Next Up....Kim Holmes

Designing for Scrappin’ Sports & More is a dream come true! With 7 active kids in every sport imaginable it couldn’t be a more perfect fit. I have been married to the love of my life for 23 years and we live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest just north of Seattle, Washington. We are a very active family and I am never without a fun photo opportunity. I fell in love with scrapbooking about 8 years ago and it literally was the missing piece of my puzzle. I feel more complete, calm and fulfilled now that I found this creative outlet. When I’m not scrappin’, I keep myself busy with homeschooling, reading and surfing the web. I love all the fabulous ideas and inspiration that are just waiting to be found in cyberspace. My style is constantly changing and evolving – one of my current favorites is sewing on my layouts! I love the finishing touch it gives my art and it just makes me happy. I am excited for the new blog to get underway so we can share our passion with you!

Title: I {heart} my Baseball Player

Products:
#1255 – Baseballs
#1196 - Baseball Reflection Paper
#1180 - Defining Cross Country
#1241- Cross Country Game
#636 Baseball Rub-ons

Stitching on my layouts is starting to be more than a trend for me, it’s become a necessity! I know that sewing on layouts can be intimidating to many of you, but I thought if I shared some tips and tricks, that maybe I could alleviate some of your fears and concerns!

First a sample layout:  The look



Products:

#1145 - Classic Baseball
#1255 – Baseballs
#1237 Baseball Game Paper
#1196 Baseball Reflections Paper
#636 Baseball Rub-ons

I use an inexpensive, basic sewing machine that I purchased at Sears for under $75. I use it only for scrapbooking. I have a different machine for actual sewing (which I haven't used in years!). It has only a few stitch options and I leave it set up at all times on a little shelf right next to my croppin’ table.



- For stitching through multiple layers of paper and thickness, I use a strong, heavy needle intended for stitching material like denim. For stitching through single layers or ribbon, I use a thinner needle that leaves a smaller hole - the basic, average needle size is perfect.

- Apply adhesive in very tiny amounts to an area of the paper that WILL NOT be stitched. This is very important. You want the adhesive to hold your paper in place while you stitch but you do not want your needle to go through the adhesive. Sewing through the adhesive will gum up your needle and cause the thread to break, causing major frustration! If you do get adhesive on your needle, use UNDO, fingernail polish remover or Goof Off to clean it before continuing!

- Choose a thread color that will stand out against your paper. Test the color on a scrap before sewing on your layout. For the purposes of scrapbook stitching --- the bobbin thread color does not matter. I usually keep mine a basic white.

- To keep your layout visibly interesting, use a combination of straight and zigzag stitches --- even one over the other. I like to experiment with multiple lengths and widths of stitches too. Remember that you are not looking for perfection. Mistakes, skipped stitches and broken threads add character to your work!

- Keep your stitch length fairly long. Too many short stitches will just look messy and make too many holes in your paper. You will end up with something that resembles a perforated edge instead of a neat sewing stitch.

- Find yourself a visual guide either on your paper or on your machine to help you keep your stitches straight. When you get to the corner and are ready to turn, use the manual wheel to place your needle into the paper, lift the guide foot, turn your paper, replace the guide foot and continue to sew.

- Complete all stitching before you trim and secure the thread ends. See below for a good method of securing thread ends.

- If you run out of bobbin thread midway through stitching --no worries. Rewind bobbin per machine instructions, then realign page where the stitching left off --using the manual wheel to place needle into the last hole stitched. This will allow you to use the previous holes and not create a mess of new ones.

- After all stitching is complete, turn your layout over. If you gently tug on the bobbin thread from the back of the layout, the top stitching thread will be pulled toward the back of your layout. Use something pointed to grab the top thread and gently pull it to the back of your layout. Trim both threads so they have about 2 inches left and then tape them to the back of the layout. Do this with all loose threads. Avoid cutting them off too close as the stitching will fray and leave empty holes on your layout. There is no need to tie the ends together using this method.