Thanks to everyone who entered to win the scrap pack during the Sew,Mama,Sew! Giveaway day promo. I’m excited to announce that the lucky winner of the sweet sixteenths is:
NIKITA
I loved reading everyone’s comments about what they were working on (string quilts, scrap vomit quilts and scrappy trip around the worlds seem to be on everyone’s list!). Nice to know I am in good company when it comes to scrappy love!
Posted in giveaway
You might think of Portland as the place where young people come to retire, but seriously, it is so much more than the Portlandia show makes it seem. Next week fabric retailers, designers and bloggers are descending on the city for Spring Quilt Market and I am stoked. What could be better, really? So many of my online and industry friends will be in my hometown. I wish I could show everybody everything, but since I can’t… well, this is the next best thing.
Quilt Market is being held at the Convention Center, which is fine, it’s a lovely venue and all, but it’s in one of the most boring areas of town (sorry, folks). It’s all chain stores and office buildings. The only thing over there that I’d suggest you hit if you aren’t from the Pacific Northwest is Burgerville. It’s actually pretty good fast food with lots of local ingredients, plus they have gluten-free buns, which gets me every time.
Besides getting a burger and asparagus spears there, I’m afraid to tell you, there isn’t much around. Better advice than wandering around there is to hop on the MAX and head downtown. It’s quick and easy, but don’t forget to pay the lousy $2.50 (or $5 all-day pass) before you get on board. Believe me, the fine for not paying is waaaaay more than that.
Powell’s Books (1005 SW Burnside) claims to be the largest independent used and new book retailer in the whole world and once you step inside, you’ll totally believe it. They stock more than a million books in this block-size, multi-story building, so chances are if you want it, they’ve got it. Sewing books are down on the first floor near the corner of 11th and Couch. It’s right off the streetcar line to make it simple and they’re open til 11pm for you late-nighters.
Ringler’s Annex (1223 SW Stark) is two blocks up on Burnside (at the weird intersection of 12th, Burnside and Stark), if you’re looking for a quick bite and a drink. It’s tiny, triangular, and part of the McMenamins empire in Portland. Nearby you’ll also find the Crystal Hotel, the Crystal Ballroom, Ringler’s Pub and Lola’s Room–all McMenamins properties.
While you’re at that intersection, make sure to look for the toddler bikes chained to a light pole. Yeah, it’s weird, but hey, it’s Portland.
The bikes belong to the Zoobombers, a loose pack of mostly-young adults who do crazy things on these baby bikes at night. Curious? This is what it looks like from the helmet of my BFF several years ago.
If you are are sucker for buttons, don’t miss out on Josephine’s Dry Goods (521 SW 11th). The only fabric/sewing store downtown, it’s well known for their Italian wool, Thai silks and lots of trims, including an entire wall of buttons.
You can’t go downtown without trying out at least one of the city’s famous food carts. Don’t worry, they’re hard to miss and everywhere. With more than 500 in the city, you seriously can’t get away from them. They can be a little hit or miss, but it’s a fun way to try out new food and so much better than fast food. An enormous pod of them is right down the block from Josephine’s between 9th and 10th, including Brazilian, Thai, Cajun, Mexican, Vietnamese, Cuban, Egyptian, German and Greek dishes. My favorites: DC Vegetarian, Big Ass Sandwiches, and The Whole Bowl (also a locale on Hawthorne and SE 45th).
If you’re down there, you might as well swing SW 4th and Main to see Portlandia, the statue not the TV show (though you may run into that, as well).
She’s the second largest copper statue in the U.S., only surpasses in size by the Statue of Liberty. I personally love this girl–I remember when they shut down the streets to bring her downtown and years later when, for April Fools, some guys hung an oversized yo-yo from her hand. Good times, good times.
I adore downtown Portland, big enough to find pretty much anything you might want, small enough to traipse around sans vehicle.
Other places to you might want to visit:
Twice each year, Sew,Mama,Sew! does this awesome thing called Giveaway Day. I haven’t been able to participate in a while with life being a bit crazy, then forgetting, and thinking I’ll do it the next time, then not.
But this year I am doing it! And what am I giving away you ask. How about a little four-pack of fat-sixteenths! 
I love these itty-bitty bits of fabric. They’re the perfect size for all sorts of crafts and scrappy quilting and little bits of fun on anything. These four packs include fabrics from Suzy Ultman, Carolyn Friedlander, Lizzy House and Laurie Wisbrun for a total of 16 fat sixteenths.
To win the fabric quartet, comment and tell me about your favorite scrappy project (finished or on your to-make list). Feel free to include a link–I’d love to see YOUR work, too.
Follow me at facebook.com/crinkledreams or Instagram and check out my shop on Etsy for more fabric scraps, kits and finished samples.
If you’re interested in participating in my Sew Em Be sewing drive, let me know in the comments as well.
Posted in blog hop, giveaway, new product
Tagged Etsy, fabric, fat sixteenths, Giveaway Day, Sew Mama Sew
Lyn shared this adorable picture from one of her last days at the Tam Ky orphanage. Can you pick out the boy hidden in a dress?
I only have my guess, but I know his name is Khang and no one batted an eye about putting him in one of the dresses we made. This delights me and is just one of the things I love about Vietnam. It’s definitely a patriarchy, don’t get me wrong, but some of the ideas that are so deeply entrenched in American culture (Boys don’t wear dresses, ever!) simply don’t exist there.
Before I get lost on a tangent, I wanted to publicly thank Lyn for her help in Tam Ky. Honestly, it couldn’t have happened this go-round without her. She was the one that let me know boxes had gone missing. She took photos for me and paid for the import tax on the last two boxes. While the tax was less than $30, it was more than Mrs. Hanh could have possibly paid (that’s about half of her monthly income!). Lyn re-connected me with kids we’d worked with in Tam Ky who are now at orphanages in Hoi An and Phu Ninh. She reignited my passion to do more there and get back to Vietnam as soon as I can.
A new volunteer is coming in June, staying and helping like the Quiltys did, without a volunteer organization to back her. Like many of us who have volunteered in Tam Ky, she is driven to do more. She’ll be my contact for at least one shipment there.
Up in Hanoi, I’ve made contact with Blue Dragon, an NGO that has been around for years helping street kids get an education and training. They’ll be getting more school bags and pencil pouches, along with some clothes. I am not quite sure how all of it will work, but I am sure we can figure it out. Together.
Posted in Sewing for the Orphans
Tagged baby orphanage, Lyn Quilty, sew em be, sewing for orphans, Tam Ky, volunteer in Vietnam
Have I told you how much I enjoy teaching people how to sew? It’s a surprise even to me! I mean, I knew I liked teaching after leading the EFL classes in Vietnam and it’s blatantly obvious that I love sewing, but putting the two together has been a slow merger. Silly, I know.
This was most of my class from last Sunday when we made the Wiksten tank. It’s an easy top with some interesting construction. I added a few things to make the finished product a bit better, in my opinion, including stay-stitching, basting the hemline and doing the bias neckline totally different. And I must say, it all worked pretty well. We ran short of time and with another class behind us, we had to clean up before anyone had gotten to the point of top-stitching. A bit of a disappointment, for sure.
But Modern Domestic has added the class back to the schedule, tacking on another half-hour so we can make sure it gets done this time. Join me June 8th, will you?
P.S. Less than three weeks until Quilt Market!!!!!!!
