New Pieces Quilt Store

July 12 x 12″ x 12″ Challenge: Fire!

August 15th, 2012

The July Challenge theme was “Fire” and the response from our challengers was delightfully creative and diverse.Â Inspiration ran the gamut from phoenix and firebird to fireworks and bonfires, wildfires and forces of nature.

“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!

Tags: 12 x 12" x 12", creative solutions, customer stories, show-and-tell
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The June 12 x 12″ x 12″ Quiltlets – Out of This World!

July 13th, 2012

The Theme for June was “Out”, and the range of creative solutions was broad and delightful.

Heather Jacobsen and Claire Adams were on the same page with the bucolicÂ “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“.Â 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“.Â 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,Â you can do just one challenge, or each month for the rest of this year.

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

Tags: "Out", 12 x 12" x 12"
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May 12″ x 12″ Quiltlets

June 14th, 2012

The theme was “May __________” and the responses were delightful!

“May’s Green Grass Turns to Gold,” Pat Dicker

“May the Force be With You,” Mary Risard Burnett

“Ant Bivalence,” by Lolly Schiffman

“May-Nays,” by Annalisa Tay

“A Bike RIde in May,” by Roxanne Fiscella

“May All Beings Live in Peace,” by Jane Voytek

“May I Eat with You?” by Claire Adams

“Mother May I?” by Sharona Fischrup

“After the Picnic’s Over,” by Kathy Ritter

“May Day Picnic,” by Nancy Sumner

“May Apple,” by Heather Jacobsen

“Mayan Galactic Butterfly: Hunab Ku,” by Lissa Miner

And the Official “Favorite” for May, 2012 is:

“Mae Has Ants in Her Pants,” Fern Royce

Join us for June (the June theme is “Out” and the deadline is always the last day of the month)

Voting for each month’s “Favorite” takes place the first five days of the following month (June voting, for May, etc.) at New Pieces Quilt Store.

Tags: creative solutions, New Pieces Quilt Shop
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Quilt Patis – A New Take on an Old Skill

May 9th, 2012

Confession: I didn’t expect to like these as much as I do.

Quilt Patis are little templates for English piecing — but made of flexible plastic instead of paper, so they can be used over and over again. The best part may be that they’re portable — you can stick a little kit (someÂ Patis, fabric scraps, two pins and a needle and thread) in your bag and play with them when you’re waiting out one of life’s little delays.

New Pieces currently has diamond and hexagon-shaped Patis, in two sizes each. The pincushion above was made by Mary Risard Burnett, from the smaller diamond Patis, and there are a few of the larger ones under it. Using the cutting board for scale, you can see how small they are. You can’t see that they’re easy to use. Look for them the next time you come in!

Tags: creative solutions, notions, tips
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April Challenge – “Water” – Inspiration Flows!

May 5th, 2012

The April Quiltlets are perhaps the most beautiful collection yet!Â Every one has its own personality, but they look lovely together, too… almost like pictures in an amazing children’s book.

For additional information on these quiltlets, or the May challenge which has just begun, please check out our designated Facebook page New Pieces 12 x 12″ x 12″ Challenge. There is a new 12″ x 12″ challenge theme every month of 2012 –Â you can come play with us any time!

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Kathy Ritter Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Mary Risard Burnett

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Helen ZungÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Fern Royce

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Roxanne FiscellaÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sharona Fischrup

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Julie BanfieldÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jane Voytek

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Lolly SchiffmanÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Annalisa Tay

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Lissa MinerÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Claire Adams

Heather Jacobsen

Tags: creative solutions, show-and-tell
Posted in Challenges, Friends of New Pieces | No Comments »

“How Do I…” Technique Classes, Coming Soon

April 19th, 2012

One goal at New Pieces is offering the classes quilters want, in a relaxed and supportive environment. We want to help students master skills that make the creative process less painful and more productive. Sometimes our classes teach skills via the making of a certain quilt pattern, or a project from start to finish — but some classes address the acquisition of skills more directly — but still in a fun, creative environment. This post is a plug for the second kind of class, of which we have several coming up in the next two months.

Among the May classes are two you may have been waiting for:

Cindi's Class Sample, using Saturday Sampler Blocks

Cindi Cossen will offers Setting Your Blocks class on Saturday May 12, from 10 – 2:00pm. Many of you remember Cindi from the Store, but also from years of Saturday Samplers. This class is the help you need to get from blocks to a quilt top, and Cindi is an excellent guide.

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The following Saturday (May 19th) Pat Dicker offersÂ Introduction to Free Motion Quilting from 10 – 3:00pm. Pat’s class is designed as a true introduction to free-motion quilting, starting with supplies and threads, and with time to practice under her watchful eye.

If you’ve wanted to try free-motion, but were feeling insecure about it, Pat’s class provides the perfect opportunity to jump in and give it your best try. It’s not that you can’t do it — it’s that you can’t do it yet.

Then, on June 3rd, from 10 – 3:00pm, Pat offers Beyond Basic Binding. This class designed for those with an understanding of standard fold-over bindings who are looking for other options for finishing edges on quilts and wall-hangings. Pat has a talent for novelty bindings that complement her pieces. You can see her fused bindings on her 12 x 12″ x 12″ Challenge quiltlets. She’s also a great teacher and her classes are fun.

UPDATE: April 25, 2012

Much to my surprise, I find there are spaces available in Mary Mashuta’s June 2 class, “Foolproof Machine Quilting: The Fun Stuff”

Mary’s class is an intense introduction to a very special form of machine quilting that combines elements of straight-line and template quilting with the use of novelty threads and clever techniques. For this class it is highly recommended students acquire Mary’s book, Foolproof Machine Quilting (we have some copies in the store) to use as a resource in her class. There are also additional samples of Mary’s quilting style on display at New Pieces.

