A few links for crafters to keep their supplies & products in great shape!

Sewing Machine

If you use a sewing machine to make your life simpler - making your own clothing instead of worrying about how you look in this season's styles, making your own anything that doesn't happen to be sold in stores but that you would like to own - you know just how nice it is to you, working hard without complaint.

Well, most of the time. Until fabric gets snagged, or won't feed, or any number of other sewing machine problems.

Here's a top reason your sewing machine stops being nice to you, though: you aren't being nice to it! Like other household appliances, this one needs a little TLC to keep it running smoothly. I have been a bit guilty (well, more than a bit) of not doing much (or any) upkeep on my sewing machine, but then growling when it stops doing what I want.

I think I previously figured that maintenance on my machine would be a job requiring a trained professional, or supplies I didn't have, or I would do something wrong, or at the very least, it would take a lot of time.

No longer!

This simple post by Mary Ray on CraftyStylish not only reminds all us crafters that we should take care of our machines, it gives some simple how-to steps for cleaning it.

Embroidery

And what about those beautiful fabrics you've just embroidered? I fall guilty in this department when I don't wash my hands between snacking & crafting, which always results in little smudges on those lovely fabrics.

I won't reinvent the wheel here either: Tipnut has a wonderful post on everything you could want to know about cleaning needlework. Check it out!

Everything Else?

Well, I don't know. I'm never sure what to do with completed knit hats (it looks so great now; I don't want to ruin it by trying to wash it!), sewed projects (I once had a total washing machine disaster on a basket cover I'd just washed, though the rest of the basket covers turned out fine!), and I have no idea whether maintainence is necessary for hand-crafted tools: needles, scissors, etc.

Help me out: comment with your crafty cleaning tips here, or send me links to other blog posts on the topic either in the comments or by tagging it as "for:simplyla" on delicious.

Updates

* Mary's Jewelry shop on Etsy is offering the 10% discount through the end of January...

* You can still comment on this or other January posts for a chance to win a pair of Layla Legs...

* I've just begun my new blog, Simply Lori Ann, and would love some initial comments. I'll be blogging there Saturdays and sticking to twice a week here at SimpleMakes.