WIP Wednesday: iPad Mini Cover

This week I am working on a cover for an iPad Mini. I bought this fabric at the old Fabric Place in Woburn, which is now Fabric Place Basement in Natick. (I still have a lot of fabric in my stash from that place!) I am adapting the pattern for the iPad cover in Modern Patchwork.

My aunt wanted something with an Afrocentric theme. I am still going to design a hard cover for her, but in the meantime I found this fabric in my stash! I had forgotten about this fabric. I love how the blues, greens, yellows and reds pop against the brown.

Did I mention this is Alexander Henry? I have quite a few of their conversational prints. A lot of them look very "fashion-y", like these ladies!

See what everyone else is doing this WIP Wednesday on Freshly Pieced!

Bloggers' Quilt Festival

I'm throwing my quilt in the ring! I've decided to enter "Kimonos in D Prime" in the Bloggers' Quilt Festival. (The name "Kimonos in D Prime" comes from the fact that I used darker versions of the primary colors, red, blue and yellow.) The BQF is a fun way to see what blogging quilters are doing out there in the world. I look forward to more adventures in the world of quilt blogs!

One summer, DH and I went to visit friends up in the NH Lakes region. We stayed at a B&B, Glynn House Inn (which I highly recommend, if you are in the area). During breakfast, I was reading the B&B's brochure which said something about Keepsake Quilting. I asked the owner about it and he said it was the "largest quilt shop in New England"! My husband was sitting behind me. Though I couldn't see him, I could feel his energy draining because he knew once I heard that, we were not leaving New Hampshire without a stop to Keepsake Quilting!

If you've ever been to Keepsake Quilting, you know that there are rocking chairs out front. My husband promptly plopped himself in one and I went inside. I must have spent about 40 minutes in the store. As I was walking to the register, I saw this kimono quilt pattern by Betty Blais of Embellishment Village. I fell in love with those kimonos! Well, I had to shop again for fabric for the kimonos! I went to the register with my purchases. The cashier asked me if I had ever done foundation piecing and advised that the pattern was not for a beginner. I replied no, but "I write code for a living -- it shouldn't be a problem." Famous last words. Another 30 minutes later, I was finished shopping and found my husband and another husband napping outside!

I immediately started working on the quilt when I got home. And boy, was I in for it with this foundation piecing pattern! It took me an entire day to figure out the first block -- the one in the top left corner of in the quilt. As you veterans of foundation piecing know, you are kind of doing it backwards. And, I was trying to make sure the directional fabric went the right way, etc. I had holes in my pattern by the time I was done. I was determined that this quilt was not going to become a UFO, however, so I soldiered on. By the time I got to the 6th or 7th kimono, I had gotten into a rhythm.

I learned that I will never tell anyone that I can do anything just because I write code (Um, did I really say that!!) and that skill does not prepare you for every endeavor you'll attempt! I was surprised that I ended up with darker colors but am very pleased with the result. I dared not put any quilting on those hard-earned kimonos, so I tied it by hand.

Mood Fabrics Groupon

Hello!

Thought you might be interested in a Mood Fabrics Groupon:

http://www.groupon.com/deals/mood-fabrics

Spend $15 for $30 worth of merchandise. Of course, I'm BostonSewer, but you know I spend a lot of time in NYC, so I will have plenty of opportunities to use my Groupon!

Christmas Stockings

I have been a little busy with sewing projects here and there. I made Christmas stockings from fabric that I got at Quiltworks in Houston. Connie, the proprietor whom I met at Quilt Market in 2008 through my friend Deborah, gave me a handmade pattern, which I loved. It didn't come with instructions, but I managed to figure something out. I'll have to write down what I did before I forget.

What's next? Well, Hubby wants me to make curtains for our bedroom. That should be an adventure.

Easy Striped Table Runner

Even though the blogposts have been few and far between, I have squeezed in some sewing projects here and there. I made a super EASY striped table runner using this pattern: Easy Stripe Table Runner. I got the fabric, pattern and the triangle template at one of my favorite quilt shops, Red Barn Sewing and Yarn Center. In the mosaic, there is a close-up of one of the ends, the top side, and the bottom side.

