The 15 Minute Table Runner

Posted on February 7th, 2010 in Sewing Tips by sara

 img_0119.JPG

We are completely serious! You CAN complete this table runner in 15 minutes. Actually you can complete two runners in about 20 minutes! We offered this mini workshop at our sewing retreat last weekend and at first they could not believe a table runner could be made in only 15 minutes. But as you can see from the pictures from the retreat, many retreat go-ers took a quick break from their sewing projects to whip up a couple!

If you want the free pattern come in to Heirloom Creations, purchase two 3/4 yard fabrics and receive the pattern. This fabric amount will make TWO table runners - each with opposite color placement.

img_0116.JPG

This table runner has no batting and no binding. Make it out of ANY fabric - cotton, silk, satin or home decorator weight fabrics! The middle area is perfect to embellish with fusible appliqué, embroidery or even decorative stitches.

Depending on which way the ends are folded, you will achieve one the two following looks.

img_0111.JPG

15-minute-tabler-runner-version-2.JPG

It’s perfect hostess gifts … co-worker gifts … church bizarre … raffle donation … the list goes on and on!

Kate - 9 Months Old

Posted on February 7th, 2010 in Kate Snuggerud, Sewing Tips by sara

Our little Kate is now 9 months old! She is now crawling with purpose, exploring everything at her level, pulling herself up and we just saw her first tooth. Steve now says, “We live in a “gated community”. Enjoy the pictures!

kate-9-months-1.jpg

Kate posing with the new Lamour fabric from Moda by Sandy Gervais.

kate-9-months-2.jpg

Laundry basket races…

kate-9-months-3.jpg

Helping with the laundry.

kate-9-months-4.jpg

Mom playing dress up with me!

kate-9-months-5.jpg

Heirloom Creations’ 5th Annual Royal Sewing Retreat

Posted on January 31st, 2010 in Sewing Tips by sara

We all had a wonderful three day sewing weekend at Heirloom Creations’ 5th Annual Sewing Retreat at the Cedar Shore Resort in Chamberlain, SD. Twenty-eight people joined us this year for our “Royal Sewing Event” for 2010.

Click here to see all 125 pictures from the sewing retreat!

sewing-retreat-facebook.jpg

We all moved in on Friday arriving with sewing machines, sergers, embroidery machines, suitcases of fabric, pre-cut kits, and projects half started, all with high expectations to finish all of them in just three days. With three days of not having to cook, clean or do dishes, we really had no excuse not to sew all night if we wanted to!

Below are just a few of the projects that were completed during the weekend. Each evening we had show-n-tell with lots of laughter, stories and pictures!

img_8778.jpg

Throughout the weekend, I demonstrated a variety of techniques with optional short projects to complete. The biggest hit was the 15 Minute Table Runners seen in many of the pictures. This FREE pattern is available from Heirloom Creations along with purchasing two 3/4 yard pieces which will complete TWO opposite table runners. The entire group will agree with the pattern’s name that is only takes 15 minutes to make!

img_8844.jpg

We also completed Cathedral Window Pincushions and played around with the “Sharpie Experiment”. We will be showing off many of these items at the upcoming Sewtopia Sewing Club on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 10am, 2pm or 6:30pm. Click here to read more.

img_8804.jpg

img_8899.jpg

img_8779.jpg

I even got to work on a HOLY SNOWBALL quilt - another FREE pattern available at Heirloom Creations with the purchase of 15 fat quarters. Just to need add borders and a fourth image in the lower right corner. This quilt was made to hang in Kate’s room.

img_8909.jpg

A big thanks goes to everyone at Cedar Shore Resort who once again took very good care of us. They brought us meals every 4 hours, made our beds and treated us like a “Queens of the Royal Sewing Court”!

Is There a Move in Your future?

Posted on January 24th, 2010 in Sewing Tips by sara

moving-day.jpg

Whether you plan to move across town, across the US, or even overseas, a little planning and and proper packing will ensure your sewing machine arrives at your new destination in perfect condition ready for you to sew!

Even if you hire a moving company to pack your household items, pack your sewing machine or serger yourself. The most important thing is to use the original box and foam packing material in which your sewing machine was shipped. It may seem a little tricky to get everything in place like it was packed at the factory, but if you have any questions, your friendly, local sewing machine dealer will be able to show you how everything goes together.

Take photographs of your machine from various angles before it is packed.

