Free Pouch Pattern from SOTAK featuring Dance in Paris Fabrics

August 18, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

Make a fun pouch using the fabrics from the DANCE IN PARIS line by Zen Chic

This fun scrappy pouch is an easy project where you can use all your tiny bits of left-over fabrics. The pattern is a free one from SOTAK Handmade and we have used a green-ish palette from Zen Chic’s collection Dance in Paris. Besides your scraps from your favorite fabric line, you need a zipper and some batting. Use this pouch for all kinds of smaller items you don’t want to lose. Or make someone this pouch as a gift!

Sew a Cool and Stylish Laptop Case

August 11, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

Create this beautiful laptop case using the fabrics from the DANCE IN PARIS line by Zen Chic

It is essential to protect your laptop on the go. Make yourself a stylish and charming laptop case using the Dance in Paris fabric collection by Zen Chic. You only need some scraps and low volume fabrics to create this cool and stylish laptop case. The quilting and the stiffness from the soft & stable batting protect your device and the finished look make it an eye-catching piece to carry your laptop around.

Sew a Stylish Fabric Basket... or Two

August 4, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

Make this handy dandy fabric basket with fabrics from the DANCE IN PARIS line by Zen Chic

When you are an enthusiastic sewer and quilter, you probably have a lot of sewing supplies. What you need are some organizing tools. Introducing the Fabric Basket. These kinds of baskets are perfect for smaller notions to keep nearby your sewing machine on your desk for easy use. Or to store fabrics and keep them on your shelves. They even make nice gifts, so make a few to give away.

Explore three Zen Chic quilt patterns featuring DANCE IN PARIS - part 3: SPRING IN PARIS

July 28, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

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Remember those times before Covid-19 hit and we all could come together to sew and quilt together? We at Zen Chic wanted to give you a place just like that. With our new collection Dance in Paris came a brand new pattern, “Spring in Paris”, which we wanted to celebrate with our very first Quilt Along. The first round started in April, but you can still join at any time. You can find the sign-up link in this blog post.

Explore three Zen Chic quilt patterns featuring DANCE IN PARIS - part 2: DIAMONDS & GREY

July 21, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

Are you searching for a more elegant quilting pattern, but the majority of the ones you see are made of fun, bright fabrics? I’m here to help you with that. In my collection Dance in Paris are some beautiful fabrics perfect for the stylish feel you’re looking for. Diamonds & Grey is the second pattern in the series featuring the Dance in Paris collection. Take a look!

Explore three Zen Chic quilt patterns featuring DANCE IN PARIS - part 1: PURE

July 14, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

Modern zig-zag quilt pattern PURE by Zen Chic made with fabrics from the DANCE IN PARIS collection.

To celebrate my new fabric line Dance in Paris, I’ve created three patterns that feature this new collection perfectly. The first one is PURE, a golden oldie from 2013 that definitely deserved an overhaul. In the coming weeks, I will introduce you to the other two, so stay tuned!

Get to know our latest collection DANCE IN PARIS

July 9, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

Have you been introduced properly to my new collection DANCE IN PARIS? It has been a long time coming. But finally, it’s here! The color pallet goes from light to dark featuring whites, pinks, greens, blues, and blacks. With a splash of gold in them. You can also check out my newest patterns specially designed for this collection. Leave me a comment! I would love to know what you think.

Create your own Sewing Room and Start a New Hobby

July 7, 2021 Brigitte Heitland

In our last blog post, we talked about expert advice on how to create the ultimate sewing room. This re-post is another collection of tips on installing the sewing room of your dreams. If this is something you are on the fence with - may it be starting quilting as your hobby or creating or remodeling your sewing space - read inspiring tips here and get started.

Experts share how to create the Ultimate Quilting Room

July 2, 2021 Brigitte Heitland

For the experienced quilt maker, having a dedicated space in your home to sew can foster creativity and provide uninterrupted concentration. While having a large space comes in handy, any small area in your home that can accommodate fabric storage, machinery, craft tables, and working space is all you need.

If you are looking to create a quilting room in your home, look no further. Redfin reached out to quilting experts from Vancouver, BC to Miami, FL, including myself, to get our best tips on creating the ultimate quilting room. Click here to see what we had to say.

The Spring in Paris Quilt Along - it’s a wrap!

June 30, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

Longarm-quilting by Rachel Hauser from Stitched in Color on our Spring in Paris Quilt made with fabrics from the SPOTTED collection by Zen Chic.

We have officially finished and wrapped up Zen Chic’s first-ever Quilt Along. Last week we already looked back at this successful event and this week we give away our final prizes.d Check out, if you are one of our lucky winners! And if not, don’t worry, we will soon host another Quilt Along with new prizes and lots of fun you can already sign up for.

