Have you made a sock doll or two or three? I think I’ve got about a dozen here, eep! They are just that fun to make! Now it’s time to make some little dresses, and that’s just as fun as making the doll. Here’s what you will need:  Materials for the Doll Dress Fabric* for the dress, […]

A Baby Lock Summer School Project! Welcome to week two of Baby Lock’s Summer School! I know you enjoyed Lindsay Conner’s stuffed Manatee project – that was adorable, wasn’t it?? I’m tickled to be included in the second week’s fun, and I’ve got a great project for you that’s just perfect for a mommy & me […]

I love to sew – even when it’s detailed, intricate, and painstaking, all the sweet little fiddly bits just make me happy. BUT, I’ll be the first to admit that some days my “sew time” and what I want to make in that “sew time” are not really compatible, you know what I mean? I bet you […]

Yay for babies! There are TWO new babies in my family! Little baby Marlow arrived in February – we are all smitten, as you can imagine – and Baby Lock Altair arrived in my studio, yay! Yes, I’m totally smitten with her too. Even though she’s not quite as cuddly as Marlow, she sure stitches sweetly and I’m […]

Who doesn’t love to make purses? There’s just something so satisfying about making a project that is pretty, functional and goes with you where you go. So, you can imagine my excitement when I found out Baby Lock was sponsoring the Sew Powerful organization’s purse making project for National Sewing Month; I was tickled to have a […]

Pockets! Everyone loves pockets, especially wee ones who have things to treasure and tote! Hidden pockets that are just utilitarian are awesome, but how much fun it is to make pockets that are part of the scenery – right out there, flaunting their prettiness! This is when I LOVE having an embroidery machine. (Okay, that’s […]

I’m passionate about pillows! They are so visually appealing with their inviting nature—soft, cheerful and comforting—and so easy to use for quick changes to my décor. Half the fun of throw pillows is displaying them; the other half is making them, and I love making them! Nancy’s Notions is one of my favorite go-to resources […]

It’s that time of year – Sulky’s Block Party! I’m so delighted to be part of it this year, and especially happy because I get to bring you a made-in-the-hoop machine embroidery version of a quilt block! Follow along with me and see just how easy, fast and fun it is to use your embroidery […]

It’s the most sew-y-ist time of the year! This is when I have a long, long list of projects and a very short amount of time left in which to make them. Sound familiar? Yep. So, yay for quick projects, right?! Here’s a super quick Merry Christmas bunting for you. Click HERE to find the designs used […]

“Petite Treat” fabric collection by Lindsay Wilkes from the Penny Rose fabric division of Riley Blake Designs! Lindsay Wilkes, “The Cottage Mama”, has done it again with her latest precious fabric line from Penny Rose Fabrics of Riley Blake Designs! I’ve had so much fun making pretties with this adorableness, as you can see. In fact, this set […]

Don’t you love it when you have an “Ah HA!” moment and discover something that fixes that thing that’s been bugging you in your sewing adventures? YES, you do? Well, I had a major “Ah HA!” moment this year and it has been an awesome discovery: how to make my buttonholes look really, really good […]

Whip up a FAST wall hanging using in-the-hoop quilted, pieced, stippled and/or embroidered block designs! This is my hands-down favorite way to finish up a quick wall hanging. All of my in-the-hoop quilt block designs will work for this type of project – click HERE to view them! You can use more than two blocks too if you want! Just […]

Do you have a stash of machine embroidery designs? Any of them appliqués? Did you know that the first running stitch sequence can be used to create a “sewn in the hoop” project? Yes, it can – let me show you how! This is one of my favorite techniques and one I talk about often […]

There’s not much that is more useful than a soft, cushy burp cloth when it comes to baby tending, is there? I love giving burp cloths as new baby gifts because I know that they will be well used and loved, especially when it’s super easy to make them pretty too! Once upon a time […]

The fastest draw in the west…okay, it’s actually the fastest drawstring bag in the southeast, but let’s not get picky – this is an awesome quick and easy gift-giving project for all ages! Not only can it be the gift packaging, but it can be the gift as well. And it’s a great stash-buster… ahem, something […]

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine! Machine embroidery, meet Creative Notion’s “Artistic Foils” and let the shine begin!  I first spied these pretty foil papers at Baby Lock’s Common Threads. All those pretty colors and the SHINE really caught my eye, but what really sparked my interest was that I didn’t need any special […]

Let’s make a cutie-boo sign to hang up for Halloween! Here’s what you’ll need: Nine 3” x 18” strips of quilt weight cotton fabric (black & white or black & gray prints – or any color combination you fancy) 17” x 14” piece of quilt weight fabric for the backing 2.5” x 13” piece of […]

I love vintage style sewing details, don’t you? Especially when a cool little tool lets me create a very “hand-done” look with my speedy sewing machine! Let me show you how much fun I’ve been having with Baby Lock’s Bridging Plate Set. This awesome accessory is actually a bobbin cover plate. To install it you simply […]

Just in time for Mother’s Day! Make this quick and easy sachet in your hoop using the frame tool feature on your embroidery machine. These are so easy; you’ll want to make a boxful! Here’s what you’ll need: 1 fat quarter or approximately 9” x 20” of quilt weight cotton, cotton organdy, handkerchief linen or […]

Cottage Mama Dainty Darling Blog Tour I’m so tickled to be part of the Cottage Mama’s Dainty Darling fabric tour! When Lindsay told me last year that she had a new fabric collection coming out with Riley Blake Designs, I knew I’d love it at first sight – everything Lindsay does is just so pretty […]

It’s been so much fun participating in Baby Lock’s Love of Sewing Challenge this week. Miss Destiny and I have had a wonderful time making beautiful borders! I hope you try it out and see for yourself just how quickly the Destiny II can make this seemingly complicated task SO simple. No more guesswork; just […]

 Are you ready to finish your project? Yes, of course you are. Let’s do it! 🙂The first step to finishing up a cutwork border design is trimming the tails and removing the stabilizer. So, first things first, let’s get that done. Use your little snips with curved blades or the snips with a crook on the end […]

Let’s make a continuous border using that super-cool Connect Tool feature on your Baby Lock Destiny II. It’s so easy! Easier than catching a toddler, that’s for sure! Hopefully you have already had a chance to watch me demo this project in video. If not, you can find that HERE.   This is what you will […]

Wow! This has been such a fun adventure with Baby Lock! I’ve so enjoyed seeing the wonderful features of Miss Destiny detailed with such fun projects by each sewist so far, and I’m really excited to see the rest – how about you? It’s my very great honor to be this week’s Love of Sewing […]