Holiday Giveaway

'Twas the night before Catmas and all through the house, not a kitty was stirring...

...oh, you know the rest! We wish you and your family a joyous holiday season and

a very happy, healthy 2016.

Thank you for spending some time with me in 2015, here on my blog and elsewhere. I've so enjoyed your comments, kindness, enthusiasm, creativity and encouragement. I've also enjoyed getting to meet some of you in person this year. As a small token of my thanks, let's have a holiday giveaway!

Up for grabs is a new Little Jewels quilt kit – including the pattern by Jessica Darling of VillaRosaDesigns and all of the fabrics (over 7 yards!) to make it, with free shipping to you, wherever you are.

© Marc Litvinoff Photography

To me, this time of year is so much more about giving than anything. It's a time to stretch ourselves and our hearts to those who could use a little extra love, a kind word or gesture, some warm mittens, a bowl of soup, or a simple smile. Something magical happens when we give simple things selflessly and the gifts we receive in return are wrapped in love and tied with happiness. Our world could surely benefit from an abundance of small, positive gestures of compassion and kindness. Whenever possible, i love hearing about what kinds of things people are doing for others. It helps to sustain my hope that we are here for each other, and gives me many more good ideas to enact in my own life. So...

...to enter this giveaway, please leave a comment below briefly sharing one thing you’ll be doing for someone else this holiday season. Please just enter once. Be sure to leave an e-mail address, so that I can reach you if you win. That’s it.

A winner will be randomly selected from all entries and announced here on Monday December 21st. If you would prefer we send this kit off to someone you think could use it, we would be happy to do that as well. If you tell me what to write, I will include a special note from you!

The lovely kit was put together by our friend Christie of Christie’s Quilting Boutique in Norwalk, Connecticut. I picked it up when i visited the shop last weekend to celebrate their 2nd anniversary. Christie, Edgar, and their family have created a very special place, well worth a detour if you're passing through the area!

If you're looking for colored threads to coordinate with this kit, here are a few Aurifil threads

that would work perfectly:

Good luck, everyone! Keep being your wonderful selves.

xo,

Kate

Pantone's 2016 Colors of the Year

Sweet serendipity! Pantone just announced its 2016 Colors of the Year. It's the first time ever that there are two: Rose Quartz and Serenity Blue. Looks like someone *eh hem, wink wink, toot toot* saw these colors coming!

(Aria ships in February)

And then, to my surprise, i pulled out my elements thread collection for Aurifil and noticed that two of the thread colors matched too (2410, 2710)! Here are some additional coordinating Moda Bella Solids and Aurifil embroidery floss colors if you're looking to do some trend-on sewing in 2016! (Sisters Pink is also a Bella option for rose quartz).

Your color-loving friend,

Kate

Seven Scrappy Projects for Fall

Today i am thrilled to turn my blog over to the super-talented Becca, who will share some great scrap-busting projects with you. If you've been following along here, you have already been treated to her sewing talents, fantastic photography and adorable kids — on this post as well as this one, this one, this one, and this one. For my newsletter, Becca was kind enough to select and sew some clothes and accessories that complemented my new Canyon fabrics for Moda. I'll share those on here a little later this week, but right now, please welcome Becca and let's see what she did with her scraps!

Hi there! I'm Becca, Sew-Blogger and Photographer at Free Notion. I have been fortunate enough to work with Kate on many of her fabric releases, and Canyon - like all the rest - has been an absolute joy! My projects left me with oodles of scraps of all sizes, and I'm excited to share some fun projects to put those scraps to good use! Take a look:

What? Free Motion Applique 

Who is it for? Kids of all ages! You can jazz up a tote (like this free one!), a store-bought shirt, or on your favorite boy’s or girl’s knit t-shirt pattern. You can draw your own design, download free ones (like the pumpkin applique shown above!), or peruse applique patterns like the ones available from StitchArt.

What size scraps do I need? ANY! The pumpkin is about 8 x 10 inches, but the leaf and stem were each cut from those really small, and really random shaped scraps leftover from mine and my kids’ apparel projects.

