From the Prairie to the Last Frontier to the Crossroads of America, a busy May!

Well it has been a busy few weeks for me and I’m going to need to do a few posts just to get it all in.  In April I went to the 2009 edition of the International Quilt Festival…so I’ll need to do a post on that when I get a chance.  There were some really beautiful quilts that I want to share…and also an interesting little side story that I’ll mention but for now I’m just going to recap where all I’ve been in the last few weeks.

I know I would have posted earlier had it not been for this funny thing called a power source.  I tell ya.  This is the second time its happened where the power to our SBC DSL 2Wire box craps out.  The last time this happened we were down for two weeks and had spent hours on the phone with SBC, even ordered a new box only to find out it wasn’t the box at all but the power supply.  Urgh!  So it did it again just before we left on one of these trips I’m about to mention and my husband decided to bypass all the rig-a-ma-ro and go direct to purchasing a new power supply.  It came in the mail today and viola!  We are up and running again!

So…I mentioned the quilt festival.  Here’s just a couple of photos to wet the appetite.  More will come in another post.  OOOh so much to talk about.

The IQF schedule

Quilt Lovers converge on the Stephens Convention Center in droves!

Then it was off to Peoria, IL to photograph the Ten Outstanding Young Person’s of Illinois.  There really is nothing like trying to take photos of people in a dark dungeon of a room and balance out the light with a spotlight glaring at you!  Urgh!  I know I know…photographer?  Me?  Well yes…I do have a pro camera and equipment that I take out every once in a while and actually do get busy with some work…

The TOYP

The Judge...shhh don't say anything I wouldn't say...

White Sox represented

A really cool volunteer

The above honorees were celebrated over the 1st weekend in May.  I got to play at professional photographer and it was a lot of fun.  But what does this have to do with sewing????  I know…once more I’ve gone off the tangent but actually I did sew the backdrop for the photo shoot a few years ago and used my training in procion dyes to dye the material.  It works in a pinch and other than possibly straightening out a few of the drapes the effect does the job.  So really nothing.  It’s just a little side job I do to earn a little money and keep me out of trouble.  It’s a good hobby…besides sewing.  And someday I’ll actually work out the lighting over the sewing machine to take some good photos.  Who knows.

Then it was off to the Last Frontier!  Whoo Hoo!  Another trip to Alaska! Ah laas SKAH! as Mrs. Palin would say it.  It’s funny.  Every time I said Alaska I would put the emphasis on the SKA…it drives everyone crazy now.  It’s a good political indicator for me as I would come to find out.  I just say ALASKAaaah! and watch the reaction.  Pretty hysterical.

Anyhooosy we were there to celebrate a final sister-in-law graduating from college.  We were up in Fairbanks for three days and then we had to get down to Denali to visit more family and see our newest niece who was born in January.  I decided to bring along a UFO that was my husband’s Grandmother’s before she passed away nearly 8 or so years ago.  Bertha had 9 children, umpteen grandchildren and gargantuanumpteen great grandchildren when she passed away at 92.  She adopted me just like one of her own when I married one of her many grandchildren back in 1992.  For almost a decade she’d send me $5 in a birthday card.  She was pretty amazing.  I didn’t know of her comitment to crochet until she passed away and I was given a box of yarn and miscellaneous old sewing thread and notions.

Inside the box was a broken knitting holder and inside THAT was a half finished baby blanket.  No instructions and the remainder of the yarn was strewn about in a few

Grandma's UFO finished!

other bags and boxes.  I just sorted through the things at the time and thought someday I’ll try and finish this.  Since the occasion arose that a new baby was on the way I pulled out the blanket and figured it all out.  Again…what does this have to do with sewing?  Wellllllllll….about the only thing related is more room for me in my sewing space and crochet actually does use the term ’stitch’…that’s about it.  Sorry.  But here’s a photo of the finished blanket.

If you look really really close you can tell where Bertha ends and I pick up.  My stitches are much bigger and looser.  It worked and for not being a super duper crochet artist it all worked out.

Denali Park Road

Now.  I know you are all wondering about AlaSKAaaah!  If you have never been I highly recommend it.  The vastness of the place will really blow you away.

