Fabric Notebook Cover with Baby Lock Serger Victory

I was going to buy a notebook, then I saw a good old partially used notebook laying around in our office. I decided to whip up a notebook cover to make it more pretty. When I say "whip up", it literally means quick and simple and it was possible with my Baby Lock Victory. I didn't exactly time myself, but I would say this whole project took me 30 minutes or less. If you are looking for an easy peasy, pretty and practical sewing project (and gift) idea, this is it!

* You Will Need

Notebook - The notebook I used was 9 3/4" x 7 1/2" x 1/2"
Main fabric (at least 24" wide and 11" tall and it goes for the liner and interfacing too)
liner fabric
Fusible Interfascing (I used Pellon 950)
14" long ribbon that is complimentally to the front fabric

* How To
1. As I mentioned on the supply list, the notebook I used is a pretty standard size. If you are using a smaller or larger notebook, please adjust your fabric measurement accordingly. Cut the main fabric, liner fabric and fusible interfacing to 10 1/2" x 23 1/2".

2. Fuse interfacing to the main fabric by following the manufacturer’s instructions.

3. Lay the fused fabric with liner fabric wrong sides together. Make sure the corners and seams are perfectly matched and pin.

4. Use the serger to sew the edges of the 10 1/4" seams on the both ends.

5. Lay the Main fabric side up on the table. Fold 4" from the ends and pin. Pin the Ribbon in the middle. I am showing the ribbon up, but you want the ribbon attached onto the top middle under the fabric going towards the bottom. I am showing what not to do in the picture. haha. I cut off the ribbon at the first attempt and realized I did it wrong.

6. Hide the thread ends for a clean finish.

7. Fold the ribbon out and give some stitches to make it more secure.

8. Pull out the corners. Use a pin or other tools to pull out the corners to have a nice crisp finish. Press with iron.

9. Fold the seams on the middle part of the notebook cover and press with iron. To secure the seam, you could either handstitch, use fabric glue or stitch with a sewing machine. I didn't want the stitches showing on the front of the notebook cover; I decided to hand stitch.

10. Insert the covers of the notebook to the sleeves and you are ready to enjoy the notebook with personality. I fell in love with this Windham Fabric Lush Life designed by Jennifer Moore.

There are other methods to create book covers, but I love how easy and quick my version is. Using my Baby Lock Victory definitely speeds things up and I love how clean those serged edges look.:)

Waterfall Wedding Veil with Baby Lock Victory ~ Tutorial with Diagram

Hi all! I can't believe we are already starting February. I hope everyone is doing well.

Me? I am pretty busy because my one and only daughter is getting married at the beginning of March! If you have been reading my blog for a long time (Thank you so much for visiting this humble place.), you have known my daughter since she was a baby. It's surreal that my kids are old enough to be married and adulting.

Starting with my eldest son, we have been having weddings every 10 months. So far, I have made some flower arrangements. I am in the process of making her wedding quilt, altering her dress, making a send off dress and she wanted me to make her a couple veils. One long cathedral veil for the bridal photos and a short one for the reception. We were going through images online to see what style of veil she wanted and she really liked the waterfall style veil with blusher. I knew I could rely on my Baby Lock Victory to add the delicate details for her special day.

I was confident that using 3-Thread Rolled Edge, I could achieve the exact look I was going for. To tell you the truth, I have never used this stitch before, but with the reference guide, it was pretty easy to set up my machine for the narrow rolled edge. There is a recommended stitch length and width, but I played around for a bit to create a very thin and more delicate edge than the usual rolled edge.

I couldn't find a pattern and tutorials for the exact style we wanted, so I came up with my own measurement as I went. I created a simple diagram for you to use along with my tutorial. Spring and Summer will be the wedding season; do you hear wedding bells, anyone? Let's get started!

* You will need

Tulle---- 60" wide x 56" long
Threads that matches your fabric
4" comb
* How to

1. Take the 60" w x 56" long fabric and fold it a couple times length wise. Trim the side edges to give it a clean look. After the trimming, the fabric is 55 1/2" wide.

2. Open the fabric and fold it in half length wise, and then fold it again width wise. Cut the corner to give a nice rounded edge. I used a cutting mat and rotary cutter, it is so much easier to create clean lines.

3. Unfold the fabric. This time, fold it so that the bottom fabric is longer and the top layer is 27" from the folded line to the edge. Cut off the top corners as the diagram shows. Then cut the rest of the folded edge open.

4. Sew and gather 10" in the middle of the top edge. Pull the thread to create a 4" (width of the comb) gathered edge.

5. Use 3-Thread Rolled edge, serge the two layers of fabrics. I was very happy with the stitches.

6. Cut 2" x 4" tulle and fold it in half. Sew it to the gathered edge from step 4. Fold the tulle in half to the other side and stitch. Sew comb on by hand.

7. Here is the finished veil.

We are very pleased with the finished veil. I know she will look so beautiful with her dress on with her veil and I can't wait to see it. I am very happy for her, but I also feel a small sting in my heart. My little girl is moving on to the next stage of life. I am going to cherish whatever time I have with her planning her wedding together.

