Quickie Hot Pad coffee mat

I wanted something new to set my coffee on in the morning.  The quilt block I have been using was looking a little sad.  I still have way too much sewing motif fabric, so here goes another project.   I found this book in my private library.  It is all small pieced blocks, no paper piecing, …

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How to Clean and Care For Your Older Sewing Machine

I have several old workhorse machines in the sewing room.  As I was taking one apart a day or so ago, it occurred to me that this is such an easy thing to do, but most sewing enthusiasts are scared of it.  Truly, if your machine is older, out of warranty, you have nothing to …

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Quilted Sewing Machine Cover

I have lots of sewing motif fabrics and wanted to do a quilted sewing machine cover for my main machine.  I wanted something that looked quilty.  So, I designed this one to integrate flying geese, a quilt square and lots of prints. Begin by constructing a panel 18-1/2 inches wide by 27 inches long.  I …

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Spring Floral Wall Hanging Wool Work

One of the challenges this year for our local quilting group is a President's UFO challenge.  We are to list four projects that are in progress or not yet started, that we agree to finish before February 2015.  One of mine was to make a Spring Floral Wall Hanging. I knew we were going to …

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Bleeding colors on quilts

At some point, nearly every quilter will face the problem of a bleeding fabric in a finished quilt.  Some of us try to minimize this by pre-washing, but there are times when that isn't possible, like a block of the month club where you only get a few little bits.  Other times, pre-washing just didn't …

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A Tote Bag Project

It seems I always have too many tote bags, but not one when I need it.  Why is it that I have a half-dozen of them in the trunk, but half the time I get to the checkout line at the grocery store only to realize I forgot to bring them in?  Or, more often, …

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History of the Sewing Machine

I first started researching sewing machines a few years ago when I was lucky enough to find a vibrating shuttle machine with the branding of R.H. Macy.  I wondered who made it for them, and began to dig. This portable electrified vibrating shuttle machine was probably made around 1880.  Beginning in the 1800s, several manufacturers …

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The Scrap Basket

How many scraps of material have you saved?  Do you have uneven pieces from cutting, partial yard leftovers, old clothes you can’t stand to give away because of the fabric or a pretty embroidery, bits and pieces of this and that?  Do you buy 4 yards of fabric when the pattern calls for 3?  “I’m …

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