The Sewing Mom

I created this bag using contrasting black and white poinsettia fabrics for the exterior and a wonderful black fabric for the interior. This large tote bag has 6 exterior pockets, with the machine embroidered poinsettia on both the front and back of the bags center pockets. All fabrics are 100% cotton. The inner lining is a polyester batting which provides both softness and support. The handles also contain a batting inner lining for added comfort for the shoulder.

If you would like to have this bag for yourself or as a gift for someone special, it is for sale for $35. This prices includes shipping in the continental U.S. If you live outside of the continental U.S., please contact me price and shipping information.

Tags: Christmas, embroidery, poinsettia, tote, tote bag

  I had fun making this blanket, in fact, I made several of them. Each one is approximately 36″ square, a great size for travel or keeping in the car. The edge of the blanket was sewn on the serger giving it a nice finished edge before adding the lace trim. The blue blanket has a fleece binding instead of lace. The bunny and words are designed and machine embroidered by me.This is such a great baby gift, for only $15.

Tags: baby blankets, embroidery, fleece, machine embroidery

I have designed a small name badge for each of us to wear at our booth next week.  I created the design on my embroidery software and have transferred it to my sewing machine.  It really should be a very simple thing to create.

Instead, I spent 4 hours fighting with my embroidery/sewing machine.  The machine would tell me what size hoop to use, I would place that hoop on the machine and would tell me I was wrong.  I battled with it until I couldn’t take it anymore.

I am concerned that perhaps the embroidery arm of my machine has somehow gotten out of whack.  There is a sensor inside that tells it which hoop is attached and I’m not sure it’s reading it correctly.  This could be a costly repair.  I think I will be taking the entire machine to the store and ask them to look at it.

I really need my machine this week, so if it needs to be sent off for repair,  it will have to wait.  I can still sew on it, I just can’t embroider.

Tags: embroidery, embroidery machine, sewing

I finished this bag a month or so ago and never got a chance to post it. The bag fabric and the outer pocket fabric is opposite black/white pattern from each other. You have to look closely to see it. The flower on the middle pocket was machine embroidered by me and there is an identical one on the back side. This bag is made from 100% quilters cotton and interlined with craft fleece. I used fusible interfacing in the pockets which adds to the firmness and provides support to the bag. This tote bag is fully lined and the 26″ handles are lined with craft fleece for additional comfort and support.

This is one of my favorite tote bag patterns and I love being able to add the embroidery work.

Tags: embroidery, fabric bag, tote bag

I have been having so much fun with my sewing machine lately! I have recently taken a break from sewing fabric bags so that I could spend some time creating some cute baby snuggle blankets. These are a bit smaller than a regular baby blanket, they’re perfect for cuddling with, especially because they are such soft fleece. They measure about 27″ x 27″. I completed this one this morning and just had to share it because I think it’s so darn cute!

By the way, I am selling these blankets for $15 each plus shipping and I will ship anywhere in the U.S.A. and Canada. If you’re interested, you can contact me at thesewingmom1(at)aol.com or simply leave me a comment here and I will respond to you.

Tags: blankets, embroidery, fleece, sewing

I have been very busy and have several projects that I’ve either just learned or that I have been working on and set aside as a temporary UFO. I had trouble deciding which one to post here this morning, but, I chose this simple fleece blanket because it really is so easy and can be made in any size.

First, I purchase 3/4 yard of fleece. Cut that in half and you can create 2 blankets out of it. You need to purchase enough flat lace (something that looks hand crocheted) to go around all four sides, it just depends on what size blanket you are making.

I used a serger to go all the way around the edge of the fleece before attaching the lace, but this could be done on a sewing machine as well. I then used an edge joining foot which allows me to lay the lace and fleece next to each other rather than laying the lace on top. Use an edge joining stitch to join the two together. The bunny is a small embroidery that I did on my machine using a 100×100 hoop.

I had so much fun making this, it can be completed in just a couple of hours, I purchased more fleece and lace to make several more. These make excellent baby gifts!

Tags: baby blankets, embroidery, sewing

I am the team manager (volunteer) for my daughter’s 6th grade Destination Imagination team.  They have been working hard and practicing since last October and their first tournament is 2 days away.  They are currently upstairs working on one of their props, an optical illusion.  I think it will look very cool when they’re done, if they ever get done!  It’s huge and so has taken them much longer than they anticipated.

