Monthly Archives: November 2011

Historical fabric from Andover

November 30th, 2011 in Inspiration, News & Events
By Amy Marson, Publisher

Replica (designed by Gail Kessler) of a historic quilt from the Winterthur Museum made with Andover's new fabric line

It has been about a month since Fall Quilt Market and I am still getting caught up…but I wanted to share with you this historical fabric line that Andover introduced at Market called Winterthur, inspired by textiles that John Hewson originally created in the late 1760’s which are featured in the Winterthur Museum.

Hewson created Baltimore-type designs; he printed cover lids (bed spreads), handkerchiefs, and other fine linens. He was referred to as a Bromley Hall fabric printer, which meant he did calicos. The calicos were printed in yellows, browns, golds, and reds. The indigo was hand-painted on at the end of the process by his four daughters. It is a special treat to know that Hewson’s wife was a quilter and that he fought in the revolutionary war. Most calico printers only lasted 10 years because the business was so competitive. Hewson’s firm lasted 50 years and was one of the highest-quality textile printers.

Bird detail Imagine my surprise when I was telling Ruthmary Schauer in our Sales department about this fabric collection, then the next day she brought in an article from the July 24, 1921 Fort Wayne Journal Gazette about the fabric printing company in her family’s town where her grandfather worked (you can see that fabric runs in her blood). The article goes on to tell how textile printing is one of the oldest and most difficult fine arts. It is difficult because the colors need to have fastness and be bright, without running or fading. Fabric printing is believed to have begun about 4,000 years ago in Arabia.

So the next time you find some great fabric, take a moment to truly appreciate the art of how it is printed.

Visi-GRID Quilter’s Template Sheets—Giveaway

November 28th, 2011 in Contests
By Tristan Gallagher

"Kaleidoscopic XVII - Caribbean Blues" by Paula Nadelstern

Visi-GRID™ Quilter’s Template Sheets are here!

Paula Nadelstern helped us develop the best template sheets in town…it’s easy to read the ruler increments without any glare and the plastic has a really nice matte finish so you can mark it nicely with a pen, plus it doesn’t slip around on your fabric. Paula uses this grid-printed template plastic to get striking accuracy with each wedge of her beautiful kaleidoscope quilts.

Example of mapping out a template for piecing a wedge

Here are just a few ways Visi-GRID sheets make all your projects (not just kaleidoscopes!) easier and more accurate…

Fussy-cut multiple and identical and/or reversible template shapes for repeat patterns and motifs
Mark seam allowances (the template functions like a window frame) to identify areas of fabric that will be visible in a patch
Make symmetrical shapes and patterns—align a gridline within the middle of each patch
Get mirror-images of shapes with only one template—use it to mark patches in one direction, then just flip it over to use again for the other direction

One lucky person will win a package of Visi-GRID™ Quilter’s Template Sheets.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post by 6:00 pm PST on Sunday, December 4, 2011. One comment will be drawn at random to win…the winner will be contacted via email and posted here on the blog next week.

4 sheets per package

Increase your chances to win! Enter an extra comment for each of the actions you take below. Tell us what you did and thanks in advance for spreading the word!

Sign in to your Amazon account and hit the “like” button for this product
Sign up for the PatternSpot.com Shopper eNewsletter
Follow PatternSpot.com on Twitter
Join our Creative Troupe

Congrats to Willa, whose name was drawn at random from the comments on last week’s post. Willa won a copy of the newest title in our Pattern Pack series, Heartwarming Possibilities.

Am I qualified to quilt?

November 25th, 2011 in Inspiration
By Teresa Stroin

Looking around my house recently, I realized that I’m definitely “qualified” to work as an editor for C&T Publishing. You probably didn’t know it, but I have several PhDs. (Uh, huh.) Just browse through this post and you’ll see some of them . . . Projects half Done.

Above is the oldest of my UFOs (UnFinished Objects)…a cross-stitch alphabet sampler I started when my first daughter was a baby. She’s 23 now and the project has a permanent shrine on a shelf in my closet. That one I understand. I was a new mom and I underestimated the effect a baby would have on my time. Also, it was right around then that I started quilting. But what’s up now?

As I looked at all these WIPs (Works In Progress), I realized that they come from a sense of excitement I have with our books. As I work, I can hardly wait to make a project (or two) that I’m editing. Many of these I finish; but also, many are PAWs (Projects Awaiting Work).

Here’s my run-down from the oldest CPA (Craft Put Aside) to the most current.

Anelie Belden makes the most of the Dresden block in Thoroughly Modern Dresden. I plan to make this block into a clock. Someday.

From Blocks to Diamonds by Cheryl Malkowski, 8 of these diamonds together will make a star. I’ve made 2. This will be a queen-sized bed quilt. I had to start this one because, besides loving it, I wanted to experiment with the paper-less paper piecing method that Cheryl uses. Continue Reading…

The story of the stamp

November 23rd, 2011 in Behind the Scenes, Inspiration
By Debra Gabel

The saga of my signature stamp quilt patterns started with a guild challenge in September 2005. We were all given a fat-eighth of bright, patterned fabric that looked very much like the Rubik’s Cube toy…you can see it in the center of the quilt.

