If You Can Draw It You Can Piece It!

June 29th, 2011

3 Sundays July 24 and 31, Aug. 21    12:00-4:00   Levels 2 and 3

Learn to piece almost anything in this Intermediate/Advanced level class with Cindi Cossen. Working step-by-step from Cindi’s pattern, or your own, you will finally figure out “how Ruth McDowell does it”, and create a small quilt while mastering skills for your next masterpiece.  Class will include step-by-step instruction and practice of this special technique.

Here’s another example of Cindi’s method, also hanging in the Store right now. The quilt interprets a Matisse painting (see the picture in the lower left corner?) The finished flower quilt is also hanging in the Store. Come See!

 

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Improvisational Basketweave Class

June 25th, 2011

Pictures from Stacey’s Improvisational Basketweave class on June 25, 2011. Enjoy!

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Circles and Squares

June 22nd, 2011

In July and early August you have the opportunity to take two wonderful classes over three consecutive Saturdays:  Check out Cindi Cossen’s Jewel Squares (Quik Quilt) on Saturday July 30th, and Rebecca Rohrkaste’s Circles Another Way on July 23rd and August 6.

Jewel Squares with Cindi Cossen.  Saturday July 30

Cindi will show you how to make a quilt that almost sparkles, using many different fabrics and only one rectangular pattern piece.   Quick cutting and sewing techniques will get your quilt off to a fast start.

Join Cindi for this class that is easy enough for beginners and fun for all levels of quilter.

 

 

 

 

Circles Another Way, with Rebecca Rohrkaste

July 23 and August 6

Rebecca will show you free-hand cutting and sewing techniques (no templates, no pins!) that make stunning quarter-circle blocks for your next improvisational quilt.

There will be time to try variations, work on color choices with Rebecca, and begin a quilt top using your new skills.

 


 

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Apologies…

June 18th, 2011

There is an old joke about a software engineer who took two weeks off — and then had to retire because he (or she) could never catch up. I know how she (or he) felt!

Earlier this month I had the honor of attending my daughter’s college graduation (in Iowa) and spending a few days on either side visiting with family. I returned to Berkeley (with husband, the aforementioned daughter and her 9 year-old brother) via AMTRAK. Wonderful! Worthwhile! But also a little disorienting.

I had planned for the blog to be updated in my absence, but had no idea how confusing it would be to return to an environment as dynamic as New Pieces is. Please accept my apologies for the missing blog entries while I try to find my feet again.

It occurred to me that a general update might be the best way back in, and helpful to those of you who also get overwhelmed coming into the Store.

At first glance everything’s like it always was, but there are dozens of new bolts of fabric, already comfortable throughout the Store. Palettes of quilts have been shipped by “Quilts4Japan” (quilts are still being accepted). There were kits for “Operation Kid Comfort” earlier this week (thanks Lauren!) but they have all been adopted. If anyone else is interested in sewing one, we can ask for more.

The class sample quilts have been swapped out for the Summer classes, and there are several I’ve never seen before. There are new classes on the schedule for Summer. Perfect!

One thing I didn’t miss out on was the June Mystery Quilter Talk — Tuesday June 21, at 12:30pm. If you haven’t been to a Mystery Quilter talk yet, maybe this is the month. The Mystery Quilter is always a friend of New Pieces and/or a local quilter — and he or she always has an interesting story to share with whoever is there for the free, lunch-time talk. I can’t tell you who the June Mystery Quilter is, because I don’t know.

Thanks for your patience, and I do hope to see you at New Pieces, soon. It’s great to be back!

Heather

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Undersea Spectacular

May 31st, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Our friend Nancy Brown will be teaching her amazing Undersea Class beginning June 12, on five Sunday afternoons, once a month for five months. Looking at the pictures, there’s really not much more that needs to be said. Once you master the techniques, you can do more than you ever dreamed, and this might be your first step.

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Do You Know These Quilters?

May 26th, 2011

Here’s a quiz for you:  Can you name your fellow quilters? Between us the Staff can name nearly all of these folks — most of whom are pictured with a smile and a recent quilt from either a class or quilt service.

Try your best  (just first names are fine, too…) and I’ll think of an appropriate commemorative award soon.

Heather

Quilter #1

Quilter #2

Quilter #3

 

Quilter #4 (That’s Becky on the right)

 

Quilter #5

Quilter # 6 (We will accept the name of the quilter OR teacher for this class quilt)

Bonus Question: Do you know the real name of our favorite UPS Man?

(Hint – He’s not Jon Stewart, and that’s not an Indiana Jones hat)

 

You can email your answers to: Rags1927@gmail.com, or leave a comment below. Thanks for playing!


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Pat Dicker Classes – What Fun!

May 24th, 2011

Pat Dicker’s “Dancing Sistas” class at New Pieces this past weekend was delightful. We’re pleased to announce that Pat will be teaching two classes in June .  Unlike the “Sistas” class, Pat’s June classes deal with  important (basic) technical skills for quilters — offered with Pat’s customary clarity and light touch.