One way to get away

You can decide if you want to go rustic.  As in cabin and out house.  Here is a living accommodation not for the faint of heart, but a real Alaskan cabin.

Bring your own toilet paper

Complete with all the comforts of your own personal out house.  The luxury is paramount.  You even have your own personalized foam seat and privacy screen.

It would do some good to let you all know that I managed not to drink any fluids while visiting just so I didn’t have to use the facilities.  I might have come away with a bout of IBS…

Don’t worry folks we did not stay the night here.  Alaska does have hotels and while we were in Fairbanks we stayed at a lovely one, with a shower even.

Animals are everywhere in AlasSKAaah!  Here is a moose just lolly gagging about.

Moose in the road. Doesn't he know about the road kill policy?

And the state bird, the Ptarmigan.  Ooh.  Hope I spelled that correctly else we’d just have to call it Chicken (a little inside AlasSKAaah! humor!).

The State Bird

We saw nearly all the top 5 animals.  No bear on this trip but we did spot the specks of a Lynx.  It was pretty exciting.  At least I’m sticking with the story that it was a Lynx.  Clearly it couldn’t have been anything other than a Lynx.  Through the brush, flashes of fur, Carribou running out of the way.  Yup.  It was a Lynx.

Dahl sheep were high up on the peaks, Carribou were down in flatlands, Moose were all over acting like it’s their territory or something and plenty of various other wildlife.  Spring hadn’t quite

gotten there as most of the place was still gray and nothing in bloom.

The only life and color blooming existed at the two quilt shops I managed to visit while in Fairbanks.

Northern Threads in Fairbanks

Inside Northern Threads...do I look like I just rolled out of the woods or what?

I will have to say that I was DE-Light-ED at both The Material Girls and Northern Threads.

Material Girls Fairbanks

Colorful.  Full of Life.  Bright.  Lots of fabrics and just a delight.  I bought a few yards of batiks at both and decided to pick up a Shop Hop Block from each store.

Inside Material Girls. Yup. I really did come out of the woods for this one.

Northern Threads also had a marvelous section of yarn and very beautiful samples on display.  It really was a treat

to be able to v

isit.  I know that if I was ever abandoned in AlasSKAah! I wouldn’t be far from a place that at least I could spend time on a really great hobby.  This was comforting.

Then, if all this travel wasn’t enough the next week we were off to Indianapolis to spend the weekend with a college roomate of mine.  It had been probably 12 years since I’d seen her in person so there was plenty of catching up to do.

Our trip included ‘the race’.  I endured.  I’ve seen better ones.  This year there were too many crashes and not enough strategic driving.  I’m not a huge race fan but at least if you are there to watch the spectacle it is pretty amazing.

I’m back home now and my sewing room extends it’s hands out to me.  Come inside my long lost friend!

Introducing ‘The Fabric Divas’ – a new find!

When Fabrics by Dyllis closed last year I was pretty sad.  You know, it is a very traumatic event for fashion sewers when a reliable resource goes out of business!  Tragic I say!  It was this cute little shop that had amazing fabrics!

Well, about two months ago a friend of mine told me about some women in town, who just by coincidence were also saddened about the closing, were going to start a fabrics-on-line business.  But for the life of me I couldn’t get the name and had somehow forgotten it!

So in the last month I thought I’d try to check up on the tip and try and locate their business.  I mean, how hard can it be right?  I tried and tried to find them by googling…(this is a lesson to anyone that starts a business…please follow along and pay attention how not to get your site found as I’m sure there is a much better way…like a blog and a few good meta tags) and had absolutely no success.

First I tried ‘fabric shop illinois’ — nothing

Then I tried ‘ fabric palatine’ — nothing

Then I tried ‘fabrics wholesale’ — nothing

‘fashion fabrics’, ‘fabric’, ‘cloth’, ‘fashion’….NOTHING!!!!

I tried about a hundred different combinations until I finally thought of asking my friend for their web address.  NO, NO, NO! I thought…I’m not going to cheat.  I’m really going to find this business on-line.

Then I said you know what…?  If I’m having trouble finding them on the web then I wondered if they were even open or for that matter wondered if others were able to find them.  I really did wonder.

