Filaments

The folks at Pantone may tell you that Tangerine Tango is THE colour of the year. But much as I love orange, I beg to differ.

No, the colour of the year here at Cotton Mill Threadworks is Nightscape. 

Masterpiece #181. Neither a dark grey nor a dark taupe. But it falls somewhere in between, and is proving to be a very versatile colour for both piecing and machine quilting. I love the murky, odd, "not-quite-sure-what-colour-it-is" colours, and find that those are the most useful for blending like chameleons into their surroundings.

I've had a group of fabrics lined up for some calming, mindless sewing. Inspiration abounds on the net, and I've had my eye on the 36-patch that crazy mom quilts blogged about last summer. Check out the beauties on her flickr group page - just type in "36 patch". 

The thread on the cone appears lighter in this photo. But when pooled on the dark fabrics

or when pooled on the lighter ones

it blends beautifully.

Masterpiece 100% cotton is specially priced at $22.95 per cone (reg. $27.95). Stock up on your favourite neutral colours, and maybe piece a 36-patch of your own!

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Since this is a long weekend there are no quilt shows. A holiday of sorts -  if you don't count the paperwork, re-ordering, answering correspondence etc. Perfect timing for attending a workshop hosted by Marilyn Farquhar in her home north of Waterloo, Ont.

Marilyn organizes 2 sets of workshops annually - spring and fall - with "big name" teachers. Small, intimate classes in her comfortable studio are held during 3 days. Some are 1 day classes, while others are 2 day sessions. And Marilyn also cooks a delicious lunch for us (even 2 desserts!).

Friday I attended Hollis Chatelain's class "Quilt Line as the Third Design Aspect". Through thought-provoking questions we were led to formulate ideas for quilting our tops, whether they were contemporary art pieces or traditional quilts. Threads were also discussed, especially how their colours interact with the surrounding colours of other threads and fabric.

And although I began the day by not wanting to get in the car yet again and drive somewhere I was very happy that I did! Thanks to Hollis for sharing so much knowledge in a short time. And thanks to Marilyn for welcoming us into her home and making these workshops available.

Next dates are Sept. 7 - 9,  and the classes are 3/4 full already. The teacher? Click here for details but don't even hesitate to register - this is a not-to-be missed opportunity!

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Here are the 12 available Magnifico colours (you'll have to wait till the end of summer for the remaining 188):

                    
                
                              
    

I've already had a chance to try Magnifico in my domestic sewing machine. This 40 wt. trilobal fills in the decorative stitches with lovely high sheen. Titanium coated Topstitch needles size 90/14 are recommended, and I used Bottom Line and So Fine #50 for my samples - both worked perfectly.

Cross-wound thread on a cone needs to feed off the top. Some of the newer domestic machines have a telescoping thread stand built in. But any machine can accommodate cones with the Superior Thread Holder. If you find that this thread spools off too quickly you just need to place a thread net over the cone to control it.

Sample of Magnifico and Highlights - both are 40 wt. trilobal polyesters:

Magnifico on its own:

Do you own a machine with an embroidery unit? Are you working on a Hoop Sisters project? Then you are going through a LOT of thread! Magnifico is wound on convenient 3,000 yd. cones to see you through your projects.

Do you quilt on a longarm where thread strength can be a real issue? Magnifico is a High Tenacity Polyester, designed to stand up to speed.

Magnifico will make its Canadian debut this weekend at the Common Thread QG show in Ottawa!

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Strong. High sheen. Lots of yardage. Large colour range. Reasonable price. That's Magnifico in a nutshell!

Superior's newest addition is  perfect for domestic machines, high speed embroidery units, and longarm machines. Magnifico is a 40 wt. thread suitable for quilting, embroidery, or decorative stitching. High Tenacity Trilobal simply means that it is strong, with a high sheen, to give your stitches definition and lustre. And at $13.95 per cone you won't break the bank!


The first 12 of 200 colours have just arrived. Too new to be named or on the site. If you would like to mail order just call or email. Or visit my booth at upcoming quilt shows.

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An integral part of any quilt show is having food available on-site. The Ailsa Craig Community Quilt Festival has provided visitors with delicious, locally sourced food. Good for them, and good for us!

It is said that an army travels on it stomach, but quilters do too. However, it appears that we travel on pies.

One could have a different pie for every day of the show.  I knew a few people who did. Their secrets are safe with me.



Thanks to all the culinary experts for keeping our tummies fed! You are all invited to live at my house after the show!

Saturday is the last day for the "Quilts of Denmark". Show hours are 9:00 - 4:00. Closing banquet begins at 7:00

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