Templates, Rulers a Sale and an Upcoming Change to our Store!

January 30th, 2014

Dear Friends,

At Patsy Thompson Designs, we value our customers and wish to be responsive to suggestions and requests.  We’ve been offering significantly discounted pricing in our online store, but have heard from many customers that free shipping is more of a value than discounted pricing.  Between overhead costs and price reductions, we are operating on a very thin profit margin, so we cannot continue offering heavily discounted pricing and also offer free shipping.  As a compromise, we will be changing our pricing structure to a mildly discounted pricing system with free shipping to customers within the United States.  We sincerely apologize to our customers outside the US, and we will be offering you an additional discount during checkout to “level the playing field.”  Please know that we would offer free shipping to every customer in every country if we could, but to afford to remain in business, we simply cannot.  These past few years have been very difficult times for anyone in the retail industry, and we hope you will continue use our online store for your sewing and quilting needs, and as a source of inspiration.

The prices you see on our site today will remain in effect until 9 am EST on Thursday, Feb 6, 2014.  We will begin revising our pricing structure on that day and hope to be “live” with a  free shipping option on Monday, 2/10/14.   We apologize for the inconvenience and any confusion this may cause, but please know we are determined to provide the best service possible.

ALL Retail sales of the following product categories will be 20% off  for the next week: PTD DVDs, PTD BooksAppli-K-Kutz fabric cutting dies,  PTD PatternsPTD Digitized Designs and all PTD Stencils!  This sale will run until Thursday, February 6, 2014 at 9 AM (EST).  Just enter the discount code: PTD20 in the discount code box during checkout.

Squedge 11-1/4 Degree Ruler

 
    
 

This tool allows for more intricate radial designs that broaden the possibilities within the squedge family.

From Phillips Fiber Art

 

 
MSRP $14.99… our everyday low price only $11.99
 

Squedge 30 Degree Ruler

 
    


 The simplest of the Squedge blocks, you can create amazing designs.
From Phillips Fiber Art

MSRP $15.98… our everyday low price only $12.78

 Easy Dresden

 

 Big Numbers. Makes Dresden Plate, Grandmother’s Fan and Tumblers for Charm Quilts. Cuts wedges in many sizes. Use with Rotary Cutter.

From EZ International
By Zimmerman, Darlene

 

MSRP $7.89… our everyday low price only $6.31
 

Petal Shapes Template

Will make six different sized 45 degree Dresden shapes. Includes quilt pattern and ideas for lots of projects.
MSRP $6.50… our everyday low price only $5.20

Collectable Needle Threaders with Cutter 2ct

    

Two collectable needle threaders with a conveient cutter on the bottom of each.

MSRP $3.75… our everyday low price only $3.00


 

Double Needle Threader from Dritz

  For fine threads in small eye needles, use pointed loop on threader. For embroidery floss and pearl cottons in large eye needles, use squared loop on threader.
 
MSRP $5.10…  our everyday low price only $4.08
 

Needle Case & Needle Threader Combo Brass


Keep your favorite needles handy inside this polished brass case which can easily fit on a Chatelaine. The combination needle threader has an extra strong wire loop.

From Tooltron

MSRP $8.49… our everyday low price only $6.79

Basting Brights 200ct Size 1

       

 

Anodized pins in 4 jewel colors. Extra smooth finish and sharp points. Glides smoothly through layers of fabric. Perfect for crafts, beaded safety pin jewelry and more. Comes in a reusable clamshell.

From EZ International

MSRP $10.19… our everyday low price only $8.15

Curved Safety Pins in a Flower Case 75ct

     

 

You get 75 curved safety pins in a cute flower case. From Dyno Singer

MSRP $9.00… our everyday low price only $8.10


 

Safety Pin Steel 15 each of 4 sizes in Tin

         

Safety Pin Steel 15 each of 4 sizes in Tin. From Madeira

 

MSRP $3.95...  our everyday low price only $3.16

4 inch by 6 inch Plastic Templates


 

 

 

Each MSRP $4.83… our everyday low price only $2.86

New Mylar Digitized Designs 



Multi-format .PES, .DST, .EXP, .JEF, .HUS, .XXX, .VIP

From Purely Gates

Each MSRP $49.99.. our everyday low price only $39.99


Minion Monster

     

