Somehow, in my sewing and quilting life, I’ve never gotten very far with hand stitching. (This is funny, right? Isn’t this all how we learn to sew in the first place? I remember my very first cross-st
Who doesn’t love those illustrated ecards that float around the internet? I’ve seen so many funny sewing ecards, but often when I want to find them again, I can’t. So I went to the Someecards site and below I’ve compiled for you the best selection of sewing humor I found there. You can click on...Read More
...on the way to a distraction. I got distracted. The other day I was reading blogs and perusing Pinterest to get my quilting engines revv...
Блог о рукоделии, декоре, кулинарии и путешествиях
We have a huge stash of free patterns in our Free Quilt Inspiration archive and we are excited to share them with you. T o go to a patte...
Save money on sewing thread by using serger spools on your regular sewing machine.
Well, after y’all loved the Coach’s last post, I talked him into doing another one. Enjoy! I tried to explain that this was a one time deal the first time I agreed to post on the blog. It didn’t help when you readers started leaving comments about how funny my post was and now here...Read More
Hi! I'm Marti Michell. When Moda asked me to be part of the Rulers Rule blog hop I immediately said “Yes!” It was almost as easy to decide that, because Log Cabin quilts are popular with nearly everyone, the From Marti Michell Log Cabin Rulers would be the tools I'd want to talk about!Just in case you haven’t made a Log Cabin quilt or even a block, Log Cabin starts with a center square and is completed by adding strips to the center unit in either a clockwise or counterclockwise order.
Aujourd’hui, je vais peut-être me faire rabrouer, voulant casser un mythe encore bien ancré en France… auquel j’ai cru moi aussi dur comme fer ! Toute quilteuse a entendu un jour …
From the back of my 1966 McCall’s Home Catalog: Where to begin with this ad… I’ll be back next week with photos from my 1920s Halloween sewing blitz!
Handmade designs, furniture, artworks and recycled crafts created with recycled materials have been a part of home decorating since ancient times
DIY Neck Warmers (Button Tricks!): Neck warmers are one of the things I can't live without during the winters! It's funny how I've never tried to sew a neck warmer until now, really, instructables is inspiring me to make things everyday! I made 4 neck warmers with 4 different pattern…
Add a splash of color to your morning coffee or tea ritual! These ceramic mugs not only have a beautiful design on them, but also a colorful rim, handle, and inside, so the mug is bound to spice up your mug rack. • Ceramic • Height: 3.85″ (9.8 cm) • Diameter: 3.35″ (8.5 cm) • Design on both sides • Color rim, inside, and handle • Dishwasher and microwave safe This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!
Garter stitch(knit every row). You alternate rows between small and large needles, resulting in an open and lacy look... Cast On 16sts. knit one row. With larger needles knit one row. Continue alternating needle sizes. Scarf is 60 inches long. Bind Off loosely with smaller needle.
I just had to share some photos with you from the quilt retreat. Because, we'll a picture says more then a thousand words so then a bunch of pictures much be as good as your average novel right? ^^ Anki and mum hard at work, Anki is the fantastic person who let me borrow one of her sewing machines for the retreat, can't thank you enough Anki! <3 I sit just opposite mum on the same table. I tried my hand at Meshwork, it was quite fun =) This is what can happen when you don't pay attention... We had lot's of laughs over mistakes like this one, most of them could be blamed on "drinking and quilting", but not this one though if I remember correctly ^^ Fabrics, lot's of fabrics! Half of the big room where we sit and sew. Me and mum always sit on the side you don't see here though. Our time to cook dinner and we where enjoying a well deserved glass of wine and good food in the kitchen after having cooked for a few hours. It's more difficult then one would think to make a recipe work for 30 people... My maternal grandparents came to visit one evening which made me so happy as I miss them a lot and I very rarely get to see them. <3 It's quite late in the photo though and we're all very tired. Some of me and mums early work, one bag each (in my case not so much a bag as a "prototype" of a bag ;) ), I love mums bag with the wood fabric, so cool! And do you see the adorable Miranda bear hugging a heart? The lovely Anki had made that for me and it was waiting for me on the sewing machine I got to borrow when I arrived! I nearly cried it was so sweet of her! <3 Annika, our lovely entertainer/singer extraordinaire! The reason for our toned stomach muscles after each quilt retreat - thanks to so many hearty laughs. She'd made such an adorable owl backpack for her beautiful granddaughter Myran -amongst other things =) Ankis beautiful Tonga Treats quilt top. This pattern was really all the rage this retreat, sooo many other, equally beautiful versions where made that I sadly didn't photograph. Yes, I was somewhat, let's use the word "frustrated" with the bag at this point... Being here is complete relaxation <3 Thank you all fantastic ladies for yet another fantastic week of "symester"! Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, they where all taken with my compact camera. =)
