• General,  Sewing/Quilting,  Tool School Extra Credit

    Extra Credit: Hot Hemmer Square & Hot Ruler Large

    Hot Hemmer Square & Hot Ruler Large By Shannon and Jason Well… Clover has done it again. Just when we were looking for a product, here they are with exactly what we need. They have expanded their line of pressing tools to include the Hot Ruler Large and Hot Hemmer Square. If you are a garment sewist, the larger ruler is something you are already familiar with, and it is this product we were JUST looking for to use in our own garment making as well as to adapt for quilting.…

  • General,  Sewing/Quilting

    Tracing Wheels

    Tracing Wheels with Instructor Steve Butler Class 158 View at our website What is it? The genesis of almost everything we create when we sew begins with a pattern of some form. Fashion, fashion accessories, heirloom, purses and bags, quilts, home decor, they all use them. In our selection process we identify potential candidates from the perfectly posed pictures on the pattern packaging. The next step is to look at the pattern itself to get an idea of what it will take to complete that project. Some patterns are very complex while others are…

  • General,  Knitting/Crochet

    Amour Crochet Hooks

    Amour Crochet Hooks with Instructor Steve Butler Class 157 View at our website What is it? Check any fashion magazine or even publications in the vein of Architectural Digest or House Beautiful. In the forefront or perhaps even as a worthy supporting accessories cast you’ll find an old friend, crochet. Fashion and fashion accessories, home décor and even amazing independent pieces add enhancing accents to any scene. Yarn shops, magazines and online sources are replete with enumerable projects, designs and just pure inspiration. In an effort to accommodate the demands of this expanding creative…

  • Crafts,  General,  Sewing/Quilting,  Tool School Extra Credit

    Extra Credit: No-Sew, Iron-On Octopatch

    No-Sew, Iron-On Octopatch By Shannon and Jason Oney the Octopatch Here, in our part of the world, we are entering that time of year when the skies are clearer, the breeze is warmer, and the wind carries the unmistakable sound of screaming little folx who have looked forward to summer break for months but now they have entirely too much time on their hands and are sooooo bored with everything and what were you thinking giving them three juice boxes (they have how much sugar??) and maybe that giant Slurpee…

  • Knitting/Crochet,  Tool School Extra Credit

    Extra Credit: Amour Crochet Hooks

    Amour Crochet Hooks By Shannon and Jason View at our website From the first crochet patterns we published to our three latest crochet books Crochet Geometry, Designer Crochet, and Complete Crochet Course, Clover Amour Crochet Hooks have been in our hands all the way. Whether working on personal projects, teaching classes, or creating the pieces for our books, we couldn’t do what we do without these hooks. Especially when Shannon started developing hand and wrist pain from all metal crochet hooks, the ergonomic soft grips made it easier to use…

  • General,  Sewing/Quilting

    Stitch Guide

    Stitch Guide with Instructor Steve Butler Class 156 View at our website What is it? Ever watch an accomplished sewer lay down a line of stitches? It’s always perfectly straight or curved as desired. It looks easy, right? Well, easy until you drop the presser foot and the stitching begins. Then the skills of said sewist become glaringly evident. There’s nothing automatic about perfect straight or curved seams. It takes years of honing those skills to be proficient. And absent those skill enhanced perfect seams our sewn projects will constantly remind us, “It could have been better.” And…

  • Crafts,  General,  Sewing/Quilting

    Mini Iron II: “The Adapter Set”

    Mini Iron II: The Adapter Set with Instructor Steve Butler Class 152 View at our website What is it? First of all, why do we call it a “mini iron”? Because of its diminutive size? Yeah, pretty much. But that name is a true misnomer. Even though labeled as “mini”, the small size really packs a punch and makes it one of the most useful notions in any sewing or crafting studio. It’s simple, our pressing stations need to keep pace with the almost explosive growth of sewing and craft techniques and applications we see today. Let’s…

  • Crafts,  General,  Sewing/Quilting

    Fabric Tube Maker

    Fabric Tube Maker with Instructor Steve Butler Class 155 What is it? Jelly Roll™ projects of all types are more popular than ever. Home décor, fashion, fashion accessories, quilting, or any other application you can imagine. The three dimensional effect of the folded fabric tubes are particularly enticing. Add to that the unlimited selection of fabric colors, patterns and textures plus a vast array of thread colors and textures and the creativity quotient is off the charts. Okay, they’re great. We get it. So how do we make these fabric tube masterpieces?  I Googled it. Let me…

  • General,  Sewing/Quilting,  Tool School Extra Credit

    Extra Credit: Tracing Wheels

    Tracing Wheels By Shannon and Jason Medieval torture devices? Baking for making those cool cuts in the top of your bread? What exactly are those strange looking wheelie-pokey-thing-a-ma-bob-tools that come in sewing tool kits and why should I learn to use them? If your first exposure to tracing wheels brought up these questions, you aren’t alone. Tracing wheels are for, just that, tracing pattern pieces. The pointy, sharp tracing wheel is perfect for outlining an existing pattern piece to create a duplicate. In our case, we use it to duplicate…

  • Crafts,  General

    Punch Needle & Hoop

    Punch Needle and Hoop with instructor Steve Butler Class 154 What is it? – Punch needle embroidery, it’s all the rage. Everyone wants to do it. Punch needle is a hand application process that uses a hollow needle to create loops of yarn, floss or even ribbon on fabric giving us a textured pile surface. The result is nothing short of a stunning textile art form. For those of us who have a special sense for fibers and the beautiful textures they can create, we have found a new home. The creative…