The Best Little Thread Shop

So...earlier I had mentioned in a post about our great thread shop.  Apparently it is a secret, but I am happy to let everyone know about this jewel of a place.  Tucked away in Gastonia, NC is a thread, accessories & craft shop named Long Creek Mills.  Charlie Rector has been in the business for over 55 years.  If sewing or embroidery and even perhaps knitting is what you are into, then search no further.

  

Are you looking for thread?  Check out the aisles of  shelving.  Rayon, Polyester, Cotton, Poly-cotton the selections are fabulous...

Aisles of threads!!

Beautiful colors!

 Looking for Neons...I love Neons 

Neons

On top of the abundance of colors & threads....have I mentioned the pricing?

Ok, wait for it.....$4.00 a king cone for Polys & Rayons. $2.00 for the minis.   Oooh & I love the specials that they will run, buy 3 get one free....amazing!!!

Need Sprays, bobbins, needles, just about anything else, they have it too.  Now I am not here to do a sponsored ad for them, no payment is involved at all.  A dear friend told me about this special place & I am merely passing this on to anyone who loves textiles like myself.

Didn't mention Stabilizers did I....yep they have those too!

Stabilizers

More ribbons!!!

Ribbons!!

Hanks of Yarns

Love the old Singer

        

They are worth a call and even a visit if you find yourself in this area.  Can't make it...give them a call or email through their website.  I will have to say not the best site but at least it will put you in touch with them.   

Map of their customers

My Mother loves this place 

                                   

Just about 25 minutes from Charlotte, definitely worth the trip.

Happy Shopping Ya'll

Sporting the Split Anchor

In between my dressmaking, which I will show pics in a bit for those, I also do a bit of digitizing for myself.  Because of  my "that's easy, I can do it by myself" mantra,  I decided to digitize a split anchor for monograms.  They are very popular right now, so off to the drawing software I went and digitized an anchor!!  It seems so easy...not!!!  Well I guess it is, it's just that I have done it enough that it is patience that you are working with and not the degree of difficulty.  After further editing, adding, deleting... I transfered it to stitching & then imported it to my layout.

 Again more editing & adjusting, stitching out, back to editing & adjusting, oh well you see where the patience comes in play right?  I don't normally get this far so quickly, usually I leave it for the next day, again patience.  However I was so excited I needed to put it on something.  

After I did I realized there still needs a bit more editing, before it is 100% ready, but thought it was worth sharing just the same. So if you are into the preppy look, or the sailing look, or just love monograms the way I do, I think you might like the finished project.  I went to good old Walmart & bought a navy sweatshirt & shorts to match. 

Here are the supplies I started with.

I have a 5x7 frame for the sweatshirt, & a 4x4 for the shorts.  I had this great Robison Anton magenta pink & white thread from Long Creek Mills, perhaps the best thread shop in the South!  I don't think I could have some any closer to matching the pinks.  Also I love to use heavyweight stabilizer for just about everything. I'm sure I am not supposed to, but because I do alot of embroidery on satins & velvets, and I am too cheap to buy the other, it goes for everything!

Here I have floated my fabric onto the frame. Hoop the stabilizer, give it a quick shot of sticky spray, then lay it down & pin it on.  This is a great way to avoid the headaches of trying to hoop something that is already sewn or fabric that is too small or cumbersome. I did the same for the sweatshirt, easy peasy, it really takes no time at all.

Again the fancy circle was used, I bought mine from The Itch 2 Stitch. 

Yay, Finished items!!!!

Monogram Madness

I love the power of a monogram... don't we all.  Maybe it's a southern "thang", but I believe that we all have a bit of the south in us somewhere!  So when I am not making Irish dance dresses ( have I not mentioned that yet,) I love to monogram just about everything I can get my hands on.  I actually think since I did this great pullover and vests for myself I haven't taken in them off, maybe time to wash them, lol!

Here are some pullovers that I made for my daughter's dance friends.... funny enough I had made one for a dirty Santa gift for their dance class party.  I had made one with the dance school's initials with the interlocking vine embroidery, pictured below.  The amount of girls wanting to "steal" the pullover was hilarious.  I felt a little bad because they all wanted it & then was like eh...they all love it, perfect maybe the saddened girls who were not able to grab it would order one. 

 Lo and behold I had 4 orders by the time classes were over! 

You know when you get in that mode, you think to yourself ...what else could I do.  Hence Gracie's shorts,  time to try the circle monogram... I got them from the dryer, took them to the embroidery machine & voila!!! I loved them, too bad they are too small for her.  I guess I will check with her before I race off with her clothes!!

Time to feed the creative monster & off to sew I go. 

Laters

After years of crafting, sewing & creating, the bug has hit to start a blog of my ideas, projects and generally my overall life.  I am sure this will be another interesting way for me to spend my multiple amounts of time, not, to share my musings & thoughts!

So I have been into crafting for years, and now after buying an embroidery machine, 7 years ago, I am now looking to brand myself outside of my circle and into the web.  My promise to you is to update at least once a week & perhaps more if my life doesn't get in the way:)

Still new to the blogging arena, I am sure the site will change here & there until, I find something I like.  And then again, I am always looking for that new next thing, so I am positive it will change again, but no worries, it's still me & my ramblings.

You can follow me on facebook at SewCheekyChic