(photo from laybabylay) The past little while I have felt a gentle pull to cut back on my commitments in the area of paper-crafting. I have fought against those feelings for as long as I could, but lately have found...

Many fiber artists have captured dry, lacy leaves in quilts. They lend themselves so well to lustrous threads and machine embroidery. But, as anyone who has tried to create thread-only designs can tell you, patience and a good water-soluble stabilizer are absolute musts.

Join the Sew Much Moore Quilt Block Club Swap and connect with quilters worldwide in a creative, community-driven exchange

At Sew Modern Bags we bring you lots of fabulous sewing patterns each week. However, now and again we come across a training video or photo tutorial that we

Crochet details can transform your home decor in a very easy way. Add a trim, edging, or applique to your blanket, and enjoy the new look!

I am so honored to be invited again by the wonderful Agatha from Green Issues by Agy to jump on board her new blogging train: Making Good...

As the end of summer and the beginning of fall approaches, I am so excited! COOLER WEATHER! It makes me actually want to move around again. The coolness permeates the house through the open windows in the mornings. It is invigorating, and I think, 'What will I do today?' Now don't get me wrong. I'm not so full of spunk that I am going to clean all the rooms in the house today, or get that huge project finished, or anything funny as that. But I do see some progress in my work, which to me, is quite exciting! Sewing is one of my favorite pastimes. Collecting sewing notions is something that I just cannot stop doing! I decided to pull together some pretties and show them off this week. Below, packages of Silhouette trim were a recent find that are going in the 'keep' collection! I hope you are all having a lovely week! And that cool breezes and refreshing days are part of your future! Take care and thank you so much for visiting me! Blessings, Doni

The Super Easy Bag. A digital Sewing Pattern by Laura Cunningham of Sweet Cinnamon Roses.  This project is part of the brand new Super Easy Pattern Series, designed especially with beginners in mind. If you know how to turn on your sewing machine and sew a straight (-ish) line — you're golden!  The pattern includes loads of pictures to help you create your own zipper bag. The bag is suitable for beginners, is quickly made, has zipper tabs, rounded corners, is quilted and comes in three (3) sizes and two (2) styles. Whole cloth for beginners and patchwork for all you quilters.  With the purchase of this pattern you will receive a digital copy of my pattern via Email. There is no need to print it unless you wish to do so, as there are no templates needed. So you can start straight away. Additional bonus video tutorial for all visual learners. And as with all my patterns, it includes a license to sell. So feel free to make as many zipper pouches as you wish to gift or sell. But please remember, this pattern is for one person only. Do not copy, redistribute or sell. If you wish to teach a class, please get in touch with me.  Materials used: quilting cotton, batting, zipper, thread (find details on the blog) Finished Size (all in wxd): Large: approx. 8" x 6"  Small: approx. 6" x 4"  Mirco: approx. 4" x 3"  Please find more about the easy bag in my latest blog post. There I talk you through all the materials needed, share my free video tutorial with and you'll find lots of inspiration!  If you have any questions regarding saving/ printing your PDF pattern, which pattern to choose or wonder about the buying process,… please have a look over at my FAQs for more information. And of course please feel free to get in touch if you need anything. I am here to help. Laura x And if you're wondering what materials you'll need - please have a look at the RESOURCES page for all the materials you'll need to get you started. A list - I wish I had ten years ago...

I'm aware of two main methods of adding trapunto to hand quilting. Since most of my quilt is already quilted, I've been left with just one o...

Don't stress over the tension dials on your sewing machine. Find out when and how to set and adjust thread tension.

92 p., 1 l. 28 cm

Recently I've done a little free motion machine embroidery, or thread sketching. From some of the comments I received it's clear that this...

Sunday morning I played around with new stones thinking they were going to be grey but perhaps because it is the bleak mid-winter ...

