The Nancy Zieman Sew-A-Scarf Challenge voting date is here!

To celebrate the arrival of spring, I challenged readers to sew a scarf and enter the Sew-A-Scarf Challenge.

Sew-A-Scarf challenge participants were challenged to start with a little fabric and add as much creativity as they’d like. Any pattern/directions were eligible or no sewing pattern at all! All sewing, quilting, serging, machine embroidery, and embellishment techniques could be used! For inspiration, I recommended the Sensational Scarves Book and DVD or to watch Sensational Scarves, part 1 and part 2 online.

Challenge participants posted a photo of their scarf (up to three) by Wednesday May 16, on the Nancy Zieman Sew-A-Scarf Challenge Flickr Site. View full-size images on the Nancy Zieman Sew-A-Scarf Challenge Flickr Site :

Now for the hard part, vote for your favorite scarf May 17–20. One vote per person. Winners will be announced Tuesday May 22, 2012.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Here’s a listing of the fabulous prizes that will be awarded:

$179 Sewing Machine Trolley Bag from Baby Lock

$120 Serger Thread Pack from Madeira

$100 Gift Certificate from Nancy’s Notions

$68 Rotary Cutter, Refill Blade, and Cutting Mat Package from Clover

Thank you to the above companies for donating such wonderful prizes!

Be sure to check out the Sew-a-Scarf Week on my Blog. I posted six new scarf ideas for your next scarf project.

Thanks for sharing your favorite scarf project after my post on May 12. The random winner of a Sensational Scarves DVD from Nancy’s Notions is Ann Hudson: I love the quickness of #3 Super-Quick Cascading Scarf and I love the technique of today’s #6 The Spring Green Scarf, I think the spiraling effect is beautiful. It’s just too hard to pick one Nancy!

Challenge not open to Sponsors’ employees and immediate family members. Photos and techniques may be featured in future promotions, blog posts, videos and/or TV shows.

Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

When I first saw Maggie Ball’s Bargello Quilts with a Twist, I was in awe of her designs. I also thought it was a technique that I’d never sew. Why? Well, the quilt patterns looked too complicated to me. Thankfully, that first impression didn’t stop me from further research!

I decided to sit down and read her book, Bargello Quilts with a Twist. After about 10 minutes, I did a proverbial 180-degree turn and decided to ask her to be a guest on Sewing With Nancy! What caused my change of heart? Simply put, Maggie’s no-hassle way of approaching this unique quilting process makes what may appear detailed—easy.

Strip Segments—the Key to Bargello Quilting With A Twist

The twisting and turning of the bargello design is created with four strip sets—crosswise strips sewn together. It’s ingenious!

Once you know the strip segment arrangement, change fabric colors and you’re off to the races.

With just a one block option you’ll have almost unending quilt designs. During the Sewing With Nancy TV show, watch as we twist and turn the blocks to show the design potential of one quilt block. Here are a few examples:

There are two episodes of Bargello Quilts with a Twist. Watch both online: Episode One and Episode Two.

Remember, you can also watch these episodes on your local PBS station or on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. By the way, the new Sewing With Nancy app is very popular. Have you downloaded the app?

Maggie’s book is filled with bargello quilt pattern options. I know that you’ll be as impressed with Bargello Quilts with a Twist as I am.

The publisher of Maggie’s Book, Krause Publications, would like one of you to have a copy! Tell us what color scheme you’d use for your bargello quilt design. We’ll choose a random winner on Tuesday, May 22.

Bye for now,

Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

Okay, I don’t own a convertible. If I did I’d choose a hot pink number, buy a big floppy hat, and wear this scarf cavalierly around my neck. Hmm, don’t see that in my future. Instead, I’ll wear this scarf with a black dress and day dream while driving my mini van.

If you’re in need of a mental get-away, create this easy-to-sew scarf that has day-dreaming possibilities. We purchased 3/8 yard of both the printed and solid fabric, choosing 60″ wide poly/chiffon.

Sewing Tips

• Cut a 13″ crosswise strip of the print and a 13″ square of the solid.

• Serge or zigzag the edges. A 3-thread overlook serger stitch is what we used.

• Turn under 1/2″ and press. If pressing is challenging, use the Drapery Hem Gauge. The super-sized length is convenient to use.

• With right sides together, fold the 13″ square in half. Stitch the side seams with 1/2″ seam allowances. Trim the excess fabric from the corners. I’ll refer to this fabric section as the scarf cuff.

• Press and turn the scarf cuff right side out. We used my go-to pressing tool, the June Tailor Board.

• Align the cuff to the scarf end, wrong sides together. Stitch a 1/2″ seam and press the seam open.

• Edgestitch around the scarf, stitching down the pressed-under edge in the process.
• Cover the seam with 1″ or wider ribbon. Cut the ribbon 14″ in length, turn under 1/2″ at each end, pin the ribbon over the seam, and topstitch. If the seam is wider than the ribbon…you got it, trim the seam.

Ta, da! You’re done.

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Here’s a listing of the terrific prizes that will be awarded:

• $179 Sewing Machine Trolley Bag from Baby Lock
• $120 Serger Thread Pack from Madeira
• $100 Gift Certificate from Nancy’s Notions
• $68 Rotary Cutter, Refill Blade, and Cutting Mat Package from Clover
• Thank you to the above companies for donating such wonderful prizes!

Be sure to post your photo(s) on the Nancy Zieman Sew-A-Scarf Challenge Flickr Site.

Tomorrow, watch for another scarf inspiration. So, what’s your favorite scarf—so far?

A little black scarf and a little black dress, now that’s a dynamic duo. Can’t you just see the two together?