I kind of went out on a tangent then and googled one of the owners’ name.  I guess that could be cheating for sure but it worked as the 4th hit down brought me to a news article and lo and behold in the news article they mention the name.  Which brings me to…

www.fabricdivas.com

I just checked back again today and it looks like they’ve updated quite a bit.  I wish them luck in their business adventure and now that I’ve found them I hope you’ll enjoy the new link as well!

‘Red’ Mercury in your Singer 201?…Just A Scary Report

Over the wires today was a report about people in Middle Eastern countries selling their old singer sewing machines for upwards of $50,000.00 dollars.  Now as much as I’d love it for some rich Sheik to give me 50G’s for Ms. Sophie’s 201 I feel compelled to tell you all this is just another stunning display of peoples ignorance.

First of all there is no such thing as ‘Red’ Mercury.  Mercury is a hazardous liquid silver colored metal that is a class 8 corrosive and pretty much anything that comes in contact with mercury is considered ‘contaminated’ and deemed hazardous by the US EPA.  The ‘Red’ is a reference to a code name for possibly some other type of substance that is supposed to be highly valuable.  Who knows what the heck they are looking for but I can assure you mercury is not nor never has been red.

Mercury does come from an ore called Cinnabar when it is mined from the earth but all mercury in circulation today in the US is from mercury that already exists and is recycled.  This is first hand knowledge and I’m going to leave it at that else the ‘Mercury Police’ may come knocking.  As you can see the ore is red and in this form is used as a pigment in red paint.

In college I remember having a tube of oil paint once called vermilion red and no doubt this was the stuff in it.

I don’t see anything RED on the 201.  Of note though and something I thought about is maybe these crazies are after the gold paint on the machine.

Who knows.  They might have a belief that ‘red’ mercury has amalgamated into the gold paint, sort of like becoming a modern day Islamic version of the  Davinci Code.  Or better yet is somehow linked to the Red Violin and the blood from the master violin maker Stradivarius resides among the gears.  Yes.  My imagination does run wild.

At any rate, here is the news report as reported by the BBC news, just don’t fall for it people!:

—————————————————————————————

Sewing machine hoax hits S Arabia

Saudi police say they are investigating a hoax that has seen people rushing to buy old-fashioned sewing machines for up to $50,000 (£33,500).

The Singer sewing machines are said to contain traces of red mercury, a substance that may not exist.

But it is widely thought that it can be used to find treasure, ward off evil spirits or even make nuclear bombs.

It is believed that tiny amounts can sell for millions of dollars, the Saudi Gazette reported.

The paper said that trade in the sewing machines was brisk across the country.

Rumours about the sewing machines have been spreading for days by word of mouth and over the internet, it said.

These included rumours that foreign experts and companies had been buying up Singers.

In Dhulum, it was reported that people had broken into two tailors’ shops to steal the machines.

In the city of Madina, people were holding mobile phones up to the machines, due to the belief that they could be used to detect the presence of red mercury.

An interior ministry spokesman said authorities were trying to discover who had spread the rumours.

“We have to find out who started this hoax,” he told Reuters news agency.

“People hope to make profit,” he added. “This is no different to cases of citizens who put their money in untrustworthy schemes.”

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7999168.stm

Published: 2009/04/14 21:37:02 GMT

© BBC MMIX

——————————————————————————–

For my readers that also have 201’s and old sewing machines please just be aware of anyone that might be asking to give you an outrageous amount of money for your machine.  You certainly wouldn’t want to fall victim to a scam. Your machine at most is only worth about $50 at auction without a cabinet.

BBC.adverts.write(”printableversionsponsorship”);

BBC.adverts.show(”printableversionsponsorship”);

Quilt Hop Day – NW Chicago

Hello friends,

On Saturday I decided to get a reading on the local quilt shops, shop for some fabric and all around just wanted to get out and see what’s changed.  I like to do this every once in a while just to get some inspiration and also to take the temperature in the local area of the business of sewing.

I had made big plans to visit about 8 shops but I soon realized that wasn’t going to happen.  The weather was turning after my 4th stop and time was slipping away from me so around 2pm I headed for home.  It looks like I’ll have to visit my list in a couple of outings.  No problem.  It will be fun to get out again on another day.

