Miss Loreen's Schoolhouse

Get Creative with Bluprint's Free "Craft More Happy Moments" !!

Bluprint (formerly Craftsy) is having a special "Craft More Happy Moments" event.  If you sign up, you will get FREE unlimited access to their creativity event which runs from March 26 (now) until April 9th.  Bluprint will provide free access to their full slate of content including more than 1300 classes and series and hundred of step by step project tutorials and patterns.  

This is the perfect time to learn a new craft or hobby, hone your skills or simply watch what others are making! During this emotional time, the benefits of joining the "Craft More Happy Moments" has lots of benefits.  We all know that creativity helps us give our minds a break as we get into whatever project we are working on. 

You can share pictures of your projects with your family and friends!  Why not get your kids together to watch a class and work on a project together or just watch a class together.

Here is the link to take you right to Bluprint's site.  I am an affiliate of Bluprint and do, sometimes, receive a small commission at no cost to you.

Keep stitching and stay healthy,
loreen

2020 Winter Camp Bitterend

It's time for 2020 Winter Camp Bitterend!  I host a sewing camp with 10 campers for sewing camp twice a year.  Once now and again in August.  We started a few years ago with a summer camp and found we couldn't make it a whole year so we added a Winter camp.  Thankfully, the weather is being kind to us here in New England so we can check that worry off the list.

Camp Bitterend is made to work on those projects we just haven't finished yet.  No one has to confess how long it's been since they worked on any project and no pressure to get it finished though everyone usually gets a couple of projects finished and a good start on others.

This weekend I got the "goody" bags ready.  Had to add a few candy treats and they just happened to be Easter candies!!  Can't tell you what the rest of the goodies are.  Might be patterns or sewing notions or fabrics.........

Camp has a buffet of great food as all of the campers bring some kind of hot dish, cold dish, special treat, even a big fancy dessert!!  We have some homemade Italian herb bread on the menu!

We will be going on two "field trips" during camp to some fabric stores, have a few demos and lots and lots of fun!

I'm looking forward to spending time with my sewing campers this week as we always have a grand time!  I've just packed up the bag of give aways so everyone goes home with an extra prize.

If you don't have a sewing camp program in your area, why not get some of your fellow sewists together every once in awhile.  It is lots of fun!

Keep stitching,
loreen

September is National Sewing Month!

The observance of National Sewing Month began in 1982 with a proclamation from President Ronald Reagan declaring September as National Sewing Month “In recognition of the importance of home sewing to our Nation.”

Click on the picture to go to the National Sewing Month website for free patterns and information.  There is an interesting article on buying a sewing machine that you may wish to read.

So be sure to sew extra during September!!

Keep stitching,
loreen

 

Cleaning Your Sewing Machine!

Taking care of your sewing machine is as important as taking care of anything else we use.  Just like getting your car's oil changed regularly, you should be sure to clean your sewing machine regularly as well.  After each project and, sometimes, during a large project, take the time to clean out your bobbin area following the manufacturer's instructions.  Generally, these instructions are at the back of your machine's manual.  If you're not sure, be sure to ask someone at the store where you purchased your machine.  

One of the big problems I have found with people cleaning their machines is the use of canned air.  Canned air is fine for cleaning your serger IF you have a side opening so that the canned air can go in one side of the machine and out the other side. generally right to left.  If you don't have a way for the air, dust, dirt and lint to go out, it just goes somewhere inside of your machine.  Can you imagine what that will look like after awhile?  No?  Then look at the picture below and be sure to click on it to read more about what happens using canned air.

You should have received a little brush with your machine.  If not, use a soft bristle brush to clean gently around the bobbin area and be sure to put the bobbin case back in exactly as it should go and always turn your hand wheel toward you at least one complete turn to make sure everything is back where it belongs.  Again, not sure.  Visit your machine dealer for help.

In closing, you should get your machine professionally serviced once a year.  It's well worth it.

Keep stitching,
loreen

Row by Row Experience - 2015

The nationwide 2015 Row by Row Experience will be starting on June 21st and goes through September 8th.  If you participated last year, you know what fun it is to go to all the different participating shops around the United States and Canada.  Last year there were over 1200 shops that participating and lots of folks went visiting shops while on vacation.  

Here's the website that will give you all of the information about how it works and what shops will be participating and it's FREE.   Like a shop hop only a thousand times bigger.  Once the Row by Row starts, I will post a picture of the row I designed for the shop I work and teach at.  The theme this year is H2O.  Be sure to check out all of the row patterns around the country while you are visiting the website.

As a sneak peak, here's a picture of the free bag pattern you can download from the Row by Row website using some of the fabrics that were designed just for this year's theme. Isn't it cute!!

Hope you get to visit some of the participating shops over the summer.  Remember, you have until September 8th to collect your free patterns.  Oh yeah, each shop has designed its own fabric license plate that you can purchase when you visit.

Lots of fun!
loreen

Baby Lock's New DESTINY!!

Here's a few pictures of Baby Lock's newest sewing and embroidery machine and, I have to admit, I really am thinking of getting it!  The largest embroidery hoop size is 9 1/2" x 14" and comes with loads of the coolest features.  The screen is a little over 10" on the diagonal which especially appeals to me.  For those of you who own embroidery machines, the best part of the screen is the design icons are no longer at the bottom of the screen but actually come up on the entire screen!

Another great feature is that you can actually take clip art or a drawing or even a page from a coloring book and the machine will scan it in and turn it into stitches!  Can you just imagine the technology of that?? You can even edit the stitches.  I love applique so being able to scan in a drawing and turn it into applique stitching is something I would really love.

If you're a quilter, you can automatically add stippling around your design!

The technology of this Baby Lock machine just boggles my mind. Check out more information and a video of the scanning to stitches on this machine.  Baby Lock Destiny

I'm waiting anxiously to see this Destiny in person!
loreen