A Little Applique Test with ScanNCut and Dream Machine

I’ve been meaning to do this little test for awhile. It’s simple: take a drawing of an applique shape and scan it on the ScanNCut for fabric cutting and scan it on the Dream Machine to create an applique embroidery file. Will the fabric piece and the embroidery design be the same size? If this experiment works, then I don’t need to use any additional software to create cut files and embroidery files for my applique. Continue reading “A Little Applique Test with ScanNCut and Dream Machine”

lynnenewFebruary 23, 2015February 21, 201510 Comments

Tips & Tricks

Intricate Applique Made Possible by Stitch Artist and a ScanNCut

You may recall that I once tried cut out a rather intricate monogram of the letter K on the ScanNCut using marine vinyl (see here). It didn’t go so well because the marine vinyl just wouldn’t stay stuck to the cutting mat. I’ve decided to revisit that monogram to showcase how you can make some really intricate appliques with the help of a ScanNCut. Along the way, we’ll end up doing a little Dream Machine trouble-shooting. Continue reading “Intricate Applique Made Possible by Stitch Artist and a ScanNCut”

lynnenewFebruary 2, 2015January 30, 20159 Comments

Junk Drawer, Tips & Tricks, Tutorials

Thread’s Magazine January Challenge – Easy couture technique for waistbands

Originally posted on The magical effects of thinking:
New pencil skirt Since I make a lot of skirts I’ve decided to up the ante and start adding in couture techniques or different elements to keep my skills moving forward. On this pencil skirt from Burda 8155 I used a couture waistband technique from Susan Khalje which is featured in the latest issue of Threads magazine (March 2013). The short… Continue reading Thread’s Magazine January Challenge – Easy couture technique for waistbands

JillyJanuary 21, 2015January 20, 20151 Comment

Reviews, Tips & Tricks, Tutorials

Brother Dream Machine – My Design Center Review

Well the highly anticipated Brother Dream Machine is finally here! I think many potential customers are intrigued by the possibility of creating their own embroidery designs on the machine. And I am certainly one of them. So let’s see what it can do. Continue reading “Brother Dream Machine – My Design Center Review”

lynnenewNovember 12, 2014November 12, 201417 Comments

Finished Projects, Tips & Tricks

iPad Assisted Cross Stitch

I just attended the annual Quilt-A-Fair in Longmont, Colorado and discovered this new type of cross stitch from Mill Hill that uses beads! I used to love doing counted cross stitch but it just takes so long to finish a project that I gave up on the hobby. But these new kits from Mill Hill are sewn on perforated paper. It’s a little like plastic canvas, but it is flat so it is much easier to sew on. And they also mix beads and traditional cross stitch for a shiny, dimensional effect. I love it! Continue reading “iPad Assisted Cross Stitch”

lynnenewNovember 3, 2014November 2, 20144 Comments

Finished Projects, Reviews, Tips & Tricks

Kwik Sew 4093 – A Patchwork Purse

Kwik Sew patterns are a favorite of mine. One of my first successful garments was made from a Kwik Sew pattern, and that success, after a string of failures with other pattern lines, inspired me to keep sewing. So during a recent Kwik Sew sale I stocked up on seven of their new 2014 patterns. Kwik Sew doesn’t go on sale as often, and isn’t as deeply discounted, as McCall’s, Simplicity, and Butterick, so … Continue reading Kwik Sew 4093 – A Patchwork Purse

katboulderOctober 31, 2014November 23, 20144 Comments

Finished Projects, Tips & Tricks

Logos, Applique, Rhinestones and a ScanNCut

My husband and I belong to the Mile High Hook and Ladder club in Colorado. Their website is a little out of date, sadly, but you can find them on Facebook here. It’s for owners and lovers of antique fire trucks. They have a lovely 3-color logo that I thought would be perfect for a little exercise for my own personal amusement. Continue reading “Logos, Applique, Rhinestones and a ScanNCut”

lynnenewOctober 27, 2014October 23, 20147 Comments

Challenges, Finished Projects, Tips & Tricks

October’s Sewing Challenge – Suede

I purchased a little piece of leather suede from Colorado Fabrics a few years ago with the intention of trying to make something out of it someday. That day finally came with Jamie’s challenge! I decided to try two things: general sewing and machine embroidery with suede. Continue reading “October’s Sewing Challenge – Suede”

lynnenewOctober 21, 2014October 6, 20144 Comments

Tips & Tricks

Patchwork Puzzle Balls with ScanNCut

As a follow-up to the ScanNCut class I just took, I thought I’d try to make something that is otherwise difficult to make by hand – a Patchwork Puzzle Ball. In Patchwork Puzzle Balls by Jinny Beyer (published 2005), there are numerous patterns for making stuffed balls using basic shapes such as triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons, octagons, and diamonds. I made these before I had a ScanNCut and so I used plastic templates and hand-cut each piece. With the ScanNCut, I thought I would try and make one of the more complicated puzzle balls. Continue reading “Patchwork Puzzle Balls with ScanNCut”

