Nancy Zieman's Blog, page 136

Christmas Stocking Sewing Challenge

You’re invited to participate in our Christmas Stocking Sewing Challenge. Use one of the free sewing patterns below and sew a Christmas stocking for yourself, a family member, or as a gift. Then, enter our Christmas Stocking Sewing Challenge. It’s easy!

From elegant to whimsical, Christmas stockings are a great way to add a pop of holiday cheer to any room. Plus, they can readily be sewn in a few hours of enjoyable sewing time.

Sew a Christmas stocking using as much creativity as you’d like, and email a photo of your completed stocking to us at info@ziemanproductions.com by December 1.

Christmas Stocking Sewing Challenge Guidelines

Select your pattern from one of the stocking projects on Pellon’s website  or Baby Lock’s website . Search for Christmas Stocking and choose your pattern. (You’ll find one pattern at Pellon’s site and a list of five patterns at Baby Lock’s site.)
All sewing, quilting, serging, machine embroidery, and embellishment techniques are eligible!
Email your photo by December 1, 2014, to info@ziemanproductions.com.
December 2nd’s blog posting will include photos of all the stocking entries. Then, vote for your favorite Christmas stocking between December 2–8.
Winners will be announced Tuesday, December 9.

Here’s a listing of the prizes that will be awarded to the top five vote contenders:
Baby Lock Creative 6-Foot Kit, $99 value from Baby Lock. 

A Bundle of Products from Pellon , $75 value

Bordeaux Scissors from Clover, $54.00 value 

A Fat Quarter Fabric Bundle from Riley Blake Designs

Nancy Zieman Books: Seams Unlikely and Nancy’s 30 Favorite Gifts to Sew, $31.98 value from Nancy’s Notions 

Thank you to our sponsors!










2014 Christmas Stocking Sewing Challenge Schedule

November 4–30: Sew a Christmas Stocking. Limit—three entries per person.
December 1 or before:  Email your photo to info@ziemanproductions.com
December 2: The blog posting will include photos of all the stocking entries. Vote for your favorite Christmas stocking between December 2–8. Let your friends know that you’re a contestant!
December 9: Check our blog for the list of winners.

Share your comments below about the Christmas Stocking Sewing Challenge and let us know if you plan to join!

Get Stitching!

Email challenge questions to info@ziemanproductions.com. Challenge not open to Sponsors, employees, and immediate family members. Photos and techniques may be featured in future promotions, blog posts, videos, and/or TV shows.
Content in this feed is © copyright 2014 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

There are Many Ways to Connect Online with Nancy Zieman

If you miss a Sewing With Nancy TV show on PBS, watch online.
If your PBS station isn’t currently carrying Sewing With Nancy, watch online.
If you’d like to get updated sewing, quilting, and embroidery tips three times a week, check out my Blog.
If you’d like to follow Sewing With Nancy and get regular updates, follow me on Facebook.
If you’d like to see what websites or topics I’m following, check out my Pinterest Page or Instagram Page.

Here how!

Watch Sewing With Nancy On Your Mobil Device

Did you know you can watch Sewing With Nancy on your mobile device? Use the PBS app, available for Apple phones and tablets, Xbox 360, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku! The app is free; all you need is an Internet connection/Wi-Fi to watch the latest episodes. The videos have been specially built for the screen you’re watching on; we hope you think they look terrific. Download Apple’s iOS app. Please give it a whirl and let me know what you think! (Not to worry, a PBS Android app is in the works!)

Watch Sewing With Nancy On Your Computer

You can easily watch Sewing With Nancy online with your computer, laptop, tablet, or android device. Simply go to NancyZieman.com and click on Watch Videos. The newest programs—over four seasons—are available to watch at your convenience.

Nancy Zieman on Facebook

Stay connected with me each week by signing up to receive my E-News directly to your email inbox! Go to NancyZieman.com/blog/enews. After signing up, you’ll receive a blog posting each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday in your inbox. Learn new sewing or quilting tips, read insights about the sewing and quilting industry, and find out the newest in sewing and quilting tools and products.

