Gathering Fabric Quilt Shop

Civil War Club - 6 Months

2008-05-31T10:11:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at how much history I have been learning as we sew a block each month from the book Civil War Love Letters Quilt. I certainly must not have been listening when I was in school!

Along with just reading the letters the men wrote to their wives and families, we have learned more about places where battles were fought, notable events and even songs that were popular at that time.

Did you know...

~ The motto In God We Trust was added to coins in 1864 in response to the religious sentiments during the Civil War.

~ Fortress Monroe, where Civil War battles were fought, is a 6-sided fort surrounded by a moat and still an active Army base today.

~ Wait for the Wagon was a popular song in the Ozarks during the Civil War.

~ West Virginia was formed as a state in response to Virginia's secession from the Union.

You can still join us in making these blocks! Learn more about the Civil War and at the same time make a quilt that can be shared with your friends and family.

City of Lights

2008-03-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

When you think of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Champs Elysees are probably among the first things that come to mind. But it is the people, rather than the monuments, that make traveling to a foreign country the most memorable.

The Best of Quilting shop

My husband and I recently had the opportunity to visit Paris and in turn to visit with some of the ladies from our sister shop, Best of Quilting, just outside of Paris. There are no words to describe the warmth and sisterly love that greeted us. Well, maybe there are words in French, but all I know how to say is "Where are the bathrooms?" (Ou sont les toilettes?)

Old castle ruins of Marcoussis

Best of Quilting is located in a small village not far from Paris called Marcoussis. It is about the same distance from Paris as Woodinville is to Seattle. They even have their own castle ruins.

Valerie, the owner of Best of Quilting

Valerie and many of the block swap sisters greeted us with cake and champagne! The cakes were lovingly made by many of the ladies from the shop, generously shared and graciously eaten. We toasted to all of our sisters in the quilt block swap and to our continued health and happiness.

Gary's hand-knit socks

When they found out that I had knit Gary's socks, they wanted to examine them closely. Sharing ideas and experiences over coffee and cake is the important part of quilting. Without that, quilting would just be fabric and thread and batting. It's what makes a quilt become an heirloom to be passed on from generation to generation.

Genevieve and me

And I would like to introduce to you, Genevieve, my block swap sister. She so generously invited us to her and her husband's home, fed us an amazing traditional French meal and made us feel like family.

Valerie, and her husband Philippe, also made us feel like family. Over dinner, we laughed at our inability to speak much French and their attempt at an American accent. They have two beautiful daughters and a dog who desperately wanted to meet us. Their younger daughter is learning to play the harp and gave us a small recital. This is what we will remember from our trip to Paris in years to come. Thank you for making our visit so memorable.

Yo Yo Love

2007-12-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

We have been playing around with Clover's new Yo Yo tool. It is the coolest thing since sliced bread.

Kathy and I made this pillow... well, Kathy made the Yo Yo's and I made the pillow... with the new Moda fabric line, Madeira, from Blackbird Designs. This is the same fabric that will be used in our 2008 Saturday Sampler Quilt.

What you need:
1 charm pack for yo yo's
1 fat quarter for background behind yo yo's
1 fat quarter for the border
1 fat quarter for the binding
1 fat quarter for the pillow back

Come in to the shop to see it in person and join us in our yo yo craze.

Home Sweet Home

2007-10-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

Woodinville just finished a month long celebration of the Harvest and I was particularly pleased to be able to hold a quilt show with the Woodinville Heritage Society to honor our early settlers who stitched their names in cloth.

