New Blog and Website for Chatterbox Quilts

Hi:

If you're looking for Chatterbox Quilts Chitchat, it has now moved and you can find it here.

Please join us at our new blog and subscribe to receive future blogposts.

Thank you.

New Chatterbox Quilts' Blog and Website

Hi everyone:

I told you that I'd been busy working on quilty things and that there were changes coming. Well, they're here!

Chatterbox Quilts now has a new website and blog. It's taken some time, but now our blog and store will all be on one website.

We're really excited about this change and hope you are too! In addition to information and patterns on quilts, hand embroidery and soft toy designs, we also have a special area with information on vintage sewing machines. You know that I love to collect these wonderful machines and I know that lots of my readers do too. 

If you are one of our current blog subscribers, please go to our new blog and subscribe so you don't miss any of our blogposts.

We really hope you'll continue to follow us and thank you for being one of our loyal subscribers. 

See you on the new website!

How to Avoid Hand Binding Your Quilts

Hi everyone:

This week is spring break for us in Calgary, so I'm enjoying a welcome week off - which means I'm working extra hard at home on quilty things. There are lots of big changes coming up for Chatterbox Quilts, which I'll let you know about soon.

This week on Telecast Thursday, I have another sneak peek at part of my on-line course, Essential Guide to Fusible Web Appliqué. This time I'm showing you how to avoid hand binding your smaller quilt projects and use a pillowcase method to get it all stitched together. I try to avoid binding at all costs as it's not my favourite part of quilting, so if you're like me, I'm sure you'll find this video helpful.*

Especially for my blog readers, Curious is giving you a 20% discount on an annual subscription, allowing you access to thousands of lessons and courses on a wide variety of subjects. Just click here to enrol in Essential Guide to Fusible Web Appliqué and take advantage of this generous discount available until March 31, 2015.

You can view the video below or find it on my Youtube channel.

  
Subscribe to my Youtube channel to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted each week.

* Okay, I actually do hand bind lots of my quilts and do a very nice job too (at least I think I do!), but if I can get away with it, the pillowcase case method is what I choose to do.

Happy non-binding quilting!

Book Review - Home Quilt Home by Janet Clare

Hi everyone:

Home Quilt Home by Janet Clare

It's another Telecast Thursday and today I'm sticking close to home - well, actually the book is about homes. Home Quilt Home by Janet Clare is full of quilt projects all with the same theme: home. The book is divided into 3 parts: Town, Country and Coast and each section contains multiple projects.

You can watch the review below or on my Youtube channel. 

Check out the other book reviews on my Youtube channel.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. You can also click on the Chatterbox Quilts logo in the upper right corner on the video itself to go to my Youtube channel and subscribe. 

Happy quilting!

Meet Brandy Maslowski of Canadian Quilt Talk

Hi everyone:

I'm really excited about today's blogpost because I'll be featuring Brandy Maslowski of Canadian Quilt Talk! 

If you don't know about Brandy, she is the creator and host of Canadian Quilt Talk, a weekly fibre arts and quilting podcast. Brandy features guest quilters and fibre artists and talks with them about the Canadian quilting scene. Last week I was delighted to be her featured guest and this week, it's my turn to introduce Brandy to you! Brandy was gracious enough to share stories about her quilting start, her podcast beginnings and her latest endeavour. 

Brandy, how did you first get involved in quilting and what is your favourite technique?

"My first stitches were making Barbie and doll clothes by hand as a child. I was always an avid crafter, but my first quilt was a random request from a friend who said, “You’re kind of crafty…can you make my Gran a little photo quilt for her wall?” So my first quilt was a delicate mix of florals with old black and white photos of her Gran’s life and family with some vintage lace on the sides. I was quite pleased with myself for pulling it off. I was invited to her Gran’s tiny apartment when the gift was given and the look on her face was priceless. That was the early '90s and I’ve been quilting ever since. 

Quilt created by Brandy Maslowski

Like most quilters my favourite technique has varied over the years. I have gone from an addiction to needle turn appliqué, to curved piecing and then raw edge appliqué, but nowadays if I’m not making samples for my patterns, my playtime technique would be working from photo to fibre."

Original Photo by Brandy Maslowski

Quilt created by Brandy Maslowski

Why did you decide to do a podcast and has Canadian Quilt Talk developed the way you envisioned it would?

"There is no better way to bring kindness and generosity into your life than to give as much as you can to your community. The podcast is a way for me to connect and share my quilting passion and as the host I get to learn from the brightest quilters and fibre artists in Canada. CQT has developed in ways I never imagined. I couldn’t be volunteering my time to do anything I love more because it has helped me surround myself with amazing mentors and friends and opened up the doors to wonderful opportunities."

