Monday Giveaway: Benartex Fat Quarters

Congratulations to B_Atkins for winning last week's giveaway of Creative Expressions!

This delicious fat quarter bundle consisting of 10 fat quarters is from Benartex. Victorian colors of burgundy, olive green and pink are evident in the Aspen collection by Marianne Elizabeth! Perfect for so many projects!

--To be entered in this giveaway, just leave a comment on this post with your name.

--Post a link to this giveaway on your blog and leave a second comment with the blog post url and you will be entered twice in the giveaway.

--Comments will be open until next Monday, June 2nd and the winner announced that same day.

--This giveaway is only available to US residents.

--You must leave an email address in the comments or link back to a blog so I can contact you if you win. If your name is selected and there is no way to contact you, another name will be chosen.

--You have one week to claim your prize. If the prize is not claimed, another name will be chosen.

This giveaway has ended!

New! Creative Expressions Issue #19

Creative Expressions is a quarterly magazine and is a must for anyone who loves creativity, sewing, embroidery and quilting. This magazine captivates and inspires all who read it, with 84 pages full of luscious photography, easy-to-follow directions and inspirational ideas. Plus, there is a bonus pattern sheet in every issue of Creative Expressions.

World-renowned machine embroiderer, Jenny Haskins whose creativity and passion for beautiful colours, along with her philosophy on life “that it is never too late to be what you could have been”, is reflected in every glorious page. This luxuriously produced magazine attracts both the novice and the expert sewer, quiltmaker or embroiderer around the world.

In this issue:

Fabulous Felting
Cameo Impressions Wall Hanging
Leona's Garden Quilt
Pink Lavender Pillow
Plus many other creative ideas for you to enjoy!!

Receive a FREE cd in this issue! There is even a free cd with this issue filled with valuable information regarding Jenny Haskins stabilizers and a free trial of Jenny's Perfect Quilt Quilting software - a brand new program.

Note from Serena: This magazine is filled with fantastic and creative ideas you can incorporate into your own projects! There is always something new to learn in each issue!

Get your copy here...

Picnic Place Mats

Picnic Place Mats
Author Unknown

Roll up your silverware and napkins in a handy picnic place mat. This would make a nice gift for a summer wedding present or any summer picnic event!

Materials for four place mats:

Fabric 1 - 1 yard of fabric for the top of the mat
Fabric 2 - 2/3 yard of coordinating fabric for the backing
Medium weight fusible interfacing or fusible fleece
10 yards of double-fold bias tape

Instructions:

1. Cut 4 pieces 12" x 18" for the mats of fabric 1. Cut 4 pieces 12" x 18" for the backing of fabric. Cut 4 pieces 12" x 18" of interfacing or fleece. Cut 8 pieces of 7" x 9" for the silverware pocket of fabric 1. Cut 8 pieces 3" x 4" for the napkin holders of fabric 1.

2. Fuse the interfacing or fleece to the back of the top mat fabric.

3. Make the silverware pocket by stitching two 7" x 9" pieces, right sides together. Leave an opening for the turning. Trim and turn. Position the pocket 1" from the sides of the mat. Stitch the pocket onto the mat along the sides and bottom. Topstitch the pocket with three 3" wide silverware sections.

4. Like the silverware pocket, stitch the napkin holder, right sides together, and turn. Place the napkin holder on the mat, 1" from the left side and centered from top to bottom. Topstitch the sides, letting it arch so a napkin can be inserted.

5. Layer mat top on backing, wrong sides together. Round off the corners. Using a 32" topstitched bias strip for the tie, fold it in half and position it on the left side of the mat.

6. Edge finish the mat with bias tape, stitching the tie in the binding process.

Download printable directions here.

Link for printable directions for fabric bookcase covers

I've had several emails asking for printable directions for the fabric covers I made for my bookcases that hold my fabric. So here it is!

You can access the link here...

Just what is a fat quarter of fabric?

