by Sherri Sylvester | May 20, 2014
I am so inspired to stitch up some summer clothes right now. My husband and I just went through our closet this past weekend and donated the things we haven’t worn in a while. I think I was in a generous mood and may have de-cluttered a bit too much! I am not upset though, because now I have room to hang a few new things I can sew for myself!
Since Daryl from Fabric Spark is providing us a discount this week (scroll down for the code) I thought it would be fun to pair a few summer patterns I’ve been eyeing with some of her fabrics. Of course, she’s got canvas weight fabric for totes and quilting cotton and patterns available too – so don’t limit yourself to clothing! (PS. I just found out that she sells some of the patterns on my to-do list as well! One-stop shopping, hooray!)
 April Rhodes – the Staple Dress |
Art Gallery – Beekeeper Coral |
Kaffe Fassett – Belle Epoch Yellow |
I’ve been eyeing the popular April Rhodes Staple Dress for about a year now. I’m going to have to finally give in and buy it. Daryl had the same idea as I did and labeled both of these fabrics as possibilities for adult clothing. Great minds think alike!
imagine gnats – Alder Skirt |
AMH – Raindrops Pop in Candy |
Zen Chic – Wind Flower Dark Blue |
The Alder Skirt pattern from Imagine Gnats was released last week. The front pleat and pocket detail are perfect for some trendy pattern matching. I need more skirts in my wardrobe, now that my girls are old enough that I can wear one without fearing indecency!
Wiksten Tank |
Essex Yarn Dyed Linen/Cotton |
Alexander Henry – Rashida Skin |
I’ve had the Wiksten tank on my list for so long I don’t even remember when I added it. I suppose it is going to eventually be made?! I’d love one in the yarn dyed Essex, or a little bolder maybe in animal print with a colour-blocked back yoke.
Thanks to Daryl, we can all head on over to Fabric Spark to get $5 off any fabric order over $25.00! Use the code “Threadbucks” to get your discount until May 28th, 2014. Happy Summer sewing!
by Sherri Sylvester | May 19, 2014
Happy Victoria Day to all of you Canadians! We have had a great day with rain, sun, lots of garage cleaning and some ice cream all mixed together. It feels great to clean up and get rid of things we aren’t using anymore. And a day off is never a bad thing either.
I started attending the Creativ Festival last year. It’s a great place to find new fabric, and as a huge bonus – I get to meet some of my favorite Canadian Online Fabric store owners there as well. Hopefully you are ready for lots of fabric photos today! (And check out what I bought last year too. I should really use that stuff up!)
Left to Right: Alison Glass for Andover – Feathers, Erin Michael for Moda – Dots, Lizzy House for Andover – Red Letter Day Pearl Bracelet, Parson Gray for Free Spirit – 7 Wonders in Clouds, Black Stretch Denim, Suling Wang for Eugene Textiles – Flannel
I started my shopping at Len’s Mill Store booth. Since the Spring show is significantly smaller than the Fall one, this booth takes over the entire width of the far end of the show. Lots of shelves and lots of fabric! They have a mix of modern quilting cottons and less expensive prints as well. My only regret is spending half of my day’s budget, leaving very little to cover the cost of fabrics from my favorite online shops. I won’t be doing that again!
Top to Bottom: Kona Cotton Black, October Afternoon for Riley Blake: Seaside, Whistler Studios for Windham – Strawberry Picnic, Cosmo Textile Company (cosmo-tex.co.jp), SEI for Robert Kaufmann, Field Notes
Next up was Sew Sisters. They have a booth at the front entrance to the show each year I have been there. With lots of fat quarters and 1/2 metre cuts ready for sale, I found quite a few favorites.
I got to meet Alana from Friday’s Off again. She has stocked Lizzy House’s newest line Catnap and I have had my eye on some for a few months now. Here she’s cutting a Union Jack panel. Apparently they are selling fast!
Next on the list, I went over to say “hi” to Karen from Fabric Spot. Karen told me about Creativ Festival last year and I am so glad she did! I was looking for some Heather Ross Briar Rose prints at her shop and picked up the popular Strawberry in Pink. It’s on my cutting table right now, I’m making a dress for my oldest! I’m also proud to have Fabric Spot as the newest Thread Riding Hood sponsor – thanks so much Karen!
