Fresh Thread, stitches by Maddie

Ringing in the New Year with Changes

2011-01-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Sorry to be wearing out the use of this image.. but it indeed one of my favorites and I only get to trot it out once per year!

I love the plucky " can-do" face on the young homemaker knowing that she WILL put her house right for the New year no matter what a mess it has become. With her spirit in mind I am going to be folding my Fresh Thread posts back into my personal Domestic Anarchy blog

The reason for this are complex but not worth a whole like a cyber paper and in the end I like the plucky retro housewife am doing my best to put my house right in the new year and part of that has to do with reclaiming my time for myself and my family. I do hope that you will join me over at Domestic Anarchy and wish you all the best in the new year!

As a small technical note I wil leave this blog open for a bit as I change over all my business contacts but if there are design feebies that you want get them now since I don't know how long it will take me to get them all posted back up!

And Now a Word From Our Sponsor.....

2010-12-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

Wow... over a whole month of not posting!.. What can I say.. the holidays swallowed me up and have just now spit me back out! But with a quick assessment of things I am happy to say that I am launching into the New Year with lots of ideas, classes and fun for 2011!

For all of my Chattanooga area sewing peeps you can find me teaching at Chattanooga Sewing a couple of times in the new few months with other dates as I post them.

Want to learn the ins and outs of In-the hoop applique? Love cupcakes?.. then bring them together with my in the hoop class. Jan 19th at 5:30

Have a 6needle machine and want to learn how to get more out of it?

Feb 5th is the time to get all of your questions answered and learn some tricks that will make your machine sing!

New to quilting.. love batik?.. need a table runner?

Feb 16th.. be there!

New baby in your life or need a shower gift to wow the mother to be? Want to learn how to work with Minky but quake in your boots just thinking about it? March 5th..

Interested?.. have questions?

Contact Chattanooga Sewing Machine Center for more details and class sign up!

423-899-3664

Or drop me a note in the comments section!

I Play With Fabric

2010-11-19T16:59:00.000-08:00

I play with fabric... honestly I think maybe you could have a form of therapy that is all about unfolding and refolding fat quarters in a slow even pace... when I am stressed.. this totally zones me out and brings my breathing back into a normal range..

Too much life and not enough quilting of late.. it makes Maddie a cranky girl!

Here is to hoping that tomorrow is holding lots of thread and stitches!

Book Lovers... take note!

2010-11-14T18:06:00.000-08:00

Please note that you can find the books I am putting up for sale in the ~Bookcase~ on the Fresh Thread sister site... the Longarm Virgin. Click HERE to find out what is new!

M is for Mailbox!

2010-11-09T04:59:00.000-08:00

And Amy you need to check yours since you are the winner of the newest copy of

Creative Machine Embroidery magazine!

So leave a comment and drop me a note so I can get it into the mail to you this week!

It's a Giveaway!

2010-11-05T04:52:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long and I think you all would agree!

So it's time for a little giveaway!

To celebrate my new article in

Creative Machine Embroidery Magazine

I have a copy to give to you!

Even better it comes packaged with a bonus CD with CME Fashion Numbers

So it's all good!

( Please note that it will be the Nov/Dec issue not the one pictured here.. it seems that I can't get an image of that issue to upload right now... geesh I love technology!)

So.. if you want it just leave a comment below and I pick from the comments next Monday.. since I think that a little good news like winning a magazine would be a nice offset to the usual "joy" of Monday!

On the road again.....

2010-10-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

Ok... it seems like I just got home and I am on my way back out again... my, this makes me sound like SUCH a jetsetter..NOT. This time it's the whole fam-damily and we are going to Tybee Island off the coast of GA for a Marine biology camp. I am running around here like a chicken with my head lopped off trying to get ready and get the house ready for the housesitter.. I mean.. reeeaaaallllly? Cleaning my house to go on vacation.. where is the mercy?

The week has been good but fast!... ran into an adorable blog reader at one of my local fabric haunts... she is new to embroidery and cute as a button.. she does hair ( yep I am talking about you!).. I need to go see her and see what she can do with mine!

I started a new quilted piece... not really a quilt so much as a piece of art that will be quilted.. not sure about showing it off here but it will be over on my Longarm Virgin Blog at some point.

I am teaching next week at Chattanooga Sewing... so if you dream of "blinging" up your embroidery this is the class to learn it all! We will be Hotifixing ourselves silly.. and I think there is room for one more in the class... so if you want to come play call Chattanooga Sewing and get that last spot!

I finally saw my new article in Creative Machine Embroidery magazine and saw my photo in the front!.. yikes.. looks like I am storing nuts for Winter in those cheeks!

I hope to have a holiday/winter type free file up real soon.

Happy trails!

It's on the stands - Twinkle Toes

2010-10-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned last week my new article/project is in Creative Machine Embroidery this month and you can now find the issue on the stands at your favorite local book store. With a copy of the magazine you can have the instructions and access to the free files but I thought I would show you how I use my Twinkle Toes.

I have a lot of Mary Jane style shoes.. some low and flat and some higher than then sky. Each pair just screams out for a bit of flash and more comfort never hurts!

So get a copy of the magazine and join the fun!

Monogram That!

2010-10-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Tis the Season already!

Machines at Fresh Thread are running full tilt with holiday orders that are already coming into the studio. Many of these items are big and bulky so best handled by a 6 needle machine. It's not that many of the home machines don't have the power it's that they don't have the room to get items under the head of the machine or a way to support the remaining weight of the item.

But even with the big machine drag can be an issue so supporting the item being monogrammed is very important! Here you see me using my ~ Monogram That~ Support system that takes the weight off the frame and supports flexible movement of the item so that it follows the movement of the hoop. Monogram That! can also be used with home machines helping you monogram items that you never thought possible!

~Monogram That!~ is currently in pre-production and if you are interested in getting your hands on one or learning more just drop me a line or watch here for further details.

Hello and Goodbye!

2010-10-09T05:44:00.000-07:00

Hello to everyone from Creative Machine Embroidery Magazine! I am so happy you have dropped by! I did not even know that the latest issue on was on the stands until I started getting e-mails. I hear that there might be an upload problem with the files and will do my best to get that sorted out but once I hand the files over it's a bit out of my hands but I feel certain we will get it all worked out. Please note that you will need a JUMBO frame to make the Twinkle Toes project. Due to it's nature the project cannot be split.

I am on my way to Utah tomorrow morning " bright and squirrely" as my dad used to say. I will be at the loverly Handi-Quilter HQ for a a couple of days soaking in all there is to be had on the subject of HQ longarms. I am quite excited about this and will be posting updates to my FB page so if you want pop over there and find the Fresh Thread page and join up so you can keep up with the fun!

We interupt this blog for an awful cold

2010-10-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

Maybe having an awful cold would be easier if I had cool tissue like this!

Maybe not.

In any case I must get better since I fly out on Sunday for Utah to spend 3 days soaking up all that the Handi Quilter company has to offer!

I will be posting updates to my Facebook page if anyone is interested.

Until then... please pass the tissue

Midwest Modern with eyelets!

2010-09-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fussy sort of person, I might have some vintage doilies but they are not sitting on my chair backs they are appliqued to my jeans and my life is pretty casual. So when pondering the eyelet kit that is a possible accessory for my Bernina 830 I had a hard time of thinking of a lot of uses for it in my life. After all I am not doing any heirloom sewing right now and I am not the "dainty nightie" sort of gal. ( This of course begs many questions but we are just NOT going there!)

But..but.... it's SOOOOO cool and it makes BEAUTIUL full- lush eyelets..but then I was not in need of a lot of full-lush eyelets but something did start brewing in my head. As I saw the circles for what they were.. design opportunity! In my head they were the large fluffy top of Spring Alliums.. those huge purple ball flowers that look like they were created by dr Suess??? Bold lines, interesting shape.. circles.. potential. So I started sketching.. and came up with idea.

Using the eyelets in a loose casual way I was able to achieve a modern clean look that works perfectly on a t-shirt to wear with jeans.

Please note that I had to do some fast working with these eyelets to get them to NOT be full and lush.. I wanted to be true to the look of a wind-blown plant, scraggly and a bit disheveled but still beautiful in the way only nature can get away with!

The stem and star burst area of this design are run in the embroidery machine and then then eyelets are added using the Bernina Eyelet kit ( #82/92)

If you would be interested in doing this yourself please drop me a note here on the blog and I will see about getting it posted up to share!

Just a few more days!

2010-09-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder that Septembers Free Files will be going away at the end of this week so if you want them you had better download them now!

Scroll down a couple of posts for more details and download links!

Tip Tip Hurray!

2010-09-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have offered up a tip but I hope this little gem makes up for it.

When making clothing I often cut the fabric when I have time and then sew as I have time. This works well except I often forget what I need to do and which part is what. To solve that problem I have stepped back into the past and pulled out a little used office supply,

Gummed Reinforced Circles

These little gems are are small , get sticky when you wet them and hold tight to the fabric letting you mark details and make tiny little notes to keep you on schedule!

Try it!

Walking Foot woes and some clarification

2010-09-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

I have had a couple of questions about the Retro-Fit kit for the Bernina Walking foot guide issue that some 830 owners have with their machines.

To answer these questions:

YES!.. you can buy this stuff yourself.. please do!.. it's rubber tubing, often used for mower gas lines. Just find the right size at your handy dandy hardware store and you are in business.

Does everyone need this? NO!.. if your waking foot and it's guide and bracket fit on your machine you don't need it.. so don' buy it!

Why did you make this kit? I created the retrofit to solve my problem, I let people know how I did it but some people did not want to have to hunt down the tubing, thus I made the little kits ( find the link on the right side of the page. )

How do I make this little kit work?.. ah.. glad you asked... how about you take a peek at this webacast for more details! ( yep.. camera was tipped funny... sorry about that!)

Dreams Come in All Sizes

2010-09-09T05:22:00.000-07:00

I am so glad you all have liked the new Freebie file! Remember it's up just for the next week for free! But so many of you needed other sizes and I hear you!...

So.. for you 5x7 people how about a dream that looks like this???

And dont' worry 4x4 folks... your litle dream is just as sweet!

to download the 5x7 click HERE

To download the 4x click HERE

And remember... add those hand stitches... you will be charmed and delighted!

Finally a Freebie!!!!

2010-09-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

Well that took WAY longer than I ever dreamed... you know..life..yadda yadda

BUT!.. I think you are really going to like this.

Enjoy a totally modern take on machine embroidery with this new design. Just right for an accent pillow or as a free-hearted touch on the back of a jean jacket! Sized for the larger 7x11 hoop this file stitches out quickly but is greatly enhanced by the careful addition of hand done running stitches to echo the machine work. This simple addition raises the bar on the project from a simple embroidery to something you are going to want to really show off. After stitching simply use DMC pearl cotton to add simple running stitches to accent the tree and the swish. If you desire also add a small eye to the bird, it’s just that simple!

