There is a movement across the country to sew and donate face masks. I did a blog post a couple of days ago with a mask pattern and shoe lace ties. You can see that here.  When individuals and  groups began sewing masks most of the patterns used elastic.  I thought it might be difficult for people to acquire with everyone staying in their homes.  Also, several comments I saw on forums stated elastic was getting difficult to order online. The idea to use alternative materials like shoelaces worked and the masks have been holding up great.  Today I wanted to post an easy way to create mask ties from fabric. Most patterns advise using bias binding that is pre-made or making your own

You can use a binder foot  to sew fabric ties very easily. These ties are not as wide as bias binding, but they are very durable with all the raw edges being enclosed. This particular sewing foot is not a standard attachment but you might have one in your sewing feet and not realize it.  I actually have one for my sewing machine and one for my serger. Binder feet are used to add binding to quilts and other projects like vest and jacket edges. In most instances you would have the binding being attached to other fabric. Here, you are sewing just the strip of fabric by itself and it works great. Most people that sew love to try and buy additional feet because they really do make short work of sewing tasks.  If you don't have one, look in your machine manual and see if they are available for your model.

This is what the foot looks like. It has a curved center and might seem intimidating but it is magical when you see how easily the fabric is folded and sewn in one step.

I usually start by trimming my fabric to the correct width. Here you see I have an assembly line going with my strips.  My particular foot requires the strips to be 15/16th of an inch wide. I have tried sewing them just a little shy of this and they still work great.  

I trim the end to a point and that makes it easier to slide into the curved part of the foot. The fabric goes in with the pretty side facing to the right.

A pair of tweezers will assist in pulling the fabric through under the foot.  I have my stitch on center needle with 2.5 mm width and 2.5 mm  length. Verify all of these settings according to your machine and binder foot.

You make sure that the foot is lowered and hold the fabric at the same angle as the foot for smooth sewing.

Fabric strips go in and sewn ties come out with no exposed edges.  As long as you hold that fabric at an angle and feed it smoothly, the foot will fold everything in place allowing the machine to sew beautiful fabric ties. These would be similar to spaghetti straps. If you want to do some relaxing sewing, this will certainly do the trick to watch these little ties being created with minimal work on your part.

Check out the mound of fabric ties I have been able to sew. Now all I have to do is cut out my fabric for masks and insert these into whatever pattern I am using.  This has shortened my preparation time because all I am doing is trimming my fabric across the grain and letting the foot do the work.  I pressed my fabric flat before I made my cuts and have not done anything else to prepare it. The fabric doesn't need to be cut on the bias because I won't be going around any curves. Everything is straight sewing when creating these ties. So if you have a binder foot in your tools, give it a try. Just look up the recommended fabric width for your foot.  I have a video below showing my foot in action. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work! If you are interested in donating face masks to very needy organizations, visit WENEEDMASKS.ORG
Many states are in dire need and would welcome home sewn masks. Look for your area and I bet there is an organization close to you having made a request. If you know an organization that needs masks, point them in the direction of the WENEEDMASKS.ORG website so they can add their contact information and address to make a request. This is a legitimate site being spearheaded by the Sewing and Craft Alliance and American Sewing Guild.

I have a new In The Hoop project releasing today and I think you will really like it.  It is just in time for Spring and Easter.  There are three sizes available. This is the 6x10 size and it finishes to a 3.5 x 7 inch bag.  The right size for a pair of glasses or sunglasses. Or use it for pens and pencils!  Check out the design in my store here.

The second size completes in a 5x7 hoop and finishes to 4 x 5.5 inches.  If you love little bags that can hold makeup or thumb drives this bag would be perfect.  Check out the design here.

The third size completes in a 9.5x14 inch hoop so it is quite a bit larger.  It finishes to 8 x 11 inches.  Unfortunately the JEF format is not available in this design due to that hoop size.  This design is perfect for I pads and E readers.

Kamsnaps are installed on the flap and everything is fully lined with no exposed seams.  There is quilting on the front and applique with a cute bunny. It is a really fun bag to sew out and as you can see from the samples, you can really customize each with your fabric choices.  If you would like to see the process, I have a You tube video below that will take you through all of the steps. They are the same for each bag.  Of course the download will include instructions with color pictures.

