Machine Sewing For Dummies!

Let me clarify, I include myself in the “dummy” category here! I had a lady contact me because her mom had bought her a sewing machine at a yard sale and she desperately wanted to use it but did not have a clue what to do. I have been in that situation myself (a couple of times, I never met a free sewing machine I didn’t like LOL!) so I decided to make a video tutorial explaining all of the basic features every non computerized sewing machine has, what the knobs, buttons, dials and levers do and help you get your machine out of the closet and working beautifully. After the video I will list off some tips and tricks for you and if you have any questions be sure to leave a comment and I will get back to you (and please, if you are an experienced sewer and you read a comment that you know the answer to please go head and reply, we can all share out knowledge here!) On to the video!

So, you think you can sew?

Here is what you should do when you pull that machine out of the box, especially if it has not been used in a  while! You will want your manual handy but if you do not have one search the make and model # on the internet, if you cannot find the exact one try similar models from the same manufacturer until you see one that looks like yours. Sewing machines really are not that different…that is until you get to fancy computerized ones, I know NOTHING about those!

1. Clean it! Use a small soft paintbrush to sweep out any dust and fuzzies that have collected in your machine, especially in the bobbin area and in the door you can open above the needle when the light bulb lives.
2. Oil it. Your machine might have little holes for you to drop oil in, otherwise put a drop or two of oil on every moving part you can find.
3. Thread your machine, wind a bobbin if you need to, practice sewing on a scrap of material   Relax and get comfy with your machine!

No machine? No problem.

Maybe you want to get an affordable machine, before you head out to Target to buy that Brother on sale for $89 look through your phone book to see if you have a sewing machine dealer or repair shop in town because often they take trade-ins or fix up old, way better than the plastic junk they sell at department stores, machines and they will sell them for a song. Even better you have a relationship with someone who can fix you machine or adjust things for you later. The department store machines will not last, I got one once and did a lot of sewing on it and a year later it died. Same thing happened to my neighbor about 3 years after she bought hers. I think these machines are designed to last long enough to sew some curtains and maybe a few maternity clothes before they crap-out. By then many people lose interest in sewing but if you are reading my blog I think you are a more hard-core crafter who will want to buy something that lasts for less money, am I right?

Well, that was a long post for me! I hope this helps you get that old sewing machine out of storage and in good working order, let this be the weekend of sewing revival. And yes, your husbands can thank me for getting you fired up about yet another craft that will over take your dining room table. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Gatsby Inspired Jewelry!

Unless a movie contains aliens or hobbits I not likely to be really excited about it but seeing the previews of the new version The Great Gatsby has me swooning, not because of any of the leading men but because of the gorgeous clothes and jewelry the ladies are wearing!

Oh the sparkle, the pearls, the art-deco lines! My inner glamour girl is in jewelry making heaven! So, when someone asked me to make a custom necklace to wear to a wedding this weekend I had to put a little Gatsby in it!

The thing I really like about this set is the clasp on the necklace. I picked up a pack of these at Joann Fabrics  they are by Blue Moon Beads and I will definitely be buying more. The neat thing about these clasps (besides the Art Deco design) is that there is a loop on the back perfect for hanging dangles from!

Beaded tassels will be a big trend I think with this move coming out, the three dangles off the clasps echos this without being too “trendy” I think. The necklace can be worn frontward or backwards, the lady I designed this for has a cute shot haircut so the clasp and dangles will be a lovely accent at the back of the neck. It is also pretty for long hair worn up.

I am seeing a lot of glass pearls and crystals being used too, some bead companies are even packaging their glass pearls with coordinating crystals. Crystals give you a lot more sparkle that regular faceted pressed glass because they are cut, not molded and those sharp flat edges reflect the light better. That is also why they are more expensive, more work involved…when you think about it beads are a bargain!

I admit the triangle earring are a little more “groovy” that “Gatsby” but I had two scraps of Tiger-tail wire left after trimming the necklace and rather than toss them out I strung on some beads and made earrings. Changing the shape and adding a millefiori bead completely changes the feel of the jewelry. See how it doesn’t take much to change the look and feel of your beadwork.

That’s all for me today! I am working on the last painting for the children’s book I am illustrating, I can’t wait to share more of this with you. I will be really excited when I can hold a copy of the book in my hands! Have a great weekend everybody and till next time happy crafting!

Knit a Flouncy Floozy Scarf & %50 Off Today!