 

Whether you’re into Facebook, or new to Facebook, this next tip is very helpful! We can count on Facebook to continually evolve as updates are introduced. After one of Facebook’s recent updates, you may have noticed that you’re not receiving my posts in your Facebook News Feed.

Here’s how to add my posts back into your feed.

Go to  Facebook.com/NancyZieman  and click on the drop-down button to the right of the “Liked” button.

Then click “Get Notifications.”

My posts should now appear in your Facebook News Feed!

Nancy Zieman on Pinterest

Pinterest is a great way to keep track of projects that you’d like to make, as seen on Sewing With Nancy and/or from my blog. Here’s how to easily add a pin.

While visiting NancyZieman.com/blog , look for the Pin It button on the upper left corner of each photo.
Click the Pin It button.

You’ll be directed to your Pinterest Page, where you’ll add the project photo to one of your Boards.

I have many different Boards on my Pinterest Page. You can follow one, several, or all my boards at pinterest.com/nancyzieman .
Join Pinterest at Pinterest.com .

Nancy Zieman on Instagram

Instagram is the name of an online photo sharing social website service that lets you share your life with friends through a series of pictures captured with a mobile device. Okay, so maybe I don’t put up a lot of photos, but I think you’ll enjoy those that I do!

What’s your favorite way to stay connected?

I look forward to connecting with you online!

Bye for now,

Content in this feed is © copyright 2014 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

You’ll Have Fun Sewing Doll Costumes

Dress up is fun for all ages, in particular for kids! Rather than sewing a full-sized costume, sew doll clothes for 18″ dolls—a wonderful way to nurture imaginative play. Doll Costume Dress Up is this week’s featured Sewing With Nancy online TV show with author, Joan Hinds. Watch Doll Costume Dress Up online!

Here’s a preview of the doll clothes patterns and sewing tips.

Cowgirl Doll Pattern

Sewing for dolls gives us permission to try a variety of techniques and to work with unique fabrics. The Cowgirl outfit is the case in point! Adding fringe to a cow print is not the norm for sewing. Yet, with this costume, your little girl and her doll will win first prize in the imaginative rodeo.

Witch Doll Pattern

Witches don’t have to be scary! This doll is donned in a mod-style Halloween outfit ready to give a little girl pleasant dreams. You too will have enjoyment with this costume, learning clever ways of adding trim and quickly finishing edges.

Super Hero Doll Pattern

Leap tall building in a single bound—well, not really. But that’s an option for play! Joan’s super hero pattern can create those playful thoughts, after you spend just a small amount of time doing the stitching!

Poodle Skirt Doll Pattern

It’s all about accessories! The sewing is streamlined, but the accents make the outfit.

Ladybug Doll Pattern

Next, a “cute as a bug” costume! It’s amazing what a little polka dot fabric, pompoms, and sheer fabric can turn into! This costume makes me wish I were a little girl again!

Pumpkin Doll Pattern

The ladybug and pumpkin costumes share the same basic pattern. Watch Doll Costume Dress Up to see how both costumes are made.

Watch Sewing With Nancy online.

You can watch the first episode of Doll Costume Dress Up online. Plus, there are four seasons of programs to watch online, or on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. Have you downloaded the app?

For a chance to win a copy of the book,  Doll Costume Dress Up please leave a comment below. Tell me which costume you’d make and why. This clearly illustrated book, Doll Costume Dress Up, includes 20 patterns designed by author Joan Hinds. A random winner will be posted on November 6.

Bye for now,

Content in this feed is © copyright 2014 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

What is Embroidery Digitizing?

By Roxanne Nickolie and Denise Abel, Nancy’s Notions’ Guest Bloggers

Digitizing, as it relates to machine embroidery, is the process of translating illustrations into digital embroidery files. This involves a talented group of individuals who account for color, contrast, shape, and design arrangement, plus stitch direction, density, and length. Understanding digitizing is super important for consumers as it helps them differentiate between quality and not-so-quality designs.

