Just Released - New Sue Box Embroidery Collection

Sue Box has just released her brand new collection filled with gorgeous machine embroidery designs - Endearing Embroidery Collection!

This collection features 31 beautiful designs just waiting to be stitched. Darling cherubs, cupids, doves and bells are just perfect for any wedding or anniversary. Golden designs, corners and hearts are great for quilts and pillows. Applique designs for the golden circle, heart and oval are optional, so you can insert photos on printed fabric in the center.

The Endearing Embroidery Design collection is available on a multi-format CD. The designs of this collection are suitable for most brands of home embroidery machines. Supported formats: .art, .jef, .vip, .hus & .pes. The designs are in 2 sizes for all formats.

This collection features bonus embroidery templates for both large and small hoop sizes included with the packaged designs!! This enables you to layout and create your own scenes and creations!

See the full design collection here...

Organize Your Sewing Room with Zip-Lock Bags

Clear Zip-Lock bags have a definite use in your sewing room! They can be used to organize threads, buttons, scraps, patterns and fabrics. Available in different sizes, these clear bags make organization so easy with a sealable closure.

Sort buttons, beads, sequins and crystals in smaller bags. They can be organized by color, type or size. When these items are placed in clear plastic bags, they are easy to find and stay together. Be sure to completely seal the bag shut, so the contents cannot be dumped.

Medium size bags are a great way to organize your sewing, quilting and embroidery threads. Sort threads by colors, keep variegated, metallic and specialty threads together. Seal water soluble thread in air tight zip-lock bags to keep the threads from slowly dissolving. Your threads will be quick and easy to find. Keep the thread and bobbin together in a bag for a continuous project you are working on. You won't have to hunt for the right color of thread and bobbin when you start and stop on a project.

Keep fabric scraps, remnants and pieces in zip-lock bags for short term use. This will keep them together and clean, ready for use. Store quilt blocks that you are working on in zip-lock bags. When shopping for thread or fabric color matches, place your fabric scrap or quilt block in a zip-lock bag. It will stay clean as you are looking for the right color and the raveling threads won't be all over in your purse.

Store stitched out embroidery designs in zip-lock bags. Make extra lace butterflies, 3D designs, paper dolls or designs stitched on felt for future use. Keep stitched out lace designs and flowers on hand to use when needed. Store water soluble stabilizers such as aqua film and badgemaster in zip-lock bags. These stabilizers will become stiff and brittle if exposed to air for long lengths of time.

Keep projects pieces, patterns and supplies together in a clear bag. If you are unable to finish the current project you are working on, pack it up - thread, fabric, supplies, etc., and store it in a zip-lock bag until you are able to finish it. This will keep all your supplies together so you will not have to hunt for everything; you can just start sewing. Keep cut quilt blocks, pieces and borders in plastic bags to keep the edges from raveling until they are ready to be attached to the quilt.

My Toppling Pile of UFOs

I decided back in February that I was not going to start anything, I mean anything - quilt, wall hanging, pillows or clothes, until I finished my overwhelming pile of unfinished objects! My only exception - I could do a new "something" if I needed it for a class I am teaching.

Have I accomplished what I set out to do? Well, yes and no. Yes, I have stayed on track, not started anything new except for a couple things I needed for classes and have been able to get a few projects finished. I finished up several wall hangings and fixed a pile of alterations that have been sitting in my sewing room since last fall. I was also able to go through my spring/summer clothes and alter the skirts, tops and jackets that needed changed or repaired. I found two spring skirts that I cut out last year and finished those.

So, yes, I made a dent in my pile. But the dent seems oh-so-small! I have a huge, almost tumbling over pile of class samples and half finished ideas to complete. I store most of my projects in totes as you see here with all the pieces and info so it is all together when I am ready to work on it again. I have two stacks of totes this high with projects in various stages. This is only one pile that I am temporarily storing in my sister's room while she is away at school. I am hoping to reduce this a little since she will be home in three weeks!!!

Why do I have such a pile? Excellent question!! It's not that I just start something and never finish, although that happens on occasion. Over the past five years that I have been teaching, my teaching samples have piled up. For each class I teach, I stitch multiple ideas plus several of the same thing in various stages so I can show how to complete the project step-by-step.

I like to have as many visual samples as I can for every class I teach. It gives everyone more ideas and shows how many different themes and projects can be accomplished with just one idea. Plus, it helps me and guides me through the project as I am teaching to have multiplies in different stages. And of course, I only start out making one sample and soon my mind is flying with possibilities and I just have to stitch out some of those ideas! I get myself into trouble when I start asking myself, "What if...?" :)

With multiple classes a month, all different, my samples and in progress projects have just grown and grown! I try to finish some of them each month after I have taught that class, but it usually ends up being filed away in a tote. That is a big part of the reason why I have such a toppling pile of UFOs!

