July 2, 2016
Feature: Camelot Fabrics (or The Road to King Arthur’s Court)
Holding court at Camelot
Take a long journey with me. I promise I will eventually get to the point. Or past it — whatever!
A Detour or Two
Going back a few months… When Reece from Happy Okapi invited me to get involved with this Canada Day 2016 blog hop, the intention was for me to showcase a pattern from a Canadian designer. I fell in love with a Jalie pattern for the lacy version of the Bella Fit & Flare dance dress — because I still have hopes of strapping on my suede soled shoes and returning to the dance floor one day.
And as with most of my plans, they went astray. (Or they took a little detour, if that sounds less random.) Just as I was printing and taping my pattern pieces together, one of my foster cats bit me and it turned into a painful infection of my right hand. Then 3 days later “someone” dropped a 25 Kg rock on my left hand. Right there was the end of any aspirations I had for sewing between May and July.
Fortunately — for me, and I hope for her too — we were able to recruit Michelle of Michelle’s Creations to cover for me with Jalie. I’d say everyone benefitted all around because she did a bang up job with her Jalie cami & panty set. If you haven’t seen Michelle’s sexy underthings yet, go read her post here.
Now, I might have incapacitated my sewing self, but I could still type with one hand. So I set about grilling Beverly, the owner of Bra-Maker’s Supply — who, by the way, makes the most delightful heroine in any story — for a post that didn’t involve cutting or operating dangerous machinery. It’s a good thing I suited up with some of her under-armour because… Reece had another quest to send me on.
Welcome to Camelot
One sunny Tuesday afternoon, I said goodbye to my village and set out for Camelot. I’m sorry to disappoint, but Lancelot, Galahad, Arthur and Guinevere were nowhere to be found because, well, they’ve been dead for centuries. There was no round table either, but depending on how much you love fabric, there might have indeed been a Holy Grail.
Could this be the Holy Grail of Fabric?
Public transportation schedules being as inconvenient as they are, I had the choice to arrive at Camelot either 25 minutes before or 5 minutes after the appointed time. I opted for the former because, let’s face it! when you’ve been summoned to court, you don’t get to use Societé de Transport de Montréal (STM) as an excuse.
Norma, the sweetest, most professional receptionist ever, greeted me at the castle gates and welcomed me despite my being too early for my appointment. And while I waited for Claire Haillot, the Marketing Director and resident blogger, to come and collect me, Norma let me fondle some of the display fabric bolts. I may or may not have drooled on a few of them, but that’s strictly between us. And while I was poking about in the entrance display cases, look what I found! Janelle, you sure get around!*
The Necessary Clutch Wallet (NCW) made from a pattern by Emmaline Bags
Claire’s wall quilt helped me focus.
Once I started the tour and chat with Claire, I was overwhelmed to be honest. I had no idea which angle to take with my post. There was so much! They had history; they had stories; they had incredible people; oodles of talent; social conscience, award winning staff, and some of the nicest damned fabric I’ve ever been allowed to feel up. I finally figured I’d focus on their foreseeable future. That and the warm work culture that made me very nearly consider dusting off my moldy résumé. Nearly, I said!
More than 12 years ago, when father and son team Max and Steve decided to buy the floundering Eugene Textiles and modernize it to appeal to the emerging quilters’ market, they had vision. (Coincidentally, it was at the same time that Claire opened her quilt shop, so destiny was already at work.) Montreal’s once flourishing textile and garment industry had started to sink along with the flounder, and most companies were bailing. These guys saw something the others didn’t see so they took a chance and Camelot Fabrics emerged from the mist. In March of this year, Claire closed her quilt shop and joined formidable forces with Camelot.
During the interview, when I wasn’t shoving my hands into bins of fabric or gawking in awe at the finished bags, clothes and quilts they have on display, I wanted to know what life was really like inside those castle walls. I had barely got the question of group dynamics out of my mouth before both Claire and Cinzia pointed to the hanging on the wall of Cinzia’s office: Synergy. Everything else I saw there backed up their claim. We popped in and out of people’s offices saying hello and waving like royalty.
