The quilts below are great examples of employing negative space in an unusual or especially attractive way. Negative space can be used to focus attention on the main object on a quilt, create a feeling of restfulness, or provide balance in a design. Sometimes negative space is used to create an actual pattern.

Flag Quilt

Use the Accuquilt Go cutter to make this flag quilt from A Few Scraps blog. The negative space here enhances the sense of flags flying in the breeze.

Circles Quilt

The “Circles” quilt from the Contented blog adds interest to the negative space by echoing the circles of the main design.

Dogwood Quilt

This lovely limited palette quilt is featured on the Oh, Fransson blog. The negative space in what would otherwise be a visually busy design, allows the eye to rest.

White Wedding

The “White Wedding” quilt from the I Plead Quilty blog uses two simple curves and loads of bridal white negative space to give the impression of two interlocking wedding bands. It’s a modern riff on the double wedding ring design.

Patchwork Chevron

This Patchwork Chevron quilt from Moda Bake Shop is a perfect example of negative space being employed as a design element. The white fabric continues the chevron design of the patchwork.

More Negative Space

See the hourglass created by the negative space? Go to Julie Herman’s blog post at Lazy Girl Designs for more examples of quilts using negative space as part of the design.

Read the Wikipedia article on negative space.

Janet knows just what to do when the weather is cold and gloomy. She made this colorful little table topper/wall hanging! It certainly will brighten up a grey Syracuse day. The embroidery was done on a machine, but you can also do it by hand. The Gals have the pattern, named “Loverly,” and it’s right in time for Valentine’s day. Call the Syracuse store if you are interested in either version.

Wear Red, Sew Red, February 3 – 5

Join Calico Gals on National Wear Red Day to support efforts to educate women and to fund breakthrough research by the American Heart Association. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women and we want to do our part to make a difference.

The National Wear Red Day is February 3, but we are celebrating Sew Red Weekend February 3-5. Stop in to the Syacuse or Oswego store for fun demos, this free quilt pattern and more. Make a donation to the American Heart Association and receive a red dress pin. Wear red just for the fun of it – you know we will!

A Night at the Theater

The Gals are going to see the musical, “Quilters” presented by the Syracuse University Drama Department. You are invited to join us at the Syracuse Drama Theater on Wednesday, April 4th, at 8 pm. We have reserved a block of 40 seats at the special price of $14 each.

Read more about SU’s production or watch a video segment from a former production. You will love it!

To reserve tickets for the April 4th performance, stop by Calico Gals in Syracuse with cash or a check for $14. It will be a fun night for all! Call for more info: 315-445-0617.

Starting this week in Syracuse

Blessings, Too, with Gay Silkey

Syracuse, first Thursday of every month beginning February 2nd, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

One of Calico Gals longest running and most popular clubs is expanding! Gay has decided to add Blessings Too to her schedule because Blessings Club has been full for years! If you love hand embroidery – no matter what your skill level – come in, sit a bit, chat a bit and stitch a bit! Fee: $36 for a whole year of club meetings. Call 315-445-0617 to sign up.

Debra Gabel’s Butterflies Block of the Month

How about a few butterflies to shake us out of the winter doldrums? Begin with the Monarch block in February and collect a new butterfly block each month for a year to create a quilt or individual small hangings, pillows or little quilts.

Just $12 per month includes the fabric and pattern for a 14″ block. Registration fee of $24 includes first and last month’s blocks. Butterflies are available in Syracuse and Oswego or by mail order. Call the Syracuse store to register: 315-445-0617.

Here are five cute animal pin cushions that you can make. Each link will take you to instructions in written or video form.

1. Birdie pincushion from Sharon Holland Designs.

2. These owls are so adorable, you may feel hesitant to stick in pin in them. Owl pincushions from My Owl Barn.

3. I think this pincushion is an homage to the classic tomato and strawberry pincushion. Look carefully at the back end of the mice. Strawberry mice pincushion from Polka Dot Pineapple.

4. This pincushion would make a great gift for the young sewing enthusiast. Creepy spider cupcake pincushion from DMC Threads.

5. On the website, this pincushion is called simply “mouse pincushion,” but I think a better name is “sad mouse.” Sad mouse pincushion from The Long Thread.

Grease is the word for this year’s Quilt Camp, and it’s synonymous with fun! The gals are planning fun and fabulous activities and classes for this year’s retreat. Learn how to make the sweetly innocent Sandra Dee quilt or the darkly brooding Danny Zucko version. It’s the same quilt, but you can achieve totally different looks depending on your fabric choices. Beginning with strips means it’s a fast one. You could even make both!

You can take more classes during the weekend or just relax and work on your own project. Either way, fun is guaranteed!

