Seasonal Silhouettes with Edyta Sitar + a GIVEAWAY

We absolutely love Edyta's newest book, Seasonal Silhouettes. 
It is a collection of 12 inspirational quilt blocks that feature raw-edge applique.  
We will be giving away this book & some goodies at the end, so stayed tuned for how to WIN!

Take a closer look at Edyta's new book by watching this video...

We asked Edyta what notions she enjoyed using most 

and this is what she told us... 

Aurifil Threads - there are two sets that I really enjoy, one is my “Quilters Essentials” wt50 - it truly is a staple for many projects, the other is my 10 spool “Over the Rainbow” wt50 thread set - since it is a small spool set, it’s easy to carry when you travel and you can rely on the fact that you have a rainbow of thread colors no matter where you go.

Needles – for machine I recently discovered “Schmetz Microtex Needles 70/10” thanks to my friends and I really enjoy them. For hand stitching I use “Foxglove Cottage Embroidery/Redwork Needle Size 10” I like them because of the bigger eye that makes them easy to thread but still nice and thin to slip through the fabric easily, perfect for binding.

Scissors – my favorite ones are the “Gingher 5in Sewing Shear” these are a nice pair of medium size scissors that work great for any quilting activities.

One Lucky Winner Will Get the Following Goodies... 
A. Sensational Silhouettes book

B. a full set of "Seasonal Silhouettes" laser cut blocks 

C. Edyta's Favorite Notions

TO ENTER TO WIN: 

1. Follow our blog*. 

2. Leave a comment telling us your favorite season. 

To follow our blog click on the blue button on the top right of this page that says "Join this site". 

This and That for June

 

 

First up...Moda Honeycombs...I LOVE them! I recently purchased my first package, and I was immediately impressed. I love the large size (makes for projects coming together more quickly), and I love the plastic template which comes with each set. The template has holes at the quarter-inch intersections at each corner making it easy to mark and sew these hexagons with no fuss!

 

Next...have you seen Baby Jane?! I fell in love with this line after first seeing some pictures on-line a few months ago. I can hardly wait to start sewing with this bundle (Baby Jane precuts are in shops now)!

I love the reds, aquas, yellows, and greys, and I love the text prints in this collection!

Of course I needed to match up some of the colors with the Moda Bella solids...the yellows look absolutely wonderful with Mustard (9900 213).

The aquas are lovely with Aqua (9900 34). (This is the aqua I use most often and always have on hand).

And the reds look perfect with Betty's Red (9900 123).

Did I mention this collection has wonderful text prints? Not only are several of these text prints perfect for low-volume stash building, but they also will make terrific quilt backings!

Since it's June I've been doing a bit of organizing. I usually organize at the beginning of the year and then again at the beginning of summer. I've been creating some kits from my pre-cut stash--matching the fabrics to patterns and getting them cut and ready to sew.  This week I cut up a Simply Color jelly roll that had been sitting on my cutting table for a few months! I'm hoping to get this quilt top put together soon! Leave a comment if you have any June organizing tips to share!

 

HowToSew.com

If you’ve been sewing awhile (and most readers of The Cutting Table probably have), then it’s hard to remember the days when threading your machine or understanding the term “seam allowance” didn’t come naturally. But truth be told, even the most skilled amongst us was once a newbie stitcher, eager to learn the right way to wield a seam ripper or create a tidy double-fold hem.

Jill Abeloe Mead

Here to provide guidance for those basic tasks and much more is the web site HowToSew.com, produced by the talented folks who bring you American Patchwork and Quilting, Quilt Sampler, and Quilts and More. “We’re reaching out to beginning sewers and our mission is to help them learn to sew and to have a fun, successful experience,” says Jill Abeloe Mead, the site’s editor.

The learning, and the fun, is enhanced by patterns and tutorials for sewing projects for gifts, accessories, and home décor items. In the process of creating pillows, potholders, and pouches, newbies learn skills that will last a lifetime. “Sewing isn’t in many school curriculums anymore and we see lots of people teaching themselves,” says Jill. “When they get into a jam, they go to the Internet, and we want to be their go-to source for both learning basic skills and improving upon them.”

Focus groups held around the country helped Jill determine the site’s content. She learned, for example, that phrase “the right side of the fabric” wasn’t clear to beginners. “We saw they were looking at the right-hand edge of the cloth,” says Jill, so she created an illustrated post that clears up the confusion. Other posts offer tips for cutting, pressing, and sewing straight, and explain how to use templates. “We also learned that people are interested in mending things—how to fix a snag in a sweater, for example—so we’ll continue to include that kind of information,” she says. 

Lindsay Fullington

In addition to the on-site content, a link leads to a series of Youtube videos with editor Lindsay Fullington, who demonstrates how to thread a sewing machine, how to replace a sewing machine needle, and even how to sew on a button. “Lindsay’s already developed a number of faithful followers and we’re getting email from fans,” says Jill.

New content is being added to the site regularly. On tap for this summer are a series of tee-shirt projects, including ways to personalize and modify them. Along the way site visitors will learn about fusibles, how to cut a tee-shirt for re-fashioning, and what kinds of needles to use when stitching knits. Another series of projects will focus on baby accessories: a simple coverlet, blocks, and an embellished onesie. “People like to make things to give and we plan to have lots of gift ideas in the months leading up to the holidays,” says Jill.

 Used with permission from howtosew.com ©2013 
Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. For more projects, visit www.howtosew.com. 

While HowToSew.com is aimed at beginners, there’s no doubt that some of us who have been sewing awhile will enjoy it, too. I plan to whip up some Fabric Corner Bookmarks to tuck into the holiday cards I give to my book group buddies. And the Fabric and Color section demonstrates how to use photos of everyday objects—flowers, gourds, even cookies—as inspiration for pulling together a variety of textures and hues when choosing fabrics. It’s a reminder that one of the great things about sewing is that no matter how long you’ve been stitching, there’s always something new to try.