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That turtle is just adorable!!! I think the rick-rack looks fun and not necessarily too 4th of Julyish but you are the one who has to wear it - right now it is definitely "all the rage," though, LOL!

Oh my, I grew up and live in Westminster, CO. It’s a suburb connected to Arvada!! Just had lunch in Old Arvada!! Tell him hi! 👋🏻 I think a white Rick rack would look cute on your dress. Maybe it wouldn’t look so patriotic. Brady’s dress is going to be really cute! Have a great time with your family. I sewed a white, embroidered Colton/linen blouse this weekend. It turned out great.

Hi Erin. You’ve been a busy gal. I love the ric-rac on your dress! I think it makes it pop! Brady’s dress is going to be adorable. I think gussets are a great idea for the shirt. Hope y’all had a great Independence Day! Thank you and Adam for your service! ❤ Diann

Hi Erin! Brady’s sea turtle dress could not be any cuter! With how easily everything fell into place, it definitely was meant to be made for her 🙂 I hope you have a great family visit next week!

What an adorable little Birthday dress! Well done!

I like the ric rac! You both look cute in your Independence Day dresses!

❤🧡❤🧡

Leave the ric rac on your dress, Erin! If you have any doubts, rewatch your clip of you and your daughter to see how smashing it looks. 💕 Brady’s birthday dress is going to be amazing. Your embroidery is amazing! The colors of the sea turtle paired with the fabric are beautiful. I hope you’re able to catch her reaction when she first sees it. I predict she’ll light up with wonder in her eyes. 😘

Brady’s dress is going to be adorable - love, love, love the turtle. Your mom is going to be so happy when she sees the quilt all done. Have fun with family!!

Brady's dress is going to be so cute! I love the turtle. I like the ric-rac on your dress. Enjoy the time with your family!

Another great video - I think Brady's dress is going to be fabulous. I hope she has a great birthday 🎊 and that you have a good time with your family. xx

Hi Erin. You did a great job on your hubby's shirts! My husband does hand embroidery almost daily since Christmas.😅❤😅 Your turtle🐢 is adorable.❤❤❤

Oh wow I think your extra fabrics you’ve found for the quilt look beautiful! And your daughter’s birthday dress is gorgeous! Enjoy the time with your family. 😊

The ric-rac should stay! It adds a little pop to the dress and is super-cute! Your turtle is great and the floss is perfect with the fabric colors. You're just forging ahead on all kinds of new sewing frontiers! Have a wonderful visit with your family and for Brady's birthday! :D

The dress for your daughter will be perfect 😍. You are great at embroidery 👏👏. The fabric combination is perfect for a little girls dress. You can definitely sew your own swimwear and athletic wear, I will watch the fabric haul on Wednesday 👍👍.

Oh my goodness that little turtle is so adorable! She is going to be so sweet on her birthday in that dress! That would be such a nice surprise for your mom to come visit and have her quilt on her bed waiting! Are you going to be teaching a basic apparel class? As far as the ric rac, I would say do whatever makes you want to reach for it the most. I know, not a big help! I look forward to seeing your standing tall quilt. I completely finished my be mine balloon sleeve top toile. Then I started sewing up the I2S Brampton shorts in a purple chambray linen that I cut out last summer. Hope to finish them tomorrow! Have a great weekend Erin and enjoy the time with your family!

Chef's kiss for your embroidery and the turtle dress! I used to work for the City of Arvada.

The ric rac looks great it accentuates the tiers but I wouldn’t add anymore …..Brady looked cute….Robyn…..Tropical Australia 🥰👏👏

You should be proud of the binding! The Turtle is so cute. What a special birthday dress.

Hi! There's that pretty gingham dress! 😍 Hmmm. Okay, feeling my age again 😏 There are very few occasions where I would sew a woven sleeve in flat. I can be quite militant about this sometimes 😆 That's just me. I often handbaste before machine sewing the sleeve in. But I'm very happy with the results, and I'll probably keep doing them that way. One particular pattern nearly sent me round the bend though with flat construction instructions. 🙃 And I wasn't the only one.... The pattern just wasn't cut for it. Re French seams on set-in sleeves, check out Sew Sew Live's tutorial for that, it works well , and I hope it's still there. 👍 I did measure different parts of my hand and arm quite a long time ago, that way I always have a way to measure most things wherever I am. I am definitely a minimalist where tools are concerned. 🤓 My 'needle minder' has often been my sofa/chair arm/shirt sleeve if I'm away from the pincushion where they live haha. I hope you've had a great 4th, and thanks so much for this roundup! 😁

Love this Erin ❤❤❤

I'm so glad we had the sewcial! And I love the Artisan Dress. I made one a few years ago and have worn it out. I can't wait to see yours!

Happy 4th!

Hi Erin! It was fun watching you read thru these and making sense of some of them in real time. It was helpful to see you talking thru and explaining some of them versus just reading them quickly off and moving on down the list.

I've been using the glue sticks for years. In one of Palmer and Pletsch's first books there was a suggestion about using glue (permanent) for some.things. I didn't like the permanent glue. Fast forward to about 10 years ago, buying supplies for the new school year. I thought I was order a dozen glue sticks But it was a dozen packages of a dozen each. 144 glue sticks. Had to use them for something. Turns out I really like them. Especially for things like zipper"basting" or holding turned facing down until I can tack or top stitch. I have heard not to use the purple stick because the purple chemical can discolor fabric. I've never had a problem but I might think twice if it was a gauzy white fabric. Still, I love glue sticks as a sewing tool.