Tags: Cindi Cossen, creative solutions, Mary Mashuta, Pat Dicker, Quilting Classes
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What’s the Difference? (Synthrapol vs. Retayne)

April 12th, 2012

We decided to solve this question once and for all. After a diligent Google search, the answer is:

Retayne FIXES dye to fabric and should be used in cases where you are concerned that a fabric dye may bleed. Use Retayne as directed,Â as a pre-wash or before putting suspect fabrics into a quilt.

Synthrapol is a special detergent that suspends dye particles so that they do not reattach to fabric. Dyers use Synthrapol as a pre-wash to REMOVEÂ sizing, oils, fingerprints and other impurities that would interfere with an even dying of fabric — and then they wash the dyed fabric with Synthrapol to remove any remaining unattached dye particles.

Here is one situation that requires further research; I’ll update when I can confirm or deny it:

It’s my understanding that you don’t use Retayne on a completed quilted, because of the possibility that dye might migrate and THEN affix to (the wrong) fabric. The proper procedure in that case would seem to be to wash the quilt with Synthrapol (to remove the extra dye), and THEN use Retayne to affix the dye that remains.

Both products are available at New Pieces, and we have directions on how to use either one. If you’re interested in the chemical reactions that each one employs, please contact Heather (who is interested is such things) at Rags1927@gmail.com.

Tags: notions, tips
Posted in Notions | 4 Comments »

“Spring” is in the Air — and on the Wall!

April 2nd, 2012

We received 17 amazing 12″ x 12″ quiltlets celebrating “Spring” by the March 31st deadline. Please stop by New Pieces and vote for your favorite between now and 6:00pm on April 5th if you can. The piece with the most votes will win a home made ribbon and a $10 New Pieces gift certificate.

We picked a complicated theme fabric for March, but evidence shows it didn’t slow our quilters down very much.Â Each piece has a story, and some of those stories are available on the Facebook pageÂ New Pieces 12 x 12″ x 12″ Challenge . The April Challenge has just begun, and the challenge “kit” (theme word & fat 1/8 of the theme fabric) are available at New Pieces. We welcome you to come play with us — just for the fun of it!

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Â by Barbara Hazard Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â by Joy Troyer

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by Mary Risard BurnettÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â by Julie Banfield

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by Sharona FischrupÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â by Jane Voytek

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by Shawn DubinÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â by Helen Zung

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by Claire AdamsÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â by Roxanne Fiscella

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by Lisa DoyenÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â by Sharon Whipkey

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by Karen DugasÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â by Lissa Miner

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by Heather JacobsenÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â by Kathy Ritter

by Pat Dicker

Tags: creative solutions, customer stories, focus fabrics, New Pieces Quilt Shop, show-and-tell
Posted in Challenges | 1 Comment »

A Word From Our Sponsor….Nature

March 18th, 2012

This has been one of those amazing weeks that featured rain, just when we all thought we were done with all that.

I hope that you all found a way to get beyond soaking wet feet and dubious traction for at least a few moments –Â to enjoy some of the beauty of these difficult days. I forget sometimes that it’s the dark grey skies that give the most stunning, saturated colors of green and brown, and bring us the suddenly, wildly overgrown spring flowers. It’s not easy, but it is a joyful part of the cycle — and a great time to be inside sewing, or reading, or just looking out the window at the beauty of it all.

And of course, the view from the windows at Craneway Pavilion/the “Voices in Cloth” (EBHQ) Quilt show is spectacular too.

I don’t have pictures of the Show right now, but it really is wonderful. So many quilts, and such a range of talents and experience. It’s almost overwhelming to think that each one is the product of a unique concept, and a different set of hands. It’s like going to a commencement and realizing that every graduate is someone’s baby. Lovely, and almost overwhelming.

You’re likely to encounter old friends at “Voices in Cloth”,Â and you might make some new ones. Go now, if you haven’t been yet – today until 4:00pm. Craneway Pavilion, in Richmond.

Tags: East Bay Heritage Quilters, show-and-tell
Posted in Fabric, Friends of New Pieces, Gifts for Family & Friends, Notions, School Quilts | 3 Comments »

February 12 x 12″ x 12″ Challenge – “Heart”

March 5th, 2012

The February quiltlets are as wonderful as their January cousins were. They represent a wide range of interpretation, and an even wider range of techniques. Additional information on these pieces is available on the New Pieces 12 x 12″ x 12″ Challenge page.Â We received 16 finished pieces by the last day of February, and one of them will be declared the “Favorite” by popular vote of everyone who comes into New Pieces during the first 5 days of this month.

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Lissa MinerÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Mary Risard Burnett

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Gail Hynes SheaÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Roxanne Fiscella

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Jeanne BartlettÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Claire Adams

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Kristin TakakuwaÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sharona Fischrup

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Lisa DoyenÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Karen Dugas

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Pat DickerÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Betsy Livak

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Heather JacobsenÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Julie Banfield

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Kathy RitterÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jane Voytek

Lissa Miner

The next theme is “Spring”. If you’d like to take part in the March Challenge, come pick up your challenge “kit” (theme and fabric) at New Pieces. The kit is $3.00, and the “Favorite” receives a $10.00 New Pieces Gift Certificate. Deadline for finished pieces is 6:00pm, Saturday, March 31st. Come Play with Us!

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