Last day for Recycled Fabric Swap!!!

This is the last day to sign up for our Second Recycled Fabric Swap!! You won't want to miss out on swapping yards and yards of fabric from all over the country! Email me with your name, snail mail addy, email addy and whether you would like to participate in the box or envelope swap or both!! I need your info by Saturday for you to be added to the list.

See more details here...

Quilting Tools You Might Need

When you have the right tools to complete a project, it goes so much smoother and easier. The same is very true with machine quilting. If you have the tools to make it simpler and easier, your quilting will be much easier and more enjoyable. I've listed several items below that I cannot quilt without. Each one helps me through the quilting process from start to finish.

Extension table - There is no way I can quilt, especially a large quilt, without my clear, acrylic extension table that attaches to my machine. Because my sewing machine sits on a 6' table, the extension table gives me extra space to move the quilt around. If you have a sewing cabinet where your machine will set down inside so the bed of the machine is level with the table, that is the ideal solution! But right now, my machine is not sitting in a cabinet, so my extension table is a must have!

Extra tables - Allow for plenty of space behind and to the left of your sewing machine. This will eliminate the quilt falling off the table and dragging as you are stitching. When the quilt drags, it is much harder to move the fabric through the machine, plus you are more likely to get uneven stitches because you are working against the falling quilt. I set my machine toward the middle to right end of the 6' table. Then I add a table behind the 6' table and a table in front and to the left of my sewing machine. I can easily hold the quilt in front of me, supporting it on the table to my left. As the quilt passes through the machine, the table in back catches it so it doesn't fall of hang off. The two extra tables are portable and I can move them around if needed. When I am not quilting I can put them away to create more room in my sewing room.

Quilting gloves - Quilting gloves do two things. Their tight grip supports my hands and wrists as I am constantly moving the quilt layers. Plus the fingers are coated so that I am able to grip the fabric easier, making it easier to move back and forth. This pair of gloves fits snugly on my hand so they are not cumbersome or interfere with my quilting.

Freehand foot & walking foot - A freehand foot is absolutely necessary if you are planning any freehand stitching or stippling. I use both my Bernina stitch regulator (BSR), an open toe freehand foot and a closed circle freehand foot, depending on the kind of stitching I am doing. For stitching in the ditch, I use the walking foot so the layers will glide evenly through the machine.

Knee lever - The knee lever attached to my sewing machine works as a third hand, raising and lowering the presser foot with movement of my knee. This way I can keep both hands on my quilt to maneuver it and use my knee to lift and lower the presser foot. My hands don't ever have to leave the quilt.

Pillow - Because my table is higher than a sewing cabinet, my sewing machine sits higher. I use the pillow to sit on so I am at the right height for quilting. I want to be comfortably looking down at my stitches instead of straining to look up and see where I am going. Sitting at a comfortable height reduces the stress on your shoulders, back and arms. I always have an additional cushion attached to my sewing room chair, but when quilting I often will add a pillow or layer several pillows to get the height I need.

Another beautiful BCP embroidered quilt...

click image to enlarge

Gwen McGinnis sent me a photo of her beautiful Beyond the Color Purple quilt she completed. She used Lakehouse cotton fabrics and burgundy and purple washable velvets and satins. She entered it in the Pigeon Forge Quiltfest and displayed it at the Jonesborough Visitor Center.

Aren't the color combination gorgeous together? And take a close look at all the stippling and quilting in the blocks and borders. Beautiful, beautiful!!! You did a superb job on your quilt, Gwen!! Thanks for sharing it with us!!

It is always so fun to see how the same quilt pattern can be created with different fabrics and threads. The finished results are spectacular with each and every combination!!

Anyone else have a BCP quilt or other embroidered quilt to share? Email me a photo and some details and I will post it for all of us to enjoy!

Dish Washing Soap Apron

Debbie, from About Sewing shares her pattern and directions for a cute little apron for that liquid soap bottle hanging around your kitchen sink. Instead of hiding the bottle under the cabinet, dress it with this neat little apron and let it sit out for all to see!

New Photos in Gallery

I finally have all the photos uploaded of the Camp Memory Quilt I made in 2005. I had taken photos months ago and tried several times to edit the photos to upload the way I wanted, but came up with glitch after glitch. But now everything is uploaded and working great!

This quilt was so fun to design and stitch! I completed three quilts in a little over a month - not something I want to ever do again! I really enjoyed designing each block, printing photos on fabric paper sheets and stitching the over 300 designs.

Recycled Fabric Swap - One Week Left!!!

The deadline to participate in our second fun-filled fabric swap is May 31st!! Email me (info@embtreasures.com) with your name, snail mail addy, email addy and choice of envelope or box by next Thursday to be added to the list of fabric lovers just waiting to receive yards of fabric!!

See more details...