Recently I have had many questions regarding what a fat quarter is and how it is used. Janet Wickell from quilting.about.com illustrates a fat quarter and eighth wonderfully.

What is a fat quarter?

A fat quarter is a one-fourth yard cut of fabric that (usually) measures 18" x 22" instead of the typical 9" x 44" quarter-yard cut. The longest side's dimension will vary if your fabric is not 44" wide.

Why would I want a fat quarter?

Look at the illustration (click link below) and you'll see that a fat quarter gives you the opportunity to cut larger chunks of fabric than would be possible from a regular quarter-yard, including strips that are twice as long on the fabric's (less stretchy) lengthwise grain.

A fat quarter offers more versatility, whether it's for patchwork or appliqué. Quilt shops know that fat quarters are popular, and usually offer a wide assortment of them, pre-cut and ready to go.

You can use fat quarters for strip piecing by making extra strip sets from shorter lengths of fabric until you've cut the number of segments required for the pattern.

Take a peek at her illustration and continuing article here.

February Recycled Fabric Swap Update

Last week I received two large boxes of fabric in the mail and it looks like the two smorgasbord boxes have made the rounds around the country! Here's what was inside....

Smorgasbord envelope: It should be on it's way to me soon....

Solids envelope: Should be on it's way back to me before too long....

Smorgasbord box 1:

Smorgasbord box 2:

Thanks for all your emails to me letting me know where the fabric packages are at. If you have received it or are ready to send it on, please email me (infoATembtreasures.com) and let me know. It is much easier to track down that way! Thanks and enjoy swapping fabrics!

Our next fabric swap starts in June! Discover more details here! Check out our new International swap and Fat Quarter swap! You won't want to miss out!

Monday Giveaway: Creative Expressions Issue 4 - RARE!

Congratulations to scraphappy for winning last week's fat quarter pack giveaway!

Creative Expressions is a quarterly magazine and is a must for anyone who loves creativity, sewing, embroidery and quilting. This magazine captivates and inspires all who read it, with 84 pages full of luscious photography, easy-to-follow directions and inspirational ideas. Plus, there is a bonus pattern sheet in every issue of Creative Expressions.

World-renowned machine embroiderer, Jenny Haskins whose creativity and passion for beautiful colours, along with her philosophy on life “that it is never too late to be what you could have been”, is reflected in every glorious page. This luxuriously produced magazine attracts both the novice and the expert sewer, quiltmaker or embroiderer around the world.

This giveaway is for Creative Expressions Issue 4 which is a hard to find issue and no longer in print filled with unique ideas such as the Enduring Elegance Quilt, an Antique Bolero and Pillow Talk cushions. If you don't have this issue in your collection, you need to!

Be sure not to miss out on the latest Creative Expressions magazine - issue 19.

--To be entered in this giveaway, just leave a comment on this post with your name.

--Post a link to this giveaway on your blog and leave a second comment with the blog post url and you will be entered twice in the giveaway.

--Comments will be open until next Monday, May 26th and the winner announced that same day.

--This giveaway is only available to US residents.

--You must leave an email address in the comments or link back to a blog so I can contact you if you win. If your name is selected and there is no way to contact you, another name will be chosen.

--You have one week to claim your prize. If the prize is not claimed, another name will be chosen.

Be sure to leave a comment to enter and then check back here next Monday to see if you're the winner!

This giveaway has ended!

Why do you need more than one rotary cutter?

Rotary cutters are necessary in quilter's world and who doesn't have more than one?! And I don't mean more than one size (although that is true as well!), I mean more than one of the same size cutter! If you are like me, I'm always anxious to try out the newest and greatest rotary cutter and therefore my little drawer that holds all my cutters is rather full.

But it can be an advantage to having more than one rotary cutter. One thing I do is keep one cutter with a sharp blade for cutting fabrics. Another one has a dull blade that I use for cutting paper and plastic templates. When my fabric cutting blade gets dull and hard to cut with fabric, I insert a new blade and recycle the old blade to the paper cutting rotary cutter.