The sample shown was stitched on pre quilted fabric for a fast project but don’t be afraid to use this design on other fabrics. I think it would look wonderful on a dark denim!

This design is yours free for the next week. Enjoy!

You can download the design here! CLICK HERE

Where is Maddie?

2010-09-02T05:53:00.000-07:00

Right here!

CLICK

Dear Friends, I will be closing down my yahoo page for Fresh Thread due to some technical issues.. please feel free to join me over at Facebook where it will be MUCH easier for me to manage things :)

Finding inspiration

2010-09-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

There are days when I would not be surprised if my head just exploded with all the inspiration I see around me each day! So many ideas and so little time to get them on the fabric!

Today I was looking at this sweet piece of Fabric

It's part of the Farmdale collection by Alexander Henry and it just SCREAMS Fall, but in a fresh/retro way that steals my heart. It reminds of a some fabric in the depths of my childhood.. very cool!

From that...

I did this!

This one was just a test but I was quite charmed by it and think I will get it posted up here for everyone to enjoy very soon.

What do you think... do you like it??

I am still refining the technique since I don't want to see the cross hatch color running on the edges.. of course this effect is easy to pull off in print ( see fabric sample above) and more more complex when it comes to fabric! :)

I am thinking of doing it on some new Fall grocery bags..cute..no?

Jumping out of the Hoop

2010-08-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

I am a woman of great contradiction.. and that can be a bit confusing at times and at others the combination of my love of technology and love of handwork come together is a way that really rocks my world.

Anyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with DMC Pearl Cotton Honestly there should be a 12 step program for me, it's just that bad. I own every color... and that is a LOT of Pearl cotton, but it makes me oh so happy. I love to stitch with the stuff and use it everywhere that anyone else would just x-stitch floss.

Now to combine it with all my pretty machine embroidery threads is a dream come true! I have spent many a happy moment of late adding hand stitches to a new group of embroidery designs. Adding little hand touches is a fast refreshing way to freshen up your embroidery that anyone has time for!

It's just a couple of stitches but wow... what a punch it gives any project!

I can't wait to share this with you!!!

Be Still My Heart

2010-08-25T14:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen a fabric collection that made every little tiny part of your soul just sing??

For me it's Meadow Sweet 2

Lordy.. it makes me happy just looking at it and I must must must make it mine. And opposed to my usual random acquisition of fabric I have a PLAN for this fabric.. ( I sure you a relieved to hear that!) I have a chair in my living room that is uber comfy but no longer matches anything and I am going to re-do the chair with the fabric after I quilt it up! I think it's going to be smashing!

Wish me luck!

Studio Time

2010-08-23T18:26:00.001-07:00

I took some time today to make a cover for my Studio... want to make one too?.. follow along.

Do You Know Your Fabric Sweets?

2010-08-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

A Layer Cake contains 40 or 42 10" squares (always at least 40, regardless of the number of pieces in the line, so you could have duplicates or have a few pieces of the line left out).

A Candy Bar contains at four collections of 2 1/2" x 5" strips of each fabric included in the fabric lines. In some instances, we have "broken" our candy bars up and you can purchase "Snack Size Candy Bars" of individual fabrics.

A Charm Pack contains at least one 5" square of each fabric included in that fabric line. However, the newer Moda Charm Packs now include at 40-42 squares, so you could have duplicates.

Turnovers contains 80 triangles (40 squares). Join 2 triangles to make a 5" half square triangle block.

A Jelly Roll contains 40 strips, 2 1/2" x width of fabric (always 40, regardless of the number of pieces in the line, so you could have duplicates or have a few pieces of the line left out).

A Honey Bun contains 40 strips, 1 1/2" x width of fabric (always 40, regardless of the number of pieces in the line, so you could have duplicates or have a few pieces of the line left out).

A Jelly Cake contains one Layer Cake AND one Jelly Roll!

A Charming Jelly Cake contains one Layer Cake, one Jelly Roll & one Charm Pack!

A Dessert Roll contains 10 precut 5" x WOF strips

I LOVE THEM ALL!!!!

More NOEL

2010-08-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

Well its' pieced and I have to decide how to quilt it. I know I will be ditch stitching on the bigger lines.. but after than i am drawing a blank.. of course that is why it's on the wall not on the machine right now :)

Zensiprations stitched out great.. the Fairy Frost was just right... come on quilting inspiration!

What do you think???

The First Noel

2010-08-16T04:38:00.000-07:00

Dare I say it?... but yes its time to be sewing for the holidays, if not a bit late if you have a really long list. I am just getting started and first out of the shoot is this wall-hanging in process. Done with the OESD Zenspiration collection this is a modern take on an age old holiday sentiment. The letters are 7inches high and the blocks are 9.5inches.

I have not as of yet decided how I am going to sash these but will be messing around with ideas today. Ater piecing I think I will stipple quilt the background... but who knows.. hopefully inspiration will strike me.

While not traditional in color the fabric is Fairy Frost and has a slight metallic sparkle to it helping with that holiday feeling.

The letters are wild and lavish.. really pretty much over the top but grounded by intense lines. I am really grooving on it.

Kit-reffic

2010-08-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

A simple little kit to solve a big PIA!

For those with Bernina 820 and 830's that are not able to use your guide on your walking foot I have come up with a small fit enable you to once again use your guide with ease.

This little kit contains 6 snug washers ( 3 nylon, 3 rubber) and a length of rubber tubing that can be cut to size for your spacing needs.

Just thread the cut to length tubing onto the guide first.. put the guide through your walking foot and then use one of the nylon or rubber washers to hold it snug up against the walking foot. It's that easy!

When done it should look like this

To order ..

CLICK HERE and it will take you to my storefront ( yep.. it's open again!)

Bernina boo-boo- walking foot guide problem.

2010-08-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

It seems that on some of the new Bernina 830 machines that the dual feed gets in the way of the bracket on the walking foot that you would use to keep metered spacing between your rows. My personal machine is plagued with this bothersome feature and I know of others in the same boat. there are other who are able to use their guides with no problem.

For those with the problem it looks something like this.

Can you see how the downward prongs on the dual feed are hitting my bracket on my guide bar?.. this interferes with me lifting the foot all the way on the cone and locking it in place..

Same here

knocking again ~sigh~

With the dual feed foot lifted up out of the way you can see how my walking foot it not even centred on those prongs..

Totally wack-a-doo.. the bracket will not fit on....

but I am not a woman easily daunted.. I am a woman who wanted to use her guide for some channel quilting!

Thus a trip to my hardware store brought me delight!

( I will take a moment here to praise the small town hardware store where they guy there is willing.. neigh happy to drag you all over the store looking for ways to solve your problem...thanks ROY!)

My Solution

Rubber vacuum tubing and nylon washers... not exactly pretty but it works like a charm!

I purchased tubing that was a snug but not an impossible fit on the rod as well as matching nylon washers. I cut the tubing to size for the gap I wanted to have between rows and slipped it on the guide arm.. slide the guide through and then slid on the washer to hold it snug. It works like a charm!

I am putting together a few kits for those who might have the same problem.

The teeny-tiny fix it kit will contain

1 small length of tubing enough to cut a couple of buffers

6 washers, 3 nylon, 3 rubber

and instructions

I will send them out via the post office and the kit cost will be $5, including shipping.

If you need one ( if your guide works you do not need one!)

Just drop me a line at

maddie6@bellsouth.net

and I will send you a Pay-Pal invoice and then get the little kit into the mail this week!

Boosting sewing room productivity!

2010-08-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

It's getting sort of crowded in my studio with the arrival of my new STUDIO from Accquilt. For those who don't know this machine or it's portable little sister sidekick The Go!.. these are die cut machines, both big and small. They make short work of cutting fabric into quick shapes for faster and more accurately cut quilt blocks.

On my end while I will be using it for quilting I have some ideas for combining the die cuts with in the hoop embroidery, with hopes of some awesome results!

Lovies for the Cause

2010-08-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Once again I am partnering with my husband to raise money for The Susan Komen 5k Run for the Cure. On my Longarm Virgin blog I am quilting for the cure and over here at Fresh Thread I am offering a complete set of Lovies Embroidery files ( as seen in my header) for a donation of $10 or more to my husband's race donation page. This offer begins on August 9th and runs through the race date Sept. 26th

Take advantage of this offer you will need to go to my husband's race page and make your donation and then drop me a line at maddie6@bellsouth.net. I will then check the race donation confirmation page for your donation and send your files via e-mail.

This will be my husband's second year to run the race after rehabbing from two leg fractures and heart surgery. I could not be more proud of him and his running to support multiple different charities each year.

Thank you for helping support his mission to run in support of the women in his life!

To access the race page click

HERE

Serging ahead

2010-08-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Today the mamas at SEW MAMA SEW ask why I would want another serger.. in fact they are so serious about the knowing our thoughts that they are giving away a serger!

As for me... i love my serger but adding a second serger to my studio would mean being able to keep one threaded up with dark thread and another with light thread... or to have one set up for doing the ever so wonderful rolled edge while the other would be set up for regular serging.

Don't get me wrong.. I am blessed to have 1 serger but I used to have two and when I did it was SUCH a blessing to be able to bop between the two machines.. making sewing even faster and more fun. Since no matter how easy a serger is to thread ( with some being easier than others!) it still takes time and totally kicks my sewing mojo in the tail when I have to switch back and forth a bunch of times. When my second serger ( which use to be my first.. follow that?) died it was a sad day but I did not understand how much it had added to my productivity.. I would LOVE to have that option back!

Now for something totally differnt!

2010-08-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me will not be surprised that in my head there are very many drawers.. and while some of the drawers are related to one another many of them are quite divergent! I go through my day mentally opening and sorting through each one. taking stuff out.. putting stuff in and acting ideas that spring from them. This can make for a rather chaotic through process but also makes for some really cool ideas, one of which I am working on right now. - Wish me luck!

My Modern Victorian Heart

2010-08-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

While I always admire that cool spare design you see in modern mags my heart beats faster with color and detail. Couple that with a nod to the modern with somewhat cleaner lines and progressive

technique and you get ...

My Modern Victorian Heart.

Coming this Fall.

Start gathering those silks, satins and velvets.. you are going to love this!

Taking some time to tidy things up.

2010-07-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

Many of you have noticed that my store-front is now closed. I have tried to remove all of the front page links but I am sure I did not get all of them. Don't worry it's not forever and if there is something that you really need just drop me a note and I will make it possible for you to purchase the files.

Basically it works this way.. I have one month until my kids start back to lessons ( yep, we homeschool) and during that time I will be getting them ready and revamping the store front with new files, links, hints and tips as well as getting my longarm business up and running all while continuing my embrodiery/monogram. But to do all that I need to close the store- front to make the changes easy to accomplish. I will still be blogging here and there is a good chance that I will have some cool freebies in the coming days so do check back so you can see the progress!

