The manufacturing company, HeiQ Materials, based in Bad Zurzah, Switzerland, has produced a fabric called Oilguard, a non-woven treated with chemical compound that selectively absorbs oil, while repelling water. Once saturated with oil, it can be rolled up and incinerated.

With a German partner, HeiQ is developing Oilguard up to 6 yards wide and hundreds of yards long to be quickly unfolded along the shoreline sands.

Watch the news headlines for more on this innovative invention as it’s being tested in the Gulf in coming weeks.

Market is where store buyers go to purchase the things that you see in their shops–they’re buying fabric lines, patterns, giftables and all kinds of notions, rulers, zippers, etc. In my way of thinking, it’s a hard job to pick out what to buy from the thousands of new items available, and with limited budgets as well.

The good news is that the number of exhibitors was up this year and over 10% of the vendors were new. It’s always fun to chat with new people and learn about what they do for our industry.

What did I see as trends? Eco-friendly consciousness–from fabric fiber content to handles on tools going from plastic to bamboo. Look for lots of cute animal prints and cartoon-like imagery–lots of owls it seemed. Also, lots of mini-sewing patterns and kits, so that you can “grab and go” at the store, picking up exactly what you need prepackaged. What a timesaver, and also a confidence builder so you don’t have to mix and match fabrics–it’s been done for you.

One of my favorite parts of Quilt Market is looking at the displays of wonderful quilts and garments. It’s always one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” moments.

If there are quilt and sewing shows in your area that are open to the public, be sure to attend–it’s definitely a great source of inspiration and a way to recharge your creative batteries.

So, what’s new? Look for more and more kits–for stuffed animals, clothing and quilts themselves. Kits save you the hassle (and in some cases anxiety) of picking out coordinated fabrics for projects–you just pick up a cleverly packed bag of components. Lots of great books coming out in the fall–one really helpful one is called Marvelous Miters, by Susan Cleveland–it simplifies those pesky corners not only on quilts, but the same techniques apply to garments. Susan also has a new tool for making precise prairie points.

I saw some wonderfully soft bamboo/rayon felt from National Nonwovens, and a new line of visual-assist products from Simplicity cleverly called C.C. Bigger–if you need a magnifier, check it out later this fall. Ghee’s has rainbow tooth zippers that are great fun, and Clover Needlework is coming out with some new Yo-Yo Makers–a butterfly and a shamrock. Looking ahead to spring ’10, an oval yo-yo maker is on the drawing board.

Of more costly interest, is the new Baby Lock Sashiko machine. It makes that wonderfully precise running stitch traditonally done by hand, but now by machine. There’s no top thread, only a slotted needle and wire arm mechanism to catch the thread making the stitches with a bobbin thread. Check your local dealer for a demo…it’s pretty darn cool!

Another new book and demo I saw was on dyeing fabrics with permanent markers. Design Originals has published Creative Dyeing for Fabric Arts which explains the very easy technique of coloring with markers and then adding alcohol to blend the colors–even kids can create some wonderful things using this technique.

So, be on the lookout in the coming season for these new and innovative products.

I go to the show to learn what’s new in the industry so I can share it with you, and to help give me new ideas for magazine stories. Although I can’t buy anything there, I can certainly soak it all in.

Next week, I’ll write about what’s new and any new industry gossip I hear at the show–there’s always something unexpected.

In the interim, keep sewing and make something great for Halloween–whether it’s a cool costume to wear, or something to decorate divine.

A topic very apropos to today’s economy, this theme opens up the option for many types of events you can either organize or become involved with in your area. National Sewing Month is co-sponsored by the American Sewing Guild and the Sewing & Craft Alliance and if you belong to a local Guild chapter, it may have some special events already in the works. All chapters need volunteers, so contact your Guild board members to see if you can help.

If you’re not a Guild member (why not?), organize something yourself with a local group–perhaps a school, church group, homeless shelter, thrift store, prison, etc. and help pass on your love of sewing to others. Teens are especially excited about repurposing and personalizing clothing, bags and other accessories.

So, while you’re relaxing in the backyard hammock, think of things you can do to celebrate National Sewing Month, and find some friends to help.

Because things are being shown for fall launches, there are always holiday patterns and fabrics showcased. So even though it’s spring, some booths were decked out in red and green and you’d expect snowflakes to fall.

In addition to holiday offerings, there are always a wealth of new products to tempt. One of the most fun things I found this year is a fabric called Texture Magic, offered by Superior Threads. The “fabric” shrinks 30% when steamed, thus shrinking and texturizing the fabric it’s been quilted or stitched to. As a complement, there’s a line of Patterns by Annie designed specifically for use with the product.

Fabulous felt food looked good enough to eat at National Nonwovens booth. Hard to believe it was sewn from fabric!

Nancy Zieman has new tote templates and also a fusible piping product set to debut in the summer with Clover–no more wrestling with the fabric to evenly cover piping cord.

There were lots of embellishments, as always, including wonderful feather trim from Expo International showcased on a denim jacket made by designer Stephanie Kimura.

Quilt Market always features lots of exhibits of award winning quilts and this year was no exception. The Hoffman Challenge winning garments were also on display, garnering oohs and aahs from onlookers.

