I'm Excited!!!

I know it is just a small thing, but I'm excited about it anyway! Can you believe all the posts I have been able to publish?? I have had NO trouble (better not speak too loudly, I guess) typing, adding photos and publishing my posts tonight! Hooray - perhaps blogger is still a great blog forum to use!! :)

1 Yard Free Fabric

I'm offering the following special coupon for anyone who would like to take advantage of it! If you have any questions, just email me! :)

Go to my online store to take advantage of this special offer!

New Creative Expressions Magazine

Issue #12 of Creative Expressions Magazine by Jenny Haskins is here! This issue has many exciting projects and ideas that you can create!

The Color Purple: The Next Generation Quilt Part 1 instructions are included for stitching this quilt. The directions have been revised for the new embroidery machines with a larger hoop size.

Take a peek at this beautiful embroidered quilt plus many more exciting creations!

Necessary Scissors

One of the best choices for sewing is an 8" knife edge, bent dressmaker shear. I love Gingher scissors; they last forever, stay sharp and are easy to sharpen when needed. The length is excellent for smooth cutting along pattern lines or long clean fabric cuts. Extremely sharp blades make cutting easier no matter what the fabric weight or how many layers. A bend of about 45 degrees at the pivot point lets the entire lower blade glide along the cutting table. This adds stability and allows the fabric to lie flatter when cutting; with straight shears, the fabric will pull up and out of position.

For versatility, shears need a partner. 5" Gingher tailors point scissors are ideal for trimming and precision cutting around curves or in small places. They’re also heavy duty enough for cutting multiple fabric layers. The sharp points are fine enough for lace, cutwork, applique`, tailoring and hand needlework.

I have to admit I have several pairs of these scissors. I keep one by my machine for clipping threads and cutting little snips of fabric if needed. I keep one pair in with my handwork, so it is always there when I need it. I keep another pair with my take-to-class supplies. No, I wouldn't HAVE to own three pair, but it sure is nice to have a pair right where I need them and not wonder where I set them down the last time I used them! :)

Machine embroiderers should own at least one pair of curved embroidery scissors. The curve is very important, allowing you to get your scissor blades close to the stitching for clipping threads. The tips should cut flush with the fabric. Havel's Snip-Eze scissors are a definite must!

I must say I have more than one pair of these also! They are right and left hand compatible, easy to quickly pick up and sharp to nip those threads close to your design. I'm lost if I do any machine embroidery without these. They also work great for hand applique or embroidery to clip your thread tails close to the fabric.

Image coutesy of the Graphics Gallery

Quilt Blocks Finished!

Here are my red and white quilt blocks for Clare's quilts for Leukaemia projects. I took a quick photo before I put them in the mail today!

I dug around in my never ending stash of fabric and found some reds and white to create some blocks. I created these two first.


Then decided to digitize an embroidery design that is similar to the logo design on the Leukaemia Research website. I created the initial satin stitch design and just stitched a red satin stitch on the white block. I changed the design to a blanket stitch and just stitched the outline. The third block is a blanket stitch, but the red and white fabric is appliqued on by my embroidery machine. Simple to finish...let the machine stitch it!

(top- blanket stitch outline, left- blanket stitch applique, right- satin stitch outline)

This last block I created from triangle scraps leftover from the previous blocks. I used a little fabric from my stash, cleaned up all my scraps (created another block!) and stitched some blocks for a worthy cause!


Visit Clare's blog for more information if you would like to participate or see the blocks as Clare receives some each week! Join in and stitch a couple 

Why no recent posts??

Why have I not posted anything new on my blog the past few days? Good question! I am trying and have multiple things I want to blog and tell you about, but it seems that my computer or blogger does not want to cooperate!

My time has been limited last week and especially this week. But the few minutes when I sit down to type up some thoughts, blogger will not let me post or my post ends up getting deleted. I have learned (the hard way!) to type my posts somewhere other than blogger and then paste the typed info. But I still have to add my photos into blogger. Usually in the process of doing this, something happens.

