In Stitches, by Amy Butler

Reported by Nancy Beyer

I love anything Amy Butler. I want to basically dress myself and my house in all her fabrics. She seriously has an almost William Morris like modern day interpretation of fabric that I love. I wish she would have more clothes patterns because if I had time, I would make every single one of them. However, I was a bit disappointed about her latest book, In Stitches. I bought my copy from Amazon for under $20.00 USD but it can also be found at Barnes and Noble and Chronicle Books.

Using this book, I created this kitty tunnel. Simple enough right? It should have taken me about an hour at tops. Instead of faux fur, I used fuzzy wuzzy flannel. See the picture of Mogaley the Cat ( above) modeling the result. It took me four hours due to the directions. At one point, in Step # 5, I really messed up and had to rip out the seams because I was testing to see how well the directions would work without looking at a diagram.

If you read the directions for Step # 5, "with the exterior tunnel wrong side facing out and the fur lining right side facing out....slip the exterior tunnel over the fur lining making ..." you would have not sewed the item correctly. However, if you were to look at the at the mini diagram for Step 5, it doesn't match the written word. The diagram above shows, "wrong side of the exterior and the wrong side of the the fur". This was the critical issue I saw throughout the entire book. Even though the writer would bold the words RIGHT side and WRONG side in an attempt to differentiate between the fabric's "sides", in my viewpoint, those descriptors didn’t make sense at all when reading the instructions. Yes, there is a right and wrong side to every fabric, but again, from a beginner’s standpoint, it would have behooved the author to explain what they really meant. Something as simple as, the "patterned side" of the fabric equates to the "right" side of the fabric, and the "wrong" side of the fabric equates to the "non patterned" side.

I wanted to make sure I was not being to harsh, so I brought it over to my neighbor who is a seasoned sewer. She read the directions about three times and agreed with me that yes, this is difficult - especially if you don't have the terminology ingrained in your head.

I will admit, I was a technical writer - so little picky inconsistencies like this drive me nuts. Will I still finish the rest of the book? Maybe. I am currently eying up an apron and bag pattern. I am sure a good cup of java and a speed dial call to my neighbor will help me through it! Also, I found that Amy Butler's site lists corrections to the book.

Pros -

• Patterns are clear and well drawn.
• The variety of projects is good but I would prefer a rating system on level of difficulty

Cons-

• This is not a beginners sewing book at all, something that shocked me.
• The directions are very hard to follow - in fact - almost hard to comprehend. I found myself rereading the directions, sometimes 4 times. That is what took the longest - reading the directions and than looking at the diagrams to see if they matched.
• Questions for beginners? One had to go to Page 172 to find out information. I prefer to have all information needed on the page that I am reading.
• The diagrams are extremely small and were also hard to follow. They needed to be a bit bigger, especially when one puts five diagrams on one 8 x8 page. For example:

However, if you truly are a newbie at sewing, this is not your book. I would recommend reading like "Bend -the- Rules Sewing" by Amy Karol of Angrychicken fame or "Sew, Sew Everything Workshop" by Dianna Rupp. I love those books and they are extremely helpful.

Tell us what you think! Have you used the book In Stiches?

Bend the Rules Sewing

Reported by: Martha Bonneau

Are you new to sewing or have limited experience with sewing? Are looking for a book to help shed some light on all of your questions? Well, look no further than Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol. Many crafters may already be aware of Karol through her popular blog Angry Chicken. This book is written in a friendly, informative way that makes the reader instantly feel inspired to tackle the projects within. With it's easy to read text and hand drawn illustrations and patterns, it is very user friendly and less text-book like than many of the other sewing books I have tried to use in the past...this format immediately put me at ease.


This book is divided up into the following sections:

1. Learning to Sew 101
-Bending the rules in sewing
-Bending the rules in life
-Your attitude about mistakes

2. Let's Get Started!
-The sewing machine
-Basic sewing tools and notions
-Your sewing area

3. Start Your Machines!
-Sewing vocabulary 101
-Using the patterns in the book
-The Basics

Sections 4-6 are divided up into multiple projects ranging from tote bags, fashionable dog collars, curtains and pillows as well as cute items for children. Patterns and templates are also included.

