New Year’s Resolution for 2015:
Mindful Sewing

The first week of 2015 has already slipped by! When each new year falls upon us, I think human nature dictates that we reflect and respond to the past as we push into the future. New Year’s resolutions tend to be the biggest outlet for those thoughts.

As quilters who thrive on sewing, a lot of us have very specific resolutions directed at our art/craft. Many resolutions tend to be goal-oriented with a specific outcome, such as “I will complete a quilt a month”, ” I will participate in two swaps this year”, “I will learn three new techniques”, or my personal favorite, “I will finish every project I start.” (Ha!) The resolutions start to read like a to-do list or a set of rules. Pretty soon, sewing becomes an obligation rather than a pleasurable experience.

Goals and guidelines are important, but so is the inherent reason for why we all sew. The most important resolution for me is to engage in mindful sewing: to truly be present in my approach and do my best work, inside and out. I made a list with a more do-what-you-love, love-what-you-do approach. Here’s sticking to these resolutions this year!

– Unless sewing is your job, quotas do not matter. No one is keeping score.

– If you don’t love it, don’t finish it. Change the pattern. Cut it up and turn it into a different quilt, or a pillow, or a bag. Straying away from an original design isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a mark of creative genius!

– If you don’t love it, don’t buy it. No one cares if you got “that” fabric first. If it runs out, new pretty things are on the way.

– You don’t have to cut up your favorite fabric. It is still waiting for its moment.

– Don’t forget to make something for yourself.

– Challenge yourself. Not sure how to use “Marsala” for 2015? See if you can’t incorporate it into a quilt or a project! Haven’t tried paper piecing yet? Go for it!

– You really can mix up that fat quarter bundle. It’s okay, I promise!

– Sign your work or do something special to make it your own.

Happy stitchy 2015!

What sewing goals or wishes do you have for the New Year?

The RST Guide to Freezer Paper Templates

The word template used to send a shiver down my spine. Who wants all of that fuss and muss?! Any fussy cutting. Forget it! Then Lauren and I got our hands on Elizabeth Hartman’s Patchwork City for Lauren’s book review and I just had to give it a try. Elizabeth goes into more detail in her book, but here is a little taste to get you started!

Gather your materials –

Small scale prints work best but some larger prints can be worked in. This is a great stash buster. I picked a couple of pieces to fussy cut.

You will also need freezer paper, a pencil, an erasable pen, and your basic quilty tools.

Find your pattern piece for the block you are working on and trace it onto the tracing paper. The shiny side should be down and you will make your marks on the matte side.

Cut your pieces out with paper scissors and press the template with a hot iron onto the right side of your fabric, shiny side down. The shiny film will gently adhere the template to your fabric.

The template does not include your 1/4 inch seam allowance. Using your quilt ruler, add 1/4 inch like shown and cut out your fabric with the template in place.

Using your erasable pen (I like Frixion pens, she uses water soluble markers) mark a point at each corner of your template onto the fabric.

After you have your points marked you can remove the freezer paper. Don’t throw it away! They will still stick after a few more uses!

Line up the dots as instructed in the pattern and stitch a 1/4 inch seam. Press and continue like you normally do when constructing a quilt block.

This is the finished result of half of her Duplex block (page 36). The roof is perfect thanks to the freezer paper templates. I fussy cut the little chef for the bottom half of the block.

Perfect piecing! Yeah!

Tools of the Trade: Simplicity EZ Quilting Mini Rulers!

A few weeks back, Simplicity was nice enough to give us each about a billion EZ Quilting Mini-Rulers just to see what we would do with them. I’d imagine it’s kind of like handing a small child something fancy like a spatula or an iPhone, and not really expecting to get anything back beyond drool. I might have tried to eat them first, but after little success I started using them for cutting… and hey, they work!

These little guys are adorable, perfect for designing small quilt blocks and projects. Designed by quilting maven Darlene Zimmerman, they come with non-slip backs and a little keychain so you can easily hang them up to store (or, alternatively, dangle them from your rear-view mirror while you peel out of the Trader Joe’s parking lot). They come in all the major angles and shapes as well as some funky ones for improv piecing.

