Category Archives: TIps & Tricks

Stayin’ Sharp!

Posted on by

There are a vast array of reasons to love rotary cutters. From the easy speed they provide, to the clean edge of the cuts they make, to that smooth slicing sound they make when elegantly gliding through a stack of cotton…yea, that sound… rotary cutters are a crafters best friend. But what if your best friend is no longer fast, clean, or smooth. It’s time for a little intervention.

Just like dull knives in the kitchen, dull tools in your sewing room are a recipe for frustration and accidents. A blunt blade can mean skips, and ragged edges which can result in thread snags and pulls and having to take the time to go back and snip those threads and missed cuts when all we really want to do is sew. In addition, when the blade is dull, we usually compensate by applying more pressure which can lead to hand, wrist, and shoulder pain or injury. And none of us has time for that! The solution? Either out swap the blade (in this economy?!?) or give it a spa day and sharpen it. Yeah. That second one.

While we do keep a stash of spare blades “just in case,” there’s an easy, budget-friendly option: Colonial’s Rotary Blade Sharpener. This magical little tool is like a fairy godparent for your rotary blades—no wand required. Carefully remove your blade, pop it into the sharpener, and give it a few gentle twists. Voilà! The dual grit sides work together to turn back the clock on your blade’s dull days, leaving it sharper, shinier, and ready for action.

The result? Your blades work better, live longer, and stop making you question your crafting life choices. Give it a whirl—you’ll thank yourself, and so will your fabric.

As always, Stitch On!

Shannon & Jason

Glue Basting with Roxanne Glue

Posted on by

One more product we can’t seem to live without!

Greetings makers, crafters, and creators! Today, we’re diving into another group of Colonial Needle Company products to cover a sticky subject: glue. Specifically, glue basting with the Roxanne Baste-It family of glue.

Glue basting is a technique where you apply a thin line of water-soluble glue along the seam allowance or cut edges of fabric pieces to hold them in place before sewing. This allows for precise piecing, perfect points, and smooth curves. It is especially useful for boro, finishing quilts, and a manner of appliqué – completely removing the need for pins.

How to use Roxanne Basting Glue in Four Easy Steps:

  1. Simply apply a fine line of glue
  2. Line up the fabric pieces
  3. Press with a hot iron to set (this step is not always required–as you will see in our video)
  4. Then sew as usual.

Key points about glue basting:

  • Application:
    Roxanne Baste-It comes in a wide variety of container sizes and shapes to suit any purpose. From the spreadable 2-Way applicator to small pipettes and dab on applicators. And the Roxanne Glue Stick glides on smoooooooooth as silk without gumming up your fabric and needles. You choose which glue is best for your project and where to place it.
  • Heat setting:
    Although not required, a hot dry iron can be used to quickly set the glue and further ensure there is no shifting once the placement decisions have been made. Once set, you can easily sew without worrying about shifting seams or fabrics, even when rough handling of the fabric such as for hand quilting, sashiko, and boro.
  • Portability:
    Baste-It products come in easy to store and access sizes. You can take your handwork projects with you whether you’re traveling across the city or just to your sofa for the evening
  • Basting Glue Benefits:
    Say good-by to pins! Baste-It glues reduce the need for pins and clips, making sewing faster and smoother. Especially hand sewing. No fussing to work around pins and no stuck fingers!

Improves accuracy and precision in piecing, especially for points and curves.

Especially well-suited for appliqué, where you need precise placement of fabric edges.

The Roxanne Glue Stick is our go-to for placing boro patches and visible mending patches prior to sewing down. Watch the boro section of our video for how we create boro inspired fabrics as well as some examples of our work.

Baste-It Glue won’t leave a mark on your delicate creations. All of the Roxanne glues are non-staining and wash away completely with ease!

