Holiday Sewing

Are you ready for holiday decorating and gift-making...are you ahead of schedule or woefully behind?  We know there are many ways to get through this hectic season and a bit of sewing therapy is a popular method that we fully embrace!  

We've got some quick gifts, and fun additions that will make gift giving and gift-wrapping that much more fun!  We love reusable fabric gift bags, and the addition of an iron snowflake applique makes these simple ones extra special.  

Small Business Saturday

We're excited to show you our Two Thimbles Mug...perfect for a hot cup of coffee or morning oatmeal...or are you a fan of a hot toddy on these chilly evenings?!  It's a one size fits all universal mug, so you can repurpose this cup in your kitchen or sewing room! We've been working on this for some time now, trying to keep it a secret and we're unveiling them on Saturday November 30th for Small Business Saturday.

We'll have Stash Lab Quilts latest designs on display and Tonya will be here for her new pattern book release from 11am - 2pm on Saturday as well.  Hope you find time to get out and support your local quilt shop and other small businesses! 

Fabric for the season!

It's almost Turkey Day! Meaning it's time to relax and embrace some loose fitting clothes right?.. 

However, that's still a few days away. For now, we're still enjoying our fall-themed fabrics, both traditional and contemporary! 

We'll be closed to enjoy some time with friends and family on Thursday November 28th.  

We're expecting some chilly weather soon, and it's time to enjoy some holiday baking as we'll soon be engulfed with Christmas shopping and holiday preparations. (For Christmas early-birds keep a look out for our holiday blog post...) 

Moda Harvest Road 

Sweet Oak by Striped Pear Studio for Windham

Small Business Saturday with Tonya Alexander

We're excited to bring a taste of Stash Lab's Quilt Market booth to Bellingham!  Tonya along with a few of her recent projects and her new release Stash Lab Manual 2.0 will be on site for a few hours on Saturday November 30th.  Come visit with Tonya, secure a copy of her new project book and join the fun!  Tonya will be here mid-day from 11:00am til 2:00pm.

Shop News!

Greetings quilters, sewers and fabric enthusiasts! 

Did you know about all the different fabrics we have? Not only do we specialize in Reproduction and Civil War era fabrics, but we also have hundreds of bolts in a variety of other styles and flavors!  

Batiks, Australians, bold florals from Anna Maria Horner, Kaffe Fasset and Kathy Doughty as well as a mixture of substrates including wool, cotton knits and linen/cotton blend canvas weight fabrics.  In addition to the 4,000 bolts of fabric in stock, we also host classes and allow groups to use our classroom space for their sewing get-togethers! 

We're located in Bellingham, Washington and have loved our home for over 12 years now. Though we primarily serve local quilters from Washington and Oregon and British Columbia, we happily supply quilters traveling from near and far and ship to all states in the lower 48, Alaska, Canada, Australia, France and the UK.   

If you can, come stop by our shop and get to know us! And if you can't, enjoy a virtual tour of our store by visiting our website here!  Happy stitching! 

What Comes After Turkey? Small Business Saturday

Do you have plans for the Saturday after Thanksgiving? For those of you North of us that have already enjoyed turkey and pumpkin pie...it's happening here soon and Small Business Saturday is on November 30th....So mark your calendars now!! 

We will be hosting an open house with Tonya Alexander of Stash Lab Quilts, more details to follow on that, but we're also participating in a Small Business Saturday Quilt Shop Tour and raffle!

Calico Country, Folk Tales, Tangled Threads and Kori's Fabric Creations are all stops on our local Quilt Shop event.  For those who participate on Saturday each quilt store will draw 2 names and an additional name will be chosen from all the shops entries for a grand prize!

Drawing prizes from each store: 

1. $25 gift certificate with at least three stamps (one per quilt store)

2. $50 gift certificate with at least three stamps (one per quilt store)

Here's how you can be a winner: 

1. Pick up a postcard at any Whatcom County quilt store between now and Saturday Nov. 30th (one postcard per person)

2. Make a purchase at each quilt store to get a stamp on your postcard.

3. Return your postcard to your favorite quilt store by 5:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30th. 

4. Each quilt store will draw a winner at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday Nov. 30th (need not be present to win). 