Watch for more info here–as new products I saw at Market become available, I’ll write about them for you.

If you ever have a chance to visit Holmes County (Walnut Creek, Berlin and surrounding area) for the quilt show or any other time, you really must go. The people are delightful, the countryside is beautiful and the food is simply outstanding. Even the concession food in the Expo Center was incredible! I had the best hamburger I’ve ever eaten and the “fry pies” are worth dreaming about. It’s a deep fried, filled pie covered in glaze. Yum!  Local restaurants are always busy and the food is home cooking at its finest. A couple of them we loved were Der Dutchman (you’ll love the rolls! I recommend the pot roast and chocolate chiffon pie for dessert.). At the Farmstead, the chicken noodle soup was so thick and delicious you could eat it with a fork. The Hotel Millersburg (build in 1847) was quaint, had great sandwiches and served homemade chips. They’re like no potato chips you’d ever find in a store.

Visit the area if you can, whether for a day or weekend. I actually was quite surprised that such a delightful destination was less than a 3 hour drive from my home in Pittsburgh.

Joyce

Here are some photos from the event:

This is the quilting bee quilt that was donated to a local Amish school.

These are just a few of the contest quilts.

]]> http://www.sewing.org/scripts/blog/pictures-from-the-amish-country-quilt-show/feed 0 http://www.sewing.org/scripts/blog/amish-country-quilt-show http://www.sewing.org/scripts/blog/amish-country-quilt-show#comments Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:35:16 +0000 SCAJoyce http://www.sewing.org/scripts/blog/?p=339 In the middle of January, 2009 – not that many weeks ago! – we became the new owners of the Amish Country Quilt Show in Holmes County, OH.  The show is now in its 9th year and is planned for March 19-21 in the town of Walnut Creek – in the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country. The area is simply breathtaking and the food is – well, it’s better than home-made!

In previous years, the show centered around the retail quilt shops in town and the hub of it all was Gramma Fannie’s Quilt Barn, the show’s original creator. Now drawing thousands of visitors, the show’s new home is inside the Holmes County Expo Center and, at the time of this writing, it had grown from the 7 exhibitors it had in previous years to 34 at last count. So what’s happening? We open Thursday morning at 10am and the big event of the morning will be quilt appraisals (at $45/quilt). Then, throughout the rest of the show, in addition to shopping we’ll have free demonstrations, an old-fashioned quilting bee and technique classes taught by Holly Anderson and Shirley Stutz. Unfortunately, we don’t have the final class information yet but are trying to get that nailed down as soon as we can.

If you enjoy looking at the creativity of others, you will love the quilt displays. The traveling Hoffman Challenge Quilts have already arrived and will be available to view throughout the show. They’ll be joined by the winning quilts from the 2008 Ohio Amish Country Quilt Shop Hop. The Shop Hop is a fabulous and fun local event and the winning quilts are incredible. We also have already received over 70 entries in our own quilt contest so far. Every single one of these quilts was made with love and a passion for the art. All of the quilts are truly priceless and we are honored that their owners trust us to share them with you.

If you live in the area or are interested in a weekend trip, I hope you’ll visit us at the Amish Country Quilt Show. And if you have any questions about the show, feel free to call us at 800-249-3154. Until then, happy quilting!

Joyce

What’s hot? Pendants and jewelry making was a big trend. Several companies offer metal frames you can fill with fabric, paper or other artwork, then cover with a resin or glass. It’s a great way to keep mementos as well.

A bias tape maker will soon be available that not only folds the bias for you, but presses the folds into place in one operation. You can make 25 feet of bias in less than a minute! A companion machine can cut the strips for you with the push of a foot pedal.

Many companies are increasing their lines of “green” products, and common themes are reuse, repurpose, restyle, reminding us to take advantage of what we have.

I saw Vanna White (and her daughter) narrating a Lion Brand Yarn fashion show, and I attended the first anniversary party for Craftstylish.com. I also met the new editor of Threads magazine, Deana Tierney. So we can look for some exciting things happening from Taunton Press.

I’ll be writing more about new products as they’re released, so watch for updates, and have fun with whatever sewing and crafting activities you do. Step outside the box and try something new as well!


November 26th is National Tie One On day! Not what you might think–we’re talking about tying on a custom-sewn apron. The idea is that you tie up a loaf of bread (homemade or purchased) in an apron, add an encouraging note, and donate it to a needy family for their holiday meal. This “official” event, now in its third year, and was the brainchild of EllynAnne Geisel, author of The Apron Book: Making, Wearing and Sharing a bit of Cloth and Comfort book.

Some quilt stores and fabric stores around the country are offering special sewing events to make aprons for this purpose, but it’s something you can do on your own as well. It doesn’t take long to make a simple apron, and the bread can be baking while you sew. There are lots of fun aprons in the pattern catalogs, or you can simply copy one of your favorites for this worthy cause. We even have instructions for a beautiful monogrammed apron here on sewing.org.

Time is short for the Thanksgiving offering, but this is a worthwhile cause for Christmas and other holidays as well. Call social service agencies and food banks in your area to offer your donation, and if you’re part of a guild, recommend this worthy gesture as a group activity.

For more information on the the National Tie One On campaign, or to find a store in your area with an organized effort, visit the Apronicity site.