How we use glue basting for different techniques:

  • Boro and Visible Mending:
    Boro Stitching
    Apply a thin layer of glue to the patch and adhere to base fabric, adjusting your placement as necessary. Then stitch down. We love the Roxanne Glue Stick because it glides on smoothly and the patches stay where we place them…until we decide we want them someplace else. Or… someplace else again. But then they stay put!
  • Quilt Binding and Bias Tape: After sewing on your binding to one side of the quilt, fold the fabric over the edge and apply a layer of glue. Press with a hot, dry iron to set, then hand stitch or machine sew the remaining seam down. No clips or pins needed; you don’t have to worry about that binding shifting. Our video features a no worries technique for making fabric tape with Roxanne Basting Glue.
  • Curved seams: Apply a thin line of glue along the curved edge, carefully folding and shaping the fabric edge.
  • Appliqué: Glue the edges of your appliqué piece to the base fabric, ensuring smooth edges and precise placement. Then use your favorite visible or invisible appliqué stitch for attaching. Be sure to watch the video for our tip for sharp corners on those appliqué pieces.

That’s all for now! Let us know if you want a recommendation for which glue is best for your project or share your favorites with us. And remember to check back for more about our fav products from Colonial Needle Company as well as projects and tutorials that show how we use this all-encompassing line of products in our studio.

Keep up with the Colonial Needle Company on their social media channels and YouTube.

You can find us at shannonandjason.com and on our Instagram and Facebook pages we are @embracethecreativechaos.

Which CNC products do YOU have questions about? Let us know and we might just feature your question in a future video or post.

Until then…STITCH ON!!

Shannon & Jason

Nifty Notions for Wonky Hands

Posted on by

How I do love working with my hands; sewing, rug hooking, planting seeds, and pulling weeds! I have information for you about some nifty notions and tips that can be helpful for hand sewers, whether newbies or experienced, and those in between.

Raise your dominant hand if you use a thimble!

Now, raise your other hand if you gave up hand sewing because your hands and fingers are painful whenever you hand stitch…

Perhaps you have never used a thimble, and your fingers are sore from jabs. Do I have two wonderful adaptive notions and tips for using them to help you enjoy hand sewing!! My hands and fingers are “wonky” from years of stitching and pulling a needle through fabric and pushing downward with a thimble. Check out the photo below for a definition of wonky hands.

Wonky hands eager to push a needle with a Palm Thimble

Yes, they are mine, and they are not a pretty site. However, I can now enjoy hand sewing until the cows come home and the chickens lay eggs thanks to a couple of great Colonial Needle products I am eager to share with you!

Nifty Notion #1: Needle Grip-Its

How I wish I had known about these wonderful little sticky dots years ago, before my hands and fingers began to hurt and look a little lopsey. The repetitive motion of inserting a needle into fabric and pulling the needle out on the other side can cause pain and discomfort over time. There are a couple helpful tips for applying these small adhesive circles:

Needle Grip-It adhered to tip of needle pulling fore finger. Next, adhere one to the thumb to help grip and pull your needle.
  • On your needle-holding hand, pretend you are gripping a needle with your forefinger and thumb. Now separate them and notice a round circle on the tips of your forefinger and thumb. Then, place an adhesive Needle Grip-It dot on each slightly indented round circle on your fingertip and thumb tip.
    • Press your forefinger and thumb together, and now you are ready to insert the needle into the fabric, pull the needle out, and enjoy hand stitching. The grips are not sticky to your needle, and are most unobtrusive while stitching. They will also stay on through several hand washings if you are fortunate enough to sit and stitch until your cows come home and chickens lay eggs!
    • I highly recommend using Needle Grip-Its if you are a newbie, a beginning hand stitcher as well as if you have been hand sewing for years, but decided to give it up due to pain in your hands. I happily carry sheets of extra Needle Grip-Its with me to share with friends. They are a Nifty Notion that keep giving and giving lots of joy when hand sewing.

Nifty Notion #2: Colonial Palm Thimble

Yes, when I first saw this thimble, I wondered just how helpful it would and could be, as it looks a little awkward. However, I am so happy that I tried it out! I also highly recommend it for those who are newbies to hand sewing, in-betweeners who have been hand sewing for a while, life-time hand sewers, and those who flat out refuse to try using a thimble!! Those of you who have callouses on your needle pushing fingers will thank me for it as well. Here are some tips after you apply Needle Grip-it:

  • The metal band is adjustable for any and size or finger.
    • The large metal disc with dimples comfortably fits in the palm of your hand and easily helps guide the push of your needle.
      • Push with the palm of your hand. That larger hand motion to the side is better for your hands, especially over time. I experience no hand fatigue or pain. It is rather like catching a volley ball is much easier than catching a ping pong ball.

