Getting Messy with Rayna Gillman

In the blog posting by Karen called Fiberart Musings, she talks about her recent class with our author Rayna Gillman.  Karen learned how to create gelatin prints.  She was a bit apprehensive at first, but it sounds like she delved right into the messy fun!

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Here, Rayna is painting a mold Karen created (photo courtesy of Karen on Fiberart Musings).

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Rayna is applying paint to the gelatin mold to make designs on cloth (photo courtesy of Karen on Fiberart Musings).

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This shows Rayna pulling the print off of the gelatin, a very innovative technique (photo courtesy of Karen on Fiberart Musings).

To say the least, Karen’s class with Rayna sounded fun and creative. Karen admits,

Rayna is the messiest teacher I’ve ever taken a class with…and it is really very fun to just throw the fabric around, glop paint all over and make a big mess (I’m still wearing my gloves though!)

10555This stamping with gelatin technique can be found in Rayna’s book, Create Your Own Hand-Printed Cloth, along with many other innovative techniques.

Reading & Sewing Machine Fun for Kids

In a recent article about encouraging children to read, sheknows.com writer Mary Fetzer recommended The Best of Sewing Machine Fun for Kids as a fun crafting book for children to read and try.  The book is designed to teach children how to sew on a sewing machine, in a fun and engaging manner.

The goal of the interactive book is to expand “successful skill-building experience and to develop sewing self-confidence” for children.  The authors, Nancy Smith and Lynda Milligan, claim that this book will cure the “I’m bored, What can I do?” syndrome.  The sheknows.com article reiterates this idea about children beating their boredom.

Some children love fairytales, others prefer factual books. ‘Animal fact books are almost always a sure bet,’ advises [educational expert Wendy] Zachrisen, especially those with real-life photography instead of illustrations. Add books with hands-on elements – craft books, cookbooks and how-to books.

The idea of interactive reading appeals to children, teaching them to read and absorb new information.  The Best of Sewing Machine Fun for Kids focuses on “a little encouragement [that will help] open the door to a lifetime of creative adventure. Creative kids are happy kids!”

Woven quilts to blog about

San Diego quilt instructor and designer, Lisa Coulombe, recently blogged about her quilting groups’ latest creations.  Her quilts were inspired by the book Simply Stunning Woven Quilts by Anna Faustino.

The quilts are absolutely gorgeous! Using the techniques from Anna Faustino’s book, Coulombe’s quilting group, Rhap, created some pretty incredible quilts.

This one is done by Jan with broderie perse flowers.

This one is done by Jan with broderie perse flowers.

This is done by Jerre with broderie perse flowers, couched stems, and raw edge double sided fused leaves.

This is done by Jerre with broderie perse flowers, couched stems, and raw edge double sided fused leaves.

These quilts are impressive, to say the least.  Check them out at Confessions of a Completionist. (Photos courtesy of Lisa’s blog.)

The Stitchin’ Post named an Inspirational Quilt Shop

In the May 5th publication of the Bend Bulletin by Kimberly Bowker, the mother-daughter team, Jean and Valori Wells, were recognized for their inspirational quilt store in Sisters, Oregon.  Jean and Valori were interviewed to discuss their quilt shop – The Sisters Stitchin’ Post.

Jean Wells Keenan, left, started The Stitchin’ Post more than 30 years ago, and her daughter, Valori Wells Kennedy, became co-owner in 2005. The mother-daughter team consider business operations, like the projects and patterns the store sells, a creative process.

Jean Wells Keenan, left, started The Stitchin’ Post more than 30 years ago, and her daughter, Valori Wells Kennedy, became co-owner in 2005. The mother-daughter team consider business operations, like the projects and patterns the store sells, a creative process.

(Left Jean Wells Keenan, Right Valori Wells Kennedy, thanks to Melissa Jansson of The Bulletin)

Bowker describes Wells’ store as having “Bright colors, fabrics and quilts hang[ing] from the walls and fill the interior of The Stitchin’ Post in Sisters. The store has motivated customers for 34 years to get out that sewing machine or find those knitting needles and start a project.”  For the Wells ladies, this venture was an obvious addition for the Sisters, Oregon area. Bowker explains that Jean “started the store because no other shops in Central Oregon offered sewing supplies at the time.”  And as mentioned in the article, the popularity for crafting and quilting has risen in the Central Oregon area, partly because of the Stitchin’ Post.

