New Fabrics and how to use them!

Hello all!
We have tons of new fabric in the shop! We're practically spilling out into the street!
Several of our fabrics are not mid-weight quilting cottons. Quilting cottons are great because they are widely available, easy to work with and come in every print, color and texture imaginable. However, some other fabrics are just as stable and may work better for your projects.

Without further ado, here are some ideas, explanations and guidelines to get you sewing with the great fabrics we have in our store.

Cotton Sateen: a heavy weight fabric woven with a satin weave. A satin weave has a three-over, one-under pattern instead of a one-over, one-under pattern. This creates a slight sheen to the fabric. Cotton sateen is great for home decor projects and for bags, pot holders and other useful things.

Cotton Sateen 

Rayon and Voile

Rayon and Voile: lightweight fabric with tons of drape. These fabrics are very common in apparel sewing because they make great summer dresses, skirts and blouses. However, they are very stable fabrics. They would make a lovely lightweight summer quilt as well.

Corduroy

Corduroy: is a heavier fabric with long ribs running along it called the "wale". There can be a large wale that would be great for kids overalls, or a small wale that you would see on pants for adults. Corduroy is a great bottom weight. Skirts, pants, over-shirts, or coats would all be lovely.  Corduroy has been used for years for clothing, however it can also be used for your quilting and crafting needs! Terry made a stunning corduroy quilt in lovely jewel tones and because it is a heavier fabric, it would also hold up in a tote bag or pillow cover. You could easily make a slip cover for your sofa with it or use it for potholders and neck warmers.

Corduroy

Linen/Cotton Blends: Unlike their pure linen counterpart, linen/cotton blends come without any of the drawbacks. They are heavy fabrics that don't wrinkle easily. We make lots of market bags combining vinyl mesh and lovely linen prints. However, the best part is that you can add them to your quilts! Terry used a gray polka dot linen fabric as the background for a Jen Kingwell quilt and its a showstopper!






Raw Silk or Silk Noil: This fabric takes a little getting used to because of it's texture and nubby feel, however it is one of my favorite fabrics. It is more stable than cotton, irons nicely and comes in lovely saturated colors.  You could use this fabric for absolutely anything: quilting, clothing, home decor and crafting. Fair Warning: it shrinks and bleeds. Throw it in your washing machine and dryer before you cut it and then you can wash it and dry it forever.

Raw Silk or Silk Noil

I hope this helps you understand fabrics better! Guest Post by Mahri.

What are your favorite non-quilting-cotton fabrics? Tell us in the comments below!

Is your tension giving you a headache?

Getting the tension right on your sewing machine can be a real pain. Before you despair try these quick and easy fixes!

Photo Credit: http://www.sew-inspired.com/2013_02_01_archive.html

1. Clean the bobbin casing of lint! Even using good quality cotton thread, you will get a build up of lint in your casing.



Photo Credit: http://huntingforladybugs.com.au/thread-sewing-machine/

2. Re-thread your machine! Sometimes it gets off track and can severely mess up your stitching. Make sure your thread is going through every thread guide. Check that your bobbin is in correctly! This is crucial. Double check in your sewing machine manual how your bobbin is supposed to go in.



Photo Credit: http://support.brother.com/

3. Was your bobbin wound too slowly? If it is too loose or too tight you can have tension problems.



Photo Credit: http://www.pumpkinpatchquilter.com/2013/01/a-little-about-thread-weight.html

4. Check that the thread coming off your spool and from your bobbin is the same brand and color. Different weights and kinds of thread can cause big problems!



Photo Credit: Sew Creative Ashland

5. Do you have the right needle for the job? Needles differ greatly and we have a book that can help you choose the correct needle.
6. Change your needle! Old needles will often cause tension problems.  If it's dull or has burrs it could mar your fabric too!
   
   

   

   Photo Credit: http://schmetzneedles.blogspot.com/2012/11/sewing-machine-needle-dull-needle-with.html      



Photo Credit: http://www.kellyscreativesewing.ca/kellys_advice.htm

7. Different weights of fabric require different tension settings. Play around with a scrap of fabric until the tension is right on your fabric. 

Do you have any quick fixes for tension issues? Let us know in the comments below!

Sweet Tweets

This is a quick and easy project from the new book called Sweet Tweets. I made it in an evening using a cotton/linen blend for the background and lots of scraps.The birds are fused to the background and the free motion quilting is supposed to be a little wonky so you don't have to worry about being perfect! There are lots of cute patterns and it is hard to stop with just one!