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!

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!

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!

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!

Exciting Quilting News in 2015

Hi everyone:

Now that I've cleared my head, I'm ready to tell you about my good news in 2015. 

You may know that I've been working on a top secret project for the past few months. It's been really hard to keep this quiet as I've been really wrapped up in completing it and am very proud of the result. I'm so excited to announce my first on-line class with Curious! If you're not familiar with Curious, they are an on-line website offering lessons and courses on a wide variety of subjects. Check them out and see why I'm so excited to be working with them.

Essential Guide to Fusible Web Appliqué offers instruction for every level of quilter. If you have never tried this technique, you'll love the step-by-step instruction and appreciate that everything you'll ever need to know about this technique is included in the course. For more advanced quilters, learn tips and techniques about fusible web appliqué and create the fun Awesome Blossom wall hanging. This course includes over 20 lessons, with attachments and links to the resources used in the course, as well as the Awesome Blossom pattern.

While I'm thrilled to finally have this course up and available for enrolment, I have more exciting news! Curious has just announced a change: as of today all courses and lessons are available by subscription through Curious+. This means that you pay one low monthly or annual fee and you have access to over 13,000 lessons on Curious. Wow, that's a lot of learning! 

I've saved the best part for last: Curious offers a 7 day FREE trial when you'll have an opportunity to check out all the lessons and courses that they offer. After that, if you want to become a subscriber (and why wouldn't you?), you can elect to buy an annual membership at a crazy-good early-bird Charter membership price of $60.00* per year. That's only $5.00 per month - and that's a lot less than it costs to join Netflix! 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.

So let me recap: Curious offers a 7 day FREE trial on all of their content and you can purchase an annual membership for $60.00*. Seems pretty simple to me. 

Check out my course, Essential Guide to Fusible Web Appliqué and the other lessons and courses on Curious during your FREE trial period and then subscribe at the special charter membership rate of $60.00* per year. 

*Hurry - The annual membership rate of $60 per year is a limited time offer and expires on February 28, 2015.

See you on Curious.

2015 - A Fresh Start

Hi everyone:

Note: This is a personal post. Look for an exciting quilting-related post later today.

I've been rather quiet lately and you may've wondered why that is. 

2015 started out with a loss in our family. After a brief and unexpected illness, my father-in-law passed away on January 13. The loss of Reg, who was so active and full of life, is still hard to accept. I expect to hear his voice on the phone telling me about his latest sailing adventure and asking how my quilting is going. He was always a big supporter of my business, telling all his friends about my website and videos. I think of him every day and am so glad that we were able to spend time with him this past summer when he came out to visit us in Calgary.

As soon as we returned from the funeral (a quick 5 day trip), I got sick with a flu virus. This is typical when I fly, so I wasn't surprised. Of course this set my quilting back and I was off work for a few days. Just when I was starting to feel better (finally!), I came home from work to a partially flooded basement. While I had intended to clear out our basement storage area, this wasn't how I wanted to accomplish it!

While we thought that the washing machine was the culprit, it turned out that there was a blockage in the city water line. Initially it was clear water that we cleaned out - after hauling out box after box of stored items - but it eventually turned to more unpleasant sludge material. Fortunately we had cleared out most of the items and only lost our Christmas tree. Of course it was the newest one we had and the old one was okay, but still...

Remnants of the Christmas tree

We had a plumber come out to try to clear the blockage and that's when the smell started to permeate the house, forcing my son and I out for the evening to a local hotel. My hubby stayed to help the plumber and then call the city, as the plumber couldn't clear the blockage, and wait for them. Eventually they cleared the line - at about midnight. 

Back part of flooded storage area

My husband cleaned up the mess and then headed off to bed. Upon rising at 4:00 a.m. he washed down all the affected areas and then applied an anti fungal, anti mildew coating. A few days later when everything was dry, we were able to put back the storage items. Fortunately we use Rubbermaid Rough-Neck boxes to store most of our things, so only had our record albums that had to be dried out. Now everything has been reorganized and put back in place. 

My quilt studio isn't usually this messy!

I'm really hoping that the rest of 2015 is more positive. I do have some very exciting news to tell you, but wanted to let you know what's been happening in my world this past month. I don't like to dwell on the negative: I deal with it and move on, always looking for the next good thing. And I'm looking forward to sharing some really good news later today.

I hope you're having a great 2015 and that your basement is dry and warm :)

Telecast Thursday - Singer 301a Sewing Machine - Part 2

Hi everyone:


Welcome to Telecast Thursday! Today I'll be continuing my series on my Singer 301a sewing machine. In part 2 you'll learn how I resurrected this machine and if it ran when I plugged it in. 

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. 

Archaic Arcane's Youtube channel has videos showing step-by-step instructions on reassembling the upper thread tension assembly on a vintage Singer sewing machine. I found the tension assembly on Bonanza.

Join me next week for the final episode on this 3-part series on my Singer 301a sewing machine to find out more about its restoration.

Happy quilting!

Telecast Thursday - Singer 301a Sewing Machine - Part 1

Hi everyone:

It's Thursday already and another video on the series on vintage Singer sewing machines  is ready for you to watch. This week I'm starting a 3-part series on my Singer 301a sewing machine. If you've been following this video series, you'll know that I already have a Singer 301 sewing machine, but you'll want to watch to see how this new acquisition differs from my other 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. 

Check back next week for part 2 of this 3-part series to see how I resurrected this machine and if it actually ran when I plugged it in.

Happy quilting!