Quilting at the Poorhouse has moved....

Hello all! Quilting at the Poorhouse has moved! We are now found here - join us!

I'll meet you there - Kris

Tuesday Traveler with Texture

Hello all!

Do you need a little instant gratification in your sewing? Texture Magic fits the bill! I was cutting out a Tuesday Traveler bag this morning and decided to jazz up the cell phone pocket with a little texture. So I cut a front pocket piece (about 1.4 times the height and width of the original pocket) to allow for the Texture Magic. I used a triple stitch zig zag and added rows to the piece at 1” intervals so that it would appear “smocked”. I applied the steam following the manufacturer’s instructions, and voila...a textured front pocket.

A little magic goes a long way with this bag! I think I'll be using more Texture Magic in the future!
Try it! -Kris

Visiting Nashua...

I had the pleasure of visiting Nashua Sew and Vac in Nashua, NH last month. I want to share this gem of a shop with you!

Ruthie Ryan, the shop's owner is so inspiring! Her shop has many machines (check her website for brands), loads of accessories, and so many gadgets for the quilter and the sewist. The place is hopping with shoppers with all kinds of needs and Ruthie and her friendly staff handle it all with ease!

I visited the shop not once but twice, to give a mini-trunk show to the Viking and the Pfaff Club(s). These ladies have talent! Every time I go to a new quilt shop, guild meeting, or Quilt Market, I am struck by how diverse our interests are as sewers and quilters, but, deep down, we are all the same! Thanks so much to you all for wecoming me!

Happy sewing! -Kris

Thanks to the People in my Quilt Market Neighborhood!

We survived our first Quilt Market! We (my mother, Jean, and I) had a wonderful time and met so many nice people! I have new respect for everyone in the booths - putting up our booth was the first of many adventures that we experienced!

We had dinner with good buddies Yolanda Fundora and Barbara Campbell and new friend Hoodie. We sure had a lot of laughs! Click on their links, so you can see what they are up to! We also were lucky to meet the gals from Berkshire Quilts - we met these New Englanders on the shuttle to the hotel!

We had great neighbors at Market - these veteran quilty companies were such an inspiration for us that I'd like to "share" them with you! Across from us, we had Rag Spun (applique shapes - cute !), Ackfeld Manufacturing (the hanger people), and Waterfall Quilts (Kathie's new book "Flip Flop Block Quilts" will be out soon!). On either side of us, we had Patch Abilities (great patterns!) and Sue Spargo Folk Art Quilts (She also has a new book - "Robin Run the Hedge"- she's taking pre-orders at her site!) . These gals (and guys, too!) really got us through our first Market and all I can say is "Thanks a million!". Your advice and encouragement helped us out so much!

Minneapolis is a beautiful city - we hope to return again and take time to see more of it! Keep Quilting! -Kris

A Wise Traveller

Pardon my absence from the blogging world! We have been busily getting ready for Spring Quilt Market here! Before we leave, I'd like to share a Tuesday Traveler with you! My friend, Mary Anne Murphy made a quilt for our guild's challenge from her stash, using a print with owls on it. She decided that she needed a matching bag for her entry in the show and here's what she did!

An explanation of the challenge: Our challenge was to create a quilt from our stash without electricity (no sewing machines!). Mary Anne's quilt took third place! She used real feathers and hand stitched the pine branch on the quilt. Enjoy this bit of inspiration and keep quilting! -Kris

Thursday Night Jazz...

Doesn't that sound smooth? It is! It's the name of another cool, new pattern from Poorhouse Quilt Designs, the Daily Specials Collection. These bags can take you out for a special night on the town!

We are featuring tips for sewing and quilting with silk taffeta in this pattern. Silk can be so much fun to quilt, it's very forgiving and best of all, it shows off even the simplest of quilting stitches beautifully! Each bag is on the small side -just enough to give you a taste of using silk.

Can't you picture these bags as gifts for bridesmaids? Prom season? The tote is 8" tall, the pouch is 7" tall x 6" wide and the clutch is 4" x 7".

I bought my silk through the Della Q website - check it out! You may be able to buy it locally - I hope you'lll give my pattern and silk a try!

Keep quilting - Kris

Happy Tuesday!

This morning, I thought I’d share another new pattern with you! The Tuesday Traveler is another pattern in the “Daily Specials” collection (available May 24th). This versatile pattern features our easy zipper application, pockets to organize your essentials, and a long strap for comfort!

There is a small front pocket, for your cell phone or music player, a zippered outside pocket (I keep credit cards and license in here), and a zippered top pocket for the main part of the bag.

The fabrics used are the from Blank Quilting's Murano Collection.

Of course, this will be a perfect bag for your next shop hop! Travel on, quilters! -Kris

Daily Specials - Sunday Best!

Good morning all!

It’s that time of year again – when pattern designers release new collections that will debut at Spring Quilt Market. I’d like to give you a preview of Poorhouse Quilt Designs’ new line, as well as a little background on the inspiration for the project.

