Tutto Purpureo

Mine, mine, mine. Can't wait to go to my next quilting class. My sewing machine will go in style!

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Christmas in July - New Fabrics are Here

We received a shipment of Christmas fabrics yesterday. I know it is hard to think about Christmas quilts when it is 115 degrees in the shade, but now is the time to start working on Christmas quilts or other projects. Get them done, so come December you can sit back and relax. Tee hee, I know that is hard to do even if you get all your gifts before December. The holidays are just busy times. So crank up your air conditioner, get out your Christmas music and start sewing! What fun.

Here is what we have this year that is new. Plus we have other Christmas fabric left over from last year that is so cute, too.

This is a large panel. It is about one yard wide by width of fabric (WOF). It is really pretty.

This picture shows large poinsettias and bells. They are not all that big. If you look on our website, you will see they are quite small, which they should be for a border fabric.

Chrstmas packages. They go perfect with the Christmas Tree.

And of course a red to bring in the jolly.

This fabric is really stunning. It is a black/black background with beautiful red and white candy canes.

As dark as the background is for the candy canes above, this fabric is amazingly white background with beautiful two-toned greed holly leaves with red berries.

These fabrics are from Quilting Treasures and VIP Exclusive, which is part of Quilting Treasures. The top ones are called Christmas Eve and is designed by Liz Dillon. The two bottom ones are from Quilting Treasures and are called Very Fairy Christmas.

Now is the time to get started.

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I Sew, Therefore I Rip

Yes. I sew. I also rip--more often than I would like to think about. How about you?

My complaint about having to rip it out is not so much about the time I lost or the frustration of doing something wrong. It is more how do I get all those little pieces of thread out the fabric after I rip. If you do not get them out, they stick out like porcupine quills after you sew the new seam. Plus they get caught up in the new stitching. Then they are almost impossible to get out. Humph! What can be done.

Elisa finally shared what she uses. She buys those tape lint removers that you brush over you clothes when the cat got to close or you black skirt was next to your fluffy bathrobe in the closet. She just runs that over the left over stitches and out they come. I have been sewing for over 150 years (well, maybe not that long) and never thought of something so simple.

I would just like to know why I did not have such an item when I was in my high school tailoring class. My teacher insisted the project be perfect - inside and out. She was always marking me down for how the inside looked. It just was not finished to her liking. Her comment was always, "Peggy, your projects look marvelous on the outside. Why can't you make the inside look as good?" I always responded with something like no one is ever going to see the inside. She did not appreciate that answer.

My final came. We could make anything we wanted, as long as it was more tailored than just a simple shift or skirt. I chose to make a suit with jacket and skirt. I purchased a beautiful flue wide-wale corderoy. It was beautiful when completed, as usual. Now to get away from the teacher from taking points off because of inside finishing and to make the outfit just be a little classier, I lined both the jacket and the skirt. The lining was not just a hanging lining. I actually hand stitched it all down to cover all inside seams. It was nice.

When it came time to have it graded, she insisted to come to each person's home and see what they made. She had me model this suit before she looked at it up close. After modeling it and showing her my sewing space and discussing the semester I had been in this class and my sewing talents as perceived by her, I had to take off the suit and hand it to her to check it all out. She turned it inside out and saw that I had lined it. It was done beautifully, she was pleased. Then she asked, "Did you line this to keep me from seeing your finishing techniques?" "Yes," was my answer. She just laughed.

I got an A+ on the project and an A- for the semester. I was pleased.

I would love to hear some of your ways of correcting ripping threads and/or your interesting sewing stories. We all have them. My sister's story would have to be the time she sewed through her finger nail.

Keep on Quilting/Sewing

Make a pot holder today

Make this pot holder today. Just go to http://www.ctpubblog.com/2011/05/18/get-your-wheels-spinning-project/ to get the full directions.

Thank you CT Publishing for this link.

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Frixion Pens for Marking Fabric

Have you heard or used one of these pens?

I have and they are my preference to mark my cotton fabrics. They are wonderful because all you do is mark your fabric, sew, iron and the marks are gone. Totally gone. You will not even see a trace of the pen! [See comments posted below. There are some fabrics that do not like these pens. Always test your fabric before using the pens.]

How do I get one, you ask. We sell them on our website now. Just got them in this morning. They are only $4.50 each and come in blue, black or red. You are going to want, no need, one of these and maybe one for your best quilting bud, too.

Go to http://www.beehivequilts.com/notions and scroll down to find them.