Want to make a woolie pentagon box for your sewing notions? This is a Dodecahedron. (don't say that with a mouthful of popcorn!) 12 pentagons, 30 edges, and 20 vertices (points)! You will need: Lightweight cardboard, cut 12 cardboard pentagon shapes. Cotton quilt batt scraps cut to the same size as cardboard, please cut 13 pentagons, the extra will be for the inside of the lid. Lightweight mismatched felted wools for the faces, cut 12 pentagons, 1/4 to 1/2 inch larger than the cardboard. Lightweight wool or flannel of one colour to use as lining, cut 12 pentagons, 1/4 to 1/2 inch larger than the cardboard. (Check my Etsy Shop...from time to time I will have templates and kits listed) This is my favourite quick method for fusing the layers, Cut pieces of fusible hem tape to the length of a side. Now trim that piece in half lengthwise. Layer the batting between the cardboard and wool fabric. Carefully place trimmed fusing tape on cardboard, fold over the wool fabric and iron. Repeat on all 5 sides. Trim the corners Press again Now press a hem on the lining pieces. Use the cardboard as a template, work around all sides Here are 12 covered and batted pieces with 12 liners ready to stitch. To reduce bulk, trim away the corners on the lining. Be careful not to trim past the ironed hem. Leave just a smidge for stitching. Pin lining to the cardboard side of the wool and batt pieces. Use a neutral coloured thread and make small whip stitches to join the sides. I used Coates and Clark polyester, brown #8360. ***Stop here and decide which shape will be the lid, use the extra, or 13th piece of batting for the lining side of the cardboard*** Lay out the finished pieces I chose the red piece to be my lid. It has batting on both sides of the cardboard. Join each side with small whip stitches. Stitch on the right side of the pentagons. Six pieces joined, place right sides down. Now bring up the sides and stitch one side at a time. (Stop now if you want a bowl!) Add a row around the bowl Keep going all the way around the bowl, using 5 more shapes. The last shape is your lid. This is the piece that has batting on both sides. The perfect spot to hold needles and pins! Not finished yet. Time to personalize and pretty it up a bit. Work a feather stitch, which is an adaption of a blanket stitch, along all the edges. Embroider with one colour, or a combination of thread colours. Add a fob to hold the lid down. I used a bobbin, a woolie strawberry, and a button! You could use one, or all, or any weighty dangle thing of your choice. What will you keep in your Dodecahedron? I will be making wool pieced kits for this project, no thread. I'm playing with the shapes to get just the right sized opening. Let me know if you are interested. Happy New Year! Check my Etsy Shop. From time to time I will have templates and kits available.

I had several people e-mail me and ask about pin stitching after reading my last journal entry , so I decided to create a tutorial and show...

Tiny vessels hand stitched and cut to form abstracted memories. Sizes from 3-8 cms. Loop Head stitch pots Worn and Wethered Summer Fields Autumn

Five hand stitches that should be in every sewist’s repertoire, by Tasha Miller Griffith.

This kantha needle book tutorial can inspire your creativity, improve improv quilting skills, and give you a chance to experiment with hand stitching.

Given the choice, I prefer hand sewing over machine and appliqué has got to be one of my favourite techniques. It’s like a form of art, I guess – the way you can take the teeniest, tin…

You can use a regular sewing machine to add embroidery to garments. Learn how with this tutorial.

love simple sewing patterns for beginners because they are way more mindless. There are a bunch of easy sewing projects on this list that I have made lots

Customize it to Fit Your Tools and Supplies! This pretty sewing station drapes over the arm of a sofa or chair for easy access to hand-sewing tools. It keeps everything handy and folds up when you’re done, making it easy to sit down and sew whenever you have a few minutes and clean up the …

【Size】Twin - 2 Piece Set includes 1 Quilt (68 in wide x 86 in long), 1 Standard Sham (20 in wide x 26 in long) 【High Quality Material】100% cotton outer fabric with soft cotton fill offers breathability and a luxurious hand-feel 【Design】Reversible design with print and solid color options allow you to change the look of your room in an instant 【Easy Care】Easy Care Machine Washable Care - recommended wash cold, gentle cycle and tumble dry on low heat. Do not bleach. 【About us】We has specialized in design and production of quality home textiles for over 10 years.We have an outstanding production R&D team. Highly skilled design team, and a robust sales team dedicated to our brand and services.

Discover rococo, bullion, and chain and how to use each in projects.

Learn to Sew Fast and Easy Fabric Bowls; you need only fabric and interfacing scraps and less than 30 minute.

