Lions and Tigers and Sewers…Oh My!
Cedar Shore Resort in Chamberlain, SD saw a LOT of sewing “animals” this past weekend in the “Sewing Safari” themed room which looked like a peaceful Serengeti. The jungle sounds, the hum-m-m of freshly oiled and serviced sewing machines and chatter of friends, were heard night and day at Heirloom Creations 4th Annual sewing retreat. It kicked off on Friday morning as sewers and quilters became engrossed in the first project on their agenda. I could tell already we had a very dedicated group with projects to complete this year. Of course things always loosen up after the satisfaction of having the first project checked off the list.
Then things really cut loose at the “Jungle Fever” Dessert & Game Night on Friday night! Boy, the stripes and leopard prints showed up as many changed into comfortable attire for the late night sewing ahead.
About once an hour throughout the days, someone would hold up a finished project (my favorite part)! Pictures were taken and everyone would take a quick break to admire the handy work and color selection. Then the sewing machines would start humming again!
I always offer a set of mini workshops throughout the three day weekend. On the first day, I had everyone bring a zipper and a 1/4 yard of fabric to make one of Cleo’s famous quick “Ditty Bags”. These expandable pouches are great to fill up with anything that may need to be contained.
I also offered free embroidery monogramming for each person to personalize their retreat tote’s front pocket. With a Velcro pocket, it was easy to remove, embroider, and reattach!
On day two, they were shown how to make 3D pinwheel blocks and instructions on how to use one of my favorite rulers, the Lazy Girls the “Flying Geese x 4” ruler. I was hoping everyone would make a few pinwheel blocks to put in a quilt for Project Linus. With the help of Stephanie Foster, she started putting the finished blocks together! Go Stephanie!
On the final day, retreat goers were given the opportunity to participate in a Fiber Exchange. Each person brought a novelty yarn which we cut it into 3 yard lengths, wrapped them on cute mannequin cards, and swapped with others. This is a great way to get a variety of fibers for embellishments without having to purchase an entire skein! Watch for future pictures and sewing tip on this event.
Thanks again for another great weekend together! And major kudos for all the finished projects! Bring them with you to Sewtopia Club in February!
Want to join all of us next year?
Tentative dates are January 29 – 31, 2010 at Cedar Shore Resort in Chamberlain, SD.
2010 Theme: A “Royal” Sewing Retreat – crowns and tiaras required…
Fabric tiara patterns can be found at Details by Diane.
Countdown: 119 Days
Bella Bella Quilt
I get to head out to Chamberlain, SD this week for Heirloom Creations 4th Annual All Inclusive 3-Day Sewing Retreat. This retreat was originally inspired by a local group of quilters who wanted be to pampered, have everything provided from meals and rooms, and NOT sleep in bunk beds. I remember asking if they wanted me to teach them anything and they said, “No. We just want to bring our own projects to sew on.” Sounded easy enough for me!
Since it was the very first sewing retreat I had ever planned, we sent out invitations to a select few people who would be forgiving should I totally goof up the entire weekend. As it turned out, it was a huge success and we have been offering it every year since.
At the first retreat, I thought if everyone else was bringing their own projects, then I should too. I wanted to make a quilt that I had wanted to do ever since I first laid eyes on it. I wanted to make the Bella Roma quilt from Norah McMeeking’s “ Bella Bella Quilts: Stunning Designs from Italian Mosaics” book. This book features designs based on inlaid Italian marble floors.
On the first day of the sewing retreat, four years ago, I opened up a can of worms…no, I mean I opened up my beautifully selected fabric for the entire quilt, printed off the foundation paper piecing patterns and started sewing. I sewed and sewed and sewed and sewed for three days straight. I had just started to make head way on this quilt and I knew it would be a long process.
A year ago, my mom phoned to tell me she had just attended a trunk show at a quilt shop in Las Vegas by one of our quilting friends, Norah. She had all of her quilts from her Bella Bella book and asked if I had ever seen the book. Had I seen it? I have a quilt half completed from it!!!! I was so excited to finally put two and two together that day. I had not remembered that Norah McMeeking was the same gal from my home town’s quilt guild in Santa Barbara, CA. Click here to visit her website.
Fast forward to 2008. I had hoped that my Bella Bella quilt would be finished for the Quilts & Vines show last August but we had hit some snags. Bella Bella and I started having words with each other. Not nice words either. But I still loved her and still loved the colors that I had originally selected. (Thank goodness I did not run short on any of the fabrics…I would have been up that creek now that it was three years later)!
Here are a few in progress pictures of me paper piecing the center medallion.
Let’s just skip forward to the happy ending. We put away cross words as she finally came together and was send off for machine quilting. She finally arrived home in time to be my grand finale at December’s Sewtopia Sewing Club. We have since forgiven each other, put behind us the struggles we had, and she looks absolutely stunning. She is currently on display at Heirloom Creations, and will have a permanent prominent display place in my home in the near future.
Click here to see a larger picture of the Bella Bella Quilt.
Countdown: 126 Days
Lighting Check!
How good is the lighting in your sewing room?
I want to share a situation that came up twice in one week recently at Heirloom Creations.