Believe it or not, most of our designs start with good ol’ pencil and paper. Our skilled illustrators sketch out each design idea, infusing different elements to capture a style—be it realistic or artistic. Here’s Laure working on Alluring Leaves. If you look carefully, in the background you can see her colored pencils are inserted into the tops of the Madeira thread spools to make sure she’s using the exact color she wants.

Designers are the ones who choose thread colors, and before sending the scanned image to the digitizer, they include a thread chart along with the image. Fun fact: when choosing thread, our designers use the Madeira Thread Treasure Chest as their palette. That’s because it’s a great selection, it’s the type most embroiderers use, and the colors are vibrant and true-to-life.

Next, the illustrations (with thread charts) are sent to a team of expert digitizers. That’s where the drawings are interpreted into embroidery designs. Things like stitch direction, density, and length are determined. Another key element is making sure the designs run smoothly on the embroidery machine with minimum thread breaks. Don’t be fooled—digitizing is an art. Each tiny area of the design is plotted for just the right effect to catch and reflect light. Our digitizers also experiment with how thread colors interact for optimum shading. All of these components work together to create a stitched design that has depth, dimension, and life. Below you can see an actual screen shot of what digitizers see during this process. They use their computer to draw lines on top of the original illustration. Each line stands for a stitch. The closer together the lines are, the more dense the stitches will be. Once completed, they have a computerized 3-D representation of how the stitched-out design will look, as shown in the second photo.

After that’s done, the digitizers send the stitch-outs back to us here at Nancy’s Notions. They enter a thorough quality assurance process to be honed to perfection. First our embroidery experts look at the fabric sample and check—by hand—for knots and density issues.

Then they review the design in embroidery software. The image on the left is the 3D rendering of the design in the computer software, and the right image shows the same design as a density map to check for any potential stitching problems (red means high density of stitches, blue means low density of stitches). The final tweaks are made and the design is finally display-ready.

If you’ve ever been on the Nancy’s Notions website, or bought a Sewing With Nancy embroidery design collection, you’ll notice the cover images are actually scanned images of stitched designs (not computerized images like other distributors). We do that so you can see exactly what you’ll get when you use the designs on your own machine. We want to show you the work we went through to bring you the best quality embroidery possible.

So, that’s digitizing—another tool in your belt for savvy stitching! If you fell in love with the adorable Kitty Christmas Capers designs used in this blog, visit us online to see the whole collection.

Bye for now,

Content in this feed is © copyright 2014 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

Live Webcast—Easy Gifts to Sew in Two Evenings or Less

Join me for a live, interactive webcast on November 22—featuring Easy Gifts to Sew in Two Evenings or Less!
Learn

I know what you’re thinking. It’s only a few weeks before the holidays. Can I really make gifts in time for Christmas? My answer: I know you can! The quick projects that I’ve chosen are easy to sew, plus they’re welcome gifts.

•          Specialty fabrics to the rescue!—Learn to use fabrics that are not your everyday fabrics: chalkboard fabrics, suede cloth, quilted cottons, quilted iron quick, and clear vinyl.

•          Gifts for all ages. For your little princess, an artsy sister-in-law, a travel-loving daughter, or a foodie friend, you’ll find gift ideas to sew and to please.

•           Last-minute decorating ideas. A new tree-skirt or a festive table topper—yes, you can make one in two nights or less.

It’s Live!

If you’ve never participated in a webcast, it’s easy. Watch the  ”What’s a webcast?” video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB81ov92OAI

For those who register, we’ll send you a link to the webcast the day before the event (November 21). On the day of the event, November 22, 15 minutes before your scheduled time, log on. In minutes, you’ll see me live on your computer screen.

Wondering if your Internet connection is up to the task? Test your viewing ability by clicking here. This test link is live. If you can see a rock ledge and coastal waves, you’ll be able to watch Nancy Zieman Live. (Most of you should not have any issues watching the video.)

