Author: Tawny

Marking your Seam Allowance

One of the best uses for blue painters tape is on the bed of my sewing machine.  It will mark your seam allowance.  If you add a dash mark across from your needle you will be set to sew curves also.  Line your fabric up to the blue tape without covering it up and guide your fabric while the machine sews so that it follows the tape.

Sometimes it hard not to look at the needle while the machine is running. But it’s very important to use the blue tape as your guide.  You can reposition it many times before it loses it’s stickiness. Most machines don’t have lines that are easy to see or extended far enough to use.  This solves both or either of those problems.

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Time Out!

Take time out to….?

Remember when timeout was a punishment?  Now I wish for a timeout from my hectic, busy life.  So as of today, I’m granting myself with a timeout each day.  (Not because I was bad but because I was GOOD!)

To sit quietly and dream of the next project or work on something already started (and who doesn’t have those).  As parents we were taught that timeouts should be 1 minute for every year.  Hmmmm, that’s a nice chunk of time. 😉

The minute rule works in a lot of instances.  As a new mom there’s not as much available time for timeouts but as your children grow sometimes we can actually carve out a little more time.  Think of the gift you will be giving your child.  Teach them that they should give themselves a little time to dream also.

These 2 pictures would generate very different results for me!  How about you?
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Ink Pad Organization

I used a sock organizer that came from Space Savers  years ago for the ink pad storage.  It works well with the ink pads that I pick up at Michaels, AC Moore & Hobby Lobby.  But it’s a little short for the Stampin Up ones.  Those I’ve put on a can organizer.  The silver board above the ink pads will hold all my eyelets.  I glued magnets to the back of each eyelet case.IMG_2773

Organizing Sewing Tools

The shelf is from Michaels a long time ago, I painted it and added cup hooks for the scissors and rotary cutters.  I’ll be putting my glass jars on top with notions.  Just noticed that all my pics have the drill.  I guess that shows that I’m a little impatient 😉  Will have to add overall pictures when everything is put up and cleaned up.IMG_2858

The studio is being set up!

Getting the embroidery area(s) set up has been a little challenging.  Since the room is smaller I’ve had to give up one table top  (a big one) and had to cut down the embroidery bar top that I’ve used for years.  Thanks to my wonderful husband and his handy jigsaw skills the table has been cut and the embroidery bar is getting set up.  This took away the space for the thread cabinets so those were hung on the walls of the landing to the studio.  Now there’s a splash of color as I come up the stairs!  A very inspiring sight as I start to work.

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What a Mess!

The year ended with a bunch of boxes unpacked in the studio but believe it or not there are two machines under there that were used.  Here’s hoping that there will be less boxes and more room in the new year!  I will be posting a couple pics showing finished areas as the month progresses and some of the projects that actually were finished!  Stay warm and happy stitching!IMG_2123 IMG_2124

Fabric Dyeing in the Heat!

This is my second class in fabric dyeing with Deb Harwell

.  It’s a wonderful art but the heat was in the 90’s!  Definitely a couple of hot days, but I’m going back next weekend because I had such a great time.  Lots of water and Gatorade was needed.

We learned how to do Shibori pole dyeing, value to value gradation, parfait, tray and my favorite, ice dyeing. After opening all the pieces, I’ve decided that I really like the direct dyeing best of all.  I’ve already been to Michaels to pick up beads and findings to use with the the parfait dyeing set (purples).  For one of the ice dyeing sets I found glass beads and a heart that I picked up in Asheville at the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair last fall.  The dyed wools are really to die for there!!  We saw a lady with an angora bunny in her lap, spinning directly from the animal.  That’s a picture I wish I had!  The show is in October this year.  Follow the link for more information.  http://www.saffsite.org/

I hope to have a bag made by the Charlotte Quilt Guild http://charlottequiltersguild.org/ meeting this Wednesday.  Will post if I make it!  I’m going to start with the purples, since I have a few ideas commited to paper already!