Not only can I get more use out of my blades, but it is much more efficient to cut out paper patterns and templates from template plastic with a rotary cutter than a pair of scissors. But I'm still able to keep my rotary cutter blade sharp for cutting fabric.

So the next time you are quilt shopping and see a brand new rotary cutter, but think to yourself that you already have one and you really don't need another, just consider using a second one for cutting templates. What better excuse for another neat rotary cutter?! :)

Quality Embroidery Stabilizer

FACT 1: You Need Stabilizer
Stabilizer does just exactly what the name says it does, it stabilizes the fabric. The hoop holds the fabric so that it goes to the proper location, and the stabilizer keeps the fabric from moving, puckering or stretching while sewing.

FACT 2: As a Standard Rule
When the fabric you are going to embroider on has stretch to it, such as a knit, use cut away. When the fabric is fairly stable, such as a woven fabric, use tear away. If you don't want any stabilizer left in the garment or embroidery motif, use wash away. OESD's adhesive-backed stabilizers are available for use with hard to hoop items and specialty items that cannot be hooped.

FACT 3: How to Use Stabilizer
Hoop the stabilizer with the fabric wherever possible. If you adhere the stabilizer to the fabric with OESD's HRFive Temporary Spray Adhesive made especially for embroidery, it will be easier to secure the pieces in into the hoop. Make sure the fabric and stabilizer are smooth, but not stretched in the hoop and then tighten the screw.

FACT 4: The Stabilizer for You
OESD stabilizers do not stretch in any direction, ensuring good quality embroidery, even on knits. You'll notice that high quality and consistency of OESD stabilizers, as well as their versatility for a variety of projects. Let OESD stabilizers be the foundation on which you build good embroidery.

Note from Serena: OESD stabilizers are excellent for stitching embroidery designs. They stabilize and hold the stitches for the embroidery very well.

Article courtesy of www.embroideryonline.com

Monday Giveaway: 21 fun fat quarters!!!

Monday Giveaways are back, so be sure to check my blog each Monday for some neat prizes you can win for your sewing room!

Greens, yellows, pinks, blues and whites in florals, stripes and dots! Fun colors in fun prints just waiting to be used!

These 21 fat quarter luscious pieces are from Me & My Sister Designs Strawberry Lemonade collection from Moda fabrics. They would fit beautifully into any quilt and be another great addition to your fabric stash!

--To be entered in this giveaway, just leave a comment on this post with your name.

--Post a link to this giveaway on your blog and leave a second comment with the blog post url and you will be entered twice in the giveaway.

--Comments will be open until next Monday, May 19th and the winner announced that same day.

--This giveaway is only available to US residents.

--You must leave an email address in the comments or link back to a blog so I can contact you if you win. If your name is selected and there is no way to contact you, another name will be chosen.

--You have one week to claim your prize. If the prize is not claimed, another name will be chosen.

Be sure to leave a comment to enter and then check back here next Monday to see if you're the winner!

This giveaway has ended!

Hang up those quilt blocks!

written by Serena Smith

original idea by Vivian Goetz

One of the ladies in my classes, Vivian Goetz came up with this great idea and because I thought it was such a good idea, I asked her if I could share it with you! It's a great storage idea!!! :)

It never fails. You just finished a quilt block. All the seams are lying flat. It's pressed and ready to be trimmed down or put into a quilt top. You store it in the end of the table or pack it in a tote and when you get it back out - viola! - there are wrinkles and creases in that once oh-so-flat-and-pressed block!

What do you do? How about storing those quilt blocks by hanging them on a skirt/pant hanger! One afternoon, one of the ladies in my classes, Vivian Goetz, came in carrying her quilt blocks hung on such a hanger. What an ingenious idea! It keeps them hanging flat and ready to use without having to press out the wrinkles every time you move the blocks. Plus it's easy to clip onto the back of your chair if you are taking quilt blocks back and forth to class.

Just think: you could devote a whole closet to storing your quilt blocks! That is, if anyone would ever have a free, unoccupied closet! :)