I was inspired to make this scarf after returning from my trip to Japan. The scarf that I really wanted to purchase was $400, but I settled for a $30 version with unique texture.

I knew that Clover had a tool that could make an equally enchanting flower. Choosing the same fabric for the background and flowers resulted in what I think is the perfect Date Night Scarf!

Date Night Scarf Sewing Tips

• Cut a 13″ wide crosswise strip of 60″ fabric .
• Finish the edges: Serging option—set the machine for a rolled edge stitch and serge off 1/2″. Sewing option—turn under 1/2″ and topstitch.

• Select Clover’s Flower Frill Template #8460—the small size. Follow the instructions in the package to create the flowers. We cut and hand stitched ten (10) shapes per flower. It’s an easy process.

• Stitch the petal shapes together. Again, the template instructions give all the details.

• Pin the flowers to the lower edges of the scarf.

• Hand stitch flowers from the back of the scarf.

Presto!

Here’s a listing of the terrific prizes that will be awarded:

• $179 Sewing Machine Trolley Bag from Baby Lock
• $120 Serger Thread Pack from Madeira
• $100 Gift Certificate from Nancy’s Notions
• $68 Rotary Cutter, Refill Blade, and Cutting Mat Package from Clover
• Thank you to the above companies for donating such wonderful prizes!

Be sure to post your photo(s) on the Nancy Zieman Sew-A-Scarf Challenge Flickr Site.

Tomorrow, watch for another scarf inspiration. So, what’s your favorite scarf—so far?

It’s day three of Sew-A-Scarf Week. I hope you’re planning on sewing your scarf for the Sew-A-Scarf Challenge! Voting will begin May 17, so you have time to get your entry posted. Here’s today’s scarf inspiration.

Super-Quick Cascading Scarf

If you’re a Sewing With Nancy viewer, you know that scarves are not a new sewing topic for me. Last season during our mini-series on “Sensational Scarves,” I detailed the Cascading Scarf, an 18″ wide scarf with a casing and elastic added to the center of the scarf . Here’s a variation on the theme where the scarf is finished with a serged edge and the cascading is created with a unique elastic technique.

• The originial scarf instructions are featured in the book, Sensational Scarves. You can watch the TV show online.

• Instead of making this version 18″ wide, the width is much narrower. Cut two crosswise strips of fabric 7″ wide and seam the short ends. If the length is longer than 90″, trim off the excess.

• Select a rolled edge stitch on your serger. Test the stitching and adjust the stitch length if necessary. If you don’t have a serger, turn under the edges as detailed in the book/video instructions.

• Place a tiny drop of a seam sealant at the corners. After drying, clip off the excess thread tails.

• Press mark the center. Fold the long edges in half, then press.
• Use 1/4″ wide elastic or cut Fantastic Elastic (yes you can cut this elastic) to 1/4″ wide. The length of the elastic needed is half the length of the scarf, plus 5″.
• Measure down 2-1/2″ from each end of the elastic. Pin the elastic to the top and bottom of the scarf, the extra 2-1/2″ should extend beyond the scarf—it serves as a handle, something to grasp onto while stretching and stitching.
• Stretch the elastic to meet the fabric, centering the elastic over the press mark.

• Set your machine for a wide zigzag and stitch over the elastic.

• When finished, reinforce the stitching at each end of the scarf and clip off the excess elastic. You’re finished.
• Enjoy!

Sew-A-Scarf Week ideas—so far:

• Day 1—Twist & Shout Scarf

• Day 2—Yo-Yo Smocked Scarf

Have you posted your scarf entry in the Sew-A-Scarf Challenge?

Here’s a listing of the terrific prizes that will be awarded:

• $179 Sewing Machine Trolley Bag from Baby Lock
• $120 Serger Thread Pack from Madeira
• $100 Gift Certificate from Nancy’s Notions
• $68 Rotary Cutter, Refill Blade, and Cutting Mat Package from Clover
• Thank you to the above companies for donating such wonderful prizes!

Be sure to post your photo(s) on the Nancy Zieman Sew-A-Scarf Challenge Flickr Site.

Tomorrow, watch for another scarf inspiration.

Day two of Sew-A-Scarf Week features a design by Donna Fenske of Nancy’s Notions. Donna’s unique approach for using a Yo-Yo Maker results in a drapable, elegant scarf or wrap.  Usually a Yo-Yo-Maker is used to create individual embellishments. This time the small flower style Yo-Yo Maker is the key product to use for creating the smocking on a large piece of fabric.

Use an 18″ crosswise strip of interlock knit and position the Yo-Yo Maker within the fabric. All the details are featured in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph8KIlQyXxo

It’s a hand sewing project with the edges finished using a decorative rotary blade. You can easily make this attractive scarf/wrap while listening to TV.

Here’s a listing of the fabulous prizes that will be awarded:

• $179 Sewing Machine Trolley Bag from Baby Lock
• $120 Serger Thread Pack from Madeira
• $100 Gift Certificate from Nancy’s Notions
• $68 Rotary Cutter, Refill Blade, and Cutting Mat Package from Clover
• Thank you to the above companies for donating such wonderful prizes!

Be sure to post your photo(s) on the Nancy Zieman Sew-A-Scarf Challenge Flickr Site.

Tomorrow, watch for another scarf inspiration.

Get ready for sew-a-scarf week! Starting today and ending Saturday, May 12, you’ll find a new scarf project or variation of a scarf sewing pattern posted on my blog each day. My goal is to give you more sewing inspiration so that you’ll enter our Sew-A-Scarf Challenge. The prizes are quite awesome!