Susan M. Woodin stitched her initials, SMW, into a crazy quilt in 1895. At age 47, she embroidered the names of her family on wool crazy blocks along with other pioneer settlers from the early days in Woodinville. Names like Bothell, Turner, Sanders, Anderson, Jaderholm and others appear in colorful threads that are pieced into patchwork blocks typical of the Victorian crazy quilters of the late 1800’s.
The Woodin Family quilt was passed down from generation to generation to a fifth living descendant. Great-great-granddaughter, Roberta Steiger, was entrusted with the vintage quilt from her grandfather, the second Ira Woodin, and tenderly keeps it for her mother. Roberta delicately unfolds the quilt from box that might have kept a wedding dress, well preserved and in fine condition. Hardly a blemish or a tear, the quilt is a spectacular story in cloth. Roberta’s daughter Grace, sixth in line, sits by the quilt made 111 years ago by the great woman whose namesake we now call home. We listen to the stories told about the pioneer woman, Susan Woodin, and we can only wonder, if this quilt could talk.
But the quilt does talk. It speaks of people whose names we hear about at city functions and gatherings. The names are on street signs and city buildings. Names for townships and wineries are there, names of farms and dairy’s, whistle stops and retreats, all there, telling the Woodinville story.
The blocks aren’t perfect, you wouldn’t expect them to be, but what strikes the onlooker is the way they are all pieced together into patchwork. The blocks are made of irregular shapes of varying color and texture and not one seems more important than it’s neighbor. Each one is part of the whole, the sum is not greater than the parts. Better stated, each pioneer is part of the community and all are important and valued.
Susan M. Woodin was a quilter. She was also a feverish knitter for the Red Cross and is recognized for the hundreds of pairs of socks she knitted for the war effort. She raised three children in Woodinville and started a school in her home and a post office too. Daily, she was seen constantly walking the slough (now Sammamish River) while knitting socks with only saplings to use as needles.
She had a spirit of giving that knew no bounds. At her funeral, many paid tribute for it was well known that Susan Woodin fed and clothed the impoverished. She was a small woman of commanding stature, full of energy and passion. Think about the many contributions made to our community.
Susan M. Woodin gave tribute to the many men and women that shaped our city and our future in a woolen crazy quilt of 1895. The quilt is a symbol of her fortitude and expresses reverence for her family and community. Every quilt tells a story. Susan Woodin ‘s quilt is the story of Woodinville.

Christmas in July

2007-07-12T09:46:00.001-07:00

What is it about those hot, lazy days in July that makes us think about Christmas five months away? Perhaps we're basking in the warmth of summer knowing that winter and all it's consequences lies ahead. Summer is time off, vacation, long days and lemonade. It's also an opportunity to view, plan and look forward to the seasons ahead. So we're programmed to think about Christmas in July from the subtle ads in the retail industry. And actually, there is a real Christmas season in July. Just step inside the quilt shops to see why. Here's a Thimbleberries Window Wreath quilt from market that made it's way to Woodinville this week. So right now for a glimpse, it's Christmas in July.

Besty Ross Sewed Our Flag

2007-06-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Betsy Ross made the first American flag after a visit in June 1776 by George Washington, Robert Morris, and her husband's uncle, George Ross. She demonstrated how to cut a 5-pointed star with a single clip of the scissors, if the fabric were folded correctly.

I imagine we all learned about Betsy Ross as young girls in a history lesson. Betsy Ross was a woman of great vision, courage and creativity. She sewed the first American flag by hand with precision and accuracy. Considering the time and place of which she lived and the circumstances of her life and hardships she endurred, she was truly an American Icon. Many of us love to hand piece and quilt. Think of Betsy Ross when you pick up a needle and thread and remember what she gave us all symbolically and spiritually. She is a grand ole flag.

Quilting Memories

2007-06-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

I think I'm a bit of a romantic. Last week I was reading the last page of the June 2007 issue of the American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. It contains a short article on a quilt that Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the U.S. made when he was 10 years old while his mother was dying of tuberculosis.

I love the history that is behind each quilt, whether old or new. I love how lives are woven together through the making of quilts... or anything really - a loaf of bread, wedding or baptismal dresses, birthday or Mother's Day cards made by children.

That is what makes the art and craft of quiltmaking so rewarding. The magazine article points out that Calvin Coolidge's quilt certainly wasn't perfect. Some of the blocks are facing the wrong direction. It didn't need to be perfect. But it's a wonderful job done by a 10 year old spending time with his mother.

I think that is the heart of our clubs like Saturday Sampler or Thimbleberries. And it's certainly a part of best friends or mothers and daughters shopping together and making quilts together.

It's also a little bit of the romance that I was trying to capture in my latest quilt, Wish You Were Here. We, at the shop, are really starting to enjoy this year's Shop Hop Theme fabric. I know that it is so similar to last year's theme fabric. But the more I look at it the more I really like it.

Wish You Were Here is a little bit like a giant postcard. You know those old Route 66 postcards? It's kind of like that. The Shop Hop fabric is in the sashing rather than the blocks. But the blocks pull out some of those fabulous colors in the fabric. And there's a little surprise on the back. I really wanted it to be a little bit like a postcard. The whole back becomes the "label" of the quilt. Take a peek the next time you're in the shop.

And join us in our excitement for the Shop Hop. Grab the arm of your best friend, mother, sister, or son (as the case of Calvin Coolidge) and put your memories into cloth.

