Fashioning Helen Gibb's Ribbons

Last year for my birthday I received a wonderful little kit - Helen Gibb's Ribbon Flower Bracelet Kit.

Helen's knowledge of ribbon work is extensive.   I have admired Helen's work for many years especially her first book The Secrets of Fashion Ribbon Flowers: Heirlooms For The Next Generation published in the 1990's.  It's out of print now, but I still enjoy pulling out my precious copy to languish over all the glorious silk flower projects - peonys, hollyhocks, sweet peas - so many of my favorite flowers.

I have never done silk ribbon projects before, so this was new to me.  First I emptied the contents of the kit and found lovely, intricate little silk ribbon flowers, trims, ribbons and beads.

Also I thought this was a hand project, but I was wrong.  Except for adding the beads and ribbon flowers by hand, the project was stitched using my machine.  Which means.........this little project was quick .........

and adorable. 

Here's the full view of the bracelet.  On the far lower right a little elastic loop slips over the iridescent button on the other end of the bracelet.  

Helen's little kit made my assembly appear beautiful with so little time and effort.

Thanks Helen for your ribbon artistry... and thanks to my sister for the kit.

In your travels if you find a copy of Helen's book, pick it up.  The Secrets to Fashioning Ribbon Flowers is a jewel of a book.

http://www.helengibb.com/



SCHMETZ Needle Used:  Microtex 80/12

Rhonda

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Thangles - Not Tangled - Christmas Scraps

Christmas and holiday gifts have been stitched and given away to family and friends.  The Christmas tree and all the holiday decorations are packed.  Now what?  What about all those scraps of Christmas fabrics?  Well, here's what I do . . . . an ongoing project.

Gather up all those Christmas scraps of fabric.  As mentioned earlier I love fabrics with a glint of silver and gold.

Start cutting up strips.  I just happen to love the little 1" Thangles, so my strips are 1.5" wide.

Pick up a package of Thangles and start stitching.  Seemingly I have an excess amount of a nice tone-on-tone holly print married with endless Christmas fabrics in assorted colors and prints. 

I love Thangles!  The stitching and cutting lines are easily viewable on the paper strips.  I even use up those nearly empty spools of threads that collect dust and space. . .  you know what I mean.  Plus I use a Universal 80/12 needle or some of those gently used assorted needles that may be laying around from projects past.

Once my Thangles are stitched and cut, they are stored in little clear bags for easy viewing.  Now the fun part begins.......

auditioning these little 1" half-square triangles. 

I love Thangles!  When I want to sew, but don't want to get involved with an intense quilt or garment project - but just have that burning urge to sew, sew, sew . . . . I sew Thangles!
Rhonda

http://www.thangles.com/

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Christmas Convergence

I love Christmas fabrics especially when there is a glint of gold metallic.  I also enjoy trying new projects.  This time my endeavor was based on Ricky Tims Convergence Quilts, a technique based on piecing techniques of two or more fabrics cut into strips, sewn together, then cut and pieced again. 

Two fabrics were used in this piece - giant paisley designs and a red crackle.  I love the flowing movement of the paisley.

Again two fabrics are used, this time a rich green with gold metallic grids and for continuity the beautiful  giant paisley designs. . . . . 

Now the magic begins with the convergence of the three fabrics.  I love how the fabrics are integrated . . .  and it was so easy!

This project began after my husband mentioned that our sofa was boring - an over sized, but comfortable sofa fabricated in a lifeless taupe fabric.  Really I am not certain why I ever agreed to let such a piece of furniture into my house.  He said, "Hey you can sew anything.  Why don't you just reupholster the sofa?"  Hello!  That's labor - at least for me, not a hobby of joy.  So my solution was to  create quiltlets to drape over the sofa - give it some pizazz.  Really I was flattered that he thought I could cover a sofa, but that is a whole new skill set with a lot of tools that I do not have. 

This was a study of colors and movement playing together.  Each quiltlet measures 40" square.  Happily that old bland sofa has been replaced with a beautiful cheery floral sofa, matching chair and ottoman . . . . and the quiltlets gained permanent placement in a hallway. 

In the next posting I will show some Christmas scraps and how I am using them.

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SCHMETZ Needle used:  Universal 80

The SCHMETZ Gift Box

Looking for a way to share your joy of sewing?  Here's the perfect gift!  The SCHMETZ Gift Box.  The packaging of these little gift boxes are ever so cute and reusable.  Plus the are featured in Fon's & Porter's Love of Quilting Jan/Feb 2012 that just arrived in my mailbox.

Quick and easy these little gift boxes sell for less than $25.  Inside you will find needles nestled into a foam insert that will later hold and organize up to 20 packs of needles, a Sulky PolyLite sample thread spool, and the ever popular SCHMETZ ABC Pocket Reference Guide. 

Available in four collections:  Stretch, Quilting, General Sewing and Universal.  Find them at your local quilt or fabric shop or machine dealer.  Visit www.SCHMETZneedles.com for more information.

PS:  The General Sewing collection is especially terrific for the young or returning sewist as it has the widest needle assortment.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

www.SCHMETZneedles.com
http://www.sulky.com/

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A Stitch in Time

In the rush between the holidays, I took a few moments to remember a trip home this summer to Nebraska. My husband and I traveled by star ship - well that's what we call our smooth driving SUV with its elevated view. Throughout the trip there were little stitch surprises.

Mom pulled out a special box of old family quilt blocks made by Aunt Emma. Aunt Emma is long gone, but our memories of her quilting skills remain strong. Mom and I studied the blocks deciding on the best way to assemble them into a wall hanging or small quilt to be sold at our tri-annual family reunion.