The fun, colorful pictures of the finished projects in this book make you want to sit down and start sewing immediately! I have been wanting to make an apron for quite a while and was inspired by the Vintage Apron project to make this one:


I even felt confident enough with the instructions to add the optional pocket. This is my first attempt at an apron, so is it perfect? No. Is it pretty darn close to perfect? Yes! Karol lets you know that sewing is a process and that you should "throw caution to the wind", learn a few basics and find your favorite methods. If you finish a project and it looks homemade, well that's a good thing and not something to beat yourself up over. This is definitely a book for beginners. If you already know the basics and are looking for projects that will stretch you, this may not be the book for you. But if you need that first step to get your feet wet in the world of sewing it's definitely worth checking out.

Pros:

* Easy to read and understand
* Fun colorful pictures of finished projects
* Templates for projects are included
* Lots of helpful hints and tips...Sewing Vocabulary 101 is very helpful

Cons:

* Some of the templates and patterns are not to scale and must be enlarged
* Spiral bound would be nice as I found myself referring back to it several times during my project and losing my place

Where to buy:

I picked up my copy at Barnes & Noble, it can also be found at Amazon and Borders. It retails for $21.95 and in my opinion, was worth every penny! I would love to see Karol come out with another book with more advanced projects for those of us who want to build on our newly acquired sewing skills.

Sew Crafty Mini

Reported by Heidi Kingery


I'm sure several of you are familiar with roaming the isles of your favorite craft stores even though you have seen everything they have to offer. You think, well, maybe they will have something new this week! Often times, that's not the case (at least for me) but every once in a while you peek around just the right corner! Well, a few weeks ago, that was what happened to me. There were 5 little boxes on the very top shelf of a back end cap (talk about treasure hunting). I got on my tippy toes and pulled down this cute looking mini sewing machine. It's called Sew Crafty Mini and is made by Provo Craft. The first thing I always look for is the price, $9.99. I had a 40% coupon to burn, so into my cart it went. I know that it might not be as easily available to some of you so can also find this at Scrapbook Supercenter, Ritz Camera, and Scrapbooks.com.

When I opened the box and pulled the machine out, the first thing I did was notice the piece of material that was under the needle along with a warning label reminding you to remove items carefully:

The next thing I did was put in 4 AA batteries. I sewed a little on the piece of material before pulling it out and it seemed to work really well. However, they were thin pieces.

The directions were detailed and also included several ways to form knots. There was also a 'Quick Start Guide' with step by step pictures included as well as a troubleshooting section. In my opinion they didn't lack in guiding me through the process.

Now, it was my turn to try it out. Since it was already threaded, the process started quickly. I placed my project under the needle, lowered the presser foot, and pushed in the power button (there is no petal since it is a 'mini'). You can press the button in slightly so all you have to do is let your finger off to stop, or you can press it completely in so you have both hands to guide what you're working on. Both options are the same speed, the latter just lets you sew with a 'hands free' option.

Here are my samples using this machine. In both cases I was sewing through 2 sheets of heavyweight paper and didn't have a problem at all.

{Stamps by Sassafrass Lass}

{Stamps by smARTworks}

Included in the box also were 2 extra bobbins (one with white thread and one with black), an extra needle, a threader, and bobbin thread rod. If you'd like more of a selection, Provo Craft also makes a 25 pack of threaded bobbins in various colors, including extra needles in the pack. Although I have not tested it, the separate pack of bobbins look just like ones that go into a regular sewing machine. Therefore, if you have bobbins threaded already for your regular machine, those should work on this as well.


Pros

• Less than $10
• Small and lightweight
• Option of cord or batteries

Cons

• Only does straight stitch
• Doesn't work great with material
• Can only stitch 2 inches into paper
• No light
  

In the end, I can't say that I am 'impressed' with this product, but I don't regret buying it either. It's nice to have handy if I am just wanting a straight stitch and changing the bobbin is quick and easy. If something goes horribly wrong with this machine I can throw it in the trash without cringing. After all, I spend more at a trip to McDonald's than I did on this.

What do you think? Do you have this machine? Please share your experience!

Paper Crafting with the Janome Sew Mini

Before I hit the "publish" button on Jen's article, I just wanted to let our readers know that Jen has decided to step down from Craft Critique. We are absolutely going to miss Jen's talent here... and we wish her the very best in her new endeavors! Thanks so much Jen for all your hard work! We are already missing you! ~Sarah

Reported by Jen del Muro













It's not a secret that incorporating sewing into your paper crafting is trendy right now. Or, as Paris might say, "That's hot." If you are anything like me, the thought of dragging your Singer out of the closet, getting it all set up and stitching a few lines on your project (assuming that the machine plays nicely with your paper project) is about the equivalent to the dentist saying, "Well, I have some bad news."

