I fully intended to complete and display this little table-topper and during my first-week-of-July ‘red, white & blue’ extravaganza. But reality hit and it didn’t happen. However, after having this project on my list for 2 years now, I figured I’d just go with the momentum, whether it was past the holiday or not.This was...Read More

Before I start showing photos for today's quilt inspiration, I have a special photo to share. My mother-in-law is raising three baby goats in her living room. Three mother goats have had two kids apiece, but a few of the kids are not strong enough to stand up for nursing, so the in-laws are milking the mothers and bottle feeding the babies. As the babies get stronger, they go back to the mothers. I guess raising two sons and helping with four grandsons and 11 great grandchildren may have given her some insights on how to handle this. Either way, she's been wildly successful with these babies. Aren't they just too cute? Okay, so on to our inspiration for the day (or actually, night) which is vintage sewing because I happen to find a few great photos. Aren't these beautiful? I had no idea that Pfaff made sewing machines so early. I always thought that they were a more recent company. The center pole on this dressmaker's form can be removed so that everything collapses down into the bottom of the box. Add the top and you're ready to travel! Brilliant! Happy Quilting, Mary

While shopping at the antique mall, one of the things I’ve been noticing re-surge more and more are Victorian Crazy Quilts and all of their lovely styles and forms. Since I cannot begin to to…

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While shopping at the antique mall, one of the things I’ve been noticing re-surge more and more are Victorian Crazy Quilts and all of their lovely styles and forms. Since I cannot begin to to…

Before I start showing photos for today's quilt inspiration, I have a special photo to share. My mother-in-law is raising three baby goats in her living room. Three mother goats have had two kids apiece, but a few of the kids are not strong enough to stand up for nursing, so the in-laws are milking the mothers and bottle feeding the babies. As the babies get stronger, they go back to the mothers. I guess raising two sons and helping with four grandsons and 11 great grandchildren may have given her some insights on how to handle this. Either way, she's been wildly successful with these babies. Aren't they just too cute? Okay, so on to our inspiration for the day (or actually, night) which is vintage sewing because I happen to find a few great photos. Aren't these beautiful? I had no idea that Pfaff made sewing machines so early. I always thought that they were a more recent company. The center pole on this dressmaker's form can be removed so that everything collapses down into the bottom of the box. Add the top and you're ready to travel! Brilliant! Happy Quilting, Mary

Need a filing system for all those cool magazine tear outs? It's called Pinterest! Come find me and we can collect visual cues for later projects together!

Learn unique techniques that will enhance your next quilt! These vintage sewing techniques will raise the surface of your quilt and truly impress. We’ll learn heirloom smocking techniques, t…

Say what? No, I’m not writing a rap song. I’m joining a Quilting Bee. A Quilting Bee simply put is: a gathering to make quilts. Quilters gather in groups to make the load lighter for…

I'd hoped to finish two PIGS (Projects in Grocery Sacks) in May but it didn't happen. I had a project for Creative Machine Embroidery to make. See my blog here to see that pretty quilt.

We visited this show of beautiful quilts at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. All so beautiful! And then something really fun happened- as we drove away from the museum, I saw a woman dressed in an artful way, and I recognized her from a short video of Margaret that was included in her show. I had Dave stop the car so I could get out and tell her how much I enjoyed her quilts. (No photo of our meeting- I'd left my camera in the car and Dave had driven off to get gas.) We walked back to the museum together, along with the two gentlemen who were with her. We chatted about art and quilts. I found out that it was Margaret's 85th birthday that day- so great to see all of this creative energy and beautiful current work. That inspires me. Her quilts appeal to me on so many levels. I love the connection to the Indian quilting tradition. I love the vibrant, saturated colors. I love the spontaneous, seemingly haphazard compositions. The textures created by the rows and rows of hand stitching. And the use of every scrap and the attention that brings to the beauty around us, even in the bits others might just throw away. Make it a Wonderful Day!

