Denim Quilts, Sewing & Stitchery Expo

Who doesn't love denim?  It stands up to all kinds of abuse from wear.  Denim is fun to sew, although I admit that sometimes several layers can be thick and challenging.  That's when you need the strong SCHMETZ Denim needle which has the reinforced blade.  Plus there's another little tool that's terrific for sewing over those dense flat fell seams - Luveta Nickels' Jean-A-Ma-Jig.  

Last year at the 2010 Sewing & Stitchery Expo Friday was designated as Recycled Denim Day.  Luveta Nickels of The Junk Jeans People and I saw hundreds of denim projects.  Nearly 300 people, dropped by the SCHMETZ booth for their picture with the SCHMETZ "Super" Needle - you know like our very own Oscar's program!.  Lots of beautiful jackets, totes, vests, fabulous embroidered jeans and even a denim doggie diaper... indeed a wide spectrum of sewing projects and lots of pictures were taken.  If you missed them go back to this blog's archive - April to May and sprinkled throughout the blog -  to see pictures from the SCHMETZ booth.

Kris Rowe - from Montana - dropped by the SCHMETZ booth to say hi.  She too loves denim, but her projects were just too large to bring to the show.  So, she did the next best thing - took pictures.  Take a look at one of her masterful denim quilts.  She create quilts for gifts while capturing the recipient's interests - football, snowboarding, family and more.  Thank you Kris for sharing your love of denim and sewing!  I hope to see you again next month at the Sewing  and Stitchery Expo. 

Check the Sewing and Stitchery Expo website and blog for an announcement next week for a very special show project.  This year I'll be in the Creative DRAWing booth.  I'll have more information on the Sewing and Stitchery Expo project in my next post.

Check out these sites:
http://www.sewingandstitcheryexpo.blogspot.com/
http://www.sewexpo.com/
http://www.creative-drawings.com/

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"Double Eye" Dare You

Did you know that SCHMETZ has a needle with two eyes? 

Yes, the Double Eye needle.  Just like the name says, a needle with two eyes - one eye on top of another eye.  The Double Eye is terrific for texturing and shading.  I have found this needle most successful with straight stitches and the decorative stitches already built into my machines.  There are two helpful hints to using this needle:   Your thread spools should unwind in opposite directions and . . .

Slow down! 
Reduce Your Sewing Speed!

Here's a terrific sample of "stitching in the ditch" using the
 Double Eye needle.  The sample was created by
Bridget Wilson Matlock from TN. 



Stitching in the Ditch using...



Yellow and a Variegated Blue Threads



Stitches are more pronounced with the Double Eye.  Try the Double Eye needle with different thread colors or even different types of threads.  Have some fun!  I "Double Eye" dare you! 

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Home for the Holidays... At Home with Quilts

Home for the holidays ... well at least with my heart in this 2010 holiday season!  Last July I went home to Nebraska for a family reunion and had the pleasure of meeting the Crazy Quilt Guild, lead by Linda Clements and Janet Prior, owner of Prior's Fabrics.  They organized an evening of show & tell and I gave a SCHMETZ needle presentation.  The evening worked out beautifully despite a tornado warning.  The ladies, young & young in spirit, brought quilts that they lovingly made.  And some of the girls even brought their 4-H projects soon to go on to competition at the Chase County Fair.  Take a look at these wonderful quilts from the great plains of Nebraska. . . .




Thank you ladies for the warm welcome and sharing your quilts.  Seeing your quilts and hearing your quilt stories made my heart swell with enthusiasm for the love of our hobby.

I'll be back next year with more stories from my travels, some of my misadventures with sewing and a few new products you will want to try.  So hurry up and finish your 2010 projects, so you can make a fresh start on your 2011 sewing projects!
Happy New Year!
Sew SCHMETZ!
Rhonda

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A World of Good Wishes

If you sew chances are good that you also dabble in a few other hobbies.  I am not a scrapbooker, but for nearly 15 years my dabbling has been close by being the custodian of family contacts - keeping track of aunts, uncles and cousins on my Mom's side of the family.  Don't use fabric or thread here, but a few sewing tools and stash items sure are imperative.  Here's what I do...

Choose a beautiful Christmas or holiday card.  I combine birthdays and anniversaries in a running list, then dedicate one page per family with mailing addresses and other contact information.  Most of the time I need to trim standard 8/5" x 11" paper to fit the card, so I use the Roll The Gold Titanium Blades.  These blades cut slick... on paper and fabric! 

Roll The Gold
45mm Titanium Rotary Replacement Blades

I fold the family info sheets and secure them in the card with ribbon from my stash.  Plus this year I found cute little 3D poinsettias to further embellish the sheets.

Ribbon From The Stash

Yesterday I combined 18 Christmas cards with the family address book.  Since all the supplies were handy, this project took about 4 hours - printing the address sheets took the longest chunk of time.  Christmas cards are in the mail and will hopefully make their destinations in time for Christmas. 



SCHMETZ Needles,
Iris Pins, Roll The Gold

On behalf of http://www.schmetzneedles.com/ I wish you a very merry holiday season. . . . .  And during the hustle and bustle when you are in need of a little "quiet" time, sit down at your sewing machine and remember SCHMETZ needles make your sewing projects sooooo much better!

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Let It Snow . . .

Last weekend Chicago land - which is where I live - was blanketed with a beautiful white and fluffy snow.  I just could not stop myself . . .  Since becoming a photo bug I bundled up to take pictures of the glistening wonderland before the wind had a chance to change the winter scape.  Take a look...