I know you have an exciting event coming up. Tell me about the Aloha Cruise and how my readers can sign up for it.

"I was honoured to be invited by the Flight Centre to host a quilting cruise! I couldn’t believe it actually. The first thing I said was – “Can I bring a friend?” Having never cruised myself I needed an expert on board with me and Cathy Miller was the clear choice. She is a wonderful teacher, she’s been on 8 cruises and she adds a musical whimsy that you don’t want to miss. The second thing I asked was, “Can we go somewhere hot?” And the Aloha Quilt Cruise was born! We have so many exciting things planned over the 15 days including a cocktail party, 2 concerts, a trunk show, 8 days of workshops, 4 days of island adventure and so much more.

The cruise sails to and from Vancouver - Sept. 19^th to October 4^th, 2015 and prices start as low as $2280 per person based on double occupancy. The major sponsor is Janome so you don’t even have to bring a machine!

BOOK YOUR SPOT TODAY by clicking on the ALOHA QUILT CRUISE link or contact Miriam Cloutier at 1-866-420-4410 (M-F from 9-5 Pacific Time).

To learn more about what’s happening on the cruise checkout the info packed ALOHA QUILT CRUISE BLOG by Cathy Miller."

What's the easiest way for my readers to connect with you and Canadian Quilt Talk?

"Kim, if your followers have a question for me anytime, I love to connect. LIKE the Canadian Quilt Talk Facebook page to stay up to date with everything I do or send me an email through my website at Brandy Lynn Designs anytime. I’d love to hear from you."

I hope you'll check out Canadian Quilt Talk and listen to some (or all!) of the podcasts. There are some wonderful discussions with Canadian quilters and fibre artists and you might even find out more about your favourite Canadian quilt celebrity. Check out the Aloha Quilt Cruise too - it's going to be a wonderful event and there are still a few spots remaining. 

Cruising and quilting and enjoying the warm Hawaiian breezes...sounds like quilters' heaven!

Book Review - Sew & Stitch Embroidery by Alyssa Thomas

Hi everyone:

Sew and Stitch Embroidery by Alyssa Thomas

It's time for another Telecast Thursday and this week I'll be reviewing Sew and Stitch Embroidery by Alyssa Thomas. This is a stitchery book with lots of cute patterns. I like the variety of projects in this book - everything from mini pets to a shower curtain. Alyssa always has delightful designs and puts an up-to-date twist on hand embroidery.

You can watch the video below or on my Youtube channel. 

Check out the other book reviews on my Youtube channel.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. You can also click on the Chatterbox Quilts logo in the upper right corner on the video itself to go to my Youtube channel and subscribe. 

Happy quilting!

Tune in to Canadian Quilt Talk

Hi everyone:

Have you heard of Canadian Quilt Talk? Okay, it's not just a bunch of Canadian quilters getting together to stitch and chat! Canadian Quilt Talk is a podcast hosted by Brandy Maslowski. Brandy talks with expert quilting guests about quilts, fibre arts, and other quilt-related items. There's a new show every Thursday and I'm thrilled to let you know that this week's guest is... me!

I was very flattered to be a guest on Canadian Quilt Talk and it was so great to chat with Brandy about quilting and my latest venture: on-line teaching.  I had the opportunity to talk about my on-line course, Essential Guide to Fusible Web Appliqué on Curious.com as well as other works in progress.

If you haven't had a chance to check out my course yet, here's a short video to show you some of the comprehensive content in Essential Guide to Fusible Web Appliqué. To view all the lessons in the course, just click here.

I hope you'll tune in to Canadian Quilt Talk on Thursday, March 12, 2015 to listen to the entire podcast on Brandy's website or on iTunes.

Remember to subscribe to Canadian Quilt Talk so you won't miss out on any of the informative episodes. 

Telecast Thursday - Singer 15-91 Sewing Machine - The Final One

Hi everyone:

Welcome to Telecast Thursday. Today I'll be talking about my latest vintage sewing machine, the 15-91. This is another machine that came from Edmonton and was a great deal. I was hoping that this machine would be good for free motion quilting and is it ever! Got to love that large throat space on this machine!

You can watch the video below or on my Youtube channel. 

If you haven't seen the other episodes in this series, you'll can find them here.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. You can also click on the Chatterbox Quilts logo in the upper right corner on the video itself to go to my Youtube channel and subscribe.

This is the last vintage machine I'll be adding to my stable - for now. I'm still on the hunt for a Singer 66 Red Eye sewing machine, so if you have one and want to sell it, just let me know. I hope it's closer than Edmonton :)

Happy quilting!

