Tag: handmade

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.

Kid’s project: BBQ Aprons for Father’s Day

June 19, 2026

In CraftLAB, we made aprons using the free pattern and video instructions from Made Everyday. (Thank you for a well-fitting, easy to follow project.)

Note that it will probably take you longer than 30 minutes to make the apron on your first try. Allow a couple of hours if you are sewing with kids or are a beginning sewist.

The fabric shown is a heavier-weight denim with minimal stretch I found at Hobby Lobby. The girls chose to add a contrasting cotton fabric for the pocket lining. Thread used exactly matches the denim to help hide topstitching variations.

Three suggestions:

(1) Two ironing stations will make the process flow much more smoothly when sewing with friends.

(2) Use a tube turner to make the ties and neck band. Cut the fabrics as indicated on the pattern, but fold fabric in half RST lengthwise and stitch along one side and across the bottom of one end of the tube. Clip the corners before turning. Love how this video explains things.

(3) If sewing with kids, consider lining the apron. This will eliminate all of the folding and pressing required to finish the raw edges. Shorten the main pattern piece by 2″ before cutting out. Omit the facing piece. Add front pocket as directed. Create ties and neck band as desired. Attach ties and neck band in positions as indicated in video instructions. Place front and lining RST and sew around using a 3/8″ to 1/2″ (or edge of presser foot) seam allowance. Leave a 6″ opening along the bottom to facilitate turning the project right side out. Press and topstitch around the entire apron using 1/4″ seam allowance (or whatever you prefer).

I’ll be making one for me with some personalized touches: contrast pocket lining and matching flower applique on the bib. I’ll also shorten the neck strap by 2 inches because I want a little more coverage.

DIY sliding mat for free motion quilting

May 18, 2026
DIY slider mat for FMQ. Not pretty, but it works great!

Quilters have a number of options for creating a slick surface on their machine bed to facilitate easier free motion quilting. A slider mat (aka Supreme Slider) and teflon spray are two options. I have a Supreme Slider to use with my larger machine in the Horn Quilter’s Dream cabinet. The queen size works great with my machine and required no cutting to achieve a perfect fit.

Using a wide extension table to FMQ while at a class or retreat may require that you trim your slider mat to size. This was the case with my Elna 450. I didn’t wish to spend $30-$40 for another mat. Instead, I took a thin oven liner mat (already on hand) and rough cut it to size. I marked the needle opening by running the sewing machine needle through the exact spot several times and later cut out a thin circle with super sharp scissors. I taped the mat in place and did the detail cuts around the curved edges and the inset to the right of the needle.

Next step was to test things out. I enlarged the needle hole slightly and trimmed up the inset areas a little bit more. Applied fresh painter’s tape to hold the mat in place and began to FMQ. Smooth as butter with no fabric catching anywhere!

Total cost: FREE because I had an extra pack of ThreadNanny oven liners from Amazon in my stash. I use them for applique projects requiring fusible interfacing or glue.

Close up of needle hole area in my DIY slider mat.

Curious about my settings for FMQ on the Elna 450?

Convertible FMQ foot with ruler work attachment (personal preference)
Blue dot (or low tension) bobbin case
Feed dogs lowered
Upper tension set at 4
Topstitch needle in 80/12 or 90/14
Glide thread top and bobbin (with at least 2 extra bobbins fully wound)
Slider mat securely taped in place
Gloves

I use stitch #1 and set the speed slider about 3/4 of the way. I always warm up for 5-10 minutes on practice sandwiches to test settings before I start on a quilt.