Batiks.com

Mi Pad byannie.com is simple and secure.

This handy padded case is perfect for carrying an iPad, mini netbook, or other electronic gear.

The finished case measures 11″W x 11½”H x 1″D.

The example on the left is a gorgeous kit and includes the pattern and Bold Over Batik fabric to complete the bag.

Bold Over Batik is Malaysian Batik made in ancient methods to produce incredible batiks.

Our pieces are 2.5 yards and can be cut in half when you order.

The price shown on our website is the price for the full 2.5 yard piece.

The Mi Pad Case uses Soft and Stable interfacing.

We offer Soft and Stable in packages of 18″ x 58″ in white and black.

Soft and Stable is superior to battings and other stabilizers for bags and beyond.

Soft and comfortable, easy to sew, lasting body and stability, lightweight, maintains shape, washer and dryer safe.

At byannie.com, Annie has a video that gives some great sewing hints for the Mi Pad Case. Make a Mi Pad Case Videos

One version of the Mi Pad case has a panel constructed of Texture Magic.

It creates a textured surface and really enhances the case.

ByAnnie also offers videos on using Texture Magic.  Actually she offers a bunch of videos about Texture Magic.

Annie Unrein at www.byannie.com is definitely a place to keep an eye on.

Sign up for her Newsletter and check out her blog.

Lots of great information and the tutorials and videos are fantastic.

Another pattern I like for ipads and readers is by Terry Atkinson, the Reader Wrap.

We had a lot of fun with these in Groovy Girls Club.

Terry even has a hole for plugging in your device.

So clever!

Notice the yellow one has a light also.

For those of us who still like paper and pen, The Quilted Legal Pad Cover by Patsy Goodin from Cotton Dreams Patterns is a cinch.  I love mine.  I use both sizes all the time.  Patsy is our sewing machine department manager.  Cotton Dreams Patterns is Carol’s pattern company.

Red is my favorite color. I like red foods (tomato, strawberries, cherries, etc), red heads (my husband, Marty), red sunsets, red flowers, red, red, red.

I don’t have a red wall in my house but do collect Ruby Red glasses from the depression.  Red is the accent of choice in my life.

Red batik is hard to find and I really don’t let myself buy everyone I see – but it’s close!

Reds can be true red, red orange, or red violet.  Pink is light red!

Red can be scary to a quilter or sewist.

I remember my white and red kettlecloth dress I made in 8th grade.  I refused to prewash because I wanted it to wear tomorrow!  Well, of course, when I washed it I was left with a pink and red dress.

Red dyes are more permanent these days but it never hurts to prewash your fabrics.

Most batik do not bleed.  They have been through so much being dyed, stamped with wax, painted, dyed, and boiled to remove the wax, that very little bleeding is left to do.  To be safe, prewash.  I use Quilt Soap.

If the batik has no design on it, it hasn’t had the dye set as firmly as one that has gone through the wax removal process.  I definitely wash this style of handpaint.

I will throw in a Color Collector that you can get from the grocery store just to be safe.

If I really don’t trust the fabric, I test a 2″ square in water and the microwave.  If I see excess dye in abundance, I will set the dye with Retayne carefully following the instructions.  With the Color Collectors, I rarely have an issue.

Our own red jelly roll goes from pink, to red, to dark red.  All the values and shades.  There are 40 different 2.5″ strips in our die cut batik jelly rolls.

We also offer a pink jelly roll.  All the luscious shades of pink are there!

Know that there will always be red choices at Batiks Etcetera & Sew What Fabrics!

Happy Valentine’s Day,  Carol Britt

UFO  Quilt Challenge – deadline this weekend!

Starting Jan 5th, Quilting Is Murder is sponsoring a Quilt Challenge with Quilting Gallery where we ask participants to save a UFO (un finished object) from certain death by finishing it up! Here’s the best part: it can be anything mysteriously quilting related *and* you decide if it is “finished” or not when submitted (see below).

Is it killing you to have a particular project unfinished? Can’t figure out what that pile of scraps was supposed to have been? Is it a total mystery what you were thinking when choosing *those* fabrics? Did someone steal your pattern and it’s unclear what to do next? Break out your quilting books and tools, get creative and finish up that UFO!!