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New fabric at Beehive Quilts

We received a new shipment of fabric from Henry Glass Fabrics. You can purchase it at http://www.beehivequilts.com/.

Baby & Me Panel
Whimsical

Baby & Me coordinating fabric

Spooktacular II Border Fabric







Spooktacular II Pumpkins





Spooktacular II Blocks

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ps., I Love You tags to personalize your quilt or other projects

In the sample above you can see you just add this little tag that says "ps., I love you" into your binding of your quilt or onto that cute little outfit or other projects. Really perks the project up and sends such a sweet message to the recipient of the quilt or other project.

We have them on our website for only $3.98 per package of 12. Great buy. Find them at http://www.beehivequilts.com/psiloveyou.

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Great site for projects ** FREE **

Do you like free patterns? I do. I came across the following site http://3creativestudios.com/free.htm. It has so many different projects that you could be busy for the rest of your life just working off this site. It even has a free BOM at http://3creativestudios.com/bom.htm. Pretty cool one at that.

There are all sorts of projects you could make. There are patterns for notebook covers, quilts, placemats, all sort of items. I saved a few of them to make, too. Just remember they are copyrighted - for personal use only.

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Beverly's Fabrics

Having been an owner of a local quilt store, I would always advise people to support them first. It is hard to make a go of it in this economy. Many owners never take a pay check out of it; all the money goes right back into the shop to make it better.

Now that said there is a big box store that I will shop at occasionally. That is Beverly's Fabrics. They just changed the Carmichael CA store from their normal craft and fabrics and house decor to just fabric. They carry most any fabric, but they have a huge section for us quilters. They carry brand names just like the LQS does and of the same quality. They also carry very "cheap" fabric for those that just cannot afford the higher quality. I personally stay away from that fabric, as I am not going to make a beautiful top that will not last very long.

The Carmichael store and Beverlys.com has a fabric of the day for $2.97! Wow. I personally have purchased some, as has Elisa. We have not been disappointed. The website posts the new day's list at 9 a.m. PDT. I try to log in no later than 10:30 a.m. because often the best of the three fabrics posted is sold out. They post what amount they have to sell. Take a look at it at http://www.beverlys.com/. Today's (Wednesday) is really neat. It has birds and nests and feathers. I have a friend that was asking if I had any bird fabric, which I do not. Maybe I will be nice and buy her some before it is gone.

Here is the fabric listed for today:

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Threading with silk ribbon

Have you seen or worked embroidery done with ribbon instead of thread. It is beautiful. It adds a dimension to your work that is unique. In researching for something totally different, I came across a link that shows how to thread the needle with the silk thread to allow you to start sewing with it. It also tells you what size needle to use. This is a great technique. I thought you might like to see it.

Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3KhjpAO0jE&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

To see several examples of silk ribbon embroidery go to http://www.google.com/search?q=silk+ribbon+embroidery+ideas&hl=en&rlz=1T4GGIH_enUS274US275&prmd=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=32rITc-uCYK4sQOE4qCVAw&ved=0CDwQsAQ&biw=1245&bih=633.

Pictures included on this post were talken from that site.

Keep on Quilting or Embroidering

New Patterns and Quilt Books listed on website

Check out some of the new patterns (including Lori Holt's) and quilt books that have been added to our website at http://www.beehivequilts.com/category/384742. Good pricing - lower than the suggested retail pricing. Here are just a few:

[To go directly to the website to order each item, put curson over picture and click the mouse.]



Love those Art to Heart patterns. Easy to make, too.




It is never too early to start working on
your Christmas designs.




Lori Holt's Gardening pattern. Great for spring time.





Another Lori Holt.




Snow Day. . . Sew Day.
Easy and fun applique pattern.Snowday Quilt Pattern



Table Runners - Chocolate and Bagels

Tables runners anyone? They seem to be making a big splash. Using some of the high quality, delightful fabrics that are available at quilts stores, it is easy to make whimsical, charming, seasonal, or just plain utilitarian table runners. Here are a few I made recently [the chocolate and bagels are available on line at http://www.beehivequilts.com/]:

Bagels with machine applique

Bagels on black

Chocolate all around

Chocolate all through

Center table mat and 4 placemats. Fall themed.

Short-arm sewing machine.

We have purchased a short arm Juki sewing machine on a long bed! Elisa is quickly learning the ins and outs of it. She is currently working on a Halloween quilt top that I finished last year and never quilted it. It is looking great!

Someday we will do charity quilts to get more practice--that is after I go through the tops I have made. Then if we feel good about our work, we will take in quilting consignments.

This is an exciting addition to our shop.