Cozy Quilt Chatter

Building Blocks Month #1: Hammer & Nails

Post by Andrea Paden

Today I'm talking about a new program here at Cozy Quilt Shop. It's called "Building Blocks with Sharyn Craig"! Building Blocks is a monthly program designed by the one and only Sharyn Craig. But is isn’t just a matter of making one block each month (which is a wonderful, minimal obligation plan anyway), it’s about challenging yourself to make a block the way you want to make it - branching out, and seeing what happens.  Join me in making these fun, easy to piece blocks and follow along as I share some of my experiences.

I have been so excited about making my own Building Blocks! I enjoy Sharyn's teaching and design style so much and I knew that this would be a really fun project to do throughout the year. Her patterns are written well, very organized and easy to understand. And whether you are a beginner like me, or an experienced quilter, that is a good thing.

Getting Ready to Build

Building Blocks kits come in 5 different colorways - Black & White, Red, White & Blue, Red & Green, Brights, and Pastels. I chose to use the Brights as I haven't done any projects in bold colors yet and I thought it would be good for me to branch out. Before I even opened my kit bag, I flipped through Sharyn's Welcome Handout (you should ask for one when you buy your first block - we include them with your 1st Building Block web order) and was relieved to read that I didn't have to make my block with templates. That was not my favorite part of my Intro. to Quilting class - I'd rather just use my rotary cutter.

I picked a white-on-white fabric to use as my background fabric. Following Sharyn's advice, I went ahead and got 2 yards (you can always find use for a white-on-white!) to use for the background and any borders I might want to add later.

Before I started cutting, I made a few copies of the block from the cover image on my Hammer & Nails pattern from my desktop printer at home to make some sample designs.

When I was ready to pick which colored fabric would go into the block design in each place, I got a glass of iced tea and turned on Oprah, got out my kid's colored pencils and went to work on some making some different color options.

  
 
Once I got a block design that I was happy with, I went to work cutting, then piecing. I've noticed I can get very frustrated when I am piecing - I might be a little bit of a perfectionist. But once that block starts to take shape, I get a wonderful feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment! And it even ended up being the right size! Here's what I ended up with:

 
Sharyn mentioned a great organization tip in her Handout: making a special box to keep all of your Building Blocks stuff throughout the year. It reminded me of those cool organization shows where they dump all your stuff on the driveway, go through it and put it all back neat and tidy. I love it! So I found a clear storage box I bought at Target and that is my new Building Blocks Box! I put my tip sheet, Month 1 kit and leftover fabric, and my completed block inside for storage until I get my next kit. I even put the leftover fabric right in the plastic bag for the Month 1 pattern to keep the box from becoming a mess.

 

Designing my own block was a lot of fun. I like being able to pick which fabric and/or colors to emphasize and what shapes to create. That's not something you get to do much in an everyday pattern. I'm already looking forward to February 1 when I can get my next kit! I wonder what those fabrics will look like? 

If you haven't gotten your own Building Blocks kit or pattern for Month 1, there's still time! Come in to the shop, call or go online to CozyQuilt.com Kits Page. You can also buy the Building Block Patterns alone if you want to use your own fabric for these blocks. And we offer Building Blocks in an Auto-Ship system! Just call the shop to be added to the list and we'll ship your kit or pattern after the 1st of each month - no need to order everytime!

Pillowcase Sew-A-Thon

Post by Andrea Paden

 
Throughout 2010, Cozy Quilt Shop has been collecting homemade pillowcases as part of the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge sponsored by AllPeopleQuilt.com.  This event, lasting through the end of the year, was created to inspire people to make and donate a pillowcase for someone in need. Cozy chose to donate pillowcases to two very different groups. One is ConKerr Cancer, an organization that provides colorful, cheerful, handmade pillowcases to children battling cancer and other life threatening illnesses at Rady Children's Hospital, The Ronald McDonald House, other local pediatric wards, and pediatric hospices. We also chose to donate to our U.S. Military troops in Afghanistan. They too appreciate the soft feel of a handmade pillowcase as a reminder of home, family and better days.

 
As of September, 2010 Cozy had collected 2,343 pillowcases from our wonderful and dedicated customers - what an amazing accomplishment! Our goal for the year is to collect 3,000, and as summer began to wind down, we decided we needed a pillowcase event to help push us toward that final number.

[FNF Pillowcase Fun Fact #1 - The total amount of scrupmtious food, snichy-snacks and candy consumed was nearly equivalent to the weight of a young elephant!]

One of our favorite new events at the shop is our Friday Night Fever Sit and Sew where we gather with friends, have some fantastic snacks, laugh a LOT, enjoy each other's company and sew whatever projects we like. We always have a great time, so we extended the hours a bit, asked everyone to sew pillowcases for one night, got a ton of snacks and goodies, asked Daniela to provide some great prizes. We called the event a Pajama Pillowcase Sew-A-Thon because we would be sewing into the late hours of the night. And, man - not only did we have a blast but those people made a gob of pillowcases!

 [FNF Pillowcase Fun Fact #2 - JoAnn Flavin (above) cut and pinned a total of 78 pillowcases in preparation for the event!]

As the starting time approached, people gathered in their comfy clothes and pjs and scoped out their spots. Fingers twitched and caffeine was consumed. When we blew the starting whistle, those sewers were ready to go and the fabric started to fly! There were mounds of pillowcases, piles of pins, and machines humming while tea and coffee were gulped and we prepared to sew until midnight.

