We are thrilled to announce that, on April 10th, we will be hosting a lecture and book signing by the extraordinary Kaffe Fassett! Kaffe has been creating quilts, fabrics and handknits for over 30 years, and his innovative use of color and shape are unparalleled. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet one of the industry’s most creative talents!

Kaffe has a new book, Simple Shapes, Spectacular Quilts, with 23 amazing designs for quilters of all skill levels. In his talk, Kaffe will speak about his latest projects and how they inform his fabric collections and the classic quilts that he creates. Inspired by the every day architecture of city life, his lecture will be of interest to all who love color and the creative process. You’ll leave inspired to continue or start your own creative journey!

Kaffe will give a 1 hour talk, followed by a book signing. We will have copies of the new book on hand, as well as quilt kits for select Simple Shapes projects. If you already have Kaffe’s book, feel free to bring it along!

Since Spool is not quite large enough to contain all of Kaffe’s fans, we will be holding the lecture a few blocks away at The Ethical Society on Rittenhouse Square. For your convenience, we have secured special rates at two nearby parking garages.

When: April 10, 2010

Time: 1 PM

Where: The Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia

Cost: $16.00

Please call the shop at 215-545-0755 to purchase your ticket. Upon registration, you will receive your ticket via email. See you there!

We had a great day on Saturday during Jay McCarroll’s Mystery Bag Class! Just look at those smiling faces! Everyone was very excited to get know Jay, and hear what he had to say about color, design, and the creative process.

Last week, Jay and I made up Top Secret Mystery Bags filled with beautiful fabrics from Spool’s stash and Jay’s Woodland Wonderland and Germania lines. The ladies opened up their bags, and got their assignment: Create a one of a kind patchwork fabric to make into a versatile tote bag.

We set up design walls for each student to arrange their fabric pallets. Jay did demonstrations on using fusible web for applique, and rotary cutting fabric quickly and efficiently. Liz loved it ( as you can see above!) and says it will totally change her sewing process!

With Jay’s help, the students got to work collaging and stitching their fabrics. They worked hard and created gorgeous patchwork tapestries! Great job, ladies!

By the end of class, everyone was well on their way to finishing their unique totes. Here’s Rachael posing with Jay and her new bag. So cute!

After class, Jay gave each student a gift bag with adorable items from his web store. Pictures were taken and autographs signed. Jay told me he loved meeting this group of talented women, and is looking forward to teaching more classes at Spool – so stay tuned for upcoming dates!

Thanks to everyone who came, and thanks to Jay for making it so much fun!

Still stuck on that one last giftee on your holiday list? Give something handmade…by us! How about a super cute purse, a lovely butterfly skirt, adorable child’s PJs, or an amazing colorful quilt? These are just some of the pretty pieces still available at our first sample sale in our bricks & mortar shop.

We have children’s items priced at $10-$25, women’s clothing starting at $25, zipper pouches & handbags from $8-$35, and a variety of quilts starting at $30 and ranging to $200, depending on size. Stop in to see our full selection! Happy Shopping!

I was so pleased when Jay McCarroll stopped by the shop this week now that he’s back in town after filming his latest reality show in L.A. Not only did he bring lots of silly glasses to try on, but he also let me know he’s ready to teach another class at Spool! Jay is Project Runway’s first season winner and designer of our favorite fabric lines: Garden Friends, Woodland Wonderland, and the new Germania. Jay is known for his amazing sense of color, unique point of view, and fun loving nature.

It has been a treat to get to know Jay this past year, and we are thrilled to offer you an opportunity to do the same. Jay will be teaching a mystery class in creativity on January 16. Intrigued? I thought so!

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: Whenever you see Jay around town, he is carrying a huge tote bag!) 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, January 16: 1-5PM. $80
Materials: Mystery Materials included. You will need to purchase or bring one yard of fabric and thread. 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.

We had an amazing Saturday in our Jump Rope Dress workshop with Oliver + S designer, Liesl Gibson. Look at all those cuties and their dresses! The students had a wonderful time with Liesl, who is so knowledgeable and so sweet. Her stitching expertise got our eager seamstresses well on their way to creating truly beautiful garments.

Liesl did demonstrations throughout the day, to illustrate the crucial points in making this adorable dress. She covered button plackets, collars, set in sleeves, and gathered pockets. Whew! The ladies in class got to work!

Everyone had amazing focus and it really paid off. Here’s Eve working on the dress placket. She is using one of my favorite new Kaffe Fassett prints. I can’t wait to see a photo of her niece wearing this beauty.

Even though we all worked hard, there were plenty of laughs, as shown by Julie with her Lady Gaga-style ironing!

