Quilter Studio

Quilter Studio Newsletter

By

Robin Brisson

Holiday Newsletter 2004

Trends

“I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas”…..That is the trend this holiday season. White with accents of silver. You will see wreathes decorated with white silk poinsettias and silver bells on front doors and in office buildings. White ornaments on trees with slivers of silver, maybe with icicles or ribbons, white doves, small pairs of candles or clear glass ornaments. White poinsettias adorning mantles and windowsills with a string of small twinkling white lights peeking out between the leaves. White snowmen with big smiles lined up to greet you when you come to the front door. Packages will be decorated with silver paper, ribbon and accents like tiny silver jingle bells. Other colors are also lightening. Instead of dark red or burgundy you will be seeing more rose tones. Tree skirts will be lighter too with a rose moiré fabric and trimmed with silver braid.

P.S. I wrote the above about a week ago. I have just returned from a party at a large Victorian house that has been converted to a function facility for parties, small weddings and conferences. The decorations were just as I described above. White flowers on the windowsills and up the staircase. The tree had only vertical white ribbons and a few ornaments and the tree skirt was yardage of a light ivory/cream fabric like a linen or crepe. The centerpieces were natural fresh pine boughs with the large white pillar candle in a glass cylinder. The wreaths had a single large white bow on the side and were hung from a long white ribbon. Very elegant. Very calming. Very inviting.

On the quilting side the big trend is toward circles. At the Houston Quilt Show in October many of the quilts displayed featured circles. You will be seeing many new patterns with circles or curved designs. But for those of you who hate curved piecing, don’t despair. Manufacturers have invented lots of new tools that make cutting out and piecing quicker and easier. This is good news. I never liked curved piecing but once you know a few tricks it goes faster and is almost addictive. In general people are drawn toward circles and curvy lines more that harsh straight lines and geometric shapes with sharp angles. That’s why soft round figures are more appealing to people, especially children. Think about Santa and Mickey Mouse. Mostly round shapes; belly, nose, ears and buttons.

Quilting/Decorating Ideas and Tips

Quilting, and sewing in general, is very relaxing to me. It is when I am the very busiest in my life that I most need time to escape by sewing. I am alone with my own thoughts and the sewing machine never asks for anything in return (except maybe a new needle and cleaning once in awhile). Usually there is no deadline for completing a project and no one else will know if a project does not come out exactly as planned. Like my mother says, “You can always cut it up and make patchwork pillows. Who’s going to know?”

Here’s a great idea for a quick table or buffet runner for any holiday or special occasion. I love string piecing. I get to use up all my scraps, even the tiniest strips, the work goes quickly and doesn’t need a lot of concentration. You can use a defined color scheme (like all shades of blue or holiday themes) and use one dominant print as a focus fabric. Decide on a size that is appropriate for your table. A good general rule of thumb is about 14 to 18 inches wide and about 36 to 45 inches long. You can even make it the entire length of the table and have the ends drop over the sides with a tassel. I like to cut my strips in random width instead of having them all uniformly the same size. The strips should be at least 1-½ inches wide (which finishes to 1 inch) to 3 ½ inches wide. Cut them just slightly longer than the finished width of the runner. You can randomly sew the strips in pairs and then join the pairs until you have the length that you desire. You can plan the colors out before you begin to sew if you want a structured look. I like to do it another way. It might take longer but sometimes I am fussy about what colors I want together. I like to start in the middle on the runner and choose a main print that has most of the colors I will use. I use a wider strip for this, usually about 5 or 6 inches. That way there are no seams in the middle if I want to put a vase, candle or bowl in the center. It usually gets covered up with some kind of centerpiece. Then I sew the strips on alternating sides of the center panel until it is the desired length. Press the seams to one side away from the center. Sometimes I cut a piece of thin batting the finished length of the table runner and sew the strips directly on the batting using the flip and sew method. This gives a quilted look to the piece. After sewing the strips, just square up the sides using a rotary cutter or a ruler and scissors to make the edges even. There are many ways to finish the edges. The quickest way is to simply serge the raw edges. You can also just turn the edges under and stitch or zigzag in place. You can use purchased double fold bias tape. You could sew eyelet lace or rickrack over the top of the hem. You can even use iron on hem tape and press it to the back. But I like to use a complimentary fabric on the back. That way if the front gets dirty in the middle of the party, you can just flip it over and use it on the other side. Just select a solid or print (perhaps the one you used as a center panel) and cut it 1 inch larger than your pieced top. Lay the right sides together, stitch around all the sides leaving about a 5-inch opening in the side for turning. Trim, turn and press. Slip stitch or glue the opening closed. You can machine or hand quilt or just tie with floss to hold the layers together. This techniques work well for smaller projects like placemats, potholders and pillows. I have even used the strips to make Christmas stockings. Just lay the pattern on the diagonal for a really cute look. You can also use the runner on a coffee table, sofa table, mantle, hutch, over the top of a bookcase, or wherever you need a little sparkle.

