Sew On The Go by Michelle Renee Hiatt

I thought I'd cover some tips on preparing your fabric for cutting.  I promised my friend, fellow blogger and Studio 180 Design's CI (Certified Instructor)  Jackie O'Brien that I'd post some helpful hints on preparing your fabric after our last CI reunion. 1.   Gather your fabric, Mary Ellen's Best Press , your best iron and i roning surface.   For Irons; I recommend Oliso Pro Smart Iron - Yellow or Eurosteam Steam Iron with Boiler Tank & Ceramic Soleplate. Both work great. The Oliso is my current favorite. The proper, most likely high priced iron, will earn its money with the time it will save you. For Ironing Surface ; I recommend a sturdy large surface, with only a layer of Insul-Bright and covered with a neutral canvas. This will give you the best pressing surface. I love my fully constructed Foldaway Big Board. Can be purchased at Nancy's Notions.  (update 12/2017 - Or TnT Boards ) 2. Lay out your fabric flat, unfolded.  I ...

Wow!  It has been an incredibly busy summer for me and my quilts.  We've been traveling all over East Coast.   I had a terrific time at MAQ last weekend and another great set of classes at Pennington Quilt Works this past weekend.  Here are just a few pictures from yesterday's class , Tucker Tool Time.  Jenn, Alli, Beth and Dawn did a fabulous job.  We covered; Studio 180 Design's Pickets & Quickets, Shaded 4 Patch, and Side Kick High Low Technique Sheets.  We used tons of tools - Wing Clipper, Tucker Trimmer 1, V Block, Corner Beam, Square2.  Such fun learning how to use the tools in everyday blocks. I'm heading to Charlotte tonight to join Deb and Sue Tucker at AQS's new Charlotte Show.  If you are in the area, come check it out!

I just found out there have been a couple cancels in my previously Sold Out Class for Southern Hospitality, at Pennington Quilt Works, in Pennington NJ, on Saturday, June 22nd. Therefore, there is room for a few sign-ups.  Check those calendars and see if you can join me! Southern Hospitality is a relaxing soothing quilt, it has such lovely movement.  It is an awesome throw size quilt.  This quilt was designed by Deb Tucker and will have you thinking of warm, slow paced afternoons.  You can learn to use Deb Tucker’s Square2 tool to make two types of units- the Diamond Square and the Little Houses block.    Then learn to make Migrating Geese using a fabulous technique perfected by Deb Tucker.  The Diamond Square technique will leave you wondering how you lived without it.  What girl doesn’t love perfect Diamonds!  Plus, the Migrating Geese adds such a wonderful flair to the border; you will use it over and over again.   It...

I'm so excited, I got my copies of the Strong House Inn's Quilting in Vermont Seminar brochures! I can't wait to teach there, it looks so heavenly.  I'm actually going to the Strong House Inn for the Vermont Quilt Festival, from Friday to Sunday. I can't help but share, so I've attached imagines below.   I will be teaching Loco For Lemoynes Stars and Northern Neighbors! NORTHERN NEIGHBORS LOCO FOR LEMOYNE STARS I know it has been forever since I blogged, life has just been crazy with work and teaching.  :(  However, things are starting to get a little better now that our Fiscal Year at work has settled down a bit and I'm hoping to get back to blogging more often.  There are several exciting things happening that I must share!  More to come!

I saw this graphic on Art Gallery Fabric's Facebook page and I couldn't wait to ask other what is their go-to Spring color? This year, I have to say it is that Poppy Peachy Pink (say that three times).  I think in previous times this was called Salmon..  However, Art Gallery is called it a Pinkest Angle Blush.  Here are two fabric samples from an upcoming fabric line by Jeni Baker call Geometric Bliss. I've have a few quilts in the works and most of them have a version of this color in it.  I think my friend Jenn would be proud of me, as I think it is a version of orange which I used to be opposed to anything orange. So what is your go-to Spring Color?