[FNF Pillowcase Fun Fact #2 - Mary Porath (above) emptied 3 full bobbins in just a few hours of sewing!]

While we sewed under the traditional FNF Disco ball, Sharreen stopped by to deliver a delicious cake courtesy of Audrey Eller who collects our pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer. Audrey has been so gracious and passed on some wonder stories and messages from the doctors at Rady's and the children who receive the pillowcases. What a wonderful moment of inspiration. Thank you Audrey for thinking of us during our event and thank you Sharreen for your heartfelt words reminding us how important this project really is.

 
It wouldn't have a true Friday Night Fever without a few prizes, and to help keep everyone awake, we decided to add in a game. So Kathy passed out the bubble gum and we took a break from sewing for just a minute to have a bubble blowing contest!

 
 
I'm sorry to say that, despite our best efforts, spittle spraying here and there, our bubbles were not very impressive. But, hey, we sure can crank out some pillowcases. We can't be good at everything!

[FNF Pillowcase Fun Fact #3 - Dritz will be happy to know that JoAnn Flavin also used 1500 pins to hold her 78 pillowcases!]

As the evening wore on and the party music wound down, we started tallying the number of pillowcases made during the event. Drum roll, please!

 
Mary Porath (below) won the title for sewing the most pillowcases on her sewing machine. She finished an amazing 19 pillowcases in less than 8 hours!

 

In the serger class, we had two participants. And who would ever believe that they would make the exact same number of pillowcases? They made an incredible 31 pillowcases each! Now that's sewin'!

JoAnn
 Bobbie
[FNF Pillowcase Fun Fact #4 - JoAnn Flavin not only came from the furthest distance to be at the event, she had to go all the way back home to get her power cord, an hours drive in rush hour traffic!]

So how many pillowcases did our guests make? In less than 8 hours One Hundred and Sixteen were finished! Woo hoo! And not only did they sew pillowcases at the event, they brought other pillowcases to donate as well. Thank you all for such a generous contribution to the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge.

If you have been inspired and would like to help with make some pillowcases (it only takes 1 yard of fabric, total!) for the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge, check our website or come into the shop for more information. Or, just make some pillowcases and drop them off here at the shop anytime!

 

My Introduction to Quilting

Post by Andrea Paden

Working at a quilt shop and being surrounded by bolt after fabulous bolt of fabric can really give a person the itch to stitch! Up until this year, I had never sewn a thing. Except during junior high home economics class, and since I don’t remember a thing, I don’t think that counts. I really am a novice. I didn’t know how to thread a sewing machine needle, where to put a bobbin, or where you keep your feed dogs. But I really do love all the different lines of fabric with so many fun patterns and prints in every style that you can imagine. I had to have some. And then, I needed something to do with it. I just needed to sew something! 

So, after getting some sewing basics and learning my way around a machine, I signed myself up to take Sandy Thompson’s Introduction to Quilting class (*see below for more information on this class). What a great place to start, right? I got my class supply list, borrowed a sewing machine (since I didn’t have one of my own yet), and went wandering the rows of fabric in the shop for inspiration to make my first quilt.

First thing’s first. I had to get my supplies. Mechanical pencil – I knew what that was. Glue stick – I couldn’t imagine what we would need one for but I knew what that was. Rotary cutter – yep, seen those in the shop. Pins – okay. Monofiliment thread – huh? Had to ask about that one, but I am now the proud owner of both clear and smoke. Walking foot – well, yeah. I have two but I didn’t think that my left and right feet were actually what Sandy meant so I had to ask about that one too. I honestly didn’t even know there were different feet for a sewing machine, let alone an entire wall of feet to choose from. And, ouch! That was not an inexpensive item. But now that I know a little bit more, I realize that it is a complete necessity for quilting and worth every penny. After making only this one small quilt in class, I already understand the need for this special foot.

I was so excited to take my first class. Sandy is a wonderful teacher, as so many of you already know. She is patient and understanding – just what every nervous needleworker needs! The class is in five parts, so not only do you get to complete an entire small quilt, but you get some great knowledge for quilting, tips and even a little history of quilting. The Intro class quilt is based on four 12 ½” traditional blocks. One is Log Cabin and the other three were of our choosing from a list Sandy provided. For the block we made to learn the template method, I choose Cry of the Loon, then Mosaic #8 and Sunflower.

I choose fabrics from the shop that reminded me of my daughter and would compliment her bedroom. This quilt is a small size and I thought it would be great for her since she is small sized, too. She is three and loves all bright colors, soft things and flowers. So the Boutique line by Chez Moi for Moda was just perfect.I think that choosing fabrics with the right color, compliment, and contrast can be one of the hardest parts of quilting. Luckily, Sandy helped me choose some of my fabric so I wouldn’t end up with a quilt I didn’t like. I was originally choosing everything in the same tone and I wouldn’t have had enough contrast in my quilt top.

 
Once we got to sewing, I started to get anxious. I lean toward “perfectionism” (although I am trying to give myself a break as I get older), so I was frustrated that my points weren’t lining up as nicely as I wanted. They weren’t perfect! When we had to square up our blocks I really got frustrated. To make them all equal sizes, I had to trim some down. Of course the ones that had to be trimmed were the ones with lovely triangle points on the edges, and those were all cut off to measure up with the other blocks. Urggg! I matched up my seams carefully, pinned and could sew a straight line, but I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. I thought I was doing it right. But, no. The Sewing Gods were not with me on this one. This was a learning quilt and I was meant to learn and that means making at least a few mistakes. So I gave myself a break and trudged forward on my quilt.

