Hooks, Needles and Brushes

Sending Prayers!!!

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:32:00 PDT

To all my friends and their families and everyone else who are safe and also to who were affected,you all are in my thoughts and prayers. In Al we have been through this bad time and it is not easy to just forget however with love and support things can get a little easier.

I am willing to help and support in any way I can.

God bless you all.

Simply Retro with Camille Roskelley Ebook Review

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Thu, 02 May 2013 09:19:00 PDT

2 days ago, I received an eBook for review from CT Pub called "Simply Retro with Camille Roskelley". I am sure the author or quilter does not need any introduction. She is known for her amazing patterns and moreover her fabrics ( I wish I can have them all, sadly I don't). She is also a Craftsy instructor where she shares her knowledge.

I am in love with this Ebook. It has 11 projects and yes as the name suggest they are all Retro or Traditional however has a very modern look to them. Some of my favorites in this book is Swell, Adorn, Baby love, Fresh and Sweet Life.

The book starts with the explanation of basic requirements for quilting, then moves on with how and what fabric would look great with these projects. She explains HST (Half Square Triangles), Flying geese methods which can make you achieve beautiful quilts. The book also talks about free motion quilting and hand quilting techniques.

This book is just awesome and a must-have in a quilters library.

This book will be available for purchase at CTPUB, Amazon and you know what you can even get a signed copy at Camille's store Thimble Blossoms. Who wouldn't love that wish I could get a signed copy too if I could afford.

Go ahead and grab a copy you wont regret..It is an awesome book!!!

Pic Copyright:CT Pub

New quilt teaching projects!!

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:53:00 PDT

Hello everyone, It is beautiful day out here in Al..looks like spring is finally here. I love such days to work on my own and my class quilt projects. I have 10 students interested in learning quilting and also going to help me finish about 20-22 baby / lap quilts that I plan to make and finish by September/October for my charity project.

I have been busy cutting fabrics like crazy to get things started. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Jennifer from Northcott fabrics for sending us some lovely fabrics which will aid us in making 6-7 quilts. Now I have to work on my next most important task for teaching i.e. need to fix my sewing machine which has been acting crazy lately and then I can schedule classes to teach for free and in return they help me finish my quilts.

I really can't wait to get started on teaching..love to meet new and old students. I am sharing some pics of the beautiful fabric that we received and need to be cut and some which I have been already cutting from yesterday.

What projects have you bee guys working on lately.. I love to see all the beautiful quilts and it is such an amazing thing to watch the same quilt can have different results when different fabrics are used.

Happy Quilting!!!

Churn Dash Block Tutorial by MSQC

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:59:00 PDT

Hey There,

Have you seen the latest tutorial by MSQC..I love the churn dash quilt and looks like a fun project. Jenny is wonderful in teaching and inspires me a lot in teaching others.

Check the tutorial below!

Enjoy!!

Cute carrot tutorial for Easter

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:29:00 PDT

Hey Everyone,

I have been away from my blog for some personal and due to some teaching commitment. Today, I saw this tutorial from MSQC by Jenny and had to share. This is such a wonderful idea for Easter...get those scraps out and make some of these cute carrots to put in your Easter basket with cute bunnies:)

I am going to make some tomorrow to make some to gift it to some kids...

Enjoy and Happy Easter!!!!!

Slice Review

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 10:27:00 PST

Today I would love to talk about a great die cutting Machine from Slice Crafts.. "Slice". I run a lot of sewing/Quilting classes in my community and prefer to give my honest opinion to my students on machines (As you are aware I have done honest review on several machines in the past too) that could make life easy and speed up the applique/embellishment on the projects. So when I got my "Slice" I thought of giving it a try.

Few things I like to see in any machine I use and I am sure everyone loves to see is the ease of using the machine quickly by following few steps when you get it out of the box without the hassle of reading through pages and pages. That is a big plus for me however there are instructions provided for someone who loves to read the manual before they use.

The machine is light weight, portable and sturdy to carry with you to your quilting/sewing classes or on trips with you.

I love the Hands Free Kit where you do not need to hold the machine while it cuts, embosses or draws.

Another product you may not want to miss to buy is Invisicut which helps to cuts shapes/design on delicate fabric such silk, tulle, lace etc.

The Design cards have some amazing design to make and use for appliques for quilts, baby items, home decor.I would love to have all of them they are so cute and have so many ideas and options of using them running in my mind just looking at them.

The factor that may hold back some of you would be the price for the machine retail price $149.99 and design cards retail price $49.99, however I feel it is worth it.