Check out the video below!  I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work!

There has been an abundance of face mask requests from all over the USA as institutions are currently in need. I am a member of the American Sewing Guild and they are assisting with the effort.  A website has been established that will allow requests to be made by any organization for sewn face masks.  People who are able to sew are needed and all of the information is here. www.weneedmasks.org
​If you are able to sew or know someone who can donate, please visit the website and see if your state has any needs. It is being updated daily.

There are so many free patterns available on the weneedmasks.org site and the internet in general.  Many different and specific types from each hospital or medical center have been requested so every skill level will be able to help.  Since the movement has begun, I have seen online comments that some people are ordering elastic from the Big Box stores. In these trying times, some basic items have become harder to find. I worry that some people may not be able to get elastic so I wanted to contribute a pattern that did not require it and used an alternative material.  So here is a mask that is comfortably curved and has shoestring ties that are easily attached by top-stitching.   These shoe strings may be easier to find right now. In fact, I got mine from Dollar Tree. If you can't find them, ribbon or bias tape would be a great substitution. If you can cut out a simple pattern and sew a straight line, you can complete these masks.

It requires four pieces of fabric and two shoelaces.  There are no gathers or tucks so it is simple to sew but curved around your chin for a comfortable fit. The ties make it easy to customize depending on how tight you want to wear it. Like other home sewn masks, this is not approved by the Centers For Disease Control as PPE Protection and no claim of disease prevention is made. I sewed several for our home and we use them to help remind us to keep our hands away from our faces. It's amazing how often we touch surfaces and then touch our face.  The medical centers are saying they will be able to use the sewn masks in certain circumstances to aid with their medical supply rationing. So check out the site to see if your area might need donations. If you are like me, you have extra fabric in your stash. You may also be at home and working on a project would make you feel very productive.   I would use precaution with this type of mask for children because of the ties.  A mask with elastic would probably be preferable for smaller children so keep that in mind if you decide to sew these for your loved ones.

So are you ready to sew a face mask?  The project won't take very long and I have a pattern in a PDF document you can download below. The pattern does not include pictures but I also have a video below showing all of the construction that you can watch.  I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create.  Someone , especially now, will appreciate your hard work! Be well.

Spring is Here!  My yard is quickly changing and it reminds me everyday how lucky I am;  as long as I pay attention to it!  This is a unique time in the world and a lot is happening that can take away the joy in our lives.  If you are experiencing sad thoughts or you feel scared, let's look at some pretties that will help remind you to look forward. These Spring Embroidery Designs might just get you in the mood to "dust and fluff" around your home. 

In my part of the world, we have had a lot of rain. I can tell you we were singing this little Rain Rain Go Away song a few weeks ago.  

Here is some Rain Gear to go along with all of that wet weather!

Now that you have spring weather, I bet your Garden Hat and Gloves are getting some use like mine!

If you are getting your garden ready, maybe you are thinking about planting Peas in A Pod?

Don't forget to pull out that Watercan so you can fertilize everything really well!

Is your yard starting to come alive like this Spring Tree?

Have you loaded up your furry friends for a ride like this Old Spring Truck?

Are the little critters starting to come out of their winter homes like this Bunny and Bird?

Maybe you live where there are Spring Lambs frolicking in the green fields.

Or have you seen a Sweet Bunny hopping around your yard nibbling on the fresh grass?

I'm sure you are already seeing the insects like this Fringe Bee buzzing around and doing their work!

Or have you grabbed a blanket and looked at the Rainbows that pop up after those storms?

I am hoping my garden will produce huge vegetables like this Bunny with Carrot!

