AQS announced there teacher roster for the Daytona Beach Show next year, Feb. 23-26, 2022. YES, I’ll be there teaching (and hopefully vending). The classes have not been posted but I can tell you, one of my favorite lectures will be on the list!! I look forward to Florida in the winter and Daytona Beach is a wonderful show to go to.

Now for secret sewing. I’m busy burning the midnight oil getting ready for Fall Quilt Market and Festival. There will be a new tool and book along with some patterns. I’ve been working on the idea for over a year and excited to have it nearing completion. Last week I talked about color inspiration. This week I can show you the fabrics I fell for at The Quilted Crow. Can you say GRUNGE! I love the vibrant colors! The dots are a favorite and the stars are magical. The photo below is my purchases from Saturday. LOVE!

Now for a sneak peek at some of those fabrics in a project…

Or how about those gorgeous Christmas fabrics I have on my website?….A little dark on the lighting….

Hmmmm, what could they be? Shhhh, don’t tell if you know the secrets!

I’ve been doing a lot of piecing, BUT the samples above were sewn by a friend! Thanks Nancy S! With all the piecing we do…. How do you know if it is time to clean….my Janome and Featherweight tells me. It starts “eating” or “pulling” the beginning threads of the fabric into the needle plate when I start sewing a seam.

#1 – Learn your machine, know how to clean out the bobbin area of lint. Plus listen and look for signs that it is not performing at its peak.

What about the machine needle? If you start hearing a “thunk, thunk, thunk” when the needle goes into the fabric, it is time to change the needle. OR Have you hit a pin? I always remove my pins so I don’t sew over them. However, there are times I do leave the pins in if it is a tricky or curved seam. If I need the pin to stay in, I very s…l…o…w…l…y sew over them to be sure I don’t hit it. Or pull them back so just the tip is in the seam line. Usually you can feel a bur if you did accidentally hit a pin. Best advice…

#2 – Change your needle with each new project! Or if one of the above mentioned happens while you are sewing.

I’ve been known to leave a needle in way too long. Go ahead, change that needle! I’m going to be more aware of this in the future!

in quilting,

Debbie