At church the local Piecemakers worked on hand quilting Mary Luhr's stunning purple colourwash quilt. Mary quilts with precision. Perfect intersecting seams and every stitch properly placed. 

In Kearney, NE we finally stopped at the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument. How many times we have driven on I-80 under that archway, I don't know, but at last we had some time to explore this informative tribute to the pioneers traveling west.

Unexpectedly as we were exiting the tour this wonderful patriotic quilt hung above the escalator.  The stars and stripes border made the center star eagle soar.

Our final stop on this trip was having lunch with Rita Farro and her husband, John, in their Iowa home near the great Mississippi River.  No doubt Rita loves color... and fabric.  She covered one wall of the special room reserved for her grand daughter with bright and bold fabrics.  Sayings from t-shirts add even more attitude to the wall.

Rita also has a long hallway of cross-stitch treasures.  This was my favorite.  Whether a memory or present or in the future, our love for putting hand or machine needle and thread to fabric is timeless  . . . as a stitch in time. 

www.archway.org
www.ritafarro.com

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Minneapolis Original Sewing & Quilt Expo

The Northland Inn in Brooklyn Park, MN was host to the final Original Sewing & Quilt Expo of the year.  I saw my first snowflake of the season, but thankfully not many.  The SCHMETZ booth was certainly a buzz with Mary Mulari with her new Stress Free Zipper book and apron patterns and Rita Farro.  Mary and Rita are always a hoot to work with and their humor and quick sewing projects were the focus of their Midwest YaYa Sister performance on Friday night.  Mary and Rita speak to the growing sisterhood of sewing.


Mary Mulari and Rita Farro
The Midwest YaYa Sisters!


One of the terrific classes I took at the show was Pattie Otto's Embroidered Cutwork class.  I learned how those little Richelieu bars are created in cutwork using a chiesel.  Plus when visiting her Great Copy Patterns booth, Pattie showed me a cool tool she developed, the Edge Perfect Blade for creating quick and easy handstitching on a variety of fabrics.  http://www.edgeperfectblade.com/

Patti Otto, Great Copy Patterns
Demonstrating the Edge Perfect Blade

The most unusual bag seen on the show floor was this two face Elinor Peace Bailey bag.  The faces look a bit grumpy, yet proud and intriguing.  This bag is coming and going with lots of room for stuff.  There are a couple more pics in the show gallery below.



Pattern by Elinor Peace Bailey

This next pic shows the thrill of finding an exciting new fabric.  You know that feeling?  She just bought yardage from the Treadle Yard Goods' booth.  Rita and I also know that thrill since we had a chance to drive to the Treadle Yard Goods store in St. Paul on Thursday night and found lots of fabric treasures.  We were giddy... and later down the street found the most wonderful urban cafeteria, Cafe Latte.  Fabric, food and friends  . . . What a combo!



The thrill of  finding that special fabric
from Treadle Yard Goods, St Paul MN

 Even kids ages 9 to 18 had a chance to brave a live audience to model their sewing creations in their own fashion show.   Colorful, thoughtful and well stitched, these kids were undaunted by challenging themselves with creative sewing projects.

Sewing's Next Generation

Enjoy these pics of sewing projects seen from the show floor.  Original Sewing and Quilt Expo was a fun and inspirational show.  Take a look... and next year see for yourself how wonderful these sewing shows are.




http://www.marymulari.com/
http://www.ritafarro.com/
http://www.greatcopypatterns.com/
http://www.perfectedgeblade.com/
http://www.sewingexpo.com/

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International Quilt Market - Fall 2011

Over 500 fabric, pattern, notion and sewing machine companies filled the wholesale floor of the George R Brown Convention Center last weekend in Houston, TX.  Store owners, designers, media and many more were clamouring to see the newest products soon to be seen in your local quilt and fabric shops.  Here's a quick view of what I saw:




Susan Brubaker Knapp with her regal peacock using Studio eFabrics

 Peacocks are king!  Peacock blue... Peacock green... and peacocks themselves were seen in fabrics and quilts.

The peacock color theme carried over into an exquisite mask made from River Silk ribbon.  It was Halloween after all.

The gentle and ever so popular Karavan elephant was my neighbor from across the aisle.

From fake furs to animal prints to Valori Wells Karavan fabric line, a menagerie of fabrics were seen.

Get Grommetized with Luveta!

Besides being known for her recycled jean projects, Luvetta Nickels, The Junk Jeans People, is the source of wonderful grommets imported from France. 

She never stops.  Now her product line includes 2 color grommets - a perfect and easy embellishment to jeans, tops, bags, belts, hats....

Sarai Mitnick with her newly published book, The Colette Sewing Handbook

At this market there were more garment designers with booths, at least more than I remember from earlier markets.  One of my favorite designers is Sarai, the designer and founder of Colette Patterns.  She has an adorable little figure-skimming top that I am eager to try.  The Jasmine top is cut on the bias so should be flattering and comfortable too.

Mary Mulari shared the SCHMETZ booth with her full line of apron patterns including the newest patterns:  Easy Reversible Aprons - aprons for everyday use that can be reversed and worn with a little black dress.  Mary's newest book is Stress Free Zipper Creations, 12 Easy Projects with Nontraditional Uses.  Mary is quite clever with her thoughtful designs.  She has quite a strong following and was quite a draw to the SCHMETZ booth.  Plus Mary was fun to work with. . . . and isn't this one of he reasons why we love to sew . . . fun with fabrics and friends.  What a combo!

http://www.quilts.com/
http://www.bluemoonriver.com/
http://www.riversilks.com/
http://www.junkjeanspeople.com/
http://www.colettepatterns.com/
http://www.marymulari.com/

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