The sewing pattern for this scarf is found in the book, Sensational Scarves, a simple rectangle of fabric is all that’s needed. You’ll find detailed instructions for this scarf in the book or you can watch me demonstrate the scarf technique, called the Cowl Scarf, online on Sewing With Nancy.

Twist & Shout Scarf Sewing Tips

• The Twist & Shout name is just the handle I gave this scarf since the unique knit with rows and rows of ruffles gives dimension and life to the basic scarf design. The fabric choice is certainly the focal point of the scarf.

• In order to sew the seams without a million pins, simply machine baste down the sides prior to seaming.

• In the video or instructions, I give you the dimensions for the scarf. There are only two basic seams. First—the long edges are seamed together, leaving a 4″–6″ opening near one end.
• A nip marking along the fold is needed at each short end.

•  Half of the scarf tube is turned right side out. You can see how it twists.

• Then, the short ends are aligned, matching the seam and nips. (This is the part that is best learned by watching!)

• The second seam sews the scarf ends together.
• After turning the scarf right side out through the opening, you’ll find that there’s an infinity shape! (The specialty fabric camflouges the twisting feature in this photo.)

• Hand stitch the opening closed. Presto—a terrific scarf! If it looks this good on a fence post, image how stunning it will look on you. (Can you spot the spider! Oh my.)

Find 13 other inspirational scarf ideas in Sensational Scarves.

Check out our blog on the Sew a Scarf Challenge.

We’re in the midst of a sewing party! Nancy’s Notions is the host of the annual  Sewing Weekend Expo, the first Thursday–Saturday in May. It’s the time of the year when we roll out the proverbial red carpet to welcome sewing, quilting, and embroidery enthusiasts to a party! The warehouse is converted into a shopping mall, Sit & Sew sessions are set up, Make-it and Take-it areas are organized, seminars are planned, and a good time is had by all.

This year’s event started Thursday and runs through today, Saturday, May 5th. About 3000 people attend the three-day event, making Beaver Dam WI—population 15,000—the city with the greatest fabric enthusiasts per capita than any other city in the country during the first weekend in May. (I haven’t verified this statistic, but I’m guessing it’s true!)

Here’s a tour of Nancy’s Notions  Sewing Weekend.  There’s still one day to attend, so if you’re within driving distance, please join us! 

• You’ll be greeted by smiling faces. David and his crew direct you to a parking spot!

•  When you enter the warehouse, grab a shopping basket or bag.

• Then, let the shopping begin!

•  Even my mom came to shop!

•  Attend a free demo at the warehouse stage area. Mercedes is the Phyllis Diller of sewing.

•  Watch and learn. Baby Lock Educators are here to help with questions and show the latest and greatest in new products.

•  Get inspired with personalized demonstrations from vendor educators.

• Don’t forget to stop at the “Contest” booth. If you signed up for the Shopping Spree Promotion, please, please, check to see if you’re a winner. The Grand Prize Winner checked in, but there are four other unclamined prizes.

• Need some assistance? The customer service department is always ready to help.

• You’ll find me wandering around Nancy’s Notions if I’m not giving a seminar. Let’s see, is it Flat Nancy or the real thing?

• If you signed up for a Sit & Sew class, you’ll get to test drive a sewing machine and create a project at the same time.

• Be sure to make a stop at the Koala Booth. My good friend, Ed Moore, and I pose next to the newest Koala Cabinet accessory unit. How about that, I coordinate with the home décor items!

• If you like, we’ll even check your packages so that you can attend seminars without worrying about your purchases.

• Speaking of seminars…ride a bus to one of the four special seminar locations.

• Here’s Alex Anderson, giving her Friday morning seminar at the Beaver Dam High School Auditorium.

• You’ll find lots of inspiration! Scott Stanton, accounting and IT guru, sports one of his personalized ties. Yes, Scott made it himself. Every day of Sewing Weekend he wears a tie that he made. This was Thursday’s feature.

• Here’s Friday’s tie design. I wonder what he will wear on Saturday? (Scott is one of my favorite people.)

• Check out creations made by others. The Hoffman doll challenge is fascinating!

• Equally enjoyable is the “Charity Challenge.” The hallways are lined with comfort quilts, approximately 38″ x 45″, all created with fabric colors that are kid friendly. All quilts will be donated to children in need.

• Save the date for next year! May 2–4, 2013. (Oh, next year! First, I must recuperate from this year’s event!)

Were you at Sewing Weekend, post photos on my Facebook page.

Thank you for letting me know which of the ten creative sweatshirt makeovers you would create. The random winner of  the book, Expressive Sweatshirts is Peg. She said, The top with the flip-flopped strips down the front really appeals to me.

Bye for now,

Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

During the 2-part series, Mary details 10 sweatshirt makeovers! (Did you watch the first episode that I featured in last week’s blog?) This week’s feature is the Calico Country Sweatshirt—a sweatshirt/shirt combo*.

Makeover Highlights—Calico Cupboard Sweatshirt

All of the step-by-step details are featured in Mary’s book by the same name, Expressive Sweatshirts. To show you how easy it is to make this transformation, here are the makeover highlights:

• Remove the ribbing from both the neckline and hemline. Be sure to follow Mary’s staystitching tips.
• Try on the sweatshirt inside out. Have a sewing buddy pin in shaping along the side seams. Most sweatshirts are just too big and sloppy!

• Make a facing for the neckline. This step is easy and the removed ribbing is the ideal facing fabric.
• Try on the shirt with the sweatshirt on top. Pin the shirt collar to the neckline area.
• Join the shirt section to the sweatshirt neckline, only in the back area.

• Cut off the excess shirt from the neckline. You’ll find those details in the book and on the video.

