HOME  ·  SEARCH  ·  MY CART  ·  TRACK MY ORDER  ·  SITE MAP  ·  WHERE TO BUY  ·  DEALER LOGIN/LOGOUT  ·  DEALER REGISTRATION

Info

Sew Help Me 2ozOur amazing
Sew Help Me™

intensive moisturizer
(2oz size)

now available at


Hancock
Fabrics
Online
!

*  FREE  *
 
If The Shoe Fits
cross stitch machine embroidery design collection with every order!  $14.95 value!

Footnotes Blog & Newsletter
Quilting Help
  1. Discovered this article on the history of the sewing machine.  While we've not personally validated the claims, we thought you'd all find the info quite interesting...
     
    Happy Sewing,
    Kim & Linnette 
     
    | by Joey Robichaux | November 24, 2005
     
    Sorry ... the history books aren't quite right. Elias Howe did not invent the first sewing machine. In fact, if you define sewing machine as "a machine that can sew items in a practical and usable manner", then he didn't invent a sewing machine at all!

    Actually, the first sewing machine patent was received in 1755 by Charles Weisenthal in London. Technically, his machine did embroidery, but it was the first to recognize that an eye-pointed needle did not need to pass entirely through a garment. This machine was not labor or time-saving, though, and was thus not a practical solution as a "machine that can be used for sewing".

    Another machine was invented in Paris in 1804 by Thomas Stone and John Henderson -- it involved a pair of pincers on either side of a piece of material. The pincers would grab a needle as it passed through the material. This machine was no faster than hand-sewing and was not accepted as a solution, either.

    In 1790, Englishman Thomas Saint patented a machine that had many of the features of a real sewing machine: an overhanging arm, a straight, perpendicular needle, a horizontal cloth table, and needle fed from a spool. It's doubtful whether or not Saint ever really built his machine, though. A version made in 1873 from his original patent plans did not work.

    In 1830, Frenchman Barthelemy Thimonnier patented the next sewing machine. This one actually worked -- although it was a huge device set in a frame similar to a wooden loom.

    It was able to sew a straight chainstitch and was about as fast as a hand sewer. By 1831, Thimonnier had about 80 seamstresses in his tailoring shop using his machines to sew uniforms for the French army. The machines could sew about 100 stitches a minute by that time.

    Technically, Thimonnier invented the first machine that could be used to really accomplish some sewing.

    Unfortunately, for him, the social structure of the time was not ready to accept this type of technilogical advance. Fearful for their jobs, mobs of journeyman tailors rushed his shop and destroyed his machines. Thimonnier tried at least twice more to introduce his machines (now improved to 300 stitches a minute), but similar bad luck dogged him. He finally gave up and died a poor man in 1857.

    In 1834, the sewing machine was invented again in New York by Walter Hunt. Hunt's machine was a major improvement over previous one's. Instead of stitching the easily unraveled chainstitch like all previous machines, Hunt's could produce a lockstitch. He did this by using two thread spools: one above, one below. He used a shuttle to push the lower thread through the loop caused by the needle pushing through the fabric. This same principle has since been used by all successful sewing machines.

    Unfortunately, for Hunt (and others, it turns out), he neglected to patent this machine with the two threads and a shuttle system. Hunt was also a Quaker; when his daughter suggested his machine would do harm to seamstresses who might be put out of work, Hunt seemed to agree. He took no further interest in his sewing machine.

    Not long after, in 1839, a Bostonian machine shop owner named Ari Davis was approached by two men who wanted to build a knitting machine. During their discussions, Davis suggested they try a sewing machine instead. The men figured such a machine would be a financial bonanza and Davis attempted -- and failed -- to create such a machine.

    The noteworthy part of this Boston venture was that Davis had an apprentice who took an interest in this matter. The apprentice's name was Elias Howe.

    Howe began trying to develop a sewing machine on his own. He came up with the idea of using two threads and a shuttle -- the same idea Hunt had used ten years earlier. Howe continued to develop his machine; by 1845 he had completed a machine that was able to perform all the stitchwork to assemble two suits of woolen clothes. In 1846 Howe received a patent on his device.