Sewcialites Final Layout à la Zen Chic

June 25, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

This is the Zen Chic version of the free SEWCIALITES Sew Along, hosted by Fat Quarter Shop. My layout is inspired by Tracy Bes from the Sewcialites Lounge.

Can you believe the Sewcialites Quilt Along is almost over? I almost say, because even though the free blocks are all shared in the quilting community, we still have a quilt to make. In this blog post I am giving some tips on how to put together the final layout I created and what materials you will need for it. And last but not least, let's take a look at what the other quilters made of this beautiful sampler quilt!

Zen Chic 2021 Spring in Paris Quilt Along - A Review

June 23, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

We look back on our very first Quilt Along and share some interesting insights and beautiful pictures from our community. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Spring in Paris Quilt Along for making this event such a wonderful experience! And for everyone who was unable to participate as planned due to the late delivery of the DANCE IN PARIS fabrics ... we have great news!

Sewcialites Block 36, the final one - KINDNESS by Corey Yoder

June 18, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

SEWIALITES SEW ALONG, BLOCK 36 - free quilt along hosted by Fatquartershop. This block is called KINDNESS, brought to you by Corey Yoder. Fabrics used in this block are SPOTTED and PAPER by Zen Chic.

Welcome back to the last block in the Sewcialites QAL. This block is by Corey Yoder and has such an appropriate name being the last one: Kindness. I feel that every quilter and designer that contributed to Sewcialites has been so kind by donating a piece of their creativity. They enabled us to practice more techniques and add to our sewing skills and to connect with like-minded people. That’s what this QAL was all about and I’m glad I was a part of it.

Zen Chic 2021 Spring in Paris Quilt Along - Week 7

June 16, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

This is the last week in our Quilt Along and we are going to finish with a bang! Before we take a look into the last pieces of our quilt, I want to thank you all for participating. We had a blast these last weeks and we hope you had too. In the fall of this year, we are planning to host another Quilt Along. So stay in touch with us!

Sewcialites Block 35 - COMPASSION by Anne Sutton

June 11, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

SEWIALITES SEW ALONG, BLOCK 35 - free quilt along hosted by Fatquartershop. This block is called COMPASSION, brought to you by Anne Sutton. Fabrics used in this block are SPOTTED and PAPER by Zen Chic.

Welcome to week 35 in our Sewcialites Quilt Along. This is already the penultimate block for our sampler quilt! Can you believe it? It was designed by Anne Sutton and she named it COMPASSION. In this post you can read all about what Compassion means and how it relates to the quilting community in my point of view. I tell you more about Anne and what her specialty is and you can win amazing prizes again.

Zen Chic 2021 Spring in Paris Quilt Along - Week 6

June 9, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

We're already in week 6 of our Spring in Paris Quilt Along and our quilt is taking shape! This week we will be sewing the last rows and preparing our quilt for next week's grand finale. If you haven't signed up for our QAL yet, don't worry! You can always join the fun and we'll send you the instructions from week one straight to your inbox. Just register via the form in this blog post. Happy Quilting!

Sewcialites Block 34 - PASSION by Carrie Nelson

June 4, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

SEWIALITES SEW ALONG, BLOCK 34 - free quilt along hosted by Fatquartershop. This block is called PASSION, brought to you by Carrie Nelson. Fabrics used in this block are SPOTTED and PAPER by Zen Chic.

I’m sure you are probably as passionate about quilting as I am. And so is our designer of the week for our Sewcialites sew Along, Carrie Nelson. Fittingly, she created a block called PASSION for our sampler quilt. Wanna find our what else Carrie is passioned about? Read more about her in this blog post.

Zen Chic 2021 Spring in Paris Quilt Along - Week 5

June 2, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

We continue with our SPRING IN Paris QAL and we’re about to finish more than half of the quilt top this week! Wohoo! If you’re not on our mailing list yet, it’s never too late to join! You can find the sign up form in this blog post. Have a look and check out what our quilters have made so far!

Sewcialites Block 33 - INSPIRE by Lori Holt

May 28, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

SEWIALITES SEW ALONG, BLOCK 33 - free quilt along hosted by Fatquartershop. This block is called INSPIRE, brought to you by Lori Holt. Fabrics used in this block are SPOTTED and PAPER by Zen Chic.

Welcome to week 33 in our Sewcialites Sew Along. This week’s designer is Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet and the block she created is very typical for her style. In Lori’s work, we see a lot of tangible figures like the sewing machine she made for our sampler quilt. Read our blog post to find out which smaller blocks she used to piece it together.

Zen Chic 2021 Spring in Paris Quilt Along - Week 4

May 26, 2021 Nicole van Gremberghe

This week we have a special trick for you how to press the seams and join the rows of our SPRING IN PARIS quilt to receive hexagons with perfectly matching points. We have three video tutorials for you that will show you step by step how to do that. Want to know where to find them? Join our QAL mailing list and we’ll send them right to your inbox!