Quilted Strait

StashFest

2012-01-29T10:02:00.000-08:00

There are only 18 quilt museums in the United States and we are fortunate to be just a few hours away from one of them, the La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum. Like all museums, the museum supporters are always looking for funds to bring an ever increasing variety of exhibits and displays to the Museum. So....welcome to StashFest, a fundraising event for the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum, which will feature a specialty Fabric Sale, a Book Sale, a mini Flea Market, StashFest Experiences, and non-stop door prizes March 31st and April 1st, 2012. This event is all about artisan fabrics - beautiful, hand dyed or specialty textiles and threads! I personally would be willing to make the trip just to get some of Ellen Dooley's beads!

The line-up of artisanal fabric presenters, chosen by invitation, includes:
Elin Noble, world-renowned dyer from Massachusetts, with her clamp-dyed cottons and colorful threads

Lorraine Torrence, a favorite local quilting leader, with her international collection of fabrics, patterns and clothes

Dean and Linda Moran, master dyers from Arizona, with a phenomenal collection of marbled fabrics

Leah Weinstein, from British Columbia, with organic and naturally dyed cottons from TenFold Organic

Patricia Belyea, an artisan quilter from Seattle, with her extensive collection of vintage Japanese yukata cottons

Ellen Dooley, a bead artist from the Pilchuck area, with her lampworked glass beads for embellishing

Margot Myers, a batik artist from Bellingham, with cotton yardage printed with her own copper stamps

Beverly Hunnicutt, a Japanophile and tailor from Seattle, with a huge selection of vintage kimono silks

Mayo Earnest, a quilter from Anacortes with lively hand-loomed Guatemalan cottons she imported

For more information about the event and links to the artistans websites visit www.stashfest.com

The Scale Shack

2012-01-23T21:31:00.000-08:00

In the buying and selling of logs, there must be someone who determines exactly what is changing hands. That person - who in the days when Port Gamble had a sawmill on the waterfront, operated out of the tiny scale shack across the parking lot from the shop. The log scaler needed to determine the what specie of tree the logs came from and the grade and the board footage of the logs. This was, and still is an amazing process, part science and part experience and knowledge on the log scaler's part. Logs, even on the truck can be measured reasonably accurately, but an assessment of the grade and value of the logs is something that depends on years of experience on the log scalers part as well as an ethical and unbiased "best" judgement. The log scaler don't just measure logs, they determine what price is paid for a load of logs and therefore the profit of both the buyer and the seller.

In the fabric world, I imagine scaling would work something like this. The customer loads up her cart with bolts of fabric and wheels the shopping cart over to the scale counter, where an expert looks at the bolts, measures the length and thickness of the bolts and give the customer a best guess as to how many yards of fabric are in the cart, the quality of the fabric, and how much yardage the customer will lose to fabric flaws. The customer then pays the shop owner for the bolts of fabric based on the "fabric scalers" decision.

Needless to say the industry over the years has offered opportunity for greed and corruption! What do you think......instead of the oil industry in Dallas, a hit TV series with characters drawn from the timber industry in the Pacific Northwest!

More than you wanted to know probably.....but as I mentioned previously, in the days when Port Gamble had an active sawmill on the waterfront the scaling was done across from our shop. The log trucks stopped on their way to the mill site and the scalers came out of the shack and "scaled" the load. At the height of production, before 1940, the mill was capable of producing 300,00 board feet of lumber a day......that is a lot of logs going by the shack to keep the mill operating at that capacity, since each truck at that time carried less than 3000 board feet in a load.

The "scale shack" still remains and is home to Second Spring, a business featuring a variety of handmade items. On any given Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday you can stop in and visit Mary, see what the shop has to offer, and take a look at her current project, as her hands are always busy.

You can find some interior shots of her shop and find out a little more about Mary and her business at the Life's A Gamble Blog.

Snowflake productivity

2012-01-22T22:36:00.000-08:00

When and if the snow here in the Pacific Northwest gets to be more than a few inches deep, then life slows down and all of us who have businesses that are not essential, close the doors and go home and enjoy the snow for a few days. This usually happens once in a winter, sometimes twice, and sometimes not at all, but it is infrequent enough that I still get a thrill from sitting in front of my fire and doing nothing more active than watching the snowflakes tumble in front of the window. Some of the talented designers in our area were more productive however and used the snow days to finish their newest patterns and samples to hang in the shop.

Vicki from Cranberry Pie Designs brought us her latest embroidery wall hanging and pattern. Her drawing style is unique and reflects her sense of humor that has just a little bit of an edge, (and by the way, her hand embroidery stitches are perfect!) "Be Yourself" is her third pattern. And, we got a sneak peak at her drawings for her newest project, a Halloween Quilt in orange and purple. She is hoping to have the quilt and the pattern to the shop by June, in time for the Western Washington Shop Hop.

Sharon Weins actually published her Googly-Eyed Bugs quilt pattern last year, but she brought us a new wall hanging version of her pattern. This version uses brighter, more primary colors than her original quilt which is on the cover of her pattern. The bugs (and worm) are fused and then satin stitched and the bug details are hand embroidered. I especially like the bright scrappy binding that she chose.

Snow Days

2012-01-19T21:56:00.000-08:00

Pick us! Pick us!

2012-01-05T23:15:00.000-08:00

We are puffed up with pride and so honored to have our shop chosen as a Top Ten Quilt Shop by Better Homes and Gardens Quilt Sampler Magazine. It has been an exciting journey so far and I am sure you will be able to hear the signs of relief in our neighborhood as the small group of people who have known our secret since August can finally let it out! I received a phone call early one morning in August from the editor of the magazine informing us that the shop had been chosen for inclusion in the spring/summer issue. I am embarrassed to say that I was busy trying to catch up on paperwork before the shop opened when she called and identified herself as being with the magazine ( I thought she wanted to sell me an ad) so put her off and I did not call her back until mid-afternoon.

Our journey became sort of roller coasterish in very short order! I completed an interview with the magazine's story writer in early September, we prepared the shop for the magazine photo shoot which took place early in mid September and our finished quilt and pattern was due at the magazine in early November. Thanks for your patience with cords and cameras and with our lame explanations to all of you who happened to wander in the shop the couple of days that the photo crew was here!

I chose the wonderful Spring Umbrellas collection by Masha D'yans from Clothworks as inspiration for the quilt and they were kind enough to air freight some fabric in from the collection in time for the magazine deadline, as the collection was not actually released in the shops until the end of November. Terry Tamaki did a great job of quilting even under the pressure of knowing her quilting was going to be featured in a national publication and under some pretty tight time constraints. She is awesome! I am not sure which one of us was more relieved to have the quilt done and in the mail!

Now we wait.......we wait until March, when I get to see a proof of the magazine article and find out which pictures they chose for the magazine. And, while we wait, we will be sharing the stories on the blog of the dozens of folks who are responsible for making sure that Quilted Strait always has smiling faces, friendly greetings, shipped packages, up to date websites, wonderful classes, great kits, eye-popping samples and a beautiful garden! You will find out what I already know - they are all amazing!

Basket Weaving 101

2012-01-05T20:07:00.000-08:00

For those of you who enjoyed Jerry's blog about the happenings in Port Gamble in the past...I have good news! Jerry has resumed the blog, I thought you might enjoy his post about the baskets at Port Gamble's Tango Zulu Imports

Life's A Gamble Blog: Basket Weaving 101: I dropped in on Tracy at Tango Zulu yesterday because I had heard something about the way that baskets are "reconstituted" after t...

Felting Wool for Applique Tutorial

2012-01-05T00:11:00.000-08:00

We get lots of questions in the shop about felting and preparing wool fabrics to use for wool applique - I have created a little set of instructions which I hope folks will find helpful, including instructions for felting wool using a front loading washing machine. Really, you can! A downloadable printer friendly version of the instructions are available on our website.

