Five Fun Facts about Barbara Brackman

Like many of us, Barbara Brackman started quilting as a way to relieve stress. But what began as a hobby has become a way of life. Barbara is a renowned fabric and quilt historian, the author of multiple books, and a Moda designer. Her latest fabric line, 1862 Battle Hymn, is an example of what Barbara does so well—melding her knowledge of history and love of antique fabric to create something we can all learn from and use. 1862 Battle Hymn commemorates the 150th year of the beginning of the Civil War, as well as the song The Battle Hymn of the Republic, published in that same year.


You may think you know everything about Barbara from her books and blogs (as well as from this blog) and the more than 20 lines of fabric she's designed for Moda. But here are five facts about Barbara that might be news to you.

1. Barbara wanted to take home economics in high school, but her father thought it was a waste of time and wanted her to take accounting, instead.


2. Barbara loves to hand sew, and as a child she was especially fond of embroidering dishtowels. She’s made a return to embroidery in recent years, stitching a small quilt and covering it with embroidery stitches.


3. Barbara says she was born to blog. “I love blogging because I enjoy writing and blogs are such a direct way of getting out information—no editor, no time delay, free, very visual,” she says. In addition to “Barbara Brackman’s Material Culture about quilt fabric history, she writes 1812 War and Piecing and the Civil War Quilts blog. “Having three, each dealing with a single subject, is a way to keep things organized, at least in my mind,” she says. “I have always wanted to be a newspaper reporter and now I have my own virtual newspapers.”

4. Barbara sorts her voluminous collection of antique and vintage fabrics by era and color into 50 notebooks. “I have hundreds of pieces of fabric and I always say that a hoarder can’t find anything, but I know where every piece is,” she says. “I’m a hoarder who loves to file.”


5. Barbara taught one of her nieces (who is now in her 30s) to sew when she was little. “We cut out red and white squares and I was busy working and when I looked back she’d sewn all the red ones together and all the white ones together,” says Barbara. “Later she said ‘Why would I make a quilt when you can just make one for me?’”

Thanks, Barbara, for sharing some of your personal history, as well as your knowledge of quilt history with us!

The Learning Curve Ruler

FREE FORM CURVED PIECING - GUIDELINES

• Set machine to a small stitch length (1.6 or 18 SPI).
• Sew SLOWLY. Set machine on SLOW speed if possible.
• Always start sewing on a piece of scrap fabric, leaving it attached to hold the threads.
• Sew units right-sides-together, with concave unit on top (Background Fabric).
• Line up the curved edges of the two units at starting end, leaving a small "dog ear" of the top piece hanging over.

And many more suggestions and tips are included with the ruler.

Ask for this brand new ruler at your local quilt shop and conquer the Learning Curve!



Finding the Time...

Loose track of time and wonder where the time went? We have gathered together some of our favorite free online and mobile apps to help you get control of your time so you can enjoy the little things in life.

Phone Alarms/Alerts...
Just about any and all mobile phones have alarms that you can set for just about whatever you need. Sure, you may think that they are just for waking you up in the morning, but they are great for a lot more than just that. Take advantage of your clock application on your phone and set alarms for anything you need to do at a specific time.  Meetings, feeding the baby, picking up the kids, making dinner, and even for taking out some time for yourself!


Google Calendar...
Google has many great free online applications that are free to use.  I personally like the Google Calendar. It allows you to setup and manage more than one calendar under a single account. This is very useful for the working mom and shop owners. Easily keep track of your store schedule, personal schedule, kids schedules, your husbands schedule, and more all in one place. You can share your calendar(s) with others so they know when you are available and best of all you can specify a separate color for each calendar... so it is easy to track who is doing what and when! Have your husband manage his own calendar and if your kids are old enough, they can manage their own calendars. Calendars can be left private (default) or made public for the world to see. Store owners can easily set their "store calendar" to be public so consumers can see what shows and events their favorite store is having. You can even link your store calendar into your website for easy consumer access. Google Calendars are a quick and easy way to always know what is going on and no more unexpected surprises. Learn more about Google Calendars here.

