This past weekend, Craig and I attended the International Quilt Market in Pittsburgh. Quilt Market is a trade show where shop owners can see all the new fabrics, patterns and notions for the coming season. It’s so much fun being a customer, and we are quite pleased with our purchases. I can’t wait for you to see them! In the meantime, Craig took some great photos of our trip, so I can share some of the fun things coming in over the next few months.

Since our rooms weren’t going to be ready by the time we arrived, we went straight to the show from the airport. The whole ceiling of the convention center had windows which provided natural light! Such a welcome change from the usual fluorescent bulbs. All the better to see fabrics and take photos!

Within 20 minutes we found ourselves at Amy Butler’s booth. It was gorgeous as usual and we got a chance to chat with Amy. She is so nice, and has lots of exciting things coming up. Her new line, Love, ( which wasn’t yet available at the show) will be out in August. Our Westminster Fibers pal, Elyse, told us it was looking wonderful. Of course!

Here’s a little peek at Amy’s new patterns, due out next month. Both of these are destined to be summer essentials!

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One of the most exciting things we found is Amy’s new project software. She has partnered with the people at Electric Quilts to bring us 22 projects- quilts, bags & pillows all on one CD! You can make the projects as Amy designed them or use her virtual swatch gallery to customize your project. I will definitely be posting more about this, but if you can’t wait, we already have the software available in the shop and at our online store Newcastle !

Seeing Amy’s booth was incredibly inspiring and made me want to start creating right away. All this in the first hour of the show! I’ll be posting this week about the fantastic things we saw from Freespirit and Michael Miller. If you want to see more photos of Amy Booth check out our Flickr page Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas rip

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The Everything Tote is the first project that jumped out at me in Heather Ross’ new book, Weekend Sewing True Lies buy Vacancy 2 divx . Right away, I wanted it made up in this amazing print from Amy Butler’s August Fields Shanghai Kiss buy Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron on dvd home dec collection. I think this pattern showcases the fabric beautifully, and vice versa! We lined the bag with a home decorator weight fabric as well, which makes for a nice, sturdy bag. Great for groceries, picnics, beach towels, and sewing supplies, of course!

Of course, when you don’t need to tote around all your groceries, you can easily fold in the top corners for a cute, hobo style bag. Just enough room for you wallet, keys, phone, and a cardigan in case it gets chilly- now you’re all ready to head out for dinner. I can tell this is going to be my go-to bag for Spring!

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!

I had been toying with the idea of a mobile project and our adorable bird pattern seemed the perfect fit. I knew it would be gorgeous! 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!

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!