I am super excited to say that I met Sylvia at Creativ as well. She owns a new Canadian online fabric shop called Country Clothesline (pinned to the Canadian Online Fabric Store list). I was in floral heaven over at her booth. The prints are gorgeous, and she sells finished products as well! My oldest is so happy with the Martha Negley Dahlia print I bought for her. (The pink version is no longer on her website, but the lime version is here.)
Left to Right: Martha Negley for Rowan – Dahlia, Heather Ross for Windham – Briar Rose Strawberry in Pink, Lizzy House for Andover – Catnap in Cat Dream
I was very excited to meet Daryl from Fabric Spark. She was running her booth with her sisters, and I have to say that they are all a lot of fun to work with. I had such a hard time trying to decide which fabric to get from her booth. Especially after going through her entire online stock trying to decide what to choose for the Thread Riding Hood fat quarter bundle!
In the end I picked up some Art Gallery Honey House Sunflower I’ve had my eye on. I don’t know what it is intended for yet, but it’s so pretty! I also got a fat quarter of Beaded Colourband from Mark Hordyszynski. I think it might be destined for a little framed coin purse I’m hoping to make soon.
Left to Right: Thread Riding Hood Fat Quarter Bundle, Beaded Colourband from Mark Hordyszynski, Art Gallery Honey House Sunflower
Speaking of the framed coin purse – I found a shop called Quilt a Bag that specializes in bag hardware, straps, frames and patterns. There were so many amazing things in this store. A lot of it was zakka inspired and super-cute. If I am ever out their way I will be sure to stop by their location again. I have a feeling I’m going to need another frame once I finish the first coin purse!
And that’s it! It took two loads in my washer to pre-wash everything and I’ve already cut into quite a few of the fabrics. I’m going to have issues with the Catnap, though – because both girls like it and I’ve only got 1/2 metre! Got any fat quarter project ideas for me?
As a summary, the Creativ Festival is a feast more for the “traditional” fabric quilter than for the modern fabric lover. Though, I am pleased to say that there are a growing number of booths with modern fabric, even if most of their other stock is traditional. I think it is definitely worth going. It’s so much fun to browse the books and notions booths as well as the fabric. And it’s nice to be able to see it in person – instead of browsing online! What do you think?
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by Sherri Sylvester | May 17, 2014
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(Scroll down to find the last survey’s results.) I began a lovely relationship with Instagram a while ago and I have fallen hard for it! I love that you can follow as many people as you like and that Instagram doesn’t have some crazy algorithm for sorting out what I can and can’t see (Facebook take note!). I love that you can find out more about your favorite bloggers by seeing what their “real” lives and vacations are like. Even if they do tidily crop their photos!
I love that you get sneak peeks of projects before they are done – or even ones that end in frustration, or turn up months later because they were “finally” finished and blogged. I love that you can have chats with people that you never knew before, instantly! And keep up with ones you knew but weren’t able to connect with easily. I love the non-cumbersome and non-fancy way you can add photos and comments quickly and easily.
Should I go on?! So far the only bad thing I can find is that I keep misspelling words when my phone’s keyboard decides to fill in my words for me and I don’t notice before I hit “post”! Sorry for another semi-non-sewing related question, but I am a curious person. If I keep doing this we’re going to have to call this “General Survey Saturday” – but then of course it would not be a great title, since the alliteration would be gone! (Want your sewing project or blog featured on Sewing Survey Saturday? It’s easy! Find out how at the bottom of this post!)
Last Survey’s Results: Last time we talked about going to sewing conferences and sewing retreats. Which is especially relevant this weekend with Quilt Market happening in Pittsburgh as we speak! Turns out 60% of you don’t attend them and/or don’t know of any in your area. The other 40% or so attend them at least once a year. I am curious if this has anything to do with where everyone lives and if they are closer to a larger city or live in a smaller town. But of course that is me being nosy too curious and I’m not going to bore you by trying to find out! I attend the Creativ Festival in Toronto twice a year. But I am thinking that I should research other options – since it is so much fun!
