Questions about which thread to choose?  Why not start with the folks who make the thread…

Coats and Clark Threads Advisor

This great table helps you choose the thread and needle appropriate for many types of fabrics you might use.

With school starting and summer ending in just a few weeks, I’ve again been reminded just how quickly time passes.  In fact, as of 7:11 CST, August 4, 2009:

School starts in 12 days, 12 hours, 33 minutes and 52 seconds.

There are 32 days, 4 hours, 16 minutes and 56 seconds until LSU football kicks off.

I’ll be proudly wearing my Saints jersey and hanging my wreath in 39 days, 16 hours, 45 minutes and 36 seconds.

I have 142 days, 5 hours, 44 minutes and 44 seconds to finish my Christmas sewing.

And—this one’s for Uncle David—I’ll be 40 in about 210,628,288 seconds!

Back in March, I started telling you a little about how I came to love sewing. Today, I’m going to tell you a little more how I came to be a crafter—I was born into it.

Every July, part of my Mom’s family gathers at the Louisiana Folk Festival in Natchitoches to share a little bit of their creativity. Let me show you…

This is a collection of my great-grandfather’s whittling. Pop was born in 1899 and died in 2000 ( I think.). He had wonderful stories to tell of the changes he saw during his lifetime. Pop and his son, my Uncle Ken, would bring their chains and wooden toys to display and sale every July. (Note: Both of the above links are links to the artist biographies at the Louisiana Folklife Center’s website.)

These days, Pop’s living children carry on the Folk Festival tradition. My Uncle Ken and his wife Aunt Mary, my Aunt Dorothy and my Aunt Frances and her husband Uncle Sonny bring needlework along with the wooden toys.

Uncle Ken brings the wooden toys and demonstrates them with Uncle Sonny (and any of the rest of the family who happens to be standing nearby.) Uncle Ken also brings a sample of his whittling.

Aunt Dorothy brings the most wonderful Swiss Embroidery guest towels and Chicken Scratch aprons.

Aunt Mary brings the BEST crocheted pot scrubbers, pin cushions and Cathedral Window Christmas Ornaments. Aunt Mary’s dad Mr. Gandy was always a part of the folk festival also. He passed away last year and his presence (and his walking canes) were notably absent this year.

This year, Aunt Frances brought delightful handmade cards decorated with Sun-Bonnet Sue and embellished with tatted flowers. (And the all the family loves to shop. Kathy couldn’t pass up the cards!)

She’s also the very best toy demonstrator.

Across the arena, my Uncle Bill and Aunt Lynn are part of the Los Adaes booth. Bill makes wooden thimbles. The LM had the best time watching blocks of wood take shape.

The rest of the family who visit the festival takes part in another favorite tradition—FOOD! This year we enjoyed fried chicken, fried shrimp, fried onions, fried potatoes, fried alligator and fried soft shell crab. yum!

Have you missed me?  I haven’t had much to say lately.  Instead I’ve been coughing.  Lots.  Several weeks ago I lost my voice, a few days later I started coughing, a week later the MD said it was bronchitis, and now, 12 days and 3 antibiotics later—it’s pneumonia!  I’m at home and feeling pretty good, but no sewing is getting done!   I’m following the rules:  Lots of medicine, lots of water, and lots of rest!  So, I’m sure I’ll be better soon.

In the meantime, here’s something new to read:  My 3 Rules about Sewing Machine Needles has been posted on www.needlesnutsandbolts.blogspot.com .

Ever find your tension is off or that your machine is skipping stitches? It’s time to check out that sewing machine needle! Here are 3 rules to remember:

Rule 1: Change your Sewing Machine Needle frequently!
Needles will dull. Period. I recommend buying them by the handful when your local stores run notions on a 50% off sale. By stocking up, you’ll be ready to use a new needle with every new project.

Also, check your needle frequently for burrs and blunt tips. These will cause snags in your fabric.
Rule 2: Pick the right needle for the right fabric.
Generally, you’ll need a size 11 or 14. However, there are a few things to remember.

Rule 2.1: The thicker the fabric, the bigger the needle, bigger the needle size. Most manuals have a table listing the size needle that you need for certain fabrics. Here are some basics:

• Use a size 9 for Very Lightweight Fabrics, like Chiffon, Lace, Organdy, or
  Tulle.
• Use a size 11 or 12 for Lightweight Fabrics like Chambray,
  Gingham,Satin, Lawn, Single Knits, Jersey,Thin Leather, or Suede.
• Use a size 14 for Medium-weight Fabrics like most of your quilting cottons
  or Flannel, Velour, Broadcloth, Linen, Velvet, Double Knits, Vinyl, or some
  Leathers or Suede.
• Use a size 16 for Heavy-weight Fabrics including Denim, Sailcloth, Fake
  Fur, and thick Leathers.
• Use a size 18 for Very Heavy Fabrics like Canvas, Duck and some Upholstery
  fabrics.

Rule 2.2: Pick the right type of needle for the fabric. Basically:

• Woven fabric: Universal needles or Sharps
• Knits: Ball-point needles
• Leathers: Wedge-point needles (AKA leather needles)
• Most topstitching: Topstitching needles

Rule 3: Make sure your needle is inserted properly.

Any questions, refer to your sewing machine manual.