We met family at one of our favorite restaurants, Simon Pearce, in Quechee, VT. If you haven't been there, you should go! Simon Pearce also makes blown glassware. You can see the glassblowers at work in the basement.

We met for lunch and then took over the lobby as we exchanged Christmas gifts (I made the runner as a gift). Yeah, we were pretty obnoxious. Thankfully, the lunch crowd had gone and the dinner crowd had not yet arrived. Yes, I put the table runner on the table in the lobby at Simon Pearce to take a picture!!

Boston Globe Article on Fabric Place

Another article on the demise of Fabric Place. :( As one interviewee put it: "Where will we go?"

Boston Globe Article on Fabric Place

Sawyer Brook Pictures

Here are some pictures from the day at Sawyer Brook:

Row 1:
The old mill building the houses Sawyer Brook
Antique baby carriage
Antique bicycle

Row 2:
Robert J Rodgers, a carpenter in the building
The Sawyer Brook sign
Inside Sawyer Brook

Row 3:
The willows in front of Meadowbrook Orchards
Meadowbrook Orchards restaurant
Inside the restaurant; old stove in the background

Row 4:
Rows of jams and jellies
Potbellied stove
Old cash register

Pattern Review & Sawyer Brook

If you are a sewer, check out the PatternReview website. PatternReview was started by Deepika out of her frustration with sewing. She said she wondered why the garments came out so nicely in the pictures, but when she made them they never did. So, she reached out to the online community and PatternReview was born. I have been a member of PatternReview for a couple of years, but I have not been a full-fledged participant. One of the monthly emails mentioned a trip to Sawyer Brook (SB) Fabrics. With the demise of Fabric Place, I thought it would be a great chance to check out a new fabric source. A PatternReview member offered her mini van for carpooling out to Sawyer Brook, which is in Clinton in Central Massachusetts. How could I resist?

Hubby dropped me off in Arlington for the carpool. Five of us, who had never met before, headed off to SB. We rode out Route 2 to Route 495. The weather was beautiful. It was a crisp, clear, sunny New England day. There is no better place than New England when the weather is great! We drove past deep green trees and rolling hills. There were many roadside shops that are full of bright orange, milky white, and dark green pumpkins. The mums were in brilliant colors of orange, purple, red, yellow, and white. The scarecrows are out already, too! With all the rain, we had a cruel summer. I'm not quite ready to let it go, but I am enjoying early Fall.

We arrived in Clinton after almost an hour. Clinton is an old mill town, complete with brick buildings and railroad tracks. SB is in one of those old buildings. On the way up the worn wooden staircase, there were antiques such as a wicker baby carriage and an old school desk complete with a hole for an inkwell!). SB shares the second floor with an antique dealer so we saw lots of furniture pieces as we made our way to SB.

The SB space is made up of two rooms. We were set up in the anteroom. We were treated to pastries and apple juice as we waited for the trunk show. Barb, SB's owner, showed us their newest arrivals. SB sells fabrics of the highest quality for garments. I was impressed with how soft each piece was. Some of the fabric pieces were:

Liberty of London fine wale corduroy
Diane von Furstenberg double knit
Marc Jacobs rib knit
Jones of NY blends
Anne Klein blends
Anna Sui viscose -- colorful print
Oscar de la Renta tweed
Herr Wolle herringbone
Loro Piana (Italian makers of fine cashmere)
Nicole Miller metal blend (not metallic thread, but metal!)

Barb also explained some things about fabric. Viscose is a method of producing rayon and, most of the time, is a fabric that was made in Europe. Viscose can be considered a high-end rayon and is washable in most cases. Quality knit is harder to find in the states. It's very difficult to find high-end natural fibers.

