We went looking for information again, and found lots of it. Mary Mashuta’s book Foolproof Machine Quilting has a good section on threads and needles for machine quilting, as do several other books on our shelf. From there we went to the thread manufacturers. Some of what we found was facts and some was opinions, of course. Sulky.com had lots of information on these two weights, including suggestions to use the heavier thread in the bobbin, to use the heavier thread in the top, and to use the lighter thread instead. There’s also a link about parallel weights in cotton, rayon and blends

Superior Threads (King Tut) offered a thoughtful essay  on the differences and how you can make an informed choice.
At the risk of spoiling the suspense, we think the last point of the Superior Threads essay is the best suggestion:

“Ignore the weight number on the label. Choose thread based on the type of fiber, look, feel, and thickness and not by the printed weight size. Trust your eyes and fingers more than the label. You’ll get better results and be much happier with your selection. Choose fine threads to blend and medium and heavier threads to show. ”

Top thread broken, bobbin thread through needle. How?

We’d love to hear from you about your experience with these threads and others. You can comment here, or post your thoughts on the “New Pieces – Get it Done” Group*. We’re all in this together — and there is no philosophy that says that we can’t share each others experience and learn from each others’ mistakes.

*The “Get it Done” Group is an unstructured place to ask advice and show off your product AND your process. Come play with us!

Good things come in pieces!

The blog is back after a few months away!

A lot is happening at New Pieces * and in the local quilting world. We’d like to use the blog as another way to reinforce the New Pieces Quilt community. I will be looking for items to post about gadgets and techniques, to alternate with  stories about the quilts and quilters in our midst, and other stuff of interest to you all. You are invited to send  your ideas for blog entries to New Pieces, or to write something yourself and send it to me. Pictures are welcome too!

*Many of you will notice that this amazing 360 degree picture of the store is filled with quilts by staff emeritae. We are rebuilding our teaching program as you read this. Please ask about the changes underway, and feel free to suggest great teachers and classes to us!

Please feel free to send your suggestions for new challenges to Heather (rags1927@gmail.com) or post them on the Facebook Page for the 12 x 12″ x 12″ Challenge.

Now, the quiltlets for December were:

“Christmas Cheer”, by Jane Voytek

“Star Quilt”, by Lissa Miner

“The Starry Room”, by Judith Schon

(The back of Judith’s quiltlet – irresistible!)

“Fresh Starred”, by Heather Jacobsen

“Solstice Star Heralds Return of the Sun”, by Judith Baker

“Dancing with Stars”, by Kathy Ritter

“Our Shining Star: The Sun”, by Kristen Takakuwa

“Stars!”, by Sharona Fischrup

And the winner is: (Drum Roll, Please!)

“Starry Sky on New Year’s Eve”, by Pat Dicker

Congratulations Pat Dicker, and congratulations to Everyone who played with us this month, or any month this year. What a lot of fun we’ve had!

“Bountiful Transition”, by Lizzie Leininger

“Mr. Bown T. Full”, by Fern Royce

“Dogs and Bounty Hunters”, by Heather Marshall Jacobsen

“No Bounty $”, by Kathy Ritter

“A Big Dipper Full-o-Wishes”, by Joyce Schon

And for the first time we ended up with a tie for “favorite”quiltlet among those voting. Jane Voytek and Lissa Miner share the limelight, with two very different interpretations of the theme. Jane handled the produce, and Lissa contributed a turkey:

Quilter’s Bounty”, by Jane Voytek

For the turkey this is the question: “To be or not to be, …whether ’tis nobler to be pardoned or to be Thanksgiving’s Bounty?”, by Lissa Miner

Thanks to all who played in November. We have one more challenge to come – December – the theme is “Star”.  Stay tuned for more amazing, bite-sized beauties from our quilt community! The deadline for entries is 6:00pm, January 2nd, 2013, (delayed by the holidays!).  Additional information is available on the 12 x 12″ x 12″ Challenge page on Facebook!

“The Fall”, by j. schon

This piece, based on Milton’s “Paradise Lost”, illustrates Satan being thrown out of Heaven, and falling into the depths of Hell. The Angels are screen-printed on an appliqued background.

“Fall”, by Judith Baker

Judith used fused applique and pieced borders to catch fall leaves in mid-air.