When I finished connecting all four blocks with lattice and cornerstones (not the kind you find in the garden, I learned!), I stretched out my kinked neck and fingers and thought, “Wow! This looks like a quilt. A real quilt. And I am doing it.” That’s a pretty proud moment for someone who didn’t even know how to sew a few weeks prior!

Next it was time to attach the backing and do some quilting. Sandy teaches “In-the-ditch” quilting for the Intro quilt. After getting a sore neck and forgetting to breathe for what I’m sure were full minutes at a time, I learned I do not love “In-the-ditch” quilting**. Uughh! I agree completely with Maureen who describes it as “barbaric!” It is definitely not something that comes naturally for this novice quilter. It makes me so tense! For me, it’s kind of along the lines of learning to balance a checkbook. Something you have to learn how to do, but probably won’t want to very often.

With my quilting done, it was time to add the binding. That’s the last step! What a thrilling thought. I was about to finish the last step in making my first quilt! I was almost done! I had to do a little dance in the middle of my sewing room, but don’t worry, no one saw my embarrassing display.
  
 
The best part about this class and project was that when I was done and looked at my quilt as a whole, I didn’t notice all the little imperfections. I was so proud to have actually made my own quilt that all I saw was all my hard work, all the things I had learned, and all the love I put into this project because I was making it for my daughter. In making my first quilt, I have rarely felt such a feeling of accomplishment. Like all things that are really worth doing, it took time, effort, and patience. I learned what I needed to feel confident in myself, and I earned the right to call myself a Quilter!

Here's my happy girl with her new blankie. She says she loves it sooo much!

So, now the only thing that is left to do is to figure out what to make next!

*If you would like to take one of Sandy's Intro. to Quilting classes at Cozy Quilt Shop, check our Class Schedule on our website for the next installment.

**Skill Update:  I am proud to say that I have now Mastered "In-the-Ditch" stitching, and although I don't think I would quilt an entire project this way, it is a good skill to have in your pocket! I even used it on a Professional Tote bag that I am currently making in a "Bags for Friends and Fun" (BFF) class.

Fresh Flower Art Class

Post by Andrea Paden

You’ve gotta love a class with a Supply List that includes fresh flowers and a hammer, but no sewing machine! Oh yeah, ear plugs are optional. I am talking, of course, about a Fresh Flower art class I took at Cozy.  Or, as we like to call it, a Flower Pounding class. What I liked best about this class is that anyone can do it! You don’t have to be a quilter. You don’t even have to know how to sew at all. As long as you can swing a hammer, you can make something beautiful and have a blast doing it. I think it would be especially refreshing, say, for Mom’s with misbehaving children, disgruntled employees, irritated housewives, and anyone who may just be having a bad day. All that pounding with a hammer really gets those frustrations out! When I first saw the examples for our Fresh Flower Art Quilt class, I was ready to sign up immediately. These small sized art quilts looked so beautiful and different from anything else I have seen and my artsy-fartsy background kicked into high gear! I was also attracted to the fact that these are smaller sized projects and so not as intimidating to me as a full-sized quilt. In fact, you can make Fresh Flower Art Quilts in any size you like. You have full control. You really don’t even have to make them into a quilt. You can frame or display your finished piece without adding a backing or binding. You can make pictures to hang on the wall, cards to give away, pillows, or, if you choose, use these unique creations for various blocks to be sewn into a special quilt.Our class had people from all different walks of life and all different skill and experience levels. Just a sampling of our group included Jolene, a stay-at-home-Mom and former teacher new to quilting; Loretta, an experienced quilter; and Mary, an artist who does not quilt at all.
Our teacher was Peggy Caballero, a lovely and charming lady who gets you going with the basics and then just lets you go for it! Because the class can get a little loud, she suggests ear plugs or cotton balls to block the sound. And to get your attention after all that pounding begins, she just waves a “white flag” of fabric. The whole process is really very simple, but it was great to be in a group setting to learn this technique and see the results that everyone gets from their flowers. Everyone including Peggy brought different kinds of flowers from their yard or from a store and we all just shared around. It was so interesting to see how different flowers stained the fabric. Some that we all thought would work great just didn’t, and some we were sure wouldn’t give off much color turned out to produce the brightest results.

  
I don’t know if it was the fact that this class is just plain noisy or that there’s no pressure to sew a straight line…  but everybody in this class had a great time! It was so enjoyable to hammer away at these delicate flowers and end up with such pretty little images.

 
This technique would be a great one to learn and share with kids of all ages. How much fun would it be to spend a summer day outside with the kids pounding flowers? They would love it! You could make tote bags for the beach, park or school, custom t-shirts or bandanas. It would make a great project to include Dad in on as well. After all, it does require a hammer!If you aren’t using a pretreated fabric off the bolt for your project (we carry some in the shop), then you might want to investigate this terrific resource, Flower Pounding by Ann Frischkorn & Amy Sandrin to learn how to treat your own fabric so it holds the color and stands up to delicate washing better. This book is also our teacher’s favorite resource – she still refers to it even after 9 years of pounding! My favorite image is of the skateboarder. See, you can make colorful images with flowers and they don’t have to be just for girls!