My first stop was A Touch of Amish in Barrington, Illinois.

My tour began on Northwest Highway through Palatine and then into Barrington.  I’ve been a customer at A Touch of Amish for many years so I had an idea of their inventory.  I came just as the store was opening and there was a packed parking lot full of cars.  A class was going on in the basement and there were another half dozen or so shoppers browsing the rooms.  To me, this is a good healthy sign.  I really love this store.

They carry a huge inventory of Civil War fabrics as well as Thimbleberries and a decent collection of 30’s prints.  The overall theme of their inventory is very muted colors, although I could find plenty of inspiration I tend to like more purist colors, florals, brights, and batiks.  I keep thinking someday I’ll takle a Dear Jane quilt but that will just have to wait.  This is an excellent store to get your fabrics for that.

My next stop along Northwest Highway was the Barrington Sewing Center.  Unfortunately, as you can see, it was out of business.

I must have missed this closing.  I’m trying to think when the last time I was there and it must be about 2 years.  I remember they carried a fantastic collection of batiks and they carried some garment sewing items and patterns.  They were in business a long time so it is sad to see them closed.

I spent a few minutes in mourning and then moved on.  Next stop, also along Northwest Highway was to Pieceful Gathering Quilt Shop in Fox River Grove.

I have passed this store numerous times on my way to Crystal Lake but never had stopped in.  It’s one of those places if you don’t know its there and you are traveling 50 mph I guarantee you’ll miss it.  The sign is beautiful but it’s not bright to catch your attention and the store is a house on a hill, so if you don’t know it’s a quilt shop it would be very easy to miss.  I think they should put a big sign on the house or paint it a really bright color to attract some attention.  I know I’ve missed it but today was a dedicated day to stop.

I walked into the entrance and was pleasantly surprised.  The place was charming with two big rooms of fabrics.  The fabrics are on the ground floor and upstairs is their long arm quilting machine and offices.  They carried a very similar selection of fabrics as A Touch of Amish.  A decent Civil War collection, a 30’s prints collection and several croppings of coordinates.

I was impressed with their class schedules and their newsletter.  I will definitely have to take a few classes as they seem to offer something for everyone at every level.  There was only one other customer in the store besides myself.  A severe contrast to A Touch of Amish.  It would be nice to see a few more customers.  I tend to think if I’m the only one in the store then that is a bad sign.  I’ll keep my eye on this shop and hope it will succeed.  I think they could add some brights and some florals to their mix, but like I’ve mentioned earlier that is only because I then to be attracted to them. Who knows, maybe there are more Dear Janer’s out there then I anticipated.

Now for a side trip.  I don’t know where I came across this name but in my search for shops a store on Dundee Road called Quilt in Joy caught my eye.  Well, I was thinking it was in Dundee which isn’t too far from me but it turns out to actually be in Huntley, a significantly longer drive.  Mapquest got me there without any difficulty.  There it was sandwiched between tanning and cremation (a side chuckle…get a tan while you quilt and plan your cremation funeral all in one stop).

The shopping center is all by its lonesome on a corner.  There’s a few shops and all the spaces are full so that is a plus.  Some light traffic but its another one of these scenarios of you have to know where it is to find it or be like me and have a purpose to find it.

The store is bright and cheerful inside and the fabric collections are also bright and cheerful.  Some Amy Butler, plenty of Batiks, some Florals and lots of pure color.  Such a contrast from the last two stops.  No Civil War or 30’s prints so I’m glad to see a shop owner has positioned herself offering a different collection of fabrics.  The store is a small single shop storefront but the interior is long.  Beyond the fabrics is an area for classes with plenty of room.  There were a few people in the shop and I was well looked after while I was there.  I would like to see shops a little bigger when they are just opening.  To me it just makes more sense to have a large inventory but who am I?  I’m sure there is a level of balance that a shop owner has to maintain between inventory and sales.

Well.  I hope Quilt in Joy succeeds.  It looks like they are off to a cheerful first start!  While I was getting ready to leave the winds were starting up and it was beginning to rain.  The weather report called for snow so I decided to cut my trip short and head for home.

It was a fun day.

