What is it about red & aqua? They look so cheerful! We put together this combination with a summer picnic in mind. The Paula Prass fabric with birds, chrysanthemums and a little “Par Avion” stamp makes me think of summer travels – even if those travels don’t take me all the way to France! I would love to take these fabrics, made up in a little quilt, to the park. I’d lay it out on the grass, kick off my flip flops, sit and eat mozzarella, tomato & basil in the sun. A relaxing vacation, just for the afternoon!

It’s wonderful seeing so many women wearing dresses this season. A cotton dress is just the thing for summer. Cool, not clingy, and all you have to think about coordinating is a purse and shoes. Simple and pretty. Keeping that in mind, I made up Kwik Sew Pattern 3521 with Erin McMorris’s Wildwood fabric. I love it! The fitted bodice has an option for 2 necklines: scoop, as shown, and boat neck. The full skirt gently gathers at your natural waist for a flattering fit. Ahhh, the perfect Party Dress. Sweep your hair into an up-do, add heels and this look would be perfect for a summer wedding; pair it with flip flops and a sunhat and head to a backyard BBQ!

Want to make your own dress for all your summer soirees? Join us for Party Dress class starting this Thursday, July from 6-8 PM, and continuing on July 16, 23, & 30. This is a great class for people who have made simple clothing from a pattern before, but are looking to take the next step in garment sewing. You will learn to fit both the top and bottom to your specifications, make darts, and a lining. Please call the shop to reserve your space. See you soon!

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Philadelphia loves this holiday, and we always plan on doing some serious celebrating! Wherever the weekend takes you, I hope you find a little time for yourself and your sewing machines. Perhaps you could stitch up some red gingham napkins to tuck in your picnic basket!

Spool will be closed July 4th, but we are open Friday from 11-6 and Sunday 11-4. Enjoy the long weekend!

Laura Gunn’s gorgeous new Lantern Bloom has arrived at the shop! I was completely smitten by these fabrics during my visit to Quilt Market in May. As someone who majored in painting at college, I have a real soft spot for these vibrant designs! I love seeing the direct translation of Ms. Gunn’s artwork into fabric.

The look of this line is quite unique to anything else currently on the market. While I would love a quilt ( and a purse, and a skirt!) made entirely in these fabrics, I was pleased to see how they looked with the rest of my collections. I put together the Lemon Meringue fabric bundle shown above with elements of Lantern Bloom, Erin McMorris’s Wildwood, and a dash of Amy Butler and Joel Dewberry for good measure! This combination would make a beautiful Chinese Coin or Roman Stripes quilt. Nice and summery!

Bley’s Frenchy Bag is this week’s Pattern Free for All winner! She made the shoulder bag version using Amy Butler’s Daisy Chain fabric line. It looks so lovely and summery. Bley says,”Here’s a pic of the Frenchy Bag I made recently. It’s so great, and even large enough to act as a mini-diaper bag!” Very crafty! Bley will be receiving a yard of Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern fabric and a copy of her new Field Tote pattern. Great job, Bley! Enjoy!

We had so many wonderful entries this week! Thank you so much to everyone who participated this week, and throughout June. Be sure to check out more detail shots here. Amy Butler patterns rule! What a fun month it has been; I love seeing what all the pretty fabrics turn into once they walk out the door.

If you’re looking for more inspiration, we have an Amy Butler trunk show here at the shop through next weekend. Seriously, seeing so many awesome handbags in one place is a girl’s dream come true! See you soon!

This is my Frenchy Bag, made with Jay McCarroll’s Woodland Wonderland fabric. I love it! It’s the perfect sized bag for tossing in my keys, wallet, and phone and heading out the door. Plus, I always get compliments on Jay’s super cute deer fabric!

I would say that this one of Amy Butler’s most simple patterns; perfect for a new seamstress. Besides all the fabric pairing possibilities, this design gives you the opportunity to use fusible interfacing, make pleats, and pockets. You will be so pleased at how smoothly it comes together, and your friends will be so impressed that you made it yourself.

From the all the contest submissions I’m getting, I can tell I’m not the only one who loves this pattern! The final day of our month long contest is tomorrow, so if you have made any of Amy’s patterns, be sure to send ‘em along to stitch(AT)spoolsewing(DOT)com. Thanks!

This is Amy Butler’s Lotus Dress that I made with Park Slope fabric by Erin McMorris. I thought that the darker two-tone fabric would work well as the body of the dress, since it reads nearly solid. Pair that with the super cute, bright birdie fabric, and I think the whole thing comes together! Plenty of pattern but not too over the top. I am also proud that I feel this dress really fits. The princess seams allow for you to take it in or out all the way down the body, making for an easier time fitting the garment. And we all like that, don’t we?!

This is one of my summer favorites, and I think I will be wearing it to Stitch Party this Friday. Our Amy Butler Trunk Show will be here just in time, so be sure to stop by Friday from 5-8PM. Peruse Amy’s designs in person, have some wine and a snack, and get your weekend off to a creative start!

If you’ve made a Lotus Dress or any of Amy Butler’s patterns, don’t forget to email me a photo by Friday at midnight. You’ll be entered to win Amy’s new Field Tote pattern and a yard of Midwest Modern fabric for our contest. Keep ‘em coming!

For Week Four of our Amy Butler pattern contest, I’m mixing it up a little bit. I was looking through the patterns for our Amy Butler Trunk Show arriving Wednesday, and couldn’t choose just one for the week. So, instead of featuring one particular pattern, this week it’s a pattern free for all! Well, to be more precise, a pattern free for one! Email me a photo (stitch_AT_spoolsewingDOTcom) of ANY Amy Butler pattern you have made and you will be entered to win a yard a of Amy butler fabric AND the latest pattern from Amy- the Field Bag & Tote! Cool, right? Right!

I look forward to seeing all of your creations! I will be sharing our shop projects all week. On Saturday, I will post all the photos, along with the winning project. Get out the camera and start clickin’!

Gaea is the winner of this week’s pattern contest for her Anna Tunic. How cute is she in her pretty dress?! I love the contrast yoke, and the bold floral print. She looks so stylish, relaxed, and ready for summer!

Gaea writes, “I made the tunic last year out of one of Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern prints, and I just finished the dress last week–I used a Kokka cotton-linen blend and a contrasting yoke. I found the armholes to be a little tight so I added some extra ease when I made the dress–much better! ” It looks lovely, Gaea! A yard of Amy Butler’s fabric is on it’s way to you this week!

Thanks to all of our Anna Tunic seamstresses! You ladies are so talented. Check out all the photos and detail shots here. Nice work!

I’m going to be mixing it up a little for the last week of our contest, so check back in Monday for all the details!

Is it Friday already? This week has flown by! It has been raining all week here in Philadelphia, but the sun is finally out today. Yay! I headed out into our backyard this afternoon to photograph this Anna Tunic and catch some much needed rays.

I made this mini-dress length tunic over the winter with Amy Butler’s Daisy Chain fabric. I thought the darker fabric looked little more dressy for work and was better suited to the cooler weather. Seeing it today, however, I think it will be the perfect dress to head to the park and see my friend’s band play tonight!

Today is the last day of our Anna Tunic pattern contest, so be sure to send me your photos by midnight tonight and get a chance to win some free fabric!