Yesterday Mamaw and I went to the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo. We went to take a class in making slip covers. The class was all right, but we each had our complaints about the content. The teacher was selling $40 DVDs about the process and was therefore unwilling to give us a decent class handout/workbook to go home with. I understand she was also selling $40 DVDs, but we each paid $20 for the live class. If we had known the $40 DVD was what we needed, we would have stayed home, bought her DVD online and then let 10-20 of our sewing friends watch it for free when we were done with it. Hahaha. But anyway, we did learn a few important things, notably
1. A good slipcover is all about the welt cord.
2. How to make yards and yards of continuous bias tape.
If you have ever wondered how to take an 18 inch x 54 inch piece of fabric and make it into 30 yards of 2 inch wide bias tape with only 3 seams….I know! Hahaha.
More exciting than the class was the shopping booths! Oh Boy. We could have spent all our money and most of yours. They had gadgets, fabric, patterns, machines, and trim. We bought a few things, but drooled over many more.
I got 2 patterns, one to make a clothesline rug, one to make little pouches with a creative closure (its a metal carpenter’s measuring tape tucked inside a casing!). I also bought some Fat Quarters to use for the pouches.
I have been curious about paper piecing, but did not know what to do with it, so I bought these tiny paper patterns. They will make little 3 x3 inch paper pieced panels, one for each month of the year. A heart for February, a tree for December, etc. No instructions, but the lady assured me that I could follow along at www.quilterscache.com and use the marks/numbers printed on my paper patterns
I bought one gadget. This little item is used to guide your seam allowances in the correct direction as you sew quilt blocks. I have a problem with that, but it might be lousy pressing. Either way, this might help.
Finally, this is my big ticket item…but also the thing I like the most. Its a pattern for a 50 x 50 quilt called Doggie Dasies. I love the colors and the modern arrangement of the pieces. It has some applique too. Mamaw is going to help me cut it out, so that I start off on the right foot.
With these kits, there is no batting or backing fabric included, so I will have to buy that separate. The kit alone was $55, but I think its worth it. I will really like it (and be proud of myself) if it turns out like the picture. You can get your own at the quilt shop, Linda Z’s. When you go to the Website, look at Zinnia Path, I almost got that one instead. The website does not give you a good idea of the colors. Zinnia Path is Tiffany Blue, red and black. Very cool.
Mamaw got an Amy Butler pattern CD, a few patterns, some new fangled Chennile cord by the yard and a pattern to make coiled rope baskets. It was fun to go together. We oohed and aahed over everything and, other than the fact that she likes Batiks and I don’t, we are pretty compatible when attending a Sewing Expo. It was lots of fun.
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It was a lot of fun. We will have to start saving for next year and go again.