Season 3 of the What’s in Your Sewing Bag series is kicking off with a visit to my quilty friend’s fabric store Sew Curated!
If you’re a Canadian sewer or quilter then today’s guest is sure to bring you all the yummy fiber inspiration! Lisa has an eye for pulling together the most glorious fabric combinations. I’ve been honoured to have Lisa stitch up several of my patterns and every time she blows me away with the fabrics she selects. Clearly, she’s found her creative home!
Not only is she a sweetheart, but she’s on a mission to help other creatives attain their crafty goals. If you need help pulling together a colourway for your next project, Lisa is your person! I’ve seen her curate some amazing kits making it easy for you to dive right into cutting and stitching!
Which is why I’m excited for you to get to know her a little better and sneak a peek at her most used notions!
INTRODUCTION
Introduction – tell us a little about yourself! How did you get started on your quilting journey?
Hi! I’m Lisa, quilter and small shop owner! I’ve been quilting for about 11 years. I started shortly after my youngest was born. After years in the field of Early Childhood Education, and then having children of my own, I’d given so much of me and learned burnout is real. I NEEDED A HOBBY!!! I fell in love with fabrics and design in the Pinterest world, learned to quilt (a little from my mom, a little self-taught, and a little from my hubby who taught me how to use the machine), found my Instagram community, “met” Shannon, dabbled in business making baby quilts and fast forward to now… opened a little online shop filled with curated fabrics & notions.
I didn’t realize you were in early education before diving into the quilty world, Lisa! While I’m sad to hear that you too learned that burnout is real, I’m thrilled your quest to find a creative outlet led you to quilting and the discovery of our amazing community on Instagram (where we met)! I’ve loved watching your creative journey evolve from making baby quilts to curating amazing fabric collections and notions!
SEWING BAG
What kind of sewing bag do you have? (e.g. did you make it? Buy it?)
I have a simple, little boxy bag! I did not make it, the talented Sarah at Sew & Tell Handmade did! She has so many fun fabric combinations and colourful zippers and pulls! Up until I tested Shannon’s Etched Diamond pillow in the fall of 2021, I hadn’t sewn a zipper. Simple patchwork and straight-line quilting were my go-to. Zippers seemed daunting, kind of like sewing curves. Come to think of it, Shannon also got me into sewing curves when I tested the Lunar Eclipse quilt! She’s truly inspirational friends! Ok, back to my bag… I had been using a bin, but it was too big. It started taking in scraps and spools and bobbins and pins and became a threaded, knotted mess. My boxy bag though is just the right size for everything I need. It measures 8” long x 4” wide, x 3.5” tall.
I love your little boxy bag, Lisa! That flannel plaid makes me want to reach out and cuddle with it – ha! You know it warms my heart to hear that my quilt patterns have helped up your quilty game! You make finding gorgeous fabrics easy peasy and I try to help quilters dive into new techniques that might seem scary at first, but are really simple when you have clear steps to follow 😊 We make a good duo!
ALL-STAR ESSENTIALS
What are your all-star essentials? Your tried-and-true must-haves that you can never run out of?
My must-haves are pretty basic but completely essential!
- Seam Ripper- can’t sew without it!
- Pins- glass head straight pins to be exact! I work a lot with minky and do a lot of adjusting along the way, so straight pins work best for me.
- Rotary Cutter and Snips- super quick and precise cutting tools!
- Hera Marker- I finally put my butter knife away and got myself a proper marking tool. If I were to upgrade from a Hera, I’d go with a Point 2 Point Turner. It has the marking end like a Hera but then also has a point on the other end, necessary for when I need to push out corners!
- Flatter Spray- I’m using a 3 oz bottle that I just refill. I’m currently hooked on Yuzu, but open to welcoming Lacey into my life! It’s subtle and clean smelling, yum!
- Extra bobbins & rotary blades- you can never have too many!
The basics are key! And I love that you stock all these goodies in your shop. Having those always on hand gives me peace of mind that I can tackle any quilty project! You have me curious about Lacey as I don’t think I’ve tried that particular Flatter scent!
