Summer Class at The Quilt Block in Exton

I spent yesterday morning at The Quilt Block in Exton, learning how to make a zippered purse with Jan, one of the owners, and a few other students.

The shop is at 95 East Welsch Pool Road in Exton tucked off of 113 kind of near Rt 100.  Located in a turn of the century home, the shop's vibe is classic, with a modern flair. They have an assortment of thoughtfully chosen designer fabrics, patterns, notions and quirky sewing gadgets that you never knew how much you needed until you get one, use it and it changes your sewing life forever. There are many spectacular finished quilts and other items throughout the store to drool over, and to be inspired by. 

I am not a quilter, because measuring and I don't fit into the same sentence. This shop IS for real quilters, beginners through advanced, but they also provide some great classes for good old fashioned sewing. The class I took was part of the summer Sew Days Series. 

Cynthia and Jan are the owners, and have taught me a thing or two about quilting, embroidery and more over the years. Such as how to make a patchwork cover for my ironing board, embroidery stitches and tips, and yesterday how to put a zipper into a pouch.

They also taught don't tear your fabric, although that still occurs on a daily basis over here to make apron straps.  You are supposed to cut with a clear ruler on a cutting grid with a rotary cutter. (they sell those too) I bought all three and do use them from time to time.

They introduced me to a super handy little pair of scissors that are extremely sharp and easy to use. I keep them right next to my sewing machine at all times for cutting threads right to the quick as I go along. Well not always, recently moved them to somewhere else and lost them. When I say they could be anywhere I mean it. 

An attempt was made on my own to put one of these zippers in, following some directions (apparently not) found online but the part where the zipper pull is wound up bulky and weird so threw it in the trash. Being shown something is the best way to learn, and I don't mean a YouTube video. Tried that too and "hated it". There is no substitute for a live human being who knows what she is doing.

Jan made everything so simple. We, there were a few of us in the class, were tucked into a cozy classroom upstairs. We had written and illustrated instructions but it was much easier to follow her fabulous instructions. Step by step we all came out with a done deal. I sew really fast,  was done first and left to go shop and hob knob with the other owner Cynthia. I should have stayed longer and gotten a group photo! 

I left The Quilt Block yesterday so happy with a new pouch, and knowing now how to put the zipper in perfectly. It was so easy, once you have a good teacher showing and telling. Also picked up a new pair of those little scissors, and some needles for my machine since they break on a regular basis riding over pins bent from shoving them into the card stock and paper bag patterns I make.

Which reminds me, say hello to these nifty pattern weights. Very easy to make! Pattern and instructions here. These are stuffed with lentils so if we have a famine they can be torn open. LOL