Inspiration Friday: TeePees & Playhouses for Kids

Inspire your child’s imagination with a whimsical indoor play tent. All kids love crawling into cozy little places to play & pretend; a teepee can provide a safe and fun indoor playspace where kids of all ages can play, dream and create. Teepees don’t require allot of space, an unused corner or spot in a child’s playroom can easily be transformed into a play fort.

On this weeks ” Inspiration Friday” post we’ll showcase a selection of cool indoor teepees & playhouses for kids. And if you’re feeling crafty, you’ll want to check out our comprehensive list of online tutorials ,patterns and sewing supplies so you can begin making your child their very own teepee!

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Courtesy of thebooandtheboy.com

Courtesy of thebooandtheboy.com

Courtesy of Bohemian Treehouse

Courtesy of Muse of Mine

Courtesy of Rosenberry Rooms

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Want to make your own teepee? Here’s what you’ll need.

• 4- 6′ wooden dowels or pvc pipes.
• 4.5 yrds of 60″ fabric
• Decorative accessories, like rick-rack, ribbons, floral trims, or iron-ons.
• Butterick Sewing Pattern B4251 for instructions on making a teepee and playmat.

There are tons of great tutorials online, this one is my absolute favorite: A Beautiful Mess.com

Short on time & sewing skills, you can buy a fabulous ready made Teepee at these retailers.

• Rosenberry Rooms
• Amazon.com
• The Land of Nod

New Items In Our Store: Drapery Tassel Tiebacks

We’ve just added some gorgeous new decorative tassel tiebacks to our online store. We now carry gorgeous beaded tassels, mini  tassels, key tassels, ball tassels and more. Why not stop by our store. There’s No Minimum Order Amount Required to purchase and we ship fast!

We have a large assortment of by the yard fabric trims in our online store and if you Need something you don’t see listed? Contact us as we are always willing to see if we can get that special trim for you.

Here’s a Small Sample of Our New Arrivals:

11″ Gold ribbon tassel tieback

Wrights 9″ Brown Cotton Tassel w/Tiebacks

11″ Decorative Green Ribbon Tassel w/Tiebacks (set of 2)

8″ Tan and Ivory Bell Tassel w/tieback (Set of 2)

Large 8.5″ Decorative Green Tassels w/tiebacks (Set of 2)

 

8″ Burgundy Bell Tassel w/tieback (Set of 2)

 

Christmas Tree Skirts You Can Make!

In less than an hour you can make a lovely Christmas tree skirt. These fun and fast tutorials prove you don’t need to have the skills of a master seamstress to craft a wonderful holiday decoration for your families tree. And you don’t need allot of money either!

Take a look at what you can create with a little bit of creativity,  fabric and embellishments like cutouts, ribbon and fabric trim.

Pleated Christmas Tree Skirt Tutorial from Mommy by Day...

GET THE TUTORIAL!

Photo Courtesy of Pottery Barn

Or you can customize a store brought Christmas tree skirt by embroidering your families name on it.

Make Family memories with this one of a kind tree skirt!

GET THE TUTORIAL!

Short on time but still want to make an impact? Well check out how our friends over at “Make it and Love it” crafted a great Christmas tree skirt with just a couple of yards of fabric and a beautiful brush fringe fabric trim. Click here to view the tutorial!

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Twitter @MTMfabrictrims

Fabric Trims : Decorative Cords- New Arrivals in Our Store

We’ve just added some gorgeous new decorative cords to our online store. We now carry gorgeous beaded tassels, mini  tassels, key tassels, ball tassels and more.

Why not stop by our store. There’s No Minimum Order Amount Required to purchase and we ship fast!

We have a large assortment of by the yard fabric trims in our online store and if you Need something you don’t see listed? Contact us as we are always willing to see if we can get that special trim for you.

Here’s a Small Sample of Our New Arrivals:

Wrights Lavendar & Brown Mingled twist cord Fabric Trim

Conso 3/8" Champagne, Beechwood, Green Mist Cord

Chinese Red Decorative Cord Fabric Trim

10 Tips for Sewing with Velvet Fabrics

Nothing can compare to the rich feel and the luxurious drape of a well made velvet garment. But if you’ve ever had the pleasure of sewing with velvet, you probably shutter at the thought of doing it again. Just in time for the holidays we’ve complied our best tips for sewing with velvet fabrics.

Follow these tips and with a little patience you can achieve the professional “haute couture” results you’ve dreamed about.

