A Visit with Julie Creus of LaTodera

LaToderaThis month we visit with a special friend, the talented Julie Creus of La Todera Sewing and Craft Patterns.

Julie has designed a wide range of beautiful folded flowers from orchids to dahlias, several pin cushions and a great handbag all while the being a mom to her active 10 and 12 year old children in suburban Orlando.

For nine years she lived in Buenos Aires, mastering both a new language and enjoying the opportunity to appreciate the beautiful architecture and art. She even tested her first pattern (the Kafflower) in 2009 during an Argentinean vacation.

Her life’s journey started outside of Chicago with loads of craft items and books provided by her mother. Her education continued with several helpful art teachers and a degree in graphic design. This background has served her well and she really appreciates the newer computer publishing programs. 

Julie tells me her favorite pattern is her very first, the Kafflower named for Kaffe Fassett, whose fabrics she loves (see picture). Julie tells the story, "When I nervously showed the pattern and Kafflowers to Kaffe himself at my booth at the Houston Quilt market last year, he was flattered and wore one of my flowers pinned to his shirt for the rest of the day (swoon!).  

Julie has a host of new patterns for 2011 International Quilt Market this fall in Houston including the Kanzashi Flower Badge using the Clover Kanzashi Flower Maker and the Cactus Blossom Pincushion. See all the beautiful things that can be done with fabric by visiting LaTodera’s booth #1217. 

Also visit her website and blog: latodera.com, facebook.com/laTodera, todera.blogspot.com/ 

See you in Eazy Peazy's booth #1215 in Houston at International Quilt Market. 
 

Visit Kat of StudioKat Designs

StudioKat DesignsKathy “Kat” Southern started StudioKat Designs seven years ago but kept her day job with the city for another 18 months until eventually “retiring” with 29 years of government service and 4 patterns on the market. She now has 22 handbag patterns and 2 purse insert patterns.

Originally from Connecticut, Kat spends most days at home in Winston-Salem, N.C. designing, writing her newsletter, blogging, packing patterns, handling correspondence, etc. Because her studio is in her home, she finds it difficult to NOT work.  She relaxes by traveling with her husband. and specially loves collegiate sports and visiting her grandson in Charlotte. And as if she wasn’t doing enough, she plays the clarinet in her church orchestra.

StudioKat Designs’ detailed patterns produce functional handbags which address the basic daily needs of women like herself. Kat’s bags are designed around what she likes and what makes the components work together.  She says, “A well-designed pattern is just a fancy jigsaw puzzle and I find the process of getting the pieces to fall into place incredibly stimulating and fun.  The more difficult the design problem, the more satisfying it is when the problem is solved.”

Kat continued, “I really love it when folks send me pictures of the bags they make from our patterns. I get a real kick out of seeing how our customers express their individuality & creativity through our patterns. The only thing that would be even more fun, would be being able to hear the compliments they get from friends and family when  they carry these bags. That would be the icing on the cake!”

Presently, she’s in the process of finishing a  new pattern for fall and chronicling the process on her blog. StudioKat is venturing into the notions business with the addition of two items to their product line; a brand new invisible sew-in magnetic snap perfect for handbags and black & white striped zippers in six different sizes.  They will be ready for release in September. Kat doesn’t play favorites with her family of bags, “ My favorite bag is pretty much always the one I am working on right now.” Why not visit Kat and her bags at studiokatdesigns.com or her blog studiokatdesigns.blogspot.com. and on Facebook - StudioKatDesigns and Twitter- StudioKat.

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Meet Annie Unrein

Annie Unrein was looking for a little extra money to support her quilting habit and she found the ideal solution: creating quilt patterns and starting her own business, Patterns by Annie followed by www.ByAnnie.com.

While working as a scrap booking consultant, Annie developed her first pattern, an organizer to hang on the back of a door and today she has 98 published patterns with two more to make and even 100 coming soon.  

"Many of my quilt patterns begin in my head. Heather Purcell, Mother Superior of Superior Threads, is my friend and has partnered along the way,” says Annie.

“We will ‘play’ with designs. I'll do a rough pattern. Heather will make the quilt and have it quilted. Then I'll come back and finish the pattern. Superior Threads has a beautiful quilt for their booth, and I have a finished pattern."

Annie makes extensive use of Texture Magic and her own product, Soft and Stable. Both have been "adopted" by Eazy Peazy for our patterns because they produce such beautifully finished items. To date she has done 30 patterns for using Texture Magic and more are in the works.