Nifty Notion #3: Lap pillow and small sharp pointy scissors

Unless I am quilting on a floor frame or a lap frame, I place a pillow on my lap to rest my arms and assist in directing my stitching as well as cutting threads. I accidentally cut a little hole in one of my mother’s quilts on a floor frame, and also recommend using small scissors with very sharp points for cutting threads. Cutting threads with the sharp tips of small scissors help prevent accidental snips and feeling so badly.

I hope to continue stitching ALAP: As Long As Possible! These wonderful nifty notions are small but sometimes small things can make a big difference. I also recommend them for all ages and stages of hand stitchers. Perhaps my hands would not be a wonky today if I had Needle Grip-Its and a Palm Thimble when I began hand sewing on a dishtowel at age three, under the loving wings of my dear grandma. My first memory of using a thimble was awkward, but pushing a needle without one was painful and my fingers were pricked and sore which limited the fun of sewing that I enjoyed. Whenever I hear a friend say she or he no longer hand sews because of painful fingers and hands, I happily pass along Nifty Notions and Tips for being able to return to the joy of hand sewing until you see the cows or collect the eggs.

Happy hand sewing, on and on and on,

Judy Moore Pullen

Using the CNC Palm Thimble for Big Stitch Quilting

Posted on by

It’s no secret that we have a special place in our hearts for scrappy quilting and we carry just as bright of a torch for hand quilting with sashiko style stitches. We have done our fair share of machine quilting on our domestic machine (as in our latest book Scrappy Wonky Quilt Block Extravaganza) but nothing comes close to the texture of a hand stitched sashiko style running stitch. For our last couple of projects, we have used the new palm thimble from Colonial Needle Company to make this process even easier and certainly more enjoyable for us. We certainly still use this versatile thimble for all of our sashiko projects and mending but it is a game changer for big stitch quilting. Paired with the John James long darners, and Presencia 12 weight thread held double, the combo is a hand quilter’s dream team.

Now you might want to sit down for this part because we are going to say something controversial.

But stick with us.

Here goes: we don’t like buying new fabric.

<insert gasps here>

We know… who doesn’t like perusing racks and aisles of freshly bolted fabrics in immeasurable variations of color, prints, solids, weave, and content types? We do like looking at them but purposely buying yardage is reserved for specific projects like garments and quilts that require a certain type of fabric or unifying fabric such as a single background color. But, when it comes to every day stitching and projects, we like to shop the flat fold and odd cuts section of our fabric store. More than once we have absolutely raided the clothing and fabric piles at tag sales and the 50¢ racks at thrift stores are not safe from us. Everything comes home and goes into a sanitizing wash and is pressed before disassembling into large pieces of flat fabric. This process of rescuing and repurposing found fabric is almost magical to us and we love the textiles they create.

Our latest joy has been working on our clothing quilts. We made a clothing quilt a while back for a charity auction and NEEEEEDED one of our own. For our personal clothing quilt, we sourced all of the fabric from our own garments which wasn’t exactly difficult considering we don’t throw away anything that even remotely resembles fabric. We sorted through bags and boxes of “old” clothes, the mending pile (from which we used anything that had been in there for longer than a year), and clothes that didn’t fit anymore or weren’t exactly suited to us anymore.

As a result, assembling and quilting this piece has been a walk down memory lane. That purple plaid flannel shirt that Shannon used to wear hiking when we took the Shibakidz everywhere with us. The stripped “designer label” button up that was a gift from one of us to the other when we were first married (that was thirty years ago, y’all) and both of us wore as a throw on top layer until it was pretty threadbare. Jason’s red western shirt he used to wear when we went dancing, the fancy shirt he used to wear to teach in. All of these bring back memories of times and places as we assemble them into new textile panels and create this quilt that will live with and beyond us.

The esthetics of this type of fabric cannot be ignored. The amazing feel of these newly created textiles as they move through our hands. The feel of the needle slipping through the layers of fabric and batting. The crinkle (if you know… you KNOW) of the fabric after a section of stitches are completed. And the weight and density of the layers of fabric and batting is like nothing else.