Circle Placemat Tutorial with Baby Lock Victory

This Thanksgiving was extra special for our family. Both of our sons got married in the past two years and our daughter is engaged to be married next year. All eight of us were going to have Thanksgiving dinner together. We also invited a couple missionaries over to have dinner with us. I am usually a bit more casual about our Thanksgiving dining, but I wanted to set the table for this occasion. I had a few days to prepare, and I decided to make 10 placemats. Shopping and cooking for Thanksgiving sounds busy enough and sewing placemats may sound crazy, maybe I am crazy, but it really wasn't that bad! Using my Baby Lock serger Victory made the process so easy and quick. I will share what I did.

* You Will Need (10 pieces of 15" diameter placemats)

Fabric for the front - about 2 yards
Fabric for the back - about 2 yards
Stiff interfacing - about 2 yards
Threads that matches the fabric

* How to
1. Iron both fabrics to ensure that the fabrics are wrinkle free and smooth. The finished project will look much better. I used a 15" diameter placemat. I had to trace 10 circles on one fabric.

2. Cut them out. It was kind of satisfying to see all the circles on the table. At this stage, they look nothing more than a bunch of wheat tortillas. Ha ha!

3. Lay the circle fabric onto the fusible interfacing and fuse them together with an iron. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for this process. Repeat the process with all the fabrics.

4. Lay the circles you have created on step 3 onto the back fabric. Make sure to smooth out any wrinkles when you are doing this process. Cut around the edge. Now you have three layers to create a placemat.

5. Now for the exciting part! I did three thread overlock-narrow 3.5 length / 3 width and serged all around the circle. Hide the end of the thread by threading through stitches for a clean finish.

It took me about 2 - 3 hours to sew all of them. Then I got to set the table for the feast.

I like things that are versatile and these placemats are definitely that. I fully intend to use them for Christmas dinner as well. Just switching some decorations, Voila! The table is set for Christmas.

There are other ways to sew placemats for sure, but I love how using my Baby Lock Serger Victory made the process so quick and easy. The next big Holiday after Christmas is Valentine's Day. Hmmm Red Placemats might be fun to have...

Meissner Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sale!

Meissner is having an amazing Black Friday Sale right now! It is an up to 45% off storewide sale of machines, supplies, fabrics, etc.; you name it! If you have been thinking about purchasing a sewing machine, this is a great time to do so! I have the Baby Lock Aria, which is a sewing/quilting machine and I LOVE it so much. These types of hybrid machines have a wider throat space and it is easier to maneuver quilts while you are quilting. There are other features depending on the machine too. Don't miss out on this great sales event, go check out Black Friday sale (11/14-11/30) and Cyber Monday sale (offer valid 12/1).

Meissner 95th Anniversary Sale!

I have an announcement to make today! I am going to be an ambassador for Meissner. They are a family owned business based in Northern California. This year they are celebrating 95 years in business and to celebrate their milestone and show appreciation to their customers, they are having BIG sales event in whole month of September.

As their ambassador, I get to share exciting deals with you! Here are few things to remember:
The Anniversary sale can be shopped now online at meissnersewing.com. Because they are celebrating their 95 years, their customers can enjoy up to 95% off plus an extra 9.5% off every order when you use code 95years.

As a new ambassador, I received a welcome package! There I found the Oliso Iron and Liberty of London Fabric in the box; How did they know I always wanted to try Oliso iron and I am the biggest fan of Liberty of London fabrics?? They are just a couple of the new and discounted accessories in the sale! There are deals on sewing machines as well. Don't forget to check out Baby Lock Machine deals too – add to cart from the catalog for the best pricing!

Two - toned (Color block) Hoodie DIY

Several weeks ago, my daughter's boyfriend asked me to create a matching two-tone hoodie for her birthday. Since this was a surprise, I needed to be very careful not to spill the beans. Now, she has already received the hoodie (and yes, she really loves it!), I get to share a tutorial on how I accomplished this highly secret mission. hahaha.

He provided two hoodies and stay tape. I just needed to find the time to work on them when she was not around.

* You will need

Two different color hoodies
Stay tape
Jersey needle
Thread

* How to

1. I asked him to wash them first. I guess you don't have to, but I felt that it would be better. I ironed them and made sure they had no wrinkles.

2. Lay one hoodie on the cutting table completely flat; no wrinkles on the front and back. Make sure the shoulder seams and side seams are straight. These things sound tedious, but these things make the finished result much cleaner and better. Determine the cutting line. I decided to cut from one of the shoulders to the opposite side of the side seam line a few inches above the bottom line.

3. Use the part of the hoodie you just cut, cut the other hoodie the same way. I pinned the shoulder and the side together, so it will stay better when I cut. I used my cutting mat and rotary cutter for this. If you don't have these tools, you can draw a line and cut it with the scissors. Pining near the cutting line helps to keep the fabric aligned better.

4. Swap the hoodies to create two sets of two-toned hoodies.

5. Take one set of the hoodie parts and sew together. To prevent the fabric from stretching out and becoming wavy, I used stay tape. This one wasn't adhesive tape, so I pinned it with the seams. Take the right sides of the hoodies parts together and place stay tape on top of the one side of the seam line and pin all three layers together and sew. I used the jersey needle to sew with my sewing machine.

6. I used my Baby Lock Victory to serge all around the seam. Having the serger made this process very quick and I was able to sew with confidence.

7. Press the seam with an iron and do the same process with the other set of hoodie parts.

Mission complete! The seam lines are crisp and clean and my daughter and her boyfriend loved the result.