Monthly Archives: August 2009

Weekly Giveaway Winners!

August 31st, 2009 in Contests
By Tristan Gallagher

triangle Congratulations to the 6 lucky winners of Simplicity Studio goodies! Virginia, Wanda, Moneik, Debra, Mary, and Karen will all receive some of Simplicity’s new rulers and template products. We’ll be in touch with the six of you shortly to work out the details of getting your prizes to you.

Thank you for all other comments left here and on Facebook. And thank you to Simplicity for sponsoring this giveaway!

It seems so many of you have grown up with Simplicity! They are a household name for sure. Nice to know they’re still with us and innovative as ever. For those that haven’t had a chance to check out their new website (Simplicity.com)…be sure to visit and discover all it has to offer.

Lutradur® home decor: Vases

August 31st, 2009 in Inspiration
By Lynn Koolish

When I saw the posting about the Timtex® vase made by Sue Bleiweiss, I thought that I should share photos of two vases that I made out of Lutradur®.

DarkVase

For the first vase (above), I used a glass vase and gathered up the Lutradur around it, using a rubber band to temporarily hold things in place. Then I used my heat gun to heat areas that I wanted to stick together. I’m sure I was quite a sight, sitting on my back porch, heat gun in one hand and an insulated pot holder in the other so I could press together the heated areas so they would stick together.

After I got the Lutradur to the point where it was stuck together in the shape that I wanted, I removed the glass vase and use the heat gun to melt some holes. Because I wasn’t sure how it was going to work, I didn’t paint the Lutradur before I started the shaping. It was a little challenging to paint the vase after it was shaped, but wasn’t too bad. I used acrylic paint and highlighted the burnt areas with metallic gold.

StitchedVase For the other vase, I first painted the Lutradur with light washes of color. Then I wrapped and folded the Lutradur around a vase and stitched where layers overlapped. I folded the edges at the bottom, glued them in place, and trimmed off the excess.

To use my creations as vases, I insert a plastic or glass jar to hold water.

Ready-to-Go! Kitty Tag

August 29th, 2009 in Inspiration
By Lynn Koolish

Even though all the C&T puppies are very cute, I’m really a cat person. When we first adopted our kitties, Neko & Nori (note that they are kitties, not kittens. They were about 7 months old when we got them), I took loads and loads of pictures of them (just ask anyone in the office).

I decided they needed their own scrap book, so I used a tag shaped Ready-to- Go Blank Board Book. I used Mod Podge to cover the whole book and all the pages with red tissue paper and glued in some of the photos. Then I went to town embellishing it, including some of the feathers from a cat toy that they quickly destroyed and bells from their collars.

Everyday Inspiration

August 28th, 2009 in Inspiration
By Diane Pedersen

A creative life is filled with challenges and rewards, puzzles and curiosities. This ongoing series of poems attempts to express the “Aha”s and “What if”s, the deep ponderings and casual observations of an inquiring mind trying to make sense of reality. May it serve, for you, as a bit of “Everyday Inspiration” along your own creative path.

There are
Some rare
Moments
When
Everything
Seems to make
Sense—
RARE

Stay-n-Play Café

August 27th, 2009 in Behind the Scenes
By Lisa Fulmer

3852339409_dcc438ab01 Last Saturday, the C&T warehouse and parking lot was ROCKIN’!!

We partnered with Fiskars to put on a big event in conjunction with the Northern California Paper Chase. More than 40 scrappers and crafters came to crop and shop for a whole day.

C&T staffers set up nine different stations where our guests could make small projects using a variety of techniques like needle felting, fabric fusing, painting, and stenciling. Most people call it “make-n-take”…but we like to call it “stay-n-play!”

Image transfers on to Ready-to-Go!® Blank Canvas Books

Painting Ready-to-Go!® Blank Board Books

Crazy quilt block: a 110 year-old beauty

August 26th, 2009 in Inspiration
By Carolyn Aune

I come from a long line of seamstresses, needle workers and quilters. For as many generations as anyone can remember, the women in my family have been known for their fine needle working skills. Recently, I inherited this wonderful masterpiece from my mother. I know little about it, but given the embroidered date on the piece, I am fairly sure it was sewn by my great-grandmother, Olia Erickson. It has beautiful stitching and lovely fabrics that are for the most part in pretty good condition.

24" x 24" crazy quilt block made in 1899

I love it but it is not a finished piece and I don’t know how to display it in a way that preserves its beauty and keeps its integrity. It has been lying in drawers for years, which may explain its good condition, but I want to celebrate the women in my family by showing it. Should I frame it? Should I back it? I don’t know what is best. Any ideas out there?

Kathy Sandbach Update

August 25th, 2009 in News & Events
By Lynn Koolish

We posted earlier about the health issues facing Kathy Sandbach, the following is the latest update:

In addition to putting Kathy’s quilts up for sale on Ebay, an account has been set up for her that you can donate to through PayPal. The PayPal account is accessed through Kathy’s website machinequiltlady.com. Scroll down for the “donate button.”