Teux Deux...
Have a to do list that is forever growing? The thing I hate the most about the traditional to do lists is if I cannot finish it in one day, then I have to rewrite everything that I was not able to accomplish on a new page or day so I can easily see what needs to be done TODAY. Or maybe you have something that needs to be done in a future date and need to remember to do it that day.  TEUXDEUX is the answer. This online application is a simple, user friendly application that helps you keep track of your to do lists easily. There is even a SOMEDAY to do list that you can have for all those miscellaneous tasks that you would like to accomplish someday. Best of all there is an iPhone app available to take your tasks lists mobile. They are also currently working on a Teux Deux app for other mobile devices such as iPad, Android and Blackberry.  Check out all the cool features TeuxDeux has to offer here.

Tim and Beck: Bungle Jungle

Rebecca McAllister describes her life as “right at the point of change.” And she’s not kidding. In just over two years she’s moved from Utah to California, changed the focus of Tim and Beck, the design business she shares with her husband Tim, and moved again. “It’s been an adventure, to say the least,” says Rebecca.

Part of the adventure is designing for Moda. Bungle Jungle, their new line of fabric, features kid-centric critters and cheery polka dots, plaids, and scribbles in contemporary colors.  “I’m so excited to see our designs in fabric,” says Rebecca. “My favorite part is finding out what people will do with it.”

Rebecca is familiar with seeing her work spur creativity. Nine years ago she and Tim started Sassafras, a line of scrapbooking and crafting paper goods. “Originally we thought it would be one of those ‘mom-work-from-home-creative-outlet’ jobs,” laughs Rebecca. “At the beginning it was just Tim and I in a little room in our house, but at its peak we had 14 employees.” They found themselves pouring time and energy into managing the logistics of their business and as their family grew (they have two daughters, ages 5 and 7) they longed for a slower pace, as well as an opportunity to return to their designing roots. 

A visit with Rebecca’s brother in California convinced them it was the place to start over, and two-and-a-half years ago they moved to the coast. Just this week they’re moving into a new home where they’ll turn one room into the Tim and Beck design studio. 

“We’ve worked literally side-by-side for the last 9 years,” says Rebecca. “When I tell people that, half of them say ‘That sounds like so much fun’ and the other half say ‘I could never do that!’” One couple who understands the 24/7 aspect of working, living, and parenting together are their good friends and Moda designers, Eric and Julie Comstock of Cosmo Cricket. “It’s not very often in life you get to meet people you can relate to on so many levels,” says Rebecca. “When we get together it’s like a therapy session!”

When they’re not working, Tim, Rebecca, and their daughters love exploring their new home state. A favorite place to hang is the beach, where Tim enjoys surfing and Rebecca and the girls just like to chill. Rebecca’s also looking forward to co-designing some projects for their new home. “We want to make a chandelier out of mason jars,” she says. “I’m hoping in our next stage of life we’ll be making creative, fun things we can use.”

Might one of those things be something stitched with Bungle Jungle? Rebecca admits she’s never made a quilt. “But this might be just the time to learn,” she says. “I’m so excited to try.” 

A "Charm"ing Baby Shower

This past weekend I had the pleasure of throwing my best friend a shower for her first baby girl!

I wanted to make it really special so I decided to have everyone make a onesie for baby Liv. 

I was a little nervous as to how it would turn out since most of the guests were non-quilters/crafters but it turned out to be absolutely wonderful! 
This would be a great event to host in your quilt shop or home. 

The whole set-up was very quick & easy!  

I briefly explained how to do it and the girls were off! 

The onesies turned out better than I could have ever expected and we all had so much fun!

1. Onesies- an assortment of colors/patterns/sizes is a good idea (less than $3ea at Wal-Mart!)
2. Fabric...Moda Charm Packs- a variety makes it more fun and personalized.  Because onesies are so small, Moda Charm Packs are the PERFECT pre-cut for this project! You can also throw in some scraps.
3. Lite Steam-a-Seam2 (they are packed with 5 sheets and 1 sheet= 1 onesie)
4. Fabric Scissors- Karen Kay Buckley "Perfect Scissors" worked great because of the serrated edge. I used both the large and small size. The large for bigger pieces and the small for intricate letters or shapes. If you are hosting a large party have several pairs of scissors or it will slow the process down ALOT. I also brought my Elan set- also a large pair and small pair. It is important to use fabric scissors or the fabric will fray on the edges leaving it looking cheap and used.  
5.  Steady Betty Pressing Surface and/or Ironing Board. Only having one ironing board, the Steady Betty was a great addition because it allowed for multiple people to press at one time. And we were able to put the Steady Betty directly on the counter because it is so small and light. 
6. Iron-  Dritz Mighty Travel Iron- Just got this iron and I LOVE it. It is the perfect travel size and still gets really hot. It was great with the Steady Betty. 
7. Pencils/Ball Point Pens- to draw/trace designs onto SteamASeam. Make sure to trace your design backwards (mirror image) so they will come out correct on the front side of the fabric. 
8. Ideas/Samples- Print off some onesies you like from the internet or Pinterest to give some inspiration to your guests. You may also make a sample onesie to have sitting out as an example. 
9. ArtBin- I got the Double Deep ArtBin storage container which held all of my goodies perfectly! Loved having everything together in one place.  

