sew it has been a while...

WOW! That was a while back that I made the last post. Well it was baseball season, t-ball and coach pitch, end of school stuff :), lots of pool time, and kids classes...
I guess I am trying to say that we have been bbbbbusy. I love baseball season and the boys love it to. My oldest loves to hit homeruns and I love to cheer him on. I am glad for the break from public school but being an ex teacher I never really give the boys a break. I know they hate it but will hopefully thank me later... I do like the pool part. It feels really good to soak up the sun.  Last but not least I LOVE KIDS CLASSES. With three boys and a husband at home, I don't get much girl time. Well when these girls (ages 7-13) come two days a week, my shop is transformed. We laugh and have fun. This year my niece is coming to video the class to make how to videos. They are beyond cute. I just send her the instructions and she puts them all together. We have already make a throw pillow, beach towel bag, french seam pillowcase, and headbands. This coming Thursday and Friday we will make a rag bag. Check out the video so far...

How to make a fun simple pillow in under 30 minutes!!!

Huh?

A friend emailed me this and I thought it was interesting! A designer by my same name designed this table runner for Fons and Porter. Read it for yourself...
www.fonsandporter.com/articles/Key_Lime_Pie

got past the wall...

I had been up against a brick wall for about three weeks. Not finishing any projects!!!! I finished shortening the pants and then finished up three yes three quilts on Friday and Saturday morning!!!! Yeah!!!!! On Sunday Elisha and I cooked for a Pampered Chef party and the host got about $250 worth of FREE products along with some thing half price and some 60% off. It has been a successful weekend. Can't wait until next week :)

New Fabric has arrived

Unpacked a few new bolts of fabric today. I was having a really slow day maybe I should have tried to drink a cup of hot chocolate. I did get two of the collections online. It's a jungle out there and Cumberland Collection. Check them out at www.alittlefabricstore.com

New Fabric has arrived

Unpacked a few new bolts of fabric today. I was having a really slow day maybe I should have tried to drink a cup of hot chocolate. I did get two of the collections online. It's a jungle out there and Cumberland Collection. Check them out at www.alittlefabricstore.com

0 to Quilt in...

A good friend came in the shop today needing a baby girl quilt for tomorrow. It just so happened that I had not tried my new Brother Quilting machine yet. It is a Nouvella 1500 s. I have already renamed it to Sister Nova. That machine can sew! I love it. So we picked ten fabrics and cut 40 2 1/2 inch strips. We then sewed them end to end to create a very long strip. We cut off 18 inches off the first then starting sewing the strips together on the long side. I think we folded and sewed five times. In about 1 1/2 hour we had the top completed. It took about another hour and half to quilt it with swirlies and hearts. I have never done a binding with kinky, but it might be my new thing. It made this baby quilt really really cute.

New Patterns from Kati Cupcake!

 

Just love this pattern that showed up at my store this week. Kati Cupcake is a really cute designer. I also like the way the patterns are written. This one pattern has all sizes in one. You can sew both skirts from one pattern. I just haven't picked out the fabric that I will use yet. But give me a few days and I will be able to find the perfect piece. 

New Fabric at Seams Like Home

so happy to see the UPS truck pull up to the store last week, because he had a very good package for me

 peek at the pieces

order some for yourself today at www.alittlefabricstore.com
This week check out the new fabric on the clearance tab :)

30% off all fabric from Clothworks

Until Monday, March 21st, all remaining Clothworks fabric will be discounted 30%. Enjoy the sale :)

Shop the sale at this direct link   Clothworks Fabric

thread, thread, and more thread

I have been on a mission for the past couple of months to educate myself on thread. After I realized there was so many different kinds of thread out there. I haven't tipped the iceberg yet but here is what I have found out...

It is almost a personal preference. You need to try a different variety of thread and a variety of companies that they come from. Your sewing machine also plays a role in which thread you choose to use.  I am the type of person who gets stuck in a rut that never has time to try new. I usually just use white to sew everything. I will reluctantly change thread color only when top stitching or machine quilting. I have found a great and affordable cone and pre-wound bobbin set from Signature that I can sew on all day long and never stop because of thread issues. I have also used a heavy weight (12) thread that gives your project a great texture, but needle changing comes into play. We will have to save the needle changes for another time... I have also tried a really thin thread almost sewing with hair. It took forever to get a sizable amount on the bobbin. This type of thread is deemed invisible. It is super thin and sinks into your quilt. I also have really been liking the mettler all-purpose thread. It has a great silk-finish that is so nice for top stitching and the durability for anything. 

