Working with large cones of thread on a regular sewing machine can be tricky when you don’t have a cone holder. These cones are designed to sit on a vertical spool pin or a special holder that keeps the thread feeding smoothly. Without one, the thread can tangle, snag, or pull unevenly, which affects your stitching quality. But you don’t have to stop your project or rush to buy expensive accessories. Sometimes, a little creativity and resourcefulness can solve the problem. Wh

I have a very hard time pinning with straight pins. I'm left handed and really can't feel much or pick up much with my left hand. I try to pin with my right hand but that's not easy either. I can barely feel the pins. That's why I started to glue baste almost everything. One of the first things I learned in quilting was paper piecing. I would have sections of paper with fabric sewed onto it. Then you're supposed to pin the sections together to sew. I couldn't pin the sections

My first experience as a guest on a podcast happened this week with Susan from the podcast, "Measure Twice, Cut Once.” I survived and actually enjoyed it! But while discussing my quilting journey I realized that I'm a handicapped person! I know my hands don't work like most people's hands, but because I really don't let that limit me, I never consider myself handicapped. I just think of myself as a person who has to do things a little bit differently than everyone else. Sus

Quilting tools can be very expensive. I try to use my money wisely for tools I want and need. Finding another use for a tool or a way to use parts differently is a bonus! I use glue sticks a lot for many quilting and crafting projects. The empty glue tubes were laying around and I thought there has to be a use for these. The tubes are perfect holders to safely store your needles. You can write on the tube with a Sharpie marker, the type and size of the needles. I store my han

I got on the band wagon of English paper piecing. That's where you use cardstock paper shapes that you sew or glue fabric around. Then sew the shapes together, starch and press. The scary step for me is when you take the papers out. I'm always afraid it's all going to fall apart. It doesn't, but I just have that fear after all that hand stitching. I have found the best thread for EPP and the stitches just sink into the fabric and are invisible. The thread I love is by Wonder

I have lots of threads all over my floor when I'm sewing and quilting. This leads to threads wrapped around the brushes of my sweeper and eventually it stops rolling. I have to find an old pair of scissors and cut the threads off the bristles. I found a cheap remedy for this problem. Make Sure It's Clean! A toilet brush from #dollartree I like to #decoupage the holder so it looks pretty in my sewing studio. It's so