A synergistic workplace
Despite their commitment to keeping their new and longtime employees happy (some have been there nearly 50 years), this year, the company has found itself in the unique position of having outgrown its staff. Yup! They have been hiring more and more staff in just about every department with plans to add a few more by the end of summer. They do need all the extra people to handle the increasing popularity of their fabrics, but I think they also need fresh ears to listen to the old-timers’ stories that start with, “In my day…” (“You guys are so spoiled. In my day, we didn’t have trucks and all these fancy machines to move the bolts from here to there. I would push my shopping cart of fabric down the street…”)
Speaking of happy — and apparently absent-minded — employees, how many times in your working life have you been so engaged in your work that you didn’t hear the announcement that the building was closing up and it’s time to go home? Hah! Most of us would be out the door and merging into traffic before the announcement was finished. But that’s exactly what happened to Cinzia, who also works in the marketing department with Claire. Cinzia is an award-winning, internationally published, quilt designer who joined the team just this past February. But I digress, though not as much as I usually do…
Master quilt designer Cinzia justifiably proud of her exquisite workwomanship
Cinzia told me the story of how she was so absorbed in her work and grooving to her music that several hours later when she looked up, the whole office was dark. She tried to leave, set off the alarms, called Max the owner, and was eventually rescued from the building by Jason the guy who works in the unit next door.
(Now, I didn’t pry but I wonder if she was happy to be rescued. I guess it all depends on their respective relationship statuses, attractiveness of Jason coz Cinzia is pretty cute, and how much she was looking forward to spending the night in a deserted building.) I’m inclined to think this Knight-in-shining-armour Jason dude was the direct descendant of Sir Galahad, but nobody asked me!
And then there was the other locked-in story of what happened after the Christmas party, but you’ll have to infiltrate the ranks to hear about that one. My lips are sealed with plastic wrap!
Where was I before that last tangent? Lost, I suppose, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone. Oh! The future! Right… So some of the pretty cool stuff I saw in the works and slated for release soon:
- Disney licensed colouring fabric (you colour it yourself)
- Specially designed fabric markers that don’t fade in the wash
- Scented fabric (Releases delicious smells when you scratch it, and it last up to about 30 washes.)
- Lots of new modern quilting prints, of course!
I WANT this bag! Meow!
Oh gosh! I’ve been going on and on about quilts, but doggonit! their fabric prints look simply amazing in bags, kid’s clothes, women’s wear and my personal stash. If I only had a shopping cart, I would have had to push a few bolts down the street myself. Look at some of these lovely creations!
Robe, skirt, dress
If I had a body like this mannequin, I’d totally make that dress.
What’s not quite working for them yet?
The website that isn’t quite up to snuff. Frankly (was there ever a Sir Frank at the round table?), I was confused by the site. I couldn’t figure out how to get my hands on their fabric unless I became a retailer. It turns out that they do have many retailers around the country (Canada) and also in the US, but each store is responsible for adding themselves to the list of locations. They haven’t. Bunch-a slackers! I’m sorry but Club Tissu has no excuse for not getting this done! Smaller quilt shops, yes, it might be on the harried owners’ to-do lists but dammit! I want to know where I can buy all this yummy goodness. While we’re waiting for the website to catch up, you can email info@camelotfabrics.com and ask them for a list of stores in your area.
The site isn’t all bad though. Claire writes a pretty awesome blog daily, with giveaways on Wednesdays.
Really, I can’t possibly tell you all the great things I learned about this company; at least, not in one post. (I’m verbose enough as it is.) The main thing I can tell you is that they do have some excellent modern prints in both quilting cottons and double gauze. (Thanks for explaining double gauze to me, Claire!) They are accessible and cost effective for Canadian sewists, especially with the savings on exchange rate, customs duties, and shipping costs. It’s also a super deal for US sewists because their dollars go so much farther here.
Maybe all or most fabric manufacturers do this, but I was blown away that they support local sewists by placing their products on display and for sale. You know like restaurants that decorate their walls with works from local artists so their patrons can buy them and support the artist. Yeah, just like that! Plus, they tag the articles with the name of the pattern and the designer. So cool! … Ok, but seriously though, did everyone else know about this and didn’t tell me?
