Hi Reader,

If your sewing space can use a makeover or your fabric scraps are out of control, two digital products I have available can help.

Sewing Space Playbook

Do you need help organizing and arranging your sewing space so you can sit down and sew at a moment's notice?

​Sewing Space Playbook may be just what you've been waiting for, and it will be open for enrollment on Saturday, April 20.

In this online course, learn the step-by-step process to transform your sewing space from one that HINDERS sewing into one that is a HAVEN.

You must be on the waitlist to be notified when Sewing Space Playbook opens.

By adding your name to the waitlist there is no obligation to purchase, just an opportunity to learn about Sewing Space Playbook and make sure it's a good fit for you before buying.

Life of a Scrap

If you want to kickstart your scrap organization, this online class will help you do it.

In this 20-minute presentation, I encourage you to discover an organizational system that works for you while showing you my system, how it has evolved, the process I used to create it, and why it works for me.

Also included in this $9 class are

• printable and digital note-taking sheets
• 60+ ideas for using scraps
• planning considerations to think about when planning your scrap system

Note: It's only available until the end of April as a stand-alone class, so if you're interested, get it now before it goes away.

(Once you purchase the class, you will have access to it for as long as I have my business.)

Mixing Colors

How would you rate your color mixing skills on a scale of 1 to 10 when it comes to putting fabrics together?

• 1 - meaning it looks like you picked the colors in a dark room with a blindfold on
• 10 - you're a master at creating color combinations

I put myself around a 4 inching along to 5. With every project, I gain more confidence with the fabrics I put together.

The color wheel is a big help but with all the nuances of tone, shade, hue, etc. (not to mention other factors like patterns and their scale), there is a lot to consider when putting fabric together.

If you're overwhelmed when looking at fabric, you may want to start with some inspiration BEFORE mixing colors.

Here are a couple of tips that have worked for me:

One: Look for color inspiration in objects around you.

Do you have a favorite piece of art, puzzle, or other object where you love the colors?

Use this object as a springboard for mixing fabric colors.

Two: Search Pinterest for color combos that work together.

It takes less than 30 seconds to have all kinds of inspiration at your fingertips.

All you need to do is type "color combinations for quilt" in the search bar and you'll be rewarded with many suggestions that lead to a seemingly unlimited number of pins.

Tying Knots

Do you do any hand sewing?

A few years ago I created a series of blog posts and videos on Hand Sewing for Beginners.

I've been working on a project with my mom (explained in the next section) where I used a blind stitch to hold flower petals together.

The video on How to do the Blind Stitch is the most watched in the hand sewing series, and the one on 3 Ways to Tie a Knot runs a close second.

My favorite way to tie a knot is to wrap the thread around the needle and pull it down until a knot is formed.

If you're unfamiliar with this method, I show you how to do this at 2:24 in the video.

If you love hand sewing, but hate tying knots, this method may change your mind.

Sunflowers

My mother makes personalized quilts for her grandchildren on their 5, 10, and 15th birthdays.

She asks for their input to learn what they want the quilt theme to be, color combos, or any specific designs.

Then she works with what they tell her and creates one-of-a-kind quilts.

Emily, the youngest grandchild, wanted her 10th birthday quilt to have sunflowers on it.

The plan was for Mom to machine piece the background and then applique the sunflowers in place.

We went to the quilt store where Emily picked out a pattern for the background and all the fabric for the quilt.

After mom completed the background, Emily worked with her mom to create the design for the sunflowers.

Then life happened and some health issues sapped my mom's energy and her sewjo.

I offered to help make the petals and put the sunflowers together, and I'm thrilled to report we are almost done!

The next step is making the stems and leaves and getting all the pieces appliqued.

Quilt details: The background was made using the Mini Brick Road Pattern by Atkinson Designs. It's a table runner pattern that my mom expanded. The finished quilt is 60" x 80". The sunflowers are approximately 21" in diameter.

Working on Emily's sunflowers reminded me of another project I did with these cheerful flowers a couple of years ago.

I made a couple of bottle bags for a friend to gift to a business partner. She asked if I could put a sunflower on each bag because it was the logo for their business.

The bottle bags were easy to make, so I made my niece, Audrey, a bag for her 21st birthday. I used fabrics in her favorite color (pink). She loved it!

​I experimented with a couple of techniques to add the sunflowers:

• I used hand applique with freezer paper to make the sunflower on the black bag.
• I made the individual petals and then attached them and the flower center by machine on the blue bag.

These are great bags for gifts and quick to make. With a fun fabric or applique/embroidery embellishment, they're easy to customize. And they are reversible!

The tutorial I used for making the bags can be found on YouTube - Today We Craft - How to Sew a Bottle Bag.

To make sunflowers, I have some pattern templates for you. Click on the links below to get the size you want.​​

​Pattern for the large sunflowers​

​Pattern and directions for the small sunflowers​

If you have any questions about making the sunflowers (or anything related to sewing), don't hesitate to hit reply and ask.

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

Remember:

• ​If you're interested in Sewing Space Playbook, get on the waitlist, so you receive the email on April 20 when enrollment opens.
• Also, Life of a Scrap is only available through April 30. Get this super helpful class now before it's too late!