We were so humbled when asked to set up an account for donation purposes. We’ve had many write to us and ask if they could offer a contribution. And so for those who would like to support my Mom in this way, an account has been opened via PayPal that can receive donations to help us through this time. Donations can be made in any amount, whether you are a PayPal member or not.

- Kristine Sandbach

The Sandbach family has expressed their immense gratitude for the outpouring of help and support that has come from the quilting community.

Author Profile: Susan Brubaker Knapp

August 25th, 2009 in Behind the Scenes
By Megan Scott

Susan Brubaker Knapp‘s new book with C&T comes out in October. It’s called Appliqué Petal Party. While it is her first book with us, she is no new comer to the world of quilting. Susan is an award-winning fiber artist, quilt designer and teacher. She also has a popular website and blog at www.bluemoonriver.com. We wanted a behind the scenes look at our new author and invited her to take part in a little “Q&A”

1. What was your career prior to being an artist?

I started my career in corporate communications, as a writer of employee publications. While attending UNC-Chapel Hill’s Journalism Masters Program, a professor encouraged me to persue graphic design. After that, I worked for several newspapers as a graphic designer, and for a trade association, handling both the writing/editing and design responsibilities.

2. What and when was your first experience as an artist?

Looking back, I think I have always been an artist, but I did not call myself an artist until 2006, when I made my first art quilt. I have always enjoyed the fiber arts (knitting, sewing), and I colored, doodled, sketched, and consciously adapted my handwriting several times in my life to reflect a particular style.

3. What inspired you to make a career of your art?

As a child, I loved art and was good at it, but was encouraged to pursue a career “where I could make a living” instead. After college (I earned a BA in English), I really wanted to go to art school, but chickened out again. I showed my primitive portfolio to a graphic design professor in journalism grad school, and he looked it over twice without making any comment, then leaned back in his chair, looked me in the eye and said, “Brubaker, what the HELL are you doing in journalism?” His validation of my artistic ability was an epiphany for me. After that I started believing that I could be an artist. Continue Reading…

Simplicity Studio Giveaway!

August 25th, 2009 in Contests
By Teresa Stroin

In celebration of their awesome new line of rulers and cutting templates Simplicity^® Studio, our friends at Simplicity have given us some great blog candy for a big blog giveaway! The excitement doesn’t end here though, as we have something else to celebrate: Simplicity’s awesome new and improved website!

When you head over to the new Simplicity site, you’ll be happy to see all the new features and resources they have to offer. The Idea Exchange has dozens of tips on everything from sewing to quilting, knitting, and crochet. The Simplicity Classroom has sewing lessons, free projects, and a bunch of downloadable resources to help you with your creations. A beautiful new design and user friendly interface are the icing on the cake over at Simplicity. Congratulations Simplicity and thank you!

Simpli_EZ Square In the way of blog giveaway goods, we have Simpli-EZ Rule “standard” cutting rulers in user-friendly sizes (4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″square, 6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ square, 9 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ square, 6 1/2″ x 12 1/2″ rectangle, and 6 1/2″ x 24″ rectangle) and there are some “fancier” ones that I’ll describe later.

The first thing I noticed about them all is how easy to read the printed numbers are. The acrylic is clear and will work well on both light and dark fabrics.

The “standard” rulers even have cutting numbers for left-and right-handers! And these are printed in 12.5 different colors (red for lefties and black for righties) so there’ll be no confusion as to which end you’re measuring from. (I have cut incorrectly because I forgot which end was which before!)

Another feature that will be helpful is having the eighths marked with the full number (2 3/8″, 2 5/8″, 2 7/8″ etc). No more counting off the inches to see where I am on the ruler. The eighths are also marked in several places down the length of the ruler and are close enough for me to line up both ends of even a small strip of fabric.

Giveaway Winner!

August 24th, 2009 in Contests
By Tristan Gallagher

10569 Congratulations to this week’s winner, Michele! She will enjoy her very own copy of Making History- Quilts & Fabric from 1890-1970 by Barbara Brackman. Michelle was randomly chosen using random.org.
Thank you to everyone who left a comment here and on Facebook. Reading about all your various connections and intrique with the past is fascinating. Of all relics, quilts especially leave a mark on the modern day user or admirer. The fabric, technique, time period, and most importantly the maker, add sooo much depth to the story.

For all those who didn’t win today can take advantage of our 20% off special when you order a copy of Making History-Quilts & Fabric from 1890-1970 within the next 2 weeks. Mention discount code WG10569 when you place your order with C&T via phone (800.284.1114) or at our website (enter discount code where noted during checkout) on or before September 7, 2009. (Due to the Holiday, the winner will be announced on September 8, 2009)

10569_3

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.