Need a great bag? Kim recently made this fun Birdie Sling using the pattern by Amy Butler. I’ve got 2 of these and the are the best bags! Great job Kim!

I finally finished a project that has been on my sewing table for at least a month. It wasn’t hard, I just kept getting distracted by other things…as usual . This is the Sweet Harmony Tote Bag by Amy Butler. I used Laura Gunn’s Poppy fabrics and love the size. It is not too small, not too big…just right!

What are you sewing this Memorial Day?

We love to help our customers find just the right fabrics for their quilts. While it is fun to help them in person, we also help lots of customers from all over the world on the phone and via email. Gotta love technology!  Jan made this beautiful baby quilt for her little boy and was such a joy to help in the store. She spent over two hours choosing just the right colors for her special little boy. She also sent along a picture of a quilt made with Amy Butler  fabrics that she just had to have! Gorgeous quilts, Jan…thanks for sending. What special fabrics are you all playing with today?

What to do with laminated fabrics? That was a question that kept floating around the store last Saturday every time someone noticed the new Amy Butler laminated fabrics.  They are gorgeous.

These are PUL fabrics, polyurethane laminated fabrics. They were developed for the medical industry but are receiving lots of attention in the sewing world as more and more people are looking for environmental conscious solutions to grocery bags, disposable diapers, sandwich baggies, etc. More information on the process can be found here. Be careful with PUL or laminated fabrics not ordered from a quilt shop. Some are actually knits instead of cotton that have been laminated. The fabrics produced by Westminster Fibers, and available at quilt shops, are 100% cotton woven laminated fabrics.  The fabric is much easier to work with, soft and has more drape than other laminated fabrics.

So what to do with these new and beautiful fabrics that have arrived from Amy Butler ? Cathy was excited about these new fabrics and made this Domestic Goddess Apron in just one evening! If you are local, come in the store and check it out!

Domestic Goddess Apron

This could be a great work apron. I was buying laminated table clothes at one point, before these cool fabrics came out, to make a dog washing apron. I wanted something that would repel the water so that I didn’t always have to change clothes after bathing my large dog.  A laminated fabric apron would be ideal when washing dishes, I’m always getting my middle wet! Then there are art smocks for your favorite artist (or mother of your favorite artist who might be at risk of getting splatted on the side lines).

Other members of our team are planning on making a Multi Tasker Tote out of them. An Abby’s Treasure Box made with PUL would be a cute cosmetic travel bag for your purse.

Go Green with these fabrics! You could make lovely reusable sandwich wraps and “brown bag” lunch bags. Craft Stylish has posted an article from Betz White’s book Sewing Green on how to make a reuseable sandwich wrap.

This fabric is basically a modern day oilcloth, to be used for any purpose where need a waterproof easily wiped clean fabric. Poncho’s, raincoats, splat mats, placemats, table clothes, fabric boxes,all fit in that category.

Anna Marie Horner’s Seams to Me book has a fun garment bag project that calls for oilcloth. It would look fabulous in the Amy Butler large prints. It would also be suitable for her Full Contact apron project as well that is also in the book.

The fabric would make great splat mats to go under art easels, playdough centers, or any other messy areas to help make cleanup easier.

Once you start considering the possiblities more come to mind. What do you think would be a fun project for this lovely fabric?

Ok, I really should be posting fabric to the shop tonight, but I was so excited after I saw Amy Butler’s newest product Softwares that I had to tell you about it.

This is Amy’s first collection of sewing projects on a CD!  Amy partnered with Electric Quilt to make this amazing new tool with 22 unique and stylish projects for quilts, pillows, bags and more – plus 9 bonus projects! You can make the projects as designed by Amy– or customize them in thousands of possible ways using the software’s tools and virtual swatches of Amy’s fabrics.

I bought a copy at Quilt market to try it out and it is fabulous!  You get a skinny version of EQ and 31 projects designed by Amy Butler for $29.95. What a bargain! If you would like to place a preorder of softwares, it will ship out in a couple of weeks.

The other great thing that Amy is doing is celebrating the one year anniversary of Midwest Modern with a contest. Make anything with her fabric, send her a picture and you are entered to win! Very simple. Here are the contest details. Here is a FREE pattern to get you inspired, enjoy and tell us what you are making!