What? Sweet Grace Ruffle Headband

Who is it for? The darling in your life! Perfect stocking stuffer, or kick up your wrapped-gift presentation a notch - use the headband in place of a ribbon to jazz up a medium sized gift this holiday season.

What size scraps do I need? 10 inch strips at various widths (3 inches or less)

Feeling ambitious?? COVER your headband in ~9 of these “Tentacular Dahlia Fabric Flowers.” My 4 year old calls this her Fairy Flower Crown. Bonus: They look just like the flowers featured in the larger Canyon line prints!

What? Scrappy Bookmark 

Who is it for? Everyone! I monogramed this set for my kid’s teachers. But I come from a family of readers, and know it’d be a hit for many of my relatives! 

What size scraps do I need? Various size squares - max dimension 9 x 3.5 inches

What? All-Purpose Zipper Pouch

Who is it for? This would also be a great teacher gift, though admittedly this one is for my daughter’s growing, broken crayon collection. (Note to self: do NOT leave this sitting in the car!) It’d also be a great traveling bag, for collecting small items like jewelry. And yes, the cat embroidery IS a nod to Kate’s kitty love ;)

What size scraps do I need? Four (4), 9 x 7 inch pieces (two for the exterior pouch, two for the interior)

What? Teething Ring & Burp Cloth Baby Gift Set

Who is it for? Mom & Baby (though not in that order!). These make great scrappy gifts for a baby shower; and the back side of my teether is made with a new, super soft wash cloth. Throw it in the freezer (damp) and it’ll be perfect relief for sore, teething gums to chomp on.

What size scraps do I need? Apx 20 x 4 inches (Teether) ; 24 x 8 inches (Burp Cloth)

What? Fall-Friendly Coasters

Who is it for? This would make a great hostess gift! Throw these in the tote with a bottle of wine and thank whoever is cooking for you this holiday season with a colorful coaster set for their Fall tablescape. Admittedly, the tutorial is Canadian-themed, but I couldn’t help but translate it for the beautiful season at hand! (The back, not pictured, happens to be the same wool felt I used in this Horizon line hat project!)

What size scrap do I need? Depending on the size leaf you find, it could fit on charm squares. Mine are a little bit bigger, maybe 6 inch squares.

I also wanted to mention that I used a mix of colors from Kate's "Elements" thread collection for Aurifil on all of the top stitching and embroidery in these projects. The colors are beautiful and match Canyon perfectly!
I hope you're inspired to make some fun scrappy gifts for your loved ones this Fall! And thanks so much to Kate for having me guest post for her today. It's an honor and a pleasure!

WOW! How fun are those! Thanks so much to Becca for sharing all these inspiring projects. I can't wait to try them out. How about you? And it's perfect timing with quilt market coming up next week and a big pile of scraps on my floor!

Have a beautifully scrap-happy day!
xo,
Kate

Migratory Inspiration

Every morning our cardinal vines are visited by hummingbirds. Except of course this morning — the one where i tried to capture them with my camera. I stood there as still as i could until my arms started to fall asleep and my eye (that was pressed against the viewfinder on my camera) started to water. But the vine is so pretty! It's an annual and we plant it every year just for our seasonal visitors.

Here it is rambling up and over our yew shrub in the front yard. Pete had the wonderful idea to use the shrub as a natural trellis, and it's been a beautiful addition to our garden.

The monarch butterflies, though few, are here each day fluttering around to the many native plant species we selected especially for them.

monarch on butterfly bush, Black Knight

They particularly love (as in they circle around our entire garden and 99.9% of the time land on this plant) Liatris Ligulistylis or Meadow Blazing Star.

I check our milkweed every day with the hope of seeing a little monarch caterpillar, but none sighted so far.

