I have always had a love of thrifting and recycling, especially when it comes to reusing fabric, turning it into something new. In fact, my first published book was entitled Second Stitches (long out of print), focusing on recycling as you sew. This was in the early days of the Internet, and I thought it […] Read more…
Crafting
Custom Labels and Tags with Sewing Machine Lettering
Lucky you if your sewing machine has lettering. You can easily create labels and tags for your quilt, garments, and almost all of your projects! I like to stitch on twill tape, and I have a great tip for easily stitching down the center of the tape. I’m sewing on my BERNINA 790 PLUS but […] Read more…
Vintage Fun!
When I see someone’s interpretation of something I designed, it always makes me happy. My first reaction is that I am seeing something I like and it is sooooo familiar, but I can’t always immediately place it. That’s because most sewers put a little bit of themselves into their projects, so it is not exactly […] Read more…
I’m Sure You’ve Seen This Before
This post is about something you’ve all seen before. It’s been all over the Internet with a few variations for several years. When I first saw it, I made plans to sew a few, and I’ve had it on my to-do list since. Every time I use my microwave oven, I think about making them […] Read more…
Fun Technique Tags
Create a little piece of art with items you may already have in your sewing space. Making technique tags is fun, fast, and easy to do. I create these tags to showcase my favorite techniques or to practice new ones that I’ve just learned. My latest video shows you how to create a double-sided tag […] Read more…
Halloween Hostess Gift
It’s that time of year again – haunted houses, black cats, bats, and trick or treat fun! It’s also a time for Halloween parties and my latest project is a perfect hostess (or host) gift. A bottle of wine packaged in a unique gift bag covered with ribbons, decorative cords, rickrack, and other trims – […] Read more…
Stitch Garden with Button Blooms
I’m always looking for more ways to use the decorative stitches on my sewing machine. I sew on a BERNINA B 790 PLUS and it has over 1300 stitches! And most of them are so pretty! There’s always a few that are not as nice as the rest but most of them are just beautiful. […] Read more…
Fabric As Art
Most sewers have at least a small (medium? large? hoarder size?) stash of fabric, waiting to be used in future projects. I have fabrics that I love but most of them are tucked away until the perfect project comes to mind. When I look through my stash, I’m reminded of how beautiful they are, how […] Read more…
Coloring Outside the Lines
Do you like coloring or painting? If so, you may be interested in a recent blog post I did, entitled Creating Art with your Sewing Machine. This was a guest post for RNK Distributing. You may know them for the product lines they sell such as Quilters Select (Alex Anderson products), Embellish, and Floriani items. […] Read more…
Happy Scrappy Hearts Follow-Up
Hi All – If you liked my Valentine’s post with my Happy Scrappy Hearts pillow, you’ll love this follow-up. One of my readers, Carolyn, emailed me with when she saw the post with this comment about my Happy Scrappy Hearts Pillow: “It’s beautiful. It’s a very sweet project! I’m hoping to have my granddaughters each […] Read more…