lynnenewOctober 6, 2014October 8, 20146 Comments

Challenges, Finished Projects, Tips & Tricks

Shared Fabric Sewing Challenge #2

Quite some time ago Lynne and I (Kitty) split two different fabrics between us. The fabric Lynne shared with me became a top for each of us. The results of that fabric challenge can be found here. Now it’s time for the second shared fabric swap results to be revealed! The fabric I split with Lynne was a more difficult one to work with than her lovely floral knit. Mine was a bold print … Continue reading Shared Fabric Sewing Challenge #2

katboulderSeptember 29, 2014November 23, 20143 Comments

Tips & Tricks

ScanNCut Class #2

I’m so happy to have found an Advanced ScanNCut class being offered at Rocky Mountain Sew and Vac in Arvada, Colorado. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to get that darn machine to do what you want in the vacuum of your own limited experience. Even though there is a multitude of YouTube videos and online blog posts about how to use the ScanNCut, nothing substitutes for some hands-on use with a knowledgeable instructor and a classroom full of eager students sitting in front of their own machines. Continue reading “ScanNCut Class #2”

lynnenewSeptember 22, 2014September 21, 20149 Comments

Finished Projects, Tips & Tricks

Fire Dog!

My husband loves his fire truck and no fire truck is complete without a Dalmation! Well we don’t have a Dalmation, but we do have Ginger Pickles. So I made her a little jacket to wear to turn her into a Dalmation when she goes out on “calls”. Continue reading “Fire Dog!”

lynnenewSeptember 15, 2014August 31, 20149 Comments

Finished Projects, Refashions, Tips & Tricks

A-Z is Complete. What’s Next?

When I got close to the end of the alphabet in my series several friends asked me what I planned to do next for my DenverSews blog projects. Hmm, it’s a good thing that they asked, I’m not a planner – I had no idea! I answered one inquiry with a surly “I’ll sew whatever I want instead of something that starts with a particular letter.” But I honestly had no idea what I wanted to sew – my answer had revealed the truth, I hadn’t thought beyond completing Z. Luckily those questions jump-started my contemplation of this dilemma.

I came up with several ideas for subsequent series. Being a non-planner, a series is a more efficient use of my time, allowing me to spend my time sewing instead of spending my time trying to figure out what to sew for each individual post. And with my giant sewing collection I had lots of different series possibilities to choose from! Continue reading “A-Z is Complete. What’s Next?”

katboulderSeptember 12, 2014September 13, 20143 Comments

Tips & Tricks

Sylvia’s Rose

A Denver Sewing Collective member, Sylvia, asked me weeks ago to digitize a rose design that was referenced in Threads Number 161 July 2012. The article is by Jennifer Stern-Hasemann. The project is to cover a bodice with a bouquet of sewn roses and it is quite lovely: Continue reading “Sylvia’s Rose”

lynnenewSeptember 1, 2014September 13, 201411 Comments

Finished Projects, Tips & Tricks

The Tie-On Dress Hawaiian Style

My husband and I’ve were recently invited to a party to celebrate the elopement of some dear friends. The happy couple wed in Hawaii last December and then planned a Hawaiian style dinner party in Colorado for their friends. The outdoor event became a summer bash because Colorado in winter, while beautiful, really doesn’t instill that tropical feeling. Continue reading “The Tie-On Dress Hawaiian Style”

katboulderAugust 29, 2014August 25, 20146 Comments

Tips & Tricks

Paper Piecing – Keeping It Together

Somewhere in my delusional mind, I decided I could someday complete a ridiculously large and complicated paper-pieced quilt that I saw in a book and fell in love with. The book is “A Paper Pieced Garden” by Maaike Bakker and Francoise Maarse. The book is full of beautiful paper-pieced blocks combined with appliques. The cover alone is stunning. Continue reading “Paper Piecing – Keeping It Together”

lynnenewJuly 28, 2014July 4, 20149 Comments

Tips & Tricks, Tutorials

Tote Bag from Quilt Blocks

I have quite a few 12″ quilt blocks that I’ve made just for fun. One of my favorites is a block from Carol Doak’s book 50 Fabulous Paper Pieced Stars book. The blocks have been sitting in my quilt block pile for quite some time, waiting for their future home. The time has come to turn it into a tote bag for my friend Paula. We’re planning to go on a cruise to Alaska next year and this block is the “Alaska” block from Carol’s book. I love the Frozen-esque colors! Continue reading “Tote Bag from Quilt Blocks”

lynnenewJuly 14, 2014June 29, 20142 Comments

Tips & Tricks

What Can I Do With Muslin Scraps?

