National Sewing Presents Shannon Newlin

Shannon Newlin shares her National Sewing Month Story! 

Early memories of sewing begin with my grandfather.  During his free time he enjoyed working on projects....from home additions to sewing clothes.  He made the sweetest floral dresses for me when I was a little girl. Even tiny details like sewing in a tag that said "made with love" were so special.

When I was old enough, I was taught how to sew by hand and then later by machine.  In middle school I took Home Economics and made my first skirt using a pattern.  I chose a beautiful corduroy fabric because it had flowers on it  - of course!  I completed a fully pleated skirt, and it turned out to be the heaviest garment I owned.  Needless to say I learned a lot.

In high school I continued to make many garments for myself...dresses, pants, tops...but I never used patterns again.  I would just stretch out the fabric on the floor and trace myself! Somehow it worked and I was able to express my fashion vision through sewing; if only Project Runway existed back then!

Today my creative energies are devoted to painting and designing patterns for fabric. I love this process.  One aspect that excites me is knowing it doesn't end with the development of the fabric, but continues on to another creative person....an inspired journey of which I’m happy to be a part.

Make sure to sign up for a chance to win fabric from Shannon Newlin along with our Coats Quilt+ thread! You will also be entered for a chance to win our Grand Prize giveaway featuring SEW many goodies including a Janome AMH-100 Machine!

ENTER TO WIN HERE!

National Sewing Month Featuring Anna Maria Horner

Anna Maria Horner shares her earliest sewing memory for National Sewing Month!

I was so lucky that my mother let me at the sewing machine at the very young age of 7.  This was after standing next to her and watching her sew my clothes for as far back as I can remember.  I found the sewing machine to be a miracle and a bit dangerous, so I pleaded until she finally gave in.  Prior to that I was hand sewing dresses for my Barbie Doll, and I've since heard from so many others that they began the same way.  Perhaps Barbie's biggest contribution to future quilters is it got us thinking in scraps from day one!  So a big thanks to my mom for believing I was capable.  I haven't stopped trying to prove I can do it!

Make sure to sign up for a chance to win fabric from Anna Maria Horner along with our Coats Quilt+ thread! You will also be entered for a chance to win our Grand Prize giveaway featuring SEW many goodies including a Janome AMH-100 Machine!

ENTER TO WIN HERE!

National Sewing Month Featuring Kathy Doughty

Kathy Doughty shares her earliest sewing memory for National Sewing Month!

I was a Girl Scout sewing badge flunky!  I hated the sewing machine as a young girl and never dreamed I’d ever sew anything.  My life shifted dramatically when I moved to Australia and left behind all of the defining people, places and things in my life.  I met a few friends at my first son’s playgroup.  One of them, Bronwyn and her daughter Lucy, made me a quilt for my second baby Noah.  I remember quite clearly on that day, standing in the sun in my front yard as she handed me a quilt made with scraps in a quarter square pattern and tied with a ribbon. 

I looked at it and gasped at the full realization of the sharing that had gone into making it.  I could see the decisions made as they considered together what fabrics went where.  Visions of possibilities swarmed through my mind, I looked up at Bronwyn and said, “Teach me how to do this right now!”

I did not know a thing about sewing but I have spent the last 24 years learning by doing.  Don’t let anyone fool you, patience has nothing to do with making a quilt!  It’s all about learning in the moment, experimenting with color, design and pattern.  The best part is the community of willing quilters that will happily share what they know.  My quilting friends quickly became family.  Opening Material Obsession was an exciting opportunity that simply allowed me to learn faster from my customers and teachers as well as the groups and guilds I have encountered along the way.  It has become my voice and the place where I am most me.

Make sure to sign up for a chance to win fabric from the Kathy Doughty along with our Coats Quilt+ thread! You will also be entered for a chance to win our Grand Prize giveaway featuring SEW many goodies including a Janome AMH-100 Machine!

National Sewing Month Featuring Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably, & Liza Lucy

Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably, and Liza Lucy share their sewing story for National Sewing Month!

