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Its Sew Easy!

There’s a new sewing show!  Yeah – if you’re like me, you can’t get enough of educational/inspirational sewing shows!  I was thrilled to be a part of the inaugural season of It’s Sew Easy.  Well, thrilled until I landed in Cleveland, OH on March 10, the day before my scheduled taping. Oh, how I prepared!  I had three segments to tape and since I have a bit of taping experience, I knew just how many step-outs (you know, the magic cake a chef pulls out of the oven during the cooking shows) three segments would require.  I was ready – really ready.  I packed, repacked, checked supplies, hoops, fabrics, stabilizers, and rechecked every detail.  Even the weather.

But when I landed at 5:00 PM, it was snowing (no mention of that in the morning forecast from warm, sunny Dallas).  And the car rental agent informed me that the Cleveland area was getting 8” of snow that night. Really?  How could that be?  I checked the weather and packed a coat but no boots, no hat, no scarf.  I had – oh absolutely a southern rookie mistake here – clogs!  Clogs?  For heavens sake, I could hear my mother now, “You might as well be barefoot!”

Smart girl that I am, I trudged to the nearest mall and bought boots.  Now I really felt prepared for the morning.  Ha! What I should have done was head to Home Depot and got a shovel. Have you ever stayed at a hotel with a rental car in a snowstorm?  And absolutely had to be somewhere at 7:30 in the morning? Pretty darn hard to dig your car out with a credit card and a measly rental car-supplied brush that actually resembles a chop stick. That would have been a priceless photograph. But I had more important things to do – like dig out the car.  And I did and arrived at the studio on time after skidding, trudging, climbing over drifts and icy roads.  You know how great that wheeled luggage is in airports? Totally useless in 8” snow, completely useless. In fact, they’re a detriment because they act like a squiggie allowing you to make zero progress.

But I made it inside and it was time to get to work.  First, I unpacked in the staging area and put everything in order as it would be shown.

Then it was time to watch Bobbi Bullard do her segment.  Here she is prepping her materials and looking quite fabulous with fresh makeup!

Wow – what a fun day.  I relished spending the day with June Mellinger – a good friend for many years.

And meeting celeb stitcher, Suede from Project Runway.

We had great pizza, oh, and donuts, and these tiny little saltines (still can’t find them in Texas), learned some new sewing tips from other guests like Tricia Waddell, Katrina Loving and Londa Rohlfing and finally – taped my three segments! I taught monogramming on towels and napkins (program #105), reworking a t-shirt (program #109) and working with prints – large and small (series 2).

Here I’m getting comfortable on the set and taking instructions via a small earphone (hidden oh so inconspicuously).

Hmm?  What camera should I be looking at?

Its Sew Easy is available to all Public Television stations on June 30th, 1800-1830 via NETA (The National Educational Telecommunications Association) the program will air for 13 consecutive weeks and then repeat.  Stations can take the show off the satellite and choose when and if to air the show for up to 3 years!

All Public Television stations can air the program.  Go to www.itsseweasytv.com to locate the station finder – just type in your zip code and it will tell you if it is airing locally and at what time.  It also links to your local station to request the show. The data on show times populates the form starting June 25th – but it becomes more robust as more stations pick up the show.

You need a whole lot of talented people to create a 13-show series. Guests that appeared are:  Linda Augsburg, Bobbi Bullard, Rebecca Cornell, Pam Damour, Colbey Decker, Shannon Dennis, Gretchen Hirsch, Christy Howden, Stephanie Kimura, Cindy Losekamp, Katrina Loving, Valerie Mayen Gina Moorhead, Nancy Odom, Janet Pray, Trish Preston, Eileen Roche, Londa Rohlfing, Peggy Sagers, Sheree Schattenmann, Suede, Tricia Waddell, and Angela Wolf.   The show is underwritten by Brother International Corporation plus Havel’s Sewing, BurdaStyle, Horn of America, Rowenta, Vogue Fabrics, Original Sewing & Quilt Expo, The Warm Company, Coats and Clark, and Blumenthal Lansing.  