2010-07-30T05:20:00.000-07:00

Oh gads! I woke up this morning with a start remembering that I had not picked a winner for the Halloween Fabric giveaway! Then I had to find the hat.. pulled out the bunny... put in the numbers.. and picked number

That makes Deb the winner of the cute pack of Halloween scraps!

*I actually used the Random Number generator but for some reason it will not cut and paste into my post.. and the bunny is so much cuter anyway!

I have some class

2010-07-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

I am a saver.... like magpie I have hard time getting rid of stuff let alone not collecting more and from this I have a rather large stash of scrap fabric.. I have a certain way I store it that we will talk about later but for now just knowing that I can make lots and lots of holiday gifts from that stash is really comforting.

This project comes from the "strip bin" and while I would like to say in made a real dent in that in you really can't tell I used any and I will have to make trivets for my whole county at this rate. But look at those colors!.. happy huh? I like the pop of the black on the colors but if you wanted something that more blended a soft grey does the trick.

I will be teaching a class in how to make these this Fall. I will be teaching the the foundation skills that will move us on to making baskets and purses.. very cool.. yes? But from that process the students will get really neat trivets, placemats and coasters all from their scrap baskets!

Want to take the class? If you are in the Chattanooga area I will be teaching it this fall and would love to meet you! I will be teaching at Chattanooga Sewing (423) 899-3664 , call them a reserve your spot!

A wee bit overblown...

2010-07-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

No need to gasp... I know it's over blown.. and beyond the pale but oh how I do love it! I happen to have two cameras and while I had made a strap for my trusty Fuji my Cannon was still looking pretty lean and plain so I went the whole nine yards and used some Texture Magic and made this cha-cha camera strap from some of my favorite leftovers of the vintage sheets I used to make the curtains in my office.

The center part of the strap is runched using the Texture Magic and a simple running stitch and the sides are all full and fancy due to using my ruffling attachment for my machine. I am pondering whipping up a pattern for this.. what say you??

I am pretty sure my husband will never be able to use my camera again!

Go Me!

2010-07-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

Well I will admit that I obviously did not know what I was getting into since I thought that it might take an hour.. maybe two to get it all folded, bolted and stored back... Ha!

ALL DAY LONG PEOPLE...ALL DAY!

It's done and it looks pretty dang good if I do say so myself. Where a week ago it looked like THIS today it's looking a lot leaner, meaner and a lot more organized!

Top shelf - clothing fabric, most on homemade fabric bolts made from foam core board

Second Shelf - baskets full of sizable scraps and fat quarters sorted by color. ( the other container is all Kaffe Fassette fabrics since I LUV them so much!)

Third Shelf - vintage sheets, muslin and quilt yardage

Fourth- Felt and novelty/freaky fabrics

Fifth shelf- (mostly unseen) large containers with batting and other odd ball items.

Not bad huh???

and YES... I got rid of that UGLY light fixture. The one I got is school-house style, very simple to the point of plain but a nice relief from the stained glass monster!

Scraptastic!

2010-07-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

You didn't think I forgot did you?

One of the best parts about being a designer is playing with lots of fabric but there comes a time when a studio hits a critical mass and you must admit that some of your fabric needs a new home!

So what I have decided to do is after each new collection is " in the bag", the scraps will also go" in the bag" and then that bag will go to a lucky reader! If I have a huge amount of usable scrap of some really great fabrics I might also put a couple scrap grab bags in the shop for sale.

The first Fresh Thread Scraptastic bag is filled with some really great Halloween fabrics all used in my soon to be released collection. The bag is full of a few partial jelly roll strips, some small yardage ( less than Fat quarter size) and other sundry bits from 5 different fabrics. If you are a scrap quilter this will be heaven!

Want a shot at winning it?

If so leave a comment making sure that I have a way to contact you and I will pick some time mid-next week!

And since I am such a tease I will leave you with a little peeky shot of the third wall hanging in the Halloween triptych collection!

With Love from Dee

2010-07-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

I just LOVE it when you all send me photos of what you have been doing with my designs and even better when you let me post it up! Dee was so gracious as to let me see and share what she did with my LOVE design for the jumbo hoop.

Want some love yourself? Well it's on sale now for less than the price of a Happy Meal.. so come and get it! ( click on the link to the right)

Thanks Dee! It looks... LOVERLY!

I Have Been Cheating on My Embroidery Machine

2010-07-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

Yep... It seems I am a hussy who can't just be satisfied with one good machine.. it's seems I need a whole stable to keep me happy.

Please meet Sir Lancelot my new HQ 18 Avante. He is still a bit shy and I won't be talking about him a lot here ..but if you want to know more about this charming fellow you can find me ~~blathering on~~ talking about him over here at Longarmvirgin.blogspot.com

and do check back tomorrow because there is going to be a nifty new giveaway.. and it's FABRIC!

Want another peek?

2010-07-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

The machines are moving at a brisk pace here in the studio! More Halloween fun in the making... got any guesses as to what #3 will be?

Also got this super cool organizer for my Hotfix stuff!

But now I have a question.. where do you buy your Hot fix stuff? I have gotten mine form a varied number of places but am still looking for a really good supplier with good prices but most of all good quality.. who do you like?

A Spooktacular Peek!

2010-07-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

It's not all about quilting and studio redoing around here at Fresh Thread.. I have in fact been working on a few ideas for the Fall and I am ENCHANTED with this one.. in fact it's SCARY how much I think you are going to like it. A bit of BOO and bit of BLING makes for a festive Fall that is for sure. Using the biggest of the big when it come to embroidery hoops this one is sure to bring a wicked sweet smile to your face.

Good things come in three's and this is no exception!

Got any ideas???

Step one!

2010-07-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

Out with the really icky blinds!(see previous post) and in with some new flat panel custom window treatments! These are made from some funky retro sheets that I had in my stash.. I love the way the light looks coming through them! My view from this side of the house is not so great right now so this half panel mod style is just perfect for letting in the light but not the view! My studio is on the second story from that side so privacy with this style of panel will not be a problem.

The construction was simple.. a top casing with the tension rod slipped inside and another smaller casing at the bottom with a small dowel rod inserted to keep the fabric nice and flat. 30 minutes of work.. $0.. that is my kind of project!

Studio visit.....

2010-07-15T15:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my studio, a totally unvarnished look at the space where I spend quit a bit of time. Right now I am in the middle of redoing the entire room in preparation for a new Longarm quilting machine ( for more about that go to http://www.longarmvirgin.blogspot.com/) but things are going pretty slow. I have about two days to kick it into gear am get it done before the machine frame gets here! (eek!) Over all the main space of the room is 17 x27ish but broken up in ways that are not overly helpful!

This is a vew from the entryway.. you can see how far I have gotten with the flooring and what I still need to do. To your left you can see my dressmakers dummy ~ Fancy~.. right now the poor thing has purses slung on her.. not very fancy at all! The open door next to fancy it the cabinet where I keep all my stamping and paper-good supplies ( yep.. I like scrabooking too!) The long view is straight out to the screene- in porch off our second story deck.

Here is a shot of my paper craft area in an Vintage English kitchen cabinet.. next to that is my 6 needle machine which runs most of the day and sometimes into the night!

Moving right along you can see the blinds that are ready to be traded in for new curtains... I really like having the natural light over my work table but need to work on more "night light" to keep my work space lit up at night. You can see a bit of my thread.. I have 6 other bins that I still need to buy racks for!

The view out the back door. Next week the guys should be here to replace that slider with French doors like in the rest of the house.

Panning to the right is the open area that is waiting for the new Longarm. The big open wall will have my design wall in place....what a luxury!

Pan more to the right past the design wall and you get to my "sewing deck". To make more room my other sewing machines have been packed away but I do keep out my serger and my cover lock machine to use with my Bernina 830 ( embroidery module is not on right now)

Extra cart to my right holds all my sewing supplies for the machines.. it rolls so I can take it whereever I need it in the room. Those with eagle eyes will notice that my desk is up high and I use a drafting chair.. that mean my pedal is on the box... pretty sexy huh??

Sneak around the corner a bit and you can see my design area with my imac and all my books and what not. I have been making the most of this built in since it was here.. but I see a time when I will want to have it removed. And look at that chair.. what a sad looking piece.. I need to do something about that!

My WAY ugly light fixture that must GO! and my pared down fabirc stash.. On the wall is one of my new quilt patternes for the embroidery machine.. Circles of the Sun. It's a whole cloth quilt with reverse applique done in the hoop.

a uhhhh ~~horrifying~~ up close look at my stash.. piles of vintage sheets and who knows what else.. but I have plans... so do check back in to see how the things come along as I update the room!

Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate your comments! ( just click on the comment link at the bottom of this post if the box has not popped up!)

Something old, something new....

2010-07-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love it?? It's a vintage quilt square that I have had in my stash for years! It's really a total mess.. not square at all.. wonky seams and cut off points..but you know what? I think it's beautiful! I think of the woman who made it.. or maybe it was a girl.. who knows.. Not enough of anything and yet she did it.. she made that block. She fudged and patched, she stretched and bunched and in the end all these years later it's getting a sashing set from me and has been quilted into a wall hanging. (I will shoot photos of it when I get it up on the wall).

To honor the piece I left it alone as much as possible but did square it up a bit, added the sashing from some nice linen in my stash. Then I pondered on how to quilt it. After a while a settled on machine channel quilting the linen part since it was the " new"and hand quilting the "old" block with largish simple stitches that were similar to some that she used in part of a patch job that already was part of the block.

I am VERY happy with how this project came out and to me it's part of my statement about how I view quilting and needlework in general. I do it for the joy.. not the angst of the perfect seam or the practically blood thirsty competitive nature of today's "high end" quilt world.

I do it for the joy - the end.

In other news I am making headway on the Bari J fabric project... two 16x70 bench quilts for the big farm table. I an IN LOVE with the little bird in this fabric and think I will take a stab at digitizing a small bird from a sketch I did based on her fabric. To that I want to incorporate our family monogram and use it on the head chairs for the table... I will let you know how it goes.

In the mean time keep your eyes peeled... I am going to have a big sale over in the store front as I say goodbye to some of the designs ( they are being retired)

So..what else are you all doing?...

Where are the days going?

2010-07-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

Woot!... new fabric.. this time Bari J fabric .. a nice big "Fat Roll" of her collection from last year.. this was bought just for making the cushions for my benches at the big farm table.. the colors are just right for the room and I am VERY excited about it.

I have also been all about the bias and the quilt binding for the last few days

Making what could be a chore lots of fun is my Simplicity bias maker. This fun contraption helps iron bias at the speed of light. But not just bias.. it can also do single fold quilt binding, which has meant it's gotten a lot of work of late. It works best on 100% cotton fabrics and I run it on the highest heat setting. It folds and irons all in one step... above I have it shown with the upper heat plate off as I position the fabric getting ready for it's ride through the machine. I am pondering a tutorial on how to get the most out of this machine... if you think that might be a help to you please let me know!

