It must have been over 25 years ago that my mom and I stopped into a wearable art store and saw some amazing coats made from a faux-chenille fabric. The softness. The drape. The color. And I couldn’t wait to try my hand at the technique … And sure enough, a mere 25 years later,… Continue reading faux chenille and me
Category: techniques
tip of the day
Wow. How many years have I been carrying a bag with a pincushion? How many times have I pierced my finger on said pins? Years ago, my mother wove some lovely fabric and made me the bestest pincushion and needle folder. They travel with me regularly for all those sewing emergencies that come up if… Continue reading tip of the day
quality control is everything … mini pets for art-o-mat
Whether it’s an apron, quilt, pillow, or toy, I take pride in sewing with quality craftsmanship. It’s just one of the lessons my mother (Dora) instilled in me. Just finished another batch of MINI Porta-pets for the Art-o-mat folks and was able to call in some help for that all important final QC check! After… Continue reading quality control is everything … mini pets for art-o-mat
tip of the day
Self-threading needles. Why have I not known about these? Being a sometimes perfectionist, I have been known to interrupt my quilting or top-stitching to correct wayward, imperfect stitches. And then I am left with loose ends to to tie and bury in the inner layers of whatever I am making. Often, those threads are short… Continue reading tip of the day
sewing tip of the day
Who knew? Sharp needles are good. Okay, just about everyone who sews knows that sharp needles are good. But I have just recently come to this revelation. After years of being too cheap to change my sewing machine needle regularly, I’ve found it’s one of those things that really does make a difference in the… Continue reading sewing tip of the day
sewing tip of the day
Just gathered together the fabric for my next “block of the month” class. Our first assignment was to arrange the fabrics in order of value. Value? Hmmmm, this quilt will be made from recycled men’s shirts, so …. Okay, she meant by color value. Which can be tricky if you are easily distracted (as I… Continue reading sewing tip of the day
weekly woot!
This week’s woot goes out to contemporary needlepoint artist Emily Peacock. With the notable exception of my mother Dora, needlepoint seems to be a neglected art in the States. It shouldn’t be. Needlepoint is quiet work; perfect as an evening “stress-reducer” or “take-along” project wherever you may travel. Emily hails from the UK and… Continue reading weekly woot!
mid-century modern iPad?
“Mid-century Modern” is everywhere these days; showing up in bolts and stacks of great upholstery fabrics. (Okay, brief sigh as realization that my childhood now falls into the “vintage” category passes …) The bold lines and earthy colors of these fabrics are wonderful and I’ve had such fun making iPad and laptop sleeves. I work… Continue reading mid-century modern iPad?
sewing tip of the day
Write it down. If you think you will remember. Write it down. If you don’t think it’s an important detail. Write it down. If the pad of paper is allllll the way downstairs. Get up, get it, and write it down. If the pen rolled under the ironing board. Get up, get it, and write… Continue reading sewing tip of the day
learning experiences
As my quilt block of the month adventure continues, I’ve definitely found that I have some fabrics that just don’t work for me. I don’t really know if the color choices were just wrong to begin with or if the quilter is lacking in vision. But I do know that I’ve made some blocks that… Continue reading learning experiences