Kimono Quilts

Bags on SALE! 40% off

I'm discontinuing this bag style...after careful critique I've decided to redesign the project bags. The inspiration for these came from the old style newspaper boy/girl bags with the thick straps and deep pocket (oh, and not to mention my need for project bags to contain all of my various knitting endeavors around the house).

You can see all the bags that are being discontinued in this section in my shop.

24 degrees ~ from my back yard

BTaylor Quilts Video

My video, created by Jeff Derose of One Match Films. I asked him to create a short film about my creative work, which includes quilting and painting. It was especially important to me at this time, because I had been preparing for an exhibit at the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts here in Massachusetts, and wanted to document that. At the same time, I had recently resigned from my job as Coordinator of Easthampton City Arts and was embarking on a new adventure...self employment, focusing soley on my painting and sewing.

It felt like the right time to make the video, with all these important events converging, and it became apparent that it was a good way to get the word out about what I am doing. Making the video has been such a great experience and I discovered things about myself and my work that I hadn't even expected. After recording several interviews, Jeff took all the raw footage, my voice, and stills that he had taken, and wove the narrative and images to create this story. I would have had no idea how to put this together, and I'm so happy with the results. This is why we hire the professionals!

Sewing Room Tip #1 - managing new fabrics

I've made a resolution to reorganize the shop so that I use the space better. Like most, I have a limited amount of space and like to have all of my fabrics within site, so that I can quickly see all the possibilities while I'm working. Normally, when I get new fabrics, I wash them, fold them up, and organize them by color on a series of bookshelves. Lately, I've been looking at the piles of fabrics and wondering how to condense them so that I have more space. The answer, scarily enough, is ironing all this fabric!!

Believe me, I was not really keen on ironing everything, so I did a test to see if all the effort would pay off. While cutting out turquoise fabrics for another ocean themed quilt, I ironed each piece of fabric as I went along and then carefully stored them back on the shelf. I buy a lot of fabrics two yards at a time, but I do have a lot of fabrics that I've purchased the whole bolt....this takes up LOTS of room. After going through the turquoises, what was once three shelves of fabric now took up only one and a half shelves! Yay! It really worked!

For example, here is a photo of my green fabrics, you can see how much space it takes up, and how messy it is.


Now, here is a photo of the turquoise...all ironed and beautiful! I'm hooked :)
And so the lesson here is: time saved by not ironing = loss of much needed space in the workroom. I haven't gotten through my entire fabric collection, but I'm working on it :)

Early Morning, New Year's Day

A walk in the woods in our corner of the world. Happy New Year.