You can even select one of the prints used in the runner to make matching placemats or napkins. A quick way to make a very sturdy placemat is from tea towels. One towel will make 2 mats about 14 by 20 inches. Fold the towel in half along the 28-inch length and cut. Three sides are already hemmed. Just fold under the last edge and hem. You can even add some binding made from a complimentary fabric for a decorative finish. That way they look nice on both sides. Use some remaining fabric to make napkin holders from cardboard paper towel tubes. Just cut the cardboard tubes into rounds about 2 inches wide. Use spray adhesive, tacky glue or even iron on hem tape to fasten the raw edges to the inside of the tube. You can use a magic marker or paint pen to write the person’s name on the ring to use as a name card.

And don’t forget using those odd pieces of fabric to wrap your gifts in, especially if you are giving a gift to a quilter or crafter. I plan to make small little fabric bags and use them to hold the little bottles of maple syrup I am featuring on my website for gifts for the people at the post office and others who deserve a small token of thanks. I like to make my own tags too. I just use an iron on bonding on the back of the fabric and iron it to a piece of lightweight cardboard. The small white dividers that come in box of tea bags work great. Leave an opening in the center for writing or just use a marker over the fabric. Use the small print as the bag for a nice coordinated look.

Quilt History

I held a quilt appraisal weekend at my mom’s shop in my hometown of Milton, Vermont in early October. We decided to go ahead with the idea at somewhat the last minute but it turned out great! I took out small ads in some of the local newspapers and the hometown newspaper, The Milton Independent also did a wonderful article on the event. It even had my photo. (I look so young!) I had appointments on Friday and Saturday. In all I saw 21 wonderful and special quilts and quilt tops ranging in age from circa civil war to 1960. Each owner had a unique story about the quilt whether it had been in the family for generations, someone had recently given it to them or they had made it for a special reason. I am happy to report that the quilts in general were all well cared for and stored or displayed properly. When I do an appraisal, I first ask the owner for any information they have about the quilt. I then explain about the quilt, the name of the pattern or design, how the quilt was made, construction techniques, the batting, the backing, the quilting designs, any unusual markings, the age, the condition and finally the value. (I have more information about appraisals in a different section of my website. Be sure to check it out.) I think everyone who had a quilt appraised came away with a better understanding of all the time, effort and tender loving care required to make a quilt and a renewed appreciation of the wonderful treasure they possess and the responsibility to care for it for future generations to enjoy. Thank you to all the people who helped to make the event such a success especially the people who brought quilts to be appraised (and sometimes had to wait) and my Mom who had to rearrange her shop for the weekend. Maybe we’ll make it an annual event.

Shop Talk

In a recent survey, over 50% of all shoppers admitted to purchasing a gift for themselves. Don’t you deserve something special!

We have gotten many wonderful gifts in for the holiday, most priced under $10. I have added many new tea towel designs, coasters, reproduction hankies and towels, great books and patterns and fabulous fabrics. The “bee bar” hand lotion for quilters is a best seller at all our quilt shows. It is just wonderful for quilters as it is non greasy and melts with the warmth of your hands. Have you see the “talking quilt” panels yet? They are silk-screened sayings ready to be made into quilts and other projects.

Many people ask if we have a regular catalog. We use our website as our catalog. That way we can add new things as soon as they arrive and remove things that we sell out of so our customers won’t be disappointed. A few times a year we do mail a flyer with specials and fabric swatches to customers who have placed an order during the last year or so. We also have a small color brochure featuring tea towel designs that we are happy to send to anyone, even if you don’t have a computer.

Watch for our “clean sweep” sale in January. We have so many things coming in we need the room. There are great fabrics (many for Valentines day) and more easy to do kits for beginners or all levels who want an easy project. And charm packs will be coming back, both in squares and circles for our yo-yo lovers. So be sure to book mark this site and sign up for our email list. You won’t want to miss out on the fun.

Last, but not least, I would like to thank all my wonderful customers for their patronage during the last year. I really try to have a variety of unique merchandise and offer good customer service. So many of you have told me how much you enjoy the newsletters and hints that I give when you call to place an order. I love talking to you and hearing about your projects across the country. Best of luck in the new year.