Putting the Quilt Top, Batting & Backing Together

There are many ways that you can sandwich the batting between the quilt top and backing to prepare for machine quilting. Whether it is thread basting or pinning the layers together with safety pins, there is more than one way to get the job accomplished!

My favorite place to spread out my quilt top, batting and backing is the floor. I know everyone may not have the space to do this or may be unable to crawl around on the floor, but it works very well for me. You will need to work on carpet that does not contain loops where the carpet fibers could get pinned to the quilt.

My first goal is to spread out the backing, wrong side up on the floor. I want the backing to be as smooth and wrinkle free as possible.

Using t-pins, I will pin the backing edges into the carpet every 12 - 15". I usually pin two sides and then pin the other two sides, carefully pulling the wrinkles out of the backing. As I am pinning the other two sides, I stretch the backing a little to keep it taunt. You will not want to pull it tight, it just needs a little tension to keep it smooth as layers are being added.

After the backing is smooth and wrinkle free, I start smoothing out the batting on top of the backing. The batting just needs to be laid over the backing. You do not want to stretch it out of shape or it could cause problems later. I start in a corner, leaving a couple inches of the backing showing. I work on one side at a time, carefully smoothing and gently pulling the batting to cover the backing.

I take several t-pins out of the backing edge and pin through both the backing and batting to hold the layers together. This will prevent the batting from scooting or bunching as the top is laid on it. I also make sure that I can see the backing all around. This way I know where the edge of the backing is located and I can easily tell if I lay the quilt outside of that area.

It's time for the quilt top! Again, I start in one corner, leaving a few inches of batting from the edge of the quilt top. I smooth out the top, working on one side at a time. If needed I can gently pull the quilt top up, down or sideways to get it in position. Because the backing and batting is tacked to the carpet, the quilt top will move without creating wrinkles or ripples in either the backing or batting. Using my hands, I slide across the quilt, feeling for any bubbles, wrinkles or tucks.

I dump my safety pins in the middle of the quilt and am ready to start pinning. Usually I start in the center, although I have started on one side and pinned to the opposite side. Either way works great! I like to use medium sized (#2) curved safety pins. They are large enough to handle easily, yet small enough not to make holes in the fabric as the pins are inserted. The curved edge is a lifesaver as you are inserting and pulling the pin back through the fabric to close it. I put my safety pins about 4 - 5" apart. If I am stitching in the ditch, I will be sure to place my pins about 3/4 - 1" away from the seam, so they will not catch on the walking foot as I am stitching.

Working from the center, I keep pinning, rotating on all four sides and continue to pin until I reach the edge of the quilt top. As I am pinning, I am keeping the quilt top smooth, carefully pulling and stretching a little if needed. I also look at my sashing and borders to be sure they are lying flat and straight. If a strip of sashing is pinned with a wave or curve, it will be quilted the same way. Be sure everything lays flat and straight. Now is the time to change it before you start quilting.

After I have pinned the entire quilt with safety pins, I will cut off any extra backing or batting that extends 3 - 5" beyond the quilt top. The quilt is heavy and bulky enough without the extra that I don't need. Starting on one side, I tightly roll the quilt toward the center. On the opposite side I will again roll tightly toward the center. The quilt is ready for stitching. I will start quilting in the center and continue to stitch toward the edges.

The Quilt Show

The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims is TV on the Internet! Watch episodes with Alex and Ricky featuring special guests in different fields of quilting, pick up tips and techniques in every episode and get inspired with the gallery of quilt shown!

Not only can you watch all the episodes as many times as you want, at any time, but participate in online chatting sessions, the quilting forum and read the latest on The Quilt Show blog. With a paid membership, you can access and search different quilt shops from around the country, find quilt teachers and discover the latest quilt shows.

Basic membership is free and you can watch the first episode. With a paid membership you can view all 13 episodes plus have access to all the search and find features! Watch your first show and you will not want to miss a single one!

I was able to watch the first 4 episodes over the weekend and greatly enjoyed it! I know, I know, the first show was in April and I should have watched it then. After all, I signed up to be a member in March! But I have a whole pile of quilting and embroidery magazines I have been trying to read through since I am woefully behind on reading my monthly subscriptions! I'm making progress; I'm caught up now into March of this year!

Do take a peek at The Quilt Show! It is something you don't want to miss!!

What do you do when...

The deadline is tomorrow. I have it planned so I will be finished just in time. I turn the stitch length knob, hear something drop and can't change my stitch length! What do I do now? The thought crossed my mind, "There is always more than one way to accomplish a project." And that is just what I did!

A couple weeks ago I was sewing a costume that had yards and yards of sheer fabric that needed to be ruffled and attached to a jacket. My fabric was serged and hemmed, just waiting for the basting thread to gather it up. I lifted my presser foot, inserted my fabric, started to turn my stitch length knob to the basting length of 5 and heard a clunk. All of a sudden my stitch knob turned freely, but my length did not change! The part holding the knob inside the machine fell off.

