Thank you to everyone that commented, emailed and called about our bird mobile. I’m so glad that you love these little guys as much as we do! The pattern is now available as a downloadable pdf in our sidebar, just in time for the long weekend.

Spool will be closed Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day. We are open our regular hours of 11-6 Saturday and Sunday. Have a great weekend!

When I first got a sewing machine my boyfriend’s mom, an excellent quilter, seamstress, and knitter, gave me a subscription to Threads (thanks again, Shirley!). It clued me in to the basics and gave me something to aspire to. I remember thinking, “Oh, that’s how you would do that!”. Threads magazine has been around forever and has undergone a bit of change in the past few years. It has an updated look with projects and tips that help beginners as well as more advanced sewers. You can go as simple or complicated as you like.

The July issue has arrived and the tote bag on the cover has summer written all over it. We made it up in Olive Rose on the outside, Zazu for the lining and a little Amy Butler for the trim. It’s a great size for your summer essentials: phone, sunglasses, sunscreen, and your beach reading. Threads takes you through step by step, so this is a good project for a beginner looking to learn some new techinques. The most difficult part (and the most enjoyable!) is deciding which fabrics to use! Have fun!

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!

Olive Rose is the latest line from Freespirit designer Valori Wells. Using nature as her inspiration, she abstracts the line and color to create vibrant designs with electric hues. These fabrics inspire you to get creative!

We have been on a handbag kick here at Spool and one of our favorite patterns is the Swing Bag fom Amy Butler. The shape is so darn cute and it’s simple to stitch together. Michael sewed this one up in an afternoon! It’s also reversible which gives you the chance to use more than one of your favorite fabrics. Purses are the perfect vehicle for bold pattern and color that you may not normally choose for your wardrobe. The pink hibiscus fabric from the Olive Rose collection instantly stood out to me and the matching stripe is such a fun contrast. Just looking at this combination puts me in a cheerful mood!

We are pleased to introduce the newest designs by Betsy Ross Patterns. Aimee, our staff member and proprietress of Betsy Ross, has been working hard on these and the end result is so cute! Since we have an “in” with the designer, we are the first shop to be carrying these great summer styles. Aimee will also be teaching two new classes based on these patterns.

The first is the Raglan Top. This a simple pattern construction, with easy to sew raglan style sleeves. It lends itself perfectly to our lightweight cottons. You can make it in all one print, or contrast the body and sleeves like Leya (model and seamstress) did. Summery, breezy, and easy to sew, what more can you ask?

The second is the It’s a Cinch Sundress. The name says it all! I love this pattern, and had the pleasure of giving it a test drive before publication. I plan on making a few more and I can see it becoming a summer wardrobe staple. This project is perfect for beginniners, as there is no zipper to put in or buttonholes to make. The simple A-line style is flattering to all shapes and sizes, and you get to choose where the waistline cinch tie goes. Aimee’s (pictured) looks great and you can see photos of mine here.

Please visit our class page for details on these new sessions. Congratulations Aimee!

It’s baby shower season, everyone! Are you ready? Consider making the newest arrival to your circle a handmade gift. Babies need lots of blankets and you can create this one in under two hours. I chose one yard each of 2 fabrics: Ginger Blossom for the front, which to me could be for a boy or girl, and Organic Fleece for the backing. Beware, this fleece is so soft you may find yourself wanting to keep this blanket for yourself!

After trimming down the fabrics to the same size, about 36″ x 42″, I used the Inside Out Rectangle Method to make the blankie. Then, I marked diagonal lines across the quilt about 4″ apart. Using a simple embroidery stitch on my machine, I followed the lines and quilted the peices together. Done! If your machine doesn’t have embroidery stitches, a straight stitch in a coordinating color thread will be just as pretty. Or, if you have more time, you can hand quilt or embroider the layers together.

New moms will love this gift and it’s quite likely to become baby’s favorite blankie!

Tina Givens new line Zazu ( so fun to say!) is a unique mix of rich colors and whimsical hand drawn lines. Watercolor painted roses grow over pen & ink chandeliers to create an imaginary world full of creativity. Perfect for the fresh start of a new season!

I asked Aimee to take one of my favorite fabrics from this line, a pretty yellow chandelier print, and make the Pleated Beauty Handbag from Bend the Rules Sewing. I have long admired the romantic style of this bag, and thought it would complement the vintage feel of the fabric. Aimee chose the turquoise rose fabric to peek out from beneath the pleats, and it works beautifully. I can just see putting on a pretty dress, popping all your essentials into this purse and heading out for a gorgeous sunny day in the park.

This project is great for beginners, as are all the ideas in Bend the Rules Sewing. Simple patterns are wonderful for highlighting exciting designs like Zazu’s. Get creative and have fun!

It’s so nice to have bright, cheerful fabric be a part of daily life. We have been coming up with new projects that you can use everyday. Many of them get their start with a simple inside out rectangle! What is this, you ask? This is how we create the two sided piece of fabric that is the basis for so many home projects.

You are going to want to cut two pieces of fabric the same size (of course what size exactly depends on what you’re making!). Place them together with their cute little prints face to face. Seam all the way around the perimeter of your rectangle, but be sure to leave a small opening, at least 2″ wide. It’s like a little fabric pocket!

Now comes the magic part; reach inside the pocket and pull the inside out! Your rectangle will now have the wrong sides facing and be all stitched together. Make sure the corners are poked out- chopsticks and knitting needles work beautifully for this- and press. Make sure you press under the edges of the little opening too!

Now, topstitch all the way around the rectangle again and you have a nice flat two sided peice of fabric. We have used this to make placemats, cocktail napkins and even baby blankets! Now that you have the know-how, you can start making things pretty!

We are so taken with the cohesiveness of Amy Butler’s collections that we put together some pretty fat quarter packs. Each one samples from the Midwest Modern, Lotus, and Belle fabric lines. It’s amazing how they can be so different and still look so well together. To show them off, Michael picked 12 fat quarters and stitched up the Brick Path quilt. This pattern is a free download from Amy’s website. It is coming along beautifully!

One of our customers chose this as her first quilt project and had pieced the whole top in just three nights! To finish the quilt, Amy recommends machine quilting by “stitching in ditch”. Michael loves to hand quilt and is using Valdani’s hand dyed thread to outline each block. Either of these methods would be a great way for a beginner to practice their quilting.

With this simple pattern and well coordinating fabrics, your quilt will be enjoyable to make and look lovely. Have fun!

Oliver + S is a new pattern company that specializes in children’s clothing. We love that each piece is simple and wearable with a charming, vintage feel. This is a four pattern collection, but there are several variations within each one to allow for many adorable wardrobe combinations.

Aimee made the Party Sundress and Playsuit (my favorite!). She used Michael Miller Organics for the bodices and little gingham pants and Denise Schmidt’s Katie Jump Rope for the flowery skirt. The oranges pop against the calm neutrals of the Organics and keep with the retro look. So sweet!

Baby clothes are fun because they go quickly, and you can try new sewing techniques on a smaller garment. This would be a perfect project for a beginner ready to expand their skills. Really, the cuteness factor alone is enough to give it a try!