Felting or Fulling Wool Fabrics

Most of us have done it.....we have opened the door to the dryer and found out that our favorite wool garment will now fit a small child! And, it wasn’t even a difficult process! If this has happened to you, you have just had your introduction to the world of felting, or fulling, a process of shrinking the wool fibers so that the wool fibers will interlock. Wool that has been tightly felted does not ravel, making felted wool very easy to work with for appliqué projects as the edges of the wool appliqué shapes do not have to be turned under before being stitched down.

Finding a source of wool
NEW WOOL

Some shops will carry wool on the bolt already felted or you can buy wool on the bolt and felt it yourself. The wool should be a least 80% wool - typically the other component will by nylon or polyester. For wool appliqué, a skirt weight wool is perfect. Stay away from worsted wool (you can recognize it because it feels hard and flat....like wool for a man’s suit) and washable wool - neither felt very well. You also want to avoid wool that is loosely woven as it may not shrink enough in the felting process to make a good appliqué fabric. If you find the perfect fabric, but fear it is too loosely woven - you can felt it as much as you can, and then use Fray Block© by June Tailor on the edges of your appliqué shape. I like Fray Block© better than other non-fray products on the market as the results are softer, more pliable and less visible than some of the other products.

RECYCLED WOOL

Frequently used woolen clothing items are very inexpensive at thrift stores. Chose garments that are 100% wool or are blends of 80% wool and 20% nylon or polyester. The fabric from garments with less than 80% wool content will not felt. Like wool on the bolt, stay away from worsted wools, washable wools and clothing constructed from loosely woven fabric. Your best bets are skirts or lightweight blankets. Jackets, especially in these days of fusible interfacings, just don’t give you enough fabric for the time it takes to take them apart.
Clothing items need to be taken apart before you can felt the wool. The thread used to sew the garment is usually not wool and will not felt and your wool be will be stretched or misshapen if you do not remove the non-wool parts of the garments. I will occasionally purchase wool trousers if I fall in love with the fabric, but most wool pants are from worsted wool, so the clothing I usually purchase for recycling are skirts. I usually use a pair of tight fitting surgical type gloves to handle the wool garments and work outside or in the garage as the garments can be dusty or full of lint. I use scissors to cut off the waistband, open up the hem and cut out and discard any lining and bias tape or zippers,. Any buttons go in my button jar. I use a seam ripper to undo the seams and I end up with two or three pieces of wool, depending on how the skirt is constructed which I can now felt.

JUST A NOTE ABOUT HAND-DYED WOOL

Hand dyed wools are available in a variety of sizes and textures. There are a number of companies, some larger, some smaller who dye wool. The wools are overdyed, which means the color as added “over” the woven pattern of the wool. Wool is dyed to create a unique color or range of colors or to create visual texture. Some hand dyed wools are dyed over solid wool and some are dyed over woven plaids or checks. The resulting wool can be fairly solid in nature or can be more mottled which will add visual interest to your appliqué piece. Color, mottle and shading can be affected by many factors, including: water hardness and temperature, dye pigments and the wool fibers themselves. Variations in each piece of dyed wool are to be expected even using the same dye formula, but the gift is that every piece will be unique. Wool can be felted in the dyeing process, so hand-dyed wools meant for rug hooking and appliqué are already felted, you may however felt these wools a second time if you wish to tighten the weave further.

Procedures

Wool Felts with three things:

Change in temperature
Agitation
Alkalinity (ph of the water)

So, in order to felt wool all you need to do is provide heat and agitation in the washing machine, and add a pH changing agent (otherwise known as laundry detergent!).
Felting wool is sort of like beating egg whites. You beat and you beat and you beat, and then oops, suddenly when you were not looking your foamy egg whites are so stiff they are a sculpture in white! It is all to easy to miss the moment when your piece of wool goes from beautifully, softly felted wool to wool that is too thick and covered with little fuzz balls.

Wool blends will stop felting at some point - usually at somewhere around 25 - 30% shrinkage. Fabrics that are 100 % wool will shrink much more - up to 50%.
Wool fabric can be felted by putting the pieces in the washing machine and adding hot water. I felt like colors together, especially if the wool is hand dyed, and I always felt white or cream wool by itself.

TOP LOADING MACHINES: Use just enough hot water to cover the item, so in my machine, I set it on small load as there is more agitation with less water. Then, if you can, set the agitation level to high. Add about 1/4 the amount of detergent you would normally add. Once the washer starts, check the fabric after 15 minutes or so, at least the first time you try the process. Remember that 100% wool will shrink more than a wool blend. Continue to agitate wool in wash cycle until it gets close to the right size or thickness you want as the wool will shrink some more when it rinses, it will shrink a little more when the fabric spins out will felt even more when you put it in the dryer. Rinse and spin your wool. If your spin cycle adds cold water, your wool will felt more than if it adds hot water (due to temperature change). After the wool is rinsed and spun, put it in the dryer to continue the felting process. If I think that the piece of wool I have needs a lot of felting, such as a wool that is more loosely woven, then I just let the wool go through an entire washer cycle and then I put it in the dryer to shrink even more.

FRONT LOADING MACHINES: The common misconception is that wool fabric cannot be felted in a front loading machine. There are just a couple of things that you need to do in order to provide a couple of elements that are missing in a front loading machine - the lack of agitation and the inability to check on the progress of your felting process. Like lots of folks, I now own a front loading machine, but I can still felt my wool! I have had good success in adding an old pair of jeans (ones that I don’t care if some of the wool color comes off on the jeans) to my load of wool to provide agitation. The first time you felt wool in your machine, set the machine on the shortest cycle possible so you can check on the felting progress fairly soon. After all it is easy to wash the wool a second time, impossible to unfelt a piece of wool that has gone too far. I have learned subsequently, that a medium cycle, with a cold water rinse is the best for my machine (note: the hot water at our house is really hot -we have no small children and a pump that circulates hot water continuously) - and with more loosely woven tweeds or herringbone wools, I need to run the wool through the washing machine twice. Since felting is a combination of several factors including water temperature and amount of agitation, you will need to do a little experimenting with your machine to find the combination that works best for you.

STOVETOP METHOD: If for one reason or another you can’t use a washing machine to felt your wool fabric you can boil it in a pot on the top of the stove. Fill a pot ( I like to use a five or six quart pot), preferably one you won’t be cooking in again - half full of water and bring water to a boil. Add a couple of tablespoons of mild detergent (dish soap or laundry soap) and immerse your wool(like colors together) in the water. Keep the water boiling and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until your fabric is the thickness you desire. Lift the wool out of the pot with tongs and plunge into cold water. When wool fabric is cool enough to handle, squeeze gently and put fabric in dryer. The only caution with boiling wool is that sometimes the very hot water can cause some of the dye to bleed from the fabric and change the color of your wool........either test a small piece before felting or you can just enjoy the serendipitous nature of the process.

Winter Birds and Berries

2012-01-03T15:37:00.000-08:00

Now that we have finished undecorating (is that a word/) from the holidays we are ready to get serious about winter bird feeders at my house. The lively little birds of winter have inspired Woolyladys Birds & Berries Wall Hanging (6" x 16") which is the FREE pattern with this Limited Edition of Hand Dyed Wool.

This Limited Edition includes eight hand dyed wool colors which are not part of their Studio Standards. The background for this wall hanging is Blue Twilight, the birds and berries are cut from Downy White, Dark Charcoal, Butterscotch, Blue-Gray, Raspberry Pink, Red-Brown and Berry Red.......a perfect variety of beautiful hand dyed wools to add to your inventory.