 Interact
During the webcast, email your questions to me, and I’ll reply during the webcast.*

*If every question cannot be answered during the webcast, questions will be answered post-webcast via email. Duplicate questions will not be answered.

Save

Exclusive online specials will be available to you from Nancy’s Notions on the day of the webcast.

 

Early Bird Special—Save $10
One Price—Two Time Options

Register before November 18, 2014 and pay only $19.95 for the 90-minute webcast on November 22, 2014. (Price after November 18 is $29.95.)

The fee includes:

A link to watch one of the two Nancy Zieman Live webcasts (A link to the webcast will be emailed to participants on November 21.)
The ability to have your questions answered during the webcast
A link to specials offered by Nancy’s Notions
A free downloadable quilt project sheet
Ability to re-watch the recorded webcast for 30 days.

Two Time Options 

There are two webcast time options for the 90-minute webcast to accommodate North American Time Zones.

Both webcasts will cover the same topics. Since they’re both live, each will be personalized by the questions or, hmm, my whims! The webcast will be recorded and made available to registered attendees. The link to re-watch the webcast will be emailed to registered attendees in the days following the webcast.

We’ll be broadcasting live from the Central Time Zone–near Madison, WI. Choose the time that best fits your schedule.

November 22: Times/time zone for Webcast Option One:

11:00 AM—12:30 PM (Eastern Time)
10:00 AM—11:30 AM (Central Time)
9:00 AM—10:30 AM (Mountain Time)
8:00 AM—9:30 AM (Pacific Time)
7:00 AM—8:30 AM (Alaska Daylight Time)
5:00 AM—7:30 AM (Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time)

November 22: Times/time zone for Webcast Option Two:

2:00 PM—3:30 AM (Eastern Time)
1:00 PM—2:30 PM (Central Time)
12:00 PM—1:30 PM (Mountain Time)
11:00 AM—12:30 PM (Pacific Time)
10:00 AM—11:30 AM (Alaska Daylight Time)
8:00 AM—9:30 AM (Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time)

(For our followers in other parts of the world, convert your time zone by clicking here. We’ll be broadcasting live from Beaver Dam, WI—not far from Madison, WI.)

Viewer Comments from Past Webcasts

“It was as though I was in a class and could see more detail than actually being there.”

“Thank you for the live webcast and do more of them! It’s refreshing, cutting edge, and very inclusive for those who can’t attend sewing and quilting events in our local neighborhoods.”

“You can see the details on the webcast so much better than being in a shop and having a demonstration. There was great interaction with e-mailing Nancy.”

Thank you to our Sponsors

Hope to see you on November 22!

If you have questions or comments, please contact us.

Bye for now,

Nancy Zieman—author, pattern designer, businesswoman, producer, and national sewing authority—is the host of the popular show Sewing With Nancy®, which appears exclusively on public television stations across the United States and Canada. Follow Nancy’s Blog at NancyZieman.com/Blog and  sign up to receive Nancy’s E-News  for the latest news in Sewing, Quilting, & Creating.

Content in this feed is © copyright 2014 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

How to Sew Adorable Doll Costumes

This week’s Sewing With Nancy online TV show is on sewing costumes for dolls. What little girl hasn’t envisioned being a princess, super hero, or even a mermaid! Make believe play with 18″ dolls dressed in costumes is a great way to foster a child’s imagination!  Joan Hinds, doll clothes designer and author of Doll Costume Dress Up, which includes 20 patterns, is my guest for this new 2-part Sewing With Nancy series.

Lilac Fairy or a Ballerina Costume

Fanciful costumes are easily made with small pieces of fabric and trim, yielding creative results. The Lilac Fairy is our first doll dress-up idea. A combination of netting, stretchy knit, and a little time will result in a costume made to spark imagination. Learn how to add elastic in small spaces and even stitch over wire!

 Once you know a few sewing basics, a Ballerina could be your next doll costume!

