The Bobbin, Burlington Vermont

Do you want to learn to sew (even just for one project) or need use of a sewing machine? If you live in the Greater Burlington area, The Bobbin is the place it's at. Here you can rent time at the sew bar or take classes or private instruction, or come in for group time with like minded crafters. Upcoming classes include sewing basics, t-shirt transformation, and a wonderful class by my wonderful daughter, designer Rebecca Mack, in how to alter clothing, particularly thrift shop finds.
The Bobbin is located in the Old North end, and you can visit them online at www.thebobbin.com

Easy Hummingbird Nectar

Few things lift my heart the way the sound of the hummingbirds coming to my feeder does. The feeder is located about 8 feet from the back door, and when I sit out on the stoop with my coffee the visit of a few hummingbirds is practically a sure thing.

I once suffered under the illusion that many people do that to attract hummingbirds one needed to purchase nectar mix. Not so! Mix 1 part sugar to 4 parts water...I usually do 1/2 cup sugar to 2 cups water. Heat on the stove until the sugar totally disolves, which will happen before the boiling point. Cool. Fill your feeder and store any leftover nectar in the refrigerator.

No, it isn't necessary to add food coloring, it is a myth that hummingbirds are attracted to the red in premade nectar mixes.

Easy Yo Yo Tutorial

As anyone visiting my blog can quickly see, I am not a faithful blogger...However, here is something I have been meaning to post for a while...

I started making yo yos a couple of years ago to give me some hand sewing while doing craft fairs and farmers' markets. When I went online to learn how to make them, I found many of the instructions quite complicated and overly complex. So would-be yo yo makers, forget looking for a compass left over from high school geometry, forget cutting a die from cardboard, finding a water soluble marker...all of that - go with the flow!

A typical yo yo begins with a circle of fabric 4" in diameter. You can make them smaller or larger, but a 4" circle gives you a yo yo approx. 2" in diameter, a traditional size and good for piecing or embellishment. I use fabric scraps from my abundant source, but in the depression it was popular to make yo yos from pieces of worn out clothing, which is a nice way to recycle. I recommend a cotton which is not too loosely woven, like quilting cotton. Home decor weight fabric is a little difficult to manage making yo yos, and very loosely woven fabrics tend to fall apart. Silk would also be nice to embellish with.
The plastic lid to a coffee can is 4", so I use those as my template. I mark the wrong side of the fabric with whatever is going to be easily visible for me...chalk on dark fabrics, but pencil or ball point pen on lighter color fabric. Even felt tip pens are fine, if your marking leaves a good deal of ink simply cut just inside the mark and you won't run the risk of ink later staining your yo yo.
Hold the circle of fabric toward you with the wrong side facing you, and turn over approx. 1/4 inch as you sew the edges with double thread. I find it easiest to draw up the yo yo if I begin with the knot on the inside and tie it off on the outside. The 1/4 inch hem needn't be too precise, just fold as you go and if it reaches 1/3 inch sometimes remember a yo yo is very forgiving.
When you have completed your long running stitch around the yo yo, stitch just past where you began and bring the needle and thread to the right side (I find a slightly long needle works well). At this point gather up your yo yo and flatten it with your fingers. Tie it off with a double knot as tightly as you can pull it.
If I am doing a block, I make up a small bag full of yo yos and then begin stitching them together...my habit is to sew four together, then two strips of four to make a strip of eight, then stitch two strips together, etc., until I have a block the size I want. Do what works for you. I also use single yo yos as embellishment on aprons and other work, or sew them onto hair bands as pigtail holders, or sew three onto a barrette or pin back. Larger yo yos, using a saucer as a template, make a nice size to embellish hats.
See some yo yos in action in my Etsy shop at http://afterall.etsy.com