{Evening Gown Photo Courtesy of the Met Museum of Art}

1. SELECT A SIMPLE PATTERN WITH A CLASSIC DESIGN – Since it is necessary to take special care when pressing velvet fabric, make life easier by selecting a simple pattern that does not contain a lot of darts.
2. USE THE RIGHT NEEDLE – New Universal size 70/10 or 80/12 needle work best.
3. LAYOUT & CUTTING OF THE FABRIC – Determine the direction of the pile you will use. Velvet feels smoothest when the nap runs down toward the hem. Since Velvet tends to slip when folded, cut pattern pieces using a single layer of fabric cutting in direction of the pile. Remove pins as soon as possible to avoid disturbing the pile. When marking use chalk on the wrong side of the fabric or  tailor tacks.
4. INTERFACING – Use lightweight sew-in interfacing such as silk organza, cotton batiste and high-end muslin. Avoid using fusible interfacing as the heat and pressure needed to apply them would likely crush the pile of the fabric.
5. HAND BASE PRIOR TO SEWING – First gently mesh the velvet layers together by finger pressing the two fabric layers together so that the piles interlock with each other prior to hand basting.  This makes basting easier and when the final stitching is done the meshed layers fed through the machine much easier with less shifting.
6. USE THE RIGHT PRESSER FOOT – Our favorite presser foot for sewing velvet fabric is the  Even-Feed Walking Foot . The top feed dogs of the walking foot feeds the fabric while lower feeds of the sewing machine feed the fabric giving an even result. A Roller Foot can also be extremely useful since it rolls the fabric rather than yanking it under the foot. Loosening the top tension and slightly lengthening the stitch will help to avoid puckering.
7. NEVER LET YOUR IRON TOUCH THE FABRIC – Set your iron to a low iron setting which also allows steam to be produced. To keep the pile from being crushed, use a velvet needle board, also know as a Velvaboard.  Steam your garment from the wrong side of the fabric while gently finger-pressing the seams open. To avoid seam impressions use a Seam Roll or Pressing Ham. Also placing  a strip of brown paper between the dart or hem edge and the garment helps to avoid leaving an impression on the right side. Most importantly before handling, allow the velvet to dry completely.
8. HAND PICKED ZIPPERS LOOK BEST – Trust me, it’s worth the extra effort!
9. HEMMING – Finish the raw edge with a zigzag stitch, by serging, or by applying a Hong Kong finish.
10. USE THIS TRICK TO REVIVE CRUSHED PILE – If the pile on your fabric becomes crushed you can revive it by hanging in a steamy bathroom, then brushing it lightly with a soft brush or a piece of velvet fabric.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE TOOLS DISCUSSED IN THIS ARTICLE? CLICK THE LINKS BELOW

• Even-Feed Walking Foot
• Roller Foot
• Seam Roll or Pressing Ham

Fabric Trims : Save 10% off Your Order of $40 or more

SAVE 10% OFF your entire order during our BIG Holiday EVENT going on right now!

You’ll save on all your favorite TASSEL FRINGE TRIMS, GIMP TRIMS, FLAT TRIMS, RIBBONS, SEQUIN TRIMS, DECORATIVE CORDING, CORD WITH LIP, QUILT BINDINGS, tassels and beaded trims from major manufacturers such as Wrights and Conso.

We carry many discontinued and hard to find sewing trims.

With savings like this why not visit us right now!

Sewing for Charity

Are you interested in sewing for a cause? Well in the spirit of the season, we decided to put together a short list of some of the organizations in our country accepting charitable donations.

1. Project Linus : Distributes blankets to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need.
2. Every Child : works with organizations in the community to provide clothing, diapers, blankets, toys, books, and other essential items to infants and children in need.
3. American Hero Quilts
4. Blankets of Hope : Provides blankets to wounded soldiers in VA hospitals.
5. Soldiers Angels : This is an incredible organization doing valuable work. Soldiers’ Angels relies on donations of items (donations in kind) to sustain three of their most important projects: Care packages, Vet Packs, and First Response (for the wounded) backpacks
6. Blankets of Belief : Provides your hand made blankets to actively deployed soldiers.
7. Baby Threads of NH : Helps needy children & families in New Hampshire.
8. New Borns in Need: Distributes your hand made items to sick and needy babies.
9. Quilt for a Cure : The Warrior Quilt project. Fighting Breast Cancer one square at a time.
10. Pink Slipper Project : Helps women & children in shelters.

As you can imagine this is just a partial list of the the many deserving charities helping families in need. Please feel free to drop us a note, if you know of another charity we should add to our list.

Quick Tip: Basic Sewing Kit

Beginners, here’s a list of the top ten basic supplies you should have in your Sewing Box before beginning that next project.
The old adage that the “Right tools can make any job easier” is especially true when it comes to sewing.  The right scissors, or needles can determine how professional your project will look once it’s completed.