Oh.. also please note that as Summer comes to a close I am going to be redoing the free files on my sidebar and they might go away for a while or forever so if there is anything you want grab it before it's gone! :)

So you ask about thread...

2010-07-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Today's question from Sewmamasew was about thread... I am a thread user.. like in a big way.. not as big as some but enough to devote major space and dollars to my collection so that at 11pm i don't have to worry about not having the right color for any project I might get a wild hare to begin.

The questions were;

How did you select colors for your personal thread collection?

I buy in bulk 2 times a year.. Regular sewing, machine quilting and hand quilting. I buy the whole color line.. I am freaky like that.

Do you always match the color perfectly to your project?
Like most things.. it depends, but if i can't match I make sure to go a to a deeper tone since thern you will lnot have "flash" on the seam lines

Do you ever use contrasting thread?
sure.. i use varigated thread often to hilight seam details, but advise my students to start with matching colors which are much more forgiving.

Do you use the same color in the bobbin as the upper thread?
Yep.. and yes it means I have tons of bobbins. Compounded by the fact that my two main machines take different type bobbins!

What if a fabric has big areas of very different colors?
I lay out thread on top of the fabric.. squint my eyes and the thread that disapears is the winner :)

Do you have any tips or suggestions about choosing thread?
Don't buy cheap thread.. just say no!.. if you are starting out and funds are tight.. black, soft white and dove grey.

Can you show us a picture(s) of your thread collection?
I have 500+ spools of thread.. the ones above are from a recent haul of Mettler from the 50% off sale at my local big box fabric shop. They have teh sale 2x a year.. and at that point I buy 2 of every color on the rack.

Do you ever buy thread because you fall in love with the color (without a particular project in mind)?

No need... I have them all :)

Do you “invest” in thread?

at 500+ spools I think the answer is yes

What types of thread do you have? (elastic, quilting, all-purpose, wool, etc.)

uhhhh what don't I have...ohh I don't have much silk thread.. but otherwise I think I have it covered.

Moving Right Along..

2010-07-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello.. I hope that everyone is really enjoying their Summer so far. Mine has been wonderful and while I am not posting up any new collections right now I sure have not been sitting on my behind! Lots of things going on... in no particular order....

I finished my king sized Wonky Logcabin quilt for my masterbedroom. I love it and if i do say so it came out pretty darn well!

There were 30 main blocks and shashing so pretty simple design wise. It was moving around all that fabric for quilting that was a real bear. Soooooooo I decided that i needed one of these!

yep... late this week you will find a brand spanking new quilting machine in my studio.. I can't wait.

But in the mean time I will get a move on quilting my Tour de France challange quilt... what?.. you don't know about the challange?... yikes... well look on the right side of my page.. find the Coffee and Cotton "tour-challange" link and give it a click to learn more.

This is my first piece for the challange.. it's a wonky wheel all done in Kafe Fassett fabrics. I did the center, off center to give it a sense of movement.. I think it worked! I have it pinned and ready to quilt but do seem to be a bit stuck at this point since I don't know how I want to quilt it! I hope inspiration strikes soon!

And since it has been whispered to me that I am no doing near enough embroidery I would like to point to this as evidence that I have not abandoned my machine... my second TDF challange piece uses reverse applique circles which are made on the embroidery machine to highlight my favorite vintage sheets some of which I am down to mere scraps left and I wanted a good way to preserve them in my mind and heart..

This custom embroidery design will be available in the Fall as part of a new whole-cloth quilt pattern (eeek!) and for straight embroidery download. I will also be featuring this technique in a class that I will be teaching this Fall here in Chattanooga.

So there..I am totally not sitting on my butt! ;-)

Here we go......

2010-07-04T07:19:00.000-07:00

9 fabrics, and a 9 degree wedge ruler and I am ready to go with my personal Tour de France!

The fabrics are all Kaffe Fassett* but from different lines. I broke my long standing bad habit of not using soilds by adding 3 solids in shot cotton to this grouping.

Now on to the sewing!

** There are those who are a bit troubled by trying to figure out how to say this most wonderful man's name.

To ask him, the man himself says it sounds like "Safe Asset."

So there you go!

2010-07-03T20:32:00.001-07:00

Photo Credit. Me!

Wishing everyone a Happy and Safe 4th of July!

Come ride with me!

2010-07-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

Today is the start of the Tour de France, but even better it's the start of the Quilt challenge in it's honor! Check out my side bar for info on Ms. Robyn's most amazing quilt challege ever! I am ploting out a quilt all based on circles... I think it's going to be a whole cloth thing and I think it's going to have some machine embroidery aspects. I am running a bit late on it all since I got my king sized quilt done yesterday... photos soon! :)

Dainty-Do

2010-06-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

Please note..this is a Pg-13 rated sewing post so please be warned :)

Scroll down for content...

Ok... lots of sewing still going on here in the Fresh thread Studio. Quilt is still being quilted ( will it ever end????) skirts are being made and and tote bags are being t oted...but as usual I got a bee in my bonnet to make some Summer dainties. You know.. dainties, the not for every day sort of underthings that are mere frippery, for fun and pure enjoyment. Inspired by the book Sweet Nothings I gave it a go stitching up some Summer fun.

While I wanted to use the pattern in the book, at 10 pm I did not have access to a copier for increasing the pattern by the 600% that they called for so I took a pair of my own and traced a pattern with the thought that I might even get a better fit this way ( I said this to myself as not to head out to Kinko's at 10 pm for enlarging an underware pattern.. ever been to Kinko's at night?... if so you know why I would not want to be there!)

So I did a quick pattern trace and then dug through my fabrics with a notion that I had a cute knit in stock and did find just what I was looking for! ( This never fails to thrill me as to have a stash big enough to " shop" from at 10pm when the sewing but strikes!)

The resulting panties came out great and I even then went on to make a tank-style cami to make a complete night set!

The fabric is a very soft knit cotton with a tiny flower print. The elastic on the legs is just standard issue lingre elastic with the sweet little looped edge. The top elastic is stretch lace.

This is just a little peek at the back with the ribbon detail and more of the stretch lace. From start to finish these took about an hour and if I can find more knit fabric I think I will make another pair. I want to try out some other special elastics so am poking around here at Sew Sassy to see about some colored elastics and other notions that might be fun to use.

What do you think... are you will to show your dainties in public??

A Total Knit-Wit

2010-06-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

Today's post is brought to you by the wonderful world of knit fabric! Honestly I don't work with knits a lot since they can be a wee bit of a pain at times, but there is no denying their total comfort and easy care so every once in a while I dive into a knit based project.

This one was super simple and so comfy that I am sitting here wearing it right now! The fabric is from the ~mystery table~ in the back of Hanncock's fabrics. I swear I will not look there each time I have to venture forth to buy more stuff ( insert here any one of a million sewing notions you can think of) but each time I hear it's call of potential greatness. Now mind you most of the time it's a dismal let down piled high with fabrics that you would not even let your cat throw up on, but sometimes you dig up a gem. This time I found a nice knit of undetermined content ( nope.. have not bothered to do a burn test... it's just a Summer skirt).. so home it came and into the wash it went.

It came out of the wash welll so next step was something simple and fast that would be great for shopping or hanging out by the pool. I serged a tube of it up and then took the rest and cut it into strips that then finished with a easy rolled hem ( serger).. but you could do a little zig-zag with a walking foot for the same type of effect. I then used my ruffling foot ( all hail the ruffling foot.. run right now and get one).. and then stitched the ruffle onto the bottom of the skirt with a raw edge technique. I added an elastic waist with a simple casing ( yes I know that this breaks my no elastic waist vow, but with knits it just about the only real choice and makes for a skirt a bit more forgiving of Summer indulgences!) and that is about it... very simple and VERY comfortable to wear!

Best part?.. final cost $1.85

Lest you think.....

2010-06-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

That I have been off sunning myself on a beach.. or being a Summer-Slacker.. rest assured that I have been oh so very busy... really so busy as to the point of thinking that a little Summer-slacking might be a good thing.. but with so much to do I don't see that in my future anytime soon!

As to what I have been doing:

1) Losing weight - yeh Weight Watchers!... 12 pounds down...and uhhhhh more to go.

2) Quitling, with help that is no help at all!

This guy will NOT get off my quilt as I work on it.. the second he hears the machine he comes running in and plops down in the middle of things.. this has made for some very wonky free motion work on my part!

3. Making dresses!

Such a wonderful dress and a great patern to work with. It's the Ofelia by Pattern's by Figgy's and I can't say enough about how simple it was to make and how wonderful it came out. I did change some things... well really more I added some stuff to meet my vision of how the two fabrics I picked would work together with one change being that i wanted to revel more color at the neck like so I did a wrap around treatment for the edge and elastic casing.. it came out very well.

I envisioned this as a back to school sort of dress so it's done in a light weight jean sort of fabric that is a really nice slate grey color that went SO well with the yellow.

The circle detail is another change I made. The orginal pattern comes with great instructions on doing a really cool band down the front but I kept thinking circles.. so I designed an in-the-hoop reverse applique with some extra stitching detail. The circles really are perfecty round, the fullness of the dress does make them look a bit wonky in this photo. It was a wonderful fast dress to make.. do give it a try!

p.s. since I know somebody will ask... the dress is for an adorable little girl in my extended life.. I sure hope it fits!

Well Bust my Buttons!

2010-06-15T06:04:00.001-07:00

Today I was featured here http://www.superiorthreads.com/blog/ I shall share some photos in a bit.. but first I must run and have a mamogram... have you done yours this year??????

Like Alice Falling Down Through the Hole....

2010-06-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

Much like poor Alice I fell into another dimension where time is a bit more sketchy and there I totally forgot about the drawing I was suppose to do on Friday!.. shame on me! So to say I am sorry I will be sending a Let's Hear it for the Boys to each of the people who entered the contest up till this point!

So there you go.. watch your e-mail boxes for a note from me in the next day!

Ashely... please drop me a note, I can't get your files to you without your e-mail address

maddie6@bellsouth.net

As promised.. The Ruler Roost Tutorial

2010-06-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

Well that took a little longer than I thought (sick child) but here it is.. a quick and sassy tutorial on how to make a Ruler or Notions Roost.

First off - you will need,

2 sheets of Easy Felt ( a stiff sort of craft felt found in hobby stores)

2 fat quarters of fabric or other scrap fabric you have around.

1 can basting spray adhesive like 505

To start.. use basting spray to hold both sheets of felt together. Then spray the front of the felt and smooth on your piece of fabric that you want for the background

(sorry for the awful photo, night time + camera = potluck photography)

After fabric is adheared to the front flip it all over and trim to about 1 inch all around

After trimming use the spray adhesive to fold the extra 1 inch onto the back, smoothing into place.

Flip back over ( right side up) and position the first pocket using a piece of fabric from the second fat quarter.. fold over the fabric for a nice clean top edge, pin this in place in the front. Ok.. I know you are asking.. " Maddie, what size?", well it's up to you.. do you need it deep to support long rulers?..short for notions and rotary cutters?..yes.. ~wing it~

Use another cut of fabric for another pocket ( iron up a small hem for a clean edge). When both pockets are postioned flip over the project and use a bit more spray to hold the fabric that you have wrapped around to the back in place.

