I finished a new quilt! In record time, might I add! Seriously, I started this on a Saturday afternoon and it was washed and hanging on the wall by Wednesday morning. And yes, I did sleep and eat and do all the other things I like to do! The pattern is called Piano Keys from Rangoli Designs. It’s no secret around the shop that I am in love with Laura Gunn’s new line Poppy, so when I saw that this pattern recommends mid to large scale prints, there was no question what fabrics I would be using!

I had the pleasure of meeting the pattern’s designer, Sujata, and she showed me a sample she had made. Using just 10 fat quarters, you can make a completely unique work of art! The pattern’s instructions are clear and the cutting is simple. All the blocks are the exact same size! Arranging the cut blocks is so fun, mostly because you really can’t go wrong. Sujata recommends laying out the quilt and sewing piece by piece, so you see the quilt forming before your eyes! It’s not often that you get instant gratification in quilt making but this definitely fits the bill.

I finished off the the quilt by backing it with a Kaffe Fassett woven check, and quilting with a variegated thread. I chose the wavy line design that I had seen in the sample. This was surprisingly simple and very relaxing. Normally, I am a stitch-in-the-ditch kind of girl, and quilting this way was very freeing. I highly recommend it!

I made the baby quilt size, which is 44″ x 48″, but the pattern also includes instructions for a 72″ x 80″ version. I love this so much, I made up kits for the shop. Each kit includes 10 fat quarters in the fabrics shown and the pattern. I am so pleased that Sujata will also be teaching a class on this quilt in May. Please check our class page for details!

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!

There are still a few spots left in our March quilting class, starting this Saturday. This six week course is a great way to build your sewing skills and meet other quilt-minded crafters! You will learn to assemble this simple quilt top from start to finish. In the process you will explore fabric selection, rotary cutting, chain piecing, and machine quilting. The finished quilt makes a great baby gift, wall hanging, or lap blanket.

If you’d like to join us, please call the shop to reserve your space. See you soon!

The details:

Beginning Quilting
$120 plus materials
Saturdays, March 6, 13, 20, 27, April 3 & 17: 10AM-12PM

Materials:Materials: thread, batting, 4.5 yards of fabric total. Use of our sewing machines, rotary cutters, scissors, mats, and rulers are included for class sessions.

You should be familiar with sewing machine basics to take this class. There is sewing homework required to complete your quilt, so you should own a sewing machine or be prepared to rent time on our machines.

This has been a fantastic fabric delivery week for Spool! Laura Gunn’s new line, Poppy, has arrived and I am swooning! I fell in love with Laura’s first collection, Lantern Bloom, last Summer, and her sophomore effort does not disappoint. These colors are glorious!

Giant poppy and dogwood flowers mingle with painterly stripes and polka dots- my favorite! The visible brushstrokes from Laura’s original paintings lend a lively and personal feel to the designs. You can just tell she had a wonderful time creating these. A light and airy palette is perfect for Spring projects. These cheerful prints would be amazing as home decor. Just walking into a room with these flowers would make you smile! We’ve already started making a swoopy circle skirt in the larger than life orange poppies. What would you make?

The groundhog has predicted 6 more weeks of winter, and the weather forecasts a TON of snow in Philly this weekend! Despite this news, a temperate Spring breeze has wafted through Spool in the form of Dolce. This delicate, art deco inspired collection is the latest from Freespirit designer, Tanya Whelen. It has me thinking of warmer days, open windows and, of course, pretty new projects!

I would love to see these fabrics as a new dress, a set of curtains for a french door, or a simple throw for a porch glider. The soft colors would even make a sweet, but sophisticated, choice for a baby girl’s nursery. What would you make?

New designs from Alexander Henry have arrived! I have long been a fan of this fabric company, and I am so excited to have them in the shop. I chose prints that I thought would be great for kids, but not so child-like that grownups with a whimsical nature couldn’t use them as well!

I’d love to see some Bedtime Story Pajamas, for a boy or girl, in the little elephant print. Crib bedding using the alphabet & car fabrics would be just darling! Any of these would be so much fun to use in our Quick Start Quilting class, where we make a small quilt suitable for a child’s playmat.

Personally, I would make a skirt from that lovely giant polka dot, and make a hem facing of little elephants. What would you make?

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Although I thoroughly enjoyed all the festivities, I have missed my sewing machine! I am ready to reset, renew, and reinvent, and this new fabric line, Revive, is just the thing to get me started.

Art Gallery Fabrics is a new-to-Spool company, and I couldn’t be happier to have them in the shop. Revive’s prints are soft, light, and full of movement. An exceptionally fine cotton hand makes this lovely for skirts and blouses, as well as quilts. Feminine prints coordinate beautifully together, and look amazing with my favorite Shot Cottons. Aquas and blues make for a refreshing start to the new year, don’t you think?

I have one thing on the brain for this year – quilts! I want to make so many! I have already started cutting out a new quilt using Revive, and I’ll be sure to show you how it turns out. What will you be sewing this year?

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!

With everything that’s going on this time of year, it’s fun to have a quick project that can give you a little crafting time and make your holiday table look lovely all at once. Placemats are just the thing! We just got a shipment of Shot Cottons and new prints from Kaffe Fassett. These soft hues are so autumnal, all I wanted to do was see them them all next to each other, arranging and rearranging the perfect color combinations. There was only one thing to do- make up some design rolls STAT!

A Design Roll is collection of fabrics each precut into 2.5″ strips by the width of fabric, and rolled up into a neat little package. Don’t worry, I use a fabric die cutter to ensure accuracy! Ours contain 30 strips of fabric, 5 of each print. Once the cutting is taken care of, the sewing can commence. I put together these placements in the blink of an eye. One Design Roll will make 8 placemat tops!

Here’s what I did:

1. Using a 1/4 ” seam allowance, I sewed together 9 strips- making an 18.5″ x 44″ strip set for each.

2. Then, I cut each set into 14″ blocks along the long edge, creating the perfect 18.5″ x 14″ placemat size. I got 3 mats from each strip set.

3. I cut a backing & heavy weight fusible interfacing to 18.5 ” x 14″ for each placemat, and fused the interfacing to the backings. To make 8 placemats, you’ll need 1.5 yards of each.

4. I layered and pinned the fronts and backs, then machine quilted through all the layers. I did a different random design for each and used a few different thread colors.

5. I bound each placemat with premade bias binding. You will need 2 yards for each mat. We have a slightly iridescent one at the shop that gives a little holiday shine.

Done and done! I love how pretty they are, but love how fast they were to make even more. My Kaffe Design Rolls are available in the shop and online. Now, which one to play with next?!

A new shipment of trims and bias tapes has arrived! My favorite of the bunch is this fantastic ric rac. This 100% cotton tape is perfect for all manner of trimming- from aprons to tablerunners to purses. I love how it looks sewn onto a quilt, creating a lovely scallop all the way around the edge.

This ric rac is about 1″ wide, making it easy to stitch right down the center. We have 12 vibrant colors for coordinating with our bright, cheerful fabrics. What would you make?

Striptease full Rats – Notte di terrore trailer