February/ March / April 2015
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PUBLISHED BY: John and Angie Covarrubias FEATURE EDITORS: Dr. Jerrod Pickering, Kaitlyn Frederick DESIGN: Cova Design Happy New Year! The Craft Lubbock magazine has big plans for the new year and I can't wait to share with you all the wonderful stories I am discovering here in our very own city of Lubbock Texas. You don't have to travel far to find talent, to find uniqueness, and to find creative deliciousness. It's all here waiting to be shared with you! I urge you to support local business, support handmade, and one-of-a-kind items. When people "craft" or run their own business, they are not only sharing their materials and supplies with you. They are also sharing a piece of themselves. As we continue into the new year, I hope that you will join me in discovering the amazing creativeness that dwells right here in our backyard.
Angie Covarrubias
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The publisher, authors and contributors reserve their rights in regards to copyright of their work. No part of this work covered by the copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written consent of the publisher. All copyrighted work was reproduced with the permission of the owner. Magazines printed in China. Reasonable care is taken to ensure that Craft Lubbock magazine articles are up-to-date and accurate as possible, at the time of publishing, but no responsibility can be taken by Craft Lubbock magazine for any errors or omissions contained herein. Furthermore, Craft Lubbock magazine takes no responsibility for any losses, damages, or distress resulting from adherence to any information made available through this publication. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Craft Lubbock magazine. COVER PHOTO BY AMANDA GRACE Questions? Comments? Want to have your story featured? Send an email to angie@craftlubbock.com.
February / March / April 2015
contents 8 / Shop Talk 10 / Real Lubbock Crafter: Elizabeth Chewning, The Funky Picket
14 / Gotta Have It Gifts for Valentine's Day
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19 / Real Lubbock Crafter: Dulce Smith, Muy Dulce Creations 25 / The Do's & Don't's of Custom Orders 29 / Real Lubbock Crafter: Kelli Dunn, Sweetheart Designs 37 / Easter Kid's Craft 38 / Real Lubbock Crafter: Samuel Morin, Serios Cereal Bar 42 / Let's Be Social: How To Promote Your Crafts On Social Media 44 / DIY by Allison Fannin 50 / Take Heart by Cottage Fabrics 56 / 7 Crafty Confections 60 / Emily's 10 Most Favorite Things
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19 38 Kaitlyn Frederick, Feature Editor
Dr. Jerrod Pickering, Feature Editor
Kaitlyn is a senior advertising major at Texas Tech University. She is an avid reader, animal lover, Tech football fan, and long time crafter. She is hoping to pursue a career in non-profit development and written communication.
Jerrod is the Superintendent of Lorenzo ISD. He also owns his own technology company and is an authorized reseller for Silhouette.
SHOP TALK
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What Are Crafters & Business Owners Saying...
I love the amazing company Chloe + Isabel that I get to be a merchandiser for. Their jewelry is backed by a lifetime guarantee. It makes me smile when somebody face lights up when they see how amazing they look in my jewelry. Jessica Garrett Merchandiser Chloe+Isabel
Hi! I live in Olton and just opened an Etsy store in October called MyProverbs31. I believe that my creativity is a gift from God and I am so blessed to have an opportunity to share it with others.
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Jessica McIver Owner My Proverbs 13
Creating unique clothing, gifts, and accessories from home while spending time with my husband and 3 year old boy keeps me motivated to grow my business! M2Design Melanie Mallory Owner M2 Design
I am always amazed at the fabric combinations my customers come up with. When they bring in their finished quilts and projects we all celebrate.
