Stitchin' Post in Sisters

Emerge from the "Cocoon" of winter into the warmth of spring!

Spring is in the air and Val's new line of fabric "Cocoon" begins arriving this week!  Cocoon is rich with vibrant colors for spring & summer, beautiful butterflies (both large and small) and playful swirls that just make a girl want to dance!

Here is little Miss Vi doing just that...
in her new Twirl Skirt
made with coordinating Cocoon fabrics!

Valori was a guest blogger at FreeSpiritFabric.blogspot.com on April 5th.  You can read what she has to say about her new fabric line and download a free pattern for her April Little Tote.  In addition to the new fabric line, Valori will be unveiling new patterns and sewing cards at Quilt Market in May.  Here's a sneak peek at what's coming:

Val's little kitchen helper, Miss Livy, wearing her new apron...(mommy has one, too!)

 

A little "road trip" project...

 

 

Jean has recently been doing a bit of teaching on the road, but travel time doesn't keep her from being productive!  She made this sweet little pincushion on an airplane trip last week.

 

 

The project uses very few materials and is extremely portable!

Use Fabric Basting Glue by Sewline (shown above) to tack down wool pieces until the stitching is complete...no pins required!

Come into the Stitchin' Post to pick up a free pattern for this project.  (Sorry, not available for download!)  For our long distance customers, please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

The Stitchin' Post
Attn: Pretty Pinkeeper
PO Box 280
Sisters, OR  97759

Charming Quilt by Karen M.

Karen M. stopped by the store last week to show us
her sweet-as-can-be baby quilt made with 5" Charm Squares!

Karen used  Pinwheel Baby Quilt pattern from the Moda Bake Shop website/blog.
The quilt is absolutely adorable and I just love the Prairie Point border!
Great job Karen~ thank you for sharing it with us!

Charmer #6

Continued confessions of a charm pack junkie~

 Here is my new Charm Squares Baby Quilt...

 

 

Beautiful machine quilting was done by Sally B. of Sisters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used a Stitchin' Post Custom Cut Charm Pack "Summertime", which Jackie cut before Quilt Show and we sold out...I begged her to cut it again (now that my store sample is done!)  So she cut another round of Summertime.  There are a few fabrics that are different this time around, but honestly, I like round 2 better!  I think you will too!

This quilt is super simple and comes together quickly if you need a baby gift in a hurry! 

You only need 38 charm squares
5/8 yard fabric for sashing
1 1/4 yard fabric for backing and
3/8 yard fabric for binding

Click here for free downloadable pattern at Sew, Mama, Sew! (Blog 2)

 

Great Summer Bags to Knit/Crochet

Here are four fabulous (and easy!) bags you can make in the car during your next summer road trip.  We even have free patterns at the store~ be sure to request a pattern with your purchase of yarn.

 

 

 

Linen Grocery Tote~

Made with one skein of Araucania Ulmo Multy Yarn and a D-sized crochet hook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phoenix Market Bag~

Knit from two skeins of Ella Rae Phoenix Yarn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Draw String Bag~

Made with one skein of Rowan Purelife Revive Yarn and a D-sized crochet hook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cabled Bag~

Knit from one skein of Araucania Patagonia Yarn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simply Made...

Hello my Stitchin' Post friends....this is Val. I am here to share Simply Made.....

This is my first instalment of Simply Made. What is Simply Made? Let me tell you....I have tons of ideas and projects that are easy, and great weekend or day projects, as well as yummy food and drink recipes. I thought that I would start sharing them with all of you....

This week I will share my Pencil Case pattern. I love to carry my sketch book around but I dislike not being able to find a pencil or pen when I need it. This pattern solves all of those problems.

Ready to make a pencil case?

Pencil Case....

3 3/4" x 8" finished size

What you will need...

Fat Quarter for outside of pencil case or scraps the size of the cutting measurement

Fat Quarter for the lining of pencil case or scraps the size of the cutting measurement

Thread for Decorative Stitching and sewing together

7" zipper

*optional - elastic to attach to the pencil case so that you can put it around your sketch book and never be with out a pen or pencil - for my sketch book I pulled the elastic around the book making it tight, subtracted the finished size of the case, 8". My elastic size came out to 8" long. I used a cord type of elastic but you can use any type of elastic.

Cutting...

Cut 2 - 4 1/4" x 8 1/2" pieces from outside fabric

Cut 2 - 4 1/4" x 8 1/2" pieces from lining fabric

Sewing....