    The journal, "Scientific American" was impressed as they praised Howe's "extraordinary invention". Perhaps Hunt would have received similar praise had he bothered to patent his device more than ten years earlier.

    Unfortunately, "Scientific American" were the only ones impressed. Howe spent three years trying to drum up interest in both American and England. By 1849, he was basically broke. His wife died (and he had to borrow the money to reach her bedside before she died). He attended her funeral in a borrowed suit; he then heard that the ship containing all his household goods was wrecked and all his goods were lost. Discouraged, He gave up his sewing machine quest and took a machine shop job for a weekly wage.

    Actually, Howe's machine failed for a good reason, it was not quite a practical solution. His machine did not have a presser foot; in order to sew fabric, the pieces had to be matched inside a metal frame. This frame was then attached to the machine and guided the stitching. Once you reached the end of the frame, it had to be removed and the fabric reset. This meant that A) no continuous stitching was possible, and B) you could only stitch in straight lines, you could not follow a curve. Because of this, Howe's machine could not be considered a serious solution to the sewing problem and was therefore not a true and practical "sewing machine".

    In 1850 a familiar name entered the sewing machine world -- Isaac Singer. I think that Singer should be considered the inventor of the first practical sewing machine -- it could stitch continuous lines, it could stitch around curves, it used a pressor foot, and it was a marketable solution available for a reasonable price.

    Other inventors also introduced sewing machines to compete with Singer -- and the sewing machine industry was born.

    However, Elias Howe was not quite finished. He noticed that all sewing machines used two threads and a shuttle.

    He held a patent on this method (even though Hunt had invented it first a decade earlier) Howe then embraced that great American business plan, "Those who can, do -- those who can't, sue!"

    Howe began a vigorous legal campaign against all sewing machine manufacturers. It's interesting to note that it was impossible to build a practical sewing machine solely by using Howe's patents. It took many patented items (they soon ranged into the 100's) in order to construct a workable sewing machine. Still, the idea of two threads and a shuttle was also an essential component of a usable sewing machine.

    The courts agreed. Howe soon received royalties of up to $25 per every sewing machine sold. Without selling a single machine of his own design, Howe became rich.

    Singer and others tried to oppose him. They uncovered Walter Hunt's earlier work and tried to find some proof that was presentable in court in order to break Howe's patent. Unfortunately, when Hunt lost interest in his device, he neglected to keep any of the devices he had already constructed or notes of their workings.

    Although Hunt was first, it was impossible to prove in court and Howe's suit held up.

    So -- it's apparent that Elias Howe did not invent the first sewing machine. He didn't even invent the first sewing device. What he did do was be the first to patent a component that was used by the real inventor of the first workable, usable, and marketable sewing machine, Isaac Singer.

    Article Source: http://www.articleset.com


     

    About the Author

    Joey Robichaux maintains the Free Sheet Music Downloads website at http://www.freesheetmusic.net. This directory is one of the oldest websites on the internet covering sources of free sheet music. In addition, you'll find many public domain pieces of sheet music classics available for download. » Read more articles by Joey Robichaux
  2.  by Seth Miller

    There is something intriguing about an antique – a long-ago far away feeling – that is almost enigmatic. A sort of mystery surrounds an antique object. Who were the people who first used it; what all has the object witnessed? History lives on through antiques.

    Buttons are perhaps the most popular antique collectible. Buttons date back to ancient Egypt and China. But most antique buttons are from Europe and are not more than 200 years old. In fact, the period from 1830 to 1850 has been labeled as the Golden Age of buttons. Victorian buttons are an antique collector’s delight. The black ‘jet’ buttons worn by the Queen while she was mourning the death of her husband are extremely rare and valuable.

    Antique buttons with pictures engraved or painted on them are the best storytellers. They have truly captured the essence of the bygone times. Another kind of antique buttons is the ‘realistic’ buttons that are shaped like real objects. ‘Habitat’ buttons take the idea of realism a step further; they have dried plants or insects nicely sealed under glass domes.