On Sunday, June 5th, Pat will teach Binding Basics from 12:00 – 3:30pm. With her expert instruction and help you can (finally) master all the stages of making perfect bindings, including those pesky mitered corners.

After mastering the standard binding, Pat will show you other options like using a “facing” binding, and a super simple iron-on binding.

Binding is one of those things most of us really need to master. Why not now?

 

 

The picture at right is the back of a wall-hanging Pat Dicker made. It’s easier to see the free-motion quilting on the back, but it’s the same piece as the amazing wall-hanging below.

Introduction to Free Motion Quilting is your opportunity to begin to master this useful skill. Free-motion devotees see it as both a structural and artistic element on a quilt. It’s a skill that takes practice to master, but the better you are taught, the easier the practice will be. Saturday, June 11, 10-3:00pm.

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Nancy Wohl – Mystery Quilter!

May 19th, 2011

Nancy Wohl first came to our store while it was still on Solano Avenue and her daughter was first a student at U.C. Berkeley. After that visit Nancy was hooked on the New Pieces way of color and quiltmaking.

 

 

 

Nancy is an English teacher at a girl’s Catholic school in New Orleans. She was inspired to make quilts for each senior in her homeroom, each year. Although the system has now changed, until this year her homeroom girls stayed with her for the whole 4 years of high school.  Nancy got to know each girl over those years, and she made quilts to suit them individually.

 

Imagine being sent off into the world with a quilt, a THOUGHTFUL quilt, made just for YOU, by your homeroom teacher.

 

 

 

 

So, you have a WONDERFULLY funny teacher, Nancy, a crazy project (make the girls quilts) and a friendship with New Pieces…we’ve  done whatever it takes to get those quilts back to Nancy before graduation… what an amazing experience.

Many folks who came to see Nancy yesterday were rolling in the aisle, telling her she has to do stand up comedy.

We are so lucky to know you Nancy… Even though your own daughter has now graduated from U.C. Berkeley (Go Bears!), we hope you will come back and see us often. You’re part of our community.

Thanks for being SO GREAT.
We ALL VOTE YOU TEACHER OF THE DECADE…

Sharona, and the New Pieces Staff


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Interrupting our Regular Progamming for This Important Message!

May 17th, 2011

All 10 of your local quilt shops are offering a “Customer Appreciation” sale this Friday and Saturday:

Quilter’s Quest

Customer Appreciation Weekend

May 20-21, 2011

Friday & Saturday

Regular Store Hours

Ten shops in the San Francisco Bay Area have joined together to show you, our loyal customers, how

much we appreciate you!

Enjoy 20% off on-bolt fabric (half-yard cut minimum), And enter to win a $100 gift certificate at each

shop!

Mark your calendars for this fun-filled weekend


Cornerstone Quilt Shoppe (707) 438-2969

1001 W. Texas St. Ste. A

Fairfield, Ca. 94533

 

Cotton Patch                  (925) 284-1177

1025 Brown Avenue

Lafayette, Ca. 94549

 

Main Street Quilts         (925) 372-3700

533 Main Street

Martinez, Ca 94553

 

New Pieces                    (510) 527-6779

766 Gilman & 4th St.

Berkeley, Ca. 94710

 

Picket Fence Quilts        (415) 892-8380

6090 Redwood Blvd.

Novato, Ca.  94945

 

Queen B’s Quilt Shop     (925) 9784587

720 W 2nd Street

Antioch, Ca. 94509

 

Quilt Fans                     (510) 749-6717

2205 Harbor Bay Pkwy

Alameda, Ca. 94502

 

Quilted Vine                  (707) 546-0750

1591 Farmers Lane

Santa Rosa, Ca.  95405

 

Quiltmaker                    (707) 252-6793

1275 Napa Town Center

Napa, Ca. 94559

 

ThimbleCreek                 (925) 676-5522

1150 Burnett Ave. #D

Concord, Ca.  94520

 

 

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Two Classes with Carol Lee

May 12th, 2011

New Pieces is pleased to announce that our beloved Carol Lee is back on the class schedule in June, teaching two great classes on Thursday evenings.

On June 2nd she will reprise her perennial “Zen of Hand-Quilting” . Those of us who learned hand-quilting the hard way (trial & error, or from a book) can vouch for the wisdom of learning this skill from someone who knows all the tricks and tips.

While you practice your stitching Carol Lee will answer your questions and discuss supplies and resources for hand quilters.

If hand quilting is a meditation, Carol Lee is our guru.

On the following three Thursdays (June 9th, 16th and 23rd)  Carol Lee will teach a class that’s good for beginners, but appropriate and valuable for students at all skill levels –  “Begin with the Bento Box” .

This Bento Box pattern is a New Pieces tradition when pieced with dark and bright Asian fabrics (available in kit form in the Store).

The pattern is equally wonderful when done in batiks, or prints, or…..whatever you can imagine.

If you’re looking for a next project that looks harder than it really is, has straightforward construction and color combinations that sparkle, Bento Box is the class for you.

 

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