Blog | Stitchin' Post

Meet Becky Van Verst...

Read more about Becky's upcoming classes or signup online here. 

Winter & Spring Classes at the Stitchin' Post

Winter and Spring Classes are open and waiting to be filled!

We have a big line up for quilting, sewing and knitting classes for January through June. 

We had our Class Preview Party on January 9th, but we still have all the samples up in the classroom for you to see. 

 

Take a class or two from our resident Jelly Roll queen, Edie. Kiwi Conserve, Jelly Sandwich, Wistful, and Blueberry Hill. Each Classes uses Jelly rolls and  are a snap to sew together. 

If you're looking for an Art Quilt class or two, we have a few to choose from.

Leotie Richards' Fearless Portraiture  creates a portrait within a context of graphic imagery that tells a story.

Julia Jeans' Fabric and Paper Beads adds a bit of 'pop' or of dimension to your fashion, art quilts, jeweler and more with fabric and/or paper beads.

Bobi Herring, a new teacher to the store, will be teaching her Magpie Menagerie. Experience "eccentric styling" with raw-edge hand appliqué, couching, embroidery and some nubby twist edges.

Sharon Carvalho is mixing the digital world with quilting in her Digital Surface Design. Maniplulate, recreate, build, blend, and incorporate images in ways not yet imagined.  

Learning new techniques and how to use a new to you tool can be difficult, but with these three teachers, they make it a breeze. 

Join Laura Simmons as she shows you how to make a new classic, Metro Rings using the Quick Curved ruler and block construction as well as quilting ideas when you finish. 

Paper Piecing can be intimidating, but with Joyce Boyd it can be fun. Learn the basic concepts of Paper Piecing buy making sample blocks from different projects.

Kathy Shaker is here to teach a monder approach with the simple-to-assemble quilt in Crazy Dresden. Combining machine and hand stitching along the seams of the blocks is refreshingly quick and fun!

Knitters and all alike, we have some great, fantastic classes for you to take! Our three teachers, Paula, Pat and Gin are ready to teach a variety of techniques and projects. 

Pat Drake is back to teach three knitting classes for us and they are beautiful projects. Stitch-Sampler Handwarmers & Ribbed Scarf is all about the endless possibilities for combining knit and purl stitches. Diagonal Lace Wrap & Scarf is an easy-to-knit yet elegant pattern.The Simple Sideways Scarf is easy to wear in many yarns, with the shallow triangle shape has a long tails to wrap or tie. 

 

For our friends out there who would like to learn how to Crochet, do not fret! Paula Johnson will e teaching Beginning Crochet 101 where you will learn the basics, as well as Beginning Crochet 102 where you will focus on going beyond the basics with new stitches and projects. Paula is also teaching Needle Felting. It is a way to use fiber in a new and exciting way. It's easy and fun.

Paula is just a busy bee when it comes to teaching classes. Offering two Crocheted projects and and three Knitting. Crocheted Hat will teach you how to crochet in the round and the Crocheted Shawl/Scarf is a beauty you can do. Learn to make the Lace Knitted Socks on with whichever meatod of knitting in the round you prefer. Then make some Lace Back Fingerless Mitts. This is your chance to pick from three different lace patterns. With all that left over bits of yarn you have from past projects, Paula will show you how to use them to make shawl in Crazy Ball Shawl.

 

 If you have ever wanted to take a class from Janet Storton, the you are in luck! Janet will be teaching both The Grass benith their feet Quilt where you will discuse pattern and fabric layout and some fabric traiding. In the Historic Story Quilt" class  Three different appliqué techniques and stitchery will be taught to make each quilt a "museum quality" work of art.

Toney Phillips is at it again with three classes. A favorite of ours and everybody else, Tonye is bringing back her Fabric Postcards. Being surrounded by wonderfully textured and shaped cones here in Central Oregon. What better idea for a small wall-hanging quilt than Pine Cones! Let's keep the shapes simple and practice a bit of hand applique together in Cascade Cones. Tonye will share her simplified techniques with a no-pressure approach in Silly Bird. 