The way to help get the program on the air in your market is to contact your local station and become a member – and then request the show!  If you have a store or a retailer friend they can also contact the underwriting department of the station to ask about costs to be a local underwriter.  Though stations love to hear from viewers – It’s Sew Easy doesn’t want to start any kind of “campaign”  it just wants people who are genuinely interested in the show to  start looking for it and requesting it.

This week we want to know what’s in your hoop?  What projects are you working on?  Has anybody started stitching for the holidays yet?  Leave a comment to be entered to win Perfect Alignment Software.

Last week we asked you what your go to purchase was.  The winner of Posh Pincushions is…Aimee Berger:

“I must confess…. you live in T-shirts, I live in sweat shirts. Temperature seems to not matter. I can wear them at 80 degrees or 2 degrees. My favorite? Gildan Havy blend hoodie. Yep, I own a few. And as an embroiderer, and a printer of sublimation (and I can to shirt vinyl too), I have come up with some very cool, all be it edgy, stuff that I love.”
Congratulations, Aimee!

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55 COMMENTS

  • Carole Corn

    ‘What’s in my hoop’? at the moment a summer straw hat ‘hat band’. I have a country wedding to attend next month and have designed a band for my straw hat, it is on tulle, with wash away stabilizer and the design is pink with purple shading pansy’s with a lacy bow and peach daisy’s with pink/white/purple shaded pansy’s. It will keep the summer sun off and still be country fashionable.

  • Desiree

    What’s in my hoop? I’ve been doing personalized beach towels for gifts, and t-shirts for myself. I found a great bath sheet at Costco that looks like a beach towel when embroidered with a “beachy” design. And I found some t-shirts that fit me wonderfully at Sam’s, only to find that they don’t have them anymore when I went back for more! Oh well, I should expect that from these places-here today, gone tomorrow!

  • Susan

    I am wondering if there is any way we can see the show if it is NOT broadcast on our local PBS station. I have written to them on numerous occasions and NOTHING.

    KPBS, San Diego.

    Thanks for the great work you’re doing.

    • Eileen Roche

      Hi Susan, I understand there will be posts on youtube of all the shows. You can see one of the first shows here: http://www.itsseweasytv.com

  • Elsie Morgan

    I hope that s.c. tv carries the show. We have had so many cuts over the past few years, that mostly all on it is childrens shows.
    Whats in my hoop shorts and then some shirts for my great-
    grand children.

  • Martha Hubbard

    In my hoop right now is a pillowcase I am embroidering for my nephew’s wedding. He and wife-to-be are music teachers. I am monogramming their initials with some sheet music designs on each side. I actually ruined the first one due to a placement problem!! I’m still new to this but love this craft and mostly just want to do something memorable for my nephew.
    Looking forward to the new “Its Sew Easy” show!

  • Darlene Jacolik

    I’m working on a seasonal wall hanging for July, which is part of a 12 month pattern. Haven’t started on holiday gifts as yet, but want to try and stay ahead this year for a change!

  • Camie deHollan

    In my hope right now is an a cute eyeglass case for my 10 yr. Old granddaughter. She said her first pair of glasses needed a special case. Her favorite colors (lime green, purple) with her name on the outside would suit her well.

  • melinda solomon

    “What’s In My Hoop “, a doll , this is the cuties doll and has clothing with it ,mostly done in the hoop and I but her name and date on the doll also, for my 9th grandbaby, she’ll be a yr old , I make the girls their 1st babies , also working on pillow cases with firetrucks on them, personilized with their names for the grandsons , I have 10 grandchildren ,5 girls and 5 boys all under the age of 9. And finaly personlized aprons for my daughter and daughter in laws, all for christmass, so the Perfect Alignment software would sure come in handy to finish all this and start on the rest . Thank U melinda

  • JoAnn DeSantis

    I’m currently making a quilt label for a friend. Hmmmmm alignment software would sure come in handy right now. Just had my machine serviced and I’d like to try Jenny Haskin’s Aquamarine Ambience quilt. I just hope I,m not getting in over my head with this one.