I’ve got to wrap up this post, but man! I could go on and on about my audience with King Arthur and his court. However, I’m running this risk of boring you to the point of driving a lance through your Guinevere for recreation. I suppose I’ll have to write one or two more posts to finish paying fan-girl homage to my holy grail of fabric.
You can start your own crusade to Camelot by following the trail:
◊ Facebook ◊ Website ◊ Blog ◊ Pinterest ◊ Instagram ◊
Happy holiday weekend, everyone!
PS. I did warn you it was going to be a long trip.
* Janelle MacKay is, in my opinion, Canada’s premier handbag designer, hardware supplier, and Craftsy instructor. Besides being supremely talented, she’s also funny, generous, helpful… (Would it be too humiliating if I were to move back to Alberta and entreat her to become my best friend?)
Prize Pack A: 1 pattern from Jalie, 2 patterns from Blue Calla, 1 pattern from Carla’s Creations, and $25 CAD store credit from Tangled Blossoms Design
Prize Pack B: 1 pattern from Stitch Art, 1 pattern from Pollywoggles, 1 fat quarter bundle from Camelot Fabrics, and $25 CAD store credit from Emmaline Bags
Prize Pack C: Rebel Quilt pattern from Libs Elliott, Bundle of 3 patterns from Thread Riding Hood, 1 pattern from On The Cutting Floor, $20 voucher from Flare Fabrics
Canada Day 2016 Blog Hop Schedule
Be sure to visit each of these brilliant blogs this week for more on our
outstanding Canadian designers and suppliers:
June 24: The Tour Starts HERE at Happy Okapi
June 25: Celine guest posts on Happy Okapi; Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
June 26: Fiona @ Tangled Blossoms Designs; Carla @ Half Dozen Daily
June 27: Sherry @ Thread Riding Hood; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 28: Nicky guest posts on Seam of my Pants
June 29: Daniela @ On the Cutting Floor; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 30: Michelle @ Michelle’s Creations
Canada Day–June 31**: Ula @ Lulu & Celeste
July 2: Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
July 3: Keshia @ Sand Dollar Design Studio
July 4: Wrap Up @ Happy Okapi
July 6: Giveaway winners announced
** Yes, we know! I’m personally trying to avoid “Moving Day” in Quebec.
June 29, 2016
Canadian Sewing Blog Hop -Libs Elliott
Canada Day 2016 Blog Hop Schedule
Be sure to visit each of these brilliant blogs this week for more on our outstanding Canadian designers and suppliers:
And, of course, to enter our giveaway for some sweet-like-maple-syrup prizes.
June 24: The Tour Starts HERE at Happy Okapi
June 25: Celine guest posts on Happy Okapi; Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
June 26: Fiona @ Tangled Blossoms Designs; Carla @ Half Dozen Daily
June 27: Sherry @ Thread Riding Hood; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 28: Nicky guest posts on Seam of my Pants
June 29: Daniela @ On the Cutting Floor; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 30: Michelle @ Michelle’s Creations
Canada Day–June 31*: Ula @ Lulu & Celeste
July 2: Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
July 3: Keshia @ Sand Dollar Design Studio
July 4: Wrap Up @ Happy Okapi
July 6: Giveaway winners announced
* Yes, we know!
u
It felt like a natural progression for me. I wanted to use fabrics in my quilts that didn’t really exist, so I designed them. Plus, I use code to design a lot of my quilts and patterns, and that code lends itself well to designing repeats. So I used it for a few of the prints in True Love (e.g Wound Up, Pony Boy, Mathcore) while drawing and painting to make others (e.g. Flash, Venom, Dark Matter). Fabric design is a new and fun challenge.
Do you have a favourite local quilt shop, and do they treat you like a celebrity when you go there?
My favourite local quilt shop is The Workroom. I remember when it first opened and I was so excited about the space. That’s where I first learned to quilt – I took one class taught by Johanna Masko and I was hooked! Karyn, the owner, is so talented and has great taste when selecting fabrics for the shop. They don’t treat me like a celebrity – more like a regular – and I’m good with that.
How did you get into sewing?
I remember watching my mom sew us clothes and costumes. She taught me how to hand sew when I was quite young and I’d make all kinds of Barbie outfits. I really learned my way around a machine in Grade 10 sewing class. That was the best class I took in highschool. (Typing was a close second.)