6in x 10in Project Time: -2 Hour Fabric Type: Fat Quarter Friendly Project Type: Craft 

From Cut Loose Press

By Jorgensen, Becky 
 
MSRP $3.50… our everyday low price only $2.80
 

Sheep & Quilt

 
   
 

Sheep 8in x 5in, Quilt 16in x 16in Project Time: 2-6 Hour Fabric Type: Fat Quarter Friendly Project Type: Quilt 

From Cut Loose Press
By Jorgensen, Becky


MSRP $3.50… our everyday low price only $2.80
Pluto Is Not A Planet

 

Jelly roll friendly and easy applique for a great quilt for kids. Quilt Size: 76in x 88″in or 50in Square Lap Quilt. 

From Sweet Tea Girls Patterns
By Headington, Leigh


MSRP $9.00… our everyday low price only $7.20

Pom Pom Garden


Fun to Sew! Applique and Pieced. Wall or Baby Quilt. 48″ square.

From SamSarah Design Studio
By Connor, Patti



MSRP $9.00… our everyday low price only $7.20

Current Work

January 28th, 2014
I’ve been playing with a water lily block for a few weeks now.  This block is made from very basic shapes (a few of the leaf shapes from the Appli-K-Kutz Leaves 2 die and all were cut on my Sizzix Big Shot machine.)   It began as this water lily “quartet” block that’s a 16-inch block with machine embroidery applique:
 
water-lily-purple-blue
 
It was deliberately designed with a large empty space in the center so I could add something special in there.  This central zone is what is taking awhile to perfect.  What follows below is a design that can be quilted on the embroidery machine or merely used as an embroidery design.  In my experiment that follows, I am completing this as a trapunto layer.  Once the entire quilt is pieced and in the final quilt sandwich, I’ll stitch around the parts of this section with invisible thread and it will really pop out nicely.  To start, the center design actually begins as the 4 water lilies are stitched.  You can tell this in the photo below because there are now 4 crescent moon shapes just underneath the 4 water lilies:
 
water-lily-feather-1
This is how that center looks in a semi-empty state.  Here’s a close up of the stitching where you can see I stitched the pearls inside the channels in a different color.  There’s no right or wrong way to do this color-wise; I just happen to like a lot of thread variety:
 
water-lily-feather-2-closeup
 
To keep you oriented about how this works, look at the backside of the block at this stage.  The areas of “white” on the back are stabilizer:
 
water-lily-feather-1_5
Next, I hoop up and stitch the next file and this just tells me how to orient my block on the stabilizer to achieve good placement for that center design.  In this next shot, that block has merely been floated onto the hooped stabilizer with pins:
 
water-lily-feather-3
There are many ways to do trapunto and the way I did it here was simply to pin  a piece of scrap batting underneath the stabilizer.  You can see that in this photo:
 
water-lily-feather-4-backside
I stitched out the next sequence and this creates a feather motif that fills the crescent outline.  I did this in yet another shade of rose thread and I like that it kind of stands out more because of it:
 
water-lily-feather-5-before-hq
You could stop right here and this block would be cool, and this is what I really like about MEA, that you can pick and choose which sequences you want to keep or skip.  Of course, I had to try the hyperquilted version, so I went back in with gold rayon thread and did that final sequence and here’s how it came out:
 
water-lily-feather-6-after-hq
Love how this is coming out and all the options it creates.  Stay tuned!

Nifty Notions and New Machine Embriodery Designs!

January 17th, 2014

Burr…hasn’t this been a cold and snowy winter so far?!  Hope everyone is surviving the winter and hibernating  in the sewing room.  Nikki has found many great new notions and a few new rulers to make quilting easier and more time-efficient.  We have some great new embroidery designs that will make great additions to any quilt.   Mix and match these designs to create your one of a kind quilt design Be sure to read through the whole newsletter to not miss out on any of these new additions!

Harmonic Song Birds
Multi-Format CD or Download

  
 
    
 

This appliqued quilt features intricate applique shapes with embroidered details that are stitched on an embroidery machine. The applique shapes may be traced and cut by hand using templates included on the CD, or they may be cut using the Appli-K-Kutz Plume Family; Tulips; Poppies; Bird: Simple or Fancy; Stylized Stems; Hearts 1; Small Feather; and Stylized Stems 2 dies.

