2012

Giveaway Day! Stitches-N-Giggles Highlight

612 Comments / Giveaway, Stitches N' Giggles / By

 

Happy Monday Everyone! If you are new to Sew BitterSweet Designs, welcome.  This is my happy creative place, where most everything is right with my little corner of the world. I hope you will take the time to become a follower and feel free to check out my tutorials and product reviews while you are here. I have lots of great quilting tutorials available!

Today I am lucky to have a wonderful giveaway from Lori at Stitches N’ Giggles.  Lori is a stay at home mom to 2 wonderful little boys and she is also a fabric addict – thus a store is born.  She has been sewing for over 20 years and 3 years ago, she decided to launch her own shop. She carries all of your favorites: Michael Miller, Moda, and Superior Threads King Tut.

Here are a few of my favorite lines that Lori has IN STOCK right now:

Vintage Modern by Bonnie & Camille

 

Lush by Patty Young

Coming in June, Lori is expecting…

 

Chevron by Riley Blake

And just in last week:

 

Lucy's Crab Shack by Sweetwater

Today you can win a Layer Cake of Lucy’s Crab Shack by Sweetwater from Stitches N’ Giggles! In order to enter, you must be a follower of this blog, so check out your options in the sidebar, it is really easy and there are lots of ways! Leave a separate comment for each entry.

This giveaway will be open until May 25th at 9pm Pacific Time, I will announce the winner on May 26th.  You have four chances to win. Good luck!  (I normally reply to all comments left on the blog, but giveaways are difficult because I get inundated, I do read every comment you leave!)

UPDATE: Lori is offering a giveaway code just for the SewMamaSew Giveaway week! Enter sewmamasew for 10% off on all fabric yardage and the code is good through the 27th of May!  So get shopping!

PS. I also have a giveaway open through Wednesday, May 23rd from Superior Threads! Make sure you check that out while you are here!

Superior Threads – Treasure Hand Quilting Thread Review

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Superior Threads – Treasure Hand Quilting Thread

(Full Disclosure: Superior Threads provided me with samples of their threads – the thoughts and opinions presented are my own)

In March I attended the Puyallup Sew Expo and I stopped by the Superior Threads booth. I had asked them if I could review their hand quilting thread on the project I was making for Mother’s Day. The nice thing about going to the booth was I got to meet Bob Purcell. If you have never met Bob, I highly suggest taking one of his Threadology Seminars. They are worth every penny of your money and every second of your time! The other reason it was nice to be in the booth was that I got to bring my current project with me to color match Treasure to my quilt. I love doing that! It is perhaps one of my favorite steps in the quilting process.

Here’s my wall hanging before I quilted it.

As you can see, with the exception of the prints, it is a bit Plain Jane and I wanted my quilting to not only brighten it up, but to be the standout feature. I got two different spools of Treasure Thread and started quilting. I used #560 Knick Knacks (tone on tone med. and dark teals) and #568 Legacy (med. and dark purples).  Let me pause here to tell you that the pictures you are looking at on the Superior Threads website (GO LOOK!!!) are exactly how the threads look in real life – which is a relief when you cannot see and feel something in person!  I did some straight line quilting and then I decided to try my hand at some curves and added four butterflies.

What do you think?

Here’s a close up of the stitching:

This is only my second time hand quilting and I have to tell you, I am hooked! It took me literally two months to finish this project, mostly because life happened and kept getting in the way.  My last project was done with Perle Cotton, so all my review will be based on that experience.  I should also mention that I used John James Quilting/Betweens – JJEG120 Size 9/10 needles by Colonial Needles.

Things I liked:

  • Virtually no kinking or knotting while I quilted. Perle Cotton, I have found, has a tendency to knot up if you are working with a really long length.
  • No thread breaks.
  • The stitches look like they were sewn by a machine!
  • Treasure comes in 300 yard spools and is available in 25 different colors, including VARIEGATED! There are no variegated Perle Cottons (at least not that I have seen)!
  • Want to practice your hand quilting, you can buy the Treasure Try Me Special – you will get a spool of thread for only $5.00. You won’t get to pick the color, but you will get to test out the thread at almost 40% off.  Believe me, you won’t be sorry!
  • There was no shedding or lint with Treasure, I had a lot of lint with Perle Cotton.
  • It is 100% machine washable – the colors will not fade or change unless you use bleach.


