In our February Newsletter, we shared our Onesie Necktie Tutorial with free pattern template. We received a photo from a friend who had purchased a rather svelte necktie for her husband and after seeing the Necktie Onesie tutorial, created an outfit for their soon-to-be-born son with matching fabric from her stash!
Can't wait to see how similar the little guy looks compared to his daddy when they're both wearing the same tie!
We love our pets, but sometimes when they think they're helping us with our projects they are simply up to no good. Our friend sent us these photos of her cat's new favorite place to sleep. If you look at the first photo, it doesn't look like anything out of the ordinary, but upon the full frame photo beneath it, you can clearly see that 'Jaws' the kitty is making her bed upon all the fat quarters and batting scraps :)
Does your pet have a favorite spot to be?
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Maricel made this cute Valentine’s Day table runner for her dinner table. She found the pattern “Be Mine” (Kimberbell Kids) at a local quilt shop and chose the fabrics from Mother Superior’s Fab Fabrics. It is pieced with MasterPiece color #118and quilted with LAVA and has Razzle Dazzle bobbin work accents. Raw-edge appliqué gives this table runner a contemporary feel.
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The Japanese art of Sashiko has been around for a long time. The very elegant blue cloth fabric with bold, white hand stitches sets it apart from other styles of hand stitching. This modern-day approach to the Sashiko stitch was completed on a Baby Lock Sashiko 2 machine with Magnifico Color #2002 as the thread. A nice blend of an ancient technique infused with modern-day technology.
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This was emailed to me from my friend, Renae. I wonder if she's missing any colors from her collection?
We recently had a family BBQ (St. George winters are wonderful!) and my nephew and his wife brought their darling daughter, Elizabeth, to the party. She is teething and is in an adorable drooly stage right now.
Crawling through my house, she saw a bright red ring on my sewing table. Picking it up, she immediately tasted it (of course!) and promptly gave her approval of the texture and taste. This wasn't a baby toy she found, oh no. It was my BobbinSaver!
I thought it was the bright red color that Elizabeth loved at first, but then we realized that it wasn't the color that intrigued her, it was the texture! It seemed that she loved the pliable texture against her little gums.
The soft and pliable rubber texture was just what she wanted to chomp on during our BBQ. :) I think Elizabeth could be an excellent spokesbaby for the BobbinSaver, teething edition. What do you think?
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*This is an unsolicited and unpaid review of The Quilt Pattern Shoppe. I have used this website personally as well as several of our staff members and have enjoyed the ease of finding the patterns we were looking for. (Or weren't looking for but bought anyway!)*
The digital age is truly an amazing phenomena. We are able to access books, videos, songs, encyclopedias, video conference, shop, and pretty much everything else via the internet and computers.
Even within our niche market of the Quilting Industry, you can find loads of content on how to tutorials, online classes, thread education, videos of all kind, and much more.
Following the growing trend of online establishments within the quilting industry is The Quilt Pattern Shoppe. They are a digital quilt pattern shop that allows customers to digitally browse, download, and print the patterns they want right from their computer. With their digital database growing each day, you can pick and choose from thousands of quilt patterns including themes such as Holidays, Designers, Size, Skill Level, and several more categories.
It is the convenience of online shopping that tends to tip us internet-savvy users to purchasing via the world wide web. There is ...
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Q. I don't know if this is a machine problem or a thread problem but thought I would start here. I have the Bernina 830 and am piecing with Masterpiece Thread. My top thread keeps breaking! My frustration level is going up fast. Could it be because the thread is coming off the top of the spool instead of the side? I put in a new needle but that hasn't helped. Thanks for any input you might have.
A. Override the setting and reduce the top tension to the 1.5 to 2.0 range. Make sure the spool is positioned vertically on the upright pin so the thread unwinds straight from the side and not over the end. This should fix it.
