Social Media Lounge

Fall is finally in the air, well at least today with cooler temperatures.  So that means that one of my favorite sewing shows is just around the corner - The American Sewing Expo.  I love this show with all the creative energy of sewists from around the country, Canada and other far away locations converging just outside of Detroit to beautiful Novi, MI.   

This year Janet Pray, the founder and owner of American Sewing Expo, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of this fabulous show.  Janet is always on the look out for new talent and delivers venues through ASE to further develop and promote creativity in our wonderful world of sewing.  This is where I come in - this year Janet and her team have created a Social Media Lounge on the show floor.  Most importantly while you are blogging, Facebooking, doing Instagram or charging up your device, you can meet with representative of McCalls patterns - especially if you are looking to create your own patterns;  Meet the lovely Ellen Marche of Sew News and SewItAllTV; Talk with sewing expert and blogger Gertie along with Tiffiany and Shannon of Create Kids Couture.  There is so much to see and learn!  And . . . . I will be greeting you at the Social Media Lounge.  Yahoo!  Plus I can answer any SCHMETZ needles questions you may have.

So get ready. . . finish your sewing projects and meet me along with 1,000's of sewing friends in just two weeks in Novi at the American Sewing Expo!  It is not too late to sign up for classes, but do it now by visiting www.americansewingexpo.com

Swatches September 2013-3        New! 2013 ASE  Social Media Lounge

Don't Miss Out!   The following classes have less than 6 seats left:      Thursday Workshops The Perfect Fit Friday Seminars Basics of Pattern Drafting      A Place in the Sun Placemat Saturday Seminars     Sleeve Drafting and Fitting Two for One/Knit Jacket Sunday Seminars  Beyond Seam Finishing Sample Wonderful World of Paintstiks Last day to pre-register - Thursday September 19th.   Happy 20th Birthday ASE! To celebrate our 20th year we will be posting trivia questions about ASE logos, events and special guests. Prizes will be awarded!    Who provides sewing machines prizes for contestants and the audience at the Passion For Fashion Finale? Three people who get the answer correct will win the prize. Winners will be chosen at random.   To send your email answer (include full name and mailing address) click on Diane.   Last weeks question: In the all day workshop, Fitting the Four B's; What do the four B's refer to? Answer: bellies, boobs, backs and butts  Winners: Mary Gillette, Hannah Troupe, Roberta Hoag    Teaser Alert!   The ASE birthday celebration begins at 8:00 AM Friday and Saturday.         Registration Brochure    Download by clicking on cover above.         To go directly to registration click above.

To support our friend Simon Haskins, ASE is sponsoring an exhibit of Sunshine 4 All quilt blocks. You can send us your quilt block, bring it to the expo or you can even sit down and sew a block when you attend ASE this fall. Please read below and follow the link to learn more about this very special project to help find a cure for this  dreadful disease! Join us in the Sew Party Cafe' to sit and sew a block or two. Fabric provided by our good friends at Coats and Free Spirit!

And bring several pairs of comfortable shoes and tote bags to fill with all the enticing fabrics, trims, patterns  - lots of goodies to take home.  Yes, the shopping will be very good!  I look forward to seeing you!
Sew SCHMETZ!
Rhonda
www.SCHMETZneedles.com
www.americansewingexpo.com

-----------------------------------------------------

SCHMETZ App

Have you tried the SCHMETZ App yet?  Sara of Heirloom Creations did this terrific video on the features of the SCHMETZ App that was released earlier this summer.  Check it out! 

Sara's website is www.heirloomcreations.net.  She has videos on sewing tools, techniques, fabrics and even more.  Here video library is growing!  Sara is a wealth of sewing knowledge and I am soooo glad she shares it with us all!  Thanks Sara!
Sew SCHMETZ!
Rhonda
www.SCHMETZneedles.com
PS:  Android is still in development.  Hang on............  :)

www.heirloomcreations.net

------------------------------------------------------

 

PatternReview.com Natural Fibers Contest

If you enjoy fashion sewing, checkout PatternReview.com.  Deepika started sewing in 2001 and founded PatternReview.com the same year.  Her big "why" in creating PatternReview.com was just as the name suggests . . .  to review patterns on-line - to help remove some of the mystery around garment patterns - and has since grown to include reviews of notions, stores, sewing machines and so much more.  PatternReview.com also has contests throughout the year. 