Rhonda and I set out to perform an experiment: we would each make a block using the rulers, but we could not confer even one little bit on what we were making. My style tends to be more modern-traditionalist (I like geometric patterns and traditional blocks with modern twists), while Rhonda tends to be more improvisational. Here’s what we made with the rulers, and here’s why we’ll be using them again and again as part of our quilting toolbox.

Lauren

With the holidays coming up, I decided to make a wintery star/snowflake-themed block. I chose some modern fabrics in whites and metallics, including Ellen Baker double gauze and some Cotton+Steel.

Then to the cutting. I gravitated right away to the Mini 45° Diamond, which I knew I could use to make an eight-pointed star, and I used the Mini Companion Angle to cut out the negative space for the corners. I wanted some other little bursts as well, so I actually cheated (sorry, Simplicity!) and extended the sides of the Mini 30° Triangle so that it would be a bit bigger and then cut out those four triangles for the extra points. The Mini 60° Triangle made up the rest of the negative space on either side of those points.

Piecing the block was easy, and I really appreciated having some of the little “dog ears” already cut off. If you look carefully (PLEASE DO NOT LOOK CAREFULLY) you’ll probably notice that I had some difficulty sewing on the bias with double gauze. I was afraid to rip seams out too much and risk tearing the fabric, so my points could definitely be better. Should have thought that one through, but the gold was so pretty! Then I hand-quilted some designs around the star with metallic floss, and bound it with more yummy Ellen Baker. Voila! A holiday mug rug. I can’t wait to keep experimenting with the diamonds and triangles to see what else I can create!

Rhonda

Improvisational patchwork and specialty rulers are not normally something you would talk about in the same conversation. Improv is usually a pretty basic-tools-only, work-intuitively, and get-it-done way to approach a quilt. I chose the Mini Crazy Quilt ruler because it gives you a starting point for a interesting block that can lend itself to a very modern, wonky aesthetic.

The Crazy Quilt Ruler is an irregular shape that starts as the base for the block. I attached strips of different widths (1-2.5 inches). Scraps work really well for this. A jelly roll would be appropriate, too.

I chose fabric in the Irome Summer colorway, which has a pretty yet scrappy look when you put it all together. Instead of randomly attaching pieces like a true crazy quilt, I sewed strips around the base piece in a clockwise log-cabin fashion. I used smaller strips on the first two rows and the widest on the outside. The improv feel comes when you just dig into your fabric and don’t worry much about what fabric goes where. Just roll with it. It was really nice to have a structured starting point and a more laid-back process. This could make a really cute mini-block as small as four inches. My finished block was 6.5 inches. That is just when I decided I was done.

And can I just say, it only took me a few minutes to make this sweet little block. I now plan to do a 6.5-inch block of each of the four seasons (since Irome comes in all four), making it a four-patch, 12-inch block. Good thing it goes quick; I am addicted!

Have you made any projects with the EZ Quilting line of tools? If so, share a link to your quilt below!

Industry Spotlight – Kokka Fabric Japan

Kokka Fabric is a lifestyle brand one of the most iconic Japanese textile companies in the industry. Japanese import fabrics used to be difficult to find and had a sort of cult following. Their fabric is getting more accessible and they have some fabulous substrates to sew with to get outside of the quilt cotton box. Here is a glimpse of what they have to offer and a peek at their awesome and unique aesthetic (it goes way beyond Hello Kitty, but yes, they have that too!).

Double Gauze

Double gauze is two fine layers of lightweight cotton, woven on a loom at the same time (double weave), with individual threads that join together at intervals to form a two ply cloth. The finished fabric is lightweight and drapey, but still substantial enough to incorporate into quilts, garments and fashion accessories. Lauren has a great post on sewing with double gauze here.

Nani Iro is a Japanese label for Kokka designed by Naomi Ito. Her prints have a beautiful watercolor quality that look like pieces of artwork that don’t need to be assembled into a finished sewing project. They lend well to simple design and minimal structure, which means easy sewing with a lot of gratification!

