March, 2010
Quilted Strait
Quilted Strait
Newsletter

Greetings!
 "It is hard to be a true individual these days but it's certainly more achievable if you make an item yourself from scratch, putting your own mark on it"
 
As you might expect we are getting ready to move the shop and have begun the process of moving our household. (There isn't anything now that we don't know about getting modern sized furniture through a 1905 house's 28" wide door....Oh and while it turns out I can eyeball a 1/4" seam pretty accurately, I am not any good at all at estimating whether or not the oak armoire I bought at the antique store will fit through the door without having to be completely dismantled.

Quilted Strait's last day in Port Angles will be April 13th and we will reopen in Port Gamble April 20th.  Please see below for details about the moving sale. Our online shop and shipping department will continue without interruption during the move. You can see the new shop and the progress...(the interior is almost finished) at the shop blog.

I feel so fortunate to have been a part of the quilting community here on the Olympic Peninsula for the past 8 years.  I have had an opportunity over the past few weeks to thank many of you in person, but it bears repeating here. Thank you so much for all of your generosity, your willingness to share your expertise, your quilts, your creativity and your passion for quilting and fabric. I am so grateful for the gifts you have freely given of fun and laughter and humbled to have shared your tears as well.

Piecefully,
Kris

You no longer need to sign up for our newsletter drawing each month - if you are receiving the newsletter you are automatically included in the drawing. See below for the winners for February and March.
Cosmo Floss
Cosmo Floss
The Cosmo Multi Work Floss from Lecien of Japan is now available online. This is a two-strand floss (no need to separate the strands for most embroidery or cross stitch projects). The floss has the luster and hand of silk, but is 100% cotton and colorfast. Each spool contains 88 meters/95 yards of floss.

Cosmo to DMC conversion chart from Crabapple Hill Studios
Redwork Quilts

Flight of Fancy BirdSeveral of us in the shop are working on one of our Block of the Month Patterns -the Flight of Fancy redwork patterns from Crabapple Hill. The blocks each have a bird theme - and while the pattern shows the quilt blocks done in redwork, some of our customers are coming up with some beautiful alternatives.

Redwork embroidery has an interesting history and seems to be enjoying a revival at the moment. Many of the patterns from the 1920's are for children's quilts including The Mother Goose patterns by Jessie Wilcox Smith who was a prominent illustrator. One of the more than 60 books she illustrated was The Little Mother Goose. Butterick printed her redwork patterns from these illustrations in 1920, the patterns have been reprinted by Pattern Bee. Another popular redwork series for children was the  Roly Poly Circus Quilt by quilt designer Ruby McKim. The series was published in the Kansas City Star Newspaper in 28 installments.

Many examples of redwork have been collected by Quilt Historian Deborah Harding and a few of the quilts can be seen online from the Redwork Collection at the Great Lakes Quilt Center.

Outline Stitches used in Redwork Stitcheries include,
Backstitch Stem Stitch Outline Stitch or English Kensington Stitch (split stitch). Links are from the stitch directory at inaminuteago.com

Need inspiration for creating your own redwork designs, some online resources include- public domain line drawings of Wildflowers and Wildlife and Project Gutenburg Children's Picture Books. Many computer photo programs will also turn photos into line drawings for you.

DIY Pincushions
Pincushion
You need some of these.........Video and downloadable instructions for a
Double Layer Cake Pincushion from the DIY Dish.

 And here are is a link to 60 free pincushion patterns from the ordinary to the sublime!
In This Issue
Cosmo Floss
Redwork
Pincusion Patterns
New Fabrics
Moving Sale
Classes
Featured Teacher
Nancy Chong

NANCY LEE CHONG
Quiltmaker, Teacher, Lecturer,
Designer, Author

"Queen of Needleturn"

Nancy Chong is teaching at Quilted Strait June 3rd (Enigma Mystery Applique) and June 4th (Celtic Knot Applique).

Nancy learned to make Hawaiian Quilts from Margaret Luika Kamaka in Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii, between 1978 and 1981. Calling on her degree in Education, Nancy began teaching Hawaiian quiltmaking in 1982, when she moved to the Seattle, Washington area with her husband and daughter. In 1988, she made her first pieced quilt, and has been making both traditional and art quilts since. Hawaiian quilting and appliqué quilts continue to be her specialty. Her pieced and appliquéd quilts have appeared in magazines, quilt books, and have traveled throughout the United States and to other countries.


Nancy's specialty is stress-free needleturn appliqué. she puts students directly in touch with their needle, thread, and fabric. She shows how incredibly easy appliqué is without the use of freezer paper, toothpicks, starch, cardboard, ironing, or interfacing -- all things that needlessly complicate what is otherwise a very simple process.