Cinderella, Bride, or Southern Belle Doll Costumes

Be the fairy godmother for your little girls’ doll when you create one of these lavish gowns. Satin fabric with sequins and rhinestones add the glam, you add the magic! The sewing steps for these three dresses are very similar. with flat construction for ease of sewing and playing. Which one will you choose?

Mermaid Doll Costume

Your little girl’s doll will look swimmingly in Joan’s Mermaid Costume. Seguin fabric, glittery and pompom trims, plus clever patterns make short work of this imaginative costume. I can’t wait for you to see how to sew the fish tail!

Watch Sewing With Nancy online.

You can watch the first episode of Doll Costume Dress Up online. Plus, there are four seasons of programs to watch online, or on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. Have you downloaded the app?

For a chance to win a copy of Doll Costume Dress Up please leave a comment below. Tell me which costume you’d make and why. This clearly illustrated book, Doll Costume Dress Up, includes 20 patterns designed by author Joan Hinds.

Thanks for all your comments to my blogs Create No-Hassle 1/2-Square Triangles and No-Hassle 1/4-Square Triangles. The random winner of the No-Hassle Triangles Gauge from Clover is Diane Q. She said, What an easy way to mark the cutting and sewing lines for half-square triangles—the usual methods just don’t seem to work well for me.

Bye for now,

Content in this feed is © copyright 2014 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

Sew an Alzheimer’s Activity Mat

Sew an Alzheimer’s Activity Mat with free sewing instructions as seen on Sewing With Nancy! Marcia Engquist, who designs Alzheimer’s Activity Aids, designed these activity mats after watching residents at a care center restlessly fidget. These easy-to-sew activity mats help sooth the agitated fidgeting of people with dementia or autism. Plus, the mats help focus their attention, stimulate senses, exercise hand muscles, and entertain users.

Activity Mats are the size of a placemat and include pockets, zippers, buttons, strings of beads, bells, etc. They may also include a textured pocket with a soft toy or vinyl pocket for photos. Making activity mats is a great volunteer opportunity and gift from the heart. The free sewing instructions are available as a pdf file.

Purpose of the Alzheimer’s Activity Mats

The activity mats are designed to safely stimulate and soothe people with Alzheimer’s and other cognitive challenges, while providing a better quality of LIFE.

L – Lift spirits and entertain users while relieving caregivers.

I – Interest  users in items on the mat. This stimulates senses and reinforces memory.

F – Focus user’s attention during therapy or conversation with a caregiver. Helps visitors and staff find topics of conversation with users.

E – Exercise hands and fingers.

Sewing Alzheimer’s Activity Mats

To make your own activity mats, download the free sewing instructions. Feel free to modify them to suit the interests of the recipients. For additional ideas on sewing for Alzheimer patients, go to the Alzheimer’s Activity Aids website.

Watch our Sewing With Nancy interview online

The random winner from a previous blog is Jennifer Swenson. She said, I look forward to seeing this book. Fit is always important. The giveaway book, Create the Perfect Fit, was generously donated by Joi Mahon.

Bye for now,

Content in this feed is © copyright 2014 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

Free Hat Pattern for Charity Sewing

Nancy Daly is the enthusiastic coordinator of the busy Hat Ladies! Make that Hat Ladies and Gentlemen, as two men have recently joined the group! To date her group of volunteers has made over 37,000 fleece hats for causes and those in need. Nancy Daly started sewing hats 17 years ago for her own children and their sports teams, and it just grew from there. An invitation to sew for a Head Start class 13 years ago got her started sewing for programs in the community. Nancy and her group now sew for every Head Start child in Dane County (Madison, WI), four Madison elementary schools, homeless shelters, free clothing sites, YWCA, Neighborhood Centers, the Salvation Army, and After School Programs.

I invited Nancy to be part of a Nancy’s Corner segment on Sewing With Nancy to share her special Hat Ladies and Gentlemen program in hopes that you’ll be encouraged to sew hats for children in your community.

