Why We Do What We Do

I stayed late at the store a couple of weeks ago to finish a project that I was anxious to photograph and send to my daughter. I had a great idea and I badly wanted her to agree it was great and that I was brilliant. Those sort of moments can’t want until tomorrow! Brilliance demands immediate corroboration. She’s a night owl (at least compared to me), so even with the 3 hour time difference, she’d still be awake. The little bit I had left to finish shouldn’t take more than about 15 minutes. I was already blushing a little imagining the praise she would undoubtedly heap on me!

Customer Showcase!

We love to see what all of you fabulous quilters are making, so we are especially grateful to our customers who send us pictures of their SassyPacks projects.  Here are two of our recent favorites:

Paige send us a photo of the Boutique Shoulder bag she made...read her review of the project here.

For those of you (me) who are always misplacing your notions and supplies, this sewing mat is a life-saver. Cate sent us this picture of her mat, which she made using Art Gallery Fabrics.  With just a little bit of batting, the mat also reduces noise!

Keep sending us your pictures, and we will feature them here and on Facebook!

New Fabrics -- Jungle Jungle

The Jungle Jungle line just arrived at SassyPacks, from Studio E Fabrics. So adorable!

We are busy kitting this fabric into new SassyPacks ~ including a new line of quilt kits for kids.  Creating and encouraging the next generation of quilters is our mission, so we are very excited about these new SassyPacks for kids. Share your love of quilting this year with someone who you know wants to learn.  Our SassyPacks for Beginners, and the upcoming SassyKids line, are great Christmas gifts!

Holiday Inspiration!

Thinking about gifts for the holiday season? So are we!

With the economy still pretty shaky, the idea of making our own unique gifts for family and friends is extra appealing this year.  But of course ~ they must be gorgeous to get the SassyPacks stamp of approval! So, we are busy brainstorming a whole host of holiday quilt projects.  Here are a couple of our early favorites:


Wine Totes

Ah ... vino! The perfect solution to office holiday parties, Secret Santas, and every "I'm not sure we are exchanging gifts yet" situation. We're making up lots and lots of these beautiful wine totes, featured in the popular "Let's Do Lunch" pattern book.  So simple ~ just a couple of half-yard cuts makes up 3 totes. The picture here uses the stunning Wintergraphix fabrics for a holiday theme. We are embellishing ours with a simple ornament and a little ribbon to cinch it up.


Super Simple Quilts

It is natural to want to give quilts as a gift, especially when you are new to quilting and eager to share your talents with those you love the most. But, with the holiday season rapidly approaching, time is short.  A simple trick? Whip up easy quilts using bold, contemporary fabrics ~ the kind you see at SassyPacks.com all the time!  Let the quilt feature the bold patterns, rather than detailed piecework.  That allows you to give a beautiful gift from the heart, without spending a lot of time.

Check out this simple block quilt, using eight half-yard cuts of Splendor fabrics. You don't even need a pattern! Cut your half-yards into 8-1/2" squares, lay them out in a random fashion that you love, and piece them together. Add a piece of backing fabric, quilt together, and bind the edges.  So easy! A full-size quilt (56" x 64") with hardly any effort!  By using bold pattern fabrics, the quilt is eye-catching without a lot of intricate piecing.  With time in short supply this holiday season, you can give a one-of-a-kind gift, without all the hassle!  Looking for fabric inspiration? Check out our half-yard bundles for beautiful patterns sure to please.

These are just a few of the ideas we are dreaming up for this holiday season.  Share your creative inspirations in the comments, and check back for more gift ideas!