I’m alive

I’m alive.  Has it really been 4 months since I posted an entry?

Wow.  Well, I haven’t been busy in the sewing room since Christmas and my last project was a really warm fleece mens shirt for a friend of mine.  We looked for days to find the right fleece and eventually found it at one of my least favorite places…but my friend was endeared to this fabric that I couldn’t shake her.  It was chosen and away I went to produce this XXL size shirt.

I didn’t take pictures but I’ve seen it on and it was charming.  I’m sure someday I’ll get a good photo, after all, I’m no doubt going to be seeing this shirt for the next 10-15 years until it wears out!

So what else have I been up to if it hasn’t been sewing?  Oh you just want to know don’t you…and I know some of you want to know where that 3rd installment of my Katherine Hepburn pants is don’t you!  Yes, yes..it’s coming.  Lordy…if I can just get that post done life would be wonderful.  I think my problem there was that I posted before I was actually finished and so now the expectations are perfection so it absolutely has to be perfect and until is is I’m just not going to get on this web.  Sigh.  Shortly…shortly.

I’ve gone back to hand quilting my circa 1997 quilt as I couldn’t figure out how to work my hybrid long-arm quilter.  I’m sure that’s another story and I’ll no doubt do a post later on how that machine is supposed to work.  Yes…it’s a quilt I started in 1997.  I’m actually at the quilting stage so don’t get on my case folks…it actually is going to get done.

As for my foot.  My plantar faciitis has not been getting better.  Pretty much at the end of the day I have to put my foot up and just sit and rest.   I am so ansy to get out and move around but as soon as I do my foot tells me to hold on and go back and sit down!  It is really the most frustrating thing.  I’m told it could take a year to heal and others have told me that it is going to be with me for life!  Yikes!

My husband thinks I’m suffering from a bout of depression and I just need to go to the gym.  Hmmm…there’s an idea.  For Valentines Day he bought tickets to a local community production of EVITA  It was really, really well done and I loved the show.  Kudos to Music on Stage…you all did a fantastic job.

In the volunteer arena I’ve been asked to photograph an awards ceremony this Spring. Yippee…this will be a good time to get away for a weekend and let me get a few more photos for my portfolio.  Oh…in case I haven’t mentioned that I’ve been a photographer wannabe for about 5 years and you can see my work pretty much just typing in my name in a search engine.  At least I think so…may need to check that.  If you really want to know I can send you a link to my website.

So on to the sewing!  I’ll post again in a day or two.  I want to take a picture of my quilt for you all to see.

Groovy Estate Sale Finds

I just love Estate Sales.  They are so fun, or at least they have the potential to be.  One person’s discards is another person’s treasure.  I found myself early this morning thinking I might want to check out a few nearby.  I packed up the dog, planned my route and headed out.

I usually just like to look for certain things.  If I don’t have something specific in mind, like it was today, I just like to see if I can find unusual sewing things.

I have a couple of finds to talk about.  This first one was hidden under a whole bunch of crap in a back bedroom.  I had to sift through a mountain of odds and ends but when I came across this I just was intriqued.  If only I’d known there was this really unique method of marking the cloth from my patterns!  Shoot!  I’d be set.  Just imagine how much time I could have saved over the years!  And look at the price.  $1.98.  Gotta love it.

When I brought this to the front of the house to check out, the gentleman behind the register looked at it, opened the box and poked around a little.  I could just read his mind, ya know?  He’s thinking “This is a tool!  Unopened!  How’d I miss this?!”.  He looks up at me after he sees the original price of $1.98 and says “I’m gonna want a full dollar for this”.

“Alright” I say and hand him my buck.  A deal is a deal.

The next item I found today was underneath a pile of patterns and newspaper clippings inside of a sewing cabinet.  I know what you’re thinking now.  You think I really am this crazy woman that loves to dig around in other peoples stuff.  Not really.  I find it a chore, but I’ve learned that if you don’t poke you don’t get the pay off.  This is what I pulled out, dusted off and just laughed.  It’s a ’70’s, totally groovy classic:

Complete with illustrations that just had me chuckling.  I’m still giggling as I upload this photo.  I don’t remember a Saturday morning cartoon show called the “Pattern-sons!” but you just gotta love these cute little guys!