‘When I first started stitching needlepoint, I had the cheek to send an early tapestry to the Embroiderers Guild for a show they were mounting. It was sent back to me the next day as they were horrified that it had stitches running in two different directions and I thought a good colour arrangement was what was important – a good lesson – I’ve not done it again!’ Kaffe Fassett

‘If in a rush, use your sewing machine but stitching by hand is so much more of a meditative motion. The thrill of cutting up a piece of patterned fabric, mixing it with other colours and standing back to observe your progress is like the opening of a theatrical production and it’s your own creation.’  Brandon Mably

The year is 1972. I am in college. My boyfriend has a king size waterbed. And that bed needed a cover.

 Although I was in college to study and learn, I admit that I spent quite a lot of time embroidering peace signs on my friends' denim jackets.  It was the first clue that I would not be making my living as a clinical psychologist but as a needlewoman.

I had no idea how to make a quilt but it didn't look hard so, I purchased 25 blue and white bandanas.  I hand sewed them together, 5 across and 5 down to make a large square top.  I knew I needed to get batting and backing and thought the best batting would have to be the fluffiest so I got that and a several of yards of red pinwale corduroy for the backing.   I pinned these layers together (I wouldn't have called it pin basting because I didn't know that term yet) and using  a large circular needle and a skein of Red Heart ecru knitting yarn, tied the layers together.

To finish the edge (I didn't know the term binding), I bought satin edging yardage that is normally used to edge wool blankets and hand sewed it on. 

It was the Age of Aquarius and bell bottoms, and beads and I had made my first quilt.  I thought it was a beautiful quilt and it kept us very warm! Liza Lucy

Make sure to sign up for a chance to win fabric from the Kaffe Fassett Collective along with our Coats Quilt+ thread! You will also be entered for a chance to win our Grand Prize giveaway featuring SEW many goodies including a Janome AMH-100 Machine!
ENTER TO WIN HERE!

National Sewing Month Featuring Tanya Whelan

Tanya shares her earliest sewing memory for National Sewing Month!

I started sewing as a kid, just little craft projects, learning the basics. When I was about 19 and had my first apartment, and very little money, I turned my mattress into a daybed with a proper box pleat slipcover and giant back pillows made from inexpensive muslin. I found this so empowering to be able to shape my world and make it a little bit nicer through sewing. I could not have imagined then that these experiences would eventually lead me to write two sewing books. Paying attention to the small things that bring you, joy, like sewing, can pay off in small and big ways.

Make sure to sign up for a chance to win fabric from Tanya along with our Coats Quilt+ thread! You will also be entered for a chance to win our Grand Prize giveaway featuring SEW many goodies including a Janome AMH-100 Machine! ENTER TO WIN HERE. 

National Sewing Month Featuring Margot Elena

Margot shares her earliest sewing memory for National Sewing Month!

My earliest sewing memory was making clothes for my stuffed animals and discovering that flat paper doll patterns are not at all the same as sewing for three-dimensional critters. Discovering that flat sewing patterns need to accommodate three-dimensional shapes planted the seeds for my love of detail oriented and creative packaging, which inspired me to be the designer I am today.

Make sure to sign up for a chance to win fabric from Margot along with our Coats Quilt+ thread! You will also be entered for a chance to win our Grand Prize giveaway featuring SEW many goodies including a Janome AMH-100 Machine! 

Enter to Win a precut HERE and A Chance at the Grand Prize!

National Sewing Month Featuring Jennifer Paganelli

Jennifer shares her earliest sewing memory in honor of National Sewing Month!

In 1970, at the age of 12, I anxiously awaiting the arrival of my two sisters Shana and Meghan.  I was in 5^th grade at St. Croix Country Day School.  I knew my life as I knew it was going to change dramatically. It was such an exciting and thrilling time in our family.

Mom was committed to bed rest and I remember visiting her in her bedroom. We played games, thought of baby names and guessed the sexes. My twin brother Jimmy (yes, you heard that right, my mom had two sets of twins) threatened to run away if they were both girls. 