If you are signed up for our Auto-Ship Program for our Limited Edition Collections, your Collection is already on its way to you. We have a few kits left in the shop for this sweet little project.

What if.......?

2011-12-28T13:40:00.000-08:00

Rhonda and Cindy are teaching a class at the shop beginning in February, based on a quilt from Kaffe Fassett's Quilts in Sweden Book. The quilt has a medallion center and a series of borders. The format of the quilt lends itself to lots of color and design choices, Rhonda and Cindy are planning on helping the students mix up both fabrics and blocks to make a classroom of unique quilts. The picture below is from Taunton Press and shows the original quilt.

Rhonda sent me a picture of one of the medallion centers they are working on for student inspiration......this one is in batiks

Our own little corner of Mongolia

2011-12-20T15:25:00.000-08:00

We are privileged at the shop to know Maggie Ball of Dragonfly Quilts! Maggie is an award winning quilter and excellent teacher and pattern designer. And, she has a connection to Mongolia. She first went to Mongolia in 2003 to help teach women to quilt and has left a piece of her heart there on a regular basis since then. You can read more about her story on her website and you can help. The quilts pictured feature the Ozlii motif, a traditional Mongolian motif which brings long life and prosperity.

Thanks Heather...

2011-12-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

We recently received this little gem to display in the shop for a while. The quilt is made from a set of batik 2 1/2" strips from a free pattern on the Better Homes and Garden site. While the original quilt is designed to be a quick patriotic quilt - I really like Heather's batik version. Other options? what about a Jewel toned batik set of strips on a black background or a set of red and grey strips on a taupe background?

Wah..wah.....

2011-11-06T22:54:00.000-08:00

Run, do not walk to the nearest used book emporium in your neighborhood. If you do not have a copy of Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns - it is now out of print! Barbara Brackman says so. Both the book format

And in the electronic format.......

I use one or the other of these resources constantly - I use Blockbase to find blocks to use as a starting point for inspiration for a Shop Hop Block, I have the Encyclopedia in my office so I can look more knowledgeable when someone brings in an old quilt that belonged to their great great grandmother and wants to know what the block pattern is. If you don't have one of these, I recommend you get started looking for them....there just is not anything that is half as useful to find out about quilt blocks!

Autumn is.....

2011-11-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

The last pink hydrangea blossoms by the Port Gamble Post Office with the leaves just turning bronze.

In the shop.... October Skies by Verna Mosquera for Free Spirit Fabrics.

Autumn is.....

2011-10-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

PEARS

Luscious, juicy, yellow, green and rosy pears.

IN THE SHOP - YELLOW and Gray

Fabrics from Michael Miller and Lizzy House for P&B Fabrics. I am thinking seriously about a half-hexagon inner city quilt with yellow, gray and a touch of teal and turquoise, but larger hexagons than the Jenny Byer version. I am always drawn to graphic quilts and love the process of English Paper Piecing, especially using a glue pen instead of basting. I first saw the idea when I saw Sue Daley's booth at Quilt Market- I think this will be my new fall project!

Autumn is....

2011-10-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

LEAVES

TOUR BUSES
- the folks on the tour bus that was here today had been to the Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor. (photo from Museum website)

The Artistry of Quilts is the current special exhibit. I think I will have to make a point of getting there before the exhibit closes in December. There is also a maritime gallery and exhibits in a hands on gallery for children 10 and under....I think I might have to take the whole family! (photo from Museum website)

From cover to cover...

2011-10-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

I had the chance recently to sneak a peak at Joen Wolfrom's new book - Elements of Design. She was teaching at the shop and let me take a copy home to read overnight as our copies had not arrive at the shop yet. This is an amazing book.......doesn't matter if you are an art quilter, a traditional quilter, or just love to make quilts for the pleasure quilts give to others, you need this book. Your quilts will be more even more amazing after you read this book, I promise.

I have always used the squint method of evaluating design and color....you know...squint until it all looks a little blurry and then go with your gut feeling. Sometimes it works amazing well, and sometimes, well, not so much. I know the basics of color theory and design, I have just not taken the time to make them a part of my everyday working toolbox. I think that with this book or rather if I do the work set out in this book, I have a chance...... In her book, Joen walks through the elements of good design for quilters, with lots of examples of both traditional and art quilts, and the really fun part is that there is a section of exercises to work through at the end of each chapter. These could be done alone, or even more fun, I think, would be to work through them with a group of your quilting and fiber friends - and then own them!

Some of us at the shop have been browsing through Sweetwater's Simple Home also. It is beautifully illustrated and has lots of fun ideas, some of which offer the opportunity for almost instant gratification! The authors have given the book the same clean look of their fabrics, and have projects that are beautiful, are all about the fabric, and practical as well. Whatever your signature fabric is......you can reflect it in the things you use everyday.

A West Coast Quilt Show Not To Be Missed!

2011-08-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

Take a peek at the news from Tacoma and the Pacific West Quilt Show.

A West Coast Quilt Show Not To Be Missed!

Backyard Birds

2011-07-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

We have a new pattern, one of the accomplished Quilted Strait teachers, Dorothy Thompson has developed a pattern for her much admired Backyard Bird Quilt. Dorothy has a reputation at the quilt shop for beautiful applique and even more exquisite embroidery. She has a reputation among her friends and neighbors for the wonderful assortment of birds that are encouraged to linger in her backyard. The Backyard Bird quilt was born!

Actually, the birds began as individual appliqued blocks, and Dorothy's first idea was to put them into placements. Her fellow quilters raised a rousing chorus of "but what if you get spaghetti sauce on them?" and she began to work on a wall hanging to showcase the blocks.

The quilt features designs for six Northwest birds - found in hospitable backyards - and as with all of our patterns, the cover was photographed in Port Gamble. The quilt is hanging from a tree known as a Camperdown Elm. These trees are rare, and there
are actually two of these elms growing in Port Gamble, the other of which is a Washington State Champion Tree. The story of the tree begins ins Scotland, sometime around 1835 to 1840. The Earl of Camperdown’s head forester noticed a
distorted branch growing on the floor of the elm forest at Camperdown House in Dundee, and the Earl’s gardener produced the first Camperdown elm by grafting the branch to the trunk of a Wych Elm. The tree is a mutant and cannot self produce. Every Camperdown Elm tree in the world is part of the original and must be grafted to get started. When the graft starts to grow, the host tree branches are cut off leaving only Camperdown Elm.

Shop Hop 2011

2011-07-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

I am a little late getting around to Shop Hop. We had a great time, one of the best parts of shop hop for me is that my daughters usually come and and work and it is such fun to share shop hop and spend the days together - five days of great fun. I hope all of the shop hoppers had a great time too!

We had the unique experience of hosting a couple of days of the shop hop during the Port Gamble Civil War Reenactment.

This was the view out our back windows...while we could see the armies lined up to march to battle our our front windows. I must admit it was the first shop hop that I have ever looked over to see a group of quilters gathered and discovered that it was not a quilt they were admiring but the construction of a hoop skirt.

Jerry invited all of the folks who came to put themselves on the map to indicate where they had traveled from. While most of the pins predictably centered around the greater Puget Sound/Kitsap Area, we were astonished at some of the places that were "off the map".

John and Maria from Australia, hoppers from Shreveport, Louisiana, Samuel from Sumter, South Carolina, a visitor from Sasebo, Japan, Ladene from Lynn, Massachusetts, Mary Ann from Lexington, Kentucky, Kim from Oakridge, Tennessee, Vera from Ann Arbor Michigan, and hoppers from Brookfield, Missouri, New York, New York, and Anchorage, Alaska.

Eat well, exersize and Quilt!

2011-06-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

It is true, experts have determined that quilting is good for you. Appearing recently in the Daily Mail (UK) was this headline!