 

This CD contains the following:

 

  • downloadable pdf of printable instructions tocreate the quilt
  • downloadable pdfs of printable applique shapetemplates for tracing
  • downloadable pdfs of printable hooping guidesto easily move from one hooping to the next
  • downloadable pdfs of printable full-colorinstructions for embroidering the quilt blocks(photos included)
  • digital files to applique/embroider the blocks inthe following formats: ART; EXP; HUS; JEF; PEC;PES; PHC; SEW; VIP; VP3; XXX

 

Embroidery machine must be able to accommodate the minimum hoop sizes to embroider all the blocks in this quilt:

  • All bird blocks: 160 x 260 min. hoop size
  • Wreath Blocks: 130 x 180 min hoop size
  • Side Setting and Corner Setting Triangle Blocks: 160 x 260 min. hoop size

This quilt is composed of many block designs that feature elegant and intricate applique shapes. Alignment from one hooping to the next is easily accomplished using our system of hooping only the stabilizer and floating the fabric block on top.

 

 
Only $69.00
 

Machine Embroidered Designs

 
    
   
   


Multi-format .PES, .DST, .EXP, .JEF, .HUS, .XXX, .VIP

From Purely Gates

Each: MSRP $49.99… our everyday low price only $39.99

 Honeycomb Ruler

 

 Make cutting and centering your hexagons even easier. 5in x 10in Clear plastic with non-slip gripper squares. 

From Kansas Troubles Quilters
By Hagmeier, Lynne
MSRP $16.00… our everyday low price only $12.80
 

Fiskars 6-1/2in & 12-1/2in Square
Acrylic Ruler 2pc Set

Acrylic ruler girds will have larger numbers for easy measuring. Grid and numbers have black and white outlines for easy measuring on any color of fabric.

From Fiskars 

MSRP $21.99… our everyday low price only $17.59

Handi Grip Strips 

  

Keep rulers and templates under control with self adhesive gripper tape.

From Handi Quilter, Inc.

MSRP $10.00... our everyday low price only $8.00


 

Appli – Glue 2oz

  Acid free – pH neutral. Will not damage fabrics or cause premature aging. Water based. Water reversible. Anti-Clog precision tip. Tip cap will prevent dry-out. Prepare and glue applique pieces to background fabric & easily reach under pieces to apply glue without disturbing layout. 
 
MSRP $3.50…  our everyday low price only $2.80
 

Precision Tip Assembly for Mini Appli-Glue 


Includes lid with storage cap, pink precision tip and red tip cap.

MSRP $3.50… our everyday low price only $2.80

Karen Kay Buckley Perfect Pins

       

 

These needles have a very sharp point and are perfect for piecing and applique. 

MSRP $8.95… our everyday low price only $7.16

Pellon Tissue Tracing Paper
10in x 70yds White

     

 

Tracing paper on a roll.

MSRP $9.99… our everyday low price only $7.99


 

Picture Piecing Traditional Quilts 

         

Have you ever wanted the look of applique without the handwork? Author and artist Cynthia England has found it with her innovative Picture Piecing method. This is not a foundation or paper piecing method.

Picture Piecing Traditional Quilts is an 8-1/2in x 11in book with 154 pages in a special lay-flat binding and full color throughout. The quilts in the book are entirely machine pieced with all straight-line piecing, even the details that look like applique from a distance. Unlike foundation and paper-piecing, with Cynthia’s Picture Piecing technique you work from the right side of the fabric and there is no paper to pick out at the end. Best of all, cheating is encouraged to get your blocks perfect!

From England Design Studios
By England, Cynthia

 

MSRP $29.95…  our everyday low price only $23.96

Freezer Paper to go with the Book Above

 

 12 Pre-printed freezer paper patterns to make any of the Rosebud, Violet or Maple Leave Quilts in the Picture Piecing Traditional Quilts book.