Recommendations:

  • Do your research on needles – some needles bend, some needles snap, and some needles are really great. Superior Threads does not carry hand quilting needles yet, so you will need to research the right needle. My personal recommendation is using a Between size 9 or 10. This size worked great for me.
  • Do not be thrown off by the “memory” of the thread – watch this video on Hand Quilting Thread by Bob Purcell – it is a great explanation.
  • For hand quilting I recommend getting a good thimble.

I would love to see Superior Threads either carry needles or have a recommended brand or two listed on their site. I would also love to see even more color choices available, although the fact that there are variegated choices already puts them miles ahead other brands!

Have you done any hand quilting? Would you or have you tried Superior Threads Treasure?

Here’s one last picture for Mother’s Day:

 

Superior Threads – Sponsor Highlight & Giveaway

207 Comments / Giveaway, Hand Quilting, superior threads / By

Hi Everyone! I’m back. Next week I will tell you all about why I have been MIA, but in the meantime I have some really fabulous things going on here that I want to share with you! Today I have Superior Threads here and I wanted to tell you about some of my favorite products that they carry that are just plain FUN!

I love this product and I have 2 dress patterns and a package at home waiting for me to sew up a dress for Anne.  Texture Magic allows you to add dimension to whatever project you are working on, and the best part is that it is permanent. You can wash your finished project and the texture will remain!

Can you guess what that is?!? Yup! It’s glow-in-the-dark thread! Superior Threads product NiteLite Extra Glow Polyester Thread to be exact. I happen to have a spool of the pink thread and I do see a fun embroidered pillow in Anne’s future with it!

Hello Summer! How about a fun embroidered shirt or a picnic quilt that has been quilted with color changing thread. Inside you see white thread and when you step out side into the sun you see a fun colored design! I also have a spool of this thread! I think Anne and I need a picnic blanket for trips to the park this summer and color changing thread would be the perfect finishing touch!

Now did you see that the title for this post also said “giveaway”.  Well Superior Threads told me that I could pick out three of my favorite threads, and I picked three that I have reviewed and they will be giving away a spool of each to THREE different winners.

I decided to pick three threads that I have reviewed: King Tut, So Fine and Treasure Hand Quilting Thread (oh wait, I guess I haven’t reviewed that one yet – come back tomorrow for that one!).

How do you enter:

1. Head over to Superior Threads and tell me your favorite product/thread line or the one you most want to try. (1 Entry)
2. Go like Sew BitterSweet Designs on Facebook or follow me on Twitter (1 Entry)
3. Spread the word: blog, facebook, or tweet about this giveaway, come back and leave me the link (1 Entry)

Three ways to enter!  This giveaway will be open until 9pm Pacific time on Wednesday, May 23rd. I will announce the winner on Thursday the 24th.  Good luck and make sure you stop by tomorrow to see what I made my mom for mother’s day and my review on Treasure Hand Quilting Thread!

Guest Post – Susan from The History Quilter

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Today I have a special treat for you, Susan from The History Quilter.  I met Susan on Twitter – gotta love that social networking thing! We quickly discovered that we had so much more in common than just quilting. Susan is working on her master’s degree in education to teach High School History…and oddly enough before my wonderful daughter was born, I was doing the EXACT SAME THING!  Susan does a regular podcast that you can download and it is so much fun, I usually listen to it while I am cooking dinner – make sure you check it out!  One of my favorite things that Susan does every week is a food post – and she just hits it out of the park every week!
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Hello fellow quilters and fans of Melissa of Sew BitterSweet Designs!  My name is Susan and I blog at The History Quilter and host a podcast called The History Quilter Podcast available on Podbean and iTunes.  Melissa and I discovered each other via Twitter and not only do I enjoy her blog but her wonderful support via Twitter has been invaluable these last few months.
As Melissa enjoys my dessert posts so much I thought I would share with you a Chocolate Streusel Cake recipe that I’ve been making ever since I was a teenager when my mother first shared it with me.
First the recipe:
Chocolate Streusel Cake
1 Pkg. Yellow Cake Mix – any kind, no pudding in the mix
1 small package Instant Vanilla Pudding
4 Eggs
8 oz. Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Oil
Streusel Mix
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Sugar
3 Tb. Cocoa
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
8 oz. Chocolate Chips
Bundt Pan
Butter or Oil Spray
Cocoa or Flour to dust pan
1. Spray or rub bundt pan with oil or butter.