My mom had six kids all together with 10 years between the youngest and the oldest, Bridget who was 15, and had a boyfriend.  These babies were going to definitely going to cramp here style. 

I got busy sewing. I made my siblings pajamas and I overheard my brothers and sisters grouching that they didn’t fit and the crouch was down to their knees yada yada. My mother bribed them with candy and Cracker Jacks to wear them just one night without complaining.  I was blissfully unaware and just kept sewing.

My mom saw promise and sent me to the College of the Virgin Islands for extended education classes. We would stop at Woolworths to get the fabrics, thread, etc. – everything I needed. It was the icing on the cake! After the babies were born, I made matching baby outfits in class. My mom, being the wonderful mother she was, put them in the front row of church when they were old enough to wear the dresses and bonnets. I was beaming with pride…soaking up the love that welcomed the babies in their cherished outfits.  

Make sure to sign up for a chance to win fabric from Jennifer along with our Coats Quilt+ thread! You will also be entered for a chance to win our Grand Prize giveaway featuring SEW many goodies including a Janome AMH-100 Machine! ENTER TO WIN HERE!

National Sewing Month Featuring Corinne Haig

Corinne shares her earliest sewing memory in honor of National Sewing Month!

I grew up with talented seamstresses in my family. My grandmother, mother and sister all sewed. My grandmother made all of my mother's school clothes and dance recital costumes. Likewise, my mother sewed most of me and my sister’s school clothes and doll clothes.

While growing up, my sister loved to sew clothes for her Barbie. I was the artist of the family, so instead of sewing fabrics outfits for my Barbie, I designed paper clothes.  I would paint and color designs onto paper, carefully cutting them to fit, and using clear tape to hold together. I made my Barbie a beautiful paper wardrobe of dresses, skirts, tops and swimsuits featuring my bright patterns and floral designs. I guess this was the beginning of what I do now, creating art on fabric for others to sew. I love what I do and it is a thrill to see how others bring my fabric to life!

Make sure to sign up for a chance to win fabric from Corinne along with our Coats Quilt+ thread! You will also be entered for a chance to win our Grand Prize giveaway featuring SEW many goodies including a Janome AMH-100 Machine! ENTER TO WIN HERE!

National Sewing Month Featuring Denyse Schmidt

Denyse shares her earliest sewing memory in honor of National Sewing Month!

My first sewing project was a dress for my Barbie.  I knew then that this was my calling and I had to continue to put needle and thread to fabric.

I learned to sew from my mother. She was 'doing it all' before it was a thing – she raised four kids, earned two masters degrees, worked full time and somehow found time to entertain, reupholster furniture, and make clothes for herself and her kids. My mother learned to sew from her grandmother, and I remember my mother telling me she made everything, including underwear! I found out after I started my business that my great grandmother also made utilitarian quilts – the kind of quilts that I love -- made in a hurry from old clothing and out of necessity.

When I was a kid, I had a toy sewing machine that always jammed which was super frustrating. I remember wanting to sew on a 'real' machine early on – I think my mother knew I would be a serious stitcher at that point! I sewed softies, doll clothes and home accessories for my dollhouse.      

                

In my high school Home Economics class, one of my projects was a linen, double-breasted skirt suit with bound buttonholes and pockets. I was always pretty ambitious and impatient!  My first 'professional' sewing job was working in the costume shop at the Boston Ballet. Early in the season, I made a terrible mess of a tutu – sewing yards and yards of delicate silk tulle to essentially a pair of underpants – but managed to keep my job! The rest is history!

Make sure to sign up for a chance to win fabric from Denyse along with our Coats Quilt+ thread! You will also be entered for a chance to win our Grand Prize giveaway featuring SEW many goodies including a Janome AMH-100 Machine! SIGN UP HERE

Electric Quilt Company 25th Anniversary Giveaway!

