Well hello friends and welcome to another instalment of “holy crap I’m stupid excited!” Why you ask? (Hint… you just read the title of this post, right?!)
Yes!! I have teamed up with an AHHHmazing designer, a Canadian designer at that, to bring you another Sew Fine Thread Gloss collaborative collection. And you’re going to LOVE it!
Some background first. Last year as Program Coordinator for the OMQG, I had the pleasure of organizing and attending Libs’ Embrace the Chaos workshop here in Ottawa. It was such a fun workshop and Libs was a trooper – she was so sick, but stuck with us for the entire day. While we were packing up I shamelessly gave Libs a sample of Sew Fine Thread Gloss to take home and try out. Okay, honestly – I was driving her back to her hotel, so I pretty well had her hostage, and she wasn’t feeling the greatest so she probably just took it to shut me up. LOL! But you know what – that weird hostage product handoff has paid off my friends because LOOK AT THAT TITLE!
*Please note – I do not condone holding sew-lebrities hostage in your car while you force product on them. It worked out okay in this situation but might not in others. Thank you.
Fast forward to a few months ago. I was walking through the grocery store parking lot when I got a message on Instagram from Libs (fangirl moment ensued) wanting to talk about a collaboration! Umm yaasss!
And here we are. Also, what better timing to launch this collaboration than when Libs is the featured artist at Quilt Canada! So without further ado – may I present Libs’ Sew Fine Thread Gloss collection!
In honor of this collection launch I arranged a mini interview with Libs to talk about her reasons behind the collaboration.
Q: Why did you want to partner with Sew Fine Thread Gloss?
L: There are a few reasons I asked to partner with Sew Fine Thread Gloss. Firstly, I’ve been using it for a while and it’s a product I really believe improves my overall sewing experience. The opportunity to curate some of my own scents and share this awesome product with the sewing community was too exciting not to pursue. Secondly, it’s a Canadian and woman-owned business – just like me! – so building partnerships like this helps to lift us both up and find success as women entrepreneurs.
Q: Has using a thread conditioner changed your hand-sewing experience?
L: Yes, it has really changed my experience. Despite keeping my threads fairly short, I constantly ran into issues with thread tangling and knotting up. But with just one or two passes of thread through Sew Fine, that’s no longer an issue. It’s made the whole hand-sewing process so much more enjoyable for me and I find myself looking forward to it more often now. Plus, the pretty scents are definitely a bonus!
Q: You’ve curated a selection of amazing scent combinations – what draws you to these scents and/or why did you choose them?
L: I wanted to curate scents that have a balance similar to some of my favourite perfumes that I’ve collected during my travels. I’ve always liked the juxtaposition of florals and citrus against more earthy and woody scents. To me, it feels like a balance between feminine and masculine. Rose Wood, Violet Amber and Orange Lavender are all scents that embody that special combination and spark daydreams of exotic places.
Q: You have some breathtaking EPP patterns – how does using a thread conditioner make these projects easier?
L: When I’m sewing EPP projects, I often thread 3 or 4 needles at a time so that I can sew continuously for longer periods without interruption. Now, I run all loaded threads through the conditioner and they no longer get tangled up while sitting in my needle minder. When I’m sewing, the thread glides through the fabric much more easily and I feel like the stitches stay more firmly in place.
Q: And a non thread gloss related question – what inspires your quilt-making?
L: I’ve always had this notion that objects have stories based on their journeys. I like to think that some parts of the story are known by those who own the object but some parts are only known to the object itself. What motivates and inspires me to quilt is that same notion – that I’ll put my story and stitches into a piece, then release it into the world to have a story and journey of its own. I like the mystery of not knowing where my quilts will end up.
Also a big shout out to Peggy Pirillo who made this mini quilt! She was one of my swap partners for the #libselliottminiswap early last year! Its the perfect backdrop for this launch!
If you happen to be reading this post Friday June 14th, Libs will have the collection with her at Quilt Canada and will be available to purchase for her class attendees. Otherwise, they will be available online at libselliott.com. I’ll be roaming the floor all day Friday, so if you see me say HI! I’ll have lots of Sew Fine Thread Gloss samples to give out!