This spring SCHMETZneedles.com sponsored the Natural Fibers Contest.  And the winners are...
First Place Winner .  . .

Anne K. . . . . Anne created this comfortable StyleArc Stella Coat of Italian double faced cotton twill from Mood Fabrics  She especially loves the mandarin collar and the lack of closures on this wrap coat.  She stitched the body of the coat on a Seiko STH-8BLD-3 with a SCHMETZ DPx17-100/16.  For the lining she used a Janome 6500P with a SCHMETZ Universal 70/10.  Anne is a frequent contestant in PatternReview.com contests.

 Second place . . .



Katrina B. wins with this delightful vintage inspired medium weight silk charmeuse dress.  She combined two Burda Style patterns for just the "right" look.  This was Katrina's first win with PatternReview.com.  Katrina sews exclusively with SCHMETZ! On this project she used a SCHMETZ Microtex size 60. Katrina says, "SCHMETZ Microtex is invaluable for silk!"  Check out her blog post for more details on this demur dress.

There were 86 entries in the Natural Fibers Contest.  Competition was tight!  Congratulations to both ladies!

It is not too late to enter the current PatternReview Sewing For Children Contest also sponsored by SCHMETZneedles.com.  Entries are due August 31st.  I can hardly wait to see all the adorable outfits!
Sew SCHMETZ!
Rhonda
www.SCHMETZneedles.com

www.patternreview.com

------------------------------------------------------

 

Talkin' Needles

Next week is a big talkin' week for me.  On Tuesday, August 13th, I am the guest of the Professional Quilter PQ Café Virtual Coffee Break hosted by Morna McEver Golletz.  My topic is SCHMETZ needles.  Yes, I will give some basic needle education, but my topic is expanded to included marketing, social media and good business practices.

If you are not familiar with PQ Café, check out the International Association of Professional Quilters. I love this organization founded and created by Morna McEver Golletz.  This is a dynamic group of creative professionals dedicated to honing their creative and business skills.  In March I attended the two day Creative Business Seminar in Washington DC along with 30 creative quilt and retail professionals and found the pool of knowledge shared among us was priceless!  If you are a creative professional and need to jump start your business or reset your business goals, this group rocks!

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Margaret Moorehead Virtual Sewing Guild

 

On Thursday, August 15th at 8:00 PM CST, I'm excited to be the guest instructor at Margaret Moorehead's Sewing Guild.  I'll be giving an in-depth class on SCHMETZ needles.  Four years ago, I visited the SCHMETZ factory in Germany to view needle production.  So I'll cover basic needle production - and there are some fascinating facts here - needle anatomy and review the full line of SCHMETZ needles available to the home sewist.  Plus I will have useful sewing tips.  Attendees will have a whole new appreciation for SCHMETZ needles!  Register direct at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/703999966 .  Margaret's Virtual Sewing Guild is FREE!  Register now!

It is true that I love to sew and quilt and feel very fortunate to combine my professional career with my personal interests.  I hope you can join me through one of these two very dynamic organizations.  If you are not already a member of International Association of Quilt Professionals or Margaret Moorehead's Virtual Sewing Guild, join now so you can be part of the fun.
Sew SCHMETZ!
Rhonda
www.SCHMETZneedles.com

www.professionalquilter.com
www.margaretmoorehead.com
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/703999966

------------------------------------------------------

 

The Enchanted World of Ellen Anne Eddy

I love the enchanted and wonderful fabric and thread artistry of Ellen Anne Eddy.  Perhaps you have had that special experience of taking one of her classes at a quilt guild or a conference.  Ellen Ann's first book, Thread Magic - The Enchanted World of Ellen Anne Eddy, is a classic text on free motion and fiber art.

