In Makers Blog

Best Beginner Sewing Machines

Congratulations! You’re looking for the best beginner sewing machine, aka your new best friend, and we couldn’t be happier for you. But with so many different models of machines and features to learn about, it can be difficult to know where to start. When you’re a beginner, you should focus on ease of use, versatility, durability, price, and customer support.  Ease of Use The first thing to consider when looking for a beginner sewing machine is ease of use. You want a machine that is simple to set up and use, with clear instructions and intuitive controls.

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March 31, 2023
In Makers Blog

Temperature Quilt Along 2020

So, what is a temperature quilt? A temperature quilt is made up of either 365 or 366 blocks, one for every day of the year, using fabrics that correlate to the temperature in your area each day. You can start with the new year on January 1st or go back to a previous year and look up temperatures. Here are our top five tips for planning your temperature quilt.   Tip 1: Create a reference sheet for your fabrics.  Print out a chart to which you can add small fabric swatches to keep track of what colors to use

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December 30, 2019
cartoon render of a quilt shop
In Makers Blog

The Case for Quilt Shops: Why You Should Still Shop Locally

By Mindy Lennon, Founder of Quilting Mayhem If you are lucky enough to live near a locally-owned quilting or crafting store (like Quilting Mayhem in Snohomish, Washington), chances are, it has survived this long because it’s serving the needs of local creatives like yourself. Here are some of the many reasons you should shop local next time you run out of thread, fabric, notions, or project ideas: 1. Knowledgeable Staff Help You Find What You Need Quilting is a very specific form of art and creation and there’s always more to know. So why not shop where you might

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November 5, 2019
Guy looking at a large sewing machine on the horizon
In Sewing Machines 101

How to Buy a Sewing Machine for a Quilter: The Ultimate Gift Buying Guide

Buying a sewing machine for a quilter is a wonderful act of love, but it can also be confusing (especially if you’re not someone who currently sews). Purchasing the top-of-the-line machine does not always mean it’s the right one, and buying a machine with the wrong features can cause confusion for the sewist trying to learn a new machine. On the plus side, buying a machine with extra features can give a person room to grow and expand their sewing knowledge. While there are many lists of “recommended machines,” it’s still hard to know what your

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October 26, 2019
a quilt tailor choosing fabric
In Makers Blog

We have a blog!…..Again

Yes, I am back at it again. It's been a couple of years since I worked on the last Quilting Mayhem blog, and a lot has happened since then. If you haven't come to visit us in the last year and a half, we have moved off of First Street and up to a much larger facility on Second Street in downtown Snohomish. This gave us the chance to expand everything, along with adding a larger Machine Service Center and retreat rooms that we rent. In light of a lot of brick-and-mortar quilt shops closing

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May 2, 2019