Overall, the process of making a clothing quilt is very different from a patterned quilt made using more traditional quilting cottons off the bolt. The top is pieced together with panels of individual framed improv motifs and larger sections of fabric as well as smaller scrap pieces tucked in to fill space. The back is large panels put together with as few seams as possible to make the quilting easier so the needle doesn’t have to go through too many odd seams at a time. The batting is organic cotton from Hobbs batting pieced together from leftover panels from our last quilting book. Every piece and seam is thought out and considered as part of the whole and serves to create the intricate decoration of the quilt but also is a meditative practice for us where we disregard any of the outside <waves arms about wildly> stuff-n-things that put our nerves on edge. We can, for a time, immerse ourselves in the physical sensation of the weight of the fabric, the feel of the fabric texture, and the ssshhhhhhp sound of the thread being pulled through the quilt layers.

Did this turn into a love letter to fabric quilts and hand stitching? Probably. Do we suddenly feel compelled to go sit and stitch on our quilt again? Definitely. So yeah… gotta go.

But seriously, we hope this inspires you to consider using found fabric for at least one project this year. There is so much joy in repurposing fabrics and in giving them new life while giving our planet a little bit of a break from just that much more fashion and textile waste. Now, really, it’s time for a cup of tea and some ssshhhhhhp, ssshhhhhhp.

– Shannon & Jason

*For a video tutorial of using the CNC Palm Thimble for Big Stitch Quilting, see our YouTube video:

DIY Fabric Cards

Posted on by

Fabric cards are the perfect way to add a little OMPH to your gift giving and they show that you really do care enough to send something handmade…even if you don’t have a lot of spare time or the extra brain capacity for a larger project. Easy to customize to any size for any occasion (maybe a certain winter holiday that is coming up?), fabric cards show you went that extra mile and put thought and effort into the gift-giving experience. They make that special person receiving the card feel seen and appreciated. Fabric cards have a distinctive handmade quality that is hard to replicate with mass-produced, store-bought cards and it is this uniqueness that adds charm and character to your gift.

They are super easy to make! Fabric scraps are pretty inexpensive and if you are already a sewist or know someone who is, you might already have the materials you need to create your own mini textile masterpiece. Add some quilting or embroidery and your creation really goes to the next level. You can hand stitch, applique, or machine embroider each one for a one-of-a-kind product. We used Finca Metallic Thread to hand embroider our fabric cards. Send yours as postcards, framed miniature textile art, gift tags, or leave one side open to insert a gift card. However you use them, if you are like us, you will end up making several *ahem* extra which is a good thing because you never know when you will need a little piece of handmade excellence to add to your gifting.

Here is how we make ours.

Supplies:

  • Fusible interfacing or stabilizer
  • Fabric scraps (1–2”wide and long enough to cover your card)
  • Finca Metallic Thread – 1 Ply for machine embroidery, 2 Ply for hand stitching.
  • Crewel Needle–Large eye and sharp tip make easy work of the layers
  • Sewing machine with all-purpose thread and jeans needle or embroidery needle
  • Roxanne Glue–Glue Stick or Dip & Dab XL Tube
  • Cover Stock Paper or similar for backing (we like Kraft-Tex for sturdy projects)
    Note: You can use cotton fabric for the backing too. The end result is not as“cardlike”.
  • Scissors or rotary cutter

Cuts:

Cut stabilizer/interfacing to your desired size – Standard post card size is 4”x6” but you can make your cards any size you like
Cut paper backing to the same size as stabilizer

Instructions:

