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Embroidery Stitching (Punch) Tool
What is it? So what is this thing called punch embroidery? It’s actually one of those “mature” artforms that is pretty much old school, something our grandmothers may have loved. While traditional machine embroidery has its obvious applications, lately more and more of us have had our fiber-creative senses re-attuned to the amazing textures created with punch needle embroidery. Punch needle embroidery is a hand application process that uses a hollow needle to create loops of thread, yarn, floss or even ribbon on fabric giving us a textured pile surface that…
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No-Hassle Triangles Gauge
What is it? Triangles and quilts. What do they have to do with each other. Plenty. Using half-square and quarter square triangle blocks in various arrangements of color and size have produced literally thousands of quilt patterns. Solid colors, prints, batiks, fabric styles and block orientations all contribute to an unending array of designs. And triangles seem to be an easy thing to create. Right? But how do I know what size to cut my fabric blocks to begin with? There is a formula for the half-square block. You can either…
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Foot Note on the Ultimate Quilt ‘n Stitch Presser Foot
What is it? Okay, who has too much time on their hands? We find it’s a challenge every day for us to figure out what we’re going to do with ourselves. Plenty of time on our hands and nothing to do. Well that’s not much of a showing. How about this, who thinks that quilting parallel lines of stitches is just too easy, not really a challenge? You know, row after row of tiny stitches just seem to automatically find their way to exactly the right spot on our quilts…
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Quilt Market Houston 2019 in Review
I’m Marie from Underground Crafter and I’m here to share some of Clover’s highlights from Houston Quilt Market! If you’re not familiar with Quilt Market, it’s a trade show for the quilting, textiles, and soft crafts industries.
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Flexible Rubber Thimbles
What is it? – If there was such a thing as a machine that could transport us back in time to review our history we’d no doubt see that one of the first sewing tools developed by our sewing ancestors was the hand sewing needle. Granted it was a very crude artifact compared to the precision needles we use today but there was a common theme from one to the other. Whether we’re working with hides in a cave or fine fabrics in an upscale fabric boutique or using ancient needles made…
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New I Sew For Fun Items!
What is it? – Whether we’re into fashion, quilting, heirloom, home decor or all of the above, there is one constant. Specific techniques apply to each. The more adept we are in that technique to more personal satisfaction we realize for our efforts. The more completely we can achieve our creative intent. It’s that simple and that’s what it’s all about. Enabling creative expression. But sometimes all of the work, and perhaps a little frustration, takes away from the enjoyment of the creative process. Sometimes it’s just too hard. And that’s where…
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Swatch Ruler & Needle Gauge
What is it? – We just left our favorite knitting shop with a very cool new sweater pattern and yarn so beautiful that it defies description. We weren’t planning on starting on a new project today, but when inspiration strikes what can you do? You tell yourself you have no choice but to start right away. Every other priority is relegated to the proverbial back burner. We grab our favorite chair, flip on the lights and immediately start to cast on. But it seems there’s a step we’re skipping somewhere but…
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Pom-Pom Maker Set
What is it? – A pom-pom is the very epitome of cute. And I’m not just talking about the bobble on the pointy end of a ski cap. It’s much more than an accent for funny hats sporting snowflake and dear head designs. Much more than that, these beautiful little gems become valued accents to any quilting, fashion, jewelry, home decor or craft project. They really do add that “something special” to your creative designs. But how hard are they to make? Easy if you have unending patience, perfect eyesight and…
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Pattern Chart Marker Set & Knitting Counters
What is it? – Ever wonder where we’d be without that GPS function on our phone? If we want to know where we are, our exact location is only a finger swipe away. And if we have a specific destination in mind that same finger swipe will give us a detailed route complete with options and estimated times of arrival. Easy, right? But some of us remember a pre-GPS world that was fraught with incomplete maps, U-turns, dead ends and an unhappy arrival at an empty field where our destination was supposed…
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Tool School: Create-a-Pincushion
What is it? “A pincushion is a small, stuffed cushion, typically 3-5 cm across, which is used in sewing to store pins or needles with their heads protruding to take hold of them easily, collect them, and keep them organized.