Ok guys, I’m working on something and I need help from you: answer this question in the comments: How far have you travelled to visit Suppose, and why were you willing to make the trip to come here?  I will send one of these Prince Charming fat quarter bundles to whoever came from farthest away and/or gives the most compelling answer!  I need this stuff within a week so the giveaway will close at noon, Mountain Time, next Friday July 1. And dont forget to leave your email address also. Ready, go!

We all know the kind of sorrow that can come because of the short runs of fabric printing these days.  There’s nothing like figuring out you need a little bit more only to find that the fabric is sold out and out-of-print. The fabric companies most often only run the lines once, and when they’re gone they’re gone.  When those companies actually listen to the wishes of their customers and bring back a beloved print, it can feel like a miracle. Well, in the case of the Ghastlies, it’s a Halloween miracle.

This line has by far been one of our most popular collections ever, and last year we used it for this quilt from the  Material Obsession book.

This year, not only has Alexander Henry reprinted the original Ghastlies print, but there is a whole new Ghastlies collection in that non-tradition Halloween colorway of grey/mauve/sage. And this time we find the Ghastlies hanging out indoors. Knitting together (what is that, a chicken cozy?)…

and having an angsty family dinner…

Don’t you just love all these perfectly dour facial expressions?

I do feel a bit bad for Mr Ghastly, who can’t even get Mrs. Ghastly to look at him before he leaves for a long day at the office. (Based on his bag, maybe he’s an old-timey doctor?)

But if you look closely, you’ll see that despite that irritated pucker on her lips, Mrs. Ghastly has got some rose-colored glasses! I hope you enjoy the Ghastly family as much as we do.  We’re working on a new quilt with them, photos soon!

One of the most exciting things happening with fabric right now are all the different substrates included in fabric collections. In just the last year or two, we have seen an explosion of collections that include voile, velveteen, corduroy, linen, or knits along with the the regular quilting weight cottons.  While some might be hesitant with these new-to-quilting fabrics at first, I hope you’ll be a bit daring instead. Seeing quilters mix the different textures right into their quilts has reminded me that there really are no rules and that the possibilites are endless for making your quilts more interesting.  Right now I’m working on a pieced quilt that has: voile, velveteen, heavy sateen, and quilting weight cottons, all in each block. More on that later. For now, I want to share a few projects we’ve used the interlock knits with.

This quilt, paper-pieced for us by the wonderful Sharon Moran, used the City Weekend collection (by Liesl Gibson for Oliver + S for Moda) of woven cottons on the front. But for the back, we chose a coordinating interlock knit from the collection. We were a bit apologetic to our quilter, , about sending a knit back for her to quilt on, but she just brushed it off and had no trouble whatsoever. Fabulous! And now the back is so soft, with the kind of comfort you get from flannel, but more sophisticated.

The great thing about these Moda knits is the quality. They are 100% cotton interlock, which is a double-knit, and strong. Interlock is not jersey, which is single-knit and therefore usually thinner.

I was obsessing over the orange-red knit dot from City Weekend, so although I had no pattern and had never really sewn with knits before, I went for it.  I only dared do this with the encouragement of my friend Anita who is always able to construct amazing concoctions without a pattern. I had a knit shirt on, so I used it as a guide as I added Dolman sleeves and a couple extra inches since I wanted it to fit kinda loose and I hadn’t pre-shrunk (this is a no-no with knits, yikes!).

I didn’t use a Serger, just my regular machine with a ballpoint needle and a zig-zag stitch. I had to adjust what started out as pretty wild alien shoulders, but that was the only glitch. Phew! In fact, it turned out to fit perfectly after I washed it.  Here I am showing off those Dolman sleeves. And I can’t tell you how comfy it is.

After that I felt like I should use an actual pattern for my next project, so I rounded up one I had, written specifically for knits. It’s actually out of print, but I think it’d be pretty easy to draft. It just has a boatneck and Dolman sleeves (which apparently I’m loving lately) and the front piece is exactly the same as the back. (We also have this great knit top/dress pattern for adults, this one for kids, plus this and this from O+S)

It was pretty fast to sew, and I love it more than I thought I would.  I ended up using a contrasting woven fabric for the sleeve tabs, because I accidentally stretched my knit tabs too much, but I think it turned out better this way.

All in all, sewing with knits is not the intimidating thing you might think it is if you’ve never done it before. Here’s what you need to know:

• Pre-wash knits first. They’ll shrink more than wovens.
• Use a ballpoint needle, which will keep the fibers from snagging.
• Don’t fret if you don’t have a Serger. Just use a zig-zag stitch, which allows the fabric to stretch without breaking the stitch.
• In general, don’t pull or stretch the fabric as you sew it, or you’ll get a wavy seam. I also found that raising the position of my presser foot slightly can help it feed through more freely. (Hopefully your machine has this feature.)

Be sure to check out the Oliver + S tips for sewing with knits.  Patty Young also has some helpful showing hemming techniques for knits. Next on my to do list: piece a quilt top with knits. I’ve seen it done and I want one for myself!

I have about a million unfinished quilts in the works. I’m afraid to actually count for fear of the guilt that number would incur. So instead let’s focus on some projects I’ve actually finished!  Here are a few small things I’ve made in the last little while.

Meet Jaime Elefante, so named by my dear friend Amy, made with Indygo Junction’s Eloise & Elmore pattern, and featuring a print from Parisville.

Here is something that is true. I made the below zipper pouch in 5 minutes. It was to contain a birthday present for another dear friend, Erica. It might have been the most fun I’ve ever packed into 5 minutes. Raw edge appliqued with thread-doodling (is there a name for this style? idk.) on bamboo felt (soo soft). This is going on my Make More of These ASAP list.

A lot of what I make gets given away or displayed in the shop, but this is something I actually got to keep. I desperately needed a new everyday bag, and ended up with this Multi-Tasker Tote (one of my favorite bag patterns ever) out of an Innocent Crush home dec weight print. So far I am loving it, with my favorite part being the 4 handy outer pockets.

That’s not all, but it’s all for now.

Last night we were working on a new pattern for a new quilt out of Loulouthi that we’re pretty excited about. Here’s a little peek at what we’re calling “Wild Garden.” We’ll probably be publishing this pattern under our Golly label but will keep you posted.

It’s been a while since we posted some show & tell.  Just a few photos to hang up on this virtual refrigerator door in pride.

Theresa’s Summery Sunshine & Shadows quilt:

Jess’ tote bag, featuring Innocent Crush home dec fabrics:

Cutest little mermaid ever, from the Wee Wonderfuls book:

Flowery die-cut applique, featuring fabrics by Sanae for Moda:

One of two quilts Angie made for her little girls’ room, featuring fabrics from the Nicey Jane collection:

Seeing what you guys make is one of the most fun & rewarding parts of this job. No matter what stage you feel your skills are at, you should be proud of the things you make with your own hands. Bring your projects in to share when you come by the shop, or add photos to our Flickr group, and we’ll feature you on the blog too!