*Show everyone the sample onesies you printed off to get their brains thinking! Then have your guests team up and choose a onesie & coordinating charm pack/fabric. 

*TRACE or DRAW design on the STICKY side of the SteamASeam. (peal back corner to see which side is sticky) 

NOTE: Your design must be traced or drawn backwards (mirror image) onto the SteamASeam so when you transfer to the WRONG side of the fabric and eventually cut it out it will come out the correct direction. To achieve this you can draw it with a sharpie on a separate paper and then flip that paper over and lay under the SteamASeam to trace backwards. 

*CUT design out of STEAM-A-SEAM leaving about 1/4" - 1/2" around the design. 

*PEAL the smooth side of the SteamASeam away and press the Sticky Side of the design onto the WRONG side of your fabric and press for ~10 seconds to get the stickum to adhere to the fabric. 

*TEST by using your finger nail to pull back a corner of the SteamASeam to see if the stickum has transfered from the Paper to the Fabric. If not, press a bit more but not too long. 

                       

*CUT the DESIGN out exactly on the line you drew. 

*PEAL back the SteamASeam paper from the fabric leaving the stickum on the WRONG side of your fabric. 

*POSITION your design where you like on your onesie. 

*PRESS- Once you have it exactly where you like, Press that baby down! 

If you are layering, press one layer at a time. 

*JUMP up and down and scream, "I'm finished! I'm finished! Look how cute!" 

Finally give Momma your precious "made with love" onesie!

*Once the party is over you can take the onesies home and stitch the designs down by hand or machine.

I personally use blanket stitch on my machine. 

I hope you have as much fun making onesies as we did!

Check out this photo from an adorable baby BOY shower... 

PRINTABLE templates from the shower available here on Etsy...

AND now we even have CHRISTMAS templates! 

Here are a few free ones for ya... 

For more from the shower and additional printables 

visit my Little Miss Sew it All blog. : )

SLICED... a sewing competition by Moda Bake Shop

Sliced is an online sewing competition where four crafty people will compete before a panel of judges. They will have 5 days to use their creative talents to develop a project with a sewing basket of mystery items given to them on the first day of each week {crafters must provide their own items}. 

Once they have completed their project, the panel of judges will critique the projects from each challenge and will decide who will  be SLICED and who will continue on to the next week and a new challenge. We will have a guest judge each week of the competition. The competition will run March 4 - 31, 2012. Each week, someone will be "Sliced" from the competition until only one winner remains. Do you have what it takes to become the next Moda Bake Shop Chef?

We are very excited to announce our Sponsors and Prizes for this competition. All four contestants chosen for the SLICED competition will not leave empty handed.  We have wonderful prizes for each of the four competitors all provided by our gracious Sponsors...

You are not going to want to miss out on these prize packages!  Check out the Moda Bake Shop for more information.

Auditions: FEBRUARY 1 ‐ 29, 2012

Crafters may submit as many projects as you wish that stay within the Sliced rules.

• Projects must use all items contained in the sewing basket listed below.
• Additional items may be used to complete your project.
• Completed projects must be submitted on the Moda Bake Shop Sliced Flickr Group {flickr.com/groups/slicedcontest} in order to be eligible to be selected for the Sliced sewing competition.
• Anonymous submissions are not allowed. A contact email/website must be provided with each submission.
• All submissions must be your own original design.
• All pictures must be clean and clear.
• No animals are allowed in pictures unless the project is specifically designed for animal use.
• Auditions end February 29, 2012 at Midnight {central time}.

The Challenge? All audition submissions must be some sort of Office/Studio Accessory. 
It can be anything that would be used on or at an Office or Studio setting.

Sewing Basket of Mystery Items:

• Fabrics used must feature at least one type of Moda precut. Additional Moda fabrics may be used to complete your project.
• Project must use at least one type of buckle. This can be any size, shape or color.
• Project must also include Quilt Batting somewhere in or on the project.

