Hello Reader,

Don't you love finding something you forgot existed?

This happened to me twice this past week.

The first discovery was a panel I had picked up in 2018 for an Ugly Fabric Quilt Contest. (I only know the year because I still had the directions with the entry deadline!)

I actually liked the panel and was going to make a wall hanging for myself. I had even picked out the coordinating fabric but, for whatever reason, put it all away.

After rediscovering it, I'm still in love with the colors and the panel and now need to decide how to put it all together.

The second discovery was a puzzle with quilt images my mom had purchased a year ago.

She was cleaning out 2 puzzle-filled shelves in her closet to make room for some recently finished quilts. She asked my sister and I to take any of the puzzles we wanted and she would donate the rest.

As soon as I saw this puzzle again, I knew it was mine.

This is the Quilts of Gee's Bend 1,000 piece puzzle me and my family put together January 2023.

Gee's Bend has a fascinating history and the puzzle shows only some of their quilts.

You can see more of the Gee's Bend quilts and learn about their history at this article from Souls Grown Deep.

If you want the puzzle, there are many places to purchase it. Just do a search for Quilts of Gees Bend puzzle to see the different online shopping options.

If you have made any exciting discoveries, I'd love to hear about it!

2024 Sewing

Since 2021, one of my most popular freebies is the My Sewing Projects printable.

It's a 4-page document and can be used in multiple ways to motivate and inspire what you want to accomplish with your sewing. You can

• plan sewing projects
• document completed sewing projects
• plan AND document completed projects
• track progress on sewing projects

Even though there is still a month left of 2023, it's not too soon to start thinking about what you want to accomplish in 2024. (I'll be putting my "ugly" quilt panel on my list!)

​Click HERE to get the 2024 My Sewing Projects Printable.

To read about the different ways you can use it, check out the article Better Than a Sewing Planner.

Let 2024 be your best sewing year ever!

Photos on Fabric

My very best friend, Holly, lives in Italy. She was visiting her family in Austin, TX (about 60 miles from me) in October which is our birthday month.

It has been many years since we have been together in the same place for our birthdays and I wanted to give her a special gift.

A few months ago, Mary-Catherine, a helpful woman in my Friday quilting bee, gave me a few pieces of white fabric that were each ironed to a piece of freezer paper cut slightly larger than 8.5" x 11".

She had shared with me previously how she would put the freezer paper/fabric combo through her home printer and print personalized labels on the fabric. She also showed me some mini-panels she had made for quilts printing images using the same method.

I decided to print 4 photos of me and Holly on one of the prepared white fabric/freezer paper sheets Mary-Catherine had given me and incorporate them in a fabric basket.

The end result was a super cute 4" basket and it brought Holly to tears when she opened it.

I also made her a 2" basket out of a fabric that holds special memories for both of us. (The striped basket with lace.)

The Pattern

My go-to fabric basket pattern is one by You.Make. (previously Rebecca Page) and includes 25 different sizes.

The fabric baskets don't take long to put together and are a great project for beginners.

​Click here to get the pattern. (This is not an affiliate link; it is just a pattern I love.)

How to Print on Fabric

Being able to print on fabric opens up the doors for some creative sewing opportunities.

If you want to try printing on fabric, Professer Pincushion has an informative step-by-step video on how to do this. There are also helpful comments on the process that are worth reading.

One of the problems brought up in the video is the image washing or fading away.

I asked Mary-Catherine if she noticed the ink fading on her fabric print projects and she said no.

Her process after the image has been printed on the fabric but before peeling the paper off is:

• wait a few minutes
• use a hot, dry iron on the paper side (fabric facing down)
• turn it over and press again on the fabric side (placing a cloth over the image).

If you have questions about printing on fabric using freezer paper or the fabric baskets, don't hesitate to reach out to me.

Fitting Help

If you sew clothes, chances are you have dealt with fitting problems.

Whether you're sewing for yourself or someone else, eliminating unwanted pulling and other fit issues can often be a frustrating puzzle.

The Fitting Book by Gina Renee Dunham was recently recommended to me as a resource for making alterations to sewing patterns in order to achieve the perfect fit.

I bought the book (through Amazon) and am thrilled with it!

Not only does the author provide the basic information needed to understand fitting, but she also has fitting corrections for tops, pants, and skirts that all include

• visual sketches
• step-by-step directions
• links to videos (using QR codes)

If you want to learn more about fitting, have struggled with it in the past, or want a resource in your library for reference, this is an excellent book that will help you find a solution to most (if not all) your fitting problems.

That's all for now. Until next time...

P.S. Are you new to the Snappy Scissors newsletter and want more sewing inspiration and education? You can see some past issues of Snappy Scissors HERE.