Sadly, Monarch populations are down so much and they really need our help. The Xerces Society has a number of wonderful resources and information about what you can do right in your back yard. Even if you have a very small area you can plant a pollinator feeding station. It's all about picking the right plants for your area. Check this guide for more info. A wonderful plant no matter where you are: Zinnias. They attract all kinds of bees and butterflies (including this Black Swallowtail), and they come in so many beautiful colors!

Ok, that's the end of my PSA. The benefits of helping butterflies, for me, have been a daily lift to my spirits and much inspiration. Keep this in mind when i share more {soon} about Aria...my next fabric collection for Moda!

Have a beautiful day!
xo,
Kate

Summer Solstice aka: The Longest (Sewing) Day of the Year

Hi everyone! Can't believe the Summer Solstice is already here (it officially arrives tomorrow morning June, 21st at 6:51am EST). Hope you've got some fun plans for making the most of the longest (or shortest) day of the year. For those of you in the southern hemisphere, the days will only get longer now for you – hooray! We’ll be visiting family, checking out some gardens up in the foothills of the Berkshires with some friends, attending a local fundraiser concert for the public schools, and...weeding the garden.

Before the crab grass stakes its claim on all the cracks and pathways, thought i'd show you some photos of our garden from a couple weeks ago, along with some of my favorite spring blooms.

Here's the veggie area in raised beds that we built last year.

Because we've had such a prolonged and cool spring, it's been the best lettuce season i can remember in a long time!

We also had a healthy harvest of baby bok choy:

Here's a view of the flowery garden area with the flagstone patio and parterre we made last summer — i still kinda can't believe we took on a project like that. Crazies!

And here are the beauties of our spring garden...whose gorgeous colors and elegant shapes will continue to inspire me long after their blooms have faded.

The summer bloomers are already on their way, and so are the sweet peas! Stay tuned.

Almost forgot! to celebrate the Solstice, and to kick-off the summer sewing season, we're giving away a Fat Quarter bundle of...Solstice — my new Christmas/winter fabric line for Moda Fabrics!

Please leave a brief comment regarding something you like to do on the longest (or shortest) day of the year. One entry per person. The winner will be randomly selected on Tuesday June 24th.

Have a beautiful weekend!

xo,

kate

Blog Hop Winners

Congrats to Elizabeth and Kelly! Please email me your mailing addresses— kate(at)katespain(dot)com — so i can send your prizes off to you! What a fun blog hop that was! Thanks so much to everyone for joining us and for chiming in about your daydreams. I loved reading your comments and it seems like there's a resounding dream for Spring! Let's hope it comes soon. Really, really soon.

How about now? ;)

Don't forget to stop by the Moda Cutting Table to download the setting instructions for the alphabet quilt! Have a beautiful weekend.

xo,

kate

Moda Blog Hop: Spell It With Fabric

Happy Monday! Today begins the Moda Designer Blog Hop that's sure to be abundant with lots of sewing ideas, patterns, giveaways and more! Here's the schedule so you can hop along:

FEBRUARY 17

American Jane

Aneela Hoey

Bunny Hill

Cotton Way

FEBRUARY 18

Piecing Directions

Deb Strain

Kathy Schmitz

Fig Tree and Co. 

FEBRUARY 19

French General

Janet Clare

Basic Grey

FEBRUARY 20

Lauren + Jessi Jung

Kansas Troubles

Laundry Basket Quilts

Lily Ashbury

FEBRUARY 21

Me and My Sister Designs

 Me!

Jan Patek

Pat Sloan

FEBRUARY 24

Primitive Gatherings

Minick and Simpson

Lissa Alexander

FEBRUARY 25

Sweetwater

Thimbleblossoms

Sandy Gervais

FEBRUARY 26

Vanessa Christenson

Malka Dubrawski

Blackbird Designs

FEBRUARY 27

Barbara Brackman

Zen Chic

Gina Martin

FEBRUARY 28

Setting Directions

Hope you'll join us for lots of F-U-N !