Towards the end of class, we got instructions on how to add a few finishing touches to our art to create detail and enhance the colors we have created, and Voila! You have a Fresh Flower Art Quilt! What a unique item to decorate your home with or give to a friend. It takes a fraction of the time and expense that making an entire quilt takes, but is so elegant that it would be treasured by any recipient.

You can use flowers to create various shapes with templates. Peggy has made lots of different shapes including vases, cats, and even a seahorse. Fresh Flower Art Quilts, 2 will be given here at the shop in July for any students who have already taken the first class and want to create a larger project from start to finish while learning more advanced Flower Art techniques.

If you are interested in the Fresh Flower Art Class, Level 1, you can find information and class times on our website. Fresh Flower Art Quilts, 2 is best taken after attending the Level 1 class. 

Favorite Quilting Tools Vol. 1 – The Basics

Post by Andrea Paden

When I recently took up quilting, I didn’t realize just how many gadgets, gizmos, doodads and whatchamacallits were out there to help us get that quilting done! Scissors, pins, cutters and mats. Markers, thread, rulers and fabric in vats! But, I guess with any great hobby come great tools of the trade. And quilting is certainly a Great hobby!

  Looking at our display wall at Cozy Quilt Shop, most of the tools were unfamiliar to me and I had no idea what I really needed on my sewing table. I just wanted the basics. But like many people these days, I have a pretty tight budget. So, to help me pass over the tools I really didn’t need, I asked the ladies in the shop what some of their favorites are. I even got suggestions from our customers. You guys are so helpful!

What follows is a fabulous selection of Cozy’s Favorite Tools – The Basics. These are sewing and quilting tools we use on a regular basis and can’t live without! You may have seen some of them before, but didn’t know how wonderful they are. And some of them may be completely new to you. Take a look. You may find something you just can’t live without.

Marking & Measuring ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ―
After just one quilt, I am ready to toss my mechanical pencil out the window! The lead keeps breaking and it seems to scratch my fabric rather than mark it. I needed something else to mark with and Kara told me about one of her favorite tools, the Clover Chaco Liner. This liner glides over the fabric better than most other chalk liners, leaving a thin line that is easily removed with a soft dusting. No more breaking lead! And no sharpening needed either.

If you do use pencil to mark your fabric, you’ll need a good eraser at times. A Cozy favorite is the Sewline Fabric Eraser. The eraser is designed to leave larger particles on the surface that won’t get caught in the weave of the fabric. The pen-like tool is easy to hold and it comes in that pretty Sewline pink! At just a couple of dollars, it’s a bargain.

Speaking of Sewline… our Facebook friend Melissa is a fan of the Sewline Trio. I wondered what made this pencil-combo different, so I watched the video demo at AllPeopleQuilt.com (another Favorite!) and darned if I’m not convinced! This 3-in-1 pencil holds black and white lead and a tracer point accessible with just a simple twist. It has a soft, comfortable grip and even has its own eraser. Melissa uses hers so often that it’s always right next to her sewing scissors.

 
To help mark those straight lines, we have to have rulers. But I was stumped. There are tons out there! And when you're just starting out, you certainly don’t need them all. A standard for quilting is a 6” x 24” ruler. The Cozy Quilt Shop favorite is actually a 6 1/2" x 24 1/2" ruler by Creative Grids. Non-slip dots on the back side prevent the ruler from sliping. Measurements are labeled in 1/8”, ¼”, ½” and 1” increments throughout the ruler, not just on the long ends. And it also has handy 45° and 60° angles.

   
For marking shorter lines, Kara’s favorite is the 1” x 6” Creative Grids ruler. This cute little guy has non-slip dots on the back to help your ruler stay in place and is a perfectly handy size to grab and go. Kara’s other go-to ruler is the 6” Bias Square by Martingale & Company. She uses this for squaring up and cutting squares because the increments are marked better than most other rulers and larger, bold numbers are so easy to read.

   

And how could we create a list of our favorite things without including our own Strip Tube Ruler! Of course we love it, but our customers and fans love it too. Our Cozy friend, Jan, doesn’t know what she would do without it. With this great gadget and the “tube technique”, you can easily make accurate half square triangles from 1" to 9½"! It’s a breeze. For more on the Strip Tube Ruler, just check out the Strip Tube Ruler Post on this blog!

Another favorite which helps with repetitive cutting is Omnigrid’s Glow-Line Tape. When cutting multiple pieces, we use this transparent tape to mark measurements on our rulers so it’s easy to see for the next cut. Reduces cutting time and is easy on the eyes. The tape is low-tack so it won’t leave sticky residue on your ruler when removed, and it can even be repositioned. For a couple of dollars you get 21 yards of tape!

 
When Maureen makes half-square triangles, she uses the Quilter’s Rule 8” Quick Quarter. This inexpensive and clever marking guide has a slotted center that gives a ¼” seam allowance on each side. Making multiple half- or quarter-square triangle blocks or Flying Geese blocks are a breeze – no cutting or piecing. You’ll wonder what you ever did without it!

 

Underneath it all, a handy new favorite of Diane’s is the Olfa Rotating Self-Healing Rotary Mat. It’s like a Lazy Susan for quilters! Just perfect to help with repetitive cutting of square, triangles and other shapes, this mat allows you to cut, spin your mat and fabric together, then cut again. The compact 12” x 12” size won’t take up too much room on your sewing table and is very flat for easy storage. After clumsily flipping and flopping my own 18” x 24” mat around, knocking my cutters, patterns and iron right off my sewing table, I’m ready to get one for myself!

