Monthly Archives: July 2009

Quick and easy journal cover

July 29th, 2009 in Free Projects, Sewing
By Cynthia Bix

I wanted to cover a plain black stationery-store journal to give as a gift: Could I make it pretty but not spend hours (and dollars) on it? I consulted Fabric Leftovers by D’Arcy-Jean Milne and found a method that was just right.

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It’s basically the pillowcase method. You measure the book’s height and add 3/4 inch, then measure around it and add 5 inches. This is the size to cut your book cover. I used a piece of pink batik from my stash. Cut a piece of fabric the same size for the lining.

Before I stitched together the cover and lining, I added decorative elements to the cover. I centered a vintage cutwork doily on the top and stitched on some ribbon and vintage buttons. You could also sandwich a ribbon bookmark between the cover and lining before stitching.

Stitch the cover and lining right sides together, using a scant 1/4-inch seam. Then make a vertical cut in the center, just enough to turn the cover right side out.

Press the cover, being especially careful to roll the edges inward just slightly so the seam doesn’t show from the front of cover. Center the binding of the journal over the center of the cover and wrap the short ends around the front and back covers, checking that the fabric is loose enough to allow the book to close. Pin it in place, then hand stitch these side pockets at the top and bottom.

Slip the book into the cover, and—that’s it!

Other easy and attractive projects in this book include greeting cards, totes, and fabric boxes and bowls.

Still Awed by Amazing Quilts

July 28th, 2009 in Behind the Scenes
By Gailen Runge

Our photo studio is always filled with beautiful quilts and projects. Almost everything for our books is photographed here, as are quilts people send us as part of our C&T Media Services program. (You can send your quilt to us and our photographers use their professional skill and equipment to capture your work!)

Everyone at the company has been drawn to the studio at one time or another to stare in awe (or in “ahhhh”) at someone’s masterpiece.

At lunch today photographer Diane mentioned a Media Services quilt she was getting ready to shoot—a wholecloth quilt with exquisite stitching. Publisher Amy, Editorial Manager Teresa, and I trotted back to the studio to check it out.

I am once again in awe at the amazing talent of quilters!

While I can’t share a photo of this woman’s work, I can share a photo of us loonies splayed on the floor, pointing and “oohing.”

Gailen, Teresa, and Amy in awe

Good natured when caught in the act.

The Encyclopedia of Appliqué is back!

July 28th, 2009 in News & Events
By Megan Scott

The website for appliqué lovers, www.allaboutapplique.net, recently featured a guest post from Barbara Brackman about her newly revised book Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Appliqué.

In the post she shares pages from the book and one of the oldest appliquéd block designs. Click here to read the full post.

Weekly Giveaway – Creative Classics

July 28th, 2009 in Contests
By Tristan Gallagher

Still stichin’ the same old motif? Well this weeks giveaway Creative Classics by Laura Lee Fritz will recharge some old favorites with playful new continuous line variations. I just love flipping through this book. It brings me back to the endless doodles cascading down the edge of my notebook after a little too long history lecture. Only Laura Lee’s are much more imaginative and offer greater variation. The chapter titles alone lend you the flavor of her creations; Clowning Around with the Clamshell, Worldly Waves, Scintillating Serpentines, Be-Bop The Baptist Fan and Flaunting the Feathers.

Warning! With 250 awesome designs to choose from you might never be able to choose! That’s a good problem and the book helps with the planning and implementing of your design. These motifs work for both hand and machine quilting, and for long-arm as well as short-arm machines. In other words it’s for everyone!

For a chance to win a copy of Creative Classics leave a comment here or on Facebook by August 3 , 2009 telling us your favorite quilting motif.

Good luck!

* Comments will be closed at 9am on 8/3/09

Happy Birthday to Fiskars

July 28th, 2009 in News & Events
By Lisa Fulmer

Our friends at Fiskars celebrated their 360th birthday in style at an exclusive party at Disney’s Epcot Center last night. In attendance were about 60 Fiskateers, their wonderfully loyal and wildly fun fanbase that exceeds 6000 crafters (and I am Fiskateer #5489!)

This huge chocolate cake does really say 360…360 years ago in Finland, Fiskars started out by making knives and plows. Today it’s all about the scissors and tools used in quilting, sewing, crafting, and gardening.

It was an all-day affair that included private photo sessions with Mickey, Donald and Goofy, great conversation, crafting and food, a scavenger hunt in the Epcot park, a front row seat to the fireworks spectacular, and lots of special guests—including Carol Duvall and the Crafty Chica!

Each year Fiskars selects a Fiskateer of the Year—for 2009, Maxine Hodges was awarded with the honor. Maxine owns a scrapbook store in West Virginia, The Scrapbook Page and More, and she has her own “Band of Merry Fiskateers” who spend lots of time with her in her store crafting for charity and fun.

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Fiskars was extremely generous with the goodie bags for all the guests, we got so many tools, stamps and embellies….and because C&T donated some Ready-to-Go! Blank Board Books to the bags, I received a pair of scissors engraved with my name – so cool!

100_1772 100_1737 Everyone dressed in orange and we all got Mickey Mouse ears to customize with our names. A really good time was had by all!!