823-10 Jazzed: Hearts on a Line

Inspired by nature, Ellen Anne Eddy has taken her fiber art beyond free motion embroidery.  She says, "I have three layers or more of fabric stitched, so technically, I quilt.  But I recognize that I'm pretty far away from my grandmother's flower garden.  I say I draw in thread.  That's only partially true.  Having worked my whole life in fiber, I do draw with my sewing machine better than I ever could by hand, but I also paint in layers.  The worlds I build start with cotton dyed so that moon and sun light pour through the surface.  I paint in layers of sheers, cut to make the dimensions of water and under brush.  One layer builds on to another layer.  Only instead of paint it's nylon sheers and dyed cheesecloth.  The animals are realistic within their basic forms, but they are almost always people I am dealing with or self portraits.  It's not deliberate.  It simply happens if I am true to the work and my heart.  I am often shocked to recognize myself, my friends and my family in my work when I'm finished."

 

Bubbly 88612

Ellen Anne does not do computer embroidery... her work is all done using a simple straight stitch or zigzag, depending on the thread, and totally hand guided.  She works with both commercial threads and pearl cottons she dyes herself.  Then they are stitched into the surface and often covered in other layers of sheers, creating a landscape whole.

Ellen Anne believes EVERYBODY is an artist... and if you want to learn more about her work--be sure to visit her website at www.ellenanneddy.com. 

NOW is a great time to be inspired by Ellen Anne's work --- because she is having a "Raid My Stash" sale in her Etsy Shop.  Not only is she selling some of her books, hand-dyed fabrics and thread - this is a rare opportunity to purchase original art from a world famous fiber artist.

I'm so excited!  Watch for Ellen Anne as a guest blogger in the very near future!
Sew SCHMETZ!
Rhonda
www.SCHMETZneedles.com

www.ellenanneddy.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/EllenAnneEddy

Freddie and Friends

Meet Freddie's Friends  -

Eliza the Chickie . . .  

 

 

Penny the Penguin . . .

 



 

Scotty the Sea Turtle, Ronny the Robot and Gabby the Gobbler.

At Spring Quilt Market I loved finding these colorful personalities that are sure to delight kids.  These adorable creatures are designed by Ingrid Pinto, who's nickname is Freddie.  Ingrid or Freddie has a real knack for designing wonderful squeezable creatures.  These lovable little guys are terrific beginner sewing projects because of the raw edge finishes . . . then combine all the different fabric colors and pretty soon a new little personality is stitched.  This looks like fun!

 

Freddie also known as Ingrid :)

Thanks Freddie for sharing your friends and designing the patterns.  Find more patterns of Freddie's Friends at www.freddieandcompany.com.  I want to stitch up a couple new friends myself and share the fun!
Sew SCHMETZ!
Rhonda
www.SCHMETZneedles.com

www.freddieandcompany.com



 

Shipshewana Quilt Festival

If you love to quilt, put June 26 - 29, 2014 on your calendar for the next Shipshewana Quilt Festival in beautiful LaGrange County in northern Indiana.  You may know that I live in the Chicago area, so driving to Shipshewana is an easy 3 hour drive.  More importantly, once off I-80 is the beauty of green rolling hills, country homes with bucolic lawns, and sightings of horse drawn carriages.  LaGrange County is the picturesque home of Amish and Mennonite communities.  



Merging Pathways at The Essenhaus

For four of five years, I have been pleased to participate as a Schoolhouse instructor at the Shipshewana Quilt Festival.  This year I taught five SCHMETZ needle education classes out of 102 sessions throughout the day - what a whirlwind of a day.  :) 



Shop Hop Prize at Yoder Department Store

The Shipshewana Quilt Festival includes the Shipshewana Backroads Shop Hop.  What's cool about this shop hop is that all the stores are within a 20 mile radius.  And what's this mean?  More shopping,

 

Quilt Shopping in a Boutique within Davis Mercantile 

 

more quilt viewing,

 

Cuddle Corner in Davis Mercantile

 

more time to explore the beautiful and gigantic quilt patterns and gardens

and more leisure time to eat. 

 

 

 

One of my favorite foods in Shipshewana is a peanut butter and honey and/or marshmallow spread on home-baked bread.  Yummm!  Don't even try to quilt with sticky fingers!  The Essenhaus Noodles are made on-site and are mighty fine too.

For 2014 plan to enter your quilts in the festival for over $10,000 in cash and prizes, book hotel rooms, gather your quilty friends and enjoy plentiful shopping and relaxation with friends.  The Shipshewana Quilt Festival is a delight. 
Sew SCHMETZ!
Rhonda
www.SCHMETZneedles.com

www.shipshewanaquiltfest.com