What do you find most rewarding about the work you do?
I love exposing people to my work who normally wouldn’t think much, if at all, about quilts or quilting. To make people aware that it’s a craft that’s alive and well, that’s valuable and still relevant in the 21st century, that it’s an art form that requires skill and consideration.
It’s also rewarding to teach other quilters new skills and share my patterns with them. To see how each person makes one of my patterns into their own, and how they interpret them…and the fact that people want to make my patterns at all…it’s incredibly humbling.
Do you ever get creative blocks? What do you do to get out of those funks?
I do get creative blocks. I lose motivation to sew and sometimes it can happen at unexpected times. If I’m not on a deadline, then I just wait it out until I feel ready again. If I AM on a deadline, I try to set goals for myself. I’ll take time to get fresh air and clear my head. I’ll try to make/sew/create during the hours I know I do my best work.
Who is/was your role model and why?
My grandfather was a role model for me. He built steam engines, was great with math and engineering. I loved watching him work in his workshop, making things with his bare hands. Most importantly, he treated everyone he met equally and with kindness. He was a real fixture in our community. Unfortunately, he passed away when I was only 13 but the impact his life (and death) had on me was immense. So, these are the things I now try to bring to the quilting community – encouragement and positivity. Being open to new people and ideas. I don’t always feel like I ‘fit’, but I do try to make a positive contribution. That’s basically how I go about life in general.
June 28, 2016
Spotlight: The Crafting Fiend Stitch Art
I’m so lucky! Really lucky that Nicky didn’t turn me in to the Mounties 2 years ago when I started stalking* her on FB. She just accepted that we were going to be friends. Phew!!
And now she’s relented and agreed to write a guest post on my blog. So, heeeeee-eeee-eeere’s Nicky!
I must say, I’m so glad that Marsha lets me “guest post” on her wonderful blog. Doubly glad to be able to review a pattern from The Crafting Fiend Stitch Art. Ah blessed is me …
Oh yes, sunny sky with a soft breeze, a perfect Summer day. On days like this my thoughts are often drifted into images of wriggly doodles and colouring outside the lines. Yes, pictures of imperfect yet whimsical childlike drawings. Can these be transferred to fabric in an applique method? I’ve seen them appliqued on stuffs before but never thought of how it was done. Even the User’s Guide of my Brother sewing machine (bought in 2000) had a section on “Free Motion” embroidery…what the heck??
Like a curious kitty I had to explore. I scratched on my laptop keyboard and Googled, and YouTube-d, read and watch with amazement, so I had to try it out.
In Free Motion you replace your normal pressure foot with a free-motion darning/quilting foot.
Next you drop the feed dog, you know the tiny teeth-like metal bit that guides and feeds your fabric through so that your stitches are evenly spaced and pretty looking, well we don’t need that for free motion, because we use our hands to guide the fabric.
I found that The Crafting Fiend Stitch Art by Canadian designer, Jeanine Thomlinson, has some of the cutest designs. Her patterns look easy enough to follow. So armed with hours of watching YouTube tutorials, pressing pause and play button until I’m flat out like a tired puppy that couldn’t wag her tail, I’m now ready to get my sewing gear on.
Bubble Pets pattern by Stitch Art is so cute I just had to try it out. I chose the cat applique for my very first attempt.. She listed out all the notions recommendation on her patterns, making it super easy to gather your tools and figure out what you want to do. These are just the few main things:
- HeatnBond Lite is a double sided adhesive sew-able paper that does double duties by keeping your fabric from fraying and affixes your applique pieces
- Free motion foot
- Embroidery stabilizer (tearaway for the woven, cutaway for knit and wash-away for delicate fabrics)
- Fabric vanishing ink pen or pencil or tailor chalk, Fray Check (optional).
It was suggested to use Muslin or broadcloth in neutral colour for the base of your applique; I had neither on hand so I used cotton poplin which turned out not too bad. She also gives the approximate size of the applique depending on the scaling percentage which is very helpful.
So first, we trace the pieces directly onto the paper backing of HeatnBond Lite not the textured shiny side.
Cut loose around each shapes. Place these textured shiny side against the wrong side of your chosen fabrics for the pieces. Preheat iron to medium heat, no steam; iron the paper for 2 seconds, repeat until the required surface is bonded.