Building one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture out of pallets is not the easiest thing to do, but it's something I enjoy doing. I'm always looking for something cool and unique to create. John Covarrubias Owner Cova Design
Alice Jones Owner Cottage Fabrics
It totally warms my heart when I walk into a public place and see someone with or wearing a custom item I made. I try to keep my items different and unique for this very reason and spotting them is such a joy! Christy Gipson Owner Sew Fantastic Baby
After years of poor health I now find a little voice in my head saying ... 'These are the best days of my life. I am lucky enough to work for a company that is revolutionizing the health and wellness industry through their new product, IDNutrition. Jody Denton IDNutrition
My favorite part about selling my crafts is the look on my client's face when I deliver their finished piece. The happy smiles and excitement let's me know they love it, and gives me encouragement to keep making my business grow! Tiffany McGrew Owner Froggy Mac's Crafts
funky fabulous
Craft Lubbock recently sat down with Elizabeth Chewning, owner of The Funky Picket, to find out what inspires this spunky young lady and the funky furniture she creates.
Tell me a little bit about yourself I’m a mother of two boys – 3 and 5! They are really fun and keep me busy! They love to paint and craft with me! I’ve always enjoyed crafting, whether it be painting or drawing or something more complex! My favorite pass time on the weekends is thrift store shopping and finding old treasures that I can transform and make into something beautiful and exciting!
What is something interesting about your talent/business/craft that most people do not already know? Everything I make can be totally personalized!
What is your crafty goodness? I started out with mainly crafting decorative shelves from old fence pickets but have recently branched out into transforming old junk
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do whatever we could to make it possible for me to stay home until both of our boys are in school. My crafting business is extra money!
How do you promote your business or crafting hobby? I’ve done a few craft shows but I mainly use my Facebook page. I’ve taken a bit of a break during the Holiday season but I can’t wait to get some new and fun inventory built and up on my page! into new fun decorative pieces. I also love to paint old furniture and bring it back to life!
What made you want to begin your business or crafting hobby? When my husband and I redecorated our bedroom I decided I wanted to make a headboard crafted from and old fence. My parents had put up a new fence a few years ago and I remembered that they kept their old pickets so I brought some home and got to work. Unfortunately it didn’t quite work out and I ended up making it out of new pickets – it’s awesome, by the way! So, I had all of this scrap wood in my garage and decided to mess around with it. I made a cute little shelf and then kept coming up with more designs and started constructing them. I had so much fun making them and giving them to friends and family that I decided to make a Facebook page!
Is crafting/your business your full-time job or do you have a regular job? I have an Associates degree in Science but my husband and I decided that we would
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What dreams/goals do you have for your business or crafting hobby? I have always dreamt of owning a thrift store/café/art studio! My mom and I have dreams of co-owning this store when she retires, which is in a few short years! How fun would that be?! Come in and grab a coffee or glass of wine, shop for thrift treasures, craft them up, or buy something that has already been transformed!! That would be incredible!
What are some of the obstacles that you’ve encountered working your craft and how did you overcome them?
My main obstacle is space!! I want to bring home every scrap piece of wood and thrift store find I come across and I simply do not have space to house it all!
If you could give some advice on your type of crafting “speciality” or business experience, what would that be? Have fun with it! Don’t try to make it perfect because it won’t be – that’s the beauty of it!! I call imperfections “happy mistakes!” Usually what you think you have messed up ends up being your favorite piece!
How do you think the Craft Lubbock magazine helps other crafters such as yourself? Craft Lubbock reaches so many more people than just the internet or craft shows! Some people probably don’t even realize they would be interested in hand crafted pieces until they pick
up this incredible magazine and discover the gems that are out there! Etsy is awesome but it’s nice to know you can find some of the same unique creations right in your own town!
To check out Elizabeth's latest creations, or to place a custom order, visit her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/funkypicket. PHOTO CREDIT: STACY BLOEDEL
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If you haven't tasted the awesomeness of a perfectly baked sugar cookie, you are missing out! Add to that some yummy icing and a look almost too pretty to eat, and you have yourself a cookie from Muy Dulce Creations. Craft Lubbock had the pleasure to interview Dulce about the amazing craft that is her Couture cookie design. Tell me a little bit about yourself. My name is Dulce Smith and I am 32 years young. I have called Lubbock home most of my life. I'm wife to a dedicated highway patrol man and together we are blessed with six beautiful children. I love making sweet treats and I also enjoy DIY projects.