I've created the Pricing Guide for Vintage Sewing Machines that will help you answer the question, “Is this a good price to pay for a vintage sewing machine?”. This PDF download is full of information to help you determine what price you should pay when you find your perfect machine(s). While I

Have you been bitten by the Pinterest bug yet? If you haven't discovered this way to avoid the work on your desk, doing the laundry or other to do list items.....Here is where you might want to start! Not only are there general pages of many beautiful images to day dream over, there is list upon list of topics that interest the needle-worker or any other area you might want to enjoy. So what is Pinterest? Our experience has been that it's like a little peek inside the studios of many artists! You get to see what they've pinned up on their bulletin boards. If you "follow" them, you get to see everything they pin - it just shows up on your own bulletin board. Julie uses Pinterest as her opening screen for her browser right now - it changes so often, she just keeps "refreshing" through the day. Wikipedia defines it as: "Pinterest is a pinboard-style social photo sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, hobbies and more. Users can browse other pinboards for inspiration, 're-pin' images to their own collections and/or 'like' photos. Pinterest's mission is to "connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting" via a global platform of inspiration and idea sharing. Pinterest allows its users to share 'pins' on both Twitter and Facebook, which allows users to share and interact with a broad community. Founded by Ben Silbermann, of West Des Moines, Iowa,the site is managed by Cold Brew Labs and funded by a small group of entrepreneurs and inventors. It is one of the "fastest growing social services in the world."' You can pin your own images, or look at others'. If you "repin", it shows on your bulletin board and everyone who follows you can see it. If you just "like" it, it joins a list of likes that you can go back and look for when you need them. It's also a kind of "shorthand" way to communicated. Becky will put up a picture, and I will "like" it - may even comment on it - so I don't have to phone or email her to let her know I like it. (Now, you may think it's not very important if Becky knows if I like something, and you're probably right, but it is handy to take a look at these kinds of things so when we start a new design, we know we have some common ground to draw on). See? work-related! The images link back to the original site that posted them, so if you are really serious about making that special dish you see pictured, you can click on the picture and go to find the recipe. Or you can read the story that goes with the pictures of the needlework. You can pin any image you find on the internet by adding a "pin it" button to your browser - but do be respectful of copyright - most artists love that you are "pinning" their work and showing it around, but there are those who would rather you didn't. Since it's hard to tell - don't pin from other people's Flicker or Picasa accounts - those are their private pictures. Blogs and other "Look at this!" kind of sites usually mean you can pin the photos there - just use your common sense and you'll not go wrong. So you set up your account and you decide what your boards' topics will be and away you go. Then you are being followed by people you don't know, not truly "followed", just your pins! You start to follow someone who you have never met before, because they have beautiful pins, Jacki Poulson, whoever she is, is Becky's new favorite to follow... "She has such beautiful pins, they inspire me to want to create, but where is the time to create, when I keep pushing to the next page to see what else there is in this beautiful world of images? I have so many likes, never moving them to my boards and on and on, but isn't it nice to have a world of beautiful imagery to enjoy when you need a break from the rush of life? I find mermaids and acorns, beautiful gardens and homes, places to travel, artwork of every kind, Sailor's Valentines, cute puppy faces and the recipes, well you don't have enough time in your life to try all the recipes that look oh-so-yummy. Tea Time and Tea Parties, holidays galore, weddings and do you need an idea for a new hairdo or how to paint your fingernails? If you can think it there is probably a pin for it and you can search on and on, depending on what people might title their boards, you find something interesting in so many various categories as you can see by the few that I have listed below that relate to needlework and that I found in searching in a short period of time. Soon you will be able to find In The Company of Friends on Pinterest as well if I ever let Julie loose from the workroom! Many of your favorite businesses have boards there for you to follow. So head to http://pinterest.com/ to spend a few minutes (hahaha) ok and hour or so and enjoy all that might interest you. Below are the sub-categories I found for needlework to start with. Pinterest for the Needleworker English Embroidery http://pinterest.com/search/?q=english+embroidery surface Embroidery http://pinterest.com/search/?q=surface+embroidery Stumpwork Embroidery http://pinterest.com/search/?q=stumpwork+embroidery Cross Stitch http://pinterest.com/search/?q=cross+stitch samplers http://pinterest.com/search/?q=samplers needlework http://pinterest.com/search/?q=needlework Needlework Tools http://pinterest.com/search/?q=needlework+tools Counted Thread http://pinterest.com/search/?q=counted+thread Embroidery http://pinterest.com/search/?q=embroidery Stitches http://pinterest.com/search/?q=stitches Hand Embroidery http://pinterest.com/search/?q=hand+embroidery Antique Needlework http://pinterest.com/search/?q=Antique+needlework antique samplers http://pinterest.com/search/?q=antique+samplers Ethnic Embroidery http://pinterest.com/search/?q=+ethnic+Embroidery needlework patterns http://pinterest.com/search/?q=needlework+patterns Thimbles http://pinterest.com/search/?q=thimbles There are so many more categories that you might explore of your various interests in areas of needlework or anything you can imagine. It seems someone out there is pinning it to a board! Contest winner! Well, this will come as no big surprise to anyone - but Jo Perry has come up with a completely stitched set of the Dark Alphabet before anyone else! Doesn't it look grand? As soon as Jo sends us her snail mail address, we'll send her prize out! A little hand-made token that we think is very fitting to the Dark Alphabet! Thank you, Jo, for following along with us as we took that journey "to the dark side", bwahahahahaha. Jo was so wonderful to help us by providing us with pictures, and still, she did more! As she stitched, she composed a poem - what fun! The Dark Alphabet Poem A is for Apple and temptation from snakes B is for Brimstone and the fiery pits that it makes C is for Coven and witches three D is for Devil, a Dutch spinning monkey E is for Eek, disturbing the peace F is for Furies, three women from Greece G is for Gargoyle made out of stone H is for Headless Horseman on a bay or a roan I is for Inky Darkness on a black night J is for Jack-in-a-box who gives you a fright K is for Kelpie the Scots' water-horse L is for Lightning Bird and its storms, of course M is for Mummy with a bandaged head N is for Necromancy and raising the dead O is for Occult and fortune telling P is for Phantom singing in his underground dwelling Q is for Queen of the Night and her Dark Power R is for Raven who lives in the Tower S is for Skeleton made out of bones T is for Things that go bump and their ghostly moans U is for Urmahlullu the Protector of the loo V is for Voodoo, a doll which looks just like you W is for Wyvern like a dragon with only two feet X is for Xaphon and demonic bellows fanning the heat Y is for Yggdrasil the legendary Norse tree Z is for Zombee, yes - an undead Bee! This is the whole of the Dark Alphabet In memory for Lisa who we'll never forget Written by Jo Perry inspired by Julie Buck's designs. YOU can still win a prize - just finish stitching before Julie (which gives you LOTS of time!) and send us a photo of the stitched alphabet! Everyone who does this before Julie finishes will win a prize. What have you got to lose?