Now it's time to go to the machine!

From the front using your foot as a guide zigzag around the whole project making sure to secure the pockets with a few extra stitches. Now is also the time to stitch lines to subdivide the pockets as you need them. NOTE: make them bigger than you think since they are flat they need that room to make up for the depth. I took the opportunity to play with some of my decrotive stitches that are built into my machine.. that was fun.

To hang mine I used two eyelets in the top but you could also sew on a ribbon to hang it or just nail through it with a couple tiny white paneling nails.

I hope you have enjoyed this little tutorial, please drop me a note if you make one.. I would love to see it! Who knows I might feature it here on the blog!

Can you hear it?

2010-06-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's the call of Summer. Pool parties ( and new dresses to wear to them!), fireflies, Sangria.. all the good stuff.

Just a note:

Fresh Thread Studios will be on vacation for the Summer. The store will still be open but I will not be releasing any new designs until I come back to work in the Fall.

But never fear, I will still be blogging, doing some tutorials and even a couple of giveaways but past that you can find me by the pool, in my sewing room or with a paintbrush in my hand working on our old house.

I hope each and every one of you has a safe and wonderful Summer

Let's hear it for the Boys! - Father's Day Design and Givewaway

2010-06-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

This one is for all the boys in your life. From the ones who have just been born to those who no longer want to talk about their age. This fun design is a total tongue and cheek play on the idea of giving dad a tie on Father's Day and has just the right amount of hip style to be something today's new fathers will have fun sporting on " their day" In three sizes this is an in-the-hoop applique design that is fast and fun and will be available on Monday June 7th.

Want to know more?

CLICK HERE

Want to win this collection?

If so, leave a comment telling me what makes the guy in your life really cool and you will be entered into the drawing for the collection. Drawing will be this Friday!

Want to

Still Stitchen!

2010-06-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

Since the " getter" has now been given the gift it's safe for me to show you the house-warming pillow that I made for a dear friend and her darling new home.

The numbers are of course her new house numbers done in raw edge applique. I hand drew the numbers on some wonderful fabric and then appliqued them to some painters drop cloth fabric that I had bought and washed up for a nice natural look.

After doing the applique I then stippled around the numbers and then made the pillow up with self made piping to match the fabric in the numbers. I used a pillow form and the back has an envelope opening so it can be washed if need be.

I might just have to make one of these for myself!

Could you use a little Love?

2010-06-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

I mean really... who couldn't.. since Love is all you need. The Beatles told us so and I believe them! So if you think that you could use a little love, or in this case a great big amount of love shuffle on over to the Fresh Thread store and buy yourself a great big hoopful of applique in the hoop goodness.

Be warned, this is not for the faint of heart or for those will anything but the biggest hoops. Measuring a whopping 11x7.5 inches this design is sized for a pillow front or a wall hanging. It was completley hand designed and will not take well to resizing (don't say I didn't warn you!)

The applique file is held in place by a whimisical zig-zag outline which is very forgiving for those who are new to in-the-hoop embroidery. The large size makes for easier cutting but I do highly reccomend a pair of Havel bent frame embroidery scissors to make things much smoother and easier on the hands.

Please click here to go right to the shop

Pillow Talk

2010-06-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

Ah... here I am just a few days into Summer Stitch and I am already slipping! Today was busy and I have not had much time in the studio but I did get this pillow finished as well as one other project ( photos tomorrow) and the first of the Ruler Roost tutorial written so all in all not bad but not as much as I wanted that is for sure.

Cute Father's Day design on the way as well as a in the hoop applique project for those who are in "love" with todays fresh and fun new quilting fabrics.

What did you do that was creative today?

Just a Bookstore Crazy, Yes I Am.

2010-06-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

I just might be Barnes and Nobel's best customer, in fact if they named a day after me I would not be surprised and neither would my husband or my bank blance. But really I am quite helpless when it comes to the lure of a great crafting book and my desire to support all those fine people who burn the midnight oil putting them together.

Case in point.. Sewing Bits and Pieces

What to do with those odd bits of fabric you have left from projects that rocked but are now done? Pieces as small as the palm of your hand, but still full of potential. Case in point the super yummy cardi on the front of the book. Today I made my own version and I am LOVING it. It was a great project to use up my Anna Marie Horner Voile Photos to come tomorrow when I have high hopes that the rain will have gone away and brought sun and fun back to my neighborhood.

Ok.. back to the book.... yep.. go get it.. you will love it and to show you how much I have a new file I am working on with my inspiration right from the book. High hopes of getting that and the Ruler Roost tutorial posted by the end of the week... just call me crazy! :)

Summer Stitch Kick Off!

2010-06-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

One girl, and two hours of crafting and sewing.

It really is amazing what you can do when you get in there with the intention of busting through a few projects! As proof I give you block number 26 of the needed 30 blocks in my soon to be new master bedroom quilt. The pattern is complex looking but deadly easy Wonky Logcabin block that will be set with white sashing and then a strip pieced border. With a little luck I will knock out the last block tomorrow afternoon since I only got 2 done today, since before that I was doing this...

My quilting ruler collection as been growing by leaps and bounds these days with no good way to store them. I searched the interent for ideas but most of them were table top solutions and that was something I am short of so did not want to give any of it up to storing my unruly ruler collection! This was a quick to sew project and if i get some requests I will do a quick tutorial for it. But basically it's 2 layers of stiff craft felt encased in some of my favorite vintage sheeting that I layered into pockets just right for keeping my rulers close by but out of the way! I like it so much I think I will make a second one of these to hold all my rotary cutters

And as a parting project I put the last touches of my Crafty-Girl Corkboard

This was a re-use/recycle project for a very dated but still serviceable corkboard that I had hanging around but did not want to use since it was struck with a rather large case of the uglies!

I knew I wanted a modern feel since it was going to go in my studio and more than that I wanted a really quick project so I used some heavy duty spray glue and coated the board and then laid on some random pieces from a partially used charm pack. I then took a page from the new slice and dice quilt blocks that you can see all over blogdome and bisected the area with some cute ribbon ( used stick glue on the back of that). I edged it out in the ribbon and bam!.. I was done and it's now hanging in my studio holding little bits of quilty inspiration!

Day1 is done! :)

Start your Sewing machines!.....

2010-06-01T05:04:00.000-07:00

It is June 1st and Summer Stitch begins today! My *plan* is to setup our Summer schedule so that I have 2 hours per-day to sew. Ambitious, yes but with a bit of planning I hope to make it happen. First off is my plan to finsh the king sized quilt I have been piecing since Christmas! I am pretty nervous about this since I have never quilted something this big!

In Studio news I am working on a new collection, it's modern and won't be everyone's cup of tea but I am really grooving on it right now.

Have fun.. sew something!

Jumping the Gun Again

2010-05-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen a project that you had to do NOW!.. like this minute, no stoping go, no collecting the $200? Well this was one for me... and it's adictive.. like crack for seamsters! It's so easy.. it's pretty cheap and it uses up those fabrics that you must have been out of your mind when you bought not to mention the strips in that jelly roll pack that did not light your fire and you did not know what you were ever going to do with them!

There are 2 major techniques for doing this sort of thing floating out around the internet.. One is the It's a Wrap series, and the other is the Mrs. Kings Galley Basket Technique. Both require soft cotton ( or nylon) clothes line and strips of fabric.. and a machine that can zig-zag..thats it! I have not bought either book or video and just sort of made it up as I went along from what I gleaned from posts that I read all over the blogosphere.

I think my method is closer to the Mrs. King method since I am basically making tons of piping and then sewing it in a spiral. I also made a small basket that I have on my desk to hold my keys and my cellphone.. it's was also pretty easy and way cute. I got my clothes line at my local ACE but I hear tell that you can find it at Walmart for much cheaper and I am thinking you might be able to find it at the $store, but have not checked that out to be sure. Just make sure it's the soft cotton or nylon kind.. use a sharp new needle and you are good! When I make another project next week I promise more shots and some more tecnnique if anyone is intersted. It's a great project to do while watching a movie.. very mellow sewing..and what more would you want during the summer?

Time for the Giveaway!

2010-05-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

It's Friday... are you happy? I know I am!

So lets get on with the show and pick a winner for the How Does Your Garden Grown Clip holder and clip design pack!

The Random Generator did all the hard work for me and the winner is!

Number 5!

Congratualtions to the Shelly at Patterns by Figgy's you are the winner! (please contact me so that you can let me know if you want a design file on CD or an actual clip holder and clips ( for those that don't have embroidery machines!

For those who did not win remember that we have the files on sale in the Fresh Thread shop at a special price through the end of this month.

Also remember we are counting down to the begning of Summer Stitch and I invite you to come join the fun!

oh... and more on that quilted camera strap later next week!

Summer Stitch is Almost Here!

2010-05-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

Summer Stitch- A hedonistic stitching/crafting/feathering of my nest free-for-all where I sew the things I want for myself and my home without a bit of guilt about things I could be making for other people. Three months of pampering myself with the sweet things that I usually give away to other people. Taking " me time" each day to recharge my creative batteries amid trips to the pool and the library, melted ice-pops and mosquito bites and I invite you to join me.

My start date is June 1st but I will admit to jumping the gun a little bit and making this swanky new quilted camera strap ( seen in the photo) for my daily-use Fuji and I have another one planned for my big mac daddy DSLR Cannon that I really should use more often!

So join me if this idea appeals to you. Swipe my button over there to the side and post it up on your own blog and then link back here so we can swap ideas and blog visits, inspiration and guilt free encouragement to put ourselves first for just a bit of time each day!

Heads up Thread Lovers!

2010-05-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Just a shout out to those who have a Hancock Fabrics in their area ( not to be confused with Handcocks of Paducah, which is much nicer but not near me!) On Memorial Day and that day only they will be having 1/2 price on their ENTIRE stock of thread. Not just the Coats and Clark, but the Mettler and Gutermann and Sulky. I just stocked up the other day but have already blown through 4 whole big spools with all the quilting I have been doing. While not adverse to C&C which I often use for craft projects I tend to got for Mettler and Gutermann when it come to quilting or making good clothing, it just seems to run a bit beter in my machines. As a note all the machince needles and quilting mats and cutters will also be 50% off so if you are in need now is time to crack open that piggy bank and go for it!

How Does Your Garden Grow?...It's a Giveaway!

2010-05-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the privilege to debut my newest collection to a great group of eager students at the Chattanooga Sewing shop in Chattanooga TN. They were a wonderful group of ladies and we had a great time playing with my new How Does Your Garden Grow Clip holder and Clip collection. Each class participant was given a full kit with all the things they needed to make 1 or more of the clip holders and a nice

.