Then, along comes the Janome Sew Mini. (retails for $59.99US)

Let me guess...you are skeptical. Thoughts of horror stories of the itty bitty wastes of money that don't work well with paper, let alone cloth--the medium they were originally intended for, are spinning in your head. I sat back and I looked at other people's projects done with the Janome Sew Mini. I read the reviews. I sat back some more thinking that there was no way this little thing could work. Then the other day, my UPS man rang the bell (even though there is a sign on the door that says "Shhhh...Baby Sleeping) and there it was...my very own Janome Sew Mini. If curiosity wasn't gonna kill the cat, it was gonna kill me. I opened it up and grabbed the instructions immediately. Step by step instructions...with diagrams. It was like they were speaking directly to the sewing dummy in me. In no time at all, I had it set up and was ready to work on my first paper project. I put the pedal to the metal and...perfection!! I cannot tell you how pleasantly surprised I was! I was probably grinning from ear to ear as I admired my (somewhat not so straight--because of user error) stitches.

I apologize if I sound like an info-mercial for this product, but I love it.

Well, most of it.

There are two things that I wish that it had. First, there is no case. I will probably end up sewing a fabric case for it so that dust stays out of the components. The other feature that I wish it had was a light. I am not sure if I was missing the lighting because my big machine has one, or if my studio's lighting is not sufficient. Although, I miss these two features, they can be overlooked (and overcome) easily and they are nothing compared to the positives of this machine.

Here are the features, as listed at Hancock Fabrics (where it happens to be on sale right now for $39.99), and as observed by yours truly:

• Lightweight...only 5 lbs!!
• Easy to use (set-up and projects)
• 4 Straight length stitches
• 3 Zig-zag length stitches

Here's a card I did using this machine:

Just What I Wanted!

Reported by Donna Lannerd

OK, is it really wrong to want a super expensive sewing machine over a pair of 2 carat diamond earrings? Of course, I wouldn't really want my husband to pick out the sewing machine. I'm much too picky for that to go well. Plus, it's a personal test-driving product that is best done by yourself or at least with one of your creative friends who shares that same crafting personality trait with you. Therefore, I won't put the super-charged, it-can-do-everything sewing machine on my list but I will tell you about 5 other items that I would love to have under the tree.

5 Things I Need (yes need!)

The Cuttlebug: You've seen it discussed here at Craft Critique and I've seen it in action thanks to friends and I can't stop thinking about it. It die-cuts and it embosses and it's easy to use. I just know I would make all my holiday cards if I had this little puppy helping me out. I would, I really would...well at least most of them.

TrueColor™ 18 Watt Lexington Floor Lamp: I already have the small task lamp but would love to have this beautiful floor size for the living room to help me to see what I'm working on while spending time with the family. It is so nice that they make these to be beautiful as well as functional. $269.95

Quilting Arts Magazine Subscription: I buy this on the newsstand for almost every issue and I sometimes will order back issues if I miss one. Not really all that economical. The photography in this magazine is amazing and I love the ideas that burst from the pages. $32.95 1 year/6 issues (single issue newsstand price $7.99)

Jane's Hothouse Garden fabric collection from Jane Sassaman: This newly released cotton fabric collection oozes with vibrant colors and contemporary images of the artist's work. Yes, I want the whole collection. Approximately $8-10/yard

Electric Quilt Six: Even if you don't quilt you would have a hard time stop making virtual quilts. There are even some Internet groups out there that just make virtual quilts from EQ6. I used to have EQ5 but it didn't like my new computer. I made lots of those virtual quilts but I did design and finish a real one. Even paper crafters can use this to come up with interesting designs using their papers instead of fabric. $149.95

Now here are a few things that I have that would be great to give to others.

Beading on Fabric, Encyclopedia of Bead Stitch Techniques by Larkin Jean Van Horn: I love this book! A great place to start if you want to begin adding beads to fabric. The photography and diagrams are first-rate. The big plus on this book is it is spiral bound and will lie flat while you are using it to learn those new techniques. $21.95

Ott True Color Task Lamp: I've written about this lamp here at Craft Critique before as one item I can't live without and if you can't afford the bigger models yet this is a great one to start with and you can find them on sale for around $40-$50. Suggested retail is $79.95.