Greetings, Feeling Stitchy readers! I'm excited to bring you embroidery-related tutorials on Thimblenest Thursdays! I'm sure spouses, children, and pets could testify that those of us who dabble in embroidery are prone to misplace needles from time to time. Having been guilty of that myself, I started getting a little worried recently when I also began misplacing my embroidery scissors. After finding myself sitting on them one too many times, I devised a way to keep them in a safer, more visible place on my person at all times--a wrist cuff! Calculating Your Fabric/Notion Measurements As you read through the following tutorial, please keep in mind that this cuff is based on my scissor and wrist/arm measurements. Obviously everyone has different sized arms and scissors, so you may need to adjust your fabric dimensions accordingly. For reference, my scissors are 1 5/8" x 3 5/8" (4 cm x 9 cm)--if your scissors are around that size, the pocket should probably work. Most important is the wrist/forearm measurement; at the wrist, my arm circumference measured 6" (15 cm) . 4 inches (10 cm) up my forearm (the height of the cuff), the circumference was 7" (17.8 cm). Based on the 7" measurement, I added 2" (5 cm) of overlap to be sure the cuff fit. To be sure your cuff will fit, follow this formula: Forearm circumference (at largest part of arm where cuff will sit) + 2 inches (5 cm) = length to cut main fabric and interfacing. From this point forward I'll be referring to the measurements I used to create my cuff. If your scissors are roughly the same size as mine, the only thing that will be different is the length/width of your cuff. Let's do this! Materials For main cuff 2 pieces midweight cotton: 9" (23 cm) x 4" (10 cm) 1 piece lightweight iron-on interfacing: 9" (23 cm) x 4" (10 cm) double-fold bias tape 2 pieces 4" (10 cm) long 2 pieces 10" (25.5 cm) long (the length of the cuff + 1 inch (2.5 cm)) For pocket 2 pieces midweight cotton: 2 3/4" (7 cm) x 3 1/4" (8.25 cm) 1 piece felt or thin batting: 2 3/4" (7 cm) x 3 1/4" (8.25 cm) double-fold bias tape 1 piece 4" (10 cm) long 1 3" (7.5 cm) piece of Velcro Water soluble fabric marker Sewing pins or clips Assembling the Main Cuff Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of one main cuff piece. Place both cuff pieces with wrong sides together and sew around all four sides using a 1/8" (3.175 mm) seam allowance. Sew the 4" (10 cm) bias tape to each short end of the main cuff. Then attach the 10" (25.5 cm) bias tape to the long edges; extend the extra length evenly over each end at the corners. Fold the raw edges in on themselves before sewing the bias tape down. Your main cuff is complete! Assembling the Pocket & Attaching to Cuff Place the two cotton fabric pieces with right sides facing; lay the felt or batting piece on top of them. Sew all three layers together using a scant 1/4" (6.35 mm) seam allowance, leaving one short side unstitched. Trim seam allowance close to stitching. Turn pocket right side out--cotton fabric should now be visible on both sides and felt/batting will be turned to inside. Push out corners and press entire pocket with a hot iron. Apply remaining 4" (10 cm) piece of bias tape to top (open) edge of pocket, turning in raw ends. Center pocket on top of main cuff along bottom edge and stitch through all layers using a 1/8" (3.175 mm) seam allowance--leave top edge of pocket open! Applying Velcro & Finishing Cuff Try the cuff on--hold in place with pins or clips. Using the short end of the overflap as a guide to draw a line with the water soluble marker on the underflap. Your line will be at an angle because the cuff forms a cone as it wraps around your arm. Place the loop side of the Velcro tape just inside the line you drew (following its angle) and sew in place. Flip the cuff over and sew the hook side of the Velcro tape at the opposite end of the cuff. Remove the water soluble line. Your cuff is finished! Strap on the cuff and gather your scissors and needles (the padded pocket makes a nice little mini pincusion!). Your scissors can be worn either underneath or on top of your wrist and you can embroider in peace--no worries about sitting down on a sharp surprise! How do you keep your embroidery scissors under control?

One of the many benefits of sewing your own wardrobe is that you can customize handmade projects however you like. Kaysie of KZJO'STUDIO shared this beautiful Shell Edge Finish Tutorial that is the perfect finishing touch for many different knit sewing projects. This lovely accent will transform any basic piece into a one-of-a-kind creation. Click here for the entire tutorial and happy sewing! In her example, Kaysie uses KZJO'STUDIO Ashlin Dress Sewing Pattern to add her shell edge finish, but you can use this technique on almost any knit sewing pattern. Order your Ashlin Dress along with many more Indie Sewing Patterns at Girl Charlee today! Kaysie's tutorial includes many sewing tips for readers like the suggestion of using a contrast thread to show off the shell edge. This is such a fun added touch, why not show it off? Don't forget to practice on a scrap piece of fabric before sewing your Ashlin to master the technique and see how your stitches will look. The Ashlin is designed to be sewn in a stable knit fabric including Cotton Lycra and Ponte De Roma. A few of my picks from the store: Follow Girl Charlee Fabrics's board Knit Fabric Sewing Tutorials on Pinterest. We hope you enjoy this tutorial! We love to see what you sew up so please send 1-2 images* of any project you make with Girl Charlee Fabrics to [email protected] and you might see your creation featured in our next Knit Picks! *Please note that all images submitted are subject for Girl Charlee promotional use. Happy Sewing! ~ Heather & The Girl Charlee Team SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