From England Design Studios

By England, Cynthia

 Each MSRP $11.75… our everyday low price only $9.40

Swoon

     

Pattern #170 
19” x 19” mini quilt 
8“ block

Materials Needed: 
* 8 fat eighths for blocks 
* 1 fat eighth for corner posts 
* 1/2 yard background fabric 
* 1 fat quarter binding fabric 
* 5/8 yard backing fabric 
* 22” x 22” cotton batting

From Thimble Blossoms
By Camille Roskelley

 

 
MSRP $6.50… our everyday low price only $5.20
 

Ain’t She Sweet

 
   
 
Aint She Sweet is just way too fun. Two large funky flowers have a great tone on tone background. They are then surrounded with bright fun fabrics.  A quick, easy quilt.

From Abbey Lane Quilts

By Liljenquist, Janice & Owen, Marcea

Finished Quilt Size: 63″ x 57″ 


MSRP $10.00… our everyday low price only $8.00

Plodding Forward But Very Slowly

January 13th, 2014
Sorry to have been so quiet here on the blog, but I really haven’t had too much to post about because I haven’t made much headway in the sewing/quilting/embroidering arena. It started out as a quilting drought brought on by the holidays but I’ve actually had loads of time in my sewing room in the last 10 days but have encountered one obstacle after another in my quest to finish piecing a quilt top.  This top began 5 months ago (yes, I said 5 months ago!!)  This is an all time record for me as the longest time ever to piece a top!  The quilt began with this center design:
thistlea
This colorway is way outside my comfort zone; part of my challenge to myself was to work in colors that don’t feel natural to me.  These are 4 huge blocks (23 inches square) that are made via machine embroidery applique and the shapes are all cut from Appli-K-Kutz dies and cut on my Sizzix Big Shot machine.  The embroidered details don’t show up too well in the photos, but I really love how the blocks came out and I was really excited to move to the next step.  I attached a narrow rust colored border and then designed a MEA border specifically for this quilt.  In my head, the border would coordinate perfectly with the center because the flowers were a smaller version of the large thistle flowers in the giant blocks.  It’s hard to get good detail on border shots, but here’s a shot of my preliminary stitchout of the planned border (note that colors are different from quilt since this was just my “test stitchout.”)
thistle-border-complete
I started embroidering the borders and finished 3 of the 4 borders.  I was feeling really good about everything until I hung the borders up against the center and realized that this border, although very beautiful, simply would not work on this quilt.  You can see it in this older photo where only 2 of the 3 borders were completed, but I kept embroidering because I liked the border so much and I guess I was just hoping things would work out in the end:
 
thistle-progress-1
There’s a problem with the colors in the above photo…the borders are actually a purple with a lot of blue, but that color just doesn’t work for a border here.  The other design issue is that a nicely curving floral border seems odd juxtaposed against the angular layout of flowers in the center blocks.  There was no way around it; the border just wasn’t going to work.  Ugh, that is such a heart-sinking feeling after so much work!
The good news here is that I was able to re-design a new border pretty quickly and I love, love, love how it came out.  I based it on this water lily because I figured it had the same kinds of angular graphics as the center blocks and I used some of the same leaf shapes to create it:
water-lily-for-border
The border design was easy to do and here’s a shot of what it looked like once all 4 sides were added:
 
thistle-quilt-in-progress
I was so happy that this border came out so well that I threw myself whole-heartedly into working on designing the next border.  My plan was to use the darker maroon/brown fabric from the center as the background fabric and to come up with another design that used those same leaf shapes.  I began embroidering those borders (and these babies took days and days to embroider) but my heart sank again once I had embroidered enough to lay them out:
 
thistle-in-progress-3
I think if I’d kept on going it would have been “ok,” but that border just didn’t sing out to me like the earlier border design had.  I stopped and thought about it for a day and then came up with a new border design idea.  You can get a sense of it in this next shot:
thistle-in-progress-4
 
and this wider shot will give you a better sense of it:
 
thistle-in-progress-5
This worked out really well and once I’d embroidered that 4th side and went to attach it,  I found a short 2 inch run where one of the leaf edges hadn’t been embroidered.  Drat!  Since it was off the hoop, I didn’t think I could line things up right to finish that 2 inch stretch.  I tried to re-align it and failed.  Double drat!  There was no way around it, I had to start over and embroider a whole new 4th side.  I started out but then the tension on my machine broke.  This has never, ever happened to me but I took it as an omen.  That machine is now at the repair shop and I am temporarily “not speaking” to this quilt top!  I think a little time apart is just what we need.  I have loads of other quilts to work on, so no need for tears.