 
Cutting ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ―
Choosing the right pair of scissors can be a daunting task. There seem to be hundreds of different types of scissors on the market. The good news is that you can easily get by with just a few sizes or types, and they don’t all have to be expensive.

On the smaller side, our “must have” is a good pair of embroidery, needlework or detail scissors. With blades less than 5” long, these little snips are perfect for quick cutting of even the smallest threads and for embroidery. Most work for right or left-handed people, too. Some come with a plastic cap to protect the tips, but you’ll probably be grabbing these scissors for a quick trim, and the cap may be a hassle. Just about any brand will do and you don’t need to spend more than a couple bucks per pair.

 

Now for fabric cutting. You usually have to spend a bit more to get a great pair of fabric scissors. If you spend less than $20, you probably won’t be happy with them. There is nothing worse than shears that won’t cut through your fabric (and we love our fabric!) or snag or chop up the cut. Our favorite fabric scissors aren’t fancy or even pretty. In fact, the one’s we love and use here in the shop are actually industrial scissors used for gardening, crafts, and for cutting meat and poultry as well as fabric. These “chicken choppers” made by Wolff Industries, have ergonomically designed handles to make cutting easier and more comfortable and the sharp 8 ¾” blades are made of steel. They run $38.99 but should last a very long time. To keep them sharp longer, use on fabric only!

 

Another favorite for cutting fabric is the rotary cutter. Again, there are many on the market, but not all of them work well. For the sake of your quilting fingers, we like rotary cutters with self-retracting blades. My favorite is the Olfa Ergonomic Rotary Cutter with a 45mm blade. This cutter has a squeeze handle that slides the blade into position for cutting. When you release the handle, the blade falls back behind the guard so you can’t cut yourself by accident. Olfa’s cutter also has a safety button so the squeeze handle can be locked closed and won’t budge even if bumped or knocked. Diane’s favorite, a slightly different style, is the Dritz 45mm Rotary Cutter. This cutter’s blade is pressure sensitive and has a guard that slides out of the way when you press the blade to the fabric. It has a soft grip and a safety lock as well. It works the same for right or left-handed quilters. Of the two, the Dritz cutter costs a little less than the Olfa.

 

Perfect Pining ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ―
One of the first things I learned in Intro to Quilting was that not all pins are created equally. If you don’t get the right kind, they may bend or be too bulky for comfort. For most quilting and sewing, my teacher suggested a great standard, the Flower Head pin. The pins are long enough to hold many layers of fabric and the flower-shaped heads rest flat against the fabric for easier sewing. Most packages note that they are also better for ironing, but the heads aren’t heat resistant, so don’t apply your iron to them directly. A package of these pins cost only a few dollars, but you’ll need lots if you are making anything very big. Find a small tin or container (perhaps an empty Altoids tin) and fill it up with flower head pins!

 

Many of our experienced quilters tend to splurge on Fine Quilting Pins, the Gucci of pins. Janice loves these! The long, sharp pins have a fine stem and a small, glass, heat-resistant head that can be ironed. They are so thin that some daredevils even sew right over ‘em (of course we can’t recommend doing that for the sake of your machine). A small case usually contains 100 pins, but they can easily run over $10 per package. But, those that use them love them and it’s a welcome expense for their sewing kit. Cozy ladies prefer Clover Quilting Pins (Fine).

 

So where do you stick all these pins? In the Ewesful Pincushion, of course. Dyed in bright and bold colors, these pure wool, hand felted pincushions have a layer of fleece inside to keep your pins sharp and a touch of lanolin to prevent rust. The Ewesful Pincushion with a flat top and The Very Ewesful, Too with a rounded top are even large enough to hold a quilt’s worth of pins. A little more that a run of the mill cushion, but better protection for those Fine Quilting Pins!

Odds & Ends ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ―
In the thread department, Janice’s favorite is Wonder Invisible Thread. She uses this thread for top stitching, appliqué, and quilting. It’s the perfect choice we she doesn’t want to see color of the thread against fabric, just the texture of the quilting. It comes in two colors, Clear and Smoke, depending on your fabric color.

 

For keeping our bobbins organized, we love the BobbinSaver. This inexpensive tool holds over 20 bobbins, metal or plastic, small or large. Your bobbin threads won’t unwind when stored in this little blue ring. And it’s a great way to distinguish what type of thread is on those bobbins, too. Janice keeps one BobbinSaver for regular cotton thread and one for embroidery thread. What a great idea!

Our friend Carol introduced me to one of my new favorite things. She saw me struggling over my machine adding in-the-ditch quilting to my first quilt. The layers of fabric and batting were a little uncomfortable to hold, so she suggested Machingers, a special set of gloves for machine quilters. The gloves are soft and fairly thin so they’re comfortable to wear. The flexible fingertips grip the fabric as you sew and your layers become more manageable under the needle. They will even provide a little extra protection when doing a lot of pinning and help grip fabric when adjusting or lining it up. Amazing!

We All Sew! Yes, we do. It’s not just a statement of fact, it’s a fabulous web site sponsored by Bernina. At weallsew.com you’ll find all kinds of stuff about sewing updated weekly from the best stuff on the internet, all in one place. There are video demos on different sewing techniques, favorite sewing blogs to visit, Facebook groups to investigate, links to various charities you can “sew to serve” for, photo galleries and links to tons of great things to sew – All For Free! 