5. The following week, postcards from all the shops will be pooled together for the grand prize drawing! 

Grand prize drawing is a $125.00 gift certificate with $25.00 from each quilt store! Five stamps are required. 

We hope you'll join us for the day! 

1800's Fabric Sampler subscription delivered to your door!

December is almost here, and we know the real Santas of the world need more help than they get!  Gift the quilters in your life (or yourself!) with a subscription to our monthly Fabric Sampler Club. Each month the recipient will receive a selection of new fabrics, with a focus on 1800's reproductions and Civil War era fabrics. Each package will arrive on the doorstep during the first week of the month, and include 8 fat eighths of our latest additions to our fabric collection.

Sampler Club members receive several other perks including exclusive access to the featured fabric for the current month.  For more information about our Sampler Club, or to sign up visit our website here, or call us to register!

Mostly French General

Some of our absolute favorite fabric designs come from French General... and you already know what else we love... fabric! So you know the only logical answer to where this is going is that we have a TON of French General fabric. And we can't stop using it! 

Take a look at some of the projects we've recently completed! We've got a fabulous table runner (appliqué on toweling fabric), a dynamic quilt, and a stitchery project that's a WIP on pre-stamped linen canvas. 

We've heard from a few customers as well that their collection of French General fabrics is a favorite to work with too - for all kinds of projects - and we consider it a great option for the holidays when you just need some red to add a bit of punch to your home decor.   If you've been adding to your collection or have a UFO that just needs a final touch - stop by and take a look at our latest additions from the Chafarcani fabric line. 

We also have precuts of French General fabric, including curated bundles, our latest project kits and brand new Chafarcani jelly rolls! 

News: African-American quilt art collection

Did you hear?! Nearly 3,000 quilts created by African-American artists have been left to the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive as a bequest from collector Eli Leon. Leon passed away last year at the age of 82. Prior to his death he spent a significant part of his life championing African-American quilt artists.

Rosie Lee Tompkins' "Untitled" (1995).
PC: Sharon Risedorph

The collections given to Berkeley include pieces from artists like Rosie Lee Tompkins, Willa Ette Graham and Arbie Williams. Some phenomenal artists! We're thrilled to hear of such amazing preservation of quilt art! Not only are we excited for all the gorgeous quilts that will be on display, but also all the history that will be learned from such an expansive collection.

"Basket Improvisation" (1981), by Willia Ette Graham.
PC: Geoffrey Johnson

According to a New York Times article, "two exhibitions of quilts from the bequest have already been planned. The first, a retrospective of Tompkins' work will open on Feb. 19, 2020. The second will follow in early 2022 and focus on the other artists represented in the collection, like Willia Ette Graham and Arbie Williams."

The exhibit featuring Rosie Lee Tompkins work will have over 500 of her quilts! Learn more by reading the New York Times article here.

New Fabric Additions

Tiny Tiles using Modern Solids

The quilt shown is a variation on the Tiny Tiles project tutorial (linked above) - a great way to use these small stacks of yummy pre-cut modern solids!  Pre-cuts are a great way to get a jump-start on a project and skip the effort of choosing colors and fabric combinations that are just right...

Denyse Schmidt modern solids 2.5 inch squares

Lots of variety in our latest additions to the fabric shelves.  Stop by soon to see what else is new!  We've got some fresh samples in the works and some new inventory besides fabric...the sewing season is here and we're ready!  

1800's color wall additions Marcus Brothers

Carrie Bloomston Newsprint back in stock!

Dear Stella Knitters

Linen Cotton Canvas Ruby Star

Winter Skiers from Northcott

M&S Textiles

M&S Textiles

Did you know?

Did you know that we carry clear vinyl on a 54" wide bolt?  These extra wide goods are great for larger projects and we've also pre-cut some more manageable half-yard (18"x54") pieces for smaller projects...like these fun pouches from Noodlehead Designs and Laura Cunningham.  Great for luggage tags, small pouches, clear pockets on all kinds of travel accessories - you name it!  

Free Tutorials!!
Binder Pouch (one with grommets):  noodle-head.com
See It All Pouch From Laura Cunningham