Last Chance...

Today is the last day to participate in our first ever Recycled Fabric Swap! Receive a packet of fabric delivered right to your door! Take out fabric pieces you want and stick in some fabric you no longer need!

If you would like to participate, email me your name, mailing address and email address by the end of the week and I will add your name to the list!

See the full details here...

Quilt Sleeve Triangles

A quilt sleeve is a must if you plan to hang your quilt or wall hanging. We have discussed how to create and attach a quilt sleeve to the back of your quilt across the entire width of the quilt. This is a must for large wall hangings and full size quilts. But there is another simple method for hanging your wall hangings that measure 45" square or smaller. Try this method of quilt sleeve triangles for your next small project!

Note: The quilt sleeve triangles will need to be stitched on before the binding is stitched to the quilt.

For wall hangings 10" - 25", cut two squares that measure 4". For wall hangings 26" - 45", cut two squares that measure 8".

Fold each square in half to form a triangle. Place the raw edge corner that is created in the top corner of the quilt back. Repeat with the second triangle in the opposite top corner. Baste the corners to the edge of the quilt.

Stitch the binding to the quilt front as usual, sewing through the layers, including the triangle pieces. Tack down the binding as usual, covering the seam allowance and triangle raw edges.

Insert a dowel rod between the two triangles to hang your project. Place the rod over a nail to hang.To prevent the wall hanging from sagging in the center, be sure the dowel rod fits snuggly from end to end. If the rod fits snuggly between the triangles, the project will hang evenly and flat. If the bottom hem of your wall hanging wants to flap around, add the triangles to the two bottom corners and insert a dowel rod to help keep it flat and straight.

Keep in mind that the triangles need to be stitched before the binding is stitched to the quilt. Although it is easier to sew the triangles on before the binding is there, you could also sew the triangles on after the binding has been stitched on, but before it has been tacked down by hand to the back. Just be sure to skip stitching the mitered corner so the miter will turn correctly as the binding is flipped to the back.

For large quilts, the triangles do not give enough support to hold the quilt. A traditional quilt sleeve is the better method. If you do use the triangle method, your triangles will need to be larger and you may need a support in the center to hold the quilt to the rod. If you are entering a quilt or wall hanging for a contest or challenge, most shows will require a traditional quilt sleeve instead of the quicker method of sleeve triangles.

You have to see this...

Just an ordinary quilt...I don't think so. It seems unbelievable, but this photo is not a quilt created with different fabrics, but carved with wood and stained to create the color. Can you believe the detail? From a distance it looks like a quilt, but as you look up close, you can see the woodworking details.

Visit this carver's website for more quilt photos, hats and jackets. It is just fascinating to see the sculptures he has created.

Time is running out...

Time is running out to join our Recycled Fabric Swap!

Do you have fabric in your sewing room that you haven't used for a while? Maybe you no longer need it for the project you had planned or it has just lost its creativity in your eyes. Perhaps it doesn't blend with most of the other fabrics in your stash or you are tired of looking at it! You need to join our Recycled Fabric Swap!

The deadline is approaching - February 28th! So sign up today and join in on the fun!!

Attaching a Sleeve to Your Quilt

What is a quilt sleeve? A quilt sleeve is a piece of fabric stitched on the back of the quilt near the top edge. This tube of fabric is made so a dowel rod can be inserted for the purpose of hanging your quilt or wall hanging. Quilt shows will require you to stitch a sleeve on the back of your entry. Most of the time, quilt shows will give you dimensions for creating a quilt sleeve according to their requirements. If they don't, you will need to create your own. Even if you are not entering your project in a quilt show, it is still a good idea to attach a sleeve if you will be hanging it in your home.

Here are some guidelines for making your own quilt sleeve:

Measure the width of the top edge of your quilt. Cut a strip of fabric that is that long and 10" wide. This length of fabric may be pieced if needed. It does not need to match the quilt fabric; it can be a completely different color.

Turn the two short ends under twice in a 1/4" seam to encase the raw edge and hem both ends.

With WRONG sides together, stitch the length of the fabric in a 1/4" seam. This will form a long tube. Do not turn the tube.

Press the fabric tube flat in half, placing the seam in the center of the tube for the sleeve back. Press the seam allowance open. Be sure to press a firm crease as you are pressing the fabric flat.

Press another crease 1" from one of the previous creases on the side with the seam. This will create a bubble on the front of the sleeve allowing for the width of the rod. This will be the bottom crease.

Pin the sleeve on the back of the quilt, placing the top crease 1" down from the top edge. Pin the bottom crease to the quilt, making sure the sleeve has a bubble on the front. The seam allowance should be hidden between the quilt back and the back of the sleeve.

