Telecast Thursday - Book Review: Stitches to Savor by Sue Spargo

Hi and welcome to this week's edition of Telecast Thursday. Today I'm sharing a book review of Stitches to Savor by Sue Spargo.

Photo courtesy of www.martingale-pub.com

Some of the embroideries of Sue Spargo are shared in this book filled with beautiful photos of her amazing work. This isn't a book of embroidery techniques, but it is a book to inspire you to create your own embroidered masterpieces.

Photo courtesy of www.martingale-pub.com

You can watch the video below or on my Youtube channel.

I loved browsing through the lovely works in this book and felt inspired to keep creating my own embroidery pieces. I hope that it inspires you to create some of your own embroidered projects too.

Photo courtesy of ww.martingale-pub.com

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Creatively,

Telecast Thursday - Janome Circular Sewing Attachment: Appliqué Circles

In previous videos I've shown you how to use the Janome Circular Sewing Attachment to create stitched circles on your projects, but you can use it for other applications too.

This Telecast Thursday I'll show you how to use this attachment to create perfect appliqué circles. It's easy and accurate. You'll need some fusible interfacing and fabric, large enough to create the desired size of you circle.

Learn how to make your own appliqué circles by watching the video below or on my Youtube channel.

What can you create with the Janome Circular Sewing Attachment? Share your ideas in the comments below.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. You can also click on the Chatterbox Quilts logo in the lower right corner on the video itself to subscribe. If you like what you see, please share my videos with your fellow creatives.

Creatively,

Telecast Thursday - Janome Circular Sewing Attachment: Intersecting and Overlapping Circles

I'm back from my spring break and ready to get back into the quilting mode! This Telecast Thursday I have another video about the Janome Circular Sewing Attachment. On previous Telecast Thursdays I've shown you how to attach this attachment, stitch simple circles and use your decorative stitches to create more complex circles. This week I'll show you how to use this attachment to create overlapping and intersecting circles. Things get really intricate!

You can watch this video below or on my Youtube channel.

If you have the Janome Circular Sewing Attachment, I hope you've been having some fun playing with it. You can create some really amazing designs with this attachment and I think it would be great to use it to create a modern quilt and then fill the background around the designs with some filler designs, such as swirls or pebbles. Hmmm, sounds like another project I'll have to try!

Next Telecast Thursday I'll show you another way to use the Janome Circular Sewing Attachment, so tune in.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. You can also click on the Chatterbox Quilts logo in the lower right corner on the video itself to subscribe. If you like what you see, please share my videos with your fellow creatives.

Creatively,

Telecast Thursday - Book Review: Sweet Tweets by Erin Cox

I'm on vacation this week as it's spring break at our school, but that doesn't mean that I've forgotten about you, my blog followers! 

This Telecast Thursday I have a review of Sweet Tweets by Erin Cox and published by Martingale. 

As the title suggests, this book is full of delightful designs featuring sweet birdies. The projects are small and easy enough for even a beginner quilter. I loved this book and I'm sure you will too!

You can watch the video review below or on my Youtube channel.

Click here to purchase your own copy of Sweet Tweets.

Next week I'll be showing you more uses for the Janome Circular Sewing Attachment, so stay tuned.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. You can also click on the Chatterbox Quilts logo in the lower right corner on the video itself to subscribe. If you like what you see, please share my videos with your fellow creatives.

Creatively,

I am an Amazon affiliate and will receive a small amount of compensation if you purchase by clicking on the link in this blogpost. This helps me to continue posting video tutorials and information for you. Thank you!

Piecing with the Singer 66 Red Eye Sewing Machine

I pulled out one of my "to do" projects and thought that I had better get it done! I had set these fabrics aside about two years ago to create a project from Turning Twenty - Simply Sashed and that was about as far as I got with this pattern. What got me finally started on making this quilt? My Singer 66 Red Eye treadle sewing machine. Watch my Youtube video on how I acquired this machine.

A start on the blocks

When I bought this machine, I didn't know how to treadle and it does take a bit of practise. What could be a better way to learn how to operate it than to do lots of piecing?

Just a bit more piecing to be done - ie. lots more piecing to be done!

I'm making the lap size of Sew Easy! in the book and I'm enjoying the process so far.

Using the Singer 66 means making a few adjustments. This machine doesn't have a light on it, which isn't too much of a problem as I have it set up in front of my livingroom window. I do have to use a light to stitch in the evening. 

The Singer 66 doesn't have a marked needle plate, so sewing with a 1/4" seam allowance could be a bit of a guesstimate - never a good idea when piecing. I just measured from the needle over and used a strip of painter's tape as a guide. Some vintage machines come with a seam guide, but as I don't have one for this machine, I am making do.

Making sure I get that 1/4" seam allowance right on

While I find treadling quite relaxing and definitely quieter than using a machine with an electric motor, I have to remember to start turning the hand wheel towards me first before getting my feet in on the action. This is a bit of an adjustment as I'm used to using my foot to get the machine going. Of course if I forget and just start treadling, invariably the hand wheel starts to go backwards, rather than forwards, and this snaps the upper thread. I really don't like rethreading the needle so I'm quickly learning to think before I start stitching.

I love treadling!

I've been making good process on this project and enjoying my treadling.

I really like these fabrics and they're coming together well.

Now to do a bit of pressing before the next step.

Of course I always have help when I'm at the machine - whether it's foot power or electric power. Sometimes the help can be more of a hindrance, but it's always nice to have company.

Better move that tail, Charlie, or it might be part of the quilt!

That's a better spot for you, Charlie...

but stay out of the drawers!

I even had the opportunity to wind a bobbin on the machine which is something I hadn't yet attempted. I used a reproduction bobbin and it worked fine. I think the bobbin winders on these vintage machines may work even better than a modern one.

Glad that my Singer 66 Red Eye is performing as well as I'd hoped it would.

I still have some more work to do to finish the top, but my treading skills have definitely improved. I'm looking forward to more stitching and piecing on my Singer 66 Red Eye sewing machine.

If you are thinking of buying a vintage sewing machine you may be interested in my eBooks for buyers (click here). If you are thinking of selling your machine you may be interested in my How To Sell a Vintage Sewing Machine eBook.

Creatively,

P.S. I am an Amazon affiliate and will receive a small compensation if you purchase an item by clicking through the link in this blogpost. Thanks, this allows me to keep creating blogposts and video tutorials for you.