Quilters get ready to Shop Hop

2007-05-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that the 9th Annual Western Washington Shop Hop is almost here. The fabric's in the shop, the blocks are cut and assembeled, the samples are coming in and the excitement is growing by the hour. We've taken care of those gas worries by providing a bus trip this year that will be a ton of fun for quilters and friends. The 2007 postcard print fabric is gaining momentum now we've had the chance to play with it. Wait till you see all our samples from our creative quilt shop staff hanging on display. So, just to give you one more reason to pick up your passport and get ready to shop hop this year, I want to share with you a picture of the poster that will be available at the shops and on-line too. Now, you can see why shop hop is The Biggest Event of the Quilting Year. Hope to be seeing you in June at the hop. Susan

Seattle Snapshots

2007-05-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

Local Quilter Commemorates Seattle, Mountains and Sound

Anita Peluso wasn’t born or raised in the Puget Sound, in fact, she’s an Iowa farm girl, but she moved to the region 20 years ago after receiving a textile degree from Iowa State. Anita has a love of quilting and computer technology that translates well from image to completion. When asked to design a special, “one of a kind” project to commemorate Western Washington, she took on the challenge as a serious commission. Anita’s original quilt design titled, Seattle Snapshots, is a true representation of what we all have come to recognize and appreciate as the icons of the Puget Sound. The Space Needle and downtown of course, the mountains, woodlands, fields, sea and sound are all carefully pieced into the quilt that features snapshots of the region in a slide show fashion. The fantastic colors we often take for granted in the quilt are the sky blues, forest and sea greens, pinks and reds accentuated by black and white film strip. The quilt is encased by a blue border, which becomes almost soothing when you take it all in. Truly, a very special quilt for any friend of the Pacific Northwest, native or new. Congratulations to Anita for bringing this quilt design and pattern to quilters of our region.

More from Market

2007-05-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

Lakehouse! Those wonderful clear crisp colors so fabulous to work with. Here's a snapshot of my favorite booth at Quilt Market and a sneak peak of the next collection coming this fall: La Belle Rose.

To Market To Market

2007-05-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

Quilt Market was exhilirating this week in Salt Lake City. All of our quilting industry icons under one roof sharing ideas, expressions and excitment. Topping it off was Marie Osmond and her new fabric line from Quilting Treasures with the tender stories of her family and love of heirloom quilting. Marie shared a memory quilt of her Mother adorned with personal treasures such as pearls, crocheted lace, pictures and dresses. A sight to behold this week before Mother's Day and testament to just what we can do with our love of family and fabric. Alex and Ricky, Lynette, Debbie, even Dick and Jane were there. We're all on a first name basis and we know them all. But the best was getting together with all the shops, vendors and teachers as we gear up for another great season of quilting. I have lot's to share, so come by for a personal edition. Susan

Greetings From France

2007-04-09T14:12:00.000-07:00

Valerie, from The Best of Quilting in Marcoussis France - our sister shop, sends us greetings. Read on...

Hi Susan,

I was so happy to see my shop on your site! I can visualize banners of lovely fabrics and beautiful threads stretching across an ocean and a continent in both directions between Gathering Fabric and Best of Quilting! Quilting is truly a common language and we are so excited over here to be able to use it to swap ideas and feelings with you over there. So this is our opportunity to say Hello! to all those who work and shop at Gathering Fabrics "we are so pleased to meet you!"

It's funny that you just did an article on threads and so did we! We love the variety of threads available now, and Mettler is one of our favorites - shiny, silky, luxurious, a joy to work with and dazzling results at the end. Superior Threads are not available here though it seems you really like them. We just got some lovely thick silk thread in for embellishing. What are your favorites for embellishing quilts? This week, we are having a Victorian Crazy Quilt class at the shop and we have big plans for going totally wild with threads and lace and buttons and seashells and ribbons... We'll take pictures for you!

Actually, we already have pictures of two other things to share with you. One is a little quilt made with the House & Garden charm pack from Thimbleberries. It was easy to make using the half-square triangle method with two different values per square that yields a nice transparency effect. Much of its success, though, has to be put down to the proficiency of its maker, Lucette, a real wizard! The other picture is the Mystery Quilt we did from September 2006 to March 2007. It's an original design, and lots of our customers made it. We would be happy to share the design with Gathering Fabrics. The quilts made by Best of Quilting customers will be shown at the shop in September: there will be more pictures to share!

Your charity quilt activities are wonderful. The pinks are so lovely. We don't have the charity quilt culture here in France. One of our customers who offered to make preemie quilts for a hospital was even turned down with horrified comments about the terrible lapses in hygiene involved in anything donated from "outside". We have another idea though, which is to join in a UNICEF doll-making project called Frimousses (a French word that means "child's face"). Each doll sold provides enough money to vaccinate one child against six diseases. The first session is May 12 and we hope to get lots of people interested in joining in!

