Announcing the 8 winners of last week’s giveaway! Congratulations to Willa, Cat Dodt-Ellis, Sandy Jandik, Quilter Bridget, and Beverly Ellis on winning a set of Vintaj Findings from Vintaj Natural Brass Co. Congratulations also to Brenda Groelz, Kathy Sevebeck and karen who’ve just landed themselves each a bag of Fairfield Nature-fil Bamboo Batting.
Thanks for all the comments left here and on Facebook. It’s fun hearing how other people find alternate ways of using their leftovers. A big thanks also to Rebekah Meier for sharing her Elegantly Embossed Batting Journal project, which sparked ideas for many blog readers, and for hosting this fantastic giveaway. One last note to karen – watch out for your cat! Onnie’s going to love your new Nature-fil Bamboo Batting as it will make the best nest yet!
Oftentimes, you might want to use lines of machine quilting that surround your blocks to anchor the three layers of your quilt top together, or you may just enjoy the pattern created from these lines of machine quilting. Regardless, there is a method of quilting called “in the ditch” which uses almost-hidden lines of machine quilting to anchor the key seam lines in your quilt.
This method involves stitching right next to the seams between the blocks, sashing and borders in your quilt top, on the side with the least bulk. If you pressed your seam allowances to one side of the seam, then your needle is kept on the opposite side without the seam allowances.
It is important to stitch as straight (or evenly on curves) as possible, keeping the stitching line as close to the seam as possible. This is a good place to use your machine walking foot. The following photo shows the correct positioning of the presser foot and needle in relation to the seam.
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Fiber artist Vicki Welsh has created a stunning fabric fast2fuse® postcard she calls “Framed Shells.” Lucky for us she is willing to share exactly how she made it. Visit Vicki’s blog to read the tutorial.
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.
It never ends….
A creative life
Is one foot
In front of
The other—
A journey,
Not an ending point
Patchwork Pup
I have been addicted to needlework my entire life. My grandmother taught me how to embroider when I was just four years old, and even then I knew it was my calling. As a kid I would collect pop bottles to earn money for yarn and bits of fabric. My babysitting money went towards patterns and fabric. I sewed my own prom dresses and knit aran sweaters for my boyfriend. (I married the boyfriend and kept the sweaters.) Continue Reading…
Thank you to our fabulous online community, for all the information, inspiration, and laughs you’ve given us this past year. Have a great Thanksgiving holiday!
Below are some quilts that feel like Thanksgiving to me. Which quilts in this collection feel like Thanksgiving to you? What are you most thankful for this year? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments.
Alex Anderson
Lerlene Nevaril
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Who needs to mess with parking, traffic, long lines, and tired store clerks who have been up since their doors opened at 5am? You can shop for lots of post-Thanksgiving bargains this Friday from the comfort of your own home.
Our friends over at www.CraftCritique.com are posting a special Black Friday notice that will link you to lots of online bargains from several different craft manufacturers and retailers. C&T will be there with a great sale on our beautiful gift items—and ONLY Craft Critique readers will get a special Gift with Purchase with an online order from us of sale items and all our regular-price books and products too!
Here’s whatchya need to do:
1. Visit www.CraftCritique.com this Friday to get your special promotion code for your Gift with Purchase.
2. Link to our site, www.ctpub.com, shop ’til you drop, enter your promotion code, and check out.
3. Go on back to Craft Critique and shop some more! Be sure to bookmark them for regular reading. Their reporters give valuable and unbiased hands-on reviews every day for a huge variety of craft products.
So here’s the deal…C&T Publishing will have a wonderful selection of gift items on sale for 4 days only – at 50% off! Stylish and eco-friendly tote bags, lovely note cards, fun playing cards—all featuring stunning quilt images made by our authors. Plus gorgeous blank journals, beautiful pop-out gift boxes, and more.
Visit the On Sale & Close Outs page of our website as soon as you’re done gobblin’ to see it all!
Offer is valid November 26-29, 2009 only for online orders placed at www.ctpub.com. Prices will be marked at 50% off retail; no further discount applies. Resellers welcome.
Anyone that knows me can tell you how much I love all things vintage. I frequent flea markets and antique stores looking for old laces, fabrics, and trims. While writing my book Fabric Art Collage, I was able to use some of my favorite finds in really unique ways.
One of my techniques involves using lace or doilies to create embossed quilt batting. Yes, quilt batting! The batting I use is Fairfield’s Nature-Fil Bamboo Batting. It is so soft, embosses well, and also takes dye very nicely. For those of you who have my book, you can see that I love layers and embellishments.
One of my favorite embellishment companies is Vintaj Natural Brass Co. They have a beautiful selection of filigree and findings. For the following project I combined embossed batting and Vintaj findings to decorate a simple composition book.
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Theresa Nance is the lucky winner of the Bohemian Bouquet quilt pattern! Now she can “gush” all she wants about the beauty of this lush pattern by Susan Brubaker Knapp. If you haven’t done so be sure to check out all Susan’s unique patterns at bluemoonriver.com.
Thanks for all the great comments from our blog community and Facebookers. Tune in tomorrow for the next Weekly Giveaway.
It’s “Westival” time at my children’s elementary school. This year I bucked up and volunteered to help with the class scarecrow. Sooo fun!
After learning to make sunprints while experimenting with the highly anticipated Liquitex® Surface Design Center here at C&T Publishing, I knew I had to somehow incorporate the Liquitex paints into our nature themed scarecrow. The kids loved the magic that resulted from applying bright, harvest colored paints onto fabric, laying down found leaves, sprinkling a dash of salt, and letting the sun quickly do it’s thing.
The paints mixed up fast, the colors were gorgeous, and the permanent quality of the paint will shield our scarecrow’s surface from the rain, if we actually get some rain this year. The only snafu was the fact that it was “picture day” at school. I’m sure there are other moms who found themselves unhappily scrubbing, soaking, and then re-scrubbing their kids’ new duds yet again. Note to self for next time: Get some smocks.
After applying countless pieces of eucalyptus bark, acorns, leaves, and grass tufts with a ton of glue from the glue gun, it was time to attach the little sunprint masterpieces. Check it out…
Thank you to 2nd grader Miss Cloebug and her parents for bidding on, winning, and then bringing “Harvey the scarecrow” to his new, loving home at the Ravenswood Winery tasting room.