2. Dust with cocoa or flour.  I like to use cocoa to change things up a bit.  Plus I like the color at the end. You’ll see….

3. Mix first six ingredients together. I usually use a stand mixer.

4.  Pour in 2/3rds of the batter into the bottom of the bundt pan.

5.  Mix up the Streusel Mix in a separate bowl.

 

6. Sprinkle 1/2 of the streusel mix over the batter.  Then drop in chocolate chips very precisely just like a quilter would do.

7. Oh come on….forget that – add them all in haphazard.  Who cares if they look nice?  Like our mother’s have said, it all mixes up in our stomach.

8.  Pour over the remaining batter.

9.  Take a knife and go down deep enough to swirl the streusel/chocolate chip layer with the batter.  Do not over swirl.

10. Sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top.

 

11. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Remember this is the bottom so cracking is just fine.

12.  Let sit about 30 minutes before you un-mold the cake.  I like to run a knife around the perimeter of the cake and the center to catch any chocolate chips that might have adhered to the sides that may prevent the cake from coming out nicely.  I usually do a quick 1, 2, 3 and flip…ah success.  See how dark it is?  That’s the cocoa.

13.  After the cake has cooled I sprinkle with a bit of sifted powered sugar but sometimes I leave it plain.

14. Enjoy.  Goes well with hot chocolate (my favorite), milk or coffee.

A huge thank you to Melissa for inviting me to guest post today.  I’ll be sending her a virtual piece of cake right away. Please come visit me at The History Quilter to see what I’ve been working on – quilting, sewing, gardening and cooking/baking.

Ciao,

Susan
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Thank you so much Susan! Everyone has to cook this and tell me how good it is because I’m allergic to chocolate and I need to enjoy it vicariously through all of you!

I will officially be back tomorrow and I have some really special things up my sleeve for you that you won’t want to miss out on!

Guest Post – Vicki from Quilting Lodge

19 Comments / Guest Post, tutorial / By

Hi! Today I would like to welcome Vicki from Quilting Lodge. I started blog stalking Vicki as a silent follower months and months ago, and back in March I decided to finally jump in on the conversation. Vicki is absolutely wonderful and so very very talented. Go check out the blog she writes with her mom, and make sure you check out her shop too!
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A huge thank you to Melissa for giving me the opportunity to visit with you all today!  My name is Vicki and I blog with my mom over at Quilting Lodge.  I’m so thrilled to be here today.  However, I am a bit nervous because this is my first time as a guest blogger.

It took me forever to decide on a topic for today but I finally landed on a tutorial for a table runner that can double as a wall hanging.

You might have noticed it’s not quilted.  Unfortunately, I just didn’t have time to get it completely finished.

All seams are 1/4″

Supplies:

6 ~ 7″ square pieces of fabric {I used part of a Good Fortune Layer Cake}
5/8 yard for background & outer border {grey}
1/4 yard inner border {purple}

Instructions:

First, I cut out all of my circles.  I took each 7″ square of fabric and applied  a 6 7/8″ square of Steam a Seam to the wrong side.  It’s very important that the Steam a Seam is smaller than the fabric.  Otherwise, you will have a sticky mess on your iron.