Whipstitch the top and bottom crease to the quilt back. Catch the quilt backing, being careful to not go through to the front. Whipstitch the two short ends to the quilt, being sure that a hanging rod can be inserted.


Press the sleeve if needed. When pressed, the quilt sleeve should lay flat, following the top crease and extra crease in the fabric. This bubble allows room for a dowel rod to be inserted and lets your quilt hang flat.

If the bottom hem of your wall hanging wants to flap around, add a narrow tube of fabric and insert a dowel rod to help keep it flat and straight.

Hershey's Kisses

Did you know that Hershey's Kisses come in so many flavors? Last week I walked down the Valentine aisle in the store looking for some just plain chocolate kisses. And what did I find?? Flavors galore!! Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, hugs white & dark chocolate, chocolate with almonds or caramel or peanut butter. And that's not all...just in time for Valentine's Day - dark chocolate with raspberry and milk chocolate filled with cherry cordial creme.

I bought some of the raspberry and cherry flavors, put some in a bowl and stuck them in my bag of supplies to take to my class last Monday. As soon as I opened my bag in the classroom, I was greeting with a wonderful smell!! In just the couple of hours the yummy flavors has filled the air!! Not only are they wonderful to smell, but they are also yummy in your mouth!!

Did you know you can also buy Hershey's Kisses stamps online or at your local post office?

NEW Creative Expressions - Moulin Rouge

Brand new and just waiting for you to discover the fabulous ideas and projects hidden inside!! Just released - Moulin Rouge!!!

Jenny Haskins has released another special edition magazine filled with projects from quilts, wall hangings, pillows, purses, bags and so much more!! Plus receive a FREE CD filled with fun embroidery designs! Get your issue before they all disappear!!

Get your own copy of Moulin Rouge...

Just a Drop of Oil

"Just a drop of oil is all it needs." This statement is not only very true with your sewing machines and sergers, but also for your scissors.

Sewing machine oil is needed to keep your sewing machine running in tip-top shape. Be sure to use oil designated for sewing machines and sergers. Do not use multi-purpose oils or WD-40; these may be harmful to your machine. As a general rule, place a drop or two of oil in the places where metal parts rub against each other. The most common area that needs to be oiled in the the bobbin and hook area. Other places may included the bobbin winding mechanism and oil ports. Refer to your sewing machine manual for oiling instructions and illustrations. Most newer computerized machines do not need to be oiled in as many places as older models.

How often should you oil your machine? Many of the newer, computerized machines are set up with a time scheduled message to alert you when to oil your machine. After so many stitches, the machine will display a message telling you that your machine is in need of a drink. The basic rule is: the more you use your machine, the more you need to oil it. Most sewing machine dealers recommend every 10-12 hours of stitching. Listen to your machine as it is stitching. If it is sounding a bit clunky and noisy, give it a drop of oil. That just may be what it needs. If in any doubt about oiling your machine, consult your sewing machine dealer.

If your thread is breaking frequently, try placing a drop of oil in the bobbin area of your machine. This keeps the bobbin case running smoothly when the top thread loops around the bobbin to form a stitch. Many times when I am teaching and someone is having trouble with thread breaking, the first thing I will suggest is oiling the machine. This of course is not the only cause for thread breakage, but usually fixes the problem half of the time.

After oiling your machine, always sew several rows of stitches with a scrap of fabric. This will pick up the excess oil. If you start sewing on your project, you will likely end up with oil on the thread which transfers and spreads to the fabric. If this does happen refer to "How did that stain appear?" for tips on removing oil stains.

Your sewing shears and thread snippers are another item in your sewing room that may need a drop of oil. Try dropping a tiny amount of oil in the screw assembly of your scissors. Open the blades and place a drop of oil between the blades. Open and close the blades several times and let the oil set in the scissors for a couple of minutes. Wipe the screw assembly and blades clean with a dry cloth. Be sure to cut several fabric scraps to eliminate the excess oil. You should oil your scissors several times a year. This will reduce the friction between the blades, making them easier to cut through fabric. It also keeps your scissors cutting smoother and lasting longer.

It is just amazing what a drop of oil can do!!

Sewing in the news...

In digging through my unopened email, I found this little clip from CBS showing the sewing come back for many younger sewers. Click here to visit the page and download the clip. The file may take a little while to download, but I found it fun to watch.

Recycled Fabric Swap

Do you have fabric in your sewing room that you haven't used for a while? Maybe you no longer need it for the project you had planned or it has just lost its creativity in your eyes. Perhaps it doesn't blend with most of the other fabrics in your stash or you are tired of looking at it! You need to join our Recycled Fabric Swap!