Congratulations to our winner Sonia Brathwaite!
Don't forget to check Electric Quilts BLOG to see if you won their prize as well! Thanks to everyone for participating!

We are excited to partner with the Electric Quilt Company for one of their giveaways to celebrate 25 years! We want to give you a chance to win an EQ7 (valued at $189.95)! Submit your email below for a TWO chances to win and to add ONE more chance you can also follow us on Pinterest by clicking that link below as well!  If you want to win even more, check out their blog post for a chance to win FIVE FreeSpirit bundles of our True Colors fabrics by Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner, Joel Dewberry, Tula Pink, and Heather Bailey! Hurry the contest ends May 25th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get your Fox on!

FreeSpirit Fox Playground by Dena Designs is the perfect fabric for some foxy fun, don’t you agree?  Do you know what the fox says?  If the fox was talking to you, what would it tell you to make from some Fox Playground?  Comment here and we will select two random commentators to win six, 1 yard cuts of this fun and trendy fabric.  The grand revel of what you think the fox says will be December 30 (in other words that’s when we will announce the lucky winners)! Go . . . .

What is your New Year's Sewig Resolution? Tell Sew4Home.com and win!

Over the past four weeks we did a series with Sew4Home featuring Ten Collctions and Ten Designers.  Now, there will be TEN WINNERS!  At stake, for those who choose to participate, is 10 yards of fabric for each winner.  We, along with Sew4Home, are offering 100 yards of fabric for the taking.  The fabric represents the twelve projects featured during the series.  Some of the collections are shown here.

Sew4Home.com will randomly select 10 winners posted on the Giveaway story, click here, as well as the other articles within this 4-week series. The first two drawn names will be the "first place" and "second place" winners; these two lucky ducks will get a mystery grab bag of 10 yards of fabric plus an 18-spool thread gift box courtesy of Coats & Clark. The remaining eight winners will each get just (Ha!!! JUST!!!!) the ten yards of fabric.

Click here to read the details on how to enter to win.  TEN people will be randomly selected from everyone who posts a qualifying comment on one or more of the twelve 10 Designers & 10 Collections project articles as of midnight PT February 28, 2013. No purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited.

The making of a ballerina! Piourette giveaway time!

Yesterday we did a photo shoot in an old southern home, not necesarily a plantation but one that reminds you that you are in the land of rocking chairs on wrap around porches.  One of the fabrics shot was FreeSpirit Piourette from Verna Mosquera.  We had an adorable 4 year old model who fell in love with the tutu she modeled, declaring she no longer wanted to be Taylor Swift but a model.  To Miss Karsyn we bequeth the Piourette tutu and leotard!  To you, our ever faithful blog followers, we want to bequeth some FreeSpirit Piourette fabric. Did you ever dream of being a ballerina? Have all your dreams come true and do you still dare to dream?  Comment by midnight Sunday, December 2nd and six, random commentators will be selected to receive six, 1 yard cuts of Piourette by Verna Mosquera -- it may make your dreams come true!

FreeSpirit announces winners of Kathy Davis fabric!

It seems many FreeSpirit fabric fans love to scatter joy through their quilting and sewing.  The six, randomly selected winners of six, 1 yard cuts of Kathy Davis fabric are: Crickets Corner, banjo 795, Amy's Crafty Shenanigans, artsygirljeanette, mary mahoo and Ali.  Congratulations to all.  Stay tuned, in November we will feature Verna Mosquera and her new collection called Piourette inspired by Ballerina Dancers in Pink, a painting by Edgar Degas.

Verna Mosquera showing Piourette at Fall Quilt Market

Dena Design Giveaway -- Pretty Little Things

The month of June has flown by but we still need to get your thoughts on the Pretty Little Things in your life.  Much like the new FreeSpirit Collection Pretty Little Things (24 SKUs, available now) by Dena Designs, this fun and whimsical fabric is the perfect combination of hand painted florals and geometric prints.  Let the fresh aqua, pink, yellow and orange colors inspire your creativity.  What would you make from six, one yard cuts of Pretty Little Things.  Tell us before midnight Monday, July 3 and six random comentators will get just that chance . . . to create some pretty little things. 