After the trunk show, we were allowed to shop in the back room. The Sawyer Brook inventory is relatively small, but each roll of fabric is of the highest quality. The prices range from $12 - $30 a yard, 58"-60" in width. You will buy fewer yards because the fabric is wide. They have the softest denims and wools. They have any type of lining you might need in any color. The same goes for YKK zippers. They also have a button matching service. Yes, button matching! Barb explained that after working with a customer for awhile, based on the garment, they know what kinds of buttons to suggest. They also have a swatch subscription you can sign up for (at a cost).

I bought one of those soft denims and a cute, delicate conversational print decorated with dressforms. There were about 30 of us. I believe each one of us walked out with a little something in a green bag! In the email, Deepika asked each of us to bring the oldest garment we'd sewn. I didn't bring anything, since my oldest item is probably somewhere in California. However, many women did! One woman brought a wedding dress she'd made. Another brought a shirt she'd made for her son when he was little. There were dresses, christening gowns, aprons and even coats! The ladies of Sawyer Brook were so kind to let us come in and take over for a few hours. They opened the shop especially for us on Saturday -- they are not open on the weekends. Thanks so much, Barb!

After fabric shopping, we went to Meadowbrook Orchards in neighboring Sterling for lunch. There was much more than lunch going on there! I absolutely loved this place! There was a beautiful apple orchard behind the building and two gorgeous willows in front. The restaurant was full of people who'd gone apple picking. The restaurant was decorated like a country kitchen. There was an old farm stove, a potbelly stove heater, and an old-fashioned cash register. (These are all non-functioning, by the way.) We placed our orders before we left SB, so we gathered around and chatted while we waited for our food.

The food was delicious. I had a tomato and cheese sandwich on wheat and Thai chicken soup. Yummy! They make the bread and pastries on site. They also make pies that you can take home and bake! It would have been nice to soak in more of the surroundings, but it was already after 3pm and time to get back home.

All in all, it was a fun day of fabric shopping, sharing, good food and meeting new fabroholic friends. PatternReview will be going to NYC on October 11! If you are looking for the finer fabrics for garments, don't hesitate to check out the Sawyer Brook website! :)

Farewell, Fabric Place :(

Anyone who reads this blog knows how much I shop at Fabric Place! Well, they are going out of business in a few months. Waaaah! Careful when you click on that link, by the way. You get the horrible flyer I got in the mail the other day... the death knell of Fabric Place.

I loved having a place near me where I could browse, look for something specific or dash out at 9pm for the last minute item needed to finish a project. Oh, I am so sad. I knew something was up when I got a yellow one-color flyer instead of a glossy mini-catalog for July and August.

Emmett McCarthy, of Project Runway season 2, was supposed to be featured at an event at the Framingham store in October. I suppose that's no longer on.

There are probably more articles out there on the demise of Fabric Place, but I found this one:

WickedLocal.com: Fabric Place is closing

Hopefully, one of the local quilt shops will take up the slack. I will be compiling a list of fabric shops in the Boston area and posting it soon.

Red Barn Sewing and Yarn

Surprise, surprise. It's raining again in Boston. This is definitely the rainiest summer I've experienced in my 15 years here. I don't know what else to say about it. Grin and bear it, I guess.

Another booth I visited at the Lowell Quilt Festival is Red Barn Sewing and Yarn! How cool is that rhyme? I have visited them every year I've been to the festival. I must admit that I already know the owners, Helen and Linda, so I would visit them anyway. They always have a great set up at the quilt festival.

I have been to their shop as well. It's in Merrimac, MA. It's a bit of a hike, but definitely worth it! They have converted a red barn into a quaint and fabric-packed quilt shop. They also have a great selection of Japanese fabrics as well as sashiko supplies. Linda, Helen, and the other staff members are always very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. I bought some of my fabric there for my Bento Box Christmas Quilt. I hope to take the quilt to the shop for their opinion as I'm putting it together.