1. Stitch decorative lines on the ouside pieces of the case if desired.

2. Press the top edges on all four pieces of fabric down 1/4".

 

3. Place the zipper right side up on the foleded edge of one of the lineing pieces.

4. Place one of the outside pieces folded edge on top of the zipper. Pin through all three layers. Making sure the fabric pieces are lined up and at the edge of the zipper.

5. Using a zipper foot, stitch along the edge of the fold. Do not sew over pins.

6. Repeat the pinning and sewing process for the other side of the pencil case.

7. Unzip the zipper and place the outside fabric right sides together and the lining pieces right sides together.

8. Pin around the edges of the pencil case, make sure you fold the edges of the zipper area to the lining side.

*If you are adding the elastic - pin one end of the elastic piece to the edge of the outside piece of fabric - lining up the end with the raw edges, lay it over the fabric making sure not to twist and pin to the other side. When you sew around the case the elastic will be secured in the seam.

9. Leaving a 2" opening at the bottom of the lining pieces stitch around entire piece.

10. Carefully clip the corners.

11. Pull the case right side out through the opening at the bottom of the lining.

12. Push the corners out with a chop stick and press entire piece.

13. Top stitch along the bottom edge of the lining to close hole.

14. Push the lining into the outside piece.

15. TaDa your done!!!!!

If you need a cool journal....Rag and Bone Bindery makes amazing journals, even using Del Hi Yellow Pom Pom Dahlia...which they call Zinnia. I sent them some of my fabric and they made journals just for us at Twigs (that is our gift shop next to the Stitchin' Post)......

Bloom... one of the great things about these journals is that they are hand made and the paper is AMAZING.....

Ingrid....

Jenaveve....this is the one I have, looks a little different because they are hand made.

Wrenly...

I hope you enjoyed the first Simply Made....Have a Great Weekend!!!!

XXOO
Valori

Tamra's Decorative Ribbon Pillow

This pillow was SO easy!  You will have so much fun mixing colors and patterns of different ribbons.  Try it... you'll love it!

Decorative Ribbon Pillow

Instructions adapted from The Complete Photo Guide to Ribbon Crafts by Elaine Schmidt

Supply List

14” pillow form

½ yd solid-colored fabric

1 ½ yd fusible interfacing

Approximately 5 yards of assorted ribbon scraps ranging in length from 2” to 30”

Fabric Glue Stick Basting Adhesive by Collins

 

Instructions

From solid-colored fabric and fusible interfacing, cut:

One 15” square for pillow front and

Two 10” x 15” rectangles for pillow back

Iron interfacing to wrong side of fabric on all three pieces.  On both pillow-back pieces, along one 15” edge, turn under a ¼”and press.  Turn under ¼” again and topstitch edge to finish.  Set pillow-back pieces aside.

On pillow front, mark center with chalk.  Center focal block of ribbon and attach to right side of fabric with basting glue stick. Add pieces of ribbon to the sides of the focal block (extending ½’ beyond the size of the focal block) in the style of either “log cabin” or “courthouse steps.”   Baste ribbon down with glue stick. With sewing machine, zigzag stitch along edge of ribbon where it butts up against the focal block.  Continue adding ribbon, extending ½” beyond the preceding row.  (This way, all “raw” edges of cut ribbon will be secured under the following row of ribbon!)  Baste all ribbons with fabric glue stick and secure with machine zigzag stitching.  This might be a good place to play with the fancy stitches on your sewing machine!

Continue adding rows until you have approximately 1 to 2 inches of fabric left showing on the pillow front (remember, part of what is showing is seam allowance.)  The outside rows of ribbon will run the entire 15” length of the pillow front.  Secure all edges with zigzag stitching.  Your decorative pillow front should be complete.

With right sides together, pin pillow back pieces to pillow front.  The finished edges of pillow back will overlap.  Using a ½” seam allowance, sew all four edges, pivoting at corners.  When done sewing, clip corners, turn right side out and insert pillow form.

Check out Kaffe's new ribbon collection.  This is the perfect project for bold style!

   
 
               

 

Quilt Market, Houston Texas

Market was great! You just never know in the fall. We arrived mid afternoon
and had nothing to do until the next morning. So Val looked up an Anthropology
and we went shopping for ideas, and we both did happen to find a sweaters.
The store was decorated beautifully and it got the "creative juices" flowing
for Val's booth at spring market. (We do have to think ahead.)

The next morning we got ready for our three classes that we were teaching.
Val went first and did a program on merchandising ideas for store owners
with a packed room full of people. She also shared her new sewing card
projects out of flannel and fleece. Val's girls were reluctant models.