 Four classes, art, traditional, fishy and styleish, Jean Wells will be more than happy to share her work and techniques with you. Join Jean for Mixology, Trip Around the Wolrd, Metolius, and the Briefcase Tote. 

 

Join Peggy Lindsay in her Chunky Monkey class. Just like swinging from trees, this quilt or table runner is fast and fun! Taken from the book Skinny Quilts, Chunky Monkey fits into your narrow spaces. Let's stack, shuffle, slice, and insert to keep things interesting in Hibachi.

Remember those colorful granny-square crochet blocks designed to use up scraps of yarn? Now you can create a colorful Great Granny Square quilt with 2 ½" fabric scraps from your stash! Joind Tamra Dumolt in Great Granny Squares. 

Candy Woods as she shows you how to make Suburbs, by Allison Harris of Cluck Cluck Sew, a beginner-friendly quilt made with Layer Cakes or Fat Quarters.

Gather your favorite Marcia Derse fabrics and join Annette as she guide you in the techniques of improv cutting and keeping the curve of your rows manageable in this ½ day class in Sticks.

As a Change of pace, Sheila Snyder and Candy will be here to show you how to make the Turban Footstool. Sheila has put together all the ingredients to make this footstool come together quickly and easily. 

Join award-winning garment artist Deb Wilkinson to get a good foundation started in color, design and finishing of your own personal art statement in Wearable Art Vest.  

 Pam Raby is back with three new classes that are fenominal. Speed DAting Improve: Round Robin, Double Trouble Stash Buster, and Pin Cushion Selvedge Stash. 

 Sue McMahn is teaching two Tula Pink quilts! Freckles, is both quirky and elegant in a way that only Tula can achieve! The "freckle circle" is easy. Relax and enjoy an adventure with a bright and breezy result. Then take Misdirection, with a fabulous sense of color position, this quilt provides a playful romp among fabric. Misdirection can be accomplished so easily with the Quilt In A Day 4"x8" Flying Geese ruler. With very little fabric waste and easily followed directions, four geese units will be created at a time, using just four lines of stitching!

 Kristin Sheilds is offering two classes as well. Join Kristin for a fun day of hand stitching as Folk Art Creatures come to life with simple embroidery. Create animal designs with inspiration of your own choosing or from the templates provided. In Improv Feathers, come learn liberated and improvisational techniques as they relate to feathers. Kristin will also introduce gentle curves.

 Our very own Lawry Thorn is offering two classics, Absolute Begining Quilting and Begining Machine quilting, and a new purr-fectly fun class Kitty Kitty, from Elizabeth Hartman's Pattern, Kittens. 

 Its always a pleasure to have June as an instructior, so join her in her fun Doodle Quilting where you will experience a variety of doodle-quilting designs. Once again June is teaching her Picture Design, utilizing June's "paint-by-number" technique, you too can create a fabric picture from any photo

 All of these classes and more are open for signup. So check them out and more at www.StitchinPost.com

And as alwyas, Happy Quilting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sue Spargo Bird Play

A couple of weeks ago, we here at The Stitcin' Post had the pleasure of having Sue Spargo instruct some of her special techniques and patterns. We are always so honored to have teachers from all different areas of fiber arts come and teach here, and Sue is defiantly one of them. 

If you've never taken a class from Sue, we highly recommend you do! She is a wonderful and charismatic woman and teaches one on one when you need a little help getting a stitch.

(Bird Play; Chicks by Sue Spargo)

  

(Busy and focused students stitching away at their projects)

 

(When you have a question, who better to ask than then instructor herself?) 

