Fall Stitching

Syracuse Seamsters

It is a busy time for so many of us right now, but I wanted to mention that if you might be interested, go ahead and download some offerings at the CME Magazine website that are at no charge for only a limited time.

One of them is a machine embroidery applique design and since the Oct 9, 2010 mtg is focusing on doing applique by machine embroidery using pre-cut die shapes from Dalco Home Sew, you might find it interesting to see how to create your own die cut shapes to do designs up yourself at home w/o having to buy pre-cut dies if you prefer to choose your own fabrics instead.

The Sept/Oct issue of the CME magazine apparently has "instructions" for doing a Harvest Hanger, but the actual design elements are still up and can be downloaded from here:

http://www.cmemag.com:80/articles/Harvest_Hanger

Over at Embroidery Library site, you can find their general project instructions, including some for in-the-hoop door hangers and written ones with pictures are here:

http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/ELProjects/Simpleproduct_ELP.aspx?productid=PR1163

and they have a video tutorial as well that you can click on!

http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/elprojects/holder.aspx?page=video_doorhangers

showing you how to make doorhangers that fit over certain size doorknobs.

This is free standing applique work done by machine embroidery, but the principles are the same as applying an applique to a base fabric, instead, for free standing work you simply use a water soluble stabilizer that is more fabric like as opposed to being plastic like as your hooped base fabrication.

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The Nov/Dec issue of the CME magazine has online downloads for a Fancy Flurries (snowflakes) purse: Snowflake design & then a purse pattern

http://www.cmemag.com/articles/Fancy_Flurries

There is also their version of info for working with metallic threads.

Also there is a Seasons Greetings offering: you can download the "Give Thanks" and "Peace" Designs:

http://www.cmemag.com/articles/Seasons_Greetings

Finally there is a stippling design they called "Twinkle Toes" for open shoe insoles for Happy Feet--if that suits your fancy.

Have a great Fall & Happy Stitching,

Stephanie in F'ville

Fun challenge

There is an easy "Stash to Treasure Sewing Challenge" mentioned over at the Bertina Studio site that some of you might be interested in participating in.

http://www.bertinastudio.com/index.htm

You do have to sign up for the site to access more sections of the site, including the free embroidery designs section, but the challenge is about creating a "Material Girl Challenge" grocery shopping bag using up some of the stash of fabrics, etc., that you already have.

The site lists 4 links for making such bags (we all know there are many more sites, but this is a starting point at least):

The Green Bag Lady http://www.greenbaglady.blogspot.com/ > FREE PATTERNS > Shopping Bag Pattern

Janome Shopping Tote http://janome.com/index.cfm/ProjectCenter/Project_Detail/Janome_Shopping_Tote

Bertina Studio Quick Bag

http://www.bertinastudio.com/funstuff/projectsbag.html > http://www.bertinastudio.com/funstuff/BertinaGroceryBag.pdf

Sew4Home Insulated Bag

http://sew4home.com/projects/storage-solutions/504-nature-brights-kitchen-insulated-shopping-tote

One is free to do any style of grocery shopping bag they want.

There are some nice free designs that are offered for use in the challenge, but one does NOT

have to add machine embroidery to the shopping bag one makes. The challenge rules allow one to do machine applique work, quilt or embellish the bag, or use any sewing technique one desires when doing up the bag.

As long as one is NOT an industry professional and is at least 18 years of age one can check out this challenge.

There are some nice prizes that will be awarded in categories of:

Judges Choice; Viewer's Choice, and Honorable Mention.

All the details are on the site, so if you are interested, check it out.

It is a win-win situation as who couldn't use more fabric reusable bags for shopping!

You still have July & August to whip something up, take some pics, and decide to send

an entry in by email.

I have NO affiliation with this site, just thought the challenge idea was one that might appeal to some of you.

Enjoy your summer!

Stephanie in Fayetteville

New Jackets by Pamela and her booth at the event.

Pamela Leggett pt. 2-- April program

Pamela Leggett

Some more pics from the March Class

This thread was great! I used pink on my jacket.

There was a nice choice of fabrics and patterns as well as the batting for the jackets for sale.
Marie helping Jean layout her fabric and pattern.
Marie and Margaret examining samples.

March Jacket Class with Marie Henry of Cazenovia Fabrics

Marie came and taught a jacket pattern by Bare Roots. We sewed strips together and then she helped fit the pattern on us. Then we cut it out with a thin batting and a lining. Most of us finished it at home. She recommended Hoffman's Bali strips and Coats n Clark variegated thread.

My fly front using Sandra Betzina's method

Another Fly Zipper Technique Demonstration

Trudy from Hot Patterns shows her fly front zipper technique

Video: An Easy, Flat Fly-Front Zipper - Threads

Video: An Easy, Flat Fly-Front Zipper - Threads

Posted using ShareThis

Fly Front Zipper

I'm going to test a few different fly front techniques. Like many of you I have an extensive sewing library. I plan to choose a few different books with the technique and see which one is the easiest to do, has the clearest instructions and has the best effect. Stay tuned!

February Road Trip-- Superbowl Sale at Cottons Etc.

Winter has arrived!

Happy New Year to one and all!

It is hard to believe that it is the start of a New Year already. December flew by it seems with so many twists and turns.

Now we are having a rather cold, blustery period of truly brisk January weather.

I hope everyone is doing well and had a lovely holiday season, but now is staying as warm as possible since lake effect snow tends to keep the air shall we say a bit chilly!

"Real life" had determined what activities got accomplished during this past Fall into the start of Winter, but now I hope to get caught up myself on some project work since the holiday happenings are fewer. "Little Christmas" is coming right up and then after that, things should slow down a tiny bit.

Likely many of you are in similar situations. January is a time when you probably work on some projects you had set aside when the hustle and bustle of the holiday season took over your lives and meant putting many things "on hold" for the duration. Now each of us can settle back into our more normal routines and get back to those unfinished projects we all have.

There is one project that is in the planning stages that I hope to get to very soon. It is a project which involves the use of Machine Embroidery (ME) and I have worked on the actual design setup using my computer and machine embroidery software. Hopefully, shortly I will sort out the details of stitching out this project since I feel I have gotten the "look" of it where I want it to be. Finalizing the color scheme is the next step and I have toyed with some options, so for the fun of it I have posted the options I am considering above. See which one is your favorite and which you think would look best.

I want to give full design credit to Eliza Wheeler and Elaine Myers. The jpgs are only of machine embroidery designs that are licensed solely for personal use.

Eliza Wheeler is a graphic artist who created a lovely greeting card that was the basis for the girl in the coat in the midst of the snow flurries with the drifting snow beneath her feet and the bird flying overhead on a Winter's day. Kindly note that she owns the copyright to the original greeting card graphics and that she has an arrangement with the firm that used revised graphics for digitizing purposes and all rights are retained by the respective parties.

Elaine Myers created the wonderfully simple Winter Tree design with the original font choice for the word WINTER and she works with a specific design mall and all rights are retained by the respective parties.

Eliza chose to allow a digitizing firm to use a graphic for machine embroidery purposes to create the design of the girl in winter, while Elaine did her own digitizing.

I simply combined the designs and then duplicated the word "WINTER" to then place it around the combined inner designs. I don't digitize myself, but I certainly appreciate the efforts of those who do a good job of it.

Here's hoping YOU get to all the projects you are wanting to do this winter and that by Winter's End, you will have fewer UFOs (unfinished objects) in your "to do" section of wherever you do your sewing, embroidery and other creative craft work.

Make the most of your precious creative time indoors this winter,

Stephanie in Fayetteville