  • Gail Beam

    I just finished making some swim bags for two of my grandchildren and will be working on some beach towels to go with them. I am really looking forward to your sewing shows. I love to learn new things, especially when it comes to sewing.

  • Lydia Stevenson

    I am working on HoopSisters Goosetracks Block of the Month in the 8″ size. The basic quilt is partially assembled, and I’m working on the optional borders.
    Perfect Alignment software would make lining up borders easy on other projects.
    Lydia

  • Mary Anne

    In my hoop right now are hankerchiefs for weddings. For the bride and her mom and the groom and his mom. I have alot of fun embroidering these kinds of gifts. There are so many directions to go, colors used for the wedding, sentiments for the bride and groom. My favorite words to embroider on the grooms is: Yes dear with the wedding date. I figure these are the two most important words men need to use for a successful marriage.
    Mary Anne

    • Terry

      I just finished a quilt and a bunch of onesies for grandbaby #10! But now I’ve got a set of towels for my mom in the works. Tomorrow, I’m playing with a granddaughter. She’s going to be sewing (and embellishing with embroidery) her first dress. I’m doing this with three grandchildren this summer, and I’m so excited about doing this!

  • Nora

    I’m embroidering on some aprons for a wedding gift. I better get them done. The wedding is day after tomorrow.

    • Eileen Roche

      Oh you sound like me, Nora!

  • Debra Guarriello

    What’s in my hoop? I’m putting red and white Pointsettias on green fabric. These will be the outside pocket pieces for my holiday purse. The main fabric has an all over Pointsettia pattern and the lining is green with small ornaments all over.
    I am using the Boho Baguette pattern from Studiokat . You can never start too early getting ready for the holidays.

  • Deb

    Nothing in the hoop at the moment. I’ve been working on finishing a charity string quilt & just finished my daughter’s wedding quilt, 11 months after the wedding, LOL!

  • Lynn Swanson

    Just finished embroidering a GIANT butterfly on the back of a purchased jean jacket. Also embroidering some flowers on toile and embellishing tee shirts. Lots of fun and turning some into little gifts.

  • Dee

    Just finished a Pink Lace Cowgirl hat for Barbi Doll along with a fringed Cowgirl skirt and vest and a pink shirt. It is a birthday for my grandaughter, who has Texas roots. Hat was made in hoop from a pattern for a Lace Cowboy hat designed to be a Christmas ornament. Sure turned out cute. Must get into mail today.

  • Susan

    I have a new pair of exercise shorts and a top that I am embroidering on to make it a set. Will do this with a number of my shorts and tops for Jazzercise.

  • Martine

    What’s in my hoop? My machine is busily stitching handtowels with a logo. In 1999 I digitised the logo for the National Prison Museum (I’m a member of the board) and towels have been sold in the museum shop ever since. At times it felt like writing lines! But today I started with renewed energy, I had redigitised the design and now it’s a delight to stitch it out. What a difference 12 years of experience makes!

    • Eileen Roche

      I’ll say! What we’ve learned over the years – it’s just amazing!

  • Vicki

    I have 7 grandchildren who are all going to Disneyland in November, so I have been making them all Disney character quilts on my Brother machine.
    I have one more to go then I will start to machine quilt them.
    I am also sewing out some little designs on the pockets of totes I am making for Christmas presents to the kind ladies who take care of my mother in the nursing home.
    I need to learn how to quilt on my embroidery machines to make all of this easier and quicker.

  • Becky

    Thanks for the info on the new sewing show. Sounds great! What’s in my hoop? I am monogramming bright colored napkins for each employee in my dept at work for a quarterly luncheon. I hope everyone likes them.

  • Susan

    In my hoop now are a variety of patches. My daughter and her hubby are into the new Steampunk movement, so I obtained pertinant designs which I am embroidering into patches that they can sew onto whatever they want, or share them with their friends.
    I was happy to see that the new show is coming To Tucson next week! Fresh oportunities for learning!