How to get your Sewing Project and/or Blog featured on Sewing Survey Saturday: Send an email to sherri@threadridinghood.com that includes your sewing related multiple choice question, your name and where you live (if you’d like it included). Please send your question with 3 to 5 multiple choice answers. Also send your blog information including which post you’d like me to link up to if you are featured! If you do not blog I would love to post a photo of one of your recent projects, so please send it along with your question. (Note: I may also feature a photo from your blog post (if applicable), if you do not want a linked photo please let me know in your email.)
by Sherri Sylvester | May 16, 2014
Happy Friday, I hope you have a great weekend planned. We have Monday off for Victoria Day and an extra day to relax is never a bad thing!
Today I’m sharing a quilty something. I’m so excited that my foray into quilting is progressing along nicely. I’m happy to actually have made something substantial – with straight line quilting and a binding and everything! I know that may not seem that amazing to all of you quilters out there – but to me it’s one step closer to actually making a real live actual quilt – the kind you can cozy up with.
I have been stalking Blueberry Patch Cathy’s Wonky Star Table Runner tutorial ever since I saw Cynthia Frenette’s version of it last year. So my plan was to make one for my mom this year some time and Mother’s Day seemed like the best option. I took her out to the local Hobby Lobby for some fabric selecting when we were visiting her in December for Christmas. She loved these green, yellow and red (mostly) batiks and they match with her kitchen colours really well. The natural background she picked is perfect for this table runner. It was pretty fun since she had no idea what I was going to make from it!
I don’t usually work with batiks, but I like how they tend to look “one colour” and more quilty-modern with a solid background I think? The wonky stars are really simple to put together. There’s one in the centre of the 6×6 fabric tray as well. Once I had all the pieces sewn my youngest even had fun helping arrange them. She loves green so maybe that is why they are mostly in the centre area?!
This table runner was made starting with 4.5″ squares. Cathy made hers with 4″ squares – which in hindsight may have been easier. There is not a lot of room for a “full star” block when you use only 3 squares across. I found arranging the “split” star pieces had to be done carefully so the colours still balanced. The quilting was fun too – though I wish I had some Aurafil or other “better” thread to work with. The regular Gütermann I use just doesn’t have the same look. The whole thing is self bound. I made the backing bigger and folded it over to the front and machine-stitched it. It works well, but the quilting has to stop exactly on the edges of the runner or it will show on top of the binding.
There’s a super-cute zakka label on the back. I found them at the Creativ Festival! I will have a review of it (and my stash!) coming next week, I think. I just washed up all of my new fabrics yesterday – doesn’t a wash-tub full of new fabric just make you super-happy?! And then folding it all up into little mini-bolts for my shelf is my favorite. I even cut up some of them yesterday for new Bohemian Babydoll dresses for the kids. Seriously can’t say enough good about this dress/top pattern – it is really quick (with no closures to sew!) and my girls love it. I’ve got fabric for 4 of them on my cutting table right now.
Do you quilt? What do you think of batiks? I’m curious, since it seems everyone generally chooses modern or traditional fabric and then there are batiks…? Since I’m not quilting a lot yet I’m not sure how that works.
by Sherri Sylvester | May 14, 2014
Today I’m super excited to be working with Warp & Weft and Sew Mama Sew to create a new tutorial for you! Esmari from Warp & Weft has even come up with a giveaway to go along with it. Hooray for everyone!
I came up with the idea for a sturdy base fabric tray a few months ago. Since the fabric tray tutorials I was finding online seem to have fabric bases, they are hard to pick up without dropping everything on the tray. Which, of course is fine if you don’t want to move them around – but I thought it would be nice to make one that you could could carry. I love the shape of this tray is like a little wooden tray, right down to the contrasting handles – and they are really easy to sew in!