Over-view

12 wt.    really thick          have to change to bigger needle
40 wt.     normal               equaliant to Coats and Clark (just like grandma used to use)
50 wt.     finer quality        the new style of high quality mostly for quilting
100 wt.   Really thin          deemed invisible

So I am challenging you to try several different type of thread and see for your self. Please let me know what you have tried and how it turned out.
You can get a few different types of thread at my site www.alittlefabricstore.com

Valentine's Placemat Free Pattern

 It has been a while seen I have posted. Holidays... Eating... Not enough excercise... But I am trying to get back into the routine. I have gotten a few projects completed. Yeah Me! While cleaning off my desk (again! don't know why it always gets messy) I found a cute picture of a heart. I really don't know what they made out of it but I just saw the most beautiful placemat flash in my head. So (like I had time but the creativity had to come out somehow) I cut and stitched this together...

 

It took me less than 1 hour to start and finish. It was so good to accomplish something and feel good about myself. I think that is what sewing is about. I am offering you this free pattern on my website www.alittlefabricstore.com so that you can also feel a sense of accomplishment and pride with your placemat.

If you want I can pick the fabric and pre-cut the half-square triangles for you. If you are close and want to make one with me, I will continue working on mine on Thursday, January 27th at 10:00.

Just send me an e-mail or give me a call. sarah@alittlefabricstore.com or 361-564-9455

I want to see your projects when you are done.

Thangles demonstration video

At market I was amazed by this demonstration and what you can do with it. I can't wait to recieve these in the store so I can start on next years block of the month. Tell me what you think?

Have you heard about this...

It is a Candle Mat Swap. Sign up for the exchange and then use their downloadable pattern and make a candle mat. You can use fabric that you have on hand or you can buy some new that you have had your eye on. Just have your mat finished by the deadline of November 15th or November 22nd, depeding on the instructions when you register. It mat looks simple and quick. I would love to see all of the variations of the color in the candle mats. Just click on the picture to take you to the registration for the exchange.

National Sewing Month

I didn't know until this morning that it is National Sewing Month in September. I guess that means I will have to sew something. I wonder where I will buy the fabric?

1 Million Pillowcase Challenge UPDATE

Just a quick update for the American Patchwork and Quilting 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge.

American Patchwork and Quilitng challenged everyone to see if we could sew and donate 1 million pillowcases to someone in need in 2010. The challenge started in January and will last until they have reach 1 million. Currently the count is at 135,124. We have a ways to go  people. I think that it is so cool that if everyone does just a little we can make such a BIG difference.

I would like to schedule a day that we could work on pillowcases. Any suggestions?

July's Block of the Month is finally here!

Don't they say better late than never?
I really enjoyed making this month's block of the month. You will definetly have to try out the flying geese technique.

You can download the instruction to make this block titled "Summer Winds" on my website. There is are other free patterns as well!

Go there Now!

Thank You

I just had a customer in that was buying a birthday gift for her daughter. She is serving in Iraq. Terry is a mother, wife, daughter, and friend to everyone. Thank You for giving up your time to help our country. Happy Birthday and many more!!!!

UGH!!! Everything is breaking....

Could I just get something fixed and going right? Last week my Bernina sewing machine broke. A friend dropped it off at the repair shop for me. Thanks! When I called this week they said they were waiting on a part and it probally would not get fixed soon because the repair man is going on vacation. What!
I needed my grass mowed. The guy who usually mows for me went out of town. I waited two weeks until he got back into town and then his mower's tire was broken and he was trying to get another. I decided to be brave and load my lawn mower on a trailer and bring it to town. Well needless to say the trailer came off the ball when loading the lawn mower, which caused my husband to have to fix all of that fiasco. I was finally getting to town with the mower. One kids asleep the other waiting to help me mow. I couldn't get the darn thing off the trailer. I finally walked over and asked a few guy friends to help. They did gladly. My son jumped on the mower and took off. The problem was the belt had been stretched out to much and it was not turning the blades. I then that to wake the sleepy child and go to the hardware store to get another belt. Of course, you guessed it, they were out. But could get one in two days. At that point I said fine. I am not fitting this anymore. I will just have tall ugly grass and not recieve the yard of the month award. I came back to the store and finished packing the fabric to ship and the baby comes and tells me he needs to use the restroom. I strip his bottoms off and he runs off to the restroom. For the next 45 minutes we are trying to get him to unlock the door that he lock. He was stuck in the restroom and really didn't mind it all that much. I finally had to BREAK the screen on the window to send the other son into unlock the door.
It is now the end of the week and the belt still is not here. I know that silly little Keep Yorktown Beautiful committee is driving around looking at yards to pick the next yard to be deemed Yard of the Month. My luck!
I think that is why I slept until 9:15 this morning and didn't open the store until close to 10:00. I sure hope my luck turn around soon.

Found a Home...

That was fast. The orphans that were left on my doorstep on Tuesday have already found a home....

See what you can do with scraps and free stuff that others don't want anymore. I was a garage sale and had someone ask me with question in their voice,"Do you recreate stuff?" I looked at them and said, "Why yes I do!" I hope that she sees these pictures. Have you done anything lately?