“Autumn”, by Candy Simonen

“Autumn” is log-cabin pieced, with machine quilting that accentuates the single-point perspective.

“Five Second Rule”, by Heather Jacobsen

Heather used the theme fabric in over-sized candy corn, which is displayed as if it has fallen on the damp pavement, but hasn’t been on the ground long enough to collect germs — it’s still good!

“Rain”, by Jane Voytek

“Rain” combines piecing and machine stitching to make a dynamic, almost visceral piece.

“New Englander Fall”, by Kathy Ritter

Kathy presents leaves familiar to many of us who started on the East Coast. Oak, Maple, Tulip Poplar….

“Yellow Falls”, by Lissa Miner

Lissa’s piece has a third dimension made from stones and “fog”, and a llama, on a pieced and heavily hand-embroidered representation of  a fantasy waterfall.

And the Winner is:

“Fall – Or Summer Takes a Trip”, by Pat Mitchnick

Log-cabin piecing, with a three-dimensional “Summer” tumbling down the stairs. Delightful and whimsical. Congratulations Pat, and thank you all for Playing!

The November Challenge has now begun. The theme is “Bounty”, and the fabric can be seen on our Facebook Page and “kits” are available at New Pieces. Deadline for November is 6:00pm on Friday, November 30, 2012. Have Fun!

From V.I.P.’s Countryside – Hautman Collection

New Pieces has received a few bolts of fabric over the last few months with this statement (or similar) on the selvedge.  It turns out the debate over control of the design of fabric that goes into your project is again warming up.

Here’s the history:  There has always been an issue regarding the use of commercially licensed fabrics in quilts and other textile-based crafts.  A few years ago there was a frou-frou about Amy Butler designed fabrics and others that were re-worked designs from a vintage collection, or from unknown vintage designers. The link above is to a summary blog post on that issue which includes many useful links about fair use and copyright. (The blog is called “True Up” and the blogger is listed as “Kim” – more information when I have it!)

So here’s the new issue:  We are receiving fabric  — currently from only one or two sources — that isn’t licensed or even very singular in design. Sharona has been asking our distributors for clarification, and I have been doing some research. For us it’s not sufficient that the manufacturers and reps  “think” the statement is not a problem our customers need to worry about. The definition of “individual consumption” is unclear.  It may be that personal use, or a gift given to a family member is not a problem — or that a few items on Etsy.com, or a few dozen for the church craft-fair. My personal belief is that it’s an unenforceable standard just intended as a warning or threat, and that a few years from now the issue will be clear and settled…

In the meantime:  New Pieces has taken the position that we will not currently order fabric with this statement (or similar) because of the confusion surrounding this issue. If fabric so marked arrives in the store we will return it to the manufacturer.  We confess to having a handful of bolts on the shelves already, and we can’t send them back. We trust in the intelligence and discernment of our customers to make informed decisions about what constitutes fair use, and will point out the warning when we see it.

If nothing else, we have the makings of an interesting discussion — We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you, and admit to the inconvenience it has caused us.

“Kipling and the Moon”, by Judith Baker

“Goodbye, Kitty”, by Kathy Ritter

“crow totem”, by j.shon

“Penguin Chic”, by Heather Marshall Jacobsen

“Cross of St. Brigid”, by Margaret Bridge

“Bears in the Woods”, by Lois Helmbold

“Family Totems: Trillium and Jack-in-the-Pulpit”, by Lissa Miner

“Fish”, by Sharona Fischrup

This month’s “Favorite” totem was Jane Voytek’s “Owl”.  It is a very powerful image, and a brilliant use of the theme fabric. Jane’s piece will be displayed at New Pieces throughout the month of October, and she wins a $10 New Pieces Gift Certificate, and an authentic homemade ribbon. This is the second time Jane as had a 12 x 12″ “Favorite”.  Congratulations, Jane, and thank you everyone who played in the September challenge, or cast a vote in early October!

“Owl”, by Jane Voytek

The October theme is “Fall”. Additional information on the Challenge is available on our Facebook page. Come play with us!

“A Cornish Prayer”, By Kathy Ritter

“From Ghoulies and Ghosties, and long-leggety Beasties, and things that go BUMP in the night… Good Lord Deliver Us!”