I must say that I know Helen and Linda through Danielle (Linda's daughter and Helen's niece. Oh, did I mention Linda and Helen are sisters?). Danielle was our wedding coordinator. I got really lucky when I found her... online! Danielle is the owner of Details Within, a premier wedding planning service. Danielle is a true professional. She knows how to handle the stresses of a wedding day and make it look effortless. She leaves no detail unanswered. She helped my wedding day go off without a hitch. I also helped her at a wedding once upon a time, so I've seen her on both sides! If you are looking for a wedding planner, I highly recommend Danielle.

Lowell Quilt Festival

Hello!

Yes, it's been awhile, as I was reminded by one of my readers last week. Hi DW! :) I've been busy this summer. Since I'm waiting for a thesis director to be assigned to me, I decided to take a Flash class at Massachusetts Collge of Art and Design (MassArt). I made a prototype of my thesis project. Hooray! The project is more concrete in my brain. I suppose I'll have more information on all that later. But basically, it's the reason for my other blog, FlexAIR (which I have not updated for months, by the way). I think I should rename it FlashAIR, since it doesn't look like I'll be using Flex. Anyway.... I finished that and started painting my upstairs bathrom. I thought I would paint it in a day. Hubby used to do this kind of work in another life and had other plans for me, like sanding the walls down first. Oy to the vey. Let's just say I've been doing it for a week and I'm not done yet. I have just the door to do, though, and I'll be finished. I could have finished it today, but I went to the....

Lowell Quilt Festival. There were some really nice quilts there. However, I have to say that the quilts of the 2006 and 2004 festivals were much better. I took so many pictures those years. In fact, in 2004, I went back the second day to get more pictures. I was not too heartbroken that my camera battery died today. I did happen to get the picture of the quilted car cover! How cool is that? It was quilted to advertise the New England Quilt Museum. I got a few pictures of quilts on my cell phone that I will have to figure out how to get on the computer. I don't currently subscribe to the email option on my cell phone, so I'll have to work something out. I took a picture of a really cool double wedding ring quilt. I was surprised it didn't get any awards, as was one woman who also admired the quilt.

There are also lots of vendors at the show. There aren't as many as have been in years past. I think the transportation costs has prevented people from far away from coming. I like to patronize the vendors who've come from so far. I also like finding out about local shops that I can visit.

I will talk about the vendors I visited in upcoming posts. The first vendor I'll share is Fabric Peddlers of Nederland, CO. They are a husband and wife team who have a great rapport. The husband is a bit of a jokester, which keeps things interesting between them, I'm sure. I bought a beautiful Asian fabric. They have some other beautiful Asian fabrics that I'd never seen before. I could have done some damage there, but I bought just one fabric. (I went to the show with a $50 bill and promised myself that I would not spend more than that -- including the $12 admission and $5 parking). They also had beautiful Aboriginal Australian fabric and batiks. I guess the Aboriginal fabrics are becoming popular or I'm behind the times. Lots of vendors had them, so the latter is probably true.

Note... I will post the picture of the car cover after charging the camera!

Road Trip!

Hubby and I are off to Montreal for a few days to take in some jazz, food, and museums. I am taking along my Quilter's Travel Companion so we can check out quilt shops along the way. Won't Hubby be excited about that? On the way home, we will definitely swing by the hallowed Keepsake Quilting in Center Harbor, NH. I am still searching for fabric for the Bento Box quilt. I hope to find the rest of them there! I'll give a full report upon our return.

Candlelite Quilts

I've been searching high and low for fabric for my Bento Box Christmas Quilt (BBCQ). I went to the New England Quilt Museum this afternoon in search of a print or two. I asked the ladies there if they had any Christmas fabric. Not yet! However, I did manage to get the "Quilter's Travel Companion". It's like a "yellow pages" for quilt shops in the US and Canada. It also has listings of quilt shows, too. It's new for 2008. How cool is this? I bought it so I can look for new shops, because I'm having a hard time finding fabric. I was really only looking for shops in Massachusetts, but this can't hurt, right? I also have an idea for a little project. More on that later.

While I was there, I also purchased "The Quilter's Catalog - A Comprehensive Resource Guide". It is full of information on everything quilting. It has information on tools, fabric, notions, collecting quilts, quilt photography, quilt shows -- the works!

