Amazingly, it’s the middle of August already! At Spool, that means it’s time for summer vacation. I have some fun things planned, but I am hoping to do a little sofa loungin’ as well. Although my sofa does not come equipped with birdies like the one pictured in this new Tufted Tweets fabric, I think it will do just fine!

If you need a fabric fix, do stop in this weekend before we hit the beach! We have fun new fabrics, and some wonderful end-of-the-summer projects. Please take note of our special vacation hours; we’d hate to miss you!

We will be closed August 23rd – September 3rd.

We will be open Labor Day Weekend, September 4 from 11AM-6PM and September 5th from 11AM-4PM.

We will resume our regular hours of Wednesday-Sunday: 11AM – 6PM, starting September 8th.

Happy Summer! See you in September!

I am looking for quilting instructors for our Fall class schedule! I would love to meet experienced, outgoing quilters, who are confident with fabric selection, rotary cutting, machine piecing and quilting. Teaching experience is preferred, but is not necessary. Our classes take place weekday evenings and weekend days, so your schedule should be open during either of those times. Most of all, you should love to be with people and want to share your quilting knowledge. Our customers are fun, enthusiastic, and ready to learn!

Does this sound like you or someone you know? Please email me at stitch(AT)spoolsewing(DOT)com, with a description of your sewing experience, and at least 3 photos of your completed quilts. Thanks so much!

Try on Amy Butler’s Mini Dress for Summer! Easy to follow, the pattern includes instructions for a top & tunic, but we went for the full dress. Nothing is better in warm weather than putting on ONE garment, adding flip flops and walking out the door!

We chose Robert Kaufman’s Chambray for our version. Like Shot Cotton, it has a different colored warp and weft, but it’s not as gauzy, allowing for details like the front pleat to really stand out. Isn’t that color gorgeous? One of my customers says that purple is the new black. I can see why!

Pleating details on the straps give the dress that little something extra, and ties in with the deep pleating on the front. Pretty!

Yes, this dress does have a back zipper. Don’t be afraid! I always recommend that sewers jump right in and try out zipper applications, even if you are a newbie. It’s the best way to avoid developing a zipper phobia, and the only way to finish and wear this dress!

Happy Summer! Memorial Day weekend is here- the official start of the season! (Erin McMorris’s new fabric line shown above, the appropriately titled Weekend, is here as well!) We are looking forward to barbeques, parties, and beach days and we know you are too!

Starting this weekend, we a have a few changes to our schedule for Summer, so please take note. We don’t want to miss you!

Spool Summer Hours

Wednesday-Saturday: 11AM-6PM. Sunday: 11AM-4PM

Sunday, July 4th: Closed

August 23-September 3: Summer Vacation!

I was just wearing my winter coat 4 days ago, and now it’s slated to hit 85 degrees here in Philly today! Crazy! When the temperature rises this way, it can only mean one thing – time for new skirts!

I have been seeing fuller skirts in all the stores lately, and Kwik Sew 3637 fits right in! We made ours in Laura Gunn’s Poppy Print, and I love how well the design highlights the large scale pattern. It has a side zipper closure and is put together with minimal pattern pieces, helping your project come together quickly and easily. Feminine and fashionable, don’t be surprised if you want to do a little twirl while wearing this skirt!

If you’d like to try your hand at making this pattern, we are having a class starting next weekend. This is a perfect project for new garment sewers and a fun wardrobe addition for more experienced seamstresses! Please call the shop to reserve your space.

Here’s the details:

Circle Skirt
$65 plus materials

Sundays, May 9, 16 & 23: 12:30- 2:30

You should be familiar with sewing machine basics and have completed at least one other small project to take this class. We recommend purchasing your fabric ahead of time, so that it can be laundered in time for class.

Materials: pattern, thread, 3- 3.75yards fabric depending on size and length, 7″ zipper

See you soon!

Spring is here in full force, and with it a full schedule of outdoor activities. Picnics in the park, sporting events, and days at the beach are all on the horizon. All of which require a fair amount of accoutrement to be carried along with you! We have tote bags on the brain and these Kwik Sew versions are some of our favorites for the upcoming season!