Sewing, sewing

Happy Monday! Already off to a fun-filled week of sewing here in my studio. The International Quilt Market  is coming up in a couple weeks and i've been working away on a quilt to bring. This one will feature my upcoming fabric line for Moda called, Daydream. Here's a peek:

It's a good thing i don't have to use this kind of sewing machine:

Copyright American Society of Mechanical Engineers 

That's a drawing of the first U.S. lockstitch sewing machine that was patented by this man (or rather, a statue of him) in our hometown, Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Photo from CT Monuments.net

"Elias Howe, Jr., (1819 – 1867) obtained a patent for the first practical sewing machine in 1845. In 1865, Howe opened a sewing machine factory on the Pequonnock River in eastern Bridgeport, where as many as 400 machines were manufactured a day." -Excerpt from Images of America: Bridgeport on the Sound by Bruce Williams and Mary K. Witkowski, Arcadia Publishing.

Though Elias Howe, Jr. was not the first to invent the sewing machine, he refined the machinery significantly. He was the one who put the eye of the needle at the point (instead of at the back like on hand sewing needles). And i'd have to say my favorite part of his contribution is the automatic feed. Without that, i'd never get this quilt done in time for quilt market!

An aside ... three cheers for our neighbor Bruce Williams. Bruce recently gave us signed copies of two terrific books: his Images of America: Bridgeport on the Sound book and another on his father, Man of the Waterfront: The Story of Kaye Williams and Captain’s Cove by Ralph Harvey (self-published). In addition to being an author, historian, and nature painter, Bruce continues to manage Captain’s Cove Seaport in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport. It’s a marvelously unique place that Bruce’s dad, Kaye Williams, envisioned, while he was a lobsterman out of Black Rock Harbor, and then built piece by piece. A good chunk of the Story of Kaye Williams book is about this. Some other funny stories on Kaye and his adventures were in a Connecticut Post article from last year, just a couple days before Hurricane Sandy hit in October: Captain's Cove founder no stranger to storms.

Back to Elias Howe, Jr.. Here’s how the Howe “Sewing Machine Manufactory” appeared:

This page came from a circa 1870 history of the State of Connecticut. My parents happened to give us a few already-separated pages from the old book last December. And, from the same book, a close-up of a map of Bridgeport showing the multi-block “E. Howe” plant and facilities around Noble St. and Howe St.

Today, the locale is...a parking lot. Sad! But you'll notice in the lower right corner that Howe St. is still there.

Photo from Google Maps

For more on Elias Howe, Jr., check out:

• Alex I. Askeroff’s history of Howe . Points out a funny fact that at end of the Beatles film, Help, there is a dedication to Elias Howe, Jr.

• The American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ brief bio of Howe

Ok, back to sewing. Thank you, Mr. Howe! And thanks to my assistant too:

Blog Hop Winners and a Sneak Peek

Thanks to everyone for joining us for the Moda Size Matters blog hop. Hope you came away with lots of great ideas that you can incorporate into your own quilt designs. It's not so much that you have to be a "designer" but rather think of yourself as an "explorer" and it's only a matter of time before you stumble upon something new. Enjoy the journey, too!

Today, Tammy at Moda has posted a few extra quilt blocks as well as a beautiful setting design for all the blocks you collected along the hop. Please visit the Moda Cutting Table to meet Tammy and to download the instructions.

Congratulations to Sharon Zisos who is the winner of the Sunnyside fat quarter bundle! I know i said there would be only one winner, but i couldn't help but send some more sunshine to a couple other people too...so Alison and Debra will each be getting a mini charm pack of Sunnyside. Why is it that the smaller things get, the cuter they are?? Love those mini charms. Anyway, Sharon, Alison and Debra, please email me your mailing addresses and we'll get your prizes off to you!

Annnd, maybe you already know this, but...when it's raining...

...and the sun comes out...

it's possible to see a rainbow if you look in the direction opposite from the sun.

OR...just look right here to see a rainbow-ie sneak peek of my next fabric collection for Moda called Daydream.

This will be showing at the International Quilt Market next month and will be available in February 2014. Can't wait!

Have a wonderful day.

xo,

kate