Valori summarizes the key to the Stitchin’ Post’s popularity,

Part of the reason the store is successful is because we are constantly re-evaluating the shop and how we can make it better—because if you don’t do that, it becomes stagnant

The owners continuously search for trends, keep the shop fresh with new inventory and rearrange merchandise to keep customers interested. Keenan and Kennedy also pursue their own passions outside of the business, which keeps the store fueled with creativity and movement.

This dynamic mother-daughter duo successfully launched The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.  Beginning in 1975, Jean put up 12 quilts outside the store and since then, the rest is history.  Reaching its 34th year, the outdoor quilt show expects to showcase 1300 quilts to line the streets and buildings of Sisters.

Jean and Valori Wells continue to contribute to our growing knowledge of quilts and crafts, defining The Sisters Stitchin’ Post off of creativity, inspiration, and passion.

To learn more about Jean and Valori Wells, join their eClub at Jean Wells’ Secrets to Retail Success, and do not hesitate to check out Jean’s new book Intuitive Color & Design.

Grab Bag Giveaway

gift-bagWho doesn’t love a good grab bag? We have a huge surplus of unopened sewing and craft supplies from various manufacturers that we have partnered with on past projects. So we want to pass these goodies on to you!

We have 16 bags up for grabs—each one is full of all kinds of cool stuff! I saw some adorable pink Exacto knives, pretty threads, nifty scrapbooking stickers, and I was tempted to snag a couple of the stamp pads. But alas, all these incredible products are destined for you, not me!

You have up to THREE chances to win a grab bag—here’s how to enter:

Get in once—post a comment here and tell us what project you’re working on right now.  Are you sewing, quilting, knitting, scrapbooking, painting?

Get in twice—post a second comment here and tell us that you have signed up to get our e-newsletters – if you haven’t already, sign up here!)

Get in 3 times—tell your friends about our grab bags! Post a third comment here with a link back to your own blog post about this give-away. You might want to grab one of our beautiful blog badges while you’re at it!)

This contest will be fierce, so get ready! The deadline to enter is midnight, July 12, 2009. Winners will be chosen at random from the comments and announced on our blog during the week of July 13th. If you choose to post comments that are not linked to your own online profile, be sure to include your name and email in your comment. Contents of grab bags vary – it will be a surprise!!  Good luck!

Lipinski exposes his top web sites for Quilters – C&T makes the list!

200x260QHJune_July2009In a recent article, Mark Lipinski, reviews his favorite 75 web sites for quilters in Quilter’s Home Magazine. Of those 75, one was our very own C&T Publishing, along with four of our authors’ sites. Lipinski generously reviews our site with praise,

C&T’s site offers links to authors (great for guilds trying to track down a speaker), free patterns and projects and a free comprehensive list of lesson plans to teach classes from most of its books (it’s why C&T is listed and its competitors are not).

Along with our own site’s recognition, Lipinski graciously mentions some of our authors. Making #36 on the list is Carol Doak, whom Lipinski claims is the “queen of paper piecing,” and she offers free patterns on her site – a huge bonus! (View Carol’s profile.)

#38 on Lipinski’s list is our own Sara Trail, noting that Sara is a “junior quilting phenom…her Web site is a dream of stuff all geared to the young sewer in your life.”  She’s making a huge impact on the growing teen-quilter market.  (View Sara’s profile.)

Alex Anderson is our next sensational author making the list at #41. Alex’s web site has struck a significant cord with Lipinski, who explains that her site is filled with “free podcasts and block patterns…Alex Anderson, America’s favorite quilting sweetheart (and my friend), has lots to pass on from her Web site.”  (View Alex’s profile.)

And at #45 is Artfabrik, offering hand dyed fabric and threads.  Lipinski reviews this site as “Based on the cute factor, this site by fusible goddesses Melody Johnson and Laura Wasilowski takes the prize….great tips on working with fusibles in your quilts.” (View Laura’s profile.)

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.
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