• Add the shirttail to the sweatshirt.

• Trim the sleeves to 3/4 length and add the shirt cuff areas to the sleeve hem.

• Add an embroidered appliqué to the sweatshirt. The pictured appliqué is from Appliqués for Sweatshirts CD.

Watch this episode on your local PBS station, online, or on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. Don’t forget to downloaded the app.

Would you like the chance to win a copy of Expressive Sweatshirts, featuring 10 makeovers?

Which of the creative sweatshirts would you create? (You will find the other options when you watch online or on PBS!) Post your comment and we’ll choose a random winner Saturday, May 5th.

Bye for now,

Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

There are reruns on TV—well, of course. So what about blogs? How about Encore Postings! My staff and I decided that an encore posting was extremely appropriate for this week since we’re in the thick of preparing for Nancy’s Notions Sewing Weekend Event. For those of you attending our big gala event, I look forward to seeing you Thursday, Friday, and/or Saturday. For others, we’ll post a Sewing Weekend in review on Saturday, May 5th. In the meantime, please enjoy a popular posting from last summer.

Encore Post from July 19, 2011

Last weekend while cleaning a closet, I found a copy of Life’s Little Instruction Book by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. (Published ’91). Needing a break from the cleaning task, I read the little book cover to cover. The helpful hints caused me to pause at one of my favorite tips, #368—Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who help you out.

Reading the book gave me the idea to create a list of tips for sewing and quilting enthusiasts.

50 Tips to Sew Smart & Sew Kind

1. When you receive a compliment on something you’ve sewn, quilted, or embroidered, graciously say, “Thank you.” Please don’t point out the flaw that only you can find.
2. Support your local sewing and quilting stores.
3. Teach your kids or grandkids to sew on a button and fix a hem. Give them a small sewing kit when they leave for college. (If they can master texting, they can certainly sew on a button.)
4. Tie a tag on your best sewing scissors that’s labeled “For fabric cutting only.” Or, keep it in a box in the freezer with the label, “Chicken Livers.” (This hint is attributed to Nancy Harp, Aurora, MN.)
5. Store unfinished projects in clear, plastic bins that have snap-on covers. All pieces will stay together and you’ll not lose sight of what’s inside.
6. Give a small sewing kit to a member of a bridal party: thread (white, black, and the color of the attendant’s dresses), needles, and scissors (or nail clippers) to cut threads.
7. Keep a small sewing repair kit in the glove box of your car.
8. Join a guild or sewing group. You’ll find inspiration and friendship.
9. Make and give away something every year to someone you’ll never meet. The gift is in the giving. Use the best fabric that your budget affords. The project that you made may be the only made-with-love gift that person receives in his/her life. See www.creativekindness.com for a listing of volunteer projects and/or organizations.
10. Use a calendar to quickly keep track of what you’ve sewn or quilted in a year. Pin a swatch of fabric at the date completed along with a few notes. You might amaze yourself with what you accomplished in a year.
11. Start a new sewing or quilting project by cleaning/oiling your machine and changing the needle. An ounce of prevention…
12. Donate aged fabric to a charitable sewing group. If you haven’t used it in five or more years, it’s likely you never will. You’ll feel good about cleaning out your fabric stash and the recipients will appreciate the donation.
13. Listen to books on tape (or CD) while sewing or quilting.
14. Keep water-soluble stabilizer in a zip-type plastic bag to prevent it from drying out.
15. Plug your sewing machine(s), iron and light into an electrical strip. When leaving your sewing area, you’ll just have one switch to turn off and you’ll never wonder if you left the iron turned on!
16. A seam sealant like Fray Check is a must to seal all serger thread tails or edges. If squeezed directly to the fabric, you may get more than you bargained for. Apply the sealant to a Q-tip and then dab your fabric for greater control.
17. To save time later, wind several bobbins of thread before starting a project.
18. Don’t waste your money on buying cheap thread—you get what you pay for.
19. Make it a habit to clip the corner of fabric that you’ve prewashed. This little demarcation will save you time and your sanity.
20. Schedule a sewing escape each year, such as an evening class, a 3-day event, or a quilt show. It will get your creative juices flowing!
21. Thank the person who taught you to sew or quilt.
22. Cut elastic to the needed length after inserting it into a casing. It will be easier to handle and less elusive!
23. Every time you sew or quilt look for some small way to improve the process.
24. Write the pattern number or book reference of your project inside the hem or another inconspicuous area, using a permanent fabric-marking pen such as Pigma Pen. That reference might come in handy some day!
25. Add a label to every sewn-with-love project given away. Besides writing or stitching your name, add the date, and occasion.
26. If you’re not going to use your fabric purchase right away, write the yardage on an Avery label (or another type of sticker) and apply to the fabric. It will save time when you’re mulling through your fabric stash, determining if you have enough yardage for your next project.
27. Keep several tubes of paper glue stick at hand. The glue works as a basting or tacking aid when positioning trim or “pinning” hems. Not to worry, the glue dries clear and will not gum-up your machine.
28. Use tiny clothespins or paper clips as pin alternatives when working with thick fabrics or multilayers of fabric.
29. Cans of tuna or caviar are excellent pattern weights.
30. Start sewing for the holidays in September. Some recommend July, I just can’t get interested in Christmas gifts when it’s more enjoyable to be out-of-doors. September works for me.
31. If you garden as well as sew or quilt, use leftover crosswise quilt strips to tie tomato vines to a supportive post. The soft fabric doesn’t damage the vine.
32. Enjoy the sewing process. It’s therapeutic!
33. Keep a small empty container that once housed, for example, vitamins in your sewing area. Use it to dispose of worn-out needles. Your garbage collector will thank you.
34. Position your ironing board away from the sewing machine. Getting up, walking, and stretching will keep your back happy.
35. Don’t hide your sewing machine in a closet. Assign a corner of a bedroom, great room, or office as your space. After all, we keep our computers at easy access!
36. For an almost instant raised cutting table, cut (or have someone help you cut) four, 6–8″ lengths of PVC pipe. Slide the pipes over the legs of a heavy-duty folding table. Presto!
37. Read the pattern or project instructions, start to finish, before beginning a project. (Sometimes I just “read” the illustrations and then read the instructions if the step looked confusing.) You’ll be able to head-off confusion if you have an idea of the entire process before you begin.
38. To mark a point where you need to stop stitching, insert two pins close together. It works just like a stop sign for me.
39. A bar of soap with the paper covering intact is a pleasant-smelling pincushion substitute.
40. If the thread on your sewing machine breaks, here are two tips that solve the problem 90% of the time: 1) Totally rethread the machine. 2) If #1 doesn’t work, change to a larger size needle.
41. Attention Embroiderers: Use strips of Blue Painter’s Tape to position a project to the hooped stabilizer.
42. When combining fabrics, the inclination is to choose all medium shades. Combining light, medium, and dark fabrics will give your project more eye-appeal.
43. Use Sticky Notes to mark frequently used cutting lines on your quilting rulers.  These visual markings will improve your accuracy.
44. Use a flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth as a temporary design wall. Pin under a casing at one end of the tablecloth, thread a curtain rod through the casing, and hang the design wall with two small nails at each end of the rod.
45. If you don’t have a lot of cupboard or drawer space, use a cutlery carrier to store frequently used sewing notions.
46. For knot-free hand sewing, run a threaded needle through a dryer sheet a few times. The anticling solution will give you smooth hand sewing.
47. Cut drinking straws in half and place over the spool pins of your thread rack to increase the capacity.
48. Give a start-to-sew kit to a friend. Include scissors, tape measure, pins, pincushion, seam ripper, and a coupon for a personalized sewing lesson with you!
49. Keep a roll of paper toweling near the ironing board. When fusing web or interfacing, place sheets of the toweling on the ironing board. If the fusible sticks to the paper towels, simply toss!
50. Count your blessings. Thank God for the gift of creating with your hands.

