Monday, September 26, 2011

A Little History

So many new projects...sometimes it's nice to take a break and talk about something with a little history. This post's vintage quilt (owned by Laurie Bingham, a Two Thimbles customer) features poison green and double pink, in a two-color style that is very striking. Unfortunately, our photos have washed the colors out and changed their intensity. So a little imagination, please! The pattern features (9) 7" blocks which are combined into a larger block of 4 T's, attached at their bases and pointing outwards. Interestingly, only three sides of this project have a border. One unusual feature is that it was hand quilted with two different colors of thread, not a common occurrence in older quilts. The maker is unknown, and it was purchased here in Washington.

Pictured below are several angles of the quilt, giving you an idea of the intricacy of the hand quilting and the formatting of the T pattern. What a beauty...how many hours of quilting would you guess?





Happy Stitching!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

A Fun Shopping Bag, and New Fabrics, Of Course!


With the increasing popularity of bring-your-own-shopping-bags, we thought it was time to create one of our own! One of our Two Thimbles staff designed this funky and fully-functional Roll-Up Market Tote. It's quick to put together, uses only a yard of fabric and rolls up small enough to fit in your purse. Perfect for a quick gift, or make a few for stylish grocery bags! It holds a ton of goodies (fat quarters anyone?).


These artsy new prints featured below are from the line Expressions from P&B Textiles and have just a hint of gold. The patterns range from stripes to large dots to paintbrush strokes. We've got a few fat quarter bundles- these could be a great addition to a Christmas project or an art quilt in the works.




Mark your calendars- October 7th and 8th is the Tri-County 91 Mile Yard Sale. That's only about two weeks away- and you never know what treasures you'll find at your local quilt stores, so be sure to make time to stop by! More information can be found here.

Happy Stitching!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Fall Projects

No better way to usher in fall than a couple of cloudy afternoons, right? This sweet little quilt
certainly has the right color combination going on ... cheddar, butter yellow, and a little
splash of chocolate brown make a fun little 9-patch on point. We have kits ready to go for this one.






And of course, we couldn't help snapping a picture with this darling little rocking chair prop - it's a perfect size!






Block exchanges can be a fun way to get a jump start on a scrappy project. Or, another way to go is this half-square triangle exchange program, where you can sew up your scraps and trade them for others! This program is based on what Edyta Sitar describes in her book Friendship Triangles, pictured below. The idea: purchase our premade 'cinnamon sticks' containing special half square triangle paper and scrappy Civil War era fabrics, add your own fabric scraps, and make up as many half square triangle units as you'd like to trade. You can also buy a pack of the paper and create solely from your own stash.



Then, on November 8th, come to the store to exchange half-square triangle blocks and socialize with other quilters! In the end, you'll come away with a bigger variety of half-square blocks and some possibilities for a start on a scrappy quilt - doesn't that seem like a great way to start the holiday season? If you can't make it to the event we can do your trading for you- but Two Thimbles events usually include treats, and you wouldn't want to miss that! More details about the event to come later - and now is a great time to get started on your 'trading currency', we've got cinnamon sticks all ready to go!


Happy Stitching!

Saturday, September 10, 2011

More From Gwen Marston

Gwen Marston's new book came in a few days ago - and it's definitely worth checking out! Gwen taught at Two Thimbles back in May, and her artistic insight was such an inspiration. In her new book, she delivers beautiful photographs of small projects, created in her desire to experiment with different techniques and color combinations. The book is narrated and printed in an artsy and whimsical fashion, making it a joy to explore. Below, the cover of the book is pictured, as well as some beautifully structured pages from inside.

We've got some new fabric choices coming in - linen blends from French General in grey and cream , a collection of brightly colored hand-dyed velvet pieces, and some fall-into-winter tone wools by the yard. Lots of inspiration for working with different and unique fabrics!

Happy Stitching!

Monday, September 5, 2011

September Already?!

It is hard to believe that summer is quickly coming to an end!

Our September pincushion has a historical backstory. When quilters in the Civil War era created pincushions, they used buckshot to stuff them, because it was easy to come by. When putting together our version, it took a bit of work to find some shot (not our normal stock item!) and it quickly became apparent that using buckshot alone would make a pincushion almost too heavy to lift - so we chose a combination of shot and poly-fil. We've got the pattern and shot all ready to go for this, and you can choose your own fabric to match any style!


Our September Calendar Quilt seems pretty appropriate for this month, with school starting (thank goodness the strike was quickly resolved). We made a few changes to the monthly pattern , and the result turned out pretty cute, don't you think? We've got some kits available of this one, as well as the calendar quilt pattern set for all twelve months.

Happy Stitching!