What is something interesting about your craft that most people do not already know? Something that I believe most people do not already know about custom cookie decorating is the amount of time that goes into each cookie. It just isn't the same thing as baking up a batch of your favorite cookies. Between communicating with customers, the designing, the prep work, the baking, color mixing, and decorating, one can spend well over 10 hours on one order alone.
Tell me about your crafty goodness. My talent is custom decorated cookies. Custom cookies have become popular with the Pinterest party planning trend. Also, because they can be designed to go with any theme or occasion, they make perfect party favors which can be enjoyed by almost everyone.
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What made you want to begin the business of cookie making? In 2011 my family relocated to a small town outside of Austin. Being away from family and friends became difficult and a bit depressing at times. After prayer and in an effort to stay occupied and keep my mind off the fact I was away from so many loved ones, I began working on a long list of DIY projects for one of my children's birthdays. During a google search for party treats, I came across a picture of decorated cookies. Then, searches for decorated cookies took me to sweetsugarbelle.com. There, I fell in love with royal icing cookie art and later research led me to glaze icing, which is what I decided to use since the taste of royal icing didn't appeal to me. After lots of second guessing and excuses as to why I couldn't make money from my craft, I decided to turn my hobby into a business through prayer and with the encouragement of my sister as well as the support of my husband children.
Is this business your full-time job or do you have a regular job? Cookie decorating is a hobby slowly transitioning into a business. Over the last year I have been operating on trial and error and have learned what works, what doesn't, and have new ideas to test. At the moment I do have a regular job caring for a sweet lady during the week.
How do you promote Muy Dulce Creations? Like many other crafters, I use the Lubbock Online Crafters page to do a lot of my promoting. That is actually the first place I shared my work,
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and received my first paid order as a result. I have also donated cookies to different events and associations to get people to try my product.
What goals do you have for your business? My goal is to grow my business enough to make it my full time job. I dream of an inbox with hundreds of orders and a kitchen overrun by beautiful cookies. I also have several ideas to implement in the coming months including classes to teach my craft in a small and intimate setting.
What are some obstacles that you’ve encountered in your business and how did you overcome them? One main obstacle that I have encountered is the fact that I am not legally allowed to recreate licensed characters on my cookies. This was something that I learned later in my journey and had to turn down many orders because of that revelation. I am still overcoming that by offering unique designs for popular themes. Although at first I was discouraged by the restriction and thought I would lose too many customers, I now feel it was a godsend, as I now have more creative freedom.
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If you could give some advice on cookie baking and decorating, what would that be? Some advice that I would give would be to not be discouraged if your first, or next few tries at cookie decorating are a flop. There are so many different recipes and techniques that you can try to find your perfect match and everyone gets in the groove at a different pace. Any way, no matter how bad you think a cookie looks, it will still be delicious.
To see more work from Muy Dulce Creations, or to place an order, visit www.facebook.com/MuyDulceCreations or you can also find her on Instagram @ muydulcecreations. PHOTO CREDIT: AMANDA GRACE
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by Kaitlyn Frederick As crafters, we’ve all been there. Someone contacts you for an order. Great! But it just so happens they want it monogrammed, in a color you don’t have, three times larger than you usually make it, and they want it by tomorrow. Taking custom orders is rarely a flawless process, but here are some do’s and don’ts to help keep your crafting experience running smoothly. Do Practice Ahead of Time Whatever you make, it’s always a great idea to make a couple of practice runs. This has several advantages: you’ll have samples for photographs, you’ll know exactly how long your craft takes you, you’ll know the exact amount of materials you need.
“I love classic pen and paper, it makes it so much easier to add notes, scratch things out, and make things how I like it.” - Theresa Harlan Don’t “Experiment” on New Orders Although it can be tempting to try something new to fill an order, it is more beneficial to you and your customer to stay within your comfort zone. In the long run it will save you time, money, and keep your customer satisfied.