PACKAGE INCLUDES: Slice™ Cordless Fabric Cutter, power cord, 3 replacement blades, blade adjustment wrench, 6” x 6” glass cutting mat, reposition-able adhesive, foam brush, 3 - 6” x 6” fusible web sheets, user manual, quick start guide, Applique Basics SD design card and design card booklet. Most shapes available in 1" to 4" in 1/2" increments.

Also, if you keep looking on Slice Crafts website for sale here and Facebook page they post deals with great prices on their design cards and if lucky on their machine too.

So all in all I think this is a wonderful die cut machine to add to your craft room..you won't regret it. Also stay tuned we will have a project soon coming up in next few days on our blog here using this great machine.

Also I am posting a link to video which has introduction to Slice Machine.

Copyright: Image from www.SliceCrafts.com, Video from http://www.mycraftchannel.com

Happy Quilting,

Stitch Savvy Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 12:27:00 PST

Recently, I added Deborah Moebes class on Craftsy for sewing A line skirt and then shortly I saw she had this book called Stitch Savvy releasing soon. I thoroughly enjoyed Deborah on Craftsy and wanted to check out her book . So here I am today going to talk about the book "Stitch Savvy" which I received recently for review.

This book has 25 skill building projects from easy to advanced level in homedecor, patchwork and quilting, bags, sewing for children and clothing. The author at every project you finish will ask you to try a little more complex project.

The book starts with explaining the different terminology and technique and is then immediately followed with 3 warm up projects, which I thought was neat before you actually start with a little more complex project.

The each section i.e. home decor, patchwork and quilting, bags, sewing for children and clothing has 5 projects. At each project you have small sections of crash course on certain technique, analysis and tips..which again I thought was useful for all level of sewers. The project are just awesome from the lady elbow bag, to lay flat backpack or sassy pants all are great. I did not get the material yet but the sassy pants is the project I plan to start with. Also read through all the instructions and see images before you start on project.

Lastly the best part is the book is spiral bound and lays flat so you dont have to worry about pages turning . Also, all the patterns come on CD which I thought was a great advantage as far as storing is concerned. Just choose the pattern and size, print it and attach the pattern pieces with a tape and you are all set to sew..isn't that cool.

All in all I think it is a book worth buying and for all skill levels..you won't be disappointed.

You can buy books at :

Stitch Savvy

Amazon: amzn.to/UOBwFU
Barnes & Noble: bit.ly/XEJilH
Krause: bit.ly/YgxIlV

Image Copyright: Krause Publication

The Easiest Christmas Table Topper / Mini Tree Skirt

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:23:00 PST

Amazing and easiest tutorial for tabletopper/christmas tree skirt by Jenny from Missouri Star Quilt Co...not late yet if you want to do some last minute holiday gifts or to decorate your home...I am working on one right now and yes it s very easy :)

Craftsy Sewing Class Discounts :)

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 22:00:00 PST

Hey Everyone,

While I am busy with some classes and also in the midst of reviewing Craftsy Classes for my student, now if you don't know what Craftsy is which I doubt you can read in detail below

Craftsy classes are affordable online classes on different subjects like sewing, quilting, cake-decorating and many more that you can view in the comfort of your own home, whenever you want. You buy the class and it is yours for life.The best part you can watch it whenever and as much as you want, It never ever expires!! You can also interact with the instructors and other students through the platform by asking questions while watching the course. You can take video notes at a particular step of class so you can revisit your notes. You are provided with class material such as resource guides and instructions. You can also get a sneak peek before you buy the class, so you know what all you will be taught in that class...That's not all if still you are not happy the will refund you however I can bet that will never happen.

Craftsy recently had a Holiday Sale and just incase you missed, I have managed with few coupon/ discount links which are from 40 to 50% for all my readers and Craftsy lovers. I have picked up some amazing classes for you to take benefit from. They are one of the best and you will enjoy every minute of it.

www.craftsy.com/ext/Seema_DesignYourOwnHandbag

www.craftsy.com/ext/Seema_PlusSizePatternFittingDesign

www.craftsy.com/ext/Seema_ALineSkirt

Thank you Craftsy for offering this discounts to my readers, we really appreciate it.

Please readers show some love to Craftsy and to our blog if you feel like and like us on FB/Blog so we can get some more deals like this.

Martha Stewart Home office with Avery Review

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 21:30:00 PST

Life can get hectic specially if task are not organized properly.I am a teacher, a student and also work part-time. I often tend to forget things or write some important detail on piece of paper which can be easily misplaced. I was looking for a solution to get Organised where I could write about my task, the to-do list , birthdays, teaching schedule etc and was finding ways of how to do it when I came across this wonderful Home office Notebook called Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery which is exclusively available at Staples.