Each clip holder is made with a sturdy piece of Easy-Felt, some ribbon, some craft felt and of course some great buttons for the clips. The "button" in the center of the design is embroidered! The entire project is done in the hoop with the excpetion of stitching the buttons onto the clips.

These make wonderful gifts and with just a change of color you can take them from sweet to wild! Try some of the new tie-dye felts or how about an animal print to the pre-teen in your life?

This project comes with a full release to make these to sell at local craft fairs and such and with such a low supply cost these will have a nice profit margin.

Want to know more?... just pop over the the Fresh Thread Shop! CLICK HERE

Now.. as always with a new collection we need to celebrate!... so leave a comment for your chance at one of the full supply kits and design CD! ( to leave a comment just click on the word comment below and it will open up a drop window where you can leave your name and contact info so I can let you know if you won!)

Edit: I will pick a winner from the comments on Friday!

Now All I Need Is Some Rain!

2010-05-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

It really is amazing what you can find on the sale rack at Target sometimes! Yesterday's adventure brought home a wonderful slate blue swing style rain coat for the reasonable sum of about $12. As great as the coat was style wise it really called to me as a great canvas for some applique, but what fabric? That was solved by a quick trip to my most beloved Sew Bee It quilting store in North GA.

What I came home with was Kaffe Fassett's fabric Millefiore which is covered in the most wonderful circles that were just made for applique work! I cut out the circles and then sat out on my front porch last night and sewed them on by hand with the needleturn method giving them a very tidy apperance ( you could also do this with a machine and the blind stitch..but sometimes I really like to hand stitch). There are two full circles on the back as well as a 3/4 circle. Another full circle and a 1/2 circle grace the front and as of last night I thought I was done.

But never to be one to leave well enough alone ( why stop at three kids when you can have 6?) this morning I woke with the idea that a bird on the back would be just right. So I freehand cut out a wonky little bird and wing and went back out to my front porch with a glass of juice and a needle and got to work on adding him to my coat.

Of course now there is no rain in our forcast for the forseeable future so I will just have to hang my new beauty up here in my studio to admire until the rain clouds come this way again!

Talking Dirty here at Fresh Thread

2010-05-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

While I will admit that I am no "Swedish housekeeper" I do like to have clean laundry that is really clean so like everyone else on the planet I bought into the idea of the front loading washer. Well my dears.. let me say that my front loader is anything but clean and it seems that I am not alone!

It seems that these well touted wonderkids of the laundry world hide a dirty little secret... they harbor mold, dirt and grease under the rubber door gasket and each time you wash anything that ooze is floating back over your clothing and your precious fabric that you took the time to prewash!

In fact this is how I first found this dirty little problem. I went to wash some white quilting fabric that come out much less white then when it went in! It was dim.. and a bit sad looking and this had me perplexed since it was washed alone.

So with flashlight in hand I stuck my head in my dear front loader only to scream in horor... black mold and ~~the creature from the black lagoon~~ icky slimy dirt were in good supply under that tidy and thick rubber gasket that keeps water from flowing back out of the machine.

A quick Google search later ( what did we do before Google??..really I ask you..what?) and I found out that that I need not feel like the BIGGEST failure on earth since this has been reported THOUSANDS of times to the makers of these machines with no resolution from them in sight.

But fear not... if after your inspection of your washer gasket you too find yourself plagued with things unspeakable it's icky but easy to get things back in shape.

~~1,2,~~ 3 Mr. Clean sponges later and you will be on your way to cleaner laundry. After the wipe down under the gasket and the door and the rim then run a GALLON of white vinegar in your machine on the hottest water you can get in there then run it with just plain water.. and then if you are a real wack job run some bleach ( yes I know bleach is BADDDDD ..in fact I even had to go buy a bottle since I don't keep it in the house but drastic times call for drastic measures!)

I think I might just sleep better tonight and I wish the same for you!

Let's Hear it for the Boys!

2010-05-19T04:59:00.000-07:00

Anyone with boys knows that much past toddler-hood it becomes very difficult to sew for them due to the lack of stylish patterns and fabrics available, but I am happy to say with the latest crop of terrific independant designers that trend is turning around!

I am currently planning on making my two younger boys this terrific pattern, Beach Bum Hoodie and Board Short by, Patterns by Figgy's and I am SO excited about it! In fact I am so jazzed that I have been working on a mod-square embroidery pattern for it since not only are patterns and fabric for older boys hard to come by so is trendy but not " cute" embroidery. Need a ducky or a bunny?...no problem, but something for the over 8 set and things start getting a bit more difficult!

I will say that this pattern is not for beginners but it does feature sewing instructions for creating the pattern with alll encased seams making this perfect for chidren with touch sensitivities. You can also just sew this the quick and easy way so it's perfect for lots of different kids!

Soon as it's done I promise to give you a peek! And the mod-square will soon be posted up as a freebie so keep a watch for that.

Gypsy Rainbow is Here!

2010-05-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

I am just tickled pink, and yellow, and purple to give you a peek at my new table runner! I am calling it Gypsy Rainbow and it makes me smile like a crazy woman each time I walk past the dinning room and catch a glimps of it.

This piece was inspired by a coin quilt that I saw over at Tallgrass Prarie Studio but then I took it in my own direction using cuts from my various jelly rolls plus some nice muslin from my stash. The back ( which I forgot to photograph) is done in the bird print from Tula Pink.

It is 62 inches long and 18 inches wide and while too long for a lot of tables it's just right from my super long table and thus the custom length :) As an added bonus I used Insulbrite for the batting, in effect making the world largest soft trivet! I can't say that I loved working with the Insulbrite but it will be an effective way to protect my table from hot pots of soup and family sized casserole dishes.

As for technique this was an exploration piece in that I gathered all my pink cuts in one bag.. greens in another... etc.. then I pulled them " blind" and sewed each color group together and then I stuffed all the color groups together and pulled in in random for the first strip and then mached up..~~sorta~~ not really for the second strip.

Then came the quilting.. this is where I got stuck for a couple of days since I was looking for inspiration. I knew that I wanted to call it ~Gypsy Rainbow~ for it's free and spirited use of color but then I was totally at a loss! So when at a loss I did what I normally do and set up a big brain map on paper ( yes, I am just that geeky).. in the center I put the quilt name and from there all the words I associated with it. Believe me I wrote down some pure drivel but one word group stuck in my head, ~tea leaves~.. I played around with this for a while and created a repeating leaf motif for the colored blocks and then a free motion line and leaf patern for the borders. ( You might ba able to see this if you click on the photos)

The edges are bound in a series of left over strips that I pieced together and then treated as binding ( so it was not bias but in the case that was fine). I machine sewed them to the front and then hand finished the binding since I like that so much more..don't you??

I have already had a few local request for my pattern and a few requests for kits and I think I am going to be doing a class on this..... is this something you might like?.. if so let me know and I will give it a deeper think and get right back to you :) In the mean time I think I will go gaze at my runner a bit more.

Happy Day!

2010-05-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

Well I could not be more ~~relieved~~ pleased to bring you my newest pattern, Strawberry Fields 4-Ever. Honestly, I never thought I would get it done with everything that has been going on around here! If you could see me now you would totally laugh. I am sitting at my computer while workmen are tearing apart some walls and putting up others all around me. The dogs ( Great Danes) and bunched up under my legs since they are getting skittish with all the action. There is drywall dust in my hair and something funky floating in my tea! BUT!.. it's done.. and it' ready for you!

Check it out here at the introductory price!

and now you will have to excuse me.. I need to find a broom and slap this place into some order!

Watch the Birdie~

2010-05-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

Why is it that we put off some of the most simple projects for so long? Case in point.. the cover for this bird cage. For 2 years now.. yes, 2 years this poor bird has been put to bed each night with all variety of bathtowels, sofa throws and the occasional piece of dirty laundry draped over her cage since I had not gotten around to making a cover. But now she is ~~living~~ sleeping in style with this new cover made from a length of what I think is Amy Bulter fabric.. and think it's called Lotus.

To score more birdie-browine points I am even going to embroider her name on the front...perhaps then she will quite dumping her whole seed cup out onto the floor each day, since I am sure this was some form of protest having to due to the lack of a proper night cover!

For those wondering how I made it.. there is no rocket science involved ( good to know huh?). I took a large piece of the fabric and draped it over the cage with the print side down. I then used straight pins to pin away the excess fabric following the contours of the cage. I then trimmed away the excess fabric and sewed up the seams. I then refined the fit a bit and and cut open a slit on the front panel which I then self lined with a bit of bias I made from the left over fabric. The strap has a small snap on it and that holds the flap closed at night. Easy Peasy! It was a 1 hour project start to finish and I now feel like a fool that I did not do it 2 years ago!

Chattanooga Spring

2010-05-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

There is already a whisper of Summer here in the Chattanooga air and that means some soul crushing heat is on it's way but there is not much you can really whine about after such a glorious Spring. I swear that my garden has be a hypercharged wonderland of growth this year and what a nice surprise that has been!

Each morning I have been getting up and going out onto the front porch to have my tea.. I can hear the baby birds up in their nest calling to their mama and there are just a few Lilac blooms left on the bushes by the front door that the air is still rather a treat. All of this makes it a bit easier to take that the inside of my house is chaos as we are once again back remodeling our 100 year diamond in the rough. Dust, stray boards and a desk sitting in the middle of the kitchen are just just a few of the things that make the front porch the much nicer place to be right now! :)

My Favorite Sewing Tip - Scissors, Your Best Sewing Friend

2010-05-05T06:21:00.000-07:00

When I read about the call out from the SewMamaSew gang looking for our tips tricks and "can't live withouts" of our sewing day I had to stop and think since my sewing room is just about busting at the seams with cool sewing stuff ( Yes I am a sewing freak... guilty as charged!) but after a bit it became clear that the thing that is most important to me when it comes to my tools is my scissors.

Good scissors are a sewing gal's ( or guy's!) best friend and a bad pair.. well they are just like that girl in highschool who only pretended she was your friend in order to steal your boyfriend... they are just no good for anyone and will cause you many tears.

My scissor collection is large ( going on 10 pairs at last count) and my children live under the threat of a never-die curse if they use any of them since these are ~ mama's sewing tools~ and they are not to be used to cut open a bag of chips or help pry the top off a jar of pickels. Woe is the child who would do such a thing! ( But don't feel to bad for them I have tons of other scissors around the house for them to use!)

In my top 4 Scissor Hall of Fame are:

Pinking Shears - These sawtoothed beauties are the workhorse of my sewing studio. Used mostly in clothing construction to deter fraying and remove builk from seams these darlings can be an expensive purchase for the new sewest. But never fear with a bit of hunting you can find a nice pair on sale so be saving your pennies since starting price (presale) is $30-$50 for a good pair! ( You can see why I don't let my kid goof around with them!) Of course Ginger is the holy grail when it comes to scissors and that is why mine are but I also have a pair of all metal Mundials that are very nice and I would not hesitate to get them again.