Since I am a representational artist, I tend to gravitate to realistic imagery…so what did that fabric look like to me other than a puzzle cube? Maybe a telephone keypad or a graph or a structure? I realized if I fussy cut the fabric it looked like a skyscraper. The skyscraper was great, but it needed a landscape. I live near Baltimore and Charm City has a great variety of buildings in the Harbor area. So that is how the first destination quilt was born.

I went through my stash and found suitable supporting fabrics and I suddenly had the Baltimore skyline, Debra Gabel style. So the next task was to consider the question of what to do with this horizontal landscape. I added a night sky and the Chesapeake Bay water. It was now a square but I preferred a portrait rectangle. So I extended the sky and added the name “Baltimore” on top (as a graphic designer I love typography). The water was looking plain so I wondered what I could add there to fill up the space a bit better for compositional reasons. Then inspiration hit. I LOVE the concept of little things made big and big things made little. I thought about a stamp, as they are so graphic in nature. I added the current postage rate in the water and a scalloped border to mimic a stamp.

I brought my finished stamp to the guild meeting and I won the challenge. A friend of mine asked “Are you going to make a pattern out of that?” Little did I know that the challenge I just completed would launch a whole pattern line and two books! Long story short, I made my Baltimore quilt into a pattern. Within 6 months, all my Washington DC friends wanted a DC stamp. Next I had to do my home city of New York…and the rest is history.

Now I have over 70 stamp designs in my Zebra Patterns line. While in Houston for Quilt Market a while back, C&T Publishing’s Acquisition Editor spoke to me about writing a book about my destinations. Writing the book was the perfect motivation for getting all 50 states done. My first book, Quilt Blocks Across America, came out in 2010 and is followed by Quilt Blocks Around the World, due out in January. Plus there’s even a Quilt Blocks Around the World—Eco Wheelie Tote!

I love designing quilt patterns, especially my stamps…perfect for people who have a very close bond to their home city or state.

Giveaway Day—Heartwarming Possibilities

November 21st, 2011 in Contests
By Tristan Gallagher

Newly-released Heartwarming Possibilities is true to its title. Show off your love for handmade with these new, colorful designs from Lynda Milligan and Nancy Smith, founders of Possibilities. Stitch up rays of sunshine, leafy green trees, and delightful dancers to warm up your home and share your heart with family and friends.

These four sweet and festive projects are part of our popular Pattern Pack series…a quilt, two wall-hangings, and a tote combine piecing with easy fusible appliqué. Plus you can mix and match the different appliqué pieces to come up with your own design.

One lucky person will win a copy of Heartwarming Possibilities!

To enter, leave a comment telling us what you made recently that really warmed up your home.

Comments will be closed at 6:00 pm PST on Sunday, November 27, 2011—the winner will be contacted via email and their name will be posted here on the blog next week.

Increase your chances to win!

Enter an extra comment for each of the actions you take below.

Tell us what you did and thanks in advance for spreading the word!

Sign in to your Amazon account and hit the “like” button for this book
Sign up for the PatternSpot.com Shopper eNewsletter
Follow PatternSpot.com on Twitter
Join our Creative Troupe

Congrats to Joy, whose name was drawn at random from the comments on last week’s post. She won a copy of One Line at a Time, Encore.

Thanks for the inspiration, #14

November 18th, 2011 in Inspiration
By Adrianne Shroyer

My first beading project

I had considered taking a beading class for quite some time. I have tons of jewelry and thought making some of my own would be a great solution for all those random pieces in my jewelry box that don’t quite work with anything else. So when our publisher, Amy Marson, thumped her impressive beading case down on my desk and said I could use anything I wanted, I pulled the trigger and signed up for a beginning stringing class at Just Bead It here in Concord, California.

Flash forward… I’m in class, we’ve done the introductory stuff, and it’s time to pick beads for our project. I’m not naturally artistic so, of course, I draw a blank – a “{tap tap} is this mic on?” kind of brain freeze. As I’m desperately looking about for inspiration, I glance down at what I’m wearing and BAM!

The inspiration

I’ve always admired work inspired by odd things, so I found it amusingly appropriate that my bracelet was inspired by my new Tony Stewart shirt.

Thanks, Smoke.

Evolution of a quilt

November 16th, 2011 in Inspiration
By Ruthmary Schauer

In 2006, my sister Paula (who lives in Colorado and knows what a Francophile I am) made a beautiful over-sized lap quilt for me. Well, she made the top. I have a Nolting longarm machine, so she makes finished quilts for everyone else in the family, but she send me TOPS which I then have to finish myself! I’m NOT complaining though. Paula had used a variety of star patterns, in sizes that were multiples of 3″ and she designed a well-balanced assortment in blues and yellows. Here’s how a quilter sketches her placement before she starts sewing.