I have written a lot! There is so much to share but I'd better stop for now. Any questions about quilting in France for us? We'd love to answer.

Take care,

Valerie

Choosing Fabrics & A New Class

2007-04-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

Choosing fabrics for a quilt can be intimidating or inspiring. It all depends on how you look at the process. Most of the time, I think it's fun. But sometimes, we all need a little push.

The best way to get started when it just isn't coming together quickly is to choose one fabric that either inspires you or that contains colors that inspire you.

Awhile ago I took a class. The supply list was very vague in terms of what I should choose:

An assortment of themed fabrics and backgrounds.

Hmm, that just wasn't much help for me. So, what I did to help me get inspired was to choose one fabric that I just loved. For this class it was this brown paisley fabric. I happen to love paisleys. And I really liked these colors.

So, the next step was to collect paisley prints that echoed the colors in that one fabric. I arranged them in terms of value from light to dark. Do I have a fairly even distribution of lights, mediums and darks?

Then I arranged them in terms of color families. I had pinks and purples, oranges and browns, and lime greens and olive greens.

See that little bit of bright blue poking out of the upper left-hand purple fabric. That blue just isn't going to work. But I loved the purple. So, I fussy cut my squares to eliminate the blue and just used the purple.

Do you need some help when it comes to choosing fabrics for your quilts? Well, don't worry! We will be introducing a new class this summer using a fairly new book on the market, Color For The Terrified Quilter.

Learn more about the color wheel, values and intensities. Don't let color intimidate you. It can be fun and exciting.

And, by the way... Here's the finished quilt, in case you were wondering. Now, if I could just get around to quilting it!

Thread, Then & Now

2007-03-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled when I was recently given a bag of old wooden spools of thread. They are really cool to look at and study. I especially love the ones where the spools are stamped with their information! There was silk thread, darning thread, mercerized cotton thread, and even an invisible thread.

It's good to know some of the more subtle points of thread. What is mercerization? What's so special about Egyptian cotton? Is it okay to use the cheap stuff?

Mercerization was developed in the late 1800's to enhance certain properties of the cotton. It makes the cotton smoother, stronger and shinier. Definitely good qualities to have in thread.

Egyptian cotton is grown mainly along the Nile in Egypt. It is considered the best cotton in the world because it's fibers are longer and stronger.

Longer, stronger, smoother threads are what we look for in quilting. Among the quilting purests, we like cotton thread because it maintains the integrity of the whole quilt. Cotton fabric, cotton batting, cotton thread. It's been said when studying antique quilts that those made with polyester thread were more likely to wear and tear at the seams. So, if you are making your quilt to last for generations, that is something to think about.

"I'm not making an heirloom quilt," you say. "I just want to use it and love it." That's a valid point to consider. The quality of the thread also produces wear and tear on your sewing machine. Threads with short, fuzzy fibers produce a lot of lint build-up. If your object is to save money on thread, you may end up spending more money on servicing and cleaning your sewing machine.

That's why we like brands like Mettler and Superior. They have longer staple fibers which are gentler on your quilt and gentler on your sewing machine. Even for non-heirloom quilts, it just might be worth the investment.

Bienvenue! Our Sister Quilt Shop in Paris

2007-03-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

Bonjour! Welcome to our Sister Shop in Paris. We are happy to announce an intercontinental association with Valerie and Philippe Thevenin of Best of Quilting in Marcoussis France. Phillipe works for Microsofts and travels to Redmond, WA where he sought out our quilt shop in Woodinville for ideas to bring back to his wife, Valerie. Phillipe's English is better than my French, but we are able to communicate our interest in sharing ideas, inspiration and fun with each other transcontinentally. Valerie and I talk on email and Phillipe travels back and forth. That's working really well. Stay tuned because Valerie and I are going to introduce our shop's to all of you. Sounds like fun to be able to exchange blocks, patterns and ideas with each other. The US has plenty of fabric but the Parisians can put their touch on it. A project exchange is coming soon. Au Revoir or ta ta for now.

Let's Buggy

2007-03-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

What fun to have Karen Burns in the quilt shop with us today teaching how to make "Buggy Barn" blocks from favorite patterns. The ladies were cutting up all kinds of fabrics to make these crazy blocks. Stack em, whack em and rearrange them all again to make the most interesting combinations. Can't wait to see them all put together for the buggy barn show off.