There are always those projects that I start, have a brain freeze and just can't seem to get past it. If I put it away a while and then get back to it, I usually can think of several ways to accomplish whatever I was trying to do. Sometime I will be looking for a certain fabric or notion to complete the project, but haven't found it yet, so I will lay it aside. And there are times that life interferes with my embroidery projects!

I will keep chipping away at my pile, but new ideas are just starting to bloom in my mind! I have been staying up way too late with a pen and paper sketching several new ideas! They are just sketches now; I'm not sure how long I can put off putting them into fabric and thread, but I'm trying.

I've started ideas for a quilt in memory of my mom who passed away last November, a new embroidered quilt that I may teach in a local class and few other ideas. For now I am content to doodle on paper and plan out fabric, embroidery designs and quilt blocks. But it won't take long to switch to fabric! :)

OESD Block Party April 19-23

OESD is once again having a block party weekend where all their downloadable individual designs and design packs are buy 1, get 1 free. This is a great way to stock up on designs and save lots of $$.

Check out OESD's new beta design search. It is a vast improvement over the old version. It is much easier to search for and find designs and the layout is much more intuitive. There are new advanced searching options too, like limiting search results to when the designs were created. That can be very helpful when searching for a certain design. They have also made a few changes to their New Packs page - another great improvement!

The Fabric Swap Package Has Arrived!!

I was so thrilled this morning as I picked up this package at the post office! After glancing at it I knew it was the package of fabric that was apart of our Recycled Fabric Swap started in March.

I was so excited to get home, open it up and see what neat fabrics were hidden inside! And I was not disappointed!! Just look at these neat pieces of fabric. I really love the purple/pink marble and ivory victorian floral! Every piece will add some variety to my collection of fabric!

Thank you to all the ladies who participated! From reading your notes as the package traveled from person to person, it sounds like you enjoyed it just as much as I did! There is nothing better than receiving fabric in the mail and able to swap fabrics from all over the country!

I'm planning our next Recycled Fabric Swap for the first week in June! More information will be coming in the days ahead. I already have a list of excited fabric lovers signed up for our next swap. Email me with your name, email addy and mailing address if you would like to be added to the list. I'm planning some options and new ideas for the next swap, so stay tuned!

A Pink Ebay - Quilt Pink Auction

Thanks to Gina at QuiltersBuzz for the following information on the pink quilt auctions for sale on eBay! Take a peek at the unique pink quilts; you are sure to find some ideas! :)

See hundreds of pink quilts that will be on sale on eBay over the next few months to benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Thousands of quilters and quilt shops throughout the world participated in this event sewing over 4000 quilts to help raise money for breast cancer. The first set of quilts are on the auction block right now on eBay.

One hundred percent of the sale price goes to this non-profit foundation. Their mission statement is: To save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures.

About the event:
On Saturday, Sept. 30, 2006, more than 1,000 quilt shops all across the globe held Quilt Pink events, attracting thousands and thousands of quilters sharing one common goal – to stitch together quilts in support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever. The result was overwhelming.

American Patchwork & Quilting is proud to announce The Quilt Pink Charity Auction to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This six-month auction campaign launched April 5, 2007. It will feature weekly auctions, beginning each Thursday, totaling nearly 4,000 handmade quilts that showcase the talent and hope of quilters to unite in supporting a cure for breast cancer.

Check out the auction...It's a pink site to see.

Reusing Dull Thread Scissors

What do you do with scissors that are no longer sharp? Some scissors, like thread clippers and shears can be sharpened to prolong their life. But the some of the greatest embroidery scissors to use for clipping threads have curved blades like snip-eze scissors. With the curved blade, there is no way they can be sharpened. Clipping small amounts of fabric, like trimming away the excess fabric around embroidery applique designs is much easier to do with a curved pair of scissors. But the fabric will dull small embroidery scissors very quickly. After repeated use the curved blades of scissors get dull and won't clip the threads neatly. Should you just throw them away since you can't sharpen them? No, instead save them for other projects that don't require such a sharp edge.

My snip-eze scissors are my best friends! I can hardly stitch embroidery designs without them to clip jump threads. When the blades start to get dull, I will save it for trimming the fabric around applique embroidery designs. The small curved blades work great for snipping the fabric close to the stitches and it doesn't require a very sharp blade. I will then tie a piece of ribbon on the end of my new pair of scissors, so I can distinguish which one is the sharpest. I have a new pair of scissors that clips my embroidery threads easily, but I also can still use my old pair for trimming small amounts of fabric when needed. It prolongs the life of my scissors a little longer and I can have a new pair for threads and an old pair for fabric!

Framing Quilt Blocks, Fabric & Embroidery Designs

Need some ideas to for home decorating this month? Consider framing your favorite quilt blocks, fabrics and embroidery designs in picture frames. It is simple, easy to do and provides a great way to display your quilting and embroidery talent!