Paula's original draft

After putting it up and taking it down from my design wall for a few months, I decided I wanted to to be bed-sized. So I worked from Paula’s sketch to enlarge it with blue and yellow fabrics that my friends Doris, Jon and Patty had brought back from their trips to Provence. I didn’t have enough of one print to do all the sides, but did have enough different prints in the right colors to combine for my borders. You can see how I figured color placement and strip sizes.

My working draft

Finally, 5 years after I received the top, it is quilted, bound, washed and ready for my guest room, where I surprised Paula when she came to visit. If you want to design a top with a variety of stars, you’ll find lots of inspiration in Carol Doak’s Simply Sensational 9-Patch Stars or Quilter’s Favorites – Pieced Points & Stars. And don’t forget your Quilter’s Graph Paper!

Giveaway Day—One Line at a Time, Encore

November 14th, 2011 in Contests
By Liz Aneloski, Editor

"Blue and Yellow Star" by Charlotte Warr Andersen

Charlotte Warr Andersen has worked her magic once again with One Line at a Time, Encore. This sequel to her tremendously popular One Line at a Time includes 35 new geometric machine-quilting designs. As the title says, you stitch these wonderfully interesting designs one line at a time. It’s as easy as that.

Just when I thought I’d run out of basic ideas for ways to structure geometric patterns, I spotted several more in the background of a TV show the other night. There were window grates in the wall. I had to find the episode on my computer, pause it, and take photos. So, the design possibilities just might be never ending. — Charlotte

The book is divided into chapters for creating a great variety of designs using masking tape, Inchie Ruler Tape (includes a free sample), a simple stitched grid, and Charlotte’s easy-to-use paper templates. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to take your quilts to a whole new level!

Using masking tape

Using Inchie Ruler Tape

Using a simple stitched grid

Using Charlotte's paper templates

To get you started machine quilting, Charlotte has included basic information about sewing machines and accessories, needles, batting, basting the quilt sandwich, threads, thread tension & stitch length, machine quilt aids, and stopping & starting. To top it all off, she takes you through her thought process for choosing the quilting designs for the dynamic cover quilt.

10801cover One lucky person will win a copy of One Line at a Time, Encore!

To enter, leave a comment telling us how you usually decide what quilting designs to use on your quilts.

Comments will be closed at 6:00 pm PST on Sunday, November 20, 2011—the winner will be contacted via email and their name will be posted here on the blog next week.

Increase your chances to win! Enter an extra comment for each of the actions you take below. Tell us what you did and thanks in advance for spreading the word!

Sign in to your Amazon account and hit the “like” button for this book
Sign up for the PatternSpot.com Shopper eNewsletter
Follow PatternSpot.com on Twitter
Join our Creative Troupe

Congrats to Debbie, whose name was drawn at random from the comments on last week’s post. Debbie won a copy of Create Your Own Free-Form Quilts.

A taste of free-form quilting

November 11th, 2011 in Inspiration
By Tristan Gallagher

Rayna Gillman’s new book, Create Your Own Free-Form Quilts, inspired me to dig out some old quilt squares and bring new life to them. In her book, Rayna wrote a chapter that shows how to reinvent an old project (aka “a dog”) with strips and bits. I remembered some squares I acquired in the giveaway box here at C&T. This box sits in our lunchroom where anyone can purge or extract items. On any given day you might find fabric, books, knickknacks, patterns, tools, clothing, etc. Several months ago I scored these 6 quilt blocks and the remaining fabric to finish a quilt.

Turns out somebody’s grandmother made them, then they hung onto them only to conclude nothing would happen to them under their reins. You could call them 2^nd generation UFO’s (UnFinished Objects). Although not blood-related, I was turning into generation 3! So the challenge was on and Rayna’s book was going to help. These squares are not dogs in the least bit. I like them, but don’t feel inspired to continue the original project.

I dug into my tubs of fabric scraps and sorted by color, and value. I used black and white photos to help with determining the values.

Embracing the freehand cutting method, I started creating my strips. This was fun—a little slow and tentative at first, but once I got the groove, the flow was on. Continue Reading…

Fall Quilt Market—textures, colors, and quilts

November 9th, 2011 in Inspiration, News & Events
By Amy Marson, Publisher

The end of October is one of the times I look forward to every year. A bunch of us from C&T go to the International Fall Quilt Market in Houston, Texas. The booths are colorful, informative, and innovative…and the exhibits are breathtaking and inspiring. The colors and textures were what drew me in and that is what I want to share with you today. There were buttons, and rick rack, paper flowers and felt balls. I loved the rough texture of the twisted yarns. The muted tones were so rich and I just couldn’t keep my hands from touching the whole bunch.

The glass buttons were cool to the touch and just beautiful. The painting and gold leaf just made them jump out and catch my eye.

Who could resist a skirt made from felt balls and paper towel tubes? I am definitely wearing one to next Market. I think I am going to have to take up a collection for the tubes.

I may have gone a bit crazy in the trims section. I couldn’t stop myself from shopping for treats for the gals back in the office.

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.