If there is a lot of lint build-up in the bobbin casing area, now is a good time to clean it properly. Lower the presser foot onto a piece of fabric (which also protects the feed dogs) and put the needle in the down position into the fabric.

Gather all your accessories and most importantly, be sure to pack the power cord!

If you are moving overseas, you will need to know if your machine has dual (110/220) voltage and dual (50/60) hertz. This is IMPORTANT! Some of the newer machines are dual voltage, but not all. In fact, many of the older models are not. If your sewing machine is NOT dual voltage / dual hertz, you should not run it using a transformer in foreign countries with 220v. Not sure? Check with your local dealer and be sure.

Don’t seal the box! You must be willing to show the movers (or moving foreman) your machine and the box contents to make sure your sewing machine is actually inside the box. There are many liability issues involved here, and the foreman should record the serial number and other information on your machine. This is good protection for both you and the moving company.

If you have the original sales receipt for your machine, hand carry it with you along with your other important documents.

Watch the movers load the box with your precious cargo (I’m talking about your sewing machine, not the wedding china. OK, maybe the china too). Make sure they keep the box right side up as indicated on the box. Don’t allow them to pack it upside down.

moving.gif

When your shipment is delivered at your new destination, I’m sure your sewing machine  box will be one of the first you’ll unpack. First, check for signs of damage on the outside of the box. Take photos of any signs of damage or water marks. Unpack the box and plug in your sewing machine. Give it a test run to test for problems or trauma (seriously). Most moving companies only have a limited window of time for you to file a claim (such as 90 days) so you’ll want to make sure your machine is working just as it did when you packed it as soon after your move as possible. Don’t wait until later to sew a few test patterns or use the embroidery unit if you have one.

If there is a problem, take it to your new sewing dealer for some TLC (this is a good time to establish a rapport with your new dealer anyway). Tell them you moved and ask them to write in detail any service they perform on your machine on the receipt. You’ll need a copy of this receipt if you file a claim.

Nothing makes a new residence feel like home as much as getting your sewing space set up and ready to go. I hope these tips help you if and when you find you are relocating. Good luck with your move, and just remember it will soon feel like home once you’re sitting behind your sewing machine stitching again!

house_moving.jpg

Sewers Are Very Resourceful

Posted on January 17th, 2010 in Sewing Tips by sara

After the Christmas Blizzard of ’09 in Sioux Falls, SD, we have been hearing how some of our customers spent their holiday, alone with their sewing machine. Whether you live blocks or miles from the closest sewing or fabric store, Mother Nature can shut everything down for days on end. Even a holiday weekend closes your favorite store for a day or two. We are learning of sewers who are very resourceful.

After digging out from the 18” of snow and even higher snow drifts, we have heard some wonderful stories of how people spent Christmas. Many of them beamed when they described an entire day of sewing. They were thankful for their fabric stash and UFO projects, and they had plenty to pick from!

But, sometimes certain items ran short. We heard from one customer that she raided her kitchen plastic cutting board collection and sacrificed one of them to make templates when she ran out of template plastic. Ingenious!

5006363.jpg

Have you been is such a situation and have a great suggestion of an item that you used for sewing that originally had another purpose? Send it to info@heirloomcreations.net.

One we have heard of, and do keep in mind that not everything you read on the Internet is true, is that just last week I read a tip which stated I should cut through tinfoil or sand paper to sharpen scissors. Really? I don’t think so! NOT MY SCISSORS!

Special Orders

Posted on January 10th, 2010 in Sewing Tips by sara

Need something special? Search our distributors’ websites for specialty items you might need and let us pay the shipping for you! They have 100,000’s of patterns, books, sewing tools, buttons, crafts, beads, thread and organizational items. Since we can not stock everything, this is a great way to see what else is available.

So the next time you can’t find something in our area, visit our online catalogs. We order from the following companies a couple times a week. Let us do the ordering for you!

 checker-logo.jpg

 brewerlogo.jpg

Check out the 100’s of videos on many products.

checker-videos.jpg

 

Click on any of the following links to see what is available!