I count myself super fortunate to have been able to work with two collections, brand new to the Warp & Weft shop! First, Beyond the Backyard , features lovely springy flowers and (my favorite) tiny bees hidden throughout. These meld amazingly well when they are pieced together. The second collection, Petite Plume is based on peacocks and I am loving the bright colours in this one! The navy background on the “Floral” design sets off the others beautifully. Both of these collections are made by Canadian manufacturer Camelot Fabrics. Since Warp & Weft and I are both based in Canada that makes this post a truly Canadian experience – Enjoy!
So, you’d like some fabric of your own? Here’s your chance! Esmari from Warp & Weft is giving away one fat quarter bundle with each of the lovely Petite Plume fabrics in it. That’s 5 fat quarters just waiting for you to make something amazing! (And of course a fabric tray is on your list?!) The giveaway starts today and ends at midnight on Monday, May 19th. Enter on the Rafflecopter widget below – and if you don’t have Facebook to sign in with, just use your name and email! (Keep reading, the tutorial is next!)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The full tutorial is on Sew Mama Sew today – Click: Sew Mama Sew Fabric Tray Tutorial – to access it. The tray tutorial on Sew Mama Sew is for a 10″ x 6″ tray – the perfect little rectangular size for showing off your favorite fabric scraps in a pieced rectangular log cabin. This post will cover the materials needed and cutting sizes for the bonus 6″ x 6″ tray. A perfect square with my newly acquired skill – the wonky star quilt block – in the centre. (More on that in a later post!) I love this little tray for things like jewelry, paper supplies in your office, or even for holding your kids’ loom bands!
Materials:
- Quilting Cotton Inner – Fabric Scraps (sizes indicated in Prep & Cutting below)
- Quilting Cotton Outer – one piece 11”x11”
- Quilting Cotton Handle – one piece 9”x5”
- Batting – one piece 11”x11”
- Canvas – one piece 11”x11”
- Medium Weight Fusible Interfacing – one piece 11”x11”, one piece 9”x5”
- Hardboard (for base) – one piece 5.75” x 5.75”
- School Glue Stick OR Basting Spray OR Pins
- Embroidery Floss & Needle
- Ruler, Removable Fabric/Hera Marker, Your other usual sewing supplies
- Zipper foot and/or Walking Foot are helpful but not necessary
- 6″ x 6″ Fabric Tray Pattern Pieces
Printing the Pattern Pieces:
- Print the 2 page pattern pieces pdf on letter size (8.5″ x 11″) or A4 paper. Important: Make sure scaling is set to ”None” or “Actual Size” when printing. Once you have printed the pages, measure the 1″ test square to ensure the pattern is the correct size. Cut out the 3 pieces along their outer lines. Tape/glue the tray pattern pieces together, matching the letters in the gray half-circles. You will now have 1 tray pattern piece and 1 handle pattern piece.
Prep & Cutting:
- Prewash your fabric if desired and press well.
- Fuse the 11”x11” interfacing to the Outer Tray Fabric and the 9”x5” interfacing to the Handle fabric.
- Lay the interfaced Outer Tray fabric wrong side up and trace the Fabric Tray pattern piece onto it using your removable fabric marker. Also mark the back of the fabric with all dots and clipping lines. Cut out the Outer tray. Do not clip yet. (photo is of the larger tray)
- Fold the 9”x5” interfaced handle fabric in half so the short ends meet. Trace 2 handles using the pattern piece, being sure to line it up at the fold. Cut out both handles. (photo is of the larger tray)
- Cut fabric scraps for the Inner Tray following these sizes and the drawing below. You will need eight 2 1/2″ squares for the background and five 2 1/2″ squares for the wonky star. Also cut two pieces 6 1/2″ x 2 3/4″ and two pieces 2 3/4″ x 11″ for the inner tray sides.
I’d love to see your trays! Please share on the Thread Riding Hood Facebook page, or hashtag #alongforthreadride or #threadridinghood on Instagram or Twitter. And don’t forget to pick up your Beyond the Backyard and Petite Plume today!
** Please note: This is a sponsored post and the fabric was provided to me at no cost by Warp & Weft, through Sew Mama Sew. However, as always, all opinions are my own and I will not promote a business that I do not love myself!