So, what’s your favorite tip? I’m sure you can add to my list.

Bye for now,

Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

Are you leery of making buttonholes? Somehow stitching buttonholes has received a less than positive reputation! Baby Lock has come to the rescue by giving us a camera—yes, a camera, to assure perfect buttonhole alignment with the Ellisimo Gold machine. Generally I haven’t given machine specific instructions in one of my blogs, yet this feature is so amazing that I knew you’d like to be kept up to date of the newest feature.

A great way to showcase the camera feature of this sewing machine is to make pillows, of course, pillows with buttons and buttonholes.

Basic Pillow Instructions

1. Cut the fabric.

To determine the fabric dimensions, start with the size of your pillow form. Pillow forms are available in many sizes. Listed below are details for 14″, 16″, 18″, and 20″ sizes.

• To determine the fabric width, add 1″ to the pillow size. For example:
• 14″ pillow form = 15″ fabric width
• 16″ pillow form = 17″ fabric width
• 18″ pillow form = 19″ fabric width
• 20″ pillow form = 21″ fabric width
• To determine fabric length, double the pillow size and add 10″. For example:
• 14″ pillow form, 14″ + 14″ + 10″ = 38″
• 16″ pillow form, 16″ + 16″ + 10″ = 42″
• 18″ pillow form, 18″ + 18″ + 10″ = 46″
• 20″ pillow form, 20″ + 20″ + 10″ = 50″
• For example, for a 16″ pillow form, cut a 17″ x 42″ rectangle of fabric.

2. Cut a rectangle of medium-weight fusible interfacing the same size as outer fabric. Press to fabric back.

3. Clean finish all four edges of the rectangle by zigzagging or serging.

 4. Place the fabric wrong side up and turn up 4″ on each short edge. (I like to use the 5-in-1 Gauge. It’s accurate.) Fuse or stitch in place.

5. Add buttonholes and buttons as detailed in the video Lights—Camera—Buttonholes! This is the important step. The video gives all the details!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFsMFqoZ5MQ

6. Stitch the side edges of the pillow using 1/2″ seams.

7. Turn the pillow right side out. Sew on the buttons. Insert the pillow form.

I hope you enjoyed sewing this high tech way of adding buttonholes!

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Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.

Sewing and quilting terms—when you take time to stop and think about some of them, they’re really offbeat. Just try explaining Stitching in the Ditch to a non-sewist. Or, watch the expression on the face of a non-quilter when they hear the term Fat Quarter. That may be the expression on some faces when I write about a Jelly Roll Makeover.

This week’s featured Sewing With Nancy online video is Expressive Sweatshirts. Mary Mulari is my guest and we begin the first program of the 2-part series with her Stripes in Motion Sweatshirt.

Taking the challenge of utilizing a Jelly Roll Collection, rolled up coordinating 2-1/2″ precut strips of fabric, Mary shows us how to use the accurately and decoratively cut strips as a sweatshirt makeover. Can you see the tiny pinked edges on the jelly roll strips?

The other key component is a black sweatshirt. It’s not too difficult to find, and it’s the perfect palette for this technique.You’ll begin the makeover by converting the pullover into a cardigan. Mary has fine-tuned that process.

Then, appliqué tubes made from two jelly rolls to the front of the sweatshirt. You’ll find details on the show and in the book.

