Christmas Oranges (and an iron review)

Happy New Year! 

Have you compiled your list of 2013 accomplishments and resolutions for 2014?  I haven't because I've still got Christmas on the brain.

It was a very merry and orange Christmas.

From my hubby, new flannel sheets just in time for a wicked cold snap. Tonight's low is -12 (-24 Celsius). Brr.

For my oldest son, an orange reading light.

For my fabric shop, a fresh bolt of the world's best orange fabric, Clementine Moda Bella Solid.

And to me from me, a new iron!

This is the Velocity V50 iron from Reliable. Don't be fooled by the cute orange exterior, this baby is a powerhouse!

What's so great about this iron? Simple. It presses a mean seam.

Why?

• It's heavy
• It's hot
• It's got wicked steam
• The edges of the sole plate fold those quilt seams over so nicely

I've made the same quilt three times now in the last three months (crazy, I know). The pattern requires lots of accurate pressing. I didn't realize how much I was struggling with getting flat seams until I suddenly wasn't. Honestly, this iron cut my pressing time nearly in half.

The Velocity takes a little getting used to. It's kind of like driving a manual transmission car. This is because you control the steam. See the white button on the side of the iron near the handle? There's one on each side. Press this button to get steam. Press it again to turn it off. Don't want steam? Don't press the button.

The Velocity has a separate heating element within the iron for generating steam. This means you can use the iron at cooler temperatures and still get good steam. It theoretically means no spitting, either. So far, so good. Here's a promo video from Reliable with everything you need to know and probably more.

There are a couple of things about this iron that will take some getting used to:

1. The manufacturer highly recommends using distilled water. Tap water, especially the type with a high mineral content, is to be used as a last resort. If this is the price to pay for no orange mineral messes on my fabric, then so be it. I also want this iron to last since it was not cheap, so distilled water it is.

2. I discovered that if I don't turn off the steam  when the iron is in the resting position, the next time I lift the iron to press a seam an enormous cloud of steam comes rushing out. Scary! Now I'm very careful to turn the steam off the moment I tip the iron back up again. Again, it's like driving a stick shift.

In general, I'm very impressed with the Velocity iron, and completely beguiled by the orange color. Never underestimate the importance of good sewing machine and a good iron!

One last thing before I go. Remember that reading light for my son? I have one, too, and it's the bomb for sewing.

This little LED light is super adjustable so you can get light exactly where you need it when you're machine or hand sewing. The JANSJÖ is $10 for the stand version and $15 for the clip variety. It's great for retreats, too.

Okay, that's enough product endorsing for 2014. Do let me know if you have any questions about the Velocity iron, though. Do you have an iron you love? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Happy sewing,
Annik

Introducing the Bella Roma Quilt Pattern

I'm excited to introduce my new quilt pattern, Bella Roma!

Here's a bit of info about the pattern...

• The design was inspired by Italian tile work.
• It's the perfect pattern for that single charm pack or layer cake hanging around in your fabric stash.
• Most of the yardage required is solid quilting cotton. Since solids tend to be less expensive than prints it's economical. Hooray!
• The pattern includes two versions: 

• a throw quilt made from one charm pack, a coordinating print for the floating squares and narrow border, and a solid background fabric. The finished size is 46" by 55 1/2". 







• a queen size quilt made from one layer cake, a coordinating fabric for the floating squares, and a solid background fabric. The finished size is 81" by 102".









• The layer cake queen is great for medium and large-scale prints.

Big blocks!

•  If you can sew half square triangle blocks and strip piece sets, you can make this quilt.
• The negative space in both versions create a perfect canvas for interesting free-motion quilting. 

• Use bold colors or muted tones. It's all good.
• Does your scrap bin runneth over? Skip the pre-cuts and cut your own forty 5" squares or forty 10" squares.

Bella Roma comes in both a PDF instant download file, available on Craftsy and Etsy, and a paper version (Etsy shop only).

Source: Bella Roma via MiniMushrooms on Craftsy

The pattern is $9. It includes 7 pages of detailed cutting and sewing instructions, loads of diagrams, and helpful tips.

And I have one more exciting bit of news.

Bella Roma is being offered as a class at Treadle Yard Goods in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The class starts this Saturday, July 20th at 2 p.m. LaVaughn Bye, seamstress and quilter extraordinaire, is teaching the course. Give Treadle a call at 651.698.9690 to sign up. The pattern is available for purchase there, too.

Here's a photo of LaVaughn's Bella Roma. Isn't it lovely?

Happy sewing!
Annik