Fat Quarter Projects

Now, if you're a quilter, then you know what a fat quarter is used for: a quilt. But, would it surprise you to know that it's not the only use for those easy to buy little swatches of fabric? Here are some interesting projects culled from Pinterest (really, you guys gotta get on that site). Just click on the link below each picture to be taken to the tutorial.

Fat Quarter Clutch Purse

Fat Quarter Coasters

Fat Quarter Apron

Fat Quarter Scarf

Fat Quarter Box

Fat Quarter Stuffed Owl

Itty Bitty Baby Dress

Sewing Studio employee Jennifer, recently created this outfit for her newborn daughter using fabric and ribbon from our store.  She shared pics of little Lane modeling the ensemble along with some information about how she created it. She began with the adorable cotton turtle fabric from Robert Kaufman's Urban Zoologie collection. She created the dress using the free Itty-Bitty Baby dress pattern by Rae, which features cute tie straps for easy newborn dressing.

Jennifer chose to personalize the dress a bit by accenting it with coordinating lime mini pom-pom trim at the waistline, and lime ric-rac at the hem for a bit of whimsy. The hem ruffle was added to the soft batiste underlining, and was created with a fat quarter of the lime stripe from the Dr. Seuss Christmas collection (also from Robert Kaufman.)

No dress is complete without accessories, so she also sewed a cute diaper cover (download the free pattern from MADE) and made a tiny pair of coordinating shoes using the Bon-Bon Baby shoe pattern (available for purchase at The Sewing Studio, online and in-store).

Lastly, Jennifer used an array of grosgrain ribbons from the store to create a whimsical and adorable Turtle hairbow to match the dress, and attached it to a stretch baby headband she also purchased at The Sewing Studio. ( **CRAFT TIP:  Trying using a lighter to lightly melt the ends of cut ribbon to melt them and prevent fraying. )

***** If you have pictures of garments, crafts or quilts you've created with fabric from Sewing Studio, we would love to see them! Please email them to us at: sewing@sewing.net 

I'm a Fabricoholic

Sometimes, when walking through the store, rubbing fabrics between my fingers, I feel the need to confess my addiction of fabrics to a room full of strangers with the same disease who simply won't judge me for it. When I see commercials for the TV show "Hoarders", I'm often reminded of my 'stash'. Although my collection is only one or two storage tubs, and nowhere near as bad as the people on that show, I feel guilty all the same.

I just can't help myself sometimes, you see. Some fabrics are just too beautiful, too luxurious, to allow to sit unpurchased on the racks. Yes, I may not have a project in mind for this particular piece, but on the day I do I can't guarantee that it will still be there, so I most certainly should buy it now.

Coupons are a dangerous thing in my hands. It gives me an excuse to buy one of my coveted prints or soft velvets at a discount so I don't feel so guilty about adding it to the stash. It just makes sense to me that I'll save money in the long run by buying it now, for a discount, than in the future when I really need it and will be forced to buy it at full price. After all, coupons expire. You have to use them while they're good or it's like throwing money away. Right?

And then I remember that night - that late night - I was working on a project that needed a little something extra; a velvet sash to tie around the waist. There were no stores open, but I did have my stash...

The creative muse had seized me, and there was no going to bed unless I wanted to lay there wide awake while the specter of that dress danced before my eyes, taunting me in its half-finished form. Creative projects are like brain viruses that you can only expel when you complete it, otherwise it will gnaw at your consciousness until you do.

So I dug into the stash, and sure enough, there was the perfect piece of velvet that I had purchased years ago that absolutely finished the dress. I was not only able to go to sleep peacefully, but I knew my random purchases of beautiful fabrics were completely justified in that moment.

Yes, I may be a fabricoholic, but that's not a bad thing. In fact, I consider it to be one of my more attractive qualities. And on nights when I need to dive into a storage tub or two for that beautiful piece I bought previously, it's actually a life saver.

BlogCatalog

Lovely New Free Spirit Sateen and Canvas Cottons in the Quilting Room

Look what showed up in the quilting room today! The reason we do what we do and the reason we love our jobs is we get to see all of the new fabrics when they are unloaded from the truck and before they move to the floor. We don't know about you, but these fabrics inspire us to sit down at our machine and let the needle fly!

This week we got some gorgeous home fashion fabrics from Free Spirit. These 100% cotton modern print canvasses and sateens come from the newly released Garden District Collection by Heather Bailey. These are part of her debut collection of home decor fabrics, and we're very excited to showcase them in our store!

These stunning fabrics in lucious colors are rich in texture and are sure to inspire you to create artful designs for your home, memorable fashion accessories such as purses or totes, or even stylish accents for your modern nursery.

Check back and we'll pass along some enticing projects we know will be perfect for this collection.