Fleece Hat pattern dimensions and instructions:

Draw two perpendicular lines, a 4-1/2″ horizontal line and a 7-1/2″ vertical line centered on the 4-1/2″ horizontal line.
Measure 2″ above the 4-1/2″ line and draw another 4-1/2″ horizontal line.

Connect the outer edges. I drew free hand.
Write the word “Grainline” along the vertical line and “Stretch” along the horizontal line.

Cut out six hat panels. Notice the grainline.
Cut a 6″ x 22″ crosswise band (the stretch of the fabric).
Lastly, cut a 1″ x 3″ tassel, cutting fringes 2/3 the length of the tassel. If you like a fuller tassel, cut three 1″ x 3″ tassels.

For an adult head size, use 1/4″ seam allowances. For a child’s size, stitch with 1/2″ (or larger) seam allowances.  Seam allowances can be adjusted, made deeper, to fit a child.  (The Hat Ladies sew the hats with the children close at hand. They’ve made so many hats that they know which seam allowance is best for the age/size child.)
Stitch three sections of each hat panel to create two hat halves.
Pin the tassel to one half.

Stitch the two hat halves together.
Stitch the short edges of the hat band with the chosen seam allowance. Fold hat band in half, wrong sides together, meeting long edges.
Quarter mark the hat band and the hat.

Pin the hat band to the hat at the quarter marks, pinning fabrics right sides together.
Slightly stretch the band to meet the hat. Stitch.

Turn the band downward.
Ta Da!

In the spirit of  the Hat Ladies and Gentlemen, please use this pattern and instructions for donating purposes only.

What a prolific group!

In a typical season the Hat Ladies and Gentlemen host about 45 Hat Gigs. All the hats are donated to the recipients at a school or program–all with high concentrations of low-income children.

Often, the children select the colors for their hat, and they sit with a Hat Lady or Gentleman to have it sewn to size. For many of the children, this is the first piece of brand-new clothing that belongs just to them.

If you’re inspired to make hats for children in your community, or would like to know more about this organization, please contact Nancy Daly at  nmdaly@charter.net

Updates from Nancy Daly since taping the TV show

On December 5, 2013 the Hat Ladies and Gentlemen made 571 hats in one day at a school and finished before the end of the school day! At one point they had 20 Hat Ladies and Gentlemen sewing at once and several others to keep the children flowing through the line. They came back a second day and sewed an additional 173 hats! 
In November, 2013 the Hat Ladies and Gentlemen sewed for the girls on the run of Dane County and raised $2,010. Prior to the fundraiser the Hat Ladies and Gentlemen sewed 584 hats for every girl participating in Girls On The Run of Dane County.
As of January 24, 2014, they’ve made nearly 5,429 hats this season, with a grand total of over 37,000 hats!
The Hat Ladies and Gentlemen donate all their time, materials, and hats to worthy children.
Over the past 13 years, 9,500 hats have been sewn for Head Start children. 

Watch my interview with Nancy Daly online. 

There are 52 programs to watch online, or on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. Have you downloaded the app?

Hats off to Nancy Daly and her group of Hat Ladies and Gentlemen! I commend you all on your giving spirits and willing hearts.

Bye for now,

Content in this feed is © copyright 2014 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

No-Hassle 1/4-Square Triangles

Quilt patterns with 1/2-square and 1/4-square triangles are found in many traditional quilt pattern designs. Yet those triangular shapes can be sticklers to piece! Here’s how to take the hassle out of creating triangles, in particular 1/4-square triangles. For more details watch the second episode of No-Hassle Triangles Quilt Blocks online.

The Sampler Quilt

This 12-block quilt features both 1/2- and 1/4-square blocks. In a previous blog, I featured six of the 1/2-square triangle blocks. Now learn how to combine the two block styles to create amazing quilt designs. Note: The instructions to create this quilt are found in No-Hassle Triangles Quilt Blocks.

1/4-Square Dance 

Some quilt block names have a long history; others are simply made up on the fly! I’ll let you decide the authenticity of this block named the 1/4-Square Dance! Regardless of what it’s called, it’s the perfect block to begin our no-hassle quilt block journey.