Have fun with this an tell us all about what you saved from certain death and if you remember what inspired the creation of the UFO way back in the day. Entries will be judged on their story and how they turned out.

How Does it Work?

• Grab a project from your UFO pile (unidentified project pile) and start finishing it up!
• Submit your entry between January 5th and February 11th, 2012.
• One entry per quilter.
• On February 14th, 10 finalists will be chosen by a panel of Quilting Is Murder’s Killer Shop Owners and posted on this blog and on Quilting Is Murder’s blog.
• Voting for your favorite UFO begins February 14th and closes February 19th, 2012.
• On February 20th, the most popular UFO saved from certain death will receive a bernette 25 sewing machine. All nine runners up will receive a gift set of Quilting Is Murder Lapel Pins and both copies of the Quilter’s Cookbooks.

How to Enter the Contest:

• Go to our Flickr group – Quilting Is Murder UFO Challenge to upload your entry photos. Stay motivated by sharing your progress photos throughout the month and connecting with others in the challenge.Since there will be many photos entered, please post a comment and a link to your final photo in the “Official Challenge Entries” thread so that the judges can find your entry quickly.
• Each entry should have 3 photos: a before image, a full final picture and a detail picture.
• Label your photos “Jane P. – {name of entry}” to make searching entries easier.
• Please include a short story about how your UFO was saved from Certain Death.

If you have questions, email chief Inspector Jean.

You can see all the quilts submitted and read about them in our Flickr group called Quilting Is Murder UFO Challenge.

What does “finished” mean?

With a Challenge only 5 weeks long, we recognize it’ll be pretty hard to piece, quilt and bind some projects. We ask you just make really good progress.

For instance, say you found a bag containing all the pieces of a king sized quilt you promised your sister in 1975. If you can get that bag of scraps transformed into a top that’d be a wonderful accomplishment! (Plus we’d all LOVE to see those colors – not to mention the look on your sister’s face when you show it to her now!!) We’d count that as “finished”. However, say you had completed that same top back in 1975: quilted and bound would qualify as “finished” in this case. Oh, we’d still like to see the expression on your sister’s face, by the way…..

We are adding classes as we can.  Keep checking our class schedule on the website.  Most classes use a book, pattern, and/or kit.  So if you can’t attend, let us know you want the goodies.  I’ve hyperlinked items as possible.

Coming next is Bali Bowls & Baskets class.

Choose from Friday, March 9, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm. or Saturday, March 10, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm.

This technique uses jelly roll strips, clothesline, an Aunties Two pattern, and King Tut Thread.  No raw edges show.

This is such a fun class!  I have made a pile of these and keep wanting to start another.

Patsy is teaching this class and she is a master in machine techniques.  If you have tried this and failed, come let Patsy help you be successful!

A new Club is starting in March. Join our favorite Baglady, Joan, and play with new purses and purse techniques each month as a Bag-ette.

We will focus on one commercial purse pattern each month that shows a great purse technique and will also have a freebee pattern.

Lots of fun, door prizes, show and tell, and more.  Become a Bag-ette!

We will meet the second Monday at 1 pm or 6 pm for six months starting in March.  What fun!

Carol will teach Circular Patchwork on March 24, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm.

Circular Patchwork can be a quilt, wall hanging, place mats, table runner, mini, or ornaments.

Choose from 3 size templates and two patterns.

It quilts as you sew – finished!  It doesn’t even have binding!

We start with squares and sew on a marked line – easy peasy!

Anna will teach Girls in the Garden Raw Edge Applique on Saturday, April 7, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm.

Choose one of Pat Sloan’s Girls in the Garden designs from Bigfork Bay Cotton Company to make in class.

We have patterns and kits for all four designs.  You will want to make all four!

We even offer the designs as a Block of the Month.  You could start with the April Class and be ready for the quilts to come one month at a time.

Learn this expressive means of applique with fusible interfacing.  Quilting secures the edges.

Anna is a master at this technique.