I swear the ’70’s must have been a fun and psychedelic time for adults that did drugs.  I was just a youngster myself and remember a lot of my funky clothes from the time but the drug induced influence of some of these pattern designs and drawings is pretty evident.  How can we forget the patchwork floor length skirt, the fringed poncho…and…the fur vest!  Ha…ha…ha…ha…oooh, this just is too much!

Alright, with all due seriousness, this sewing book is actually pretty good.  It has everything you need to know about sewing within the binder.  And actually has some information I didn’t know had been published previously.  That is what makes these trips fun.

And in case you never knew I’m going to share with you a little known secret.  There really is a pattern classification for ‘Chubby’.  Seriously.  It exists.  I’m not making fun of it either, no.  I think it is the cutest thing, a bit of a stretch searching for that pre-politically correct description; “Not-yet-developed and above average in weight.”.  I don’t think we have ‘Chubby’ anymore…  What is it called these days?  Plus Size?  Big & Tall? Normal?

Lastly I went to another sale.  This next sale had many great finds.  I would have loved to have purchased lots and lots of things, especially many of the paintings, the Mikasa China (set of 12 for $75 since it had gone 50%)  or some of the porcelain pieces but I was sticking to my rules today…just things with sewing and things I can find for a deal when…

Gasp!  What is that under the pile of sheets and blankets?

It looks crinkly.  In a something quilted kind of way.  Don’t look.  Stay calm.

My heartbeat starts to quicken.

I think to myself “Move people, move.  Look around.  Don’t try to draw attention to what I’m seeing.”

I move a little closer still reminding myself “be calm and nobody else will see it either, try not to ooh and ahh”.

I walk over to the pile of sheets and blankets, carefully moving much of them aside…to find…

a Grandmother’s Fan Quilt…

And an appliqued tulip quilt:

Both quilts lovingly made by hand, hand quilted, portions partially faded but I could tell these were treasured by this family.  These were ones that were probably not perfect enough to get passed on to the kids or the kids just didn’t want them.  I suppose I may have mispoke.  My guess these were ’30’s quilts…so that would mean the ‘grandkids’ didn’t get them.

I wonder if they had grandkids.  Finds like these always make me think about those family ties and I always think of all the time the person who made this put into their work.  They just loved what they did.  And now I’m the recipient of some of this love.  I love it!  Enjoy!

Prints Charming II Gone

I drove by the Prints Charming II Quilt Shop here in Palatine over the weekend and it had gone out of business.  This really surprised me since I thought it was such a cute store and seemed it always had customers.

But then again, maybe it didn’t surprise me after I started to think about when was the last time I’d gone there.  It’s been probably a year.  At that time I had picked up some supplies and went to the counter to check out.  I handed over my frequent buyer card since I remembered to bring it with me.  I needed just $5.00 more dollars in sales to get my $20.00 off!  When I handed over my card I was told the store was under new ownership and they weren’t accepting those cards anymore.  I protested at least 3 times and with each attempt I was given the stiff upper lip…I’m not budging on my policy treatment.

I guess I hadn’t been back since.  I’ve found a new favorite place and they are ever eager to take my business.  It’s too bad.  Yet another fabric shop out of business.  I think I’ll start a couple of new pages, one for Fabric Store Obituary’s and another for Fabric Store Raves & Reviews.  It’s a thought.

The Singer Truck!

I was out after a few Columbus Day Sale bargains this past Sunday and when I arrived at Hancock Fabrics there was a Singer truck parked outside.  I’d never seen a Singer Sewing Machine truck in my entire life!  I talked a little bit to the driver and he was sure happy to see my excitement about his truck.  I mean…c’mon, it’s right up there with the Budweiser Clydesdales.  Well….maybe that’s a stretch, but seriously!  This is good!

How to Prepare a Polo to be Machine Embroidered

This fashion statement is about 30 years old.  I remember in the mid 90’s businesses and civic clubs began transitioning from t-shirts and jackets to polo shirts with embroidered logos.  Back in the early ’80’s my very first embroidered polo was for a trip to the Junior National Swim Championships in Milwaukee Wisconsin.

