Patch Halifax

Patch Halifax is a modern fabric store and sewing workshop located in Halifax's North End. This store has fabrics for quilting, garment making and crafting. You will find such lines as Cotton + Steel, Art Gallery, Cloud 9 and Robert Kaufman as well as independent sewing patterns for quilts and clothes.

The owner is a delightful young lady who greets everyone with a friendly smile. You are left to browse around at your leisure but someone is there to help if necessary. I liked the well lit and uncluttered space. Notions, books and patterns were well displayed.

Classes are offered in their spacious and well lit workshop. Sewing machines are available for rental by the hour so you can work on a project at your own pace. Not only that, there is always someone there who can offer assistance if needed. I'm finding that this is becoming a common thing to do in some quilting stores. As well, some classes offered are smaller quilted projects. For example, one of the classes is a modern quilting pillow with the emphasis on free motion stitching. The student gets to piece a small block, sandwich it like a quilt, decide what way to stitch the top and then sew it up to make a pillow. For beginning quilters, this is a great way to get started.

Tomorrow I will post more photos of the store.
Enjoy!
























Christmas Fabric

I couldn't resist this Christmas fabric at Avonport, NS a few days ago. I do like some of the non-traditional colours and designs! It's difficult to see but Merry Christmas is written above the houses.
At the moment, I have no idea what I'll do with it. Maybe a mug rug, needlecase .  .  .

Avonport Discount Centre Fabrics

I discovered a great quilt shop at Avonport, NS called Avonport Discount Centre Fabrics. Several of my quilting friends mentioned this quilt shop to me several years ago but I had forgotten about it. It is quite close to where we are staying so that is a plus. As I pulled up to the building, I noticed a large tool shop next door. Very convenient for those husbands who sometimes tag along.

The staff was very friendly and helpful. I explained who I was and a bit about my art work, web site and blog. As a result, I was given permission to take as many photos as I wanted.

Shopping carts are near the door for your convenience. I didn't bother to take one as I figured I wasn't going to get that much. Boy, was I wrong!

This shop has everything a quilter needs! The fabrics, books and patterns are fabulous with reasonable prices. It was hard to make a decision!

Quilters visiting Nova Scotia, this is a shop to visit!

Have a look!

Pine Needles Sewing Centre, Cedar Rapids

During my recent trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I discovered a marvellous quilt shop, Pine Needles Sewing Centre. This shop carries the line of Bernia Sewing Machines, fantastic bolts of fabrics, lots of notions, patterns, quilt batting, interfacing, the complete line of Aurifil and YLI threads, kits, books, magazines - everything you need for sewing and quilting. It is a sewer's / quilter's paradise!

The store, itself, is very modern (I forgot to take a photo of the outside) with two floors. Instead of one large cutting table there are several cutting stations throughout the building. The lighting is fantastic. Every nook and corner is well lit and the products presented so that you want to stop, see and touch everything. I'm sure I missed a great deal. While at the checkout, I saw several items other ladies had that I hadn't seen.

Fabric collections were presented with books and / or patterns highlighting the fabric. In many cases, quilts, table runners or sewing projects, made from some of the fabrics, were on display. The
Christmas in July display table greeted everyone who entered the shop. I noticed lots of beautiful Batiks, geometrics, dots, stripes, from the show Downtown  Abbey, The Cat in the Hat, Christmas, Halloween, Autumn, Children and Baby and much more. You will just have to check them out!

The staff is very friendly and helpful.

It's easy to see that the shop is owned by a person passionate about sewing and quilting. All the quilts on display are owned by the shop and there are a lot of them. All proceeds from the sale of these quilts are given to charity.

Needless to say, I was impressed!
First batch of photos:

 

Fiber Lilly

Erin Kirby opened Fiber Lilly a couple of months before Christmas. This unique shop, located on 10 Highland Drive, St. John's, Newfoundland, carries a varied assortment of fabrics, including designer prints, stretch and organic fabrics. It also caters to the needs of knitters and fiber artists, supplying wool and knitting supplies, materials for dyeing and fiber art materials. Local art and pottery also graces the shelves.

Here's a few photos of the store but please check out the Fiber Lilly web site for more photos of the products carried in the shop.
Enjoy!

Local Products

The Fabric Shop, Gander, NL

I have been having some difficulty getting back to doing 'stuff'' in my studio - especially posting to my blog! But, as promised, here's a few more photos from my trip.

One of the things on my list this trip was Dr. Seuss fabric. Last year I found it in Chicago but after getting home could have kicked myself for not buying it. I could have purchased it on-line but didn't. Anyway, to make a long story short, the only place I found it was at C & M Crafts N Stuff / The Fabric Shop, Gander, Newfoundland. Needless to say, some of it is now in my stash. In fact, I've already started a project with it.

If you are a quilter, this quilt shop is a must visit. I was impressed with the variety of fabrics, notions, threads, kits, yarns and embroidery supplies. There is also a dedicated classroom for teaching quilting classes.

I was told that their other location in Carmanville, has different fabrics (no duplications). On my next visit to central NL, I have to visit that shop as well.
Enjoy!

Fabric Dyeing

This afternoon I spent some time dyeing small pieces of cotton, silk and cheesecloth for cliffs. I have lots of grey commercial fabrics but none are working out for my next art piece. I could print out the cliffs from the photo I'm using but I don't want to do that for this project. I have used cheesecloth for mountains before and the textures were just right. Here's the fabrics I'm probably going to use. The first two photos show wet fabric. Usually the colours are lighter when dry.