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. 

The Artist UnSEWn - FreeSpirit Presents Tanya Whelan's Rambling Rose

"Hygge is in the Air"

Tanya Whelan's Rambling Rose

You may have heard the term "hygge" a lot lately. It seems to be everywhere this year and especially this time of year. Hygge is a Danish concept that is often translated as coziness in English. From what I understand it basically just describes a feeling or atmosphere where the small, simple things in life like warmth, good food, family and friends are appreciated and celebrated. Though the Scandinavians undoubtedly do coziness incredibly well, I think every culture and perhaps even every person has their own version of what makes for coziness and warmth in a home. Maybe it's a New England cottage by the sea on a snowy day with a roaring fire, or a little log cabin in the mountains with pot belly stove, or even a walk up brownstone apartment in New York City with a perfect little Christmas tree with it's twinkling lights that represents a refuge of warmth and coziness to you.

Tanya Whelan's Rambling Rose

For me, where ever I happen to be, quilts have always brought home the feeling of coziness. I loved the quilts I would see in antique stores when I was growing up. I loved the bright colours and floral patterns pieced into intricate designs. But I especially loved the idea that these beautiful quilts were put together over time using leftover fabric from worn clothing or feedsacks out of necessity and that they were made by hard working women to keep their families warm and safe. I loved the quilt that my mom made in the seventies out of leftover fabric from sewing projects. Though she always intended to, my mom never got around to actually quilting it. The top was pieced and tied to keep the batting in place but it made no difference to me as a little kid. It simply made me feel safe and warm. Years later I wrapped my own baby boy in that same quilt. Similarly the baby quilts my mom made for each of my children still bring me that sense of warmth and love. As does the perfect pink, expertly hand quilted quilt my grandmother made me which kept me warm in my first apartment New York City as a young adult.

Tnaya Whelan's Rambling Rose

I think all of my fabric collections are inspired by my love of homeyness, of coziness, of hygge and this newest collection, Rambling Rose, is no exception. So, at this coldest time of year I just want to wish you lots of hygge and lots of snuggling under that perfect quilt.

xoxo

Tanya

One Million Pillowcase Challenge Sew-a-Thon - Give With Joy

 We are thrilled and honored to be a participant in the One Million Pillowcase Challenge Sew-a-Thon Blog Hop! Coats and FreeSpirit have sponsored this fabulous charitable challenge for many years and the Sew-a-Thon Blog Hop is all about inspiration and helping others - it's perfect for you! Learn more about the Blog Hop and Sew-a-Thon, by clicking here.

 

 Those who make are the most generous people I know and I’m convinced that the act of making expands our hearts and increases our capacity to see the value in giving. Makers are always the first to respond to need and they usually show up with every other maker they can find. Since the One Million Pillowcase Challenge needs your joyous making help for a September Sewathon - let’s talk pillowcase. Stay with me and you can find out how to help at the end!

“No one has ever become poor by giving.” ― Anne Frank, diary of Anne Frank: the play

Pillowcases make fabulous gifts and are a tremendously easy way to perk up your own home décor. There are lots of options to consider and we have three yummy possibilities to inspire you. We’ve used fabrics from Free Spirit’s 2016 Fall collections that you’re going to love - Rosealea by Nel Whatmore, Isabelle by  Dena Designs and Sadie's Dance Card by Tonya Whelan. Click here to see 50 free pillowcase patterns on the One Million Pillowcase Challenge web site.

“To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own.” ― Abraham Lincoln

 Basic pillowcases are super-easy and super-quick to make. Novelty prints are fun to use, but there’s something totally classy and serene about a pillowcase made with basic stripes and dots. In general, you’ll want to choose three fabrics for your basic pillowcase – main, cuff and accent. Audition your fabrics by laying them out in the order they might go. Take a picture to see how the finished case will look - it's a great tool for decision making.

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” ― Mother Teresa

Bright colors and patterns make a wonderfully bold statement and an exciting pillowcase. Audition your fabrics and think about where your pillowcase will be used and the overall look you want to achieve. If you’re making pillowcases to donate, make them as attractive as possible. The love you put in will be evident in the finished case and the recipient will instantly know that someone cares.

  

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” ― Maya Angelou

Making pillowcases is a sewing joy and it's especially delightful when you add a little variety and spark to the design. Charming fabrics become awesomely spectacular when you add interest with a scalloped cuff. Can you just imagine the smile on the face of someone in need who receives a case like this? That’s what the One Million Pillowcase Challenge is all about – miles and miles of pillowcase smiles!