Book Review: Creative Thursday by Marisa Anne Cummings

Hi everyone:

Creative Thursday by Marisa Anne Cummings

On this week's Telecast Thursday I'll be reviewing Creative Thursday by Marisa Anne Cummings. This is one of my favourite books and the one I go to for inspiration sources and just to feel happy. You can't help but smile reading this book as Marisa Anne's designs are so cheerful and upbeat. Take a peek inside Creative Thursday in the video below.

You can watch the video below or on my Youtube channel. 

Check out the other book reviews on my Youtube channel.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. You can also click on the Chatterbox Quilts logo in the upper right corner on the video itself to go to my Youtube channel and subscribe. 

Happy quilting!

Modern Low Volume Quilts

Hi everyone:

Every so often I look for a quilt project to do that is mindless. Not unappealing. Not really fast to make. Just something that is relaxing and easy, where I don't have to think too much. I find this is a good way to recharge my batteries and allow new ideas to flow in.

I found the perfect project in the issue 18 of Love Patchwork and Quilting. 

I really enjoy this publication, especially the fun, modern quilt designs. Even better, I can download a digital copy of it from my local library!

In this issue I found the Kantha Cool quilt by Jo Avery and decided I would work on this. It's a combination of easy blocks and hand stitching. 

Kantha Cool by Jo Avery
Photo courtesy of lovepatchworkandquilting.com

Haven't heard of kanthas? They originate in Bangladesh and the eastern states of India. Women create layers of old saris and cloth scraps and then hand stitch them together with heavy thread to create thin throws or blankets. A great way to upcycle old fabrics!

I had several bags of fabric leftovers languishing in my studio and I thought these would be perfect for this project.

As I didn't quite have enough fabric for the sizes suggested in the pattern, I adjusted my measurements and cut a few extra blocks. 

I laid out the blocks on the floor to decide on their placement and then labelled the rows. They are ready to be pieced together - which is where I am now.

Rather than batting, Jo suggests using old sheets for the interior layers so the quilt will have the right amount of drape and I have several of these, so I think I'll try that. Her instructions advise to use two layers of sheets, do the hand stitching through the pieced top and sheets, and then add the quilt backing. This way your hand stitches don't show through on the back. I'm going to give this a try.

This layout is Teeka approved

While kantha-style throws are not a new idea, this pattern reminds me of modern quilt designs. I'm recently been exploring these types of quilts and I've curated a list of some of my favourite modern quilt books on my sidebar. Check these out and let me know what your favourite modern quilt books are in the Comments below.

Happy quilting!

Sneak Peek at Essential Guide to Fusible Web Appliqué

Hi everyone:
                                       !!!!                                  !!!!

!!!!!!!!

As you can probably tell, I'm excited to be a teacher on Curious. I love teaching and sharing my knowledge with students, and this is the perfect venue for me. 

I've been quilting for many years and my favourite technique is fusible web appliqué. It's fast and easy and that appeals to me. It was only natural that my first course with Curious would be about fusible web appliqué! In creating Essential Guide to Fusible Web Appliqué I wanted to cover all the basics and provide my students with helpful tips to make their projects successful. The courses that I've taken often miss the finer points of this technique and I want to ensure that even a beginner would be able to enjoy this type of appliqué and have fun creating their first project. 

For a sneak peek at the content in Essential Guide to Fusible Web Appliqué, view the video below or you can see the video on my Youtube channel (don't forget to subscribe while you're there).

Curious offers a 7 day FREE trial when you'll have an opportunity to check out all the lessons and courses that they offer. They have lots of courses on a wide variety of subjects, not just quilting (which is, of course, my favourite subject!). After that, if you want to become a subscriber (and why wouldn't you?), you can elect to buy an annual membership at an early-bird Charter membership price of $60.00 per year. That's only $5.00 per month. That still leaves lots of money to spend on quilting fabric! This is a great opportunity to access learning on a wide variety of topics. Of course you could opt for the monthly membership rate of $14.99, if you prefer.

Hurry! The special annual rate of $60 expires on February 28, 2015. 

I hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity and subscribe to Essential Guide to Fusible Web Appliqué on Curious. 

Telecast Thursday - Singer 301a Sewing Machine - Part 3

Hi everyone:

It's Telecast Thursday and time for the final episode on my Singer 301a sewing machine. This week I'll show you how I restored the cabinet for this machine which had been left out in the rain before I rescued it. 

You can watch the video below or on my Youtube channel. 

If you haven't seen the other episodes in this series, you'll can find them here.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. You can also click on the Chatterbox Quilts logo in the upper right corner on the video itself to go to my Youtube channel and subscribe.

You'll find Restor-A-Finish and Feed-N-Wax at Howard Products. Just follow the instructions in their helpful videos to restore colour and lustre to your antique wood furniture - or sewing machine cabinets, in my case. 

Happy quilting!