Friday Fun Fact: Quilting guide bars

Guide bars, or: what's that metal rod and why do I have it?

Many machines that come with a variety of special presser feet and accessories also include a guide bar, sometimes called a quilting guide bar. 

Use this nifty little gadget to help you measure the distance from your needle when you can't see the lines on the throat plate. 

It's fantastic for quilting parallel lines, but has plenty of other applications. Any time you're stitching pretty far from the edge, and you can't see the seam allowance lines, this bar will guide you!

 Try it for spacing ribbon trims, adding ruffles, sewing deep hems, twin-needle pintucks, and decorative topstitching.

To use, simply slide the bar into the slot on the presser foot ankle, then adjust to your desired distance. Now you can enjoy perfectly spaced stitching with no marking!

Friday Fun Fact: Fiber burn test

Have you ever tried the fiber burn test?

It might sound a little crazy, but one of the surest ways to identify a fiber without special equipment is to light a small swatch of it on fire!

Safety first: do this in a well-ventilated area, away from anything else flammable.

You'll need a scrap of your fabric about 1" by 3", a metal tweezer, a heatproof dish, and a flame source - a lighter works better than a match since it has less odor.

Grasp the swatch in the tweezers and bring it toward the flame.

Observe. What's the fabric doing? Does it burn? When you take it away from the flame, does it go out, or keep burning?

How about the smell? Rayon and cotton smell like burning paper, while wool smells like burnt hair.

Study the ash. What color is it? Can you crush it in your fingers? Most natural fibers have a crushable ash, while synthetics make a hard, plastic-y bead.

If you're working with a blend, you may get mixed results, but this test is sure to give you some insight beyond just touch.

Friday Fun Fact: Velvet vs. velveteen

Velvet vs. velveteen - the difference is how they're woven.

Yes, it's true that velvet is usually made of silk or rayon, and velveteen is usually made of cotton, but that's not the only factor. Velvet is made with a warp-pile weave, while velveteen is made with a filling or weft-pile weave.

Those different weaving methods allow velvet to have a thick, lush pile surface and soft drape, while velveteen has a shorter, stiffer pile, more similar to corduroy.

Want to read more about the history of velvet weaving? Click here for a fun article!

We love both fabrics so much! Velveteen is fabulous for jackets, coats, vests, simple skirts, and home decor like pillows. 

Use velvet for dressy, drapey styles, like skirts that need swish or simple but gorgeous shawls and stoles.

And what about velour? It's got the plush pile of a velvet, but it's also a knit! Get easy fit and easy care that's luxurious, too.

A Box of Joy!

Let us send you a Box of Joy! 

What's inside? A Treadlette favorite fabric plus the right pattern and, of course, surprise goodies. Open all at once or spread out over the season for a little joy each day. With just a little info from you, we will customize your box for maximum oohs and aahs. 

Pre-order it here!

Quantities limited - don’t miss out! Pre-order now through Sun Nov 21 - Delivery Dec 10. Free shipping available! 

When you order, please let us know in the notes: 

Your color preference: JEWEL or AUTUMNAL? Reds, greens, or blues? 

Your Fit preference: FITTED or RELAXED? 

Your Full Bust measurement.

Friday Fun Fact: Oeko-Tex

Let's learn about Oeko-Tex and Azo-free!

You may have noticed the Oeko-Tex label on some of our fabrics or products in your home. This certification ensures there are no substances in the textiles that are harmful to humans.

Azo dyes are a group of synthetic dyes composed of a chemical azo group. Azo-FREE dyes have a gentler impact on the environment and our bodies. Most of our Indian Import fabrics are azo-free!

At Treadle, we try to include this info on the label whenever we can. Check the bolt end to see!

Treadlette Tuesday: Laura's faux-fur coat

Laura used our soft Cuddle fabric to make this gorgeous faux-fur coat!

She used Burda pattern 7700 and lined it with dotted rayon Bemberg lining. Laura is going to be cozy this fall!

Shop our Cuddle fabrics here!

One more detail - check out this cute custom label that Laura added!

Friday Fun Fact: ancient needles

Sewing has been around for a LONG time. In fact, sewing needles predate weaving!

Check out these needles made of sharpened bone. Bone needles have been around for about 60,000 years!

Metal needles evolved from Bronze Age wire-making technology, and eventually steel needles came around in the 10th century. 

These antiques are amazing and beautiful, but they also make us feel pretty grateful for our smooth, perfect modern needles!

Shop our needles here! 

We're mad for plaid

Delightfully soft, plush cotton flannels! Perfect for a button-down shirt for staying cozy all winter, or make some soft pajamas you'll never want to change out of.

Treadlette Tuesday: Michele sewed a wedding dress!

Michele made this gorgeous silk charmeuse wedding gown for her new daughter-in-law.

Here's Andrew, her son, and his bride Katie at their August wedding!

The dress is 100% silk: sueded silk charmeuse with a china silk lining. Michele used Burda pattern 6583; the bodice is as-is, but the skirt was redrafted to have soft gathers at waist. The gown took 10 1/2 yd of 45” fabric for the dress and 6 1/2 yd of 54” fabric for the lining.

Friday Fun Fact: the tomato pin cushion

Ever wonder about that little strawberry on your pincushion?

It's not just for decoration! The strawberry is filled with emery - a ground-up rock that's also used in nail files. The abrasive powder cleans, smooths, and sharpens your pins and needles!

If your pin feels like it's dragging slowly through your fabric, run it through the strawberry a few times to smooth the surface. If you notice a pin snagging, look for burrs, file them off if needed, and finish with a nice emery polish! 

New apparel prints - including designer!

New prints in silk, rayon, and cotton! 

Shop silk and rayon here!

Treadlette Tuesday: a new baby quilt!

It's been all kid stuff for Treadlette Elizabeth lately! She made this baby quilt for her new nephew. (Remember last week's cottage? That was for this little guy's big sister!) 

Elizabeth sewed this simple design mostly from her stash, but found the perfect woodland backing at Treadle! She free-motion quilted it in a wood-grain pattern. 

One more detail Elizabeth loves to add is an inscription block with the new baby's name and birthdate. The Tee Juice fabric markers from our friends at Wet Paint are perfect for this!

Cute busy city prints!

Shop all our quilting cottons here!

Friday Fun Fact: Satin weave

What's a satin weave?

A satin fabric, like the silk charmeuse above, gets its glossy sheen from the way it is woven.

To create the smooth, lustrous surface of a satin, the threads are woven unevenly, allowing the shiny warp threads to float over the weft threads in groups.

The unbroken mass of smooth warp threads gives satin its shine! 

Glorious Silk Charmeuse

Treat yourself to an elegant blouse, a decadent coat lining, or a dreamy pillowcase with this drapey silk satin charmeuse!

Fruit and Berry Prints

Sweet fruits and berries on cotton broadcloth - they coordinate perfectly with our berry canvas!

Shop them here!

Treadlette Tuesday: A Little Felt Cottage

Treadlette Elizabeth made this sweet felt cottage and play mat for her her 3-year-old niece.

She started with a solid cotton ground, then added our wool felt, embroidery floss, and some scraps from her stash to make the scenery and garden.

The house has little felt details everywhere and is stiffened with a layer of Peltex interfacing to make it stand up. The roof comes off to make it easier to play inside!

Done playing? Pull up the drawstrings to tidy it all away!

With wool felt, the possibilities are endless! We have 86 colors to create whatever you can dream of!

Berries!

Just added to our web shop! These sweet fruit and berry prints and their blendy coordinates. 

They're all a delightful linen/cotton blend canvas, a perfect weight for pants, light jackets, home decor, and more!

Shop them here!