I was telling the ladies at the NEQM that I was having trouble finding fabric. They suggested I go to Candlelite Quilts in Chelmsford. Chelmsford! Where is that? She mentioned 495, and passing Route 3 and then Route 110. Quite foreign to me. Anyway, Hubby is out golfing today, so I figured, "why not?" I am quite glad I did. Candlelite Quilts makes its home in a cute little cottage surrounded by a white picket fence. Candlelite Quilts has a great selection of fabric. The pinks, browns, blues, and reds, florals, polka dots, and prints are fabulous! The staff is really nice and they didn't hesitate at all when I asked for their opinion on fabric choices. I bought two fabrics for the BBCQ, two other fabrics I liked and two Candlelite Quilt mugs.

They also feature designs for wool applique, redwork, and rug punching. There was a class on using a new type of quilting ruler going on when I arrived. Too bad I didn't make it there earlier! Candlelite Quilts is definitely a keeper! I'll return the next time I'm shopping for a project.

Christmas Quilt

image from www.traceybrookshier.com

I found my Christmas quilt pattern! I was surfing the web last night and found the classic Bento Box quilt by Tracey Brookshier. I've seen several versions of this pattern and I fell in love with it instantly. It's not really a Christmas design, but making it in Christmas fabrics will work. Also, I need something I can whip up right away. I went to FP today and bought three fabrics. I think altogether I need 8-10 different fabrics for the quilt. I will be making a wall hanging. I have a place all set in my living room.

Eggceptional Potholder!

How cute is this little potholder? It's like a mitten for cooking! I found the pattern at one of my favorite haunts, the New England Quilt Museum. The pattern is called Potholder Ladybug by EmmaCreation Arts and Crafts. I didn't use the fabric that came with it, though. The part with the eggs was supposed to be sashiko instead. Though sashiko is one of my favorite pasttimes, I wasn't super fond of the pattern. How could I resist the new twist, anyway, after seeing the egg fabric at Fabric Place?

The bottom right is a little wonky. I doubled the thermal batting and it made the laters a little too thick. I am glad for the extra batting, though. No heat gets through this baby! Next time, I'll trim that. I will do a pattern review at some point. It's fairly easy. I whipped this up in a couple of hours. There is a loop at the very top that came out surprisingly well. I hope I can duplicate that!

Yes, I spend way too much time at Fabric Place. I was there last weekend because hubby wanted to go to a sports store in the same mall. How convenient! I was good, though. I didn't buy anything. My next quilt project will be a Christmas quilt. I am not going to buy anymore fabric unless it's for that project. We'll just see about that!

In the Mood

Mood Fabrics is a place I always visit when I go to NYC. You may already know that the designers of Project Runway shop there. I've been to NYC a couple of times during the taping of PR, but I have yet to be there when the designers are there! That would be fab. Meeting Tim would be fab, too. I was watching PR reruns the other night and I saw a couple of employees that I had just seen when I was there. I'm such a geek.

I can't even say how much fabric I've bought there. I have bought Marc Jacobs fabric and Oscar de la Renta fabric there, too. I know that only because one of the employees have told me so. I was also complimented on my fabric choices as well. What can I say? I am a Material Girl. That is so overused, I know, but that really does describe me.

One of the cool things about it is that you get to the 3rd floor of 225 W. 37th Street via an old-fashioned elevator with elevator operators. How often does that happen? They used to have them at the old Ritz-Carlton on Arlington Street (which is now Taj Boston), but I don't know if they still do that. For those of you who are shocked that there is no longer a Ritz in Boston, not to worry: Ritz-Carlton Boston Common.

If you love fabric, Mood really is the place to go. You can get denim, knits, silk, leather, tweed, wool, upholstery -- you name it. I can't do the selection justice here. During the last trip I saw a sign that read "No more samples of Pucci fabric"!! Pucci? See, this place is cool. I am a woven cotton girl, myself. I have yet to venture into the world of knit or silk. I will one of these days. I want to order this book so I can start practicing.

