Shoppers Rule Blog

Attention all creative quilters, sewers, doll makers, and fabric artists.
Have you ever wanted to compete with other creative people?

Hoffman (the fabric company) holds a phenomenal annual event called the Hoffman Challenge. It has a long, rich history of encouraging and rewarding creativity. Sulky (the thread company) has teamed up with Hoffman and is now a co-sponsor of the Hoffman Challenge.

Now, normally, I do not bring up this type of event, and I am not actually that familiar with Hoffman’s contest. But I always enjoyed the annual “Sulky Challenge” that unfortunately was discontinued a few years ago.

The 2009 Hoffman Challenge is underway.  The primary categories are: Pieced Quilts, Appliqued Quilts, Mixed Technique, Dolls, Clothing, Accessories, and Group Quilt. Plus, there is a separate category called “Best Use of Sulky”, for those entries in any of the above categories that also feature Sulky thread.

For more information, rules and an entry form, please go to www.hoffmanchallenge.com/index.html

But don’t procrastinate!  Hoffman Fabrics must receive your entry by July 24, 2009.

ShoppersRule.com

Poor stitch formation, skipped stitches and thread breakage are the bane of a sewers existence. If the needle type/size – thread size – fabric type relationship is improper, bad results happen.

For every sewing application, there is always a “best” needle to use. Several factors play in determining the correct needle: the fabric you’re using; the thread you’ve chosen (for example, metallic or embroidery); or the type of stitch you plan (for example, when topstitching, use a topstitch needle).

For regular home sewing, start with needle size. The fabric’s weight determines the needles’ size. Choose a size 60/8 needle for lightweight fabrics similar to organdy and silk; a 70/10 or 80/12 needle for medium-weight jersey and linens; a 90/14 or 100/16 for heavy fabrics like jeans, vinyl, or canvas.

Once you have the correct size needle, you need to choose the correct point and/or eye for your fabric. You can usually just go by the name of the needle on this one – for example, a denim needle has a rounded point that is ideal for denim fabric.

If this all sounds a little confusing, try clicking on the link below for a guide from Schmetz Needle Company.

Click here to view a Schmetz Needle brochure .

This guide was designed by Schmetz to help you find the “best” needle for your project from within their product line. However, it is easy to see that basic information is relevant for any brand of needle.

ShoppersRule.com

Thank you to all who participated in our first ever blog contest.   It was great fun and we will definitely be holding more contests and events in the future.

Congratulations to our winners:

1st place:  theothercarol

3rd place:  barbarawr

You will be receiving an email with your prize information soon.

Love to quilt, but hate to cut?

A fabric cutter may be your answer. It can make your quilting projects go much faster and less stressful because you can accurately cut multiple blocks, strips, or shapes at once. Make those time-consuming appliqués or lengthy strips in seconds.

AccuQuilt has a wonderful little cutter called the Go! Cutter. This cutter has several really cool features.

First of all, it is designed with the home quilter in mind. This is not a large, heavy, expensive cutter for a factory.

It is the polar opposite! Weighing only about 15 pounds, the Go! Cutter is compact enough to pack up and take with you to class or your vacation house. In fact, AccuQuilt has just introduced a rolling tote (#55114-2) specifically for the Go! Cutter and its’ accessories. The tote should be shipping in a couple weeks.

But, I digress…. The Go! Cutter can cut up to 6 layers of cotton fabric at once. It comes with 3 dies, a pattern for use with each die and a cutting mat. There are over 20 dies and 4 cutting mats available at the moment, and more are being introduced every day. The product even comes with a one year limited warranty.

To see a video and learn more, go to item #55100-3 on the Shoppers Rule website.

Better cuts make better quilts – happy quilting.

ShoppersRule.com