Books for Quilters!
More than 200 Titles, Most at a Discount, in the Planet Patchwork Quilters' Bookstore!

Number Thirty-Four * August 15, 1999

Classifieds | Table of Contents

Please allow entire page to load before clicking links.

SOFTWARE REVIEW: Quilt Pro 3 for Windows 95/98/NT

By Christina Holland

Quilt design on a computer can be easy and fun. If you're not using the right program for your needs, however, it can become frustrating. Quilt Pro 3 is one of the new design programs among which you can choose, and on the whole it's a fairly decent package. It may or may not be right for you, though.

Quilt Pro 3 is reasonably easy to understand. You'll most likely be able to do all of the basic stuff after either thirty minutes of experimenting or about ten minutes of reading the manual. It's also a versatile program. It should serve you well whether you want to draw up a quilt that's already clearly laid out in your mind or to develop a new quilt within Quilt Pro as you go along.

I do have some reservations about this program, which I'll go ahead and get out of the way.

The feel of this program is different from others currently on the market. You need to have several windows open at once in order to work on a quilt: a quilt layout window, one or more blocks, a fabric palette and a toolbox. The fabric palette and the toolbox insist on being in front of all of your working windows, which can be annoying. You can banish them entirely (don't do it without being sure of how to get them back), but they cannot be sent to the back or minimized. This is a matter of preference; you may like having everything visible at once. Certainly if you have good eyesight or a large enough monitor, the necessity of having multiple windows open is not such a problem. Personally, though, I find it all a bit claustrophobic.

Also, Quilt Pro 3 crashed, twice in fact, while I was trying it for the first time. Perhaps the fault is with my computer, but it's a Pentium and only about 2 years old. I wasn't running anything else in the background except Windows 95. I'm not saying the same thing will necessarily happen to you, but I would advise you to save your work often.

This is still an awfully fun way to design quilts, though.

Quilt Pro 3 opens in block mode. You'll need to select "Layout" and then "quilt" to start a new quilt. The maximum number of blocks is twenty horizontal by twenty vertical. Each block can be between one and three hundred inches (twenty-five feet), which ought to be ample room in which to maneuver!

The collection of blocks is both sizable and varied in style. There's an especially nice selection of applique blocks. The paper pieced block folder has seventy-three items in it, although many of these are variations on fairly common blocks such as flying geese, log cabins and so on. The "basic" blocks are ideal either for use as is or for modifying to make your own variation. There are also forty-eight quilting stencils available. Of course, you can also modify the blocks or create your own from scratch.

One interesting point is that there are a variety of hexagonal blocks as well as square to choose among, but the quilt layouts are designed for rectangular grids - straight, diagonal or on point. Perhaps a later version of Quilt Pro could make it possible to design quilts on a hexagonal or a triangular grid. That would certainly open up new options.

There are over one thousand fabrics available. Of these, you can keep sixty-four open in the fabric palette window at any time. Most of them, honestly, are not all that attractive. This is partially to keep them simple (most are only two colors) and easy to modify. Some of the fabrics are more detailed than average and are quite nice. The types and colors of fabrics are quite varied. So if you're designing a quilt with specific fabrics in mind, you should be able to adequately approximate them.

Of course, if you do have specific fabrics chosen, and if you have both the technology and the motivation, you can just scan them in. I haven't tried this, but it seems straightforward. Simply scan in the fabric and save the image as a Windows bitmap (*.bmp) file.

This is a pretty easy program for even a computer and/or quilting novice to run. It does have its problems, but it will allow you plenty of freedom in designing exactly the quilt you want. Plus, it'll free you from countless pencil and paper design sketches. It'll even estimate the yardage for you, which avoids a lot of needless math. Quilt Pro 3 may just change the way you go about designing quilts.

Classifieds

MOTHER HEN'S QUILT EMBROIDERIES

Quick, easy, machine embroidered quilt blocks to embellish vests and jackets, towels, pillows, wallhangings or create a quilt. Come and visit Mother Hen's Quilt Embroideries and view the goodies! http://www.accn.org/~lildozer

Old-Fashioned Quilt Frames

Thomas and Annie Kaczmarek offer easy-to-assemble old-fashioned quilt frames with a variety of features. Style #1 has 3 tilt positions. They're 93 inches long and 24 inches wide. Only $135.00 INCLUDING shipping and handling. A smaller version, 58 inches long, is $100.00 including s&h.