I've been traveling so much these last few weeks that I haven't had a chance to post my newest tools (Toys) that I recently picked up to  improve my sewing time and quality even more! The first is my new Big Board from my Sewing Sun Room.  As you know I have a sewing space downstairs on the lower level with my long arm, 2nd Pfaff Creative Vision, huge cutting table and iron table.  However, we have a beautiful sun room that I like to sew in on the main level.  I was using a normal ironing board upstairs and it was so flimsy and small.  Plus not very dog friendly.  I've heard from several friends over the years that they had their husbands make them Big Boards... well my husband doesn't do woodwork, so I went looking for them on the web. Big Board in the Sew Sun Room I found it at Nancy's Notions  and a great deal.  It was on sale for $109 from $139 the day I got it (I believe it is on sale again).  The down side is ...

Sorry for the delay, I've been crazy busy with MQX  that I failed to post the Winter Jewels took a Blue Ribbon! Here is the press release: Winter Jewels, Designed and Pieced by Michelle Renee Hiatt of Huntington CT & Quilted by Barbara Bregmen of Silver Spring, MD took 1 st place in the Computerized Machine Quilting Category at the MQX Quilt Show, in Manchester NH on April 10 th .    Winter Jewels is an original design by Michelle Renee Hiatt. As a Studio 180 Design Certified Instructor, she was inspired to create a Loco for Lemoyne Star Sampler using all the different Lemoyne Star techniques available through Deb Tucker's Technique sheets.  Her love of fabric and huge collection of fat quarters inspired the variety of Lemoyne Star types in this quilt.  Michelle’s website is www.sewonthego.net , she teaches all over the Northeast.  MQX results are at http://www.mqxshow.com/MQX/East/QuiltShow/NewEnglandWinners/index.cfm Barbara Breg...

We got an email last night that MQX judges have awarded a ribbon to Winter Jewels! We will not know until Wednesday night what it received a ribbon for, but Barbara Bergman and I are thrilled. We made a great team on this one!  You may remember that I designed and pieced it, inspired by Deb Tucker's Lemoyne Star techniques,  then Barbara brought it to life with her fabulous quilting!

Only 3 days to MQX!  Can't wait.  Spent the day finishing up work-work and running errands so I can take time off for MQX.   This is my first time going to MQX and I'm really excited.  Big bonus, I get to meet up with several friends.  My friend Barbara Bregman, the longarmer, is flying up.  My friend Jenn Heasley is driving up from PA tomorrow and we are heading up to New Hampshire, first thing Monday.  Then a few other friends from PA are joining us up there, Jean and Sharon are driving up Tuesday.  Then, several other Studio 180 Design's Certified Instructors are going to be there; Kathy Beltz from NH, Dan Perkins from ME's  Threads Galore , and Sue Graf from ME.  Wow, it is going to be so great. I'm taking classes every day, but we are hoping to do some shop hopping on Tuesday before the Ice Cream social.  I have 5 days of Create Studio classes and several business classes. I realized I failed to share one photo with you l...

The 2nd pattern we test drove at the Studio 180 Design Certified Instructor's Retreat was Deb's Tucker's Northern Neighbors.  This is another pattern she plans on having out in a few months.  It was really neat. Plus, you don't need to go with the traditional Canadian Maple Leaves if you don't want to.... several of us Certified Instructors took it in several different directions.  Here are a few examples. This is Donna's - Just to die for!  Love the batiks!  She got really far - - she doesn't talk as much of the rest of us!  LOL Here is mine, with my Kaffe Stash: And then the groups, so you can compare and see how versatile the pattern is: This pattern will use the following Studio 180 Design's tools:  Split Rects, Corner Beam, Wing Clipper, Square2....  If you don't own then, this is a great weekend to purchase them at my etsy shop.  I'm offering 15% off if you spend $20 or more.  Use code: ENDMARCH  at my s...