My Sewing Info

Affiliate marketing is a way to sell other peoples products on your website. Since this site is only two weeks old, I am in the process of finding products and companies that have affiliate programs.  Searching for just the  right product, something I believe in, made by a company I trust, a product that I believe you would want to know about, is quite a project.

You see, there are products I wouldn’t recommend. But, there are also a lot of good quality products. Products that will enhance your sewing experience, help make your projects look more professional, and just generally make your life easier. We all need that, don’t we?

So, if you know of something new, or something you’ve seen somewhere, or that you’ve used and would recommend, tell me about it. If there’s something you’d like to see here, let me know. After all, I want you to come back here often to see what’s new.

Why don’t you add me to your ‘Favorites’ right now? And don’t forget to sign up for my ‘Free Tips Sheet’.

Yesterday I stopped by a  Barnes & Nobles bookstore. I love bookstores!  Any kind will do, large with lots of light and great big chairs to sit in, small and cozy with comfy seats, or even old musty stores with small aisles and no place to sit but on the floor.

I’ve been reading since I was five years old. My mother used to make me go outside because we lived in South Florida and she thought I needed some fresh air. So, I’d go out and take my book with me, trying to find a shady spot to read. Since I am an only child, books were my best friends. That’s not to say I wasn’t social. I had friends, and could usually find someone to play with, but I’ve always had a book close at hand. By the time I was in the 3rd grade I had read most of the books in my school library, and my teacher took me to downtown Miami to the library on Biscayne Bay. It seemed huge to me and I was very impressed.

But, I digress. Let me get back to B&N.  I spent over an hour reading magazines just about sewing and quilting. Magazines have become very specialized, and you can find at least one on every subject. I saw magazines about beading, dying fabric, recycling both fabrics and clothing, knitting and crocheting, making handbags, purses and totes. There were some on crafts such as card making, collage, dolls and doll clothing, Victoriana and embroidery.

I bought three magazines, one about handbags called Haute Handbags, one on sewing projects simply called Stitch, and 0ne for artwear called Altered Couture. I was looking for inspiration and as you can see, I have a varied interest. These are not magazines you casually flip through and toss aside. Oh no, these are ‘keepers’. They are works of art. The pages are glossy, the pictures are large and in color, and the directions are clear and concise. These pages invoke dreams and visions, they make you think “I can do that!”, and they show you how. If you are not a crafter, right about now, you’re thinking I’ve lost my mind.  But, if you are, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

I’m thinking that I’ll go to a thrift  shop, or second hand store, or even a consignment shop and see what I can find to make over. I can take trim from one item and add it to another, I can take a suit apart and make it into a coat, or take a piece of lingerie and make it over into a blouse or cami.  Any extra pieces can be a decoration on a purse, handles on a tote, or made into a scarf.  The possibilities are endless!

So, next time you need a little inspiration, stop by a bookstore and browse through the magazines. And, of course, take a couple home with you.

Today I went to an American Sewing Guild meeting. This was a neighborhood meeting, since our chapter covers a large area. The chapter headquarters is in Ocala, Florida. Although I live half way between Gainesville and Ocala, I feel like Gainesville is my home base.

The meeting was attended by about 10 women of various ages, and hence of various skill levels. They were very friendly and welcoming. They have been working on a community service  project, making cloth tote bags for our  men and women in the military.  Since some of them also belong to the Quilters of Alachua County Day Guild, they were also collecting quilted bags they had made for another organization. These are some busy women. Some of them have full-time jobs, some are raising families, while others are taking care of elderly parents. They volunteer in their churches and schools also. But they do find time for what they love…sewing!

My point in telling you all this is so you can see some of the advantages of joining a group like this. There are endless networking possibilities, besides making friends with some very interesting women. They bring to the table  a lot of experience and ideas. Each had  followed their own path, with varying diversions, to get where they are now. Some had sewn since they were children. Some had only sewn a short while after trying different crafts. But they all have a passion for sewing.

Not only is this an opportunity to get together for some fun, but you will learn too. Most of these groups have classes periodically, and well known teachers/speakers come to these sessions. There are retreats planned, all day sew-ins, 3 day camps, group shop hops and thrift shop scavenger hunts for redux challenges.

If you’re new to an area, like I am, you should consider joining this group. You’d be amazed at what I learned today!

Planning a sewing getaway can seem like a daunting task, but if you start small you’ll find it can be very rewarding.

Start with a small number of people that share  common sewing interests, whether it be quilting, sewing fashion clothing, children’s clothing, or any other type of crafts. Depending on the length of time away, if a specific item will be made (such as a quilt), or no availability of supplies, you may want to include a list for doing prep work. This could include buying supplies, fabric or a pattern, and pre-cutting material.

Find a location where attendees can do other things also. A town with antique shops, a choice of restaurants, and of course fabric stores will make a nice getaway location. Event planners or travel agents might give you some good leads.  Also contact the chamber of commerce or tourist information center.

 Church camps or retreats work well, and may have cooking facilities on site. If you are considering a resort, try to book off-season. A bed and breakfast might also work well. The owners could  include a light lunch for your group.  A  hotel will work nicely, and they will give you a group rate. They may also have free breakfast,while a  local restaurant might be able to bring in a boxed lunch for attendees.

Make sure there is plenty of room for sewing, such as a conference room in a hotel, an auditorium at a retreat, or a large porch at a B&B. You will need large tables for sewing , ironing boards and irons, tables for cutting, chairs and good lighting. The room should be available 24 hours a day, if possible.  Many of your ladies will want to sew into the night, while some are early birds and will start before  everyone else in the morning.

There are some places that cater to this type of event with everything you need. So spend some time researching your choices, and have one or two suggestions when presenting this to your club or guild. And then, go have some fun!!