Nani Iro Double Gauze (All photos via Kokka Japan)

Cotton/Linen Canvas

Cotton/Linen Canvas is another substrate that Kokka has mastered. Cotton is easy to work with and the addition of linen adds texture and makes for a sturdy fabric. This blend is great for bags and home decor projects.

The Echino label by Etsuko Furuya features vibrant colors and graphic natural elements. Her aesthetic is very modern and artsy. Her prints also work well together in each consecutive line making Echino a great stash fabric for enthusiastic bag sewists!

Cotton Sateen

Cotton sateen is one of the newest substrates I have worked with from Kokka. Sateen has a silky polished surface that is created in the weaving process. It is a smooth, drapey fabric that sews like quilt cotton but looks absolutely delicious sewn into special garments.

The Echino label has a large selection of cotton sateen prints. I can’t wait to see what comes out next with this fabric!

The RST Holiday Gift Guide for the Crafty

You’re already making your list of things to sew for holiday gifts. You’re checking it twice. In true holiday spirit, you’re probably uttering profanities under your breath when you think of all you have left to do. Meanwhile, people are starting to ask what you might want, or you’re thinking about all of your crafty friends who you’re fairly certain do not want another mug rug because everyone in your guild makes a mug rug every year and HOW MANY MUG RUGS DOES ONE PERSON NEED.

Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with our RST Holiday Gift Guide for the ~~Selfish~~ Crafty. You’ve probably seen the totally amazing handmade gift guides out there, but we wanted to try something new and give you some ideas for… well, you. We’re sweet like that. Print this out, leave it in a conspicuous location, and BOOM: done. (Or, if you have a crafty person on your shopping list, check out our suggestions!) While there are a few big-ticket items, most are very reasonably priced and perfect for stocking stuffers. There’s sure to be something on here guaranteed to make you or the makers in your life very happy indeed!

Gifts for Sewing Noobs

1. Clover Wonder Clips. $6.95 for a pack of 10.
2. Clover magnetic pin caddy. $16.25.
3. Clover desk needle threader. $16.25
4. Seam Fix seam ripper and thread remover. $6.99.
5. Gingher 8″ knife-edge dressmaker’s shears. $30.
6. School of Sewing by Shea Henderson. $24.95. (Read our review!)

Gifts for Quilters

1. Clover Kuroha thread clippers. $16.75.
2. Roxette thimble from Colonial Needle. $19.95. (Fitting instructions here.)
3. Flatter smoothing spray by Soak. $12 for 8.4 oz. bottle
4. Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton Solids Patchwork City fat quarter bundle in Winter. $69.95 at your LQS.
5. John James easy-threading needles. (Perfect for burying threads.) $1.79.
6. Right Sides Together “Speed Demon” V-neck tee. $24.

Gifts for Garment Sewists

1. Pilot Frixion heat-erasable pens. $2.98 each.
2. Juki 734DE serger. $769.
3. Soak fiber wash in Yuzu. $10 for 3 oz. bottle.
4. Merchant and Mills Bamboo Point Turner. $7.
5. Swedish sewable tracing paper. $10.99 per roll.

Gifts for Stitchy Kids

1. Penguin and Fish animal hand embroidery kits. $18.
2. Namaste “Oh, Snap!” mesh bag set. $21.
3. A Kid’s Guide to Sewing by Sophie Kerr with Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr. $21.95.
4. Gingher 7″ lightweight bent trimmers. $15.
5. Pilot Frixion heat-erasable pen set in assorted colors. $15.98.

For the Sewist with Everything

1. Right Sides Together “Deep Throat” unisex crew. $24.
2. Gold-plated Roxanne thimble. $54.29.
3. Tutto Machine on Wheels $190 to $240.
4. Oliso Pro Smart iron with iTouch technology. $199.
5. The Little Spark: 30 Ways to Ignite Your Creativity by Carrie Bloomston. $19.95.
6. Gingher rotary cutter. $70.

What crafty items are on your shopping list this holiday season?