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Hello Quilt Campers.  This week's Make It Monday tutorial is a yo yo project that is fast, fun and a great way to use up those colorful scraps you have in your stash. 

Avoid the frustration of a coaster that clings to your glass or falls on the floor at the most inopportune time.  this fast and fun yo yo coaster, featuring the Fleur Graphique line from P&B Textiles, has a little added heft due to the insertion of hardware store washers.  Make an entire set for your next family gathering or party.  Click here for the project directions.

Be sure to check out each week's project on our Projects page here.   Share your creative versions of any of our projects in Show and Tell here.

 

 

 

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Talk about weekend fun! I finally dug into the dingy dungeon I call my sewing studio. The room is large, but has no closets so just about everything was piled either on a flat surface or the floor. Here's what I did in two days to get myself back on track with having a functional/organized space.

1. I decided to claim the space as a sewing room. There were about 9 chairs in the room leftover from TQS taping production meetings over 18 months ago. A folding table provided flat surface, but took up space and it was essentially useless because it was covered with piles of 'stuff'. Stored in this room were tubs (TQS time capsules), production lamps and stands, and various electronics scattered about. Also in attendance were letters, cards, and other assorted mail. Goal - remove everything that did not pertain to my tasks in this room - only sewing related items could remain.

2. Each and every item had to be touched and placed in an appropriate place and labeled. In order to have those places, I purchased two Elfa wire basket towers and a variety of tubs and small containers in which to organize my sewing necessities. I also got a P-Touch Labeler. With back-to-school supplies in abundance right now it was easy to find containers such as pencil boxes, plastic shoe boxes and other organizational containers for a buck.

3. Items were categorized. Here's how it is sorted.

Cutting tools - a container for scissors and a container for rotary cutters and blades

Labeling supplies

Adhesives - tapes of all sorts, spray baste, glue stick, glue, etc. (Not fusible web)

Pins and Needles - includes machine and hand needles, strait pins, safety pins, push pins, and even needle threaders

Drawing supplies - includes paper, a small box for regular pencils (includes erasers), a small box for pens, one for specialty pencils (white, yellow, etc), and another for sharpies of all colors. This also included sharpeners.

Another drawer is for specialty sewing items. This includes those strange set of templates (double wedding ring), and your assortment of funky, rarely used tools.

Irons, craft irons, teflon ironing sheets, starch.

Additional cutting mats are stored behind the wire bins.

There is a drawer for embellishments and another drawer for all things embroidery, including stabilizers, embroidery cds. 

There is a drawer for sewing machine accessories - and each machine I own has it's own separate box for its own particular items.

4. Wall space is for design walls ( I have a large design wall and a small design wall), storing plexiglas rulers, and bulletin board space for fun things and memorabilia. 

5. Find a place for tools. Every sewing room needs the basics: hammer, nails, screw drivers, pliers, etc.

6. Product on rolls. Freezer paper, large stabilizers, steam-a-seam 2, etc. all live together. If it's a product on a roll or bolt too large for a bin, they are all in the same area.

7. Fabric and batting: I'm not happy with my fabric storage - it's on open shelves, but at least it's in one place (we'll that's not true either because I have an entire store room of fabric at my house - not at the studio). 

8. Thread: I have one very huge problem. The threads (hundreds of spools) are in containers. I must find a better way to organize them for easy access. That's my next big project. I think I'll give Libby Lehman a call.

I'll be the first to say it's still not great. But it's functional for me. Someday I'll have a space with built-in cupboards and counters, but that's a luxury most of us don't have - so we "make do" with what we've got. And lest you worry about Skippy, rest assured he has a home and can come out to play anytime. What is your best organizational tip?

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John & I attended a special birthday tonight.  Carolee Hensley celebrated her quilt store's, The Cotton Patch, 32nd birthday.  What an amazing record.  Carolee is a mentor and a good friend.   Carolee was a pioneer in the quilting business. 

 At one market there was a rumor that she was sleeping with the owner of C&T Publishing.  But then again, so was he.  Carolee & Tom stumbled into the publishing business by agreeing to publish the book of which quilting legend?

a.  Joen Wolfrom

b.  Jinny Beyer

c.  Roberta Horton

d.  Judith Baker Montano

Put your answer in the comments.

 

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The Victoria and Albert Museum in London recently closed its exhibit, Quilts 1700- 2010.  This astounding show had quilts dating back from the late 17th century to modern times.  The museum was kind enough to send TQS photos of its installation which ran from March 20, 2010 - July 4, 2010.  While the show has closed, more information can be found by clicking here.  Did any of you visit the show? What did you think?

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It seems yesterday that I walked though the door of the Cotton Patch in Lafayette Ca - they had just opened and I had just started quilting. This was a match made in heaven! Tonight we are celebrating MANY years or quilting, business and friendship at 6:00pm at the store. You are invited to come and join in the festivities - Hope see you there!

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After all the suggestion on TQS and Facebook, I have a list of 10 names from which to choose. You can also submit a write-in vote if you like, but here are the current top ten. Please vote. 

Bugsy, Buzzby, Buttercup, Sting, Wolley (pronounced Wally, yellow spelled backwards), Scooby, Big Banana, Daisy, Duckster, Nemo.

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Yes, its a scooter - top speed is about 40mph. It has a sticker that reads 'motorized bicycle'.

I suppose I could justify this by blaming the price of gas but it was a 'just for fun' purchase to get me to and from the studio. Before you start in with the comments about helmet and shoes, remember the engine is off, the kick stand is engaged, and I'm sitting in the driveway - so gimme a break. 

However, as you know, everything needs a name - so I'm open to suggestions. 

 

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The tapings in Boulder are all wrapped up and as Alex, Ricky, John, and Justin find their way home, they've given us another sneak peek at what's happening in the future at TQS.  Some of the names you might recognize, Tonya Ricucci, Lola Jenkins, Sara Vedeler, Jo Mortin, Rhonda Beyer, and our very own Dana Lynch (dlquilter) practicing on the Gammill Vision with Pam Clarke.  Photoman, Gregory Case supplied the photos.

 

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Fabric shoppingHere in the states we are lucky indeed.  We have quilts shops around every corner and fabric shops at the mall.  We are blessed with low prices and high quantities of fabric. TQS would like to know what is it like out in the great wide open.

We'd like to hear from our international members. Where do you shop?  Quilt stores, large box stores, online?  Do you find a good selection of fabric? Are the prices comparable to those in the US? Are there fabrics native to your country that are more difficult to find elsewhere?

Submit a comment and take us fabric shopping in your corner of the world.

To learn more abouot quilt shops all over the world, click here, and you'll be taken to the World Quilt Shop Tour in Show & Tell.  Here you can learn about this market in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, West Africa submitted by ksouba.

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HoustonWe all know that spectacular quilts hang at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, but did you know the show has other exhibits highlighting a quilter's creativity?  If your quilt wasn't juried into the show this year, you can still strut your stuff through your photos and through your writing.

This year's contest is "Eye of the Quilter: Reflections - Words and Images."  Festival asks that you submit up to three photos that show how our everyday lives reflect what we see, think, hope, and dream.

The other portion of the contest asks that you reflect those same ideas through Haiku. Haiku is the art of creating an evocative or provocative three-line poem consisting of 17 syllables (five in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third).

Registration is open now through September 15.  If you'd like to learn more click here for the photographic exhibit or here for the Haiku contest.

Get out your cameras and get out your pens, show the world your reflection!