National Quilting Day: March 16, 2013

National/Worldwide Quilting Day is Saturday March 16th this year. This is our day to demonstrate our passion for quilting.

We are participating in the "7 Summits Strip Quilt Challenge" at our shop. Our first goal is to summit Denali (of course!) the week of March 16-23. If we make it further, great!

To "summit" Denali we have to climb 20,320 feet, or 243,840 inches. Each strip quilt uses 1600 inches of fabric. So that makes 152 quilts.

How are we counting quilts? Each of these will count as one quilt:

• Purchase a jelly roll.
• Sew a strip quilt on National Quilting Day.
• Send us a photo of a quilt you sewed or finished March 16-23.

Donating quilts to charity is encouraged.

You can make a strip quilt in 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Watch this video by Jenny Doan for inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bEJLnaZQOU
It's called Jelly Roll Race! A quilt top in less than an hour!

What is it? Our strip-stick figure ready to climb to the summit!

Her days are numbered! We plan to hold a drawing from all the climbers to win the strip bundles. If you buy a jelly roll, make a quilt, or send a photo you put your name on a hiking boot. Have a shoe fetish and get lots of boots! We will draw from all the boots at the end.

Store Facelift

We've been making a few changes at Dina's Cozy Cabin Quilts. We have moved some of the fabric racks resulting in a larger, better lit batik area. There is so much room to see the fabric! We've also added a new Fat Quarter area.

 

Another change we made was in our purse pattern and notions. We had the purse hardware at the other end of our notions wall. I had an "ah ha" moment and shifted all those things so they were right next to the purse patterns. So much easier!

 

 

Speaking of purses, several patterns (Professional Tote, Margo Bag, Diva Bag) call for longer zippers. We just added a new assortment of 22" zippers to take care of your longer zipper needs.

 

Have you seen the Diva Essential Designer Bag pattern? It's new at our store. A customer opened her Diva bag and suddenly it was HUGE! There's lots of pockets and it can convert to a backpack.

 

We finally have a full stock of Moda's mini-charms! These are 42-2 1/2" squares that are too cute. From the top we have Snap Pop, La Belle Fleur, Ticklish, Glamping, Noteworthy and Comma.

Little Bites are our new line of patterns that use the mini-charms. Each one has a few ideas in it.

 

We hope you visit soon!



Great Tools for Making Half-Square Triangles

Making Half-Square Triangles is one of the basics in quilting.

 

Usually, the instructions will call for two squares, one dark and one light. Then marking a line diagonally on one of the squares. Then you sew 1/4" on each side of the line Finally you cut on the drawn line and you have two HST. 

 

Having tools to make them quickly and accurately is a great investment. Drawing that line fills me with that dreaded YUCK feeling.

 

I show students my two favorite gadgets when I've teach classes where the pattern calls for many HST (Half-Square Triangles ) . They are so thankful! Learning those tips and tricks can make quilting so much more enjoyable!

 

First, The Angler 2. (Retail $7.99 at Dina's Cozy Cabin Quilts) The Angler 2 is a plastic quilting template that fits every sewing machine. It can be installed and reinstalled in minutes with a few pieces of painter's tape. Make up to 7 3/4" squares. It eliminates the necessity of drawing or pressing diagonal seam guide lines and is very accurate for chain piecing.
After a bit of practice, it cuts piecing time in half!

 

YouTube has some great videos on installing it and the many ways of using it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcmUnv3d4mM

 

Yes, I have one and use it. Rather than draw that dreaded line on billions of squares, I'm putting pairs of squares under my pressure foot and sewing. I line up the two diagonal corners and sew! The lines behind the needle help me stay aligned if I have larger pieces.

 

Second, The Sew Easy Guide I and II. (Retail $5.49 and $8.49 at Dina's Cozy Cabin Quilts) This is a handy gadget that sticks temporarily to the bottom of your pressure foot. See the small hole at the top? That's where your needle stitches through.

 

Why have another tool? Sew Easy Guide provides the same stitching guide as the Angler 2 but it is on top of the fabric instead of underneath. Added benefits: quilting, working with larger squares and more.