Inspired by the Friday Bag, we decided to design a bag for every day of the week! After all, who wouldn’t want to change bags every day? We have dubbed this collection “Daily Specials”. I hope these patterns will appear on your sewing menu!

Today, we are previewing our “Sunday Best”! This bag features 3 rows of ruffles – an element designed to show off your fabric! The ruffles were inspired by clothing designer offerings for Resort and Spring 2010. These ruffles appear on blouses and dresses; they are big and loose, an easy but elegant statement.

My friend and pattern tester Jenn Dawley made her version of the bag, shown here: Her color choice is perfect for this bag, don’t you agree? In case you can't see it in the picture, her sewing is impeccable! Thanks Jenn!

Stay tuned for more Daily Specials!
-Kris

Backpacking in New Zealand

No, I'm not going on vacation! I just received a picture of a quilted backpack that Alison of NZ made for her vacation! She used the pattern for the floral stripe backpack in Sew and Go Totes. I wanted to share this pic because it shows another way to use your fabrics! Alison did a beautiful job selecting the fabrics for her pack, which gives her a totally put-together look!

Thanks Alison! It's so much fun to see your interpretation of the bag.

Check out Sew and Go Totes and let your imagination tell you what to do.

Happy Sewing! -Kris

Go Gamecocks!

I love to see what other sewers do with my patterns! Judith B just sent me a nice email with pictures of Sampler Totes that she has made. I particularly love the University of South Carolina’s Gamecock’s version! Instead of using quilt squares, she let the fabric do the work for her. She also made a version with beautiful autumn colors, for a friend. Judith – beautiful job!

Keep quilting! -Kris

Patchwork Pals

I had so much fun meeting with a group of gals called the Patchwork Pals of Greater Lowell (MA)on Valentines Day, last week. This is a small guild that has BIG fun! They welcomed me to their meeting and I felt right at home - isn't that always the way with us quilters? I showed off my Sew and Go Totes and we chatted about ways to make better bags.

This is my way of saying thank you to this lovely group of ladies. If you live in the area and would like to join a small guild, give them a call! You may have just found some new pals! Support your local guilds! -Kris

No Botox Required!

We are in the process of giving some of our patterns a little face lift. This is by no means an "Extreme Makeover"! Our first volunteer is the Sampler Tote. Here is the "after" picture (a.k.a. our new "look"). It's the same Sampler Tote pattern with a fresh new look - no botox required! The Sampler Tote offers many options - use up your test blocks (any 6" block will do - you don't have to use the blocks in the pattern), practice your free morion quilting, test out a color combination that you've been curious about. The possibilities are endless!
Keep on quilting! -Kris

Blogland and Oops!

It's funny how you meet people in Blogland and get to see fellow quilter/crafter's creations! What a treat it is! I heard from a fellow blogger who I am now following at her Upstate Lisa blog. She emailed with questions regarding the Over the Shoulder bag pattern that I designed for the Winter 2010 issue of Quick Quilts. I asked her to send along a photo of the finished bag and here it is - isn't it great? I love Lisa's colors - visit her blog for some creative inspiration!

I'd like to pass along my "Oops" corrections, in case you'd like to make this bag!

After step 4, it should have told you the following:

a) Layer outer bag over wrong side of lining (21” x 42”) and baste to hold together for quilting.
b) Stitch in the ditch along all piecing to stabilize piece. Optional: Quilt a Large Meander on all red sections. Trim.

Then the divider panel with pockets will be sewn to the back section (see step 16) – here is a clarification for that:

c) Baste Inner Computer Panel to inside back section of bag, 1 ½” from seam as shown. Top edge of Inner panel should face flap.

Visit www.quiltmag.com to request a copy of the magazine, if you can't find a copy where you live.

Have a great day! -Kris

Tip for Sewing Purse/Tote Handles

I used a new "tool" today to secure the pressed edges of handles together before topstitching - paper clips! I like strong handles for my projects however, strong handles = bent useless pins. This morning I used large paper clips and the process was a breeze - easy to slip on and off. I could also put the clips on while the handles were still hot from the iron and had a nice crease on each side. Try it!

Have a wonderful day! -Kris

Brilliant!

I am thrilled with a new product that I just discovered called "Brilliant Bindings" by Wendt Quilting. This is a binding aid that helps you miter corners perfectly and join binding ends smoothly! Why try this ruler/tool?

1. Simplicity - This is a very straightforward tool to use. You get a page of clear, concise instructions (with color photos) with the tool, stepping you through the binding process to the end.
2. Value - This is a product that is priceed very reasonably for what you recieve.
3. Versatility - The 45 degree angle is not only required for smooth binding finishes, but I can see it's use in half square triangles, marking quilting, ruler positioning during rotary cutting.

Check out Wendt Quilting's website!

Happy binding! -Kris