Now you may think what is so great about this book...well here are the few details you may want to know.
The Home office Notebook comes in 2 sizes 9.5" x 11.5" and 6.5" x 9".

You can customize the Notebook as per your needs with the great accessories it comes with like Disc-bound Task Pad which helps you to Jot down reminders, make a shopping list, or create a to-do list .The Disc bound task pad that fits conveniently in your notebook. You can easily add as many sheets to your notebook as you need.

Disc-bound notebook also can be organized with customizable plastic dividers. You can write on both sides of the classic shape tabs for easy reference. You can use the dividers with your Disc-bound planner pockets, calendar inserts, filler paper, and task pads for easy organization.

You also can get Filler Paper which is punched to fit in your Home Office Notebook

The Calender Insert is another great feature you can add to your Home Office Notebook . It includes weekly and monthly calender so never ever forget any event, important dates plus it has a 2 customizable row to jot down your activities and to-do list.

Now isn't this a great thing to have to organize your life and everyday events. I think everyone should have one either it is a mom or a working woman, we all need help in getting organised.

Go and check out Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery which is exclusively available at Staples...I am totally in love with it.

I also have a announcement..as we near holiday season we will do 2-3 days of some fun giveaways of Prize pack and I will include a Discbound Notebook, Tab and plastic dividers...so stay tuned for our announcement.

Copyright and some text: Image from Martha Stewart Living OmniMedia

Accuquilt Black Friday Sale !!

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 22:00:00 PST

Hey Quilters,

Do you know that Accuquilt has a black friday sale and they have some exciting holiday deals planned for all of next week leading into Cyber Monday. It would be a great opportunity to stock up those dies and even cutter that you had on wishlist for a long time...:) Click on the link below to take advantage of the Black friday through Cyber Monday Sale.

http://www.accuquilt.com/holiday-deals/shop-all-the-deals.html

Holiday Season!!

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 13:03:00 PST

Hey Everyone!

I am totally into holiday mood and have some demo classes scheduled and some we may schedule based on how we can manage. We also have some amazing news as we will be sharing some great discounts on some of the newest Craftsy classes with the review..so stay tuned for our next update soon.

Disappearing 4 patch Quilt Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 15:49:00 PDT

Hey Everyone, if you haven't done you must check out Jenny's (MSQC) new tutorial called Disappearing Four Patch Quilt. I love the one she has displayed on her wall..need to buy some charm pack similar to that..:)

Happy Quilting,

Easy Fence Quilt tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:02:00 PDT

Here is another great tutorial from Jenny of MSQC on how to make Easy Fence Quilt with jelly rolls. I have a jelly roll and think will try this out. I really like it:)

Umecrafts Felt Pattern Giveaway-Closed

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 10:11:00 PDT

Hey Everyone,

We are doing another round of giveaway for umecrafts Felt DIY patterns. I had the opportunity to review Jeanette's book and to do the pattern giveaway.
She comes up with great Felt pattern tutorials with step by step instructions and photographs to help you finish your project.

Also she has a new shop called Moldivate where she sells this adorable molds which can be used in clay craft, food crafting, soap making and many more check her out and you will fall in love with her mold designs.

We are giving away 4 patterns 2 felt toy and 2 felt food patterns to 2 Lucky winners. Pls read giveaway details below.

They are super cute and fun to make and your kids will enjoy every minute of it.
You can visit Jeanette's etsy site here and here for fun DIY project patterns and molds

Now about Giveaway..Pls read the rules they are pretty simple and straightforward. You can leave comment on the form everyday however you can like us on our blog, twitter, FB and Pinterest only once.

UPDATE 08/13/2012: The giveaway is closed. Winner No 8 and 34 had been notified by email. Pls email me in 24 hrs..if you fail to do so new winner will ne chosen...Thanks everyone for participating.

"Pls fill the form only only once". Giveaway ends on 08/12/2012 CST. Winner will be announced on 08/13/2012. All the best :)
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Scrappy 4 patch Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:59:00 PDT

Do you hate making those 4 patch which take most of your time when you quilt.. at least I do..Do you have charm packs lying around and don't know what to do with it..learn from Jenny of Missouri Star Quilt Company how to make a 4 patch in a breeze..wow what a technique.