If you are new to sewing you may be wondering where to start. Sure you have a sewing machine, fabric and tons of enthusiasm, but before you make a single cut, make  sure  that you have these basic items on hand to make the job easier.

Ready to build a basic sewing kit? Here’s what you’ll need:

1. Tape measure & Straight edge Ruler- For measuring proper cutting lengths.
2. General purpose Scissors – For cutting out patterns and general use.
3. Pinking Shears
   - Perfect for adding a zig zag edge to fabrics which tend to fray.
4. Sewing Needles & Needle threader
5. Beeswax – A wax coating strengthens thread and prevents tangling during hand-sewing. I always apply a bit of beeswax to my thread prior to attaching buttons by hand.
6. Fabric Glue – Todays’s fabric adhesives can easily become the workhorse of your sewing room. Need to quickly repair a hem? Well just grab some iron-on hem tape. And just a drop of Fray Check can prevent the threads on your favorite trim from unraveling (this is seriously good stuff!)
7. Seam Ripper – when you need to remove mis-placed stitches. Even and expert sewer makes mistakes, and this little tool makes taking your seams apart much easier.
8. Fabric Marking Pen and Pencil – Use pencils, tailors chalk or vanishing markers to draw temporary cutting or dart lines on fabric project pieces
9. Thread
10. Pin Cushion – I use glass pins when I sew and have a decorative pin cushion handy to keep my work area neat & tidy.

Sewing Machine Review : Brother CS6000i

We recently had a chance to test drive the BROTHER CS6000i and must admit we were pleasantly surprised. It has tons of features, comes with a great selection of sewing feet but the real shocker was the price -It’s just $154.99.

MANUFACTURES DESCRIPTION: A computerized sewing machine with 60 stitch functions, and an oversized table for large sewing & quilting projects. This light weight computerized sewing machine is heavy on the features that you are looking for! The CS-6000i has 60 built in stitches including, utility, decorative, heirloom, quilting and 7 styles of one step auto-sizing buttonholes. Whether you sew for crafting, garment, home decoration, or quilting; this machine has it all for you at an affordable price! The CS-6000i also includes a wide assortment of sewing feet

WHY WE LIKE IT: There’s a reason the CS-6000i is so popular among sewing enthusiasts; It offers great features at incredibly affordable price (I mean seriously it’s just $154.99) . I learned to sew using a Brother and can personally attest that the brand makes solid, reliable machines. Plus the CS-6000i comes with lots of accessories,extra bobbins, a needle set, an extra spool pin, twin needle, seam ripper, cleaning brush, and much more. Best of all it includes additional specialty machine feet.While most machine only come with a zipper foot as an add on, the CS-6000i comes packaged with a Monogramming Foot, Buttonhole Foot, Blind Stitch Foot, Overcasting Foot, Zipper Foot, and Button Fitting Foot.

PROS:

• It’s Quiet!!
• Drop in Bobbin winding system.
• 7 styles of button holes (yup this isn’t a typo, it really has 7 styles of button holes).
• 60 built in stitches.
• It’s very easy to use the automatic threaded. Plus the directions with steps & pictures are printed on the machine so even a beginner could do it.
• It’s surprisingly light weight.

CONS:

• Forget about using that cheap dollar store thread in this baby- otherwise you’ll probably encounter problems with the tension.
• It doesn’t come with a cover or carrying case
• And while this isn’t really a CON, I thought that I’d point out that just like any other piece of technology, it’s important to READ the manual. Yup I said it,learn about your new machine first then start sewing!

BEST FOR: Every day use.

Book Review: Patrick Lose’s Special Delivery Quilts

I’m so excited; I’ve just been invited to my friends baby shower. While it is tempting to just run to the mall and pick up a baby gift, I’ve decided to sew something special – a baby quilt from one of my all time favorite quilt books : Patrick Lose’s Special Delivery Quilts

This book contains 8 simple quilt designs – each of which has an added, endearing element. Whimsical appliqués, colorful backgrounds, and easy embroidery accents are combined to make to each design stand out. I purchased it almost 9 years ago and have gotten tons of complements from every project I’ve created.

Best of all the designs in this book are easily adaptable, simple to follow, and full of cuteness.

Special Delivery Quilts
contains designs and pattern templates for the following adorable quilts:

• Rub A Dub Dub Wallhanging
• Wish Upon A Star Wallhanging
• Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star quilt
• “I Love You This Much” Quilt
• Pretty in Pastels Quilt
• Cheerful Choo-Choo Quilt
• A Horse of a Different Color Wallhanging
• Hugs and Kisses Quilt