Quilters Cut N Press II. This is the large of the Cut N Press models. It is 12" x 18" and has a convenient handle for portability and is great for small spaces. I use this all the time. It is a cutting mat on one side and pressing surface on the other. You can take it anywhere. I've even pressed small items of clothing on this instead of getting out the big ironing board. $32.99

Colorfast Inkjet Fabric Sheets: Another great product from June Tailor. These are 8 1/2" x 11" paper-backed fabric sheets that you insert into your printer just like regular paper. They come in white and cream. They allow you to print your photos directly to fabric and sew them into your projects. They also now have ones that you print on and then fuse to your ready-made item if you don't sew. I haven't tried these ones out yet but I will. 3 pak $12.99

Bead & Button, Ribbon & Felt Jewelry: I just got this yummy book a couple of weeks ago so I haven't made anything out of it yet but the projects seem simple to master but look gorgeous just like the photography though out the pages. The diagrams are also great by integrating color for easier instruction. $19.95

Organization Carnival...Part 2!

Wow! What can I say. There is SO much wonderful information out there on getting organized. Hopefully there is an idea or two in all these posts that can help you out. Be sure and visit these sites and tell them Craft Critique sent you! Do you find yourself featured in this carnival, we would love it if you would link back to us on your blog letting all of your readers know. Thanks!!


Sometimes our rooms need makeovers just like us. The Midlife Mom did an awesome job getting hers all neat and tidy.

Asela has big dreams for her own crafty space. But how she organizes her tiny space while she waits.

A functional and CHEAP way to organize ribbon. Way to go Kim!!

Gayle is not afraid to admit she's a fabric addict. But at least it all looks pretty!

Lauren makes great use of those closet door shoe holders. And she got them for a steal!

Vicki noticed our call for this carnival and took her camera into her space to share it with us. She does a great job reworking other items!

Gwen's stamp room has quite a bit of empty space at the moment. I'm sure it won't take long for her to fill it.

Deanna is currently writing a book featuring peoples craft rooms. She has some great Creative Spaces and Organizing featured on her blog.

Jeanette has ideas like crazy. Be sure and scroll down and read them all!!

Amy has lots of organizing tips, with a little Grey's Anatomy chatter thrown in!

Linda opens the doors to her craft room, and garden.

Melissa's art room is sooooo colorful! I love it (and her name *hehe*).

Ticia keeps those sheets of designer paper so organized.

Misti shares some great photos of her space.

Check out how Cindy stores her brads and Cuttlebug dies.

I am simply in awe of this Cyndi's space.

Trudee really cleaned up her zip baggies full of ribbon.

Julie is brilliant when it comes to organizing her unmounted stamps.

These containers that Angela uses are perfect for lots of style ink pads.

Renee has a great way to organize her Cuttlebug dies.

MiMi unmounted her wooden stamps to help with her storage issues.

As always please visit all of these wonderful blogs from the past two days. Did we miss something great?! Post it in the comments and let us know. And be sure to keep an eye on the right hand side of the page to see what our next carnival is all about and get in on the fun!!

Organization Carnival

Organizing can be tough. What works for one person may not work for another. Fortunately, we have tons of crafters with great ideas and one of them is bound to work for you. Check them out....
And guess what? We found so much great info out there we're going to have 2 days of Carnival, so be sure and check back tomorrow!! Please visit these sites and let them know you enjoyed their ideas, and tell them Craft Critique sent you!!
Do you find yourself listed here?? We would love it if you would link back to us on your blog! Thanks!!


Laura, the self proclaimed "organizing junkie", shows us what to do with our 12x12 paper.

Are you a knitter? Stephanie cleaned up her craft room and organized it beautifully!

Real Women Scrap is not only full of lots of great organizing ideas but lots of fun scrappy and life stuff too. Scroll around and check it all out!

DC resident, Lagomorph, can help you organize your crafty side and the rest of your home!

Kathy Mack (isn't that the cutest name...not sure why, just is) took on her sewing room , stored her fabric, made the cutest roll for her colored pencils, and transformed her cutting table.

Patience has organized her knitting supplies in her office. I love the dividers, such a great idea.

Aby at Creative Organizing, combines organizing with the crafty things we all love. Tons of info here!

Maria at Get Organized Now, has a great idea on how to organize your scrapbooking albums.

Casey Lee has ideas for keeping scrapbooking organized in any space.

Monika gives us a peek into her stamping space.

Marguerita in The Netherlands, has 3 posts on organization to share with us. 1, 2, 3

Jana opens the doors to her Alaskan piece of heaven. Great ideas for storing punches.

