones we’ve made! Double cute!

We are having a special sale in our bricks and mortar shop this weekend only! Save 10% on all fabric, thread, and notions when you buy any Oliver + S pattern. See you soon!

I had the pleasure of seeing Jay McCarroll at our Kaffe Fassett event this past weekend. He loves Kaffe’s fabrics too! Much to my delight, he wanted to know when he could teach another class at Spool! We put our heads together and decided on May 1st. It is coming up quickly, but I know that Jay’s fans will want to make time to sew with him in his new Mystery Class!

Jay is Project Runway’s first season winner, recent winner of Celebrity Fit Club (wait ’till you see how great he looks!) and designer of our favorite fabric lines: Garden Friends, Woodland Wonderland, and Germania. Jay is known for his amazing sense of color, unique point of view, and fun loving nature.

When you come to class, Jay will hand you a “mystery bag” full of materials to make a top secret project. (Here’s a hint: When you’re laying out in the park, you sometimes need somewhere soft to lay your head!) Jay will be your guide, sharing his methods of design, embellishment, and fabric selection. It promises to be a wonderful class in experimentation and color, so be prepared for an adventure!

Here’s the details:

Saturday, May 1: 1-3 PM
$50. Mystery materials included.

You will need to bring your favorite selection of buttons (at least 5), thread, and an open mind! You should be familiar with sewing machine basics to take this class. Use of our sewing machines, rotary cutters, scissors, mats, and rulers are included for the class session.

Class size is limited, so please call the shop to reserve your space today!

Thank you so much to everyone who came to our lecture with Kaffe Fassett on Saturday! The Ethical Society was a perfect venue to house the nearly 150 quilters who attended the event. It was wonderful to have such a tremendous turn-out to help us welcome Kaffe to Philadelphia!

Before the lecture began, we all checked out Kaffe’s new book Simple Shapes, Spectacular Quilts and got our copies ready for Kaffe to sign. Everyone was already excited to hear the talk, but the book and it’s gorgeous quilts and photography got the room buzzing!

We were thrilled that Liza Prior Lucy, Kaffe’s quilt design partner, was joining us and she kicked off the day’s events with an introduction to Kaffe’s lecture. Did you know that she was the one that started Kaffe quilting in the first place? Super cool!

Kaffe’s talk was wonderful! He showed us amazing slides from his world travels, from which he draws inspiration for his fabric, knitting and needlepoint. Each time a new image would appear, the whole room would “ooh & ahh”! Charismatic and charming, he had everyone in the room laughing at his anecdotes and enthralled by his artistry. After the lecture, Kaffe and Liza signed books and chatted with the crowd. Pictures were taken and fabric was bought! Kaffe said he that he thought we were a great group! Aww, thanks!

The thing that struck me most about Kaffe was how excited HE was by what he was showing us. His eyes are constantly peeled for that special juxtaposition of color and shape. One of the audience members asked Kaffe what his favorite medium was and he answered, “Color!”. I like that answer quite a bit, and think I will try to remember it going into my future projects, no matter the materials.

As usual, once an event gets going, I get completely absorbed in the moment and forget to take pictures! Fortunately, Jay took this one of me and Craig with Kaffe and Liza. It was an amazing day for me, and I am so happy to have had the opportunity to share it with my fellow crafty Philadelphians! Thanks to everyone who made this day so much fun!

Spool will be open today from 3-6PM, due to our special event with Kaffe Fassett. We will be open our regular hours of 11AM-6PM tomorrow.

Have a great weekend! See you soon!

In case you didn’t know, Kaffe Fassett is coming to visit! We are hosting a lecture with Kaffe this Saturday, April 10th at 1PM, at the Philadelphia Ethical Society. Color is the focus of the lecture, and it is a must-see for anyone interested in design! After the lecture, he will be signing copies of his latest book, Simple Shapes, Spectacular Quilts.

Kaffe will also be bringing several quilts from the book, including Tilt, the gorgeous piece shown above. I can’t wait to see these beauties in person! We have been busily cutting quilt kits and fabric bundles of Kaffe’s designs for the big day, and just seeing the colorful fabric stacks is inspiring.

For a little Kaffe preview, our local Citypaper did an interview with Kaffe here! There are a few tickets still available, so if you’d like to join us, please call the shop. We are looking forward to an inspirational afternoon full of fun and fabric!

Kaffe Fassett has done it again! I believe that there can never be too many stripes in your life, and I have a feeling Mr. Fassett shares my opinion. Just look at his new Ikat Stripes! In six colorways, this fabric has a solid color weft and multi-colored yarn dyed stripes running through the warp. The result is a gorgeous depth of color and a pretty, lightweight fabric. The feel is similar to his Shot Cottons, but with a little more body. This would be amazing for summer skirts and blouses – nice and cool. Of course, I just wanted to mix it up with my favorite Shot Cottons and make a new quilt!

I paired a shade of Shot Cotton with each Ikat Stripe and got busy. Since I wanted it to be a simple quilt with the fabric doing all the work, I chose my old friend the square as my inspiration! Elizabeth quickly cut it out and then we spent some time at the design wall. We decided on a dynamic diagonal stripe (of course!) to highlight the rich colors. Love!

After layering a thin batting and backing with Kaffe’s Plink print, I quilted a wonky nine patch pattern with a saffron yellow thread. Lord knows I enjoy a stripey binding, so I finished it off with his woven stripe. Kaffe- tastic!

Perfect for cuddling up on a chilly night, the finished size is about 40″x 52″. The beachy feel would be perfect for a shore house throw, or a quilt for a summer baby. Kits for the Ikat Stripe Quilt are available in the shop, and each one includes the pattern free! Fat quarter bundles full of just stripes are on hand as well. What would you make with your stripes?

We’re 2!! Celebrate with us tomorrow, March 20th from 11-5PM. There will be cupcakes, drinks, a raffle, and a 10% discount on all fabrics, patterns, books & notions!

Thank you so much for an amazing two years! The time has flown by, and we have loved every minute. We are constantly inspired by your creativity, friendship, and support. Meeting you has been the very best part of our Spool adventure!