 

 

Steam a Seam on Wrong Side
Ironing it on

 

 

 

Almost ready to cut circles
There are two different ways to cut the circles out.  The old fashion way…scissors.  Or the easy way….use an Olfa Circle Cutter.  I went with option number 2…I used my handy dandy Olfa Circle Cutter which made my life a whole lot easier!  First, I’ll show you how I did it and then I’ll show you the alternative way using scissors.

Before I cut my circles I peeled off the paper backing.
I laid my square right side up on my cutting board and started cutting.

 

 

Ready to cut
Cutting the 4.5″ Circle

 

 

 

I made a total of three cuts.  I started with the smallest circle, the 4.5″ circle.  Then I cut the 5.5″ circle.  Then the 6.5″ circle.

 

 

Cutting 5.5″ Circle
Cutting 6.5″ Circle

 

 

 

Check out what I did in a matter of minutes…

 

 

 

 

 

Alternative:
If you do not use the Olfa circle cutter you need to leave the Steam a Seam paper backing on the fabric and draw circles.
I used a compass to draw the circles and then used scissors to cut out each circle.  Then peel off the paper backing.

Next, the 5.5″ circle must be cut into fourths.  I only used 5 of the 5.5″ circles so I picked my favorites.  Cut in half and then in half again.

 

 

Line up on the 2 3/4″ mark and cut
Flip ruler and line up on other 2 3/4″ mark

 

 

 

All done!
Now I’m ready to lay out the circles on the background fabric.

I cut a 10″ x width of fabric strip of grey

I laid this strip out on my ironing board, right side up.  I pressed it in half lengthwise to create a mark down the center.  I used this mark to help me align all the circles that will be applied.
Right side up ready to press
Press in half lengthwise
This is the center mark used for aligning circles
The 6.5″ circle rings will be the first to go onto the grey fabric.  Also, I started with the two center rings and worked my way out.  I folded each ring in half and made a crease on each side.  This crease was lined up with the center press mark on the grey fabric.  Keep going until all 6 rings are laid on the fabric.  They should be touching but not overlapping.  DO NOT iron anything yet.
Next, take each center 4.5″ circle and fold in half to make a crease in the center.  This crease will line up with the center press mark on the grey fabric.
If you look closely at the picture you can see all the crease marks line up with the pressed line I made earlier.  This is how I made sure everything lined up just right with no measuring!  DO NOT iron anything yet…

Next, add the connector pieces.  These pieces will be tucked under the outer rings.  I used my 6″ x 24″ ruler to make sure they were all placed the same distance from the edge of the grey.  I used tweezers to move them around if I needed.  Everything is still NOT ironed down at this point.

Stand back and take a look.  If you’re happy you can iron it all down.  If something looks off, just wiggle it around until you’re happy and then iron it all down.

 

 

Here’s what you have before adding any borders.

All we have left is appliquéing the circles, adding borders and quilting!

I used my open toe foot and stitched around each circle.  It’s a little time consuming but not too bad.  Just stop and have a little chocolate every now and then!

When I appliqué I always leave the threads long at the beginning and end so I can pull everything to the back and tie off.

The two threads on top will be pulled to the back and tied off

 

2 bobbin threads
2 bobbin + 2 top threads
Double knot & Trim

A close up of the appliqué…

After everything is stitched down it’s time to add borders.

Almost done!

I added a 1″ inner purple border to frame the design and a 2.5″ outer grey border to finish it all off!

 

I know I didn’t give a step by step on the borders.  I figured you’ve had enough of me for one day.  Plus, these were standard run of the mill borders that don’t really need a lot of explanation.

Boy oh boy that ended up being a really long tutorial.  I hope I didn’t lose too many of you along the way.  It’s been a true pleasure hanging out over here at Melissa’s today.  Come check out my blog if you get a chance.  You just might see pictures of this bad boy all quilted!

Now I’m off to pack and get ready for Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City!  I’m too excited for all the quilty goodness coming my way!


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So I happen to have an Olfa Circle Cutter, a ton of fusible web, and a charm pack of the SAME fabric. I think I see a downsized version of this in my future!  Thank you so much for sharing Vicki!

 

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