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Do Keep Your Orders Organized
Don’t Undervalue Yourself
Lubbock crafter Theresa Harlan of Painted Faith Creations stresses how important it is to keep track of your orders. “I love classic pen and paper,” she shares, “it makes it so much easier to add notes, scratch things out, and make things how I like it.” She also noted that she uses social media messaging to cross-reference her orders.
Deciding what to charge for your items is oftentimes the hardest part of crafting, but don’t sell yourself short! If you were applying for a job, how much would you expect your boss to pay you per hour? Crafting is a great way to be your own boss, but be sure to treat your employee (yourself!) well.
Don’t Overwhelm Yourself
Do Accept Down Payments
With custom orders, there are so many ways to get in over your head. The cost of raw materials, time it takes to finish your projects, and other responsibilities can quickly add up. Keeping your life balanced is extremely important for your wellbeing, even if it means turning down orders.
One of the best ways to avoid wasting your time and talent is to ask for a deposit prior to starting a project. This will reduce the number of customers that you have “change their mind” or “no-show”. Your time is important and should always be treated that way!
Do Keep Lines of Communication Open
Remembering these tips will not only keep you from getting frustrated, but will also help you and your business be successful.
The most effective way to ensure that your customers are pleased with your creation is to talk about it! Whether you use phone calls, text messages, social media, or any other forms of communication, make sure that you let your customer know if there are any changes in the order. Also, be sure they know how to reach you to communicate any changes they would like to make.
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Great businesses are created when they begin with a passion. That is exactly what happened five years ago when Kelli Dunn began Sweetheart Designs. Started initially as a hobby, Dunn has created a premier handmade jewelry storefront specializing in necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other fashion accessories. Beginning as a hobby in 2007, Dunn’s first creation involved utilizing dominoes and beaded necklaces. After the birth of her first born in 2009, Dunn became more dedicated to her craft and continued to develop her skills. Through hard work and research Dunn acquired the knowledge necessary to manipulate metal and combine those items with existing antique pieces of jewelry to create true “one-‐of-‐a-‐ kind” pieces. Even though Dunn wears the title of a “Stay-‐ At-‐Home Mom,” she is constantly busy in the business world as well. She assists her husband with his garage door company, works with her parents’ family business and partners
with some friends in renting out their vintage items for parties, weddings, etc. In addition, she maintains her own Facebook page and ETSY storefront. While Dunn may seem overly busy, she is enjoying the ride stating that she is living out her dream. When asked about obstacles she has had to overcome Dunn expressed herself very positively: "I honestly can't think of any obstacles. I am so blessed and truly believe that anything you want you can achieve so I just look at everything as a chance to learn a new skill or try a new process. I really believe the saying, “she believed she could, so she did!” I try to live that out in all areas of my life." The future of Sweetheart Designs looks very bright. Dunn plans to make a major announcement soon that her designs will
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begin to be carried in various brick and mortar stores. She will continue to work with customers individually, however, to create unique pieces based off the customer’s needs. When asked what advice she would give to someone wanting to start up his or her own business, she simply stated, “Ask questions.” She goes on to explain that a person needs to seek out others with similar interests and backgrounds and learn from them. She wisely states, “If you are afraid to ask people to help you learn, then you will forever be reinventing the wheel.” Passion, dedication, and a thirst for more knowledge helped Kelli Dunn create a thriving business.
You can find Sweetheart Designs online on the following websites: Facebook: www.facebook.com/ SweetheartDesignsKelliDunn ETSY: sweetheartdesigns.etsy.com Instagram: @sweetheartdesigns PHOTO CREDIT: STACY BLOEDEL
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Amanda Grace
•Won’t Chip •Chemical Free •Made In The U.S.A. •Lasts Up To 2 Weeks On Fingers •Lasts 4 Weeks Or More On Toes •Over 300 Designs
amandagracephoto34@gmail.com • 806.548.2421 • amandagrace.jamberrynails.net
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3. Here is a super quick and easy Easter craft the kids can make for a festive center piece on your family’s table, and all you will need to make one of your own is a paper lunch bag, some stickers, and string! This is a great way to recycle used paper gift bags too. It’s a mess free project and you can sneak in some fine motor skill practice for the kids too! 1. First, draw some lines on a paper bag as shown for your child to use as a guide when cutting. (If your child is too young to do this, you can do this part for him.) 2. Next, invite your child to open the bag up… and while holding the bottom of the bag in place, begin twisting it to form the tree’s trunk.
