A project for my new serger

I needed one of those bags to hang under the serger to collect all the junk that it spits out. I didn't want to use a plastic bag. I didn't want to make something you'd see anywhere. I decided to make a litter bag to match the cover for my other sewing machines. Here it is:





P.S. I'm also working on a matching sewing machine cover.

Sewbot's Favorites - February 21, 2010

I finally got a serger! I totally love it. Here it is...

Happy Birthday, Jason!

Happy Birthday, Jason! Thanks for being tolerable of my unmonitored stash of fabric, notions and other creative supplies.

I found a few things to share with you and the rest of my readers.
These are the 71 Reasons to Buy Fabric, minus

#16 because you don't usually fuss.

#24 since I've never once thought of calling you the Fabric Patrol
Officer.

#28. Until now I hadn't thought of storing fabric under the
bed.

#34 is kind of hard to use since our youngest (yet to be created) child is
not leaving us.

#66 because I'm sure you can always find something else to complain
about.

So, I thought I'd share that poem with you on your birthday to say thanks for not complaining too much that my stash has hit the floor. I love you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! This week, my favorite thing is my valentine.

Jargon of the Week - Couching

Dictionary.com defines couching as:

couch⋅ing [kou-ching]

–noun
1. the act of a person or thing that couches.
2. a method of embroidering in which a thread, often heavy, laid upon the surface of the material, is caught down at intervals by stitches taken with another thread through the material.
3. work so made.

Origin: 1325–75; ME; see couch, -ing 1

The definition goes on to include the term couch as in your sofa. I've always thought this terms was a little bit funny.

According to the glossary in Jo-Ann: Your Guide to Quilting, couching is,

"Stitching thick threads, ribbons, beads, and other items to a quilt surface."

Couching is a pretty cool way to embellish things. Click on the links below for some examples.

• Simple Couching Diagram
• This blogger has a lot of images of couching.
• So does this blogger.

If you're interested in learning more about or giving couching a try, check out the article on wikipedia. There are examples of stitches and some really nice descriptions.

Benson Boutique

I've signed up to participate in the Benson Boutique on March 6, 2010. I've been pretty busy lately working on projects to beef up my "for sale inventory".

I've also been putting in more hours at my day job lately. Things have been pretty busy!

I'll be busy working at the office and on making things to sell in a few weeks, so blogging is probably going to take a backseat until March.

Anyway... that's about all I have for now. I'll be back in a few weeks!

Ella's Cape and Crown

Ella's third birthday was a while ago, but I'm just now getting this photo uploaded to share. Ella is Jason's niece. For her birthday, I made her a cape & crown.



I thought it was pretty cute. I've got a bunch more cut out to stitch together for an upcoming craft show.

Sewbot's Favorites - February 7, 2010

This week my favorite thing is a gift I received this past Christmas from my parents. It's a pair of earrings they picked up for me in Paducah.

Jargon of the Week - Basting

Dictionary.com defines Basting as:

bast⋅ing [bey-sting]

–noun
1. sewing with long, loose stitches to hold material in place until the
final sewing.
2. bastings, the stitches taken or the threads used.

Origin:
1515–25; baste 1 + -ing 1

–noun
1. the act
of moistening food while cooking, esp. with stock or pan juices.
2. the
liquid used in basting.

Origin:
1520–30; baste 2 + -ing 1

This is one of the few times where the first definition found in the dictionary is the definition used in the creative world. There are a few other alternatives to basting than just sewing long stitches. Here's a few alternatives:

1. We can use a basting spray. This is a temporary adhesive that we can spray between pieces of fabric or layers of a quilt to hold them in place.
2. We can use a basting gun to tack layers together. (Note: I used to love this method. The guns are fairly expensive, but very convenient. I've given up on this though, because I've broken two guns and they aren't really repairable.)
3. Safety pins are a quick and easy way to baste a quilt. All you have to do is spread it out and pin through all the layers. This prevents a lot of wasted thread and is much quicker (in my opinion).
4. You can also use a basting tape in some circumstances. This wouldn't work well in quilting because you need to be able to remove the basting after you have completed the quilt, but it could be handy in sewing or other craft projects.

Mystery Giveaway

Alexis at Knot Sew Crafty is doing a giveaway because she had a bad Monday. What a fun idea, eh? It's a mystery what she's giving away; also a fun idea.

Want to enter? Check it out here.