Thread count is a numerical value used to measure how many strands of thread are woven into a fabric. A higher number usually indicates a denser weave and therefore a higher quality, but there are exceptions and deceptions. The thread count does not distinguish between the thickness of the individual thread strands or the quality of those fibers.We talk a lot about tension settings and tension adjustments on machines. 90% of the time, we adjust the top tension to achieve the perfect stitch. This time, we will discuss the other 10%, the bobbin tension. Many have been told to never touch the bobbin tension. It isn't as difficult as we have been led to believe. If you are one who has been told to never touch it, by the end of this page, hopefully you will realize that is perfectly safe and easy to adjust the bobbin case. Of course you could buy a second bobbin case, one to never adjust and the other to experiment with, but why not save $30 to $40 and learn how easy and safe it really is. Over time, tensions can change with regular use. Even though you haven't physically changed the settings, they can work themselves either tighter or looser. Thread, lint, and even temperature can affect them. There are three times when adjusting the bobbin tension might be necessary. Number one and two are obvious. Number three is the "I never thought of that before" alternative.
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Come join Mother Superior's Fab Fabrics 'Block of the Month' program, featuring the beautiful batik quilt, Celtic Crystals. Celtic Crystals, designed by Jerry Stube features 16 blocks surrounding a Celtic cross center in beautiful jewel-tone batiks. The finished quilt measures 84” square. During the 12-month Block of the Month program, you will receive the patterns and fabrics needed to complete this quilt top, including borders and binding. Starts: November 2012 -- Only $24.95 per month (Shipping is included for US addresses) Ships 2nd week of every month. Come join the fun of creating this bold beauty!
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Creating Smart Phone/Tablet-friendly Gloves with Superior Conductive Thread
Superior Conductive Thread is so neat! Superior Conductive Thread bridges the gap between glove and skin and allows electric current to flow through its fibers.
Smart phones and tablet computers have revolutionized the gadget industry. Convenience for emails, browsing the web, online shopping, is literally at our fingertips. However, there is a common inconvenience that comes with the smart phone and tablet industry when matched with cold weather. We can't navigate through the touchscreen with our gloves on. Having to remove our gloves each time to access an app or to take a phone call becomes a big hassle during the cold months.
The smart phones and tablets of today no longer operate with pressure-sensitive touchscreens. Today's touchscreen technology works from electric current. Our bodies carry electric current very well. Fibers such as cotton, wool, polyester, rayon, leather, etc. don't conduct electricity very well. When our fingers meet the touchscreen on our phones/tablets, it completes the circuit necessary for the screen to react and function as we intend it to but when we are wearing gloves, the electric current does not get passed through the glove to ...
read moreSuperior Conductive Thread is an innovative thread which carries electricity and completes electrical circuits.
Ideas
Specs
Q: How does light bouncing off an object affect how we see it?
A: It's technical, so in lieu of writing a long response, here's a short and sweet video on how light affects what we see :)
So why are trilobal threads so shiny? Part of the reason for this is the initial shape of each fiber. The final thread strand is a product of many micro strands. Each micro of a trilobal fiber is 3 sided (trilobal means 'tri = three 'lobal' = sides.). More light reflects back to our eyes when looking at a trilobal thread than a round or irregular thread.
Most filament polyesters are round and most viscose rayon threads are irregular shaped. However, when the micro strands are tightly wound together and processed, the end result gives us a seemingly smooth, even thread. Just like the cat hair example in the video, when looking at the big picture, it's soft and smooth.
read moreAnatomy of a Topstitch Needle:
Shaft - The shaft is the narrow portion of the needle that supports the functional parts of the needle. Needle sizes refer to the diameter of the shaft.
Groove - The groove protects the thread by hiding it as it passes through the fabric on its way to join with the bobbin thread. Some needles have exaggerated groves to protect the thread when sewing on particularly dense fabric. A needle that is too fine for the size of thread used will result in inconsistent stitches and broken threads.
Eye - The eye of the needle is the hole through which the thread passes. As the size of the eye increases, the size of the shaft increases to support it.
Point - The point of the needle is a primary distinguishing feature in needles. Points can be sharp or ball, or a hybrid of both. The angle of the point can be slender or acute. The point can be ...
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