Check out how Amy keeps everything neat and organized. And she also makes great use of those empty stamp cases.

Come on in to Emily's stamping space.

How can I store it? Ellen has some answers.

Nicole's got one super hubby that made this studio for her.

We love it when bloggers do a series of entries. Sharon has 4 weeks worth of organization ideas plus a lot more!

Aloha from Hawaii! Jen has great ideas for your retiring sets, stamp pads, and more!

Stay tuned for more tomorrow!!!

Have You Enjoyed Our Challenge?

Did you enter our Fabric Challenge Contest yet? look at our sidebar for a note about how you can win some cool stuff! >>>

Google/other feed readers... click HERE.

Edited to add: Some of you have stated you are unable to see the photos in this post. I don't know why this is happening, and things look normal from my end. Hope fully this is a temporary blogger problem. Please check back later; hopefully they will reappear. If anyone knows why this might be happening I'd love some feedback! Thanks!

Inspired to Sew!
Article By Sarah Moore

It was weeks ago that I asked Julie Fei-Fan Balzer if she wouldn't mind kicking off Craft Critique's first Craft Challenge. I though it'd be fun for us to spread our creative wings a bit; and provide a more decorative content to our blog... I mean the Cuttlebug is cute, but it isn't something I want to hang on my wall, you know what I mean? Plus I wanted to give you all a chance to see some of the talent we have here at Craft Critique. I think our reporteds did an amazing job with this challenge, and I hope you are as inspired by their creative stretching as I have been!

I have had a chance to think about this challenge all week; and as in typical Sarah Moore style; I waited until last night to actually sit down and work. I am so intrigued by the Paper/Fabric fusion look. I especially love the look of the sewn line; zig-zag or random quilted shapes... that was really my inspiration for these pieces. I confess; I help many a swatch of fabric in my hand but I couldn't bear to use any of them! I really had this ribbon thing stuck in my head, and I wanted to show you something that anyone with a sewing machine could accomplish, even if they didn't have any suitable fabric handy.

I tend to work on the messy side; and this goes for my sewing too... so I try to just embrace that and let it work FOR me instead of against me. Straight lines, neat corners, everything all lined up... it's just not gonna happen in this brain! These scraps of Yellow Grosgrain are sewn in place by machine with Hot Pink thread. I used a pale pink bobbin thread; so the underside is less dramatic; and surprising. I love how when you open this card you see the stitching, and how the loose strings hang off the ends. I contemplated hiding the sewing between sandwiched layers of paper; but I decided against it. This card is all about showing that each line is sewn, and letting the ribbon and thread really create some terrific texture. It's a card with lots of volume to it already; so I think additional paper layers would just make it heavy and stiff.

The stamped flower (from Bodacious Bouquet by Stampin' Up!) is stamped in Pink Passion, Yo-Yo Yellow and Pumpkin Pie. I spritzed the flowers with water after stamping to run the ink and also make the paper malleable so I could form them into a more 3D shape. It also serves to make the paper feel/look almost line a handmade paper. The center flower was created using the Baby-wipe technique. The leaves were stamped in Green Galore, and a Turquoise button completes the center of the flower.

TIP: sewing directly onto paper requires a different tension/stitch length that you are used to with fabrics. So you don't have to go through a new learning curve every time you use your sewing machine on paper, just make yourself a stitch "cheat sheet". On a piece of scrap cardstock, sew your favorite lines of stitching and then jot down the machine settings next to each line. Then tuck this card into your sewing basket or machine case. Next time you need to sew on paper it will remind you how to properly set your machine.

After sewing the last card base I was playing around with scraps and I created the background to this next card by just sewing some random lines onto paper. I tore the paper along one of the stitch lines to get a scalloped edge and I sponged the edges of the paper with Rose Red Ink. Again I love how the stitching and loose threads show. I thought this jumbo Prima Flower would be a nice compliment to the sewing. I sprayed it with a bit of silver glitter to sparkle it up some.

I used teeny dots of silver Stickles on the right side of the background to spruce it up further, and a SU! clear button backed in cool caribbean paper topped with a matching gem in the center. here is a touch of stamping on the caribbean background as well... just some random confetti images stamped tone on tone. Organdy ribbon and silver cord add the finishing touch! This card measures 5 1/2 X 5 1/2". The stitched layer adds a unique dimension to this card and helps make it soft and feminine.

I really enjoyed this challenge and hope you did too; we are loving the artwork we are seeing from all of you and hope more of you will enter our current contest! You can win of you don't play!

