Archive for September, 2011

Free Quilt Shop Locator App for Your Phone

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

Have you ever found yourself in need of a quilt shop and you just don’t know where to find one?  It’s okay, “there’s an App for that”! Download the Quilt Shop Locator called “Quilt Shops” from Itunes or the Android Market. If you don’t have a smart phone,  just visit the website.

“Quilt Shops” – is a free application to find quilt shops across the U.S. from Quilters Club of America and Fons & Porter.

  • Use your smart phone or tablet to search for 2,500+ quilt shops (U.S. stores only currently)
  • Versions will be available for iPhone, iTouch, iPad and Android phones
  • Search for quilt shop by city, state, Zip, or see stores closest to your current location
  • Look up individual stores to see location, Web site URL, map directions and dial store phone number
  • Feedback form enables users to easily alert us if a store is missing or needs updated information
  • Requires internet connection for GPS mapping and distance calculations

I tried it and was very surprised that when I put in my zip code a map of the Puget Sound area populated with dozens of red pin dots marking the location of various Sewing and Quilt Shops. I did not really realize how many there are. The various locations can viewed as a classic map, a satellite picture, or at a street level view (this is very handy for knowing what the shop looks like before you get there).

Armed with all of this new information, I believe that I will need to go and investigate them soon!

Enjoy & happy shopping!

Reva


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Posted in Crafting, Quilting | 5 Comments »

Mitering a Border Print, Will It Work?

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

I love stripes but finding a way to feature them in a project can be a challenge.  When I find a stripe fabric that is great, I like to feature it in my project so that it looks its best. Mitered Borders are a great way to achieve this.  But how do you know if the border print or stripe that you have chosen will work well for a mitered border?  It is a very simple process really, let me tell you how.

  1. Take a piece of striped fabric that you like
  2. Fold it in half with the wrong sides together.  If you are looking at fabric that is still on a bolt, it is already folded for you.
  3. Next, fold again so the folded edges are together.
  4. Finally, fold down the top corner (the loose one) 45 Degrees
  5. The pattern revealed will show you how your stripe will look when it is mitered.
  6. What do you think? Not sure? try it again but rotate the fabric 90 degrees first so that the stripes go the other direction.

Try this some time, it is a fast and easy way to “audition” a fabric and see how it may work for your project.

Enjoy adding some fun to your next project.

Reva


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Posted in Quilting, Sewing, Tips & Tricks | 1 Comment »

Create Embroidered Greeting Cards with Pfaff’s 5D Card Shop Software

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Creating beautiful embroidered greeting cards couldn’t be easier with the new 5D Card Shop. The templates perfectly place all sides of your card flawlessly. If you have created cards before and wanted to do them in one hooping but got confused on which way each side should be set, upside down, right side up…5D Card shop has that all figured out for you.

Start with selecting from one of 41 themes. From Anniversary to Wedding, there is a theme for every occasion. Decide which layout you prefer, folding, double or single sided.

Select the template you wish to use. Each theme has a number of templates from which to select.

Select the size of the card, your hoop, and if you want it all to be stitched at one time, or each side individually. Selecting the 360mm x 350mm hoop and Single Embroidery would place all four sides of your card in one embroidery, aligning and flipping each side properly for folding. (See example of embroidery at the end of this article.) If you do not
have a 360mm x 350mm hoop, then you would select Multiple embroideries to stitch each side of your card separately.

That’s it! But wait…

What if you want a different design other than the one that is provided? Or, you want to remove a detail? Or, you want to add more detail? That is not a problem. Save your card and QuickLink to 5D Embroidery Extra or 5D Stitch Editor. Open the card into the work area and make any changes you want and save it.

What would the design look like in the hoop? Perfect!

With 5D Card Shop you will create delightful greeting cards, postcards, invitations, announcements and certificates that will be treasured by all who received them.

Stop by Quality Sewing and get a demo on the new 5D Card Shop and see how easy it is for yourself!

Enjoy your sewing adventures!
Lana L Jones
Educational Consultant


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Posted in How To Guides, New Products | No Comments »

Make it With Wool Contest

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

This October the Puyallup Quality Sewing store will host Washington’s Make It With Wool (MIWW) Contest  (formally held at Pacific Fabrics).

What is Make It With Wool?

MIWW is the longest, continuous promotional entity of the American lamb and wool industry. It began to help promote wool and generate new interest in sewing with wool among young sewers.  Sponsorship of the program has remained strong with support from the lamb and wool industry – producers, feeders and woolen mills – as well as the sewing and fashion industry – sewing machine, thread and fabric companies and fashion magazines – as well as individuals and organizations interested in agriculture and youth.

Currently the Contest offers divisions for entrants from pre-teen (under 12) through adult.  It is a very economical contest to enter, at only $10 for a National entrance fee.  There are several cash prizes given to the winners of the different categories with a top prize of $2000.

If you are interested in entering this contest, check out their MIWW website.  This is such a great opportunity get involved with a great program and to show your creativity. Who knows, you may win a prize!

Reva


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Posted in Events, Resources, Sewing, Sewing Studio | No Comments »

Free Project: Needle Carrying Case

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

As seen in the September Sew Fun Presentation: This soft case is for all of those needles you take out of your machine and want to use again, but don’t want to put back in the package because they aren’t “new” anymore. It has a printed grid so you can store and find exactly what you are looking for when you need it. The cover of this case can be a plain piece of fabric, a favorite embroidery, or something you embellish anyway you choose.

