Come Stitch With Me

It really depends. I’d ordered a Liberty Box from Fat Quarter Shop and really liked it, so I asked for a Sew Sampler Box subscription for Christmas last year. All the gift cards were redeemed and my 7 month subscription started in late December. For $37.00 each month, a small turquoise box of sewing/quilting goodness magically appears on my doorstep.

Four of the five boxes received so far have offered projects that appeal to me. Snowdrift is almost finished. Hot Cross Buns will be my next EPP project and fabric for Waterfall has already been pulled. This month’s Dahlia pattern will be made in a different colorway. I’m making the tote bag option from Sherri McConnell out of the included dessert roll instead.

There’s also a separate year long BOM program that’s exclusive to the Sew Sampler boxes. Apparently this is a big deal for many subscribers. Each month has a new block pattern. I like the first block in the new BOM.

Additionally, you’ll find 1-2 useful sewing notions in each box – pins, sewing machine needles, EPP needles, thread, rotary cutter, rotary cutter replacement blades, etc. Some of the gimmicky stuff like the clip-on charms, fabric sticker labels and mini-vacuum I could do without. I’d rather have a set of Sarah Hearts labels to sew in my projects instead. Even better – one box a year where ALL the supplies needed to complete the quilt top & binding are included in the box without any of the other knick-knacks.

My Sew Sampler Box subscription has been fun to try. The June box will complete my Christmas gift and I have no plans to continue the monthly subscription. Why? I already have a sizable stash and an abundance of projects in various stages of completion. I do not need to add any more projects, fabric or doo-dads at this time. If I lived in an area with limited access to sewing and quilting supplies, then this subscription box would be absolutely worth it. Same goes if you’re someone who can’t get to a quilt shop due to transportation or health issues. Even new quilters wanting to build their stash and tool collection, will find value and convenience in a subscription.

If you’re curious as to what’s included in a Sew Sampler box, click here to check out the past few monthly boxes or head over to YouTube to see any number of unboxing videos from different quilters.

A local sewing machine dealer informed me Janome and Brother would be raising prices soon due to tariffs. I’ve heard something similar from the Baby Lock dealer, too. I was advised to move on my machine of choice sooner rather than later. While I appreciate the advice, I’m choosing to wait. It’s not essential that I replace my sewing machine right now. And when I do, it’ll probably be pre-owned and not subject to tariffs anyway.

Tariffs on sewing goods are confusing. Most sewing machines are made in China, Taiwan or Thailand. The stated tariff rates on these countries are 125%, 32% and 37% respectively. Yet, when you drill down on the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to types of sewing machines, accessories and parts, some rates are free and others are up to 45%, depending on the item. I’d have to do more extensive research to figure out what it all means.

Meanwhile, I’m going to take a wait and see approach.

I’ve chosen a different route to finishing my quilts using a machine with a stitch regulator. I’ve secured a spot in the next longarm fundamentals class offered by my local quilt shop. Once I complete the 4-hour class, I’ll be able to rent time on their big machines (with a stitch regulator) to do E2E quilting using pantographs. The math to rent time and DIY quilting certainly makes more sense than buying a new machine. We’ll see how it goes.

Should the longarm option not be for me, that’s okay, too. I have the $$ set aside to purchase a new-to-me machine when I’m ready. The crazier the economy gets, the more important making the sale becomes to sellers. I’ll be waiting to buy when the price gets to what I think is reasonable.

NOTE: If you need feet or parts for your sewing machine, get them now while you can. This especially applies to vintage machine enthusiasts who use reproduction parts and accessories. It’s always a good idea to keep an extra spool pin spring, throat plate screws and bobbins on hand. You might also want to add an extra sewing machine belt and check spring (for FW and Singer 301 tension assemblies) to your parts inventory. A reproduction electronic foot control would also be advisable, if you don’t care for the original button-style foot controller. With tariffs, the cost of these items may become prohibitive or they may not be available.