 

Once again, YouTube has some great videos on installing it and the many ways of using it. Attatching it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVgm7LilhAI

Sewing Half Square Triangles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxZiUSXMzh8

Flying Geese, Binding Strips & More: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIqW5N7PmnU

1/4" Seam Guide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2VUi2VtBRo

Quilting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ug6ejeUruM

 

So there's some great gadgets for less than $10. What a bargain!

Dina

Here's a great way to celebrate Christmas and get some projects done, get some gifts, and have your loved ones buy some gifts for you.  So, give them a hint! Or a list!

We have a fresh needle for your sewing machine as a free gift with purchase.

 

We are selling Gift Certificates online! It's so easy for your loved ones to shop for you. We'll mail it wherever they would like-just make a note in the NOTE box if they want us to mail it to someone besides the purchaser.

 

Origami Christmas Wreath

 Here's a great little project for a festive table topper. I spent maybe 6 hours making it and it was great for a small take along project.     Creative Grids Ruler has a free pattern for Origami Christmas Wreath.      

You can also use the little origami triangles for ornaments for a gift exchange

 

 

Choose 4 fabrics-2 for the center ring, 2 for the outer ring. Cut one 5" strip from both center ring fabrics & two 5" strips from both outer ring fabrics. Place fabric strips right sides together. Cut 60-degree triangle pairs from the strips.

Use the Creative Grids 60 degree Triangle Ruler or a ruler with 60 degree lines on it.

 

 I appologize for my photo format but imagine the strip of fabric is lined up side-to-side, not up & down.

As I cut 60 degree triangles I line up the 60 degree line on the ruler with the bottom of the strip and make cut #1.

 Closeup view of ruler's 60 degree line.

 My next cut I line up the 60 degree line on the ruler with the top of the strip and make cut #2. Repeat. Cut six triangle pairs for center ring and twelve triangle pairs for outer ring.

There is enough fabric to make two wreaths.

Stitch around the triangles with 1/4-inch seam leaving an opening to turn. Stitch and turn all triangles inside out. Stitch opening closed. Now let's make the origami triangles.

Thread a needle and come up through the center of the triangle. Pull a corner to the center and stitch down. Repeat for other two. 

Easy, right?

 Now flip it over. Bring the middle of a long side to the center and stitch down. Use a few stitches to secure it. Repeat for all three sides.

These would be super cute ornaments!

Gather one center ring triangle and two outer ring triangles. Whip stitch sides together to form triangles. Make six. Whip stitch triangles together where the points meet in four places along triangles. That's it! Have fun!

Website Is Growing

Isn't the new website beautiful? I love the colors and slideshow. But, the best thing is being able to shop online! You can buy classes, a few kits & some of our own Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes & Charms.

If you go to CLASSES on the main menu bar you'll find a interactive calendar that lets you click on a date and get all the details of the class that day. I suggest you purchase classes on the SHOP ONLINE area: you can enter your email and get your supply list sent to you. We always follow up, either way, to make sure you have the supply list.

As you check out, you have the choice of PICK UP or PRIORITY shipping. Choose PICK UP when you buy classes or anything you'd like us to save for you to pick up on your next visit.

I'm learning more each day and have the Newsletter & Calendar handout available on the lower left, under the Blog heading. It's a little victory for me!

New Fabric Arrivals!

The Sale continues! 20% off Fabrics (includes kits & precuts) & Classes.

We just received the "Little Black Dress" fabric line from Moda. WOW! We keep having our jaws drop when we walk by. It is THAT gorgeous. We have the pattern, "Accentuate the Positive" in stock that features the fabric line.

Basic Grey designed this line and is coming out with a new pattern called Penguin Family. It will be out in October.

 

 

Another new arrival are the "Over the Rainbow" batiks. We have, like the name implies, a rainbow of 50 bolts! Quantities are limited. We have Jelly Rolls and Charms.

 

 

 

You will find amazing background batiks in this collection! They even created Charms and Jelly Rolls in the just the backgrounds. These are a basic you can always use.

 

The next highly anticipated line is "Mama Said Sew" and I can't wait! Many of the patterns on the swatch page are also on the way. We love Sweetwater Designs!