That year, an a side embroidery comment that I just thought of,  we also had Arena warm-up suits and the jacket had to be embroidered on the back with our team name.  On a weekend my Dad drove us to some far off remote location to drop them off at house where the woman there had a little side embroidery business.  She needed a couple of weeks and then we drove again to pick them up.  I have no idea what system she was using but I do remember it was this huge piece of equipment/machine with one of those pre-IBM looking computers and a monitor as big as a television set.

Back then embroidery was pretty expensive.  The polo and the jacket turned out great.  It was worth it.  My sister and I were then officially part of our team!

Well, back to today and as you all know, word spreads quickly to friends and family when they find out you have an embroidery machine.  When I first purchased my machine it was about two months before I found myself embroidering about 30 polos.  I made so many mistakes, from hooping to digitizing.  They came out okay but I ruined no less than 2 or 3.  This was back in 2000.  (Yes…my machine is now getting dated!  I can’t believe that since it seems it cost so much money.  It still works great, so not looking to trade it in just yet.)  Today, I’m a little bit better at this than I was then!

I also realized that this embroidery was fairly time consuming.  No wonder the pros purchase the multi-head units and the professional machines.  It is well worth the investment if this is something you’ll do for a business.  But for small quantity groups of polos, sweatshirts, t-shirts, bags, etcetera it is a fun way to volunteer some time and talent.  Everyone will appreciate your work and love it!

As the years have gone by I realized that I could purchase polos at wholesale prices.  Duh.  This was a great find and has saved me lots and lots of money and time.  You can try www.blankshirts.com and browse the clearance and discounts section.  Just be careful though.  You really get what you pay for, cheap isn’t always the best.  Look for heavier weight fabrics and 100% cotton.

Step 1: Determine the placement of your design.  Using your hoop template line up the correct position.  I try to align the vertical center over a bust point and the horizontal center over the midway point of the armscye.  Pretty lo-tech science but it seems to work no matter what the size is.  Mark the location using an erasable marking pencil or marker.  I’m using Mark B Gone brand.

Determine the embroidery placement and mark the location with an erasable pencil/chalk/marker.

Step 2: Prepare your backing material. I am using a stiff cut-away backing.  This is just very stiff sew-in interfacing I find next to the cutting counter at various fabric stores.  For me, the thicker/stiffer the better when using this with polos.  Polos are generally lighter weight fabrics so there needs to be some good support behind them in order to achieve a smooth embroidered design.

Cut a piece of backing material about 1-2 inches larger than the hoop.

Here, I am finding the center of the backing.  I fold in half, then fold in half again.  Crease the edges and mark the center.

Step3: Hoop your polo.

Place your Polo shirt over the front end of your ironing board.  Insert the backing and insert a pin into the center marker on the polo and line it up with the center marker on the backing.

Adjust vertical and horizontal and use the pin to hold the backing in place while you insert the outer hoop.

Insert the larger outer hoop under the polo.  On the outside of the polo I hold in place the embroidery placement guide along the markings and wiggle the hoop until it falls into position.

Then I take the inside hoop and insert it into the outer hoop.  Remove the embroidery placement guide and check that the markings match up.  The center can be off, so don’t panic too much if it is.  Once hooped onto the machine, the center can be adjusted using the machine software before starting the embroidery.  Mostly you are checking the vertical and horizontal.  If these line up then you are good to go.

I like to remove a little excess to tighten up the fabric and create a smooth surface.  Don’t stretch it!  Just smooth it.  Check the backing to make sure it is smooth as well.  Finally, check the hoop to make sure it is seated all away around.

Step 4: Attach the hoop to the machine.

Gently insert the hooped garment underneath the pressure foot.  I bring the needle up to the highest point to avoid snagging the material.

Be sure to check around and under the hoop that there is no extra garment fabric underneath.  Nothing like double sewing a perfectly good polo to ruin your afternoon!

Attach the hoop and click it into place along the embroidery machine arm.

Step 5: Align the hoop to center

Select your design and choose layout.

Align the center.  On my machine I press center and the needle advances to the center.

I bring the needle down to verify.  I can move the needle by pressing the position arrows.  Once I am centered then I select OK and the machine advances to the first color.  I am ready to go!