Watch this episode on your local PBS station, online, or on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. Have you downloaded the app?

There are four other makeovers featured during this first episode. You’ll find the instructions for all makeovers in the book, Expressive Sweatshirts. The Sewing With Nancy team really knows how to present sewing and quilting instructions. Pat Hahn, Laure Noe, and Diane Dhein make me look good, giving you our signature clear instructions with precise illustrations. What would I do without them!

Would you like the chance to win a copy of Expressive Sweatshirts, featuring 10 makeovers?

Which of the four creative sweatshirts would you create? (You will find the other three options when you watch online or on PBS!) Post your comment and we’ll choose a random winner Saturday, May 5th.

Many thanks to Mary Mulari for her seemingly endless creative ideas!

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This past week my husband and I traveled to Japan. We were the guests of Clover in Osaka, Japan. Clover is a 100 year old manufacturing company of needlecrafts, sewing notions, and quilting products. We traveled with the Clover Needlecraft (California office) President , Jan Carr and his wife Alicia. It was a remarkable trip. I’d like to share some of our experiences.

Treated like royalty, we traveled to many historic areas of Japan. The cherry blossoms bloomed approximately two weeks later than usual, peaking in color during our visit. A little side note, there are over 200 varieties of cherry blossoms. Oh, I can’t wait to begin a new landscape quilt!

I generally meet with Clover’s R & D department twice a year in the United States. Their team travels to the United States for both the spring and fall Quilt Markets. This time, the meeting was in their country, allowing me to meet with an expanded R & D staff.

Customary gifts were exchanged. Golf  balls from the Beaver Dam Country Club were given to the men. (My guess is that no one else in Japan has golf balls from our little town.)  I gave landscape notecards and mini framed landscape scenes to the women on the staff. In the workbook, Landscape Quilting Workshop, Natalie Sewell and I detail how to make 6″ x 8″ landscape scenes. They are the ideal size to place in a 5″ x 7″ frame.

During our meeting, a review of products in production and new product proposals were discussed. A translator was always with us, bridging the language barrier. Most of my counterparts in Japan understand English. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about my understanding of the Japanese language.

The facility that we toured manufactured knitting needles, crochet hooks, and injection molded (plastic) products. Even though I am not a knitting expert, I do knit and could only be in awe of the 60 steps that are needed to manufacture Takumi Bamboo Knitting Needles. No varnishes are used in the finishing process, only natural products.

The largest size of Circular Yo Yo Makers was being made at one of the injection-molding stations. This is also the piece of equipment that produces “my” Stack ’n Store Bobbin Tower.

The quality control departments are sticklers. If one product from a batch does not live up to the set standards, the entire batch is rejected. I knew that Clover was very thorough and never cut the proverbial corners, but after seeing how exacting all of the processes were, I knew that Clover could easily be called our good luck charm.

Our week in Japan included the best of Japanese cuisine and wonderful sight-seeing tours. I will always remember the gracious hospitality extended to us by our hosts at Clover and the courteous demeanor of the Japanese people.

 I’ve been very blessed in my life. I work with wonderful people in this country and abroad, and I am very grateful for this wonderful experience.

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Church Ladies’ Apron Pattern

By Mary Mulari

There’s something about the Church Ladies’ Apron Pattern’s popularity and I think part of it has to do with its name. It reminds us of our mothers and grandmothers who worked hard in church kitchens to prepare and serve food. On the back of the pattern I include a paragraph to honor those women, and the memory of my mother.

Beach Towel Apron

The first new version of this pattern is made from a beach towel. It’s intended to be a gift for a new mom who could wear the apron and use the apron skirt as a towel wrap, as she lifts her baby out of the bath tub. Unlike most of the aprons made from this pattern, this is a single layer of fabric and it’s not reversible. I made the apron longer than usual to allow more towel for the baby. After cutting out the apron, I serged the edges and then turned and topstitched the edges in place. Hint: You don’t want to be wearing black corduroy pants when you cut and sew a pattern from a beach towel!

The neck yoke of this apron is a little different from the one shown on the pattern. It’s made from two separate pieces of the towel and overlaps to close and adjust with Velcro, or hook and loop tape, the generic term we use on Sewing with Nancy.

From the leftover pieces of the towel I made extra washcloths and a bath mitt to add to the apron gift. If you’ve attended Rita Farro’s and my Midwest YaYa Sisters seminar in the last two years, you’ve seen this apron in the Baby Gifts section of our program.

I used creative cutting for the straps, placing the pattern stitching line on one finished towel edge. The bottom hem of the apron is the original lower hem of the beach towel.

Bias-trimmed Apron

Now for the second version of this apron, also a single layer of fabric and not reversible: Here I am in Nancy’s kitchen, showing off her cooking utensils!

I’ve been planning to try a single layer apron and bind it with bias tape, just as so many of our mothers and grandmothers made their aprons. I had a package of vintage bias tape and it was wide enough to cut in half and then press in half so I’d have enough bias to go around the entire apron.

The neck yoke sections for this apron are also cut as two pieces with hook and loop tape for a closure. Before I sewed them to the apron body at the yoke lines marked on the pattern, I inserted a piece of the bias tape as narrow trim.

Next came the sewing task of attaching the raw edges of the bias tape to the cut edges of the apron body and then folding over the edge to the back of the apron and stitching in the ditch to secure the back of the bias to the apron. It was a two-step process. If you find it easier to enclose the fabric edge inside folded bias tape, that would be a one-step project and hopefully you’d catch the fabric edge inside the bias. (I sometimes struggle with that method, so I used the two-step method I described above.)