 

(Keeping focused and busy at work) 

 

(Bird Play - 10 Birds by Sue) 

 

If you are intrested in taking a class from Sue, in May 2015, Sue will be here to teach two workshops:

Textural Study 
$300
3-day workshop (includes lunches)
Thursday-Saturday, May 28 - 30, 2015
9-4 pm

and 

Fun Wool Piecing 
$100
1-day workshop (includes lunches)
Sunday, May 31, 2015
9-4 pm

You can find these workshops and more at www.stitchinpost.com  

Happy Sewing 

 -The Stitchin' Post

 

 

August at the shop

New Fabrics...just in

 

(Collage pictured above)

 Two new collections hit the shelves this month (Collage & Waterfront Park) and they are running out the door faster than we can cut them.

We are absolutely loving Collage, by Carrie Bloomston of Such Designs. The newsprint fabric, strips and cut-outs add great dimension and texture to any project. Love the birds, love the coffee mugs...love it all!

In a classic Ode to Portland, Violet Craft for Michael Miller released Waterfront Park. There are birds...of course and bridges and beautiful cherry blossoms. All the sweet things that remind you of our big city sister to the northwest. We love it and hope you do too.

Register NOW!

New Fall Class Schedule

Our new fall class schedule mailed out on Wednesday, August 7th and is also available online.

 

Check out the wonderful assortment of quilting, sewing, knitting and crochet classes that have assembled for you this fall/winter.

 

Explore our 2014 Workshops with Rosalie Dace, Gloria Loughman and Elizabeth Barton. In 2014 we have a twist to the Folk Art Retreat with Sue Spargo. She is co-teaching with her wonderfully, talented sister, Wendy Morris.

  Register online and receive 10% off your class fees! (restrictions apply) 

 

New Kit:
   Kaffe Cranberry Chutney
We took the ever-popular Cranberry Chutney and put a "Kaffe" twist on it...and it turned out gorgeous!
 

            

We have a special place in our hearts for Kaffe and just loved the way the florals/prints and shot cotton solids played off each other. We decided to KIT IT UP! Grab one before they are gone.

 

Instagram: @stitchinpost

We've joined the masses and started posting through Instagram. Follow us each day for instant postings and picture frenzied photo-ops of all the goodies that arrive in the shop. We will always let you know if it's up on the website...but feel free to call if you see something you like.

Follow our hashtags:
            #sptula100 (we will be posting our club's journey making all 100 blocks from Tula's City Sampler book)

                   #spfatquarterbundle (watch as we post pics of our freshly plucked 6pk bundles)

             #spquiltkits (we love to put our own spin on patterns and then kit them UP!) Watch as we  release new kits each month.

            #spquickquilt (that's for the last minute quilter in you...you know who you are...these are fast, they're in a kit...GO!) New ones released each month.


                                @stitchinpost

 

 

 

Preview Party...in the works

So, by now, you all know that our Fall Class Preview Party is Saturday, August 25th from 9-6!

Just stop by the store, pick out your classes and sign up. Don't forget the "Stash & Swap" Parking Lot Sale. You never know what goodies are waiting to be discovered.

Here is a little "sneak peek" of all the fun waiting for you.

Tamra has been busy hanging class samples.

 

What better way to find the perfect class than to see it up close and personal.

 

Quilting and Knitting and Clubs...Oh My!

See you on Saturday!!

Fiber Arts & Crafts Week

As merchandise is clearing out of the classroom, we are preparing for classes to resume in August!  If you are looking for a creative outlet this summer, then join us for:

Fiber Arts & Crafts Week
August 6-10

Monday, Karen is teaching Snap Happy.
Tuesday, La Cressa is teaching Barcelona Skirt.
Wednesday is Painted Canvas Tote Bag with Jean.
Thursday, Jean is working with kids (ages 7+) to make Painted Canvas Book Bags.
Friday, Tamra is teaching Decorative Ribbon Pillow.

It should be a fun week!  Click here for
class descriptions & registration.

 

Here is a sneak peek at the new Fall 2012/Winter 2013 Class Catalog!

