We Bring you... Colette!

We are very excited to introduce no less than 12 Colette Patterns to our store! 

Sarai started Colette Patterns back in 2009 and very quickly established herself as the leader in independent pattern designers. Her patterns are well known for being easy to read and are filled with helpful graphics. They are designed to teach anyone how to sew their own clothing and they come in a large range of sizes. 

On Colette's blog, there are tons of pattern hacks, extra pocket and sleeve variations, fabric advice, inspirational images and last, but not least: sew-alongs. When you buy a pattern from Colette, you are fully supported the entire way through. Not to mention, there are many sewists, spread far and wide over the internet, who have sewn these patterns and have their own hacks, variations, tips and tricks. 

We chose patterns in classic shapes that would sew up easily in quilting cottons, flannel, voile, silk noil, corduroy and other fabrics we have in the store. Mahri has sewn a Negroni shirt with short sleeves in one of our Batiks. It's perfect for summer: casual enough for an afternoon in Lithia Park and dressy enough for an evening at the Elizabethan Theater. This shirt is mid-century modern with classic details and an athletic fit. 

Negroni includes a front facing, convertible collar, back yoke and pockets with flaps. There are some pocket variations that can be downloaded from her website. We can't wait to try them all! Peter over at Male Pattern Boldness has sewn several Negronis and has a sew-along as well as pattern hacks for a button placket and a formal collar stand and fall. 

 

There are so many fabrics that we would love to make into one of these wonderful shirts. 
What fabrics are you dreaming of?

Basix Tool - Guest Post by Terry

Despite her retirement, Terry has been very busy around the store teaching classes and leading our Fabric Collectors Club. She has been quilting up a storm! We asked her to review one of our favorite tools, so with out further ado I will let her introduce you to the Basix tool!

I confess -- I have become a notions junkie. When I started quilting back in the 90s, I bought a mat, a ruler, and a rotary cutter. And fabric, lots of fabric. More fabric. A little bit more fabric. And then I started discovering all the cool rulers and templates that make cutting and using that fabric so much easier, and so much fun. At Quilt Market in 2007, I walked past a booth and did a double take at the wonderful quilt hanging there. In I went, and fell in love with the X-Block tools, designed by Patricia Pepe of Quilt Queen Designs. I think I started my Venetian Tiles quilt before I unpacked my suitcase! 

At Quilt Market in 2015, another booth drew me in, and there was Patricia with her newest tool -- Basix. Again, love at first sight! The Basix is very similar to the X-Block, except Basix is designed to use with either 2 1/2" or 1 1/2" strips, which so many of us tend to have in our stashes. Both the X-Block and Basix tools help you turn very simple blocks, often nine-patches, sometimes rail fences, into more complex looking blocks, whose components would be either tedious or difficult to cut. Patricia's tools come with excellent instructions, and she has a wealth of patterns to support both the X-Block and Basix. 

These are tools you'll use more than once, that will help you burn through your stash, and we all need help with that. Some of her simplest, scrappiest patterns will help you produce warm, rich, and lovely quilts.

Guest Post by Terry Tobey

Sweet Tweets

This is a quick and easy project from the new book called Sweet Tweets. I made it in an evening using a cotton/linen blend for the background and lots of scraps.The birds are fused to the background and the free motion quilting is supposed to be a little wonky so you don't have to worry about being perfect! There are lots of cute patterns and it is hard to stop with just one!