Like now, I just finished up some notes and photos and blogger will not publish it. So I will try again! Try...try..try, until it works, right?? :)

Simple Quilt Pattern Idea

I have been reading through the September/October issue of Love of Quilting and found a simple, fun quilt pattern that could be created in a combination of colors. It's called Heartfelt Blooms and is created from the Quest for a Cure collection from Northcott fabrics.

This simple design could be put together in several color combinations and look very attractive. And of course be very quick and easy to stitch together. I even see some areas where embroidery could be incorporated into the blocks.

Another Addition to My Collection!

I'm not just a collector of fabric. Anything else sewing, embroidery or quilting related, I love to collect it! On my last trip to the post office this is what I came home with. Aren't these cute little teddies just adorable as they are busy measuring & stitching?



I am often on the lookout for any collectible items related to my hobby! It is so fun to find all kinds of different items related to the same theme. I remember the first sewing machine music box I ordered over 5 years ago. I saw a photo of it in a SewNews magazine. The San Francisco Music Box Company was the designer of the scene of the adorable mice sewing. This is still my favorite sewing machine music box in my collection! :)

Batting: That Stuff in My Quilt

The "stuffing" of the quilt - batting - is the filler material placed between the quilt top and the backing. It provides warm the and loft, giving body and structure to the quilt. "Loft" refers to the thickness and weight of a batting. Each type of loft creates a different effect in the finished quilt and needs to be considered before selecting a batt for a quilt.

Cotton - A cotton batting gives a traditional look and is the most suitable for machine quilting. It is very easy to work with, as the cotton tends to "grab" fabric layers and requires minimal pinning and basting. Cotton batts "breathe" well; some people find polyester quilts too warm, preferring lighter weight cotton quilts.

Wool - Another natural fiber batting, wool was widely used in the past and is becoming more and more available as a filler for modern quilts. Quilts filled with wool provide excellent insulation, giving warmth without being heavy, and they retain their loft even after much wear.

Silk - Silk battings share some of the characteristics of other natural fiber battings, but are more difficult to find, expensive and are the least often used by quilters. However, silk batts are excellent for quilted clothing - they are lightweight, drape well and have natural insulation properties.

Polyester - Polyester battings come in a variety of thicknesses, from low loft batts used in machine quilting, to high loft batts ideal for use in comforters, tied quilts and other projects where volume is required. Readily available, polyester batts produce a "puffy" appearance. They tend to be slippery and may require extra pinning and basting to prevent shifting.

What's my favorite batting to use in quilts? I prefer to use a 100% cotton batting or a 80 cotton/ 20 poly blend. The 100% cotton will shrink some and will give your quilt an antique look to it because of the shrinkage. The blend has just enough poly to prevent the shrinkage and antique look, but also has the same feel as the 100% cotton. The cotton & cotton blend both have a lower loft, grab the fabric to hold it and is easier to stitch and quilt!

If I am tying or stitching in a few random places on a quilt or project, I will use a poly batting. The poly has more loft to it, so it is a little tough to get through your sewing machine. Although, for puffy projects, it works great. Keep your scraps of poly batting and use it to stuff pillows, animals or other projects.

Frustrated at My Computer!!

The past few days I have been just plain frustrated with my computer! It seems like every time I try to do something, it either takes forever or lose the file I am working on.

I have been having trouble logging onto Blogger, creating posts and uploading photos. So I switched to Picasa to upload my photos (which by the way is so much easier than uploading the pics in the Blogger viewpane) and type up my posts. Well, now Picasa is wanting to act up! I had just finished I really long post with photos and hit the Publish key. What do you know, I close out the window when it is complete and click over to my blog to see the published post.

To my utter dismay, the it was not there!! And of course I had already closed out the window. The really sad thing is that I had copied the info and pasted it into a blank email to use the spell checker. That's another thing - the spell checker in Picasa is not working either. Anyway after pasting the info, I revised my changes and corrected my Picasa copy. I hit the Publish button. While I was waiting for it to publish, I switched over to another document and copied a different item. I also deleted the email without saving it.

