Alethea Ballard has a thing about chairs, and color and whimsy.
She also has a class at New Pieces next month, November 5th from 10-4.
Working from Alethea’s “book” (a Pattern Pack featuring multiple chair-related projects) and with her assistance, you will learn to create with large scale fabrics and your own developing sense of the whimsical. Alethea’s workshop is not likely to be repeated soon, and is suitable for all levels so please consider making time for it this November 5th.
October at New Pieces includes two new classes with our Sue Wells. Gentle Waves (see left) is simpler than it looks, and serves as a gentle intro to curves and circles. Sue’s class sample is breathtaking, an ethereal space-scape of spheres and triangles that is pieced and machine appliqued.
Gentle Waves will meet on October 6 and 20th, from 6:15 – 8:15 pm, and there are a couple of spaces available.
Sue’s other class is Easy Cathedral Windows, a charming and modern take on an old-fashioned technique. The photo here doesn’t do justice to the subtle palette Sue chose, but hints at the “cathedral windows” effect she has used to make the diagonals that almost look like piped icing on the surface of this simple geometric quilt.
Easy Cathedral Windows is offered on a pair of Sunday afternoons – October 23rd and November 6th – from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. Both quilts are throw sized, and the timing is good to make one or the other for the holidays.
There are a couple of places left in this class as well. Come in soon to sign up!
15 bolts of solid “sheeting” weight fabrics in vivid colors
Plus an adorable selection of “Robot” themed prints, made in the same vivid, low-impact dyes. All these organics are standard 44″ width, and yes they cost a little bit more than the equivalent. Come See!
New this week at New Pieces — more luscious prints from Marcia Derse which work with and expand the selection we already have from earlier this year. Marcia Derse fabrics are commercially printed from her hand painted textiles.
Also from Marcia Derse,
SOLIDS!
We also have received several bolts of her stunning, saturated, solid-like colors that work brilliantly with her prints and with those from the Kaffe Fassett line…. and almost any saturated colors or batiks you have in your stash, or were resisting adding to it…
At this rate Derse could become an adjective to describe intense, slightly edgy, modern quilting fabrics.
Today at New Pieces we got to see Jan Nilsen’s just finished “Ghastlies” quilt. As she said, we’ve been cheerfully dispersing this fabric (from an Alexander Henry line), but probably hadn’t yet seen it made up.
She’s made great choices throughout; the result is a beautiful piece she can use for Halloween — but also other times. Well done, Jan, and thanks for coming in to share with us!
  
The photo above is a detail of the class sample quilt for Kim Butterworth’s one day (September 24th) class “Flower Power”.
This class is appropriate for students at all levels, and is a wonderful example of a simple, but stunning, quilt top that could easily become a gift for someone very special. “Flower Power” is considered to be both “Beginner Friendly” and a “Quick Quilt” class.
There are only a handful of spaces available at this point — don’t get closed out!
With the latest arrivals, we now have a wonderful selection of extra-wide fabrics for quilt backs, comforter covers or anything else for which you need stunning 100% cottons in widths from 106″ to 112″.
 Amazing and easy — and less costly than piecing a comparable back!
The following rules for sewing were recently found on the Internet, and posted in the New Pieces bathroom, by Sharona Fishrup:
I apologize for the poor quality of the photo, taken with a “smart” phone. While it’s true that an organized workspace helps one be creative and work more efficiently — few of us could ever sew if all these requirement were prerequisite. And no, New Pieces does not carry bags of French chalk for your fingertips.
Imagine how life has changed over the last 62 years — and what future quilters will say about us in another 62 years!
when you get ALL your tools together, you might need a computer!
Sometimes a customer has a question for which the answer is “Have you seen our Website?”. It’s tricky to write about the website, since you’re ON the website right now — but maybe a quick introduction is in order — it will help you get more out of what is available at New Pieces.