 Please email modabakeshop@unitednotions.com with any questions you may have.
Good Luck!

Welcome to Bear Country!

Mike Berenstain and his mom, Jan

If you were a child—or have a child or grandchild—chances are you know the Berenstain Bears. Papa Bear and Mama Bear, Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear are the family members whose daily lives provide gentle insight into the challenges faced by many families: messy rooms, bad manners, the first day of school, and scary dreams, to name a few.

The Berenstain Bears are the creation of a real Mama and Papa Bear— Jan and Stan Berenstain. The couple married in 1946 and made their living selling cartoons and cover illustrations to magazines including The Saturday Evening Post, McCall’s, and Good Housekeeping. They published humorous books for adults during the early years, but it wasn’t until working with publisher Theodor Geisel (better known as author Dr. Seuss) in 1962 that The Big Honey Hunt, their first children’s book featuring the Berenstain Bears, appeared. More than 300 books about the Bear family have followed and 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of that first publication.

To celebrate a half-century of Berenstain Bear love, Moda is introducing Welcome to Bear Country, a line of fabric that features the Bear family at work and play. While the Berenstain’s son Mike acknowledges that sewing isn’t part of the Berenstain family skill set, he’s happy to be working with Moda. “We have been very pleased with the quality of Moda’s designs,” he says.

The childhood exploits of Mike and his brother Leo were known worldwide, as Jan and Stan drew on their personal parenting experience as fodder for their books. Both brothers took it in stride. They’d hang out in their parents’ home studio after school, drawing. Leo eventually moved to the business side of the Berenstain Bears, while Mike, since his father’s death in 2005, works with his mother to develop stories, write text, and illustrate the books.

“She’s 88 years old and continues to be very active in the illustration process,” Mike says. 

While Berenstain Bears books address topics that challenge contemporary families, this year they’ll also be looking back with the publication of Jan’s and Stan’s second and previously unpublished children’s book, Nothing Ever Happens at the South Pole, about a bored penguin who learns life around him is anything but dull. It was written at the encouragement of Theodor Geisel, who suggested after their first book that Jan and Stan try a new animal character, then changed his mind after the Bears’ success. Nothing Ever Happens at the South Pole was put on a shelf and misplaced for 48 years. It resurfaced during a basement cleaning and over the last couple of years Jan Berenstain has fleshed out her late husband’s initial sketches. The book will appear in August, one of 14 the Berenstains will publish in 2012.  

According to Mike, if anyone asks his mother when she’s going to slow down, she responds, “Maybe I’ll retire and take up painting!” The friendly teachings of the Berenstain Bears have helped millions of readers deal with thorny issues and now their images on fabric will remind children and grandchildren of that calm reassurance and sense of family fun. Long live the Berenstain Bears! 

We're "Sewing" Love... the winner is

Happy Valentine's Day Sewing Friends!

The winner of the Oh Sew Sweet Sewing Kit is... 

GWEN!!!

And she has the sweetest Valentine memory... 

 Gwen said...

Oh, so cute!! :-) The sweetest Valentine I've ever received.... there have been so many wonderful gifts over the years-- both big and small.... But one that comes to mind was from my oldest daughter last year. When my girls were growing up, it was always a big tradition for us to bake us batches of heart-shaped sugar cookies and then decorate them so beautifully with glaze, icing, candy sprinkles and crystal sugar... They were always SO proud of their special cookies-- and always made a couple of "special" ones for their Daddy and me... My two older girls are all grown up now, married and moved out. Last year, our oldest daughter brought over a plate of those same Valentine cookies that we used to make all those years ago. :-) It made me happy to remember those times--- and to know that *she* remembers those times... :-)

Gwen, if you will please email me your physical address I will send your sewing kit to you right away!

email me at    sstephenson@unitednotions.com

Oh Sew Sweet Sewing Kit

The sweetest little DIY sewing kit 

for your sweetest little sewing friends!

Gather up all of your favorite "necessity notions" and throw them all in a mason jar. 

To seal the deal, grab a cute piece of fabric & some batting and transform the top into a pincushion.

I added a pom-pom trim for extra cuteness.  : ) 

Sew Easy, Sew Cute & Sew Fun!

Follow us & leave a comment describing the sweetest Valentine you ever received. 

Winner will be randomly selected on Valentine's day.  

XOXO : )