New! Style #2 is 108" x 31.4" with a 104" x 24" work area, allowing six quilters around the frame. It will also break down to a small frame of 54" x 31/5". It has three tilt positions, muslin on the poles to baste the quilt on, and breaks down for storage. Made of high quality wood, only $160, including shipping! E-mail us at
tmankacz@wilmington.net for more information and ask about our baby play quilt, our 57" X 48" Nap scrap quilt and other items.

Send check or money order along with your order (USA only) to:

Annie Kaczmarek
609 Hunting Ridge Rd.
Wilmington, N.C. 28412

For more information you can call Annie at (910) 791-5904 or e-mail her at tmankacz@wilmington.net

BREAKING TRADITIONS

Cathedral Windows Quick Method Quilt

This book will instruct even the novice sewer how to create an heirloom quality quilt, entirely by sewing machine, in a fraction of the time it would take to sew by hand. Full color cover, clear concise illustrations, yardage charts and many tips.

The possibilities are endless!

$8.95 per book plus $1.95 s&h
Please make check payable to 'Kimberly Nappier' and mail to: Kimberly Nappier
6827 Sparkman St. Dept. tvq
Tampa, FL 33616
E-mail inquiries to: Bountipres@aol.com

Greenhaven Enterprises

Greenhaven, a bed and breakfast retreat especially for Quilters, on the Olympic Peninsula.

Visit Washington State and stay with a quilter, and her cat Oliver.

The Herbolds live just outside of Sunny Sequim. Their home, set in the tall trees, is warm, pleasant, and affordable.

Norma can direct you to quilt shops in the area, plus the natural wonders located on the Olympic Peninsula. For those in the Northwest, Norma can also plan a personal retreat for you and your quilting friends.

You are invited to visit the website for Greenhaven, where you can check out Norma's quilts, learn more about Sequim, and of course, see Oliver. The address is: http://www.olypen.com/normah

You may email Norma at normah@olypen.com or call 360-681-0364 for more information.

MY FAVORITE THIMBLE

My Favorite Thimble is here with a Dog Days (don't tell my cats) offer along with our unique thimbles, patterns, etc.

Visit our web site at www.myfavoritethimble.com and receive a FREE FABRIC gift with your $10.00 minimum order. The fabric is 4" square swatches of hand-dyed 100% cotton in five beautiful summer colors. We don't sell fabric, we only give it away! This offer is being made only to TVQ subscribers, so be sure to mention TVQ in the Special Instructions box on our Order Form.

Attention Canadian quilters! We now ship free to Canada as well as the USA. Canadian and other foreign quilters can now also get Currency Exchange information from our site. The Order Form has a handy link that you will want to bookmark.

Chris Hanner & Company
3687 Coldwater Lane
Snellville, GA 30039

Email: mailto:hanner@mindspring.com

THE CRAFT CONNECTION

The Craft Connection ( http://www.craftconn.com/ ) is the most exciting place on the Internet if you want to make or sell handcrafts. We sell quality cotton fabric, Mettler and Sulky thread, and quilting notions, all at a discount. Fabrics are linked to coordinating fabrics, so you know your choices will look great together. We try to find fabrics you won't see anywhere else. And we'll package them into packets of fat eighths, fat quarters, or 5" squares, so you can get a good variety without a big cash outlay. Among our fabric categories are florals, pictorials, and guy stuff, and you should see the new Lost Fabrics of Atlantis collection.

Every month some items are for sale at 20 percent off our already discounted prices. You can use your credit card online on our secure server to safely purchase our fabrics and also our crafters' products. If you're a crafter, you can sell here and take credit cards without having your own credit card vendor account.

Check out our Free Stuff. Each month we offer a new pattern and a new lesson. We also have a Calendar of upcoming Quilt Shows. Come by our website at http://www.craftconn.com.

THE QUILT BLOCK

We are a cottage industry located just outside of Yosemite National Park. We specialize in clothing and patterns for quilters and for people who love quilts.

