Admin
I updated the series page. I also updated the Works in the Series menu to include a lost page. For some reason the improvisational page was never included in the Gallery of Series quilts. Now it is. I haven’t worked on this series in awhile, but since I finished the Tarts, I have been getting the itch. If I make another of this style of quilt, I WILL NOT quilt it myself.
I also updated the Minikins Series page with some of the new Minikins projects I have sewed recently.
Projects, Classes, Patterns & Tutorials
Sara from Sew Sweetness has a new tutorial for turning a bag into a sling style bag. I have had the Widget bag pattern for awhile . I have even had some fabrics chosen and this tutorial has reignited my enthusiasm for the design.
Bonnie Hunter’s introduction to her winter mystery quilt, Indigo Way, posted the other day.
Tools, Fabric, Notions & Supplies
The Sew Magnetic Cutting System I discussed a month or so ago is now shipping. A recent email from Sew Tites shared some links to unboxing videos. Take a look at the Crafty Gemini video to see what she thinks. Julie of Jaybird Quilts (remember the Sew-a-Long I did?) also demonstrates how to fussy cut her shapes using this new system. I have not bought one of these cutting systems. If you buy me one, I’ll tell you what I think. Unfortunately, this system is larger than my cutting table.
The women at Sew Tites are on fire! They now have an aid for sewing the flatback stitch, which is my favorite stitch for EPP. There is a video that goes with it. I am putting it on my Christmas list. They also, now, have a stand for Sew Tites. I don’t have horizontal space for a stand like this, but I think it is good that they are thinking about organization.
Tula Pink introduced her new fabric collection, Roar! Before I saw it, I thought it was more lions. Nope! It’s dinosaurs. I sent a text to a friend that read “Dinosaurs? Really?” Hey, Tula has magic fabric design fingers, so I am sure the line will be a success. Some of the prints have cameos where the dinosaurs can be seen clearly. In other prints, they are hidden. She includes some interesting border prints in this collection. A number of the background prints can be used in a variety of ways. Pink Door has the Big Bang quilt, which is pretty interesting. The line will be shipping in May 2024.
I had high hopes for this article, Ten Fantastic Places to Donate Excess Quilting Fabric, but the article says they are fantastic and my experience says Meh. These sorts of articles are helpful if you have NO idea, but most of us know that places like the Goodwill and Salvation Army aren’t great with craft supplies. I, personally, don’t know of a Craft focused Goodwill type organization, though there is a place in Berkeley where teachers can go to get supplies. I can’t remember the name. There is also FabMo. Let me know if you know of any other specific places to donate fabric.
Media, Books and Articles
I was kind of surprised at the article on the best sewing machines I saw in Southern Living. I tried to find the criteria they used for evaluating the machines. The closest I could find was “We tested 24 sewing machines in our Lab so you don’t have to. We unpacked, plugged in, threaded, and stitched to come up with this list of the best sewing machines. ” Not much of a description, but they talk about why they liked each machine in the individual sections. At least they talk about Janomes and Jukis. A ‘splurge’ machine at $2000 made me laugh. $2000 is a lot of money, but have they seen the really high end machines?
For you knitters out there, I found a video on how to knit the textured ribbon stitch. I have no idea if I will ever try this stitch, but I liked the look of the video. Let me know if you try it.
Events, Exhibits and Shows
The Oregon Quilt Festival will be held 15-17 February, 2024 at the Oregon State Fairgrounds. The details are:
Show Dates: February 15th – 17th
Show Hours: Thursday and Friday 10AM-5PM, Saturday 10AM-4PM
Columbia Hall
Oregon State Fair & Exposition Center
2330 17th St NE, Salem, OR 97301
(855) 938-1610
Check back for admission prices
This show is coming up SOON! Quiltopia Oregon presents Sew Happy Together! Quilt Show at the Mill. It is a fundraisers for Helping Hands Resources of Oregon.
3-4 November, 10-4
Willamette Heritage Center
Salem, Oregon
I hope some of you will be able to attend and tell me about these shows.
Other Artists
Check out Friend Julie’s efforts at dyeing fabric.