    Often made of precious material like gold, mother of pearl and ivory, and handcrafted by artists, antique buttons are priced very high. The older and more rare the buttons, the more valuable they are. An antique button can cost up to a few thousand dollars. Enthusiasts around the world collect antique buttons. Collectors’ clubs organize competitions and exhibitions for its members. Antique buttons are increasingly being exhibited on the Internet.

    Antique buttons came to be preserved because they were too beautiful to be thrown away. And in present times antique buttons hold a legacy that is too precious to be thrown away.

    Buttons provides detailed information on Buttons, How To Sew A Button, Sewing Buttons, Antique Buttons and more. Buttons is affiliated with Rubber Wristbands .

  3. Fun and Easy Rag Quilting
    by Penny Halgren

    The first time I heard the term “Rag Quilting,” I though it had something to do with using big, long rags of fabric and somehow weaving them together to make a quilt.

    Boy, was I wrong!

    It turns out that rag quilting got its name from the ragged edges on the quilt. No doubt in my mind that this quilt design was created by a quilter as a variation of a Quilt as You Go kind of pattern – whether it was intentional or accidental is something only that quilter knows.

    Wide seam allowances are common for rag quilting – usually at least 1.” So, if you would like each block to be an 8” square when finished, you should cut 10” squares of fabric and 7¾” batting or flannel.

    To make a rag quilt, you take 2 squares of fabric (could be triangles or any other shape, but squares are most common), and a piece of batting for each block in your quilt. You could use a piece of flannel instead. The batting or flannel should be cut about 1¼” smaller than the squares of fabric.

    Place one square of fabric right side down on your table. Place the piece of batting or flannel in the center of the fabric. And then place the other piece of fabric right side up on top of the batting. You now have a stack with 3 layers, and the right sides of the fabric are facing out.

    Stitch through all of the layers, to secure them in place. Usually these squares are machine stitched, using a simple straight stitch, making an X through the square. To do that, you begin in one corner and stitch to the opposite corner. Take your square out of the machine, and repeat the process on the other corner. You could do some fancy quilting in each block if you would like.

    Continue this layering and stitching for as many squares as you would like – depending on how large you would like your quilt to be.

    Once you have all of your squares/blocks stitched, it is time to begin to sew them together to make your quilt.

    The process is the similar as if you were sewing blocks together to make a quilt top, with just a slight twist or two. Take two blocks and place them WRONG sides together. Stitch them together using a 1” seam allowance. Sew the seam along the entire edge of the fabric, and do not backstitch.

    Sew the blocks in each row together. Now you have a bunch of rows of blocks with all of the seam allowances facing to one side (usually the front side).

    Once that is done, open the seam allowances, and sew the rows together, continuing to place the WRONG sides of the fabric together, so your seam allowances will face the top (right side) of the quilt.

    After all of your blocks are sewn together, clip the seam allowances – that is what makes the “ragged” edge, or fringe. Take a very sharp pair of scissors and cut about ½” into the seam allowance, making sure not to cut into the stitching. Make these slices about ¼” apart from each other.

    Once all of the seams are clipped, shake your quilt out to remove as many of the loose threads as possible, then wash the quilt and place it in the dryer. This will cause the clipped seam allowances to fringe even more.

    Happy Quilting!

    Penny Halgren

    Penny Halgren is a quilter of more than 24 years who seeks to interest new quilters and provide them with the resources necessary to create beautiful quilts.

    This article courtesy of www.How-to-Quilt.com.
    ©2006, Penny Halgren

Facebook Fans

Facebook Fan Page

Article Archives & Blog

Our Article Archives are accessible without registration. 

We are working on incorporating our blog/forum into our site so you'll have instant access.  In the meantime, please subscribe to our blog  ... you'll be taken to our blog at blogger.com.  You'll be able to read existing posts without logging in.  To post your own topics and replies, you will need to subscribe.

We will post our own subjects and replies, and encourage you to share your own thoughts, suggestions and ideas. We ask that you post content that is sewing & craft related - including machine usage, specific projects, sewing & crafting tips - anything related to what we all love - quilting, sewing, crafting, etc.