  1. Place strips of fabric on the stabilizer deciding on placement, color, texture, ect.
  2. Remove your chosen strips and place the center strip face up on the stabilizer. We like using diagonal lines, so our first strip covers from the top left corner to the bottom right. You do you though…
  3. Place an adjacent strip on top of the first one with Right sides facing. Sew the seam using a 1/4’’ to 3/8’’ seam allowance. Make sure the fabric covers past the edge.
  4. Press the seam open being careful to watch if your stabilizer has a fusible backing (you can also finger press the seam open as well).
  5. Continue in this manner sewing strips on one at a time moving in one direction.
  6. Once you have covered the first half, turn your card and repeat the process goingf rom the center to the opposite corner.
  7. Once the stabilizer is completely covered turn Right side down and trim off the excessfabric.
  8. Secure the last 2 corners using a glue stick or Roxanne Dip & Dab XL Tube
  9. Add embroidery to your card by hand or machine.
    a. If embroidering by hand use Finca 2-Ply Metallic Thread held double.
    b. If machine embroidering use Finca 1-Ply Metallic Thread as your top thread and all-purpose thread in the bobbin.
  10. Once embroidery is complete apply the paper back to the card.
    a. If your stabilizer has a fusible back you can use an iron to secure otherwise glue the card to the back
    b. If you are using the fabric card as a gift card holder skip this step.
  11. Machine or hand sew a zig-zag or edging stitch around the card to secure the edge.
    a. We specifically like using fabric cards as holders for gift cards…just leave one side open so you can slide the card inside the pocket
    b. If you want to use a satin stitch along the edge, use a fabric backing instead of paper. The punching of the needle that many times will perforate the backing causing it to tear off easily.

Optional: Use a hole punch in one corner of the finished card and thread it with sparkly thread oryarn as a beautiful gift tag.

Gift cards like this can be mailed using standard postage…you’ll need to weigh the item to ensure you have enough postage attached to it. They do tend to get dirty in the mail so we opt for mailing them in an envelope.

For a video tutorial visit our YouTube page here.

We hope you decide to make a few fabric cards this season for your loved ones…let us know how you like them!

Shannon & Jason

A [Thimble] Crown Fit for a Queen!

Posted on by

Hey folx! Shannon and Jason checking in.

Back in February, we had the pleasure of meeting the Colonial Needle Company team at Sew Expo. We chatted about reviewing their products and made it crystal clear—we’re all about honesty, no punches pulled so if we like a product, we will shout it from the rooftops and use it.

On the bustling Sew Expo show floor, they handed us packs of needles, various sewing tools, and what looked like tiny metal disks with dimples and sticky tabs. We’re all about toys for the sewing studio, but our first thought about those metal disks? “Okayyyy, not sure how this will play out, but let’s give it a whirl.”

Fast forward to May, and Jason, with his big mitts (no offense, J!), was tearing up the house looking for a thimble for sewing a label onto a quilt. Most thimbles on the market aren’t built for his large fingers. Then, lightbulb moment—we remembered those Thimble Crowns from Colonial Needle. We pulled them out of the box, applied the sticky dot, slapped one on Jason’s finger, and off he stitched. It was anyone’s guess how it would turn out.

So, real talk. For a long time, we have joked about starting a blog titled “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen… and now I can’t live without it.” If that blog existed, the Thimble Crown would be a star. Seriously, what a game changer!

Fit like a glove—err, crown—boosted his nimbleness and let him crank out even finer stitches (and trust us, his stitches were already A+). It upped his needle game, gave him more comfort, and let him tweak its position to suit his sewing style.

Shannon quickly jumped on board using the dimpled crowns for embroidery, quilting, and general hand sewing as well as EPP. See, Shannon has nails, she will not sacrifice her manicure to a full covering thimble. These little wonders were the PERFECT solution for her manicured fingers because they stay in place without interfering with the nails. Also, she tends to stitch using the side of her finger to push the needle and this little Crown Thimble stayed securely in place even on the inside edge of her middle finger. You can imagine this was an amazing little tool for rocker stitch quilting. Yup… she’s sold on them now too. Completely.

Both of us tested the Thimble Crowns on our middle fingers, knuckles—heck, even our palms for lighter sashiko stitching. It’s ace for most of our hand stitching gigs: basic sewing, embroidery, quilting, mending, you name it. Honestly, not sure how we coped without one all these years.

Colonial Needle offers a range of these thimble tips for different sewing jobs. Check ’em out and give ’em a whirl. Next up for us? We’re trying the Under Thimble and Thimble Dimple for some hand quilting. We’ll keep you posted!

Stitch On!

Shannon & Jason