    • Eileen Roche

      Susan – check out Urban threads website for steampunk designs – they have quite a few – and all are great! http://www.urbanthreads.com

  • Marsha

    I’m working on FSL bookmarks to give to family with their holiday greeting cards. But the really fun project is making burp cloths for my niece’s friend who is having her first baby. I made a set for my niece, and they were an absolute hit at the baby shower. Good stash buster plus I get to embroider cute sayings that color coordinate with the fabric then embellish with ribbon, ric rac, etc. Fun, fun, fun …..

  • Jan Thompson

    Baby items are in my hoop. I don’t know if it’s catchy, but there seems to be a lot of babies lately. I’ve made receiving blankets, birp cloths, and bibs that hold a “binkie.” Just having fun making them.

  • Mary Jane

    I’m currently doing some machine embroidey birds on a quilt that I made. So far so good.

  • Paule-Marie

    What’s in my hoop? Right now nothing. I am working on a quilt for Quilts of Valor, finished the top today, waiting to see if the wide backing I want is on order. Red, white and blue with thank you all over the fabric. I am, however, contemplating how I will quilt a wall hanging in the hoop. But that’s going to wait a bit.

  • connie angeline

    A onesie,I’m going to embroider a volume button on it because I’m sure it will get a giggle at the baby shower.

  • Janice

    Well, I just got an order for a personalized sweatshirt. So that will be in the hoop on Saturday, but I need to order another sweatshirt and pick it up from the wholesaler tomorrow. Also working on french poodles with sunglasses and big bows from Bunnycup embroidery, stitching out monsters from Anita Good-design, and putting on the borders of one my designs called scrappy diamonds. So much to do to get ready for the fall craft shows, will probably be stressed by the end of July!

    Also want to have the time to stitch out the designs from Urban Threads which are great.

  • Holly

    working on pincushions, family reunion t-shirts, Anita Goodesign in the hoop quilt.

  • Kathy Myers

    I am stitching key fobs for the girls at my sewing club!!

  • Jean Guenther

    I just finished two gorgeous monogram pillows. Off white linen with off white rayon thread (just a few shades darker then fabric) . The 5″ letters from your “Machine Embroidered Monograms for the home”, with the squigly ribbon with vines turned sideways on each side. I fit all in my largest hoop (8 X 16) which I usually don’t like, but using the hydro stick cut away it worked great. No hoop burns and I didn’t have to re-hoop. The letters are beautiful and the stitching is perfect. I also love the detail in that ribbon. I am thrilled and will do more as gifts . Who doesn’t love their own monogram anything? Thanks to you for that book.

    • Eileen Roche

      You’re welcome. I agree – those designs are gorgeous. My sister Marie and I had a great time designing the monograms, accents and project. I’m glad to know they are working for you too.

  • karin

    What’s in my hoop? What isn’t??? I have to replace a “Go To Market” bag that was embroidered with a tree & the saying, “I go Green for my Kids” before I put it together. That has to be stitched before I can relist it in my online shop. I’ve also got 100 small purses/fabric gift bags to complete by March, and what I’m really working most on is a set of quilted placemats (8), curtains(2) & appliance cozies(4!). That will be one matched up kitchen when I get through!

    After all that’s complete, I’ve been commissioned to put together a his & her quilt for a dear friend’s son & new DIL. She wants to have me embroider blocks with designs of the kids’ interests, then we’ll put ’em all together & see what we’ve got! Promises to be no easy feat, considering she’s in NC & I’m in TX! Thank Goodness for the internet & fabric.com! Oh, and I cut out a row of half-square triangles needed for a monster carpenter’s square wall hanging to go into my new bedroom. Hope I can get it done before Driver can get the room painted! Speaking of which, I better get that machine in gear!!!! Thanks for the heads-up on the new show and the great giveaway! I would so love to have something to help me out & get everything placed properly, EVERY TIME!

  • Betsy

    A quilt label is in the hoop now. Stitching for the holidays has not begun but the planning and buying of fabric has…I just can’t bring myself to start Christmas projects before the 4th of July! That whirlwind will begin in a couple of months.

  • Donna Hauck

    I cannot find the Itsseweasy.com website to view the episodes. I wanted the directions for the stablizer and fabric scarf that was made on the July 2, 2011 episode. Can you help.