I cut out two pockets from the pocket pattern, and I decided they were too large and would cover up too much of the border design. I made the pocket much smaller and fit it on the apron in an area where it would blend into the small floral pattern. I added only one pocket and placed it on the right side of the apron since I’m right-handed.

I think the apron turned out well and I LOVE the border print I chose from the “Early Birds” fabric collection designed by Jane Sassaman for Westminster Fabrics. However, I have decided that I prefer the two layer reversible aprons for both durability in use and construction ease. This was a test and I learned from it. I’m sure you learn from your sewing experiments and get creative as you try new twists of your own. Have fun as you sew your own Church Ladies’ Aprons.

It seems appropriate to include a recipe that might be served in a church basement or fellowship hall. This is my favorite cookie bar recipe. It always turns out well for me. Maybe that’s because it uses a cup of butter! “Bars” is the term we use in Minnesota for these rectangular pieces cut in a 9″ x 13″ pan…do you call them something else?

Chocolate Chip Coconut Bar

1 c. butter, softened

2/3 c. white sugar

2/3 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. unsifted flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. coconut

1 c. quick cooking oats

12 oz. chocolate chips

1 c. chopped nuts

Mix butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Blend in flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread in an ungreased 9″ x 13″ pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30–35 minutes until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars. Store in a covered container.

Thanks for your apron inspiration and recipe, Mary!

Thanks for letting me know your favorite designs and projects from part 1 and part 2 of the Machine Needle Felting series on Sewing With Nancy. The random winner of the Machine Needle Felting DVD is Margaret. I was very interested in how Isabella Hoffman used the blending marker on her machine felting project. The use of the fabric markers and the blending marker made such a difference on the finished flower.

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I could add the title Professional Student to my resumé. Each time I have a guest on Sewing With Nancy, it’s like having a tutor. First my guest must instruct me, before the two of us can teach you. How lucky can a girl get!

When I was introduced to Isabella Hoffmann and her technique of needle felting, I must admit, I was hesitant. But I soon found out her unique method makes the process enjoyable.

If you watched the first episode of Machine Needle Felting, you know that with Baby Lock’s Embellisher (felting machine) or Clover’s felting tools you stitch without thread since the barbed needles meld the wool fabrics together.

During the second episode, Isabella taught me and will teach you how to enhance designs using fabric marking pens. No free-form drawing needed, only tracing! Machine Needle Felting—part two is this week’s featured video on www.nancyzieman.com.

Machine Needle Felting is like Painting by Number

Freezer paper is the secret. I’m sure the manufacturers of freezer paper never thought stitchers, quilters, and embellishers would be using their product. It’s become a staple in many sewing studios. Isabella is the artist—she drew the designs with the intent that we trace along the edges of the cut-out pieces. Here’s a tutorial of how it’s done. Of course, watch online for greater details.

• Photocopy the image from the Machine Needle Felting book onto freezer paper. Fuse the freezer paper image to the wrong side of the wool fabric and cut out.

• Machine needle felt the appliqué to the wrong side of the fabric.

• The migrated fibers transfer the design to the right side. The more you felt, the more intense the colors become.

• Now for the magic—cut out the shapes (kind of like paint by number). Press shapes to the design. Trace along the edges of the shapes as detailed by Isabella.

• Instead of stitching, use fabric marking pens to enhance the design.

• Adding small details also adds highlights.

You’ll find many other unique appliqué designs and patterns in Isabella’s book, Machine Needle Felting, including lovely cardinals, pansies, and floral baskets, just to name a few.

Watch this episode, plus 51 other Sewing With Nancy shows online any day, any time! Also watch on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch.

When you watch the show you’ll see more designs and projects. Cast a vote for your favorite! On Saturday, April 21st, we’ll post a random winner who will receive a copy of the Machine Needle Felting DVD.

Speaking of Sewing With Nancy, there’s still time to purchase tickets for the 30th Anniversary Live Taping on June 14!

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This week I am in Osaka, Japan, meeting at Clover’s Headquarters. Clover, as you might know, is the manufacturer of quality sewing notions and tools. Later this month I’ll share photos of my trip. Meanwhile, enjoy an encore post of “Sewing Notions Measure Up!”

We can all relate to the Russian proverb, “Measure twice, cut once.” The testimony to that saying is the number of measuring tools that I have scattered around my sewing studio. Some are very old—others much newer. I gathered all those measuring tools to take an inventory on what I use. Here are my findings.

Tape Measure

I don’t feel dressed for the occasion—sewing or quilting—without a tape measure around my neck. Right now I have three hanging in my room. A girl can never have too many tape measures! Often the width of the tape measure is 5/8″ wide. That’s convenient for quickly checking seam widths.

5-in-1 Gauge

This handy upgrade from the traditional black 6″ gauge with a red sliding guide now has a locking mechanism, keeping the sliding guide in place. I named it 5-in-1 since it also can serve as a small T square, compass, measure of 5/8″, and measure of 1/4″. I’ve demoed this tool in the video. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZu_t3F-5qE

Seams Right

Designed the size of a credit card, it’s handy to hold (I’ve had lots of credit card experience!) and quick to check seam widths. I use the Seams Right mostly when quilting. The 1/4″ measurement appendage certainly is handy.

Steel Tape Measure

The pink color keeps my husband from claiming this measuring gem. Like the measure he stores in the garage and can rarely find, the stiff tape locks in place and is my go-to measure when working on window treatments and other home dec projects.

Hem Gauge

One of the first notions that I ever purchased was the Hem Gauge. I was in college on a textile tour in North Carolina, touring the Scoville Notions company—later Scoville was purchased by Dritz. Having this tool was a heaven-send. This is not the original notion that I purchased, as that tool has since been worn out. Regardless, I can’t press a hem without this product. The straight and curved edges are perfect for almost every hemming task.