   

 The Third Annual 24-Hour One Million Pillowcase Challenge Sew-a-Thon takes place this year on September 16th and 17^th. American Patchwork and Quilting, originators of the Challenge will hold a Sewathon at their headquarters in Des Moines IA. If you're not close to Des Moines there may be an event in your area or you can plan one of your own. Even a few friends sewing together can make a magnificent contribution. Click here to visit the One Million Pillowcase Challenge Sew-a-Thon web site. You'll find pillowcase patterns, groups to join and places to donate. And, above all, make, enjoy and give - someone nearby is counting on you for handmade love and encouragement!

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” ― John Bunyan

Visit the other stops on todays blog hop:

American Patchwork & Quilting

Celine Perkins

Fabri-Quilt / Paintbrush Studios 

FreeSpirit Fabrics 

Handi Quilter 

How To Sew

Jacquelynne Steves 

Make It Yourself

Martingale 

Michele Foster

Moda Fabrics

Sarah Maxwell of Designs by Sarah J)

Sheila Sinclair Snyder of License to Quilt

Timeless Treasures

Summer Time Stash Cleaning!

It’s Summer time and with the days getting longer it's a great time get your stash organized. . . hope that all those UFOs (unidentified finished objects) become what they were intended to be and hope that your stash of fabric, somehow miraculously may dwindle a bit! Dwindle you say? How could that possibly happen when more and more beautiful fabrics are being introduced every minute of every day!

Well our goal is to help dwindle that stash so that you can continue to take advantage of such treasures like FreeSpirit Beauty Queen by Jennifer Paginelli or Lovelorn by Jenean Morrison.  Here is a laundry list of quick ideas guaranteed to bust your stash and make room for some new fabrics!

Create a scrappy anthropology like pillow.  Inspired by an urban ready-made pillow, this uses Rowan Kaffe Collective fabric but certainly any color story would work.

 

Tea Towels are a nice hostess gift and or a nice detail to spruce up any guest bathroom. These are made from FreeSpirit Valentine Rose by Tanya Whelan but any floral, shabby chic fabric will do.

Novelty kitchen décor or a little gift for your friend who loves chickens, these Wired Chicks use a tiny bit of fabric for a whole lot of fun décor --  FreeSpirit Fowl Play by Luelle Doss is the perfect fabric for such frivolity.

 

Make this Garden-inspired Tote which can be the perfect complement to a spring shift dress using FreeSpirit Secret Garden by Nel Whatmore – a patchy tote with trendy hand stitched detail.

A modern twist on a scrappy idea can be found in the Beechwood Park Quilt featuring FreeSpirit Beechwood Park by Jenean Morrison.  Use any bright and colorful stash fabrics, big and small prints, to create this perfect picnic or veranda throw.

Create coasters customized to match your décor. A linen/cotton blend, like FreeSpirit Novella, looks classy but yet is totally machine washable and totally only requires less than half a yard of fabric to create four.  

Inspiration behind Tanya Whelan's Slipper Roses Collection

 

Inspired by the soft pink of a ballet slipper Slipper Roses is a classic, ultra feminine and romantic collection of iconic rose prints.  Both soft and deep hues of pink and soft greens color this collection of lush, timeless florals with soft pink, green and pale blue backgrounds. Pin dots, checked tickings and trellis designs combine with perfect roses to round out this oh so girly collection.

Slipper Roses Dress - Vogue Pattern V8874; www.voguepatterns.mccall.com

 

Rosey By Tanya Whelan

Pretty, soft, playful and innocent are the words that describe Rosey. Sweet little roses, floral paisleys, cherry blossoms rendered in gentle reds, blues and pinks make this collection feel both fresh and cheerful. Rosey would be wonderful for new mom gifts like diaper bags, changing pads, bibs and of course quilts for all ages.

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.

10 & 10 Continues on Sew4Home; Make this closet hanger safe!

Is this the prettiest closet hanger safe you have ever seen?  Of coure it is because it is made with FreeSpirit Petal Home fabric by Tanya Whelan.  For step-by-step, color illustrated directions, visit Sew4Home and out 10 & 10 Series;10 Designers and 10 Collections to create several how-to tutorials plus an awesome Great Giveaway in the end. See the entire Petal collection here. Make a new years resolution today to expand your sewing creativity and try something new for yourself.