Instant Easy Stocking

Do you need to make up a stocking to tuck a gift card or other small gift in an instant? This super-simple stocking can be made in just a few minutes!

Download the pattern here!

Holiday Storage Roll Up

We love making our favorite quick projects in holiday fabrics! With a few modifications, we turned this makeup brush roll into a tool caddy for your favorite stitching tools!

You can find the original instructions here. 

To make our modified version, I started by cutting 2 pieces of fabric and one piece of batting 14" by 16".

 Layer the fabrics right sides together with the batting underneath.

Using metrosene all-purpose 100% polyester thread, stitch through all layers all the way around the 14" by 16" rectangle, leaving a 4" opening in the center of one 14" side.

Clip the corners and turn the project right side out. through the opening. Press well.

 Cut a length of ribbon 24" and fold it in half (right sides together if it has a right side) tuck the folded edge into the opening 8" from the bottom of the rectangle and pin.

Fold up the bottom edge of the rectangle 5".

Lay out your tools in the fold as you'd like to store them.

Use a temporary fabric marker to trace lines to separate your tools.

Stitch along the marks through all layers, securing at each end of the seam.

Fold down the top of the roll approximately 3" (so it just overlaps the bottom pocket.

Edge stitch the two sides and bottom edge of the rollup, being sure to close the opening and stitch the ribbon in place as you sew.

Tuck your tools inside. The top flap being sewn into the edge stitching make the storage more secure.

When using the roll, you can "turn out" the top pocket for easier access to your tools. 

Roll up your tools and tie with the ribbon to store!

Stitch Your Own Holiday Plaid

We've made plaid fabric here on the blog before by adding a variety of stitches to our fabric - and now we are back at it with holiday colors! Here's how we created this fun plaid fabric that can be used to make your favorite holiday craft - use it for a mug rug, zipper bag, a pocket, or any fun holiday project.

We used a red/white/green multi and a cranberry red multi in Mettler Silk Finish Cotton 50 weight.

To create the plaid look, start by adding a piece of interfacing or stabilizer to the back of the fabric you will be working with.

Next, mark a grid on your fabric with a removable marker. We marked a grid 2" apart.

Next, thread your machine with the first color of thread. We used the red/green/white multi first. Choose a fairly heavy decorative stitch - one that really shows off the multicolor cotton thread. Use a foot with a center guide to stitch along the lines of your grid.

Stitch the decorative stitch every 2" apart in one direction, and every 4" apart in the other.

 Next, thread the machine with the second color. Choose a heave triple straight stitch. Stitch it every 4" (in between the 4" spaced lines with the decorative stitch).

In the opposite direction, add the straight stitch every four inches, spacing it 1" from the first decorative stitch line. Use a seam guide or mark the 1" line with a marker.

 Once you have stitched all the lines, remove the marks and then press your fabric.

Trim away any excess fabric that is not stitched.

And voila! You have a piece of plaid fabric you stitched yourself - the perfect start to a fun project!

Building Your Stash - PolySheen Embroidery Thread

PolySheen embroidery thread is an excellent choice for machine embroidery because it is strong, shiny, and colorfast. But once you know you've chosen a quality thread for your embroidery, how do you go about picking out colors?

Most of us can't purchase the entire range of colors at once, so here are some guidelines on how to add to your collection methodically!

1. Start with the basic colors. Think the rainbow (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple), plus neutrals - (Black, White, Gray, Brown). Most people also add a pink to the mix. Here are some recommended shades of PolySheen for these basic colors:

White: 0015

Black: 0020

Gray: 0142

Brown: 1055

Red: 1902

Orange: 1102

Yellow: 0600

Green: 5422

Blue: 3600

Purple: 2920

Pink: 2550

2. Add a tint (lighter) and a shade (darker) of each of the colors from step one. For example, you'll want several shades of green. If you start with 5422 as your base green, you can add 5740 as a lighter green, and 5326 as a darker green.

3. Add in specialty colors. This will vary from person to person depending on what you like to sew. Here is where you will add colors like flesh tones, teals, dusty colors, neons, or others that are your personal favorites.

4. Add tints and shades of your favorite colors. You may want up to six or seven shades of colors you use often in your clothing or decor so you can create monochromatic designs.

5. As you build your thread collection based on these guidelines and your personal favorites, keep track of what you have at home. You can download a thread chart for PolySheen by clicking here. Print it and mark which colors you have and keep it with you when shopping for thread. Or, even better, download our iPad app, where you can inventory your thread right in the app!