So how have you been?  Is winter messing with your "SEWJO"? I will be honest and say it has put a slight damper on my creative flow.  That is not unusual for me and if I just admit it, I can move past it with a few tricks and tips. Tip #1 is to give myself permission to feel uninspired.  Once I am settled in to acceptance, I lose the guilt that I have all of these tools, beautiful fabric and a wonderful studio just sitting there and going unused. It's going to be ok because the urge to create always comes back. You just have to give it time.

Here is my backyard view. We always say that our area turns GRAY in the wintertime.  The days begin to roll into each other and it's hard to imagine that the sun will ever come back.  Even my dogs get a little forlorn. So once we have admitted we are not in a creative mood, what's next?  TIP #2, Look for something EASY to do. Don't try that multi step project with brand new complicated techniques. I reached for a couple of hand towels that I wanted to do some embroidery on. SIMPLE and basic.  It's not rocket science for me because I have done so many towels but once I got started, the creative bug bit me.  I went to Google Fonts and found a free font file called Lovers Quarrel. Once downloaded, I just digitized the letter S in my embroidery software with a butterfly. These towels are going to be a gift for my mom. That's Tip #3.  Make something for someone ELSE. It really is better to give and the thought of how much the receiver is going to love your gift will make you want to finish.

The font is really pretty with all of the extra scroll work.  Downloading these Google fonts is easy. Once on your computer you extract them and there is an install button.  Your programs that use text or fonts should now pull them up as True Type fonts.  You can use them in any thing you choose. Be sure to look at the licensing info before you do commercial variations though. There will usually be a text file in the download that tells you how you can use the free fonts.  Once I had the design digitized, I stitched it out on two separate towels.

Pretty right?  Both have peach thread on the global underlay. This pulls that towel pile down so you can really see the stitching of the letter S.  The towel on the right used white thread on the satin stitching. On the left, I chose a variegated thread and let it do all the heavy lifting.  Some simple trim pieces sewn on with zig zag stitches and two custom gifts are made. These didn't take much time to finish. It was nice to do the straight trim sewing with zig zagging. No pressure here. Just easy sewing that can be done with minimal thinking and planning. A beautiful result though.

Tip #4 is to let those companies that have you on their email list help to inspire you.  Now this one can be dangerous because if you look through all of their free patterns, tips, ideas, you may get ANALYSIS PARALYSIS.  It's easy to do my friend so remember, stay simple.  Don't compare yourself with them or worry that they are better at coming up with cute ideas than you are. We have all been there. My husband who usually listens to me gripe has some great advice which is, "You are one person while they have lots of people in different  departments working to come up with all of these ideas"  He is exactly on point. So Tip #5 is to Listen to Your Husband, loved one or friend who cares about you. Stop comparing yourself and grab the easiest free pattern you can find. Or the one cute pattern that will make you so happy to finish. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel. It's OK to make those short easy projects.  I chose the Bucket Hat from Superior Threads.   

I downloaded the free pattern, chose my fabric from my stash and turned on the tutorial video. I watch it through one time fully. Then I sat my phone right next to my sewing machine and got to work.  This was so much fun because Amy the presenter did every step and within a couple of hours, I had a finished hat.

I did make sure to sew the circles on the crown to add structure. Amy mentions this in the video and I found it helped firm the hat up a bit.

The fabric I used is linen on one side and quilters cotton on the other. You can see that it is reversible which I love.  The linen has some good weight to it and I used this interfacing. I really like the feel of the finished product.

I added a cute flower embellishment to the front of the hat. This is two pieces of marine vinyl just cut into a flower shape.  Then I stacked two buttons and sewed the whole assembly together.  A small safety pin was sewn to the back of the vinyl pieces so I could attach to the hat and remove later if desired.

Here is a view of that safety pin. You could make two different flowers and swap them out if you wear the hat on the other side. That would be a cute addition.