Wow! Just seeing all of those pretty designs together really makes me feel happy! I have been working in my studio on new designs, catching up on sewing as well as getting my yard in order.  Focusing and working with my hands have really helped me stay grounded with the hard events in the world around me.  If you are not sure how to move forward, just pick up a tool.  Any kind of tool whether it be a paintbrush, garden rake or pair of sewing scissors.   My favorite stress reliever is pulling weeds. It's FREE!   If I get in a sad mood, I just go outside for about 15 minutes and yank those weeds out.  It helps clear my mind and if you do it a couple of times a day, you will look up and your yard will look fresh and clean!  Just give it a try and I bet within a few minutes, you will have all sorts of ideas for new projects.  The hardest part is always getting started. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you have learned and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work!

How cute is this In The Hoop Seatbelt Pillow? It completes in a 5x7 embroidery hoop and uses a couple of 5 inch charm squares and 4 inches of Velcro. Perfect for Charity Sewing/Embroidery!  This design was inspired by a sewing pattern I found on the internet a few years ago.  I did a blog article about sewing with compassion and showed how you can deliver things to people going through a hard time in their lives. I really enjoyed seeing how they were so happy and decided I would digitize an embroidery design that could achieve the same result.  

This shows basically everything you would need to complete several of these pillows. The Velcro installs so they can be reversible.  If you want to have two different fabrics or something with a theme, you can do that too. 

Here is the front and back view of my pillow.  The design has roughly 1300 stitches and you will be able to finish one in just minutes.  I used hem tape and my iron to close the opening where you need to turn the project but you can use a needle and thread.   The filling is Polyfil and because it is a small project you don't use very much. In fact, this little project is perfect for cleaning out your stash of fabric, short pieces of Velcro and leftover Polyfil!

Here is another pillow with different fabric. I made several different types so there were choices when I delivered them.  Now, where can these be used?  Just think about your local Cancer Treatment Center, Children's Hospital and Retirement Communities to start.  I bet police officers, firemen and delivery drivers would love one too. One more idea is to use them for kid's gifts. Do you have a classroom or birthday party coming up?   Just use your imagination to share some comfort for people around you.  The best part?  This design is FREE!  Just click on this link to go to my store, add the design to your cart and check out.  You will need to enter your email address so it can email the link to you. From there, download and sew. While you are there, check out my other Free Designs and add them to your cart too! You will get Full color instructions in the download but I have a You Tube video you can watch that will take you through each step.  I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create Someone will appreciate your hard work! 

 QR Codes have been around for several years. I believe they were originally created to help keep up with inventory controls but businesses have adapted them to do a lot more now.  A QR code is usually a square with pixels inside. You can add other fancy graphics.  Although you and I can't read it, there are bits of information encoded in the way the pixels are placed. This allows electronic devices equipped with scanners to interpret the codes and do something with the information.  QR Codes can be made using Apps and software.  I made this one with Corel Draw and used my website address for the encoded information.  . 

So all I do is open my phone camera just like I'm taking a picture and point it at the code.  This is what you see. The camera recognizes the QR code by surrounding it with the yellow brackets. At the top of the screen my phone browser gives me the option to visit the website.  Pretty neat right? So what am I doing with this code?  I installed it on a purse that I will take with me to a sewing convention.  Driving people to websites is always going to be a challenge until you develop a name or grab part of your market. Then once you have that traffic, you will still want to advertise to keep your regular base of visitors and gain new fans.  A convention where the people are already engaged in the type of business you have will increase your chances of introducing people to your brand. 

I used a purse from Walmart that has a sleeve on the back of it meant to go over a handle on a piece of luggage.  Dark fabric transfer paper allowed me to print off the advertisement so it was really bright. I ironed it onto 100% cotton fabric, sewed a hem around the edges and then used Cam Snaps on the purse sleeve to make it removable.  In the future I can create different advertisements for other events or customize for specials and coupons.    When I want to use this as a purse, I can just remove the advertisement!  The QR codes are very user friendly and have a fault percentage programmed into them. This means that scanners can pick them up even if they are backwards or farther away.  My hope with this purse is that people will be able to snap a scan as I am going to classes and shopping the convention. They can do this without speaking to me if they are shy and just want to check out my site or if they want to interact, I will have business cards to hand out also.  This should definitely be a conversation starter.  So, if you are visiting my site because you snapped the QR code, thanks for taking the time.  There is a You tube video below that takes you through the entire process of making the label. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work!