Quilt Camp 2012, February 18 – 20, 2012, at Christ the King Retreat Center, Syracuse, NY

$359 per person includes all meals, private room, all classes, free sew, lots of stuff to make you laugh, and memories to last a lifetime! Call 315-445-0617. Hold your spot with a $100 deposit.

Download the Quilt Camp 2012 brochure.

Beginning Monday, December 12, and lasting through Friday, December 16, Calico Gals will have a new “Booty Deal” each day. You will get the details in a daily email or on the Gals’ Facebook page.

If you find it irresistable and just have to have it, call the gals (or send an email) and say, “Bag My Booty!” That’s right – the deal will go into a Booty Bag with your name on it. In addition, Calico Gals will add a little surprise “Booty Freebie” to your bag, just for the fun of it.

The first time you call, the gals will take your credit card number and keep it securely. They may not have to use it if Santa stops in on Saturday the 17th or Sunday the 18th to pay for your booty and pick it up. Oh my goodness! Santa’s shopping is done! You will receive a bag of booty that you like, with a few extra surprises thrown in!

If Santa (or an elf) can’t make it in over the weekend, the gals will charge your card on Monday, December 19, and hold your bag for you. You still get the booty and the surprises!

You can play in Oswego too. All Booty Bags are filled in Syracuse, but we will deliver them to the Oswego store.

The Booty Deals are limited to the stock on hand, so call or email early if you want to bag your booty!

Calico Gals Presents Quilt Camp 2012

February 18 – 20, 2012, at Christ the King Retreat Center, Syracuse

Join the gals at the 11th annual retreat. Only $359 per person includes all meals, private room, classes, free sew, lots of stuff to make you laugh, and memories to last a lifetime.

Call 315-445-0617 for more information. Hold your spot with a $100 deposit.

The picture at right is Janet’s clue to this year’s theme. What can it be? Sock hops? Australia? Scientology?!!!

The Perfect Gift for the Beginner

The Babylock BL9 makes the perfect gift for the beginner sewer. This machine is reliable and durable, with a variety of stitches and adjustable stitch lengths, plus a free arm to easily reach hard-to-sew-areas.

War of 1812 Quilt Challenge

Silk, Wool and Cotton Quilt from the Winterthur collections, Provenance, Pennsylvania, made between 1817 and 1830

The year 2012 marks the bicentennial of the War of 1812, much of which was fought just to the north of us. The Great Lakes Seaway Trail is sponsoring a quilt contest to commemorate the bicentennial. Make a quilt in the style of 1812 and see it displayed in the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Quilt Show in Sacketts Harbor, scheduled for March 17 and 18, 2012. Visit the Seaway Trails’ website and the War of 1812 Quilt Challenge blog for more information.

First the turkey, then the shopping! Come into Calico Gals for a break and a deal.

Take a break with the gals on Coffee Break Friday

Syracuse and Oswego, November 25th, aka Black Friday, aka The Day After Thanksgiving, 10 am – 5 pm

If the shopping gets crazy or you just want out of the house, stop by Calico Gals for a refreshing break. Enjoy a snack and a cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa. Relax a bit and make a free craft project. Go home with ideas for fun projects to create before or after the holidays.

Vote for your favorite handmade coffee cozy as created by Calico Gals staff members, and enter to win a $25 Calico Gals gift certificate.

Christmas & Holiday Fabric Sale

Starting Saturday, November 26

Janet has already ordered new fabric for next year and needs to move out the 2011 bolts. That means, savings for you! Beginning Saturday, November 26, take 25% off, and the price will go down every week.

There are still beautiful fabrics from which to choose, but they will go fast as the price drops each week. Do you need some quick holiday ideas? Ask to see the demo on the Ten Minute Tablerunner. It’s a free handout in both stores. Be sure to check out the Calico Gals Facebook Page for more free projects and videos. The hotpads project is especially good!

Are your wishes on the list?

Is there anything special you would like to find in your stocking this season? Make it easy on everyone (especially Santa) and fill out a card in Calico Gals’ Wish List box. The gals can help you choose your favorites, and when Santa’s elves come in, the gals can point them in the right direction.

A Chunky Beauty

It’s the perfect quilt for camps, that special guy in your life, and anyone who loves nature. “Chunky Majesty” is Joan Ford’s newest creation. When she brought it into the store, all the gals wanted to keep it! Fast and fun, this one is definitely “finish-able” in time for gift giving.

Calico Gals has packaged together Joan’s pattern and the Mountain Majesty fabric making it easy to grab, go and sew. Just $60 includes the chunky binding, too! Stop in either store for the Majesty kit or any of the other Chunky offerings.