We hope the information you find is useful and welcome suggestions to improve our blog or our website - forum_help@sewingexpressions.com.

Stitch & Share
Another Free Project From Sewing Expressions
I Don’t Know Front From BackReversible Polar Fleece BlankieThis project is from our Down & Dirty, Quick & Easy, I Need A Last Minute Gift Project Book, and can be purchased at www.sewingexpressions.com.2005-2008 copyright Sewing Expressions LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher. We have made every effort to ensure accuracy and completeness in these instructions. We cannot, however, be responsible for human error or variations in individual work.Supplies You’ll Need: 1 - 36" square ea of orange and yellow PolarFleece®4 - 35" x 4" strips gold PolarFleece3 - 6" squares gold PolarFleece1 - 6" square yellow PolarFleece2 - 6" squares orange PolarFleeceMatching sewing threadSulky 12-wt. Cotton threadSize 90 or 100 Topstitch needleTemporary spray adhesiveLet’s Get Started Click on the pattern below to open the full-size pattern in a new window. Print pattern at 100%.From the gold squares, trace and cut out heart and 2 star appliqués.From the yellow square, trace and cut out star appliqué.From the orange squares, trace and cut out 2 heart appliqués.Lightly spray the backs of the appliqué pieces with temporary adhesive.Position the gold and orange hearts on one corner of the yellow fleece square. Position the gold and yellow stars on one corner of the orange fleece square.Insert topstitch needle and thread machine with 12-wt. thread in the needle and standard sewing thread in the bobbin.Setup machine for a 6mm wide blanket stitch (substitute a zigzag stitch or other decorative stitch if desired). Test your stitching on scraps of your project fabric.Sew your selected stitch around the edges of the hearts and stars appliques, pivoting often to ensure smooth edges.With long raw edges even and right sides together, center a 4" strip of fleece along 1edge of the orange square (the fringe strips are 1" shorter than the sides to allow for a 1/2" seam allowance - DO NOT stretch the strips to fit). Use a 5/8" seam allowance to baste in place. Repeat with 3 more strips to add to the other edges of the square.With right sides of orange and yellow squares together and grain going in the same direction, use a 5/8" seam allowance to stitch around all 4 edges of the blanket. Leave an opening for turning on one edge. Clip corners, but DO NOT trim seam allowance. Because of the stretch of the fleece, the blanket will distort if the 2 layers are not going in the same direction.Turn right side out and slipstitch opening closed.Topstitch 1" from edge of blanket. This will form a "faux" piping effect without the need for piping cord.Using a sharp pair of shears, cut gold fleece into fringe (approximately wide strips). Sewing Expressions LLC . 1497 Main St, Suite 315 . Dunedin, FL 34698Phone/Fax 727-734-1123 . www.sewingexpressions.com . info@sewingexpressions.com

Comfort Wrap
Comfort Wrap©Copyright 2006 Sewing Expressions LLC. This project may be freely shared, but may not be sold or used for profit. The instructions included herein, may not be copied in any part, either printed or digital, for profit. If used in a classroom setting, the instruction must be distributed to each student in it’s’ entirety and unedited from its’ original format/layout.A perfect project for your charitable group. Our wrap makes a wonderful gift for hospital patients or nursing home residents. Adjust the length to accommodate height of the recipient (finished length approx 66”). Ziggy & Patch are always willing to test our projects! Our boys just love curling up in their Comfort Wrap…Stitch up our quick Comfort Wrap for yourself and all your friends. Makes a perfect gift for a reader…room in the pockets for a book, glasses, tissue etc.Supplies:2 ½ yards fleece (depending on the width of your fleece, you should have enough to make 2 or 3 wraps)1 yd ball-fringe trim (or trim of your choice)1 yd wide rickrack (optional)Wave rotary cutterRulerPinsLet’s Get Started:1. Cut a piece of fleece lengthwise on fabric to measure 24” x 90”.2. With right sides together, fold up 2” along each short end to form a cuff.3. Tuck ball trim under edge and stitch in place (or use any trim of your choice).OPTIONAL: Sew rickrack along cuff 1/2” above the edge/ball trim.4. On each narrow end, with wrong sides together, fold up 10” for pockets. Pin in place.5. Measure 6” in from each edge and pin through both fabric layers along this line to create 3 pockets on each end of the wrap.6. Stitch through both fabric layers to form pockets. Sew sides of pockets 1 ¼’ from edge to leave room for trimming in the final step.7. Using a wave rotary cutter or pinking shears, trim long outside edges, cutting off one inch on each edge. Trim through both layers on pockets (3 layers on cuff).

