Quilting Inspirations by Dinner at Eight Artists

Rituals~Featured at International Quilt Market/Festival

Havel’s Scissors is proud to be a sponsor of Rituals by Curators, Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison.  Jamie and Leslie, along with forty artists, have come together to reveal the art that can be found in everyday life.  I had the privilege to see the exhibit at the International Quilt Festival in Houston this year.  The ingenuity of the artwork in the exhibit is nothing short of spectacular!  Each artist tells a story through the threads of the fabric.  And the stories that are woven through each piece will inspire you to live life to the fullest and appreciate each and every opportunity we are given to share with loved ones.

Leslie Tucker Jenison, San Antonio Texas-Artist, mother of 3 artists, wife, nurse, friend, pilot, teacher, board member, photographer, cook, reader, dog lover, traveler, observer.

“The Coffee Break”  refers to a long-running email conversation with my friend and teaching partner, Jamie Fingal. When I see “coffee break” in the subject line, I know to get my cuppa and put my feet up, because it will be a long conversation in print.

The Coffee Break by Leslie Tucker Jenison

The Coffee Break by Leslie Tucker Jenison

 

Lisa Kijak, Irvine, California-Artist, art therapist, mother.

“Neon Coffee, Los Angeles” is part of a series I am working on inspired by old neon signs. I am interested in texture and how it can capture the passage of time. Peeling paint, weathered patinas, chips, cracks and scratches are all marks of moments that have passed. Layers of fabric, raw edges exposed, mimic those surfaces well. When I was invited to participate in Rituals, this coffee sign immediately came to mind. As a mother of young children, my day is fueled by caffeine. The same drink, at the same time, every day.

Neon Coffee, Los Angeles by Lisa Kijak

Neon Coffee, Los Angeles by Lisa Kijak

 

Lyric Montgomery Kinard, Cary, North Carolina-artist, teacher, mom, traveler, music lover, chief schlepper of kids.

“Links” is about the connection between friends, between families, between humans. Avocations? mothering, art making, playing french horn, gardening.

Links by Lyric Montgomery Kinard

Links by Lyric Montgomery Kinard

 

Susan Fletcher King, Houston, Texas-Artist, mother, wife, observer,

“Moon Drunk.”  One of the bonuses of living in Houston is using our screened-in porch for (at least) 3 seasons a year.  Sometimes, if we time it right, we will watch the moon rise and as it does, the bounty of insects we have here in Houston seem to rise with it.  If we are really lucky, the light of the rising moon shows a beautiful trail of small moths and other flying creatures that only come out at night.

Moon Drunk by Susan Fletcher King

Moon Drunk by Susan Fletcher King

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Sew it All TV: Behind the Scenes

Or…behind the seams, if you will.

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Vaguely Wolverine-esque, no?


While organizing photos from the new season (YAY Season 5 goes live March 2nd!!) for our website, sewitalltv.com (where you can find instructions for all episodes) I came across some lovely gems I thought a shame to keep to myself.

 
 

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The lady loves her Havel’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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She’s in front of the camera all day, she can’t be
serious the whole time

 

 

Our fearless leader, Ellen March, and her sharp-object wielding shenanigans.

 

 

 

 

 

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Two of our guests, Vanessa Wilson and Rashida Coleman-Hale, met up on set and hit it off!

 

Season 5 begins airing March 2nd on PBS stations nationwide! Guests include Mary Fons, Sue Hausmann, Vanessa Wilson, Cheryl Kuczek and more sewing stars! Visit pbs.org to find your local PBS schedule for air times, or to request that they carry Sew it All TV!

 

 

 

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Freeze! (Get it?…temporary spray adhesive!…)

 

Check out info on the Sew it All TV Casting Call, held at the Sewing & Stitchery Expo on March 3rd, where YOU help choose from our 5 contestant who will become the next Sew it All TV guest!

 

 

 

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Floor Manager Kim Saba (right) and I, working hard while Ellen tries to distract us with the camera.

 

PS: Stay tuned for 13 Days of Giveaways, beginning tomorrow, February 13th, where we’ll be giving away a prize from a past guest every day leading up to the airing of Season 5!

 

 

 

We have a great time making the show and hope you enjoy watching it!

HUGE thank you to our sponsors for making it all possible: Arrow Sewing Cabinets, Elna, Havel’s, Original Sewing & Quilt Expo, Pfaff and Sulky!

Wendy

To read more blogs by Sew It All TV, click here

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Quilting Inspirations by Dinner at Eight Artists

Rituals~Featured at International Quilt Market/Festival

Havel’s Scissors is proud to be a sponsor of Rituals by Curators, Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison.  Jamie and Leslie, along with forty artists, have come together to reveal the art that can be found in everyday life.  I had the privilege to see the exhibit at the International Quilt Festival in Houston this year.  The ingenuity of the artwork in the exhibit is nothing short of spectacular!  Each artist tells a story through the threads of the fabric.  And the stories that are woven through each piece will inspire you to live life to the fullest and appreciate each and every opportunity we are given to share with loved ones.

Barb Forrister, Austin, Texas-Wife, mother, full time artist, designer, teacher, painter, dyer, sculpter, photographer, website maintenance, blogger, avid recycler, nature lover and friend.

“Sunrise Serenade” was a daily ritual that I observed when I was visiting Israel. Each morning, this very unlikely pair would greet the morning with their Sunrise Serenade. So exquisite, they were, I knew I had to try and capture their beauty and memory. Additional Hobbies include photography, nature walks, travel, swimming and billiards. I also love an occasional opera when I get the chance!