Voila!  The completed design…a little dark (It’s early morning and the sun isn’t up!  I’m working on this project before I go to work!).

More Good Sewing News…Teens in Iowa love sewing!

From SW Iowa News

Interest in sewing classes surges: Students in stitches

Michaela Saunders
Midlands News Service
Maria Rodriguez loves to sketch dresses and tops. Classmate Briena Pocevicius thought about opening a dress shop filled with her own creations.

By the end of their advanced sewing class, Maria, 15, and Briena, 17, will have made hand-tailored outfits. As Fashion Week in New York wraps up today, the Omaha Bryan High School students represent the surge in popularity of sewing classes in the Midlands — and the expanding need for fashion design courses. At Bryan, for example, enrollment in sewing and fashion design classes has more than quadrupled since the 2002-03 school year. Throughout the Omaha Public Schools, enrollment in such classes has more than doubled, increasing from 536 students in 2002 to 1,174 this year.

That’s a major change from two or three decades ago, when sewing classes were so last season to many teens. There are many reasons why more students are picking up scissors and heading to the sewing machine. There’s the pop culture prevalence of fashion-forward TV shows like “What Not to Wear” and “Project Runway,” where aspiring designers face weekly challenges. And there’s a resurgence of crafting and do-it-yourself projects among all ages.

Locally, changes in state law made the school districts, not the students, responsible for purchasing required supplies in all sorts of classes starting in the year 2000. State and local educators also have better linked the courses to careers. The state has outlined dozens of “programs of study” that school districts can offer in areas ranging from business to health care. Among them are two course sequences related to fashion: design and marketing.

Next year, Maria, a sophomore, is hoping to take a computerized fashion design class. Briena, a junior, already has taken it — and gives it rave reviews. She got to see how the clothes come together using computer- aided drafting skills (as you would to design a machine part or house blueprint). While sewing classes in OPS are booming, not all districts have seen an increase in enrollment. Some Omaha metro districts don’t offer sewing at all in favor of programs in culinary arts or other careers. And some small Nebraska school districts have cut their offerings for lack of resources. Some are turning to distance learning to fill the gap.

Kathleen Mitchell, a family and consumer science teacher for 35 years, teaches students in Wakefield, Neb., and in two other districts via distance education. In Wakefield, near Wayne, students fashion their sewing skills into profits. The studentrun “T-N-T” (Trojans and Teamwork) embroiders shirts for local teams and organizations and even does mending for community residents. The entrepreneurs used their profits to buy more embroidery machines.

Mitchell and several other sewing teachers said that today’s students are less interested in making clothes than they are in making things like purses, quilts, even beanbag chairs.

Krystal Kolb, family and consumer science teacher at Bryan, said she has seen growing interest in sewing for several years — and feels it in her full class schedule. “If we could have more sewing classes, they would take them,” Kolb said. “The last two years have been crazy.”

In 2002, 56 Bryan students took two courses — one in sewing, one in design. This year, 251 students are enrolled in four — three sewing and one design. Omaha Benson offers three courses in fashion design and two in sewing.

College programs are seeing enrollment increases, too. The University of NebraskaLincoln’s textiles, clothing and design program has watched its number of majors increase more than 22 percent from January 2000 to August 2007. The department is graduating more students than in years past — and placing them with firms including Martha Stewart and Kohl’s. Michael James, department chairman, said pop culture may play a role, but he speculated that the influence of “Project Runway” is no greater than that of “CSI” to forensics programs. “Why do they watch that show in the first place? Because they’re already interested in fashion and clothing,” James said.

Susan Carlson, family and consumer science teacher at Lincoln Lutheran High School, has tapped into the show by twice staging her own version. The school’s team competition takes a good portion of a Sunday afternoon in the gym. Each team gets $5 and 30 minutes at the fabric store, and they can raid a bin of old clothes for other materials. The students get a few hours to put their outfit together, with a team member serving as the model.

Midway through, Carlson checks up on students, encouraging them as the show’s mentor Tim Gunn does, to “make it work.” The contest includes judges and audience participation. While Carlson said the prizes aren’t anything like seeing your own line showcased at Fashion Week, students “compete, they’ve had fun and they’ve used their skills.”