Free Pattern Download Bliss for Val's new flannel collection...

Then I did a program for Free Spirit "What's With Solids" and talked about
how to merchandise and market the new solid line (over 100 colors that we
will have shortly). I also had a packed room. I had created a free pattern
for their new line that Paige and I finished just in the nick of time. I
also showed my two new designs for patterns that will come out in December.

Mosaic Free Pattern Download...



Madison Square... coming this December!

Linear Color Work Table Runners... coming this December

The next day started out with a VIP breakfast with Tye Pennington, Extreme
Home Makeover, who is designing fabric for Westminister. Val was invited
since she is a designer for Free Spirit and I got to go along, too. I ended
up sitting with "the press" in the back, all of the editors of the
magazines, which was fun. I was impressed with Tye and the design process he
uses to design the fabric. We will be getting some of the over 100 prints.




Little felt balls made into ornaments. I love these little guys.

Val going crazy in the antique jewelry molds---you will see some woven into
a twig birdhouse this spring.

Two of the women from Gee's Bend were in the Windham booth promoting their
new kits. We ordered them! Arriving in January!



Val with Deb from Michael Miller. There booth was decorated in a 60's theme.
Love the red flip Deb has going. That is her own dress from the 60's.

A new line we will be getting in April from Pillow and Maxfield for Michael
Miller.






Fun fabric jewelry idea!



New designs from Marcia Derse, Riverwoods, from Troy. The whole line just
arrived four days ago. We are also continuing to carry the previous line as
it sold really well for us.





We love this organic line (Birch Fabrics) that is designed in California.

Ardvark patterns always has a great booth.

Don't you love the stuffed deer head on the manikins. This was the Echino
booth.

Great idea to finish off the end of a zipper on a bag.



Seeing this quilt in person from Kaffe's new book, Quilt's of Province was a
treat. His suggesting was to use this for a beginning quilt class. I think
we will do it in Sept. Susan Johnson and I are going to team teach two other
Kaffe quilt classes this spring.



Anna Maria's Horner's booth is always beautiful.

Tula Pink with her new quilt. She is now a designer with Free Spirit. She
will be teaching for us at Quilter's affair. I loved this quilt and look at
the close up of the quilting.





I loved this quilt on display at Moda. Unfortunately they do not have a
pattern for it. One of their staff put it together at the last minute. If
any of you know the pattern, let me know.

All in all we are set for awhile with lots of pretty things coming in along
with new books, patterns, and the latest notions. We try to get things up on
the web site within a week or so so you can check them out.
Jean

Fan club...

Meet Alyssa... Alyssa is the daughter of Dawn, our very own kit girl!  Alyssa has just finished high school, is headed to college, and is determined to bring a little Valori Wells to the dorm...

Hmmm... fan club anyone???  Yes I think so, Alyssa has just about everything VWD, and has to have something made out of each new line. Especially the flannels. She has things from quilts, throws, pillows, bags to laptop bags. She even has her fabric as a back ground on her bulletin board! Her fleece/flannel throw and flannel owl pillow goes with her whenever she has a movie night at a friends house. (Pictured above is Val's urban flannel quilt a free pattern download, on the bed that Alyssa designed and her dad built.)

So are you a Valori Wells fan?... We would love to see your photos!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Carolyn and everyone here at the Stitchin' Post

How to make a Pillow

It is hard to resist this beautiful Japanese fabric when it arrives.It is almost a linen texture so it works well for bags and home accessories. When Jackie decided to demonstrate basic pillow making in her Wednesday demo.This was the perfect fabric choice...

She is making an envelope style back on the pillow where two fabrics over lap so that a pillow form can be inserted. This makes the pillow very useful and easy to clean when necessary.

Add four inches to the pillow measurement for the back. Cut the fabric in half. Hem an edge on each of the pieces by turning it under a slight 1/4" and turning it again 1/4". This is a clean finished edge.

Place the pillow backs on the front right sides together. The two back pieces will have to overlap to fit. (This creates the envelope finish).

Stitch around the edges of the pillow 1/4" from the edge. When you come to the corners take two stitches diagonally across the point. This will insure that the corners will look good when the pillow I finished.

 

Trim the excess fabric from the corners. Turn the pillow to the right side. Press the edges. Insert the pillow form.

For more ideas refer to Val and Jean's book on pillows. It is packed full of ideas and inspiration.

Happy pillow making!