So when I looked at my blog and noticed my post wasn't there, I was extremely upset with myself. Not only did I copy it onto a blank email, but at one time I also had it on my clipboard where I could paste it again! I usually am very good at saving or keeping a window open until I finish a task to be sure it is the way I want it completed. But I just didn't this time!

Oh, well!! I think I am going to start typing my posts in Notepad, copy the typed message to Picasa, insert the photos and then publish. But I will either save the Notepad file or won't close it out until I am POSITIVE my post has been successfully published!

Has anyone had better success with other blogs besides Blogger? It seems to be the best out there, but maybe there's a better option??

Try again tomorrow...that's all for tonight!! :) 

Not the best...

This is another idea I put together for a different kind of placemat and table runner. I can not say that I am happy with the finished results for several reasons.
I started by cutting a length of fabric, estimating the size I needed and randomly embroidering the leaves. I didn't fuse interfacing on the back of the cotton, like I usually do. So the leaves were dense enough that they caused the fabric to pucker and wrinkle a bit around the embroidery. That was mistake #1 - should have backed with fusable interfacing. I use so sheer; a lightweight fusible interfacing that adds just a little body and stability when stitching dense designs on a lighter weight fabric.

I did stitch a blanket stitch in a 4" square around the leaf, which looks nice. Except, when I was ready to trim the solid fabric down to the size I needed for the mitered borders I had cut, it was a really tight fit. The blanket stitch comes too close to the seam, in my opinion. So therefore, mistake #2 - should have planned where to place the embroidery ahead of time.

The mitered corners on the border went together beautifully as well as attaching the borders to the solid panel. I layered the backing, top and batting, stitched around all four sides, leaving a small area open to turn the fabric through. Well, somehow, I ended up with the backing being larger than the top and we all know what happens. The backing peeks out to toward the front. I needed to cut the backing 1/8 - 1/4 inch smaller so the top would just barely roll to the back. Mistake #3 - should have cut the backing smaller.

From a distance the table runner is not so bad, but not the level of perfection I normally stitch. The placemat turned out sooo much better! The blanket stitch and leaves are placed correctly with no backing peeking through to the front. I quilted both the runner and placemat by stitching in the ditch around the border and around the blanket stitch design. That worked very well!

Fall Projects

What have I been stitching the past few days? I have been finishing up preparing for my monthly embroidery club class I teach next Monday.

I love to stitch fall and thanksgiving embroidery designs - I'm not quite sure why, but I do. Placemats and table runners can be very useful for setting a decorative table, but can be used for other purposes as well. I often will use a single placemat to set under a candle decoration or lamp on a nightstand or coffee table. Don't just limit your placemats to the kitchen or dining room - there are so many other places where they can be displayed!

Here is the green fall runner and placemat. This was pretty simple to stitch with a sold center and adding a leaf print border on both ends. The placemat mirrors the same design.

The embroidery design is stitched right in the center of the seam between the solid and print. Whenever you are embroidering over seams (which can be done with almost any fabric), be sure to press the seam open instead of pressing the seam allowances to one side. This doesn't create quite as much bulk for the machine to stitch over.

After stitching the top, I added a thin layer of cotton batting, the backing, pinned it together and stitched around the four edges, leaving a small area to turn it. Usually I layer the three like this: top, batting & backing, quilt as needed and bind the edges. But stitching and turning is a little faster, although I prefer to add a binding. To close the unstitched area, I did a very hard task - stick a little strip of stitch witchery between the layers and fuse it shut! Works great!! :)

Quilts for Leukaemia

Clare has started a Quilts for Leukaemia project. All quilts or quilt blocks need to be created in colors of red and white. Then Clare will stitch them together, add sashing if needed and do the quilting. If you are interested in helping and sending just one block or as many as you would like, drop by her blog for more details.

A Few Useful Tips

Buttonhole Insurance
To avoid slitting that perfect machine buttonhole too far, place a straight pin, as shown, at each end of the buttonhole, inside the bar-tacks. The pin will prevent you from cutting beyond the stitches!


Design Wall Ideas
A design wall is a great help to any quilter for evaluating your project from a distance! If you don’t have one, make your own! Cut a piece of cotton batting or flannel and attach it to any empty space on your wall. Tack it with thumbtacks for a permanent location or use masking tape to hold it up so you can take it down when its not needed.