Framing quilt blocks - I almost always have leftover blocks or fabric from quilts I have made. Take those leftover blocks or fabrics, insert them in a frame and display it along with your quilt. Choose a frame that compliments the colors in your block. By using a frame that is larger than your block, you can add borders around the block to fit the frame. Or border the block with a mat or double mat. Stagger two or more blocks in a larger frame or overlap the edges for an asymmetrical design.

After you have bordered the block to the size for the frame, you may want to starch the back of the fabric to give it a stiff finish. Then fuse wonderunder to the back. Peel off the paper backing and fuse the block to a piece of cardboard or cardstock cut to the same size that will fit in the frame. This will hold the block in place, preventing it from shifting in the frame. To preserve the fabric, you could use acid-free cardstock or cardboard.

Framing fabric or fabric panels - I have lots of fabric I bought just because I love it! Why not frame it and enjoy it? Florals, nature scenes, animal prints and other fun fabrics can be inserted into a picture frame. Pick out details from larger prints such as a large flower, a scenic cottage or a running horse. Pillow panels on fabric yardage or fabric panels can be cut out and framed very easily.

Starch the fabric if needed to add body to it. Cut the fabric to the size needed to fit in the frame. Fuse wonderunder to the back, peel off the paper backing and fuse to a piece of cardstock or cardboard. Insert into a coordinating picture frame. It's a quick and easy way to add decor to any room!

Framing embroidery designs - Machine embroidery looks great on quilts and garments, but is perfect to create professional looking frames to hang on your walls. Pick out your favorite embroidery designs and stitch them on flannel or felt. If the design is dense with over 10,000 stitches, you will want to use a cutaway stabilizer. It may be necessary to put a water soluble topping such as aqua film on the top of the fabric to keep the stitches from burying down in the pile of the flannel or felt. Instead of hooping the fabric, which could leave a hoop burn mark, hoop the stabilizer and spray it with spray adhesive. Stick the fabric on the hooped stabilizer and stitch.

Keeping the design centered, cut the fabric down to the size needed for the frame. If using flannel, fuse wonderunder to the fabric and then fuse to cardboard or cardstock to help hold its shape. When using felt, it is heavy enough that the wonderunder usually is not needed. The extra layer of cardboard with the felt may be too thick for the frame.

Give framed quilt blocks, fabric and machine embroidery designs a try! It is a quick and easy decor project that can brighten up any room. Use smaller frames for tabletops and dressers. Use larger picture frames and a combination of quilt blocks or embroidery designs to hang on the wall. Incorporate photos with fabric and embroidery into frames. Find fun frames and mats that coordinate with your fabric and designs. The possibilities are endless!!

Visit my online gallery for quilt blocks, fabric and embroidery designs I have framed and embellished!

April is National Decorating Month

April is National Decorating Month - a perfect time to brighten up your home with the refreshing colors of Spring with curtains, pillows, picture frames, wall hangings and quilts! As you are busy creating, sprinkle a few embroidery designs into your projects to add a bit more flare. Use beaded, feathered and corded trims to add detail to your projects!

Martha Stewart & Sewing Endorsement

Joan from Lazy Girl Designs has a post about Martha Stewart's recent endorsement with SVP Worldwide. SVP Worldwide manufactures Singer, Viking and Pfaff sewing machines. Hopefully this will inspire more people to the sewing and quilting world.

Here is an excerpt from the SVP Worlwide press release:

"My mother taught me the basics of sewing at a young age and I have had
Singer sewing machines in my home since I was a girl. I used them to make many
of my clothes in high school and college and I even sewed my wedding dress,”
stated Martha Stewart. “Sewing is a wonderfully useful skill. It enables anyone
to create beautiful and functional projects or even enhance something as basic
as a paper gift bag. I’m delighted that sewing is enjoying a national
renaissance since I know very well the pride and pleasure that can be derived
from this rewarding pursuit."

Martha Stewart's website if full of sewing and craft ideas and projects. The projects vary from something as simple and basic as sewing on a button to more complex such as a quiet book or creating a footstool cover.

Hearts & more hearts

This is my finished heart wall hanging project. I created several applique hearts I needed and instead of just tossing the blocks into a pile of unfinished projects, I created something with them. The stippling around the hearts really makes the hearts puff up, giving them a raised, 3D look to them.

The binding was fun and something new I tried. It is the piped binding method that Ricky Tims shows in his latest DVD, Grand Finale. It is very easy to cut and stitch the binding and apply it to the quilt. And the great thing for those of you who dislike handwork, is that the bindng is finished by stitching in the ditch instead of tacking on by hand. Since I love handwork, I don't mind stitching on the binding by hand, but it is quicker with this method by stitching in the ditch.

