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Fabric Beads

November 4, 2008 – 10:00 am

One of the fun things about attending Quilt Market, and also Quilt Festival which is open to consumers, is that you can go to lots of classes. I went to Kristal Wick’s class about making fabric beads. In case you’re not familiar with her work, she’s the author of a new book titled Fabulous Fabric Beads and it’s great! If you love fabrics, stamping, foiling and other embellishments, do take a look at this one. And, it takes only inches of fabric to make beads.

Personally, I love learning anything new and taking a class about it is even more fun, as it allows for some hands-on playing and experimenting with skilled supervision by the teacher. There are always those who profess to having no artistic talent, but somehow they create wonderful things. With fabric beads, it’s hard not to come up with something fun. Plus, this is also a great way to use your stash of other beads and jewelry findings in combination with the fabric ones to make a great accessory.

Kristal has been making fabric beads for five years, and she has a background in jewelry making, so it was a natural transition for her. Her signature Silkie Sassy beads are hand painted and to die for. They’re lightweight and oh-sew-beautiful, whether on their own or paired with other types of beads.

In the class, we learned about two types of beadmaking–glued, and those made using a double-sided adhesive sheet for stability. Using a straw inside the bead adds rigidity to fragile fabrics and helps the beads hold their shape. So, the next time you visit a fast-food outlet, check to see what size and color of straws they have to go with your drink purchase. Stores offering smoothies and fruit-blended drinks often have fatter straws, suitable for bigger beads, while coffee stirrers work well for smaller, more delicate varieties. It’s a whole new opportunity to add to the stash!

Check out classes in your area to learn new things–the medical profession says that it helps prevent dementia if you’re constantly stimulating the brain. Personally, I think my brain is on overload, but the fabric beads will be my next adventure. There are so many things to try with the process and the class was only the beginning of some fun experimenting, so check out the book and begin playing!

By LindaG | Posted in Sew & Craft Industry News, Sewing, Quilting & Embroidery Tips & Techniques

Quilt Market, Fall 2008

November 2, 2008 – 1:25 pm

I’m back from Houston, TX –the home of the annual Quilt Market trade show. Encompassing the entire convention center, this show is where shopowners come to buy fabric for their stores, and this year there were 551 exhibitors with fun booths to show off their wares. And the good news is that 60 of them were new exhibitors–that certainly makes a positive statement in this economy about the commitment to sewing and quilting!

Walking the 1, 141 booths is no easy task, and definitely not one taken lightly as I’m trying to eek out new product information. The booths are fun, colorful and often laden with elaborate displays of not only quilts, but garments, small projects, and of course innovative tools, trims and notions that will be available to us as consumers in a few months. The companies are now taking orders from store buyers, and some things will be shipped in the next few weeks.

With this many booths, it’s sometimes hard to soak everything in, so I find that it’s helpful to take some time to stop and visit with friends along the way and ask what they’ve seen that’s new and that I shouldn’t miss. I reciprocate and share new things I’ve seen as well.

So, what did I see that’s new? Lots of things and I’ll be writing about them in future blogs. In general, I saw lots of crocheted trims–on garments, quilts, aprons, bags, etc. If you can crochet, you’ll be able to put this skill to some fashionable use this coming season. If not (I can’t), look for these great trims by the yard in your fabric store.

I also saw lots of rickrack–mostly the very GIANT version that you purchase by the yard, as opposed to being pre-cut in a package.

Kits were also a popular item–whether pre-cut strips in a “jelly roll” package (narrow strips rolled up), or pre-cut triangles or squares, the manufacturers really want to help those of us with limited time so they’ve taken some of the work of the cutting process for us. Good idea…and perhaps a bit more accurate as well since they’re die-cut.

Animals seemed to be a theme of many booths–from bugs, fish and butterflies, to bunnies, chickens and zoo inhabitants. Another popular theme in fabrics was fairies.

I went to a class on making fabric beads, and I’ll share some of that information with you soon. For now, I’m going to put my feet up for awhile, and then be happy to sleep in my own bed!

By LindaG | Posted in Sew & Craft Industry News, Sewing as a business

Creative Embroidery Conference – Las Vegas

October 28, 2008 – 2:47 pm

Hello from Joyce! This is my very first blog entry, but I have loved following Linda’s posts here. Even though we usually know in advance what Linda will be blogging about, I find that I always stop what I’m doing to read a new post. Since I haven’t been able to sew as much in the past few months as I’d like to (that’s going to change!), sewing vicariously through her helps to feed my need and add creative ideas to my list. I also get a kick out of her adventures. If you ever have an opportunity to meet Linda in person or take one of her classes, you’ll quickly find that not only is she a wealth of information, she is pure FUN too! (did you catch in one of her previous posts that she took a CSI class? That’s CSI for Crime Scene Investigation)

On to the reason for my post though… we’ve received many questions asking if the Creative Embroidery Conference will be returning to Las Vegas. The answer is a resounding YES. After a 1 year hiatus to add to our sewing family with the purchase of sewing.org from the former Home Sewing Association (by my sister Janice – the other half of the Sewing & Craft Alliance), as well as launching the new Trained Sewing Instructor program and partnering with the American Sewing Guild to relaunch and revive National Sewing Month, plans are now in the works to return to Las Vegas with the Creative Embroidery Conference in 2009. We are still working out the location and date details and will let everyone know via this blog as well as our monthly SEW-lutions newsletter when the information is ready. Hope to see you there!

By SCAJoyce | Posted in General Information

Sewing Show Smarts

October 22, 2008 – 11:03 am

This time of year there are often lots of sewing and quilting shows happening. I leave tomorrow for Quilt Market, which is the BIG trade show for the industry–only those with a business can get in to it and this is where shops buy the products and fabrics you see in their stores. Since consumers can’t attend, I’ll give you a full report when I return early next week.

Whether you attend a local guild sewing event, or travel to attend a regional or national show, here are some helpful hints for maximizing the experience:

  • Make a plan

Usually the show information is posted online, so you can see what vendors will be attending and who will be teaching classes. There might also be a discount coupon available for reduced admission. If you want to attend classes, register early online to ensure a space if that option is available.

  • Take both money and credit cards

Not all vendors take credit cards–some smaller companies may take only cash or perhaps checks. It’s a good idea to have both with you, and also access to an ATM if there’s a “must-have” item you can’t live without. If you need to limit your spending, it’s easy if you pay for everything in cash and when the set amount is gone, that’s it for purchasing. Read More »

By LindaG | Posted in General Information, Sewing as a business

Celebratory Sewing Events

October 18, 2008 – 10:12 am

Did you know that today is National Chocolate Cupcake Day? Yes, really. It was a theme for a cooking segment on the Today Show.

October is also National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (hope you all got your mammogram), and it’s National Caramel Month.

Who makes up these things? I don’t know, but I’m suspecting that some council somewhere dreams them up–some just for fun, others to support and raise awareness of worthy causes, and still others so retailers can have sales with a theme. There are several celebrations related to our beloved hobby that perhaps you want to note for the upcoming months.

February is National Embroidery Month. March is National Craft Month. April is National Decorating Month, and of course we all know that September is National Sewing Month.

If you belong to a sewing or quilting guild, these special commemorative months make for some interesting meeting or special event themes. Or you can note them just for fun or silliness, or an excuse to do something you might not do on another day. Personally, I’m looking forward to National Candy Corn Day on October 30, and I shall do my part to indulge! I LOVE candy corn, and am extremely resentful that it’s usually available only for a short time each year.

It’s OK to make your own special day, week or month and share it with others. Hmmm…I wonder if there’s a National Fabric Buying week?

By LindaG | Posted in General Information