Category: craft business

Beating the heat

June 28, 2026

It may be steamy outside, but it’s nice and cool in my basement sewing studio!

Here, I’m adding borders to the bug fusible grid project we had in the Block Party (kids’ exhibit) booth at the quilt show. The finished quilt will measure 37″ x 43″ – large enough to donate to DFACS as a baby/toddler quilt. I found the bug border fabric during my bee group’s monthly sew day at Tiny Stitches. There was absolutely no question that it was coming home with me. This quilt is going to be so stinking cute!

The more I look at the quilt top, the more I want to add a third border to make it “sort of” fit the Fibonacci number patterns for quilt borders It would mean a 2-1/2″ medium green border to frame everything. Binding will the black check (already made borrowed taken from another project).

Miss Carmella (my Singer 301A) was happy to be out on my cutting table. She definitely let me know how she felt about being packed away for a few months! A little TLC (and a new bobbin winder tire) improved her mood immensely. Of all my vintage machines, she’s definitely my favorite for piecing quilt blocks. Learning the sweet spot for the scant 1/4″ seam seam has been a bit of a challenge as I like to sew with a 1/4″ foot with a flange and adjust my needle position, which I can’t do on this vintage straight stitch only sewing machine.

Time for a summer reset

June 26, 2026

This week has been one for wrapping up loose ends! Sadie & I made our final summer school visit. The quilt show committee met one last time. I took Ruby Mae in for some routine maintenance to get her ready for our upcoming road trips. A friend also came by to pick up some missing accessories for a Janome Jem Gold 2 that she’s giving to her grandson. (More of the miscellaneous sewing machine parts GONE!) Tomorrow, I’ll distribute the remaining Block Party envelopes to designated guild members at our monthly meeting and then I’ll be officially done with all of my responsibilities as committee chair. I’m definitely ready for summer break!

My calendar for the next four weeks includes time with family & friends, a couple of road trips, and some sewing time just for me. You’ll find one charity sew day on the calendar. Noticeably absent are therapy dog visits and CraftLAB sessions. Why? July is typically a slow month for therapy dog visits. The girls will be at camp and/or traveling most of July. This gives me time to prep for Quilt Camp at the end of July and to start planning for our weekly therapy dog visits at Northwood Elementary – which will resume in mid-August.

You’ll find me inside in the a/c enjoying a yogurt pop and the just released All Southeast Shop Hop magazine.

It’s travel season for quilters!

June 22, 2026

A common question appearing in many of the different quilting groups I follow is, “What sort of sewing machine should I take on my trip/to my retreat?” The litany of responses that follows usually includes mentions of Featherweights, machines from big box stores, and smaller computerized machines found at various sewing machine dealers. My thinking? Take the machine that does everything you need it to do at the retreat and preferably one you can transport (lift, unpack, set-up) unassisted.

Martha Pullen, the heirloom sewing guru, often said that all you really need is a sewing machine with a straight stitch and a fully adjustable zigzag stitch to make beautiful things. (I’d also add an automatic needle threader and top loading bobbin to those criteria!) Mechanical or computerized? It’s your choice.

Here’s the thing: you do not need a super fancy sewing machine at classes and retreats. A Featherweight is a great little machine for piecing blocks. I love my Featherweight, but from a practical standpoint, you’ll be happier with one that does a few other stitches in addition to a straight stitch. Circled in red are the stitches I’ve used in classes and at sew days over the past two months.

Elna 450 showing stitches actually used during recent classes and sew days.

A $200 budget and a trip to your local big box store can net you a decent travel machine. I found three viable options in-stock at my local Wal-Mart store: Janome Signature Charm, Singer M3220 and Janome C30 in blue. To me, the Singer offers the better value of the two mechanical options. My money is on the computerized C30, though. Same stitches as the Elna 450 shown above (and Elnita EC30 and Janome TM30), but this model does not have a speed control slider.

Need more options? Scout your local thrift shops and FB Marketplace for a vintage machine.