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!

Our Summer Class Schedule is up! We have exciting new offerings, and have added more sessions of our most popular classes. Be sure to check out the one session Saturday workshops, specially designed to accommodate busy Summer schedules!

As always, please call the shop to reserve your space. See you soon!

I love it when a quilt comes together! Our latest Piano Keys Quilt is done; Shot Cotton Surprise is quilted and bound! We finished off the quilt with Kaffe Fassett’s Buttons on the back and bound the edge with a Micheal Miller stripe. It looks gorgeous, if I do say so myself!

This quilt was truly a group effort – colors chosen by me & Olga, blocks cut & arranged by Olga, pieced & quilted by Elizabeth and bound by me. The quilt composition is so well balanced, and the wavy quilting is a nice foil for all those straight rectangles. Everyone knows I love a stripey binding, so I am pleased as punch with the look of this edging!

Piano Keys is a pattern meant for playing with pattern and design. There are so many color stories waiting to be written! Quilt top kits are available in both shops, just waiting for your creative touch! Have fun!

Nothing says relaxed summer style like a wrap skirt! Versatile, easy to wear and easy to sew. We made ours using Kwik Sew 2954 and Kaffe Fassett’s Roman Glass print.

The slimmed down a-line shape of this skirt, combined with waist darts, gives a more flattering appearance. Finish it with a waist facing and simple tie closure. I dig the 70′s vibe this skirt is giving off, and I know it will look amazing with all the wedge heeled sandals I’m seeing out there!

This pattern is a great first step into garment sewing. We’re having a class starting up in June – you’ll have this done in time to wear to the 4th of July picnic! Please call the shop to reserve your space. See you soon!

Wrap Skirt
$45 plus materials

Sundays, June 20 & 27 12:30AM -2:30PM

You should be familiar with sewing machine basics to take this class. We recommend purchasing your fabric ahead of time, so that it can be laundered in time for class.

Materials: 2 – 3.5 yards of fabric depending on size and length, pattern, thread. All materials are available for purchase at Spool. Use of our sewing machines, rotary cutters, scissors, mats, and rulers are included for class sessions.

Isn’t this dress amazing? It’s the new Empire Evening Dress pattern from Anna Maria Horner. I read on Anna Maria’s blog that the skirt from this dress was originally a quilt top, and she had to quickly fashion a bodice for it during a photo shoot featuring her fabric line. Once the photos came out, people REALLY wanted the pattern, and she happily obliged. I’m so glad she did!

There are 4 versions included in the pattern; 2 strapless & 2 with straps, both in long and short lengths. While I love the zig-zaggy full skirt in the cover dress, I decided to try a more simple style for our dress. We used Micheal Miller’s Ta-Dot in a gorgeous teal. The result is flowy, feminine, and all around cute. I think this could easily be a candidate for your everyday summer uniform. Hot weather will be no sweat ( literally) in this cool and comfy frock!

My favorite part is the pretty bodice detail. It really gives the simple shape of the dress something extra special. It’s an easy detail to sew as well! Anna Maria’s instructions are straightforward and easy to follow, making the sewing just as enjoyable as the wearing of your new summer dress!

Sunday is the first day of my weekend, and when I left the shop on Saturday I asked Olga & Elizabeth to cut and arrange a new Piano Keys Quilt using my fave Shot Cottons du jour. Look what was waiting for me on the design wall when I arrived at the shop this morning!

So lovely! All I wanted to do was sit down and start sewing it together right away. I decided to stay my course, however, and snapped a few photos to share instead! Check out that gradation of color in the border, creating an orderly frame for their favorite pairings at the center. Fantastic! The saturation and depth of the Shot Cotton colors get me very time- I think it would be impossible for me to NOT adore something made with these special fabrics. Great job, Olga & Elizabeth!

It’s amazing how completely different, but equally strong, it looks from my last Piano Keys quilt. This pattern lends itself so well to larger prints, but I’m glad we decided to see what it looked like in all solids. With the cutting and piecing so simple, it gives you a great opportunity to concentrate on playing with pattern and color to your heart’s content!

If you like the looks of this quilt, we are holding a workshop starting this weekend, taught by the pattern’s designer, Sujata Shah. There are only a few spots left, so be sure to call the shop to reserve your space. See you soon!

Piano Keys Quilt
$65 plus materials

Saturdays, May 15 & 22: 11AM-2PM

Materials: Pattern, 10 fat quarters or 1/4 yards, thread. 3 yards backing, 60″ x 60″ batting. Finished size: 44″ x 48″. Pattern includes instructions for a 72″ x 80″ version as well. All materials are available for purchase at Spool. Use of our sewing machines, rotary cutters, scissors, mats, and rulers are included for class sessions.

How cute is this fabric?! There are hedgehogs, owls, and lovebirds abound in this new Japanese inspired prints from Michael Miller. I adore those scarf wearin’, apple eatin’ hedgehogs- they look like they’re having so much fun!

I wanted to make something to show off this collection’s awesome zakka style! This group of zippy pouches & purses from Kwik Sew 3651 has been on my mind, and the little change purse & ID holder shows off the tiny prints wonderfully. So adorable!

One of our fabric bundles would make many a zippy pouch – you even have time to whip one up for Mom for Mother’s Day! What would you make with these little guys?

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!

The Ice Cream Dress is finished! This super cute frock is one of 3 new Oliver + S patterns released this month. When I saw the illustration on the cover, I knew it would be the first sample we would make!

We chose Kaffe Fassett’s Serape Stripe, and a pretty lavender Shot Cotton to make our version, and Elizabeth got to stitchin’! I love the summery colors, and the horizontal striping. Simple to sew and extremely wearable, I can see this being a girl’s summer uniform. Oliver + S sizing now goes up to age 12, so older girls can get in on the fun! Believe me, there are lots of ladies at the shop that want this dress in their size!

The dress closes at the back of the neck with a single button. So cute! Didn’t Elizabeth do a great job matching up those stripes? Impressive!

These pockets are my favorite detail on the dress. I love the little dip at the center and how it echoes that same shape on the yoke. Girls need pockets to keep their tiny treasures and these are just the right size!

There’s no doubt this is a perfect summer dress! The only question is, which flavor Ice Cream would you choose?