I am FINALLY able to post a progress report on my newest star quilt. I work best on a tight deadline and I desperately want this piece done before my engagement at Quilting in the Desert in less than two weeks. I also want it to accompany me to Dubai next month. I'm actually going to make that deadline! I was working on it for a couple hours this morning, took a break and came back to my room and was captivated by how pretty it looked sitting in my machine so I took photos from my point of view. I love the little circles. I put in some baby clamshells and have beaded them with little gold beads. There are four of these corners and I am filling them with tight echoing and baby feathers. I am just starting a round feather wreath that will go around the entire outside of the piece tucking underneath the linen corners. This is being done with a very heavy silk thread. Obviously this piece is still in it's awkward "puberty stage" but I am VERY happy with how she is turning out. When I was going thru the photo folder I came across these beginning pictures and wanted to share. This is when I was just getting The Ultimate Stencil project going and learning what it could do. I laid the stencil down in the middle of my piece.. marked the lines that I needed and drafted the center star pattern... and quilted the main outline. Very cool! By the way, the huge star going around is actually a commercially cut stencil thru Quilting Creations...It's NH131 and NH132. When I originally designed this large stencil medallion a few years ago, I used the very same grid system on my drafting table that has since become The Ultimate Stencil. Funny how things come around. And now you know why I've named this quilt "The Ultimate Star". Hugs, Cindy :)