    I found this show on the Public Television channel.

  • Evelyn Gonzalez

    In my hoop right now is a memory bulletin board cover in bright yellow sunflowers with a red trim that will have mitered corners (learning how to do that from a YouTube video). The red trim will have yellow continuous design embroidered sunflowers (have to figure that out, too!). It’s for my office, although I’m thinking I might switch out what’s in my home office for the new one, and take the home office bulletin board to work.

    The holidays are fast approaching – Christmas in July – and I am starting to plan Christmas presents. I have already purchased a long cape pattern for my young adult daughter, which will have another continuous design embroidered along the hemline.

    Guess I could really use the software you’re giving away this week!

    Thank you!

  • Nancy

    I’ve been doing some embroidery embellishing on mug rugs, but tonight I’m making some FSL stars for the 4th of July!
    Nancy

  • Barbie

    I digitized a photo of my motorcycle and I’m embroidering it on the back of a denim jacket so I can wear it when the evenings cool off here in Florida!

  • Carol Seavitt

    Thanks for the Television information. Was just asking my mom who lives in Phoenix area when she watches the sewing shows. Anyway, I’m working on quilt for my daughter for her freshman year at college. Just went to my own ‘material supply’. Hope she likes it.

  • Ellen Perry

    My son recently married and I embroidered towels, sheets and tea towels . I also am making baby gifts…burp cloths, diaper wipe holders and paci holders.
    Ellen

  • Joy Corsaw

    In my hoop is a picnic carryall. Then a quilt, then Christmas projects, then a misc. project, or two, or three… Lets face it, sleep interferes with valuable stitch time. And every new issue of Designs Mag only adds to my to-stitch list, irresistible projects!! Thanks ladies!!!!

  • Cindy McCord

    Hi Eileen. I just finished embroidering 36 stars from your Ohio Star Quilt pattern in your new Machine Embroidered Quilting and Applique book. They turned out awesome!!! I will send you a picture of the quilt when I finish sewing the blocks together and add binding. Last year I asked if you would do something patriotic so I was very excited to see stars in your new book. My goal was to finish my “star quilt” before July 4th but I missed my deadline. That’s okay though because I will definitely show it off on my table next July 4th!! Keep the great designs coming and thanks for all you do!!

    • Eileen Roche

      Hi Cindy! Glad to hear the Ohio Stars turned out beautiful – they are fun blocks! I know your binding will be perfect and I can’t wait to see your pics – please send them!

  • Beverly Schulte

    What’s in my hoop? At present I am finishing up an awesome purse, filled with butterflies, flowers, and crystals. Next up are two beach bags and some kitchen towels. Always something in the back of my mind to do!

  • Mary Haggenmaker

    My daughter has decided she is going to home school her children. They range in ages 6 to 3. I am presently making the numbers with the add, subtract multiply , and divide signs for her to use. They came complete with an embroidered bag to keep them in.

  • Linda

    I am just finishing up monogrammed pillows as a gift for a christening (twins). Then, its on to a gift for a Christmas in July party. We will be drawing names, so the exact nature of the project will be determined when I find out who will receive it.

  • Pam M

    Loved your recount of your trip to tape the show. Since I live in Australia there is zero chance of catching it on TV, but I will investigate the YouTube option. Regarding the show, it was such a coincidence seeing the names of some of your fellow presenters – Londa Rohlfing (have just bought scissors from her); Peggy Sagers (have just bought patterns from her). My in-the-hoop happening right now is embellishing a shirt I am making from Peggy’s pattern, cut out using Londa’s scissors, using a design from your “Contemporary Machine Embroidered Fashions” book – wow! A triple whammy!

  • Barbara

    Wow! I get so excited reading about the great projects in everyone’s hoops! My hoops are filled with Onesies being embroidered to match all of those “This is too cute to pass up!” fabrics that MUST be used before I bring another scrap into my house. Next in line are towels for my youngest son’s first apartment — and then it will be lacy lingerie to feather the empty nest!

    Can’t wait until It’s Sew Easy comes to Houston!

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