“The Bunny in the Moon”, by Roxanne Fiscella

“30 years ago my best friend nicknamed me “Bunny” and told me there was a bunny in the moon. We subsequently found an artist in Provincetown who did this interpretation. I have imitated it in fabric.”

“Night Sky in Summer”, by Claire Adams

“The constellations are Cygnus, Pisces, Hercules, Viego, Bootes and Cassiopiea”

“Night and Day”, by Lissa Miner

“Between two worlds life hovers like a star, twixt night and morn, upon the horizon’s verge” – Lord Byron

“Night into Day”, by Heather Jacobsen

“Day reveals Night, which then reveals Day again”

“Good Night, Moon”, by Jane Voytek

A twist on a favorite children’s story

“Space Owl Will Eat Your Soul”, by Margaret Bridge

Beware!

And this month’s Viewer’s Favorite, “Fire at Midnight”, by Gail Hynes Shea.

Sometimes a Picture Really is Worth a Thousand Words!

Stay tuned here for results of the September challenge – The September’s theme is “Totem”.

To participate in any month’s challenge, come pick up a $3.00 theme “kit” (word & fat 1/8 of theme fabric) on or after the first day of the month (not before!)  The deadline for each month is close of business on the last day of the month (4:00pm on September 30th — a Sunday — 6:00pm on the last day of October, November and December).  Voting for the “favorite” takes place through the 5th of the following month — we ask everyone who comes into the Store to vote. The winner receives a $10 New Pieces Gift Certificate and a handsome, homemade ribbon, and we display that quiltlet in the Store for the following month.  If you have been looking for a fun, low-stakes competition to help spark your creativity, come play with us!

You can also follow the 12 x 12″ x 12″ Challenge on Facebook, and check out every piece from every month this year. Enjoy!

“Ring of Fire”, by Lissa Miner

“Bonfire Night”, by Heather Jacobsen

“Phoenix”, by Gwen Wallace

by Sharona Fischrup

“Fireworks”, by Jane Voytek

“Campfire Fireworks”, by Claire Adams

“Ode to Colorado”, by Mary Risard Burnett

“The Four Elements”, by Kathy Ritter

“Firebird”, by Roxanne Fiscella

This month’s “favorite” (by vote of whoever came into New Pieces in early August) is Roxanne Fiscella’s “Firebird”, about which Roxanne tells us the following: “Firebird: In Slavic folklore a magical glowing bird from a faraway land which is a blessing and a bringer of doom to its captor. The Firebird feather if found provokes the hero onto a quest that entails a difficult journey and lights the way back to the bird.”

Thank you Roxanne, and thank to to everyone who “played” this month. August’s theme is “Night”. Come join us!

Heather Jacobsen and Claire Adams were on the same page with the bucolic  “Out in the Woods” and “Outside“, respectively.

Kathy Ritter gave us the amazing “June is Busting Out All Over“. Look! More Ants!

Lolly Schiffman sacrificed certain rules about form factors, etc., to bring us the most talked about piece of the month, “Where is the Cat?”

(As the Pirates of the Caribbean would say about our rules, “We figured they were more actual guidelines…”)

Lissa Miner’s cat is “Out for Love“.  The front of her piece was delightful, but so was the back — and we wanted to share that with you, too.

Sharona Fischrup and Pat Dicker took their quiltlets in a more dynamic directions, with:

Sharona’s “White Out, Black Out, Crossout“, which includes strips that are actually woven and dimensional, and

Pat’s “In & Out“. Pat has the most grommets in a quiltlet, so far. And it’s a beautiful piece!

Fern Royce went a different, delightful way, with “Thinking Outside the Box“.  Yes the box is 3-D.

The last two quiltlets both embraced June as “Pride Month”, both with rainbow palettes, but very different techniques and concepts. Both wonderful.

Roxanne Fiscella created the joyous, “Out of the Closet“, and Jane Voytek gave us the most popular 12 x 12″ of the month –and a flag with which to celebrate! Congratulations Jane, and everyone who played this month. You continue to find creative solutions for anything we throw at you!

Speaking of which….

The July Theme is “Fire”. Please look for updates on our Facebook page, and remember to visit New Pieces between August 1-5 to vote for your favorite. You don’t need to play to vote; if you want to play,  you can do just one challenge, or each month for the rest of this year.

We can’t wait to see what  you come up with next!