Batt Away the Dust
We all have batting scraps that we cannot bear to throw away, but they take up space that can be better used for other things like fabric! Use your scraps of batting for dusting. The batting picks up the dust and holds onto it!

Pressing with Starch
Starch is sometimes needed to give the fabric more body and hold its shape before you cut it into quilt pieces. After the fabric has been washed and dried, spray starch to the wrong side of the fabric and smooth your iron over it. Move your iron in the direction of the lengthwise grain to prevent the fabric from stretching. The crosswise grain of cotton fabric has more stretch and if pressed in this direction will create wavy selvedges which can create problems when rotary cutting and piecing!

I’m Bleeding...What Now?
If you prick yourself and spill some blood on your project, how can it be removed? Don’t go running to your cabinet of cleaners; just blot some of your own saliva on the spot and it will slowly disappear. The enzymes in your own saliva will only work on your own blood. It sounds awful, but it really does work!

Your Machine Needs Cooling Down
When you are machine embroidering long lengths of time, your machine motor gets hot from being on constantly. To help with this, place a fan behind your machine so it is blowing directly on the machine. Set the fan to blow on the slowest speed possible. This will cool your machine down and allow you to sew at longer lengths at a time. Be careful that the fan does not blow your threads or fabric into the needle where the machine is stitching.

Note: I have set a blowing fan by my machine many times and it truly helps! When stitching machine embroidery designs one after another, your machine is running constantly and needs a break at times. If you turn your machine off and back on every few hours so it can reset itself this is also beneficial. One summer my machine was on and stitching for 15 hours a day for three weeks and the fan was a lifesaver! I do not recommend that you should run your machine this hard, but I had three quilts to embroider and a deadline which needed to be met. :)

Take Out the Curls
Here's a tip for using monofilament thread for handwork. Cut off a length of thread and run it under a warm iron. The thread will straighten, making it easer to thread the needle and stitch. Be careful not to leave the thread under the iron or it will melt, it just needs a little heat to take out the curl.

September Is National Sewing Month

September is National Sewing Month to get everyone excited and involved in any type of sewing! Sewing can be so creative and fun! With some fabric and thread you can create so many things - your imagination is the limit!

The Home Sewing Association has so many projects and resources for all kinds of sewing - home dec, bridal, children's clothes and many more lessons and projects!

Try browsing through their Holiday section of projects. All the holidays are covered, including Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Take a look at the Harvest Table Runner or Sew Beary Sweet Pumpkin Teddy. With so many ideas, you are sure to find something that you would just love to stitch!

Fleece & Berber Tips for Embroidery

Fleece and berber require some extra steps when stitching embroidery designs onto these fabrics. Keep in mind the following advice when stitching and your project will be finished and gorgeous in no time!

• Selecting fabric - Choose a high quality fleece or berber that will withstand decorative stitching or embroidery. If the fabric has a high loft, you may need to raise the pressure foot pressure on the machine to allow the foot to glide over the fabric.

• Use spray adhesive - Don’t hoop the fleece. Hoop the stabilizer and spray it with 505 spray adhesive. Then stick the fabric to the stabilizer. This will prevent permanent hoop marks.

• Use cut away stabilizer - Because this fabric stretches you will need to use heavy cut away or light weight poly mesh.

• Use a water-soluble topping - Using aqua film on top of the fleece or berber will prevent the stitches from sinking down in the fabric and help keep accurate stitching.

• Choosing designs - Select simple, less dense, motifs. Dense designs pile in too many stitches and interfere with the drape of the fabric. Designs with satin and fill stitches will show up more than outline stitches, especially if the fleece has a high loft.

• Threads - Choose decorative threads that will not get lost in the loft of the fleece. For more visible stitching lines, use 2 strands of threads or stitch the design twice.

Discover a fun Fall jacket you can create with fleece or berber!

Fall Fleece Jacket Project

Looking for a fun jacket that is fun and unique to wear this fall season?! Here is your answer - sew a fleece or berber jacket and embroider fall leaves on it!