It was really fun for me to see everyone have their own “Eureka!” moments with their sewing after having Liesl’s careful instruction. Seeing Liesl is always a pleasure for me, and I feel as though I could talk to her forever about sewing, business, and life in general. If you missed this weekend’s workshop, never fear! We are already talking about having her back in 2010. Thanks so much to Liesl and everyone who came and made her feel welcome!

Polish an apple for your new teacher, Jay McCarroll! Jay is Project Runway’s first season winner and designer of two of our favorite fabric lines, Garden Friends and Woodland Wonderland. His third line, Germania, is due in the shop in early October. Jay is known for his amazing sense of color, unique point of view, and fun loving nature!

It has been a treat to get to know Jay this past year, and we are thrilled to offer you an opportunity to do the same. Jay will be teaching a mystery class in creativity on September 26th. Intrigued? I thought so!

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: Whenever you see Jay around town, he is carrying a huge tote bag!) 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, September 26: 2-6PM. $80
Materials: Mystery Materials included. You will need to purchase or bring one yard of fabric and thread.

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

Sherman’s Way film Adam Resurrected buy

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas on dvd

I arrived home from Quilt Market to find a new fabric shipment filled with beautiful Kaffe Fassett designs. I was feeling so energized by all the projects I had just seen, I wanted to start a new Kaffe quilt STAT! I ‘d like to share that excitement with you.

To kick off the summer and jump start your creativity, we are having a sale for Memorial Day weekend. Today through Sunday, May 24th, all Kaffe Fassett’s yardage and his inspiring books will be 10% off in our bricks and mortar shop. This is a great chance to get started on your summer projects, and try out some new fabrics. See you this weekend!

Thanks to everyone who came to join us in celebrating our first birthday and to meet the lovely Heather Ross. We had a great time and hope you did too. Heather is such a talent and we had so much fun hanging out. As usual, when the party gets started, I completely forget to take enough pictures. The one of me & Heather shown above is one of the few good ones we took. Leslie, Heather’s publicist, came to my rescue and sent me lots of fun shots this morning. Thanks, Leslie! You’re a lifesaver!

Vacancy 2 movie full

Heather signed many copies of her book! She charmed everyone, and gave lots of good advice for working with her patterns.

We knew Heather was a giant in the sewing world, but this is ridiculous! Leslie brought her new, very tiny sewing machine along to the party and everyone wanted a turn trying it out!

Fellow Freespirit designer, Jay McCarroll, stopped in to say hi to Heather. Aren’t they so cute together?

• The Ringer video

The Believer

On Saturday morning, Heather did a demo on smocking with elastic thread to make a little girl’s sundress. She walked us through all the steps, and students were able to try out the technique with Heather’s expert supervision.

Thanks again to everyone that came to party down! Thanks, Heather, for helping to make this birthday even more special. I know the crafters of Philadelphia would welcome you back anytime!Montana Sky release

Thanks so much to everyone who left such thoughtful comments and sweet birthday wishes for our giveaway. There has been quite a bit of sewing happening this past year!! New sewing machines have been bought and sewing mojo has been found. Lingering projects were finished up and put to good use, and quite a few of you have started up sewing businesses. Kudos all around! I hope you will read through the comments for a little positivity pick me up. You are all so creative!

Our winner, Jessica ( aka lucky #47), was randomly chosen, but I think her comment conveys the sentiment so many of you expressed.

Happy birthday!

My biggest achievement this year was finding my sewing confidence. I’ve always stuck to small projects that I thought were in my ‘range’ – but that limited me too much. I finally told myself that I could do it, and I’ve since made a pretty summer dress, reversible apron, and I’m going to take the plunge and make a quilt. Sewing isn’t about perfection, it’s about imagination.

I love it. Here’s to more imagination and confidence in 2009!

Thanks again, everyone!

Beware the Ides of March, ’cause you might get some free fabric! Today is our 1st birthday and to celebrate, we are having a giveaway. One year ago today we opened our doors, not quite sure what to expect. What we got was an amazing year, filled with fantastic fabrics, creativity and new friends. Just what we’d hoped for!

Looking back over the year, I’d say our biggest accomplishment was helping people get excited about sewing. We taught many newbies the basics and rekindled interest in seasoned stitchers. Connections were made with lovely new internet friends. We fell in love with sewing all over again, ourselves, seeing all the wonderful things our customers have made.

Now for the giveaway! Leave a comment telling us your biggest sewing achievement in the last year, and you could win a Heather Ross Mendocino fat quarter pack. That could mean anything from learning to sew or finally finishing that king sized quilt for your best friend’s wedding. Comments will be open until noon tomorrow, when we pick the winner.

There will be more birthday celebration ( and cupcakes!!) at this month’s Stitch Party. If you’re in the neighborhood, please join us. Thanks so much for a wonderful year!