Posts Tagged ‘project ideas’
Thursday, April 14th, 2011
A friend of mine and I participate in a ladies tea each year. There is a friendly competition to see who can have the most elaborate and the most beautiful table for 8. Each year we change the color and the flowers. This year we wanted to do a very colorful table and after I saw the 3D Flowers CD in the
3D Lace Embellishment Kit, we decided to create the centerpiece. Our table was beautiful. I love the design collection because the creative opportunities are endless. From Lace flowers to jewelry and handbags, the options are fantastic! My friend Nannette has an interest in making hats and has collected antique buttons and flower centers from the 30′s and 40′s. That’s what you see in the centers of the lacy flowers. We experimented with the new
Heat N Shrink stabilizer from Floriani for the large blue flowers which caused them to crinkle up nicely. We used Hoop Ease and Organdy for the pink and white flowers. We added a little greenery from her yard and what you see in the photo was beautiful. I look forward to creating many more flowers because I ran out of time and only got to use two the many designs. My friend took this picture for me as she is quite fond of our flowers and tells me she intends to keep them.
Happy Stitching,
Lola
Tags: 3d flowers, floriani heat n shrink, lace, machine embroidery, project ideas, show and tell
Posted in Machine Embroidery, New Products, Projects and Techniques, Sewing, Show and Tell | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011
It is so hard to find potholders in fabrics that I like or that match my décor. An fast and easy way to get plenty of potholders that match any color scheme is to make your own. I would like to share with you a very easy to make pot holder that has pockets on the back side so that you can slip your hands into them for the best protection from the heat of your oven.
Note: add 1/4” seam allowance to all sides of all pattern pieces.
Cutting:
Start by choosing your fabric. You can use a fat quarter of fabric or mix match your fabrics.
Cut 2 pieces of fabric from the main pattern piece and the appropriate batting (as listed on pattern piece).
Next Cut 2 of the Pocket pieces. Fold these in half, along dotted line, with wrong sides together and press.
Quilting:
Place one of the main fabric pieces right sided down on your work surface (this will be the bottom and will become the inside lining).
On top of that, put your batting.
Finally, place the remaining main fabric piece on the top of the rest (this will become the top or the main outside for your potholder.
Pin your layers together (or use a basting spray like KK1000 or 505).
Mark your quilting lines—these are 1 1/2” apart (see diagram on main pattern piece).
Using a good quality thread (preferably cotton) in both the needle and the bobbin, quilt your potholder by stitching along your marked lines.
Sewing Your Potholder:
First, loop your ribbon in half and place the tails even with the edge of the fabric in one corner, make sure the potholder top is the side you are working with from this point forward.
Stitch in place to hold.
Now place one of your folded pockets so that the fold is toward the center & the seam allowances are matched up at the bottom.
Pin into place.
Place the other pocket in the same manner but with the seam allowances toward the top of the potholder.
Stitch all the way around the potholder 1/4” away from the cut edge of the fabric.
Stitch past the starting point by an inch or so to make more secure.
Trim the edges, if needed, to make them even.
Use a zigzag stitch to secure the edges of the seam allowances together. Stitch this with the right needle swing coming off of the fabric edge by just a hair. This will help keep it from getting stringy when washed.
Turn the potholder inside out (flip the pocket flaps to the other side)
You are finished! Make more 
Enjoy!
Reva
Download the Potholder Pattern
Tags: basic sewing, easy project, pattern, potholder project, project ideas, Sewing
Posted in Fast Projects & Gifts, How To Guides, Projects and Techniques, Sewing | 18 Comments »
Tuesday, January 4th, 2011
The Holiday Sew Fun Open Houses were recently completed at all of our stores. What a wonderful fun-filled three weeks! While not able to attend each open house, I loved the ones I attended. I heard great reports from the Sew Fun Consultants that were at other Open Houses.
Do you know we have the most talented customers? It’s true, and your show and tells prove it. One after another, the items you brought to share with others showed creativity, talent and expressed lots of love. I’d have loved to hide everyone of the items in my purse to take home to enjoy over and over, but somehow I think you would have noticed they were missing!
I hope you had as much fun as I did at our Open Houses. They were a great start to the Holiday Season. Happy New Year to you all!
Lauri K.
Education Manager
To view the full Sew Fun Open House Photo Albums, please visit the Quality Sewing & Vacuum Facebook page and Click on the Photos tab.
Tags: customer appreciation, inspiration, project ideas, sew fun, sew fun open house, show and tell
Posted in Events, Show and Tell | 2 Comments »
Friday, December 17th, 2010
We recently posted a blog about stitchable teddy bears…stuffed bears that are specially designed to be embroidered on. These teddies have been a hot selling item this holiday season. Gayle, a reader of our blog shared with us her success story with these bears and included pictures of the bears that she stitched for the children in her family.
“I recently purchased 9 of these teddy bears to do for all the kids in the family for Christmas. I wanted to use the 5×7 hoop and make larger pictures plus personalize adding each child’s name. So I did this by removing the stuffing in the head also. Then I hooped everything; stabilizer, bear and topping. They were difficult to get hooped but with patience it can be done and they turned out adorable. I’m anxious now to see the kids open them. Each had a theme – one child played football for the first time this year so his had a football player on it with his team colors, others were soccer players, the two girls are in high school so I put cheerleaders on theirs in their school colors. Great gift ideas!”- Gayle
These bears turned out great, thank you for sharing these pictures with us Gayle! I am sure the kids in her family will be delighted to receive these bears. I love that each teddy has been customized to fit each child’s particular interest. I would have loved to receive a bear with my name on it when I was a little girl!
Do you have any inspirational show and tells you would like to share with our readers? Email us your comments and pictures info@shopqualitysewing.com.
Happy Sewing,
Annalee
Tags: inspiration, machine embroidery, project ideas, show and tell, Stitch-A-Bear, stitchable teddy bear
Posted in Fast Projects & Gifts, Machine Embroidery, Show and Tell | No Comments »
A friend of mine and I participate in a ladies tea each year. There is a friendly competition to see who can have the most elaborate and the most beautiful table for 8. Each year we change the color and the flowers. This year we wanted to do a very colorful table and after I saw the 3D Flowers CD in the 3D Lace Embellishment Kit, we decided to create the centerpiece. Our table was beautiful. I love the design collection because the creative opportunities are endless. From Lace flowers to jewelry and handbags, the options are fantastic! My friend Nannette has an interest in making hats and has collected antique buttons and flower centers from the 30′s and 40′s. That’s what you see in the centers of the lacy flowers. We experimented with the new Heat N Shrink stabilizer from Floriani for the large blue flowers which caused them to crinkle up nicely. We used Hoop Ease and Organdy for the pink and white flowers. We added a little greenery from her yard and what you see in the photo was beautiful. I look forward to creating many more flowers because I ran out of time and only got to use two the many designs. My friend took this picture for me as she is quite fond of our flowers and tells me she intends to keep them.