Make an Easy Quilt with Precut Fabric by MSQC

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 12:54:00 PDT

I am so much in love with Missouri Star Quilt Company video that they put up on YouTube...as Jenny has been quilting for such a long time she shares some amazing tips and techniques to reduce time and make wonderful quilts. Check out her new Katie's Quilt-Make an Easy Quilt with Precut Fabric. This one is definately on my do list for my home and for charity quilts.

Love,

"Summer in the Park" Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 07:43:00 PDT

Hey Everyone,

Trust everyone is doing great. It is getting really hot here in AL this week however last week the weather was really nice. Generally I like 80-90 F to be out on porch to paint or spend time in garden but 104 or 5 is just too much. So I thought will stay indoors and do something. While I was browsing YouTube I came across yet another fab tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt CO. known as "Summer in the Park" Quilt. Check out the tutorial below. The color and the pattern looks so cool.

Love,

Crazy Quilt Tutorial!

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:54:00 PDT

Hey There,

Check out this great and easy to make crazy quilt tutorial. In this video tutorial by Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt who demonstrates how to use the Crazy Quilt Templates to make a Crazy Quilt.

EQ7 review.

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:46:00 PDT

EQ7 is a quilt designing software that all quilters would like to have one to design their own quilt. The jouurney to understanding this software is not very easy. There is some learning required which you ca easily do so with the user- manual and by watching some of the tutorial videos that comes with the software. The tutorial are great aid in getting started.

It has Worktable which allows you either to work on a block, quilt or even an image.. which is great.

It has a large library of built-in block designs so you can design quilts without having to make your own blocks. However, if you want to try out to be more creative you can do so and design your own blocks from scratch

It has some Pre-designed layout to make your work easy to start with EQ7.

Some other features of EQ7 are:
Over 5000 scanned fabrics or can your own fabrics and save them in your Library.
Border and Sashing becomes much easier with the use of EQ7
EQ7 includes over 5,000 copyright-free blocks for you to use and change it as per your requirements.
Serendipity tools helps you to magically turn any block into a new original block.
You can print the charts, blocks and fabric yardage requirements for your quilts.

EQ7 software is a fantastic software fr quilters with so many options to explore..having said that as mentioned before there is a learning curve and if you have patience to learn you can master how to use it easily with the help of video tutorials and manual.

I am playing with some more designs to put p on my blog as few we did were some simple ones for our charity quilts. Once I design few I will post them here on my blog.

EQ& and Sew Steady Review Update!!

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:59:00 PDT

Hey Everyone,

Pls accept my apologies as some of them had requested for the review and I am a bit behind on my schedule as I was out of town and all classes took most of my time and then Easter holidays. I promise in a day or 2 I will try to get you review of EQ7 and shortly after that sew steady...I am really sorry for the whole chaos.

Thanks,

Hello!!!

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:06:00 PDT

Hey Everyone,

I hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's day and enjoying the Spring. I love springs especially when the garden starts to bloom. I have been missing for more then 10 days from my blog as I had some classes to attend and had to go to Georgia. I had a great time. Currently, I am in the process of reviewing EQ7 and hope to post the review by weekend or early next week.

So far I am loving EQ7 however will give detailed review soon..till them take care and enjoy.

Love,

St. Patrick Day's Quilt Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 11:15:00 PDT

Look at this amazing video yet again by Missouri Star Quilt.I am addicted to their videos whenever we ladies plan to do something for holidays they come up with fun projects. Check out yourself how cute and easy this project is by Missouri Star Quilt Co.

Enjoy,

Flannel Blankets in 10 mins.

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:14:00 PST

Hey Everyone,

Hope everyone is safe, we have a bad weather day in Al today with some tornado damage near our place. It just feels like yesterday with the last April 2011 tornado chaos and here we are again..it's scary at times however we have to make sure we help and support each other and do not panic.

Okay, now today I saw this cute 10 min project from Missouri Star Quilt company on how to make receiving blankets with self binding and I must say I am going to make some for gifts and charity...If you haven't see the tutorial below is the video...enjoy and be safe.

Jelly Roll Race!!

noreply@blogger.com (sskcraftshop @ Hooks, Needles and Brushes) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:13:00 PST

Have you ever sewn a jelly roll race quilt..I haven't and when I saw this video of jennt Doan of Missouri Star Quilt I thought wow what a great project especially with just 1 roll of jelly and in few hrs..she says 45 mins( I would add half and hour more as I take breaks.)

Check out this great video and I am sure you will be doing a Jelly Roll Race too.

Links for 2011-02-25 [del.icio.us]

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 00:00:00 PST

Epic Combo kit Giveaway by Quickutz/LifestyeCrafts

Links for 2011-02-23 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 PST