ALL TOOL SCHOOL, Session 19, Tool School Extra Credit

Slash Cutter Chenille Pillow with The Shibaguyz

  Featured Item    Art No. 499 Download Project Sheet Here     Shannon and Jason Mullett-Bowlsby are the dynamic DIY duo known as the Shibaguyz, and the creative geniuses behind Shibaguyz Designz Studio.Their award winning crochet & knit designs have been featured in and on the covers of both US and international publications. Their… Read More Slash Cutter Chenille Pillow with The Shibaguyz

ALL TOOL SCHOOL, Session 19, Sewing/Quilting

Slash Cutter

What is it? You know that fuzzy, super comfortable quilt your grandmother gave you?  Probably made of chenille.  And there’s nothing more reassuring than a hug from a chenille robe.  Why?  Chenille is your basic comfort fabric.  It’s a natural for towels, robes and baby items.  But don’t forget home décor, fashion or crafts.  You can… Read More Slash Cutter

Session 17, Sewing/Quilting, Tool School Extra Credit

Hot Hemmer & Hot Ruler Extra Credit

Extra Credit with the Shibaguyz   Shannon and Jason Mullett-Bowlsby are the dynamic DIY duo known as the Shibaguyz, and the creative geniuses behind Shibaguyz Designz Studio.Their award winning crochet & knit designs have been featured in and on the covers of both US and international publications. Their craft, portrait, and fashion photography has appeared in six… Read More Hot Hemmer & Hot Ruler Extra Credit

Session 15

Loop Pressing Bars

What is it? Quilting, fashion, home decor and all of the accessories relating to each – all of us do some of it and some of us do all of it. At the end of the day, though, we’re all doing the same thing. We’re creating. Our pallet is an inexhaustible array of designer fabrics and… Read More Loop Pressing Bars

Session 15, Sewing/Quilting

Rotary Cutters

What is it? -Everything we do in sewing starts with cutting larger pieces of fabric into smaller pieces of fabric before we can reassemble them into larger pieces of fabric fitting our creative design. Fashion, quilting, home decor and a whole host of accessories for all of them. It all starts with the cut. And… Read More Rotary Cutters

Session 14, Sewing/Quilting

Hand Sewing Needles

  What is it? -No tools are more basic to sewing than needles are. They existed even before thread and fabric as our ancient ancestors used pointed objects to perforate hides so they could be laced together with leather cords. Centuries of technology later we have highly advanced, modern hand sewing needles that do basically… Read More Hand Sewing Needles

Session 14, Sewing/Quilting

Scissors & Shears

  What is it? -Because of that they have enjoyed the natural evolution that comes with the application of developing technology. The scissors and shears we use today bear but a faint resemblance to those used by our ancestors. In high-quality scissors the blades are extremely sharp and are positioned to increase the cutting and… Read More Scissors & Shears

Session 14, Sewing/Quilting

Curve Ruler

What is it? -All right, we’ve decided to do a little fashion sewing.  Cool.  We’ve visited our local shop and poured over the pattern catalogs or perhaps searched favorite sites on the internet.  In either case we’ve found a pattern that’s just what we’re looking for.  We’ve reviewed the instructions on the back of the… Read More Curve Ruler

Session 11, Sewing/Quilting

Roll & Press

  What is it? – These are pressing issues.  Shakespeare might even ask, “To press or not to press, that is the question.”  Well, no matter who is asking the question, the answer is the same, a resounding yes to press.  Some very important things happen when we press each seam as we sew it… Read More Roll & Press

Knitting/Crochet, Session 11

Darning Needles

  What is it?– In the history of mankind it is hard to find a tool that is more enduring, more useful than the hand sewing needle.  Initially they were basic to the production of everything we made from clothing to shelter.  And we still use them today.  Modern needles, however, have become much more specialized,… Read More Darning Needles

Session 7, Sewing/Quilting

Silk Threads

What is it? – China, circa 3600 BC.  That’s where it all started.  A young Chinese empress expressed a desire for a luxurious new fiber and silk was the result.  Threads of different types had been around for many years but this was different.  In fact, silk was very different.  It had a texture and… Read More Silk Threads

Crafts, Session 6

Felting

What is it? – Needle felting is an age old art form that has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity and is being enthusiastically embraced by an increasingly wide spectrum of creative expression.  Art, jewelry, fashion embellishment, home decor, toys . . . it does them all.  Needle felting techniques are applied globally but are adapted… Read More Felting

Session 6, Sewing/Quilting

Hot Ruler

What is it? – What do you do when you have a hit?  That’s a no brainer.  You make the sequel.  And if you make the sequel well you will have another hit.  And that’s exactly what Clover has done.  The success of the Hot Hemmer was and is unprecedented.  There is nothing like it… Read More Hot Ruler

Session 5, Sewing/Quilting

Thimbles

What is it? – Thimbles in one form or another have been around a long as needles have.  Ancient sewing artifacts include “press stones”, the precursor to modern thimbles.  Almost 2500 years ago residents of the Mediterranean area were using more familiar shaped bronze thimbles. Why?  Well, whether you’re pushing a spike through animal hides… Read More Thimbles

Session 5, Sewing/Quilting

Bias Tape

What is it? – Let’s face it, a lot of sewing is just basic construction.  You start out with a set of tools, some fabric and an intended pattern.  Then you add your own creative expression and that’s what makes it yours.  One of the materials used by sewers in virtually every genre is bias… Read More Bias Tape

Session 5, Sewing/Quilting

Wedge Iron

What is it? – Pressing is an essential part of most sewing and many craft projects.  Pressing during sewing construction creates accurate assembled pieces which match up beautifully into quilt, fashion, heirloom or home decor finished projects.  Unfortunately, the modern pressing tools available to us do not always provide the specific features and capabilities we… Read More Wedge Iron

Session 5, Sewing/Quilting

Fusibles

  What is it? – Interfacing is used in many sewing and craft projects to provide extra support, body, reinforcement or shape.  Basically it enhances our creative potential by allowing us to do things beyond the capability of the fabric alone.  A fusible interfacing is a specific type of interfacing that has a heat activated… Read More Fusibles

Crafts, Session 4

Mini Beading Loom

What is it? – As children, many of us went to scout camp or attended other summer activities where beading was a staple activity.  It was fun, fast, creative and we were left with something that was uniquely ours. Unknowingly that was our introduction to an art form that was thousands of years old.  From… Read More Mini Beading Loom

Session 4, Sewing/Quilting

Marking Pens

  What is it? – “The devil is in the detail”.  It’s a common enough phrase.  Perhaps some of us has even used it.  But what does it really mean, “the devil in the detail”?  How often do we start a project that looks like it’s going to be a snap, only to get bogged… Read More Marking Pens

Session 3, Sewing/Quilting

Straight Pins

  What is it? – In some of the oldest archeological digs around the world you can find ancient straight pins. They’ve been around that long and probably always will be.  There are so many uses for them and in many cases there really is no substitute.  We use them to hold patterns in place… Read More Straight Pins

Crafts, Session 3

Quick Yo-Yo Maker

What is it? – Chances are either you or someone you know has a box full of fabric yo-yo’s under the bed or in a closet.  And chances are either you made them or they were given to you by your grandmother or an aunt.  It’s surprising how many people tell the same story.  But… Read More Quick Yo-Yo Maker