Have you ever thought about how you can use your creative side for the good of the planet? Today I want to talk a little about sustainable sewing. If you’re not familiar with the concept, it’s defined as sewing in a way that leaves a minimal impact on the planet. A few examples include using eco friendly materials, reusing old textiles, and doing projects designed to be scrappy, thus using up extra scraps and reducing the amount of fabric wasted. Basically, reuse, recycle, and use what you’ve already got in your stash instead of buying more.

Personally, I like to flex my sustainable sewing skills with projects for reusable items, designed to replace things we would normally use once and then throw away. Recently, I discovered a fabulous article in a back issue of my favorite Better Homes & Gardens publication, American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine – April 2022 – Issue 175 that had some great ideas on this exact topic. The article features several different project ideas for products that you can make at home rather than having to buy them from the store. For example – makeup removers! I don’t know about you but I go through sometimes two and three a day depending on what’s going on. You can easily replace the store bought version of these by using soft flannel and minky to create washable, reusable pads. Not only do they help reduce waste but they also save you money. I love win-win situations!

Another handy project designed to replace a common household throw-away item is reusable “paper” towels. Most of us are guilty of overusing paper towels in our homes – especially considering that according to drgreen.com, over 3,000 tons of paper towel waste is produced in the U.S. alone every day… And when you really stop and think about how much goes into making a product like that (natural resources, habitat, man hours, etc.), only for us to use it for literally seconds before throwing it to the landfill, sustainable sewing becomes all that much more appealing. Just like the makeup removers, these stylish towels are super easy to make and convenient to use. Soft and absorbent, simply throw them in the washing machine to use them over and over again!

You can find FREE patterns for both the makeup remover pads and reusable towels, PLUS items like cloth napkins, utensil rolls, totes, sandwich and snack bags, reusable gift bags, t-shirt quilts, and more on the American Patchwork & Quilting website by clicking the link below! If you’re planning to dive into these sustainable sewing projects you’re probably going to need some super nice flannel to get the job done. For mine I’m using my latest flannel collection, “Lakeside Gatherings.” This line of super soft flannels is a refreshing collection of blues, tans, and creams that are sure to fit the bill for winter and summer projects alike.Love it? If the answer is yes you’ll be excited to know that “Lakeside Gatherings” pre-cuts, project kits, and project book are all available to pre-order now until March 19th, 2023! Not only will you be one of the first to get your hands on this coveted new collection when it arrives, but if you pre-order by March 19th, 2023 you’ll get 20% OFF pre-cuts (sorry, this offer does NOT include yardage)!!!

Our final order for “Lakeside Gatherings“ inventory is due into Moda by the end of the day on March 19th, 2023 so if you’re thinking about stocking up, don’t wait! After that, the ship will have sailed and we will not be able to discount the line any longer.

For those of you who are interested in making these sustainable sewing projects but think you may need a little guidance when it comes to finishing the edges, heads up! My friend Bernina Barb and I put together a little tutorial video on how easy it is to complete the edges on both the makeup remover pads and the reusable towels using your serger. Or, if you don’t have your own serger but are thinking of purchasing one, she gives you a little sneak peek at the coveted Bernina L 890 – Bernina’s premier serging machine. Barb will show you just how easy it is to use this fantastic and magical machine to get the perfect edges we all want. Watch it by clicking HERE!

If you haven’t heard about the Bernina L 890, let me tell you just how great it is. First of all, the L 890 is the first Bernina overlocker to come with a color computerized touch screen navigation system, complete with a super slick feature that teaches you how to use it with helpful built-in tutorials and animations. This “Combo Machine” can create three unique stitch groups including all your standard serger stitches, combo stitches, and cover stitches. It includes 27 built-in pre-programmed stitches, and room for 100 custom stitch designs in the “Personal Memory” feature for you to create and save your own stitch settings. How cool!

The Bernina L 890 is perfectly suited for working with all types of fabrics, including knits as well as wovens. It comes with many features designed to make your sewing experience as easy and painless as possible, like the exclusive Bernina one-step Air Threader for instance. This feature helps you to thread your machine in one simple step by magically moving it through the machine using the foot control, allowing both hands to remain free. The L 890 automatically sets the loopers in the correct position for the air threader – no turning the hand wheel or searching for the right position needed. Simply press the foot control and you’re off! Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? I also love the way that by pressing the foot control with your heel, you can effortlessly raise or lower the needle by a half stitch. The Bernina Free Hand System lets you raise and lower the presser foot with your knee, leaving both your hands free to guide the fabric.

I really can’t say enough great things about the Bernina L 890. I mean, you can read all the articles and five star reviews you want, but in order to really get a feel for what this machine can do, you’re better off taking one for a “test drive” in person rather solely going off the opinions of others. In fact, if you’re seriously curious about the L 890 and close enough to pay us a visit, I invite you to stop by our new Bernina storefront here at Primitive Gatherings, where Luke and crew have many machines for you to try before you buy. Not to mention, now is a great time to be shopping for a new Bernina because now through March 31st, 2023 Bernina is offering 20% OFF all Bernina machines including sewing, embroidery, quilting, and sergers! As if that wasn’t a sweet enough deal, Bernina is also offering 0% interest for 60 months on in-store purchases of $3,000 or more March 10th – 14th, 2023 (terms and conditions apply – please call Luke at 920.778.8035 for more information)!

Boy, there are always so many great things going on here at PG it’s hard to keep it all straight sometimes. That’s why I really enjoy it when my crew joins me LIVE during STITCH with Lisa Bongean… It’s just so much easier to let them do the talking when it comes to the things they specialize in. Tune in tomorrow to hear Luke talk more about all the exciting things happening in our Bernina department, along with our weekly chat with Vickie from the shop, upcoming events at The Gathering from Gloria, and an update on the latest from Shelley. Set your reminder now for 1:00 p.m. CST so you don’t miss it. Have a wonderful evening everyone. See you tomorrow at 1:00! ~Lisa

P.S. Have any questions for Luke about Bernina or the L 890? Hop on early and post them in the LIVE chat before the show. We will do our best to answer them on air!