WHY QUILTING IMPROVES YOUR HEALTH IN WAYS

THAT EVEN EXERCISE CAN'T MANAGE!

The study found that quilting improved well being in ways that exercise and outdoor activity could not, and that is provides a unique opportunity for creative expression. But, we knew all that, it is just nice to have the data! We all already knew that fabric gets our hearts pumping and creating with color is good for our blood pressure. Read the entire article here.

Got to go, I need some more fabric......I haven't done my quilting yet today, it is good for me you know......

...and a partridge in a pear tree house

2011-06-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

Vicki at Cranberry Pie Designs has brought us the quilt and pattern we have had sneak peaks of since it started as drawings in her overflowing notebook. Seriously, this woman has more ideas than anyone could possible sew in several lifetimes. The Partridge in a Pear Tree House is a redwork quilt, with enough detail to make the blocks clever and funny, but not too detailed, so the embroidery will go quickly. We have the patterns in the shop now and will have kits featuring the great swirl fabric that Vicki used for the sashing and borders of her quilt.

Center panel....

Two of the eleven blocks surrounding the center....

Tsukineko Ink

2011-06-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

We are very fortunate to have the master of Tsukineko Ink and fabric teach at the shop. Barb has perfected just about any technique around for use with these inks, pens, and fabrics. She can marble on fabric, use ink with shaving cream and aloe vera gel for special effects, use the ink and pens with stencils, and has developed techniques to use the inks on wool applique. And I am sure she has a whole other assortment of techniques I don't know about yet. Here are some of the samples from her most recent Ink Workshop - the students worked at coloring the panel of their choice.

This began as a black and cream panel from Andover fabrics - the panel is no longer being printed, but there were quite a few versions, so if you want one of your own, you might find one floating around somewhere in a shop or online.

These began as redwork panels from Timeless Treasures fabrics. These are still being printed and we have a new Christmas one in the shop as well.

Transfer-Eze

2011-05-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

I am a sometimes embroiderer, I love Crabapple Hill patterns and have done a couple of the small ones. We have new embroidery patterns in the shop from a local designer, Erica Plank of Unseen Hands and I need to make the snowmen! She convinced me to try Transfer-eze, which I knew about in theory, we carry it in the shop, but I had never actually tried it. So, here is how it works - I accomplished in about 1 minute and 30 seconds what it would take me about 1/2 hour to do with the light box and a pigma pen. Ready, set, go... here is my paper pattern for Snowman #1. I put it in the copier, put a sheet of Transfer-eze in the paper tray, change the setting to lighten the print (don't worry this is all part of the directions), and copy the snowman. The Transfer-eze is a film with a freezer paper backing that allows it to run through the printer or copier. You want to print on the film side - not the freezer paper side, as you will peel off the freezer paper, it is just there for stability.

Peel off the freezer paper, and you are left with a film that is sticky on one side and has the image you copied on the other side. Put the sticky side on your fabric and smooth....and you are ready to embroider!

The film makes the fabric somewhat stiff, so I think it would be be like using a stabilizer when using a hoop...., I did put the piece in my spring tension hoop that I occasionally use and had no trouble, but I am not a hoop person usually so will leave it off for this project as the Transfer-eze film supplies plenty of stability. The other step that I skipped was adding a muslin backing, which I frequently do with embroidery - so I will need to be careful about my thread ends and not leave them dangling as I am using dark blue embroidery thread on a white Michael Miller snowflake fabric.

I tend to manhandle my embroidery - probably because I don't usually use a hoop, and am happy to see that no matter how I squish the fabric and gather it up in my hand, the film sticks really well and there a not any fold or "squish" marks left when I move to another area of the embroidery.

When you are done embroidering, the film dissolves in water - so you want to be sure that your embroidery thread is colorfast. Lift up and cut away all of the excess film around the outside of your embroidery (be careful not to cut your background fabric) and soak in water to dissolve the film. There are a couple of things I learned with my sample, one is that when soaking your fabric to disolve the Transfer-eze film, that warm water dissolves the film a little faster - but if you did not preshrink your background fabric or are working with wool, the recommended cold water works fine, it just takes a little longer (4 or 5 minutes). The second thing is that because the film provides a small layer between the thread and the fabric, my stitches seemed a little loose after I dissolved the film. I will be sure to tighten my stitches a little as I sew on my snowman.

I am thinking of lots of uses......quilt labels I want to embroider, machine quilting patterns for blocks and intricate designs - no need to premark, especially on dark fabrics - and wool! It is always a job to mark on wool for embroidery - now just stick and go!

The Patchwork Concept

2011-05-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the Russian Olympic Committee has released their marketing information for the 2014 Games, including the visual maketing - ......here is a quote from their website:

"This concept for a visual image of the Games in Sochi was based on the principle of patchwork. Such patchworks were an indispensable part of Russian peasants’ homes. Over time, this technique became a widely acknowledged branch of traditional arts and culture. An interesting fact from Russian history is that Catherine, the wife of Peter I, personally sewed a patchwork for her husband as a gift."

Here are more:

Patchwork Transportation

Patchwork Car

Patchwork Stage

Gotta love it!

I think I shall never see........

2011-04-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

I don't know if everyone else's fifth grade teacher made them memorize the "tree poem"...by Joyce Kilmer, but I suspect not only am I the one, and also suspect that on a spring day here at Port Gamble, that he is correct - there is nothing as lovely as a tree. It is Arbor Day here at Port Gamble - and we are getting new trees in front of the shop.

We are having 6 maple trees planted between the shop and the street. To satisfy practicality these are fast growing maples that will only need a few years to begin to give us a little shade in the summer from the afternoon sun.

To satisfy the eye, these maples will turn a such brilliant red in the fall that according to the guy at Valley Nursery "a fire engine would be jealous". So in a little neighborhood already known for fall color....we will be adding a few more leaves.

And to satisfy the heart, how can we not love something that will be around to give pleasure to our children, our grandchildren and their children. Happy Arbor Day!

2011 Shop Hop Block

2011-04-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

The Western Washington Shop Hop is all of a sudden just around the corner - and among other things that means that the shop owners all need to get their blocks to In the Beginning Fabrics so that they can begin assembling this years quilt. As much as I sigh about needing to think of a pattern or design for the block each year, I really do find it fun and wouldn't let anyone else get their little hands on the design process. It is always fun to see how the quilt looks when all of the blocks come together.

I was in Seattle for a couple of other errands, so dropped off my block in person, so got a chance to see the blocks that had already arrived. They were great, and as you might expect given the border fabric, it looks like this years quilt will have lots of blocks designed around a sewing and quilting theme. Our block this year is a variation of the traditional "Spool and Bobbins" block. Here it is, hanging in the wall in my office -

And look.....we have a pattern from a new redwork pattern designer in the shop. She is a local designer, aren't we lucky. This is the Queen of Awesome Pattern.

Some of us have also had a sneak peak at her next pattern which is a 12 days of Christmas pattern.....so cute! She promises that the pattern and the sample quilt will be ready in time for the Shop Hop - we will be offering it as a block of the month.

A bounty of beautiful baskets

2011-04-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

I am always the quilter in the used book store, picking out the quilting books that have 101 Baskets or some such title. I love the old Amish basket quilts with intense baskets on black and I am equally fond of basket blocks with big mushy florals. Rhonda has just finished the shop sample for our Basket block of the Month that falls somewhere in between. Some almost solid baskets and stars, and some some florals. Her piecing is perfect and the little appliqued handles are just what this geometrically driven quilt needs!

Rhonda's quilt is machine quilted, but she choose traditional clamshell quilting, a motif that gives a little nod to the more "baskety days" of quilting, when this was such a popular hand quilting motif.

