Sew Wonderful Dreams

"I Hate to Sew!!"

Now Connie sits back and laughs at her early attemps to sew, but 30 years ago those word were uttered loudly and ofter as she attempte to put a zipper in a pair of shorts. The zipper had to be taken out so many times that the shorts were worn out before they were ever finished.

For her 30th birthday Connie recieved an inexpensive sewing machine from her mother and sister, Beth. Connie remembers beginning to take lessons from Beth on basic sewing. She was skeptical that it would go anywhere, but Beth was very encouraging and determined to teach Connie how to sew. The next thing she knew she was cutting out small patterns, creating craft items and making nearly $200 a month and it was fun. At least the creating part was fun....much more fun than the mass production required for the craft shows

After awhile Connie's Aunt, Elaine Thompson, a designer, writer and book publisher asked her to create some Santa patterns for a book she was publishing. The book was published with one of Connie's Santas on the cover. The book sold 15,000 copies in the first six weeks, and soon inquiries began to arrive. "Looking back now, I remember one day someone wanted a Santa, the next they wanted a pattern, then a catalog and than an invoice; soon we had a business." Connie gives a large portion of her early success to her Aunt Elaine and the Santa book. It was Elaine who even came up with the name Sew Wonderful Dreams. In 1990 Connie took Sew Wonderful Dreams to their first Quilting and Craft Show. It has now been 18 years of traveling the country to different shows and selling craft, applique and paper piecing patterns and products. Her enjoyment comes not from just creating the patterns, but teaching others what she has learned and how they to can do it themselves.

Connie Spurlock continues to live in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho where the lake is always beautiful and the fun never stops.  She feels blessed to be living in a community with her 2 grandkids just minutes away. They are always ready for Nana to take them for a dip in the lake in the summer, or a sled down the hill in the winter. With the support of family and friends such as Teri Chandler the business continues to grow. Sew Wonderful Dreams now has over 215 patterns.

This little pattern company which was designed to create some extra cash and send her kids to college has taken her across the USA where she has had the privilege of teaching others as well as learning herself. "I have seen some incredible sights that our own country has to offer and at the same time, I have been blessed by so many wonderful creative people".

Sew Wonderful Dreams Studio is located in the panhandle of Idaho, surrounded by gorgeous lakes and mountains. We're 30 minutes to Washington, 60 minutes to Montana, and 90 minutes to Canada.

Our mission:

Sew Wonderful Dreams' mission is to design quality patterns that are easy, enjoyable and entertaining for all of our friends who love to create.

Connie’s Sewing Tips
MAKING DESIGNS USING FUSIBLE APPLIQUE

You will need the following:
~pattern – check to see if the pattern needs to be reversed
~fabric for the design
~fusible web (we use Wonder Under but many fusibles are available
~background or base for the design (this could be fabric for a quilt block or a ready made apron)
~thread – usually 40 weight, but can be decorative or glitzy

REVERSING THE PATTERN ~ If the pattern reversed will be a problem for the design, you will need to reverse it before tracing the design on the fusible. (The alphabet would be backwards so must be reversed first.) To reverse a pattern, using a light box or at the window, trace the wrong side of the designs onto paper – this will be your reversed pattern.
MAKING YOUR DESIGN ~ Trace each pattern piece onto the paper side of fusible. Rough cut the traced pattern pieces out and iron onto the WRONG SIDE of the appropriate fabrics. Cut out on the line and remove the paper. **follow fusible instructions when ironing onto fabric.
ASSEMBLY ~ Put the pattern placement on the ironing board under an appliqué pressing sheet. We recommend the Bear Threads appliqué sheet as it is very transparent and heavy duty. Iron each pattern piece onto the sheet in the logical order to complete your design. When design is cool, remove from the sheet and iron onto background fabric.
SATIN STITCH ~ A close tight zigzag stitch over the raw edge of the design is called a statin stitch. Stitch width can be a “3” and length is just above a button hole stitch ~ maybe a “.5”. Use a small needle, such as a 70, place paper as a stabilizer under the background fabric and stitch through the design, background and paper for results. Remove paper by tearing away.

TEN TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL APPLIQUE
1. Read the fusible instructions
2. Reverse pattern if necessary
3. Trace the pattern onto the paper side of the fusible.
4. Assemble the design on the appliqué pressing sheet
5. Use a permanent marker, if called for, on the design before removing from appliqué sheet
6. Use pressing sheet as pressing cloth when applying the finished design to the background fabric.
7. Use a smaller needle such as a 70, making sure it is sharp for satin stitching
8. Satin stitch over raw edges of the design using tight close stitches.
9. Place a stabilizing paper under the background fabric to satin stitch
10. Pre-wash fabrics if significant shrinkage could be a factor – especially the background fabrics.

**Bonus Tip – Whether tracing or ironing, your fusible web should be facing away from you. Place your appliqué sheet on your ironing board when ironing fusible onto fabric – if you get fusible on the ironing board cover – bummer – if you get fusible on your appliqué pressing sheet it just peels right off. Save your cover!!