Often when we watch such tv shows as HGTV’s Room by Room or TLC’s Trading Spaces, we see decorators pin fabric over a thrift shop chair and in less than 30 minutes it becomes a brand new chair. What they don’t show are the steps in between. Making a slipcover isn’t as difficult as it may seem, but it does take some planning.

Before you start, you’ll need to determine a few things about your chair, and decide on the type of slipcover that you want. Styles range from fitted to slouchy. For styles in between you’ll need to add a few inches of ease when cutting and allow for a tuck-in at the deck (part of the seat that fits under the cushion).

Study the construction of your chair. Remove any loose pillows and the seat cushion. Explore all the nooks and crannies. These spaces will allow for tuck-ins. Tuck-ins prevent fabric from straining and ripping when the chair is sat in. The tuck-in allowances will be stitched together to form a sort of channel which is pushed into the crevices.

If your chair has lumps and bumps, you can use batting to smooth out these spots. Use batting to fill in spots where there may have been buttons, and to soften corners or arm fronts. Build up the batting in layers, then cover the whole thing in one large piece. Be careful when dressing your chair for the last time so you don’t accidentally curl the edges or bunch up the batting.

Upholstery skirt styles, furniture styles and colors change like fashion, though not as frequently. Lately trends have been toward longer skirts, so you’ll want to raise the top of yours higher than the original upholstery. For a gathered skirt, double the chair circumference measurement. For an extra- full skirt go 2 1/2 times the measurement. For a pleated skirt, first determine the number of pleats. Place pins around the circumference of the chair determining placement.  Count the number of pleats, multiply this by the pleat allowance (the amount of fabric needed for each pleat), and add this to the circumference. Double pleats will take more fabric than single ones. If you only want gathers or pleats at the corners (2 or 4?) add 12-16 inches per corner to the circumference.

For cording, measure the original seams, including the seat cushion and any extra pillows, and add 1/2 yard for ease and overlapping.  

I hope this helps get you started. There are a number of good books out there about upholstery, and also some patterns for making slipcovers. So hit some yard sales. Go antiquing. Start looking at old things in a new light. After all, isn’t that what we crafters do?

Determining the right interfacing for a garment can be the deciding factor in it’s appearance.  The facings, collar, neckline and cuffs are stabilized by interfacing.  At one time, only certain fabrics such as organza were used, but now with the advent of fusibles, sew-in interfacings are rare. Interfacings are made in one of five ways: woven, weft, weft insertion, tricot knit or non-woven.  All five may be produced as sew-in or fusible.

Fusible interfacing is the most popular today.  Because of the various construction methods, types of glue and each one’s reaction with various fabrics, selection of the right one can be confusing.  Check the fiber content when deciding.  Usually they are produced from a blend and sometimes a natural fiber like cotton is mixed with a synthetic. The interfacing should be similar to your fabric. Always cut a sample of each, attach them to each other following the manufacturer’s directions, and allow them to cool.

Interfacings are produced the same way as fashion fabrics, so it is important to lay out your interfacing in the same way you would lay out your fabric, matching the grainlines. Fusing large pieces of fabric to interfacing before cutting out your pattern may save time and prevent distortions. The adhesive on the interfacing is activated by a hot iron. Work in small sections, lifting the iron to move it to another section. Do not glide the iron, as this may cause slippage and distortion.

If your interfacing peels, it has not adhered sufficiently. Rippling occurs when the interfacing is too heavy for the fabric. Use a plain piece of damp muslin as a press cloth to create more steam, if needed.  As always, read and follow manufacturer’s directions.

Happy Sewing!

Hi, it’s me!

Today I have uploaded some pictures of my own quilts and some purses and totes I have made. Every day is an adventure when it comes to building a website. As I said last week when I was in class in Miami at ETR’s 5 Days in July, we were learning as we went along. The class was very intense, filled with a lot of information. If anyone has an interest in doing this, I would highly recommend their events.

Next, I have to put together my Tips Sheet for anyone that joins my list. I wouldn’t want anyone to be diasappointed, so I really have to put some thought into it and do a good job.

After that, I need to connect with some affiliates and post some ads. If you come by before I get this done, I hope you will come back soon and check it out again. Thanks for stopping by!

Hello Fellow Seamstresses!

I am at Early to Rise 5 Days in July in Miami Florida. We are at The Fairmont Hotel Turnberry Isle. This is a conference to learn how to set up a website and run it. It has been a very productive week so far. As you can see, I have this site up and running for a couple of days now. Tomorrow is the last day, and although I will be glad to go home to Williston, Florida, near Gainesville, I will be sad to say ‘goodbye’ to my new friends. There has been some great teachers here, copywriter Charlie Byrne, internet marketers Brian Edmondson, Pete Genot,  Bret Holmes, publisher  Mike Ward,  copywriter Joshua Boswell and e-commerce Director of Agora Brian York. These people are the best of the best according to Early to Rise and their parent company Agora. With their help and what I’ve learned this week I was able to set this up and will be posting and adding links daily.

I hope you will add your name to my list and  I will send you a free TIPS LIST . Come back often and post your questions and ideas.

Hugs- Debbie

Hello!

This is a new site about sewing and quilting. If you read “about me” you’ll see that I have tried most every craft pertaining to fabrics and textiles. It’s been a long road full of detours, twists and turns, ending back at sewing. I’m hoping to have links to other sites pertaining to sewing and quilting, along with book reviews and product reviews. Also, there will be interviews with the movers and shakers of the textile world.  This can be a place to share your ideas and post pictures of what you’re working on at the moment.

Check back often, and see what’s new and what’s happening.