Traditional - Storytellers
It is so very hard to decide what to buy when hundreds of quilts are calling my name at market.  Luckily this year I took Lita and Angie so we could all "vote" for our favorite.  We all voted for this lovely quilt called Storytellers as one of our Block of the Month quilts to bring home.  
We all know the stories, but how many of us know the women behind the stories? The Storytellers is a gorgeous 12 month Block of the Month Program honoring the female authors of some very classic books. Each pattern has interesting tidbits about ladies who changed the literary scene. For instance, did you know Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she was only nineteen years old? Exclusively designed by Denice Lipscomb, this is what The Storytellers BOM is all about. Finished size is 102" x 102", available in September.  

Modern - Disappearing Dresdens

The same lady who brought us the Piping Hot Binding tool has come up with a super cool Prairie Pointer tool.  Susan Cleveland has an artistic twist that seems to outshine everyone.  Her pattern Seven Ringie Dingies (don't you just love that name)  not only makes prairie points but also creates a dresden affect that is simply stunning.  While the dresden is a traditional pattern Susan combined it with a modern background.  Look closely at the dresden centers; they are also pointed so no center is needed.  Can modern and traditional be combined?  You betcha!

A girl who sews just has to have the newest 
notions and these are at the top of the list:

Sewlite Has a wonderful lighting system for not only sewing machines but also for hand sewing.  They offer two different types for sewing machines, one will fit any machine and the other one is a retrofit for the Singer Featherweight.  If you have ever sewn on a Featherweight you know the lights can get very hot and if you are not careful they will burn you.  Since the new light is LED you will not feel any heat and yet it does not affect the integrity of the look of the machine, and another important thing - the light is much brighter!  They also offer a neck light that runs on batteries and can be moved to any angle or height so it serves for multiple purposes.  No waiting on these items, by the time you receive this message they will be waiting for you and should go on our website with 24 hours.


Olfa Folding Cutting Mat  Ideal for those sewist on the go to retreats and sew-in days, they come in two different sizes, 12" x 17" and 17" x 24".  Availability will be in September 2015.


More market posts soon!

Right now I am in Minneapolis at Quilt Spring Market.  I brought two of my staff members with me to help get a different perspective.  After being in this business for over 14 years I feel that I don't always see things with a fresh perspective so bringing Lita and Angie with me has been a great eye opener, you will have to forgive the pun.  

The first night here we went to a dinner where Mark Lipinski talked about the new movement he has started called Slow Stitching.  You probably remember him as the bodacious writer of a quilting magazine several years back.  He was sick for awhile but now he is back in full speed.  His presentation was very thought provoking and he made several good points, one was to to slow down and enjoy the process, to do your sewing with intention.  I loved this idea as for several years now I have sped through my sewing rather than savoring it.  He also discussed "dumb" quilting and said he had quit quilting for awhile because he was bored with the quilts he was seeing.  Once he realized he needed a challenge and didn't want to do a simple, easy, fast quilt but rather to immerse himself into the creative process and challenge his abilities.  

He says Slow Stitching is about creating that one important piece of fiber art in our lifetime that will leave our legacy.  In a story about when his grandmother died and they were dividing her estate no one wanted her expensive china because it had never been used but everyone wanted her worn afghans because they had her own DNA in them.  This was a profound statement to me.  Ahh, I was inspired, it was worth every penny to come to market.  
Mark will be coming out with a new magazine in the fall, I look forward to it.