On to the winner!  Dee was the randomly chosen winner for this week’s giveaway of the Voila Frame.  I would love to see what you decided to put in it, Dee!

Thanks everyone for commenting and tune it Wednesday for more fun giveaways!

Jill

1. Wipe away your troubles. A quick wipe to clear dust and dirt after use keeps outdoor fabrics looking fantastic. Mix up a solution of 1/4 cup mild dish soap per gallon of lukewarm water and wash the fabric using a sponge. Allow the detergent to soak into the fabric, then rinse thoroughly. This same solution can be used if a stain appears as well.

2. Air it out! After washing, always allow the fabric to air dry. Outdoor fabric should not be placed in the dryer unless the manufacturer’s instructions specifically state that the fabric will hold up to it.

3. To bleach or not to bleach? Some outdoor fabrics can be disinfected with bleach. Check the manufacturer’s instructions first. If the fabric can withstand bleach, machine-wash it in cold water with mild detergent and one cup of bleach at most.

4. Repel for a spell. To increase the water repellency some outdoor fabrics have been coated in special finishes. Keep this finish maintained by regularly applying spray fabric guard. Be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions to choose the right spray.

5. Don’t fade away! Apply a UV block before applying a fabric guard to protect the outdoor fabric from color fading. Read the manufacturer’s directions for application directions.

Use these tips to keep your outdoor fabric projects looking good for years to come. Outdoor fabrics are available for purchase at fabric.com.

Stitch up a gardening tote for yourself or to give as a gift using outdoor fabric, then adorn it with floral embroidery designs.

Today’s giveaway is perfect for those that love creating and displaying  art with embroidery and fabric.  The Voila Frame allows you to display your favorite textile art or embroidery project easily and beautifully.  No tools, staples or glue are required and no damage to the fabric or textile. This frame can also display jewlery, can be made into a cork message board and so much more!  Check out their website for ideas and projects.  This frame is 12″x12″ and has a window size of 8″x8, the color is black.

If you would like to enter this giveaway please enter a comment in the comments section below.  One lucky winner will be picked on Monday May 20th!

What do you have hanging on your walls?  Is kid art what’s popular in your home now?  Or maybe fine art has a special place on the wall or is all your art proudly displayed on the kitchen fridge?  Tell us what’s hanging around the home!

Happy stitching!

Jill

The winner for Wednesday Giveaway is randomly chosen and is Jill H!  She said in her comment that she loves to do both hand and machine embroidery.  I do hope this book comes in handy for ideas and inspiration.  We would love to see you in action with your embroidery work so please, don’t be shy and post on Sewing District!

Thanks to all the readers and commentors.  Come back this Wednesday, we’ve got a great giveaway planned.

Jill

Hello Everyone!

For today’s giveaway we are giving the book S is for Stitch by Kristyne Czepuryk.  If you are a fan of hand stitching and hand embroidery you’ll love this book.  There are 52 embroidered alphabet designs along with many projects that are perfect for quilts, soft blocks, baby and nursery items and other little things  for little ones.

If you are interested in winning this book please share a comment in the comment section below. 

The question for today is do you like to do hand embroidery? Maybe you love the machine embroidery only or give hand embroidery a go now and then? The new embroidery machines make embroidery so much easier and faster but does anyone still like to do hand embroidery?  I think it might be relaxing.

Please let me know and we’ll pick a winner on Monday!

Jill

On to the winner for last week’s Wednesday’s Giveaway.  Sherrie L! was randomly chosen as the week’s winner.

Sherrie said:

My grandmother taught me to sew at the age of 8 on a Treadle machine. She sewed some garments and made quilts out of necessity. I remember her saying that my learning to sew would last me a lifetime and save me money. I made my own clothes in middle and high school. Now I sew and machine embroider quilts and clothing but it costs me money but I don’t care because I enjoy it. Thanks Grandma!.

Congratulations Sherrie! Please send us your mailing address at info@cmemag.com and I will get this out to you!

Thanks for reading!

Jill

1. Quality counts. There are many ways to make metallic thread and the cheaper the price tag, the lower quality the thread. Rely on brands you trust and test different types at varying price points to discover the differences.

2. Slow down! Change the stitch speed to the lowest possible setting. It may take longer, but the thread is less likely to break if the machine goes slowly.

3. Design choices. Metallic thread works best with delicate designs. Any design with dense fill areas will most likely cause the thread to break. Choose designs comprised mostly of lines without heavy fill spots.

4. Needles matter! Use a metallic needle to embroider with metallic thread. These specially created needles have larger eyes to accommodate the metallic thread.

5. Chill out! It might sound far-fetched, but many metallic threads work best when left in a freezer for an hour or so before use.

Put these tips to use on these fun metallic thread projects:

Add a touch of sparkle to decorative pillows.

Modify a ready-made sweater with metallic thread embroidery.

There are ideas for making a sweet Queen of May or flower girl head band.  There are many ideas for hats and clothing and an amazing floral ribbon display for a spring or summer table top. Even use the floral creations to make a pen for a wedding guest book.

The book has a lovely history on Celia Thaxter who the author, Faye Labanaris gets much of her  inspiration from in her ribbon work.  Very sweet book indeed.

So answer the following question in the comments section below to be put in the drawing.

I was thinking about my grandmother the other day when company dropped in unexpectedly.  I had nothing in the kitchen. I remember my grandmother when guests were to come over , she’d say ‘I don’t have a thing in the cupboard for company’.  And, then somehow magically she would create this amazing smorgasbord of culinary delights.

Sadly, I am hopeless in all areas of entertaining.   What about you?  Did you have a grandmother that would put Martha Stewart to shame? What do you remember best about your grandmother or uncle or great aunt as they were involved in the domestic arts?  Did you learn from them or are you like me where you’d rather go to a party then plan one!

Tune in next Monday to see who the lucky winner is and until then,

Happy Stitching!

Jill

I hope this week’s winner has a great time looking at Kaffee Fassett’s book and using her new color wheel.  The winner that was picked randomly by Random.org is Lorilynn!  Congratulations Lorilynn.

Lorilynn loves working with jewel tones which look to be a favorite of Kaffee Fassett too!

Please email info@cmemag.com with your mailing address to receive your prize!

Tune in this coming Wednesday for our next giveaway and question!

Everyone here is ready for spring to finally arrive.  What better way to bring spring into your home than a book by the world-renowned color and fiber artist Kaffee Fassett.  His book Welcome Home has great projects for the home and beyond.  There are ideas for collage, quilting, sewing, embroidery,  needlepoint, collection display and more! I love Fassett’s use of color so bold and fresh. Just like spring!

And, to make this extra colorful we’ll add in a Studio Color Wheel by Joen Wolfrom.

If you would like to enter into the Wednesday Giveaway answer the question in the comments section below.

What types of color do you favor in your projects? Have you experimented with color in your embroidery designs? What colors worked, what was not such a good combo. Let’s discuss!

Show us your most colorful work on Sewing District!

Happy colorful stitching!

Jill