Another one of my favorite web sites is AllPeopleQuilt.com. If you haven’t been there, you are missing out. This site is chuck full of everything about quilting! It has projects and ideas, tips and techniques, videos, forums, blogs, galleries, printable patterns, shopping, and article after article on quilting. It’s a fun site to scroll through even when you don’t have a specific need in mind.

And Moda Bakeshop. For me, visiting Moda Bake Shop is like going to See's Candies. It's filled with treats and goodies that just make me happy! This division of Moda Fabrics provides delicious "recipes" for all types of sewing and quilting projects using pre-cut fabric from various designers and quilt shops. The site also includes tips for getting your projects going and a wonderfully helpuls "Weights & Measures" page with printable cutting guides, setting charts, and equivalent measures. And again, the best part is that it's all FREE! 

For More Information ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ―
If you are interested in purchasing any of the products we have mentioned, you are in luck! Most of our Favorite Tools - The Basics are available on our website under Favorite Tools.

Six Early Lessons in Sewing

Raw Edges:  The Diary of a Clumsy Quilter  by Andrea Paden

March 16, 2010

Last night, I completed my first sewing project! And even though it isn’t a quilt, I sure feel a sense of accomplishment. I actually sewed something together and it didn’t fall apart. Hooray for me! And in just this one small sewing project, I learned six important lessons that have given me a great beginning education to the world of quilting.

What did I make if it wasn’t a quilt? Well, I guess you may know that I spend quite a bit of time in the shop so I see lots of fun things to sew. I recently brought home my new Bernina 240 and I was itching for a project to break it in. So I got the idea to make my Mom something for her upcoming birthday. Who wouldn’t love a handmade project from their daughter? But… (sigh) a quilt still seems a bit more than I am ready to wrestle.

 
Then I saw our sample for Jan Hayman’s latest BFF class. [BFF stands for Bags for Fun and Fashion] What a cute handbag! Lots of pockets. My Mom loves handbags. I was pretty sure that was something I could tackle, especially if it was taught in a class. I figured I could get some basic sewing skills under my belt to help my quilting, too. And if I made a bag for myself in class, I would be less apt to mess up my Mom’s birthday gift! So I signed myself up.

 
As with most education, if you are ready to learn, you usually get more from the experience than you expected. And with this purse project, I sure learned a lot of great things.

Before my class started, I got the supply list and learned that we should purchase, cut and fuse our fabric beforehand to get a jump start. Fuse? Uh-oh. I had no idea what that meant. Luckily, I work in a quilt shop! There’s always someone around to ask for help.

Lesson #1 – Fusing is the process of applying an interfacing product (like Pellon Fusible Fleece) to your fabric for added support to the finished project. The interfacing is ironed to the wrong side of the fabric with the right side of the fabric facing up to prevent burning the interfacing.

So I bought some PFF. Then it was time for the fun part – picking out my fabric.

Lesson #2 – Buy fabric you love. It’s one of the best parts of quilting!

This was one of the first pieces of advice I ever got in the shop. Since day one, I have heard many customers and quilters repeat it. If you don’t love the fabric, you probably won’t love the finished project, right? I have seen fabrics in the shop that I love since the day I started, and I finally had a chance to use some! I have always been drawn to Art Gallery fabrics with their bold, colorful graphic prints and their unique fabric texture. So that was the first place I looked. I chose Spellbound with a dark navy blue background because it had some accent colors I liked and I thought a darker-colored bag would be best for a mom-on-the-go like me. Then I was ready to prep for class.

 
I got everything home and opened up the pattern to get started. Background fabric, check. Pocket fabric, check. Lining fabric, check. Cutting instructions, check. Ready to follow the pattern for the initial sewing and fusing before class (I was always a good student). First line of the pattern… and I’m already stumped. It just doesn’t make sense to me. I read it over and over and it isn’t any clearer. I know I am an intelligent woman, but I just don’t get it! I have only learned a little about quilting/sewing so far but it really seems wrong. So, fine. I give in and just do what it says even though it still doesn’t make sense. I have to be prepared for class. But I don’t go any further because I figure if I did this wrong, I’ll have to fix it before I move on.
 
Lesson #3 – Trust your knowledge. Patterns are written by people, and people are not perfect.

I guess you know where this is going. I got to class early and showed Jan my first piece, sewn as the instructions described, with Wrong Sides Together (uh-huh WST!) Of course that wasn’t right, Jan confirmed. That would put my seam on the outside of the bag. How silly. We re-read the instructions over together and sure enough, first line of the pattern has a typo. I knew it! Well, at least I brought my seam ripper.

Lesson #4 – Sewers and quilters are some of the friendliest people around.

 
The vintage Singer pictured above belongs to Rosemary. I asked her about it because it just looks so pretty. She bought it just recently because it was made the same year she was born, 1947. We spent some time talking about her sewing machine, her family, and other things. And as I’ve noticed often happens with quilters and sewers, you can feel like you have a new friend in just a few minutes. What a lovely lady.

Class went on, and although we didn’t finish our handbags that night, we got more than half way done. It was a lot of fun for me to see the different fabrics everyone chose. Here are a few for you to see.

     
After class, I had to bring my project to the shop to show the ladies what I had started. They are so supportive and as we were going over what I had left to do, Diane suggested a few things to me.

Lesson #5 – Show off your work! Quilters and sewers are such supportive people and they have fabulous ideas and suggestions if you are open to them.