Each block has a star, with four baskets in the corners. Each month is a different basket, and a different combination of fabrics. Because of the way the quilt is set, the there is a secondary basket pattern formed in each block intersection, that has four different baskets in each one.

The scooter express!

2011-03-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

We are very fortunate here at the shop to have the Post Office right around the corner. Not only is it housed in a wonderful old building, but the people - yes real people, at the window are always cheerful and helpful! We actually look forward to taking our website orders to the post office each day.

We were able to use the old post office boxes (still in use), don't ask me my combination, my lips are sealed, as a backdrop for one of our quilts for one of our pattern covers, and there isn't a day that goes by (well except Sundays) that we don't trot around the corner to USPS for one reason or another. The building the Post Office is in has been around for a while - a photo from the Tacoma Public Library archives shows the building as it was in 1918. However, I digress...

The point of my whole little story here is that we occasionally have visitors at our house who LOVE taking packages to the Port Gamble Post Office. )OK....some of the attraction might be the candy jar that sits in the service window). Just in case you are someone who has ordered online from us, if your timing has been just right, your package may have been taken to the Post Office by tricycle or by small feet stepping over each and every crack in the sidewalk between here and there, or most recently via the new scooters powered by sparkly shoes!

The first blossoms...

2011-03-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

Last fall we dug up (or rather had someone else dig up) the small patch of grass in front of the store so that we could have a flower garden. We had a plan, but of course many of the plants were not available last fall. So Jerry planted some bulbs so that we could have a little color this spring, even in the empty spots.

We have lots of flowers in the shop right now too.. Tulips by Barb Tourtillottefrom Clothworks Textiles

Lupines from Hoffman Fabrics....we have a great table runner pattern that goes with these prints....will have kits in the near future.

And little florals from Lakehouse Drygoods by Holly Holderman. You might want to check out the rest of the Penelope collection on the website as there are some really nice teacup prints that are a part of this group also, along with a sweet little dessert print on a black background. And, as we tea drinkers know, teacup and tea fabrics are hard to come by.

Attic Windows Block Made Easy

2011-01-10T01:10:00.000-08:00

I have always loved the Attic Windows block - and have learned the necessary skills to make the "Y-seam" the traditional block construction requires, but.......Karin Hellaby has come up with a great construction technique that makes these blocks quick and easy.

Karin's book - Sew Simple Attic Windows was the source of the pattern for our latest shop sample.

The inspiration for this quilt came from a group of wonderful light batiks from Island Batiks. We added purple and have a wonderfully soft quilt with lots of depth and texture.

The blocks are actually created with a folding technique (no "Y-seams") and our sample maker Carol assures us that if you have the cutting done - you can make the blocks for a lap-sized quilt in an afternoon. Well, OK- think that if it takes Carol an afternoon, it would take me at least a day. But, much faster than the traditional construction method.

You can see that the folded block in the fabric, but it is not meant to stand out as a design element, so in our shop sample, Carol simply allowed her quilting designs to go right over the fold.

John Henry Dearle (and William Morris)

2010-12-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

Barbara Brackman's A Morris Tapestry has arrived in the shop. These are just luscious...and we have them all.These designs are by William Morris and John Henry Dearle. Can't help but appreciate the story of Dearle's rise from a shop assistant to major designer - just too bad he didn't get a little more credit along the way. A few of the bolts are pictured below.

Am still working on a sample for the little quilt kits from Clothworks fabrics. I now have houses and sashing strips....progress!

Vicki brought in these cute little bags today.....they really are the cutest bags ever! These are her own design and a made from just three fat quarters. She is going to teach a class at the shop, and I will do my best to convince her she needs to write up a pattern for the rest of us.

I digress...

2010-11-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

Once in a while, I remember that I can use the sewing machine for things like hemming and repairing clothes and other fabric things.....who knew?

The winter flag at Port Gamble needs a little repair work, so I have temporarily set aside my other project and taken up needle and thread in Betsy Ross fashion. This flag is huge! 25 feet by 19 feet..... My other project was a cute little wall quilt - pattern and fabric are from Clothworks by Kathy York. We have kits in the shop and so I am working on the shop sample.

Familiar UFO's

2010-10-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

I have had some time over the last week to begin unpacking my sewing/weaving/yarn space. I will share a cutting table at the shop with the kit makers and the Block of the Month team, so am trying to organize the space so that I can have all of my stuff... and still keep space free for them to work. I have put up the projects I was working on when we moved...(the ones that my long-suffering spouse had to pack up to move...another story, but lets just say he is a true hero!). It is good to have my familiar UFO's in the range of contemplation again.

This is an inner city wall hanging, that just needs quilted. The blocks are pieced using English paper piecing with half-hexagons from Paper Pieces. This quilt was pieced by some of us at the Port Angeles shop quite a while ago and was so popular I never took it down to quilt it. I love this block and think that I will start a larger quilt using my collection of Kaffe Fassett Fabrics. It will be a good project to quilt on my longarm, after a 6 months separation, we need to become friends again.

Now....... I will just wait for the first fall rainstorm, and I will be ready to putter. The workspace is in the loft at the shop, and the rain makes a wonderful sound on the roof - tea, a project or two, and a spare evening, I will be set.

This is a wool and cotton applique from an old pattern booklet by Blackbird Designs. I have a hooked rug pattern drawn from the same design.

I think that this black and white version of a Happy Village is going to work....you can't see it in the photo, but I have also used some black and white photos printed on fabric of doorways and windows that were from photos take in Chinatown in Victoria on one of our many trips there.

A nip here a tuck there....

2010-10-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

We are getting a facelift....or rather the we are working on a new face for the shop. The first step is the beginning of a flower garden in front of the shop. The grass is off and we have the beginning of the garden planted. The garden experts just down the road from us at Savage Plants helped us with a plan, and the crew at Port Gamble gave us a hand with the preparation. (Note, even the boss is lending a hand.)

Next is our the new fence......not just for looks. The fence will also keep the kids who play at the playground behind the shop from popping out from behind the building into the path of some unsuspecting quilter's car.

tis the season....

2010-10-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

Look what Sharon brought us! Our newest shop sample is perfect quilt for fall. This is a fat quarter friendly scrap quilt. The pattern is available in the shop for free when you purchase a 6 fat quarter "starter" bundle for the quilt. The original pattern showed a quilt with pumpkin colored blocks and a white background, but I think Vivian and Gail's choice of fabrics for this quilt is very striking. The background is a chocolate brown solid (Moda Solid U Brown) and as you can see the rest of the fabrics range from the turquoise blue of late summer to the reds of autumn. Sharon used a variegated quilting thread which tied it all together.

Old Mill Days...

2010-09-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend is Old Mill Days weekend at Port Gamble and as we have enjoyed the sights and sounds of the festival. Out our windows we could see the carnival,which as you can see the younger members of the family enjoyed.

The festival also included a car show and a logging show - fun for the whole family. We do not, by the way, ever take pictures out our windows. The glass in the windows is original and has that wonderful texture and depth that is typical of old glass, but is horrible for the camera lens. I was fascinated to read about the process of making glass (see link above), and am intrigued each day by the play of shadow and light through our windows as the seasons and the positions of the sun changes.

Black and White

2010-09-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

When my children were young and their sense of funny evolved beyond slapstick, they began to appreciate more "sophisticated" forms of humor. One of my favorite memories of their childhood times is the two of them rolling on the floor in helpless laughter at their own jokes. First came knock-knock jokes, then why did the whatever cross the road jokes, and then came whole series of black and white jokes. You know the kind, what is black and white and red allover ? the newspaper or a sunburned zebra - what is black and white and has wheels? ......a panda on roller skates, what is black and white and black and white? a zebra caught in a revolving door....

