While it is always best to consult your sewing machine manual for specifics on how to handle routine maintenance, this handy guide published by the Cooperative Extension Service in collaboration with the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University is a  helpful read if you would like to understand more about how a sewing machine functions, standard troubleshooting techniques and what you can do to keep  most machines stitching happy for many years to come. 

For example, did you know...

• Simply brushing lint and dust from the bobbin case each time the machine is used can prevent many problems.
• In a perfect stitch the threads are locked in the center, midway between two layers of cloth, with no loops on the top or bottom of the seam and no puckers on the cloth. 
• A good general setting is one that results in 10 to 12 stitches per inch of seam.

Read more about sewing machine maintenance here or download your free educational copy of the guide below.  
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One thing almost all sewing enthusiasts have in common is passion for fabric. As more local quilt shops go out of business, due to a variety of circumstances, shopping for fabric online will soon be commonplace. 

Of course, one of the key benefits to ordering online is the seemingly unlimited selection. For some, the online fabric selection process can quickly become overwhelming as they sift through the various weights, colors, patterns and textures of fabric in search of the perfect addition to their personal fabric collection.

Much of this frustration can be eliminated by asking your creative friends for shop referrals. If you are new to the world of sewing,  Hawthorne Supply Co and Fabric.com are great places to start.

The former offers super fast shipping and high quality quilt weight designer cotton fabrics and the latter has a wide selection of all types of fabric, notions, patterns and sewing tools; but, new orders can take up to 30 days to arrive in the current COVID climate so plan ahead. 

If you are more of a bargain hunter, you might enjoy shopping with independent fabric dealers such as those found on Etsy.com. Just be sure to read their shop policies and most recent feedback before you checkout.

Fabric.com is unique in that they offer shoppers the ability to add fabric to a design wall. This can be particularly useful if you are trying to coordinate fabrics. Although, you will always want to keep in mind that every monitor displays color differently and what you see on your monitor may vary, sometimes significantly, from the actual colors of the material. An easy way to avoid mismatched fabrics is to shop within the same collection. For example, The Tula Pink fabric featured below is from her newly released HomeMade collection and coordinates nicely with all of the prints in the same color way. 

Before committing to a particular fabric you will want to make sure they have the quantity you desire and it is the correct type of fabric for your project as  cotton, denim, home decor, knit, voile, suede, corduroy, sateen, spandex, duck, twill and linen all have different properties.

Tip: Most of the projects we will be sewing here at the Element3 Heath Sewing Club will require 100% cotton material. A quilt weight is ideal. 

​If you have a favorite online fabric source please share the link in the comments. Likewise, if you have a favorite fabric collection or fabric designer do tell, do tell...

Until we meet again, be well and sew happy!

Andrea
Element 3 Health 
​Sewing Club Leader