Like Christine, I also use a glue stick and press it instead of waiting for it to dry. I normally buy the store brand clear washable glue sticks in the back to school sales in the summer/early fall. They are very affordable and easily washed out. I have a small mini M&M’s container that I keep my glue stick in that keeps the glue from drying out. The other unused ones are stored in a Ziploc bag. That said, ever since I realized that I could hand baste with two threads a little away from the stitch line, and then just clip the knot and pull out the thread and reuse it for basting again, I find myself basting more. With pre-threaded needles at hand, I’m more likely to baste and it saves washing out the glue. Both are good options. I would say that the glue stick works better in areas where you might appreciate some stabilization like knits as it stiffens the fabric a bit. I do often wind two bobbins before starting a project, especially if it is a color that I use a lot like white, off white, or navy. I also tend to use the bobbin thread for hand stitching at the end of a project. Those leftover bobbins in odd thread colors make great basting thread.

Hi Erin. Great tips! I love the tracing over a glass table but, I don’t have one. I have used the sliding glass door tip or a large window. Also the floss works great for gathering. I also like using a bright contrasting color thread for my gathering stitches. That makes it easy to find the bobbin thread. I have a spool of neon orange that I accidentally ordered. I came up With that one on my own. 😊 ❤ Diann

Lots of good tips, Erin!

My biggest self imposed rule (it’s not a hack) is to trace store bought patterns instead of cutting out the pattern tissue paper itself. It means I’m able to keep all sizes intact (I sew for my grandkids a lot and need the different sizes) plus my tracing paper is sturdier than the tissue paper therefore less likely to tear. I have used specific pattern tracing paper, the back side of wrapping paper, the brown paper that Amazon uses in their packages, and gift tissue paper (in a pinch)

Hi Erin thanks for doing this. I have been known to tape down my devil 😈 fabric when I’m cutting out a project. You know the one that will not sit still?😅 I use my glue stick to baste the top of my sewn and ironed seams . When I attach the other pattern piece to it, the seam doesn’t flip to the wrong side. I have a magnetic knife holder attached to the wall above my cutting table. That is where my scissors live. ❤🧵📍 Have a happy fourth. 🎆🎇

I have a large window in my living room and I have used that to trace patterns before. It was life saving! I mostly purchase PDF patterns so I just print the pattern for each size I need. As for batch cutting, I have a candy corn dress listed on Etsy (that is very popular). I will cut up to 10 at a time and then head for the serger and I can get about 2 and a half dresses done in a day (when there are no kids in my home, I babysit my grandkids and they seem to never leave.) Thank you for sharing those hacks. I bought a metal bolt tray from harbor freight for like $7 (6 inch diameter) for my pins and needles. I have an industrial so it is magnetized to my machine. I got so tired of my grandkids dropping my needles all over the floor. LOL That was probably the best thing I have purchased to date. I look forward to your next video.

I tape my pattern to the sliding door on a sunny day and trace them out. My back appreciates it.

I had to laugh at some of these « hacks » - do that many people lose their scissors or other tools in their sewing room?? 🤣 I have found that double-sided tape is magical for things like zipper installation and to help with perfectly matching seams (without the need to hand baste). I bought 4 huge rolls of the stuff on Amazon and use it all the time. I tried glue sticks and just find that stuff messy. And I now need to go and fall down that rabbit hole on Reddit!

How do you use a jelly roll?

Hi Erin. Sew cool to attend a sewing social!

Hi Erin. I use my bobbin to sew anything that needs sewing. Miriam from @StitchObsessed has a viral video on using elmers glue to baste her quilts. I tried it, and it does not gum up your machine.😊

If you hit the glued seam with a hot dry iron and you can sew right away. It is an inexpensive tool. I do have to admit I prefer the sewing glue stick mostly because it is a smaller stick.

i went to a different walmart today....i am visiting all i can. Some have limited fabric. some are totally closing out their fabrics. I take my time and straighten the cheap precut bundles. It is a total mystery what you might or might not find. most of the fabrics are knits. bulky knits. i have found some crepes and chiffons, which I buy as many as are possibly close to my taste. But i got 2 yards of stretch indigo denim. It has a lighter hlue gray back. I wish they had had another piece. but there is plenty to make a decent pair of pants for myself. It was 2 yards for $3.00 !!!!!!!! love it!

so cute. love the color and fabric use

it fits you very well and is cute.

Yaaay! So happy to have you onboard, Erin! Your jelly roll strips look like a great starting point. I'm excited to see the fabrics come together. ❤ Bradey (sp?) is too cute with her claiming of the fabric.

Hi Erin!! Ahhh Toddler going on teenager phase, that's one that sticks out in my memory (22 and 18 yrs later), but yes the things they say! Life is Frustratin' Girl!! I LOVE that Tutti Fruity!! So retro (or is it vintage, like me?)🤣🤣I can't wait to see what you make!! Hope you had fun at the Sewcial!! X💓

Nice fabrics! Brady’s little voice is so adorable! 🤗❤️

Hi Erin! I like the no elastic waistband for your active wear shorts. I think that style is more comfortable. I’m intrigued by your mystery collaborations 🤔🙂 The quilt a long sounds fun! I was wondering how much quilting you do anymore considering your big uptick in garment sewing. Hope your sewing social was fun! I actually said “WOW” out loud when you sprung the tooty fruity fabric on us! I was not prepared 😂 It’s very fun and I definitely understand your daughter wanting something from it 🙂 The fabrics all looked very nice and not see thru at all while you were showing them. Ah yes, the days of reasoning with (and sometimes being outsmarted by) a two year old 🤣