Upcoming classes in Syracuse

Sew Fun for Kids: Fleece Hats with Nancy Graham and Nina Dukette

Syracuse, Sunday, November 20
12:30 – 3:30 pm

If you have a kid who loves to sew, bring them in for a class! Nancy and Nina share their love of sewing with children ages 10 and up who want to learn. This month, they will be making cozy fleece hats for themselves or for gifts. Call the Syracuse store to register 315-445-0617. Fee: $20

Quilter’s Project Notebook with Marilyn Urciuoli

Syracuse, 2 Wednesdays, November 30th and December 7th, 5:30 – 8:30 pm or December 7th and Dec. 14th, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Are you tired of carrying your appliqué projects
in a plastic bag? Make this beautiful notebook and keep everything organized! Learn Marilyn’s techniques for sewing in zippers, working with plastic, basic sewing construction and binding. The notebook is complete with a needle case, place for your scissors, optional bead blanket or tool pockets, small zippered pockets for threads and needle packages, a large pocket for appliqué pieces/fabrics and a large open pocket for the pattern.Travel in style, knowing
all your supplies and project pieces are at hand. Fee: $40

On Sunday, November 13th, the gals are celebrating the store’s 10th birthday. Join the festivities between noon and 4 pm. The fun is guaranteed and the prizes are fantastic. The gals are giving away 10 cool prizes in each store! (Photo by Will Clayton on Flickr.)

Quilting frame floor model available

Have you considered owning a quilting frame? Calico Gals recently purchased a new frame for the store and the current Majestic floor model is for sale at a great price! The frame is the ideal upgrade for those with a wood frame or perfect for the first-time long-armer.

This model has many great features and is adjustable in height. Stop by to check it out! There is only one at the special price.Read more about the Majestic frame (PDF download).

Upcoming classes in Syracuse

Back-Basting Hand Appliqué with Joan Ford

Syracuse, Wednesday, November 9th and 16th, 1:00 – 4:00 pm

Leave your fusibles and freezer paper at home, and learn the back-basting hand appliqué technique. Make a small wall-hanging sampler from Joan’s original pattern. Get amazingly accurate results and experience hand-appliqué from a different perspective. Gain the confidence to use the technique on all your appliqué projects! Kit purchase required for class includes: fabric, thread, and additional supplies you’ll need to get started. Fee: $30

Bib Buddies with Melonie Unger

Syracuse, Monday, November 14th, 10:00 am – Noon or 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Oh no! You need a last-minute baby gift? No worries – you can whip up a couple of these adorable bibs in no time. Learn to trace design on fusible and create a fabric
applique. Add your applique to a bib you make or buy. Choose from a dozen cute designs in the pattern. Practical and adorable – you can’t beat it! Fee: $20

Syracuse and Oswego

Primitive American Flag with Melonie Unger

Syracuse, Wednesday, November 9th, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm or 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Oswego, Wednesday, November 16, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

If you love handwork, you should try stitching on silk matka. It adds a wonderful
texture to your project when used for the background. Learn to distress silk matka, transfer designs to the silk and wool, applique the wool and embroider the words onto the silk.

Get a good start on all of it in class. This is a beautiful project for framing as Melonie did with hers. Fee: $20

Classes in Oswego

Zippy Strippy with Pat Osetek

Oswego, Tuesday, November 8, 5:30 — 8:30 pm

From the very popular Atkinson Designs comes Zippy Strippy, the best cosmetic bag ever! Roomy and practical, they make great gifts and go together in no time at all! Choose any or all of three sizes and embellish any way you like. Start with fat quarters, strips or even your own scraps. Finish at least one Zippy Strippy bag during class and go on to make dozens more. Class includes a simple, great looking technique for installing a zipper. Fee $20.

Mini Nine Madness with Laura Abbott

Oswego, Saturday, November 12, 10 am — 1 pm

Learn a quick and easy way to make those sweet little 9 patches. Choose from two different sizes and a huge variety of setting options for the perfect little quilt for yourself or that special loved one. Learn Laura’s techniques for making those “smaller” size blocks. You will work on both size blocks in class and discuss the wonderful options you have for setting your blocks! Fee: $30

Too many Barbras!

Did anyone notice the mistake in my last post? I was writing about the wonderful heroines of movies set in the 19th and early 20th centuries and how I imagine their lives continuing after the movie ends. Well, I wrote that Fanny Brice (from “Funny Girl”) would make quilts for all the happy couples she joined together as a matchmaker, but it was Dolly Levi (from “Hello Dolly”) who was the matchmaker! I’ve since gone back and corrected it, but I thought it was a funny mistake since Barbra Streisand played both of them in the movie versions.

Here’s another look at the fabric, Moda Etchings by 3 Sisters, that had me waxing semi-poetical.