I still needed to sew up the lining and sew on a button for the top closure. Diane looked at my fabric and button and suggested I layer two buttons together instead of one. How cute! I like the contrasting colors even better than with one alone. And when I mentioned being nervous about hand-stitching up the lining to finish the bag, she mentioned how she just makes a tiny fold and sews it right on the machine. It ends up on the inside-bottom and is so small it’s hardly seen. Perfect solution for me! Thanks, Diane.

Lesson #6 – Make what you want, how you want it.

This is my favorite lesson because I made it up myself! As I was admiring my own work, studying my fabulous new purse, I realized I had covered an awful lot of the fabric I loved with four big pockets on the outside per the instructions. I ended up with nine pockets on the inside of the bag. Now, I have a lot of stuff to carry, but not that much stuff. Did I really need all four outside pockets? Nope! So I ripped two of them off! Now my project is complete! So what that it’s not identical to the pattern. It’s just the way I want it which makes it just right for me.

 
And that’s how life should be, shouldn’t it? Just the way we want it. Another great lesson for me to learn. Now that I have finished my handbag and learned these valuable lessons in sewing, I think I just might be ready to make a quilt!

[If you would like to find out about our BFF classes, check our Classes & Clubs menu on Cozyquilt.com!]

1 Million Pillowcase Challenge

Post by Andrea Paden

Cozy Quilt Shop is proudly participating in the One Million Pillowcase Challenge sponsored by AllPeopleQuilt.com. This is a terrific program taking place during the entire 2010 year is designed to inspire people of all ages to make a pillowcase for those in need. A pillowcase can provide comfort for a cancer patient, hope for a foster child, encouragement for a battered woman, or beauty for a nursing home resident. A homemade pillowcase is a cozy, happy and personal way to show you care.

Cozy Quilt Shop has picked two wonderful causes that have agreed to accept our donated pillowcases: ConKerr Cancer and TS Workhorse &TS Thunder.

ConKerr Cancer is organization that provides colorful, cheerful, handmade pillowcases to children battling cancer and other life threatening illnesses at Rady Children's Hospital, The Ronald McDonald House, and other local pediatric wards, and pediatric hospices.

If you want to learn more about this amazing organization, the boy who inspired it and the woman and son who started it, visit ConKerrCancer.org. Bring your tissues. This one will touch everyone.

If you are making pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer, please follow their simple guidlines:

1. Use new, quality fabrics in bright cheerful colors,
2. Do not wash the pillowcases as some detergents bother these children,
3. Please place each pillowcase in a quart size ziplock bag.

Local organizers will come and pick them up periodically and will get them to the local hospitals in need.

Our other great cause is very different, but in some ways the same. We are in touch with a grass roots effort to make pillowcases for our U.S. Military troops in Afghanistan. They too appreciate the soft feel of a handmade pillowcase as a reminder of home, family and better days. These pillowcases for Task Force Workhorse & Task Force Thunder will be mailed to chaplains stationed with the troops in Afghanistan and will be given directly to the troops. Most of them are male, so keep your pillowcases masculine with maybe a few feminine ones.

The AllPeopleQuilt goal is for 1 million pillowcases to be donated. You can check their current tally at the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge page on AllPeopleQuilt.com. At the time of this post, 34,556 pillowcases had already been collected!

Our Cozy Quilt Shop goal is 3,000 pillowcases! We've got all year, so there is no reason we can't do it! Won't you participate? We already have 303 pillowcases donated at Cozy!

 
MAKE A PILLOWCASE, MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

To participate in this fantastic event, you are going to need a pillowcase pattern! To make it as easy as possible for you, you can find some simple patterns at AllPeopleQuilt.com's 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge page or at ConKerrCancer.org.

Bring your completed pillowcases to Cozy Quilt Shop at 2940 Jamacha Road, Ste. H in El Cajon, CA 92019.

Here are a few samples to give you inspiration!

 

Friday Night Fever on March 5, 2010

by Andrea Paden

Friday Night Fever is Cozy Quilt Shop's monthly sit and sew with a Disco theme. Once a month from 5pm to 10pm we offer great music, good food, and lots of fun sewing in the Cozy Classroom, all for only $20! If you would like to get in on the action, check our website for the Friday Night Fever schedule. It's a great way to complete unfinished projects and have a blast at the same time!

This month’s Friday Night Fever was a fun-filled evening for all of us! The music was crankin’, the disco ball was spinin’, and sewing machines were smokin’!

It was a very productive night for pillowcases. Diane got lots of them ready to go for our 1 Million Pillowcase challenge. I’m sure we’ll make our goal of 3,000 pillowcases at this rate!

 

Mary started and completed all 12 Dutch Treat blocks – she’s a Super Sewer! If you didn’t see it before, Dutch Treat was the block designed by Cozy Quilt Shop for the Spring Fling Row Quilt Run. Take a look at Mary’s work.

 
Are you inspired to make your own row of tulips? You can find everything you need to complete the entire row in our  Dutch Treat Kit, available on CozyQuilt.com.

As the evening wore on, the ladies got a little wild and crazy singing and dancing to Y-M-C-A, I Will Survive, and a few Michael Jackson tunes.

And after we worked up an appetite, Kathy served us her fabulous homemade lasagna. Of course there was room for chocolate cake!

Here is an adorable project. This sewer used the Love U Charm Squares in a patchwork quilt with a twist (or a tuck, I should say). She just added one tuck in the center of each seam to make squares puff up in this quilt top. Using a plush poly-batting will fill in each square to maintain the shape. A unique idea, so simple to do!