3. Continue twisting in the same direction up through the cut strips of paper to form branches of the tree! Emily thought this was great fun, and it was very effective fine motor skill practice too!
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4. To make the ornaments, we used Easter egg foam stickers and sandwiched a piece of string in between as shown. 5. Time to decorate your tree! These are quite addicting to make, and you may want to make one for every season!
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by Mandi Rogers
Love to try new things? Love an atmosphere filled with food, music, and art? How about enjoying both while watching TV, relaxing, and eating your favorite cereal? No, you’re not dreaming! Thanks to Samuel Morin and donations from the community, Lubbock’s newest hip spot is Serios, one of the country’s first cereal lounge/art gallery; where you can enjoy music, art, and of course, all the cereal you can eat. Serios’s Owner/Operator, Morin has always been one to think outside the box. Raised with a sense of craftiness and resourcefulness by his parents, a welder and a beautician, he was always taught the importance of expressing creativity and emotions as well as providing for one’s family. “I, myself, am a family man,” Morin says. “I wanted to make sure I was available to be both a good provider and a good father. As I moved into adulthood, I could never get away of the concept that some people are able to sell their crafts to provide a living for their family. I wanted to not only do this, but to be an establishment that helps other people do this for themselves as well, so Serios is designed around that thought! I wanted a spot where young families can come and appreciate quality time in a quality environment and give creative souls a place that understands them and welcomes their form of art!” After being a carpenter for well over a decade, Morin left his job to work as a server in a local restaurant. With his dream in mind, he wanted to spend more time around people and see if he had what it takes to work with the public. It was at this
beautiful establishment, Manna Bread and Wine, that he learned the happiness involved in serving someone good food and making them feel welcome. Once he knew he was capable, Morin began laying the groundwork there in Cactus Alley that would eventually become Serios. Through his hard work, dedication, and the support of the community, it wasn’t long before his vision was finally brought to life. “We are the first business in Lubbock who has been completely funded through an online crowd funding project named Kickstarter,” said Morin. “The feeling of our shop is humble because we were shown love by our community. The money we received was used cautiously, and this influenced how we decorated and furnished the shop.” Not only did the funds raised help furnish the lounge, but Morin’s 10+ years of carpentry played a huge part as well by him using his skills to up-cycle pallets to make tables and bar tops. In fact, the vast majority of the lounge’s design is crafted from re-purposed and up-cycled materials. Along with being a cereal lounge, Serios also operates as an art gallery and music venue making it a fresh and new option to the local food and artistic scenes. “We try very hard to promote other local businesses and other local endeavors, such as this magazine,” Morin said. “We feel that this community helped us build our dreams and we should turn around and help support the community’s dreams.” Since the cereal lounge is such a new concept to the Hub City scene, Morin says their biggest obstacle has been getting the word out about his business. “We understand that the entire concept is a bit overwhelming,” he said. “It's going to take Lubbock some time to understand us and to appreciate us; we are the definition of a mom-andpop shop. We have a very limited budget for advertisement and limited amounts of time to actually go out and
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do the footwork needed to promote this. We focus on social media and of course word-ofmouth! Primarily, we market to the college [and high school] crowd, hoping they will utilize the building for its studying capabilities [and] are currently reaching out to those who have decide to homeschool their children or perhaps single parents whit still have children at home and need a place to be other than their own living room. We encourage parents to bring their children out for Saturday mornings when we promote arts and crafts geared towards young ones! It may be something as simple as folding paper airplanes or painting a birdhouse, but it gives them something to do and somewhere to be!” There’s no denying that Serios is a great place to “slow down and enjoy life’s ‘lil gifts of food, art, and music,” as their motto states. Bring your family in for a fun Saturday morning with the kids. Have them paint Samuel Morin