Nancy has been teaching needleturn appliqué and Hawaiian quiltmaking since 1982. She receives rave reviews wherever she teaches, including on the internet as an instructor at QuiltUniversity.com. After taking a class from Nancy, beginners and experts agree that appliqué is not only possible but positively addicting!

As you will see below, Nancy has taught needleturn appliqué, hand quilting and even some machine piecing to thousands of quilters across the United States and Canada.
Quick Links

Garden Party Quilt













Newest kits include Garden Party (pictured above) featuring fabric by Blackbird Designs and Heart and Soul Kit and Pattern by Whimsicals for Red Rooster Fabrics.
Newletter Drawing Winners
Piggy BankCongratulations to our February and March Newsletter Drawing winners. Each winner will receive a $50.00 gift certificate to Quilted Strait.

February winner: Pat Herkel
March winner: Bette-Ann Shroyer

New Fabric Collections
Garden Party 

Garden Party by Blackbird Designs for Moda Fabrics. These are soft florals in Blackbird Designs trademark vintage coloring. Garden Party Kit is also available.




Isty Bits
Itsy Bits Checklets and Dots by Rennee Nanneman of Needl' Love. Great little basics in just the right color palettes. Watch for little stripes coming soon.






Laminated Cottons
Laminated Cottons from Free Spirit and Michael Miller fabrics. These fabrics are soft to the touch, very flexible, washable and easy to sew on. Think bags, baby changing pads or splat mats, raincoats and aprons.

Some Quick Sewing Tips for Laminated Cottons
  • Press on the fabric side of the fabric with an iron on cotton setting using a pressing cloth - keep the iron moving--
  • Pins leave holes - make sure that your pins stay in the seam allowances only
  • While I have heard lots of recommendations about the need for a teflon foot, my walking foot did the job!
  • I used a polyester thread which worked fine (because it was late and it was the only color I had that I liked), but cotton and cotton/poly thread work as well.

Heart and Soul
Heart and Soul by Whimsicals for Red Rooster Fabrics. This group is in the Whimsical tradition which has a primitive folk art look. Fabrics work well with previous Whimsicals groups - and there is a new kit available as well.





see more new fabrics
Moving Sale
Sale

We will be having a moving sale.......you know how it goes, if you buy it I don't have to move it.

Approximately 20 to 25% of the fabric inventory will be on sale, including some bundles and kits and fat quarters. There will be some notions, patterns and threads on sale as well, discounts will vary according to item.  The shop will be open regular hours during the sale. Here's how it will go....


April 9, 10 & 11 --- 30% off fabric, other items priced as marked
April 12 & 13 -----50% off remaining fabric, other items priced as marked

Please note : Sale prices are only available in person, we will not be able to take phone or internet orders for sale fabric. Discounts cannot be used in conjunction with any other coupon or offer including full bonus cards.
Classes
Cotton Theory Quilting
Instructor: Mo Harrah                                                                                                     Saturday, May 8th at Port Gamble
Cotton Theory is a patented technique of " Quilt First, Then Assemble" developed by Betty Cotton, quilter and author.  This technique opens the door for  quilters to start and finish their quilts on their own home sewing machines.....more info

Wool Workshop
Instructor: Lauretta Ehling
Class Fee: $7.50 per session
2nd Sunday of each month at Port Gamble beginning in May from 12:30 to 3:30 pm
This is your chance to get started working with wool, work on one of the Wool Block of the Month Projects, finish up old projects, or start a new wool appliqué project of your own choosing.
...more info
                       
Tiny Art Quilts
Instructor: Pamela Hastings
May 15th at Port Gamble
Use all the luscious scraps you've collected, not to mention buttons and bits of trim to create small (18" on a side or less) Art Quilts, start pages for a Fabric Journal, or make a whole raft of the popular 2.5" x 3.5" artist trading cards. For these small collates in fiber, ....more

Enigma - Hand Applique Mystery Quilt
Instructor: Nancy Lee Chong
June 3, 2010 at Port Gamble
No picture. It's a mystery! You'll just have to come find out for yourself. Finally! Mystery quilts for hand appliquérs! Piecers have been enjoying the excitement of mystery quilts for years - and now it is your turn to participate without having to haul your sewing machine .....more info

Celtic Knot Applique
Instructor: Nancy Lee Chong
June 4, 2010 at Port Gamble
Celtic knotwork designs are beautiful and intricate, and yet are amazingly easy to sew using Nancy's stress-free hand appliqué methods.  Learn to make your own bias tape (without the use of bias bars). All skill levels welcome. ...more info