Snow Covered Berries

I adore the red berries on this tree.  Some of the berries are nearly translucent from the freezing temperature.  When I looked at the whole tree against the snow background my first thought was translating it into embroidery.  Wouldn't this pic make a beautiful embroidered block?  Wouldn't this be spectacular on a white Ultrasuede, which I recently found  in my stash.  Something to ponder.....

Limelight Hydrangea

This summer I planted 8 Limelight Hydrangea.  To say they were magnificent is an understatement.  For new plantings the blooms were impressive - robust and full.  . . . .  I'm imagining next year's growth . . .  but to get back on track I love the way snow created domes on the blooms.  Now I'm wondering how I can translate these regal snow globes into embroidery.  Any ideas?  I better start collecting white, silver and iridescent threads.

Dogwoods

With the dogwoods I love the snow resting gracefully on the red branches.  Hey, I think this could be a very cool 10" embroidery block.  Well it looks like I have the beginning of an Ultrasuede quilt or at least an embroidery series, but first...

. . . . I better finish another project I started during Thanksgiving. During last weekend's snow storm I squared up my embroidered blocks using the Roll The Gold blades. Have you tried them yet? Smooth as butter, these blades cut effortlessly. With the Titanium coating they last a long time, but I like that I can cut faster and more accurately. The 45 mm blades - they are sold in 2 and 10 packs - work with all the rotary cutters found in my drawer - Olfa, Clover, Dritz, etc.

 

I'm taking a few days off for the holiday.  Hopefully I can finish a couple projects and start some new ones.  You know how it is... always creating in my mind and hopefully . .  with my hands.

 

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Thankful for Cleaning A Closet?

Yesterday afternoon I had an unexpected burst of energy.  Ever lingering on my "To Do" list was clean the guest room closet.  This is where I keep my clothes that don't quite fit at the moment - but I'm certain they will next season, and a cadre of sewing supplies in pretty red plaid boxes, patterns, fabrics and other mysteries.  I just dug right in and started cleaning and organizing.  Surprisingly I found a lovely white on white cotton fabric that originally I bought for a quilt backing, but it was a little short. 



One of 20 Stippled Janome Motifs

 I love sewing and have been using a Janome 11000.  This machine is also an embroidery machine and has 24 built-in 4" x 4" motifs on a stippled background.  For some reason multi-tasking was the mode of my day.  If I have to clean I should reward myself with embroidery.  Right!  I cut up the white-on-white fabric and sandwiched in light weight batting.  Luckily I had enough fabric and white thread to embroider 20 lovely designs.  I used a SCHMETZ 80/12 Microtex.  This little project became addictive!  Pretty soon the clock struck midnight and I had only 6 more designs... finally at 2:00 AM the embroidery was complete and my closet was finished!  This was such fun!  Now I have to decide how to join the blocks.

Last Year's Apron from Mom

During my cleaning spree I also found an apron that my Mom made for me last Christmas.  The apron is made of fabric from a college sewing project - Mom hung on to that fabric for quite a while!  Maybe she found it while cleaning her own stash?  That got me to thinking about what I read on Rita Farro's November 21st blog about National Tie One On Day.  That's tie on an apron!  I don't think the pattern Mom used is a Mary Mulari Church Basement Ladies Apron pattern, but the apron sure is special to me.

Cleaning my closet has really come full circle in the last 24 hours.  That dreaded chore lead me to a wonderful embroidery project and uncovering Mom's apron in this season of Thanksgiving.  I am thankful for family and friends and the wonderful world of sewing.  Let each day be a day of thanksgiving . . .  and sewing.

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Rita Farro's blog

ritassewfun.blogspot.com

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2010 SCHMETZ Portfolio Designer - Kaye Wood

Kaye's Favorite Needle - Universal 70/10 and 80/12

Kaye Wood

"Most of my machine time is spent piecing quilts using cotton or poly cotton thread.  SCHMETZ is the needle that provides consistent stitch quality.  The Universal is my favorite needle type."

Kaye describes herself as a "Quilt Engineer".  She simplifies the quilt making process resulting in easier and more accurate techniques - while breaking a few "rules". 

Kaye began teaching the machine arts, especially free motion embroidery  in 1973.  Then one of her students asked how to do some of that "quilting stuff".  We know and love Kaye for teaching original techniques throughout the world in classes, lectures, books, patterns and through her PBS program now in its 40th season. 


DALCO Dimensions
Kaye Wood Stained Glass Diamond Iris


Being an original, Kaye developed her own line of quilting tools, the Starmaker(R) Master Templates and the View & Do Shapes.  If you are getting short on making a few last minute Christmas gifts, Kaye will show you how to quickly make Starmaker potholders.  These are stars without the hassle of matching points!  Check this link -  http://www.kayewoodtv.com/ - chock full of "how to" videos.  And guess what, viewing is FREE!

View and Do Shapes

Kaye loves cruises.  She's taken quilters on 25 cruises!  Sounds like great fun to me - quilting, friends & food!  In June 2011 she will be cruising with the Round Bobbin Sew Fun Cruise. 

Pinwheel Hearts

Kaye is also well know for her charity quilt project, The LoveQuilt Connection.  At consumer shows around the country, you will find volunteers stitching LoveQuilt projects for donation to local charities. 

www.kayewood.com

www.kayewoodtv.com

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