Boy’s Nonsense (1898)

This quilt block named, Boy’s Nonsense, was officially recorded and appears in print in 1898. The block appears to include rectangular strips. Not so, the design is a combination of 1/2- and 1/4-square triangles plus a plain center square.

Silent Star

It might be difficult to comprehend, but the next block, Silent Star, is almost identical to the last block, Boy’s Nonsense. The main difference in construction is the center block—all the other blocks are the same. This is the case where fabric choices totally change the design!

Ohio Star

Simple in design, yet elegant, the Ohio Star quilt block has been in use since the early 1800s, with a spike in popularity in the 1930s. See how this 9-patch block can be made the ho-hassle way in the 21st century.

Star of Hope (1980)

Now for your master’s degree in 1/4-square triangles! The Star of Hope combines a 1/2- and 1/4-square triangle; I call it a modified 1/4-square. Notice the three-color block of aqua, ivory and teal. Success comes by thinking this through and following the directions!

Card Trick (1979)

The Card Trick Quilt Block, like most magic, seems impossible to reproduce. What appears as sleight of hand, is a very logical block to create once you see the elements. The Card Trick—I know you will not be fooled by the design!

How to Make 1/4-Square Triangles

There are several ways to make triangles; my preference is to use the No-Hassle Triangles Gauge. Reference the left side of the gauge for 1/2-square triangles and the right side for 1/4-square triangles.

Depress and slide the guide to the size triangle you’d like to make. The guide will lock in place.

Cut strips the size printed on the gauge. Then cut strips into squares. In this example, cut  6-1/4″ strips, then cut strips into 6-1/4″ squares.

Stack two blocks.
Mark center diagonal line through the die-cut openings on the No-Hassle Triangles Gauge.

Stitch a scant 1/4″ from each side of center.

Cut along center; press.

Stack two 1/2-square triangles, meeting opposite colors.

Slide the gauge to the 1/2-square triangle marking on the left side. Double check that the block fits within the gauge perimeters.
Mark center diagonal line through die cut openings.

Cut along center marking; press.

This time, you’ll have two accurate 1/4-square triangles! Using the No-Hassle Triangles Gauge guarantees that the sizes of the 1/2-square and 1/4-square triangles are compatible in a quilt design!

Watch Sewing With Nancy Online

Just click and watch No-Hassle Triangle Quilts online! You’ll see all the details for creating these six precision-made quilt blocks.

Sewing With Nancy on the PBS App

Sewing With Nancy is on the PBS app and is available for Apple iphones and tablets, Xbox 360, Apple TV, and Roku! The app is free; all you need is an Internet connection/Wi-Fi to watch the latest episodes. (Coming soon, an app for Androids!)

Download Apple’s iOS app. Click here.

Make This Sampler Quilt at Home

The No-Hassle Triangles Quilt Blocks book shows exactly how to make the 12-block sampler quilt. For best results, use the No-Hassle Triangles Gauge. 

For a chance to win a No-Hassle Triangles Gauge from Clover, please leave a comment sharing which of these six 1/4-square triangle blocks is your favorite. The six quilt block titles are listed below and pictured above. A winner will be announced on October 23.

1/4-Square Dance
Boy’s Nonsense (1898)
Silent Star
Ohio Star
Star of Hope (1980)
Card Trick (1979)

Bye for now,

Content in this feed is © copyright 2014 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

Create the Perfect Fit by Joi Mahon

Joi Mahon is an experienced pattern designer, author, educator, stylist, and pattern fitting expert. After being asked to participate in Create The Perfect Fit Blog Tour, which showcases her first book, I thought an interview was in order. Enjoy getting to know Joi Mahon!

Interview with Joi Mahon

Nancy: Please, share a sneak peek into your background with us .