Wait for it to completely cooled, cut the shape out and remove the backing paper, pretty easy far. Now your fabric pieces are fray-proofed.
Lay the pieces in the order as instructed by the pattern on top of your muslin or broadcloth or base fabric of choice. Once happy with the way it looks, iron them down on that base fabric.
Now you can draw the inner details and inner out lines, and the outer outlines as well if you wish, with tailor chalk or fabric pen/pencil of choice. These will be guide lines while free motion sewing. It is suggested that you should sew over the lines at least twice.
Sewing starts! Yay!
Drop the feed dog, install your Free Motion darning foot.
Place the stabilizer underneath it all and start free motion sewing. Just do the inner detail and inner outlines. Start from anywhere you’d like, there is no rules to this. Remember to leave the outer outlines alone…for now.
Once the inner details & inner outlines are done, trim the back stabilizer.
Again, iron the assembled pet to the HeatnBond Lite. Once cooled, cut closely around the pattern. Remove the paper backing. Iron this applique to the item being embellished with it.
Last step, add a piece of stabilizer underneath, free motion sew the outer outlines and voila! You’ve completed your first Free Motion Applique…well at least I just did, and shall do more! Woohoo!
Free Motion Applique is great when you have left-over fabrics from your other projects, The Crafting Fiend Stitch Art has many cute and whimsical patterns for both boys & girls, and some are gender neutral. What I like most about her patterns is that the shapes are inter-changeable; her instructions are easy to follow, her tips are just invaluable especially for beginners. You can find more of Stitch Art patterns on:
- Facebook: Stitch Art
- Etsy: The Crafting Fiend
This is the kind of sewing where perfect, straight, even length stitching are just purely not applicable. I hope you’ll visit Stitch Art and try a few of her patterns they are simply adorable! Enjoy!
NickyK
Ooh…almost forgot…Reece organized a giveaway with some sew delicious prizes as well as wonderful discounts. To find out more on the prizes and discounts visit Reece at Happy Okapi
Don’t forget to enter our giveaway by clicking the link below…
Oh Nicky, thank you! I’ve got this sudden urge to try Free-Motion Appliqué (FMA). I had no idea it would be so simple. I sure hope you’ll honour me by coming back to guest post again soon. And coffee, yeah?
Readers, I’ll be back in a couple of days with a feature post from King Arthur’s court. I hope the jetlag won’t be too bad, and if Lancelot is really cute, I’ll bring him back at swordpoint.
* It all depends on how you define stalking. It really was more like, “Please, please, please be my sewing buddy. I can’t find any other sewists in Montreal. Please, pretty please. And your dogs are so cuuuuuute… ”
Prize Pack A: 1 pattern from Jalie, 2 patterns from Blue Calla, 1 pattern from Carla’s Creations, and $25 CAD store credit from Tangled Blossoms Design
Prize Pack B: 1 pattern from Stitch Art, 1 pattern from Pollywoggles, 1 fat quarter bundle from Camelot Fabrics, and $25 CAD store credit from Emmaline Bags
Prize Pack C: Rebel Quilt pattern from Libs Elliott, Bundle of 3 patterns from Thread Riding Hood, 1 pattern from On The Cutting Floor, $20 voucher from Flare Fabrics
Canada Day 2016 Blog Hop Schedule
Be sure to visit each of these brilliant blogs this week for more on our
outstanding Canadian designers and suppliers:
And, of course, to enter our giveaway for some sweet-like-maple-syrup prizes.
June 24: The Tour Starts HERE at Happy Okapi
June 25: Celine guest posts on Happy Okapi; Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
June 26: Fiona @ Tangled Blossoms Designs; Carla @ Half Dozen Daily
June 27: Sherry @ Thread Riding Hood; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 28: Nicky guest posts on Seam of my Pants
June 29: Daniela @ On the Cutting Floor; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 30: Michelle @ Michelle’s Creations
Canada Day–June 31*: Ula @ Lulu & Celeste
July 2: Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
July 3: Keshia @ Sand Dollar Design Studio
July 4: Wrap Up @ Happy Okapi
July 6: Giveaway winners announced
* Yes, we know!