Drapery Hem Gauge

Bigger is definitely better when it comes to hemming window treatments. Just one look and you can figure out what this measuring tool does.

Yardstick Compass

Team the screw-on pencil and point to a ruler or yardstick and you have a useful compass. I like the fact that after use, I can disassemble it for easy storage.

Retractable Tape Measure

This measuring tool is generally in my handbag. It comes in handy for quick measuring while shopping. The second use is slightly unconventional. It can entertain an almost 2-year old for about five minutes during a church service just like it did her daddy and uncle.

Domestic Hem Gauge

Found in my grandmother’s sewing machine drawer, this prized measuring tool is kept in a safe place. I smile every time I look at it!

These are my favorite measuring tools, acrylic rulers not withstanding. How about you? What are your go-to measuring notions?

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The celebration continues! As part of a year-long celebration to commemorate 30 years of Sewing With Nancy on television, I’m doing something I’ve never done in 30 years! On June 14, I’ll be taping a special two-part series LIVE in front of a studio audience!

Only 100 Seats Available!

I’ll be taking a look back over the last 30 years. One hundred (100) studio audience members will join me, and we’ll travel together through the past three decades of Sewing With Nancy. I’ll open the Sewing with Nancy vault and you’ll see short clips from vintage videos, including bloopers, plus memories galore.

Tickets go on sale 9 a.m. (CST) Monday, April 16. Purchase tickets on the Web on or after Monday, April 16 at 9 a.m.

Update: The Sewing With Nancy 30th-Anniversary Event is now sold out. To be added to the waiting list, please send an e-mail to wiquiltexpo@wpt.org and include your name, daytime phone number, and e-mail address. We will contact you if a ticket does become available. 

• This is a once-in-a-lifetime event!
• Tickets are $75 and limited to two per order.
• Only 100 tickets are available!
• Event includes refreshments, prize drawings, and goodie bags for all attendees.

We’re rolling out the red carpet—well, not really—but we’re going to make this a special event. After all, how many other shows have been on TV for 30 years?

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Sew without thread—it doesn’t sound possible. With a barbed needle or needles, fibers are melded together without the benefit of thread. This week the showcased Sewing With Nancy online video features Machine Needle Felting with designer Isabella Hoffmann. Wool is her fabric of choice. Combined with appliqué designs and the felting process, you’ll learn an ingenious way of creating fiber art.

During this 2-part Sewing With Nancy series, you’ll be introduced to needle felting options: using Baby Lock’s Embellisher (felting machine) and Clover’s felting tools. Obviously one of the methods is faster than the other, yet both methods meld fibers together.

• In Isabella’s book you’ll find pattern shapes to photocopy onto freezer paper.

• The freezer paper is fused to the wrong side of the fabric, and the shapes are cut out and pinned to the background fabric.

• Next, the felting process begins. Taking photos of the process seemed redundant since you can watch the magic happen online! Watch Machine Needle Felting online, on DVD, or on Public TV.

News Flash!

Thanks to many of you for watching Sewing With Nancy on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. According to my friends at Public TV, my show does as well as any other PBS program on the PBS app with the exception of Downton Abbey! (So, do you think a British accent would help?) 

Which project was your favorite from this first program? When you watch the show you’ll see the other designs and projects. Cast a vote! A week from Saturday, April 21st, we’ll post a random winner who will receive a copy of the Machine Needle Felting DVD.

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We’re hosting a Sew-A-Scarf Challenge and you’re invited to participate!

Scarves are a 4-season accessory. To celebrate the arrival of spring, take the challenge to sew a scarf for yourself or as a gift, then enter the Sew-A-Scarf Challenge. It’s easy!

For fashion and for fun, scarves are a great way to add a pop of color or to give new life to a so-so outfit.

Sew a scarf with a little fabric and as much creativity as you’d like to add, and post a photo of your completed scarf on the Nancy Zieman Sew-A-Scarf Challenge Flickr Site. Stop back here and post a comment to let us all know that you’ve completed your challenge.

You may use any pattern/directions you’d like or no sewing pattern at all! All sewing, quilting, serging, machine embroidery, and embellishment techniques are eligible! For inspiration, check out the Sensational Scarves Book and DVD or watch Sensational Scarves, part 1 and part 2 online.

Post your photo by Wednesday May 16, 2012, on the Nancy Zieman Sew-A-Scarf Challenge Flickr Site. Then, vote for your favorite scarf May 17–20. Winners will be announced Tuesday May 22, 2012.

Here’s a listing of the fabulous prizes that will be awarded:

$179 Sewing Machine Trolley Bag from Baby Lock

$120 Serger Thread Pack from Madeira

$100 Gift Certificate from Nancy’s Notions

$68 Rotary Cutter, Refill Blade, and Cutting Mat Package from Clover

Thank you to the above companies for donating such wonderful prizes!

Scarf Challenge Schedule

• April 10–May 16: Sew a scarf or scarves (up to three entries per person) and post your photo(s) on the Nancy Zieman Sew-A-Scarf Challenge Flickr Site.
• May 7–12: Sew-a-Scarf Week on my Blog. I’ll post a new scarf idea or project each day that week.
• May 17–20: Vote for your favorite scarf.
• May 22: Winners will be announced.

Get Stitching!

Email scarf challenge questions and Flickr questions to info@ziemanproductions.com. Challenge not open to Sponsors’ employees and immediate family members. Photos and techniques may be featured in future promotions, blog posts, videos and/or TV shows.

Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.