Inspired By Fibre Arts!

Firstly... be sure to look at our sidebar for a note about how you can win some cool stuff! >>>

Google/other feed readers... click HERE.

Cindy's love of quilting inspires her work
By Reporter Cindy Keery

If you've ever been to a Fibre Arts Festival you'll know what I mean when I say how inspiring it can be. I had the wonderful opportunity to take in the Gibsons Landing Fibre Arts Festival last summer in Gibsons, BC, Canada. Wow! What a great place to go to have your creative imagination stimulated. Before this event I was only remotely interested in fabrics and quilting, but since then it has become a passion of mine second only to stamping. It would be very difficult to go to one of these festivals and walk away not wanting to get creative in some way!

Seeing all the beautiful quilts on display was so awe inspiring. You can't help but want to start quilting when you see all the amazing possibilities. There's such a huge range of gorgeous fabrics and an endless number of patterns and quilting techniques to try. Entire lines of fabrics are all designed to coordinate perfectly, taking the guess work out of fabric selection and quilt design. In a way it's like purchasing a kit of coordinating designer papers for scrapbooking or card making.

One particular brand of fabric really caught my eye was Moda Fabrics. My first quilt was a 36" square quilt made with star blocks and for this quilt I used Moda Poetry Collection designer fabric by April Cornell. It's such a delightful, feminine, springy line. Then I used the Moda Chocolat fabric to make a queen sized quilt for my husband and I. I just LOVE how well these fabrics are designed and how beautifully they coordinate together. The Moda Chocolat line is so incredibly rich both in how in looks and also how it feels. I just love the paisleys and the florals… ahhhh just beautiful!

One thing I discovered is that Daisy D has a line of paper that is based on the Moda Fabrics! I was able to find some recently at my local scrapbook shop! It will be so neat to be able to make a scrapbook page about my quilt using paper that coordinates with the quilt!

I quickly learned that there's a huge difference between fabrics available on the market. For example, you can pick up some cute looking polyester at Wal Mart for around $4 (CDN) per meter or you can visit your local quilt shop and purchase 100% cotton top quality designer fabric for $15.95 (CDN) per meter. The difference in your final product will astound you! It's just like the difference between the patterned paper you can get at the Dollar Giant (a whole package for only $1.00!) and the gorgeous Crate Paper that you can get at your local scrapbook store. While the Dollar Giant paper may seem like a really great bargain, your finished cards & scrapbook pages will be 100 times more beautiful if you use the quality products. The bottom line is you get what you pay for whether it's in quilting or paper crafting.

When I heard about the latest challenge on Craft Critique I sat down in my craft room and got busy sewing on cards! If I'm sitting at my stamp table all I have to do is spin around in my chair and I am sitting at my sewing machine! Sometimes it pays to have a tiny space. LOL.

For awhile I've been doing faux stitching on my cards, but I haven't been really thrilled with the results. I've been using a brass template from Lasting Impressions as a guide for poking my holes with the Making Memories piercing tool. The problem is that you can't see through the brass template to see the edge of your card stock in order to line it up properly. To remedy this situation I've ordered the Stampin' Up! mat pack from my demonstrator. The downside to the Stampin' Up! piercing template is that it's smaller than a card front, but for now it will have to do. The other thing I do not like about faux stitching is the white pen I use to draw the stitches between the holes doesn't work very well. I have the white Signo gel pen from Stampin' Up! and I find that it's streaky and doesn't work half the time. It has been like this since the day I got it… so it's not like it's worn out.

To tell you the truth, I much prefer REAL stitching over the fake stuff! I find it much faster to just zing my card stock through my sewing machine to add a pretty stitched border, 2 piece card stock together or to attach ribbon - with real thread! If you have a sewing machine that's just collecting dust I encourage you to dig it out and set it up in a corner of your craft area. Then thread it and plug it in so it's ready to go when inspiration hits! Next time you're thinking about faux stitching why not try the real thing instead? I am sure you'll be delighted with the results.

Cindy slowly guides this folded ribbon through her machine, using an object
(not her finger... OUCH!) to lead the fabric. What a handy tip!

Here are a few samples I created just for this challenge. Each one of them has real sewing machine stitching! The True Thyme card features a scrap of Moda Chocolat fabric that I had leftover from my recent quilt project. I just love the texture and dimension the fabric ads to the card. I love cards that not only look good, but feel neat, too!