When you're an avid sewist it goes without saying that you, your family, pets and home are always covered in thread. As I take the lift down from my apartment I'm often embarrassed to discover there's even thread scattered on the corridor carpet outside my front door - how did it get there?!!! And I feel bad for my husband who regularly removes thread from his suit trousers when he's at work. All this changed last July when I went to Quilting By The Lake and was introduced to the wonders of taping a paper bag to the edge of my sewing table. How come it took 50 years for me to discover something as simple as this would stop my life being covered in thread? Last week the light bulb went on for me; heck sewing is my life and I'm pretty sure I deserve something better than a brown paper bag taped to the end of my sewing table - so there and then I set about making myself a thread catcher. Rather than reinvent the wheel for such a simple object I did a quick internet image search for thread catchers and over and over again my favourite was one by Elizabeth Hartman @Oh Fransson. I took a look at her website and was delighted that she has a free project tutorial to make the Pincushion Organiser. Happy Dancing! What should/could have taken minutes took me an evening and into the next day - picking fabrics - boy it can be hard to choose fabrics for yourself. I don't know about you but I find it really easy to choose fabrics for others but for me, well there's simply too much choice and so much I love. Finally, I chose the following: "Line" Edges collection by Laura Gunn for Michael Miller Fabrics Confetti Dots - Dear Stella - pink Liberty Art Fabrics Lifestyle - Bloomsbury collection - Catherine and Bell red felt covered button from stash Aurifil thread #4182 - medium turquoise And this is my review Oh Fransson's Pincushion Organiser project: The pincushion is long and the position of my sewing machine over at the right-hand side of my sewing table means the left-hand edge of the pincushion and the thread catcher are pretty much in front of me as I sew. My Tip: if you'll have the same issue where you want to use your pincushion organiser sew the thread catcher hanging loop to the right-hand side of the organiser rather than on the left. You can see in the pic above that the pincushion slides off my sewing table. This is partly due to the shiny surface finish of my table and partly to the lack of weight in the pincushion to hold it in place. My Tips: add more rice to the pincushion insert to increase the weight and/or sew a piece of adhesive velcro to the underside of the pincushion that will be directly against your sewing table (not the piece that will lie on top of the organiser - this will make sense when you are making the pincushion) and then attach the opposite side of the adhesive velcro to your sewing table. I've solved these issues for me by moving my pincushion organiser off onto my ironing surface to my right - it's right next to me so still super easy to catch threads and reach for all the necessary notions and the fabric no longer slides against the metallic ironing surface. Not called for in the pattern but I added a row of top stitching to both side edges of the red felt to hold the pressed seams and create a flatter neater finish. My Tip: I didn't close the seam on the back of the pincushion pocket, The gap isn't visible and the opening will allow me to easily remove the flannel rice infill to wash the organiser. Overall I think it's a great project and I'm super pleased with it. I'll definitely make it again as a gift for other sewists and incorporate the changes I've detailed. Yep, it sure beats a brown paper bag and life's so much better when my thread's confined to my projects and not being worn by everyone I love ;D If you'd like to make your own version of the Pincushion Organiser by Elizabeth Hartman @Oh Fransson (for personal use only) you can click through to the project here. Featured on: Clicking on an image will take you to a new page of crafty goodness :) Click to follow me on Follow Linky Parties This post may be linked to some great Linky Parties, always a great source of inspiration too. If you click through to my 'Fave Linky Parties' page you can see where I like to share my work.

Blogged

Exploring scale on crochet making: how about those tiny pin cushion? cute, no?

Needlebooks come in quite handy for keeping track of your pins and needles (and make a charming addition to any sewing basket). DIY Tutorial

Learn how to make broderie anglaise lace (eyelet lace) by hand. It's really easy!