Micro-Toothed dressmaking shears - These not only have a bent handle making them much easier to use to cut out patterns and fabric they also have a tiny tiny little teeth on the blades and grab the fabric so it does not slip in the blades. This makes it really nice for slippery fabric.

Easy Grip Scissors - I know there must be a better name for these but they are made by Fiskers and they are spring loaded making them easier on your hands. If you buy a pair ( and I think you should.. I personally cannot go on supporting the whole scissor industry by myself) go ahead and pick up a pack of the springs, in fact get two since if you found them you a one lucky pup!.. at some point the spring will ~spring~ off of your pair and shoot across the room never to be seen again. At this point you will love me with a deep purple passion since you will have the little spring to fix your scissors since without the spring they are useless!

Wee Little Snips- I can't even begin to tell you how many of these I own. Sharp little scissors just right for getting into tiny places, little stitches and all the other places you big scissors will not go. These tend to dull qicker than other scissors so when I see them I buy them and then don't feel bad and dumping others when they get dull.

BONUS - Duck Billed Applique Scissors- You will not need these unless you do applique but when you do they are the only ones for the job. With one blade larger and beveled in such a way as to protect your fabric these will save you a lot of heartache and snipped fabric.

To keep your fabric scissors in tip-top shape remember to NEVER use them on paper and to give them a small drop of oil on the screw if they start to get tight. If your scissors do get damged consider sending them off to be resharpened, many fabric shops have this service and it can be well worth the $10ish dollars to have your best pair working again after an unfortunate incident where you were not paying attention and might have cut into a straight pin ( I'm just sayin....)

Strawberry Fields Forever...

2010-05-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

Indeed.... with a nod ( or is that apologies?) to the Beatles it is indeed Strawberry Fields Forever, the newest release from Fresh Thread Studio's. This pin cushion duo is ready to make your life a bit easier and a lot cuter!

Easy to make with options for the 4 inch hoop and making the wrist strap in or out of the hoop there is nothing stopping you from making these for everyone in your sewing circle! ( Start now and think Christmas!)

Here I have used a most wonderful cotton velvet rescued from a lowley thrift shop dress but you could also use, velour, or even a nice wool felt if the spirit moved you. But if you can do find the cotton velvet, it feels divine to wear about your wrist. I am ordering more from Denver Fabrics who seem to have a nice collection of colors including pink!... Pink stawberries..they will be divine!

The second part of this dynamic duo is this strawberry dangle version which is just right to tie on where ever you might need a place to park some pins. As you see I have one tied right to the front of my machine and there is another tied to my sewing basket. Heck you could even stuff them with a bit of lavender and pop them in a drawer..they are just that cute.

The files will but up for sale at the end of this week and Linda Palmer please drop me a line since you were right on the money with your guess that I had a strawberry themed idea in mind. You win one of the stawberry dangles to hang from your very own machine!

Good Morning Garden!

2010-05-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

Good Morning from my garden to yours!.. This is the view from my window..is it no wonder I keep getting distracted from my work? But never fear.. this afternoon I will have a sneak peek for you of a ~tasty~ new design that is ~berry~ cute. (hint hint... If anyone can guess what it is before I get it posted you will win it!)

In a Stitch..

2010-05-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

After a full afternoon of cleaning out my studio....I took the evening to do a bit of sewing!

First on the machine were some pillows for down by the pool. This fabric is some outdoor fabric made from some sort of recycled plastic bottles so it's a bit stiff but seems that it will hold up well to being out by the pool. Last year we got a really nice new set of chocolate colored "wicker" furniture.. it came with teal cushions. It's really very nice but the accent pillows were a stripe that have never really been my favorite so when I saw this fabric with just that touch of teal in it I knew it would be great for slipcovering those pillows!

The pillows are simple with an envelope back so I could just slip in the old pillows for a fast and easy project. If I can find some more of this fabric I will do a table cloth with it for our outdoor dining room!

The next small poject was actually finishing up a small project that started it's life as a practise piece. I am teaching myself how to free motion quilt with the new BSR on my Bernina 830... it's a bit like rubbing your tummy and patting your head... easier said than done for this girl! So I am working on control and have been working on small projects that will suffer my learning and still be useable... thus POTHOLDERS!

Inspired by the dots I used free motion to create little flowers on this piece. Obviously nothing fancy... but with a bit of bindning ( a jelly roll strip!) and a few moments I new have a potholder that makes me smile each time I see it in my kitchen!

If you want to learn more about free motion quiliting check out this post on the SewMamaSew blog!

and I want to take a quick moment to do a shout out to all the ladies and gents I met at the AEC... it's was so great to meet you... what fun... and see you next year! :)

Sewing a Straight Line is Not Mandatory

2010-04-30T17:32:00.000-07:00

For those in the Chattanooga Valley area of TN with a penchant for the fresh new quilts that are all the buzz of the internet crafting world please feel free to join me in the birth of the Chattanooga Modern Quilt Guild. This new group is part of the national MQG movment and now is a registered group that has just formed. We will be searching for a meeting "home" and setting up some rules of the road as we gain more members. The group focus will be on the creative process and will not get bound up in a do or die attitude when it comes to 1/4 inch seams or jurried quilt show pettiness. This will be a venu to explore your quilter within and have fun doing it!

Click on the link to the right for more information!

If you are not in the Chattanooga area but want to know more about the Modern Quilt Guild movment check it out here! There might already be one in your town!

CLICK HERE!

Hidden in Plain Sight

2010-04-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

Well it seems that along with lots of sewing goodies I also brought home a cold which has my brain more than a bit fuzzy but I did want to share this with you. I have been keeping a keen eye on the SewMamaSew blog since it's quilting month, and getting all sorts of inspiration!

Last night I was staring at a beautiful Jelly Roll of Free Bird by Moda and this image just popped into my head .. next thing I knew I was 1/2 way done. I hand cut the appliques as sort of an orgaic quiliting expereince. I then did a bit of silly quilting on it and now it's ready to be run through the wash before I decide if it's going to be hot trivet or a pillow front.

I am thinking of replicating this as an Embroidery Adventure design... what do you think??

Drop me a note by clicking on the COMMENT below.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jog

2010-04-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true, I am home from the most wonderful American Embroidery Conference. I have much to say and tons of conference swag to show off, but first I must do laundry and I must sleep. I met wonderful people, saw wonderful things and will do my best to share it all with you over the coming week. I had planned to be able to post during the week but the wireless uplink in our room was dicey at best so please forgive me.

It's good to be home!

Inspiration, AEC style

2010-04-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Long ago and far away I was a teen who was forced to take a dance class where all the "young ladies" were not to dance with the same boy more than 1 time in a row and thus we were to have "dance cards" to which the young men ( also forced to be there) were to sign in order that we knew with whom we were to dance with next. Now mind you I am a child of the late 60"s and 70"s, and that is NOT the 1860's and 1870's so the idea of a dance card was about as popular as wool knickers! and yet now that I think back I wish I had those cards so I could remember those young men since these days I am lucky to remember my own head when rushing aboutgetting ready for such an event as the AEC.

With that in mind I designed this little printable for you to fill out the things you want to remember~ Maybe it's something you want to buy or it's the people you want to find while you are at the AEC. It seems that the time passes so fast while we are there that we don't want to miss a minute ( or a cool product!) and these might help.

Bundled with this file is also an AEC packing list that might help you make sure you get everything packed and out the door when it's time to go.

CLICK HERE for the file.. it's a PDF so print it out on some nice thick cardstock and then cut them out and enjoy!

Conference swag

2010-04-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

SWAG - The Urban dictionary says ~The chief difference between swag and regular merchandise is that its purpose is not to make a profit, but to promote the brand/label, and reward its supporters by giving them something cool and unique. And the AEC is the perfect time me to say thanks to all my wonderful Fresh Thread friends with free collections and mogo-drastic coupons to make you swoon.

Starting next week there will be a couple more giveaways and a nice sale while I am gone. I will only be able to fullfiil orders 1 time per day so please be patient. ( and yes.. soon..so very soon the dowload option will be working over at my Big cartel store front)

In the mean time I am working as fast as I can to get my projects done, get packed and get the family ready to travel. As well as get meals into the house for the part of the family that is staying home!

As I packed my little class tote I shot a pic since it just looked so bright and happy and ready to hit the road!

A little Birdie Told Me.......

2010-04-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

Shhhhhhhhh... a little birdie told me that Sew Be It Quilt Shop will be having a 10% off special for AEC conference partisipants who might be traveling their way ( on 75 between Chattnooga and Atlanta). Just let the store owner know you are on your way to the AEC and then have fun at one of the best quilt stores in the South! Once at the Alabama Hwy exit you are only 2 minutes to the front door of the store!

Charmed..Tutorial

2010-04-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

Dear all, I could not be more thrilled that you like my ID Charms and want one of your very own! I am sending out the custom initial charms to yesterday's winners but have another little surprise just for the conference goers.

For a limited time you can download a AEC 2010 charm to festoon all of your conference gear.. be it your tools or your tote~

The file is here!

CLICK HERE

and now for a down and dirty little tutorial on how to make them!

First trace your 4x4 hoop on a piece of stiff interfacting ( like you might use in a structured purse or tote) or Easy Felt. You are doing this since this stuff is impossible to hoop!

Ok.. now hoop up a piece of regular stablizer, lay in your piece of felt/interfacing and then a piece of fabric print side up! ( use embroidery spray adhesive to keep things in place)

Stitch out the file.. it will create 4 charms for you! Now cut them out with pinking shears, close but not touching the satin stitching.

Now use Fray Check on the pinking edge for longer life ( this is optional but really makes them last much longer). After the Fray Check is dry punch a hole in them and set an eyelet if you have an eyelet setting tool ( I adore my Crop-a-file Big Bite! for such projects)

Thread them up and you are then ready to tie them on to all the stuff you really would like to come home with you! Make sure to use a realy distictive fabric to make identification even easier!

But what you say??? you have no time for such foolish bits when you don't even have your dainties washed and ready for the trip???... Have no fear... I have mutliple premade charm sets that I will be giving away at the conference to people I spot wearing the Fresh Thread Pebble pin!

Charming Conference Accessories!

2010-04-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

One of best parts about a sewing/embroidery conferences is learning new techniques and expanding skills with hands-on classes, this of course means bringing supplies such as scissors and pins etc.. but then there is the whole issue of keeping track of them!

To make things easy for myself I created this simple file for ID Charm Medallions and will be giving away copies of this design at the AEC .. I have this set with my initial but to make it even faster just run these with a distictive print fabric and you will always know what pair of Ginger's are yours.

But wait, wait there's more (hehehe, what a corn ball I am!)

For the first 4 people who leave me a comment.. I will send you a file set with your very own inital to festoon your own gear.

More AEC fun!, for a good cause!

2010-04-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

Ah!... fresh from the dryer in all it's wrinkley goodness is my donation for the Kids in Distress quilt raiser that will be going on at the AEC. Maybe it's just me.. but I can work on a quilted piece and like it well enough.. but to me it's not " born" till after I have washed and dried it.

