Archive for November, 2010
Tuesday, November 30th, 2010
This is an adorable kid’s t-shirt that uses socks as sleeves! It’s a very easy project to create…all you need is a children’s short-sleeved t-shirt, a pair of socks for the sleeves and the Anita Goodesign Little Monsters Embroidery Design Pack.
1. The first step is to center and embroider the monster of your choice onto the t-shirt. Each monster has a thick stitched border that holds the applique down. You can either make this stitch white or the color of the shirt. The example shown is white as it makes the monster stand out even more!
1. Embroider the monster design on the shirt
2. The next step is to take the pair of socks and cut the foot part off the sock at the ankle. Pin the cut part of the sock to the shirt sleeve. Make sure the cut end of the sock extends past the top stitch of the sleeve.
2. Adult sized knee socks work well
3. Stitch the sock to the sleeve. Follow the top stitch that was used to stitch the sleeve hem. You can match the thread to the thread already used on the t-shirt.
3. Stitch the sock to the sleeve
4. You can further embellish the shirt with different types of trims. The finished example has a pom-pom trim and decorative ribbon as added detail. You can also glue googly eyes on the monster for even more fun! You can use a onesie in place of the t-shirt and create a unique and adorable baby gift!
Little Monsters Design Pack
The Little Monsters design pack features 12 adorably mischievous designs geared toward the toddler-youth age group. They look great on these unique sock t-shirts as well as backpacks, blankets, jackets, and even quilts!
This project is courtesy of the official Anita Goodesign blog! Check it out for more great project ideas!
Tags: anita goodesign, easy project, embroidery, how-to, little monsters, t-shirt project
Posted in Fast Projects & Gifts, How To Guides, Machine Embroidery | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, November 24th, 2010
Brother NS40
“All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth”…..was an old song – but a phrase heard often lately is “All I want for Christmas is a sewing machine.” It seems like all ages are expressing a huge desire to learn to sew!
There are many wonderful choices for the perfect sewing machine to place under the Christmas tree. One such machine is the Brother NS40. “Fashionistas” are familiar with the machine from its tie to the popular reality fashion show Project Runway. Santa loves it because it is a reliable, easy to use, powerful machine that will bring happy memories of a wonderful Christmas for decades to come. Careful shoppers often check some of the consumer research magazines for advice on making a wise purchase. The Project Runway NS 40 has a large supply of awards and recommendations to its credit. It is currently featured on the cover of Consumer Reports Magazine.
This handy machine has the power to tackle hemming blue jeans and the finesse to handle chiffon or silk. It has an automatic needle threader and a drop-in bobbin. When a stitch is selected, it comes up with the proper length and the correct width to stitch perfectly, but it can be adjusted to suit your personal taste. It has a nice assortment of included feet, including one for perfect one-step buttonholes in five different styles. It has an auto tie-off stitch program and it can sew without the foot controller being used. This feature is excellent for a beginner because it allows the speed control to be adjusted to super slow and if the foot controller is used it won’t let it go too fast.
This is only one of the truly excellent sewing machine choices that are available for you to choose from at Quality Sewing locations. Did you know that if your purchase is made at Quality Sewing you will be receiving FREE lessons on how to operate the new machine? Now that is an extra special gift for any recipient. As an added bonus, Brother is offering a $30.00 additional discount on this machine through December 6th, 2010! Drop by any one of the stores and let one of the expert elves assist you in selecting the perfect sewing machine for your gift giving this year.
Happy Stitching!
Carol
Tags: Brother NS40, gift giving, holiday, holiday shopping, project runway, Sewing
Posted in New Products, Sewing | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
Create your own customized gift tags!
Look at this great gift tag project free from Eileen Roche’s blog, perfect for adding a personal touch to all your holiday gift giving this season! I plan on using this design to make gift tags that can also be used as Christmas ornaments. I can’t wait to add beading and fun ribbon for a little sparkle! A simple yet clever project.