Joi: Like many, I started sewing at a young age. I have always loved sewing, drawing garments on paper dolls, and making hand sewn doll clothing when I was just 5 years old. I took my one and only How to use a Commercial Pattern Sewing Class in 6th grade, when I was in 4-H. Sewing just clicked with me! At 14, I started apprenticing for a tailor and learned how to fit every body—men, women, kids, big, small, young and older. This is the foundation for what I do today. I also learned relationship skills, how to run a business, and how to be professional. In college, I studied fashion design, which filled in the gaps to become a designer. After graduation, I started my own business.

Nancy: What’s your elevator speech regarding your occupation?

Joi: I am a fashion design entrepreneur, pattern designer for McCall’s, author of fitting books, designer of custom garments, embroidery designer, teacher of methods classes, and a spokesperson/designer for Baby Lock. It’s a rewarding career!












Nancy: What’s the most unique design that you’ve created?
Joi: I once designed a line of hunting apparel, and I did all the technical specs!

Nancy: Why did you decide to write Create the Perfect Fit?

Joi: Writing Create the Perfect Fit was the logical progression of my career and skills. This book allows me to share my content with more people. I can’t attend every event; so this allows me to get my knowledge and methods out to the masses.

Nancy: What need does Create the Perfect Fit fill? 
Joi : If I had time I would go back to college and write a thesis on why current fit methods are not relevant. Today we have different sewing mindsets, different figure types, different issues, and different body dynamics compared to the standard fitting adjustments. Better nutrition, sports, exercise, medication, sugary diets, hormones in food, and fast food have changed the body dynamics. As a designer I am aware of evaluating these aspects and the effects on body variations. If you address the body first, the fit issues go away before you even sew.











Nancy: What’s your biggest challenge in your career?
Joi : Think of an Incredible Hulk who sews!  My brain works ahead with weird, creative energy. Some of my ideas are crazy, and some are realistic. At any one time I can literally see different designs floating around in my mind. So I reach out and grab one, which becomes my next project. Controlling, yet taking advantage of my creative thinking is my challenge.











Nancy: If you were not a designer/educator in the sewing industry, what would be your other dream job?
Joi: I would be a musician! I play instruments and love to sing.

Follow the Create the Perfect Fit blog tour

September 19 The Sewing Loft www.thesewingloft.com
October 9 Lindsay Wilkes www.cottagemama.com
October 10 Threads Magazine www.threadsmagazing.com/blog/threads-daily
October 10 Shop the Garment District www.shopthegarmentdistrict.com
October 10 BabyLock Totally Stitchin  www.totallystitchin.net
October 13 Amy Ellis www.amyscreativeside.com
October 14 Marly Bird www.marlybird.com
October 14 Nancy Zieman www.nancyzieman.com/blog
October 20 Melissa Mora www.mellysews.com
October 22 Amy Barickman www.indygojunction.com
October 24 Elizabeth and Liz www.simplesimonandco.com
October  26 Kate Blocher www.seekatesew.blogspot.com
October 28 Jenny Carver www.bobbinsandwhimsy.wordpress.com
October 31 DESIGNER JOI www.designerjoi.com BIG PRIZE GIVE AWAY

Joi Mahon has generously offered a copy of Create the Perfect Fit as a giveaway. For a chance to win, please leave a comment below.

Thanks for voting for your favorite handbag or tote templates from my blog, It’s Great Fun to Sew Handbags!

Nancy’s Hobo Tote
The Town & Country Bag
The Florida Tote
The California Bag
The City Bag

The random winner is Kaye M. She said: My favorite is the Florida tote because I like the piping trim and having an outside pocket. I love the different fabric combinations that you’ve used for these cute bags.

Bye for now,

Nancy Zieman—author, pattern designer, businesswomen, producer, and national sewing authority—is the host of the popular show Sewing With Nancy®, which appears exclusively on public television stations across the United States and Canada. Follow Nancy’s Blog at NancyZieman.com/Blog and sign up to receive Nancy’s E-News for the latest news in Sewing, Quilting, & Creating.
Content in this feed is © copyright 2014 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.