FREE Last Minute Christmas Gift Project
.ms-list3-main { border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top: 1.5pt solid black; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid black; background-color: white;}.ms-list3-tl { font-weight: bold; color: navy; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid black; background-color: white;}.ms-list3-left { font-weight: normal; color: black; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-bottom: .75pt solid black; background-color: white;}.ms-list3-even { font-weight: normal; color: black; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-bottom: .75pt solid black; background-color: white;}.style1 { text-align: center;}.style2 { font-size: medium;}.style3 { font-size: xx-small;}Last Minute Christmas Gift Hanging Dish TowelsCopyright 2008 Sewing Expressions LLC. This project may be freely shared, but may not be sold or used for profit. The instructions included herein, may not be copied in any part, either printed or digital, for profit. If used in a classroom setting, the instructions must be distributed to each student in its' entirety and unedited from its' original format/layout.Need a quick last minute holiday hostess gift? These are so quick, you'll want to stitch up bunches for yourself & friends! You can never have enough towels handy in the kitchen or bath. A quick, easy project just perfect for gift-giving, bazaars and craft fairs.SuppliesFabric scraps large enough to cut 2 pattern piecesSewing ThreadPatternLight to medium-weight fusible interfacing large enough to cut 2 pattern piecesStandard Dish Towel1/2" - 3/4" button (1 for each towel you will construct) DirectionsCut towel in half across the narrow width, leaving both ends uncut. The uncut ends become the finished bottom ends of your towels.Serge or zigzag the raw edge of the towel.Fuse interfacing to the back of your fabric scraps.Using the pattern, cut 2 (1 front, 1 back) from the fused fabric/interfacing pieces.With right sides facing, using a ½" seam allowance, stitch around the curved edges of the pattern, leaving the bottom open. Trim and notch seam where necessary. Fold up 1/2" along open edge and press.Turn tab right side out and press.Gather or pleat raw edge of towel to fit the open area at the bottom of the pattern. Pull up gathers to fit opening on bottom of tab. Tuck gathered edge of towel into opening of fabric tab. Sew 2 rows of topstitching, through all layers, close to folded bottom edge of tab. Wrap end of fabric tab around your door handle. Using marks on pattern as guides, mark exact position for button and buttonhole.Stitch button to mark. Sew a buttonhole, sized to your button. -OR-If your cabinets have knobs that make it difficult to wrap the tab end around, sew a buttonhole long enough to go over the cabinet knob and do not attach a button. OPTIONAL: Add lace or other trim to the end of your towel. Click image below to open the full-size pattern in a new window:

