You might remember a post from a while back talking about The Great Pre-wash Debate: whether or not to pre-wash your fabrics. But, did you know that there is a fabric that you should always prewash!?
That’s right — batiks, with their vibrant dyes, will often times bleed onto lighter cottons when washed. Which spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E for your light background! So, what’s a ready-to-roll quilter to do when those lovely, natural, delicious batiks arrive to the sewing room? (Continue reading…)
“I really need to kick this habit of sewing over my needles…
…when I finish this project.”
*SNAP, ZING, TING*
“Great, now I need a new needle!
…and my machine is clicking.
…and I’ll be on my hands and knees looking for metal shards for the next hour”
Been there? Done that? Me too. And for some reason, I always return to my bad habit, ruin my machine, and then swear it off again. (Continue reading…)
A lot of blood, sweat, and tears goes into every pattern I release (and maybe a few cookies too…brain food!). I make each design at least once (usually twice), and sometimes 3 times to make sure that everything is perfect when you purchase a hard copy or PDF pattern from my shop. Every time I release a new pattern my release and pattern say “tested for accuracy.” But what does that actually mean? Today, I want to share with you how I ensure that every pattern comes out picture perfect: fabric requirements are accurate, cutting instructions make sense, and everything as clear as possible. I want sewing my patterns to be fun and relaxing—and that means that every part of my pattern matters. None of my patterns would be quite so polished without the help and varying skill levels, techniques, and ideas that come from my pattern testers! (Continue reading…)
After finally hanging up the valance in my bathroom (it’s been on the project list for about 2 years now…) I was just tickled with the look—it really brought everything together, but something still wasn’t quite right! I needed to add a little more fabric to the space, just to add that one last touch. I remembered a trick that I had seen my mom do to some of her kitchen towels and knew it was perfect! I was off to HomeGoods in no time, picking out the perfect plain old towels to transform into my final accent in the bathroom!
(Continue reading…)
