Telecast Thursday - Irons in the Chatterbox Quilts Studio

It's hot in the studio today and it's not due to the temperature, it's due to the topic! This Telecast Thursday I'm discussing my favourite irons. 

There are tons of choices when it comes to irons and you can spend $$$ to get "the right one". I've made do for years with a normal iron that you'd use to press clothes, but bought a more specialized one a few years ago.

To find out which Irons I like to use, you can watch the video below or on my YouTube channel.

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What iron(s) do you use in your studio? Leave me a comment below letting me know your favourite one.

Creatively,

Telecast Thursday - First Projects on the Janome 500E

I've had a chance to play a bit with the Janome 500E and wanted to share my first projects with you. There isn't much of a learning curve with this machine, although I did have to read the manual to learn how to set up the stabilizer and fabric in the appropriate hoop. My manual is always right by the machine so I can reference it when I'm working on a project. Do you know where your embroidery machine manual is? 

For these first projects I accessed the built-in designs on the Janome 500E and played with them a bit. It's always a good idea to read the manual and then practise a few designs to become familiar with the parts and operation of the machine. 

You can watch the video below or on my Youtube channel to see how these first attempts turned out.

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I was pleased at my first attempt at machine embroidery and the Janome 500E did a super job! I'm looking forward to lots more playing with this machine.

Do you have any tips for me when doing machine embroidery? What type of threads and stabilizer do you like to use? Let me know in the comments below.

Creatively,

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From My Library: Favourite Christmas Books

It's that time of the year again - the time to make Christmas gifts! have a large library of quilting books and a special section on Christmas and holiday ones. I love to leaf through these books for inspiration and even make a project or two :)

If you're looking for suggestions for a gift or maybe just a holiday project to decorate your home, here are some of my favourites:

Christmas is Coming: Appliqué Quilt Patterns to Celebrate the Season and Deck the Halls

by Cheryl Almgren Taylor. 

I love Cheryl's elegant, traditional designs. If you love Christmas the old-fashioned way, you'll enjoy the designs in this book.

Modern Holiday by Amanda Murphy

Amanda brings a fresh,  modern esthetic to the holidays in Modern Holiday. I love the aqua, red and green colour choices and fun projects in her book.

Sew Merry and Bright by Linda Lum DeBono

Lots of fun holiday designs in Linda's book, Sew Merry and Bright. You'll find lots of gift ideas in this book for friends - or yourself :)

Santaland by Brian Grubb

I adore the jolly, festive Santa on the front cover! Brian brings fun into the holidays with the projects in Santaland.

Adoration Quilts by Rachel W. N. Brown

There's always a nativity in my house at Christmas time, given to me by my mother-in-law many years ago. The beautiful and elegant designs in Rachel's book allow you to bring the true meaning of Christmas into your home.

Dressed to Chill by Jan Kornfeind

The whimsical designs in Jan's book, Dressed to Chill, make delightful holiday decorations. If you love snowmen, this book is a must for your holiday library.

Christmas Cats and Dogs by Janet Kime

One of the first quilting books my parents gave me was Christmas Cats and Dogs. Lots of different paper-pieced projects in this seasonal book and it's filled with both cats and dogs - what's not to love?

Do you have a library of Christmas and holiday books? Leave me a comment below telling me your favourite seasonal books.

Creatively,

I am an Amazon affiliate and as such, will receive a small amount of compensation if you purchase products through the links in this blogpost. Thank you for supporting Chatterbox Quilts. 

What to Consider When Buying a Treadle Sewing Machine - Singer 66

I'm sharing a video about my Singer 66 treadle sewing machine. If you're not familiar with a treadle sewing machine, they are the old vintage ones that don't have a motor and are foot powered.

I often hear people say that a treadle machine doesn't work, when often there is only one small, but significant, part that would enable the machine to run: the belt. Most of the belts on these machines were made of leather, which, over time, would wear, become brittle and eventually break, rendering the machine "unuseable". This is a simple and inexpensive fix as new treadle belts can be purchased in either leather or rubber, for just a few dollars. Put on the new belt and you're ready to start stitching.

To learn about my Singer 66, its treadle mechanism and what to look for when buying this type of machine, watch the video below. 

 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.

Do you have a treadle sewing machine in your studio? Let me know all about it in the comments below,

Creatively,

Telecast Thursday - First Look at the Janome 500E

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers and viewers! I hope you're enjoying a yummy turkey dinner with family and friends. 

This week on Telecast Thursday, I'm taking a look at the Janome Memory Craft 500E embroidery machine. 

I've never had, nor even looked at, an embroidery machine before, preferring the look of hand embroidery, but I must say that I am seeing lots of possibilities with this machine! Did you know that besides doing amazing machine embroidery, the Janome 500E can finish the edges of your appliqué pieces? Now that's something that caught my eye!

For my initial impressions of this machine, watch the video below or on my YouTube channel.

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Do you have an embroidery machine? Let me know the types of projects that you create on your machine in the comments below.

Creatively,