sewnsewer2 those are just beautiful! Love the red one! oh heck I love them all!

March 1, Janome 9900....who is buying one???? I would love to upgrade from my 9700. Sigh
Sandy

Last year while at my local store where I purchased my machines
and buy all my Floriani thread and stabilizers I saw they had these
bands that you could put around the stabilizer so you would know
what kind it is (ie. water soluble, medium tear away etc..).

However I was NOT going to spend $20+ on 5-6 bands. So while
wondering around a Family Dollar store one day I saw they had silicone
covers "slap bracelets" $1 for a short (about 7" long) and $2 for a long
(9" long) of course they had sayings and/or a funky print on it, but what
the heck they will work perfectly for keeping my stabilizers on the roll
and not in a mess.

I need to go to another Family Dollar store to see if they have any of
the 9" long bracelets so I can buy some more.

Just thought I would share this with all of you.

Great tip. For the stabilizer that I buy by the foot at Joann's I use the pool noodles and cut them to size and use a small straight pin to hold them while I wrap them around it. Doesn't take up much space and keeps it from getting wrinkles in it. also, if you buy your stabilizer from Floriani, I hope you are saving your labels, you can redeem them online at rnkdistributing for free stuff. I take the lables off and put them inside the roll so they don't get lost.

Ditto!! I do the same thing with my Floriani labels.

And yes I save my points from the packaging, in the
beginning I did toss them out but that was before I
got "smart" about keeping them. In total I probably
tossed about 4-6 away.

I love the pool noodle idea but I would want something
that is not quite so "fat" something no bigger round than
maybe the cardboard tube from paper towels.

Unless I am totally missing that there are newer "skinny"
pool noodles and I just haven't seen them.

no, they are the ones from the Dollar store. You could also use the wrapping paper cardboard rolls from Christmas, etc. I like using the by the yard stabilizer (WS) not only for the obvious but also if I have skinner tear away, etc that what I need for my hoop, I first use the WS by the yd one and then put the other one on the area of the design. This helps keep it securely in the hoop and it does save money. You can use the stores coupons for the by the yd one that and along with the senior and military discounts when I go to Hancock Fabric saves me alot. I save all of my leftover stabilizer in ziploc bags with the type written on it. If I need a couple of layers of what ever, I use the spray baste to stick the second layer(that covers the design) over the the first layer of hooped WS or if I get a rip while stitching I just spray it and put some more stabilizer on it and that has saved many designs. I do use the recommended when needed like for tshirts, etc but I cut corners when I can. You can also take your WS scraps and disolve them in water to "starch" you FSL designs when needed.

Thanks for some great ideas.

I also save ALL my WS scraps no matter how small they
are. When I make ornaments and bookmarks I found that
keeping them "stiffer" makes them look best and not as
"flimsy".

One of my co-workers saw all my cross bookmarks that I made
last year and revamped last week by adding hot fix crystals. He
took ALL of them with him to a Mexican restaurant that he goes
to every week. He said they are a very religious family and would
probably like and buy the bookmarks. He sold 3 out of the 9 and
1 snowflake ornament.

Yahoo that made me happy.


Here are a couple pictures of the revamped bookmarks I made.

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Very Pretty, Q-Louise. When I make things that don't require a sheen to them like ornaments and Easter baskets I use the large serger thread. I have to double up on WS (one full hooped layer and then pieces where the designs will stitch) and then a sharp needle. It took me quite a while and lots of research and loads of frustrations to figure out how to use this thread. I had tons of it and things especially like the Easter baskets for little kids won't last long enough to put too much money (thread) into them. They really turned out nice along with the lace bags for candy, etc. You did a great job on your ornaments.

Great job Louise!!

Quilty-Louise I finally went to the lqs in Naples and bought the Floriani Wet n Gone stabilizer. Will be using it soon. Also those are some pretty lace bookmarks!