Autumn Leaves with Crystals

One of the fastest, and most sophisticated, embroidery designs on the market today, these Fall leaves are designed with crystals in mind.  Whether you use clear crystals to simulate dew, or affix color that compliment your thread choices, these designs are going to blow you away.  Fall is only a couple short months away, get a jump on the season this year!

Cozy Adult Bath Wraps

One of the most refreshing things in the Summer is taking a shower to cool off, but why finish such a joy off with an everyday towel.  Imagine wrapping one of these plush, comfortable and beautiful Minky Wraps around yourself, and take in the luxury.  Pamper your self a bit!  Come on in and take a peek at what you could be snuggling into.  Many styles are available so you can be sure to get one that matches your likes!  Click Here!

Rayon vs. Polyester: The Great Debate

To get luster and sheen in your embroidery, do you always have to use Rayon embroidery thread? Absolutely not...there are many super Polyester embroidery threads that offer plenty of sheen.

Don't get me wrong, many people love Rayon, but most times Polyester is a better choice. It's the best choice for durability, particularly on kid's clothes, uniforms, jeans, cushions, and the sorts of projects that are not going to be just something pretty to look at.

You'll also find that:

* Polyester thread breaks less when stitching at high speeds, stitching denser designs, or stitching on thicker fabrics or base materials such as leather and vinyl.

* Polyester will rarely take on the 'fuzzy' look, that Rayon sometimes takes on when stitched on items that must endure heavier wear or more frequent washings.

But what if you really, really, really like Rayon and have a good stash of it? Okay, that's fine, you can still enjoy your Rayon on such projects, but I do suggest picking just one part of the design, even if it's just an outline for your Rayon choice as that added bit of shine you crave, then do the balance of the design work in Polyester for the durability you need. Your high quality polyester threads (notice I said quality, not price) of today have the sheen that rivals yesteryear rayon. I stitch exclusively with polyester. I'm also very particular about the quality of it. I will only carry the threads that I recommend and use. Look HERE to see what those are.

Splinters & Threads Asks a Crafter: Birthday Crown from TK Harrison

First, let me thank Gina Reddin of Splinters & Threads for asking me to start off as her "Thursday Ask a Crafter" guest blogger. My name is Tammy Harrison and my website is BOMquilts.com and my blog is Quilt Therapy!

A couple of years ago, I found out I shared a birthday with a sweet little girl at church and we decided that we needed to celebrate our birthdays together - and my job was to find a way for a kindergartner and a middle-aged woman to come together to find the joy of our special days.

I went into my sewing room and searched high and low for items that would be fun for my little friend and "adult" enough (well, as adult as I care to be) to be presentable in church.

I came up with birthday crowns for the two of us. I used Peltex, Wonder Under, quilt fabric, a template made from cardboard, some scrapbooking heart-shaped brads and some sticker foam letters. Once I cut two pieces of fabric with Wonder Under ironed on the back, then I cut out the template from the Peltex and pressed both sides of the fabric to the front and back of the Peltex. Once pressed, I used my sewing machine to zig-zag around all of the edges. I finished off the crowns with the "Happy Birthday" letters and the heart-shaped brads.


I made my crown (shown above) and then made a smaller one for my wee friend. The really fun thing is that my three daughters have enjoyed wearing the crown for their birthdays, too! It's become a family tradition at our family parties as well as something special for me and my little friend in August when we worship together.

Do you have a craft you have designed and made? If so, please submit it for consideration as a Splinters & Threads guest blogger to gina.reddin@gmail.com.