Opus Tweet

Opus Tweet

Our next Block of the Month

We have had a lot of success with our Block of the Month programs, especially our applique projects.  The last few quilts have turned out so magnificent that we searched far and wide for something new and exciting.  From Australia comes Opus Tweet, an adorable design from Helen Stubbings at Hugs and Kisses. 

Dotty will once again coordinate this block of the month,  and the colors shown will be different (however if there are some who like the color combination shown we may make it available as well.)  Opus Tweet is an applique project - but one that can be done in any method of applique that you choose.  While Dotty teaches needle turn, Sarah teaches classes in machine applique and I am going to try using the special applique paper from hugs and kisses.   A little bit of hand embroidery finishes the blocks.

We are taking names for those interested in this BOM and official sign ups (with prices that we need to convert to American dollars) will be available by next week, along with any other details to share.

Stop in, call or email to reserve a spot in this brand new Block of the Month that will start in February!   

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Quilt Market Recap

We had a wonderful, productive time in Houston at the annual International Quilt Market.  Just about everyone involved in the quilting industry is there - fabric designers and manufacturers, pattern makers, distributors, notions companies, authors, publishers, press and of course shop owners.  We have a day of all day demos and previews at the annual Schoolhouse.  The following three days find the market floor open for us to see everything, connect with people and order for the coming months (or year).

We were treated to wonderful show and tells from our favorite quilters, such as Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably

Eleanor Burns had some exciting new things to share with us.  (What, you ask?)

Pam Vieira-McGinnis, aka Pam Kitty Morning, showed of the cutest bag she made out of her newest fabric collection Pam Kitty Picnic.  This new line is wonderful and due in to StitchCraft in November!

Do you recognize this talented quilter?  Find out who she is and why I am smiling and hanging around her booth this Saturday, at our Quilt Market Recap at 1:00 pm.    We will show you all of the exciting trends and tips that we saw at market, along with a preview of what fabrics, notions, tools, patterns and clubs are coming to StitchCraft.  We will have refreshments and some giveaways to some lucky guests. See you Saturday!

Hard to keep up with the online shop, there is so much that is new!

Our wonderful delivery guys have been bringing us boxes of wonderfulness every day these past few weeks! Each afternoon we gather around the big cartons with anticipation to see what will temp everyone next. We haven't been able to get everything on the online shop yet, but we thought we'd give you a visual so you can stop in and shop or call if you are not in South Florida.

The Giggles line from Me and My Sisters Designs for Moda.  We have the ENTIRE collection, along with precuts (although those are going quickly).  As always, these designs are all vibrant colors and prints in all scales, which make for use in so many of our favorite quilt and project patterns.

These are amazing new fabrics from Tim Holtz.  If you have ever done scrapbooking or mixed media then you certainly know Tim Holtz and his cool design style.  This is his first collection, and hopefully not his last!  Yardage and precuts available.

New fabric from Marisa at Creative Thursday.  She is one of our favorites for many reasons.  Her illustrations are adorable and she is one savvy and creative lady!

A large modified Hocus Focus with new Blooms fabric.

Another Hocus Focus with our favorite woodland creatures (those are hedgehogs in the border!!)

Batiks, batiks and a few more batiks have come in - one more vibrant and delicious than the next.  And they will keep coming!  Come visit again to see what's new, stop by the shop, click on the website, or call us.  Whatever you do, stay creative!!

StitchCraft's Annual Challenge 2013

This free slideshow design personalized with Smilebox

It's been quite a while since we posted a blog post - and of course it has always been a goal to write fun, informative and witty posts on a very regular basis.  We'll get there!

In the meantime if you have been in touch with StitchCraft at all in the last few weeks you may be familiar with all of the good things going on.  We had the arrival of the Quilt Sampler magazine - and how exciting was it to be on the cover!!

The deadline for entries in our annual StitchCraft Challenge was September 3rd and at last count we had 74 people turn in finished projects - all using the challenge fabric in unique and different ways.  Wait until you see what was created - we will be creating and posting a slide show soon!

(This was the challenge fabric - Brandon Mably's St. Clements)

We will celebrate the challenge tomorrow at 2:30 - 6:00 with a display of all entries and some tea!

We have been adding to the calendar and planning a fun 4th quarter!  Beginning quilting classes are filling up quickly - no surprise to those of us who just LOVE it!   Beginning Hand Applique is back on the schedule by popular demand.  A great technique to learn - portable for holiday travels (and for me when I am entertaining company and can't sneak off to my sewing room I can sit with a project on my lap and keep my hands busy.) 

We will have a Pillow Case Sewing Party to benefit the wonderful ConKerr Cancer organization.  They bring pillow cases to children in the hospital.  It's a wildly popular program and is one that can benefit kids in our own backyard.  Many of the pediatric centers in the area welcome the pillowcases for their young patients, including West Boca Medical Center.   On Friday, October 18th in our classroom we will have an all-day event.  We will have some kits ready to sew - and will need people to help in all areas - cutting, pinning, pressing, sewing.  If you have some happy, extra fabric suitable for kids please bring it along.  If not, we will have some donated from the shop.   More info will be up on our website.  If you can't join us in October, we are an official drop off location for finished pillow cases, so you can make some up on your own and drop them off.  Need a free pattern for the pillow cases?  Visit the ConKerr Cancer website for a pattern and info on their organization.

  Are you still reading?  I could go on and on with all that is coming in and being planned but I'll save it for another post.  You'll definitely want to come back and visit here again, as I have lot's more to share!

Be creative!!

All Bobbins are NOT Created Equal

We learn new things all of the time - especially in a hobby industry that is always growing and expanding in creativity and technology.  And sometimes it is the simple things that we never knew about that gives us that 'ah, ha' moment and a simple new bit of knowledge makes our crafty lives a little better!

I am talking about bobbins.  

They are not all created equal. 

A very creative customer came into the shop with her high end machine to see the repair man about poor stitching and 'birds nesting'.  I checked it out (and no, I am not the repair person), opened up the bobbin cover, and pulled out an old metal bobbin.  There was the issue - a simple fix - but one that so many sewers and quilters face, not knowing that just because a bobbin fits in your bobbin case, it may not be the optimum fit and most efficient for your type of machine. (Do not always believe the packages of generic bobbins at the big box retailers that say they are universal or fit most machines.

Know your machines' recommended bobbin - it will save you save you the possibility of machine problems, messy projects and creative frustration.  We all love the many gadgets and accessories available for our machines - many are very expensive.  A couple of bobbins for your machine may cost you less than a package of gum and it will be a dollar well spent!

Happy sewing and quilting!