I just love the way it pulls up.. soft wrinkles, snuggly... all the stuff that make me love it even more! This quilt was more simple than I had planned but being ill from January through March has a way of knocking the wind out of a lot of plans!.. so it's just a simple patch quilt with green bias binding.. crib-sized and just right for a young child in need of the comfort of their very own blanket. After the the photo but before packing it up for the trip I graced it with a blessing that it might comfort the child who needs to be wrapped in it, my thoughts and light will be with them.

Next.... packing for the AEC!

American Embroidery Conference Countdown!

2010-04-05T09:45:00.000-07:00

Today begins the 2 weeks of the progressive Happy Dance that is the count down to the American Embroidery Confernce 2010! To help celebrate the event here at Fresh thread we are going to be having give aways and prizes for everyone ( so don't be sad if you were not able to go this year!.. you can still be part of the fun!)

In celebration of the confernce you will be able to download one of my newest designs that I have used in making this adorable in the hoop lapel pin. It's just palm sized... like a nice sized beach pebble, bringing to mind the warm days coming our way. Later today the free file and tutorial will be posted up here for you to download.

During the days of the conference I will be haunting around looking for those who are wearing their Fresh Thread embroidered pebble and when I catch you I will be giving away free design coupons and radical discount codes. By the end of the confernence I will be giving away over 20 design packs, some Lovies and bunches of discount codes good enough to make you squeal in delight!

So check back late this afternoon to get in on the fun!

Hello and welcome back! I am very excited to say that the file is ready and I have a little online tutorial here for you so you can make this up quick as a wink!

First off you can find the file here it's in PES format so should be useable or convertable for everyone.

The first step is to hoop up a piece of stabilizer and then lay down a thin piece of batting and the front fabric for your pin. Use a bit of spray embroidery adhesive to keep it all in place.

Next run the design in colors of your choice.. making sure to match the outline to your fabic color. Then before the last color change...

Lay down a swanky piece of fabric for the back of the pin... do make sure to lay it face down! and then run the last step in a color that blends well.

Next cut out the pin with pinking shears making sure to get close to the stitching line but not cut it! Then cut open a slit on the back fabric ( I have marked with with the blue line.. see above).. Use this slit to turn the pebble right side out and then give it a good pressing!

Next.. cut an oval patch the cover the slit and glue it in place. Or as an alternative whip stitch the opening closed... this will be covered by the pin in many cases so is all very tidy when finshed.

Now it's time to add your pin back. This one is really to small for the pin... I like to use one that is about 3/4 the length of the pin for better support.. but sometimes you take what you an get and this was the size left in my craft stash!

As my kids say " easy peasy, mac and cheesey"!

This design along with 3 others will also be available in my new collection that I hope to have ready for the AEC so keep your eye's peeled for that. The collection will come with printable display cards that make this a real winner for craft fairs and gift giving. Special cards will be included for giving to teachers and other special people you would like to thank as we come close to the end of the school year!

Color Theory

2010-04-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

One of the better parts of embroidery is having lots and lots of thread to play with. If I mentioned how much thread I own it might seem like bragging.. but please trust me it's not. It's more like some sort of fiber based mental illness with no DSM code at this time!

Getting to play with this much thread on a daily basis is indeed fun and it gives me a very wide range of choices when it comes to design.. Putting threads together for a project is one of my favorite parts and not one I take lightly, or maybe I do. I take it lightly as to think that YOU my dear have your own opinion on what color " flesh" is .. and what color red would tickle your fancy, so often you will not see specific brand or color charts with my designs since I trust that you have your own ideas about what looks great together and I encourage you to play with lots of color combinations and not just stick with what I picked for sample items on the blog.

But all of that said.. if you ever want to do a quick color consultation don't feel shy about droping me a line or givng me a call... like I said.. I love this stuff and am happy to help!

** and please note, I don't think you should color coordinate your chickens and your embroidery.. I think chicks are generally best left a sweet yellow :)... not to mention I think that little blue one might be itching for a fight.

Remake, Reuse, Redo!

2010-04-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

One of the best things we can do with our wonderful embroidery machines is to remake and recycle clothing into something that feels fresh and new for the season. This skirt is a in-process example. The skirt was found at a local thrift store. In it's found state it was a 1970's wrap skirt that hit about mid calf... which is possibly the least flattering length on anybody!.. not to mention that it was a size 10 and I am a very curvy size 14!

What it did have going for it was the most adorable retro strawberry and daisy print on a baby blue back ground. So.. with a couple of quick swipes of the scissors I cut off the excess length.. cut off the ties and side bias binding and remade it into a simple A-line skirt with a red bias trim at the waist and hem. I also added a simple back zipper with a small snap at the top.

This is a great skirt for walks in the park or just a day out shopping. But to add that touch that only those of us with embroidery machines can I am making a matching shirt to go with my skirt. Taking my cue from the fabric I have created a small strawberry and daisy motif to add to a purchased shirt to wear with my "new" skirt. The key here is to add the embroidery in a way that steps it up from the ordinary.. so that means maybe I will put the motif near the t-shirt hem... or on the back shoulder or on the arm. While middle of the chest placment might be your first thought, take a look at some the most expesive or trendy items and you will see very little of the middle of the chest placment ... so think fresh and new and pop back in real soon to see my new shirt to go with my skirt!

p.s. Yes those really are my calves... rock solid muscle but none too dainty eh???

More time to sew!

2010-03-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

Ever had one of those days when you just want more time to sew but you know you are going to need to get dinner on the table at some point? Around here at the Fresh Thread studio that means it's time for Pizza Fondue! This easy to make meal is a quick pantry pleaser that my kids never tire of!

1 loaf Italian bread cut into bit sized cubes, or even easier.. pita bread cut inot wedges! (lightly drizzle with garlic butter and toast till just crisp)

1 jar pasta sauce
1/2 cup cream or 1/2 and 1/2
2 cups shreaded cheese

Pizza dipping extras... peperoni, green pepper slices etc....

In a pan heat sauce and then add cream and cheese, stir till melted. Transfer into Foundue pot and use bamboo picks to dip in the bread cubes or pita that you have lightly crisped. Serve with a big salad!

Rare Bird

2010-03-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

Today was rather chilly here in Chattanooga but it did not stop the sighting of this rare bird! With scraps from the charm pack that I am using for the Quilted Coaster Class I created this little wall hanging with one of the designs from an upcoming collection.

This new collection will be a departure from the many in-the-hoop projects I have done in the past but am really excited about it. Inspired by primitve art with a dash of childhood whimsy and color thrown in for the bargain.. they are feeling quite right for Spring! What do you think??

Catch me if you can!

2010-03-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

Wow... only a few days into Spring and already my calender is starting to look very full! You can catch me a Chattanooga Sewing teaching about the fine art of In-the-Hoop pojects with my new floral quilted coaster. This class will be on the 30th of April at 10 am

April 10th finds me hosting a sew-&-go field trip to the ever wonderful Sew Bee it quilt shop in Ringold GA.

Of course I can't forget the American Embroidery Conference towards the end of April and will giving away lots of collections to those I catch wearing the official Fresh Thread embroidered pin ( post up the 1st of April) while I am there.

May has me teaching multiple classes in differnt venues.. And as scary as it is to say for those who plan on Handmade Holiday it's time to start sewing! If pot holders are in your future I will teaching a class on them and using Insulbrite for all sorts of creative heat proof projects.

Towards the end of May I will be back at Chattanooga Sewing to have even more in the hoop fun with my soon to be released Hair clip and holder project!

Can't wait to see you!

A New Man in my Life....

2010-03-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

It's true.. I have a new man in my life... but I think it's ok with my husband since it's just Dr. Kracker and his highly wonderful Pumpkin Seed Cheddar Flatbreads. These are wonderful but not for those with dental issues.. these flatbreads are all about the crunch! This is my current midafternoon snack of choice while working in my studio.. 1 flat bread and a nice little hunk of St. Andre cheese... I get my Kracker fix at my local Fresh Market , which is also where I get my cheese.

So Maddie.... what does this have to do with sewing? I hear you asking... well nothing really.. it's just so good I wanted to share!

A Little House Keeping

2010-03-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who expressed an interest in the Fast Frames they are now sold.

PLEASE NOTE!... after an all out tear through my studio I found the other two hoops! This is now a complete 7 in 1 x-change set!
as seen here on the Fast Frames site

Due to family obligations and health issues I am no longer going to be doing client work ( no worries.. I am still going to be doing design work!) but since my pledge for the new year is to get rid of what I don't use it's time for my Fast Frames to find a new home!

I ~~had thought that I had the 7 piece system.. but for the life of me these are the pieces I can find so this is what I am going to put up for sale.~~

This is the arm frame with 7 frames that lock onto it that I have used on my PR620 machine. This set has had VERY light use but some of the hoops are marked for center with Sharpie marker. I no longer have the instructions but you can get them at the FF website.

Asking price $225 OBO + shipping

Got an offer?... send it my way!

Please feel free to contact me if you are interested.

maddie6@bellsouth.net

We have Winners!

2010-03-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

How cute are these??? Well guess what?

LAKBerry

and

pollycolumus

You have each WON a pair of Embroidery Broidery Scissors with your

own custom Scissor-leash attached!

Just leave a response here and then drop me a note at maddie6@bellsouth.net and I will get them in the mail to you ASAP!

As a note.. these are some of my favoirte little scissors and I have a pair at each of my machines! If you did not win and you want some of your own call my darling friends at SEW BEE IT Quilt shop and I am sure that they would be happy to sell you a pair!

Just ask for Gloria or Martha and tell them that you saw it here!

A rick rack gift

2010-03-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the continued love when it comes to the Rick Rack Napkin tutorial and perfect placement guide. I know I am a ninny but it makes me so happy when you guys like somthing!

I guess I have Rick Rack on the brain because I just finished these faux rick rack coasters to go with my napkins! These are quick to make and really cute and clever with the way the thread shading makes it look like real rick rack! And even better... I am sending them out free to everyone who has ordered the Rick Rack Napkin Tutorial!

Since my email server will only let me send 10 emails with attachments at a time and per hour ( got to love spam saftey!) this is going to take a bit of time but I am sending the files out in order that the original files were ordered so just hang tight. Below is a quick written tutorial on how to make the coasters.

Fast Track to Rick Rack Coasters

Hoop a piece of stabilizer and your chosen fabric in a 4x4 hoop and run the first step.. this will lay down the base and the RR design. Now taking a piece of fabric that you want for the back and a piece of flannel lay then face down in the hoop with the flannel on top and the fashion fabric face down "kissing" the fabric in the hoop. Now run the last step which will sew a secure square with an opening. When done remove the fabric from the hoop and trim close with pinking shears. Turn right side out and give it a firm pressing with a nice shot of steam to boot. Now slip stitch the opening.. you are now done!.. easy huh???