EZ Quilting Tool Mini Quilt Challenge & Kate Spain Canyon Fabric

This is my entry for our the Southern CT Modern Quilt Guild's EZ Quilting Kate Spain mini-quilt Challenge.  We were each allowed to choose a tool when Michele Muska came to do the trunk show at our meeting this spring.

My chosen tool

I chose the mini Fat Cat.  Then we got samples of Kate Spain's new fabric line with Moda "Canyon" to use to make a 16" square mini quilt.  So.Much.Fun.  The quilts will be hung somewhere at Quilt Market (the Simplicity Creative Group's booth?), so if you go to market and can take a picture I would be THRILLED.

Mini Fat Cat Tool Kate Spain Challenge

I am wildly embarrassed to say that this is the first quilt I've ever made that I put a written label on.  I feel quilt shame.  Michelle Muska told our quilt guild about the importance of labels and how meaningful they are.

I realized after I handed my quilt in that I didn't put a name on it.  It's actually called Musical Chairs.  The two floating fat cats are supposed to look like they are going into the open background color spots.  It made sense when I drew it on paper, but I'm not sure how well it translated in my actual design.

Back of my Mini Quilt Challenge

My guild's president snapped this pic of Kate Spain herself at a LQS shop hop stop when she saw all of the challenge quilts made with her newest line...I think she looks pretty excited, don't you?

Photo credit M. Lieberson

Tools of the Trade

I had a wonderful rare, day to myself today. Not just an hour or two, but 9 AM to 4 PM. I spent a great deal of time this week deciding how I'd spend it, and as I'm sure you can imagine, once it started, it flew by!

After a manicure and pedicure (the world's best accessible luxury), I headed off to JoAnn fabrics. When I need a bunch of supplies, this is usually where I go. The other hobby/craft stores in my area have little to no sewing tools. I had made a list of things I'd read about (like the quilting gloves in Bari J's new book "Inspired to Sew") and I've seen the binding clips on a number of quilts-in-progress on Julie's (Jaybird Quilts) site. I have two quilts that need to be quilted and bound, so I want to be ready, right? Somehow, I always manage to come home with a bag full of stuff.

I try to spend the vast majority of my sewing dollars at either online independent stores, or local quilt shops. Alas, sometimes I need to go to the Target of sewing...and here's what today yielded.



The best purchase by far are these great baskets to hold all of the many patterns I accumulated last year. They were $5 each, and i think they look so much nicer than a plastic bin. One of my goals for 2011 is make fabric ones for my sewing room, but in the meantime, I had to clean up the mess!



The other great thing I got was a Clover mini-iron for my upcoming work on the Roses of Remembrance BOM. Everyone I speak to says you "HAVE" to have one of these to make applique easier.



Truth of the matter is, I am a total tool geek. Not to mention a magazine hoarder. I can't wait to dig into my new issue of Stitch magazine.

But here's what I'd like to know...what are YOUR favorite tools? What can't you sew without?