How To Keep Embroidery Floss Organized

Hello friends!

One of my favorite crafts is embroidery and here are some of the things I've made with it:

I gave new life to an old pair of shoes...TADA!

I added color to a plain sleep mask...TADA!

I even joined the #stitchthisinyourstyle challenge on Instagram. A prompt was provided each month and participants embroidered their interpretation. The prompt for this piece is "drink" and of course I chose celebratory champagne...TADA! 

With all the embroidery that I do, you'd think I had a smart way to organize my embroidery floss. But all these years I just stuffed them inside this pouch. Even the loose threads and shabby remnants tangled with the new ones. So blah.

The amount of embroidery floss grew as I made new purchases. I got this entire bag at the thrift store for only $5.00! 

These ones I got for $1.99 each at Daiso (a Japanese dollar store). The cute colors made my knees weak.

I finally got my act together and bought this floss organizer at the craft store. I've seen many crafters use this and I might as well try it out.

It came with about 50 plastic bobbins on which to wind the embroidery floss on.

As an alternative, I would upcycle these bread tags instead of throwing them away.

Another option is to use the plastic bobbin as a template and trace it on sturdy cardboard.

Then cut them to size. I needed more of these bobbins to accommodate all my embroidery floss.

I transferred the embroidery floss to the bobbins. Winding the floss on the bobbin sure is meditative.

Then I grouped them by color...TADA!

I added other embroidery essentials such as scissors, a seam ripper (to undo stitches), needles, and a threader.

Here is my embroidery floss kit all neat and tidy. Now I can tell instantly if I'm running low on a particular color or if there's still a specific color that I need to add to the collection.

I feel so much satisfaction after completing this task. My embroidery floss has gone from "blah to TADA!" and I can't wait to start a new embroidery project.

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An Extra Special Pin Cushion

What's up guys?

This time of year seems to encourage a bit of spring cleaning. Last week, I organized my sewing corner with a D.I.Y spool holder and today, let's continue the sewing theme.

In a previous post, I gave you a peek at my sewing kit. It's very spacious. I can keep fabric, embroidery hoops, and also store current sewing projects.  

My issue with this sewing kit is the loose items that just roll around the box, like these spools of thread that I use for hand sewing.

But I turned "blah" to "TADA!":

I made this handy dandy pin cushion that has a built-in thread holder. There's a little pocket for each spool...TADA!

Would you like to know how I made it?

I started with some fabric.

I cut two squares, each measuring 6 inches by 6 inches with a 1/2-inch border all around. 

Then I cut two strips, the top one measuring 6 inches by 2 inches with a 1/2-inch border all around; and the bottom one measuring 6 inches by 3 inches with a 1/2-inch border all around. 

On the sewing machine, I sewed the edges of the cloth strips to keep them from fraying. Then I attached one strip on each side of the square fabrics to make the pockets. 

I flipped the fabric, right sides facing each other, and sewed the two squares together, leaving a two inch opening on one side.

I turned the fabric inside out, the edges now sewn together...TADA!

I stuffed the inside with fiber fill and closed the opening by sewing. 

This is one side of the pin cushion with the pockets for thread.

Just add the spools. I made the pockets a little tight to keep the spools from slipping off.  But you can make them larger and add more pockets to accommodate your collection.

This is the other side of the pin cushion.

There's enough room for other sewing supplies like a tape measure, seam ripper, scissors, and buttons. 

Before we forget, this is a pin cushion.

Add some needles on the other side, too.

A custom-made pin cushion is a crafty solution where I turned "blah" to "TADA!"

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Do-it-Yourself Spool Rack

Good day everyone!

I have a little sewing corner in my home office. It's just a desk with a sewing machine. That's what my space allows me for now and I'm making the most of it. But I thought it would be nice to have a rack to organize my thread and keep them within arm's reach.

It would be a dream come true to have a whole wall dedicated to sewing paraphernalia. But since I have space limitations and my crafting focus is not just sewing, maybe something like this is a better fit:

Dandelions and Lace

A spool rack! I've been on the lookout for something similar. I saw one at a thrift store a few years ago selling for $8 and I really regret not buying it. But why buy when we can D.I.Y.?

I stashed away this piece of wood for future crafting needs. Well, the future has arrived!

One side is made of wood and the back side is made of cork.

I painted both sides in several coats of black acrylic paint.

This is what it looks like after drying overnight.

I attached some picture-hanging hooks at the back.

And I selected some small nails from our tool box.

On the front side, I marked with a white pencil where the nails should go.

I hammered in the nails and erased the pencil lines with a dab of water.

Then I took out my spools of thread...

And hung each one on a nail.

Since I had more thread than slots on the rack, I chose the colors that I use most often.

The bottom nails hold bobbins, a pin cushion, and a pair of scissors -- all that I need for my sewing machine projects.

Here's my sewing nook and my spool rack made from wood, paint, nails, and lots of wrist action. I used simple materials that I turned from "blah to TADA!"

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Brush Lettering and Uppercase Magazine

Hello everyone!

Lately, as a creative practice, I've been doing a lot of brush lettering. 

Peggy Dean of The Pigeon Letters has been running online workshops called the Creative Retreat Live. It's been very informative, introducing me to different ways to create art. During one session taught by Alyssa of Lyssa's Letters, I painted along to make this piece...TADA! I learned some new techniques like the importance of planning, making a draft, and adding flourishes.

*****

Lent has also arrived. I practice my faith and one of the Catholic teachings is to abstain from meat every Friday and fast (eat only one full meal) on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Doing so allows us to go through and appreciate Jesus's suffering. But man, fasting is difficult. Yo, I was hangry (a combination of hunger + angry, making me irritable as a result of hunger)!

Then I read my devotional and it said:

"Want to try something different this Lent? Instead of denying yourself sweets, deny your false self. The self apart from Christ. The self that still feels unworthy. Shameful. A failure. Ugly. Unwanted. Stupid. Undisciplined. Unloved. Put a rubber band on your wrist and snap it every time the "false self" starts to talk."

Then it prompted me to write this quote:

I used brush lettering and painted poppies (they symbolize eternal life). This is currently displayed on my desk and I read it every morning to remind me to deny my false self.

Even if you're not Catholic, I thought it was important to share because many of us carry this false self in the form of insecurity and impostor syndrome. 

*****

A brush lettering project I started last year appears in the latest issue of Uppercase Magazine:

Uppercase Magazine is independently published in Canada and it's for "the creative and curious." It's one of my favorite sources of inspiration and I am thrilled to find my work in its pages!

It's part of the article "Imagine Something Better" on page 72.

This is the brief: to illustrate a solution to a problem.

My work appears on page 79.

It's entitled "A Prayer Wrapped in Penmanship."

When I say, "I'll pray for you," I really do. And this artwork is proof -- every letter, line and stroke is offered in prayer and infused with positive thoughts.

It's a loving act of friendship and how I turn paper and paint from blah to TADA! 

I did the same for Ukraine. I think about the people who had to flee their country, the families that had to be separated, the young and old, sick and afraid who are still there and hide in basements, and the brave souls facing the Russian army. Let's pray for peace and give if we are able.  

Like you, I look forward to better days ahead.

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