Curtains are a simple project because they are all straight sewing, so they are commonly one of the first project a beginner will sew.  I have seen a repeated trend in emails from people who start out sewing curtains as their first sewing project and I hope to solve the problem.  The problem.. uneven hems, not hanging straight and  crooked hems. The reason behind these problems is one of two issues... cutting squarely or taking accurate measurements.  The solutions are easy and I have spelled them out in Sew Straight, Even Curtains and Truly Square Pillows.

Read Full Post

It's been a while since I've done any  machine embroidery but a picture on Facebook this morning has me looking for water soluble stabilizer. Embroidery Library posted a beautiful picture of a freestanding Battenburg lace heart design that was stitched four times, and then arranged them as a doily ... and than set the prettiest little bowl with read and white roses on it.  It  would be perfect to decorate the dinner-for-two-table... maybe a candle in the center of the flowers. The lace design would also make a simple shirt to wear when you're out and about on Valentine's Day... although I was thinking about another rose design they offer... so many choices!

Read Full Post

It's winter and the weather has been SO mild that I have bulb plants that are three inches high in my garden.  I can hope not but I'll probably will lose all those beautiful spring bulbs if the weather decides to be a normal  freezing winter.  One of my rose bushes even has new leaves on it. My neighbors are all experiencing the same thing. One of the best things about spring is watching all the colors emerge after the mud and brown grass.  This year I think spring is going to need yard flags to see color.

Read Full Post

Charity opportunities don't end with the holidays. Now is a great time to use all the time you are spending inside to do some charity sewing.  Animal shelters and homeless shelters are always in need of things and because you sew, you can help meet those needs.

Read Full Post

Last week I told you about My Personal Experience Buying Pillow Forms from Pillowflex.com. This week I started making shams for these pillow forms. I love variety in my throw pillows and a bolster pillow adds a new shape to any collections of throw pillows.

Read Full Post

I think the entire country watched football play-off games this past weekend. It was just my husband and I chilling this weekend but we both ended up getting loud at times.  I know the Super Bowl is going to be noisy with two great teams that worked their way in to that game. If you are going to be hosting a party, consider making football pillows for your guests... it's a safe thing for them to throw when they get excited. You can make them smaller by reducing the pattern pieces and you can make them in team colors.  You can also embroider names on the football if  you want to make them really special and personalized.  Using production sewing techniques, you can make enough pillows for a crowd in a hurry. Or you could just make a couple full size pillows in team colors to decorate and set the mood. You have time... Super Bowl XLVI is February fifth so plan your sewing, get to the fabric store and then lock your self in your sewing room to achieve what you want to finish.

Read Full Post

I love sewing, and I believe that the more people sew, the more supplies to sew will be available. The free patterns and sewing information on this site are just the tip of the iceberg. The more we all share our fabric and color choices as well as our tips and experience, the more we will be encouraging others to sew. Last week I asked for everyone to share and received great responses. Be sure to check them out and then add your experiences here

Read Full Post

I always try to shop locally... mainly because I am too impatient to wait for something to be shipped to me. When I do shop online it's usually from a large site that I know the brick and mortar store. Many times shipping costs will stop me from ordering online.  I know I am not the only one who does not want to waste a single penny of our hard earned resources. This time I had a good reason to order online... and I managed to save a small fortune and have more pillows than I ever would have bought locally.

Read Full Post

No matter how I word this, I'm apt to make someone blush (especially me)  so I'm going to keep this as simple as possible... Valentine's Day is less than a month away. Sure a candle light dinner is great on Valentine's day but pretty little sweet nothings go a long way too... Make that special someone pretty unmentionables for Valentine's day or any special romantic occasion.

Read Full Post

I love the emails I receive from everyone thanking me for the free patterns and letting me know they appreciate the site and the work I put into offering all of the free patterns. Those emails are very encouraging and help me keep on plugging away. I wish there were more hours in a day so that I could make everything on the site in different fabrics to inspire everyone.

Now I want to ask for your help! I would really, really, really love to see some of the things everyone has made from the many free patterns on the site! The fabric you chose may inspire someone to try something more than the colors I chose. This form will help you share with everyone and help inspire others to try new projects.

Read Full Post