I lined my jacket so it is very warm to wear when the days start getting cool! I can easily wear it with turtlenecks and short sleeve t-shirts in colors of browns, tans and rusts! And I have received many compliments whenever I wear it - give it a try! You can view the full directions here.

Fabric Burn Test

It happens - someone gives you scraps or yards of fabric or you pick up a fabric piece and it is not labeled as 100% cotton. Maybe you just have many fabrics hanging around your stash that you are not sure of their fiber content. How can you find out for sure it is or is not? Do a fabric burn test!

Learning About Color

Last night I attended our local Miss Kitty's Quilt meeting and our speaker was Kathy Delaney. She talked a lot about color and when and how to use it in choosing fabrics for a quilt - very informative!

She showed many quilts, most of them with hand applique techniques! It was amazing to see all the hand applique she put into each quilt! I especially love the Prairie Star. It features a large star inteh middle with applique flowers on the background - simply stunning!!

My First Issue of Sew News...

For the last two weeks I have been sorting through my pile of magazines looking for a certain placemat idea I had seen. I ran across the first issue of Sew News I received - October 2000! I remember the exact reason why I purchased that issue and started my subscription which has continued to this day.

On the front cover is a jacket made with a border leaf print from fleece. I loved it and especially loved the article inside showing how to cut the pattern pieces on the border! I found an even better fabric I liked inside the pages - green fleece with snowy evergreen trees as a border.

I ordered the fleece - the first time I ordered fabric from a mail order source! I was not disappointed and loved the fabric! I gathered all the supplies I needed and my green jacket is now sitting in one of my totes of fabric still with the pattern pieces waiting to be stitched. Shhh...don't tell; everyone has unfinished project...even from the year 2000! I guess it is time to get it out this winter and finish it!

It's unbelievable to look back through the magazines I have received and see how much I have learned in so many areas of sewing, quilting and embroidery! In years past when I received a new issue of Sew News, I eagerly read through it within a week! Now as I receive issues of Sew News, Creative Machine Embroidery, Embroidery Journal, Designs in Machine Embroidery, Love of Quilting, Creative Expressions and Through the Needle, I still am eager to browse each issue and see the fantastic projects I can create!

I am not able to always browse through each issue within a week. In fact, sometimes they will sit in my Reading To Do Pile for a couple months before I am able to pick it up and read it from cover to cover. But I always stash each and every issue away, knowing that one day in the future I will recall a project that I am ready to stitch or incorporate into a class I am teaching!

Pillow Sizes & Fillers

Now that you know how to create the best ruffled pillows, what about the pillow size? Do you use a pillow form or just stuff it with fiberfil? What are the basic rules for creating fun and perfect fitting pillows? Read on to find out...

How big should you make a pillow cover in relation to the pillow form size? Forms and fillers have a lot to do with the way the finished pillow will look. Ready-made pillow forms are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and in all price ranges. Select the best quality form you can afford. The filling varies from luxurious down or feathers to shredded foam rubber or fiberfil. This is by far easier than stuffing your own pillow with fiberfil.

Fiberfil is the most cost-effective choice. The pillow form should be smooth in appearance with filled corners. If the chosen form isn't filled out, open the casing and add some loose fiberfill until the form is full and nicely shaped. Use chopsticks or a knitting needle to push the filling into the corners. Don't use the end of your scissors; it is easy for the scissor point to slip through the fabric creating an undesired hole!

I use a pillow form if at all possible, unless I am creating a pillow less than 14" square or an unusual size. It saves time, is much easier and creates a more uniform and smooth look to the pillow. Plus it is easy to remove the pillow form out of the cover before washing. Avoid washing pillow forms if possible. Washing and drying can separate the filler, create lumps and decrease the fullness in the pillow form.

Regardless of the size noted on the pillow-form label or packaging, always measure the form before cutting the fabric. Measure from seam to seam across the form center. The actual measurement may be a slightly different size than the label indicates. This measurement is also the exact size to cut the fabric. For example, for a square pillow form measuring 16", cut two 16" fabric squares. The stitched pillow cover will be slightly smaller than the pillow form ensuring a snug, firm look. For a slightly looser fit, add ½" seam allowance to all edges.