Week 3; Heather Bailey Fresh Cut

Fresh Cut by Heather Bailey,  Laminate OCHB005Brown

As promised, each month we will feature a designer post, project tutorial and a giveaway. Last week we celebrated all things Spring. This week, we return to Fresh Cut by Heather Bailey, a relaunch of her original FreeSpirit fabric with new colorations; a real breath of fresh air.  To continue our March "Madness," and I don't mean basketball, we want to share the wealth.  We want you to experience our Flannel and Laminate substrates by offering three randomly selected commentators a chance to win six, one yard cuts of Fresh Cut Flannel and another three randomly selected commenators a chance to win six, one yard cuts of Fresh Cut Laminates. That is six total winners!

So comment away.  You have between now and Thursday, March 29.  Winners will be announced here on Friday.

Winners, Winners Everywhere!

Curious Nature, Parson Gray

Well, we have scientifically selected random numbers to select the winners of six, one yard cuts of Parson Gray Curious Nature fabric as well as those six winners for the Heather Bailey patterns.  So without further adieu, here is who was selected to add Curious Nature to their stash:

Jan from Prytz Family blog

HeatherA, I'm Here Might As Well Win

Moose on the Porch Quilts

alobsiger from Mrs. Schmekman Quilts blog

Irelle, Jibberish Designs

and last but not least, Amorette from Sew While He Sleeps, (which sounds like a great plan!)

And now the winners of two Heather Bailey patterns; Jack & Jill Lunch Bags and Happy Stack Rings are:

Pattysky pants

Tamie

Beatrix from Kindershop

Jennie P

Carla G

Fresh Cut, Heather Bailey

The Goose

Keep coming back and tell your friends.  Each month we will feature a designer, a tutorial using the designer's fabric the Monday Mania giveaways.  Now that you've won such fabulous gifts from FreeSpirit Fabrics, what are you going to do?  We hope you say sew (or Disney Land would be a nice change of pace!).

Monday Mania!!! A great giveaway from Mr. February, Parson Gray

It's that time again.  Now that you've gotten to know Parson Gray a bit, it's time for you to tell us if Mr. February were to wander into your life, what would you do with it . . . oh I mean, the fabric of course. David is itching for you to see his fabrics in real life and to combine his totally on- trend colors into something spectacular. Now we want to give you the opportunity by giving away six one yard cuts of his new fabric Curious Nature to six random commentators.  Follow us and grab a friend or two to sign on. This is just the second of 12 different Designer Showcase features for this year, so much like the lottery you have to be in it to win it!  Tell us, by Sunday, February 19th, what would you do with a little bit of Parson Gray . . . the fabric of course! Winners will be revealed here Monday, February 20.

Drum Roll Please . . . . And the winners are?

FreeSpirit, Early Birds by Jane Sassaman

Congratulations to the winners of Jane Sassaman's Early Bird fabric.  You will receive from FreeSpirit six, one yard cuts as well as two of Jane's Sillouhette patterns, all for your creative pleasure.  We'd love to see what you create with this bold, bright fun fabric.  Or if it happens to become part of your stash, send a photo of it on a shelf.  We will still be inspired.  So, without further adieu here are the winners:

Andrea from California

Jenny from Fort Wayne, IN

Nikki Lee from Plympton, MA

SewLindaAnn from Roswell, GA

Next order of business, we promised on Friday anyone who got friends or family to follow us to reach a milestone of 400 followers could win one of our beautiful, four color catalogs. Well all five commentators who helped to push us over 400 will get this gorgeous publication in the mail.  Hopefully all those fantastic fabrics will inspire you to get even more creative.

Stay tuned, February features our yet-to-be revealed Parson Gray and Curious Nature. Please continue to share the love . . . we want to keep you quilting, sewing and crafting with FreeSpirit Fabrics.