Hi Dear Folk, Dorothy's home Kansas. Christy

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Sewist’s Name: Carrie Brooks from Olathe, Kansas Type of Project: Garment Pattern: Quilted Hugs Project Pattern (click here) Featured Date: 11-15-23 Hello! My name is Carrie Brooks, I live in Olathe, KS. I’ve been sewing since Home Ec class, and was also mentored by my Mom, who was an expert seamstress. She taught me to...

Okay everyone! This long time anticipated crochet quilt tutorial is finally available! (happy jig!) My friend Tiffany of Fanny Lu Designs took the time to put together the most thorough and detailed t

the whole cabinet has been used to stock the fabrics, still not enought space, need a new one immdiately.

blogged about at therusticvictorian.blogspot.com

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

Lots of photos following, so brace yourself. I decided to do a CQ block - in pink, monochromatic (mostly) - using all of the stitches I have learned in TAST so far plus a couple of extras. This is the resulting block. Notice I did not use one single bead! You have no idea how hard that was for me to avoid the temptation. Really! This is the naked block I started out with. Close-up of the center floral motif. First, let me point out I added some sheer floral printed fabric over a couple of the shiny sections. This one is gathered slightly. I left some of the satin show along the seam. This is a little darker area from the sheer and is over a darker pink. Again, the satin shows along the buttonhole stitch area. I will list the stitches from top to bottom rows on each of the following close-ups. Cretan, French knot, knotted Cretan, buttonhole wheel (1/2), chain, French knot, lazy daisy/detached chain: French knot, Herringbone (both light pink and dark pink rows), Algerian Eyelet, fern leaf: This is kind of mixed up, but there are SRE petal stitch flowers, lazy daisy flowers, French knots, bullion rose and stitch, stem stitch rose and stem stitch, spider web rose: Web is straight stitch with couched connections; spider is whipped wheel with a little satin stitching over body and straight stitch for extending legs: Basque, scroll stitch, butterfly chain, French knots and lazy daisy (detached chains), straight stitch, up and down buttonhole: (From left to right in pie-shaped section) - French knot, buttonhole wheel (1/4), lazy daisy, straight stitch, French knot, running stitch, crossed buttonhole, bonnet: (butterfly) satin stitch, chain stitch, Fly 'Y' stitch; (below butterfly and in no particular order) French knots, wheat ear, straight, lazy daisy, feather stitch (bottom): Wheat ear, back stitch: (lace is added) Barred chain, half chevron, oyster, chain, buttonhole: Chain (3 rows), zig zag chain, Palestrina, cable chain, Chevron: There! I think that should be at least 35 unless I left out a seam somewhere. I you don't get close to the same count, let me know. This was so much fun and I will likely do it again, using my tags for reference.

