Puget Sound Sewing & Craft

Our Blog has Moved!

Check out our new Blogs and see what we have been up to!

Pacific Fabric and Crafts NEW Blog:  pacificfabrics.blogspot.com

Quality Sewing & Vacuum NEW Blog:  www.shopqualitysewing.com/blog/

-Annette & Carmen

Fun Fabrics turn into Great Throw Pillows!

When I was at Sew Expo, I found some super fun Echino fabric at the Pacific Fabric & Crafts booth. I love this Japanese fabric by Etsuko Furuya, it is always so inspiring for me. Last year I put some Echino fabric on my Amy Butler's Birdie Swing Bag. I LOVE it when a vibrant fabric inspires me to get into my “sewing room”. 

I tried to do a little research about the Echino fabric but didn’t really find anything out. Does anyone know anything about it? I do know that Pacific Fabrics Northgate location carries some of this fun fabric.

Saturday night I took my fun new fabrics and made new pillowcases for my tired throw pillows in my family room. It was so fun and easy and I love the way the great Echino graphics look on the pillows contrasted on my dark brown sofa. It makes my whole family room feel fresh and new.

I also took one of the large scene fabrics and spread it over an artist canvas, making it into a quick wall hanging for my kids room. It is great how colorful and fun it is and when my tastes change, I can easily turn it into something else.  This was fun and easy – my only tip is don’t use an office stapler – it worked a lot better with my husband’s staple tacker.
Have you done any fun and easy projects recently? I would love to hear about them!

Happy Sewing . . .Carmen, Quality Sewing & Vacuum Centers

KBTC Pledge Drive a Huge Success

First of all, to all of you who donated to KBTC on Saturday during the pledge drive - THANK YOU!!! We surpassed our goal and raised over $20,000. It was a great day and one of the most successful on air pledge drives ever! All of us from Quality Sewing & Vacuum Centers had a great time answering phones and taking pledges. Thank you for your generous donations.

If you don't know about the sewing shows on KBTC, you should check them out. Every Saturday morning from 8am- 12:30pm, KBTC airs nine different sewing and quilting programs. We are so lucky to live in the Puget Sound where we get this great programming. In many cities across the country they only get a few shows at some obscure time of the day. Quality Sewing & Vacuum Centers has always felt that this programming is a benefit for the sewing, quilting and crafting community and we have underwritten these shows for many years.

Last Saturday many of the Quality Sewing management team, including myself, volunteered at the KBTC pledge drive. We pitched in and answered phones, taking pledges and giving interviews. How many of you saw me? I was so nervous, I felt like a deer in headlights but it was fun anyway.

Plus, in conjunction with Brother our new joint sponsor, we are gave away two Brother Innovis 900D Sewing & Embroidery Machines. Paul did a great job showing off these awesome machines at each break. He is pictured above with Jane Moxey from KBTC. Everyone who pledged was entered into the drawing. One machine went the drawing winner, Jannice Gubser. The other machine went to Susan Harmon (photo left) for the highest pledge on Saturday morning. We also gave away Sew Fun Memberships and Quality Sewing 25th Year Anniversary Sweatshirts for people who met certain pledge levels. It was a fun day and it is great to know that we are helping keep sewing and quilting programs on air in the Puget Sound.

-Carmen

Back to the Blog . . .

It has been forever since I have posted anything to the Blog but I am going to post more - I promise! My goal is to post once a week for the rest of the year. Can I do it? I have been so inspired by Sew Expo, I think I can! Look for my Sew Expo recap post, including photos of Paul LaPonte, owner of Quality Sewing in his great Go Red Style Show outfit next week. Until then check out these fun tips that I just came across:

Sewing Tips & Tricks - Get organized, get thrifty and get inspired today with these sewing tips for 2010 from Baby Lock:

1. When sewing a garment that require buttons, take one of the extra buttons and sew it to the inside of the garment. If one of the buttons comes off that garment, you won’t waste time looking for a replacement button.
2. Organize your stash by color – whether it’s thread, fabric, trim or buttons – to save time looking for these items later.
3. Stop looking for extra sewing projects to make – check out the Free projects on the Baby Lock and Designer’s Gallery sites.
4. When cutting your fabric, use washers, canned goods or fabric weights instead of pinning your fabric – this really saves a lot of time!
5. Prevent wear and tear on your machine (and your arms!) by taking a smaller travel size machine to sewing classes. The Sofia is a lightweight options for a sewing and embroidery travel buddy.
6. Sometimes it’s more fun to skip the shopping and cutting and jump straight to the creating. Eliminate the time used to select and cut fabric by purchasing pre-cut fabric kits.
7. When embroidering, use a smaller embroidery hoop for your designs. This helps prevent using / wasting more stabilizer than needed.
8. Black out curtains: Instead of using curtain liners, use black out curtains as part of your home décor. These curtains not only prevent the sun from fading your furniture, fabrics or threads, they also help cool down your room by blocking out the sun.
9. Regardless of how much we paid for our sewing machines, they are a very important piece of machinery to us. So why not protect them? Plug your sewing machines in a surge protector to prevent a power surge.
10. Before starting a new sewing project, make sure you purchase all the supplies first. It can be very frustrating trying to start a project only to realize that you don’t have everything you need. Do you really want to make another trip back to the store?

Post your favorite tip or trick as a comment to this post and be entered to win a $15 Gift Card to Quality Sewing Centers. All comments must be posted by 10am, Wed. 3/17/2010 to be entered. Winner will be notified via email.

- Carmen

Sew Expo is Coming - Are You Ready?

Can you believe it?  The Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup is just around the corner.  Those of you who are fortunate to be on the mailing list have received your show catalog.  Classes are filling fast, and the excitement is building daily!  If you haven't received an Expo brochure, you can print your own - click here for your own online copy.

That means it's time to start training.  You might laugh, but I am completely serious!  There is so much to see and do that it is a very good idea to have a "game plan" in place prior to arrival. 

First: Prepare yourself.  The Sewing and Stitchery Expo is very large and there are distances to cover.  It's all concrete and pavement which is hard on the feet.  Weather is typically fickle in February so it's smart to dress accordingly.  You are not allowed to use suitcases or rolling carts in the buildings (one look and you'll see why) BUT there is a Package Check on the Fairgrounds.  Park your cart/suitcase there and use it to store your goodies.

Second: Plan your visit carefully.  You will need time to eat and rest as well as learn.  There are so many seminars and so little time.  My first visit to Expo was a complete blur.  I signed up for tons of seminars without thinking about pacing myself or even allowing time to eat.  You may not eat or drink in the seminar/classrooms.  Plan accordingly.  Give your brain and body a rest occasionally.  Schedule time for snacks and meals to avoid a "crash".

Third:  Know the Fairgrounds.  Page 35 of the brochure has a map of the Expo, including restrooms, food and classrooms.  Just as important, the map shows where the Package Check is located.  Please use the Package Check!  The more purchases you are juggling, the more likely it is that you will lose one of them.  When planning your day, bear in mind what is taking place in the various buildings.  You will be much happier if you are not running back and forth all day.

Can't wait to have you all join us in Puyallup for this amazing event.  If you'd like to share your Expo plans or ask questions there is a great Puyallup Sew Expo group on Yahoo.  You can find out more here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PuyallupSewExpo/ .  Also, The Sewing and Stitchery Expo has a blog.  Rita Farro is the blog "hostess".  I guarantee you will be entertained.  http://www.sewingandstitcheryexpo.blogspot.com/

See you in Puyallup!  I'll be teaching a one-needle seminar on Friday morning and a 5 needle class on Sunday morning.  Come and say hello!

--Katrina