June 27, 2016
Canadian Sewing Blog Hop – On The Go Bags
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Camelot Fabrics
Canada Day 2016 Blog Hop Schedule
Be sure to visit each of these brilliant blogs this week for more on our outstanding Canadian designers and suppliers:
And, of course, to enter our giveaway for some sweet-like-maple-syrup prizes.
June 24: The Tour Starts HERE at Happy Okapi
June 25: Celine guest posts on Happy Okapi; Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
June 26: Fiona @ Tangled Blossoms Designs; Carla @ Half Dozen Daily
June 27: Sherry @ Thread Riding Hood; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 28: Nicky guest posts on Seam of my Pants
June 29: Daniela @ On the Cutting Floor; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 30: Michelle @ Michelle’s Creations
Canada Day–June 31*: Ula @ Lulu & Celeste
July 2: Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
July 3: Keshia @ Sand Dollar Design Studio
July 4: Wrap Up @ Happy Okapi
July 6: Giveaway winners announced
* Yes, we know!
June 25, 2016
Canadian Sewing Blog Hop – Libs Elliott Rebel Quilt
I very recently had the opportunity to work with the talented Libs Elliott – Canadian quilt designer/fabric designer – to create sample bags for her Quilt Market booth in her very first collection “True Love”. During one of our meetings I mentioned that I loved her Rebel Quilt pattern as a wall hanging and was thinking of attempting it. She quickly handed me a copy and my first quilting experience began!
Now please be aware, I have never attempted a quilt pattern before so I am truly a beginner. I started by reading through the entire pattern and then selected my fabrics. I noticed a page near the end of the pattern (I had a paper copy) that was a black and white diagram of the quilt with each block given a grid coordinate.
This diagram gave me an idea! I quickly scanned it as a jpg and opened it up in Photoshop. I then used the dropper tool to add colours in the different sections of the diagram until I was happy with my design. I realize not everyone has a scanner or Photoshop but if you do, I highly recommend this step as it allowed me to see what the finished quilt would look like immediately:
In addition to this diagram, the pattern came with charts where you could write your colours and compare to a coloured version of Libs’ Rebel Quilt. This chart is perfect for those who don’t have a scanner and Photoshop like I do:
Since I am not a regular quilter, I don’t have some of the fancy rulers and other tools a quilter will usually have. I didn’t want to invest in so many tools since I had no idea if I’d ever make another quilt so I decided to make myself some block templates for cutting the squares. I went into the recycle bin and pulled out some empty cereal boxes. I then measured and cut out 3 square templates: (1) 8 7/8” template, (1) 4 7/8” template and (1) 4 1⁄2” template. These were perfect for cutting out the squares and cost me nothing!
Since I was not planning on using this quilt as an actual quilt but rather as a wall hanging, I decided to not pre-wash my fabrics. I wanted them to be crisp and the colours to be as vivid as possible. I did however spray starch heavily thanks to a quilting friend’s advice. Since the entire quilt is made up of HSTs (half square triangles – which I will explain shortly), she told me that it would help everything line up better and she was right!
As I just mentioned, the quilt is entirely built from HSTs in various sizes and assembled in various patterns to create a design. It is extremely easy to do which makes this quilt design perfect for beginners. You start by placing 2 squares of different colours RST:
Repeat this a million times and you will have your squares. Ok I do exaggerate here but it did feel like I made a million squares! You will end up with 2 different sizes of HSTs, which you will then assemble in various patterns according to the instructions.
It took me about 2 weeks of evenings to assemble my quilt top. For my quilt backing, I ended up using some of the scraps from the quilt top as well as some leftover HSTs It really didn’t matter to me what it looked liked since I was going to be using the quilt as a wall hanging so I used whatever I could find in my fabric stash.
When I created my quilt sandwich, I used straight pins to keep my layers together. I can see now why it is recommended to use safety pins. I stabbed myself MANY times! Do yourself a favour and get a box of safety pins!
Since I had never quilted before, I was really uncertain how I should tackle it. I decided to do diagonal lines in both directions and follow the diagonal lines of the HSTs. I now realize this was a mistake because it allowed more puckers to form than if I had used horizontal and vertical lines:
Binding my quilt was actually the easiest part! I used a tutorial written by my friend Crystal at The Cloth Albatross and used the darkest fabric in my quilt for contrast.
