Count Down to the NEW YEAR with MFT!

Sorry for my absence this holiday season. My kids are all home and we have been enjoying all our time together (and the new Wii). :)

I'll be back in the NEW YEAR with plenty of cards and stamped goodies, but in the meantime I wanted to share MFT's end of the year savings spectacular! I couldn't let you miss out on the awesome deals!

Here are the details, straight from Kim herself! :


It's a New Years Eve BASH

Here at MFT, we really know how to party! What better way to ring in the new year than with an MFT New Year's Bash? On Wednesday, December 31st ONLY stop by our bash and prepare to be served some SWEET TREATS!
Now, we know you're going to want to go shopping and we have some AMAZING deals for you! Remember that these are good on December 31st only, so party like a MFT rockstar and take advantage of the awesome deals NOW before it's too late!
Let's count down to the New Year with our awesome deals!:
10...

10... Purchase any 10 sets for $100. Simply add the 10 for $100 to your shopping cart and include in the NOTES section of your cart, the 10 sets you would like included.
The following sets are EXCLUDED from this promotion, they are: BC Dzyns Day Dreamer BC Dzyns - and then I said... Snow Bunny Flopsey Stephanie Fizer - Isabelle Paper Dolls Tote-ally Fantastic Who's That e-Girl?
Please note that this promotion is valid on IN STOCK ITEMS only. Should your order contain a set currently out of stock, you will be notified and can make a different selection.
You MUST click the "add to cart" button to add the correct amount of money to your cart.
10 for $100...
9...

9... ALL $9 sets will be on sale for $6! That is a 33% savings!
MINI sets...
8...

Rubber Soul 8 x 8 Paper Packs are on sale for $8.00 today only!
Rubber Soul Papers...
7...

7... our My Favorite Ribbon Bundle and Ribbon Spools are on sale for $7!
Ribbons...
6...

6... 1/2 Scor-Tape on sale for $6.00!
Scor-Tape...
5...

5... Baby First is on sale for $5!
Baby First...
4...

4... choose any 4 sets for $50. Simply add the 4 for $50 to your cart and include in the NOTES section of your cart, the 4 sets you would like included!
The following sets are EXCLUDED from this promotion, they are: BC Dzyns Day Dreamer BC Dzyns - and then I said... Snow Bunny Flopsey Stephanie Fizer - Isabelle Paper Dolls Tote-ally Fantastic Who's That e-Girl?
Please note that this promotion is valid on IN STOCK ITEMS only. Should your order contain a set currently out of stock, you will be notified and can make a different selection.
You MUST click the "add to cart" button to add the correct amount of money to your cart.
4 for $50...
3...

3... choose any of the VIVID ink pads for just $3!
Vivid ink...
2...

2... If you live in the US and your order is UNDER $40, enjoy shipping for just $2! If your order is OVER $40, enjoy FREE shipping!
1...

1... MFT would like to say THANK YOU one more time and offer every order OVER $40 a FREE digital paper pack download.
Digital papers are fun and easy and we want you to try them out.
Choose one of our great patterns that retail for $2.95 and enjoy it for FREE!
Enter code MFTDIGITAL after adding your favorite single paper pack to your cart to receive your discount!
Digital Paper packs...
How's THAT for a NY EVE Bash??

We hope you enjoyed our countdown! Now hurry... go party like a MFT rockstar before it's too late! :)
Your WUW HTDT?

Maren is coming to you live this NY Eve with a ribbon tying tutorial for those of us (me!) who need a hand tying the perfect bow!
HTDT? Forum...
Your WUW Chat & Challenge

Let's party like a ROCKSTAR and bling it up with Julie Dinn.
She's puttin' on the glitz this week for this weeks WUW Challenge!
WUW Forum...
First 50

This weeks First 50 is one Sakura Starburst Pen!
You don't need to do a thing to receive your pen, if your order number is below 8035, you automatically qualify!

Day Dreamer

I am SO glad you all are enjoying my sewing tutorials with the Janome sew mini. I have more installments coming soon. :)

This card uses the newly released set, Day Dreamer from MFT by BC Dzyns. I loooooooove this set! It was so fun to color! Coming from someone that used to be mortified of coloring and chose solid stamps when at all possible... that is saying something. :) LOL

I first chose some patterned paper by Basic Grey and colored my girl to match. She is stamped on Gina K white (120 lb) and colored with Copics.

See that cool flower in the left corner? It is a NEW thing from MFT. It is a meshy, slightly shimmery flower that is 2 ply, but is sealed. Make sense? Kinda puffed up in the center. I bought some recently (YES, I PAID for them) and I REALLY like them. They are cool, unique and super affordable. They sell for $5.25 and the package comes with 60 pieces including shimmery brads and assorted flowers. Want some? Click HERE to check them out.