I even got a little work done on my first quilt, trying to complete my “in the ditch” quilting.

Everyone had a great time and left with a smile on their face! It’s so much fun to sew in such great company. Hope to see you next time!

Introduction & Why I’m Glad I Got the Job!

Raw Edges:  The Diary of a Clumsy Quilter by Andrea Paden

Feb. 25, 2010

Welcome to my first blog entry. I guess the proper thing to do here would be to start out by introducing myself. So…

Hello. I’m Andrea and I have been working behind-the-scenes at Cozy Quilt Shop since last Fall. Daniela brought me in to help with Cozy’s ever-growing web sales from customers like you here locally, across the U.S., and even (as I was impressed to learn) all around the world!

But before we go much further, I have to give a “shout out” to my Aunt Judy. Hallah! Aunt Judy was the person who told me that Daniela was looking for someone to add to her staff when she read about it in the weekly newsletter, and what a blessing for me, because I have honestly never enjoyed a job so much. This doesn’t even feel like work! So thank you, Aunt Judy, for being a faithful Cozy customer, and for being a fabulous Aunt!

I have only been with Cozy a short time, but quickly learned that I love it here! Probably for many of the same reasons that you do, and many of the same reasons that make Cozy Quilt Shop such a success in the quilting world.

First, and most importantly, I really love the people who work here. These ladies are so much fun. So sassy and energetic! Right, you’ve seen them? Nothing at all like the fuddy-duddy ol’ gals I pictured quilting in their long, flannel nightgowns and bonnets surrounded by multiple cats. (Just kiddin’, Cozy Queens. I knew you didn’t all have cats.) If that image wasn’t erased the first day I walked in the door, it was blown out of the water at last year’s Christmas party! Who on Earth could spend 3+ hours at a CoCo’s restaurant and have so much fun? [My husband accused me of ending up at Chippendale’s because I was gone so long!] Seriously, these ladies really are fabulous!

I have worked other places where people said “it feels like family”, but now I see they really didn’t know what they were talking about. Cozy Sisters make everyday enjoyable. They keep chocolate stocked at all times (thank goodness!!). They are always willing to help me out with one of my thousands of newbie-quilter questions (Diane, Virginia, Shareen, Kara, Jan…). They pass out Valentine candy and cards to each other, they make World Famous meatball appetizers (Maureen), they hoot and they holler, they sing Disco songs (Kathy) and they use words like “wonky” (Marguerite & Janice). I am always excited to see who I will be working with each day and happy to be greeted with a familiar “Hey, there Ladybug!” And they truly all have a passion for quilting. I can see it when they help someone find just the right fabric for a special project, when they teach classes, and when they get excited for me even when all I made was a sad, miss-aligned and puckered pillowcase!

Second reason I love being at Cozy: all these fabrics! The patterns, the colors. I can’t stand it. Lime green, lavender, coral, chocolate brown, oyster, pink, butter yellow, navy, silver, ruby, charcoal, tan, mocha, teal, strawberry, plum, sage, cornflower. Do ya get what I mean? Everyday it seems there is something new, and by the multitude of UPS and FedEx delivery people coming through our doors, it’s true. You can find a fabric for every mood. Marbles, dots, florals, stripes, Batiks, Oriental-inspired prints, cupcake and pizza prints, motorcycles, beach themes, leaves, outer space and owls. It’s like candy for my eyes (and I have a BIG sweet tooth!). Many times I have heard a customer or one of my Cozy Sisters say, “If you find something you love, you just have to get it”. And that is how I decided to make a Pocket Parade Purse – I just had to have that Spell Bound fabric by Art Gallery! [See upcoming blog about my first projects]

And the last reason I will talk about today that I am loving Cozy Quilt Shop is being in an environment that inspires, that promotes creativity and a sense of community, all based on the art of quilting. Now, I have a small art background. I studied some in college and have done a little of this and that since, but I have never known anything about quilting, let alone sewing, until I started work here. Can you believe Daniela hired me?! Ha! I thought quilting was a hobby. I didn’t know it was an art form. But when I saw Susan Prioleau‘s Jacobean appliqué quilt (completely hand stitched!), I was amazed. When I look at Janice’s Indian Orange Peel quilt, I am in awe. The work, the care, the skill is almost baffling to me. And there is so much history in quilting that I didn’t realize. It’s a part of our country, our culture, our families. And that is something I am looking very much forward to being a part of.

So, look out Quilting World! I have the sewing “bug” and I’m going full-throttle. Being surrounded by the ladies here, who wouldn’t?

Check back soon. While Daniela and Georgette write about quilting from the experienced quilter’s perspective, I have none of that.  I’ll be writing about quilting from a novice quilter’s perspective (that should provide a laugh or two, at least!). I hope you will find it enjoyable. Plus, I am about to finish my very first quilt thanks to Sandy Thompson’s Into to Quilting class. And my own sewing machine arrived at the shop today! I can’t wait to take it for a test drive! As Kathy says, “Go, Baby, Go!”

Store Tour of Cozy Quilt Shop

I thought you might like a photo-tour of Cozy Quilt Shop.  We are located outside San Diego, CA in an area called Rancho San Diego.  Our mailing address says El Cajon but we are (happily) outside the city limits. I love our area... it's got everything we need, including hills, fresh air and a feeling of calm and quiet.