So, what did I get at Mood? I was intrigued by the polka dot print. I love how the polka dots are randomly scattered. You don't see that too often. I think it would be cute for a handbag or a summer top. How about the Ann Taylor top below in that print with the bow in a solid? The picture is from the Harper's Bazaar (Smart shopping). I was unable to find the top on AnnTaylor.com, however




I thought the black fabric would make nice pillows for my guest room. It is not done yet, but it's working on a French theme.

The last PR season, I saw for a quick second Christian carrying around a canvas Mood shopping bag. You notice minutiae like that when you've seen the episodes as many times as I have. I asked if they had any and they did! They even had one with the LA store's address. I had to have NYC, of course. You can order them online.

I will share more Mood acquisitions in later posts!

Direction - The International Textile Design Show

In a previous post, I mentioned that I am starting my textile design business. I met the artist and clothing designer, Sigrid Olsen, at a talk she gave at the Peabody Essex Museum awhile back. I told her about my plans, and she suggested I attend Direction, which is exactly what I did this week. Hubby and I got up super early so I could catch the 6:20 am (!!) Acela out of Back Bay Station. I arrived at Penn Station at around 9:45 or so.

The show was held at the Penn Plaza Pavilion, which is just across 7th Avenue from Madison Square Garden and Penn Station. Upon first glance, the show was smaller than I'd expected. But, I wasn't disappointed. I got my badge and went upstairs to the booths. Each booth housed a design shop that presented its wares to buyers. Basically, the buyers walk around, choose a booth, introduce themselves and have a seat. Design shop reps show them their fabric designs one-by-one. The buyers choose the ones they like and the reps set them aside. I saw some people taking orders, which is the ultimate goal, of course. I do hear that the textile design business is a tough one, but just about everyone was really nice.

I talked with a few people and showed them my portfolio from my U4ia class at MassArt (Massachusetts Collge of Art and Design). I got kudos from everyone on the presentation :) and I got some good critique on my work as well. Of course, they were not there to help me get started, they were there to do busines for themselves, so I do appreciate those who took the time to talk with me.

There were so many beautiful designs. There are truly talented artists out there who are doing this work. I am not an artist, per se, but I do have an eye for design, and I think I can do well. I talked with a few students from FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in NYC. They were part of the "Forward Leap" section of the show, in which students from several schools displayed their work. The FIT students were all in a one-year textile design program. I'd already read about that program and have been wanting to do it since I found out about it! It was interesting to see their work. There are so many people who want to do this work, I've discovered. Still, I'm not deterred just yet.

There were forecasters as well. Forecasters do a lot of research to determine what the "in" thing will be the next season. They forecast style, motifs, themes, and colors, among other things. This must be a big business, because although they were out-numbered by the design houses, they were well represented. There was also a booth on fashion inspiration, Studio C Vintage. Reps from such companies travel the world to gather vintage clothing and fabric and sell them to fashion and design houses. They do insure that their items are in the public domain, so if you do base something on an item, you are safe legally. The idea is to use these pieces as inspiration, not to directly copy them. The rep there was so nice and helpful. She looked at my book, carefully, and really gave me some good points. She is a Cali girl, like myself. We have to stick together! Should I need some vintage inspiration, I will definitely use their service.

I attended a seminar given by Steve Greenberg of Pointcarre. Pointcarre is a textile design software package. He demonstrated what to do with a print once you've purchased it. If you own a print, you can manipulate it in anyway you wish, by removing or adding motifs or changing colors, for example. I used U4ia, as I mentioned, which took some getting used to (and that's putting it mildly). Pointcarre is much more intuitive.

I spoke with Steve after his talk. He told me that U4ia is no longer being distributed. (It looks like Lectra, the U4ia vendor, now markets a product called Kaledo.) Well! I was told a U4ia license costs thousands of dollars, so that doesn't surprise me. The FIT students all used Adobe Illustrator for their work, which is much less expensive, comparatively speaking. Of course, Illustrator can be used for all types of design, so there are limitations when using it for textile design. Pointcarre is specifically for textile design. I got the impression that it is quite expensive as well. Being a programmer myself, I have an idea of what goes into writing such a package, and I can't say I blame them at all.