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Today, in part 4 of the Getting To Know Your Featherweight Series, you will learn how to thread a Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine from start to finish.Suggested Products:1) Crosswound Spool of thread: Aurifil or Presencia2) Thread Stand or Thread Post3) Schmetz Needles4) Thread Cutterz or Thread Snips5) Super Easy Machine Needle Threader6) Singer Featherweight Instruction Manual 221 or 222 To begin, you will need to turn the handwheel (which is technically called a “balance wheel”) towards you until the thread take-up lever is at its highest position. Turning the handwheel in the proper direction is something important to remember! You always, always, always want to turn the handwheel towards you and not away from you. Even if you are sewing in reverse, the handwheel will still be turned toward you – in the same direction and manner as in the video tutorial. If you ever turn the handwheel away from you it causes the thread to catch incorrectly around the bobbin assembly and can result in a thread jam…. But not to worry if that happens accidentally, because there is a video tutorial (from the Featherweight Schoolhouse page) to help with removing the jammed thread. Now you will need to determine what kind of thread spool you are using. Is it a stacked spool or a cross-wound spool? A stacked spool has thread that is wound round and round stacking the thread strands one on top of the other. A cross-wound spool has thread that wound on the spool in a crisscross pattern. If you are using a stacked spool of thread then place the spool on the spool pin. Your thread will go directly from the spool to the first upper thread guide... Like this: If using an Aurifil cross-wound spool then it helps to remove the bottom orange disk so the thread doesn’t get caught on the bottom and will unwind smoothly as it goes to the needle. With a cross-wound spool then it is highly recommended that you use a Thread Stand or Thread Post that is designed specifically for the Featherweight. There is has an excellent video tutorial on the Featherweight Schoolhouse on the importance of using a Thread Stand. Shop Thread Stand for Singer Featherweight 221 or 222 HereShop Thread Post for Vintage Singer Sewing Machines Here Cross-wound spools require the thread to be lifted off the spool, versus pulled from the side (which causes a wobble of the spool). Bring the thread strand first to the stand’s upper guide then back down through the hole at the base of the shaft, then directly over to the first upper thread guide on the machine. NEW, Updated Thread Path! Now your thread won't slip out of the Thread Stand guide whether you use it for a spool on the top of the machine or with a cone at the back! Simply thread the hole through the base of the shaft before going to the first thread guide on the machine. Like this.... When using larger cones - you simply adjust the placement of the Thread Stand to accommodate front to back, which allows the thread to flow easily off of the cone from the table as shown below. The remaining steps for threading the machine will be the same for all spool types. Place your right hand on the thread to hold it taut for the next couple of steps….. Using your left hand, grab the thread and bring it straight down and slip it between the tension disks. Make sure it’s between the disks and not in front or behind them. Bring the thread around and under the take-up spring, continuing on around. The take-up spring should raise up as the thread is brought all the way around and into the retaining fork on the tension unit. Then direct the thread behind the wire thread guide (directly above the tension unit). Next, go up and through the take-up lever from right to left. Bring the thread down and into the eyelet on the faceplate. Usually, you can catch the thread from the back of the eyelet. Continue threading to the next lower wire thread guide as well as the last needle clamp thread guide directly above the needle. Some Featherweights have this last guide situated in such a way that the thread enters from the right, but most Featherweights have the thread entering this last guide from the left. Remember from our last video how important it was to have the flat side of the needle facing left? Well, this last threading step is just as important, too, for proper stitch formation. The thread goes through the needle from the right to the left – or an easy way to remember is INSIDE OUT. From inside the machine to the outside. If the thread or needle is difficult to see then be sure to try our super easy machine needle threader in the shop. It takes away the hit & miss guesswork and easily threads the needle! The instruction manual says to draw about 2 inches of thread through the eye of the needle, but we recommend pulling several inches to have more to work with before you sew. Once you get used to threading your machine the proper way, you’ll zip through machine threading every time, no matter what kind of thread spool you use! Be sure to review video #1, 2 and 3 in this Getting To Know Your Featherweight series because our next tutorial will be all about how to pull the bobbin thread up to the surface and prepare for sewing! NEXT: Getting To Know Your Featherweight Part 5: Prepare for Sewing

Inspired by craftychica.com - Kathy Rocks! For more details, see my free sewing and crafting podcast/blog: quiltedcupcake.blogspot.com I'm also a proud member of Etsy!

(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...

Quilts! Sewing! Books! Life!

Make this Quilt of Fabric Plus Crochet for your self or for a gift for someone special in your life. So beautiful and so many patterns to choose from. Make for and adult or child, man or woman. Handmade items always make nice gifts for friends and family as they…