Debbie's Sewing Blog

I meant to buy battery operated LED Christmas lights on clearance last year after the holidays and never got there... I had an idea brewing. I went ahead and ordered some from online and then found even more at a local Big Lots. Any store that has started to put out Christmas items will probably have them.
So what was the idea that I had brewing? I wanted to find a way for those Christmas lights to light up a Halloween costume and I found one! It's a perfect way to make any Halloween costume safe, even on a dark night of trick-or-treating.

• Keep a Halloween Costume Safe by Lighting it up

I was looking around at Halloween costumes the other day and discovered a WONDERFUL way to use that packaging that we fight to get items out of.

• Recycle and get desired results in one step

I had a blast this weekend... and may eventually get my kitchen floor un-sticky. I've lived most of my life in upstate New York but this past weekend was the very first time I went apple picking... with a toddler which made it all the more fun! We picked WAY more apples than we can eat before they go bad so canning apple sauce became a necessity. I've tried all kinds of applesauce but nothing beats homemade chunky applesauce. Even after making applesauce I had apples left so I visited these apple recipes for ideas.

Now I'm making canning jar lid covers for applesauce and for pickles. Adding a buttonhole to the center of the jar cover, makes it usable as a bank once the jar is empty. Quilting stores are a great place to find all kinds of novelty fabric that is perfect for canning jar covers. I even found chocolate chip fabric at a local shop that will be perfect for "In a Jar" gifts this Christmas.

• Free Directions to Sew Fabric Canning Jar Covers
• Kitchen Sewing Projects

No one person knows everything... and I doubt I will ever know everything about sewing... it sure is FUN trying to learn everything though!

This past week I got my hands on one of those books that you can't put down... and learned about a variation of the yo yo that I had never heard of.... along with 20 other embellishment ideas. easystitching with buttons, beads and braids is a book that will definitely go with me on our next charity sewing night. It's got great projects that are geared for a beginner or advanced sewer.

• Free Patterns and Projects to Embellish Sweatshirts and Tee Shirts
• Book Review -- easystitching with buttons, beads and braids

My biggest organization issue is keeping things put away. I thought the new sewing room would solve the problem but I've discovered that the more room I have, the bigger the mess I can make. I need to have a LOT more self discipline to keep my fabric picked up and put away. I have what I consider the perfect storage system... I just get to involved in my project to stop and clean as I go.

I have more than one sewing machine (I'd have one of each one on the market if I could) and I'm always looking for the correct foot for the machine I am using at the moment. Some machines are interchangeable but why mess with testing the issue if I can avoid it! One of my solutions is to have plastic storage dishes marked for each machine but I'd love to find the time to make an organizer for each and every machine... maybe embroider the machine name on the organizer... inside and out so that I could hang them in the office and find the correct organizer at a glance. I have the organizer shown here that I use when I am going to a class.

• Creating a Sewing Room with Storage on a Budget -- Photo tour of my sewing room.
• Sew a Sewing Machine Accessory Organizer-- Full free directions for the organizer shown here.
• Free Directions to Sew a Custom Sewing Machine Cover or Serger Cover-- Protect your investment when you aren't using your machine.

Have you ever seen something and had it stay on your mind? This past summer I saw a teeny tiny yo-yo quilt made with teeny tiny (and I mean TINY) yo-yos on display at a local county fair. The yo-yos were about the size of a dime. I haven't thrown away even a tiny scrap of fabric ever since I saw those tiny yo-yos.... just what I didn't need... another excuse to hold on to my scraps.
Today I took the time to make a dime size yo-yo. I started with a 1 1/2" circle. Using a very tiny turn-under, the finished yo-yo was the size of a dime. I also discovered that bobbin thread was perfect for working in teen-tiny mode. Regular weight thread added too much bulk to the gather.
I'm only guessing because I couldn't read the tag on the teeny tiny yo-yo quilt but I would bet it was a miniature for a doll house bed. I think it would make a great gift for a dollhouse enthusiast or grandchild with a dollhouse... and it will use up your tiny scraps.

• How to Sew a Yo-Yo
• What to Do with Yo-Yos
• How to Sew a Yo-Yo Quilt
• Miniatures on About.com
• Dollhouse Information at Collect Dolls on About.com

I've been a book worm this week... and that baby has me scouring for new baby ideas. I don't consider myself a quilter... my mom is though... and I have a book that is good for me and one I will have to share with my mom. quilts. bibs, blankies...oh my! by Kim Schaefer is loaded with ideas for the non quilter and quilter. I think many of the designs could make great whimsical gifts for adults. The appliques could easily embellish many of the free baby sewing projects.

• quilts, bibs, blankies...oh my! - - Book Review
• Free Baby Shower And Baby Gift Projects

I found a book that perfect for making gifts that will use up our homemade felting experiments to make ornaments while we're watching television or have that time we waste waiting in our vehicle or a doctor's office. Winter White by Marilyn Gash is a great alternative to wasting time and gives us a way to use that time to sew ornaments that will make great gifts for giving and gift exchanges. We're in control of how much embellishing and details we add to the ornaments so the value is what you put into them. A great gift idea for a limited budget!

• winter white by Marily Gask
• Needle Felting Gallery
• Janome Xpression Needle Felting Machine
• Needle Felting by Hand or Machine by Linda Turner Greipentrog and Pauline Wilde Richards

We've had a couple of cool nights... and freeze warnings in the area. All brutal reminders that winter is around the corner. Heating costs have been on my mind with every dime we go to spend. We are going to be installing a wood stove to help off set the fuel costs. There are more things we can all do. Some of our sewing can contribute to fuel costs and staying warm. I know we have great weather stripping but I'm still going to make draft snakes for every door in the house... may some as Christmas gifts too!

• Free Keep Warm Sewing Projects

It happens... the sewing machine comes out to sew Halloween costumes and it was sewing just fine the last time you had it out. Before you get all frustrated and ready to throw the sewing machine, follow these simple trouble shooting steps so that you can get back to sewing!

• Sewing Machine Trouble Shooting
• Everything about Sewing Machines