As a surprise for the team, I’ve been embroidering team t-shirts.  The fronts of the shirts are now done and I’m embroidering their individual names on the backs.  I’m hoping I will have just enough time to make myself and my assistant each one as well.  I think it’s cool to see teams dressed alike at tournaments, it sort of makes them stand out in the crowd.

Of course, they have costumes they’ll be wearing when they actually perform, so the t-shirts won’t be worn then.  They actually did design the t-shirts too, for the most part.  They just don’t know that I’m the one making them.

Anyway, I’ve been working all day today on these, I didn’t even go in to my new job!  The team is here now though, so I am taking a break and blogging instead.  If I turn my sewing machine on, they’ll want to know what I’m up to!

I hope to post pictures tomorrow, so hope you’ll come back to see what I’ve been working on. 

Tags: embroidery, sewing

I am under a bit of pressure to finish my current project and so, while I am taking pictures as I go, I don’t yet have time to download them. I’ll try to get all of the pictures posted in the next few days.

I am the team manager for a 6th grade Destination Imagination team and we are headed to our first tournament this coming Saturday. I got it in my head to embroider a t-shirt for each of the 6 girls with their team name and individual name, as well as some graphics that I found that matched their theme. I am very excited about the project, but I haven’t used the embroidery tool on my machine in almost a year and so I am having to remember how to do things.

I did re-take the free embroidery class last week offered by the machine manufacturer and am taking the software class later this week (which I’ve never taken). I have to use the software to download the graphics and lettering onto a special card that gets inserted into my sewing machine. I also use the software for designing the lettering and anything else I want to do.

I have used the software in the past, but it’s been a long time and I feel it’s a bit quirky at times.

So, I have 6 shirts to get done. I put graphics on two of them yesterday and plan to get the graphics on the other 4 today. I still have to design the lettering, but once it’s done and downloaded, it shouldn’t take too long to get it onto the shirts. I’m doing the fronts first and if I don’t get to the backs, so be it.

Like I said, I’ll post pictures as soon as I have time to download them! Wish me luck in getting this project finished by Friday afternoon! (I might be starting my new job today, if so, that will take a big bite out of my available time.)

If you have a project you’re working on and would like to share, join us for the weekly Blogger Craft Club hosted by The Proverb’s Wife.

Tags: craft club, embroidery, embroidery software, sewing

Thirteen Things about Why I Love My Embroidery Sewing Machine1…. I love that I can program it and let it do all the work.2…. I love that I can create pretty much anything and my sewing machine will bring it to reality. 3…. I love that it brings a whole new dimension to my fabric bags 4…. I love all of the vibrant colors that are available in embroidery thread 5…. I also love that embroidery thread can be used for top stitching and it shows up even more. 6…. I love that I have the computer software to allow me to create new designs 7…. I love that I can transfer my new designs to my sewing machine and it will make them real. 8…. I love that through Joanns.com I’ve been able to find free embroidery designs 9…. I love the embroidery design package I bought to make a baby quilt. 10…. I love all the creative possibilities. 11…. I love the matching t-shirts I made for my daughter & husband last year for the soap box derby races. 12…. I love that besides doing embroidery, it has been a fantastic sewing machine, allowing me to be creative. 13… I love that I get to go to a free embroidery class today to learn even more things I can do with my machine!

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Tags: embroidery, embroidery machine, sewing, Thursday Thirteen

I have to say, I had a productive sewing day yesterday, even though I never even turned on my sewing machine.

I made a trip to Joann’s yesterday to stock up on thread and a few other items.  I had been thinking that I wanted to create a black and white bag and I was so surprised to find to find 2 bolts of black and white fabric on the 70% off rack!  I bought both.  I am going to use some black fabric I all ready have to put with it.  I’ve got it ready to be cut and am deciding if I want to do some machine embroidery on the pocket or if I will leave it plain.  I will definitely be taking progress pictures.

I also signed up to take a machine embroidery class for free at the Viking store AND, an embroidery software class.  The lady was so nice when I explained that I had taken the first embroidery class, but on a different machine than the one I now own.  I also haven’t done any machine embroidery in almost a year and have lost some confidence!  She signed me right up and I can’t wait.  I am also looking forward to the software class because I never got to take that class and was trying to learn it on my own.  I did figure out enough to get it to work, but I also know that there is more that I could do if I was shown how to use it.

Before I do those classes though, I will be attending a Jelly Bag class at the quilt shop this Tuesday.  I finished purchasing my supplies for that yesterday as well.  I’m proud of myself for getting out there and getting signed up for these classes, they will only help to improve what I all ready enjoy doing.

Tags: embroidery, sewing, Viking