Sew and So

Today's post is brief but I think you will find that exploring Sew and So, will be lengthy. Lots to see! Sew and So, a British company, has a wealth of information on a variety of hand crafts. I was introduced to this site today via Face Book.  Their quick YouTube videos on how to do various embroidery stitches are quite good. Here is the Sew & So Stitch Library. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Visit Sew & So Pinterest board HERE

I have NO affiliation with this company but I thought it had interesting stitch videos, other tips, and freebies to share!

Enjoy!!

Misty Monday

It's a foggy but warm day. A good one to spend at the sewing machine! I hope someone out there managed to get a bit of stitching done. Yesterday was my day for doing that (more on that later)!

Today I'm going to post a few blogs to view. I haven't done that in awhile. Enjoy. . .

• Blender Pattern
• 100 + Pincushion Patterns
• Reversible Box Tote
• Sewing Portfolio Organizer
• Tips & Tutorials
• Summer Leaf Table Mat

From Art Threads

$ Shop Find

My quilting friends sometimes ask if I still find good 'stuff ' at the $ Shop. A couple years ago at Quilt Guild, I would share my finds during Tips & Tools. Well, I found another great little quilt / craft tool, Craft Clamps, at Buck or Two the other day. There are 6 clamps with a really good grip for $1.50. The tips and hand grip are molded rubbery plastic and so do not slip off easily. I've looked at Clovers Wonder Clips but opted not to purchase them. As I don't quilt in the traditional sense, I thought they were rather pricy for just occasional use. These craft clamps will do the trick of holding any fabric project I will do!

I did find a blog post at Sew Fearless, about the Clover Wonder Clips versus Binder Clips. It's worth a read. There's also a product review of Clover's Wonder Clips HERE at Lazy Girl Designs.

Tips for Quilters and Stitchers

Tip of the day:
Over the years I have been asked to offer advice on what's the best sewing machine to buy. That's a difficult question to answer as there are so many great machines on the market. However, I do advise people to make sure they have easy access to maintenance and repairs. At one point, the dealer for my sewing machine, in St. John's, closed and there was no one closer than Nova Scotia who could do a necessary repair on my computerized machine. That was an experience I won't repeat. So go to your local dealer and try out the different machines they have and decide from there.

Here's some sites with great tips related to quilting and sewing:

• How to Make Your Embroidery Thread Behave (for hand & machine sewing)
• Save The Spools
• The Right Tools for the Job
• Quilting & Sewing Tips & Hints
• Quick Tips for Quilters
• Quilting Tips Archive from Fonts & Porter
• Sewing & Quilting Tips from Sew Mama Sew
• Tips for Sewing Quilt Blocks
• Tips on Sewing Miniature Quilts
• Sewing Tips, Tools and Tricks

Putting on the Glitz!

Don't you just love all the glitzy, sparkly threads, yarns and fabrics available these days! Over the years, I 've managed to collect a lot of different fibres. As you can see, I pulled out a few balls of yarn to make more of the felted Christmas trees that I posted about a couple months ago. I will be travelling for three months this summer, so I want to get as much done as possible during the winter months. Mohair is one of my favorites to work with as it is beautiful to needle felt.

The third photo shows a tangled mess of sparkly balls of glitter yarn. I discovered (by accident) a very simple solution to correcting this. Put each ball in a self closing plastic bag but leave the tail hanging out. Just pull on the tail when a length is needed. I'm still working on that. One thing at a time!

Tip for the Day: Cleaning Your Iron

I read somewhere on the web that Magic Erasers were great for cleaning the soleplate of an iron. I decided to try it today. Well, it really works. I spritzed the eraser and ironed over it with a hot iron until the bottom was clean. You may have to spritz the eraser multiple times depending on how dirty the iron is. However, don't pick up the eraser until it cools a bit! Guess how I know that . . .

I have used the commercial iron cleaners in the past. Most of them smoke a bit when wiped on a hot iron. I don't like that side affect. However, the eraser method is perfect. I also found out that the cheap ones at the $ Shop are just as good as the more expensive ones.