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a picture; he'll hang it on the fridge. Come by for a family board game night; they always have room for extra players. For students, come in and study with them in this unique alternative to the typical coffee shop setting. Whatever your reason for visiting Serios may be, one thing for sure is that you and the Serios family will be glad you did. “Our idea to stay humble,” Morin said. “Ultimately, we are currently living our dream! We are becoming a part of the Lubbock art scene and are encouraging children and parents to enjoy childhood and to cherish family! For lack of better words, we're doing exactly what we want to do and it feels great! If doing what you do makes you feel good, then you've already done it right; in the process, if it makes somebody else feel good, you’re already doing something amazing!” Serios is located at: 1947 19th Street, Lubbock, TX. Follow Serios on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay caught up with their current events and deals and after you're done enjoying a delicious bowl, leave your email address to join their mailing list. www.Facebook.com/SeriosLBK, IG/Twitter - SeriosLBK PHOTO CREDIT: AMANDA GRACE
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Let’s Be Social: How to Promote Your Crafts on Social Media by Kaitlyn Frederick
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The social media world of tweets, likes, favorites, and comments can be overwhelming. However, when it comes to crafting, it can also be your go-to tool in your advertising arsenal. As a crafter, the most beneficial part of promoting your crafts on social media sites is it’s FREE! While some social media sites offer paid advertising in the form of sidebar ads and promoted posts, we’re going to focus on the more wallet-friendly aspects of social media advertising. The first step to getting your feet wet in the social media pond is to create a variety of accounts specifically for your crafts. Look into the Big Four (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Etsy), but don’t be afraid to branch out into Foursquare, Vine, YouTube, or even starting a blog. Even if you already have a personal account on these sites, make accounts solely for your products. While personal statuses and photos are great to share with friends, customers don’t want to sift through pictures of your family vacation and Fido’s first bone just to get an example of your work. After you create your accounts, the next step is to share them! Many platforms allow you to invite friends to be involved with whatever account you’re using through the webpage itself or via e-mail. The more people that see
your page, the more likely it is that someone will be interested in your products. Asking others to share or “tag” your pages is another great way to gain friends and followers. Now that you have people looking at your social media page, it is important to have things to share with them! Pictures are the best way to catch attention on most social media platforms. Be sure to include descriptions (and pricing if applicable) of the product. Although there is not a formula for to how many posts you should have, a good rule of thumb is to post 1-2 pictures per week in order to keep your page fresh and interesting. Once your pages are up and running, it’s a great idea to get involved with various online crafting communities. “Like” other crafting pages on Facebook and Etsy, follow other accounts on Instagram and Twitter, and be supportive of other crafters who have entered into the digital age. Not only will this help your sites to continue to grow, but you may find yourself inspired by the work of others as well. For more information or tutorials on social media promotion, contact customcorkery@ gmail.com
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DIY by
allison fannin
DIY HAND SANITIZER Germs and viruses are running wild this time of year. Everyone wants to kill the germs on our hands and surrounding, but you want to be safe when you do so. Regular cleaners and spray can be really hard on people, especially those with bad allergies and asthma. This is the case in our house, which is why I set out to find a safe alternative that really works. Using just three simple projects, you can make hand sanitizer that is not only safe, but super cheap! Materials: • Therapeutic Grade Thieves Essential Oil (read more about oils at the bottom) • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt • 2 oz. Water • Small Glass Spray Bottle • Small Rollerball Jar (I use this for my kids to take to school) Directions: 1. Pour 2oz. of water into glass jar 2. Add in at least 5 drops of Thieves Essential Oil 3. Add in Salt 4. Shake Well. Why add salt? It adheres to the oil and helps it mix well. Shake before every use. You can pour the mixture into the small rollerball jar and use it for travel.
In less than two minutes and under $5, you have a safe and all natural hand sanitizer for your family! Questions about Essential Oils and incorporating them into your life? I am a distributor and would love to chat! Email me at twothirtyfivedesigns@gmail.com or head over to www.TwoThirtyFiveDesigns.com for more info!