This bucket hat is going to be a gift for my mom as well as the towels and I know her head is slightly smaller than mine. When cutting out the pattern I used the larger size because most hats do not fit my head well. I assumed this one would be tight. With my hair my head measures about 24 inches around. This pattern is much more generous than that so once I had completed it, the size kind of floated around on my head. I decided to try adding elastic which you can see above. I sewed one extra seam right above the brim around the entire hat that created a casing. Then I opened the side seam carefully with a seam ripper and pulled narrow elastic through.   

The elastic doesn't have to be really tight. Just cut it about 2-3 inches shorter than your head measurement.  You don't want it to be so taut that it gives you a headache.  Once you put on the bucket hat, the elastic will pull out the gathers a little smoother and with the flower on the front, the shape really is attractive.

Look how precious that is. 

Here is a back view. Such a cute pattern and it can be made using any style of fabric for anyone.  You don't have to add the flower.  You could put a snap on it instead to turn up the brim.
​ The final Tip #6 is to get out, relax and have some fun. Creativity is always present when we are NOT worrying. Adding stress to yourself is the best way to strangle those projects waiting to be created. Even if being a creative is your job, you know that mundane life can keep you from seeing the potential in your tools and materials. So allow yourself to take a step back. Go do something fun like take a walk with your dogs, see a funny movie, walk through your favorite craft store without purchasing anything. Notice all of these things get you out of your creative space.  Then when you come back, you will see it with fresh eyes.

I'm ready for my close up Mr. Demille. There is a Studio Vlog you can watch below that shows me working on these projects. I hope you have been inspired by this blog post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

We are one week into 2023. How are you doing with your resolutions?  Have you made any plans for change this year? Do you have a new focus? Maybe you are ready for a change but not sure where to start?  I have a simple one for you that will make all the difference in your sewing and embroidery world at least.

Your sewing needle is one of the easiest things to change. They are inexpensive but can make or break your stitching.  My last blog was all about bobbin cases and when to change them. I would say that 90 percent of my problems with tension in my embroidery machine are usually related to my bobbin.  The other 10 percent can be attributed to my hooping, stabilizer, fabric choice and needle.  Now I don't know if you realize this but a brand new needle out of the package can have flaws. I recently tried a new brand from a local big box store and every machine needle in the pack was off center.  By that I mean the flat part of the needle back and the eye were not struck the same.  When sewing, my thread kept shredding if it picked up at all. Have you seen a lowering of quality in your sewing needles lately?  Maybe other notions you usually purchase are not up to the norm? Buying your supplies from the cheapest outlet will sometimes lead to disappointment. I know I won't buy that brand anymore.

Here is another sign that the needle needs to be changed. You are sewing along and you start to see the bobbin thread. Normally on my flatbed machine, I don't need to adjust the bobbin tension at all.  On my multi needle, I usually check the tension at each bobbin change.  When my flatbed single needle starts acting up like the picture above it is usually an indication that the needle has become dull.  Instead of piercing the fabric and moving in between the thread fibers, it will pound the top thread down. It may look like white space or poorly digitized fill shapes at the join areas.  You may even hear a distinct sound change in your machine as this happens. 

Here is a second stitch out after a needle change.  Look how much smoother the fill is with no separation of thread at the junctions.  Everything is the same except the needle. I used the same design, kept the original hooping, original stabilizer, bobbin and thread.  When you change one thing at a time, you can isolate the problem more easily.  

This was the needle I changed to.  I have a local sewing machine dealership and the owner has been repairing sewing machines for longer than most people in my age group have been alive. He has seen it all.  On a recent trip to his store and in speaking to him about my needle woes he recommended I keep these in my studio. They did the trick on my flatbed machine.  Like a knife through hot butter. Just a plug for your local dealership or quilt shop. They have so much knowledge and training. It is worth it to drop by and talk to them. They love helping you with sewing and embroidery.

So here is that stitch out comparison again. What a difference a new needle can make. What does all of this have to do with resolutions?  If you need a New Year change and aren't sure where to start, here it is. Change your needle.  You can do this one. I hope  you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.