I like that with this card fold, the inside of the card can be dressed up too and it's not completely hidden. :)

Stamps: Day Dreamer

Ink: Memento black

Paper: pink, black, white, basic grey

Accessories: MFT flowers, silver brads, copic markers, Janome sew mini, SU ribbon, word window punch, black dimensional boosters, red line tape, card die cut

So You Want to Sew?: zig zag box with V shaped corners

Hi all and welcome to another installment of my "So You Want to Sew" series. :) This is #4! Yesterday, I showed you how to stitch a zig zag box with square corners. Today, we will be stitching a zig zag box with V shaped corners as shown below.

Even though I am showing you HOW to do this, I must admit I SUPER RARELY use this sewing method. It drives me crazy. LOL You'll see soon WHY it drives crazy. I felt in the name of "teaching" I needed to show you so have the option, but at the same time I have to tell you I don't do it. K, now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let's get started!


Here is what the finished product will look like:


As with all other zig zag stitching, center the seam of your card stock with the slit in the presser foot. Start sewing as close to the edge of the inner piece of card stock as you can.

I am using the H zig zag for this (the biggest zig zag on the Janome sew mini).

Here I have sewn along one edge of my card stock. When you sew with the zig zag stitch, you will notice that the needle goes left...right...left...right...left...right... LOL When you get close to the edge of your card stock you will STOP using the foot pedal and will instead begin using the knob on the right side of your machine, turning it toward you to make the needle go left... right... left... right... get it? LOL WELL... THIS TIME... when you think you are at the proper place to make your right turn and start sewing a different side, you will make sure your needle is on the LEFT instead of the right (as in the square corner tutorial). Remember that when you turn your card stock 90 degrees, the seam of your card stock should be CENTERED with the presser foot.

Like this: (when I turned my paper 90 degrees, my needle was on the LEFT) Remember if your paper is *slightly* off center, just move your paper subtly when you begin sewing on the new side.

Continue doing that until you have sewn on all 4 sides. Once you finish with the 4th side and are about to meet up with the 1st side, you will need to stop before you overlap what you have sewn on the first row. UNFORTUNATELY this technique is not super reliable to have corners that meet up properly at the last stage. I did try to deliberately line up the holes, but was unsuccessful. BLECH!

Now, you pull the thread tails to the back and tape down with scotch tape.

IF I were to sew a panel like this, I would HAVE to cover up that corner with an embellishment of some kind. The other 3 corners were pretty uniform and I am ok with them, but if it's a mistake, COVER IT UP! :)

Here is a finished corner close-up.

Here is the finished piece with V shaped corners.

And THAT is why this sewing technique drives me crazy! That corner is all wonky and unacceptable! LOL Like I said, if you were to cover it up it would be fine. :) The other 3 corners were clean and finished.

Now that you have seen 2 different zig zag boxes, which do you prefer? Squared corners or V-shapes corners? Are you comfortable with zig zagging now?

I hope you are learning to love your sewing machine! I know I love mine!

I still have more sewing tips and tutorials coming. :) Next, we move on to STRAIGHT stitches. :)

Have a great day!

So You Want to Sew?: zig zag a box with SQUARED corners

Hi everyone! I am back with the third installment of my "So You Want to Sew" series. :)

Today I will be showing you how to zig zag stitch 2 pieces of card stock together and have squared corners like this:
I cut 2 pieces of dark card stock so my white stitches would show will. :) I adhered them together with a big of mono adhesive in the center of the panels. Try to avoid using adhesive where your stitches will go.

You need to line up the point on your card stock where the 2 pieces meet here, where the green arrow is pointing. This is the area where the slit is in the presser foot. This will be your best friend when you are stitching with the zig zags. It helps you keep your paper oriented and helps keep your stitches STRAIGHT.

Here is my paper all lined up and ready to start stitching. Start as close to the edge of the inner piece of card stock as you can (in this case, the navy card stock).

I will be using the G zig zag stitch, which is my most frequently used zig zag.

Begin sewing making sure that you keep the card stock centered with the presser foot.

When sewing with a zig zag stitch, your needle goes left... right... left... right... left... right... LOL Don't WATCH it to that though, you'll get crooked stitches. LOL I am *almost* to the edge of my navy card stock here. When I get close to the edge of the paper, I stop using the foot pedal and instead turn the knob on the right hand side of the machine TOWARD me until I think I am in the right spot. I ALWAYS stop when the needle is to the RIGHT. By turning the know toward the end, you will be able to see if the needle is on the right or left. Again, make sure it is on the RIGHT.