Quick no-sew fast2fuse coasters

July 27th, 2009 in Free Projects, Sewing
By Carolyn Aune

If you are having a summer barbecue or just want some informal coasters, here is a quick no-sew project for you.

All you need are some scraps of fabric, paperback fusible web, and fast2fuse.

For each coaster:
cut two 4 1/2″ fabric squares of fabric
cut one 3 1/2″ circle of fast2fuse
cut one 4″ square of paperback fusible web

Fuse the paperback fusible web to the wrong side of one fabric square.
Using a piece of paper backing from the fusible web or a Teflon sheet to protect your ironing board, fuse the fast2fuse circle to the wrong side of the remaining fabric square.
Fuse the web-backed square to the other side of the fast2fuse. Press the fabric very tight around the edge of the fast2fuse to make sure the fabric edges will fuse together.
Use scissors, pinking shears, or scallop scissors to cut a circle, cutting about 1/4″ beyond the fast2fuse circle.

Trimming with decorative scissors adds a nice touch.

That’s all there is to it. These are quick and use very little fabric. You could make them for any special occasion or to match any décor or style. I made mine with a different fabric on each side of the coaster for a mix and match look. You could also cut the fast2fuse into squares or hexagons to create different shapes. The possibilities are endless.

Weekly Giveaway Winner

July 27th, 2009 in Contests
By Danielle Dews

10445C The winner of the giveaway of A Patrick Lose Christmas is Shasta! Congratulations! And this means you are going to get started on your Christmas crafts as soon as you receive your copy of the book, right? No pressure or anything :)

Thank you everyone for all your comments here and on Facebook. I’m amazed out how proactive so many of you are, with your quilting for Christmas projects already in full swing. I also really enjoyed reading your stories of Christmases and Christmas projects past – I think I’m actually feeling the Christmas spirit. In July! Thanks for inspiring me to get started on my own Christmas present projects.

As a special thanks for that Christmas inspiration, for the next two weeks you can get 20% off your purchase of A Patrick Lose Christmas. Simply mention discount code WG10445 when you place your order with C&T via phone (800.284.1114) or at our web site (enter discount code where noted during checkout) on or before August 10, 2009.

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Winner of the June Design Challenge

July 25th, 2009 in Contests
By Lisa Fulmer

lutradur felting flowers page We have a winner! From thirteen beautiful fabric collage entries, we selected one at random (using www.random.org). Congrats to Lorraine Rigby from Liverpool, England—she wins a selection of C&T books and products valued at $100!

Lorraine entered one of her many fabric collages from the pages of her Ready-to-Go! Blank Canvas Books, using lace, Lutradur and needlefelting.

Check out all the incredible entries in our Flickr Gallery—thanks to everyone who entered, keep up the great work!

The Design Challenge Team is going to take the next few months off, but you can still participate in the weekly book giveaways posted every Tuesday.

Plus…be on the look-out for upcoming blog candy posts featuring fabulous products from many of our industry partners that you can win!

Keep on creating!

Super Hero Party

July 24th, 2009 in Inspiration
By Kerry Graham

Super Hudson showing off his super muscles in his bat cave

You saw the invitations in my previous post. Now for the fun part, the party.

Every super hero needs a cape and mask to hide their identity so I made one for each super hero.

The masks are a simple oval shape with slits for the eyes. I used a black satiny fabric for the front, fast2fuse for the middle and a gold velvety fabric for the backing. I used stretchy black elastic for the strap. I just sewed around the outside of the mask and eyes to hold it together and keep the strap on. I don’t think they look great but the kids thought the masks were cool. It just shows me that my work doesn’t have to be perfect for the kids to have a good time.

The capes look cool. I sort of traced a cape that my son already had for the basic shape. I folded the sides in and sewed all around the outside edge of the cape to make a hem. I used velcro on the top to hold the cape on. You could put stars or the initial of each child on the back.

The bat cave. I made this out in our back yard. We have a gazebo in the center of our yard, so I covered the entire thing with outdoor black fabric netting and a big tarp. My husband spray painted a huge bat on the front of the tarp. I hung a bat in the middle inside the bat cave and put the capes and masks in there. The cave was really low tech but with a little imagination, it was real! Hudson was bringing all the guests into his bat cave to “fly” with him. He was so cute.

The party. We started with the super hero training camp which was an obstacle course. Once the heroes completed their training the kids drove Hudson’s bat mobile to the bat cave to get their super hero gear (capes and masks) and their crime fighting tools. batman balls and spider man silly string “webs”. The kids went through the bat cave tunnels to get to the villain poster targets.

I think I had almost as much fun planning this party as the kids had at the party.

Birthday Friday

July 24th, 2009 in Behind the Scenes
By Casey Dukes

One of the fun things we do in the office is celebrate birthdays on the last Friday of every month. At some point around lunchtime, the yummy treats come out and we gather around, wishing everyone happy birthdays. I think today’s treats were my favorite….cupcakes with Disney Princesses and Dora the Explorer rings! (The funny part was hearing all us grownups debating over which Princess we wanted. I snagged a Snow White…hehe!)

cupcakes

C&T Publishing is a group of quilters and crafters dedicated to publishing products tailored to our audience. This blog is where we break away from book schedules and marketing campaigns to focus on what drives us to be creative and how this creativity manifests itself in our every day lives.