We all have pieces of fabric that are perfectly good to use, but we are tired of looking at them or no longer need it. What you may no longer need may be another's treasure! Let's swap our fabrics and have fun doing it! :)

The deadline to participate is February 28. So sign up now and find treasures of fabric for you to use in your next project!

Click here to find out the details...

What to do with fabric you no longer need!

I have some and I am sure you do too: fabric you no longer want, need or will use. What do you do with it? Let it sit on the shelf or in the drawer for months while it is aging? Give it away? Perhaps keep it until you reach the day that you might just possibly use it?

I have fabric that I purchased several years ago that I know I will never use. The pattern or print is not what I am interested in right now. Some of it, I simply have lost interest in. The creativity I saw in it when I bought it is no longer there. I have pieces of fabric leftover from past projects and will probably not be using it in the future.

What can you do with it? Good question; I tend to save and store all my fabric until I have a huge pile. Always in the back of my mind, I hear this little voice saying, "Just keep it; you may need it sometime." But as the months fly by, I pick it up to use and end up putting it back on the shelf. It is just not the right color shade to blend with so many of my other fabrics. Or the print is a pattern that is hard to work with like strips or plaids.

I have a blue/navy floral print cotton sitting on my shelves of fabric right now. At the time I bought it, it was one of those, "It's on sale for a fantastic price & can be used in a hundred different ways, whatever is left on the bolt". (See Fabric Buying: How many yards should I buy?) Needless to say I DID buy what was left on the bolt - all 13 yards! I have had it for several years and have tried many times to incorporate it into some of my projects. I have used bits and pieces off of it here and there, but there are still many yards remaining. I had planned to incorporate this print into an embroidered quilt I was planning at the time, but the fabric ended up being just a little too lightweight for stitching embroidery. It may only sit on my shelf for a couple more months before I decide that it has to go.

Do I need to just toss this fabric in the trash? Of course not!! I may not have any interest in it, but it is still a very good piece of fabric and another person may find it to be just what they are needing! So what do you do with your unwanted fabric? Here are some suggestions for cleaning out your shelves!

Look at the wrong side of your fabric. The backside may yeild some creative ideas that the front doesn't have. Perhaps it will give you ideas for a washedout or softened look for a nature background scene.

Consider incorporating small pieces into your current projects. Use small pieces for applique designs, sashing between blocks on a quilt or piping to complete a pillow. The fabric may not be your favorite in a large piece, but using small bits may be a way to use up excess yardage.

Keep a small stash of fabric that is not your favorite for practice blocks, trying new techniques and new ideas where you do not want to waste expensive fabric for a project. If you are trying a new block or technique, try it using a piece from your unwanted fabric before using your project fabric.

Try crocheting your own rag rug using fabric strips. Tear your fabric into strips that are 1/4"- 1" wide and weave it into a circular or oval rug pattern. You can find more information on crocheting rag rugs here.

Brai d fabric strips to create a rug, placemats, table runner or many other projects! For young sewers, five them fabric strips to make a dog or cat leash. This is a simple way to use up unwanted fabric and gain some useful projects. The fabric is braided with many different prints and solids, so you can't find your ugly fabric hidden within.

Have a local fabric exchange with several quilters in your area or your local quilt guild. You aren't the only one with excess fabric that needs a new home. You may be able to get rid of some of your stash and find some treasures for yourself.

Donate your fabric to nursing homes, schools or other organizations who will use the fabric to make projects. There are many charity quilt projects that are always looking for donated fabric.

How will I get rid of my over 10 yard stash of navy floral? A couple of months ago, I was playing with chenille, layering different fabrics, trying different widths of stitched rows and I was able to use 1/2 yard with which to practice. I had a travel pillow that just needed a cover that could be removed and washed...yes, the blue floral fabric was used! Sooner or later I will use it piece by piece. And if I find I am running out of room and find someone who will use it, I may just give it away.

See how you can join in on our first ever Recycled Fabric Swap. You are sure to gid rid of some of your fabric and perhaps find some new treasures!

Why did I wait so long?

There are those tasks that I just seem to put off until I have to do them or I get tired of looking at them in my sewing room. Here is one such thing - my Dad's shirt collar.

I noticed a couple weeks ago that the collar is really torn, but otherwise the shirt is in ok condition -- at least ok for him to wear when working on the farm. So it has been hanging in my sewing room for over a week before I got tired of seeing it.

In under 30 minutes, I was able to take the torn collar off...

and replace it with a new one.

So why did I put it off so long? Maybe because it is not the most creative and fun thing waiting in my sewing room to be done. :)