Lizzsews

Are you interested in making some placemats? Here’s a quick and easy way on how to make them and using the least amount of fabric as possible so they are cost-effective! These placemats are easy to make, use a very minimal amount of fabric, look so nice and finished (not sloppy and cheap!), are machine washable and are reversible! Here’s how to make a set of 4 placemats for your dining room table, you can make more or less, it’s up to you!
Reference the photos for any help you may need with the instructions!
What you will need:100% cotton fabric, quilting cotton works best! You can use two different patterns if you’d like the placemat to be reversible!Rotary cutter (or scissors, if you’re using scissors you’ll want to use a measuring tape or a ruler)Rotary cutting mat (if you’re using scissors you won’t need this)PinsIron + ironing board Basic sewing supplies (Including, but not limited to, sewing machine, thread and a sewing needle)
The steps, to make 4 placemats:
   1. Cut 8 rectangles o…

This article is almost like a part two! It is in addition to one of my previous articles, “10 Things You Need To Start Machine Embroidery Today” so read that article before this one!In this article, you will learn everything you need in addition to the ten from the previous article!

Alright, now onto the best tools! 
   1. Iron + ironing board 
You will definitely need an iron and ironing board so you’re not embroidering wrinkled and creased fabric! If you don’t smooth out your fabric before you use it, it will ruin your final product, and we don’t want that!
   2. Scissors
If you’re interested in doing lots of appliqué, it’s definitely a good idea to get curved scissors! If you aren’t going to be doing applique very often then just a small pair of thread scissors will do you just fine!
You’ll also need fabric and paper scissors! That way you can cut the fabric you’re going to embroider and you can cut your patterns. I also recommend a spare pair of scissors!
Bonus: 
Rotary cutter and rotary …

As you’re starting your machine embroidery journey, you might be getting tons of advice. And sometimes it’s hard to know which advice is good and which advice is bad! You might be in lots of Facebook groups, reading lots of blog articles and a lot of people are gonna tell you a lot of different stories!
The worst advice I ever got when I was starting machine embroidery, was to change the tension!
Don’t change your tension unless you have to!!
If bobbin thread was showing on the top of my embroidery they would say, “change your tension” If my stitching was loose or my thread was shredding they would say, “change your tension”
Don’t listen to it! Instead of changing your tension, try other steps that might be causing the problem! 

Some examples include:Change your needleContinous use of needles will cause them to get dull and they might even bend! This can result in your stitching being loose, bobbin thread showing on top, thread shredding and more. Use the correct needle for your projectUsing…

Are you interested in making reusable snack bags? They are perfect for work or school lunches, a small hike or even a picnic! These make excellent gifts for any occasion and are a great way to reduce your use of plastic bags! 
Reference the photos for help with the instructions!What you will need:100% cotton fabric, quilting cotton works best!PUL fabric* Plastic zipper, you want it to be plastic and larger than the short side of the fabric so you can cut the excess off at the end.Rotary cutter (or scissors) Rotary cutting mat (If you're using scissors you won't need this) Pins Fabric pen or something to mark the fabric with Iron + ironing board Measuring tape Basic sewing supplies (Including, but not limited to, sewing machine, thread, zipper foot and a sewing needle)*PUL stands for Polyurethane Laminate and is a compound fabric made by laminating a cloth fabric to Polyurethane. PUL fabric can be used for medical bedding, mattress protectors, cloth menstrual pads, wet bags, dia…