Alice in Stitches has just opened a new Amazon web store this week.  We’ve launched Alice in Stitches Needlework that includes all of our Amazon products in one easy to shop location. The web store will allow you to shop using your Amazon account and checkout and enjoy their shopping guarantee.   Alice in Stitches Needlework will also bring you sewing machines and sewing room furniture from vendors on Amazon.   

Give us a try and let us know what you think!

Did you know your newborn cannot see color?  Black and white, high contrast images are perfect for your new baby.  One of the first colors that babies can detect after black and white is red.  Michael Miller fabrics has created the Baby’s First Sight line of fabrics specifically with your newborn in mind.

This very cute collection of red, black and white fabrics are just right to create baby’s first toys, quilts, wall hangings and more. Create a special gift for a baby shower or prepare for your own exciting event!

If you’ve put a quilt on every bed and wall and your friends and family have been taken care of, what’s next?  How about checking out the lastest rage in quilting - Floorquilts! These new projects are quick and easy and allow your creativity to flow without being hampered by your sewing skills!

Ellen Highsmith Silver has written a book entitled Floorquilts! that was just released.  This is the perfect way to use up your fabric scraps using decoupage techniques on a heavy multi purpose cloth.  We’ve recently discovered the Roc-lon Multi Purpose cloth that will be perfect for your floor quilt projects, as well as tote bags, home decor, window treatments and crafts.

To get started on your own floorquilt, you’ll need your heavy cloth base, such as Roc-lon, fabric (scraps are fine),  Mod Podge, and a finish to apply to your final project.  There will be more supplies need and the book goes into detail with the full list.

This technique would be lots of fun for table runners and placemats - great for holiday gift giving!

If there’s a knitter on your holiday shopping list, this lovely jewelry from Gita Maria will put a smile on their face!  From darling angora sheep  and llamas to “hand knit” pins, “Knit Wit” dolls and stick pins, this jewelry shows off the loving stitches it’s worn on.  The stick pins are made especially to display on hand knit sweaters and scarves.

At the 2008 Spring Quilt Market in Portland this year, I came upon this stunning quilt that really brought home to me the importance of the quilting stitches and lines that you choose.  Here’s an example of a quilt that looks as good from the back as it does from the front!  (If anyone knows the name of the maker, please let me know so I can give them the credit they deserve).

Here’s the front of the quilt:

Here’s the back of the quilt:

Beautiful quilting to aspire to!

The quilting world is fast entering the “green” movement with eco friendly fabrics and fibers.  This latest creation is offered by Quilter’s Dream Batting.  Dream Green is a soft and cozy batting made 100% from recycled plastic pop bottles.  No only is this eco friendly, but it feels wonderful to the touch, your needles easily glide through and it can be machine washed with little or no shrinkage.

Quilter’s Dream Green batting keeps 10 pounds of plastic bottles out of the landfill with every pound of batting created.  If you are used to the usual polyester batting, you’ll find that these recycled fibers are indistinguishable from the “virgin” polyester fibers, yet they are made without depleting our natural resources.

Fun Green Fact:  Energy saved from recycling a single plastic bottle, as compared to creating a new one, will power a single 60 watt bulb for 6 hours!

The batting is available in all sizes and you’ll even learn the amount of bottles you saved from the landfill with the size of your choice!

As far as I’m concerned, Alexander Henry is the king of retro fabrics!  The latest holiday releases for 2008 are Pin Up Girls for Halloween and Christmas.  Holiday on Ice features girls on Christmas packages and Bewitched is a charming Halloween girl print.

These great prints are designed by Nicole De Leon, one of Alexander Henry’s co-owners.

If your tastes run more to cute retro children’s prints, you’ll love the new silhouetted “Halloween Lane” print.  Kids in costumes on a black background grace this print.

If you were like me (until recently), you’d likely have no idea what to do with the ultrafine fiber called Angelina. Much less know the difference between crimped cut and straight, hot fix or not!

I thought it was about time to find out more about this fun fiber and took a crash course on how to use Angelina.

First a couple of basics:

• Crimped cut is as it sounds, crinkled, and it’s shinier than straight cut
• A tiny bit of Angelina goes a long way
• 1/2 oz will create a 36″ square sheet of Angelina (when bound with heat)
• It only bonds to itself (not your iron, you, fabric, etc)
• Originally invented for NASA
• Marketed for spinning and weaving, but the quilting group got in on it too!
• Needs combination of heat and pressure to bond
• Only the Angelina labeled “Hot Fix” is bondable

Setting up your sewing room in an organized fashion can save your precious moments for quilting and sewing, rather than digging through heaps of tangled threads, notions, patterns and more!

We’re always on the lookout for stylish storage solutions and recently found this Wisconsin-made line of Hinterberg Perfect Caddy cabinets.  Their furniture is solid ash and birch hardwood construction with a natural finish that is an investment in quality to last a lifetime.  No pressboard here!

The caddies are available in units with drawers, bins and shelves - just pick the size and style that’s right for you! You can be assured that the cabinets are built with the highest degree of workmanship using quality materials. These cabinets are well worth the investment and will provide a lifetime of beautiful storage solutions to your crafting needs.

Besides being beautiful, we love supporting small, family run businesses right here in the USA!

I had a great time this year in Portland visiting my first Quilt Market.  The very popular designer, Amy Butler, was there to show her latest Art of the Midwest patterns and Rowan fabrics.  I was lucky to meet her in person and enjoy her lovely booth.

Amy has revolutionized the look of fabrics today, bringing a hip, young look to our quilting and sewing world. She has brought a bold new look to our craft industry with fun, smart looking bag patterns, sleek and simple clothing patterns and large print fabrics.