FAVOURITE ITEM
What is your favourite item in your kit? Why?
My favourite item would have to be my LDH Thread Snips. My automatic thread cutter stopped working on its first anniversary (phew for warranty) but I liked how quick and effortless the snips were to use in its place. I also liked that I could trim the tails nice and short, leaving less thread waste than if I had used the cutter on the machine. These guys are sharp, and they make trimming threads on quilts quick and precise! I highly recommend them!
Oooooh, I don’t have a pair of those, but they sound glorious!
SURPRISE ITEM
What’s one thing we’d be surprised to find in your bag?
This may be surprising to some, maybe not if you know my love for this fabric, but I have all 135 Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solid colour chips, at my fingertips, in my sewing bag! Since my shop is now in the basement, my bag travels around the house- it’s essential! In my shop, I have a wall of all 135 shades, and in my drawer, I have all my swatch books. So, when I want to dream up colour combos, but also want to be lazy on the couch or hang with my family, I can easily pull the chips from by bag! I made them using blank business cards, an old swatch card + scrap fabrics and a label maker! They tuck in nicely to the business card box I repurposed and covered with Northern Waters 😉
I LOVE this idea, Lisa! You know my love for colour cards and your idea of using your business cards + fabric scraps to DIY your own colour cards is such a great way to sustainably re-use that paper and your scraps – win/win! Also, you know my love for Pure Solids and love that you make it easy to source here in Canada.
QUILT KITS WILL TRAVEL
When do you find yourself using your kit the most? (Travelling, on the sofa, attending sew-ins?)
I definitely use my kit the most when I’m upstairs away from my shop! It’s either with me at the kitchen table where I do my sewing, or it’s with me on the couch when I’m planning my next colour scheme.
Ha – I love that your kit travels with you throughout your home, Lisa! Isn’t it fun to have a little kit of inspiration to tuck into whenever the mood strikes?!
TRAVEL MEMORY
What’s your favourite travel memory with your sewing bag?
My sewing bag has only left home once… I know, I can’t believe it either! It came with me to my parent’s house last winter. I helped my mom sew up some new face masks for her and my dad! I have to say it was fun showing off my upgraded tools, giving a few tutorials and giggling about my beginner days. We both agree, I’ve come along way!
Isn’t that the best – looking back over your quilty journey and realizing just how far you’ve come?! I love that your sewing bag travel memory includes your parents – happy memories to treasure 😊
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU?
Tell people where we can find you?
Come visit me over on Instagram & Facebook @sewcurated I like to share my favourite fabrics, notions, tips, tricks and quips! And if you’re on the hunt for fun fabrics, PURE SOLIDS 😉 notions, patterns or handmade goods, come visit my website! www.sewcurated.com
One of these days I hope to be able to stop by and visit you in person and shop all those glorious PURE Solids 😉Until then, I’ll enjoy perusing your online selection!
Anything else you’d like to share?
One of my goals for 2022 is to be more organized, in both work life and home life. Being organized allows for greater efficiency and productivity, two things that are high on my importance list! With so many clever sewing tools out there, I encourage you to take the time to discover your must-haves and organize them in a way that works for you! Meaningful and intentional items truly bring joy 😊 Now is a great time to sort through your tools and put together your own bag of contentment! Happy curating friends!
Well said, my friend! I find having a well-curated kit featuring my go-to notions means I’m always ready to dive into a quilty project knowing I have the right tools on hand to get the job done!
Thank you so much for sharing more about your sewing journey and how it’s evolved from making gorgeous baby quilts to helping fellow makers source the most glorious fabrics and essential tools to make our creative journeys possible! Congratulations on hitting your one-year Sew Curated milestone and I hope that’s the first of many happy years to come!
For more What’s in Your Sewing Bag fun, check out these guests:
- Amy from nanaCompany
- Ali from Arabesque Scissors
- Michelle from Michelle Bartholomew
- Krista from Poppyprint
- Cheri from Tinkerellen
Happy quilting!
xo
Shannon
PS don’t forget to sign up for the weekly newsletter so you don’t miss out on any future WIYSB guests!
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