Why not have fun with your sewing tools after all?

This teensy little sewing kit from Polly Danger Notions is tucked into a little tin – and comes complete with almost anything you need to do a repair on the fly.

How about adding some vintage needle cards to your collection?  These ones are from Lakeway Candles and come from several different countries:

Let’s face it – “frogging” is inevitable.  We all need to rip out stitches and rework projects.  So why not use a cute tool for it?  Studio Twenty’s frogging tool may not make it less frustrating, but it’s sure fun to look at

images: Etsy

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Little Goodies for Crafters

If you enjoy making brooches or pins, you’re definitely going to want to check out PieceWork Magazine’s “Excellence In Needlearts Awards “.  This year the theme piece is brooches .

“Entries will be judged by the editors of Magazine, and the winning entries and honorable mention pieces will be exhibited at The National NeedleArts Association’s (TNNA) June 2009 trade show in Columbus, Ohio. In addition, winning pieces will be pictured in a 2009 issue of and may travel to one or more museums for exhibitions! Your pin could be famous!”

You’ve got to use at least one of these techniques: needlework (embroidery, needlepoint, bead embroidery, ribbon embroidery, and/or cross-stitch), knitting, crochet, lace-making, tatting, or quilting.

Get your entries in as soon as you can, because the competition closes on April 1st!

image: Stock.xchg

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Brooching The Subject – And Win $500!

This has happened to my daughter and me.  We have placed some in our yard sales over the years.  But with snow on the ground in New Hampshire, where we live, it’s no longer yard sale weather.  So we’re finding other ways to share our list of books.

Some quilters list their books on eBay or establish a shop at Amazon.  Currently Beth and I’ve found Craig’s List a good outlet.  We also exchange lists with other quilters we correspond with.  Beth shares with her quilting group.

It’s nice to know that someone else can gain inspiration and enjoy the quilt and needlework books we’re no longer using for our projects or writing research.

What do you do with your quilt books?  I’m sure most quilters accumulate more than they can use or eventually have space for.

(Amazon image)

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Recycling Your Quilting Books

I had the pleasure of writing a guest post, Do You Have a Heritage of Needlework, for Chloe at Tangled Thread. 

I think you’ll enjoy reading it.  Share with me, in the comments below, the needlework in your family or how needlework has influenced your life.

Also, why not journal about this…in a notebook, scrapbook, or online blog?  Then your family heritage will be preserved for future generations. 

(Amazon image)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Mary Emma Allen Writes Guest Post at Tangled Thread

Cathy, at the Tangled Thread  blog (www.tangledthread.com) features a number of Christmas ornaments you may want to make.  These include: a Yo-Yo Christmas Tree Stocking, Crazy Quilt Stocking, Christmas Countdown Calendar, and a Counted Cross Stitch Tree Skirt.  Simply browse down her blog for more information and where to find patterns and directions.

Creating Christmas and holiday ornaments and decorations with your youngsters can be a fun time.  My daughter and I have memories of those we made when she was young.  I also used these as projects with my 4-H Club members.  These items also are nice to give as gifts.

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Quilted Christmas Ornaments

There seems to be an interrelation among the fabric, fiber and thread arts.  For instance, in the previous post on this blog, I related how embroidery and cross stitch are incorporated into quilting. 

Some artists use thread for painting and embroidering exquisite pictures, to use as hangings or quilts.

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Quilting & Patchwork Mentioned in Tangled Thread Blog

You’ll find a multitude of designs…floral, pictorial, historical, Sunbonnet Sue, animals, state capitals and more…to embroider or do as cross stitch. I was browsing thorough a needlework catalog and came across so many interesting designs for quilts.

 When you’ve finished the desired number, sew them together with sashing, then select a batting and backing.  You can tie the quilt at the corners of the blocks or use quilting stitches, particularly in the sashing.

Embroidered quilts also are ideal to make for babies, children or their dolls.

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Needlework Quilts

Cathy Perkins in her Tangled Thread blog has an interesting post telling about the Charm Quilt her niece made and the origin of this type of quilt at  http://www.tangledthread.com/more-on-quilts/ .  There’s also a photo of her niece’s Charm Quilt on one of Cathy’s posts.

She explains that Charm Quilts generally contain a single shape…triangle, square, hexagon, diamond, or some other.  Also, no two pieces of fabric are the same pattern.  Quilters often trade fabrics to acquire the number they want.  Or they might select their fabrics from family clothing, thus creating a memory quilt,

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The Charming Charm Quilts