Another option is to add a layer of fleece or batting to the fabric wrong side, especially if the fabric is lacking in body. Cut the fleece to the same size as the fabric, and treat the unit (fleece and fabric) as one when constructing the pillow. You can also wrap extra batting around the pillow form to give it more fullness. Just remember to take out the batting and form before washing.

Click here to see some examples of good and bad pillows created with pillow forms and fiberfilll.

Pillow Fillers: The Good & Bad

Which to use - a pillow form or fiberfil to stuff your newly created pillow? Good question! I tend to use pillow forms over stuffing it with fiberfil. Why? For several reasons - it is much easier to insert a pillow form rather than stuffing, the form gives a more uniform and smooth shape and you can remove the form before washing! Here are some examples of some finished pillows that are stuffed correctly and incorrectly.

This fleece pillow is plump, full and just right with a 26" pillow form. The form needs to fit snuggly, but not so full that it looks like it is just waiting to burst the seams on the pillow cover. Since fleece stretches some, be sure to cut your fabric squares smaller than the pillow form measurement.

On this pillow, all the edges are clipped and tied together (same technique as the popular tied fleece blankets) to hold the pillow form in. Because there are no seams to create a complete closure, this style of pillow would not work if it was to be stuffed with fiberfil.

This 18" pillow has been stuffed with fiberfil and repeatedly been tossed, thrown and laid on. Not only does it need to be stuffed with more fiberfil, but the fiberfil has begun to bunch and create lumps. This pillow needs to be rejuvenated with some more fiberfil to create a more professional look.

Be careful not to overstuff your pillow or use a pillow form that is too large. This frosty friends pillow is just that - too full! If I open the zipper in the back, I may not get it shut again! The pillow form is 12" x 16" and the cover is 1" smaller in each direction. The pillow looks ready to burst and does support the mitered flange as it should.

If you have ever been able to locate a pillow form alphabet, please inform me!! I would love to know! This is one type of pillow which is not possible to use a pillow form. Curves such as the J and smaller areas such as the legs of the N and A require small amounts of fiberfil to fill each area.

However, each area needs to be filled evenly or the fiberfil will shift around and create unfilled areas. Like the middle of this N; it lacks some fiberfil in the center. This makes the N look crooked when sitting up because it lacks the fiberfil in the center to support it.

Can't find the pillow form size you need and you don't want to use fiberfil? Try using multiple layers of a high loft polyester batting. Cut multiple layers of batting until you reach the fullness the pillow needs.

I actually had planned to use a 12" x 16" pillow form, but the pillow cover finished smaller than planned. I didn't want to overfill the cover as I had done in the frosty friends pillow above, so I layered scraps of batting to fill the pillow.

You can see some more information for pillow forms, fiberfil and pillow sizes here.

Look Out Below!

Look Out Below!! is a fleece pillow to throw on the couch for the Fall months ahead! The fabric is a plush fleece decorated with machine embroidered leaves. A mouse hanging onto a leaf is falling into a pile of leaves which makes this pillow fun!

Labor Day!

Labor Day is here and for most of us that means a day off from work, a 3 day vacation and the unofficial end to summer! A full day to spend in the sewing room - hooray!!

It had been quite a bit cooler here in Kansas the past several days that the previous month! It must be time for Autumn and cooler temperatures. Which also means I can change the summer decorations around the house to Fall.

I've got several ideas for Fall themed placemats and table runner that I am working on. I'll share some photos when I get something in the finishing stage!

Not Cooperating!!

As I was downloading photos from my camera to my computer I discovered that someone had snatched my camera and took some non-sewing related photos. My sister was trying to get Lady to wear the black cowboy hat on top of the haybales! I don't think Lady cooperated very well!! :)

More Room...

My sister has returned to college in South Carolina and will not be home until Christmas, so I have another room to store some of my fabric and sewing supplies! I have so much more breathing room in my sewing room; it's wonderful!! I will miss having my sister home, but the extra room sure is nice! :)