Supplies:

• Cover fabric – 9” × 12”
• Batting, 9” × 12” low-loft like Warm & Natural or equivalent
• Printed grid – Enclosed PDF file printed on Printed Treasures or equivalent 8.5” × 11”

Exterior of the Carrying Case

Exterior of the Carrying Case

Directions:

Print the grid on Printed Treasures, let dry, remove the paper (heat with an iron if the paper sticks and peel warm) rinse and set ink with an iron. Please follow the manufacturer’s directions for the brand of printable fabric you choose to use.

Embroider or otherwise embellish the cover fabric. I used a mylar sewing machine design from the Purely Gates collection Swirly Sewing Designs to do my sample. You could also use some of your machine’s programmed stitches for this project. Keep in mind this project is only half of a page in size when complete, so plan your design accordingly.

Place the cover fabric right side down on the table. Layer in the batting, and on top put the printed grid page right side up.

Inside Carrying Case with Needles

Inside Carrying Case with Needles

I stitched once down the center on a grid line about where it will fold in half to secure the pieces. Baste around the outside edge, trim and bind with your favorite binding method. I used Bias tape on my sample.

Now that it is complete, you can fill it with needles according to the appropriate type and size. I also keep a brightly colored pin as a place holder in the grid of the size needle I currently have in my machine that way I always know which needle I’m sewing with.

Happy Sewing,
Gail M.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE!


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Posted in Fast Projects & Gifts, How To Guides, Projects and Techniques | 2 Comments »

2011 APWQ Show

Friday, September 9th, 2011

The APWQ Show a few weeks ago at the Tacoma Convention Center was so inspiring!  I sure hope you were able to attend.  If you missed it, I will try to give you a brief recap.

The APWQ (Association of Pacific West Quilters) hosted what will now be an annual show in Tacoma.  There were so many beautiful quilts to see with such a broad spectrum of techniques shown. This year I seemed to be captivated by all the vivid and rich colors and reaffirmed my love for Batik fabrics.  I saw some of the most beautiful appliquéd, intricately pieced, and stunningly quilted works of art (there were even miniature blocks that were only about and inch in size and were perfectly pieced).  The colors of the fabrics of the individual quilts worked together in such a way that I was enticed to stop and linger as the quilt told it’s story.

One of the highlights of the show was seeing the winners of the various judging categories, how beautiful! Additionally,the winner of the “Viewer’s Choice Award” was ‎”Northwest Passage,” by Diane Johnson of Pahrump, NV.  The prize for this award was a Babylock Eclipse dx serger (Donated by Quality Sewing & Baby Lock) — this particular model of serger had been on Diane’s wish list for ages!  Who wouldn’t just love to have such a wonderful machine that threads the loopers for you?

It always amazes me how much talent quilters possess to be able to transform bits of fabric and thread into pieces of art.  What a privilege it is to see these beautiful works of art in person.

We had a local winner of a BabyLock Esante.  This machine was given to Sandy from Tacoma who won the APWQ Raffle sponsored by Quality Sewing and our own Paul LaPonte.  Wouldn’t you just love going to a quilt show and going home with a new machine?

Now, if shopping is your thing – you surely had fun visiting all of the vendors that were at the show.  There was a nice variety of the types of products offered at the show.  Beautiful fabrics were a-plenty, new and fun patterns called out to be brought to make a new creation, and several of the  newest machines with the amazing features to try.

Next year you will just have to be sure to attend the Show and see all of these great things for yourself.  I encourage you to  ”Save the Date” and plan on attending the APWQ show next August from the 24th to the 26th, 2012 at the Tacoma Convention Center.

See you there!

Reva


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Posted in Events, Quilting | No Comments »

Snap-Hoop Now Fits More Machines!

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

Snap-HoopSnap-Hoop has always been a great hooping system. It comes with a flat magnetic top and flat metal bottom frame. Simply lay the fabric over the bottom frame and snap the magnetic top frame in place! Voila! The fabric is secured. You can tug the fabric around between the two layers without distorting it so that you don’t have to worry about puckering. Check out a video demonstration here.

Well, now they’ve just added three new Snap-Hoops that fit more Brother, Baby Lock, and Singer embroidery machines:

Slide-on AttachmentSnap-Hoop Version A4 for Brother/Baby Lock:
130×180 mm (5″ x 7″)
Slide on attachment
Fits:
Baby Lock Ellageo Plus ESG, ESG2, ESG3
Brother ULT 2001
Brother ULT 2003
Brother ULT 2002

Clamp-down AttachmentSnap-Hoop Version A6 for Brother/Baby Lock:
130×180 mm (5″ x 7″)
Clamp down attachment
Fits:
Baby Lock Ellure Plus
Baby Lock Ellure
Baby Lock Esante E SE2
Brother Innov-is 1000
Brother PE-700
Brother PE-750D
Brother PE-700II
Brother PE-750D
Brother PE-700II
Brother PE 770
Brother PE 780D
Brother 8500
Brother Innov-is 1250D
Brother Innov-is 1200
Brother 8500

Screw-on AttachmentSnap-Hoop Version G1 for Singer
4½” x 6¾”
(Screw-on attachment)
Fits:
Futura CE-100
Futura CE-150
Futura CE-200
Futura CE-250
Futura CE-350
SES2000

If you’ve ever wanted to get the Snap-Hoop but haven’t had a compatible machine, chances are much greater now! All Snap-Hoops are on sale for only $179.99. Snap hoops are available for most current model Pfaff, Viking, Brother, and Baby Lock machines as well. You can view the complete list of Snap-Hoops here.

Enjoy!
-Chris


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Posted in New Products | 3 Comments »