I felt like I was in the correct place to turn my card stock at that point. I lifted the presser foot using the little handle and turned my card stock 90 degrees to start sewing on the next side. BUT LOOK... when I turned my card stock, my seam wasn't centered with the slit of the presser foot. STOP! Life your presser foot and turn your card stock back where it was (even with your line of stitches).

Now turn the knob on the right of your machine TOWARD YOU until the needle goes one more time to the left and then one more time to the right. You are now back on the right side. Life your foot presser with the handle and turn your card stock 90 degrees again.

Oh GOODY! Look, it's in the correct position now. The seam of the 2 pieces of card stock is centered with the presser foot. It is *slightly* to the left, but as SOON as you start stitching, move your paper *very slightly* to the right so it is completely centered. Now, stitch the rest of the sides of the card stock the exact same way.

When you get to point of your card stock where the sewing will begin overlapping, simply stitch using the knob on the right hand side until your last row of stitching overlaps your first area of stitching and it creates the same corner. DO NOT "back stitch" like you would on fabric. Now, follow the instructions for pulling the thread through to the back and tape it down with scotch tape. This will give you a finished look with perfectly squared corners.


Like this: (straight stitches make me happy!)

Here is the finished piece. Try to ignore the slightly sticking up thread tail on the upper left hand corner. I played a game of "find the thread tail", but I LOST. LOL I finally gave up and snipped it off. Occasionally when that happens, just make sure you stick a brad in all corners to cover the "mistake". Remember, thread tails sticking up is NOT cute. LOL You must cover them up. If you make a mistake anywhere, disguise it with brads, crystals or any embellishment. What you can't see... isn't there! LOL

Thanks for visiting today and I hope you found the tutorial helpful. The next installment will be coming soon and will show you another variation on sewing a zig zag box with different corners. :) Stay tuned for the next installment, coming tomorrow!

Have a wonderful day!

If you are inspired to sew on your paper creations, please leave me a link so I can check it out. :)

So You Want to Sew?: A look at zig zags

Hi ladies! I hope you enjoyed the first installment of the "So You Want to Sew" series. If you missed it, you can click HERE to read the first tutorial.

Today we are going to delve into zig zag stitches. The Janome sew mini offers three different zig zag stitches. Knowing which one to choose is as important as making straight stitches. :)

I am going to do a side by side comparison of the three stitches in this tutorial.


First, I chose the F zig zag option. This is the smallest of the three. Simply turn the dial until the nib matches up with the letter of the stitch you are choosing.


Now, place your paper with the area you are stitching together centered with the slit in the presser foot like this: (In this picture I am almost done stitching. I started at the top of the paper)


Although I have centered my paper I wanted to stitch, the stitches do not straddle the line I wanted stitched. It sews only to the left of the slit mark on the presser foot. Also, when using the smallest zig zag stitch, it is much harder to keep your paper straight. The stitches are so tight that it is very unforgiving if your paper shifts. I do not like the look of the small stitches either. This is a stitch I RARELY use. I would recommend you stay away from it. LOL

Now let's try the next larger zig zag, Letter G. I dialed the G on my Janome as shown here:

Now, line up the center of your paper that you want sewn with the slit in the presser foot and stitch down the paper. REMEMBER: Do not watch the needle, ONLY watch the slit in the presser foot and make sure your paper stays centered with that slit. Make subtle movements with your hands as the needle pulls your paper. Use a VERY light touch.

Here is the G stitch shown next to the F stitch. I think it looks WAY better than the tiny stitches. You'll notice that the zig zag is still not exactly centered on the papers you are stitching together, but as long you are consistent with your placement, your creation will look great! This is the zig zag stitch I use most often.

Now let's move on to the H zig zag stitch. Again, move your dial as shown:

Center your paper with the slit in the presser foot as shown and start stitching.

Here are the three finished stitches side by side. You can see with the largest zig zag stitch, that the stitches evenly straddle the 2 pieces of card stock. Using this stitch requires plenty of free space on both pieces you are sewing together. I do not use this stitch very frequently, but if you are looking for a more dramatic stitch to dress up some plain space, this is a good option. I use this stitch when my mats are substantially larger than the piece I am sewing it to, OR when I am sewing a strip of paper on as in this example.

Smallest Zig Zag stitch (F)

• difficult to straddle papers you would like to stitch together
• very tight stitches
• semi-difficult to sew in a straight line

Medium Zig Zag stitch (G)

• easy to stitch over both pieces you would like to stitch together
• stitches are "loose" enough to show a great zig zag effect
• easy to sew in a straight line
• does not straddle the 2 pieces of card stock you are sewing on symmetrically without adjusting card stock placement
• my *go to* zig zag stitch

Large Zig Zag stitch (H)

• very easy to stitch through both pieces you would like to stitch together
• stitches are very "loose" and offer a more spread out zig zag effect
• easy to sew in a straight line
• straddles the 2 pieces of card stock you are sewing on symmetrically
• great for larger mats, or sewing strips of card stock to larger pieces

Some things to remember:

• The bigger the stitch, the easier it is to control while sewing.
• The smaller the stitch, the greater the chance for error. Subtle movements can result in an obviously crooked line of stitches.
• NEVER watch your needle. Always watch the slit on the presser foot in relation to the placement of your paper for the straightest stitches possible.