The New Pieces website has Contact information for the Store, and Directions for getting to our Store (at 766 Gilman Street). You can read About New Pieces for information about the Store and the Staff. And of course it wouldn’t be a quilt store without a place for “Show and Tell”. We are always looking for pictures to add to our gallery of proud friends and customers.
Under Quilting Service is a brief explanation of the quilt related services available at New Pieces. Even old friends of New Pieces may be surprised at the range of tasks we can do for you when you don’t want to do them yourself. We recommend reading this part of the website to acquaint yourself with the range of possibilities, and their estimated costs. “Quilting Service” also has samples of some of the quilting designs we offer — and precise instructions on preparing your quilt top & back for longarm quilt service — Reading these instructions can save you time and money.
In Classes you will find a calendar of all upcoming events and classes and a description for each class – usually with a photo of the class sample quilt. While we have always tried to indicate how much experience you may need for certain classes, we recently began tagging some classes as being especially appropriate for certain kinds of students:
If you find a class that interests you, you can register by phone or come see us in person. If you are looking for a particular class or pattern, there is also a search function (click on “go here>>” on the Classes page to get there). If you still don’t see what you’re looking for — let us know!
...Have you seen the Mystery Quilter?
SO… since you’re reading this you already found the Blog. You either got here by clicking “Blog” on the navigation bar (the red bar under where it says “New Pieces Quilt Store & Gallery”, or by clicking link from our Facebook page. The Blog is meant to give you an idea of what we’re about. We use it brag about students and teachers and to remind you about upcoming classes; we mention new things happening in the store and offer tips and how-tos. The Blog is about the things we’d tell you if you were right here in the Store. If there are things you want to know more (or less) about please don’t hesitate to let us know, either as a comment here, or on the New Pieces Quilt Store Facebook page. It’s not a conversation without your input!
There’s a new school year right around the corner — Children are sharpening their pencils and laying out outfits and backpacks for return to the local grade schools. High school students are upgrading their high-techery and scuffing their shoes for an optimal first-day cool. UC Berkeley is filling up, and classes start on Thursday; many of us have college students long gone for the Fall term. It was 78 degrees (F) in Berkeley today — a sure sign that the cool Summer weather is coming to an end, and a hot Bay Autumn is at hand. It’s time to get started, on something!
Becky Keck showing off a Freshly Quilted Work of Art (FQWA)
What’s your plan? Are you ready to do something new (or get back to doing something you used to love before life got so hectic?) Why not make your New Year’s Resolution NOW, at the beginning of the school year — instead of waiting until January when days are short, veggies are scarce and hibernation beckons?
Maybe this is the year you join a quilt guild; you can choose from the likes of EBHQ , a venerable and powerful local group that meets in Kensington, the last Monday evening of the month (August 29th), or East Bay Modern Quilt Guild, a smaller newer group that meets at New Pieces on the last Tuesday (August 30). Here’s a list of other Quilt Guilds in the area, if you’re from farther out. You could finally take that class you’ve been meaning to at New Pieces. Maybe you can just make a promise to make yourself, and your sewing, a higher priority than it may have been lately.
Now is a perfect time to think about sharing a quilt or your skill with others:
You can make something for a loved one. You can teach a loved one, or an acquaintance, or a a classroom full of children to make something.
You can donate a quilt to either Quilts4Japan or Children’s Quilts/EBHQ . Q4J has collected hundreds of quilts to send to those in need; Children’s Quilts has packets of pre-selected, pre-cut fabrics available (free!) for you to assemble. You can pick one up at New Pieces Quilt Store; you can also drop off donations for either group at the Store, any time we are open.
EBHQ members can show off a quilt at the November meeting (“Show-and-Tell”) or start planning to display one in Voices in Cloth 2012 a sensational biennial quilt show to be held on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond.
There are so many other ways you can share your skills and knowledge. We just want to give you a little nudge, and encourage you to get started on what’s next. We’re living in challenging times. Sewing something is a calming, reassuring, affirming way to deal with uncertain times. Quilting is good for us and for everyone.
Happy New Year!