I can't help but think of those jokes each time we get a new shipment of black and white fabrics in the shop. And right now, most of the fabric companies have great black and white collections....so our black and white fabric collection just sings with texture and pattern.

Our newest sample in the shop is a wonderful twist on the black and white theme. The quilt was made by Vicki who works at the shop and is from a Karla Alexander pattern. The stack and shuffle construction method has a wonderful twist with the curved piecing. One of the best things about the quilt according to Vicki is that is was created almost entirely from her stash!

I want to be just like my mother-in-law when I grow up!

2010-08-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

For the first twenty or so years of my married life, I had an amazing mother-in-law. She was a woman with a gift for living and a gift for being a wife, bookkeeper, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and great grandmother. For the later years of my married life I was fortunate to also have this lovely woman as a friend. This wonderful, supportive friend that I taught to quilt when she was eighty, always understood the priorities of life. She embraced the importance of having popcorn for dinner, so you can go out for chocolate cheesecake for dessert, and was a friend whose zest for life always gave me a lift. We shared countless cups of tea and glasses of wine while we contemplated the problems of the world, talked about the books we had read and shared our struggles with spouses' illnesses, and the indignities of growing older. She died last week, at age 97, just as she would have liked, after a brief illness and full life, and with several of her children holding her hands, but selfishly, I will miss her.

Maxine Cornell, 1912-2010, a woman who lived both the width and length of life!

Autumn is a second spring.....

2010-08-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

"Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower"

Albert Camus

Autumn is my favorite season of the year and I was glad to notice that the nip of fall can be felt in the early morning and the tops of the maple trees here in Port Gamble are beginning to take on a faint blush of red. I also knew it must be getting close to autumn, because Lauretta brought by new table runners for the shop for the season. The runners feature two fabrics from the Nutmeg group from Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

We are still working on new pattern covers, the latest project is Barbara Stevenson's Bricks and Stones Pattern. Jerry photographed the table runner sized sample over the picket fence outside the cemetery here at Port Gamble. You can see some of the old monuments and stones in the background.

The Buena Vista Cemetery here sits on the top of the bluff and has a spectacular view. The cemetery dates from 1856 when U.S. Navy Coxswain Gustave Englebrecht of the U.S.S. Massachusetts died in a skirmish with Haida (Native American) raiders. Englebrecht is credited with being the first U.S. Navy man killed in the Pacific.

Little Belle Skirt and the Hexagon Sewing Machine

2010-08-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

My granddaughters are 3 1/2 and love "twirly skirts". So of course the last time they were here at the fabric store my daughter chose a pattern and they picked out fabric for new skirt from the Little Belle Skirts pattern from Favorite Things. They chose bright fabric including Monsters in the Closet fabric by Scott Jarrard for Free Spirit fabrics. My daughter also made an extra skirt for the shop from the Whimsy Collection by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda.

The great thing about this skirt is that by adjusting the elastic the skirt can be made to ride at the waist or on the hips, and the little belt with the bow is fastened with velcro in the back - making it an easy accessory.

The other part of the story is the Hexagon Sewing Machine the skirt is sitting on. This is a very sweet little 3/4 size sewing machine manufactured by the Standard Sewing Machine Company in Ohio, probably dating from around 1920 or so. And although I love my Bernina - it certainly lacks quite a bit of style and elegance compared to this wonderful machine.

Look at the scrolling on the metal plates and gorgeous decals.... they turn a machine made for utility into a work of art! The decals on this machine are all in good shape and still very bright and colorful.

Postage Stamp Wall Hanging

2010-08-10T01:11:00.000-07:00

One of the most charming things about doing business in Port Gamble is the post office. Not only is it just a short walk away, past a delightful view of Port Gamble Bay, but the service is stupendous. I have never met more helpful and friendly folks than the two women who work at this post office. The fixtures inside the post office are from another time, from the wood framed service window to the combination metal post office boxes. So where else would we photograph Lauretta Ehling's postage stamp quilt, than at the Port Gamble Post Office. Lauretta's Postage Stamp Quilt is also a charm quilt.....and notice the "postage stamp" in the center of the quilt. The pattern includes a full size applique pattern for the center.

New pattern cover for Lovestruck.

2010-08-06T00:51:00.000-07:00

Next is a new pattern cover for Sam (Mary Ellen) Coyle's great scrap quilt pattern Lovestruck. You can't see the individual fabrics in the quilt in the picture here, but this is truly a scrap quilt....there are Christmas fabrics, reproduction fabrics and florals of all sizes and colors. I heard a quilter lecture once who said that in a quilt color gets all the credit but value does all the work....and that is really true for this quilt. This quilt is photographed in front of one of the historic houses at Port Gamble.

Quilted Strait patterns.....new covers

2010-08-02T21:05:00.000-07:00

Jerry has been busy taking pictures for new covers for our Quilted Strait patterns. We wanted to photograph the quilts and wall hangings here at Port Gamble. Here are some of the pictures from his photo shoots. The first pictures are for Lauretta Ehling's "Two at a Time" Table Runner patterns. Many of us at the shop have made these table runners over and over - for friends, family and housewarming and wedding gifts. They are quick and easy and the cutting is arranged so that you get two, quilt as you go, table runners at a time....from just two 1 3/8 yard pieces of fabric. Our current sample features some great green beans and tomato fabrics from Timeless Treasures, but any vegetable print would work. The pictures were taken at the Terrapin Farm Stand which is at the end of our block. There is always a flurry among those of us who work at the shop between four and five as we all rush over to the stand and pick up vegetables for dinner and check out what is new in the fruit baskets!

The neighborhood.....

2010-07-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

We have new neighbors - which might not sound like such a big deal, but for a couple of months were were the only business on our block. However the Terrapin Farmer's Market Stand opened last month and we have new neighbors in the small, OK really tiny building across the street. When Port Gamble still had a functioning mill, this little building was the building at the scales, where the trucks were weighed - now the building features wonderful handmade clothing and gifts. And almost any day that the Second Spring is open, you can find the owners sewing outside on the picnic table next to their building between customers.

Getting ready for the Western Washington Shop Hop

2010-06-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

We are settling in to our new space and have almost everything where we want it now. We are turning our attention to getting ready for the shop hop. We have our fabric for our block kits all cut, the block instructions are printed and now we are just trying to get the two together in one plastic bag!

Barb Schultz of Enchanted Valley Arts brought by a picture for us of their new pattern that features the 2010 shop hop fabric. We will have both the pattern and a sample of this 20" x 28" wall hanging in the shop during the shop hop in a few weeks. These patterns go quickly so drop us an email at the shop if you would like us to save one for you.

Looking out the window...

2010-06-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

Here in our little neighborhood at Port Gamble we never know quite what we will see out our window. The creatures of the four legged variety range from the wild squirrels and raccoons to horses (with their riders), and we never know if the next vehicles by will be a group of motorcycles out for a Sunday afternoon ride or a vintage car on the way to the every Thursday night car show. However, we have discovered during the Kitsap Medieval Faire that takes place at Port Gamble....that there are amazing things and beings that go by our windows.Look what we saw the weekend of the faire!

We Made It!

2010-04-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

And we opened the doors in Port Gamble on Tuesday, April 20th. Here are a few pictures of the shop and I will post more later. We are busy settling in and getting ready for our Grand Opening on Saturday May 1st.

Moving Week!

2010-04-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

Now that things have settled down to a dull roar - I finally have a chance to post some pictures from the move. The crew from Sound Transfer did a remarkable job. They arrived at the Port Angeles store at 6 am on Thursday morning and by 10 am they had loaded the truck, driven to Port Gamble and unloaded!

And in the meantime the building was getting the final touches. Pressure washing the roof, signs from Orbea Signs, plants in the box and even a steel wool scrub on the old windows to make them shine like new.

