HELP WITH THREADING YOUR SEWING MACHINE NEEDLE

As we get a little older, it gets a little harder to thread our sewing machine needle. I have an automatic needle threader on my machine, but it does not work properly.  That is my only complaint on my machine.  I wish it had a better needle threader.  Anyway, I have a little tip to help you out if you have to do it by hand.  I have always tried looking for a piece of white paper to hold behind the presser foot holder every time I have to thread my needle.  Well no more and this does a great job.

I added a tiny piece of white tape to the presser foot holder.  What I actually used was a tiny piece of white electrical tape. I purchased a whole pack of different colors at Harbor Freight.  I just checked and I don't see it listed on their site anymore, but there were many other stores available who carry it.  It looks like this.

Now I just cut a tiny square the size of my presser foot holder and placed it on the very tip of the holder.  It holds great and is an amazing help if you need it. 

Now put your presser foot holder back on your sewing machine and see what a difference it makes.  I would think you could also add a little bit of paint to the top of this foot and I bet that would work also.  

It just opens up the light so much going through the hole of the needle and makes this job so much easier.  Give it a try!

Back To School Skirt - Setting Pleats

 Mt granddaughter goes to private school and every year for the past 9 years I have altered her skirts.

Most girls don't iron anymore like I had to in my school days, so the pleats just do not hold in the skirt. If you have this problem or if you iron skirts this might help you.  I take the pleats on the inside and on the outside of the skirt and sew them about 1/4" from the edge.  You can only go so high until you can sew no more and that is where I stop.

1. This helps to set the pleats and it will hang better.  They use to do this for us years ago when you purchased a school skirt, but not anymore.    It must be a costly extra step because now it is left off.  If you want this finishing touch, you must do it yourself.  Just make sure you do it for the pleated edge on the righttside of the skirt and then turn your skirt inside out and do all the pleats on the wrong side of the skirt also.  Now if you just wash the heck out of this skirt like she does, it will hang at those pleat marks.  Also if you would iron this skirt it is so quick and easy because you do not have to try and figure out exactly where the pleats should be because it lays so nice when you lay it down and it falls into exactly where the pleat goes.  Two minutes of ironing would do the job!  Ironing What The Heck Is That!!  LOL    -  Does anyone still iron??

How I Embroider A Quilt Label - Part 2

 This was sent to me by one of the Janome Educators on a Janome Life post.  She made a darling quilt label which I do love, but I wanted you to see the difference in what the spray starch can do for your embroidery.  Also, make sure your fabric is tight in your hoop.  You can see the puckers in the stitch out and I think the spray starch tip would have pulled a lot of this out.  I do love the quilt label made with her own handwriting.  I wish I would have seen this before I made mine, I would have tried this wonderful technique out.  I think your own handwriting would make your label even more sentimental and precious for the family and friends who you make the quilt for.  See "How I Embroider A Quilt Label - Part 1"