Dave's Bernina Sewing Tip of the Week

February 10th 2012

If you do not have a garbage close at hand use a scrap of batting to place cut threads on.  When you are done you can just fold it up and toss.  Less mess makes for a happier sewing experience.

February 3rd 2012

It's time to change the blade on your rotary cutter!  But what do you do with the old one?  Use round mint tins to store them.  Then when it is full tape it closed and discard the full tin.

January 6th 2012

Folding quilts can leave permanent fold marks on them. Rolling is better. Take a swimming foam noodle, put a layer of muslin over it and then roll the quilt onto it. If you need it longer they can be lengthened out with a dowel in the middle. Cover with muslin too if you want.

December 23rd 2011

As we finish all the Christmas sewing we can run out of interest or ideas. Take strips or squares and sew them together. Don’t worry about what you will do with them at that time. When you have made a pile, you can look up scrap quilts to put them together or just cut them into blocks and sew them together. It is great to just sew without pressure of being perfect or a dead line. Sometimes you won’t do anything with them right a way but it is a stress relief to just sew.

December 2nd, 2011

Do you ever find it hard to work on your Christmas gift sewing without everyone seeing what you're doing?  I solve that problem by mix the pieces of different projects together. For example, I leave the fabric pieces of my son's new PJ's piled up with the fabric blocks for my new quilt project. When the kids or my spouse comes by they see a mix of fabrics and don't realize I'm working on a Christmas surprise. The best way to hide something is in plain sight.

November 11, 2011

Do you have a lot of UFO’s (UnFinished Projects) taking up space? It can seem overwhelming if you view them as one gigantic project.  I've found that making a list of all my UFOs, then finishing a few easy ones at a time, like completing a hem on a skirt, adding buttons, or bind a quilt gives me a feeling of accomplishment.  I get excited and motivated to tackle other bigger projects. Plus, I can buy more fabric for new projects without feeling guilty.

October 28th, 2011

Do you get emails with fun or cute sewing ideas but can't find them again when you want to use them? Don't leave them in your   in-box where they can get lost or deleted, or rely on your memory. Instead, a folder on your computer called Ideas or Fun Projects. Copy your emails right when you get them into to that folder. This makes it easy to look through and keep track of all those fun ideas. If you want to get really organized, make different folders for individual crafts like sewing, quilting, knitting, etc...


October 21st, 2011

Do you love all the sewing rulers available for different sewing techniques, but are unsure where to keep them? Take a desk top file folder holder like the one below, to store and organize your rules. It will make them easy to see and protect them from damage. If you have a lot of rulers you may need two or three of these organizers.



October 7th, 2011

Do you ever forget to turn off your iron when you are done sewing? Take a hair band and place it on your wrist when the iron is on, and place it around the cord of the iron when your turn it off. This way you think you've left the iron on, all you have to do is look at your wrist to be certain. This makes for peace of mind while you're shopping for more supplies or taking a sewing class.