Sunrise Serenade- Two feathered friends welcoming a new day by Barb Forrister

Sunrise Serenade- Two feathered friends welcoming a new day by Barb Forrister

Terry Grant, Portland, Oregon-Artist, wife, grandmother, blogger

“Valentines: Ritual of Friendship” was inspired by my ritual of sending handmade valentines every year. It started when I became too busy to send Christmas cards and continues because  my friends seem to love the valentines and I love thinking of why I love each of them as I make the valentines. Lacy, frilly valentines are not my style because my friends are not lacy or frilly. They are vibrant and quirky and totally individual! Besides art, I love reading, writing, typography and old houses.

Friendship Ritual Sending handmade Valentines

Friendship Ritual Sending handmade Valentines

Desiree Habicht, Riverside, California-Artist, pastelist, watercolorist, mixed-media artist, designer, fabric designer, fiber artist, quilt pattern designer,entrepreneur, gardener, photographer, naturalist, mother, wife, nana, caregiver, lover of life!

“A Gardeners Life”  was inspired by my love of gardening and a challenge to incorporate upholstery fabrics which helped me to achieve some very interesting textures as seen in nature. Living in southern California, we are lucky enough to be able to garden all year long which creates a seasonal ritual of taking out the old garden and putting in the new.

A Gardener's Life by Desiree Habicht

A Gardener’s Life by Desiree Habicht

Diane Hock, Healdsburg, California-Lawyer, home-schooling mom, artist

“Swirl, Sniff, Sip” was inspired by life in the Sonoma County wine country, where the ritual of wine tasting is a regular part of life. Other passions:  reading, sketching and painting.

Swirl, Sniff, Sip by Diane Hock

Swirl, Sniff, Sip by Diane Hock

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Quilt Binding: 5 Mistakes to Avoid

by Holly Hanover

quilt binding picture

 

 

All that work! And yet your project isn’t complete until you bind the edges. The binding has to look just-right, or it can detract from your quilt’s ultimate beauty.

 

 

Here are five common mistakes you should definitely avoid:

1. Oops, not quite enough.

Failure to correctly calculate the total length of binding you’ll need – and therefore the amount of fabric – could be disastrous. You could run out of fabric, or run short of binding. Remember that making bias binding requires more fabric than straight-grain, especially if you need longer runs and don’t want too many seams.

2. Binding looks uneven.

Cut and fold binding strips carefully to ensure they’re uniform. Bias-cut binding needs to be exactly 45 degrees, or it will pull out of shape and be hard to handle. Trim the quilt edges all around to be sure they’re perfectly straight – use a yardstick or ruler if you need guidance. And be sure all layers are evenly thick right to the edge so the binding is uniformly thick.

3. Corners don’t look sharp.

It can be easy to fold mitered corners backward, so the fold winds up on the visible side rather than inside. Practicing on some scraps before you start stitching the quilt will help you get the fold right-side-out and perfectly square.

4. Stitching problems.

Decorative stitches can be pretty, and they can help cover up mistakes such as uneven machine stitching on the reverse side. But stitches have to match the scale of your binding. A fancy stitch that might look great on a wide binding can overpower a narrow one.

Unless you’re deliberately going for a decorative look with the stitching itself, thread should match the binding so it’s unobtrusive. After all, binding is supposed to frame the piece and give it a finished look, not draw attention from your beautiful quilting!

Sometimes the sheer bulk of your quilt makes it want to bunch up or pull while you’re stitching. Set a chair, table or your ironing board next to the sewing machine to support the quilt’s weight.

5. The binding wears out.

Edges receive the most wear-and-tear, so binding has to be strong. If your quilt will be used often, as opposed to a strictly decorative piece, avoid using self-binding. And note that bias binding is stronger than straight-grain.

Here’s to your next beautifully-bound quilt!

Click here for more instructions on Quilt Binding. 

 

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Quilting Inspirations by Dinner at Eight Artists

Rituals~Featured at International Quilt Market/Festival

Havel’s Scissors is proud to be a sponsor of Rituals by Curators, Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison.  Jamie and Leslie, along with forty artists, have come together to reveal the art that can be found in everyday life.  I had the privilege to see the exhibit at the International Quilt Festival in Houston this year.  The ingenuity of the artwork in the exhibit is nothing short of spectacular!  Each artist tells a story through the threads of the fabric.  And the stories that are woven through each piece will inspire you to live life to the fullest and appreciate each and every opportunity we are given to share with loved ones.

Cindy Cooksey, Irvine, California- Artist, quilter, seamstress, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, friend, dog walker, knitwit.

“Photo Booth Hijinks” – I was inspired by a strip of photos taken in a photo booth circa 1970, of me and my now husband. The playfulness makes me smile. It was the first time I ordered from Spoonflower.

Photo Booth Fun by Cindy Cooksey

Photo Booth Fun by Cindy Cooksey

Jane Davila, Ridgefield, CT- Artist, author, editor, designer, educator, inspirer.

“Intention” is something that I try to keep foremost in my mind when working on my art and when living my life. Living (and creating) with intention to me means that everything decision or choice or action needs to be taken in a thoughtful way and have purpose behind it. I love to use bee imagery in my work because they are excellent community members, diligent workers, and create beautiful homes with perfect symmetry. They are highly intentional creatures!

One of my other passions is decorating and remodeling. I love to DIY furniture, accessories, and storage solutions for my home and studio. Power tools are just as fun to use as sewing machines!

Intention by Jane Davila

Intention by Jane Davila

Jamie Fingal, Orange, California- Artist, author, designer, teacher, organizer, curator, wife, mother, sister, friend, goofball, reader, cook, gardener, blogger.

When my daughter was young, we would drive to school each morning and Make a Wish on the Purple House, that we passed every morning.  A purple house in the midst of brown and gray houses, was pretty special.  We made it part of our morning ritual for three years. Other passions include furniture painting, photography, family history.

Make a Wish on the Purple House

Make a Wish on the Purple House

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