New stuff I love

I am totally in love with this new mechanical pencil (above) by Bohin, a French notions company. I had been using the Clover mechanical pencil, which left a nice narrow line, but the leads broke constantly when I pressed hard enough to leave a dark mark. When tracing around designs for needleturn applique, it is best to have a thin, dark line, and I think I've tried just about every marker there is. This is the best yet. I think this is a fairly new product. I tried it out at the Quilt Market this May, and loved it. I ordered mine online, because I have not seen any at local quilt shops yet. (I always try to buy locally when I can; have to keep those quilt shops going to support my habit, right?)

Here are the lead replacement packs. Leads come in white, yellow, green and silver gray, so there's something to mark light and dark fabrics.



I also adore their applique needles, which are very sharp and thin. I got some number nine long ones, and number 11 regular ones.



With the paper cutting I've been doing for my studio journals class, I got out my X-Acto knives and discovered they were a bit grungy and not very sharp. I bought this beauty by Martha Stewart at Michaels. You turn the part at the bottom to loosen and replace the blade. The handle is a bit squishy, more ergonomic than the X-Acto, and so much lovlier!



And this is the front of the journal I'm using for my class. I bought it at Barnes & Noble. It has perforated pages, so you can remove pages if you really hate what you did, or if you need to reduce some bulk because of all the stuff you've pasted inside. It was designed by Lindsay Neilson, an M.F.A. in fashion design (2006) at the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD).



According to the information on the back of the journal, it is a project of Working Class Studio, a "product development venture of SCAD. Each academic quarter, students are selected as interns to form an interdisciplinary design team led by studio directors. Based on the team's market research and designs, the studio manufacturers a line of products which are then sold nationwide. This innovative concept for an educational institution marries function and fine art to deliver a well-curated mix of cutting-edge design. The ever-expanding collection includes striking journals, stationery, pillows and housewares in a contemporary palette."

What a neat idea... a great way for students to get exposure and to learn about the process of taking a design through the production process.