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Hi there! Thanks for stopping by our blog. If you found us through another post that's great, we're glad you're still looking around! All of our past posts are still available to view on blogger. However, we have moved to a new site! You can find current blog posts, along with our online store at www.ascarletthread.com/blog. 

Give Your Wardrobe a Makeover!

Spring is here and summer will be here before you know it!  Time to rotate that wardrobe.  If you are like me there isn't much to rotate.  Years ago my husband and I moved every couple of years when he would get a promotion so it didn't matter if I kept wearing the same old clothes because I had new friends that hadn't seen them.  Presently we had lived in Georgia for almost 13 years and my clothes are tired!  This year I am going to try something different.  I want to give my clothes new life.  I am going to add some embroidery to spruce them up.

When I am demonstrating an embroidery machine customers often say they don't know what to use it for or how much they would use it.  I say "You can't use what you don't own!"  Embroidery opens up a whole new wonderful world.  By adding an embroidery design to a garment you already own it's like shopping in your own closet.

We have the cutest embroidery designs from Lunch Box Quilts here at A Scarlet Thread.  They are Patches N' Pincushions and retail for just $33.99!  Each design comes digitized in either a patch or pincushion version.  I have had the above denim jacket for a few years and was almost ready to throw it out but instead just added the embroidery patches to it. Now I have a "new-to-me" garment ready for spring.

The embroidery designs on my jeans are from Urban Threads.  I stitched them on wash-away stabilizer and then stitched them on my jeans using a regular sewing machine.  The Baby Lock machines have a pivot feature that is great for this type of work.  I just activated the pivot and started sewing.  Each time I stopped sewing the foot pops up and the needle stays down.  This allowed me to turn my jeans without having to raise the foot each time manually.  What a great time saver and made sewing much easier.

- Jill

Spring Blooms

Don't you just love this time of year? Blue skies, bright green budding trees, birds chirping and flowers popping up all over. To paraphrase Eliza Doolittle, isn't it loverly?

I am always looking for a little craft that whips up quick but looks like it took forever. Pinterest is often my go to place for inspiration. How many hours have I been lost down that rabbit hole? Anyway, I happened upon a Russian (I think it's Russian) video tutorial showing how to make tulips from fabric. Score! 

Here is the video so you can see just how easy they are to make:

This is what you will need:
1/2 yard green fabric for stems and leaves (makes a dozen)
Plastic or paper straws
Assorted  medium scraps for tulips, in tulip colors
Double stick tape
Needle and thread
Cardstock for leaf template
Polyester stuffing

And here are the fabric measurements in inches:

Leaf- 3 1/2 x 6 inches
Stem- 1 1/2 x 8 inches
Tulip- 3 x 5 inches

Follow the steps outlined in the video. Here's a few photos to help:

Lay the tape on the fabric, attach the straw and roll it up. Hand stitch seam closed.
So easy even Em can do it! No hot glue here. I kind of like my fingers.

The leaves are just a simple shape. Trace your pattern and stitch with a 1/4 inch seam.
Fold the leaf around the stem and stitch together.

Gather the bottom of the tulip and stitch to the stem in the back. Stuff and close the top.
Place your finished tulips in something cute, like your mom's antique syrup pitcher,  and enjoy your handiwork! 

You can make masses of them in just a few hours! If you do make your own bouquet of tulips, be sure to share them with us on the Facebook page. We love seeing what you make!

-Mins (aka Karin Smith)

Spring Sewing Inspiration

I have to say, I LOVE this weather lately! Spring has sprung and it has inspired me to use my big bold floral prints again and pull out all my bright, cheery fabrics. Today's post includes some of our most recent pins from Pinterest. I hope these inspire you as much as they did me!

Click on the caption below each photo to be taken to the original site.

Kalidescope Quilt from Lella Boutique

Attending a Quilt Retreat? - Tips to Know Before You Go!

It's Quilt Retreat Week here at A Scarlet Thread and while I'm focused on the million little things on my task list like food and demos and name tags, the timing seemed perfect to share a few tips that will be helpful whenever you're preparing for an upcoming retreat.

Quilt retreats are a great way to make quilting friends, get a bit of a break from reality, and get a lot of sewing done! Just like a massage or a mani-pedi, a retreat plucks you from your day-to-day life and puts you in an environment where you only have to consider yourself.

Beyond the obvious sewing and project supplies you'll want to take, I thought it might be helpful to share a few of my favorite hints and tips that lead to a successful retreat experience.

Using A Thread Director for Metallic Threads

Sometimes you don't know how great a product is until you use it. I have to admit I am sometimes guilty of forming opinions before I give a product a chance... So, I decided to put the Thread Director to the test with metallic thread. If you have ever used metallic threads you know what a challenge they create. I've used them in my embroidery but they kink and break easily and are NOT a joy to use. 

The Thread Director can and will change all of that. It keeps the thread smooth and kink free. I put the metallic thread on the Baby Lock Aria machine and set it up for a satin stitch. I sewed as fast as the machine would go and no thread breaks whatsoever. 

I also put the Thread Director on the Baby Lock Molly machine and got the same great results. You can use the thread director with almost any sewing or embroidery machine!

Come into the sewing center at A Scarlet Thread and pick up a Thread Director today!

-Jill