I know I just wrote about this new fabric line, Etchings by 3 Sisters, in last week’s post, but I took a closer look, and, wow, it is just gorgeous. Not only are the prints exquisite, but they also powerfully evoke another era. Remember the classic movies and musicals set in Europe and the U.S. in the 19th and early 20th centuries, like “Gigi,” “My Fair Lady,” “Hello Dolly,” and “Funny Girl”? Remember the beautiful dresses that the heroines of those movies wore, and the wonderful prints used for upholstery, pillows, bedding, and curtains?

Well, looking at this fabric transports me to another era. The typography print could be a letter from Fanny Brice to Nicky Arnstein; the architectural print could be the streets of Paris where Gigi walked with Gaston. I even imagine the characters of those movies continuing their lives after the final credits roll: Dolly Vandergelder, née Levi, happily sewing quilts for all the couples she joined together as a matchmaker, Gigi’s grandmother making a blanket for her great-grandchild, and Eliza Doolittle piecing together a little lap quilt for Henry Higgins.

Stop in at the store and step back in time.

About 3 Sisters

From the Moda website:

3 Sisters is a collaboration born of mutual love and respect. This family of designers each dedicate their own voice to every collection. Vintage chic, country sophistication and an appreciation for the simple elegance of life are just a few of the stylistic threads that are woven into their designs. The widespread popularity of this dy­namic trio can be attributed to their keen eye for rich yet subtle color choices and a gentle finesse of both scale and pattern.

If you’re at the Candlelight Quilt Guild’s “Northern Lights” show this weekend, you have a great opportunity to stop by and say hi to Janet. She will be at the show both days. Janet’s going to have the Babylock Ellisimo Gold with her, so you might even catch her sewing!

• Northern Lights Quilt Show
• Van Buren Elementary School, Baldwinsville, NY
• Saturday, October 22, 10 am – 4 pm
• Sunday, October 23, 11 am – 4 pm

If you bring a canned good for the Baldwinsville Food Pantry, you will get 50 cents off your admission.

Classic French

Calico Gals has the new line of classic French fabrics by 3 Sisters. It’s a gorgeous collection of engraved architectural prints, damasks, tapestry prints, and typography in warm shades of grey stone, aqua, rich red, and ivory parchment paper. There’s even an antique map of Paris! Jelly rolls and layer cakes jumpstart your project. Need it in Oswego? Just ask the gals to send it up!

The much-anticipated Generals’ Wives block of the month begins in November. For $25 per month for 12 months, participants will receive all patterns and civil war reproduction fabrics to make this gorgeous 100 x 100 inch quilt top.

About Generals’ Wives from Windham Fabrics:

April 12, 2011, marked the 150 anniversary of the firing of cannons on Fort Sumter, South Carolina, marking the opening day of the Civil War; a war that would divide families, friends, and a country and ultimately take the lives of over 618, 000 soldiers, about 2% of the population of our country at that time.

The generals who served during this time had been friends, classmates and sometimes, even roommates at West Point prior to the war. Theirs was now the task to destroy that friend to support the cause in which they believed. This was not an easy decision. The wives of these generals had to support her husband as he wrestled with those decisions. She had to keep the home fires burning and keep the children and families together at a time that was extremely dangerous for her. The wives of Confederate generals also had the concern that the actual battlefield could be in her town or on her property. Most of the women on the Southern side lost all their possessions and homes. These were extremely brave and strong women who deserve all the recognition that can be afforded them.

Nancy Gere has designed General’s Wives, her proudest civil war fabric collection, and Jerry Stube’s quilt design by the same name is created to honor these brave women, and truly, the wives of all soldiers who fight to preserve our cause, our country.

In this Block of the Month program, the histories of these women will be offered along with the pattern each month in hope that the quilter will enjoy learning a bit more about these brave women.

The center block is a representation of the rank insignia of General of the Army, a five star general. A few of the generals who served during the Civil War were recognized as General of the Army however, there was not a five star rank at that time. The rank itself did not appear until much later.

Kathy Barden is hosting this adventure and sends the following message to all who join in:

Welcome to Generals’ Wives – a historical block of the month at Calico Gals. As a bonus for members I am hosting a “block party” on Saturday, November 5, from 9 to 10 AM (the hour before the shop actually opens), and on the first Saturday of each month throughout the year. This “party” is by invitation only but no RSVP is required, dress is optional (pjs or period costumes are fine!) and you can join in any month you wish. I’ll share my cutting and sewing tips for assembling each block and discuss any notions I found to be especially helpful. Each of the pattern pamphlets have information and tidbits about the general’s wife that is being remembered and we’ll have a brief discussion about that wife as well. No food, no additional cost, just helpful hints and a good time!

Call the Syracuse store to sign up. 315-445-0617. Free delivery to Oswego if needed!