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DIY LIGHT UP MARQUEE LETTERS Materials & Tools: • Plywood (2 sheets – thickness depends on if you are going to attach it to the wall or lean it) • Outdoor string lights (1 strand per letter) • Jigsaw • Corner Sander • Drill/Driver • Screws (if you plan to attach to the wall) STEP 1 I set up a projector and used a photo editing software to trace my letters, according to the size that I needed. STEP 2 After tracing, I cut out each letter with my jigsaw, sanding any rough edges quickly with my hand sander. 46
STEP 3 I measured out the strand of lights on each letter, marking exactly where I wanted all the lights to be, making sure the cord was not pulled to tightly. Also, plan beforehand how you will make each plug attach to the next plug/ letter. STEP 4 Using my drill and drill bit, I drilled out a hole per light for every mark I made on each letter. STEP 5 Carefully unscrew each bulb and run the base through the backside of the letter/each hole, and screw back in each bulb as you go.
STEP 6 Depending on if you mount your letter, lean or whatever your preference is, you can tuck and/or tape the extra cord behind the letters. I mounted mine with 2 1/2 in. anchor screws into a stud and tucked the excess cord behind the letters. *These awesome letters were featured in a Bob Villa contest for the "Favorite Plywood Contest."
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Pictured front row, left to right, Linda Fisher, Alice Smith Back row, left to right, Douglas Jones, Carol Christopher, Jane West, Arla Loter, Misty Wall, and Karen Sherman
By Jane West
Meet the Quilting Gals at Cottage Fabrics, and let their projects and advice inspire your own valentine sewing and crafted projects. “They have a combined sewing/quilting experience of about 100 years!” Says Alice Smith, the owner of Cottage Fabrics and Quilting on 82nd Street. “They are creative, skilled, and always happy to share their knowledge and expertise; real treasures to our shop!” A few of these gals have a multi-generation family history of quilting. Linda Fisher, for example has quilters everywhere in her family tree. Her mother, her mother’s twin sister, her maternal and paternal grandmothers, and even her husband’s grandmothers quilted. “I really feel a connection to the past through quilting,” says Linda, “Especially when I’m working on old blocks that someone has given me.” Linda loves “to make something out of nothing” and enthusiastically tries all quilt styles and techniques. “Traditional quilts, art quilts, modern quilts, hand quilting, and machine quilting! You name it, I want to try it!” says Linda. Heart and Hand motifs have always been a favorite of Linda’s. Her large quilt, “Covered With Love” was inspired by a small group
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craft. “A quilt gives warmth to the soul as well as the body,” says Linda At Cottage Fabrics and Quilting Linda teaches classes on improvisational piecing, and how to choose fabrics. She also teaches a “Start to Finish” class for beginners, a block-of-themonth class, and is preparing a presentation on Art and Modern Quilting. “We are planning to get a small group together monthly at the shop to explore art quilting,” says Linda. Interested sewers should contact the shop for times. Fellow quilter, Douglas Jones advises novices to, “choose fabrics that you just LOVE working with, because color, design, and the feel of the fabric are very important to enjoying the work!” Douglas began quilting in 2001 when she joined a craft group “just to socialize”, and got hooked on fabric and quilting right away. The first quilt she ever made used log cabin blocks. The second quilt also used Log Cabin blocks…. and the third quilt. When she gained the confidence to try other block designs she decided to adopted the log cabin as her “signature block”, and includes one somewhere in each quilt. Can you find the Log Cabin block in her Chocolate Quilt? At Cottage Fabrics, Douglas teaches both skills classes, like How to Make Bias Binding from a square, as well as project focused classes.“I enjoy precision in my work, and teach tips and tricks to my students.”