We have a fantastic line-up of classes, workshops and special events that we are very excited for you to see!  The new Class Catalog will be in mailboxes mid-August.  If you are not signed up for our mailers, you can click here to get on the mailing list!

Mark your calendar:

Fall Preview Party
One day only!
August 25th ~ 9 am to 6 pm

Handmade Gifts for Holiday Giving!

"When it's made with my hands,
it comes from my heart." 

This is one of my all-time favorite sentiments.  Every year I dream of having an "all-handmade" holiday, where my intent is to give only handmade gifts to the loved ones on my Christmas List. And every year at about this time, I have to re-evaluate my intentions and come up with Plan B!

However, here at the Stitchin' Post, we have several ideas (and classes!) to help you make gifts that let your love show through! Many of these projects can be finished during class, with plenty of time to make more at home! (Be sure to check the class section of our website for full descriptions of all these classes.) Happy Sewing! ~Tamra

Knit Contemporary Christmas Stockings- This heirloom quality gift becomes part of the family tradition for years to come!

Tiny Treat Totes- Look adorable hanging in the Christmas Tree, filled with a small gift, or better yet...cookies!

Biscuit Basket- A lovely way to package a gift ensemble, and then use it again for convenient storage of CDs, books, sewing patterns, etc.


Painted Canvas Tote Bag- The perfect way to personalize a stylish, reusable tote for the environmentally conscious.

Christmas Wall Hanging- Create a unique holiday decoration for a friend (or keep it to deck your own halls!)

Decorative Ribbon Pillow- Very fun for decorating the bedroom of a favorite "tween", could also be made to fit your holiday decor when made in your favorite holiday color scheme.

Knit a Hat- Everyone enjoys a new hat on cold winter days!

Creativity Mini Banner- Display your favorite quote and share inspiration with others.

Crochet a Hat- Functional and pretty for cold winter days.

Fabric Baskets- Perfect for packaging gifts from the kitchen and can then be re-used to hold candy, keys, or sewing notions!

Whimsical Wired Angels- Create one-of-a-kind package tie-ons that can later hang from the Christmas Tree.

O'Christmas Tree- Motif can be made into potholders/hot pad, a wall decoration, a pillow or sewn into a small tote bag for packaging gifts.

 

 

 

Don't forget~ Preview Party is this Saturday!

It's time to get ready for "Back to Sewing School!"

Class Preview Party~ one day only!
Saturday, August 27th
9 am to 6 pm

 
            "Cityscapes"                           "Contemporary Christmas Stocking"

Come see the class samples for the upcoming Fall/Winter class schedule.  Receive 10% off registration price* of all regular classes (*discount does not apply to Workshops, Retreats, Club and/or Special Events.)  Some of our teachers will be here throughout the day, to talk about their classes and answer questions.

Jean just told me that we will also have a "Trunk Show" on display from Studio Art Quilt Association (Saturday only!)

Now, if I haven't given you enough reasons to come to our Preview Party, then how about this...it's my birthday on Saturday, so stop by and share some birthday cake with me!  ~Tamra

     
                    "Word Play"                                 "Off the Wall Quilts"

 

P.S. For those of you looking forward to the "Stash and Swap" Parking Lot Sale, we unfortunately had to cancel it.  We didn't have enough people interested in renting tables to sell their "good stuff." Maybe next year!

School's out...how ya gonna keep the kids busy?

This week, we want to bring you a series of ideas for keeping the kids entertained this summer.

Idea #1~

Kid's Sewing Camp

June 13th-17th, 2011 (9am-Noon)

Kids (ages 10 and up) will be learning the basics of machine sewing while making four fun projects:

• Pillowcase
• Journal Cover
• Project Bag
• Cell Phone Tote (which also makes a great holder for an iPod!)

All of these projects are from Valori's line of Sewing Cards and are simple enough to do in a couple of hours (or less!)  Even if your kids can't come to Kid's Sewing Camp, you could make these projects together at home!  Who better to give your special kids the life-skill of sewing?