First up, Kwik Sew 3612, perfect for beach trips and weekends away. We made ours in Amy Butler’s cotton laminated Trumpet Flower print. Since this fabric is waterproof, it can easily store damp bathing suits and beach towels, and the sandy shore will brush right off. If you’re taking a rainy Sunday afternoon market stroll, it will protect all your delicious dinner ingredients!

A simple basic, Kwik Sew 3597, comes in 3 sizes ( large & small shown) with an interior pocket for wallets and cell phones. We made ours using Amy Butler’s Laminate for the large size and Kaffe Fassett’s Home Dec for the small size. Bright, colorful, and easily stored by the front door, you can grab them for lunches, trips to library, or sports practice. These also come in quite handy for storing knitting and sewing projects – as all we crafters know, each project needs its own container!

Kwik Sew patterns have clear instructions, specially designed for beginners. Even if you have sewing experience, it’s so nice to work with a well constructed pattern for good, quick results! Get a Kwik start on your Spring stitching! Enjoy!

Spool is looking for instructors to teach classes this Spring! Classes are an important part of what we do here, and we will be expanding our class offerings. We love to sew and want to share that love with our customers as they improve their skills!

We want to meet friendly, patient and organized sewing enthusiasts to teach weekend classes. You should be an experienced sewer and preferably have previous teaching experience. Quilting and home decor are the areas we are looking for specifically, but if your strength is garment sewing, don’t let that stop you from applying! Please send a brief description of your sewing and teaching experience, along with 3 photos of completed projects, if possible, to stitch(AT)spoolsewing(DOT)com. Thanks!

Pies are baking, gifts are wrapped and our holiday sewing is (almost) finished! From everyone at Spool, we wish you a very Merry Christmas. We hope your holiday is filled with family, friends, and fun!

Spool will be closed December 24th & 25th, and we will be open from 11-6 on the 26th & 27th. We will be closed next week, December 28th- January 1st, for inventory and little R & R! Our regular schedule will resume January 2.

Enjoy the Season!

All of us here at Spool want to wish you a very happy holiday! It’s been another creative, fun and fabric filled year. We are so thankful to have so many wonderful customers we can count as friends. You guys are the best!

Spool will be closed Thanksgiving day, but we will be open our regular hours of 11-6 throughout the weekend. Do stop in and say hello! If you have family visiting, we’d love to meet them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s the new Liverpool Dress from Amy Butler! Elizabeth did a lovely job stitching this up in a new Brandon Mably print. Fortunately for me, our shop mannequin just happens to wear a size Medium as well! I love a shirt dress, and I have to say I think this one is pretty close to perfect. A dress is the easiest thing to wear. It makes you look well put together, and all you have to think about is accessories. I can see myself wearing this to work (would everyday be too much?) or running errands. Pair it with boots and a pretty scarf and I’d be ready for a party!

As usual, Ms. Butler, gives us many options for this dress. It can be a shirt, a tunic, a short dress, or a long dress. Set-in sleeves can be short, elbow length, 3/4 length, or long. Ours is a long dress with elbow length sleeves. Each version has a tab collar and button placket with double dart shaping in the front and back, and a self tie belt stitched into the side seams. These options will easily take you through the seasons. If you made it in a home dec weight fabric, it would be a handsome jacket!

We are having a class in the Liverpool Dress in January. This will be a fun, workshop style class, in which we will demonstrate the crucial parts of the pattern, while you sew at your own pace. Here’s the details:

Liverpool Dress Class- $80 plus materials
Saturday, January 23 & 30: 10AM- 2PM

We recommend that you have previously made garments using a pattern, and that you come to class with all of your fabric pieces cut out and ready to sew.

Materials: Pattern, thread, 2.25- 4.75 yards fabric depending on size and style chosen. 4-7 buttons. 1/4 yard fusible interfacing.

Please call the shop to reserve your space. See you there!