Tag: fashion

The value conscious quilter shops for thread

June 15, 2026

Thread. It’s kind of required to piece blocks and make a quilt. Like everything else, the price of thread has risen 25% or more over the past couple of years. It doesn’t seem to matter if it’s Aurifil, Mettler or Coats & Clark.

A recent financial news segment reported that shoppers across all economic levels are now seeking value when they go to spend their hard-earned money. It’s one of the reasons Wal-mart is still doing reasonably well in the current economy. I get it – especially when it comes to groceries and household items. Previously, I did most of my weekly shopping at the local Publix. More of my grocery dollars now go to Lidl, Aldi & Wal-mart because the same brand name product is cheaper and/or the store’s private label brand is equal to the national brand. This is what a value shopper does – seeks the best quality product for the most reasonable price – not necessarily the cheapest price. Those savings add up.

You probably have a favorite brand of thread that you prefer to use – just like I do. And chances are, it’s not available at your local Wal-mart store. Here are three strategies to help you get the most value for your thread purchases:

(1) Stick to basic colors: off-white/natural, light beige, light gray and a medium/dark gray.
Jenny Doan shared during a class I took at the Garden of Quilts that she only keeps neutral colors on hand for piecing and quilting. This, coming from someone who has easy access to every color spool of thread imaginable! No need to collect carefully curated thread collections (that can require a substantial investment on your part) unless that’s your thing.

(2) Comparison price shop before you buy. A single 1422 yard spool of Aurifil thread is almost $17.00 at an area LQS, $16.00 on Amazon and $15.00 at Missouri Star Quilt Company. However, if you buy a 3 spool pack on Amazon (with several curated neutral assortments available), the price drops to less than $13.00 per spool, with free shipping because the order amount is over $35.00. That’s a $12 savings (for 3 spools of thread) versus the local quilt shop. I also don’t have to spend time and gas driving to the shop and back home. (With gas at $4.49/gallon right now, I prefer to utilize free shipping whenever possible.)

(3) Substitute another brand of thread. Wonderfil (Efina & Konfetti) and Superior Threads (PIMA) offer products that are similar to Aurifil. The unit price per yard of thread is about the same for all three companies. Try a small spool of the competitor’s product and see how well it performs in your machine. Good? You now have an option, that might be on sale at some point.

My thread “value” shopping secret? Hobby Lobby’s Egyptian cotton 50/2 thread in 1200 yard cross-wound spools. (Compared with the Superior PIMA product, it makes me wonder if both products are actually made by the same company.) Anyway, you won’t find it in the thread display cabinet on the end cap at Hobby Lobby. It’s sold near the presser feet and sewing machine accessories on the peg board notions wall.

To me, this thread sews just as nicely as the “national” brands. The only drawback is the very limited range of colors. However, the $4.99 price point is super budget friendly – especially if you sew a lot of projects for different charitable organizations.

Photo by Arturo Au00f1ez. on Pexels.com

Updating CraftLAB sewing machines

April 20, 2026

The upcoming school year will be one of change as my private students will be heading off to college or new private schools. CraftLAB sessions will continue with new faces already joining in on the fun. I am also assisting guild members with teen sewing programs at area libraries.

All three current CraftLAB sewing machines have been recently serviced and are in good working order. Two were made by Brand A and one was made by Brand B. The kids gravitate toward the Brand A machines, even though the Brand B machine is “prettier” and does a lot more fancy stitches. They tell me the Brand A machines “work a lot better”. Translation? Brand A doesn’t jam and chew fabric like Brand B does.

It will certainly be easier for everyone (including me) if the Brand B machine were re-homed and replaced with another Brand A machine. The existing machine they all like the best has two additional color options available. Students were happy to provide feedback and chose the red & white version. If it’s not available, they would prefer another one like the one we currently have.

I spotted a used Brand A machine at a local sewing machine shop a few weeks ago. Ken’s Sewing Center in Alabama has the Brand A variation that the kids liked now in stock. I’ll give both dealers a call tomorrow. Regardless, I’ve already ordered the wide extension table from another online retailer! Those little tables are hard to come by and are about 1/3 the cost of a custom acrylic Sew Steady table. Monies received for selling the Brand B machine will cover the purchase of our new CraftLAB machine.

Is it critical that I replace the Brand B sewing machine? Absolutely not! Updating the CraftLAB machines to a common manufacturer keeps things simple for me. That’s the real reason I’m considering buying a new machine.

Edited to add: I shopped the two local Janome dealers to look at the red TravelMate 30 (TM30). Floor model price at one dealer – $349.00 and sealed box price at the other dealer – $449.00. Honestly, I really wanted the red & white Elna 450 because I knew it would fit inside my wheeled underseat travel bag. I called Ken’s Sewing Center to ask some questions about the Elna 450 and the salesperson offered to throw in the 1/4″ foot with guide at no extra charge. I placed an order!

FWIW – Sewing Parts Online is also advertising Elna 450 sewing machines for the same price as Ken’s Sewing Center. If you live in the Nashville area, it might be worth a short drive to pick up as their lead time was 7-10 business days for an online order delivery. My new machine from Ken’s Sewing Center should be here on Friday afternoon (2-3 days).

What kind of sewing machine should I buy?

December 21, 2025

That’s a loaded question! There are many variables that play into your decision. I’ll approach the following discussion from someone with experience looking to upgrade from their “beginner” machine and someone looking to buy a second/travel machine.

Here’s a good place to start for honest reviews. It’s arranged by price point. I agree with most of his recommendations, except the Baby Lock Jubilant/Brother NS80E when it comes to using it primarily for quilting. For me, it’s too finicky when it comes to sewing over thick seams.

If I could only have one machine, I’d look at a Janome Skyline S3 or the Baby Lock Brilliant. They both offer 8″ wide throat space, adjustable foot pressure, straight stitch needle plate capability and a scissors function. Cost new would be $1000-$1200. These machines are candidates to take to a retreat or class; however they are wider and heavier than a typical travel machine. Compared to my Elnita EC30, these two machines are 10 pounds heavier and 5-7 inches wider. If table space is tight (say 3 feet), you’ll definitely want to consider taking a standard size sewing machine (about 16″ wide).

If adding a “travel” machine, how do you plan to use the machine? Do you need a smaller version of your primary machine – complete with all the bells and whistles? Do you need something that will fit underneath the airplane seat in front of you, yet still offer essential creature comforts? Your budget and machine feature wish list will definitely impact your choices.

Most of the time, I see variations of the Janome 3160, Brother CS6000i, Brother Pacesetter 300 and Singer Patchwork 7285 at classes and retreats. There’s usually a sprinkling of Featherweights and a handful of smaller Berninas (325/335/475) represented, as well. Occasionally, you’ll see a 3/4 size Janome Jem 720/760 or it’s cousin – the ElnaSTAR edition.

I’ll admit, I’m a Janome girl. My current primary machine is a Janome 8900 QCP. The airline friendly version for me is an Elnita EC30, which I already use in CraftLAB. If I get a wild hair to get rid of the Jubilant that is also used in CraftLAB, I’ll replace it with the Janome 780DC (has every feature I use on my 8900 and nothing more).

Elnita EC30 packed for the airplane in my Travelpro underseat rolling tote.