Watch for the next installment of "So You Want to Sew" coming soon. :) We will be zig zag stitching in a box.

I hope you are inspired to pull out your sewing machine.

So You Want to Sew? the PREQUEL

Thank you so much for the very sweet comments and feedback I have gotten on the first part in my sewing tutorial series. I am SO glad it is helping. I have THREE more all typed up and scheduled to post at noon (mountain) on the 15th, 16th and 17th. I have a couple more topics to discuss beyond that and will attempt to get those done soon. The holiday season is a busy one! :)

Okay ladies, you have questions and I need to answer them before my next tutorial goes live. :) I didn't realize some of you didn't know how to thread the needle or insert the bobbin. Admittedly, neither did I until I read the step-by-step instruction manual.... *wink* BUT, you would like ME to show you, so I will. :)

I am going to address a few questions I got as well. (if you have a question, please post a comment or e-mail me and I will try to address it in future tutorials.)

Question: What tension setting do you have your machine set to?
Answer: I took a picture of exactly where I have it set. I did not move it. When I took it out of the box, that is what it was on and I haven't moved it since. I am afraid to. LOL It seems to work just fine where it is. :)



Question: Can you show me how to thread my needle?
Answer: YES, tutorial below. :)

Stick your spool of thread on the little stick thingy as shown. The thread should be coming from the spool as shown: (don't mind the messy desk... what's new? LOL)

Pull the thread taut like this:

Pull it UNDER that thingy (not the round thingy, the flat rectangular thingy) and pull the thread THROUGH that slit so it rests in the little round spot.

Now, pull the thread down through the slit to the right of the red plastic thing.

See the little red arrow? Follow that and wrap the thread UNDER that area and begin pulling it up on the left hand side of the red bar.

Now, stick your thread through the little circle eye hole on the black piece. It should go through on the right side and come out the left side.

Now pull the thread straight down on the left hand side of the red bar. There is a black hook type thing on the front/top of the needle. Pull the ribbon through that. It slides in on the left.

Now thread your needle from the front to the back and pull your thread to the left.

I have taken the cover off the bobbin area. See how I have the bobbin placed? That is how you will put it in. make sure the thread is coming from the left of the bobbin spool.

Drop it in. See the little notch thing? Place your thread right where the notch starts.

Now tug the thread to the left. It will go in the notch.

Grab the thread that is going through your needle and tug it to the left with your hand. I tried mighty hard to hide my ugly hands. I am a nail biter. Sad, but true. Ignore any atrocities you might see.

Pull the red knob on the right hand side of the machine toward you 1 full revolution. (the needle will go down and then back up.) Once it comes up, you should see a loop. That is the bobbin thread from underneath being pulled up.

While you are tugging to the left, grab a tool and sweep UNDER the presser foot from the right to the left. That will help pull the rest of the thread out of the bobbin area. (I used a pair of CLOSED scissors) *side note-those are my ribbon scissors. No one is allowed the use those. LOL

Here is the bobbin thread pulled through.

Now slip the thread through the slit in the presser foot and pull both thread tails to the back of the machine. I keep my thread tails pretty long coming out the back (at LEAST 8 inches or so). If you don't keep them long enough, when you start sewing the thread can get tangled OR un thread the needle... which is just plain annoying. Yes, it wastes thread, but I would rather waste thread than be annoyed. LOL ALSO, you may want to hold your threads taut when you begin sewing to prevent them from going wild and unthreading the needle or making a tangled mess. I find if I pull mine out long enough then I don't have to hold them, but if you have a problem with that happening, try holding them when you begin stitching.

Here it is all ready to go with the shield back on the bobbin area.

The machine actually has TWO stitches, with variations for each. See? I would like more choices sometime (maybe), but the price and portability I am happy with the couple options I have.

There is the knob on the right that you wind TOWARD you to make the machine stitch while NOT pressing on the foot pedal. Always use this when you are near the end of the line you are stitching down. You need more control when at the end to keep your corners nice and straight.

Here is my Janome sew mini in it's sewing spot on my stamp table. My very MESSY stamp table. LOL You all seem to be entertained by seeing my disaster area, so here is a peek. LOL It was clean a couple days ago. :) I sit the machine on my Scorpal (with my Scormat on it). I always have my Scorpal on my stamp table. :)