You can also enter to win a Brother SE-400, donated by Brother. To enter the machine drawing, submit a picture of your completed gift tag to Eileen Roche’s blog. She has created a giveaway that you can win by “creative participation”- the most creative, eye-catching gift tag and written entry will win. Don’t wait to make yours though, the contest is already underway and ends Tuesday November 23rd, 2010.
The design is in .pes format.
Click here to download the tree design and for detailed information about the contest and how to submit your completed gift tag entry. Plus every entry participant will receive a $5.00 coupon good towards any purchase at www.dzgns.com!
This simple tree design can be used in all sorts of other creative ways as well!
Happy Creating!
Annalee
Tags: christmas project, contests, embroidery, free drawing, gift tag project, holiday project
Posted in Crafting, Fast Projects & Gifts, Machine Embroidery, Sewing | No Comments »
Thursday, November 4th, 2010
Do you have your own sewing room? I wish I did! I sew in my dining room and living room, stashing my machine and supplies in the hall closet. I have three small children so the majority of my sewing happens late into the evening hours. I shut down shop when I am not sewing and put away my machine and all my supplies when not working on a project for the safety of my kiddos and to protect my favorite fabrics. Having an organized sewing and crafting room would be a dream for me! My current set-up takes so long to prepare to sew, I often don’t work on a project unless I have at least an hour or more to work on it. I know I would sew a lot more if I had a designated sewing space and a sewing cabinet.
Does this dilemma sound familiar? Having a designated sewing space makes sewing much more accessible. Plus it allows for more organization and saves you time and energy so you can just enjoy sewing! A sewing and craft room can take shape in many ways and can be set up in a corner, a closet, an attic or even an entire room.
Nancy Zieman h
as teamed up with Koala cabinets to create the sewing room of her dreams. Take a tour of Nancy’s dream sewing space and get inspiration to create a sewing space or room in your home. Also view the Customers Style Gallery where owners of Koala cabinets have shared their own sewing studios. Its great to see a wide variety of different spaces that are utilized for sewing and crafting! Plus you can enter to win a Koala Studio from Koala Cabinets, click here to read more details and enter the contest which ends 12/31/10.
My Mother's sewing room with the Koala Treasure Chest Plus IV and Koala Storage Center Plus IV in Birdseye Maple.
Not all of us can have the luxury of such a large space like Nancy for a sewing room. Here is an image of my Mother’s sewing room. She has taken a standard bedroom sized room and created a sewing and crafting room.
What is your sewing room like? We would love to see what your sewing room looks like, send us an image to share with all of our customers for inspiration and motivation to re-vamp our creative spaces!
Happy dreaming . . .
Annalee
Tags: home, koala cabinet, Nancy Zieman, sewing furniture, sewing room, sewing studio
Posted in Crafting, New Products, Sewing, Sewing Celebrities, Sewing Studio | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
This is a fast and fun idea for a quick holiday gift. I received one last year for Christmas from a very creative friend. All you need to create this unique angel are two kitchen towels, a matching hot pad, a package of extra wide, double fold bias tape, a couple yards of ribbon and some trim of your choice. Fabric scraps work well for the trim. It will be stitched across the bottom of the towels.
Completed Towel Angel
1. Apply the trim to one towel. Make accordion pleats the length of the towel at approx 1 ½”. Steam iron the pleats in place. Fold the towel in half and tie the middle about 2” below the fold to create the body of the angel.
2. Cut the second towel to the approx size of a washcloth (Just measure one you have at home). Hem all sides and add matching trim to the top edge. Accordion pleat at about 1 ¼” intervals and steam iron in place. Fold in half and place on top of the angel body and tie in place. This creates the head and arms of your angel.
3. Accordion pleat the hot pad and tie to the back of the angel with ribbon. Your angel is now complete! Keep it to adorn your house for the holidays or make someone happy by sharing your creativity with them.
Ann
Sew Fun Consultant
Tags: christmas, christmas decoration, christmas project, how-to, ideas, towel angel
Posted in Crafting, Fast Projects & Gifts, How To Guides, Projects and Techniques, Sewing | No Comments »
