Black and White and Read All Over

In the past few years, nearly every fabric designer — including us — has come out with a black and white fabric line. Now the Smithsonian has published a fascinating article on the history of black and white fabric in the US. Who knew that black and white fabrics came into vogue as a result of President Woodrow Wilson’s marriage coinciding with the start of World War I, which created a dye shortage in the US? It’s a fascinating read and shows us once again that the cultural and geo-political history of fabric is full of surprises.

Hari Kuyo

design, just a thought, needlework, quilting, sewing, tools

February 8 marks the Hari Kuyo Buddhist and Shinto Festival in Japan that began 400 years ago. Hari Kuyo refers to the festival that celebrates broken needles and sewing. Typically women dress in kimono and take their broken pins and needles to their local temple where they place them in a block of tofu. Many believe that while sewing life’s sorrows can creep into the needles. Burying the old needles in tofu softens them and allows the sorrows to be transported to the gods and away from the sewist. Hari Kuyo is also an opportunity to pray for better sewing skills.

I love the idea of showing gratitude for our tools and for acknowledging that our tools develop an emotional patina through extended use. For those of us who aren’t able to attend the Hari Kuyo Festival, how about taking a moment to give thanks for the tools that help us create and make beautiful things? And while you’re at it, this is probably a good time to change your rotary cutter blade and get rid of those bent pins and broken needles that have served you well.

Sewing with Nancy DVD Giveaway!

by Weeks, design, experiences, needlework, sewing

Like you, I have watched Sewing with Nancy over the years and admired Nancy Zieman’s skills and down-to-earth personality. We met Nancy several years ago and have found her to be a warm and generous person as well. I drove Bill crazy while reading Seams Unlikely, Nancy’s autobiography. I kept saying, “You’re never going to believe this!” followed by reading aloud the part of the book that surprised me. It is an extraordinarily inspiring read. Your heart will break for her at times and you’ll find yourself gasping, “Oh my goodness…” a lot. Mostly you will get a glimpse of how a woman in small-town Wisconsin started an iconic TV show and overcame hurdle after hurdle after hurdle all while giving birth, adopting a child and managing a growing business.

So when Nancy emailed last spring asking if we would be guests on Sewing with Nancy, we were thrilled and decided to publish Magic Inch Quilts in conjunction with our appearance on the show. Sewing with Nancy is a well-oiled machine staffed with highly competent people who have worked with Nancy for decades. We talked through the content of the episodes and planned out with Nancy the step-outs and sequence of the projects. She’s quick, decisive and very thorough because she knows exactly what the viewer needs to see to understand the concept without wasting a minute.

Sewing with Nancy airs at different times across North America. While some watched our episodes in December, others told me they just saw one just last weekend. If you missed them, head over to NancyZieman.com where you’ll be able to see both episodes and find a treasure trove of All Things Nancy. If you’d like to win a copy of the DVD of both episodes, leave a comment below telling us what you’ve learned from Nancy over the years. We’ll randomly draw a winner on Tuesday, February 7. [Note: given that the DVD is formatted for US DVD players, we will only ship the DVD to a US address. Thanks for your understanding.]