pattern exchange. Everyone brought a block pattern featuring a heart (or hearts) to share with the group. While some group members used one or two blocks, and others put the patterns in a bottom drawer, Linda made one of each block, and designed the setting which brings them all together. One of Linda’s quilts hangs in the education classroom at the Ranching Heritage Museum, and another is in the Texas Tech Museum’s Permanent Collection. She had a solo quilt exhibit at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center around the time she recognized that quilting can be art as well as
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Arla Loter began quilting with pre-quilted panels. She added binding and gave them away as baby quilts. Then she moved on to un-quilted panels, and added borders before she quilted them herself. Eventually she stepped up to piecing her own quilts. “I still love panels though,” says Arla. “They look like appliqué without any of the work!” Over the years her quilting skills and interests have expanded. She likes hand quilting whole cloth quilts, Drafting her own patterns, using the pattern in your fabric back as your quilting guide, Using Quilter’s Grid fusible to facilitate piecing, and quilts with interlocking pieces, fall colors, or seasonal themes. At Cottage Fabrics, Arla teaches Beginning Basic Piecing, Rotary Cutting, and Hand Quilting. But her favorite activity is customer service. “I love talking to the customers, learning about their projects, and encouraging them to overcome creative roadblocks!” says Arla. Karen Sherman designs and sews doll clothes for American Girl and other 18inch dolls. Her business, Jelly Bean Soup Designs, sells patterns through Pixie Faire Distributors on-line, and at Cottage Fabrics. Karen sews up her original designs for Victorian pajamas, cheerleader uniforms, and sequined dresses for local customers. These outfits are available at Cottage Fabrics. The detail is delightful, and the workmanship beautiful! She also enjoys custom making “Just Like Me” matching outfits for girls and their dolls. Karen transitioned into sewing and quilting from decorative (painting) arts. She has had several of her projects featured in decorative arts magazines. One of her Christmas ornaments hung on the White House Christmas Tree and is now in the Smithsonian. At Cottage Fabrics Karen teaches a blockof-the-month quilt class, T-shirt quilts, machine embroidery, and how to make quilt labels using colored pencils.
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She helps customers with fabric selection by taking photos of possible choices placed with fabrics already chosen. Says Arla, “If any piece is out of place, it is much easier to see in a photo.” She likes to make quilts for children who are under stress, and is active in a Guild Group that makes quilts for Children’s Advocacy, Women’s Protective Services, and Ronald McDonald House.
“I never met a fabric I didn’t like!” says Jane, “well… maybe one or two, but I’d still find a way to use them.” Jane also creates polymer clay embellishments for many of her pieces. An exchange student, living in her home one summer, introduced her to bead and button making with polymer clay. Combining the clay objects and quilting brought a double dose of sewing and crafting supplies to her home studio. “Sometimes I think my third hobby is organizing my work space!” says Jane, “I’m always looking for great ideas to store supplies, and make the layout more functional” Recently I discovered a great way to organize all my sewing-machine feet: in clear plastic, compartmentalized craft boxes. I found two that fit perfectly in the top drawer of my sewing table, and have labeled each compartment. No more searching for the right foot, or guessing what that strangely shaped foot will do!” says Jane
Jane West’s quilting style is traditional… with a twist. “I like to combine bright modern fabrics with traditional designs, add some embellishments, and stir it up a little,” she says. “I also create my own patterns for small projects, and put my own unique spin on traditional quilt patterns. “I never completely follow the directions.” For example, the scalloped bunting pictured, began as a challenge in an Art Quilting Group. Each member brought a yard of their “ugliest” fabric which was divided between group members. Four additional fabrics could be used, but all the “ugly fabrics” had to go into the finished challenge piece. “I interpreted “quilt” challenge very loosely… by making scalloped bunting instead of a rectangle,” says Jane, “I couldn’t resist using more than the allotted number of fabrics, and there was not enough of one of the ugly fabrics. I actually went out and bought more!”
Misty Wall manages the office at Cottage Fabrics, and Carol Christopher does sewing for the Home Sewing arm of the business. They both provide continuity in our customer service, “Cottage Fabrics is the hub of a wonderful warm community of fabric and quilting enthusiasts,” says owner, Alice Smith “We genuinely enjoy encouraging your creative spirit and fostering friendships along the way!”
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