A gal came into the store with her quilt top, back and binding and a disappointed look on her face. She said she needed to buy new back fabric for her quilt because the color of what she had was not right. Of course it needed to be completed for Christmas.
While she went to look for new fabric we laid out her beautifully pieced batik quilt top and looked at it with the back fabric. I stood there wondering why she did not like it. It was perfect! It had all the colors she used in the quilt top washed together in perfect harmony. When she came back with a few bolts of fabric, she saw what we saw. It looked great!
Conclusion: The lighting in her sewing room had distorted the backing fabric color so much that it looked wrong. She ended up NOT needing to purchase another 9 yards of fabric for her quilt!
About 5 days later, I worked with a second gal with this exact same problem. This time it was the wrong color of binding. She did not like how it looked next to her quilt back fabric. When she arrived at Heirloom Creations, she too, realized it looked great!
At Heirloom Creations, we invest in true-color light bulbs so that our fabrics are seen true to life. One of my pet peeves is when I walk into other fabric or even clothing stores and I can’t tell what color the fabric really is.
I ask you now, how good is the lighting in and around your sewing room? Do you select colors that look good together under poor lighting and when you see it in the daylight wonder, “What was I thinking?” If so, it is time to make some changes now!
Now for the technical part:
Color Rendering Index
The color rendering index is an arbitrary scale of 0 to 100. It was developed in the 1930′s, before fluorescent lights. Eight true color samples picked by the international lighting community are used to test the manner in which a particular bulb affects the color of the samples. Since the color of the sample is known, the amount that its color changes because of the bulb illumination determines the bulb’s scale rating. A 0 rating would be the absolute worst, with a score of 100 being perfect.
Ratings can be all over the scale. For example, certain mercury vapor lamps have a CRI rating of 20! That is why your car looks odd in some parking lots at night. Some fluorescent bulbs have a CRI rating as high as 90.
For comparative shopping, any bulb with a CRI rating of 70 or higher will produce excellent color rendition. Values between 60 and 70 would be considered good. Below 60, and you run the risk of poor color rendition.
Promise me that you will go shopping for new light bulbs soon so you will not be frustrated with your fabric color selections this year.
Countdown: 133 Days
What’s New for 2009
January is the month for New Year’s resolutions, football playoffs, hopefully a snow-day or two, and to see all the new stuff at Heirloom Creations! This year we have 3.5 new programs and events for 2009.
1. Snap Sacks
Snap Sacks are small complete kits with color instructions, fabric, backing, and binding. We will have new kits each month! The first kit, “Starflake” is ready in two color ways. It’s perfect to take to retreats, give as gifts or save for a special afternoon sewing day all to your self.
2. ScrapTherapy
At the beginning of each year we hear many people pledge, “I’m not purchasing any new fabric until I have used up what I have already bought!” The ScrapTherapy program is designed to help initiate cutting and using up fabric already purchased without any prior project in mind. It is great, too, for fabric lying around in our scrap piles. We all need a little “therapy” when it comes to keeping the leftover fabric pieces from past projects.
ScrapTherapy is a two part program.
First, attend one of any of the scheduled ScrapTherapy Cutting Workshops. Bring in a bag, basket, tote, box, or cradle full of fabric scraps and learn special rotary cutting techniques to organize your scraps into something useable! Each participant will receive a free ScrapTherapy tub with lid to keep all your neatly cut scraps in order for the next project. At least one cutting workshop session is a prerequisite to attend any of the many planned 2009 ScrapTherapy quilt/project classes.
Second, bring your already cut fabric pieces to the great classes designed to use these pre-cut fabric pieces. The first class is the “Bloomin’ Steps” scheduled for:
Saturday, January 17 from 10-4pm or
Thursday, January 29 from 10-4pm
If you can not attend a particular project class, all ScrapTherapy patterns are available for purchase.
Due to the great demand already for the ScrapTherapy we have scheduled NEW Cutting Workshop classes, dates and times.
Saturday, February 7 – 10-1pm or 1-4pm
Thursday, February 19 – 10-1pm or 6:30-9:30pm
All cutting workshops scheduled through January 31, 2009 are currently full. With the popularity that this program has already generated, we recommend that you call and sign up as soon as possible. Call 605-332-4435 for availability. Watch the upcoming newsletter and e-mails for scheduled ScrapTherapy projects.
Click here to visit the official ScrapTherapy website.
3. Sewtopia Club
New for members this year are special discounts available every single day. Receive 10% off all books, patterns, notions, rulers, rotary cutters, blades, thimbles, do-dads, feet, sewing machine accessories, bobbins, needles and thread.
Membership includes a year’s worth of Sewtopia Sewing Club lectures presented on the second Tuesday of each month. Sara, along with a host of guest speakers, will feature sewing, quilting, embroidery and serger techniques in each lecture geared to all levels of sewers and all brands of machine owners. Annual membership is only $20.
Remember to present your new 2009 Sewtopia Club card at the register before we begin ringing your purchase to receive your automatic discount on qualifying merchandise.
3.5 Countdown: 140 days until…Wait. We just had the New Year countdown. What now?
Attend the first Sewtopia of the New Year, Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 10am, 2pm, or 6:30pm to hear first hand what else we have planned for the second half of 2009.