We offer t-shirts and sweatshirts in sizes from medium to xxx-large. All of our quilts are machine pieced. Most of our patterns are easy enough for beginning quilters. Come see what we have to offer at our website. We have a great sale page, and we now offer secure online shopping!

http://www.sierratel.com/thequiltblock/salepage1.htm

Or e-mail for more information to
mailto:gastinc@sierratel.com

The Quilt Block
P.O. Box 127
Midpines, CA 95345

(209) 742-5418
Fax: (209) 742-7662

SILVER DOLLAR SHEEP STATION

The MINI DUST-IT. Genuine sheepskin duster on a 6" stick that is perfect for picking up dust and lint from your sewing machine and serger. Soft, beautiful sheepskin won't scratch polished surfaces. Picks up the lint and tiny threads; doesn't spread them around. Prevents lint build-up. Inexpensive way to protect expensive sewing machines and sergers. Fun and handy to use. Also works great on the computer.

ANNOUNCING: New colors -- white, black, navy, gold, cocoa, taupe,teal blue, gray, charcoal!

Price: $3.50 each including mailing.

To order send check to

Silver Dollar Sheep Station
5020 Winding Way
Sacramento, CA 95841.
800-887-8742.
E-mail: :Sheep50@aol.com.

SPECIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER: Because we manufacture the Mini Dust-it to a very high standard, we currently have a small supply of imperfects. They may be a little thinner and not as pretty or have some other defect, but they still work great!

And best of all we offer these to you for just $1, INCLUDING postage. You can order them at the address above and enjoy this wonderful product at a bargain price!

PINETREE QUILTWORKS, Ltd.

http://www.quiltworks.com


Announcing an all-new site ... PineTree Quiltworks, the online discount quilting store, has a brand new look! PineTree's online store has been completely renovated to make it easier, more convenient, and more fun to shop for notions and fabric! You can now "shop as you go" using the powerful and convenient Shopping Cart feature. When you find a product or fabric you like, a click of the mouse lets you add it to your shopping basket. And if you change your mind, another click lets you remove it or change quantity!


PineTree will be adding new fabrics by the day, not to mention books, notions, and more. Addy, Shirley, and the gang at PineTree extend special thanks to Mike Ober of Quiltropolis for all his efforts in the design and set-up of the new store! Please stop by PineTree's new store at www.quiltworks.com , and don't forget to make a bookmark!

SCHOOLHOUSE ENTERPRISES

Amazing but true!

Gridded Geese(c) is a unique paper foundation method for mass-producing Flying Geese units up to 24 at once (no kidding!). Schoolhouse Enterprises, inventors and manufacturers of this revolutionary product, offers both a printed version of their catalog, and an on-line ( http://www.planetpatchwork.com/store/index.cfm?DID=21 ) shopping cart service in conjunction with Planet Patchwork. You can safely order online through Planet Patchwork's secure server with your credit card!

The folks at Schoolhouse Enterprises and Planet Patchwork search for items for quilters (and friends of quilters) which are unique and often overlooked by other catalogs you might connect with. Check out their on-line catalog, which offers such interesting items as Photos-to-Fabric(tm) photo transfer paper, Ott Lights, beautiful embossed note cards, kaleidoscope pendants, and much more! And while you're visiting, be sure to check out the current Monthly $pecial!!

Schoolhouse has recently begun carrying the complete line of Electric Quilt products, including EQ4 design software, and Sew Precise! and Sew Precise with Shirley Liby. We also carry the popular Quilt-Pro program. We offer some of the best prices on quilt design software you'll find anywhere. EQ4 is only $89.99 and Quilt-Pro is an unbelievable $79.99..

They also offer a large selection of Merry Mayhem's Mystery Quilts. If you missed any of the Cases which were previously online, you'll find them here!

If you're not able to access the web page, just e-mail Schoolhouse Enterprises (mailto:cluesew@jerseycape.com) with your "snail mail" (post office) address for your FREE CATALOG and Sample of Gridded Geese(c)! (Sorry, but Samples are only available in the printed catalogs.)

PERFECT SQUARE

PERFECT SQUARE and PERFECT TRIANGLE are tools that help quilters make quiltpieces more easily and accurately. Patterns have been written especially for PERFECT SQUARE and the necessary sheets to make the quilt are included in the pattern.