Thanks to everyone who came on Saturday and emptied boxes and filled the shelving with merchandise.......

Down to the wire!

2010-04-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

Wow! The new building is almost ready. The slatwall is finished, the carpet has been installed for the retail area as well as our workspace in the loft. I think the stairway to the loft needs quilts! The flooring is finished in the classroom - the doorway in the photo is the doorway out of the classroom to the shop retail area.

We spent yesterday taping the floor.....translating the graph paper plan we have been working with to the floor. Not only does this give us an actual feel for how fixtures will be laid out, but the tape marks will serve as a placement guide for the movers as the fixtures are moved into the building in a couple of weeks. I think we are pretty happy with it.....we needed to make a few adjustments because of radiator locations - but I think it will be pretty close to our graph paper plan.

Below is the general area for our new cross stitch department. We will carry Weekes Dye Works Threads, Gentle Arts Threads, and Cosmo Multi Work Floss as well as linens and patterns. Our daughter will be visiting to help out and will be getting our initial cross stitch inventory organized with the assistance of her 3 year old daughters later this week. I have a feeling that the retail area will be temporarily transformed into a tricycle racing track and color crayon art studio!

Something exciting every day now!

2010-03-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully.

"It's the same thing," he said.

(Winnie the Pooh, A. A. Milne)

It seems like we have been planning and waiting for a long time for the new shop ----and now all of a sudden things are happening very quickly and there are exciting changes everyday. The retail area is almost complete and ready for the move. Here you can see some of the crew who have been faithfully making the changes happen, taking a little apple pie break (compliments of Jerry, not only does he enjoy writing about our small town- did I tell you he bakes?). Recently in this part of the building changes have included totally painting everything, slatwall and the latest project that Jerry and our son-in-law Tim have been working on is installing a pulley system to hang quilts twenty feet off the floor. The quilt hanging in the center is a just completed quilt from our sample maker that is one of our new block of the month quilts.

Flooring is being installed in the classroom and we are working on the May and June class schedule for our new classroom. Design walls are the next project in here.

Carpet for the retail area and the offices and shipping room will be installed next week and the sign makers are just about done. Jerry is working the planter box (thanks for the advice from Savage Plants just down the road)...and our moving date is creeping closer and closer. Our last day in the Port Angeles shop will be April 13th and we will reopen in our brand new (103 year old) building at 10 am on April 20th.

News from the neighborhood.....

2010-03-08T22:15:00.000-08:00

We have a moving date....our last day in Port Angeles will be April 13th and we will reopen on April 20th in Port Gamble. And just down the block from our new location.......OK everything in Port Gamble is just down the block....the General Store has reopened for business. Kim Campbell and Eric Kleiva are the new proprietors of the General Store and have stocked the front of the store with a variety of gifts and sweets, as well as an ice-cream and espresso bar, while the cafe will be in the back of the store. Kim and Eric have done a great job of making the store and cafe look fresh and attractive while keeping the vintage feel of the 1916 building - you can tell as you walk through the store that they have put a lot of thought into things like lighting and traffic flow.

The General Store building still has the Seashell Museum upstairs - you can just see the corner of one of the display cases on the balcony in the upper right hand corner of the picture above. The Museum which is accessible via the stairway in the center of the building will be a good spot for us to send non-quilting spouses to while away some time while the quilter shops!

The Cafe portion of the General Store will open on Saturday, March 13th. The Cafe will be serving fresh food, made from scratch - and will feature natural organic food whenever possible. I am sure while we are trying to juggle moving household and business that we will be frequent visitors.....and we can think of more excuses to be frequent visitors later. (I am also hoping to talk the Cafe folks into providing lunches for classes and quilting groups once we get settled into the new store.)

Right now, however it looks like they have a few long days in store for everyone. While the tables and chairs are mostly in place in the freshly painted dining area, the kitchen has had to be washed down completely (after all it was a construction zone and metal shop for a few weeks while new fans were installed). The dishwashers have been busy the last few days washing everything from walls to shelving and pots and pans - and the pile of baking dishes and utensils and boxes outside the kitchen is steadily getting smaller.

Drywall Ballet

2010-03-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

I was at the Port Gamble building on Monday where drywalling was in progess. I was struck by the similarities between a quick and efficient drywall expert and an expert machine quilter. Both are fluid and confident in motion and execution and you can just tell by watching that they have repeated these motions thousands of times. Below is the outside of the classroom wall - the doorway to the left is into the shipping room and the next doorway is the classroom. The classroom actually has a second door opposite the building back door for the convenience of students loading and unloading machines and sewing supplies. The second photo is from inside the classroom - the doorway visible in the picture is the entrance opposite the back door.

The interior walls are being finished on the rest of the building as well - next will be painting and then slatwall installation.

The window that had been removed when the building functioned as a maintenance shop has also been replaced. We now have two "front windows", neither big enough to need a window display I am glad to say.

Quick and Simple Double-sided Napkins

2010-02-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

Just love some of the new fabrics in the shop, but lately there just aren't enough hours in the day to do much sewing. I have had time however to make some quick double-sided napkins to send off for Valentine's day. This is a quick method I adapted from Karen Montgomery's free Super Simple Placemat Pattern. You can get more detailed instructions from her pattern. My daughter has some wonderful lime green dishes so I chose a this great pear fabric from Michael Miller for the center fabric.

I started with a sixteen inch square of fabric for the napkin center (you can start with whatever size you want your finished napkins to be). I cut the contrasting fabric 20 1/2 inches - just because I have a 20 1/2 inch square ruler, so it is easy. The contrasting fabric should be about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches larger than the center square fabric. Lay the center fabric on the contrasting fabric, which will be the back of the napkin and the front border - roughly in the center and trim the contrasting fabric so that you have an even amount of fabric on each side of the center fabric. I trimmed mine to 1 3/4" - you can adjust it to suit your own preferences.

After you trim all four sides, then line up the 45 degree angle of your ruler along one side of the center of the napkin and trim off the corner 1/4" away from the corner. Trim all four corners using the same method.

Set the center fabric aside and mark a scant 1/2 inch fold line on all four straight sides of the contrast fabric. I find it easier to press if I mark on the right side of the contrast fabric so I use a chalk marker that is easily removed. Press on the marked line on all four long straight edges.

This is the really clever part - place contrasting fabric right side up. In one corner put right sides together matching edges and sew a 1/4 inch seam. Neatness counts here - if your folded edges don't match you won't have a tidy corner when you turn it - so I use a pin to keep the folded edges matched. I also start and end with a few tiny stitches. Repeat with remaining 3 corners.

Turn corners right side out - making sure that your points are sharp. You will find that when you have turned all four corners you have created a frame for the center fabric you set aside earlier. Press and lay center fabric right side up inside the frame. Finish napkin by stitching 1/8" away from folded edge of frame fabric. I like to pin the fabrics together with a few pins on each side to make sure that the center fabric doesn't shift.

And that is it - really quick and simple. You can adjust the size to suit yourself. And of course, you can cut centers and contrasting fabrics several layers at time if you are making a bunch of napkins. Here is the other set I made - the bird fabric is from Alexander Henry and the contrasting fabric is one of the Minny Muu's from Lucien.

Port Gamble building update...

2010-02-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

The work at the stables building in Port Gamble is galloping (sorry, couldn't help myself)along. The most visible change is the work on the loft. There is now a new window in the end of the loft which will allow for air circulation. The other benefit will be that if I am working I will still be able to hear the ooohs and aaahs when someone brings in a show and tell ---- so I can rush right down the stairs and see too.

I am thinking about putting my longarm (which will be just for personal use) next to the stairway at the opposite end of the loft from my desk. The railing is new as are the studs for the walls that will have storage behind them - tucked under the eaves of the building. A quilter just can't have too much storage!! Sorry the pictures are so dark, but the old wiring has been pulled from the building, so right now there are only some work lights.