What is a visit to NYC without a visit to Mood? More on that in the next post!

Views from the Stash #1

Hello! I have a lot of fabric in my stash, as Sharona and my husband can attest to. This is the first post of many in which I will share some of my favorites from my stash. If you've been reading along, you know I shop at Fabric Place. It's the closest fabric store to me that has a wide selection. They also have seconds of fashion and upholstery. The fabric I'm featuring this post is Carmen from Alexander Henry (circa 2004) that I bought on sale :) . The designers at Alexander Henry are among the best! I bought 3 yards of Carmen. It has a very large repeat. The longest Carmen is about 13" and there are four of them! It was a sentimental purchase -- it reminds me of a bedspread I had as a child that featured a conversational print with old Hollywood stars like Carmen Miranda, Laurel and Hardy, Marilyn Monroe, etc. You'll see that I love conversational prints.

Any ideas on what I should do with this fabric?

Notes on "Super Quick + Easy Baby Quilt"

(Photo from PurlSoho.com.)

I promised a few notes on the "Super Quick + Easy Baby Quilt" from Joelle Hoverson's "Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts" . The link will take you to a listing of two of Joelle's books that she sells on her website, PurlSoho.com. More on PurlSoho later. But for now, definitely check it out. It's one of my regular NYC haunts. Hi, Joelle!!

I thought I could square the fabric by folding it, but it doesn't work! Open out the entire piece of fabric before squaring.

When you are sewing the two pieces of fabric (right sides) together, do not start at a corner. Start in the middle of one of the sides. You will then turn it right-side out through the opening.

Joelle suggested tacking the quilt by machine by sewing the tacks in a row, without cutting the thread until you reach the end of a row. This works, but be sure to leave plenty of slack in the thread in between tacks. I did not do this initially. There was too much tension and the tacks didn't come out as I liked. I was using an oval shaped satin stitch. In some places, the tacks were smaller than they should have been. I had to take them all out and do them over!

Use a contrasting fabric pen or pencil to mark ties. Practice on scrap fabric before doing this on the quilt. You want to make sure your stitching covers the mark... even though it will eventually wash out.

Speaking of washing, I like washing my fabric first. I use a tiny bit of detergent and no fabric softener. I don't let the fabric dry completely -- it's easier to press the wrinkles out. I read online (in About.com, I think) that you can make a diagonal cut on the corners to prevent fraying. Seems to work. Just don't cut too much off! The smaller your fabric, the smaller your quilt!

Check the quilting distance on the batting package. The batting I used suggested tacking every 2"-4", so I tacked every 4". It is quite a bit even though the quilt is small. I used Poly-fil Extra Loft Batting, even though that was not in the supply list! I love thick batting on quilts.

I enjoyed the pattern. It doesn't take too long, but all those tacks! Did I mention that I had to do 81 tacks, twice?? The quilt came out really cute, though! It's best for newborns, since it's not that big. I hope to make another one for another little boy who just came into the world.

You can see a picture of the quilt here.

Quilt for a Cure

Today I participated in "Quilt for a Cure," sponsored by Fabric Place. Each year, Fabric Place sponsors this event in which sewers volunteer to put together a quilt. The quilt is later raffled off and the funds go to supporting breast cancer research. They usually have us make blocks for two quilts, but this year, we made one quilt and tote bags with matching pillows for chemotherapy patients to use when they go on their appointments. I think that was a great and thoughtful idea. What's even better, is that they can be used right away. The quilt tops are finished the same day, but getting them quilted takes awhile.

This was my 5th year participating. Attending this event in 2004 is what got my quilting juices jumpstarted. I had always wanted to quilt, but just hadn't done it. I'd been sewing off and on for years, but this event got me back on track. Thanks, Fabric Place!