Free Machine Embroidery Download - Valentine Coasters

If you are looking for a sweet, quick, and FREE Valentine accent for your home,

or for a gift, head on over to Creative Machine Embroidery Magazine

Do hurry, though.

The free download expires February 28, 2018.

The instructions are in the January/February 2018 issue.

The design will fit in a 5 x 7 hoop,

but I wanted to stitch out two coasters at a time,

so I chose to use the 8 x 8 hoop on my Baby Lock Alliance.

I used embroidery software to copy and paste a second coaster.

As you can see in the above photo, I did have to turn each design

slightly to fit both of them inside the hoop.

Because I pretty much "squished" two coasters into this hoop,

I cut the batting and main fabric piece at 5 x 7 inches,

which is smaller than indicated in the instructions;

but they still covered the placement line.

Once the front of the heart is stitched out,

two 4 x 7 inch fabric pieces are placed face down on top of

the stitched out heart (I used low tack tape to hold them in place).

The outline of the heart will then stitch them in place,

you will remove the entire design from the hoop,

trim around the heart, and turn it right side out.

The instructions suggest using pinking shears

to trim around the heart, and I highly recommend doing just that.

They add the perfect 'clip' marks so your heart turns easily with nice, smooth edges.

There is one misprint in the instructions:

The third bullet point under PREPARE on page 21 of the magazine

instructs you to fold the short edge of one 4 x 7 rectangle toward the wrong side -

in actuality, you should fold the long (7") edge of the 4 x 7 rectangle

toward the wrong side and press.

I recommend using a press cloth over the embroidery.

Some embroidery threads could melt or discolor under direct contact with the iron.

A beautiful stemmed glass (purchased for $4.50 at a local vintage shop)

and a lovely Valentine coaster make my morning cranberry juice that much sweeter!

With much l💙ve, thank you for reading my blog.

Candy Corn Garland

Here's a papercrafting project that also uses a bit of sewing, or serging, as the case may be.

This garland is hanging from the side window of my cute, backyard potting shed.

The candy corn cut file is a free download from Hey Let's Make Stuff.

I cut the card stock on my Cricut Maker and for each candy corn,
I cut two of each of the yellow and orange components
( one for the front and one for the back)
because I knew the back side would show since it was going to hang in a window.
That way my candy corn is double sided.

I've seen a number of paper, felt, fabric, etc. garlands stitched together with the sewing machine.

That is an effective way to quickly make garland, but if you have a coverstitch serger,

the chain stitch gives you more flexibility in designing your garland.

When using a sewing machine, the candy corn would have to be right next

to each other because sewing machines are not meant to sew without something under the needle.

But a serger allows you to endlessly chain off without anything passing under the needle.

I spaced my candy corn pieces about 12-15 inches apart from one another.

That way I didn't have to spend a lot of time making numerous candy corn pieces,

but I could still make my garland the length I needed to drape in front of my window.

I used Coats and Clark polyester sewing thread in the needle,

and I used Sulky 12 weight thread in the chain looper.

And I set my stitch length to 1.

That combination gave me a nice, sturdy chain for my garland.

I will definitely be putting my Cricut Maker and

my Baby Lock Triumph to use making more

seasonal garland in the upcoming months.

Do you make your own garland?

Do you use papercrafting, quilting, sewing, or something else?

I would love to hear about your garland decorating endeavors.

Please leave a comment, I enjoy hearing from you all.

Ghost Candle Mat in Wool Applique

Who can resist candy this time of year!

And what better to decorate with, than candy corn.

This little seasonal mat is made of wool and features applique and a green sparkle thread outline.

I used my Baby Lock Sashiko machine to add the sparkle thread to the top of the candle mat.

The pattern is from Buttermilk Basin.

I purchased the kit from My Girlfriend's Quilt Shop in Midway, UT.

They carry an extensive variety of wool felt and the shop has sew many samples,

thread, and supplies for quilting and for wool designs.

Just eye candy at its finest!

Buttermilk Basin also has lovely patterns for Christmas wool items.

I can't wait to stitch up a number of them.

If you want to add some simple, quick décor items to your home,

try your hand at wool applique.

It can be stitched by hand or by machine.

Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit today.

Basic Serger Pillow with Hidden Zipper Closure

Happy Fall, sewing friends!

It's time to start sewing for Christmas!

This is the October serger project that I am teaching

at our local Baby Lock/Husqvarna Viking dealer.

The pillow cover itself is just a basic, simple, no-frills cover.

The fun part is learning how to serge the hidden zipper closure.

Since very few supplies and fabric are required,

this makes a perfect inexpensive but heartfelt gift.

Once you learn the basics, the possibilities are endless.

So many options are available for personalizing this serger project.

The front of the pillow cover could be embellished with embroidery (machine or hand),

the front could be made from a large quilt block,

or the front could be made from a pre-printed block.

Sew many possibilities!

This is a serger only class, no sewing machine needed.

If you are in the local area, here's your invitation to join the fun:

WHEN:  Wednesday, October 27, 2017

TIME:  9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. @ the Ogden Wimmer's Sewing & Vacuum

- OR -

             1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. @ the Layton Wimmer's Sewing & Vacuum

Please stop by the store to sign up so we know how many kits to make.

Thanks so much for reading my blog.

I love to hear from you, please leave a comment.

Autumn Burlap Serger Wreath

Happy Sunday, sewing friends!

Autumn is quickly approaching here in the U.S.,

that is, according to the calendar, not the weather

But before you know it, it will be Fall,

the weather will be cool and crisp,

and we will be celebrating God's good harvest

What better way to welcome in the new season than with a beautiful wreath

I will begin teaching Baby Lock serger classes locally at both Wimmer's locations

(Layton and Ogden) in September

This is the first project we will complete with our sergers

We will use either a 3 thread overlock stitch or the wave stitch,

which is exclusive to Baby Lock, to finish the edges of the burlap

(I used the wave stitch on my sample)

And we will make our own wire-edged ribbon from these lovely autumn colored fabrics.

After adding various floral picks and signage, we will go home with a gorgeous new wreath.

Are you beginning to plan for a seasonal change in decorating?

Share with us what is your favorite item to change up during the seasonal changes.

Thank you for spending some time with me today, friends.  Have a terrific week.

Coneflower Season

Coneflowers are one of my most favorite of summer's floral beauties

They're reliable, they return to visit me every summer

and they always produce colorful blooms

no matter the environment - wet - dry- cool - hot

it doesn't matter

they return.

And now, I can enjoy the beauty of the coneflower year round.

This quick, wool applique candle mat helps me get my coneflower fix

even when the cold winter winds are blowing and the snow is swirling

I added hot fix crystals for a little bling on the "cone"

From bhg.com "Purple coneflower is one of the toughest, most reliable perennials on the market"

As you can see, my coneflower is indeed purple

But, it has some added burnt orange coloring

A very similar coloring to the coneflowers growing in my garden

Disclaimer:

I pressed the wool with my iron and held it in place too long,

thus scorching the purple wool!!!

*sigh*

Instead of hand stitching, I used my sewing machine for the applique

My #BabyLock #Sashiko did an outstanding job on those leaf veins . . .

and on the coneflower stem

The back of the mat is finished off with a simple, cotton fabric

This little mat is a lovely addition to my late summer décor

Enjoy the late season beauty of this great earth God has created, my friends.