The PERFECT SQUARE website has been updated to include information on all products and patterns complete with pictures. Credit cards are accepted.

Also included are pictures of Monica's art quilts and links to really cool quilt sites.

http://www.webworldinc.com/perfectsquare for details.

PCQuilt for Windows

PCQuilt for Windows is easy to learn and easy to use quilting software. The block and the quilt are on the same screen so you can see your quilt emerge as you design and color your blocks. Combine blocks in a variety of ways to see endless new designs. The program includes all the features that have always made PCQuilt easy and fun to use. Now with the new Windows version, PCQuilt will help you estimate your yardage, print templates, quilts and blocks, and has a friendly Windows interface with easy to use toolbars. PCQuilt comes with a extensive library of blocks, border, quilts, palettes and fabric patterns. PCQuilt is also available for the Macintosh. Look for PCQuilt at your local Husqvarna VIKING Dealer or visit our website at http://www.pcquilt.com .

Nina Antze
7061 Lynch Road
Sebastopol, CA 95472
707- 823-8494
1-800-731-8886

ADVERTISING WITH TVQ.

Our advertisers, both here in the newsletter and at the Planet Patchwork website, have found TVQ to be an effective and economical way to reach thousands of online quilters. Ads in the newsletter are only $5 each (up to 100 words, inquire about longer ads) or 3 for $10, and there are also attractive packages available which combine newsletter and website ads. For more information e-mail rholland@planetpatchwork.com or visit http://www.planetpatchwork.com/adcard.htm. We specialize in helping small quilting-related businesses gain exposure on the internet.

In This Issue:

Following is a list of the rest of the stories in this issue of TVQ. In order to read them, you must be a subscriber. Subscribing online here and following up with the small subscription fee will entitle you to eight issues of TVQ, including this one. You will receive TVQ every six weeks by e-mail, and will be issued a password to access it here at Planet Patchwork.

Subscribers: Please report any password problems to Rob Holland. Be sure to include your name & e-mail address. We will try to resolve all password problems within 24 hours. Thank you!

And here's what's inside!

• The Traveling Quilter: New Orleans

Lynn Holland travels to "The Big Easy" and finds quilting alive and well there, as represented by a wide array of great shops!

• Book Review: Curved Piecing for Beginners

Christina Holland uses a new That Patchwork Place beginner's book to help her make her first double wedding-ring. See how it turns out.

• Book Review: Manhole Quilts

What kind of quilts? You heard correctly. Quilts from manhole covers.

• Quilter Profile: Shirley MacGregor

Oregonian Shirley MacGregor has been quilting and teaching quilting for most of the last 15 years in Asian cultures. And she's made some gorgeous prize-winning quilts of her own!

COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, NEWS, IDEAS, BRICKBATS?

Like any news publication, TVQ is always hungry for information about new developments in the area we are trying to cover. If you have an idea for a story, or want to tell the world about something you are doing which relates to computers and quilting, we'd like to hear about it.

We'd like news of new classes starting up to teach quilt design on computers, or new approaches to that teaching. New products, maillists, World Wide Web pages, etc., are all fair game, and we'd appreciate any tips you can provide. Send your tips by e-mail to rholland@planetpatchwork.com.

If you have a comment about an article, a complaint or a correction, we're glad to hear that, too, and may publish some comments as letters to the editor. Again, these may be sent to rholland@planetpatchwork.com.

SUBSCRIBE TO TVQ!

If you would like to see the rest of this newsletter here, and have it appear in your e-mail about every 6 weeks for the next year, all it requires is a small contribution of $5.00!

That buys you 8 issues (including this one) of news and in-depth features. We are now also offering a two-year subscription option, 16 issues for $9.00.

In upcoming issues you will find more in-depth reviews of quilt design software, more profiles of quilters, as well as profiles of online quilting communities. These features will be interspersed with news of developments in the quickly changing and expanding world of online quilting.

To receive a free sample of a recent issue, e-mail tvq@planetpatchwork.com and one will be sent to you.

To subscribe, fill out this form and send a check or money order for $5.00 made out to Robert Holland, to 140 Ridley Circle, Decatur, GA 30030-1117