Good morning crafty peeps! Can you believe Mother’s day is this Sunday? Well to help you get ready for it I am offering 50% off everything in my shop Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff.  I have lots of products to help you make a pretty card or gift and package it beautifully! Here’s is another idea, how ’bout you knit her a pretty summer scarf life the Flouncy Floozy one I demonstrate in the video below…just don’t call it a “floozy” scarf when you give it to your mom…

Now that was easy! All you need is 1 ball of ruffle yarn, a pair of size 10 knitting needles (bamboo is way easier in this case) and about an hour. For any of you taking my beginner knitting class next Tuesday we will be doing this project so be sure to grab a ball of this yarn before class, Wal-Mart has is for under $5 a ball. That’s all from me today! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

WOYWW: Ask A Crafter {week 3!}

Hellooooo friends! It Wednesday so that means it’s time for What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday over at the Stamping Ground. My desk, well, this is how it looked at 11pm last night when I closed up shop. I am in the middle of illustrating a children’s book.  I am hoping to have everything wrapped up this week and off to the publisher soon. I can’t wait to share some of the illustrations with you but for now here is the desk littered with my drafting tools and watercolor pencils and a mirror. Oh don’t forget the wine glass, I was working late last night, The beauty of being self-employed, don’t judge.

Also since it is Wednesday it is time for another episode (I’d say installment but episode is more me…look, there’s Lindsay having an episode LOL, see it fits!) of Ask a Crafter. I had another epic 3 pages of questions submitted by blog readers and YouTube viewers and I got to them all without my camera running out of juice. I’m golden this week I tell ya!

So, if YOU have a question just leave a comment and I will answer it on next weeks Ask a Crafter segment! If you want to see more crafty desks check out WOYWW at the Stamping Ground. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

A Winner and a Bit of Whimsy!

Howdy folks! Man, I just love it when I can start the day giving away something! Today I get to draw a winner for the About Art Accent stamp featured in Last Tuesdays blog post and with the help pf Random.org the winner is Cindy Roberts!!! Woo hoo! Congrats Cindy, check your email for details;)

OK, last week I told you that I got a spool (French) knitter, well, it was so beautiful out the other day (too nice to be hold-op in my art dungeon) so I sat on the porch and tried it out, I made this nifty bracelet.

I used gold crochet cotton (Royale) and “E” glass beads. I wanted my first try to be with inexpensive materials in case I messed it up but still be kinda elegant if it turned out OK.

I used the 6 peg top on my Clover french knitter. I did not bother with the directions because it works just like a knitting loom. I strung on pink, champagne and white beads in the same pattern until I had a lot on there because you don’t want to run out and because 3 is a multiple of 6 so the pattern worked out. If you want a pattern just string on the beads in a multiple of the number of pegs your spool has, easy math yay!

All was almost lost though when I went to make this into a bracelet, I put the string ends through an end cone, then through a clasp and went to knot it (I could glue the knot and slide it under the cone, or so I thought!)  I made such a mess of it that the knot was too big and I could not shove it in the cone and I was all like “Epic Craft Fail!” but then I was all like, “wait, get the scissors” but I did not have enough string after cutting to use a matching cone so I got a smaller one, slipped it on, I tied it off and glued it after it was snugly inside the cone, I literally filled that cone with glue, it is never coming apart LOL! To deal with the mismatched ends I added some bead dangles and wire wrapping and slid a heart frame on to (secured with a jump ring) for good measure so it looks like it is asymmetrical on purpose.

And that’s how you deal with an Epic Craft Fail LOL! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Save Money, Cut Your Own Picture Mats!

Happy Monday Folks! Just a quick reminder that today is the last day to enter to win a free stamp from About Art Accents, you just need to leave a comment on last Tuesday’s post for a chance to win and I will pick a name tomorrow! Now on to today’s tutorial! Have you ever purchased a mat for a picture at a craft store and wish you could have had a more custom size or paid a framer an ungodly amount to cut one custom for you? If so watch my 5 minute video to see how easy it is to cut your own picture frame mats:

All you need is mat board, it comes in 20″x32″ or 32″x40 sheets, you can buy it at a art/craft sore or order in online and save a couple of bucks per sheet. A Logan 2000 push style cutter (about $20, buy a pack of blades while you are at it), a craft knife for strait cuts, a metal yard stick ($2 at the hardware store),a pencil and a scrap of cardboard to cut on.

The best thing about cutting your own mats is that you get just the size you want. Also you can cut smaller mats from the scraps! If you are selling your paintings or photographs or storing them for a long tome you can slip them into clear acid free bags like I did here, then they go right into my print rack for art/craft fair sales. cha-ching!

Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Sew a 10 minute Skirt {and accessories!) Crafty Video!

Howdy folks! I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this but I thought you just might feel the need to sew after watching me make a skirt in 10 minutes, actually it takes less time if you get right to it! You need 1 yard of fabric for this project. I got the idea from the Grosgrain Fabulous blog, and it is, well, fabulous! I was so excited that I wore my new skirt to a baseball game Thursday night (and practically  froze my behiney off!) but darn it I looked cute! I’m going to pick up a couple more yards of fabric and elastic when I am in town today because I see many more 10 minutes skirts in my future!

The important thing to remember when you buy your material is to make sure the salvage (finished) edges look good and the pattern extended all the way to the edge, that way you won’t have to hem this puppy! Here is the video to show you how to make this easy and I daresay cute skirt!

And because I know you want to be extra fabulous here is how to make some cool hair goodies:

Fun huh? So now you see why I didn’t make you wait, you will want to sew something new to wear today right? Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!