There was no way I was getting inside my computerized machine to repair the problem. Switching to another machine was out of the question since my other two machines were being cleaned for their annual tune-up. This project had to be finished by tomorrow, so what was I going to do? Basting with a stitch length of 2.5 would not work to gather up the fabric!

First, stop and think! How can I work around the fact that I can't change my stitch length? I started scrolling through my stitches, thinking that I could stitch a zigzag over string and pull the string to gather the fabric. But then a function popped up on my screen that was just what I needed - the long stitch function!

When the long stitch function is engaged, it sews every other stitch. This creates a longer stitch or a basting stitch when using a straight stitch - just what I needed! I flipped back to a straight stitch, engaged the long stitch function and basted the fabric. Perfect!

Things will happen, especially when you are in a hurry or have a deadline to meet. Don't despair and panic! Think of a solution around the problem. Holes appear, fabric gets accidently clipped, you run out of thread or stitch the wrong pieces together. Just remember, "There is always more than one way to accomplish a project!"

See my finished Miss Kitty costume for the yards of purple ruffle I gathered using the long stitch function!

Miss Kitty Costume

This is the Miss Kitty costume I have been working on for the past couple of weeks. It turned out pretty neat and looks nice on the gal who is wearing it!

The red jacket has brushes of gold and purple in the paisley print. It is finished with a sheer purple ruffle around the sleeve hem and jacket hem. The ruffle in the back of the jacket forms a bustle that was common in that time period. There is over 50 yards of the purple ruffle around the jacket hem - lots and lots of gathering! Click here to see what happened when I started to baste all those ruffles!

The gold skirt has the same purple ruffle around the hem. I pulled up and pleated the front so the ruffle would peek out from under the skirt. Three red roses bring the red jacket fabric back into the skirt. That's the part I love - the pulled up skirt and roses! :)

the jacket & skirt front

the jacket back & bustle

detail of roses on front skirt

Class Schedule Newsletter

For those of you who live in western Kansas or would like information about my class teaching schedule, sign up to receive my Class Schedule newsletter. This will not have all the tips & techniques like my weekly newsletter you have been receiving, just details and information on my current classes I am teaching. I will send out monthly updates on where I am teaching, what classes I have scheduled in the upcoming months and the dates on each class.

Please note that if you are receiving my current weekly newsletter, it will not contain my class schedule or local class details. I have created this second newsletter for those of who you desire to know what classes I am teaching, but may not want to receive my other weekly emails.

To sign up, click here and enter your email address. You will be taken to a page where you can select to receive my weekly Tips & Techniques newsletter, my monthly Class Schedule newsletter or both! I will post updates on my latest classes on this blog as well, but to be sure you don't miss something, sign up for my newsletter. Thanks!! :)

Recycled Fabric Swap Second Edition

We had so much fun in March and April swapping our fabrics, that we are doing it again!! The rules are the same as last time, but you have the option of receiving an envelope or box filled with fun fabrics!! Imagine shopping from over 15 yards of fabric from all over the country?! After all, what's better than yards of fabric being delivered right to your door! :)

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!

See more details here...

Pressing & Ironing: What's the Difference?

Is there a certain method to using an iron? What is the purpose of pressing and ironing? Pressing and ironing are two methods for using an iron that are often used interchangeably, but they have different definitions and purposes. The dictionary defines these two words as:

Ironing: The act or process of smoothing or pressing clothes, linens, etc., with a heated iron.

Pressing: To exert steady weight or force against; bear down on.

How does this apply to sewing and quilting? Ironing is moving the iron back and forth to smooth the fabric and take out wrinkles. The iron is not lifted from the fabric, rather it is rolling the iron over the top of the fabric. Ironing should be done cautiously; it can easily distort the fabric grain. Avoid ironing on lightweight fabrics where the fabric can easily be distorted. If the fabric is wet or sprayed with starch, the dampness weakens the threads which will easily stretch out of shape if ironed. Always avoid ironing wet or damp fabric. For piecing quilt pieces and seams, ironing can stretch the fabric out of shape, which makes sewing the patchwork pieces together harder to do. Use ironing for large sections of fabric like quilt backings and garments.

Pressing is an up and down action with the iron. The iron is set down on the fabric for a few seconds, lifted and moved to another location, then set down again. This action is continued until the area desired has been pressed. Pressing is less likely to distort the fabric grain because the iron is not plowing over the fabric. When applying spray starch to fabric, always press the fabric instead of ironing it. For piecing quilt pieces and seams, the point of the iron can be used to flip a seam to one side or flip the seam open. Then the iron is set down on the seam for a few seconds to press it into the desired place. Press fabrics so they do not become distorted or stretched out of shape.