After the electrician rewires the building, the crew will start working on the inner walls. Once the inner walls are in place the outlines of the old double door on the north end of the building will no longer be visible. If you look carefully you can see the outlines of the door (with the ladder going up the center) and one of the windows (to the right) that exist in the old photo from 1907 below. As you can see, now there is no evidence from the outside that the door or windows ever existed.

Halls and walls, flooring and rafters

2010-02-02T21:23:00.001-08:00

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!
Theodor Geisel - Dr. Seuss

The interior of the stables building does not take quite so much imagination now to "see" a quilt store. The view below is looking from what will be the retail space into the classroom. The shipping room is on the left. The new classroom will allow for 12 students with sewing machines, and room for larger classes that don't require the use of a sewing machine.

This is also a view of the classroom walls from a different angle - the hallway that leads to the sink and counter (and the future location of the cookie jar) is to the right. For those of you who will visit the shop in person, Jerry assures me that he will be making regular trips to the cookie jar, straight from the baking oven - be sure to put in your order for your favorite cookie the next time you see him.

All of the extra rafters that were being used for storage have been removed so you can really get an idea of what the ceiling will look like over the retail space. Everything will be painted a slightly off-white - so the shop will have a wonderful light feeling - a great backdrop for the quilts.

One of the other projects going on right now is the replacement of the siding on the south end of the building. The five small square windows that are visible on the front of the building were once the windows for the horse stalls - one window for each stall. As you can see from the photograph, today was a beautiful sunny day at Port Gamble.

Aren't those folks quick?

2010-01-11T21:36:00.000-08:00

Wow the folks at Port Gamble are amazing - just a few days ago there were walls and partitions and now there is a dumpster full of wood - and they took time out to send us a few pictures!

These pictures were taken from the "front" of the building - or the area that will have the cutting counters and most of the fabric. The view is toward the stairs to the loft and the back door. The office on the left will remain -the classroom and shipping department will also be tucked under the loft.

Probably the technical building term "tucked under" is a little bit misleading as the ceiling under the loft is higher than the ten foot ceilings in our current shop. The open door on the right is the "back" door and will lead straight across a hall into the classroom. Students will have direct access to the classroom instead of needing to haul everything through the whole store.

You can just catch a glimpse of the sink and counter unit on the back wall - it will remain, so the cookie jar will have a good home - close to the classroom.

Progress

2010-01-11T00:19:00.000-08:00

The previous tenant has moved out of the stables building and we can begin to see the wonderful "bones" of the building. There are still some extra boards, beams and interior partitions...but work has begun. If I squint really hard I can see the building full of fabric and quilts and humming with the noise of a gathering of stitchers.

Below is a photo of a section of the stables building under the old hay loft. The wall that is in the background of the picture will be removed. The old floor is visible, however most of the floor is not in good enough shape to save so the Port Gamble crew will be putting a new floor on top of the old one. A couple of the original radiators are also visible in the picture, these, along with the ones currently stored in the basement will be refurbished and used to heat the building.

Although we have a new front door the sliding door will remain operational and allows the work crew to remove the wood from the "deconstruction work" that is currently going on inside. The sliding door will also come in handy for moving day! Just just behind the front door is the electrical panel - one of the first things to be done will be removing all the old wiring, replacing it and upgrading the electrical service. Won't it be wonderful to be able to have more than two irons on at a time in the classroom without blowing a circuit breaker, a situation all too common in our current classroom.

Coiled Bowl Project

2010-01-04T12:43:00.000-08:00

The new year has arrived and it is definitely quilting and stitching season here in the Pacific Northwest. As I look out the window it is a beautiful,rainy day. We are fortunate at the shop to have two large windows in the front of the shop - and even more fortunate that our view across the street is the elegant old Federal Building. The eagle over the door always reflects the weather, and today is a rain soaked, dark gray.

If I was at home today instead of at the shop I would be curling up with some quilting books for inspiration and a cup of rooibus tea in front of a wood fire. Somehow a fire in the middle of the afternoon seems so decadent and luxurious. I have been diligent however about finishing up some old projects including the coiled bowl that I will be teaching in a class in the shop this month. This basket was made from some strips from a Bali Pop set and I really like the texture the batik fabrics create. Now it needs some beads - I think beads around the binding and some on the outside of the bowl. I think that I am going to try some of my Daiwabo taupe fabrics and make a basket shape with handles. This bowl is based on a pattern by Aunties Two, and the great thing about the pattern is that once you have mastered the basic construction techniques, there are several variations of baskets and bowls to try - but the possibilities are unlimited as far as size and shape goes.

New Front Door

2009-12-13T14:45:00.000-08:00

Things are pretty quiet right at the new building in Port Gamble right now - although we have a front door now in addition to the big sliding door that was the previous entrance to the building. The current tenant in the building will be moving out this month, and then interior renovations will start happening after the first of the year.

This weekend was the Country Christmas weekend at Port Gamble - and the temperature certainly felt like Christmas. We checked out all of the Arts and Crafts booths and displays and also went to look at the looms in the new Ewe Too addition. Heidi, who is the owner to of the Artful Ewe yarn shop for spinners and knitters has just opened a weaving studio a few doors away from her yarn shop. Customers can learn to weave and can rent time on one of the looms in the studio. I hope to eventually set up at least my table loom in the loft of the new building which will be my office/sewing room, but it is nice to know that until I get everything moved I can still get my weaving fix.

The temperature was hovering at freezing for most of the afternoon, which is pretty cold for most of us in the Pacific Northwest so we made our way down the street to the hot cider tent which was doing a brisk business. On the way we admired the lights on the shops, houses and street lamps - is there anything more romantic than Christmas lights on a white picket fence?

Dragonfly

2009-12-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

I am getting ready to quilt this little dragonfly sample for the shop. Hmm....the green thread or the blue thread. I am not a big fan of invisible thread but didn't want the thread to shout on this little 18" square wall hanging. So I chose So Fine from Superior Threads. This is a fine polyester thread that blends into the fabric so the result is the texture of quilting without a noticeable line of thread.

This little dragonfly quilt is from a pattern by local quilter Judy Jewel. The dragonfly wings are hand embroidered using metallic sewing thread, and then the dragonfly body is beaded.

Judy was kind enough to give us a dragonfly that she had already embroidered and beaded and all I did was add the borders that the gals at the shop picked out.

Christmas Windows Done

2009-12-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

I finally have the Christmas windows done for the shop - and of course they always look better at night.

Mo Harrah made the beautiful sample in the window for the shop from Sheryl Mycroft's new pattern Cobblestone Crows. The beading is really striking and Mo's quilting really sets it off. The wall hanging is all fusible applique (so you can spend your time playing with the beading).

We have had a couple of the Random Threadz pieced quilts by Sheryl in the shop in the past which have featured the Serenity Daiwabo fabrics, but this is something with a slightly different look for her, and we all love it! Barbara spent the afternoon cutting fabric and as soon as our beads arrive we will have kits ready!

We are Moving !

2009-11-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

We have finally made the big decision! We will be moving ourselves and the shop to Port Gamble in April of 2010. The shop will be located in the old Stables building.

The outside of the 100 year old building is beautiful (and red like every quilt store should be). Note the two cupolas on the roof of the building - a very New England like feature in this Historic Landmark town. Cupolas were usually added to admit light and air to a building, however these have been housing a few starlings as well, so will be sealed up from below as part of the renovation.

The interior of the building also needs some renovation. The odds and ends in the picture belong to an antique business that is currently occupying the spot. The business will move out of the building sometime in December and the interior renovations will begin after the first of the year.