Soft and Stable came about because Annie had used similar products but felt they just didn't quite do the job. So she tested and re-tested materials made to her specifications before introducing Soft and Stable at 2010 Fall Quilt Market. It was an instant hit and recently Annie introduced a version in white in addition to the original black.

You may see all of Annie Unrein’s exciting ideas and innovative products plus read more about this talented creative quilter at www.ByAnnie.com

A Visit With Me and My Sister Designs

PHOENIX, Arizona – While attending a quilting class at a local quilt shop sisters Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobson found out the shop was for sale. They purchased it and for three years found they never had worked so hard in their lives. Selling the shop but not wanting to leave the business entirely they thought creating fabric designs would be an ideal solution. Me & My Sister Designs was born.

Barb and Mary tell me they are now working on their 19^th and 20^th fabric collections and have branched out into designing patterns (more than 40 now) plus they have authored seven books.

One of my favorite fabric collections is named Amelia about which Barb says, “Our style has always been whimsical and we tried to add a bit of a ‘watercolor feel’ to some of the prints this time. We had just returned from teaching in Florida…on Amelia Island…and really liked the name Amelia.”

Both sisters are certainly creative but day to day Mary spends more time on the computer and handling the accounting part of the business while Barb does more of the customer contact. They meet in the middle though when its time to design fabrics with Mary being the diva of color selection. 

Barb pointed out a big part of their success is having Moda Fabrics as their fabric distributor. The duo finds the people at Moda easy to work with which leaves them time for the job they most enjoy, designing new fabric collections.

Me & My Sister’s newest collection entitled “Twirl,” will debut at the quilt show in Houston this fall. It features butterflies as one of the motifs.

The top photo shows Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobson with some of their Amelia fabric and below is an Eazy Peazy Tabletop Pocketeer also made from Amelia.

Check out the website MeandMySisterDesigns.com and their blog to see more of the sister’s creative products and ideas.

Shop Stop in Georgia

A Scarlet Thread
MCDONOUGH, GEORGIA – South of Atlanta and just 2.5 miles east of Interstate 75 is the largest sewing and quilt shop in Georgia, A Scarlet Thread.

Owner Karen Taylor has a warm and welcoming personality, greeting longtime customers and first timers as they enter with her soft southern voice and “Southern Lady-style.”

A popular seller for the shop are bundles of five one-yard cuts, ready for any pattern and with a bundle purchase Karen includes a free unique pattern, designed just for the shop. Patterns range in difficulty…something for everyone.

Visitors will notice shop displays are built vertically and lit by natural light coming through the many windows. There are also special spotlights which show off the inventory of more than 7,500 fabrics to best advantage. Karen knows how important displays are and employs a decorator who constantly works to keep things new and fresh. The picture illustrates these merchandising techniques - Karen just happens to be holding an Eazy Peazy Second Heaven Two Handbag, isn’t it cute?

Bringing the kiddies and hubby? A Scarlet Thread has a kids’ zone and even a man cave.

You can learn more about A Scarlet Thread at their website, AScarletThread.com. 
 

Jeans Skirt Rescue

Bias binding to the rescue.  This waaay too long jeans skirt was on its way to the charity bag, but was saved today by the "No Lumpy Bumpy Binding Technique" outlined in the previous blog and downloadable from http://www.eazypeazyquilts.com/

I cut off the excess fabric and prepared some bias binding from great fabric found in the stash.  The bias strips were cut 2 1/4" wide but wider would also work.  They were then stitched together and folded in half lengthwise (wrong sides together) and pressed.

The folded binding was stitched to the right side of the skirt matching all raw edges and with a 1/4" seam.  Then a quick press to the wrong side and a quick hem and it was done.  It's cute...won't show, but I know it's there.  So Eazy Peazy!

No More Lumpy Bumpy Bindings

Have you ever wondered why we quilters tend to make techniques harder than they need to be? 

Years ago, American Patchwork and Quilting magazine published a technique that produced no lumps where the ends of the binding strips finally came together. I've used it over the years, and have adapted it to my own use.

In the picture to the right, can you find where the binding joins? Of course you can't. It truly works.

You need to remember just one measurement....the width you cut your binding strips... even I can manage that!

The steps to this technique in a computer-friendly printable form on our website: http://www.eazypeazyquilts.com/

Look for and then click on "Eazy Peazy Freebeez."