B&B Quilting & Gifts

08/15/2026

Fun for everyone in Susan’s Free Motion Machine Quilting class!

08/13/2026

A beautiful legacy: Singer sewing machines.

On this day, American inventor Isaac Merritt Singer secured a patent that would stitch the nation into the age of mass production. His 1851 sewing machine wasn’t the first—others, like Elias Howe, had paved key pieces of the way—but Singer’s foot-treadle, straight-needle design made sewing faster, sturdier, and accessible to ordinary households and workshops. Marking the 175th anniversary, it’s worth noting a hidden innovation wasn’t purely mechanical: Singer pioneered installment plans and in-home demonstrations, an early blend of technology and modern marketing that helped his machines spread worldwide.

The Singer machine reshaped work. It shortened the time to make a shirt from hours to minutes, supercharging ready-to-wear clothing and fueling the rise of the garment industry in cities like New York. It also transformed domestic labor—women could earn wages from home—and sparked fierce patent battles that led to one of America’s first “patent pools,” a legal truce that kept innovation moving. From factory floors to family parlors, Singer’s sewing machine stitched together a new consumer economy.

08/13/2026

Susan’s binding class! Future binding experts!

08/13/2026

Are you a ruler connoisseur? How many rulers do you have (a rough estimate)? Your secret is safe with us! ;)

08/12/2026

Rainbow basics!

08/12/2026

In the shop: Roy G. Biv! Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet!

08/12/2026

Rainbow colors!

08/11/2026

Do you have special socks for sewing? Do you prefer to sew barefoot, with only socks, or wearing shoes?

08/08/2026

The Christmas Mouse in flannel! Get started on your holiday list early!

08/07/2026

What’s the farthest distance you have traveled to a class or retreat? What was your starting point and your destination?