Although the size of the quilt itself could seem intimidating for a beginner, it really is perfect as a starter quilt because the assembly is incredibly easy, although quite long. It is such a great feeling to put up your work and admire it!
You can find all of Libs Elliott’s quilt patterns on her website, including the Rebel Quilt Pattern at: http://www.libselliott.com
You can also find Libs’ new fabric line True Love at Sitka Fabrics, and don’t forget to use code BACON10 to save 10%
Make sure to enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a copy of this quilt pattern.
Canada Day 2016 Blog Hop Schedule
Be sure to visit each of these brilliant blogs this week for more on our outstanding Canadian designers and suppliers:
And, of course, to enter our giveaway for some sweet-like-maple-syrup prizes.
June 24: The Tour Starts HERE at Happy Okapi
June 25: Celine guest posts on Happy Okapi; Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
June 26: Fiona @ Tangled Blossoms Designs; Carla @ Half Dozen Daily
June 27: Sherry @ Thread Riding Hood; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 28: Nicky guest posts on Seam of my Pants
June 29: Daniela @ On the Cutting Floor; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 30: Michelle @ Michelle’s Creations
Canada Day–July 1: Ula @ Lulu & Celeste
July 2: Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
July 3: Keshia @ Sand Dollar Design Studio
July 4: Wrap Up @ Happy Okapi
July 6: Giveaway winners announced
June 24, 2016
Feature: Fairy Bra Mother
Canada Rocks! Right? Right! And this July 1, we’re celebrating our 149th birthday. (We’re still looking pretty good for our advanced age.)
What better way to show off our remarkable country and the impressive talent we have than to showcase a few of our sewing designers, teachers and suppliers in a Canada Day 2016 Blog Hop? And right here, right now on Day 2, I get to shine the spotlight on the totally adorable Beverly Johnson, aka the Fairy Bra Mother.
BREAKING NEWS: Stop the presses! This just in… Craftsy has given us a special link to get Beverly’s classes at half price until July 3. Now, that’s how our Southern neighbours help us celebrate! (But we’re still not becoming “neighbors”, no matter what discount you give us!) Here’s that magic link: http://shrsl.com/?~cy2w
The first time I ever heard of Beverly — and of people sewing their own bras at home, for that matter — was in one of my Facebook sewing groups. There was only one possible reaction to that kind of information, “Did someone knocker these women over the head?? Bras are the most complicated piece of engineering we strap on our bodies. Best leave it to the geniuses at Vogue*.”
* Beverly was recently featured in an interview with Vogue Magazine.
But more and more, the presence of this mystical Fairy Bra Mother started seeping into my consciousness.
Tags: Beverly Johnson, Bra Makers Supply, bra-making, Canada, Fairy Bra Mother
June 23, 2016
Do It Yourself Inspiration
Here we go again!
Not exactly the recommended method of pimping your ironing board.
I had the best of intentions to write up a nice little pictorial on how to pimp out your ironing board and post it so I could join the DIY Crush link party this week. I got all the pictures I could possibly need. I have all the instructions in my head, but I haven’t written anything. Feels like I’ve spent all of June herding cats — 6 of them to be exact.
Well, since I have no DIY of my own, I’m guest hosting the party. (You know like when you have nothing in your kitchen to bring to the potluck and all the good stores are closed, but it wouldn’t matter if they were open because you only have enough money for bus fare so you show up early to help the host set up and pray all the other guests won’t realize that you came empty-handed, but then you still hope the host will give you a goody bag to take home anyway even if you didn’t bring anythin’… Or maybe that was just me during college.)
Back to the present… You’re going to impress the pants offa me with your brilliant DIY projects, right? I’ll let Denise tell you all you need to know about linking your posts and pictures. I’ll be right back!
Denise, the floor is yours…
Happy summer 2016!! We hope you will have some down time and get to rest up because this party is not stopping! As expected we will see a slower party participation because many of you might enjoy the outdoors or go on trips. But hopefully you will find some time to craft as well! Let’s see what favorites Domenica and I picked from last week. Did you see the entries? If not, see last week HERE.