Admin
A few days ago I tagged a post as OBE. If you don’t know what that means, you can always look at the glossary.
I joined BlueSky. Find me at: @artquiltmaker.bsky.social I don’t post a lot so far, but am hoping to rekindle some of the quilty goodness that used to be Twitter before all the stuff that shall not be named happened.
The Quilts in Print page has been updated
Projects, Classes, Patterns, Techniques & Tutorials
I saw a couple of ideas for small gifts towards the end of last year. It was too late to make them, but it isn’t too late to make them for next Christmas, if I get started now. First is the Scandinavian Star ornament. I saw quite a few video tutorials:
I like Erica’s tutorial best. She is clear, cheerful and her voice isn’t annoying. YMMV!
Check out Friend Julie’s December Cornucopia, because she has a link to a tutorial for a tree topper. It is large and takes a yard of fabric, but is a great way to relax, make gifts and use fabric.
I have been stalking bags on IG. I saw the Irene Crossbody, which looks like a great and very useful bag. It also looks very much like the Daytrip Wallet (yes, the pattern is part of a bundle) from Sew Sweetness, so I have banned myself from buying the pattern until I make the Daytrip. the Daytrip has been on my list for a long time and I think 2025 is the year.
Coastside Quilt Studio will now be offering rental time on a long arm. You must take a certification class prior to being able to rent the machine. If you have previous long arm experience, please contact Dana so she can determine whether you can skip the class. Registration Opens February 1st! Certification classes begin in March. Check her hours before heading over as they can change during the week.
Want to put a modern spin on your bag straps with little effort? Ribbon Straps are all the rage right now. Check out Sew Sweetness’ free video showing you how to make one!
Quarter Inch Mark shop is open again and I bought the Travel Outbound Bag pattern. I haven’t made it yet, but will soon.
Tools, Books, Fabric, Notions & Supplies
RockBabyScissors, the bag maker, pointed me to Georgia Girl Stitches as another supplier of zippers and bag hardware. She has a lot of webbing, too. The shop has a few bag patterns as well as some free tutorials and patterns. The free patterns and tutorials include a lot of leather and smaller items. It amazes me how different the bag hardware from different suppliers can be.
I received a Clip ‘n Glide Bodkin for Christmas from Friend Julie.
Do you remember a long time ago when I visited the Fabric Depot in Portland? The shop has since closed, but Gerre turned me on to an online version, The Fabric Depot. It is the same idea, but you don’t have to go to Portland and walk into a grocery store sized store. The prices are really low and not many of the quiltmaking fabrics are marked with the designer’s name, though I did see some Tula and some Violet Craft fabrics. The Tula yardage was $7.92/yard!
Media, Books and Articles
Want some well written quilt stories? Check out QuiltFiction and the Story Guild.
I saw an announcement of the MyQuilts app. The app advertises the ability to keep track of all your quilts as well as tracking the progress on your current or a future project. Adding projects can include as much info, including photos, as you want for each quilt project. Users of the app can experience a social aspect by participating in daily challenges as well. I haven’t tried it, but let me know your thoughts.
Exhibits and Organizations
Join our guild. We’d love to share sewing projects with you.
Jane Sassaman has quilts at the Harvard Diggins Library, Harvard, IL through February. I couldn’t find anything about it on their website, but they do have a lot of craft activities. If you visit, please give a report.
I am pleased to announce that my piece Who Am I? will be in the Women’s View show put on by the San Mateo County Arts Council. I am thrilled that it got in. I read the guidelines and saw that they had instituted a size limit and Who Am I? was over the limit. I was so disappointed, because I finished this piece specifically for this exhibit. It really, truly speaks to the view of women. I entered anyway and said on the application that I hoped for an exception to the size limitation and why. They granted the exception!! I heard at the end of last week. I am really happy and excited for people to see this piece.
NQR
Philip Jacobs is one of my favorite fabric designers. I love his large flower prints and the inspiration he derives from vintage fabrics and wallpapers. In his spare time, he is fossil hunter. A few years ago, he discovered a pliosaur. He is in the Guiness Book of World Records as the finder and mentioned and shown on the show about the excavation. It was very interesting to watch. Watch on PBS. You may need an account. You can help excavate the rest of the fossil by contributing.
Need art supplies to supplement your quiltmaking? I am giving you a referral link so you can start earning points for free stuff at California Art Supply, 3600 El Camino Real , Suite B – Phone: 650-350-1990. Click the link and register. I know its a pain, but you get points that translate into discounts. I am saving up my points to buy a large set of Emott markers. No, I don’t need them, but the colors are soooo cool!
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
I’ve read through the glossary and cannot find OBE….am pretty sure it’s not Order of the British Empire.
Thanks for letting me know OBE wasn’t in the glossary. It means overwhelmed by events.