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Aunt Norie’s Sewing Room

By Eleanor Mckee - | Jun 25, 2003

“I always wind too much thread on the bobbin, then I need the bobbin again and have to unwind and throw away the thread so I can use it again,” she said.

“No! No!” I said, “Especially with the cost of thread in the first place. Buy extra bobbins. If you do the family mending and a good bit of sewing, I recommend six to 12 extra bobbins. Then as you begin to sew a garment, half of a bobbin will go a long way.”

I like to purposefully use a different color bobbin, especially when you are machine basting, or when you want to gather an edge or seam, such as easing in the fullness. Also, know that in many seams a near color is as good as a matching color. That bobbin can also be placed on the top of the machine, in place of the regular spool, just to use up that thread. Use the thread from those extra bobbins for hand basting, mending, etc. Buy smaller spools of thread if it’s a color you don’t often use. Buy the larger economy size spools of the basic colors.

C.J. had bought some less expensive curtains, only to get them home and put them up. “In the evening they looked great, the whole family was pleased. Then the sun was bright the next day and my new curtains looked so blah, I was just sick,” she said.

Her mother came over and said, “Well honey if you’d line them, that’s all they need to intensify the color and stop the sun from fading them, which also weakens the fabric. The lining will lengthen the life of your new curtains.” She added, “It really won’t take much time at all.”

She helped, and we cut up an old white sheet. The whole family sort of got into the project and now we really appreciate those curtains, and the whole room, in fact more than we did before.”

I’m glad you shared that with us C.J., thanks. Such happenings are also things they will also remember at family gatherings in the years to come.

Love and God bless. Aunt Norie, P.O. Box 265, Tonganoxie, 66086-0265.