Sew Inspired, LLC - Sleepless Crafter

I really don’t know much about fabric dye, and I’ve searched the web for answers, only to find that I needed to experiment for myself in order to find them. I purchased a bunch of polyester knit fabric for making dolls, so they are mainly fleshtones—four different colors.  I made some dolls with the fabric—one doll for each color.  One of them did not look right.  In fact, it had a “dead” look to it.  The tone was just too gray.  I have a store-bought doll that I really like the color—a really rich peachy color.  So I wanted to see if I could match it.

In my previous reviews for the Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist (click here for review) and Singer Futura XL-400 , (click here for review) I was really excited about the automatic thread cutter that the 9960 has, and was wishing that the Futura had it, too.  Well, I got my wish.  Most everything that the Quantum Stylist has that I love, the new Futura XL-580 has.  So I was quick to purchase it and sell my other machines.  I needed to clear out things in my bedroom/craft room/sewing room anyway.  I figured since one sewing machine takes up less room than two and since the XL-580 has the previously mentioned features, that I might as well have one machine rather than two.  Oh how I was wrong! If you’re looking for an embroidery machine, this one will do, but if you’re looking for a great overall sewing machine, the Quantum Stylist takes the cake.

42 Presser Feet Guide What is included and what do they do ? Most presser feet cost $5 and up.  There’s a couple big kits with loads of presser feet on the market that are a lot more affordable.  There are many different variations of the kits , as well as different sizes. I purchased the 42-piece kit .  The box reminds me of a box of chocolates. Of course I had to make my own custom organizer: I searched on other websites for a complete list for what was what and their uses.  I couldn’t find any.  So…. I went through piece-by-piece and compiled a convienent list with photos, uses, and videos (also available on PDF ). They are in order from top let to bottom right of the box.

I LOVE taking pictures of the moon.  I wish I could take pictures of each planet.  I recently purchased a new camera and lenses and decided to try them out to see how well they take photos of the moon. First, some information on each lens. Vivitar 500mm f/8.0 Telephoto Lens (T Mount) (White)

If you’re like me and never know which Pellon interfacing to use for a certain project, this nifty sample ring just might be the answer.  I noticed that there is one at Joann’s Fabrics, hanging on the Pellon rack.  I searched online for one and couldn’t find one.  I was even willing to buy one.  Alas, I decided to make one myself.  It was really simple.

I love macro photography, so when I bought my new Canon 70D Camera, it came with a Closeup Filter Set .  Here’s some pictures, using my Kit Lens , at about 4 feet away at focal length 55mm, f/5.6.

Using a Canon 75-300 III Telephoto Zoom Lens , I took some pictures to try out the Telephoto and Wide Angle Lenses that go on the ends of regular camera lenses. I have 13E Pro Telephoto Lens, Xit Wide Angle Lens , and Vivitar Telephoto and Wide Angle Lenses .