When I made the pants muslin for the Silhouette Patterns One-Day Seminar in Denver, I actually made two of them! I chose the wrong size initially, using my hip measurement, not my sitting hip measurement. I ended up with an extra pants muslin and lots of scraps. At first, that extra muslin and those scraps were in my trash bin. But the Kitty sitting on my shoulder suggested that maybe I could do something useful with those scraps. I really didn’t have many ideas at all and I still don’t. Do you have any ideas? Continue reading “What Can I Do With Muslin Scraps?”

lynnenewJuly 7, 2014June 29, 20148 Comments

Tips & Tricks

Working Towards Pants that Fit

It looks like three of us have signed up to take the one-day Silhouette Patterns fitting seminar in Denver. And all of three of us are planning on making pants muslins. Continue reading “Working Towards Pants that Fit”

lynnenewJune 30, 2014June 29, 20143 Comments

Tips & Tricks, Tutorials

Fusible Appliques with a ScanNCut

I used to think that applying appliques with fusible web was cheating. But at the same time, I am too impatient to ever apply appliques by hand. Hence, I would drool over those cute designs I’d see and wish that I could figure out a way to try them out without “cheating”. Well, I’ve had a change of heart and decided that fusible web is the way to go. How much fun would it be to be able to simply scan an applique design from a book and cut out all of the pieces you need without any tracing or cutting with scissors? Continue reading “Fusible Appliques with a ScanNCut”

lynnenewMay 2, 2014April 24, 20148 Comments

Tips & Tricks

How to Make Kanzashi Flowers & FREEBIE!

I love flowers and origami and fabric (of course) so it is natural for me to be drawn to flowers made from fabric using origami techniques. I learned how to make Kanzashi flowers perhaps a more than a year ago just following tutorials such as this one. The flower on the left above was created using what I call the traditional method of fabric folding. It was a little more time consuming than I expected at the time and I soon lost interest. Continue reading “How to Make Kanzashi Flowers & FREEBIE!”

lynnenewApril 18, 2014May 1, 20144 Comments

Tips & Tricks

How I Catalog All My Patterns

Okay so sometimes I get a little carried away with “organizing stuff”. Participating in a sewing blog has given me incentive to organize my patterns or at least inventory them. I have often times found myself at a fabric store wishing I knew how much fabric I needed for some fantasy project. I usually end up buying way too much and now have a rather large collection of “big pieces” in my stash. Continue reading “How I Catalog All My Patterns”

lynnenewMarch 28, 2014March 5, 20148 Comments

Tips & Tricks

How To Machine Embroider Logos for Corporate Gear

Once a year I get asked to embroider my company’s corporate logo onto some garments for the Christmas party. Every year I have to reteach myself how to do it! So I’ll give you a quick run down of how I do it. The process I use can be used for any sort of machine embroidery. Continue reading “How To Machine Embroider Logos for Corporate Gear”

lynnenewMarch 21, 2014March 5, 20144 Comments

Finished Projects, Reviews, Tips & Tricks

Two Zip Hipster and eClutch Pattern Reviews

I recently made two bags, both of which I like very much. One is the Two Zip Hipster from Erin Erickson (Dog Under My Desk) and the other is the eClutch iPad pouch from Schoolhouse Patterns. Continue reading “Two Zip Hipster and eClutch Pattern Reviews”

lynnenewMarch 15, 2014March 14, 20146 Comments

Tips & Tricks

How to Sew with Foundation Piecing: Paper vs Freezer Paper

I learned how to paper piece many years ago from Carol Doak’s 1997 classic “Show Me How to Paper Piece”. It was, at the time, seemingly a lot of work and I particularly hated pulling off all of the bits of paper from the back of the finished product. I put away paper piecing and swore I would never do it again. Continue reading “How to Sew with Foundation Piecing: Paper vs Freezer Paper”

lynnenewMarch 7, 2014March 5, 20148 Comments

Tips & Tricks

Sewing Needle Identification

I often have no idea what needle is in my sewing machine. Sometimes I stick a note on my machine to remind me. Sometimes I leave the needle case that it came from sitting next to my machine. Sometimes I tuck the needle case behind a rubber band around the neck of my machine. Sometimes I entirely forget. Continue reading “Sewing Needle Identification”

lynnenewFebruary 21, 2014February 1, 20143 Comments

Tips & Tricks

How To Read A Sewing Pattern

If you are new to sewing or are learning sewing on your own you might be wondering what exactly all those arrows, notches and symbols mean on the sewing pattern. Let’s walk through all the symbols and markings you might find on today’s sewing patterns.

How To Read A Sewing Pattern

The pattern instructions will take you step-by-step through the sewing process. The symbols and markings on the pattern will aid in layout, specify whether it’s the front or back side of the garment, where decorative elements like darts, pleats, etc go and more. Knowing what these symbols mean will aid your garment sewing and improve your final garment. Continue reading “How To Read A Sewing Pattern”

JillyFebruary 13, 2014July 1, 20163 Comments

Tips & Tricks

Fabric Swatch Cards + Plantain Contest Update

I’ll be honest… I’ve reached a point where I have too much fabric to remember off the top of my head what is there. (And when I do remember, where the heck it is.) I’ve been storing most of it in boxes, stacked sideways so you can see an edge of each piece. Still, I find myself ripping everything out of the box when I start a project so that I can feel the weight of the fabrics. (Must touch the fabric!) I’ve seen other bloggers do various organization techniques with swatches and decided that was just the ticket for my handsy approach to finding fabrics from my stash. Continue reading “Fabric Swatch Cards + Plantain Contest Update”