Batting & Pillow Forms

 

Books

 

Buttons

 

Crafts

 

Embellishments

 

Fabric

 

Garment Sewing Notions

 

General Sewing Notions

 

Gifts

 

Handbag & Purse Notions

 

Health & Safety Notions

 

Home Decor Notions

 

Hoops & Frames

 

Interfacing & Fusibles

 

Knitting & Crochet - Needles & Notions

 

Machine Embroidery Designs & Products

 

Magazines

 

Needlearts

 

Needles & Needle Notions

 

Organization, Luggage & Storage

 

Parts

 

Patterns

 

Quilting

 

Ribbon

 

Scrap Therapy

 

Skinny Minis

 

Snap Sacks

 

Stencils & Stencil Notions

 

Textile Care

 

Thread

 

Zippers

Happy New Year - 1,000 Bag Challenge

Posted on January 4th, 2010 in Sewing Tips by sara

1000-bag-challenge-2.jpg

Be it resolved that we, at Heirloom Creations, will have 1,000 pre-made ready-to-fill bags by October 23, 2010!

Many of you have helped with our Charity Gift Bag sewing event in October where we sew like mad to make 400 - 500 gift bags. They are filled with donated travel sized soaps, shampoos and lotions for local places like Children’s Inn and the Banquet. Each year we always have more product than we do bags!

We are challenging YOU to help us, and to help you use up some of your fabric scraps! Nothing feels better than using up leftover pieces that are hanging around taking up space.

Click here to print the FREE pattern.

charity-gift-bag-directions-medium.jpg

Click here to watch a video of how to make these bags on a serger.

1000-bag-challenge-1.jpg
We are challenging our Sewtopia Club members to each make one bag per month, and we invite everyone to participate in our challenge for 2010.

Cleo has already started to make a small dent in her sewing room stash! Are you up for trying to out sew her? OK - we would all have to band as one team to keep up with her! Or is there anyone out there ready to out-sew Cleo??

1000-bag-challenge-4.jpg
We do have zippers available at the store if you need zippers. If you have fabric, batting scraps or zippers you wish to donate, we would be happy to pass them along to those who have already pledged to help sew a bunch of bags.

And we do wish you all a Happy SEW Year!

1000-bag-challenge-3.jpg

Kate - 8 months old

Posted on December 27th, 2009 in Kate Snuggerud by sara

Kate had a wonderful first Christmas. Her Christmas book will note that we had a true South Dakota blizzard with 18″ of snow. Thank goodness all our family lives in town.

christmas-2009-1-small.jpg

christmas-2009-3-small.jpg

christmas-2009-8-small.jpg

christmas-2009-11-small.jpg

Mop Top Hat Pattern

Posted on December 20th, 2009 in Sewing Tips by sara

The cute-as-can-be Mop Top Hat pattern by Bridget & Lucy is now available from Heirloom Creations. From the designers of the now famous Ruffled Joy and Ruffled Playdate skirts, comes the third, and most awaited, kid’s hat pattern.

mop-top-hat-pattern.jpg

Recently we offered a Mop Top Hat class at Heirloom Creations. Kim, the pattern designer offered kits and lots of embellishments from which everyone selected. Boy, did they have fun, and everyone went home with a finished hat!

Call Heirloom Creations at 605-332-4435 to order your Mop Top pattern today.

mop-top-class-1.jpg

mop-top-class-5.jpg

mop-top-class-6.jpg

Kim showing how a ruffler works.

mop-top-class-4.jpg

mop-top-class-3.jpg

mop-top-class-2.jpg

Steve and I decided we would take Kate to her first Stampede hockey game this past Saturday. To help get into the hockey spirit, I made her a hockey themed Mop Top Hat. I substituted white Moda Snuggles (like Minkee) instead of knit for the head band and selected some hockey fabric for the top. It turned out so soft and warm I made one for myself too! Kate did great at the hockey game and we celebrated a 3-0 shutout against the Lincoln Stars

mop-top-class-10.jpg

mop-top-class-9.jpg

mop-top-class-8.jpg

67 Machine Stitching Tips and Motifs from Quilting Arts

Posted on December 13th, 2009 in Sewing Tips by sara

ebook-large.jpg

Download your FREE E-Book today!

Quilting Arts presents a Free Motion Quilting E-Book

Make custom quilts with dramatic results! Now you can get creative quilting ideas to give your projects the polished finish they deserve, from the experts at Quilting Arts.
In this free eBook, we give you the secrets of two highly respected quilt making artists in one downloadable resource. Enjoy learning successful free motion quilting from the experts—Frieda Anderson, Robbi Joy Eklow, and Quilting Arts.

“I highly recommend printing it out to keep near your sewing machine as a handy reference guide.” Pokey Bolton, Editor-in-Chief

Discover how fun Free Motion Quilting can be. Claim your free quilting lessons eBook now!

Yes…it really is free!

 

Get Free EBook

 
 
Next Page »
Web hosting