1951 Singer Featherweight 221 She is stinky. She has dirty brown oily gook in her nooks and crannies, and she is not very shiny. Her toggle light switch is broken off, there is rust on her stitch plate where the chrome plating has worn away, and she is missing the last little thread guide that belongs just below the needle clamp. Her electrical plug is cracked and has a chunk of plastic (bakelight?) missing, exposing live wires (immediately covered with electrical tape by my horrified and ever-watchful husband). However, she has a gorgeous scrolled chrome face plate, she has a complete bobbin and bobbin case, and she runs and stitches beautifully -- (at least, she was stitching beautifully until I started monkeying with the needle tension dial...) But, most importantly, this Featherweight is MINE! I bought this Singer Featherweight 221 sight unseen from a Habitat for Humanity ReStore located about an hour away from where I live. They had listed it on Craig's List for $200 with a 30-day guarantee, and I was afraid someone else might snatch it up before I was able to get up to Salisbury to take a look at the machine. My son Lars told me I should just buy it over the phone -- "Mom, if you don't like it, you can just sell it on eBay." And he was absolutely right. 1951 Singer Ad for My Exact Machine, the Same Year Mine Was Made According to the Serial Number Chart on the Singer web site here, my Featherweight was manufactured in the U.K. in 1951, then sent to the Canadian Singer factory to be fitted with a 110-120 volt motor so it could be sold in the United States. She came to me with her original Type 3 black leatherette carrying case, which has one broken latch, an intact original handle, and no keys. The case smells like something died in there, like the something that died is still IN THERE, actually, rotting away... I'll deal with that later. Unfortunately, the machine did not come with any accessories or with the instruction manual, but I was able to purchase a reproduction manual from an online Featherweight parts dealer -- and then I discovered that I could download the Featherweight owner's manual from the Singer web site for free, here. I printed it out so I can highlight and take notes. As for the original accessories, they would have added value if I wanted to sell the machine, but I don't need rufflers or hemmers for what I plan to do with this Featherweight. She's in great working condition, but cosmetically she's not up-to-snuff as a collector's item and she isn't one of those really rare iterations that would command a high price in any condition. The machine hasn't been abused, just used well over the years, as attested to by the finish wear and all the pin scratches on the flat bed of the machine. Did she sew children's clothing? Hem trousers? Someone's wedding gown, or treasured quilt? What stories could she tell if she could talk to me? The original straight stitching presser foot is on the machine, and the various quarter inch patchwork feet that most quilters use on Featherweights are all after market parts, anyway. Hmmm... Is That Nancy Drew with her Featherweight? I have ordered a replacement foot pedal and electrical cord for safety, that missing thread guide, a reproduction stitch plate with seam width markings (the original plate has chrome worn away around the feed dogs and did not have the markings), a little spring that goes on the spool holder at the top of the machine, and some Singer sewing machine oil and motor lubricant. Most importantly, I've ordered a replacement for the wool felt liner inside the bottom of the machine, which is soaked with old oil and probably mold as well, and is the most likely culprit for my Featherweight's embarrassing body odor problem. I'm in the process of learning how to clean out the gook and shine her up again. I have read that the factory clear coat finish on a Featherweight is a shellac that is very vulnerable to water and most contemporary cleaning products, as are the mostly intact gold decorative decals on my machine. Since she's not so shiny to begin with, I certainly don't want worsen that problem or accidentally remove any of the decals in my cleaning zeal! Nancy Drew Again, or Is This Trixie Belden? I don't know whether I really got a great deal by the time replacement parts and repairs are factored in, but if I did pay too much, at least it went to a great charity. Proceeds from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore directly fund Habitat for Humanity, helping them to fulfill their mission statement: "Habitat for Humanity believes that every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live. We build and repair houses all over the world using volunteer labor and donations." So not only has my little Featherweight churned out countless sewing projects over the past 62 years; she is also helping to provide affordable housing for a family in need. She's a cute little machine, an icon of an era when machinery was built to last a lifetime. She only sews forwards and backwards, but Featherweights are legendary for their perfect straight stitch and reliability. I will use this machine as it was intended, as a portable sewing machine that I could take on vacation or to a workshop, and it will also be convenient when I'm doing crazy quilting with bobbinwork decorative stitch embellishment on the seams, because I can stitch the seam on the Featherweight, flip it open, and then stitch the decorative stitch pattern on my snazzy Bernina 750 QE without having to change settings, rethread, and monkey with the bobbin tension after each and every seam. Sewing on this machine is like traveling backwards through time. The Singer 221 Featherweight was a modern marvel of design and engineering when it was unveiled at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933, just like my Bernina is in 2013. But I don't think for a minute that anyone will want to sew on my Bernina 80 years from now. When it comes to sewing machines, they really don't make them like they used to!
Quilted Book Bag Free Sewing Pattern
I thought I would start the year with making something pretty, and you can’t get much prettier with sweet floral Tilda fabrics. It all started when I came across this little hexie flower in m…
Chez Topito, on avait analysé les signes avant coureurs de la future invasion de la laine sur la toile. Le nylon et l’acrylique n’ont qu’à bien se tenir. On vous offre une nouvelle preuve du retour du...
Well, after y’all loved the Coach’s last post, I talked him into doing another one. Enjoy! I tried to explain that this was a one time deal the first time I agreed to post on the blog. It didn’t help when you readers started leaving comments about how funny my post was and now here...Read More