Wrinkle Free Quilt Backing

Starting with a smooth and sturdy quilt backing is the first step to achieve a quilt with the back free from tucks and puckers. What fabric is the best? Should it be prewashed? How can the backing gain more body after it has been washed? Read on to discover some tips for preparing your quilt backing!

What is the best fabric to use for quilt backing? Before choosing the fabric, consider what kind of quilting you will be doing on the quilt. Will it be machine or hand quilted? Will the stitching be dense and close together or will it be spread out? Will you be creating feathers, circles, squiggles or just stitching in the ditch?

Most of the time your fabric needs to be 100% cotton to match the remainder of your quilt. Avoid cotton/poly blends; they are much harder to quilt through by machine and especially by hand. If you are hand quilting, do not use a dense cotton fabric with a thread count of 200 or more. The threads are woven tighter together, which makes it much harder to work the needle in and out of the fabric. You will also want to avoid polished or specially treated cottons; the finished coating on the fabric makes more work for the needle as it is stitching.

To quilt by machine, any 100% cotton fabric is a good choice, even flannel. If you can find a coordinating fabric that is available in a 90" -120" width, this is the easiest. However, when using 45" wide fabric, you will just need to pieces the panels together to create a backing large enough for your quilt. To avoid extra bulk in the seams, be sure to trim off the selvedge and trim the seams to 1/4". The selvedge is treated so it will not ravel and is hard to quilt, plus you do not want the holes in the selvedge on a lighter fabric to show through on the backing.

Should you prewash the backing fabric? If you have prewashed the quilt top fabrics (you should to prevent fabric color runs and shrinkage), then, yes, you should also prewash the backing. Cotton fabrics tend to have a little more body and support before they are washed, which is an added plus for a quilt backing. But, if the backing shrinks when the top doesn't or the color in the backing runs to the quilt top fabrics, you will be very disappointed in your finished quilt. Even though prewashing tends to soften most fabrics, it is best to prewash the backing before attaching it to the quilt top. Some wide cotton backings have already been prewashed. If this is the case, it will be clearly marked on the bolt of fabric. If you are unsure, always prewash first.

How can you add body to the quilt backing after it has been washed and dried? The simple answer to this question is starch! Yes, starch is great for piecing bias and odd angled quilt pieces and eliminating puckers from the fabric caused by embroidery designs, but it is also perfect to help prevent tucks and puckers in the backing fabric. Adding starch is more time consuming, but worth the extra effort.

When I prewash my quilt backing, I add liquid starch to the water. I use the smallest amount of water I can in the washing machine to cover the fabric and pour in the liquid starch, letting it sit for 10 minutes or so. How much starch do I use? This depends on the stiffness of the cotton fabric I am using, but for most cottons, I use 1 part starch to 4 parts water (1 cup of starch to 4 cups of water). After it soaks in the starch water, I run the fabric through the rinse cycle and then throw it in the dryer. I always pull the fabric out of the washer and completely spread it out, so it is not tangled or wrapped around itself before sticking it in the dryer. This will save you tons of time pressing out wrinkles later.

I take the fabric out of the dryer while it is still slightly damp. Then I press it, as large of an area as I can fit on the ironing board at a time. The slight dampness in the fabric makes it easier to press out the creases and wrinkles. If the fabric does not have the body or stiffness that I like, I use my bottle of spray starch and starch the fabric as I am pressing. (See What is the Benefit of Starch? for more starching tips.) Large pieces of fabric, especially wide widths are harder to press. Just press it sections at a time and you will reach the end. For fabrics that you piece together, consider prewashing, starching, drying and pressing each panel before stitching the backing together. It will be easier to handle during the washing and pressing process. After each panel has been pressed, stitch them together and trim and press the seams.

Quilting your quilt should be fun, not a frustration from puckers and tucks in the fabric. Try to prevent these little frustrations before you even start sandwiching the pieces together by fabric selection, prewashing and starching the backing. Hand fun with your next quilt or wall hanging!

Jenny Haskins Downloads

Jenny Haskins, editor of Creative Expressions and designer of many embroidered quilts, including Beyond the Color Purple, the Color Purple: the Next Generation and many others, has lots of things to explore on her website!

You can click the link for free embroidery designs featured in the 2007 Creative Expressions calender on the home page. Plus see the other free designs and instructions for projects in the latest issue of Creative Expressions.

Click on the downloads link to access more fun stuff! The Color Purple Cushion, Antique Cutwork table runner, Victorian Applique Cushion plus many other projects and designs are just waiting to be downloaded.

You can look at all of the designs collections that Jenny has digitized plus see the latest issue of Creative Expressions along with the latest embroidered quilt books that Jenny has written!

Take a peek at this fun site! It will keep your embroidery project to-do list overflowing!! :)