FREE Table Runner project from Sewing Expressions
Our Table Runner is posted courtesy of LikeSew - a creative, fun quilt program perfect for everyone! Sewing Expressions for more information... Finished Size: Approximately 62" x 26" Fabric Requirements Fabric A (dark print) - 1 yard Fabric B (medium print) - 1/4 yard Fabric C (light print) - 1 yard Backing - 1 1/2 yards Binding - 1/2 yard Like Sew www.LikeSew.com Copyright 2007 Cutting Directions Fabric A: Cut 4 strips 3 1/2" x width of the fabric. Cut the strips into 40 squares measuring 3 1/2" x 3 1/2". Cut 4 strips 3 7/8" x width of the fabric. Cut the strips into 40 squares measuring 3 7/8" x 3 7/8". Fabric B: Cut 2 strips 3 7/8" x width of the fabric. Cut the strips into 20 squares measuring 3 7/8" x 3 7/8". Fabric C: Cut 6 strips 3 7/8" x width of the fabric. Cut the strips into 60 squares measuring 3 7/8" x 3 7/8". Cut 5 strips 1 1/2" x width of the fabric. Set these strips aside for the border. Binding: Cut 5 strips 2 1/2" x width of the binding fabric. Set these strips aside for the binding. Half-square Triangle Instructions Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the lighter colored fabric. Place this square, right sides together, with the other square to be sewn. Sew a seam exactly 1/4" on BOTH sides of the drawn line as shown: Cut directly on the drawn line. Press the seams open. Clip the "dog ears" to make a perfect square: Piecing Directions Draw a diagonal line on the back of each Fabric A square measuring 3 7/8" x 3 7/8". Match 40 of the squares together with 40 squares of the same size cut from fabric C. Draw a diagonal line on the back of each Fabric B square measuring 3 7/8" x 3 7/8". Match 20 of the squares together with 20 squares of the same size cut from fabric C. Follow the directions for making half-square triangles on the previous page. You will have 120 half-square triangles when this step is completed. 80 will be with fabrics A and C, 40 will be with fabrics B and C. Following the diagram, sew four squares together to form a block. All of the blocks in this quilt are made exactly this same way. Continue with the remaining squares until you have 40 completed blocks. Following the diagram below, take four of the completed blocks in step 3 and sew them together in the exact order shown. This will make a larger block. There will be 10 of these larger blocks in the quilt. Continue with the remaining smaller blocks until you have 10 completed larger blocks. Quilt Assembly Sew 5 completed larger blocks together in a row. Repeat until you have 2 rows. Nowjoin the 2 completed rows together, one on top of another. Sew border strips onto both sides of the quilt. Press. Now sew the remaining border strips onto both the top and the bottom of the quilt. Layer the quilt back, the batting, and the quilt top together, in that order. Machine or hand quilt as desired. Use the 2 1/2" strips of binding fabric cut earlier to bind the quilt using your favorite method.

Roll-em Up Take-em Along Tool Tote
This project is from Down & Dirty, Quick & Easy, I Need A Last Minute Gift Project Book, available from Sewing Expressions.2005-2008 copyright Sewing Expressions LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher.We have made every effort to ensure accuracy and completeness in these instructions. We cannot, however, be responsible for human error or variations in individual work. Supplies You’ll Need: 1 ea - 19” x 19” square cotton print and felt1 pkg (minimum 2 yds) extra-wide double-fold bias binding Matching sewing thread for the needle and bobbin Water-soluble fabric marker Let’s Get Started: Lay the print square face down on your cutting mat.Place the felt square on the print square.Cut the bottom edge on an angle 2” shorter on the right side. Round the 2 top corners.Bind angled bottom edge.Fold up the bottom edge 6” on the left side (right side will be only 4”).Using the marker, draw lines 3” & 2” apart as indicated on diagram.Stitch along marked lines, through all layers, from top to bottom of pockets. Double-stitch for extra strength. Cut a piece of binding 20” long.Topstitch the long open edge to secure layers together and create a tie for the roll-up.Fold bias tie in half and secure at top edge of 6” pocket.Apply bias around entire outer edge (see our Footnote on page 6).To use, tuck tools in pockets, fold top fabric over tools, roll up and tie.

What's your favorite Quilt Binding method?
So many ways to bind a quilt - we'd like to share our favorite variation with all of you. Download our Quick and Easy, No Fuss Perfect Quilt Binding pdf from our Freebies page. Then...after you've checked out ours, we'd really love to hear your favorite quilt binding methods.Happy stitching,Kim & Linnettehttp://www.sewingexpressions.com/
 Sewing Expressions LLC
5958 Snow Hill Road, Suite 144-301
Ooltewah, TN  37363
727-734-1123 Phone/Fax
 
Copyright © Sewing Expressions LLC Ooltewah, TN
info@sewingexpressions.com
http://www.sewingexpressions.com

Info

About Us  ·  Contact Us  ·  FAQs  ·  Links  ·  Blog  ·  Privacy Policy  ·  Shipping  ·  Reviews...  ·  Where To Buy

We accept the following forms of payment: